Approaching personal health through holistic health and wellness has become popular in the last few decades. And we’re here for it! People all over the world are taking back their health and diving into self-care, to address mental health, physical health, and longevity. 

It’s no surprise that people in the US are seeking out holistic medicine and naturopathic therapies. But what are they? Do they actually work, or are they a bit of mumbo-jumbo?

The industry of health can be confusing (and sometimes misleading), but naturopathic medicine and holistic health have been around for centuries, and applying these therapies to your life might be one of the best things for your overall health and wellness. 

Are you new to holistic health? Let’s dive into what this means and why naturopathic medicine is better at addressing our whole selves. 

What is Holistic Health?

Holistic medicine is commonly referred to as an overall life approach rather than a wellness program. Think of holistic health as healthcare that moves away from treating diseases and instead draws attention to underlying building blocks for health. By considering the whole person, all aspects of their self, and environmental factors, holistic health can tap into a common behavior, trait, or perhaps environmental stimulus that is making us feel tired or forcing that zit to show up before ever-important first dates. 

Happiness, feeling content and fulfilled, and being spiritually connected all play a role in holistic health, and yes, these feelings might also relate to the way your body functions. Naturopathy believes that by building up the individual (being a professional hype-person, as it were) and encouraging the idea that all humans have innate healing powers, holistic health creates balance in all aspects of your health. 

Keep in mind that there are five main aspects of holistic health: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and mental. So when talking to holistic health care professionals, you might find that they’re asking questions about your habits, the times you go to sleep, or your level of emotional satisfaction. These are the questions your doctor should be asking when addressing health concerns!

Also, naturopathic doctors might look at  the cause of certain concerns(although this is not always the case). So, you’re better off visiting them when you’re feeling off or slightly unwell rather than when you have a serious health condition or emergency. Naturopaths are great for preventative medicine and health mindfulness. 

So, lifestyle changes, self-care, wellness, and alternative therapies are all things you can expect from your naturopath. Some of our favorites are meditation, getting outside for a few minutes a day, and massage therapy (yes, these are the types of “prescriptions” you could expect from a naturopath!). 

Why Holistic Health is Important for Overall Wellness

Clearly, holistic health plays a large role in how we view our health and our ability to control our internal and external environments. The recent trends of self-care and the popularized interest in spiritual and emotional health suggest that more people are accepting a holistic approach to personal care and are actively seeking therapies to feel better, live better, and be happier. 

And this is good news! Holistic health makes sense and is important for our overall personal wellness. It also forces us to look at big life goals and what we really want to do with our days.

Grind culture, for example, is not as glamorous as it used to be, and more millennials are seeking ways of getting out of debt for greater happiness. 

Perhaps these ideas seem mainstream now, but they weren’t always, especially when it comes to personal health. By broadening the meaning of what health means and how we can access it, we can individually seek to improve our health in the ways we, with our snowflake-like uniqueness, need it most. 

Where holistic medicine really shines is in its ability to address the root cause of a concern. Holistic health forces us to look at other factors in our life, including things like stress and nutrition, to raise our awareness of how we care for ourselves. 

Benefits of Naturopathic Medicine

One of the biggest proponents of holistic health is naturopathy. Naturopathic medicine is a branch of medicine that uses natural remedies, like herbs, exercise, massage, acupuncture, and nutritional counseling, to encourage the body to heal itself. 

Naturopathic doctors might look at a patient’s ailment in relation to that individual’s lifestyle, culture, personal environment, or genetics to identify potential barriers that might cause physiological symptoms. 

Since there are so many things that can affect a person, and each of them unique, the approach for naturopathic medicine is necessarily personalized. Naturopathic medicine is more likely to encourage holistic approaches to health and wellness, and more often than not offers alternative therapies to conventional treatments. 

There is also a greater chance that illness or ailments truly go away  once the root of the issue is determined. Rather than putting a band-aid on symptoms, naturopathic medicine zone in on other aspects of your life and attempt to identify the reasons for the symptoms. 

Now, not all naturopathic practitioners are the same. In the US, people who support naturopathic medicine might be known as naturopathic doctors (ND) or doctors of naturopathic medicine (NMD), traditional naturopaths, and healthcare providers. Doctors of naturopathic medicine are individuals who have attended a four-year, graduate school and they might learn many of the same sciences that conventional medical doctors learn. They will study additional therapies, like herbal medicine, homeopathy, psychology, and nutrition.  

Not all physicians or healthcare providers are the same, so it’s important to do your research when choosing a naturopath provider. 

Improving Your Health Holistically

If you’re looking to improve your health but you want to do it through more natural remedies, holistic health and naturopathic medicine can help. With the guidance of trained practitioners, you can seek to address the underlying ailments that keep cropping up. 

If you feel that something is not that right, and you just can’t pinpoint what is going on, then holistic medicine may be what you need. Females often question the effects of Aunt Flow, for example, and this might make it challenging to focus on other areas of their lives.

Holistic medicine might also look into the individual’s unique genetic makeup to make personalized recommendations. If you have a nutrient deficiency, this can lead to major health challenges, and it would make health improvement futile. Customized nutritional supplements, recommended based on your DNA, can allow you to break through health and wellness barriers that you did not know you had! 

No matter what health goals you have, such as more energy, focused mind, healthy skin, fertility,or more, holistic medicine can help you with these goals. Holistic health supported by DNA testing can help support a healthy immune system response, support intestinal health, promote brain development in children or infants, and support cognitive health