The Science of Natural Healing

Investigate the fundamental paradigm of Western medicine - its strength in the treatment of symptoms and its relative deemphasis on illness prevention and long-term health concerns. In contrast, consider an approach to healthcare focusing on the whole human being, integrating the elements of your environment, genes, lifestyle, nutrition, and mental/psychological makeup.

Holistic integrative medicine creates a bridge between Western medicine and the world's other evidence-based healing traditions, making a spectrum of health-care approaches available to you. Learn the philosophy underlying integrative medicine, rooted in partnering with the patient, finding the underlying causes of disease, and caring for the body, mind, and spirit.

Highlight the critical relationship between your genes and how you live your life. Investigate the ways in which nutrition, lifestyle, and stress can affect the outcome of your inborn genetic makeup. Explore the fields of nutrigenomics and pharmacogenomics, which study the interaction of nutrition and medications with the genes.

Holistic integrative medicine speaks deeply to the connection between food and health outcomes. Here, track scientific findings that demonstrate how the food you eat directly affects your heart health as well as numerous medical conditions. Learn about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the kinds of foods that promote optimal health.

Certain key foods have unique properties that set them apart as nutrition "superstars." Starting with the importance of whole foods and fiber, study the most healthful foods in different categories, including grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and proteins, and grasp how the way you cook food affects its nutritional value.

Inflammation, a fundamental protective reaction of your body, is also a pathway to many diseases. Discover the multiple causes of chronic inflammation, from pollutants and bacteria to stress and sleep disorders. Learn how to use food as medicine, emphasizing a variety of foods, herbs, and spices that prevent and/or reverse inflammation.