What is Natural Holistic Wellness?

🌿 What is Natural Holistic Wellness: A Complete Guide to Body, Mind, Spirit & Emotional Health


Introduction: What is Natural Holistic Wellness?

Natural holistic wellness is the practice of nurturing the body, mind, spirit, and emotions as an interconnected whole. Instead of treating symptoms in isolation, holistic health focuses on balance, prevention, and self-healing.

This guide will explore what holistic wellness really means, its benefits, core principles, practices, and how holistic nutrition plays a key role in lifelong wellbeing.


🧘 What Does Holistic Health Mean?

The word holistic comes from “whole.” Holistic health recognizes that every aspect of life—nutrition, mental clarity, emotional balance, spiritual purpose, and lifestyle—plays a role in your wellbeing.

Unlike conventional healthcare, which often addresses specific symptoms, holistic wellness asks:

  • What is the root cause of imbalance?
  • How do lifestyle, environment, and emotions contribute?
  • How can the body’s natural healing abilities be supported?

👉 In short: Holistic health = whole-body wellness, not symptom management.


🌱 Core Principles of Natural Holistic Wellness

Holistic wellness revolves around four key dimensions:

1. The Body

  • Proper nutrition with whole, natural foods
  • Movement that enhances flexibility, strength, and endurance
  • Adequate rest and recovery
  • Natural remedies and preventive care

2. The Mind

  • Mental clarity through mindfulness and focus practices
  • Stress reduction methods (e.g., meditation, breathwork)
  • Positive mindset and self-awareness

3. The Spirit

  • Connection to purpose, meaning, and inner peace
  • Practices like meditation, prayer, or time in nature
  • Spiritual exploration, regardless of religious background

4. The Emotions

  • Awareness of emotional triggers
  • Healthy expression and processing of feelings
  • Practices like journaling, counseling, or creative outlets

🌟 Benefits of Practicing Holistic Wellness

When you approach health holistically, you experience a ripple effect across all areas of life.

Physical Benefits

  • Stronger immunity
  • Increased energy and vitality
  • Improved sleep and digestion
  • Lower risk of chronic disease

Mental Benefits

  • Reduced stress and anxiety
  • Greater focus and productivity
  • Enhanced creativity and clarity

Emotional Benefits

  • Better emotional regulation
  • Greater resilience during challenges
  • Stronger relationships

Spiritual Benefits

  • Inner peace and balance
  • Deeper sense of purpose
  • Connection to self, others, and the universe

🌍 The History and Roots of Holistic Health

Holistic health is not new—it’s deeply rooted in ancient healing traditions:

  • Reiki (Japan): Restoration of the body’s natural balance, healing and spiritual development
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Focuses on Qi (life energy), acupuncture, and herbs.
  • Ayurveda (India): Balances body types (doshas) with diet, herbs, yoga, and meditation.
  • Indigenous Medicine: Nature-based healing, ritual, and connection to the land.
  • Greek Medicine: Hippocrates emphasized food as medicine and natural healing.

Today, holistic wellness combines ancient wisdom with modern science to create integrative healthcare.


🌱 Common Practices in Holistic Wellness

DimensionPracticesBenefits
BodyClean nutrition, herbal medicine, massage therapy, Reiki, Fitness, Yoga Stronger immunity, pain relief, vitality
MindMeditation, mindfulness, journaling, cognitive reframingMental clarity, stress relief, focus
SpiritPrayer, energy healing, sound therapy, nature walksPeace, purpose, connection
EmotionsBreathwork, counseling, expressive arts, gratitude practicesEmotional balance, healing, self-awareness

🥗 Food & Nutrition for Holistic Health

Nutrition is the foundation of holistic wellness. What you eat fuels not only your body, but also affects your mood, energy, immunity, and even spiritual clarity. Holistic nutrition focuses on whole, natural foods and eating in a way that honors your unique body’s needs.


🌿 Core Principles of Holistic Nutrition

  1. Eat Whole Foods
    • Choose foods in their natural state: fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and clean proteins.
    • Avoid overly processed, packaged, or artificial foods.
  2. Balance Macronutrients
    • Protein: Lean meats, beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu
    • Healthy Fats: Avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty fish
    • Complex Carbs: Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, root vegetables
    • Legumes
    • Chia & Flaxseeds, Sunflower Seeds
  3. Eat Seasonally & Locally
    • Seasonal produce offers the highest nutrient value.
    • Local foods support sustainability and freshness.
  4. Hydrate Naturally
    • Water is the most essential nutrient.
    • Herbal teas, coconut water, and mineral-rich broths support hydration.
  5. Mindful Eating
    • Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and listen to hunger cues.
    • Gratitude before meals connects the mind and spirit to food.

🍎 Foods That Support Holistic Wellness

CategoryExamplesHolistic Benefits
FruitsBerries, apples, citrus, pomegranateAntioxidants, energy, hydration
VegetablesLeafy greens, cruciferous veggies, root vegetablesDetoxification, minerals, digestive health
Whole GrainsQuinoa, oats, brown rice, buckwheatSustained energy, gut health
ProteinsLegumes, wild-caught fish, free-range poultry, tempehMuscle repair, immunity
Healthy FatsOlive oil, chia seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, avocadoBrain health, hormone balance
Herbs & SpicesTurmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, basilAnti-inflammatory, digestion, immunity
Fermented FoodsYogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, misoGut health, microbiome balance

🥬 Holistic Nutrition for Body, Mind, Spirit & Emotions

  • For the Body:
    Prioritize nutrient-dense foods to fuel energy, support immunity, and prevent chronic illness.
  • For the Mind:
    Omega-3 rich foods (salmon, chia, walnuts) and B-vitamin foods (whole grains, leafy greens) support focus and mental clarity.
  • For the Spirit:
    Many holistic traditions recommend plant-based, clean, and sattvic foods (fruits, nuts, grains) to promote inner peace and higher awareness.
  • For the Emotions:
    Comforting whole foods like soups, teas, dark chocolate, and grounding root vegetables help regulate mood and emotions.

🍵 Healing Foods by Holistic Tradition

  • Ayurveda:
    • Focuses on balancing the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) with specific foods.
    • Example: Cooling foods like cucumber for Pitta, warming spices like ginger for Vata.
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
    • Foods are categorized by warming or cooling properties.
    • Example: Mushrooms for immune strength, ginger for digestion, goji berries for vitality.
  • Mediterranean Diet (Holistic Modern Approach):
    • Emphasizes olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fish, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains
    • Strong evidence supports its role in longevity and heart health.

🥗 A Sample 1-Day Holistic Meal Plan

MealExamplePurpose
Morning RitualWarm lemon water + mindfulness breathingHydration, digestion, clarity
BreakfastSteel-cut oats with berries, chia seeds & almond butterSustained energy, brain fuel
LunchQuinoa bowl with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, tahini dressingBalanced nutrients, grounding
SnackHerbal tea + handful of walnutsCalm energy, healthy fats
DinnerWild salmon, steamed greens, sweet potato mash, chickpeas, tofu, seitan, bean dishesProtein, minerals, hormone balance
Evening RitualChamomile tea + journalingRelaxation, emotional release

🚫 Foods to Limit for Holistic Balance

  • Processed meats & refined sugars (inflammation, low energy)
  • Artificial additives, dyes, and preservatives (toxic load)
  • Excess caffeine & alcohol (stress on liver and adrenals)
  • Highly processed grains and oils (poor nutrient value)

🌟 Supplements & Herbal Support (When Needed)

While whole foods are the priority, some natural supplements may support holistic wellness:

  • Vitamin D3 – for immunity and mood
  • Magnesium – for stress and sleep
  • Omega-3s – for brain and heart health
  • Probiotics – for gut balance
  • Adaptogens (Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Reishi) – for resilience and energy

(Tip: Always consult a qualified practitioner before adding supplements.)


🧩 How to Live a Holistic Lifestyle (Step by Step)

Adopting holistic wellness doesn’t mean you must change your entire life overnight. Start small:

  1. Nourish your body with whole, unprocessed foods.
  2. Move daily—choose activities you enjoy.
  3. Practice mindfulness with 5–10 minutes of meditation.
  4. Sleep deeply by creating a calming nighttime ritual.
  5. Balance emotions through journaling or therapy.
  6. Connect spiritually—prayer, meditation, or simply walking in nature.
  7. Detox your lifestyle by reducing toxins (chemicals, processed foods, negativity).
  8. Reduce risk of chronic diseases through regular physical activity
  9. Create a healthy long life through good social connections & relationships
  10. Experience occupational wellness with a healthy balance of work and leisure time

🧘 Holistic Wellness vs. Conventional Healthcare

AspectConventionalHolistic
FocusSymptoms & diseaseRoot cause & prevention
ApproachMedication & surgeryLifestyle + natural healing + medicine
View of the BodySeparate partsInterconnected system
GoalManage illnessCreate lifelong wellness

👉 Holistic health doesn’t replace modern medicine—it complements it.


🌟 Conclusion & Call-to-Action

Holistic wellness is about creating harmony in your body, mind, spirit, and emotions. By making small, consistent changes—choosing whole foods, practicing mindfulness, and connecting with your deeper self—you can experience lasting health and vitality.

👉 Ready to start your journey?
Subscribe to our Holistic Wellness Newsletter for weekly natural health tips, guided practices, and lifestyle tools for balance and healing.

Spiritual Readings

Would you like to receive predictive messages that are divinely inspired (prophetic), and/or receive messages from your loved ones whose souls have transitioned into spirit?  

Offering 30-minute spiritual guidance/readings to provide you support, comfort, confirmation, guidance, and healing through my ability to feel, sense, see energy/images, vision, and hear messages via the gift of prophecy and mediumship. 

To learn more, go here:  Spiritual Readings – Inspiring Wellness Solutions, LLC

To set up an appointment, call:  518-603-0326 or e-mail:  iwshealing@gmail.com

The power of mistakes

It seems more pervasive today than ever before that men and women feel they are not where they should be in their life journey.  They often carry with them a sense of heaviness, and concern that they are failing, and are behind “the 8 ball”, wondering how to catch up to where they believe they should be.  

What is remarkable is that so many of these men and women are any, or a combination of these: highly educated, talented, hardworking, industrious, gainfully employed, property owners, business owners, and kind-hearted souls who maintain healthy relations.  Regardless of these facts, they frequently feel frustrated, fearful, and sometimes hopeless.

It is important to understand that sometimes we walk a very straight path, but often we take detours.  Although these roundabout routes may seem like mistakes, they actually provide invaluable experience, which creates a portfolio of knowledge that enhances our earthly journey.  Life lessons teach us what works, and does not work, what we like and do not like, and what we truly want, and definitely do not want.   Failures can provide us with fertilizer to grow us into a healthier and better version of ourselves, and give us the tools to create the life we truly want for ourselves.  And that is priceless! 

Why is self-criticism more pervasive today?   

There was a time, not so long ago, in which social media was not a “thing”.  With the birth of social media, and the extensive use of it, insecurities crept into the minds of so many. People started pitting themselves against others based on the posts they read and the pictures they observed.  While we should never be jealous of someone else, we must also realize that much of what you see on social media is “good stuff”, and does not reflect the internal battles someone is or may be struggling with.   As in The Wizard of Oz, we do not know what is behind the curtain. 

Moreover, we do not know what the future holds.   Perhaps there is a great turn of events right around the corner, and all you have worked for, hoped for manifests in ways you could not imagine.  

Compare yourself to yourself only, as it is an effective way to mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically monitor your development & growth.   Try creating a state of  self-actualization.  Therein, you will achieve the fulfillment of your talents and potential.  

Accept and embrace where you are now, and then take steps towards your aspirations and dreams.  

Take deep breaths and release, stay focused in the present moment, and do not ruminate about the past, or fret about the future.  Do not judge yourself or others.

Most importantly:  acknowledge your achievements, as they are a big deal! 

Create the life you wish to live, and be kind to yourself along the way.  

~ LisaMarie

Celebrating 10 years in Wellness

God enters by a private door into each individual.”  
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Greetings to you on this lovely fall day,

To me, there is something so very majestic about the weeping willow tree.  It exudes a peaceful, loving, and gentle energy as it stands strong, and deeply rooted in its conviction of graceful longevity withstanding nature’s harshness.
 
As the branches of the willow tree gracefully sway freely without resistance when the windy storms rip through them, let us be reminded to be non-resistant to disturbances thrust upon us. In non-resistance we will have tranquility, and in this state of calmness, we will best know how to proceed with the challenges we have upon us. In moments of peace, we have the opportunity to reflect, learn more about ourselves, and hear the guidance of our higher self, and perhaps the voice of Source/God/Love.
 
September (2022) marked Inspiring Wellness Solutions’ (IWS) tenth year as a counseling, holistic wellness, and healing practice. Within these ten years, IWS and I, like many of you, experienced winds of opposition. In the moments of peace, however, came the moments of clarity. And among the challenges have been a plethora of beautiful blessings. Among the most significant blessings is the meeting of you and being a part of your wellness & healing journey.  Much gratitude to you, to my God & Angels, and to all who has made this calling a blessing.
 
In celebration and appreciation, IWS is offering two complementary events this fall.  Check out our events page for information on these two classes.

In peace, love, and healing,
 
LisaMarie

September 2022

Anxiety; a shortage of B6 & Iron the cause?

Approximately 40 million adults in the United States experience anxiety each year.  There are many theories regarding the root cause of anxiety, including brain chemistry, genetics, environmental factors or other medical factors/or disease, however, there is not yet a definitive answer to the root causes of anxiety.

A study out of Japan may provide an important insight into the connection between nutritional deficiencies and mental health.  This study reveals that low levels of vitamin B6 and iron may actually trigger the chemical changes in the brain responsible for panic attacks, hyperventilation and other forms of anxiety.

The research team analyzed the nutritional levels of 21 participants with varying levels of anxiety, panic attacks and hyperventilation episodes.  While some experience minor attacks, manageable at home, other attacks resulted in emergency room visits.  The participants were tested for a number of different nutritional deficiencies or abnormalities in the hope of identifying a pattern.  At the same time, they ran a similar set of tests on a control group of 20 people, and compared the two.

The data showed that those who were experiencing anxiety were found to have lower levels of B6 and iron than those in the healthy control group.  This is important due to the fact that one of the most accepted theories regarding the development of anxiety is that it is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain, with serotonin seen as a key player.  Serotonin is one the “happiness hormones”, responsible for triggering the reward and pleasure centers of the brain.   Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan, and both iron and vitamin B6 play an important role in this process.  An absence of these nutrients, therefore, can cause a decrease of serotonin levels.  As a fact, many of antidepressant drugs work on the same theory; boost serotonin levels to regulate mental health.

“These results suggest that low serum concentration of vitamin B6 and iron are involved in panic attacks and hyperventilation.  Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism involved in such differences’      

Those struggling with chronic anxiety may wish to have their B6 and iron tested, and if low, consider consuming foods high in B6 and iron, take high-quality supplements, and reach out to LisaMarie for a health consult.

Lower Risk of Death From Cardiovascular Disease

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Higher adherence to a plant-based diet resulted in a lower risk for heart disease and up to a 25 % lower risk of all-cause mortality and 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, compared with lower levels of adherence.

Researchers compared four dietary patterns among middle-aged adults and tracked mortality rates. Diets that included more plant foods received higher ratings than those that included more animal products. Higher intakes of fiber and micronutrients and lower intakes of processed meat and saturated fat on a plant-based diet may account for the decreased risk of death.

Plant-based diets lower the risk of death from heart disease by up to 19 percent, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.


Kim H, Caulfield LE, Garcia-Larsen V, Steffen LM, Coresh J, Rebholz CM. Plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality in a general population of middle-aged adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8: e012865.      
 

Shortage of B-12 related to gastric bypass surgery

There are a variety of types of weight-loss surgery, know collectively as bariatric surgery.  In the United States, gastric bypass surgery is one of the most common types of bariatric surgeries performed.

After gastric bypass surgery, food bypasses parts of the patients stomach and small intestine.  B-12 usually breaks down into usable form in the stomach and small intestine, therefore, it is likely post-surgery, a patients B-12 levels will need to be monitored to assure adequate B-12 levels.   Supplements or B-12 shots may be required to sustain an adequate level.

The impact of B-12 deficiency can be serious.  Vitamin B-12 in intimately involved with protein metabolism and DNA synthesis; two important biochemical processes controlling everything from heredity to metabolism.

If you had gastric bypass surgery, make sure you know your B-12 levels.  

If you would like more information on this subject matter, or health care in general, reach out to your physician, or to me.    

Best in good health!

LisaMarie

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