Health costs can be an unanticipated cost in retirement. One way to minimise the cost of GP visits and prescriptions is to find natural remedies and preventative treatment. While there are, of course, times when you should get medical treatment, there are steps you can take to improve your overall health yourself.
Natural healing involves a combination of :
- Nutrition and diet – eating a balanced diet
- Herbal medicine – using plant-based remedies to support health
- Supplements – vitamins, minerals and other natural supplements
- Lifestyle – exercise, stress management and sleep
- Specialist natural remedies, for example Rongoa Maori and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Naturopathy is a service offered by skilled professionals trained in natural healing techniques. Naturopathy can play a valuable role in improving health and wellbeing, and in some cases, reducing reliance on GP visits and prescription medicines. It focuses on prevention, lifestyle changes, and natural therapies, which often target the root causes of ill health rather than just managing symptoms. It can prevent chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Regular naturopathic consultations often pick up early warning signs of imbalance (such as fatigue, digestive issues, or recurring colds), allowing people to address issues before they escalate into something requiring medical intervention.
Naturopaths help patients optimise diet, addressing nutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities that may contribute to conditions like digestive disorders, low immunity, or skin problems.
Management of chronic illness can be achieved through dietary changes which can lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, reduce cholesterol, and support weight loss, thus reducing reliance on prescriptions for hypertension, diabetes, or statins.
Meditation, mindfulness, herbal remedies, breathing techniques, and counselling are commonly used in naturopathy to reduce stress, anxiety, and mild depression. By addressing sleep, exercise, and social wellbeing, naturopathy helps reduce the need for antidepressants or sleeping pills in some cases.
Many older adults are prescribed multiple medications which are hard to keep track of and which can interfere with each other. Naturopathy, in collaboration with GPs, can help identify lifestyle strategies to reduce reliance on unnecessary medications where appropriate.
Above all, naturopathy empowers people to take charge of their own wellbeing in a natural way. Naturopathy equips people with the knowledge to make better health choices daily.
An example of how naturopathy differs from traditional medicine can be seen looking at a case of someone suffering from osteoarthritis in their hands. The traditional medical view might be to look at inflammation in the hands and the use of anti-inflammatory medication or pain killers. A naturopathic view would be to look at systemic inflammation, the role of digestive health, food intolerances, over acidity of the body and look at diet overall. Herbs or supplements may be used to clean the blood, improve circulation, reduce inflammation and diet may be adjusted.
The latest developments in naturopathy revolve around genetic testing, which looks at an individual’s genetic predisposition to certain types of disease. This allows for personalised tailoring of well-being solutions to best maintain healthy ageing
Naturopathy works best alongside conventional medicine, not as a replacement for it. For serious conditions, GP and specialist care remain essential, but naturopathy can reduce the burden of preventable illnesses and support overall resilience.
