Holistic Health-Helping You Heal From the Inside Out
30 October 2023
Holistic health is a way of caring for yourself that takes your whole self into account, including your mind, body, and spirit. It's about more than just treating symptoms when you're sick; it's about working to prevent illness and promote overall well-being.
Why is holistic health important?
Holistic health is important because it recognizes that everything in your life is interconnected. Your physical, mental, and emotional health all play a role in your overall well-being. When one area of your life is out of balance, it can affect the other areas as well.
How does a holistic GP help you?
- Stress: A holistic GP can help you manage stress by teaching you relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. They may also recommend dietary changes, sleep and exercise advice.
- Anxiety and depression: A holistic GP can help you to manage anxiety and depression by combining conventional medicine with other approaches, such as understanding emotions and lifestyle changes,
- Weight loss: A holistic GP can help you to lose weight by developing a personalized plan that addresses your individual needs and goals. They may recommend dietary changes, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications.
- Chronic diseases: A holistic GP can help you to manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. They can work with you to develop a treatment plan that includes a combination of conventional medicine and helpful lifestyle changes.
- Chronic pain and Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A holistic approach involving education, lifestyle advice, emotional work and pain reprocessing therapy has great results for patients.
Here are a few tips for getting started with holistic health:
- Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is essential for good health. It's also important to limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise is another important part of a healthy lifestyle. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week.
- Get enough sleep. Most adults need around 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is essential for both physical and mental health.
- Manage stress. Stress can have a negative impact on your health, so it's important to find healthy ways to manage it. Some helpful stress-management techniques include exercise, meditation, and yoga.
- Connect with others. Social support is important for good health. Make time for friends and family and get involved in activities that you enjoy.
You can start today, small simple changes really make a difference.
By: Dr Anna Smith