Western medicine is a powerful system of knowledge and practice that is unparalleled for curing diseases once they take hold. What is lacking is a holistic approach. 

Western medicine usually treats diseases and their symptoms without looking at the underlying causes of disease. Treating the whole person, on the other hand, requires looking at lifestyle, mental health, underlying conditions, and other factors to help people live healthy lives now and in the future. 

Say you have high blood pressure. A standard approach would be to prescribe medication that thins your blood. That’s a great way to treat the immediate problem but a holistic approach would go deeper to find the root causes of the issue:

• Is it the result of a poor diet? Let’s find an eating plan to deal with the problem long-term. 
• Is stress a big factor? Maybe you need to change careers or start meditating.
• Have you been too sedentary? Let’s develop an exercise regime to help you get active.

Holistic is big-picture health – investigating how and why illnesses arise and treating the real causes to alleviate problems now and prevent them in the future.

Holistic healthcare is preventative

A holistic approach to health understands how all aspects of physical and mental health are interconnected and affect one another. It can stop one health problem from snowballing into something bigger. 

If you have a limp and ignore it – or simply numb it with painkillers – don’t be surprised if pain arises in other parts of your body as it overcompensates for the untreated problem. 

A more serious example might be someone who has a fibromyalgia flare-up due to family stress. The flare-up leaves them bed-ridden and they have to miss work. Being stuck at home and in pain makes them feel guilty and useless and that develops into a depressive episode. Due to the depression, they overeat and gain weight, putting extra pressure on joints and extending the flare-up.

It’s not as simple as treating the disease alone. What about the stress that caused the flare-up? The lack of support when bed-ridden? The need for tools to manage a depressive episode?

That’s why a holistic approach to health is so important! Here are 5 ways to take care of your health holistically:

1. Find holistic healthcare professionals

Whether your doctor practices holistic healthcare themselves or simply supports your health journey, it’s important to have a professional who gets it.

You should still get regular checkups and go to the doctor when you’re ill but find a doctor who knows your health care doesn’t begin and end with fixing today’s problem.

Try finding an GP who is happy to explore complementary medicine or has also trained in osteopathy or nutritional science. It might be easier to assemble a supergroup – your doctor plus a physiotherapist, nutritionist, psychologist, and whoever else you need. Even a spiritual guide can be part of your holistic healthcare.

Whatever approach you choose, the important thing is to make sure you’re taking care your whole self.

Ask your doctor questions to see where they stand, such as:

• Are they happy to combine physiotherapy or osteopathy with other treatments?
• Do they understand the link between mental and physical health and how important it is for healthcare?

If you find that your doctor is dismissive of these ideas, keep looking.

2. Happy mind, healthy body

While no one can cure a disease with willpower, your state of mind does affect your overall health. Creating a positive attitude and a happy mind can lead to less illness, more resilience, and quicker recoveries.

Think about what makes you happy and peaceful, and try and bring more of that into your life. Whether it’s going into nature, painting, or long dinners with friends – find what nourishes your mind and pursue it!

Some healthy habits for your mind (and body) are:

• Deep breathing sessions
• Taking time to be creative: draw, colour in, journal, play an instrument
• Practising yoga
• Talking with friends and family regularly
• Funny movies – seriously, laughter is really good for you
• Making time for gratitude every day
• Positive affirmations in the morning – they might feel silly at first, but they do work

3. Daily meditation

Meditation isn’t just for monks and hippies – research has shown that meditating has amazing effects on your health.

Researchers who studies breast cancer survivors found a clear link between meditation and positive recovery outcomes. It wasn’t just that those who meditated were in a better mood, they actually showed better healing outcomes at a cellular level!

But you don’t need to wait for a disease to strike – start meditating today and enjoy the health benefits. Even 15-20 minutes a day is enough to see big results.

4. Skincare: health from the outside in

If you want to be healthy in the long-run, you need to change your daily habits. As well as eating better or meditating, it’s important to consider your skincare routine.

Your skincare routine may seem very innocuous. After all, it’s just a few products 2-3 times a day – and it’s not like you’re ingesting them. But actually, your skin is a highly absorbent organ and what you put on your skin affects your overall health in major ways. 

If you’re covering your skin with harmful chemicals every day for years, that has a negative effect on your long-term health.

On the other hand, if you’re applying healthy, natural ingredients to your skin every day, you’ll be healthier all-round.

Investigate the products on your shelf. Are they packed with things like sodium laurel sulphate (SLS), parabens, alcohol, formaldehyde, propylene glycol, or artificial fragrances? If so, it’s time to rethink your skincare.

Replace those harmful skincare products with all-natural, organic ones. Keep an eye out for preservative-free, organic products with healthful ingredients such as:

• Avocado
• Coconut oil
• Berry extracts
• Grape seed oil
• Rosewater
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cucumber

5. Eat well and exercise

This one is pretty basic but too many people neglect it or only pay attention to one half of the equation. Exercise and diet are both essential!

You need to keep your body active for muscle development, heart health, blood pressure, brain health, and many other reasons. But how you’re fuelling your body is just as important, especially for maintaining a healthy weight.

You’ve probably seen a lot of conflicting information out there about the best diet to eat. Much of the advice is well-meaning and usually partly true – excluding ‘miracle’ diets, weight loss pills, and other scams that prey on your anxieties. But the fact is, your ideal diet must be tailored to meet your needs, your health goals, and even your genetic profile. 

So, don’t just get the gym membership – find a good nutritionist as well. By fuelling your body the right way, you’ll get the most out of your workouts and make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

With a new year around the corner, it is the season to make new goals for the year ahead and reflect on the year just passed. However, there’s still time left on the clock and it’s important to finish the year strong. Whether you’re in smooth sailing mode as a result of achieving your goals or still need to make a big push.

But before you head to the liquor store to pick up champagne for your year-end celebrations, refocus on your goals so that you can finish the year on a strong note. We encourage you to incorporate the three tips below.

Keep pushing, even if you don’t think you’ll achieve your goals

Too many people throw in the towel before the clock strikes zero. By doing so, they don’t get any closer to reaching their goals. Whether it be a monetary goal of making $10,000 in one month, a fitness goal of losing 10 pounds in a month, or investing in your dream car at the car dealership by the end of the year, perseverance is key.

You might not reach your biggest goals this year, but you shouldn’t stop just because of that fact alone.

Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds in any given month. Week three rolls along and you still have seven pounds to reach your weight-loss goal. If you stop your workout and eating plans and revert back to your old habits, then you’ll get farther away from accomplishing your goal, you will stop your good habits, and you will likely gain back the lost weight. The better solution is to continue to put in the work and lose one to two more pounds, getting you closer to your goal because you didn’t quit.

Life is all about progress. While we only want to see the end result, focusing on our progress will not only get us closer to the end result but it will help build good habits. It will also help us continue to improve and make our lives better.

Forgive yourself

It’s OK if you didn’t reach your goals. What’s not OK is blaming yourself for the mistakes you made and for not achieving your goals. You have to forgive yourself if you’re going to move forward and become the person you want to be.

Forgiving yourself can help you reboot your mind, thought process, and path. You have to take care of your mental health and one of the ways you can do that is by letting go of the past and moving forward with a clear conscience.

Plus, letting go of the past can lead to you restructuring your plan so you continue to improve in your desired area before a new year begins.

Reflect and get to work

While New Year’s resolutions only work for around 9 percent of people, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reflect. It is true that reflection alone won’t help you start that marketing business for animal companies, but it can help you focus on what you’ve been doing right and wrong and also what you’re grateful for. You will be able to assess your life so you can make positive improvements that will pay off down the line.

Reflection helps you analyze your life, which can help you create new goals and plans. It i important to do this as the year closes so that you can finish strong, and be in a good mindset to start the new year. You don’t have to be like others and wait until the calendar to turn to a new year to start—you can get started immediately.

Once New Year’s Eve is here, you can celebrate the fact that you just ended the year on a strong note. Even if you didn’t achieve your goals, you got closer to reaching them and improved your outlook thanks to your strong finish.

Author: Vital Chi Wellness

The benefits of naturopathy are myriad, with unique therapies drawn from a delicate combination of science, nutrition, exercise, botanical medicines, homeopathy, supplementation and lifestyle coaching. The combination of holistic treatments is designed to strike a healthy balance of psychological and physiological wellbeing.

Initially, a naturopath will follow a similar course to your GP. They take detailed patient history and a series of tests to confirm your diagnosis. However, the difference from a normal GP is a naturopath will treat issues or imbalances within the body with a uniquely holistic approach.

Naturopath’s use their knowledge of the body alongside scientific research to nurture the body back to full health and vitality.

Here are some key benefits of naturopathy:

Naturopathy can treat problems at their root

Rather than simply masking the problem, naturopathy can be used to treat various infectious health concerns at their core. A naturopath will look at the root causes for such diseases and will directly treat these issues, as well as the symptoms. Often, a naturopath will treat patients who have tried traditional medicine and found the treatment to be ineffective. Several trials have shown that naturopathic treatments are extremely effective in treating conditions in the body.  

Naturopathy effectively treats disorders

Naturopathy can also effectively treat disorders such as depression, anxiety, hypertension and diabetes. An in-depth consultation with the patient will allow the naturopath to identify drivers of dysfunction in patients of all ages and put together a sustainable treatment plan that the patient can integrate into their lifestyle. These holistic treatment plans are designed to suit the lifestyle of the patient and bring the mind and body back to balance.

Bespoke treatment plans

At your consultation, a naturopath will take a thorough assessment of your medical history and conduct tests to analyze what problems you could be facing if the body. Each patient has an opportunity to talk through their challenges and have a tailored treatment plan to addresses their specific circumstance. Rather than simply giving general feedback and advice, a naturopath will take your lifestyle and nutrition into consideration and create a bespoke treatment plan to suit your unique set of requirements. This means you will have a completely personalised treatment plan that is designed to address your challenges in the most effective way possible.

Talk to an experienced naturopath today at Vital Chi Wellness.

Heart disease is a huge killer around the world, but especially in the United States.  A culture of excess has resulted in many easily avoidable life-threatening health issues among citizens, but it’s easier than you think to design your own personal heart-healthy eating habits.  

Healthy does not equal boring, limited, or gross.  The trick is to educate yourself on as many healthy food options as possible to keep your diet interesting. Try out different diets like this low fat diet, to see what makes you feel good. Here are a few foods that are both heart healthy and delicious.

Blueberries

It’s really somewhat difficult to go wrong eating berries of any sort, but blueberries are especially heart healthy.  Berries and even wine (in moderation) are good for your heart due to their provision of antioxidant anthocyanins.  

Blueberries have some of the highest concentrations of anthocyanins, placing them in the spotlight for heart-healthy snacks.  Some studies have proven that blueberries can lower your LDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is good for the reduction of cholesterol, but it is also rich in soluble fiber.  Soluble fiber has been studied and found to naturally bind to cholesterol, keeping it out of the blood stream.  

It is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration that you eat at least 3 grams of soluble fiber each day to reap the maximum benefits for your heart.  Average participants in studies nearly always saw results in lowering their LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels.

Apples

Apples are especially rich in antioxidant flavonoids which are known protectors of the heart.  The skin of an apple is the most healthy part, as it is high in quercetin and anthocyanins.  

The old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is full of truth.  Don’t skip out on apples in your diet, and they’re healthy as dried chips too.

Nuts

Nuts in all shapes and sizes are healthy.  Most offer a significant source of fiber, protein, unsaturated fats (the “good” fats), an array of minerals, and antioxidants.  Nuts are an excellent snack food for those quick eating opportunities throughout the day.

Kale

It’s pretty common knowledge that leafy greens are good for your healthy, but Kale, in particular, is super healthy.  Kale packs high doses of magnesium and potassium.  Magnesium and potassium are both great for regulating blood pressure and heart health.  

Avoid these stains in your diet:

There are some dietary choices you should avoid if you’re aiming for a heart healthy lifestyle.

Trans fats: deep-fried foods, fast foods, snack foods

Packaged foods: high-sodium box dinners, sugary breakfast foods

Flour-based foods: white pasta, white or egg breads, sugary cereals

Processed meats: sausage, bacon, fried chicken, salami

Yogurts: Yogurts with added sugars, processed cheeses

One of the largest and most complex joints in the body, the shoulder is a combination of bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscles, designed to be amazingly flexible to allow for our wide range of motion. We tend to take this remarkably strong and versatile joint for granted until it demands our attention by malfunctioning or becoming injured. When something does go wrong with the shoulder, we quickly realize just how much we depend on it.

Shoulder pain or decreased range of motion may mean there is an issue with the joint itself or with the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. One of the more common problems is a tear in the rotator cuff, which is the group of four tendons and muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint. Our ability to rotate our arms and lift objects are completely dependent on the rotator cuff, and, when it is torn, any movement of that type becomes painful and difficult.

Obviously, a tear to the rotator cuff is serious, and it is important to consult with a healthcare professional as soon as possible. If caught before it gets worse, it is likely that surgery will not be required. Treatment will usually include some combination of physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medications to reduce pain and inflammation and cortisone injections. An important part of physical therapy for rotator cuff injuries is exercise designed to help restore the range of motion in the muscles and joint.

Exercises Following Shoulder Rotator Cuff Injury

Pendulum circles and isometric shoulder rotations are often recommended following a rotator cuff injury but never attempt these or any type of exercise following an injury without first consulting with your physical therapist or orthopedic specialist.

Pendulum Circles
Pendulum circles are done with or without weights, which can be added and increased as the recovery process progresses. Something like a chair or table to help maintain balance is required for these exercises. With the uninjured arm holding the chair, bend forward 90 degrees at the waist and let the arm with the rotator cuff injury hang loosely. Swing this arm in small circles, like a pendulum, alternating direction after about 10 circles. Movement should be smooth and effortless and repetitions can be increased as strength returns.  

Isometric Should Rotations

The term isometric comes from the Greek “iso,” meaning “same,” and “metric,” meaning length. Isometric exercises are done with the joint angle and muscle length not changing when the muscle contracts. This is accomplished by one muscle being worked against another or against a fixed object, like a wall.

Isometric Shoulder External Rotation
In this exercise the patient stands with the injured shoulder about six inches from a wall, with the elbow bent at 90 degrees and the backside of the fist pressed against the wall as if trying to rotate the arm in an outward motion through the wall. Repetitions can be increased as recovery progresses.

Isometric Shoulder Internal Rotation
The isometric shoulder internal rotation is done the same as the external rotation except that it is done facing into the corner of the wall and the inside of the fist is pressed against the wall and the arm is rotated inward instead of outward.

Coffee. First thing in the morning. No exceptions. No negotiation. Even if you, personally, are not a coffee drinker, you probably live with one and recognize the futility of trying to converse or do pretty much anything until at least that first cup of coffee has been consumed. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about folks living in a high-rise in New York City or on the family farm in Iowa. For more than 60 percent of Americans, coffee starts the morning with us and travels with us throughout the rest of the day.  

It may be that there are places where people are more obsessed with the kind of coffee they drink than others are. Single-cup coffee makers are rapidly finding their way into homes in small town and rural areas all across the U.S., but it is in the larger metro areas that specialty blends and gourmet varieties have become an integral way of life. Actual surveys have been done, and it has been determined that, if you were dropped anywhere in Manhattan or Queens, you would be no more than 1,335 feet from a Starbucks, which equates to about five blocks. That is the farthest. On average, 20 percent of the island has a Starbucks every two blocks!

Coffee consumption had started to taper off in recent years, but last year it jumped back up. No one knows exactly why. Millennials drink more than their share and that, no doubt, accounts for a part of the resurgence. More likely, however, is that we just love our coffee, even though we believe it probably isn’t good for us. One of the main reasons for that is the concern about coffee damaging our teeth.

How Does Coffee Affect Teeth?

The enamel on the outside of teeth is the hardest substance in the body. It is important to maintain the integrity of the enamel so that the teeth can perform their chewing function and can also protect the interior layers of the tooth. Everyone knows that coffee is acidic, which has the effect of softening the enamel. What is not as well-known but extremely important is that the softening is only temporary. Rinsing the mouth with water after drinking coffee is helpful, but brushing right way can damage the enamel and the dentin layer underneath it. Always wait at least 30 minutes after drinking coffee, wine or any other acidic beverage before brushing.

There is, however, a high likelihood of staining as a result of coffee building up in the small holes and ridges in the enamel, and it is believed that it only takes one cup a day for evidence of staining to appear. Staining happens with natural teeth as well as the materials used in restorations. Once again, rinsing with water as soon as possible after drinking coffee is recommended, although it may not be sufficient to prevent staining. If this is the case, your dental professional will be able to suggest whitening methods that are safe and effective.

The good news is that coffee actually has a lot of positive benefits. It is now believed to play a role in protecting the liver and reducing the risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It may also actually protect the teeth by helping to prevent bone loss in the jaw. 

Nowadays, it is quite common for professionals from all walks of life to turn to brain enhancing supplements to sharpen their memory. In other words, it is not just students but investment bankers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and even Silicon Valley nerds who take the help of brain boosters to compete with their peers. A fairly simple logic seems to work in favor of memory pills. Just like athletes need to take supplements to improve physical performance, other professionals need to take brain supplements for enhancing their mental faculties.

Today, many nootropic drugs are available on the market that claims to improve cognitive functioning. However, it becomes difficult to choose one that will be work best for you. This is where comprehensive and unbiased information on brain enhancing supplements, available on Smart Pill Guide, comes to the rescue. You can read reviews of several nootropics, such as Lumunol, Brain Pill, Lucidal, Procera AVH, CILTEP, Cerebral Success and Alpha Brain, to make an informed decision. Let us take a look at what brain enhancing supplements like CILTEP and Procera AVH do to enhance the cognitive functioning.

• CILTEP

CILTEP, an acronym for Chemically Induced Long Term Potentiation, consists of ingredients that make it quite effective as a brain booster. The premium artichoke extract in CILTEP stimulates bile secretion. This nootropic has a potent phytochemical, luteolin, which inhibits PDE-4, enabling the brain to induce long-term potentiation. Another ingredient, L-Phenylalanine, makes the user feel happy as well as rejuvenated, enhancing confidence, while motivating the individual and driving them to accomplish their goals. This chemical promotes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s pleasure centres. The third ingredient, Forskolin, in combination with artichoke extract, enhances learning power and memory. Other ingredients that enhance the overall effectiveness of CILTEP are Acetyl L-Carnitine and Vitamin B6. The unique blend of ingredients in CILTEP aid memory protects your brain from the deleterious effects of aging, increases alertness and improves concentration.

1. 1. Procera AVH

Procera AVH comprises of three major ingredients, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Vinpocetine and Huperzine (HUP). Studies have shown that Acetyl-L-Carnitine results in enhanced cognitive functioning. This substance lowers the rate of cell deterioration, which results in enhanced brain capacity. It also alleviates the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Vinpocetine, on the other hand, addresses issues such as memory damage, loss of focus or concentration, as well as increased flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Huperzine (HUP) functions as an ache inhibitor. The brain blocks Huperzine’s activities, thereby increasing the Acetylcholinesterase enzyme. This enzyme removes acetylcholine from the synapses, which leads to enhanced brain functioning, as it is protected from calcium as well as other free radicals.

This brain enhancing supplement consists of ingredients that increase blood distribution in the brain. This results in an increase in the levels of oxygen and nutrients available to the brain. Hence, Procera AVH improves memory, alertness, focus and other cognitive functions. In addition to this, the supplement restores vital neurotransmitters that are depleted due to a poor diet, lack of sleep, stress as well as aging.

Before making a buying decision, however, make sure you learn more about memory pills and brain enhancing supplements, such as Cerebral Success and Alpha Brain, to make an informed decision.