When Holistic Becomes Conventional: Rethinking Naturopathic Medicine with Dr. Alex Orton

About this episode

Dr. Alex Orton discusses the evolution of naturopathic medicine and its shift towards conventional practices.

Has modern naturopathic medicine lost its way? In this episode of Rooted in Resilience , we sit down with Dr. Alex Orton to explore an uncomfortable but important question: as naturopathic medicine has grown in popularity, has it quietly begun to resemble the very conventional system it once sought to challenge? Dr. Orton shares his personal journey into naturopathic medicine, which began after his own health crisis in college. What started as panic attacks and poor lifestyle habits ultimately led him to discover the powerful impact of nutrition, sunlight, meditation, and foundational health practices, and to pursue a career rooted in holistic healing. Together, we unpack common misconceptions around naturopathic and functional medicine, including the assumption that “holistic” automatically means whole-person care. Dr. Orton describes the naturopathic landscape as a kind of “Wild West,” where differing philosophies can leave patients confused and overwhelmed. He also highlights a concerning shift toward lab-driven, supplement-heavy approaches, what he calls “green allopathy”, and explains why this mindset can miss the body’s innate healing intelligence. At the heart of this…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ashley Armstrong, Sarah Armstrong

Guest: Dr. Alex Orton

Topics covered

• naturopathic medicine
• holistic healing
• vitalism
• functional medicine
• health crisis
• nutrition

Keywords

• naturopathic medicine
• holistic health
• green allopathy
• vitalism
• nutrition
• mental health
• foundational health

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