Jim Nicolai - Integrative Wellness Rules

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Copyright 2013 by Miraval Resorts, LLC, and James P. Nicolai

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Cover design: Vertigo Design NYC Interior design: Tricia Breidenthal

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Nicolai, Jim

Integrative wellness rules: a simple guide to healthy living / Jim Nicolai.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4019-4047-8 (hardback)

1. Self-care, Health. 2. Integrative medicine. 3. Health promotion. I. Title.

RA776.95.N53 2013

613--dc23
2012032108

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-4047-8
Digital ISBN: 978-1-4019-4048-5

16 15 14 13 4 3 2 1
1st edition, January 2013

Printed in the United States of America

FOR KYLE, JUDE, AVA, AND SARA SUE

I have known the author of this book for more than a decade. Dr. Jim Nicolai was finishing his residency in family medicine when he first came to a workshop I was leading in Tucson, Arizona. Our meeting led him to become one of the first residential fellows at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicinea two-year intensive training that gave him the knowledge and skills to practice the kind of medicine I have long taught and practiced. Since he completed the fellowship, he has matured into a highly effective physician. I was delighted when he took the position as the medical director of the integrative wellness center I created at Miraval Resort and Spa.

Practitioners of integrative medicine pay a great deal of attention to lifestyle and to all the factors under our control that influence health and risks of disease. They want to know how their patients eat, how active they are physically, how well they sleep and rest, how they deal with stress, how they use their minds, what they do for fun, how they attend to their spiritual well-being, and more. They are dedicated to promoting health and preventing illness by helping people make better lifestyle choices as well as by offering scientifically informed treatments that emphasize natural, less toxic therapies whenever possible. In order to do this well, physicians must teach by example. They must embody the philosophy and habits they wish to impart to others.

For as long as Ive known him, Jim Nicolai has been an inspiring model of health and wellness. He takes very good care of himself and never preaches what he does not practice. Over the years, Ive referred many patients to him; he has successfully inspired most of them to make positive changes in their ways of living.

Now he has put his experience into written words to help readers succeed as he has in building and maintaining lifestyles that favor lasting good health. Jim struggles with the same difficulties all of us have: Where do we find motivation to exercise or improve our eating habits? How can we overcome the inertia of being inactive or of eating unconsciously? How do we find time for meditation? In these pages, Jim shares with us the strategies he has used, showing us how to take small steps toward big goals. He writes as he speakssimply and clearly.

If you were to come to Miraval and have a private consultation with Jim, I know you would come away inspired to take those steps. I believe you can get to know Jim by way of this book and come away with similar inspiration. He has put himself into it, and the voice that comes through is clear, honest, and strong. Listen to it, and let it guide you on the path to wellness.

Its a mouthful to introduce myself as the medical director of the Andrew Weil, M.D., Integrative Wellness Program at Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona. Id rather describe myself as a health coach. As a physician working in a resort, I often find myself helping people who come to Miraval wanting to change some aspect of their lives. A coach provides motivation and training, and coaching enhances ones positive abilities and actions. Coaching observes subtle distinctions and clarifies the importance and priority of fundamental skills. It is a tool that can show the path to better performancewhether in the things you already do well or things that are challenging for you. A coach is your partner in overcoming obstacles, and he or she will share insights and skills that can move you beyond where you can go on your own. This is what I do. My area of specialty and coaching is integrative health. Let me define what that means.

First of all, let me tell you what health is not. Health really shouldnt be defined as the absence of disease. The definition of disease is the absence of ease, so explaining something as the absence of an absence doesnt seem useful.