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Today I wanted to share with you the 5 most commons myths about Holistic Health. When I got into natural health, there was a LOT to learn. I came across a lot of things that were incredibly confusing. The more I learned, the more I realized that many people were using the words “natural” and “holistic” incorrectly.
Here are 5 of the most common myths about holistic health:
Myth #1: Supplements are part of a holistic lifestyle.
For the most part, we actually do not encourage the use of many supplements. The BIGGEST issue that we see in the natural health world is that people think synthetic, lab made “nutrients” are effective. Unfortunately, they are not!
Most supplements are no better than pharmaceuticals. A majority of the vitamins and minerals you find on the shelves are synthetic and made in a lab. They act like drugs in the body, and they can lead to even more deficiencies as time goes on.
My instincts say to trust nature and not a lab. I personally have had negative reactions to synthetic supplements and the more I have learned about minerals and vitamins, the more I think about the flaw of taking isolated nutrients, especially for long periods of time. Vitamins and minerals have co-factors, and these co-factors show up naturally in foods.
For example, magnesium needs B6, Boron, and bicarbonate to work properly. So does that mean we should go out and take 4 separate supplements? What about the rest of the nutrients that work in sync with other nutrients? If we went by that logic, we would need to be popping pills all day!
Myth #2: Changing your diet is the only thing you need to do to be healthy.
I have had many clients come to me over the years that said, “I eat SO clean! Why am I still sick?!” The biggest reason? We need to UNDO the damage that was done to use before we made those diet changes. We have years, decades, and sometimes generations of deficiencies, toxicities, and weaknesses to heal.
This can include healing the gut, supporting the liver, working on underlying infections, or even working on emotional healing (due to childhood traumas or even current stressors in your life).
Even though eating clean is an essential part of a holistic lifestyle, it is not always enough to reverse our chronic health issues.
Myth #3: Calorie counting is the ONLY way to lose weight.
This is one of the main issues that DRIVES ME NUTS. We have been forced to believe these lies for WAY too long.
Cutting Calories = Cutting Nutrients
This is one thing that most people wouldn’t even think of. If you’re consuming the average diet amount of 1200 calories then you could be cutting your nutrient intake down significantly. Our food is depleted of many nutrients to begin with so this will begin to create so many imbalances and deficiencies.
Cutting Calories = Reducing Energy
Calories are literally units of energy. Cutting them down will reduce your overall energy output, especially if you are also exercising long periods of time as well. This is the quickest way to put yourself into burnout unfortunately.
Healing Requires Nutrients and Energy
We need minerals like magnesium and copper for ATP energy production. We need minerals for cortisol and aldosterone regulation. We need fat and cholesterol for hormonal regulation. We need strong livers to help digest fats. For those that spent years on the yo-yo diets, we’ve been severely depleted of nutrients which has impacted our ability to heal. The diets damaged our metabolisms and it will take time to get back into balance. We need nutrient dense foods to truly heal!
Sustainable weight loss requires SO much more than calorie counting. We need to be nourished, we need to heal our gut and liver, and many times we even need to change our relationship with food.
Myth #4: There is no way we can eat enough food to cover our nutritional needs.
This is a popular argument I hear when I talk about myth number 1. Yes, there are MANY issues with our current food supply. But there are ways to get the most out of your diet so that you’re covering your bases. Adding in high doses of synthetic nutrients isn’t going to solve this problem with our food.
What will help to solve this issue? Work on healing your gut so you can absorb your food better. Support local farmers that are working on fixing the issues with the depleted soils for their farmland. Only buy from companies that are committed to change. Choose nutrient dense foods and drinks to consume and nourish your body. AND- don’t stress! Stressing is just going to make you burn through even more of your nutrients. Just remember to do your best!
Myth #5: Healing is an easy process.
I WISH this were true. I cannot express to you how much I wish healing was super easy, but it often isn’t. I feel like it’s important to be real with you. We are literally undoing generations of poor eating habits, toxin accumulation, and bad lifestyle habits. It is going to take time to fully heal.
BUT: This work is SO IMPORTANT. It is
crucial to do. So many people are dealing with chronic illnesses these
days. Kids are suffering, and it’s been said that the current
generation of kids will have much shorter lifespans now because of the
amount of chronic illness. It is time to wake up, take back your power,
roll your sleeves up, and DO THE WORK. Is it hard? Sure. But it is SO
worth it to regain your health, and to help your friends and family get
on track as well.
So I bet your next big burning question is
how to actually heal holistically the
right way? Everything that I have written on my site has been with the
intention to help people ACTUALLY heal. We all need to take back our
power and understand that we do have the power to heal when we give the
body exactly what it needs.
So what IS Holistic health then?
Holistic Health is:
- Using whole foods in their most natural form to heal from nutritional issues.
- Healing the body as a whole and realizing that everything is connected. Gut, liver, adrenals, thyroid- they are all parts of a larger whole. We cannot just have an issue with one piece, and we cannot expect to heal the body if we’re only working on one piece. This is why foundational care is SO important.
- Eating a balanced diet (not excluding major food groups), or at least eating the way your ancestors ate, which would vary based on your ancestry.
- Consuming herbal teas, infusions, tinctures, powders, and capsules that are purely herbs.
- Addressing emotional trauma because our physical and emotional health is connected!
- Recognizing that our lifestyle, job, and people in our life could be influencing our health as well
Because of the myths and misconceptions about holistic health, it has been my mission to help people learn how to take back their power and work on healing themselves. The best way to do this? LEARN! I have several online and at your own pace courses available now for those that want to learn about true holistic health and wellness, and nearly 300 blog posts that you can check out for free on my site here.
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The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.
