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Holistic doctor in Puerto Rico: what a licensed physician does differently
“Holistic doctor” is not a specialty or a license of its own; it describes a way of practicing. A licensed physician starts with a full medical assessment, then works on sleep, food, movement and stress and reviews everything you take, including supplements, herbs and teas. Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico, sees people this way by video visit if they are in Puerto Rico.
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Is this an emergency?
This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath or fainting
- Weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking or a drooping face
- A sudden, severe headache, or the worst of your life
- Vomiting blood, black or bloody stool, or severe abdominal pain
- Thoughts of harming yourself: call or text 988 or the PAS Line 1-800-981-0023
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What people mean by “holistic doctor”
Some people arrive with a pain that has lasted months, a sleep tea that no longer works and three bottles of supplements someone recommended, and say: “I want a doctor who looks at all of me, not one who just writes a prescription.” That is a reasonable request, and it can be met without leaving medicine.
There is no legal definition of “holistic doctor.” The person using the label might be a physician, a naturopath, a chiropractor or a coach. What each may diagnose, prescribe or order depends on their license, not the label. So ask who the practitioner is and what license they hold; see how to verify a doctor’s license.
NCCIH, the National Institutes of Health center that studies these practices, separates three ideas: “complementary” is used together with conventional medicine, “alternative” is used in place of it, and “integrative” brings the two together in a coordinated way. In this guide, “holistic” means looking at the whole person inside medical care, never instead of it.
What a holistic-minded physician does differently in an online visit
Dr. Nieves Castro is a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico, with several years of emergency department experience. In a video visit, the order is this:
- A full history. What is happening, since when, what you have tried, how you sleep, what you eat, how much you move, what worries you and what you hope the visit will do.
- A medical assessment first. Before habits come up, she evaluates whether your symptoms need a diagnosis, labs or other care.
- A plan alongside medical care. Sleep, food, movement, stress and avoiding tobacco and heavy alcohol have the best support for general health, and are worked on with concrete goals.
- A review of everything you take. Prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, herbs and teas, to look for interactions and duplicates.
- Labs when they fit. She can order them at a nearby lab and review the results with you.
- Follow-up. A plan without follow-up stays on paper; follow-up lets you adjust and review results.
Reviewing everything you take: why it matters
According to NCCIH, dietary supplements may interact with your medications and can pose risks with certain medical conditions or before surgery. “Natural” does not mean safe: herbs and supplements have side effects and can change how a prescription works.
Extra care is needed if you take blood thinners, blood-pressure medicines, diabetes medicines or antidepressants, if you are having surgery or anesthesia, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if the product is for a child. In those cases, ask before you start or continue. Products vary in content and strength, and the dose may not match the label. If you have a reaction (rash, swelling, trouble breathing, yellow skin or black stool), stop the product and seek care urgently. Before surgery, tell every clinician and your pharmacist everything you take.
Supplements are not approved to treat disease, and NCCIH notes the FDA is not authorized to review them for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. Bring the bottles or a photo of the labels to the visit, including teas and anything a store or relative gave you.
What the evidence says, honestly
Not everything called “holistic” has the same evidence. A useful way to think about it:
- Stronger general-health support: getting enough sleep, staying active, an eating pattern built on minimally processed foods, not smoking, limiting alcohol and managing stress. They support medical care and do not replace it; read what lifestyle medicine is.
- Mixed or limited evidence: many supplements and herbs. Some have small studies or results that do not agree, and for many more research is needed.
- Insufficient evidence: body cleanses and the products sold for them. Ask before using one, because they can carry risks.
- Special tests: the usefulness of food-sensitivity, hair or saliva panels is limited; ask what decision a result would change. See which labs are worth it.
When a general practice physician is the right choice
A licensed general practice physician is a good first stop if you have unexplained symptoms, a chronic condition, medicines you want reviewed, or a wish to focus your health on habits backed by medical care. She can evaluate, diagnose, treat and prescribe when appropriate, and order labs.
Her care is general medicine. If you already use other practices or products with another licensed practitioner, she reviews them with you, tells you honestly what is known about the evidence, checks for interactions and helps you decide what to share with each clinician.
If you are looking for the functional medicine model, read what functional medicine is to compare.
Topics where lifestyle and medical care work together
These are topics you can bring to the visit. Lifestyle changes support medical care for these conditions and do not replace medicines, monitoring or screenings:
- Metabolic health and prediabetes, and chronic condition care.
- Lab follow-up, such as vitamin D, with lab orders.
- Hormone-related symptoms and menopause.
- Trouble sleeping; read how to reset your sleep.
- Weight: a medical evaluation first, with brand-name medicine when it is appropriate; read weight loss.
- Quitting smoking with medical support.
- Anxiety or depression: care is medical (mental health care) and lifestyle is one part of it. If you are thinking of harming yourself, call or text 988 or the PAS Line 1-800-981-0023.
The cost of trying remedies without an evaluation
Remedies and supplements can carry risks of their own, and they do not replace evaluating a symptom. The problem is when it drags on: months of symptoms nobody has evaluated, a condition quietly progressing, or a product that clashes with a prescription you already take.
See a doctor sooner if a symptom is severe or worsening; do not wait weeks. Consider seeing one also if a symptom persists, if your weight changed without explanation, if you have high blood pressure or blood sugar you did not know about, or if you are thinking of stopping a medicine. Do not stop or change a prescription, or skip vaccines or screenings, without talking to a clinician first.
When to call 911
A video visit does not replace emergency care. Call 911 or go to the emergency room for chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, signs of a stroke (one-sided weakness, trouble speaking, drooping face), a sudden and very severe headache, bleeding that will not stop, or a severe allergic reaction. If you are thinking of harming yourself, call or text 988 or the PAS Line 1-800-981-0023.
How to prepare for the visit
This helps you get the most from the appointment:
- A list of everything you take, with doses: prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, herbs and teas.
- Recent lab results, if you have them.
- A note on your symptoms, since when, and what helps or makes them worse.
- Your two or three goals: sleep better, have more energy, understand a test.
- Be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit and have a photo ID at hand.
The next step
Book an online visit with Dr. Nieves Castro: a general practice visit with a medical assessment and a review of everything you take, only for people who are physically in Puerto Rico. If you already have lab results or need a prescription renewed, see follow-up. Learn more about Dr. Nieves Castro.
If an in-person wellness program interests you, which does not replace medical care, read about the THI retreat, held in English.
This guide is information, not a diagnosis or treatment, and it does not replace your doctor.
How we care for you
We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently asked questions
What is a holistic doctor?
What kind of doctor is Dr. Nieves Castro?
Can I keep using my supplements and herbs?
Can she review other practices I already use?
Who can use this service?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-10-15 · Updated: 2026-10-15
Sources (2)
- Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? (NCCIH, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-15)
- Dietary and Herbal Supplements (NCCIH, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-15)