Holistic Self-Care

1. Holistic Self-Care Chapter 2

2. Body, Mind, Spirit Emphasis is on achieving and maintaining optimum wellness • Self care to be used to help prevent illness or maintain health • practitioners help by teaching patients how to embrace activities that work the whole person • Body, Mind, Spirit

3. Body • Physically healthy • charged with high levels of energy from proper nutrition, exercise, and rest • Environmentally healthy • always being aware of one’s environment, free from toxins and pollutants • harmony with the environment

4. Diet and Nutrition • Nutritional medicine (Chapter 3) • No such thing as “an ideal diet for everyone” • determine biochemical nutritional needs • dosha system of Ayurvedic medicine • Eat Right for Your Type, Peter D’Adamo • determine any food allergies • milk and dairy products, wheat, corn, tomato products, peanuts, chocolate, shellfish, and even food additives, dyes and preservatives

5. Diet and Nutrition Eat Whole Foods! • unprocessed and unadulterated, free from hydrogenated oils, sweeteners, additives and preservatives • Eat 5-7 servings of alkaline-rich fruits and veggies per day • Apples, carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc. • Drink 2/3 oz per pound of body weight of filtered water per day (active)

6. Diet and Nutrition Avoid the following: • sugar • salt • saturated fats and hydrogenated oils • refined carbohydrates • caffeine and alcohol in moderation

7. Diet and Nutrition Nutritional Supplementation • Required for most because of stress, environmental pollution, and diminishing trace elements in soil • Amounts will differ because of individual chemistry make up. • some may need increased amounts because of current condition

8. Diet and Nutrition • Vitamin C (as polyascorbate) -- 1,000 to 2,000 mg 3 times per day • Beta-carotene -- 25,000 IU 1 to 2 times per day • Vitamin E -- 400 IU 1 to 2 times per day • B-complex vitamins -- 50 to 100 mg of each B vitamin per day • Folic acid -- 400 to 800 mcg per day • Selenium -- 100 to 200 mcg per day • Zinc picolinate -- 20 to 40 mg per day • Calcium citrate or apatite -- 1,000 mg per day • Magnesium citrate or aspartate -- 500 mg per day • Chromium polynicotinate (ChromeMate(R)) -- 200 mcg per day • Manganese -- 10 to 15 mg per day • Copper -- 2 mg per day • Iron -- 10 to 18 mg per day

9. Food Combining • Fruits best eaten alone • Proteins and carbohydrates should not be combined in a meal • Proteins and non-starchy carbohydrates are fine • H2O should be taken in 20 min prior to a protein meal • Thoroughly chew food

10. Exercise • specific activity geared towards improving fitness levels • Completed 3-6 days per week on a consistent long-term basis • Benefits include increased energy, improved organ systems, raise HDL levels, decreased stress, improve sleep, increase self-esteem, enhance positive mental function

11. Aerobic Exercise • any form of exercise that requires an increased oxygen uptake • results in greater CV efficiency, lower heart rate (HR), lower blood pressure (BP), and better feeling of overall well-being • Types? • Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rebounding, and more

12. Aerobic Exercise • Work within a Target Heart Rate • (see activity sheet) • Connect with the environment by exercising outside • Be sure you are ready for physical activity • PAR-Q (physical activity readiness questionnaire) • State of mind

13. Strength Training • Calesthenics • sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, plyometrics • Weight Training • use of weights/machines to increase resistance on working muscles • Interval Training • strength training in combination with aerobic activity

14. Strength Training • Use progression • Be sure you are physically and mentally ready to begin a program • 2 to 3 days per week • seek advise from a professional • increasing lean muscle mass increases metabolism and improves activities of daily living (ADLs)

15. Flexibility • Enhances muscle motion and efficiency, maintains good posture, and reduces potential injury • For increased ROM, stretch before (after warm up) and after activity • Extend for tension, not pain and hold for 10-30 seconds • Should be completed daily

16. Yoga • Activity that works on both flexibility and muscle strength • Breathing is an essential focus, therefore it also improves concentration and mental and emotional well-being • Proper instruction and time are required for proper training of each asana • Hatha Yoga is the most popular form in the West

17. Rest/Recovery • Adequate sleep is required to rebuild our systems so we have the opportunity for optimum health • Establish a regular bedtime to maintain circadian rhythms • Don’t eat or be active within an hour or two before bedtime

18. Environmental Awareness • Environment free from toxins and pollutants, breathing good-quality air, and drinking pure, clean water • Take supplements (antioxidants) • Have indoor plants and use natural home products • Use an indoor air purifier or humidifier and change furnace filter regularly • Use non-toxic cleaning products • Take breaks from the computer and spend some time outside

19. Mind • Condition of peace of mind, contentment, and positive beliefs and attitudes • Ability to become more aware of your thoughtsand emotions in a way that enhances your ability to meet personal and professional goals

20. Mind - Affirmations • Positive messages that you repeat to yourself either verbally or in writing in order to produce a specific outcome • State in present tense • Keep it short and simple • Write or verbalize it 10 – 20 times/day • Make a commitment well beyond getting results • Use visualization to see your affirmation

21. Mind - Affirmations • Examples • I take intelligent, bold, courageous, and immediate action towards the creation of wealth. • I am now in perfect harmony with all the universal laws of health, wealth, and happiness.  • Poweraffirmations

22. Mind - Breathwork • Proper breathing is attached to physiological processes, but can also relieve stress, enhance well-being, and promote clear thinking • Rebirthing • Connected breathing • rapid (hyperventilation) or slow and full (hypo-)

23. Mind - Journaling • Expressive writing allows you to develop a better understanding of your experiences or unconscious beliefs • Write out and resolve without outside judgment • Forms include keeping a diary, gratitude journal, stream-of-conscious morning journal, and illness dialogue

24. Mind - Conscious Laughter • Laughing is a mild form of exercise • Boosts endorphin levels • Increases circulation • May boost the immune system • Must consciously choose to laugh Patch Trailer

25. Spirit • One of the ultimate goals of holistic health • Leads to a heightened awareness of the Divine Spirit • Reduces feelings of fear • Greater capacity of loving yourself and others • Allows you to be intimately connected to your spouse, friends or community

26. Spirit - Prayer • Most common form of spiritual practice by most Americans • act of attempting to communicate, commonly with a sequence of words, with God or spirit • purpose of worshiping • requesting guidance or assistance • confessing sins • express one's thoughts and emotions

27. Spirit - Meditation • Combines breathwork and a focus on what is happening in each present moment • Mind will then become empty of thoughts, judgments, and past and future concerns • Proven to reduce stress, improve immune and CV function, decrease pain, even stimulates creativity and a stronger compassion for others

28. Spirit – Spending Time with Nature • Interacting with life’s primal energies in the form of earth, water, fire, and air • Enjoying each of these elements in their natural form creates a connection with the environment that allows Spirit to develop its place within you • Industrialized areas can prevent us from living a life of balance