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Dr. Alexia Harris is a licensed naturopathic physician who has a special interest in clinical nutrition, detoxification, and weight management. She supports a general practice with a focus on weight management, hormonal imbalances, skin health, allergies, digestive health and gastrointestinal disease. She holds certifications in acupuncture, intravenous therapies, injection therapies and prescriptive authority. Using an integrative approach to medicine, she offers individualized treatment protocols using one or more of the following modalities:
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Dr. Harris has always been fascinated in human physiology and how the body functions as a complex integration of physical, mental, emotional and energetic components. Her practice is centred around this concept as she focuses on treating the whole person by gathering a comprehensive health history and focusing on treating the underlying causes of disease.
Through years of academic, clinical and personal experience, she understands that the body is designed to heal itself naturally when provided with the right environment. Her work is all about guiding her patients to discover this incredible healing potential by removing any obstacles to health, detoxifying and nourishing the body, reestablishing a balanced system, and supporting the body-mind and spirit. Ultimately her goal is to educate and empower her patients to take charge of their own health so they can start feeling better and experience optimal wellbeing.
Dr. Harris has experience treating the following acute and chronic conditions:
- Digestive Health & Gastrointestinal Disease (Gas and Bloating, Constipation, Heartburn/Acid Reflux, Food Sensitivities, Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, Candida, H. pylori, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Parasite Infections).
- Skin Health (Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea, Fungal Infections, Hives, Shingles, and other types of Dermatitis).
- Nervous System Disorders (Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Adrenal Exhaustion and Stress-Induced Illness, Headaches/Migraines, Neurotransmitter Imbalances).
- Metabolic Ailments (Weight Management, Thyroid Imbalances, Type 2 Diabetes, Blood Sugar Imbalances, Insulin Resistance, High Cholesterol).
- Hormonal Imbalances (Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Menstrual Irregularities, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Menopause, Male and Female Reproductive Hormone Imbalances, Adrenal Exhaustion, Low Thyroid Function).
- Immune Dysfunction (Asthma, Allergies, Autoimmune Diseases, Acute and Chronic Infections such as Colds and Flus, Sinusitis, Cough, Chronic Epstein Barr Virus and other Chronic Viral Infections).
- Environmental Toxicity (Detoxification, Mold Exposure, Heavy Metal Toxicity, Environmental Allergies and Endocrine Disorders).
Her Story:
Born in Switzerland, Dr. Harris spent the early years of her life immersed in the Swiss French culture before moving to Canada with her family. Being surrounded by mountains and a beautiful landscape, she quickly developed a love for nature. Based on her fond memories of picking mushrooms in the forest, eating wild berries in the mountains and falling into patches of stinging nettles, her fascination with medicinal plants began at an early age.
With a pastry chef father and a family in the food industry, Dr. Harris has always loved spending time in the kitchen learning about various types of European cuisine and developed a great appreciation for the health benefits of eating a whole-foods diet. Overtime, her interest in cooking turned into a passion for plant-based nutrition. Dr. Harris has always been interested in health and fitness, and while spending many years as a competitive swimmer she became more interested in sports nutrition and how it could optimize her athletic performance.
Her academic path began in 2004 at the University of Western Ontario where she studied medical sciences and biology, and graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science. She was working towards a career in medicine and eventually realized that her ultimate goal in life was to follow a path where her healthy lifestyle and profession would be completely aligned. It was her passion for nutrition, medicinal plants, and her understanding of the body’s innate ability to heal that ultimately guided her to pursue a career in naturopathic medicine.
In 2010, Dr. Harris moved to Vancouver, BC and decided to expand her knowledge in nutritional medicine and obtained a diploma in holistic nutrition from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. In 2013, she enrolled at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, BC, where she embarked upon her journey of becoming a naturopathic physician.