Amanda Rodriguez

Holistic Health Approaches

Due 3/22/18

Holistic Health and My Future Career

Alternative medicine can be referenced with a variety of names, whether it is

holistic, integrative, or complementary medicine. These terms apply to the approach of

fusing alternative and mainstream systems. Typically, alternative medicine refers to the

forms of medicine that fall out of the use of the conventional system. Personally, as a

student of the Nutrition discipline, I see food as the most accessible source of preventative

and curative medicine. I support the biopsychosocial model of healing the human body,

mind and spirit. After I obtain my degree in Nutrition, I hope to accomplish a Masters

degree in Alternative Health in order to become an alternative medicine practitioner with

the qualifications to open a wellness center and the opportunity to offer well-rounded

therapies plus work with educating the public about “good health”. I believe in allowing the

body to be as close to its natural state of being and functioning. My approach to healing

focuses on targeting the root cause of an issue, which follows an integrative approach.

The principles of holistic health address integration of the physical body, mind and

spirit. Since everything is interconnected, one can strive for optimal functioning by treating

the body as a whole person. Illness does not exist; dis-ease comes from an imbalance

occurring either internally or externally supporting the belief that the body can heal itself. In

relation to this concept, emotional and spiritual traumas can manifest themselves

physically. This provides support for the approach to treating each aspect of the human. It

is important to treat the human as a whole person and not just target the symptoms their

physical body is displaying. In my future career, I desire to educate my patients on how

powerful the minds can be when it comes to healing their own bodies with the proper tools
and resources. Whether it is access to the right diet, spiritual healing, or psychotherapy

one can offer support for the body to heal itself depending on the root cause of the ailment

presenting itself. Another prominent concept to incorporate into holistic healing is the

matter of listening to your body in conjunction with what is right for the body, mind, and

spirituality at that time. The body’s intelligence knows what it wants/needs in order to

function optimally, when you are aware of your “everything” one can prevent imbalances

by being in alignment with yourself. Since each individual’s physiological composition is

different, treatment is therefore personalized for the specific body and the ailment(s)

present in the body. By utilizing conventional techniques with the supplementation to

alternative therapies, one can still offer the body a balanced approach to heal the body

more effectively and promote well-being. In my future practice, I would prefer to use

conventional medicines only when necessary, for example, in the case that alternative

therapies do not promote enough healing, I would then incorporate the use of an allopathic

medication while continuing to supplement the body with holistic methods.

I believe that the Earth provides us with everything we need. By working simply

with nature, one can cultivate crops that will flourish and provide its consumers excellent

nutrition. Allowing nature to do most of the work when it comes to agriculture means the

absence of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. By tuning in to the subtlety of nature’s spirit,

one can live more mindfully; this is especially important while working with the land. Many

of the industrial farms in this day and age incorporate chemical fertilizers and pesticides

that kill not only the harmful insects, but the beneficial ones as well, disrupting the

harmonious balance of nature. With the goal of producing mass amounts of crops,

industrial farms may resort to other methods of cultivating faster. However, by allowing the

Earth’s natural rhythm and intelligence to take over, one can produce just the same

amount of crops. Another method of utilizing the Earth’s natural, abundant resources is the
use of medicinal plants to heal or prevent imbalances in the body. Depending on the part

of the plant used (leaves, bark, root, flower, or seeds) and the desired purpose, one can

prepare the plant for consumption in different ways. The secondary metabolism of the

plant is what provides its curative actions. I see the potential for incorporating medicinal

plants regularly in my future practice with patients.

The concept I feel most passionate about and reflects directly in my studies is the

philosophy of food as medicine. I believe many sources of imbalance can be avoided

through the preventative qualities of a nutritious diet. A natural, raw diet cannot only

promote optimal functioning of the physical body but also supports the mind, in relation to

the nervous system, and the soul. By eating closer to the natural environment, one can

develop a deeper connection and understanding with nature. As convenience has become

priority over the last few decades, we have drifted away from eating the natural foods our

bodies are meant to consume. Eating a holistic diet has been proven to reduce the risk of

chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. This is something I

actively preach to people, I know this important concept will be something I will take pride

in educating people on in my future career.

One of the concepts I found most interesting and applicable in a unique way was

the studies of intelligence in all living things. For example, through the documentary

Messages from Water we learned that the crystalline structures of water (natural and tap)

could change depending on the type of environment they are in. If they are in high

frequency environments they will produce amazingly symmetrical structures. This finding is

significant in the sense that our bodies are made of at lease 70% water, imagine the how

we can affect our physiology just by incorporating positive words and surrounding

ourselves in high frequency environments. Similarly, we saw how conscious plants are of

their surroundings and how their behaviors fluctuate depending on the light, position, and
noise level of their proximate environment. This concept also proves how any living being

composed of cells has a certain level of natural intelligence. I can relate this back to why

eating foods in their natural state through natural agriculture and utilizing medicinal plants

are beneficial for every aspect of the human body.

The human body consists of trillions of cells living in harmony; each cell has the

intelligence to function on its own yet it is a higher intelligence that governs this system of

cells. These cells communicate with each other to hold their internal equilibrium by sensing

their environment. According to Ayurvedic physicians, they do not heal the body; they

simply promote healing by allowing the cells to function normally. Because of this concept,

I believe the body has the ability to be aware of itself. In this aspect, one can also

recognize the power the mind has in affecting the physical body. The mind has the ability

to cause or cure dis-ease. The body is directly affected by the frequency of thoughts were

fill our present minds with. An interesting experiment done by a group of physicists gave a

visual representation of the frequency different emotions hold. Typical “negative” emotions

were on the lower end of the frequency scale, compared the “positive” emotions such as

peace and joy which scored higher frequency values.

As a future alternative medicine practitioner, I will be providing an individualized

approach to healing the body as a whole unit. I will consult patients based on what they

primarily do to prevent any form of imbalance in the body, but also incorporate some

conventional medicine with holistic therapies to promote optimal well-being. Nature holds a

level of absolute intelligence, I believe we must trust it and allow it to guide us. By listening

to our bodies and allowing nature to take over we can live more simply and achieve

balance in every aspect of ourselves.

 References

Bassett, D. (2010). Alternative Medicine: A Brief History [PDF document]. Retrieved from

Veritas Canvas:

https://veritascr.instructure.com/courses/1552/files/44542?module_item_id=20083.

BBC. (2016). In the Mind of Plants [Documentary]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGtH468KD9Y.

Emoto, M. (2014). Messages from Water [Documentary]. Retrieved from

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1sf59o.

Fukuoka, M. (2017). One Straw Revolution [Documentary]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj7nrOjhMtk.

Shepell-fgi. (2013). Balance: Balance your work, health, life with useful health and wellness

information [PDF document]. Retrieved from Veritas Canvas:

https://veritascr.instructure.com/courses/1552/files/44534?module_item_id=20108.

Torreabla, I. (2018). Ayurveda and Cell intelligence [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Veritas

Canvas:

https://veritascr.instructure.com/courses/1552/files/44529?module_item_id=20098.

Torrealba, I. (2018). Medicinal Plants: A Brief Introduction [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

Veritas Canvas:

https://veritascr.instructure.com/courses/1552/files/60268?module_item_id=29577.

Torrealba, I. (2018). Principles of Holistic Health [PDF document]. Retrieved from Veritas

Canvas:

https://veritascr.instructure.com/courses/1552/files/56321?module_item_id=28790.