| I must confess that up until just a couple of | | | | and organic" actually translated into eating-wise, I |
| years ago I had no clue what the term "holistic | | | | came to learn about and understand that much of |
| healthcare" actually meant. The phrase would | | | | the value in holistic healthcare is the preventative |
| issue up images of smiling faced hippies or needle | | | | care it champions. Go to any holistic web site, |
| wielding Asian therapists. I grew up in a family | | | | read any book or magazine with a holistic focus |
| who believed that you went to the doctor only | | | | and you will soon know that the holistic |
| when you were too sick to have crackers and | | | | community considers itself to be in the business |
| ginger ale or Tylenol fix you, and that a healthy | | | | of preventing you from getting sick - meaning |
| diet did, in fact, include coffee, soda, fast food | | | | "let's get and keep you healthy" - as opposed to |
| and ice cream. | | | | Western medicine, which has more of a "repair" |
| Then I left the cooler climate of the Northeast | | | | philosophy. |
| U.S. for the sand and sun of Florida's east coast. | | | | In an age of rising healthcare costs - and even |
| Up north many folks have to suffer the insult of | | | | lack of healthcare for many - a proactive effort |
| being seen in a bathing suit only a few times a | | | | to getting healthy and keeping healthy by making |
| year, but here in the land of heat and humidity | | | | lifestyle and dietary changes can mean the |
| the fewer clothes you wear, the happier your | | | | difference of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars |
| internal temp will be. Soon I became overly | | | | spent each year on doctor and hospital visits. And |
| conscious of my PA pudge and decided that I | | | | because of the possible implications of the |
| would need to get serious about getting slim and | | | | contamination of our food resources by an |
| fit. | | | | agricultural industry motivated to try to produce |
| This new desire for a sleeker me led me along a | | | | more and bigger food sources through |
| sometimes winding road to discover the incredible | | | | scientifically altering produce fertilizers and animal |
| health and wellness benefits of holistic healthcare. | | | | feed, there are even negative long-term health |
| It began when, for one reason or another, the | | | | implications to choosing to not eat a more organic |
| community of friends and neighbors I had created | | | | and whole foods based diet. By choosing to buy |
| for myself all seemed to be dedicated to healthy | | | | and eat as much organic local food as possible, |
| living, throwing around holistic tenets with wild | | | | you may be seriously cutting down the risks for |
| abandon. As much a pack animal as anyone else, I | | | | you and your family members developing certain |
| quickly realized that in order to keep up with this | | | | cancers or other health issues as a result of |
| new group of holistic hooligans, I'd better start | | | | ingesting food that comes from scientifically |
| researching and putting into practice some of their | | | | engineered farms. |
| principles and habits. | | | | I don't proclaim to be an expert on holistic |
| My first stop on my holistic healthcare road trip | | | | healthcare, and I certainly am not even the best |
| was the most visited and well-known destination | | | | disciple of the industry as I frequently fall from |
| for the general population. I wanted to -- needed | | | | holistic graces into old, bad habits. But I will say |
| to -- lose my combination of cold weather and | | | | that the lessons I have learned while researching |
| baby weight, and so I turned to my super | | | | this increasingly popular healthcare perspective |
| skinny,healthy mom friends and asked what their | | | | have made drastic overall lifestyle improvements |
| secret was to staying so slim and, well, young | | | | for my family and me. If you are struggling to |
| looking. Many of them adopted vegan or raw | | | | find answers to your health concerns, and |
| diets, a concept that my carnivorous genes found | | | | mainstream medicine has not proven helpful, |
| difficult to fathom. Still others had a less strict | | | | consider visiting a holistic healthcare practitioner |
| whole and organic foods approach to eating, a | | | | for a follow-up opinion. I think you'll be pleasantly |
| much more palatable option for me at the time. | | | | surprised. |
| Through my research to figure out what "whole | | | | |