Holistic Healing Products
Holistic healing encompasses using various natural approaches to promote wellbeing, such as herbal medicine, meditation and mind-body exercises.
Holistic treatments provide patients with an integrative solution to manage and prevent disease through taking an individual-centred approach to care. This method addresses all aspects of their lives while giving them the power to take charge of their wellbeing.
Ayurvedic Medicine
Holistic healing relies on using plant-based remedies as an alternative to drugs that may have adverse side effects; they may also be integrated alongside conventional medicine as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Ayurved medicine strives to balance your tridoshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha humours) to prevent disease. They use safe herbs like Ashwagandha, Turmeric and Ginger as stress reducers and immune supporters.
Practitioners may use purification programs such as bowel cleansing to remove toxins from your body through various practices such as using liquid in the back passage (enemas) or laxative medication to increase stool movement speed (laxatives). However, these therapies must only be undertaken under supervision from an experienced practitioner.
Breathwork and meditation are also popular natural treatments. Both practices can help calm the mind while increasing focus, as well as assist in managing chronic conditions like anxiety, digestive issues and fatigue syndromes.
Herbal Tinctures
Herbal tinctures line store shelves like natural remedies, offering solutions for everything from indigestion and headaches to insomnia and ennui. Tinctures embodied the “food as medicine” philosophy with ingredients like ginger and rhubarb combined with their herbal healing power for maximum therapeutic effect.
Ethanol, the key component in tinctures, is an organic solvent that extracts and preserves various plant properties while also eliminating digestion of whole herbs in the stomach – making tinctures easy for our bodies to absorb.
To create an herbal tincture, simply combine chopped or dried herbs in a non-corrosive glass jar and cover them with alcohol at 20% ABV or 40 proof (this may vary depending on how water-soluble your herbs are). Seal and store in a dark location for several weeks while shaking periodically to redistribute herbs evenly before straining and storing your final tincture bottle.
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements are products containing vitamins, minerals or herbs designed to support overall health. Nutritional supplements represent one form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some nutritional supplements can be found in food, such as bread containing iron or the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin and niacin; milk fortified with vitamin D to combat rickets; or adding iodine to salt to prevent goitre. Other nutritional supplements are sold on their own as standalone products, such as Epsom salts for muscle cramps or Ashwaganda to relieve stress. Supplements should generally be used in conjunction with leading a healthy lifestyle and consistent fitness regime – they should not replace simple habits like sleeping eight hours each night and avoiding fast food.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses aromatic oils derived from plant sources to promote mental and physical wellbeing, constituting a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Nurses using aromatherapy in an integrative fashion often manage patients’ symptoms with patient-centric symptom management goals in mind.
Essential oil aromas stimulate nerves throughout your brain and spinal cord, initiating a chain reaction in which chemicals enter your system to alter how you feel and operate.
When selecting aromatherapy oils, select organic, undiluted pure essential oils free from additives such as chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Speak to your healthcare provider if considering aromatherapy use; especially if pregnant or taking medications that could interact with certain oils. Usually your doctor can refer you to an aromatherapist for further evaluation and treatment; qualified practitioners may suggest specific blends and massage techniques tailored specifically for your unique needs.