Peanut butter and bacon. Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. Flannel and lace. Unlikely pairings can yield amazing results. Such is the case with alternative and traditional health care. The result is integrative medicine (IM)—a blend of Eastern therapies (think herbs and acupuncture) and Western remedies (prescription meds, shots)—now a cultural mainstay. Bona fide M.D.'s have taken note, as the percentage of U.S. hospitals that incorporate IM into their treatment plans grew from 15 percent to 42 percent between 2000 and 2010. "The goal is to treat the whole patient, not just the disease," says Frank Lipman, M.D., founder of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City.
For example, if you show up at Lipman's office bleary-eyed from insomnia, he might prescribe a typical short-term sleep aid—but he'd also analyze your diet for sleep-disrupting ingredients, track your technology use for snooze-crushing screen glare, and quiz you about your social life (yes, how and when you hang with pals could affect your shut-eye). It's the difference, he says, between slapping tape over a car's "check engine" light and finding out what's up underneath the hood.
Working a little preventive IM magic into your life can keep your body and mind in top shape. Case in point: The following guidelines—borrowed from Lipman's forthcoming book, The New Health Rules—can help you fight fatigue, feel happier, and score loads of extra energy.
Rule 1: Rein in Your Hormones
Whenever you're in danger, real or imagined, your adrenals—two small glands near your kidneys—flood your body with hormones to help it tackle the sitch at hand. Problem is, living in a state of constant low-grade stress can have the same effect and may exhaust the adrenals. That means weight gain, a wonky metabolism, or an allover spent state, says Lipman.
Pills can help balance out hormones but do little to address the source of your tension. You already know the basics to a calm(er) life: seven to eight hours of sleep per night, a diet rich in whole foods, and plenty of exercise. Lipman's secret weapons are called adaptogens, herbs that may regulate hormones and help your body better adapt to stress. Talk to your doc about trying 500 milligrams of Asian ginseng and a 200-milligram combo of ashwagandha and Rhodiola rosea every day.
Rule 2: Say No Like You Mean It—Really
"Some people think they have to be busy to be successful; others jam-pack their schedules to avoid being still," says Lipman. But odds are, the yes-to-everything woman is eroding her health. Per one study, overworkers are up to 40 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who aren't as crazy busy.
Don't wait until exhaustion drives you to the doctor. Start now by cutting optional commitments in half. The right words can help. Recent research suggests replacing the word can't with the more definitive don't (for example, I don't accept every invite versus I can't make it tonight may help you stick to your guns).
Rule 3: Pencil in What Matters
Like we said, being busier-than-thou leaves you frayed. But saying yes to one meaningful endeavor is a new must. People who feel a sense of purpose can cut their risk for premature death by up to 15 percent, per a recent study. What's more, participating in something emotionally satisfying can pump up your mood and energy levels because it shifts your focus and priorities, minimizing the stuff that stresses you out, says Lipman. Not sure what will work for you? Quiz like-minded pals about their feel-good activities.
For more ways to balance body and mind from Frank Lipman, M.D., pick up the January/February issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.
More from Women's Health:
When You SHOULD Go to an Urgent Care Clinic
How to Banish Stress in 25 Minutes
The Best Vitamins and Supplements for YOUR Lifestyle
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