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At Amchara, we always look into different holistic ways that can benefit your health without major medicinal intervention. Holistic and natural practices can be adopted into our lifestyles and make huge improvements to existing medical conditions, and can also be preventative.
Our focus is always on presenting a scientific approach to natural lifestyle choices, with evidence-based research and facts.
We often encounter a number of chronic illnesses in our lifetime, many of which can be attributed to lifestyle choices. These can include consuming poor quality, processed foods that are high in salts and fats, and lack of regular exercise. There is a strong tendency in our modern society whereby we expect ailments and illness to have a quick fix solution with medical intervention, ranging from prescriptions to surgery.
Whilst for serious diseases this can be a prudent route to go down, as research proves how beneficial such interventions can be, are we seeking out medical intervention before we try to fix the issue ourselves? This is a question that many are beginning to ask and seeking out alternative methods to cure our health problems.
Something that tends to be overlooked long before the problem begins is taking preventative measures. The age old saying of “don’t fix it until it’s broken” shouldn’t be a mantra we live by, especially when it comes to our health. There are hundreds of foods, vitamins, exercises and activities that we can utilise before our body begins to degenerate and become subject to the development of chronic disease.
Nature can lead the way
There are a number of natural herbs and remedies that can be taken for years to try and combat some of the health issues we can face as our bodies begin to age. We’ve taken a handful of issues and researched what you could start to take in your daily life to prolong your health and mobility.
Alzheimer’s
This can be a heartbreaking and debilitating disease to go through, for yourself and for everyone around you. We should do everything we can to avoid developing such a degenerative illness, however it is worth noting that this is not a sure set preventative method.
There are a number of memory affirming nutrients that we can begin to add to our diet, or find in readily available supplements including the following:
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- coenzyme Q10
- alpha lipoic acid
- ginkgo biloba
- phosphatidylserine
- Omega-3’s
- acetyl-L-carnitine
- Folic acid
- Vitamin C when taken with Vitamin E
The theory is that by introducing these nutrients regularly to your vitamin intake, you will improve the overall quality of your brain and memory function. These elements – combined with well balanced healthy eating habits – will hopefully prolong good health.
Osteoporosis
In 2019, there were 3 million people in the UK with osteoporosis, and 78% of those were women. When women reach the menopause, osteoporosis can be a severe symptom and develop into a lifelong condition, so it is worth trying to combat before you go through the hormonal changes associated with this time of change. The same can be said for men, although the percentage isn’t as high, this is a painful and debilitating ailment that can be eased, or in some cases prevented.
Vitamin D is a natural and incredible source of goodness and it’s triggered directly from the sun. It’s suggested that spending a short amount of time a day in the sunlight can strengthen our teeth and bones drastically, as we absorb the sunlight. However, the sunlight isn’t as strong during the autumn and winter months in the UK so it is recommended to ensure you take a Vitamin D supplement during the darker period of the year.
Diabetes
Caution should always be taken when using supplements if you already have a diagnosed and treated condition, as some herbs or supplements can affect how your medicine is working in your body. Whilst we encourage a natural approach to managing your health conditions, safety is the most important part of your journey to a better lifestyle.
There are however a number of natural remedies you can take to lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, including the following:
- Aloe vera
- Bilberry extract
- Bitter melon
- Cinnamon
- Fenugreek
- Ginger
- Okra
These natural products are readily available in the majority of supermarkets or food stores and can easily be added to recipes and meals. There are thousands of creative and exciting ways to add these to meals to make your food delicious and flavoursome.
Alternative guidance
There are ways to take your health one step further, and that’s by seeking out alternative therapies. Ayurvedic is an ancient medical system that originated in India. Western medicine doesn’t recognise the practice as a conventional system for healthcare but throughout the East, the method is highly regarded. Ayur means life and veda means knowledge. The basis of this system is practitioners will diagnose and treat you on the basis of imbalance. They believe that health issues occur when there is lack of balance with the 3 elements, known as doshas:
- air and space (vata dosha) which allows movement
- fire and water (pitta dosha) which allows for change and handles digestion and metabolism
- water and earth (kapha dosha) which gives structure or cohesion
Practitioners will use not just your symptoms to diagnose you, they’ll look at a general overview of your body. They will ask questions about your mood, relationships that you have with different people in your life and even take the elements into account, such as the weather or time of year. They’ll check your ears, eyes, nose, tongue, and get a sense of your temperature, all with the overall idea that they will carry out a full diagnosis as to how you can change your lifestyle or add something to your daily eating habits that will improve your wellbeing.
In the UK, this is not a completely recognised method of battling your health conditions but throughout India and China, it is used with great trust and assurance.
Takeaway
There are lots of natural ways we can start to protect ourselves from illness. Some of these won’t be avoidable and we will need to seek medical advice, but for some conditions we can begin the journey of preventing sickness and having an overall healthier lifestyle.
Come to our nurturing environment at Amchara, where our experienced Personalised Health practitioners can work with you to explore positive lifestyle choices to help you achieve your health goals, with a tailored approach taking into account your individual circumstances.
We know that sharing knowledge and experiences can be an important part of achieving optimal health, we’d love to know if you have harnessed the power of nature to optimise your health.
Now is a great time to start getting a full picture of your health with our 360 Health programme. We operate a series of functional tests and can provide you with a personalised plan tailored to your needs and goals. With an in depth view of your health, you can begin to start making important changes to your lifestyle to prevent further illness or help alleviate issues you may be experiencing. Your ultimate goal will be the same as ours – a happier, healthier version of you.
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