This February marks the beginning of the Health Matters 2013 lecture series hosted by the Fresno County Public Library. Since moving to California from Washington, I am often asked, “What is a naturopathic doctor? Is that like an acupuncturist? Can you prescribe antibiotics if I needed them?” Well, the first lecture in the series answered just that! The presentation addressed “What is holistic medicine and what do naturopathic doctors do?” In short, naturopathic doctors are licensed to provide holistic primary care medicine while honoring principles to do no harm, treat the whole person and use less invasive (more natural) treatments before using stronger treatments with unwanted side effects. We don’t generally offer acupuncture (but we could if we pursued additional training and licensure). And yes, we can prescribe pharmaceutical medications when necessary! If you missed the lecture, feel free to visit our Facebook page and ask any questions you may have about the lecture series. See you next month for a presentation on childhood vaccinations!