We may be living longer, but are we living better?
The World Health Organisation estimates that the average person spends the last 20% of their life experiencing poor health.
How do we improve both lifespan and health span and thrive in a healthy body for as long as possible?
‘If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself’ – Eubie Blake, on his 96th birthday.
Recent decades have seen a dramatic increase in life expectancy and declining death rates in developed countries, giving rise to a vastly older population.
However age-related diseases such as cognitive disorders, heart disease, and cancer are also on the rise.
This comes at high personal cost with reduced quality of life, high levels of stress including stress for loved ones, and added financial costs – less time doing the things we love, with the people we want to enjoy spending time with.
Ever-increasing hospitalisations, surgeries, GP and specialist visits also mean public health systems are facing a rising financial and logistical burden. We are facing a stretched health system with limited resources, a health system in crisis.
A proactive approach, which takes a deeper look into our health and risk for chronic disease, can be the key difference as to whether we’re able to enjoy not just a long, but a happy, healthy life.
‘I may be getting older, but I still want to be able to do the things that I love!’
The holistic and preventative approach of naturopathic medicine promotes wellness and healthy ageing and can play an important role in meeting these health challenges and helping to prevent disease.
Conventional medicine takes a reactive ‘wait and see’ approach to health and disease, which can lead to poor health outcomes and quality of life for patients. ‘Wait and see’ removes the responsibility for our own health from us and ultimately leads to limited choices as disease states take hold.
Our ‘sick care’ focused health system is characterised by frustrations around packed waiting rooms, short appointments, limited resources, and the knowledge that so much illness is preventable.
If more people could be given the help they need to improve their own health, the immense burden on our healthcare system could be lessened.
Naturopathy is all about empowering people to prioritise and optimise their health, giving a sense of control, and enabling clients to make positive change, however small.
Forming tiny daily micro-habits and building on them one step at a time is the cornerstone to progress and positive change that’s sustainable.
Whether you’re facing a specific health challenge, or simply aiming to enhance your overall health and vitality, a naturopath is ideally placed to provide supportive guidance through your unique wellness journey.
A naturopath adopts a personalised approach, working with you to understand your individual challenges and helping you achieve your health goals.
Wellness and healthy ageing is a balancing act, bringing together all the elements of your life into harmony – adding a little more of ‘this’ or removing a little more of ‘that’ to bring about balance.
Living well incorporates many factors. Diet, exercise, relaxation, social activities and personal connections, mental stimulation, spirituality, life purpose, are all worthy considerations.
Each year science confirms that gut health is the key to overall health with new insights into the digestive system and its relationship to systemic dysfunction.
An unhealthy gut can lead to systemic disruption and contribute to many chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, whereas a healthy gut sets the foundation for optimum wellness.
To gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of your health picture, a naturopath spends considerable time asking questions about your health concerns and goals, medical history, diet, and lifestyle factors.
This longer consultation time is what many patients are looking for. Naturopathy offers much more than just lending an ear to patients. This time spent listening from a holistic perspective opens key dialogue leading to wellness and healing.
Drawing from the information gathered at the initial consultation, a naturopath formulates an individualised wellness plan, incorporating recommendations on nutrition, lifestyle, together with herbal and/or nutritional medicine where appropriate – your very own modern lifestyle programme for longevity and enhanced health and vitality.
Follow up appointments provide ongoing support, monitor progress, and allow for programme adjustments. Your health goals can be reviewed, and new areas of focus can be added as needs change over time.
A wellness and healthy ageing programme offers many benefits to the health and function of your body:
- Healthy cellular function
- Increased energy and vitality
- Good digestion
- Healthy immunity
- Healthy skin
- Healthy weight maintenance
- Healthy cardiovascular function
- Healthy mood and brain health
- Improved sense of wellbeing
It’s never too late to start setting up healthy daily habits.
‘You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending’ – C.S. Lewis.
We have the power to take a proactive approach to our health, preventing illness and disease.
If you’re ready to learn how to optimise and take control of your health, I’d love to work with you to create the best plan for your unique situation and needs to help you live your best life, to live well and live long!
Book an initial consultation with me today.
