^{by Michele Rosenthal, Trauma Recovery Specialist, Founder of HHC}

In the heart of Abacoa a movement is gaining momentum. It’s a movement about neighbors and community, health and well-being. More than anything, it’s a movement to unify like-minded people around an important cause: the health of our families and neighborhoods.

On the fourth Wednesday (6-8pm) of every month the Holistic Health Connections (HHC) tribe gathers to collaborate with each other, educate about holistic health methodologies, and elevate awareness for alternative options to wellness.

Picture this: A two-hour meeting that combines holistic experiences, personal connection and professional knowledge. Combining a short group meditation with brief professional presentations, plus experiential and educational breakout sessions designed to allow attendees to make connections with new people, the HHC meeting always creates an exciting, exuberant and uplifting energy that leaves participants saying, “I’m so glad I was here tonight!”

In all of Palm Beach County HHC’s monthly meeting is the only consistent event that gathers consumers with the holistic health providers trained to support their quest for resilience, immunity, and healing. It’s become a terrific place to find answers to holistic health questions offered by professional HHC members dedicated to sharing natural wellness options. For example…

Want to improve your brain health? Dr. Cynthia Guy suggests, “Stress is at epidemic proportions, leading us to a lifestyle of disconnection that causes structural and functional issues in our ability to make good decisions and improve significant behavioral changes. The good news is that we can change our level of stress that causes inflammation leading to cognitive decline. Some tips to holistically improve brain health include: movement exercises, prioritize good sleep habits, meditate, and avoid sugar.  Start these changes ‘sooner rather than later!’”

Struggling to sleep better? Sabine Clarke, Physician in Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine explains, “The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that 20% of Americans have a sleep disorder. Sleep is essential for good health and inadequate sleep is linked to many chronic diseases, road accidents, and work mistakes. Sleep disorders can be treated in many ways, often through the use of sleeping pills which are increasingly being abused. As an alternative solution, acupuncture offers an effective treatment for sleeping disorders because it naturally stimulates production of melatonin (a hormone made by the pineal gland), reduces stress and anxiety, and induces sleep onset.”

Need something holistic to help manage chronic pain? CBD Professional, J.D. Lee offers, “Chronic pain pervades too many people on a daily basis, which negatively affects their quality of life. Many are pushed towards pharmaceutical drugs but medications make for some of the worst solutions. A better modern solution is CBD, which—rather than making you high as cannabis does—positively affects your body’s already naturally existing endocannabinoid system to regulate the body’s pain and temperature receptors. This biological process is one of the leading holistic options for pain reduction today.”

Wondering how holistic dental health affects overall health? Holistic dentist, Dr. Ilona Fotek advises, “Toxins and bacteria from oral infections can travel through your bloodstream to distant organs and create conditions which otherwise would not exist. Many modern-day degenerative conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, heart, kidney, lung, bladder and neurological disorders, share common toxins from oral bacteria and non-compatible dental materials. Biological Dentistry and Medicine are becoming the modern healthcare option. Holistic dentists treat according to an understanding that the mouth, body and mind are deeply connected to overall health and well-being.”

Figuring out how to heal an illness or chronic issue—or better yet, learning how to practice preventative measures—can be overwhelming. In today’s hi-tech world we have so many accessible tools that provide research. The problem is: How do we make informed decisions, and to whom can we ask the questions that all our Google searches bring up? Technology easily connects us to data but human touch (and experience, and intelligence) still holds the key to finalizing decisions. Ultimately, we don’t heal in isolation; we heal in community where we can share ideas, thoughts, concerns and questions and find answers in conversation.

What questions do you have about holistic health? Connect with us and have them answered. For more information, please visit: www.HolisticHealthConnections.net.