Health is not an accident—good health practices play a big role in being healthy and free from disease.
Health-conscious people concerned with their overall health, including nutrition, fitness, and stress, are less likely to develop diseases, while people who are less concerned with their wellness are good candidates for health intervention in the form of modern medicine as well as alternative medicine.
While we have modern medicine to thank for our improved lifespans and quality of life and nothing can replace medical treatment when you are in need of it, alternative medicine provides complementary supplements to your wellness routine. Whether you believe in alternative medicine or not, it’s clear that leading a health and wellness-oriented lifestyle has its benefits.
If you’re interested in alternative ways of promoting your and your family’s health, let’s examine healthy lifestyle choices and alternative practices you can do today.
Alternative Health and Nutrition
Probiotics
Taking probiotics to improve your gut health is one of the first steps you can take to improve your wellness.
Did you know that gut health is linked to a strong immune system? The linings of your gut contain 70% of the cells that make up the body’s immune system. The gut is where good bacteria and the immune system meet. The presence of good bacteria plays a fundamental role in the immune system, which perhaps is the biggest benefit of taking probiotics.
So, if you want to straighten your health habits, start with your gut. It completely affects your whole body. Common sources of probiotics include yogurt, pickles, traditional buttermilk, and cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheese.
Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They may enhance the immune system, as well as repair DNA damage resulting from toxins. They may also help filter carcinogens in the body.
Phytonutrients can be found in fruits and vegetables—they’re what gives them their color. This is why you’ll hear people saying the more colors on your plate, the more nutrients you’re eating.
Water
Drinking enough water alone can save you from many common sicknesses. It’s a well-known fact that an adult human body is made up of up to 60% water. The brain, heart, lungs, skin, and kidneys all have water as their main component. The fact that the human body is composed mainly of water should tell you that humans must consume enough water to survive. Drinking enough water can help all these organs maintain a healthy balance of fluids.
There are many different opinions on how much water you should drink in a day. The consensus is that you should drink at least eight glasses of water daily, but the more the better.
Sleep
Get enough sleep. Cells regenerate during sleep and not getting enough sleep can actually make you sick. Studies show that sleep enhances immune defense. It also regulates the body’s stress hormone, also called cortisol. When you’re getting enough sleep, you’re letting your body restore and repair itself.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are good for people with heart disease and those at risk for strokes and heart attacks. Eating foods high in omega 3-fatty acids can reduce inflammation in the body, prevent heart conditions, and boost your heart’s overall health.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish like tuna, sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring. Nuts and seeds are also rich in omega-3, so you can snack on peanuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, and other similar foods to get your fix.
Green Tea and Coffee
Green tea and coffee are loaded with antioxidants that provide a variety of health benefits. Antioxidants improve brain health, including functions like mood, vigilance, memory, alertness, and reaction time.
Antioxidants in green tea and coffee may help lower the risk of certain diseases. Additionally, the caffeine content in both green tea and coffee increases energy and physical performance and boosts the body’s metabolism for increased fat loss.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is said to be the healthiest fat on earth. Olive oil is extracted by crushing olive fruits and separating the oil. Extra virgin olive oil is 100 percent natural. It’s the gold standard in olive oils.
Extra virgin olive oil may be good for the heart, and people who regularly consume it have a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate needed for healthy bones and muscles. Vitamin D helps the body absorbs nutrients, and lack of it can lead to bone problems.
There are two forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. The D2 is sourced from plants, while D3 is from animal products. Vitamin D3, however, is more similar to the kind provided by the sunlight, and the sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. Take note that vitamin D also boosts mood and alleviates depression.
Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine in the form of body and mind therapies are also a great way to promote your overall health.
One of the most common traditional practices is acupuncture. Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate certain points on the body, acupoints, that range from head to toe.
Acupuncture is believed to posssibly be effective in treating body pains, nausea, infertility, anxiety, depression, and other conditions.
Other body therapies that may offer pain relief and mood-boosting are traditional body massage and reflexology. In reflexology, there are also certain body points that are stimulated by putting pressure on them. Each pressure point corresponds to specific organs, bones, and body systems.
You can also try practices like yoga, meditation, and even hypnosis. Each has its own set of benefits that can elevate your frame of mind and promote overall health.
For instance, certain yoga poses can boost fertility. But that’s just one of the many benefits you can get from these types of activities.
The bottom line is that if you want to live longer and be in good shape, watch what you eat and intentionally do activities that will make you healthy. Live a healthy lifestyle, and good health will surely follow.
