Care for body, mind, and spirit are often thought to be three different pursuits. But what if we rewrote the narrative of what wellness looked like? What if we combined those three separate entities into one method that emphasized overall well-being in our lives?
For decades, Western thought around healthcare has been flawed. Our society has focused on short-term solutions to long-term health issues, emphasizing a fast-moving, sometimes high-risk lifestyle that overlooks the whole person for the sake of an easy fix. More recently, the sentiments around these practices have changed as mindfulness, meditation, chiropractic care and other slow-paced holistic practices have been shown to have major health benefits, especially in dealing with chronic disease.
Those who are spiritually healthy have peace, balance, and fulfillment in life. This branch of wellness looks at what it means to lead a purposeful life and can also focus on different dimensions or capacities of human existence.
Many people find spiritual wellness through religion, but it is not the only path. Meditation, mindfulness, acupuncture, visualization, and manifestation can also bring about peace and understanding in a secular sense.
Something outside of medicine that can be a great exercise in holistic wellness? Gardening! Gardening involves all of your senses and, it turns out, promotes all five areas of holistic wellness. Getting outside each day helps your physical, mental and environmental health. The act of growing can also lead to peace about the cyclical nature of life, as well as stimulate your brain.
As a pet parent myself, I understand how hard it is to watch our pets get sick but also worrying that I may not be doing enough to help prevent disease. This is why I created an in-depth holistic pet wellness guide to take away the worry and stress of being an incredible pet parent like you. As a holistic veterinarian for over 10 years, I've been able to see what works best for pets in order to achieve optimal health, and I want to give that information to you!
With easy to follow and easy to implement protocols from puppy and kitten all the way to senior life stages, you will have clear guidance on what to do and what to ask for when you take your beloved pet into the vet clinic every year for their wellness examination.
Your pet will thank you for years to come with more kisses, precious memories, and warm, furry snuggles, and you will experience less worry and anxiety. There's no price for long-lasting health and wellness for our pets, so get started today with creating life-long health for your pets.
In our overstimulated lives, it is important that we take a step back and slow down every now and then to avoid a burnout. Practising a holistic approach can indefinitely help us recognise unhealthy patterns and break free of other stress-inducing behaviours and lifestyle choices.
It aims to bring a sense of wholeness to our overall wellbeing, targeting the entirety of the body and mind, rather than focusing solely on them separately. Therefore a holistic approach to health works on balancing the five essential pillars of wellbeing- physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental.
When thinking of physical wellness, we may naturally think of how strong and fit, or competent our bodies are. However, physical wellbeing goes beyond measuring the capabilities of our human anatomy, but rather emphasises physiological and immunity aspects.
Mental health is a subject that still carries weight and stigma with it, and often overlooked in traditional medical settings. Many have now begun to re-prioritise their mental wellness, taking a holistic approach to psychological health.
The Covid-19 pandemic posed a serious threat to our holistic wellbeing, and demonstrated how a significant change in our environment could affect our mental and physical health. Environmental wellness covers both the mental and physical aspects of our surroundings- an optimal space that stimulates and supports our safety, health, and overall wellbeing.
An example of an integrative medicine plan for ADHD may combine psychotherapy (a conventional strategy), stress-management skills (holistic thinking), and omega-3 fatty acids (a complementary supplement). All ADHD treatment decisions should be made in consultation and coordination with a licensed medical provider.
Acupuncture, derived from Chinese medicine, aims to treat a variety of conditions by stimulating diverse points on the body (acupoints). This approach focuses on regulating the body organ system to lower inattention and hyperactivity. Some research supporting the use of acupuncture for ADHD is available from Asian countries3. But this approach to ADHD has not been studied widely in Western cultures.
For general wellness, acupuncture is often used to treat pain and stress-related conditions. There is also some evidence supporting it as an adjunctive treatment for anxiety. I have found it helpful for those who struggle with chronic stress and pain.
Talk with the provider before making an appointment to understand their approach and to see if they are a good fit for your needs. Many of the providers found here have knowledge of integrative approaches, and are willing to collaborate with other integrative clinicians on a holistic treatment plan.
The first protocol Nicole ever developed was the one that she still uses to thrive. Years ago, Nicole was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, an incurable autoimmune disease. Thanks to her holistic protocol, instead of being bedridden or in a wheelchair by now, Nicole is travelling the world and living her best life.
Naturopathy, which you might hear called natural medicine, is a type of holistic medicine. Naturopathy uses only natural remedies, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture, to help your body heal itself. But some holistic doctors use conventional treatments, such as medication, together with such remedies.
Holistic medicine is based on the belief that unconditional love and support is the most powerful healer and a person is ultimately responsible for their own health and well-being. Other principles of the holistic approach include the following:
Here's an example: When a person with migraine headaches sees a holistic doctor, instead of simply prescribing medications, the doctor will likely look at all the things that could be causing the headaches. That might include other health problems, diet and sleep habits, stress and personal problems, and the patient's preferred spiritual practices. The holistic therapy plan may involve drugs to relieve symptoms, but also lifestyle changes to keep the headaches from coming back.
Other holistic providers may not have medical degrees, but could have degrees in various types of complementary or alternative medicine. Along with medical doctors, holistic providers may include doctors of osteopathy, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, and homeopathic doctors.
Practitioners use a variety of holistic healing techniques to help their patients take responsibility for their own well-being and attain optimal health. Depending on the practitioner's training, these may include:
Don't go to just anyone. As with all professionals, some are better at their jobs than others. Before choosing a holistic medicine doctor, get a recommendation from someone you trust, or contact a credible health organization and ask for a recommendation.
How do you feel? Consider how comfortable you are with the provider. Do they make you feel at ease? Is the provider respectful of your concerns and beliefs? Remember, holistic medicine takes a team approach, involving you and the provider, so make sure you feel comfortable and respected and that they are someone with whom you would like to work.
Treatment options. When coming up with a treatment approach, does the wellness plan go beyond pills? Make sure the practitioner examines all lifestyle factors, along with medical factors that could be contributing to your illness.
There are many forms of holistic medicine, including some that combine traditional Western medical techniques with alternative treatments. Some non-medical approaches, like exercise, a healthy diet, and stress reduction, are well-researched and known to work well. Others, like IV vitamin treatments, have little scientific evidence to back them up. That's why it's best to use such treatments to complement standard medical treatments, not replace them.
Their approach to the treatment and prevention of illnesses is a more integrated one. Through the use of bodywork, nutrition, herbs, mindfulness, and other healthful practices, holistic medicine adherents combine traditional and alternative therapies to help their clients achieve optimal health and balance in life.
In holistic health, the individual is an active participant in the healing processes and health decisions, striving to achieve optimal health through balance and harmony within these different aspects of their life. The American Holistic Health Association, a nonprofit that connects people to wellness resources, stresses that when one of these aspects is disrupted, the others suffer as well, according to holistic health practices.
While alternative medicine practices are often holistic in nature, holistic health is not necessarily alternative. Why? Because when alternative medicine is used, it is always used instead of standard Western medicine.
For example, sometimes cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy also receive acupuncture treatments to help manage their symptoms. In this case, acupuncture is being used alongside chemotherapy as part of a holistic treatment plan. Conversely, if a cancer patient is using acupuncture as their primary treatment and choosing not to receive chemotherapy, that would make acupuncture an alternative medicine.
This is an exciting time to pursue a holistic health education. Many ancient healing traditions such as acupuncture, ayurveda, and herbal medicine are enjoying renewed popularity. Holistic healing practices that were dismissed in the past are becoming respected segments of the western healthcare industry, especially as research continues to show significant benefits to patients from holistic approaches.
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