Dr Paria Vaziri's Tips and Tricks to Achieving Good Holistic Health
"Trying to change your entire lifestyle overnight is a sure way to set yourself up for failure. Instead, aim for a small weekly goal and build on it"
To help us better understand the correlation between beauty and wellness, we speak to three experts — Alexandra Venison, Dr Paria Vaziri and Ehlie Luna — to gather their thoughts on the matter.
With her own private practice as a naturopathic doctor licensed in California and as an advisor to Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s vitamin and botanical supplement brand Lemme, Dr Paria Vaziri, ND has become an authority for women struggling with hormonal health, gut issues, skin health, and more. She has built a community of over 129k individuals on Instagram, where she guides her followers’ journeys toward good holistic health.
“Naturopathic medicine focuses on building a strong foundation of health and targeting the root cause of symptoms using natural and effective medicine like herbs and targeted nutrients,” says Dr Paria of her profession.
She continues: “My own health struggles in my early 20s were what ultimately sparked my passion for natural medicine. I was tired of bandaid approaches for the symptoms I was dealing with; I wanted to really heal my body. I stumbled across natural medicine through my own research and the rest is history.”
As a naturopathic doctor, how can you tell when someone’s neglected their holistic health?
Usually, I see a lot of the foundational elements of health and vitality suboptimal — feeling sluggish and having low energy all day, struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, not feeling sharp and focused, not digesting well and struggling with symptoms like bloating or irregular bowel movements. And with my female patients, I see a lot of issues around menstrual cycles like premenstrual syndrome and painful periods.
Besides diet, gut health, and the incorporation of other natural remedies, do you think beauty has a direct influence on the improvement of one’s holistic health?
I think it does, and not in the sense that we have to meet a certain beauty standard or have others view us as beautiful. I believe beauty is a feeling that comes from within when we know we are taking care of our bodies.
We can feel beautiful by eating foods that are high in nutrients like fruits and vegetables, by taking care of our mental health and practising self-reduction, by getting a good night’s sleep, and by moving our bodies. All of these internal things that we are doing reflect outward and give us a certain glow. And of course, taking care of our skin with a proper skincare routine doesn’t hurt either!
Many women include proper beauty regimens in their self-care sessions. Has this also influenced your lifestyle?
My beauty regimens play a big role in my winding down routine at night. The time that I spend using my gua sha, ice rolling, and going through my skincare routine serves as self-care because I know all of these tools help me both look good and feel good.
What beauty essentials or rituals are vital in keeping you grounded?
Moving my body is huge; I love heated pilates and yoga classes. Beyond that, diet is essential for me. When I’m eating a well-balanced diet, it helps me feel healthy and vibrant.
What advice would you give to someone who’s on their road to healing?
Start with the basics, you don’t need to overcomplicate things and try to do everything all at once! Trying to change your entire lifestyle overnight is a sure way to set yourself up for failure. Instead, aim for a small weekly goal and build on it. It can be as simple as increasing your water intake or eating more fibre.
