Illinois Naturopathy
It wasn't until I had my own children that I was confronted with allopathic medicine. When my first child developed eczema, he was only 3 months old. At that time, the only medical treatment options available involved steroids, and I was not at all interested in giving steroids to my new baby boy. It was then that I became especially interested in natural remedies. I began scouring the internet looking for alternatives to heal his eczema. I tried different oils and topical applications but it was not until I addressed diet that the healing occurred. Through simply searching online I read that foods we often react to are detoxed through the skin, and this is often expressed as eczema. Curious, I made one simple change, eliminating wheat from my diet, so when I breastfed my 3 month old, he was no longer exposed to any wheat. His eczema started improving within a few days and was completely gone in 2 weeks!
The start of a journey....
I was astonished. I could not believe that something so simple could bring relief. My son is almost a teenager now and has never had another sign of eczema! Something that could have been with him his whole life, cleared up in a matter of weeks. It was at this realization that I wanted more - I needed to know more about how the body heals. I began to seek out Naturopaths, asking questions and soaking up the knowledge they shared with me. A few years later I decided it was time to become one myself. I began school at Clayton College of Natural Health in 2006, earning my Bachelor's in Holistic Nutrition in 2008. I continued with earning my degree as Doctor of Naturopathy and graduated with Highest Honors in 2010. I started my own practice as soon as I finished school and joined with Leona's Healing Place in Naperville as soon as I graduated. I opened a second office in the Orland Park area in 2014. In March of 2016 I completed my certification in Aromatherapy with Highest Honors. In 2018, I focused on Functional Medicine and continue education in these fields.
Reaching out to others
As I worked with my clients to help them become healthier and address their own concerns, there was one continual problem that many of them faced - affording organic produce. In an effort to make produce more affordable for my clients and community, I started Illinois Organics, a wholesale, organic produce co-op in Naperillve that sold organic produce, eggs, honey and meat at wholesale prices. We were in operation 5 years and happily serviced the area and provided donations as well to those in need. Thankfully, organic produce has become more available over the years, as more and more people have purchased and demanded them from stores we will continue to see healthier choices!
Holistic health care for the whole family
About Kim Schiffer, ND
Why I became a Naturopath
I was raised in a far northern suburb of Chicago, in a small town where I was hardly sick, visiting a doctor and taking medication only when I became very ill, which thankfully, was not often. My parents taught me to eat fairly healthy (at least compared to your SAD) and I kept on the path of staying healthy by eating right.