Holistic medicine is an alternative (different) type of caring for your body. It includes things such as acupuncture (a form of Chinese medicine that involves putting thin needles in particular parts of the body known as ‘acupuncture points’ to ease pain) and yoga (exercises which help you control the body and mind).
Holism, as it is known, has been around for years. But only recently have doctors and other medical people begun to use it, as its popularity has grown a lot around the world. It is basically the idea that to keep fit, you need to focus on more than just separate parts of your body, like looking after your heart and lungs etc. As well as all these things, you should also concentrate on things like your emotional and spiritual health.
Holistic health is not a method of treatment, but an idea of what type of treatment should be used when you are sick. It claims that holism is more than just about not being sick. It is about trying to have as healthy a body as possible.
Types of holistic medicine include:
- Aromatherapy
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Natural diet
- Homeopathy
Aromatherapy is the use of oils from flowers, herbs and trees to make you healthier. Treatments that they can be used in include massage, facials (basically a face massage) and baths.
Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that involves putting thin needles in particular parts of the body known as ‘acupuncture points’ to ease pain. It is claimed that it can cure a lot of illnesses from colds and the flu to back pain and headaches.
Yoga encourages a healthy mind, body and spirit, just as holism does. It involves stretching body parts like the arms and legs and helps improve your balance and posture (how you stand). Yoga is good because it is cheap and you can do it in your own home.
A natural diet means you eat completely, or mostly, foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and fresh meat.
Homeopathy is another natural form of treatment that uses very small doses of medicine to help the body’s own defence system start the healing process. The medicines are collected from both plants and animals. It is said homeopathy can cure sore throats, toothache, and even arthritis (when joints like the elbow and knee swell up and become stiff, a problem most common in the elderly).
Even though holistic medicine is becoming a lot more popular, there are still a lot of people who think that it is ineffective. Obviously things like eating healthily and exercising regularly help, but there is less proof of the beneficial effects of practices like acupuncture. It is said holistic medicines need to be scientifically tested before they are used more often.
LIVE / HEALTH / HOLISTIC
KEY WORDS
wellbeing = general health and happiness
ease pain = to become or make something less painful
keep fit = stay healthy and strong through exercise
promote good health = to help develop good health
cure an illness = to make an illness go away / to make someone well
stretch = to put your legs or arms out straight and contract your muscles
healing = the process of becoming healthy again
beneficial = having a helpful or useful effect
ineffective = having no helpful or useful effect
Health Idioms
I’m feeling a bit out of sorts = sick or upset
My bad is killing me = hurting me a lot
I’ve got a splitting headache = a very bad headache
I’m coming down with something = I have or I’ve caught an illness
I’m feeling very run down = tired or slightly ill/sick
I’m a bit stressed out = too anxious and tired to be able to relax
There’s something going around = an illness which is spreading from person to person
I’m a bit off-colour today = not in good health
He’s in a very bad way = in a bad (health) condition
I’m feeling a bit under the weather = slightly ill/sick, not as well as usual
Talking about Good Health
I’m as fit as a fiddle
I’m as right as rain
I’m fighting fit
I can’t complain
She’s the picture of health
Talking about Recovery from Bad Health
I’m back on my feet
I’ve got a new lease of life
I’ve been given a clean bill of health
I’m well on the way to recovery
Health 
