STRESS IS UNHEALTHY

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The ability to relax is important in effectively managing stress and anxiety.  When we are stressed, our bodies react with what is called "the fight or flight response."  This is the body's ability to experience a decrease in heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, muscle tension and oxygen consumption.

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Chronic stress is a significant risk factor for illnesses such as cancer and heart attacks.  One reason is that our body's physical reactions to prolonged stress may accumulate slowly and go unnoticed in our attempts to adapt to ongoing stress.

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One of the most common physical reactions to stress is the tensing of muscles, which can ultimately trigger tension headaches, migraines, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

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Stress is hard on the digestive system, as it affects which nutrients our intestines absorb, it influences your body's intake of proper nutrients needed to sustain health.

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Reducing stress in everyday life is vital for maintaining your overall health, as it can help improve your mood, boost immune function, promote longevity and allow you to be more productive.  Letting stress get the best of you, puts yourself at risk of developing a range of illnesses - from the common cold to heart disease.  

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Stress has a powerful impact on well-being because it is a natural response that is activated in the brain.  When you become stressed, the brain undergoes both chemical and physical changes that affect its overall functioning.

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WHAT IS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

 

Holistic medicine is an ancient system of health care that dates back thousands of years ago, however the expression is of much more recent vintage. The word "holism" was coined by Jan Christiaan Smuts in 1926 to describe the concept that living beings are "greater than and different from the sum of their parts.” The word "holistic" wasn't widely used until the 1970s.

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Now that you know a little bit more about the history of the term, you may be wondering: "What is the definition of holistic medicine? To understand more, it helps to explore three essential elements of the philosophy behind it. It takes the whole person into consideration. 

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Have you ever visited a doctor of traditional medicine and get the feeling like the whole picture of your health wasn't being evaluated to make a diagnosis? Western medicine often focuses on treating symptoms, as opposed to trying to determine the root causes of a condition, which is a focus of holistic medicine.

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The American Holistic Health Association (AHHA) describes "Holistic Health" this way:

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"Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible."

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Mind, body and spirit — these aspects of each patient are considered to be intertwined and essential to achieving optimal health. Human beings are comprised of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual elements is another way to look at it. It focuses on natural healing. 

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While holistic medicine (aka alternative medicine) may incorporate treatments from mainstream health care, drugs and surgery are not the line of first defense.

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These are some of the focuses of primary care treatment in holistic medicine:

• Diet

• Exercise

• Environmental measures

• Attitude and behavior modifications

• Relationship and spiritual counseling

• Bioenergy enhancement

• Individualized & Tailored Care and Treatment Plans

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By definition, holistic medicine is about lifestyle changes, noninvasive remedies and improving the flow of a person's life-force energy, along with enhancing the body's own ability to heal itself - It's patient-empowering. 

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Holistic health is a lifestyle. It doesn't stop and start when you walk in and out of a practitioner's office. What you do on a daily basis to tend to their mind, body and spirits is as important as any treatment or herbal remedies youreceive.

 

According to the AHHA:

"[Holistic medicine] teaches individuals to take responsibility for their own health, and in so doing is: cost-effective in treating both acute and chronic illness; therapeutic in preventing and treating chronic disease; essential in creating optimal health."

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Many people opt for holistic medicine because it's a way for them to feel empowered in their own health care. They don't have to wait for drugs to work or surgery to fix them, they can take measures to enhance their well being on their own.

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