Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Yanover.
Hi Marina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my health care training in Ukraine. I finished nursing school in 1991 and worked as a nurse for one year in the Surgical Urology department at the Marine hospital. Concurrently, I studied the art of massage, and received a degree in massage therapy.
I came to the United States in 1992, and in 1993 enrolled in Brooklyn College, a branch of CUNY (City University of New York) where I pursued a premed course of study. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1997. During my college career, I volunteered at local hospitals. It was during this experience that I realized conventional medicine, as practiced in the US, was quite different from the kind of medicine she had become accustomed to in Ukraine. This remarkable contrast in practice philosophies inspired me to become a Naturopathic Physician.
After graduation, I attended the naturopathic medical and acupuncture programs at the distinguished Bastyr University, also known as the “Harvard of natural medicine”, located in Seattle, WA. There I earned dual degrees , an ND (naturopathic doctor) and an MS in acupuncture. I then did my residency at the Griffin Hospital’s Integrative Medicine Center in Connecticut, which I completed in 2003. At Griffin I incorporated alternative medicine as an adjunct to conventional medical treatments. At the same time, I mentored and supervised the clinical training of students at Bridgeport University’s School of Naturopathic Medicine.
In August of 2007, I went to China to receive additional, intensive training in acupuncture at one of Shanghai University’s most elite and highly ranked hospitals.
I settled in Westport Connecticut and have been in private practice here for over 20 years.
Since 2020 I started seeing more patients virtually. This enabled me to help more people who otherwise could not have been able to see me because of geographic location. I currently split my time between seeing local patients in Westport CT, and seeing out of state and international patients virtually.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Throughout my 20th I used to have acne. It seemed like the whole world was looking at my face and I wanted to do anything to clear my skin.
Being from Eastern Europe, I was familiar with a more holistic approach to medicine, and the idea of taking antibiotics, topical creams, or even Accutane to clear my skin, did not appeal to me. Deep inside, I knew that acne could not be caused by bacteria alone, and the source of inflammation had to be coming from somewhere other than the skin. Treating acne symptomatically, without addressing the cause, made no sense. But what was the cause?…
I immigrated to the U. S. at the age of 19. I lived in Brooklyn NY, and at first, the transition was difficult. It meant learning English while simultaneously taking a full program of premed courses. During my college years I was volunteering at the hospitals. I was then frustrated both by its inability to cure my acne, and by the general practice of medicine in the U.S. which treated symptoms not causes. My frustration let me to apply to a different type of medical school, Bastyr University in Seattle Washington, a Naturopathic Medical School.
Sometime in my second year at Bastyr, I discovered through trial and error, and a bit of intuition, that gluten seemed to be causing my acne. Though I tested negative for Celiac disease, still when I stopped eating products with gluten, my acne disappeared. That was around 1997, before the connection between gluten and inflammation was known. Because I achieved my goal of curing my acne and was busily immersed in my medical studies, I didn’t delve deeper into the question of whether gluten was a true cause of acne. I later discovered that in most people acne was caused by both bacteria ( the conventional thought), and by the internal toxicity that builds up in our bodies. Gluten, though not the main cause of inflammation, was an additive factor working in conjunction with the toxic overload. These toxins include heavy metals, pesticides, various chemicals, formaldehydes, as well as the toxic waste of yeast and parasites. Avoidance of gluten helped me reduce the inflammation that the toxic substances were causing, but it did not eliminate them from my body.
One day, while still at Bastyr, I discovered that I was loaded with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. Since my immediate problem (acne) no longer plagued me, and since I did not want to interrupt my active life, I delayed addressing the heavy metal issue for over 10 years.
Time moved on, but the heavy metals remained. When I was trying to get pregnant in my late thirties, the heavy metals were presenting even greater concern. Few unsuccessful attempts of natural conception after the age of 35 were my wake up call. With the biological clock ticking, I finally begun my detoxification protocols. However that same clock rushed me to stop my detoxification protocols prematurely.
I got pregnant. As a result of not completing my detoxification protocols, I developed complications during pregnancy, and had a difficult birth of my twins. I had to stay on bed rest, had elevated liver enzymes, required an emergency C-section, followed by severe blood loss right after the childbirth. I feel that had I done the detoxification protocols in a timely manner, my children’s immune system would have been healthier. I have spent many years afterwards helping my children and myself to get healthier, to detoxify , and to strengthen our immune systems.
With hard work and dedication, I am finally getting where I want to be with my family’s health.
Perhaps my story will inspire you. There is always a way to transform and improve a situation, as long as we are willing to make the effort. Sometimes there is just a lot more work to do if we wait to do it later.
We’ve been impressed with Big Apple Health Center, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a naturopathic physician, licensed in Connecticut, as well as an acupuncturist licensed in both Connecticut and New York State.
I help both adults and children with disorders of the immune system caused by external toxins such as autoimmune conditions, chronic infections such as Lyme disease, Candidiasis, skin disorders such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
I offer a unique caring and patient-focused approach. Each patient is viewed as a unique physical, emotional and spiritual being; with that always in mind, I offer individualized treatments which may include nutritional support, acupuncture, supplementation, herbal preparations, dietary recommendations, craniosacral therapy, counseling, and other modalities known to help restore balance in our bodies.
I developed a pre- conception program called “ Healthy Pregnancy through Nutrition and Acupuncture” which uses the power of nutrition, detoxification, stabilization of the autonomic nervous system, and the insights of both traditional eastern and western medicine to achieve a greater level of health for both mother and child.
I places a great deal of emphasis on nutrition.
My view is that the practice of medicine should seek the cause of problems and not just treat presenting symptoms.
As another modality used in my practice, Acupuncture is a great tool borrowed from an ancient eastern tradition. I use acupuncture to help her patients with stress relief, anxiety, depression, pain, sleep disorders, infertility, and immune enhancement.
Currently I am in private practice in Westport, CT. Westport is a beautiful small town in Fairfield County Connecticut. It is conveniently located only an hour’s drive or ride on Metro North’s New Haven line from both New York City and New Haven, Connecticut.
Additionally I see patients virtually from all over the United States and the world.
When I see a patient I try to see their problems from the inside out. Sometimes things are not the way they seem. In order to help, I need time to investigate to see where the problem originates.
They call me a naturopathic detective. My personal experience led me to choose disorders of the immune system as my specialty. Those include but not limited to chronic infections, autoimmune disorders, allergies, skin problems, and chronic sleep issues. Solving such illnesses requires me to delve deeply into the case, to understand cause and effect, and to connect the dots with the presenting symptoms.
I love my work because when I am able to provide the exact treatment my patients need, and to empower them by teaching how to take care of themselves, they get better. I know then, I was able to help them, and this is my greatest reward.
My visits are long. I make careful observations, take a detailed history, ask questions about your past and present, ask questions related to you illness, and even questions that seem unrelated (but often are related), before determining a treatment protocol. If necessary, I will order laboratory tests, some are common and widely available, others are specialty tests offered by independent laboratories.
I use only finest quality products that are designed to work with your immune system to help you heal.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up in a beautiful city by the black sea. Since elementary school I always wanted to be a doctor. My grandfather died of cancer when I was 9 years old, and since then I was determined to become a doctor to find a cure from this horrible disease.
It was almost impossible to go to medical school back in Ukraine because of political situation and lots of corruption. But my dream became possible when I came to the United States.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bigapplehealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big.apple.health/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinayanover/
