In today’s rational society, despite all the talk around the importance of meditation, mindful exercises, connecting to oneself, and much more, when we talk about “health”, outside the social media realm, majority of us continue to be largely focused on simply referring to the physical wellbeing of a person. Yes, there is a significant shift in collective understanding of how important our mental state is for our physical wellbeing and yet, there is much room for improvement.
That is exactly the topic we are going to delve into how to take care of it all holistically in order to enable success on another level.
Elena Khodakovskaya, a somatic and health coach, qualified nutritionists, and avid supporter of a well-rounded, personally tailored approaches to health, integrates the crucial connection between body and mind into her practice with clients. Her methods focus on the individual's holistic well-being, ensuring a balanced integration of mental, physical and even spiritual aspects, looking at the person as one system with various, equally important parts.. She has been on a personal journey of maintaining and elevating her health for more than 25 years now, switching from being a meat-eater to keeping a raw vegan diet for a decade and then integrating a more balanced vegetarian diet later on. Elena has developed her own nutritionist programme and supports a wide spectrum of people who seek her expertese.
Joining her is Galia Houbanova, an assessment psychologist and a coach whose expertise lies in bridging the gap between quantitative assessments of our talents and capabilities with the nuanced understanding of personality and identity. Her rich experience provides a comprehensive perspective on how holistic methods can be applied effectively within personal and professional realms. What’s more, as a mother, with busy schedule and life, she proudly maintains a routine that allows her metabolic age to be 10 years younger than her actual years.
Elena and Galiya share valuable insights from their own journeys, discuss the misconceptions about it and provideadvice on how we can keep ourselves truly healthy!
.png)
Elena explained in a short and simple way that holistic means complete:
“Ancient knowledge and modern science consider a person as a subject complete in their multifaceted nature: physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and others. Just as it is impossible to effectively treat just one organ without considering the organism holistic system, it is incorrect to claim that a person is only what we see and can touch or measure.”
Galya adds, “It’s about being aware of the different aspects of our health and maintaining harmony among them. The holistic approach is inherited from millennia of culture.” She also highlights that it's vital to see a person as a system that is functioning thanks to the many visible and invisible mechanisms inside of it.
That makes us wonder what could be the consequences of people not considering or perceiving their health as holistic.
“We currently see the results of such a separation—when there is no holistic approach, mental and physical, suffer. Disciplined eating and doing active sports do not lead to results if the mind is cluttered and does not allow change in the body's processes.” And vice versa – an ordered mind that thinks good thoughts aren’t enough to produce the results you seek in the outer world.
Elena warns us that separating those two systems might prevent us from finding the true cause of each health breakdown.
“The gut-brain axis is a perfect example. Scientific studies show that an imbalance in the gut microbiota can be caused by improper diet (i.e., purely physical factors) and be related to various mental states such as depression, anxiety, and other disorders” she says.
It’s interesting to find out how our two interviewees became so passionate about the topic.
Elena’s journey in holistic health started with her decision to become a mother. She calls her journey “an experiment” because she believes that there is no recipe or a precise step-by-step plan that you can implement in your life when it comes to your individual health.
She shares:
“Everybody must select and combine the things that work best for them. The main and initial stage of my actions was working through nutrition and detox. I searched, studied, and implemented in my life what worked for me and my family. Gradually, through trials and errors, I created a system for myself - “a philosophy” of nutrition which still, after more than 20 years, helps me maintain my health and psycho-biological state at a quality level.”
Similarly, Galya’s journey was inspired by motherhood. Becoming a mother was the reason why she finally acknowledged the burden of negative feelings she had been carrying for years:
“The feeling of deprivation, lack of pleasure, and freedom sabotaged my efforts to take full care of my health. The biggest change occurred with the birth of my daughter. In preparation for her arrival, I delved into topics such as holistic health, proper nutrition, and a fulfilled life. I wanted to welcome her in the best shape, create a healthy environment for her, and be an authenticexample of a fulfilled life. With time, this aim of mine turned into a daily routine for which I am truly grateful today.”
There isn't a universal approach when it comes to health, however, a healthy lifestyle itself has guidelines that you can use.
"Imagine that you are in front of a large screen on which there is everything that helps you to be healthy. You take what best fits your personal needs ".
With this simple visualisation, Elena encourages us to stop overcomplicating the beginning of this journey and accept that we can all start today and tinker it all based on our lives and requirements.
“Begin where you are now. Create your own rhythm and explore your needs as well as the opportunities that you have, without rushing or forcing anything. While the universal benefits of known steps (like drinking water, using stairs instead of an elevator, taking 5 minutes of silence a day, having a 10-minute break between meetings, and spending time with friends) are well-known, our health care must align with our natural lifestyle. Honour that.” – Galiya Houbanova
Elena added:
“Simply put - make sure you take time to recharge on three levels: physical - nutrition; psychological - emotions and states; mental - information, thoughts, beliefs.”
Elena’s immediate suggestions were simple and to the point:
Galya added 3 more that helped her change her attitude and motivated her to start taking care of her health:
Perhaps you noticed that both were highly motivated to embark on their respective journeys by motherhood.
When it comes to how to “hacking your brain” and becoming disciplined as well as motivated in a new area, Eli suggested that embracing the notion of “here and now” (aka be present) and acknowledging what you want and how you can get it, is a vital part of the process. To put it in simpler words – ask yourself what your health really needs and be honest about the answers that come up in your head.
Galya thinks that the best way to cultivate ultimate momentum is to “not take the process for granted and make conscious effort”. She advises:
“Regularly clear your mind of unnecessary accumulations, relationships, and activities. Pay special attention to the ones that recharge and nourish your spirit.”
We all have seen titles like “Best Diet Plan for 2024”, “The Ultimate Guide for Holistic Health”, “What’s holistic health and how does it relate to improved performance at work? and many others all over the internet. In fact, there are 172 million articles that appear on Google for less than 0.4 seconds. It’s inevitable to wonder if what they offer works.
“Widely spread misconceptions associated with holistic health often support the idea of easy and universal solutions that guarantee results without awareness and care. Beliefs that holistic health requires fundamental changes or too much effort can also hinder us from making small but effective steps toward better health and well-being.”, says Galya.
She highlighted the fact that perceiving holistic health as a hobby or a voluntary commitment can undermine our understanding of its importance in our lives.
Elena adds that it’s completely normal for various diets and methods to not be suitable for us. She too struggledn while trying new ideas and trendy methods, with the disappointment when they didn't produce optimal results. Remaining positive and vigilant, however, is key. Elena advises:
“Science and research develop at such a pace that what was considered useful and correct yesterday may be disproved tomorrow. Do not blindly believe what is written (especially in popular sources) - doubt, analyze, try, and check. Seek confirmation, consult with experts, and analyse yourself above all.” She directs our attention to one simple truth: “the only way you can discover your path to holistic health is through trial and error.”
According to our specialists, if you are looking for good reads that can answer quite a few of your questions about maintaining and elevating your holistic health, here are two books that you should head to:
To conclude we want to remind you that exceptional results, those produced and reached by high performers, in any area of life, are often achieved at a significant a cost - that of our health and psychological wellbeing. And if we forget to place our health as a priority, reaching the peak of any mountain won't bring us as much satisfaction as we have hoped for. What’s more, it might turn out to be a ‘one-time only’ event.
“Your body and brain are your first and most helpful assistants in life. They are the ones that carry out all your desires, wishes and orders” taking care of them is hence a privilege!
If you are looking for the perfect recipe for holistic health success, we won’t give you the ingredients today - you’ll have to embark on your own search for them. Nevertheless, we can assure you that the most natural path to great performance goes through caring for your holistic health” - Galiya Houbanova.
Begin by simply appreciating the importance of your wellbeing. Without it – all fades away.
And if you need a mantra to lead you in your journey to holistic health, Galya will gladly lend you her own:
Love and respect,
ILC International