Healthcare that addresses all aspects of a person's life-- the body, mind, and spirit is no new idea. The holistic health movement has been alive for thousands of years. If this is indeed true, then how did it get so far off the mark? The answer is that emphasis has been on "sick care" instead of preventing illness and empowering people to take control of their health and lives. The results have been catastrophic to our personal lives as well as causing significant stress for our families and communities. The sick aspects of the system affect us on a personal, family, community, national, and global scale .  It not only hits us in our mind and hearts but also in our pocketbooks! Imagine a different world where we could alleviate this stress and have the freedom to devote our time to the things that matter most in our lives, instead of attending to a calendar full of doctor's appointments. Imagine stopping the vicious cycle before it even starts. There are a number of dedicated community members and healthcare providers that have been working hard to disrupt the system. The terms Integrative Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine refer to aspects of holistic health movement directed toward promoting non-medication therapies, healthy eating, and the prevention of disease.  Integrative Healthcare is incorporating the holistic health philosophy into our current system to reform it from the inside out. After completing my fellowship in Integrative Medicine, I began to study Integrative Healthcare and piece together ideas and strategies for reforming healthcare from the ground up.  This is truly a grassroots effort with even small changes important for making impacts on the personal and community levels. It is time for us to step up and lead, instead of waiting for the big corporate executives, insurance companies, billionaires, and politicians to solve our problems! I invite you to come with me on this journey together to make this world a better place through combining holistic-integrative health with healthcare innovation! 

It is the best case scenario in medicine to receive pills, surgery, or treatment that cures a disease. What happens if you are stuck in a nightmare where there is no "magic cure" and your medical condition has total control over your life? How about preventing these nightmare diseases before they even happen or teaching each other how to manage them before they get out of control? There is an exciting movement toward understanding our mind, bodies, and spirits and learning how to nourish them everyday, no matter what our limitations are. This is the Self-Care Movement, which has roots and relatedness to the better known, Self-Help Movement.  It doesn't have to be a "hippie" movement (though it certainly can be in some circles); it is actually no-frills and simple at its core. It appeals to both the common sense person and the New Age person alike. Self-Care practices can be done alone or as part of a group. The preference is obviously to be together and form connections to support one another. In fact, community support has been shown in studies to improve outcomes for self-managing chronic medical conditions. So, what if you have no time to take care of yourself because you are responsible for everyone else? That is a tricky scenario, but imagine what would happen if we continue to neglect ourselves at the expense of others; without support we will eventually reach a breaking point where we will not be able to care for others as well. That is why the community support aspect is so important. Some of us are in a position where we can do it all ourselves and care for ourselves, but that is not the normal situation. Sometimes we just need help but are afraid to ask. I am championing for a Integrative Self-Care Movement that is inclusive of everyone and easy to participate in, no matter how much responsibility for others you have. This will be scalable and duplicatable. It can be done low-tech or high-tech, whatever the preference or availability. There are plenty people out there creating systems and processes to take this movement to the next level. I will promote these people and their services for free if they are affordable, widely available, and user-friendly. 

dzelnikmd@gmail.com
Twitter @DrZelnik
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Proud Founder of Healing Works, LLC

There are some exciting developments on the way, including the 2021 launch of Healing Works, LLC to become a force in the Integrative Self-Care Movement. I'm writing blog articles for your enjoyment and learning. I'm available as a speaker, consultant, and kindred collaborator with you on projects that will further our shared missions.