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Protecting your long-term wellbeing takes more than regular doctor's appointments. You also need to pay attention to your day-to-day behaviors, nutrition and stress. That's the role of integrative medicine: healthcare that integrates into your whole life.

This holistic approach blends conventional healthcare with complementary and alternative medicine, like meditation, acupuncture or energy healing, to support your lifelong journey to good health, said Jaime Sanzere, MS, RDN, a functional medicine dietician and health coach with AIM for Wellbeing, a new partner with The Christ Hospital Health Network.

“We aim to give patients better access to health services and techniques we believe in strongly," she said. “Patients have better outcomes when they combine the therapies we provide with the services that The Christ Hospital Health Network offers."

Sanzere said you can significantly boost your wellbeing with guidance on creating a positive frame of mind, as well as nutrition and stress-relieving exercises. Here's her easy-to-use advice.

Create the right frame of mind

Millions of Americans set out to make healthier nutritional and lifestyle choices every year, but many abandon their new behaviors after one slipup.

“The biggest thing I discuss with patients is getting rid of the all-or-nothing mindset," she said. “So many people fall into the trap of feeling like they messed up once, so the entire day or month is shot."

Instead, she said the trick to making long-term health changes is identifying barriers in your way. Write a dream statement that describes your goal to keep yourself motivated. Then, keep a journal of your typical day or week, highlighting anything knocking you off track.  

Stay present in the moment when these obstacles arise so they're easier to overcome. Deep breathing, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, and other mindfulness practices can keep you calm when you encounter one of these barriers. And don't be too hard on yourself if you fall short of healthy behavior.  

“You're more likely to succeed in adopting healthier behaviors if you give yourself the grace to make mistakes," she said.

Adopt lifestyle changes

Making lifestyle changes that impact your nutrition and stress levels can promote your overall wellbeing, Sanzere said.

Choose healthy supplements

A healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can meet most of your nutritional needs. But if you still aren't getting enough vitamins and minerals, supplements can help.

“Always try to fulfill your nutritional needs with food first, but you may need help filling in the gaps," Sanzere said. “High-quality supplements can help combat different nutritional deficiencies. They can also reduce inflammation, provide blood sugar support and help control various hormonal conditions."

Talk with your doctor or dietitian before taking any supplements. They may order lab testing to determine if you need any nutritional support. Based on your results, they can also suggest which supplements will benefit you the most.

Keep these things in mind if your doctor recommends a supplement:

• Avoid machine-made supplements that use the prefixes “hydroxy" or “cyano" because they're weaker. Select natural supplements instead.
  
• Choose capsules because the heat needed to create tablets makes nutrients in the supplement unstable.
• Choose vitamin B12 supplements that don't include cyanide.
• Read labels avoid single-dose daily multivitamins. “Most good quality multivitamins are to be taken in divided doses to promote proper dosage and absorption," Sanzere said.

AIM for Wellbeing offers an on-site supplement store at its Kenwood location along with online shopping. “Our staff are always happy to answer questions," Sanzere said. “Patients can use us as a resource which takes away the work of figuring out what might be the best products for them."

Integrate somatic exercises

Stress and anxiety have a negative impact on your wellbeing, and they can frequently make other health conditions worse. Somatic exercises—moving for the sake of moving—help you focus on your sensations and what you're feeling internally. Research shows these exercises can offer stress relief.

“We want to help people better manage and respond to future stressful, anxiety-inducing situations," Sanzere said. “We can't go into their lives and remove stress and anxiety, but we can help them learn to respond differently and build their resilience to stressors."

She recommends several somatic exercises to help you manage your stress.

• Breathing exercises: Slow, controlled, purposeful breathing, such as box breathing or alternate nostril breathing, helps lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate and increase your sense of relaxation. It can also improve your mood and the quality of your sleep.
• Contrast temperature therapy: Run cold, then warm, water over your hands and wrists. Focusing on the temperature changes can calm you down and help you stay in the moment.
• Eye movement desensitization: Back-and-forth eye movements can help you process memories that may trigger strong emotions or trauma.
• Posture exercises: Roll your shoulders back, uncross your legs, place your feet flat on the floor and relax your jaw to reduce chronic muscle tension.

Feel better with integrative medicine

Integrating these changes and strategies into your life does more than support the healthcare you already receive from your doctor. They can also improve your overall wellbeing and lead to a better quality of life.

“We want people to feel better and be in better shape so they can live a life of true vitality," Sanzere said. “Maybe you're looking for prevention, or you want to feel better. Or maybe you feel fine but don't know how great you could feel. We're here to help because there's something for everyone in integrative and functional medicine."

Ready to see how great you can feel? Contact our AIM for Wellbeing providers today.