The top 5 benefits of working with a natural medicine practitioner / holistic nutritionist

We all have such busy lives with many, competing priorities. It’s very easy to put our own needs and health last on the list as our responsibilities and other people’s needs seem to call to us so much more loudly! But really, our health and wellbeing should be our first priority. Without our health, we are unable to help others, and what we can achieve in life becomes extremely limited.

Choosing to work with a natural medicine practitioner now is a commitment to yourself and your health. Here are the top five benefits of working with a natural medicine practitioner / holistic nutritionist.

1. An investment in your health and wellbeing

We all put money away regularly in our superannuation accounts, for a healthy financial future. We should also be depositing into our “health bank”, to provide the foundations for a long, healthy life. We talk about increasing lifespan, but arguably more important is increasing our “healthspan” – the proportion of our lives for which we remain active and healthy.

You may think, “I don’t need to see a natural medicine practitioner / nutritionist – I’m not overweight, and I’m healthy”. That’s great for now, but do you understand the longer-term effects of your diet and lifestyle choices on your body? Are you sure you’re getting enough of the different nutrients you need to stay healthy over the long term? Are you eating carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the right proportions to maintain your weight and health as you age? Are you making the right choices to reduce the risk of developing diet and lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cancer? Working with a natural medicine practitioner now is a proactive investment in your future health and wellbeing – and an increased healthspan.

Or you may have niggling, chronic issues which you keep putting to one side because you don’t have time to focus on them, such as digestive symptoms, poor sleep, low energy, poor mood or suspected hormonal imbalances. You don’t need to live with these issues. A natural medicine practitioner can help you understand what’s causing these issues and correct any underlying imbalances.

As your partner in holistic health, a natural medicine practitioner can also prompt you to keep up to date with the important, regular health testing/screening you should have, such as regular GP check-ups, blood pressure measurement, blood tests, breast exams or mammograms, cervical screening tests, prostate exams, bowel cancer screening tests and skin cancer screening.

2. Time & space to focus on you

When was the last time you sat down with a health practitioner and had the space to discuss all your health challenges, aspirations and wishes? Working with a natural medicine practitioner gifts you the luxury of extended time to focus on you! Time to really explore your wellbeing – with no interruptions – and someone who REALLY listens. A natural medicine practitioner will spend considerably more time listening to you, gathering your thorough case history, researching and developing a tailored health plan just for you than many conventional medical practitioners – their business model just doesn’t allow for it. Seeing a natural medicine practitioner is an act of nurturing and self-care. So, take a deep breath and let go. Relax. This time is for you!

3. A 360° approach to your health

The state of your current health and wellbeing are the result of a unique and complex set of circumstances and interactions between all aspects of your life. These aspects include not only your diet and nutritional status, but your health history, work, lifestyle, environment, living circumstances, stress levels, relationships, medications and more. When was the last time a health professional took all these things into account when assessing your health? A natural medicine practitioner will map out your health issues/symptoms and goals, and overlay your personal life circumstances, lifestyle and diet. It’s amazing the connections that can be discovered when working in this way. The driving factors and underlying causes of many health issues can then be uncovered and addressed in your tailored treatment plan.

4. A tailored plan, unique to you

Your diet and lifestyle requirements for good health and wellbeing are like a fingerprint – unique to you. Your macro and micronutrient requirements vary depending on your gender, stage of life, life circumstances, general health, stress levels, alcohol consumption and a whole host of other factors. Although there are some fundamental guidelines common to everyone, for example, eat a widely varied, largely plant-based, diet based on whole foods, there are many aspects of your diet which should be fine-tuned to support your unique body’s needs. A holistic nutritionist will identify these nuances and develop a diet and lifestyle plan which will support your body’s natural healing abilities.

5. Education, empowerment and support

A holistic nutritionist will spend the time to explain to you what is going on in your body and why you may be experiencing certain symptoms or challenges. She will also explain what a healthy diet and lifestyle is, and how you can achieve it. Learning about health and nutrition for yourself means that you are empowered to make good choices which support your health and wellbeing.

In addition, it can be very difficult to make sustainable changes in our lives without support. A natural medicine practitioner / holistic nutritionist will work with you to develop simple, achievable health goals, and keep you inspired, supported, on track and accountable, every step of the way.

Is it time to put your health and wellbeing first? Kaleidoscope Wellbeing can help. Book a free health strategy session to share your health aspirations and challenges with me and discuss how I can help.