Dr. Jillian Finker’s office in Bellmore, New York, is well thought out. It is specifically located on a strip that doesn’t share space with a dry cleaner or other toxin-producing business. Finker lives the life of a naturopathic doctor and has since she was little.

Finker explains why naturopathic medicine was quite simply “the only choice” for her. “When I was 8 years old, I had terrible asthma and my parents were smart enough not to lead me down the prescription medicine path.” Instead, they took her to a place that offered holistic care. The choice her parents made for her health when she was just a little girl is the same option she wants to offer to others at her Long Island practice.

Finker recently wrote a book, Wellness, Naturally, in which she describes how she and other naturopaths utilize a combination of tools to determine why a person may be ill. The difference between this approach and that of Western medicine is simple: If a patient has migraines and goes to a medical doctor (M.D.), the M.D. may prescribe prescription medicines that treat the migraine pain, but those drugs come with their own side effects. A Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.), on the other hand, may run a blood test and determine that the patient is low on magnesium and that by adding magnesium through diet and supplements, the migraines could be prevented.

Finker feels diet makes up 70 percent of your health and wellness; lifestyle makes up 20 percent; and your genes, 10 percent. An N.D., such as Finker, looks to match your diet and exercise regime to your genetic makeup to help you to live the healthiest, most vibrant life.

The newest edition to Finker’s practice is her full-body thermography machine made by the leader in thermo diagnostics. It is a body-scanning tool that uses the body’s heat to detect abnormalities in the body and is as safe to use as a digital thermometer. When it comes to wellness, Finker wants patients to know, “There is always hope; there are always different tools to help the body, no matter what.”

Dr. Jillian Finker’s office is located at 2308 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore. To schedule an appointment, call516-765-3272.