Living a Balanced Lifestyle
Holistic health is as much a lifestyle as it is an accepted medical approach to health. This ancient method of attaining health reaches beyond the physical, to approach health and healing from a whole person perspective. This whole person approach includes analysis of every aspect of life, including physical, nutritional, environmental, social, emotional, spiritual and lifestyle factors, all of which affect a person’s well being. Rather than relying solely on a physician to heal or restore health, it emphasizes personal responsibility and effort to achieve and maintain health and vitality. Holistic medicine approaches diagnosis and the treatment of illnesses and injury with safe alternatives to conventional medicine.
The Origins of Holistic Health:
Holistic health finds its origins in ancient Chinese and Indian healing methods that stressed living in harmony with one’s surroundings. In the 4th century BC, Socrates believed that treating the whole person was the only way to achieve wellness. The term holism was introduced in 1926 by Jan Christiaan Smuts, who considered all living things as beings more than the sum of the individual components of the body.
During the 20th century scientific and medical advances greatly affected the Western world’s perception of health care. The discovery of germs and the development of antibiotics created a new type of medicine that focused on destroying microbes with synthetic medications. Where people once had taken some level of responsibility for their own health, a new attitude had emerged. People began to believe that healthy choices were not as important as once believed, and instead relied on modern medicine to cure the myriad of problems related to a newer, unhealthy lifestyle. The holistic lifestyle is currently beginning to surge in popularity as more people begin to realize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
Holistic Health Viewed as a Range of Wellness:
The primary objective of holistic health is to achieve and maintain health, vitality and balance in life. Therefore, health is not solely defined as the absence of illness. The body is considered to be a system of interdependent parts that rely on one another to maintain wellness. When one part is out of balance it affects the entire person. Beyond the body as a system, holistic health considers the effects of the environment on each individual.
Holistic health is viewed as a continuum, or range of wellness. The left side of this range would indicate illness and premature death. The right side indicates wellness, while the center indicates an absence of illness. Holistic health is a continual process, which is easy to see when health is measured in such a way. Even when there are no apparent signs of illness or disease, as is the case on the right side of the continuum, there will always be ways to improve one’s health.
The majority of health problems, disease and illness stem from lifestyle choices. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco use, poor nutrition and inadequate exercise all contribute to disease. Holistic health is a process that encourages individuals not only to prevent illness, but also to pursue a higher state of wellness. As people begin to make healthier choices and eliminate unhealthy practices, they begin to feel more energetic, have more enthusiasm strengthen their immunity and the body’s ability to heal itself. When illness or disease occurs, their bodies are better equipped to deal with it. Rather than treating symptoms, the symptom itself is used as a guide to reveal the underlying cause of the illness. For example, a pain reliever may bring temporary relief for a headache, but it does not treat the cause of the pain itself. The holistic approach to health is based on the belief that the body, given what it needs, has the ability to heal itself.
Holistic health emphasizes that everything that is consumed, whether physically or mentally, affects health and well being. Naturally, healthy nutrition is an important aspect of the holistic lifestyle. Holism is in part responsible for the organic gardening movement, which eliminates many of the synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers from the diet, as well as hormones and antibiotics commonly used in the farming industry.
Attaining Balance in Life:
Attaining balance in all areas of life is the primary objective of the holistic life. Most people have areas in their lives that are out of balance. It could be physical health, career, personal finances, a relationship or spiritual issues that are causing imbalance. The first step to adopting a holistic lifestyle is to identify which areas need improvement.
Many will begin by evaluating their overall health, including eating and exercise habits, as well as sleep patterns. Holistic living incorporates natural and organic foods, supplements and vitamins, while cutting out alcohol, processed foods and limiting caffeine intake.
Healthy relationships, physical contact and intimacy are also important to holistic living. Emotions play a significant role in holistic health. People who are attempting to adopt a holistic lifestyle need to pay special attention to their emotional state. Relationships, as well as careers, finances and other personal challenges can bring on stress and negative emotions that can impact well being.
Finally, spirituality is central to holistic living. It is not necessary to be associated with one particular religion of faith system, but spending time in prayer or meditation every day is believed to be helpful in maintaining health, vitality and balance.