Trends and fads in holistic health come and go. This year, essential oils are one of the biggest trends, and with good reasons. Aromatherapy is one of the most effective methods to destress and is used in meditation, yoga, spas and massage sessions. However, essential oils are only one aspect of holistic health, which is a lifestyle philosophy in which your health is more than just numbers on a chart. Your emotional, social and mental health are just as important. Essential oils are tools to meet an end. There are many other practices in holistic health, such as yoga, that can help you improve your health and wellness.
Holistic Health is a Lifestyle
Holistic health teaches that you can bring balance back into all aspects of your life. Since it requires changing your lifestyle, it’s best to incorporate holistic health concepts a little bit at a time. You don’t have to make big changes in one day. As long as you live a healthier lifestyle, you’re following the tenets of holistic health. At the end of the day, it’s not about the essential oils, acupuncture, herbs or yoga sessions. Holistic health is about living a healthier lifestyle, and there are many roads to that path.
Benefits of Yoga and Meditation
The benefits of yoga and meditation as holistic health practices have long been established. Yoga can greatly help improve health issues like back pain, arthritis, heart health, and sleep issues. For busy individuals, online yoga and Pilates classes are now available so that you can practice yoga anytime and anyplace. Meditation is another way to practice holistic mental health. Ten minutes of meditation is recommended daily and can be squeezed into the 10 minutes from when you wake up to when you get out of bed. You can also try squeezing in a 10-minute session as part of your nightly routine before you fall asleep. Guided meditation apps are available in mobile app stores. In addition, new technology, such as virtual reality, can allow you to have an immersive meditation experience with headgear and a headset for audio.
Enjoy the Morning Sun
The benefits of the sun are not usually well utilized in a busy lifestyle. It is recommended that adults receive 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily. The best time to catch the sun is before midmorning between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Moderate sun exposure can greatly enhance a person’s mood, relieve depression and tension, improve sleep and aid in vitamin D production in the body.
Oils Don’t Have to Be Just Oils
Essential oils are receiving a lot of attention these days because recent studies have shown that certain oils have been misjudged in the past. Essential oils have been a part of the natural health scene in many cultures for thousands of years. However, until now, they have been minimally studied, and recent studies have cleared up many misconceptions. For example, CBD oils have previously been vilified and lumped together with hemp and marijuana. Health experts have now realized that the chemical compositions in these three plants are completely different. The marijuana plant is shown to have a high level of THC, a psychoactive agent responsible for marijuana’s brain-altering effects. CBD and hemp oil have almost no THC and can be great for health. The benefits of CBD include pain, stress and anxiety relief as well as the lowering of blood pressure. CBD is often combined with vitamins in gummies to help amplify their effect.
Eat Healthy
Eating healthy is essential to develop a good holistic health foundation. The food you eat becomes a part of you and can help you attain balance in other aspects of your well-being, such as in your nutritional, emotional and mental health. Consuming superfoods is a powerful way to obtain nutrients and minerals that you normally don’t receive from your daily diet. Superfoods are food items that contain a dense concentration of particular nutrients. For example, chia seeds are a rich source of antioxidants, omega-3, fiber and protein. Many superfoods even come in supplement powders that you can mix together to drink. Other elements of a holistic diet include consuming adequate water, organic fruits and vegetables, minimally processed whole food and essential fatty acids like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
There are many misconceptions about holistic health. However, at its core, holistic health is about you and the journey you’re willing to take to achieve a healthier, well-balanced lifestyle. You can go all out, or you can start with something as simple as a five-minute daily breathing exercise to destress. It is the small steps that you take that builds up to a healthier lifestyle.
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