Tieraona Low Dog

Do they practice what they preach? We ask leading alternative medicine professionals about their daily health regimens.

Tieraona Low Dog, a physician and expert in botanicals and women’s health, has a general practice in Corrales, New Mexico. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of New Mexico and a faculty member at the University of Arizona’s fellowship program in integrative medicine. She was recently appointed a member of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s advisory board.

Q What do you usually eat for breakfast?

A I’m a cereal, yogurt, and fruit kind o’ girl. I like granola or Special K, especially with blueberries or strawberries.

Q What kinds of supplements do you take?

A A daily multivitamin for women by Rainbow Light, plus calcium, because I don’t eat much dairy.

Q What do you typically do for exercise?

A I’m a martial artist—a third-degree black belt in tae kwan do, which I’ve practiced since 1977. I do it two to three times a week, and I also spend 30 minutes on the treadmill every day while watching the news. I feel strongly that people would feel so much better if they just exercised every day!

Q How do you like to wind down at the end of the day?

A I’m already pretty calm most of the time. All day long I have candles burning around me and soft music playing in the background. But if I really want to relax, I take a very long bath. In this country, people spend five minutes in the shower and get out; we don’t have bathing down like the Europeans. For them, it’s a ritual. I lounge in my big, deep bathtub with a bath pillow, candles, and essential oils.

Q Do you have a particular health problem and a favorite alternative approach for treating it?

A Migraines. I’m in my mid-40s, and when I entered perimenopause a few years ago I started having migraines related to my menstrual cycle. My doctor offered me Imitrex, but I wanted to try something non-pharmaceutical first. I started using chaste tree berry (Vitex agnus castus) to regulate my cycle, and it also reduced my migraines. It’s helped enormously.

I also have a secret for immune protection: Wash your hands a lot. I do it ten to 12 times day, and I’m convinced that’s one of the reasons I hardly ever get sick.

Q What’s your view of the future of alternative medicine?

A First, I think there will be a tremendous integration of the best therapies from both mainstream and alternative medicine. It will all just become part of good medicine. If massage helps reduce anxiety in a cancer patient, it’ll be offered. If saw palmetto shrinks an enlarged prostate, a man will be advised to take that just like any other medication.

Second, dietary supplements and health products will be of much higher quality in the next few years, thanks to new regulations coming down the pike. We’ll see more pure ingredients and products that live up to their labels. This will help us make more informed choices about what to try.

Q If you could tell people to do one thing for their health, what would it be?

A The most fundamental thing is to make yourself a priority. Once you do that, you’re more likely to do all the things it takes to stay well. How you go about it will differ for each person, but there are lots of avenues to explore—exercise, diet, aromatherapy, multivitamins, massage, and meditation.

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