Holistic Health

... Dedicated in loving memory to Cates Anderson Gossett and Linda Murray ... To my friends and colleagues, particularly Sydnye Allen, Silvia Bartolic, Scott Blackwood, Candace Boheme, Lila Bouchet, Maggie Brubaker, Melissa Curran, Kristin Doyle, Andy Fiegel, Lynn French ...

Research shows that cellular and mitochondrial (ΔΨm) membrane potentials are strong indicators of cellular physiology. In this paper we review further research suggesting that microcurrent frequencies can positively influence both these membrane potentials. The goal of this research is to show how microcurrent might stimulate physiological potentials in order to support a healthy function of bioelectric fields of cells and organs. In the second part of the article, a study to examine the effects of microcurrent application on the body's response to electric measurements is presented, in particular to a change in voltage-current lag known as a phase angle. The test involved measuring bioimpedance of a person before and after a 30-minute application with microcurrent stimulation. Fifteen healthy subjects were examined through impedance measurements taken on one arm. The results showed a consistent increase in phase angle directly after the stimulation, confirming a widely accepted indication of health improvement on a cellular level. These results are encouraging and justify further investigations on the effect of microcurrent stimulation on the human body in relation to general cellular health and regenerative functions.

The use of alternative/complementary medicine has been increasing considerably. Conventional medicine must begin to address issues related to the use, safety, regulation, research and education of alternative/complementary medicine. Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine and alternative complementary practices. Integrative medicine is an innovative approach to medicine and medical education. It involves the understanding of the interaction of the mind, body and spirit and how to interpret this relationship in the dynamics of health and disease. Integrative medicine shifts the orientation of the medical practice from disease based approach to a healing based approach. It does not reject conventional medicine nor uncritically accepts unconventional practices. Integrative medicine is an effective, more fulfilling human approach to medicine based on the benefit of the patient by following good medicine practices in a scientific manner.

Integration of conventional and complementary care in the United States is driven by the growing use of complementary therapies by patients, limitations in the effectiveness of conventional care for a variety of chronic conditions, a growing emphasis on patient satisfaction as a legitimate outcome of care, and an awareness on the part of insurers and practitioners that complementary approaches can offer a broad array of options that may significantly enhance healing and promote more active patient participation in health maintenance. Many models of integrative care are possible, ranging from the informed practitioner, to fully integrated group practices, to hospital-based and academic center systems of integration. A variety of barriers and challenges can slow the process of integration, including limited personal financial and temporal resources, negative peer opinion, legislative hindrances, and reimbursement shortfalls. This review describes seven models of integrative health car...

In existential holistic group therapy, the whole person heals in accordance with the holistic process theory and the life mission theory. Existential group psychotherapy addresses the emotional aspect of the human mind related to death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness, while existential holistic group therapy addresses the state of the person"s wholeness. This includes the body, the person's philosophy of life, and often also love, purpose of life, and the spiritual dimension, to the same extent as it addresses the emotional psyche and sexuality, and it is thus much broader than traditional psychotherapy. Where existential psychotherapy is rather depressing concerning the fundamental human condition, existential holistic therapy conceives life to be basically good. The fundamentals in existential holistic therapy are that everybody has the potential for healing themselves to become loving, joyful, sexually attractive, strong, and gifted, which is a message that most...

Clinical holistic medicine has its roots in the medicine and tradition of Hippocrates. Modern epidemiological research in quality of life, the emerging science of complementary and alternative medicine, the tradition of psychodynamic therapy, and the tradition of bodywork are merging into a new scientific way of treating patients. This approach seems able to help every second patient with physical, mental, existential or sexual health problem in 20 sessions over one year. The paper discusses the development of holistic medicine into scientific holistic medicine with discussion of future research efforts.

O estudo teve como objetivo principal levantar os hábitos e motivações associados ao consumo do guaraná (Paullinia Cupana Kunth) junto aos moradores de Maués, município do Amazonas reconhecido nacionalmente pela qualidade do guaraná produzido.
A pesquisa concentrou-se, exclusivamente, no consumo in natura, por meio das aplicações mais utilizadas pelo público-alvo.
Classifica-se, predominantemente, como estudo quantitativo, com finalidade descritiva e periodicidade transversal. Investigação
do tipo exploratória, identificando os interesses e motivações do uso do guaraná in natura, onde confirma a associação dos hábitos de consumo à tradição popular local. Os dados foram coletados por meio de survey aplicada presencialmente a uma amostra com 301 indivíduos residentes em Maués/Amazonas, Brasil. Os Resultados evidenciaram um significativo volume de consumo da planta (63,4%) em pó (pronto para uso) ou na sua forma básica de bastão. Predominantemente, usam-no como estimulante (85,4%), para a longevidade (24,6%) ou o fortalecimento do sistema imunológico (19,6%). O consumo é, quase totalmente, motivado pela tradição local (80%) com base no conhecimento adquirido e transferido por gerações. Somente 1% buscaram orientação profissional para consumi-lo. A maioria (59,3%) dilui o pó em água e aplica em pequenas doses diárias (1-2g), entretanto, 23,5% o fazem mais de uma vez ao dia (4-5g). Mesmo reconhecendo haver distúrbios no sistema nervoso – e até mesmo cardiopatias em razão da super dosagem – 66,4% afirmaram categoricamente que o guaraná “só faz bem”

The triple and parallel loss of quality of life, health, and ability without an organic reason is what we normally recognize as a life crisis, stress, or a burnout. Not being in control is often a terrible and unexpected experience. Failure on the large existential scale is not a part of our expectations, but most people will experience it. The key to getting well again is to get resources and help, which most people experience with shame and guilt. Stress and burnout might seem to be temporary problems that are easily handled, but often the problems stay. It is very important for the physician to identify this pattern and help the patient to realize the difficulties and seriousness of the situation, thus helping the patient to assume responsibility and prevent existential disaster, suicide, or severe depression. As soon as the patient is an ally in fighting the dark side of life and works with him/herself, the first step has been reached. Existential pain is really a message to us ...

Today's rich digital information environment is characterized by the multitude of data sources providing information that has not yet reached its full potential in eHealth. The aim of the presented approach, namely CrowdHEALTH, is to introduce a new paradigm of Holistic Health Records (HHRs) that include all health determinants. HHRs are transformed into HHRs clusters capturing the clinical, social and human context of population segments and as a result collective knowledge for different factors. The proposed approach also seamlessly integrates big data technologies across the complete data path, providing of Data as a Service (DaaS) to the health ecosystem stakeholders, as well as to policy makers towards a "health in all policies" approach. Cross-domain co-creation of policies is feasible through a rich toolkit, being provided on top of the DaaS, incorporating mechanisms for causal and risk analysis, and for the compilation of predictions.

The authors offer a holistic model for psychiatric nursing based on a existential concept of man. They assert that the biomedical model of health and sickness is not sufficient to understand the reality in which psychiatric nurses practice. Within this model, understanding clients in relation to their life contexts becomes the focus, as well as trying to comprehend what effects suffering has on their ability to function. The relationship between nurse and client is discussed from a point of view that considers central existential precepts, such as: equality, encounter/being present, self-esteem/significance, responsibility and choice, objectives, meaning and clarification of values, guilt and atonement, openness and insight, conformity versus rebellion and finally hope.

Background: The extension of roles within the Primary Care Team is one approach recommended to address the shortage of GPs in the UK. A key aspect of care that Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) can undertake is acute home visits. Aim: To evaluate the perspectives of Advanced Nurse Practitioners performing acute in-hours home visits in Primary Care. Methods: The research methods consist of the collection of qualitative data in eight semi-structured interviews across a Primary Care locality which were then analysed via a process of thematic analysis. Findings: Three key themes were identified: providing holistic care; engaging with the home setting; and negotiating role ambiguity. Conclusion: Practices wishing to involve ANPs in acute home visits should ensure clear definition and good understanding of the ANP role. Effective inter-professional relationships should be fostered with appropriate mentorship and clinical supervision to support ANPs in optimising their contribution to acute home visits.

Maori are often confronted with nursing practices and services that are at odds with their traditionally wholistic and spiritually based worldview. Keeping Maori clients the central focus of nursing practice can be challenging for nurses but is one way they can increase their efficacy when working with Maori. However, in the nursing literature there is an absence of models to guide Maori centred nursing practice, that is, models constructed within a Maori cultural context. Te Kapunga Putohe (the restless hands) is a Maori centred nursing practice model that uses the hands to illustrate how Maori knowledge and the knowledge of nurses can be incorporated into the health experiences of Maori clients. This paper explains how nurses who possess knowledge of Te Ao Maori can use Te Kapunga Putohe (the restless hands) to work with Maori in a culturally appropriate and acceptable way to improve health outcomes.

Sustainability Ethics is a clarion call. This paper asserts an urgent appeal for people to go beyond words and act to help mitigate the environmental crisis. Spiritual persons are to produce spiritual households to resonate quality values toward the human and nonhuman neighborhood. When goodness is brought about by households to the Natural World, morality emerges. Relationship, a key word of Sustainability Ethics, is established with the Creator, co-humans, creatures, and the children-yet-to-come. The lack, if not the absence, of relationship would lead Sustainability in peril. In return, the distortion of Sustainability lead people and other creatures to be unhealthy, if not their demise. The current pandemic called COVID19, for instance, is regarded as a fatal consequence of that distortion. Sustainability Ethics comes in to help mitigate the crisis. Sustainability is best understood when we learn from our Sustainability Teachers who, in their instincts, had Sustainability as their "way of life." Sustainability must be understood in its entirety, not just intellectually, but also spiritually, physically, and emotionally. The purpose of this paper is first, to clarify the holistic understanding of Sustainability. Second, to present the ethical value of relationship as the foundation of Sustainability Ethics. And third, to argue that spirituality is the cutting edge of Sustainability Ethics that can work together with both Indigenous and Western Science, the ethic of the household, and the virtue of frugality.

Mindfulness is a burgeoning field of study and practice within mental health care and medicine. Yet ethical codes, and the philosophy of the therapist-client relationship, differ greatly between disciplines, and even more between those disciplines and mindfulness-based approaches. The potential for ethical dilemmas is therefore significant.

The book breaks new ground by taking a focused look at an ethics derived from contemporary clinical mindfulness practice itself. What does a secular ethics of mindfulness look like? Who is competent to work therapeutically with mindfulness, and how does one delimit areas and levels of competence? How do clinicians ethically understand the therapist-client relationship from the therapeutic position of mindfulness? And how do clinicians respond when the necessary restraints of their professional role and ethics code come into conflict with the mindfulness-based relationship and therapeutic position?

This book makes a vital contribution to the understanding of ethics as the cornerstone of mindfulness-based practice, and will be of interest to all those involved in delivering mindfulness-based interventions, including psychologists, counselors, spiritual directors, occupational therapists, physicians, nurses, and educators.

Health can be interpreted not only as an important element of sustainable development. It is connected to its all the three pillars namely its environmental, economic and social dimension as well. Health can be found directly or indirectly in every goal related to sustainable development. Considering the importance of health, the aim of our research was to elaborate a holistic health conscious model encouraging sustainable development. Holistic health conscious model means a model including the physical, psychical and mental health of the individual. Furthermore, besides the responsibility of the individual environmental effects are also taken into account as well as the intervening factors. In addition, it integrates the aspect of sustainable development. In our research, first of all we were looking for the answer to the following (1) what kind of stakeholders play a role in developing health consciousness? (2) What is the role of individuals, the state, the companies and NGOs in ...

'Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit', as a new book excerpt, focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus' healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life. The book is available in paperback http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/097820221X/ref=redir_mdp_mobile and ebook form http://tiny.cc/xopvnx

This article describes the Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. It defines holistic nursing, its five core values, and its practice standards. These include holistic philosophy, theory, and ethics; holistic caring process; holistic communication, therapeutic environment, and cultural diversity; holistic education and research; and holistic nurse self-care. Educational preparation for holistic nursing and settings in which holistic nurses practice are also explored.

Traditional medicine in Bhutan is known as gSo-ba Rig-pa and is one of the oldest surviving medical traditions in the world. Other medical systems, such as Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Unani medicine, Greco-Roman medicine and the country's rich cultures and traditions have greatly influenced the way traditional Bhutanese medicine evolved. However, Buddhist philosophy remains the mainstream of this medical system. gSo-ba Rig-pa's principles are based on the perception the human body is composed of three main elements: rLung ('Air'), mKhris-pa ('Bile') and Bad-kan ('Phlegm'). When these three elements are balanced in the body a person is said to be healthy. The pathophysiology is also different from other medical systems, and the close link to Buddhism is reflected in the spiritual dimensions and the perception that all suffering is caused by ignorance. The treatment of diseases includes behavioral modification, physiotherapy, herbal med...