Holistic health: importance and measures for prevention

Holistic health pursues an approach that includes many different areas of life. The interplay between holistic health and nutrition is particularly important. However, there are many other things that should be considered in order to be holistically healthy. This article shows what you can do to prevent ailments and illnesses and which sub-areas make up holistic health.

What is holistic health?

Many holistic health practices offer a holistic health check or consultation. As part of this, many different tests are carried out to shed light on many areas of human health.

But what is the actual definition of holistic health? This question needs to be clarified at the very beginning, before we move on to methods of strengthening holistic health. The holistic view of health aims to strengthen all aspects of well-being . This means not only the physical approach, but also the mental and emotional approach. The aim of holistic health is to harmonise all areas. This can improve quality of life.

However, there are many different approaches to holistic health. One of them is to find out the causes of ailments and not just treat the symptoms. And these causes can be both physical and psychological.

The basic idea of holistic health can therefore be described as follows: The human being as a “whole” is made up of different aspects . Holistic health involves taking care of all these factors.

The 4 pillars of holistic health

Holistic health can be described well using a pillar model. While in some places there is talk of 5 or 8 pillars, this article focuses on just 4 pillars of holistic health.

1. Exercise

If you don’t move enough, you’re not doing your body any good. A balanced amount of exercise is therefore also part of holistic health. It not only counteracts obesity and diabetes, but also ensures a functioning metabolism and has a positive effect on the psyche.

This does not mean that you should go into extreme sports. Rather, regular training sessions such as running, swimming or cycling are good for the body. You should also integrate exercise into your everyday life. The following tips can help:

• Take the stairs more often instead of the lift

• Cycle or walk to work and leave the car at home

• Keep getting up and stretching during long periods of sitting

• Take relaxing walks in the fresh air

2. Nutrition

When it comes to health, nutrition is usually mentioned in the same breath. In fact, what a person takes in is crucial. The interplay of macro and micronutrients is essential for a comprehensive diet.

If you eat a varied and balanced diet, you can provide your body with everything it needs. In some cases, support from dietary supplements is useful. However, nutrition should be the top priority.

But what does a holistically healthy diet look like? Meals are best made up of different food groups. These include fruit and vegetables, wholegrain products, dairy products, pulses and healthy fats. Lean meat is also a favourite on the menu to make the diet as varied as possible.

The nutrients contained in food play a particularly important role in the diet. As already mentioned, there are both micro and macronutrients. Macronutrients include proteins, carbohydrates and fibre. Micronutrients, on the other hand, are vitamins and minerals. A balanced mix of all these nutrients is considered desirable.

In addition to the right diet, an adequate intake of fluids is also important for holistic health. Water is essential for metabolism and digestion. As water is one of the main components of most cells, it also contributes to the smooth functioning of many processes in the body and helps with detoxification. Experts recommend drinking around 2 litres of water or unsweetened tea.

3. Relaxation

In addition to exercise and nutrition, relaxation is also an extremely important factor when it comes to holistic health. In fact, it is relaxation that can lead to a balance that affects not only the psyche but also the body. After all, stress can make you ill. However, if you can reduce stress, you are doing something good for your body.

Relaxation can be achieved in many different ways. Some choose activities such as yoga or meditation. Others, on the other hand, go for a walk in nature, visit the sauna or read a good book. Stress management methods are very individual. Not every strategy suits every person. The important thing is to find the activity that best allows you to switch off.

4. Sleep

Sleep is a particularly important aspect of holistic health that is closely linked to relaxation . Sleep is essential for everyone. During sleep, several repair and regeneration processes take place in the body. For example, harmful bacteria, viruses and cells are broken down. In addition, many worries disappear overnight – this is because sleep is also good for the psyche.

With regard to sleep, both the duration and quality of sleep are of great importance. How much sleep each person should get depends on various factors. Experts recommend around 7 to 8 hours per night as a guideline.

The quality of sleep is significantly influenced by the environment. The bedroom should therefore be furnished to promote sleep as much as possible. Sources of light should be avoided, disturbances reduced and a suitable temperature of 17 to 20 °C maintained.

Holistic health care – these measures help

People can do a lot themselves to improve their health – on a holistic level. Various measures strengthen different areas of health.

Mindful breathing

Many people don’t even realise that they are breathing incorrectly. Can you breathe incorrectly? And how do you breathe correctly?

There are actually a number of things you can do wrong when it comes to something as essential as breathing: You breathe too shallowly, too little, too irregularly or through your mouth instead of your nose.

The consequences are not so obvious at first glance, but they are there. If you breathe incorrectly, you run the risk of your brain and cells not being adequately supplied with oxygen .

Stressful everyday life in particular often leads to incorrect breathing. It is therefore advisable for many people to breathe consciously and mindfully. Certain breathing exercises or yoga are therefore important components in strengthening holistic health.

Reduce stress

Stress should be reduced simply because breathing can deteriorate as a result of stress. However, it also has many other negative effects. However, we must first distinguish between positive and negative stress. Not all forms of stress are harmful!

Positive stress, which arises during sport for example, spurs you on to peak performance. It leads to a healthy ambition that takes you further. Negative – or destructive – stress is the opposite. It has a paralysing effect and can make you ill.

Destructive stress can weaken holistic health, as restlessness, sleep problems or illnesses can develop.

Change of diet

In the hectic pace of everyday life, many people quickly neglect proper nutrition. This can result in deficiency symptoms or listlessness. A poor diet often leads to illness sooner or later.

You should therefore ban ready meals and fast food from your diet. Such foods contain a high calorie density but hardly any nutrients. The effects can be manifold. They range from an increased risk of cardiovascular disease to obesity and fatigue.

A change in diet is therefore advisable as part of the measures to strengthen holistic health. A varied diet rich in micronutrients is the be-all and end-all for a healthy body and a high level of well-being.

A healthy environment

Social contacts also play an important role in holistic health. A healthy environment is therefore essential for well-being . For example, the working environment, personal relationships or even family members can cause stress in life. Anyone who identifies such stressors should take measures to mitigate them or, in an emergency, eliminate them altogether as part of holistic health. This is possible, for example, by changing jobs.

However, a healthy environment does not only refer to a person’s social life. It also includes the physical environment. For example, a clean and tidy environment with a high level of hygiene is considered conducive to holistic health. Natural materials such as wood also lead to a greater sense of well-being.

People should also stay away from toxins. What sounds obvious at first glance is often not so simple. Many cosmetics or cleaning products contain toxins or other harmful substances that are not even recognised as such. You should therefore make sure you buy products that are free from harmful substances when you go shopping.

Conclusion

Holistic health is about the person as a whole and not just about individual areas such as the body or the psyche. Here, all parts of a person are considered so that holistic approaches can be found to increase well-being and health . This can have a positive effect in many ways.