Exploring Life & Business with Heather Simmons of Naturopathic Longevity Centre

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Simmons.

Heather, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Everyone has a story that is unique. Mine is no different. Medicine came to find me, not the other way around. My husband and I were in the mortgage business in 2007-2008 during the crash. We had been in the industry since 2001 and he is still in it 21 years later. When the market crash hit, one of us had to leave the industry if we were going to be able to pay the bills, so I chose to be the one to leave. At the time his father, Dr. Dean F. Simmons, DC, was looking for an assistant in his chiropractic practice. I interviewed thinking it would only be a 1-2 years gig… it ended up being over 7 years. In 2009, his dad and I started working with a nutriceutical company based in Seattle, teaching seminars weekly and biweekly regarding the nutrition of anti-aging medicine. Between working for Dr. Dean and teaching seminars, I was gaining a working knowledge of biomechanics and biochemistry of the aging body. At the same time, my husband became very sick with everything.

Doctors kept telling him he had allergies, but looking at him you could tell he was dying. He went from healthy to walking death within a month. That’s when I started my journey into naturopathic and alternative medical options. Convention had no answers. I’d work all day, teach 2 nights a week and spend the rest of my time learning to read the medical literature to help my husband. Eventually, my father-in-law started sending patients to me regarding their health and given I wasn’t licensed, this became problematic. I was in my early 40’s so I was very resistant to considering medical school, I tried to fight to try to not go for 3 years because I knew it would take years to get out. I knew it would be close to an 8-year journey, and it was. I chose naturopathic medicine because, in licensed states like Arizona, I would be properly trained as a general practitioner in an accredited medical institution in addition to being trained in the alternative, more natural medical treatment options. Today, I am a licensed naturopathic medical doctor in the state of Arizona specializing in longevity medicine – “keeping aging people younger and longer”.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Haha! Not at all! At times the road was smooth, but most of the time it was like 4-wheeling… over boulders… in the mountains… surrounded by cliffs on every side. There were many times I felt like quitting, but I knew I was being “called” to this journey. In those moments, I would think of some of the patients from the chiropractic clinic, knowing they needed help they weren’t getting, and then I’d press through.

Besides the gross challenges associated with medical school and starting a practice I lost 2 parents over the last 8 years and my father-in-law, who were such a massive influence on me. In addition, I moved my mom to Arizona from Washington State. You know, life goes on in the midst of your journey, dreams, and goals, and you just have to take a deep breath, realize you’re going to be fine, and push through. What other option is there? Quitting isn’t an option for me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Naturopathic Longevity Centre?
Arizona is one of the states that has a broad scope of practice for naturopathic physicians. Ultimately, I went back to my first love of supporting metabolic aging in the space of anti-aging medicine – how the body ages from the inside out rather than simply addressing the outside. Don’t get me wrong, the world of aesthetic anti-aging medicine is amazing, and I am a huge advocate, but if you look good, but feel horrible, what’s the point? That’s not living your best life. The health side of one’s best life should include more vital energy, increased ability to repair at all levels from the smallest of cells to the body as a whole, maximize lean muscle, and the ability to “burn” fat like you did when you were in your 20’s and 30’s. Typically, aging slows us down and we succumb to the edict of “I’m just getting old”. We don’t do “old” at Naturopathic Longevity Centre. Research shows we don’t have to settle for that. We can have more vital energy, joint comfort and flexibility, mental clarity and sharpness of mind, and manage stress so we aren’t mentally cloudy, fatigued, or weak. I take a more detailed, comprehensive approach with my patients. The goal is to keep things simple, but measurably effective.

Naturopathic Longevity Centre is focused on just that…longevity. At NLC we take a whole body/whole life approach to health. In addition to supporting a healthy lifestyle, we offer general medicine, bioidentical hormones, peptide therapies, custom IV nutrition and immune support, and physical medicine. We want people to keep up with their kids and grandkids. We want the kids and grandkids of our patients to be the envy of their friends – parents, and grandparents who are “cool”, “awesome”, and “so much fun” – walking examples of defying the meaning of “old”.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As far as books go, I stick to the classics like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Carnegie as well as anything written by John Maxwell or Zig Zigler. How to communicate with people person-to-person is becoming a lost art these days. In the midst of exciting technology, we can’t forget we are still people with feelings, insecurities, dreams, and goals. I feel it’s imperative to hone our social grace and people skills in order to inspire people to live their best life. I love the podcast Jeremy Scott Fitness.

Jeremy covers so many practical things that I would normally have to teach patients. When it comes to health, he and I are often functioning on the same wavelength. Finally, I’m a big dreamer, a futurist according to the book “StrengthsFinder 2.0”, so my perfect, quiet, brainless night is often browsing Houzz or Pinterest building my dream home.

Pricing:

• $329 – New Patient 90-min consult
• $199 – Comprehensive Body Comp Analysis
• $59 – Vital Detox/Immune IV
• $49 – Vital Energy shot
• Telemed – varies

Contact Info:

• Website: nlcvitality.com
• Instagram: @drheathersimmons
• Facebook: drheathersimmons

Image Credits
Jennifer Bowen Photography and Elvia Gotcher Photography