People visit this site daily from all corners of the world – from Canada to India and in between. If not for the World Wide Web, these readers would probably never know about me. The same can be said for my recent discovery of a truly unique individual in the field of integrative medicine, Nancy Onyett, FNP-C.

You may recognize that name as a featured contributor from one of my recent Twitter Thursday columns or perhaps you’re familiar with Nancy’s work as a competitive body builder during the last few decades. As for me, I first became aware of Nancy by way of her compassionate and informative messages on Twitter. Ever since then I’ve learned of her impressive background as a board certified family nurse practitioner with significant experience in dealing with cardiac patients, critical care, internal medicine and pain management.

Nurse Onyett currently heads Pyramid Preventative Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona. The stated goal of her establishment is to “evaluate and determine your functioning age through comprehensive testing and make recommendations for lifestyle change so that you can achieve optimal health and vitality”. I thought we could all benefit from getting to know more about her wellness philosophy.

JP – The name of your practice, Pyramid Preventative Medicine, draws upon the example set forth by the ancient Egyptian culture. Can you please explain how Egyptian history factors into your approach to health care?

Nancy – The ancient Egyptians were a culture very advanced in their methodology to sustaining the afterlife. The richness of their culture allowed them to preserve the afterlife with their pyramids and mummification process but they didn’t have the preventative aging knowledge in medicine that we have today to live younger longer. My approach to health care is to help the patient live in an optimal state of health and well-being through hormone replacement and lifestyle change with nutrition, exercise and stress management.

JP – When a patient comes into your clinic for the first time, what can they expect to find that’s different than at a conventional doctor’s appointment?

Nancy – My office has the decor of Egypt with my competitive bodybuilding pictures. The office is a tranquil, decorative, non-stressful environment. This allows patients to partner in their health care through program development that includes lifestyle changes and hormone replacement. After the traditional history and physical with necessary testing is completed, patients receive a customized Living Younger program with a patient manual.

JP – Hormone management and testing seems to be an important aspect of your overall treatment strategy. How does this differ from traditional hormone replacement therapy?

Nancy – The World Health Initiative 2001 ended early with media scares that hormone therapy caused cancer; this study led to many providers ripping their patients off of the hormones. Over the last 9 years, clinical studies with bioidentical hormones have shown protection against major illnesses and a decreased risk of breast cancer. The bioidentical hormones are “blueprinted” to the estradiol, testosterone and progesterone human molecule whereas the old hormones were synthetic and not human blueprinted. The bioidentical hormones are compounded from soy in customized dosages per patient. They’re titrated in slowly and monitored by blood work to an optimal state of a 20 year old. This is what transforms lives, accompanied with weight loss and nutritional supplementation plans patients are feeling their “WOW” out of life.

JP – You’ve been a competitive bodybuilder since 1991. What role do you think exercise and weight lifting should play in the population at large and for women in particular?

Nancy – I can’t say enough about cardio training and strength training. It is the number one anti-aging protocol. It prevents disease states from the aging process and gives the mental, emotional, and physical attributes of well being. It transforms physiques and instills the mental discipline to encounter life diversities. It instills the knowledge of one’s own body and allows the individual to develop the mental outlook of lifestyle and well being. It produces the attractive toned physique and reinforces positive behavior. One patient testimonial was “I can function and feel younger”. Another testimonial: “I think I am in love again”. Women develop more body fat with each decade of life after 30 years old, so cardio training and strength training is paramount to look and feel their best. Strength training gives 24 hours of fat burning after the session and cardio training gives 4 hours of fat burning. This is why the two types of training are complimentary to each other. As a bodybuilder, I have competed along side of 20 year olds when I am 25 years their senior. The point I am making with this type of training along with nutrition and hormone balance is that the older body stays in a youthful and attractive state. Skin tone is tightened and less wrinkled.

JP – What are the top three things you wish every patient would know so that they could become more empowered about their own health care?

Nancy – 1) The knowledge of how their body works in response to the aging process. 2) The understanding of hormone replacement with their body functioning. 3) How to live younger with a nutrition and exercise program.

JP – What alternative/complementary diagnostic tools and treatment options are you most excited about at the moment?

Nancy – The comprehensive aging testing which includes functional performance, biological age testing through lifestyle and wellness questionnaires, and lastly the bio markers of aging in blood work. I tell patients the comprehensive testing is looking at the whole body, mind, spirit, and physiological functioning to diagnose and treat as a whole with the understanding of why necessary recommendations are given to live younger longer, preventing disease states. The treatment is physiological with hormone replacement, nutrition, exercise training, daily supplements and lastly psycho-physiological with stress management.

JP – I know you volunteer at the Arizona Humane Society helping to find homes for hurt and sick animals. Have you recommended that your patients consider doing the same or similar activities? If so, have you/they noticed any positive health-related changes resulting from the experience?

Nancy – I encourage my patients to give back to the community with whatever interests them. I mention my volunteering at the Humane Society. I feel a sense of humanity when I look upon a frightened or sick animals face and then their peaceful face when they go back to get their “forever home”. Some of my patients do different types of volunteer work and when I ask them how do they feel about it? I get a general theme that “I am there to make a difference in an organization or a person’s life”. They report accomplishment and tranquility. These attributes help to promote wellness in an individual.

I want thank Nancy Onyett for generously sharing her unique perspective and time with us today. If you happen to support the type of treatment program that Nancy practices, please let her know. That kind of encouragement goes a long way.

Be well!

JP