Dr. Greg Kelly
1. In honor of your late friend and mentor, Dr. Bill Mitchell, you will be speaking about Differentness. In a culture where we are encouraged towards uniformity, how do you suggest that we embrace our unique qualities and characteristics? How do you feel that Dr. Mitchell exemplified that?

In my experience the first step in embracing our unique qualities and characteristics – our individuality – is recognizing that it is ok that we are not the same as some mythical average person. Society in general, and all of the people we touch with our lives benefit the most when we share with them the unique gifts that only we can share. To me Dr. Mitchell exemplified this in all he did. Anyone who had the good fortune to have him as an instructor (like I had)…or who had an opportunity to be in an audience when he spoke (as again I had on a number of occasions)…and I imagine all of the patients he helped over the decades of his clinical practice…knew one thing with certainty; Dr. Mitchell always served up his unique gifts in a way only he could. I think back to the first time I had him as an instructor and I remember thinking how he was so amazingly knowledgeable while at the same time being so humble. Who else could combine these 2 often contradictory aspects so fluidly? I remember marveling at the way he could explain the evidence base of how an herb or supplement might interact with receptors…enzymes…or some other aspect of our physiology…while at the same time providing a context for the way we, as physical-emotional-spiritual beings, interact in unique ways with the substance and indeed the entire healing process. And, I remember how I always walked away from any interaction, whether as part of a larger group or one-on-one, feeling like he really cared about me. I don’t think it is possible to touch other people and leave them feeling that they are so important and so cared for unless we are showing up in the moment being authentically who we are and sharing as only we can. That Dr. Mitchell touched me this way, and touched all of my friends within Naturopathic medicine in the same way, to me is a testament to his embracing his “Differentness” and making a contribution to others in a way that only he could.

2. In your experience, have you seen an overall change in the public’s attitudes towards natural medicine? Do you feel that people are finally embracing their individuality as it pertains to maintaining their health and fighting disease?

I have definitely seen a big change in the public’s attitudes towards natural medicine. When I compare the early to mid-1990’s (the time period when I was enrolled at SCNM) to today the contrast is sharp. This change has been both in overall awareness and in the growing number of people who are embracing many of the principles that are at the core of natural medicine, and the actions that these principles lead to. In terms of society embracing their individuality I think we have just taken the first baby steps on a long hike. I think it makes intuitive sense to most people that we will get the best results, in terms of promoting our health and reversing disease processes, when we approach health and healing with a focus on individuality. And, in my experience, people are thrilled when (1) efforts are made to understand the way their unique genetics are interacting with their diet/lifestyle/environment, and (2) plans to build better health take these aspects into consideration as the core of an approach to both prevent and reverse disease. So in my experience public resistance to embracing individuality is not the limitation. The biggest limitations are (1) the reluctance of medicine, as a whole, to embrace individuality, (2) the current level of knowledge of how individuality influences health (which to be kind might be said to be in its infancy), and (3) how to make what we do know more widely available to larger segments of the public in a cost-effective manner.

3. Please tell us what you feel Dr. Mitchell’s legacy will be. How has he changed your life and the future of Naturopathic Medicine?

To put Dr. Mitchell’s legacy in perspective I want to share a story about Dr. Mitchell from when I was a student enrolled at SCNM. During my last year Dr. Mitchell flew in to teach us an intensive course in clinical nutrition. This was intended to cover the same course material he would normally teach over an entire semester at Bastyr University. This would have been a really tall order in and of itself. He decided we deserved much more and set about teaching us as much as he could while he was on campus. Come Friday afternoon he still had more knowledge to share so he came in on the weekend, set up video equipment, filmed himself while he presented his nutritional knowledge to an empty room, and then donated these tapes to the library so that we could have the next best thing to him in person. It struck me at the time, and still does, how above and beyond his actual contributions were compared with the task he was asked (and paid) to perform. In a sense this to me symbolizes Dr. Mitchell’s legacy; a legacy of contributions…a commitment to excellence…a humility that transcended his status in the profession…and a caring for the profession that was so deep that it, in a sense, knew no bounds. To me, Dr. Mitchell served as a bridge between the older model of teaching and practicing Naturopathic medicine – a model that relied heavily on a master-apprentice type of relationship – to a new model of systematic evidence based natural medicine as exemplified in today’s Naturopathic Colleges and Universities. But he was a bridge with heart; carrying the heart of the old models into what might have otherwise been a much more sterile new model. In terms of how he has influenced my life, the biggest thing is that Dr. Mitchell serves as reminder of how knowledge and humility are not mutually exclusive…how heart and evidence-based intellectual knowledge can coexist…and how even the most mundane can be ceremonialized and made into something miraculous.

Dr. Walter Crinnion
1. Dr. Crinnion, are the chemicals in our food and our environment actually changing our DNA? How does this happen?

Environmental toxins lead to genetic changes mostly via causing damage to the DNA, called DNA adducts. Such adducts or "hits" to the DNA result in genetic changes that often manifest themselves in the form of cancers. With enough "hits" the cell is unable to reproduce to another healthy breast cell and becomes a cancerous cell. When this new cell line continues to get more "hits" it becomes a more aggressive form of cancer.

2. What can we do to try to avoid polluting our bodies with these toxins and what can we do to try to eliminate the toxins that have already built up in our bodies?

Avoidance of the most commons sources or avenues of pollution can be very effective as a way to keep our toxic loads from increasing. The two avenues that account for most of our exposures, and that are also most in our control are our diets and our indoor home environments. Avoiding the most toxic fruits and vegetables, non-organic sources of meats or dairy, sugars and the high-mercury fish are easy steps to take. We can also reduce our indoor exposures by a number of simple steps as well.

3. What advice would you give to practitioners who suspect that these toxins may be causing their patients’ illnesses?

Most of the time a well-done case history will clearly illuminate many seemingly difficult diagnoses, and show that the problems were clearly caused by environmental overload. Environmental causes, and obstacles to cure, should always be looked for in cases of autoimmunity, chronic neurological problems, asthma and allergies, chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, B-cell malignancies [multiple myeloma, lymphomas, leukemias], and any problem that should continues to defy treatment that should have worked

4. This is the second time that you will be presenting at IfHI, why do you feel that this is an important conference?

IfHI is a unique conference in several ways. IfHI is dedicated to helping change the way medicine is practiced, by changing it from a one-size-fits-all to an individualized approach to medicine. In addition, this conference has a high attendance of both healthcare providers as well as a lot of well-educated and highly motivated lay public. This gives the conference a very exciting feel.