FREE TO READ | Holistic health care treats the whole you
Inclusive approach to wellness cares for the physical, mental and social health of patients
Holistic health is about treating the whole person, caring for their physical, mental and social health at the same time.
The focus, says Ashley Butler Lobb, national nutrition and wellness expert at Dis-Chem, is on the mind, body and spirit rather than simply suppressing a disease or a particular symptom.
Long renowned for improving flexibility, the age-old practice of yoga has a number of mental health benefits. Its emphasis on deeper breathing practices and meditation acts to calm and centre the mind, which helps to reduce anxiety and depression
Registered clinical dietitian Tabitha Hume warns the term holistic in the context of health and wellness has been somewhat abused over the years, becoming an umbrella term to include any “alternative ” therapy that is not mainstream medicine, even those healing techniques that have not been recognised as effective or safe. Holistic healing is called that because it brings in all aspects of professional treatment, she says.