The word “holistic” seems all the rage these days. I hear of holistic dentists, holistic practitioners, holistic study courses, holistic nurses, moms, and remedies. Just type in the word “holistic” and you will find over 80 million results. But what does the word holistic mean? How can I apply it to my life? The American Holistic Health Association (AHHA) defines the word “holistic” as, “to promote optimal health and as a by-product, to prevent and treat disease.” I love this definition, as it is right on the money. How does one promote optimal health? Certified Holistic Health Practitioners, C.H.H.P., like myself, assist others in promoting optimal health by providing them with knowledge, a functional & definitive plan to follow & motivational support, with lifestyle modifications. Some modifications most often consist of changing their diet, helping them to establish good sleep, lessen stressors, increasing their activity, & learning to love themselves unconditionally as well as address harmful relationships. As you can see, holistic health or “whol”istic health involves looking at the entire person: body, mind, and spirit and helping them to alleviate their symptoms by finding the root cause of their problem.
The primary method of care when choosing a C.H.H.P. is to empower patients to heal themselves by addressing the causes of their disease and facilitating lifestyle changes through health promotion. The difference in this type of care and allopathic or western medicine as it is so often called, is that allopathic doctors regular M.Ds, address the physical symptoms only and do not address the root cause. The last time you went to visit your primary healthcare physician and complained of something, do you recall them trying to figure out why or taking out their notepad and prescribing the first medication that comes to mind? Usually it’s the latter. We are beginning to see more M.Ds or their nurses ask more questions about lifestyle but we must remember that the typical four-year medical school requires only three credits of nutrition class. That’s ONE nutrition class. C.H.H.P. takes approximately two years of nutrition classes.
There is one big weakness of holistic health therapy: it takes time. It’s not, in anyway a quick fix. Allopathic medicine does have the one up on us in that if you are hurting from painful migraines you can go to the doctor and get some meds and the migraines will go away. With holistic health, we would look at your past medical history as well as your current life and find out why you are suffering these painful migraines. Holistic health treatments take time however the rewards are substantial. Wouldn’t you like to stop being a chemical-laden medicine slave and eliminate those painful migraines for the last time? Holistic therapy requires the 100% complete participation of the seeker. It will simply not be effective if the client does not have their heart and soul into treatment. That’s why I have my clients sign a contract with them and me. That they will participate fully in the treatments recommended. That they will promise to give it their all. That they will be patient and trust in themselves, in me and in the therapy.
The strengths of holistic health therapy cannot be overstated. Where allopathic medicine focuses on the elimination of the symptoms and is costing our country billions a year, holistic health focuses on teaching patients to take responsibility for their own health, and in so doing is cost-effective in treating both acute and chronic illness; therapeutic in preventing and treating chronic disease; and essential in creating optimal health. Holistic health is the future and will save our country billions of dollars in healthcare costs. Another way to put this way of treatment is preventative maintenance (PM). Why would you perform PM on your vehicle and not your body? Our bodies have taken a beating for far too long. It’s time to revisit and rethink how we treat them. Enough with the convenience of fast food meals and conventional medicine. What are we in such a hurry these days for? What else are we doing? Yes, we work and have children to care for and pets, a house, maybe some hobbies. I really think we are rushing and in a hurry, so we can make sure we don’t miss prime time. Turn that tele off and get in your kitchen. That’s where good health begins; it’s surely not in front of the boob tube. You know what is on T.V., pharmaceutical commercials.
Think more deeply about holistic health. Have you ever wondered what