Andrew Rife ND, M.Ed.

I am the founder of Puget Sound Family Health and proud of the role we play in our community. I’d like to express my deepest gratitude, first to the many hands that have worked to build this clinic, and secondly, to our patients for their continued support. My vision for almost 30 years has been to create a space that brings providers and patients together. I have also worked to integrate complementary medicine with our conventional medicine partners. In addition to the abundance of conventionally trained providers and staff we see as patients, we have benefited from the wisdom of the longest-serving ER pediatrician at Mary Bridge and the energy of first-year MD/DO residents from Tacoma Family Medicine who train at PSFH. Ultimately, I believe working together will improve the health of our community.

It might surprise many that I have never had much interest in medicine. I was an architect with extensive carpentry experience, and I recognized that the human body is simply a very complicated building. I attended medical school in the same way I might have taken a diesel engine course -out of curiosity! Of course, after almost 30 years of studying science and medicine, I have learned a bit about how it all works. Rest assured, though, I don’t come to work each day because I am a biochemistry geek. What drives me is transformation. I LOVE to meet people where they are and help them reach where they would like to go. This is even more gratifying when I have the chance to serve our children.

My practice has always been a family practice, serving ages from newborn through hospice care patients.. These last 5 years I have also focused on reproductive medicine, helping women have children means I also have the wonderful opportunity to care for their infants. That said, I have developed other areas of expertise over the years. As many of you know, I am obsessed with blood sugar and all the benefits that come from properly regulating blood sugar. I enjoy speaking to groups of mental health professionals about how blood sugar regulation reduces psychiatric symptoms. In many ways, my practice has evolved to a mental health and psychiatric practice because transformation always has an aspect of psychology. I am also fascinated by the benefits of gut/brain connections and the improvements that are made when that connection is working as designed. I measure a lot of bio-identical hormones for men and women and have found strong correlations with mental health in this realm as well. Of course, nutrition, stress management and sleep are also key factors in health.

Our community probably sees me as the food detective. Hippocrates had it figured out with the statement, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Diet is always the first place to start. Essentially, from my perspective, there are only three aspects to health. Glycemic control, inflammation, and stress. By looking for inflammation, either in the diet or from our homes and workplaces, it is possible to solve what may at first seem impossible. Rheumatological, skin, digestive, autoimmune and mental health are all improved or eliminated by reducing inflammation and stress. Unfortunately, this effort is completely ignored by our current health paradigm. I hope to be instrumental in changing the way our community healthcare professionals view diet and health.

Personally, I am married to a wonderful community public health nurse whose work focuses on 0-3-year-olds. We are raising three amazing children, two cats, and a dog. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively to all 50 states and over 40 countries. Perhaps most notably, I lived in Calcutta and worked with Mother Theresa. These experiences have shaped how I see the world and how I practice. In the end, it comes down to being kind to one another. Sailing and music have been lifetime pursuits since childhood. I try to eat well and stay physically fit so that I am able to enjoy all the wonderful opportunities I have with my family and friends. Ultimately, that is what I want for all my patients.

By the way, that is me on the bow of the sailboat during the start of the Swiftsure race in Victoria. That is one reason I work to maintain my health.