A holistic approach to health is crucial to address health problems at the grass-root level rather than just the symptoms. It ensures that everything is taken into account and encourages people to stay in charge of their health and overall well-being.
Preventing illnesses and finding long-term solutions for existing health problems are also vital. For example, if you are experiencing low energy levels, the immediate reaction might be to consume caffeine or energy drinks, but this may be a band-aid solution. The lack of energy can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition that needs attention. Looking from the point of view of a holistic health approach, the lack of energy may be due to anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, low testosterone levels, and even diabetes. The idea is to judge the problem as a whole.
What is a Holistic Diet?
It is a known fact that gut health affects one’s overall health. A healthier gastrointestinal tract is important for a healthy mind and body.
From the point of view of a holistic diet, food is seen as a medicine for the body, not just as a fuel. This approach suggests the consumption of whole and unprocessed foods, diverse fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich foods, fortified plant-based alternatives, and fat-free dairy products.
How to Develop a Holistic Lifestyle?
The first step toward a holistic approach to life is to develop the mindset that your health constitutes many different components, and for you to function optimally, all of these components need to be considered and nurtured. Aside from a holistic diet, an integrated lifestyle is developed with the following:
Meditation
Meditation is quite a significant tool that involves training the mind to attain long-lasting cognitive clarity, balance, and mindfulness. Researchers have proven it to be an effective way to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression and foster overall well-being. Meditating for even 15 minutes every day may improve emotional processing skills and help you become more focused and peaceful.
Sleep
Sleep is that aspect of health that allows you to recharge physically and mentally. To have a high-quality sleep, one should have a fixed sleep schedule, avoid taking naps in the afternoon, and alcohol consumption and heavy meals after evening.
Temporary insomnia or inability to fall asleep occurs due to stress and or even by interference with the sleeping pattern, while chronic insomnia may occur due to underlying health conditions such as aging, treatments, anxiety, and mental health disorders. While taking sleeping pills may provide a temporary solution, a holistic approach targets the root cause of the problem to be addressed. You are recommended to see your doctor to find the underlying causes so they can be addressed.
Practice Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating means trusting your body and its instincts and making food choices that feel good to you. It encourages a healthy relationship with food by helping you trust your body to make the correct choices instead of fat diets and extreme diet culture. An intuitive eater pays attention to body hints, mainly eating when hungry and stopping when full. This is because he has learnt to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger.
Physical hunger means when the body sends cues such as growling stomach, irritability, and fatigue, which prompt you to replenish nutrients and generate energy for consumption. On the other hand, emotional hunger is guided by emotional need due to loneliness, boredom, and sadness, which prompt cravings and excessive food consumption. Research has shown that intuitive eating can be a holistic approach to controlling weight, blood pressure, eating disorders, and self-esteem.
Focus on Positive Relationships
Humans are social beings, so social relationships affect physical and mental health, behaviour, and mortality. People with few or no social ties tend to have twice the chances of death than adults with high social engagements.
Positive social relationships are believed to provide significant health benefits such as decreased cardiovascular disease, maintaining a healthy immune system, and reduced physiological responses to stress-evoking situations.
Exercise
Physical exercise is one of the most cost-effective techniques to enhance overall health and well-being, with many benefits ranging from a decreased risk of heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Mentally, exercise is believed to improve sleep quality, boost self-esteem and mood, and reduce the risk of stress, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
It is recommended for adults to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Those who work out regularly are found to have a more positive outlook about themselves, better memories, and peaceful sleep at night. Doing a physical activity you enjoy increases motivation and consistency in doing the activity.
A holistic approach to health and life means paying attention to all the aspects that make you, you. The more you adopt a more collaborative outlook toward your lifestyle, the more you will be able to enjoy your health and well-being. If you need assistance kicking off a holistic approach to your lifestyle, visit Reliance Hospital and find help. A healthy lifestyle and a healthy well-balanced diet are closely related. A diverse number of medical conditions are triggered by unhealthy eating choices. Thus, getting personalised diet plans and following them religiously is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you need help in getting the best meal plans tailored for you, you can visit the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at Reliance Hospital. Our team consists of qualified registered dieticians who deliver customised meal plans for all individuals after evaluating their nutritional status and associated medical conditions, therefore, ensuring they derive the maximum benefit from it.
We care for your overall health, happiness, strength, and sexual vitality. Get personalized support and tailored insight from top-tier doctors available to your service 24/7. Visit us today www.reliancehospitals.com