Boosting Life Quality: The Essential Guide to Preventative Immunizations

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Vocabulary

• Preventative Immunizations – Vaccines administered to prevent infectious diseases by stimulating the immune system to produce an immune response.
• Holistic Medicine – A type of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions -- in the quest for optimal health and wellness.
• Herbal Supplements – Products derived from plants which are used to improve health and wellness.
• Organic Foods – Foods grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, or industrial solvents.
• Physical Activity – Any body movement that works your muscles and requires more energy than resting.
• Meditation – A practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
• Sleep Hygiene – Various practices and habits that are necessary to have good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness.
• Mental Health – A state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
• Nutritional Supplements – Substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet or to lower your risk of health problems, like osteoporosis or arthritis.
• Probiotics – Live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system.
• Essential Oils – Compounds extracted from plants which capture the plant's scent and flavor, or "essence.
• Homeopathy – A system of alternative medicine based on the belief that the body can cure itself.
• Chiropractic Care – A health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.
• Yoga – A physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India.
• Macrobiotic Diet – A diet that emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and discourages meat, refined foods, and dairy.
• Detoxification – The process of removing toxic substances or qualities.
• Biofeedback – A process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance.
• Hydration – The process of causing something to absorb water.
• Antioxidants – Compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, thereby leading to chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms.
• Veganism – The practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet.
• Naturopathy – A system of alternative medicine based on the theory that diseases can be successfully treated or prevented without the use of drugs, by control of diet, exercise, and massage.
• Acupuncture – A form of treatment that involves inserting very thin needles through a person's skin at specific points on the body.
• Therapeutic Massage – The manipulation of soft tissue to relieve pain and promote healing.
• Mindfulness – The psychological process of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment.
• Aerobic Exercise – Physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process.
• Balanced Diet – A diet that gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly.
• Ayurveda – A holistic medicine system from India, focusing on maintaining a physically and emotionally balanced state.
• Gluten-free Diet – A diet that excludes the protein gluten, found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids – A type of fat your body can't make itself, so you must get it from your diet.
• Phytochemicals – Chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria, and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals.
• Reflexology – A type of massage that involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, hands, and ears.
• Tai Chi – A Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training, its health benefits and meditation.
• Ketogenic Diet – A low carb, high fat diet that has been shown to help some people lose weight.
• Cardiovascular Exercise – Any exercise that raises your heart rate and increases respiration while using large muscle groups repetitively and rhythmically.
• Aromatherapy – The practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
• Organic Farming – A method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones.
• Pilates – A method of exercise that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and