Holistic Family Medicine

09/04/2025

https://www.healthwealthcenter.org/post/from-campfires-to-cortisol-discovering-the-heart-of-inner-calm

A philosopher once said peace was found in the laugh of a grandmother, not the frown of a sage. I’ve found the same in my own life—not on a meditation cushion, but in campfires with friends, holding newborns, and listening to my children’s laughter. As a family physician, I also know this isn....

07/05/2025

I’ve officially retired from distance running—no more pancake-flat, weak glutes. The era of slow jogs and sad spaghetti chicken legs is over. I’m now a sprinter on a mission to resurrect the Savage, build a Greek god Usain Bolt-type body, and never be mistaken for a cross-country runner again. My secret weapon? ElliptiGO rides that melt fat like lava, heavy-ass weights that wake up my glutes from a 20-year nap, and track repeats so violent they leave scorch marks. Stay tuned for the transformation—I’m going from endurance distance monk to resurrecting a fast-twitch sprint monster, and the glute games have just begun. 😂💪🔥

05/02/2025

Super proud of our team!

04/26/2025

Wellness isn’t just something we teach — it’s something we live. 💯 We Be Healthy, Staying Spiritually Wealthy.
Grateful for the Holistic Family Medicine team running strong at the Corporate Challenge 5K! Eugene Marathon weekend is epic and the Spring energy is in the air. Looking forward to running the double stack challenge and being part of the 1/2 Marathon race tomorrow morning!

03/06/2025

https://www.drorestesg.com/blog/the-art-of-being-broken-and-beautiful

There is an ancient Japanese art called Kintsugi—the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold. The philosophy is simple yet profound: the cracks are not flaws to be hidden, but wounds to be honored. Instead of discarding the shattered, Kintsugi turns the broken into something more valuable t...

03/01/2025

Feeling Good!

01/12/2025

01/12/2025

https://www.drorestesg.com/blog/the-illusion-of-your-2025-new-years-resolution-

Click on the link at the top of the article to listen to my latest Podcast on a fascinating subject. Enjoy!

What if achieving your New Year’s resolution wasn’t the path to happiness, but rather a detour into stress and self-sabotage? Dr. Orestes Gutierrez, a renowned osteopathic physician and expert in holistic health, is here to share a revolutionary approach to goals. Drawing on both ancient wisdom ...

12/01/2024

The Healing Power of Pets and the Call to Action from the Movie Wicked!

I saw the movie Wicked this weekend with my family, and it reminded me of a patient I once cared for named Sam. Sam had been through a terrible loss and was struggling to find hope. But by his side was Lily, a rescued dog with gentle eyes that seemed to understand his pain. Her wagging tail wasn’t just happy—it was her way of saying, "I’m here for you." Have you ever experienced that unconditional love from a companion animal? It's so special and healing...

Lily didn’t just stay by Sam’s side; she helped heal him in ways no medicine could. Every morning, she nudged him to get up and walk, forcing him to move forward, both literally and emotionally. Brushing her fur became soothing, and her calm presence helped him sleep. Lily’s love brought Sam back to life, showing him that healing can come from the simplest acts of care and connection.

Science backs up what Sam experienced. Pet therapy has been proven to lower stress hormones and boost oxytocin, the “love hormone” that helps us feel connected. Therapy dogs are used in hospitals to calm children, ease PTSD in veterans, and even encourage stroke patients to regain movement. Dogs love unconditionally, breaking down barriers that words often can’t.

Sam’s bond with Lily reminded me of the message in Wicked. Just as Elphaba, the “wicked witch,” was misunderstood, so too are many animals who suffer simply because they can’t speak for themselves. Billions of animals endure cruelty in factory farms, labs, and other industries every year. Like Elphaba, they are labeled as less important, even though they feel joy and pain just like us.

Wicked asks, “Are people born wicked, or do they learn it?” Perhaps it’s time to unlearn cruelty and choose compassion instead. By eating plant-based foods, supporting sanctuaries, and speaking up for animal rights, we can create a kinder world.

As Lily lay at Sam’s feet, she reminded him—and me—that love and care aren’t just for people and pets. They’re for every being. Together, we can ensure no one, human or animal, suffers alone or unfairly.

11/29/2024

Food is Sacred Medicine!

For thousands of years, food was more than mere sustenance. It was medicine, ritual, and a sacred connection between humanity and the divine. Across cultures, food symbolized life itself, a source of healing that nourished not just the body but the soul. Ancient systems like Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Indigenous herbalism treated food as a bridge between the Earth’s wisdom and human well-being. What we consumed wasn’t just fuel—it was a sacred act, infused with intention and gratitude.

Somewhere along the way, this understanding faded. In our pursuit of convenience and industrial efficiency, food lost its essence. Wheat fields that once shimmered with vitality were processed into lifeless powders. Bright vegetables, full of nutrients and energy, became canned and preserved until they resembled nothing of their original form. Healing herbs were replaced with synthetic medications. What was once sacred became sterile.

Yet this story isn’t over. The beauty of food as medicine lies in its accessibility. We don’t need complicated solutions to reclaim its power—we simply need to return to nature. Each meal is an opportunity to reconnect with the Earth, honor the body, and heal from the inside out. When we approach food as sacred medicine, we transform not just our health but our entire relationship with life.

In ancient times, food was seen as alive, carrying the energy of the sun, soil, and rain. Consuming it was a sacred exchange, a way to align the body’s rhythms with those of nature. Modern science has now confirmed what these traditions understood: food has the power to heal.

In my own life, I’ve found that the simple act of preparing a meal can be transformative. Washing kale becomes a moment of mindfulness, feeling the cool water and the texture of the leaves. Slicing a tomato reveals its perfect geometry, a reminder of nature’s design. Even sitting down to eat can become an act of gratitude, a pause to thank the universe for providing what I need to thrive.

11/29/2024

A Message from Saint Francis on Black Friday

On my recent trip to Italy, I visited many grand churches adorned with precious stones, shimmering gold, and intricate frescoes. Yet, it was a humble cave in the mountains, with a bed of rocks where Saint Francis once slept, that struck me most profoundly. This austere retreat—far removed from the wealth of cathedrals—radiated a sacred energy. For Francis, his cathedral was Mother Nature herself, whose beauty, woven into every sunrise and rustling leaf, was unsurpassed. Standing there, I felt his timeless wisdom resonate deeply.

In today’s world, especially on Black Friday—a day of endless consumerism—Francis’s life offers a counter-narrative. Born into wealth, he rejected materialism, embracing radical simplicity. For him, joy was found not in possessions but in letting go, aligning with nature’s rhythms and spiritual truths. He called the sun “Brother,” the moon “Sister,” and the earth “Mother,” reflecting his mystical understanding of life’s interconnectedness.

Francis’s teachings extend beyond spirituality; they illuminate a path to health and well-being. His reverence for simplicity offers profound lessons for a society burdened by overconsumption. Modern science affirms that mindfulness, gratitude, and time spent in nature—principles Francis lived by—promote physical and emotional health. As Seneca wisely observed, “Man is poor, not he who has little, but he who hankers after more.” Saint Francis embodied this truth, showing that true wealth lies in simplicity and contentment.

His compassion extended to all beings. Francis famously tamed a ferocious wolf through kindness, seeing it as a misunderstood brother. For Francis, every creature reflected the divine, and his life demonstrated that harmony with nature is essential to the soul’s joy. Legend has it he gave sermons to the birds in the ancient forest because he knew we are all one.

Standing in his cave, I understood that Francis’s teachings are not relics of the past but essential guidance for today. On this Black Friday, may we remember his wisdom, choosing simplicity and spiritual abundance to nourish both body and soul.

11/27/2024

The Laocoön Group, a stunning Hellenistic sculpture, captures a moment of profound struggle. Laocoön, a Trojan priest, and his two sons writhe in agony as serpents sent by the gods coil around them—a punishment for warning the Trojans about the Greeks' wooden horse. Their fate was sealed—not by choice, but by forces beyond their control. In the marble, you see destiny: unyielding, crushing, inevitable.

Today, as I stood before Giordano Bruno’s statue in Rome, I thought about how 25 years ago, in college, I read Acentric Labyrinth. That book opened my eyes to Bruno’s defiant ideas. And now, here I was, face-to-face with the man immortalized in bronze—a man who lived and died for the belief that you are not just a pawn of destiny.

Bruno might have seen himself in Laocoön’s struggle, but he believed something different. To him, the serpents weren’t mythological—they were the Church, the dogmas, and the social masks that suffocate your spark. But Bruno believed you are not powerless. He taught that the universe is infinite, filled with stars and worlds, and that you have the freedom to shape your own destiny.

For that belief, he paid the ultimate price. Arrested, tortured, and burned at the stake, Bruno refused to recant his ideas. His death seemed like another act of destiny, like the marble serpents closing in. But here’s the paradox: Bruno’s defiance proved free will. He could have bent to his captors and lived. Instead, he chose the flame. His death wasn’t submission—it was a declaration that your freedom is worth everything.

The Laocoön Group and Bruno represent your eternal battle between destiny and free will. One shows a man crushed by forces beyond him; the other, a man who lit a fire by refusing to surrender his truth. Standing there, looking at his statue, I realized that same battle is yours.

The serpents of fate tighten around you when you hide behind masks or bow to fear. But like Bruno, you can choose to shed those masks and embrace the infinite universe within. Your masterpiece isn’t in avoiding the fire—it’s in choosing it.

So, which will you choose?