Living a holistic lifestyle

A true holistic approach to life incorporates things that nourish you other than food, such as a meaningful spiritual practice, honest relationships, physical activity you enjoy doing and a career you love. I like to call these primary foods, we don't eat them, yet they fill us. They satisfy our hunger on a different level to create a balance.

Secondary foods are the foods we eat, which are also important to creating a balance. Such foods would be organic fruits, vegetables and water which is an essential part of our nourishment; most people are dehydrated and don't even know it. It also means eating less red meat and learning to eat from different protein sources such as legumes, nuts and cutting back on artificial food. Remember the old adage “you are what you eat”. What you eat creates who you are, what you do and how you feel. One of the main factors in the formation of acute or chronic illness is the misuse of food and other substances that will break down or create an imbalance in your system making you vulnerable to diseases and illnesses.

Benjamin Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Part of living a holistic lifestyle is to learn prevention. One of the differences between Western and Eastern Medicine is prevention. In western medicine an illness, condition or disease is treated once it has manifested itself in the body with drugs and treatments that can cause many side effects and more damage then the original condition itself.

In Eastern medicine prevention is practice and may help a person avoid any manifestation of a condition or disease. Prevention is using moderation and common sense in all things in order to prevent a negative effect or imbalance.

There are two aspects to prevention, the first is “avoidance”. This means not doing certain things because they may harm or affect us in a negative way. An example of this would be avoiding certain foods, people, habits and substances that may affect us in an unhealthy way. The second aspect of prevention is called “positive action”. This means doing something on a regular basis that keeps you healthy or prevents any condition or illness from occurring. It also includes exercising, having a meaningful spiritual practice, career that satisfies you and a relationship that fills you. All things that nourish you on a mind, body and spiritual level that you enjoy will have a therapeutic effect.

Traditional Chinese doctors were paid to keep people well. In America doctors are paid to treat illness. A Holistic lifestyle involves self-education, self awareness and being in tune with your body, mind and spirit, as well as nourishing your self in a healthy way. These will help strengthen and balance your body and sustain your good health and well-being for many years to help you live a long, vibrant and holistic life.