Holistic Health Care

Holistic health is a term used by alternative medicine advocates to describe medical care that views physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life as closely interconnected and balanced.

Advocates of the holistic health philosophy typically seek or use a wide variety of alternative practices, the most common of which include acupuncture, ayurveda, Siddha, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga, aromatherapy, homeopathy, massage, Tai Chi, Chinese herbology, Medical cannabis, medicinal herbs, and Prolotherapy.

Figuring out how to choose and join in a health insurance plan can be challenging enough. But for many people that's just the beginning. It's also important to learn how to effectively use your benefits to pay for the medicines you need to stay healthy.

HOLISTIC HEALTH CARE CRITISISM

Advocates of alternative medicine often employ the use of the holistic health philosophy to claim that conventional medicine does not address the needs of the patient as a whole. Supporters of conventional medical practices dispute that claim, pointing to trends within conventional medicine that could also be described as "holistic", such as wellness programs focused on achieving whole-body health through nutrition, exercise, meditation and preventive care.

Some of the more extreme holistic health care practitioners encourage their patients to not seek traditional medical help, which has led to various lawsuits and convictions (often negligent manslaughter, if the patient died nonetheless when traditional medicine would have had a chance of saving him).

Know About The All Purpose Holistic Health Care

By: David Chandler

Understanding what holistic medicine is:

Holistic Health Care is a wellness-based approach to medicine. It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well-being.

How it works

Within the wellness model, health care practitioners examine a patient's body, mind, and spirit. When assessing the body, practitioners review a patient's nutritional status, exercise level, and environmental exposures (to such substances as radiation, plastics, chemicals, pollution, and tobacco).

When assessing the mind, health care practitioners discuss the mind-body connection. For example, the well-established "fight or flight" response shows the interconnectivity between the mind and body. Other research has shown the healthful benefits to the body when relaxation techniques are employed and the power of positive thinking. Holistic medicine practitioners also look at nutritional aspects that help keep the mind functioning at optimal capacity, the emotional support system that patients have in place, and the types of intellectual stimulation that keep the mind well primed.

Holistic medicine practitioners also assess the spiritual aspects of an individual. A spiritual connection, in whatever form, has been shown to improve health. The practitioners also discuss the importance of forgiveness and in "plugging in" (a patient's own discovery and connection with their place in the "bigger picture" and how personal decisions affect this "bigger picture").

A wellness plan for you

Holistic medicine practitioners offer the following "wellness prescription" tips for improving your mind, body, and spirit:

• Avoid animal fats and trans fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils)
• Emphasize omega-3 fatty acids (fish, seeds [especially flaxseed], and nuts
• Eat more fruits and vegetables (8 to 10 servings per day)
• Consume whole grains
• Avoid white flour, sugar, and processed foods
• Consider green tea instead of coffee
  
  About the Author:
  
  For more information, visit: http://www.AlternativeMedicineInfoCenter.com