At age 35 and feeling healthier now than ever before, Cathy Wong, N.D., C.N.S., naturopathic doctor, nutritionist, mother, and the About.com guide to Alternative Medicine, has published her first book - The Inside Out Diet: 4 Weeks to Natural Weight Loss, Total Body Health, and Radiance.
Why did you become a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist?
In my last year of college, I was planning to do a doctorate in clinical psychology, but in my spare time, I started learning about naturopathy, acupuncture and nutrition. It made so much sense. These gentle therapies address the underlying problem and help people feel better, rather than worse. I met people who had been helped when nothing else had worked. It also helped me improve my own health. After several months, I knew this was the right career for me and I cancelled my psychology admissions interviews. I haven’t looked back since.
I graduated from the University of Toronto and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. I also completed a two year internship in acupuncture.
Being the daughter of a Chinese father and a Korean mother, were you influenced by Eastern medicine’s benefits?
Certainly. I grew up knowing about Chinese medicine and acupuncture. My mom would say, “Here, take this,” but I didn’t understand its intricacies. I had some basic exposure.
How long have you been the guide to the Alternative Medicine section of About.com?
I've been writing for About.com since 2000.
What will The Inside Out Diet do that no other diet can?
A lot of diets can help people shed weight temporarily. But it doesn’t last and in the meantime people don’t feel good. They may be skinnier but they don’t feel or look healthy. That’s because when weight is shed, fat-soluble chemicals are released into the body. This makes you feel worse, interferes with hormone balance, metabolism, and actually impedes your ability to lose weight. That’s why you hit the plateau and the cravings and weight come back.
Article comments
1 - Greg Brynelson
DETOXING "DETOX"
Being a registered nurse, and Rolfing practitioner I am an advocate for weight loss and healthy habits in general. However, I am always skeptical of practitioners promoting "detox" as a quick way to get healthy. It seems "detox" is a catch-all phrase for making healthy shifts in eating, or doing a low calorie fast (like the lemon juice/maple syrup one). However, it has very little basis in the Western medicine approach.
Detox is really a misnomer. We all poses kidneys, intestines, and a liver. When these organs function properly, our body rids itself of waste. The idea that my adipose tissue (fat) holds onto all these creepy/garbage like chemicals offends my critical thinking abilities. Nothing in this interview convinced me that this book isn't just riding the wave of "detox" frenzy - largely promoted in the yogic and naturopathic community, making up stories about things that don't exist.
Why don't we just fess up and call it eating healthy and getting exercise? I would've appreciated more discussion around the book's premise with "detox" - b/c I've seen it so misused in alternative healthcare today.
Thanks!
2 - Kristina Taylor
Detoxifying one's body is not another health fad as the OC has implied. There is a growing body of scientifically grounded information available, all one needs to do is simply research. More informal "evidence" denoting the favorable outcomes of said approach to health is also available and has been for centuries. ;) Yes, western medicine is slow to appreciate the benefits of detoxification and it's vital role in aiding the body's innate ability to heal itself. Maybe that's why so many people are busy searching the the internet for information on natural medicine.
After having acquired in advanced degree in the sciences, and as a current M3 student, I can say in full knowledge that toxins and metabolic waste that cannot be removed from our bodies are stored in the liver AND in adipose tissue. This toxic overload may be the reason why conventional weight loss efforts do not work for some people. Furthermore, this is why detoxifying is often highly effective in achieving weight loss.
3 - Martin
I have struggled myself for years with all kind of diets: Atkins, low carb, low calorie, you name it. I could lose weight and keep myself thin only until I changed my habits. I use to sleep 4-5 hours, I had large dinners, drank a lot of sodas. Once I was to fat I got to a strict diet, I could lose some weight, and within 3 to 6 month I got the weight back and may be a year later I was heavier. What finally help me: avoid processed meals, I felt great, I was able to sleep 7 hour every night. I had less hunger and I had more energy. I still struggle with the portions and I miss burritos, but my health is my top priority. My kids are small and they need a healthy father.