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Insight: Consider a holistic approach to your health care with Bradford Today

Updated: May 14, 2022




1) Tell me briefly about the difference between conventional and holistic approaches to nutrition needs?


In contrast to conventional approaches, holistic nutrition focuses on an individual's dietary needs and health problems. This entails considering intolerances, inadequacies, and allergies. Therefore, nutrition counselling includes more than just healthy eating.


Holistic nutrition also focuses on educating people on making better lifestyle choices and developing healthy habits to take control of their health and well-being. For example, imagine a health practitioner giving you a generic nutrition plan and prognosis that wasn't suited to you, your dietary preferences, or your medical problems. How are you supposed to manage your medical condition and achieve optimal health if your doctor or dietitian prescribes a broad program that everyone, regardless of age or gender, can follow?


Consider a holistic nutritionist to be a personal coach who wants to help you achieve a healthy and happy lifestyle by guiding you through diet, lifestyle, and habit improvements while also addressing your underlying ailment. With various treatments, products, and a personalized coaching program, a trained holistic nutrition specialist can help you construct an accurate picture of your path to health and fitness.


2) What’s a fact, and what’s a myth about the holistic approach to wellness?


Myth #1: Holistic medicine isn't actual medicine.

The claim that holistic healthcare isn't primary healthcare is just false. This is because holistic practitioners are certified with the credentials to prove it!


Many believe that holistic medical physicians are more informed and caring than their conventional colleagues. This could be related to the willingness of holistic practitioners to use complementary and alternative medicine.


Myth #2: Holistic health is prohibitively costly.


While holistic therapy may appear to be costly at first, it may save patients hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in the long run. This, according to experts, is due to holistic health's proactive approach to medicine.


Patients with prediabetes, for example, have a 15-30% probability of acquiring type 2 diabetes in the next five years if it is not addressed. Preventive programs and practices can reduce this risk, such as diabetes self-management education sessions.


As a result of proactive treatment to cure the fundamental cause of disease and dysfunction, insurers, providers, and patients face reduced financial hardship. As a result, the cost of holistic health is well worth the money you'll save in the long run!


Myth #3: Holistic health necessitates a complete lifestyle shift.


It's best to start small and make gradual changes, like any new effort. While holistic health includes lifestyle modifications, many patients find these changes doable.


Nonetheless, holistic practitioners are here to assist you at every step of your holistic journey. We are here to help you and your family's health, from comprehensive health evaluations to exceptional care!


Myth #4: Holistic doctors only prescribe vitamins rather than medications.


While many holistic health experts recognize the need for vitamins and supplements, they also advise using prescription pharmaceuticals when necessary. This is because holistic doctors understand that supplements are not a panacea for all health problems.


On the other hand, Holistic doctors commit to seeking out remedies rather than relying on prescribed medications. Following that, our HPN team will:


Assist individuals in treating the underlying causes of their illnesses.

Spend less money on drugs that only mask the symptoms of the disease.

Prevent further problems and comorbidities caused by specific medical disorders.


Myth #5: Holistic healthcare isn’t quality healthcare.


The average length of a regular doctor's appointment, according to research, is slightly under 16 minutes. In addition, during a typical 16-minute medical session, patients discuss an average of six topics. That's not a lot of time to address all of the patient's worries!


On the other hand, our holistic healthcare practitioners frequently spend more than an hour with a single patient. As a result, our patients get the time they need to talk about and validate their worries.


Furthermore, we strongly urge our patients to take an active role in their treatment. Nobody knows your body better than you!


3) Can holistic nutrition replace clinical nutrition? Are there overlaps?


Holistic nutrition is a method focused on investigating an individual's total physical and mental health rather than a standardized approach.


Dieticians are encouraged to follow the rules and protocols created for many health problems and persons. For underlying disorders and weight gain, dieticians provide more general nutrition education. Holistic nutritionists provide specific dietary advice that targets goals and leads to the human body's maximum health. We also have life coaching experience.


Holistic nutritionists work on individualized health and nutrition to improve overall health and well-being, whereas dieticians work in dietetics and medical nutrition therapy. Medical nutrition therapy comprises conducting tests and identifying medical disorders such as diabetes or heart disease. Dietetics focuses on food science to prevent specific health issues from emerging. Holistic nutritionists and dieticians employ health and wellness applied science to help people live more balanced and fulfilling lives.


Holistic nutritionists are more likely to work in clinical settings such as wellness centers, private practices, and health food stores. In contrast, dieticians work in more extensive institutional settings like hospitals, universities, and research-based settings.


4) What are some common non-physical factors missed in the conventional clinical approach?


Patient-related factors like socioeconomic status, quality of life, and the patient's expectations, wishes, motivations, and other lifestyle influences.


5) Does a holistic approach tackle psychological-related issues?


Yes, the patient, not their diagnosis or symptoms, is at the focus of a holistic approach to mental health care. A holistic approach to mental health focuses on the whole person by addressing their emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs.


6) Are there signs to watch out for telling individuals that they need a holistic instead clinical approach?


Signs to watch for are when the patient experiences only short-term benefits and then relapses or reverts to their old ways. This is a sign that they need a holistic approach because ALL their needs are not being met.


A holistic needs assessment is a conversation about your physical, psychological, spiritual, and social needs with your doctor, nurse, or other health professional involved in your treatment. Not just your illness but you as a whole is the emphasis.


Patients come to mind. Thinking about each patient holistically implies considering them as individuals with their unique medical history, desires, values, family situation, social circumstances, and lifestyle, all of which contribute to their experience of a health condition or disease.


7) What major environmental/lifestyle factors are underlying human nutrition issues?


One of the significant environmental factor affecting human nutrition is the heavy use of chemicals in the processing/growing of foods. These can negatively impact a person's hormones and gut health. This leads to increased difficulty processing and digesting an already overly processed food supply, which leads to many health problems such as chronic inflammation, leaky gut, brain fog, and food sensitivities.


As environmental variables continue to affect individual and population health negatively, ecological health advocacy is a primary goal in the public health area.


Take, for example, the impending threat of climate change. According to environmental health specialists, climate change may modify disease patterns, making communities more vulnerable to various illnesses. Climate change has also been linked to an increase in floods, wildfires, and superstorms, which can have severe consequences for human health.


Another example of how environmental influences might affect health is poor industrial hygiene. "Many of the elements needed to improve industries and technology, such as heavy metals or even some plastics, can potentially harm the human body and even lead to significant medical issues," according to Verywell Health. In other words, industries that are careless with manufacturing and waste management may damage the environment and affect our health.


Environmental health is about personal well-being; it's also about community well-being. Simply put, the surroundings of our homes, schools, playgrounds, and workplaces can significantly impact our families and neighbours.


Pollution and litter, for example, can make residents less likely to go outside for exercise and pleasure, making the entire community more susceptible to disease.


Infrastructure and other aspects of the built environment can impact community health. Poorly maintained roads, for example, increase the chance of car accidents resulting in injuries, and inadequate sanitary infrastructure can raise disease prevalence in local populations.


8) How alarming and how reversible is it?


The impact on our environment and our health will have long-lasting effects through many generations, but we can begin making a better change now with the holistic approach.


Holistic nutrition can help you live a healthier lifestyle while improving your physical and mental health. Following a comprehensive diet plan can have several advantages, including weight management/weight loss, Better digestive health.


Holistic nutrition is a natural approach to health that incorporates evidence-based food, lifestyle, and detoxification treatments.


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