From my point of view, I’m a big fan of not getting sick at all. I just don’t have time. When I look at celebrities (I live in LA, so I’m surrounded by them…), I notice they don’t seem to get sick either.
For some people, the flu is a great excuse to take a sick day or to get some sympathy. For others, it’s just a waste of time.
On the Entrepreneur.com website, based on a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, we learn that “lost work days due to illness and injury carry total annual costs of nearly $63 billion in lost work and productivity.”
If you enjoy your work, you don’t want a sick day. If you work long hours, you want to be healthy for your weekends and vacations.
How do we stay healthy, even when working crazy hours and living in crazy places?
Ellen DeGeneres and Alicia Silverstone are both known for keeping a vegan diet. Kenneth Branagh meditates. Gwyneth Paltrow does yoga.
There are so many options these days. What are the best known holistic wellness practices?
1. Eating healthy foods. Nutrition counseling. Many people work with someone who can keep them on the straight and narrow when it comes to what they eat. Of course, you may already know what you should be eating: fruit, veggies, protein, organic and natural. If that’s the case, take some advice from Nike and “Just do it!”
2. Exercising (with or without a physical trainer). If you’re not getting the exercise you know is good for you, have you considered hiring a coach to keep you on target? Or for a more budget-friendly option, find a friend who also has a fitness goal and commit to each other. Or share the cost of a physical trainer open to a 2-for-1 option.
3. Massage. Believe it or not, some people are still uncomfortable with this hands-on therapy. However, with stress well-documented as one of the four major factors leading up to heart disease and stroke, a good massage can take care of your tension today as well as your health tomorrow. Additionally, improved blood circulation is a benefit that increases overall physical conditioning, especially for aging adults.
4. Chiropractic. While many people think of chiropractors after an accident, their years of training and understanding of skeletal structure contribute to a strong personal well-being program in a world where it is easy to get out of balance quickly. Chiropractic treatments have been shown to help with a wide range of health issues, from tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and headaches to problems such as constipation, obesity, and chronic fatigue. Some chiropractors, like Dr. Sharone Rosen of Reseda (CA) pictured above, even offer mobile services to clients.
5. Acupuncture. Long respected in Asia, acupuncture is known for its effectiveness in a variety of wellness areas. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has begun to research this age-old healing method and data supports its’ history. The California State Acupuncture Committee confirms that licensed acupuncturists have had success with a variety of ailments from allergy elimination to tinnitus.
6. Colon hydrotherapy. Many people consider a ‘colonic’ a good way to detoxify the body and prepare for a new health regimen. Consider this quote from Hippocrates: “The natural healing force within you is the greatest force in getting well.”
7. Hypnotherapy. For anyone who knows what their health goal is, and how to reach it, yet hasn’t taken the steps to get on track, a hypnotherapist may be able to help shift the subconscious into gear. Most commonly known for use in weight loss and smoking cessation programs, hypnotherapy is also recognized as a powerful technique for reaching a variety of personal and professional goals.
Of the other, more esoteric, techniques you’ve probably heard of, such as sound therapy and reiki, it’s harder to find statistical evidence of results. However, for those who accept anecdotal data, it’s difficult to ignore the potential benefits of these practices.
Sound therapy is like music with a therapeutic purpose. Usually performed with drums or bowls, it can calm us in ways that nothing else does. What’s the value of being calm? When you’re in the center of a storm, whether family or business, it can make all the difference in the world. A personalized concert, or sound bath, can soothe the soul.
According to Linda Penny, a Reiki Master and Vibrational Healer based in Marina del Rey, tells us that “Reiki, meaning 'Universal Energy,' is an ancient art of healing rediscovered at the end of the 19th century by Dr Mikao Usui in Japan. It accelerates the body’s ability to heal physical ailments, opening the mind and spirit to the source of disease, treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms.” (www.lindapenny.com)
With all of the options available for staying healthy these days, there’s no need for the national health care crisis to become a personal one. If it has, it may be time to open up to the alternatives.
The Holistic Chamber of Commerce represents high quality holistic and eco-friendly professionals and practitioners so that we can live healthier lives on a healthier planet.
This article can be re-printed in your ezine or website if you include the following information:
Written by Camille Leon, Founder of The Holistic Chamber of Commerce, an expanding international organization representing holistically-minded professionals, practitioners and more. To find a reference-checked member near you, visit http://HolisticChamberOfCommerce.com/directory or call 310-490-6862.