I have been asked, "What is Holistic Healthcare"? So, today, I am going to give you an overview of what Holistic Healthcare is and what it means for you.
The web definition of the word "Holistic": Pertaining to the whole body; treatment of disease by taking into consideration every part of the body to bring the internal environment into balance.
You may also have heard the term Mind, Body and Spirit, so let's break those down into definitions as well.
Mind: Mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.
Body: The entire material or physical structure of an organism, especially of a human or animal.
Spirit: Your values, ideals, beliefs as it relates to each other and the world around you.
Holistic Healthcare guides you, educates you and supports you on a journey to balance your whole being, creating a state of harmonic health!
When illness or disease manifests in your physical body there are usually underlying issues that may have contributed and need to be addressed. A simple example would be a headache.
Let's say you are experiencing frequent headaches. Your head begins to pound, so you reach for an analgesic to relieve the pain. In a short time, the headache is relieved, symptom have been addressed and resolved but, why you are experiencing these headaches.
Over a period of months taking the analgesic, you now are experiencing a new symptom along with the headache, stomach upset. So, along with the analgesic you begin to take something to soothe that upset stomach symptom. Once again the symptom is addressed and resolved until…..that upset stomach remedy results in a very uncomfortable condition known as constipation.
Now, you are miserable, can't sleep, bloated and cranky. Now you have constipation, upset stomach AND a headache. Do you see how addressing the symptoms and not the underlying cause can snowball into a chronic condition?
How could you have treated this initial headache holistically?
Let's start by addressing what the underlying condition could be by asking the following questions.
Your Mind….are you feeling out of control, overwhelmed, overworked?
Your Body….are you tense, muscles tight, sitting or standing for hours doing repetitive work?
Your Spirit…do you believe you have to struggle everyday to be successful, to be valued, to survive?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you are just one of millions who are experiencing a headache due to STRESS! So, what can you do to address it?
Let's go back and address the underlying condition STRESS, as it relates to:
Your Mind….educate you on how to meditate, quiet your mind, be present.
Your Body…educate you on relaxation techniques, therapies and if necessary supplementation
Your Spirit…educate you on how to change your beliefs to achieve balanced health
Now, you have the tools to take control of your health and address the underlying issues thereby avoiding the manifestation of a chronic illness. Holistic Healthcare helps you to identify and resolve your health issues by educating, guiding and supporting your option to heal naturally. Your body was designed to heal itself but you must be willing to be an active participant by listening to what it is telling you and responding to its needs.
Holistic Healthcare is nothing more than You taking control of your own whole health by being informed of the natural remedies and therapies available and making a choice. Holistic Healthcare providers are there to assist you with those choices and make them available to you!
Have a "Holistic Healthy" week!
Blessings!
PAM
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Creating Your Healthy Life - Arthritis
Chronic inflammation inflicts devastating effects, especially as we grow older. Systemic inflammation is a common culprit contributing too many degenerative diseases such as arthritis. It can also manifest into atherosclerosis, heart valve dysfunction, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's and even cancer.
Since I addressed inflammation in a previous article, I would like to concentrate on one of these degenerative diseases that inflammation contributes to, arthritis.
The word arthritis means "Inflammation of the joint". There are two very distinct types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both are painful and are the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 64.
Conventional medicine offer temporary relief from the symptoms which may result in side effects such as ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some arthritis medication can actually worsen the condition by speeding up joint destruction.
What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a gradual decay which usually affects the knees, hips, spinal and hand joints. This degeneration causes pain, swelling, deformation and reduced range of motion. The erosion of the cartilage and erosion of bone results in a loss of shock absorption and the underlying bone begins to thicken and bone spurs are formed. As it worsens there is significant pain and disability. The use of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs over time may result in undesirable long-term effects.
Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks body tissues as if they were foreign invaders. There is erosion of cartilage and of bone, as well as chronic inflammation and thickening of the membrane that surrounds the affected joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered to be directly related to chronic inflammatory syndrome. The swelled joints may feel warm to the touch and look red. There is also a general feeling of sickness, fatigue, weight loss and fever. The conventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is relatively safe but the medication itself suppresses not only the symptoms but a much needed enzyme that our bodies need to fight acute infectious diseases which can result in a serious infections.
The conventional treatments for both of these degenerative diseases involve blocking of the inflammatory pathways that are causing the cartilage destruction. There are however, natural therapies that work along these same pathways and without the dangerous side effects.
Modifying the diet can help block common inflammatory pathways. Foods with a high glycemic index should be avoided:
Fatty Red Meat
Organ Meats (liver, kidney, etc.)
Egg Yolks
Pasta
Juices
Rice
White Bread
A simple change in the diet in addition to suggested supplementation may have a significant beneficial impact on arthritis sufferers.
If you would like information on how to get started combating your arthritis with dietary changes, please contact me! I will be happy to send you a dietary plan to get started on!
Since I addressed inflammation in a previous article, I would like to concentrate on one of these degenerative diseases that inflammation contributes to, arthritis.
The word arthritis means "Inflammation of the joint". There are two very distinct types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both are painful and are the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 64.
Conventional medicine offer temporary relief from the symptoms which may result in side effects such as ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some arthritis medication can actually worsen the condition by speeding up joint destruction.
What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a gradual decay which usually affects the knees, hips, spinal and hand joints. This degeneration causes pain, swelling, deformation and reduced range of motion. The erosion of the cartilage and erosion of bone results in a loss of shock absorption and the underlying bone begins to thicken and bone spurs are formed. As it worsens there is significant pain and disability. The use of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs over time may result in undesirable long-term effects.
Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks body tissues as if they were foreign invaders. There is erosion of cartilage and of bone, as well as chronic inflammation and thickening of the membrane that surrounds the affected joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered to be directly related to chronic inflammatory syndrome. The swelled joints may feel warm to the touch and look red. There is also a general feeling of sickness, fatigue, weight loss and fever. The conventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is relatively safe but the medication itself suppresses not only the symptoms but a much needed enzyme that our bodies need to fight acute infectious diseases which can result in a serious infections.
The conventional treatments for both of these degenerative diseases involve blocking of the inflammatory pathways that are causing the cartilage destruction. There are however, natural therapies that work along these same pathways and without the dangerous side effects.
Modifying the diet can help block common inflammatory pathways. Foods with a high glycemic index should be avoided:
Fatty Red Meat
Organ Meats (liver, kidney, etc.)
Egg Yolks
Pasta
Juices
Rice
White Bread
A simple change in the diet in addition to suggested supplementation may have a significant beneficial impact on arthritis sufferers.
If you would like information on how to get started combating your arthritis with dietary changes, please contact me! I will be happy to send you a dietary plan to get started on!
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