As a health journalist, health coach, and facilitator of Family Repatterning, I’ve been reporting on, learning about, and practicing integrative healing modalities for nearly two decades—and I’m constantly amazed at how powerful the most gentle therapies can be.

Through this blog, it’s my goal to bring you the best of what’s out there so that you can make the right health care decisions for yourself and your loved ones.

But one thing I know from years of looking into all the great integrative health care practices I that it’s not just about sifting through information, it’s about learning to discern what works for you. And that is individual. So the choice will always be yours, and it’s my aim to support you and build your confidence in your ability to determine your own health care. I would like to hear from you about what would serve you best. Please write  me at: Alison@Health-Journalist.com and let me know what would be most useful to you.

I’m a great believer in Proactive Health Care, rather than Reactive Health care.

Proactive Health Care means laying the foundations for good health on a daily basis. It also means identifying areas of imbalance anywhere in your mind and body and finding ways to address them sooner rather than later. Becoming Proactive means that you maintain your health through listening to what your body sensations, feelings, and thoughts tell you, and finding ways to support healing and balance.

Still, at various times, many of us may find ourselves accessing health care in reaction to a health symptom or wake-up call. We need to prepare for those kinds of situations as well so that we are ready to respond.

Lo  and behold I had just that kind of wake-up call this past week.

After dinner with a friend in Soho, I headed across a cobble-stoned street, wearing clogs and lost my footing. It was a pretty bad fall and soon Ms. Integrative Health found herself needing acute care—stitches-- in a hospital emergency room—not my favorite place to be.

Yes, stuff happens, doesn’t it?

Although in 20-20 hindsight, I wished that I could have acted proactively (different shoes, leg strengthening exercises, being less rushed?) here I was having to respond reactively.

But I found that all the Proactive Health understanding I had developed really paid off in this situation because I was already familiar with a wide range of helpful options. I recommend familiarizing yourself with new modalities, and finding practitioners that you trust.

Through my practitioner/friend, Linda Lancaster, an amazing homeopathic physician, I accessed homeopathy to address the shock and bruising and acupuncture to strengthen my body’s immune response. I used a natural silver homeopathic ointment to prevent infection, and health coaching for the feelings of sadness and fear that arose from this scary incident, while Gyrotonics helped rebalance my bones, muscles, and structure. Currently, I’m doing followup with DNA supportive nutraceuticals and energy medicine tools to minimize scarring and help the tissues rebuild rapidly.

All of this taken together has supported my healing quite nicely, but still you better believe that I went out (walking slowly) and got some concealer so that I’m ready for my presentation at an important meeting next week. Integrative/Proactive care means that you access everything that you need. It transcends party lines of us vs. them in medicine. It’s about what works for you.

Finally, one of the most critical things was help from my friends. Building a healing circle of support for the good times and the bad is something we all can do, and the caring counts most of all.

If you have any questions about Proactive Care, please join me and Deepak Chopra, Larry Dossey, and other great practitioners at the Better Health Campaign by signing up at: www.Health-Journalist.com