Why Community Matters
Local creativity is overflowing in communities as moms, dads, small business owners, nonprofit leaders and volunteers are finding new ways to communicate in this new world of social isolation. Their coping strategies and ingenuity are beyond inspiring!
We are proud to introduce you to these innovators in “Why CommunityMatters”, a series made possible by LIFEWTR.
Meet Dr. Ryan Attar, Naturopathic Physician and Nutritionist from Fairfield.
With the new norm of practicing social distancing, how are you finding creative ways to connect with family and friends?
Social media has been great to connect with friends and family during these times. I participated in several "watch parties" on Facebook, to watch videos with friends. This allows the participants to chat and interact during a synced viewing. Also, another physician who I follow hosted a teleseminar and took questions from his followers. Technology is allowing for really great ways to interact with people, while we all stay safe at home.
Can you tell us if you or any of your colleagues are doing creative things at home to find joy and inspiration?
I'm a Naturopathic Physician and Nutritionist at Connecticut Integrative Medical Center in Fairfield, CT. Due to the precautions we are all taking right now, I am seeing nearly all my patients via phone or video. What's made this easier is the government has just relaxed our HIPAA laws for telemedicine, allowing things like Skype, FaceTime, or Google. In the past special compliant software was needed, now everyday apps are allowed.
Now is a great time to focus on your health, and I've been working with patients via video appointments to do this. For my new patients, I am giving a free 15-minute consultation this way [by video] to try it out. I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from it. I work with patients on things like diabetes, digestive issues/food intolerances, weight loss, high cholesterol, thyroid issues, fatigue, and other things. Preventative health is huge right now, and many have been scheduling with me to see how they can optimize their immune system. I'm happy that I can continue working and helping people during these uncertain times.
Do you know of any local businesses or nonprofits innovating to serve communities during this difficult time?
Gyms have been great during these times! I see so many places innovating to continue to help their clients stay fit and healthy. My own gym, Fit Club, http://www.fitclubct.com, has been doing their group fitness classes via live videos. They've adjusted their workouts to accommodate what people have access to in their houses. I've been doing them every day, and it's been keeping me in shape! Very thankful for this.