Optimal health

DEFINITION: Experiencing life to its fullest potential through a balanced mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social state of being.

• PRINCIPLE PROPOSED USES: Alzheimer’s disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, anxiety, arthritis, cancer, dementia, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, heart disease, hypertension, insomnia, leukemia, liver disease, lupus, lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatism, spinal cord injury, stress reduction
• OTHER PROPOSED USES: Addiction, anemia, anorexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, bulimia, cerebral palsy, chronic pain reduction, memory enhancement, muscular dystrophy, muscular sclerosis, paralysis, stroke

Overview

In the 1970s, a movement called optimal health began to focus on attaining a condition of the greatest possible mental, physical, and spiritual wellness, rather than focus only on the treatment of disease after its appearance. As people came to better understand their ability to positively impact their own health, they became more proactive in their lifestyle choices. Greater emphasis was placed on body, mind, and spirit as an integrative whole, with the necessity for developing each to its fullest potential to achieve a healthy and whole person.

While the term optimal health is not commonly used in the twenty-first century, integrative health perspectives that incorporate complementary medicine, traditional treatments, and alternative therapies closely align with the priorities of this movement. Considering an individual's physical, mental, and emotional well-being is fairly commonly accepted and used in various modern treatment plans. For example, treating addiction's underlying mental contributors has revolutionized addiction medicine. Many more support, stress reduction, and alternative pain relief options are available to individuals with chronic or terminal illnesses in the twenty-first century than were available in the 1970s.

Mechanism of Action

Optimal health concentrates on fortifying physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to the greatest extent attainable so that a person may live the best life possible. To assist the body in achieving its premier state of performance, a person focuses on exercise, diet, nutrition, detoxification, cleansing, supplements, yoga, massage, and sleep therapies. To facilitate maximum intellectual acuity, a person employs reading, writing, puzzles, games, classes, support groups, and social interaction. To become more in tune with the divine, to be more spiritual, a person practices meditation, hypnosis, fasting, psychic cleansing, aura healing, metaphysical retreats, soul rebirthing, and vision quests.

Uses and Applications

Nutrition is a major factor in any optimal health plan, and many specialized diets are used. Most feature little or no red meat and little or no poultry and fish, with an emphasis on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. All processed foods, which contain chemicals and preservatives, are avoided. Some diets advise strict vegetarian regimes, while others, like the vegan dietary model, allow no meat or dairy products. Rice, beans, legumes, fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, all cooked in olive oil, are essential in achieving optimal health. Drinking large amounts of either bottled or purified water is also necessary to flush harmful toxins from the body and to keep it adequately hydrated.

A minimum of eight hours of sleep each night is mandatory to keep the body functioning at its peak, so supplements such as melatonin and valerian root are often useful as sleep aids for insomnia. An exercise regime, especially aerobic exercise like walking, cycling, or swimming, is indispensable for maintaining the body’s strength and stamina.

Fasting and cleansing therapies, using detoxification and enemas (principally coffee enemas), are useful in eliminating the build-up of chemicals and free radicals in the body’s digestive system. Various supplements, such as green tea extract, calcium, fish oil, and vitamins C, B, D, and E, are important in supplanting the body’s cardiovascular and immune systems.

Intellectual challenge and stimulation, particularly involving social activity, are fundamental for mental sharpness and psychological well-being. Isolation should be avoided. Friends, family, and a social support network are crucial elements of optimal health.

Meditation, expanded consciousness, and transcendental thinking encourage spiritual growth and foster purposeful living. Yoga and massage are likewise highly effective at reducing stress and furthering mobility.

Scientific Evidence

There have been no double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of optimal health because research would not be feasible. However, hundreds of studies have verified that a vegetarian or vegan diet can slow or even reverse heart disease in some people; regular aerobic exercise and fish oil also are extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health. Voluminous research shows the importance of eight hours of sleep nightly, eight glasses of water daily, and healthy social relationships. Double-blind studies have revealed no beneficial results of coffee enemas, but many studies have found that green tea contains immune-system-boosting antioxidants.

Choosing a Practitioner

In looking for an optimal health practitioner, one should choose a licensed medical physician, preferably a doctor specializing in integrative medicine. An integrative medicine specialist will possess advanced knowledge and training in administering and balancing the best of Western and Eastern medicines. The American Medical Association is the preeminent source for physician referrals.

Safety Issues

Women who are pregnant or persons taking prescription medications should not take supplements without first receiving approval from a licensed medical physician because dangerous interactions between supplements and prescription drugs may occur, resulting in adverse side effects or allergic reactions. All fasting and cleansing dietary plans should be examined cautiously to ensure sufficient nutritional sustenance while purifying the body of toxins. Weight-loss plans, particularly, must be monitored closely to avoid potentially adverse ramifications, especially to the cardiovascular system.

Bibliography

Bushell, William, Erin Olivo, and Neil Theise. Longevity, Regeneration, and Optimal Health: Integrating Eastern and Western Perspectives. New York Academy of Sciences, 2009.

Eden, Donna, and David Feinstein. Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body’s Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality. 2nd ed., Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2008.

Johnson, Duke. The Optimal Health Revolution: How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-Edge Science of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-Term Health. BenBella Books, 2009.

Meletis, Chris. "Does a Healthy Diet = Optimal Health & Wellness?" Chiropractic Economics, 20 Aug. 2021, www.chiroeco.com/optimal-health-and-wellness. Accessed 20 Dec. 2021.

Rau, Thomas, and Susan Wyler. The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health: Dr. Rau’s Diet for Whole Body Healing. Berkley Publishing Group, 2009.

Saeed, Madiha M. The Qur’anic Prescription: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health. Kube Publishing Ltd., 2022.

Siff, William. The Plant Medicine Protocol: Unlocking the Power of Plants for Optimal Health and Longevity. Artisan, 2023.

Weil, Andrew. Eight Weeks to Optimum Health: A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Body’s Natural Healing Power. 2nd ed., Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.