Holistic Wellness q & a with Elly

By Elly McGuinness

Holistic wellness and fitness form the foundation for this entire health and fitness site. In this blog post, I want to create a comprehensive resource that answers the questions I commonly get. My intention is for it to be a page that links out to all the holistic wellness and fitness questions you may have.

What is holistic wellness?

Most people have a good idea of what wellness is. However, they may be a little more unsure when the word ‘holistic’ is thrown in there. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, the word ‘holistic’ means

Dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone and not just a part

I trained as a personal trainer but early on in my career, I realized that I could help people more if I adopted a holistic wellness approach. For me, that means considering areas such as stress, sleep, mindset, eating habits, and relationships.

I realized that solely looking to help someone from the angle of fitness would not necessarily help them in the best way. For example, a person might be struggling to get results from their exercise sessions. Upon a deeper look into their lifestyle, I might discover that they’re not sleeping well. So it makes a lot more sense for me to point them in the direction they need to improve their sleep. That way areas like healthy eating and results from their fitness plan will fall into place more easily.

Holistic wellness is more than what a dictionary says…

For me, the term holistic wellness encompasses even more than the Cambridge English dictionary term. I like to assign my own added meaning to it. For me, it’s important that my health and fitness choices are respectful of the world around me. For example:

  • Choosing a plant-based diet over a meat-centered one. Even if I think it would be beneficial to add meat into my diet, I choose not to for ethical and environmental reasons. Because it’s not all about me.
  • Being mindful of my choices as a health and fitness consumer. For more on this see my post about Xero z trail sandals

You can read more about my holistic wellness philosophy here, or continue on to the holistic wellness q & a.

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

Holistic wellness starts with setting goals!

Goal setting is an important first step in your holistic wellness journey. Here are some of the questions that I commonly get asked on this topic, and links to the answers.

How do I set long-term fitness goals? What are examples of SMART goals for fitness? What are some medium-term fitness goals examples?

For the answers to all your fitness smart goals questions, please visit this article about long-term goals for fitness.

Other health and fitness smart goals examples can be found in the article ‘a new year…and a new you?‘, You can also check out my review of the best goal planner.

Are you ready to follow through on your goals? Achieving your goals is only 20% setting them, but 80% slaying. Here’s your FREE Printable 10-Step Guide to Slaying Your Goals.

Exercise is an important part of holistic wellness

As part of my holistic wellness philosophy, I encourage people to ‘think outside the gym’. This is especially so if they don’t enjoy the gym…because there are so many other options for a great (and enjoyable) workout.

With that in mind, I like to encourage anytime, anywhere workout routines. Here are a few of the questions you might have in that area (see the clickable text for your answers).

holistic wellness

Where can I find a resistance band kit workout guide? Can you give me a Pilates resistance bands workout? What are some physical therapy shoulder exercises to do with resistance bands? Can you tell me some compound exercises I can do with resistance bands? What do resistance bands colors mean?

I answer all those questions in this resistance bands workout guide.

Other common questions include:

By the way, if you’re into workouts that you can do anytime, anywhere with no equipment, then make sure you grab my free bodyweight workout download. It includes seven exercises to help tone and strengthen your whole body and there are three progression levels for each exercise (so you can choose the one that’s right for you).

Healthy eating habits as part of your holistic wellness plan

Nutrition and eating habits can end up being the most controversial and confusing part of a holistic wellness outlook. I’m here to help you cut through all the ‘noise’ and find a personalized plan that is right for you.

holistic wellness

Here are some of the nutrition questions you may have for me, and links to the answers on this site.

The real ‘holistic’ part of holistic wellness

Holistic wellness is more than just exercise and nutrition. Stress, sleep, mindset, and relationships are all important areas to focus on for better physical and mental wellbeing. Get these right and you’ll slip into great exercise and nutrition habits a lot more easily.

Here are some of the common questions I get in these areas…and links to the answers.

Some people want to achieve weight loss as part of their holistic wellness plan

If you want to lose weight and you’re ready to move away from diets and fads, you’re in the right place. My holistic wellness philosophy helps you to move beyond dieting so you can treat your body with the respect that it deserves. Here are some of the common weight loss questions I get, and the links to the posts that answer them.

What are your holistic wellness questions? Please add them to the box below and I’ll be sure to either answer them there or write a new post to answer them.

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].

Did you enjoy this blog? Have you been inspired by any of my other content such as my social posts or videos? Did you know you can now ‘Buy Me A Coffee‘! Just click the button and express your gratitude however you see fit.

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How about sharing your own thoughts?

What actions might you take next? What questions do you have?

Leave a comment below to let me know what you think of this post.

Elly McGuinness

6 Comments
  1. MaryAnn Turner

    My name is MaryAnn. My son had cancer of the esophagus around 6 yrs ago. They shortened his stomach and took some of his esophagus. He is cancer free but suffers a lot from acid reflex. They took out his spleen the had no choice. From all of this he can’t eat or drink ver much. He gets coughing jags. He currently has a feeding tube so that at night he can get nourishment. The doctors said he just has to accept this. Even Mayo Clinic. Well, hell with that this poor kid dreads sitting down to eat. Have you ever heard of anything like this. Is there any holistic relief. Please

    Reply
    • Elly McGuinness

      Hi MaryAnn, thanks for your comment. Wonderful to hear that your son is cancer-free. I’m sorry to hear he’s suffering with acid reflux and that the doctors haven’t suggested any dietary tweaks. Have you considered taking him to any holistic therapists? A holistic nutritionist, acupuncturist or naturopathic practitioner? They should be able to provide personalized treatments – many holistic modalities will offer treatments to rebalance the body with an aim to improve acid reflux. I’d always recommend taking an integrative approach and seeking professional advice from any specialists you are working with, as well as some alternative practitioners. There are certainly a number of dietary factors to consider when it comes to acid reflux. These should be considered alongside any specific medical requirements. This article is comprehensive and research-backed, and offers a great overview of dietary considerations to improve acid reflux. I hope it’s helpful for you and your son. https://blog.131method.com/cure-acid-reflux-naturally/

      Reply
  2. Jillian

    This is such a informative piece, Elly! It’s easy to think, “If I work out and eat veggies, I’ll be fit and healthy.” This could be the case physically, but if someone overeats due to emotional disturbances, their emotional wellness would also need to be addressed. For a long time, this was me. I would workout an hour a day and see no results, because I was still eating foods with tons of sugar. Great post!

    ~Jillian

    Reply
    • Elly McGuinness

      Thanks for your comment Jillian. Emotional wellness is a big thing, and emotional eating is very common. If someone has a high level of stress going on due to emotional issues that can also inhibit their weight loss potential. Sometimes if we focus on things like emotional well-being, decreasing stress and getting better sleep, the food and exercise habits fall into place so much more easily. Thanks for sharing a bit of your story!

      Reply
  3. Ann

    Yes i would like to lose belly fat and i have balds in the middle bottom part of my feets and mucus where i cant breathe right at times. need advice thank you

    Reply
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