Dr. Jonathan Beatty

I graduated in 2003 from with an honours BSc in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Science. I originally started in animal biology and switched to genetics and molecular biology, then to human kinetics, before finally settling on my NANS degree. It was the strength of the professors that brought me into the nutrition program.

Currently I am a man of many hats. I work as a Naturopathic doctor. I have two practices, one where I work with in a multidisciplinary wellness clinic. I provide general family medicine with a focus on sports medicine and environmental medicine. In my second practice I work with an MD in a more specialized role. The second clinic is focused on treating autism, cancer and heart disease.

When I am not in my practices, I am a formulator and educator for Prairie Naturals. Prairie Naturals is a Canadian supplement and body care company. We make products that range from shampoos to multi-vitamins to probiotic gum. This job lets me turn my clinical experience and clinical needs into products that can be used to treat the conditions I see in my office.

I enjoy both of these jobs as they allow me to make meaningful change in the healthcare and lives of other people . I am a big believer in preventive medicine and healthy living as being the change that the world needs to alleviate the growing epidemics of degenerative diseases.

UofG helped me to critically analyze research and understand the impact that diet and environment can have on our health. There were a few courses that really impacted my life and decisions. Nutrition and toxicology, functional foods and nutraceuticals, and metabolic control of disease, were all courses that directed me towards becoming a Naturopath. Being able to balance the hard sciences with courses I found equally important such as medical ethics and critical thinking really helped prepare me for a career in medicine. Guelph offered more than the typical didactic teaching approach, extra labs and interaction with professors helped me to find my direction for post graduate work. I had the opportunity of doing a masters degree in nutrition but decided a career in medicine was more fitting to my wants and personality.

Some of the best parts of UofG were the non-class times. I had a great residence experience in first year and met a great group of friends that I have maintained even after we all graduated. I enjoyed the campus, from the arboretum to the recreational sports teams and classes I took. Guelph has a great and active student culture and I managed to get involved with everything from philosophy clubs to working in the Human Nutraceutical Resource center.

For future and current UofG students I would recommend that they get involved in as much as possible. You only have a short time at University, and the experience is about much more than classes. It is a time to grow as a person (as cliche as this may seem). Only by experiencing the variety of sports, clubs, organizations and other opportunities will you discover new areas of interest and new things to love. You may also discover new things you despise, but that is just as important a reason to experience them. The other piece of advice I have is to take time to get to know your professors and don't be afraid to ask for what you want or to challenge their ideas. Your professors are your equals, just with more knowledge on a specific subject. You may have experiences and ideas that are valuable to them, as much as their knowledge may intimidate you, you'll never know what relationships you may develop if you don't take the time to try.