For my first blog post, I want to share the reasons why hazelnut is part of my business name. There were many reasons, so I’m only going to share a few to keep things simple.  I feel it is important to my clients to understand where their health care is coming from.

The hazelnut (Corylus L. of the Betulaceae (birch) family) is more of a shrub in N. America though the variety in Europe is a tree which can reach heights of 19ft. It is common for families around the holidays to have hazelnuts, otherwise known as filberts, as part of their festivities. Cracking nuts was a right of passage in my family; it was very special as a child when I was strong enough to crack the mixed nuts by myself.

Hazelnut History

I found it easily recognizable no matter what the season on my hiking trips around the Pacific Northwest once I knew what to look for. I hadn’t known much about the plant, so I spent some time looking into its historical roots. Come to find out, hazel is an important wood in ancient Norse tradition being sacred to the god Thor. It was even used as a protection against lightening according to Richard Webster, author of Flower and Tree Magic. Additionally, the ancient Celts considered it a tree of wisdom, and there is a legend known as the Salmon of Wisdom. There was a pond where hazelnuts fell and were eaten by a Salmon.  It was said if the salmon was eaten, the consumer would gain all the knowledge and wisdom possessed by the salmon. Finneces had been after the salmon for seven years and it was finally caught. Finn cooked it and burned his thumb, placing his finger in his mouth to sooth the burn. He told Finneces what had happened who allowed Finn to eat the rest of the fish, granting him access to knowledge and wisdom any time he put his thumb in his mouth.

Tying It All Together

Finally, I learned the hazelnut was also found in the state of Michigan where I was born. It is a strong link between many aspects of where I had been in my life and where I am going. As a doctor my goal is to share my knowledge with clients so they can learn to nurture their own health to reach whatever life goals they wish to achieve. There are other things about the hazelnut I appreciate which will probably come out in future blog posts. For now, I hope this gives my clients a better idea of why I chose hazelnut as a name.