What is Holistic Nutrition?

If we really want to optimize our health, we must look at the whole picture. Focusing only on one symptom or organ at a time ignores the dynamic interconnectedness that makes the body so amazing. - Dr. Mark Hyman MD

At the heart of holistic nutrition is the recognition that the body, mind and spirit are connected. What affects one, affects the other.

Indeed, there is growing awareness today that what we choose to eat, how we live and how we perceive the world can profoundly affect our physical, mental, and emotional well being.

As more of us take personal responsibility for our health and resilience, there is a need to sift through multiple viewpoints and conflicting information to determine what is right for us on an individual level – recognizing that we are each unique in our physical, mental, and emotional makeup; food choices and preferences; ancestral backgrounds and genetic vulnerabilities; social, cultural and environmental influences, the beliefs we hold, our approach to life, our response to stressors and so on.

In addition, if our goal is to optimize health and vitality, and reduce dependence on symptomatic relief or approaches, it is vital to widen the scope of inquiry and examine all possible factors contributing to where we find ourselves on the health spectrum.

In our current health care model, these factors are rarely, if ever, investigated.

A holistic approach is underpinned by the following principles:

• Symptoms are simply a sign of one or more underlying imbalances that need to be addressed.
• An important goal is to identify the physical, mental and emotional root causes and contributors to your concerns and not just manage symptoms.
• Because you are unique in your genetic makeup; social, cultural, and dietary preferences; environmental influences and so on, there is no one-size-fits-all diet or approach, and recommendations need to be tailored to you as an individual.

A meaningful pathway to health is based on:

• Recognizing that your body is self healing and self regenerating - if given the right support.
• Identifying and removing sources of inflammation, irritation, infection or toxicity in the body.
• Healing affected tissues or organs through dietary, lifestyle and other natural interventions.
• Supporting and strengthening the body to maintain optimal function and balance on an ongoing basis.
• Taking ownership of your physical, mental and emotional health through self-awareness, education and the support of trusted health partners.