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The
Truth About Holistic Health
Holistic health is gaining momentum in the United States, but
its definition is still a bit ambiguous. For some people holistic health means
turning away from allopathic medicine and seeking wellness in alternative
therapies exclusively; while others define holistic health as the act of
treating a person as a whole, as opposed to simply treating the symptoms of a
disease. Someone who suffers from chronic ear infections then, might be asked to
take their antibiotics and perform another action to treat what is found to be
the underlying cause. Perhaps acupuncture will relieve the infections, or a
massage, or perhaps better posture will straighten things out.
Holistic health means looking for the problem behind the disease, viewing the
disease as only a symptom of a larger condition. Holistic choices include things
like eating right, exercise, acupuncture, massage, sleeping well, meditation,
herbal treatments, as well as many others. It also means looking at every aspect
of a person, treating their minds, bodies, and souls, no matter what the current
problem may be. The best part is that the benefits can be seen overall.
While there are times that allopathic medicine must be brought in for the safety
of the patient (a life-saving surgery or treatment for a very threatening
illness), the goal of a holistic lifestyle is to prevent the need for these
life-saving procedures in the first place. If you eat well and exercise you will
probably not need a bypass surgery, like-wise if you meditate, you will not
likely need medication to treat high blood pressure.
Holistic health means treating a person through all aspects of physical, mental
and spiritual health, to make them as healthy as they can be. It is the creation
of the "ideal" lifestyle, as far as your health is concerned because
it is not only a treatment for poor health, but a lifestyle designed to preserve
good health and keep you feeling your best long into your golden years.
There are many people who take holistic approaches to their care without
applying a fully holistic lifestyle. These people are engaged in holistic health
for short periods of time when it is convenient, they are the people who will
grab McDonald's on their way to yoga, or who use massage to treat stress. This
is not truly holistic health, since they are not treating the underlying causes
of their problems, nor are they engaged in preventative measures such as proper
nutrition and exercise. These people are engaged in activities that are employed
by devotees of the holistic lifestyle, but are not members of that lifestyle
themselves.
More people than ever are starting to realize the benefits of increasing their
overall health and avoiding things or situations that cause their health and
state of mind to deteriorate. An executive might scale back his job so that he
can spend more time on healthier choices and increase his peace of mind by
reducing his stress. A mother might make the choice to take herbal supplements
for her diet and to cook for her family instead of going out. These are the kind
of people who count to ten instead of exploding, they enjoy living well.
You cannot force yourself onto a holistic path. If it is not what you want to
do, then you will stray from it. If you are willing to do the work, though, a
holistic lifestyle can have many wonderful benefits.
Holistic health is the health of your body, your mind, and your soul, take care
of yourself inside and out, and you will feel the benefits, and the best part is
that you will live a good, long life feeling those benefits.
Scott White is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist located in
Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about nutrition and fitness, reach
Scott at: http://www.whiteincorporated.com
http://www.nlphypnosistraining.com
http://www.fitnesscompetitionguide.com
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