Holistic Health: How To Live Holistically
Are you looking for a life of wellness? Incorporating lifestyle changes into your everyday life that support your overall health is the driving force behind holistic health. Through holistic health, you may benefit from overall wellness, from physical to mental health.
Read on as we explore the many facets of holistic health and how your quality of life may benefit from supporting your health, not simply looking at health issues as a single entity. We’ll also discuss different approaches to holistic health and how you can live more holistically.
What Is Holistic Health?
Holistic health focuses on the whole person. Holistic health practitioners believe that health is achieved by understanding their patients' physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects. They understand that an area out of balance in the body can affect another, making it crucial to support the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.
Holistic health encompasses many modalities such as chiropractic care, reiki, acupuncture, massage therapy, nutritional support, mindfulness, and movement. The goal of holistic health is to support your body daily, offering preventative health and balance.
Holistic health empowers patients to control their health through nutrition, mindfulness, movement, socialization, and self-care. This empowerment improves self-awareness and self-confidence.
How Is Holistic Health Different?
Holistic health is different from Western medicine in many ways. One of the biggest differences is its focus on the root cause of a problem. If you come in for a stomach ache, a holistic doctor will want more information on your mental health, physical health, and nutrition.
Alternative medicine is often the first preference of holistic practitioners. While standard Western medicine may be used, holistic health care generally looks to natural remedies as a first option.
What Does Holistic Health Entail?
There is not a one size fits all approach to holistic health. Holistic healing should be personalized to each person to experience optimal health. That said, there are some areas where each holistic provider may focus in order to bring their patients overall well-being.
Realistic Approaches
Holistic health care relies on realistic approaches to support a person’s overall health. Often, there may be a focus on lifestyle changes — diet changes, mindfulness, exercise, and social engagement. Generally, you can incorporate each suggestion provided by a holistic doctor in everyday life.
Whole-Body Focus
Your body is one entity. Many systems — digestive, nervous, respiratory, etc.— work together for optimal health. In holistic health, each system is supported for overall wellness. The mind-body connection is also looked at as a way to health. While western medicine often treats a symptom, for example, indigestion, a holistic approach searches for the why behind indigestion.
A conventional doctor may prescribe you antacids and advise you to cut back on certain foods, which is certainly beneficial to help ease your discomfort. A holistic doctor will work to understand why you may be experiencing this symptom. They may ask questions about your current diet, stress levels, and quality of sleep to understand how you can ease your symptoms and help support your overall health.
Natural Wellness
Getting your body back to its natural, balanced state is often the goal of holistic health. Kroma Wellness believes in the power of food as medicine, and this is the main pillar of holistic health. Nutritious superfoods help support your overall health and may protect against disease.
If your holistic provider suspects you are deficient in a vitamin or mineral, usually by requesting blood labs, they may recommend certain supplements. For some, those supplements may need to be taken more long-term, and for others, they may be needed until your numbers return to an optimum level.
What Are Some Holistic Treatments?
Holistic care is a wide umbrella of a plethora of care options. Many holistic practitioners use a different methodology, with the idea that the body is a whole entity and should be supported and healed as such. While the list of holistic modalities is abundant, here are three holistic options that are common in the holistic space.
Ayurvedic Medicine
The idea of holistic health is not new. Traditional Chinese medicine and ancient Indian medicine — Ayurvedic medicine — have been around for thousands of years. Each of these important health systems believes in creating balance within the body, focusing on prevention.
In Ayurveda, there are three doshas — Vata, Kapha, and Pitta. It is believed that to be in a state of health, these three doshas must be in balance in the body. An ayurvedic practitioner would first determine your unique dosha and then recommend specific lifestyle changes to balance your body and energy. These may include specific herbs, foods, massages, yoga, and meditation.
Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine — or naturopathy — is a system combining European healthcare practices from the 1800s and traditional medicine. Little western medicine interventions are recommended, prioritizing natural remedies, diet, stress management, detox treatments, and homeopathy.
Homeopathy was developed over 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemann in Germany. The theory behind this practice is “let like be cured by like.” Homeopathic medicines are highly diluted. While there are few large studies regarding these therapies' effectiveness, more and more research shows its potential benefits.
Massage Therapy
One way to support your whole body is through massage therapy. Massage therapy is done by a trained professional who will manipulate your soft tissues to help you relax, relieve pain, and reduce stress.
While there are many forms of massage treatments, some massage therapists incorporate a holistic approach to their practice. Your therapist may discuss your emotional well-being during the massage. They may also recommend things like hydration and proper nutrition.
How Can I Live More Holistically?
Holistic health doesn’t mean you have to jump feet first into holistic medicine and separate from conventional medicine. Sure, some doctors are more focused on a holistic approach, but you can incorporate a holistic approach to your own life by making a few lifestyle changes.
When you support your whole body, you may experience a better sense of self, well-being, mental health, and physical health. Here are simple ways you can live more holistically every day.
Prioritize Nutrition
One of the first steps in supporting your body is through nutrition. Each day focus on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. Try making more meals at home so you know the quality of ingredients in what you are eating. Skip the drive-through and bring your lunch to work. These are simple changes you can make to boost your nutrition.
If you are struggling to find the balance between delicious, nutritionally dense foods and the time and energy it takes to incorporate those in your life, Kroma Wellness has you covered. We have created convenient, delicious foods packed with superfoods providing you with the nutrition you need.
Our 24K Chicken Bone Broth is perfect to support your gut and joint health. It is loaded with amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Our Smoothies are loaded with protein. You can simply add your smoothie powder to water or your favorite nut milk or add in more veggies and fruits to get even more nutrition. Supergreens Elixir is packed with fruits, veggies, adaptogens, and probiotics to support your overall health.
Stay Hydrated
Water supports your overall health, weight management, and the function of the body. It is also thought to support health. Hydration can come in many forms. Drinking water throughout the day, eating fruits and veggies, and drinking fresh fruit juices and nut milk can give you the hydration you need.
Water is generally considered one of the best ways to stay hydrated, but we can all get bored with drinking only water. Our Cranberry Hydration Elixir may be just the boost you need to keep your water intake goals. A light flavor can add electrolytes and minerals to your water to keep you feeling hydrated.
Move Your Body
Incorporating an exercise routine into your daily life can improve many areas in your life, not only your physical ability. Physical activity may help to maintain healthy blood pressure, support the nervous system and metabolic function, and encourage positive mental health.
When choosing an exercise program, look for activities that bring you joy. You could go for walks or hikes, ride your bike, join a fitness class, or swim. It is important to incorporate four types of exercise: strength training, endurance, balance, and flexibility for the most benefits.
Look Within
Holistic health is not only about what you put in your body and your movement. It also understands the importance of your emotional and spiritual health. Supporting these areas of your life is just as imperative as what you eat.
One way to support your emotional and spiritual health is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your experience at the moment with no judgment. You can practice mindfulness throughout your day, just observing your thoughts and actions. There are also mindfulness meditations available to help you practice this skill.
Grounding exercises are another way to help support your emotional health. These unique techniques generally use the five senses to help you come back to the present moment.
The Bottom Line
Holistic health is a healing method that incorporates the body, mind, and spirit to achieve optimal health. Focusing on prevention, holistic practitioners often recommend a healthy diet, physical activity, mindfulness, and social support.
While there are many different holistic treatments, each one approaches health through realistic approaches, whole-body focus, and natural wellness. You can support your holistic health by making lifestyle changes that support your whole mind and body.
If you are ready to make a change to support your overall well-being, Kroma Wellness is here to help. With our 5-Day Reset, you can reset your diet with convenient, delicious food and drinks that will leave you satisfied throughout the day. Our reset can help you jumpstart your road to optimal health.
Sources:
Effective Factors in Providing Holistic Care: A Qualitative Study | PMC
Why It Matters | Nutrition | CDC
A glimpse of Ayurveda – The forgotten history and principles of Indian traditional medicine | PMC
What is homeopathy? An introduction | PubMed
Water, Hydration and Health | PMC
Physical Activity | Healthy People 2020
Four Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability | National Institute on Aging
Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies | PMC
