What Does Holistic Really Mean? The 7 Pillars of a Holistic Lifestyle
“Holistic” gets used everywhere, but what does it really mean? It’s not about green juice or perfection. It’s about how your body, mind, and lifestyle work together as one system. Discover the 7 pillars that create lasting wellness from the inside out
Let’s Get Real
“Holistic” gets thrown around a lot these days. It’s on supplement labels, spa menus, and Instagram bios. But ask ten people what it actually means and you’ll get ten different answers.
Some think it means all-natural. Others think it’s anti-medicine. And then there are those who picture people meditating under a moon lamp, sipping green juice, and talking to their crystals.
The truth? Holistic health isn’t a vibe or a trend. It’s about understanding how your body, mind, and lifestyle work together as one system and learning to support the whole thing instead of just patching the parts.
The Real Definition of Holistic
The word holistic comes from “whole.” It means looking at the entire person- mind, body, and lifestyle- instead of focusing only on symptoms.
Instead of asking, “What pill can I take to stop this symptom?” the holistic question is,
“Why is my body sending this signal in the first place?”
Your body is an interconnected system. Your gut talks to your brain, your hormones respond to your sleep, and your stress affects digestion. When one thing is off, it ripples through everything else.
Modern Medicine vs. Holistic Health
Let’s be honest. There’s a time and place for modern medicine. Thank God for anesthesia, antibiotics, and emergency care. But when it comes to energy, mood, digestion, and inflammation, mainstream medicine often treats the symptom, not the system.
Holistic health zooms out and looks for the root cause. It considers nutrition, toxins, stress, mineral balance, environment, mindset, and even relationships.
The goal isn’t to replace medicine. It’s to understand your body so deeply that you need it less often.
What Holistic Health Looks Like in Real Life
You don’t have to sell everything and move to the woods to live holistically. It simply means making daily choices that support how your body actually works.
Here are a few examples:
- Eat foods that reduce inflammation instead of feeding it.
- Drink filtered water with minerals to support your cells.
- Use clean skincare so your liver isn’t detoxing your lotion.
- Get morning sunlight to reset hormones naturally.
- Calm your nervous system with breathwork instead of caffeine.
These aren’t “woo.” They’re biology done right.
The Mind-Body Connection
Your thoughts and emotions are not separate from your health. Living in fight-or-flight mode slows digestion, shifts hormones, and increases inflammation.
That’s why journaling, prayer, or meditation aren’t just self-care—they’re physical health practices. When your body and mind feel safe, healing can finally happen.
In Case You Skimmed
- Holistic health means treating the whole person, not just symptoms.
- It’s about root causes, not quick fixes.
- It supports your body’s natural design, not chemical shortcuts.
- Healing starts with the choices you make every day.
🌿 The 7 Foundational Pillars of a Holistic Lifestyle
This isn’t about living in a yurt, juicing celery until your soul dies, or spending $400 on supplements that taste like sadness.
It’s about getting back to what your body actually needs and removing the garbage that’s been blocking it.
Here are the 7 foundational pillars that will change everything once you stop ignoring them:
- Food That Came From the Ground (or Had a Face)
If it had a heartbeat, grew in soil, or spoiled when left out, your body knows what to do with it. The further we got from real food, the sicker we became. This isn’t about diet culture. It’s about nourishment and minerals, not red dye and corn syrup.
Pro Tip: If it has more than five ingredients or you can’t pronounce half of them, toss it. - Water That Actually Hydrates
Tap water is full of chlorine, fluoride, and microplastics. Bottled water isn’t much better and often lacks minerals your body needs. To truly hydrate, your cells need clean, mineralized water.
Start with purified water. Reverse osmosis or distilled water removes contaminants. Then remineralize it with sea salt or trace mineral drops. Your cells will thank you. I use this countertop distiller and these minerals. I have had this distiller for almost 2 years now and it is till going strong. - Drainage and Detox Pathways That Work
Your colon, liver, kidneys, lymph, skin, and lungs are your body’s detox system-but only if they’re supported. If you’re constipated, not sweating, or breathing shallowly, your body is backed up.
Think magnesium, deep breathing, dry brushing, fiber, coffee enemas, and movement. - A Low-Tox Environment
Your home should heal you, not harm you. Swap out toxic candles, detergents, cookware, and skincare products for cleaner options.
Start with what touches your skin or food daily. Use essential oil diffusers for scent and add an air filter to each room. You breathe 11,000 liters of air a day. Make sure it’s clean. - A Nervous System That Knows How to Chill
You can eat perfectly and still feel awful if your body is locked in survival mode. If your breath is shallow and your mind won’t slow down, your body can’t heal.
Try breathwork, grounding, or simply resting. These are just as important as nutrition. - Daily Movement That Doesn’t Suck
You don’t need to live at the gym. Your lymphatic system only moves when you do. Walking, dancing, stretching-whatever keeps your body in motion counts.
Bonus points: Add sunshine and go barefoot outside when you can. - A Mindset That Doesn’t Self-Sabotage
You’re not weak or lazy. You’ve been disconnected from what your body really needs. Holistic living isn’t about perfection-it’s about awareness, consistency, and giving yourself permission to grow at your own pace.
Start with one pillar and go all in. Then add another. Before long, you won’t even recognize the old version of you.
✨ Ready to Start Living Holistically?
If you’re ready to simplify your health and start feeling like yourself again, download my FREE guide...
How to Start a Holistic Lifestyle Guide
It’s a free, practical roadmap that walks you through these seven pillars step by step and shows you how to detox your home, nourish your body, and reset your energy without overwhelm or confusion.
You don’t need more opinions. You need results.
And you won’t find them by only managing symptoms.
But you’re here. You’re asking questions. You’re waking up.
Once you realize the power was in your hands all along,
you stop playing small and start building real health.
Jamie Shahan, MSN, CRNA, RN
Empowering Holistic Health
🌐 Connect with me on Social Media:
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