Hello, runners and walkers! Although I participated in Portland Fit last year some of you who know the Clearwater Clinic team well, may not know me. So I thought I would introduce myself and start a conversation.

In general I consider myself a family physician, interested in just about everything to do with the whole health of a person, and even the whole health of a family. I also have a specialized interest in nutrition, sport's medicine, endocrinology, and women's health. Clearwater is a full service clinic, so I do everything from ordering blood work, to performing annual gyn exams to assessing body fat and (very important for runners and walkers) doing VO2 testing. My goal is to get to the root of the problem.

For example, many Portland fitters come to see me about weight loss. But body fat testing and a detailed diet plan is only the start of addressing that complex problem. I have found that many people who are trying to lose the weight but not succeeding are having road blocks because of hormonal issues. I am the kind of physician who might recommend blood and saliva testing to determine any underlying hormonal imbalances.

A great bonus of Portland Fit is that participants have access to medical advice to help them achieve their goals. I suggest you take advantage of this opportunity but here’s another tip—if you come up and introduce yourself to me and the rest of the doctors at the Clearwater tent, then when we see your posts we’ll be able to do an even better job, whether it is related to sports medicine or not. Now that I’ve introduced myself, come introduce yourself to me.

Dr. Lindsey Nelson