Holistic Health

Holistic medicine is an ancient system of healthcare that dates back over thousands of years. The basic idea from 5,000 years ago is that medicine is most effective when you consider the whole person, rather than focusing on specific illnesses, body parts, or symptoms. Nowadays, most people consider it in a more modern sense. To us, holistic health just means taking care of every part of yourself—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually—all of it.

A leader in holistic health, CBD American Shaman has been working for years to spread the benefits of CBD oil in Omaha. CBD oil is made from a cannabis compound called cannabidiol (CBD) that is found in all cannabis plants. This compound interacts with our body through the endocannabinoid system, which is the system in your body that regulates the normal homeostasis. As the environment around people automatically affects the normal state of balance, the endocannabinoid system keeps our bodies leveled.

“CBD oil can help manage stress, sleep, and physical discomfort,” Jennifer Carbonell from CBD American Shaman told us. “I always tell people to give CBD a try and use it constantly during their trial period. It promotes natural sleep and a healthy inflammatory response due to exercise. A business would benefit from having its employees utilize our product as CBD enhances the body’s ability to maintain balance and manage stress. Many relate stress to the workplace and even bring that stress home. We also have a CBD nasal spray that delivers the product directly to the area affected to help combat the hay fever that many of us in Nebraska experience! “

“The solution to your wellness issues could be as simple as healthy food and time in nature,” Jennifer added. “It’s about finding balance. We also encourage therapy for mental health or visiting with medical professionals for chronic pain along with use of our products.”

Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. In fact, mental health affects virtually every aspect of a person’s life. Considering the average adult spends many of their waking hours at work, it’s important to consider how the workplace impacts our mental health. New communications technologies and expanding access to the internet enable us to work outside the workplace at pretty much any time of the day or night, and increasing competition on the “corporate ladder” has led to increasing pressure for cost efficiencies and higher productivity. It has also become more common for people, especially the millennial generation, to frequently move between organizations and even industries. These pressures and changes can lead to a variety of physical and mental health problems and lost productivity. It was reported that the lost productivity resulting from depression and anxiety, two of the most common mental disorders, is estimated to cost the global economy 1 trillion U.S. dollars each year.

Many factors influence the mental health of employees. Organizational issues include poor communication and management practices, limited participation in decision-making, long or inflexible working hours, and lack of team cohesion. Bullying and psychological harassment are well-known causes of work-related stress and related mental health problems. High levels of stress can cause headaches, heartburn, insomnia, a weakening of the immune system, high blood pressure, stomachaches, tense muscles, and even issues with fertility. Chronic stress can cause behaviors such as poor eating patterns, alcohol or drug abuse, and social withdrawal. Immediate, short-term stress can actually be beneficial to your health, but if you don’t have the proper coping mechanisms to control your stress, it can negatively affect your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

What needs to continue to be more accepted in society is that mental illness is common. In fact, one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. In addition to stress in the workplace, mental illness can strike in many different ways and areas of our lives. Whether it’s an addiction or a post traumatic stress disorder, any condition that affects mood, thinking, and behavior is considered a mental illness.

Most people who experience mental health problems can recover fully, or are able to live with and manage them, especially if they get help early on. Seeing a trained mental health professional can offer you relief if you’re suffering from anxiety, depression, or stress. Clearwater Counseling is a local practice in Omaha that strives to help their clients identify positive change that is happening in their lives. They understand that mental health battles may vary from anxieties, life transitions, depression, and stress. That’s why they have proven techniques to help their clients improve their moods, thoughts, and behaviors to a more peaceful level. They focus on compassionate counseling that promotes growth, development, and well-being to further enhance quality of life.

Kayla Leddy, CEO and co-owner of Clearwater Counseling, is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner and a Licensed Independent Professional Counselor. Kayla moved to Grand Island in 2014 to make a difference and to offer much needed mental health services to rural communities, but she has moved back to her hometown of Omaha to open the second Clearwater Counseling location. During her time in Grand Island, Kayla facilitated several classes for the Hall County Probation Office, including: Relapse Prevention, Anger Management, Co-Dependency, Women’s Trauma I and II, as well as a Women’s weekly Support Group. Kayla also served on the board of The Crisis Center, Inc. A wife and a mother, Kayla has over eight years of experience working with individuals diagnosed with behavioral disorders, chronic mental health disorders, substance use disorders and emotional/social disorders. Kayla focuses on assessment and evaluations to provide each client with an accurate diagnosis and individualized care. She incorporates several therapeutic techniques during sessions to provide clients with healthy coping skills, increased positive cognitive patterns, and relapse prevention plans for substance use and negative behaviors.

Also on the Clearwater Counseling team in Omaha is Jessica Frenzen, a provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner/Certified Masters Social Worker. Jessica has clinical experience working with children with past trauma/behavior issues, as well as teens and adults diagnosed with mental health disorders and substance use disorders. Additionally, she has experience with group work and has facilitated various support groups and substance use groups. Jessica is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and uses evidence-based techniques to guide her practice and to develop individualized treatment plans. She is deeply passionate about helping her clients achieve peace and success as they journey through life. Through her methods, she helps clients recognize their strongest and truest potential, while identifying strategies that work best for them to break down any barriers that may be holding them back.

To further serve the needs of their clients, Clearwater Counseling, PC’s team of therapists also offers teletherapy services via a live video connection online. This unique tool allows the ability to effectively deliver the same in-person counseling to clients remotely.

Ultimately, seeking out psychological attention can be liberating because knowledge is power—if you understand how and why your mind operates in a certain way, you feel more in control. How different would your life look if you had better self-control?

Self-control or self-discipline affects a person’s overall health and well-being in more ways than one, including stronger relationships and improved financial success. An example of how self-control impacts health is nutrition. Without self-control, it could be easy to just constantly eat junk food all day long. Choosing to eat junk food is an easy decision while it takes self-discipline to avoid it and make healthier choices. This same mentality is true with things like staying in an unhealthy relationship or choosing to watch Netflix all day instead of making time to exercise.

The winter time is difficult for people because the cold temperatures make people want to stay inside but staying active is one of the best things you can do for your health. Exercise helps to make you feel happier about yourself and your situation. Even though most people’s schedule gets busier this time of year, almost everyone has at least 30 minutes to dedicate to physical activity. The need for a quick yet productive work out has caused many people to turn to 9Round Fitness.

9Round is a specialized fitness center that brings boxing and kickboxing fitness training to the average person in a convenient, affordable, 30-minute, full body circuit format. The workouts consist of nine, three-minute stations of activities that include cardio, weight training, abdominal exercises, and kicks and punches on 100-pound, double-end, upper cut, and speed bags. There are no class times, trainers are always on site to motivate and lead the workouts, and routines change daily, giving members a fresh workout every time they come in. We highly recommend visiting the awesome trainers at 9Round’s Papillion location.

If you’re someone who feels that the thought of achieving the life you want seems too overwhelming, the best advice is to take things one baby step at a time. If you’ve picked up some unhealthy habits, you’re not just going to wake up one day with all new healthy habits. Focus on one area of your overall health to improve and go from there. One little thing you can start with is drink more water. When we’re not hydrated enough, our cells work poorly, causing brain fog. Water acts as a natural detoxifier, and drinking more of it will improve your ability to flush out toxins from your body. If you suffer from low energy, moodiness, or other health issues, water can make a positive impact in these areas.

If you’re committed to drinking at least the recommended eight large glasses of water a day, you’re probably also conscious towards the quality of water you’re drinking. Hard city water usually contains higher than normal levels of calcium and magnesium. This can cause problems within and outside of your body. Jeff White, owner of Aqua Systems, explained to us how hard water can be damaging our health.

“Hard water can actually be very damaging to our skin and hair,” Jeff stated. “Since hard water has high levels of magnesium and calcium, the minerals can leave deposits on your hair and skin almost like a film. This film is dangerous because it prevents moisture from entering the follicle. After that film develops, your hair will likely be a dry, dull, and frizzy. It can even affect the color of your hair! The film is also known to build up on the scalp, which causes a dandruff-like condition to form. The hard water minerals do not clean hair effectively since the calcium and magnesium react with the fatty acids commonly found in soap. This is what leaves a scummy layer on your body which can inhibit you from feeling clean. This layer can also clog pores and cause acne, block moisture from sinking into the skin, and cause flare-ups for people with eczema or dermatitis.”

Aqua Systems offers smart technology water-softening systems for your home or office in multiple price ranges. They understand that not only is hard water harsh on pipes and appliances but on our bodies as well. Keep your family, employees, and yourself healthy and happy by using and drinking clean, purified water.

Health is so much more than simply diet and exercise. You must listen to your whole body which includes your mental and social well-being, and do whatever it takes to keep it all in balance. When we take care of our bodies, our bodies will take care of us!