See what I did there? NK would be me – Nat Kringoudis.  Each and everyday we get questions thrown our way from what I floss my teeth with right through to am I a G.P? So I thought I’d take the opportunity to sift through some queries – because what I’ve noticed is, you all seem to ask the same questions (which by the way, I love).  So here goes big nose!

Q.  Where is your clinic?

A.  My clinic is The Pagoda Tree in Albert Park, Melbourne.  We’ve been in practice for in excess of 10 years now and yes, it still feels like yesterday although I’m a tad wiser and I definitely have a few more grey hairs and a couple of extra fine lines.  The clinic has grown to a point where we now have a team of outstanding staff ready to be there for you during your healing journey.  We have a solid group of Chinese Medicine practitioners to suit your own unique needs.  We are a single modality clinic, meaning our specialty is solely Chinese Medicine which we integrate with modern knowledge of herbal medicine.

Q. Are you treating?

A. YES!  I am.  I took a year off last year to really get into writing my book and jumping the speaking circuit.  I’m now back in my beautiful clinic which is so much fun. I am also a mum and of course I’m out and about educating the masses outside my clinic. This means my hours may not suit your availability. That said, I have a phenomenal team of practitioners, hand picked by me because my priority is ensuring my Pagoda Tree patients have their needs met. I love my gorgeous team and am even more elated by what we each bring to the clinic.  Amazing humans.

Q. Do you do remote consultations?

A.  Yes we offer Skype consultations either with myself or again one of my fabulously talented practitioners.  They can easily be arranged simply by contacting the clinic.

Q. Are you a GP?

A.  I’m a Dr of Chinese Medicine – I have studied in excess of 10 years to get to where I am today.  I have a degree in Health Sciences, Herbal Medicine and an Advanced Diploma in Acupuncture.  And then of course the rest – I’ve collected a lot of certificates along the way!

Q.  How does your clinic run?

A. Typically a patients first appointment is to collate as much information as possible about their current health state, to map out a treatment plan, prescribe appropriate supplements along with diet and lifestyle advice and we include acupuncture as part of your first visit, time permitting.  We have a strong philosophy at The Pagoda Tree that less is more.  This may mean that what we initially prescribe you is minimal but most emphasis is placed on what you do outside the clinic rather than whilst you are here.  Typically we follow up appointments 2-4 weekly depending on the situation.

Q. Should I see my GP before I see you?

A. There’s no real necessity to do so. Your GP is a general practitioner, I’m a specialist in naturally balancing hormones with herbal medicine and lifestyle techniques (like diet, mindset and addressing stress).  It’s a bit like taking your car to be serviced at the panel beaters.  That said, running some standard tests can be useful as a bench mark, but generally (and all depending) I will not look too closely into tests – they are a snapshot of a window in time.  They very often don’t actually reflect what’s going on for that reason and are certainly not mine or my team’s point of focus in the way we diagnose and develop your treatment plan.

Q. Who do you see for your health needs?

A.  I have regular chiropractic, I’ve seen my integrative GP once in the last 3 years (that’s just to give you an idea of how regularly I need to visit – that is not at all to brag, but because I like to tackle things from a wholistic perspective).  I utilise acupuncture and herbal medicine as I need to and make sure my diet is full to the brim with wholesome, nutritious food. I find my life is full of incidental movement, play netball and I throw in some pilates and running where I can do add to my healthcare regime. Do I take herbs regularly? No.  I don’t really have a need.  But if something pop’s up, certainly this will be my first point of call.  The last time I took antibiotics, was when I had my tonsils out in 2005.  Before that, It would have been 8.  Everything as needed.

Q. Do I need to watch all of your e-courses?

A.  I firmly believe that each and every woman has the right to understanding her own body and hormones and how they influence her body.  For this reason I think every woman should watch Debunking Ovulation, to not only gain a solid insight into her own health and fertility (remember fertility isn’t just about babies, it is about thriving).  We also talk through cervical cancer, male fertility and sperm health as well as the pill in detail.

Debunking PCOS is designed for ALL women with hormone imbalance – not limited to PCOS.  So think missing periods, irregular periods (also covered in Debunking Ovulation) adrenal fatigue, oestrogen dominance, fertility challenges and so on.  We cover off my 5 steps to overcoming irregular hormones.

And finally Debunking Stress.  This ecourse is for both men and women to understand exactly what stress is (because it is so much more than you might think), what stress does to our bodies, why we need to tackle it head on and of course many, many tips and tricks in overcoming and managing stress.

We have created something to cover almost every need. I am asked frequently so many questions that are answered in these courses.  So do you need to watch them all?  Maybe not – but I know you’d learn something applicable in every single one.

Q. How can I personally ask you a question?

A. I interact a lot via social media and in the comment section here in the blog.  It must be understood that it can be super difficult and potentially dangerous for me to offer specific advise on an individual needs basis having not gone through a thorough consultation with you, but I’m super keen to help you understand your body better and will always try my best to steer you in the right direction if myself or my team can’t treat you.

**Keep an eye out – I’ll be jumping on social media from time to time to specifically answer questions in real time.