Vis Medicatrix Naturae

Nature Cure: Health Benefits of Nature

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2014-10-11 07.12.17From the beginning, humans have been surrounded by nature, and one cannot deny that humans have a connection to nature. Not only is nature beautiful to look at, but it also has some health benefits. These health benefits may be different based on your exposure or encounter with nature.

Viewing Nature

One does not have to be in nature to view it. The health benefits from viewing nature can even be obtained from viewing a picture on a wall of a scene involving nature, or looking out a window. The following list of health benefits can be obtained from simply viewing nature:

  • Decreased physical symptoms including headaches
  • Better test results (in regards to exams)
  • Better performance in attention demanding tasks
  • Decreased stress and quicker recovery from it
  • Increased well – being
  • Increased mood and faster recovery from mental fatigue
  • Increased job satisfaction
  • Improved immunity
  • Faster recovery following surgery

Being in Nature

Being in nature can involve many different things including sitting outside, playing outside, or working outside. The health benefits of being nature depend on what an individual is doing and how they may experience being in nature. As a result, this is not a comprehensive list, but can provide insight into the health benefits of being in nature:

  • Decreased severity of symptoms in children with ADD
  • Increased concentration
  • Improved cognitive functioning
  • Aid individuals recovering from substance abuse
  • Increase confidence (if performing different tasks in nature)
  • Increased physical activity, and subsequent health benefits from physical activity

Observing Plants and Gardens

Many communities have developed community gardens and many individuals have plants in their home. By observing either of these, one can experience several health benefits, including:

  • Increase feelings of peace
  • Improved psychological well – being

Observing or interacting with animals

Observing animals in nature can be very peaceful and tranquil, but there can be added benefit from also spending time with an animal (preferably a well – known animal) such as a dog or a cat:

  • Express intimacy and facilitate social connection
  • Decrease stress
  • Decrease blood pressure and heart rate
  • Decreased minor health problems
  • Improved mental health
  • Decreased cholesterol
  • Decreased triglycerides
  • Improved quality of life

With all of these different ways of interacting with and experiencing nature, I would encourage you to find your own way of interacting with nature and embrace the health benefits that can be obtained from that. The information from this article was derived from the following resource: http://www.georgewright.org/262maller.pdf. For more information please refer to this resource or ask Elisha Cook for more information.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please book an appointment with Elisha Cook at the RSNC today and let me help you achieve your health goals.

 

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

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Alternative Medicine Symbol - The Green AsklepianRecently, there has been a lot of hype in the media about Naturopathic Medicine and Naturopathic Doctors (NDs). Some good and some bad remarks, but hype non-the-less. Many skewed views exist regarding what NDs actually do. Many think that NDs are overly glorified “Witch Doctors”; others might view NDs similar to General Practitioners, but just using herbs instead of pharmaceuticals; and many think that homeopathic doctors and NDs are one in the same. It is my hope that I can “clear the air” and hopefully bring some justice to what NDs actually do.

Naturopathic Medicine aims at treating the root cause of disease, and not just merely the symptoms. Unfortunately, medicine sometimes looks at an individual merely as a broken arm, rather than looking at the person with that broken arm. NDs propose to try and look at the individual as a whole, and not merely their parts, and attempt to cure disease through this framework and looking for the cause of disease. A ND might, for example, look at the patient’s living conditions, nutritional status, safety, work conditions, etc., in attempt to discover what caused the broken bone and how could it be prevented in the future. As a result, each individual is treated as just that, an individual. One treatment might not work for another simply because everyone is different, and the cause of disease can be completely different for two individuals even with the “same” condition. For example, two individuals could present with headaches, but one person might get headaches due to muscle tension, while another might get them due to caffeine withdrawal. Though both of these individuals might have similar presentations, treating their headaches with the same treatment may not result in a cure for both.

Part of a NDs approach to care involves incorporating the principles of Naturopathic Medicine into ones care. The principles of Naturopathic Medicine are: First do no harm, treat the cause of disease, teach healthy living and preventative medicine, heal the whole person, emphasize prevention, and support the healing power of the body. NDs strive to incorporate all of these principles into each patient case in order to treat disease, support the health of the individual, and prevent future disease. A state of balance and harmony is sought after in the body, and thus achieved through this approach to care, as well as through the use of Naturopathic Medicine’s various modalities. The modalities are used to support the patient’s own healing capabilities, and consist of: Botanical Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Hydrotherapy, Homeopathy, Physical Medicine (including massage and naturopathic manipulation), Primary Care, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Lifestyle Counselling. Despite what some believe, the practice of naturopathic modalities is not merely based on “gut instinct” or tradition, but is based on Evidence Based Medicine and Traditionally practices that have been tested and used for centuries.

It is my hope that being part of this profession will allow me to be part of the movement of our future health care that involves addressing disease before it presents, treating the whole person, managing disease with few side effects, and improving overall quality of life.