Mind-body techniques are now shifting the paradigm of Western medicine. Learn practical ways to use them in your own life, and review their remarkable clinical effects, including the use of meditation for lowering blood pressure, yoga for treating spinal problems, and mantra repetition in treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

Holistic integrative medicine creates a bridge between Western medicine and the world's other evidence-based healing traditions, making a spectrum of health-care approaches available to you. Learn the philosophy underlying integrative medicine, rooted in partnering with the patient, finding the underlying causes of disease, and caring for the body, mind, and spirit.

Certain key foods have unique properties that set them apart as nutrition "superstars." Starting with the importance of whole foods and fiber, study the most healthful foods in different categories, including grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and proteins, and grasp how the way you cook food affects its nutritional value.

Holistic integrative medicine speaks deeply to the connection between food and health outcomes. Here, track scientific findings that demonstrate how the food you eat directly affects your heart health as well as numerous medical conditions. Learn about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the kinds of foods that promote optimal health.

In critical ways, human health is directly linked to the health of our planet. Track the effects on human bodies of environmental factors, including climate change, air pollution, greenhouse gases, the livestock industry, and industrial chemicals, and consider approaches to addressing these matters effectively.

Holistic integrative medicine views spirituality as an element of optimal health. In approaching spiritual wellness, track research on forgiveness and positive thought and their effects, both physiological and psychological. Learn specific ways to develop an affirmative emotional outlook, including working with your internal thought patterns and practicing gratitude.

This lecture poses the question, "Do personal relationships affect health?" Review the extensive clinical research correlating supportive parental, spousal, and social relationships - as well as optimism - with more favorable outcomes for major diseases. Consider the evidence for social connections as treatment for illness and as key ingredients of good health.

Inflammation, a fundamental protective reaction of your body, is also a pathway to many diseases. Discover the multiple causes of chronic inflammation, from pollutants and bacteria to stress and sleep disorders. Learn how to use food as medicine, emphasizing a variety of foods, herbs, and spices that prevent and/or reverse inflammation.

Holistic medicine also offers many avenues for responding to issues of mental health and well-being. Here, explore research on the role of nutrition and nutrient deficiencies in depression and bipolar disorder. Consider holistic approaches to treating depression, including the specific uses of diet, exercise, herbal remedies, and light therapy.

Increasingly, research is showing a strong connection between spirituality and health. Investigate the evidence demonstrating greater resilience to disease among spiritually active people, and why this may be so. Explore the medical implications of depression and hopelessness, and how holistic medicine integrates physical, mental, and emotional healing.