This month, we're chatting with the one and onlyĀ Dr. Nadia Musavvir,Ā a licensed naturopathic doctor based in Southern California. She offers concierge house/office calls, virtual consults or in-person visits at herĀ Beverly HillsĀ office.
--------------
OK Doctor! Congrats on yourĀ AllureĀ feature this month! šLet's take it from the top-Ā tell us about yourself, your background, and how you ended up running your own practice!Ā
Dr. Nadia: My educational background before medicine was in kinesiology and nutrition (and before that, makeup artist!) That said, when deciding what to do after graduating, I didnāt want to become a dietitian because it just didnāt appeal to me. I had always been raised with a more holistic approach.Ā
šµš°š²š½Being Pakistani and Mexican, I was fortunate that I had a lot of tried-and-trueĀ botanical wisdom passed on to me from both cultures, so taking prescription medications/pharmaceuticals was a last resort. As such, I regularly took herbs, andĀ I went to acupuncturists in lieu of conventional doctors.Ā
During my final year of undergrad, I learned of a school that offered a doctorate of naturopathic medicine where I would learn about nutrition in a holistic manner. This meant learning acupuncture, homeopathy, botanical medicine, acupuncture AND medicine. I knew that was the route that would be perfect for me.
As far as running my own practice ā it felt like it was my only option with the way I envisioned practicing. That said, going back to that slight stint as a makeup artist and beauty advisor with LancĆ“me before ever entertaining a career in medicine was very key in my journey because I learned of my obsession with skin (and that I hated doing makeup for others lol).
I remember wondering: why did some people have perfect flawless skin, and others not, yet both were using the same products? Why were some people exhibiting incredible results upon starting a topical regimen I would sell them and others not?
I knew there had to be more than was meeting the eye; there was a connection between everything going on within our bodies and what was visible on the outside.
During my medical career, my goal was to connect the two and empower people to address the issues going on inside first, in order to have the effect they wanted on the outside.
And I didnāt want to do this while giving facials or sticking to cookie cutter trend protocols; so really the only option was to do this myself.
Q: What's your relationship with social media? š±
Dr. Nadia: Love / hate.
I love being able to connect with new people and brands and be able to educate, but itās also such a slippery slope when you get into comparison and feel the need to constantly be active to feel viable.
Itās a great tool, no doubt, but as with everything, its use should be balanced.
Q: When your schedule is packed and things are crazy, how do you decompress at night? How do you quiet down all those squirrely thoughts in your brain?
Dr. Nadia: I put my computer away, have my relaxing drink (tea, herbs, magnesium) and keep my planner or notepad near me to write down any of these thoughts. Then I leave it on the table.
Kind of my way of saying, āIām putting this all here, and not taking it with me to bedā ā Note: Way easier said than done!
Q: So many things happen in one day in the life of Dr. Nadia so take us through your wind-down routine please!
Dr. Nadia: I try to start my winding down process around 9 / 9:30, I put my computer away (phone usually is a bit later... oops) and I drink either a calming tea, herbal concoction or magnesium drink to signal to my body that itās time to relax.
I turn off some of the lights and light some candles ā something about the flickering shadows is so relaxing to me. Once my drink is finished, I wash my face ā double cleanse! and then use my jade gua sha to facilitate lymphatic drainage and release any tension from the muscles in my face (a surprising place we often hold tension which also accelerates signs of aging!) And you should know my favorite oil to do this with is Midnight Shift ā itās SO soothing, especially as Iām releasing tension.
I then apply the rest of my skincare routine, leave my phone in the kitchen and go to bed.
Q: What does your morning routine look like?Ā ā
šI like to start mornings with hot water and lemon, but before that I tongue scrape and oil pull. I know itās not very glamorous but itās such a key for oral and digestive health so while the water is heating up,
I do that and oil pull for about 10 min. Prepare my water. Then sit quietly and breathe, pray, and journal.
Then I jumprope to get blood circulating. Once all that is done, I get my coffee going... if itās mask day, I put on a mask and then check my phone, check emails, etc.
Do you have any IG community crushes? What brightens up your feed?
Dr. Nadia: @lalahdelia @elephanthournal @livetinted
š„QUICKFIREĀ š„
My ideal # of hours of sleep is: 8
But in reality, I actually get: 6.5 - 7
How many pillows: 1
AM or PM?: AM
Nightcap?: wine occasionally
Bad sleep habit: I drink my teas too close to bedtime lol
Good sleep habit: I keep my phone out of the room
Can't sleep with: fans! ..weird thing with drafts
Side/back/stomach sleeper: sideĀ š
Your Mantra: Trust the process
Go-to Breakfast: eggs or quinoa (prepared like oats)