Lifestyle Advice in Naturopathy - An Overview

Introduction:

Naturopathy is the practice of living according to the ancient system of medicine harmoniously within nature and the environment. Naturopathy practices medicine by returning to nature for healing without any drugs or medications while living coherently with society. The wellness treatment is a holistic approach that focuses on dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and various stress relief therapies like hydrotherapy, mud therapy, herbal supplements, and exercises. Naturopathy promotes systemic cleansing and detoxification, counseling, and psychotherapy for a healthier body and mind. Naturopathy also focuses on the concept of the body healing itself, making a person responsible for optimizing their health and preventing health issues. Naturopathy works under the concepts of treating the cause, promoting self-healing, harmless treatment, a holistic approach, prevention, and patient education.

What Are the Lifestyle Approaches for a Healthy Life According to Naturopathy?

Naturopathy has a wholesome approach toward wellness and motivates the person to live a healthy lifestyle. The wellness related to naturopathy mainly focuses on the five nature elements, being:

• The Earth.

• Water.

• Air.

• Fire.

• Wind.

Naturopathy believes in the healing of the mind and body in balance with these five elements. Naturopathy’s take on healthy living is promoted by following these steps as a lifestyle, and they are:

1. A Positive Mind and the Right Attitude - Naturopathy emphasizes starting a person's day with a positive mind and the right approach towards the day or any work, as it encourages and motivates a person to perform better by promoting better thoughts.

2. Exercise: An exercise is a holistic approach toward the well-being of a person’s mind and body. Exercises like walking, stretching, and yoga improve the blood circulation in the system, boost body metabolism, calm the mind, improve strength and endurance, and enhance concentration.

3. Bath as a Therapy: Naturopathy also considers something as simple as a bath to be a therapy. Taking alternate showers with hot and cold water is shown to stimulate lymphatic drainage, improve blood circulation, cleansing the body as a detox eliminating the toxins. It is also proven to calm the body and mind, reducing stress and promoting mood-stabilizing hormones. Adding agents like Epsom salt, neem powder, or essential oils like chamomile or lavender promotes health benefits due to their antibacterial properties and treats conditions like insomnia or skin allergies.

4. Detoxification: Naturopathy discusses a lot about detoxification or cleansing of the body. It aims to cleanse the body both externally and internally. Various agents are used as natural cleansers to detox the body, and they are :

• Applying castor oil on the surface of the abdomen, especially in the liver area.

• Drinking lemon juice in lukewarm water.

• Drinking waters infused with herbal ingredients like tulsi or mint.

• Drinking a minimum of three liters of water per day.

• Diets that solely involve legumes, vegetables, and fruits are advised to be taken once in a while as the only meal.

• Eating meals at regular time intervals.

All these habits are considered detoxification methods that are proven to cleanse the body both internally and externally, boosting one’s metabolism. A sluggish metabolism lowers the efficacy of a person's ability to perform and induces health problems.

• Healthy Diet: The main concept of naturopathy is that the food consumed is half the medicine. Naturopathy concentrates on a person's diet to orient one’s behavior and approach toward work and life. It encourages people to follow a properly balanced meal that boosts immunity, improves digestion, enhances proper metabolic functions, and improves one's endurance and ability to perform better. The food intake advised are from natural sources and plant-based, fiber-rich, that includes nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and grains. The diet in naturopathy is of three types, and they are:

  • Elimination Diet: This diet, in other words, is a cleansing diet. The diet form mainly consists of liquid diets like fruit juices, soups, or buttermilk. The main purpose of this diet is to cleanse the body by eliminating the sedimented wastes in the colon.

  • Soothing Diet: This diet form is a healing diet. It contains both liquids and solids that are plant-based. The main components of the diet are fruits, salads, sprouts, and steamed vegetables. It aims at healing the digestive system and balancing it.

  • Constructive Diet: This diet is wholesome compared to the other two diets, as the other two concentrates on healing. This diet aims at rejuvenation, strengthening, and building the body by providing proper balanced nutrition, and that is the reason this diet is called a reconstruction diet. The foods included in this diet are rice, sprouts, flour, pulses, and yogurt.

• Fasting: Fasting is one of the oldest methods that allow the body to self-heal, as fasting gives time for the body to cleanse and rejuvenate. However, fasting can be a tedious process and requires strong mental strength.

• Sleep Patterns: Sleeping habits are essential to strengthen one's brain and heart. Sleep is the only relaxing time the body gets from functioning, and following proper sleep patterns is essential for proper mental, physical, and metabolic functions. A person should have a minimum sleep of eight to ten hours to perform better.

• Awareness Towards the Environment: Naturopathy emphasizes a person to be more aware of one’s surroundings along with self. It teaches a person to be responsible towards the well-being of nature and the environment as it is directly proportional to the benefit of his or her well-being.

What Is the Significance of Following a Naturopathic Lifestyle?

Following a naturopathic lifestyle makes a person feel energetic, both physically and mentally, as it relieves the congestion of the mind and body both on the outside and inside.

• Naturopathy brings a positive mind and approaches toward life.

• Reduces anxiety, stress, and depression.

• Improves the overall health of the body.

• Cures sluggish metabolism and boosts it.

• Battles with health-oriented issues.

• It can be provided along with modern forms of medicine.

• It is cost-effective.

• Directs the body towards self-healing properties.

• Brings discipline to a patient's lifestyle.

• Makes the person responsible for their health.

• Helps in healing various ailments.

Conclusion

The lifestyle advice that naturopathy promotes is the method by which it teaches people to orient towards nature and their well-being. Naturopathy guides a person to live a holistic life without diseases by enhancing the self-healing capacities of the body in coherence with food, lifestyle, sleep pattern, exercises, and environment. Following better lifestyle habits develops discipline and promotes good health, both physically and mentally, in a person.