“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.”- Plato. Whether the smallest or the bigger ones, every unit comprises a system that works together in harmony to achieve the stability needed to function well. The same goes for your health. Read on to know why a holistic approach to health is the way to achieve your optimum, well-energized state.
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What is Holistic Health?
When one hears of an illness or disease, the conventional immediate response is to address the specific part showing symptoms or abnormalities. This approach is more of focusing on the part rather than the whole.
The holistic approach to health focuses on the treatment of the whole person, considering mental and social aspects, not only the symptoms of the disease. This view emphasizes the importance of the whole body system rather than pieces and sections that are treated individually. This includes the connection of mind, body, spirit.
What are the 5 Areas of Holistic Health Care?
The five main holistic health areas are physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual (mental). Since a holistic approach to health focuses on the body’s integrative systems, each of these areas must be in good condition, and none should be neglected.
Why is a Holistic Approach to Health Important?
A holistic approach to health is essential to address the leading cause of the problem rather than just the symptoms. It takes everything into account and encourages people to take charge of their health and well-being.
It is also essential to prevent illnesses and find long term solutions for existing illnesses. For instance, if you are experiencing low energy, the immediate response might be to take caffeine or energy drinks. This may be a band-aid solution. However, the lack of energy may be a symptom of underlying disease that needs to be addressed. Taking into account the aspects of holistic health, lack of energy may be caused by anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, low testosterone levels, and even diabetes. The idea is to appraise as a whole.
What is a Holistic Diet?
It has been established that gut health affects one’s overall health. A healthier gastrointestinal tract is essential for the mind and body in sync.
In a holistic diet, food is seen not only as fuel but also as a medicine for the body. This approach focuses on the consumption of whole and unprocessed foods, varied fruits and vegetables, grains, fiber-rich foods, fortified plant-based alternatives, and low fat or fat-free dairy products.
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How do You Develop a Holistic Lifestyle?
The first step to a holistic approach to life is to have the mindset that your health encompasses all five components; therefore, to function optimally, you have to consider and nurture each aspect of the components.
Aside from a holistic diet, you can develop an integrated lifestyle with the following:
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful tool that involves training the mind to achieve long-lasting mental clarity, balance, and mindfulness. It has been proven to be an effective way to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and promote overall well-being. Meditating for as brief as 15 minutes may improve emotional processing aspects and help you become more focused and peaceful.
Sleep
Sleep is that part of the day where you can recharge physically and mentally. To achieve a high-quality sleep, stick to a sleep schedule, avoid naps in the afternoon, and alcohol intake and heavy meals in the evening.
Temporary insomnia is caused by stressful times and events or simply by the disruption in the sleeping pattern. On the other hand, chronic insomnia may be caused by underlying health problems such as aging, medications, anxiety, and mental health disorders. While it may be an alternative to taking sleeping pills, a holistic approach encourages the problem’s root cause to be addressed. Talk to your doctor to find out the underlying causes so it can be addressed.
Practice Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating encourages a healthy relationship with food by trusting your body to make the right choices instead of the diet fads with food and time restrictions. In this approach, an intuitive eater pays attention to body cues, mainly to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. This is achieved by learning how to distinguish the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger.
Physical hunger is when the body sends signals such as growling stomach, irritability, and fatigue, which tells you to replenish nutrients for energy consumption. Meanwhile, emotional hunger is driven by emotional need due to loneliness, boredom, and sadness, leading to cravings and excessive food consumption.
Studies have shown that intuitive eating can be a holistic approach to weight loss control, blood pressure, eating disorders, and self-esteem.
Focus on Positive Relationships
Your social health affects physical and mental health, behavior, and mortality. People with fewest social ties tend to have twice the risk of death than adults with the most social ties.
Positive relationships are proven to provide significant health benefits such as lower cardiovascular disease, healthy immune system development, and reduced physiological responses to anticipated and existing stressors.
Be Active
Physical exercise may be one of the most cost-effective methods to improve overall health, with many benefits ranging from a lower risk of heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Mentally, exercise has shown to improve sleep quality, boost self-esteem, mood, reducing the risk of stress, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
According to the National Health Service, adults should work out every day to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
People who work out regularly are reported to have a more positive outlook about themselves, sharper memories, and better sleep at night. Finding a physical activity that you enjoy increases motivation and consistency in doing the activity.
A holistic approach to life means taking care of all the aspects that make you, you. The more you adopt a more integrated outlook as your lifestyle, the more you will be able to enjoy the most out of your health and well-being.
Need assistance in kicking off a holistic approach in your lifestyle? Opt Health cares for your overall health, happiness, strength, and sexual vitality. Get personalized support and insight from top-tier physicians available for you 24/7. Contact us today.
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