Why we focus on whole-person holistic health and personalized medical weight loss at VIVA Wellness
When we mention holistic medicine, it’s easy to envision a naturopathic doctor who only uses acupuncture or herbal remedies to treat every condition. However, the realm of holistic medicine extends far beyond these. It encompasses every aspect of a person’s life in the quest for healing.
When you visit our VIVA Wellness clinic in Brookfield or the website, it won’t take you long to see that we specialize in an integrative, whole-person approach to healing. We are focused on offering custom treatment plans designed to optimize both physical and mental health. This includes concentrating on nutrition, weight loss, detox, metabolism support, stress management, care for the digestive system, and mindfulness.
Our signature NP-managed Weight & Detox Protocols bring the best of Western and alternative approaches to create individualized and effective results. We’ve found that when you start to look at any piece of the puzzle, a complete picture of what’s missing begins to emerge—all you need to do is listen and pay attention to what the body is trying to say!
What is Holistic Health?
A holistic approach to wellness considers all aspects and dimensions of a person’s well-being. Holistic health recognizes the importance of addressing physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual needs. As our client, we want you to actively participate in your health and healing journey by making wellness-oriented lifestyle choices.
We encourage you to explore using a healthy diet with whole foods, herbs, supplements, teas, and essential oils as natural therapies to enhance your wellness protocol at VIVA Wellness. Many of our clients embrace holistic practices such as acupuncture, acupressure, biofeedback, massage therapy, chiropractic care, naturopathy, meditation, yoga, therapeutic touch, reiki, and Ayurveda. We are happy to connect you with a trusted clinician in the greater Waukesha and Milwaukee areas if you are interested in any of these therapies.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine combines traditional Western medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies to provide the best care for every patient. Integrative medicine prioritizes your overall well-being rather than solely focusing on your illness or condition. This form of medicine aims to uncover the root cause of your symptoms or condition by delving deep into your mind, body, and spirit. With an evidence-based approach, integrative medicine offers a range of therapies and lifestyle changes to enhance your health and wellness.
Naturopathic doctors use integrative medicine, recognizing the intricate connection between your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Through a collaborative partnership between you and your healthcare providers, integrative medicine ensures well-coordinated care from various specialists. While the definitions of integrative medicine and holistic medicine sound similar, an integrated approach takes the more naturopathic pieces of holistic medicine and combines them with the more traditional medicine we are accustomed to in our current healthcare system. VIVA Wellness recognizes the importance of making the most of both approaches for each client in a way that is comfortable for them.
Why is Holistic and Integrative Health Important?
The World Health Organization (WHO) states as a part of its constitution:
- Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
- The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being
At VIVA Wellness, we couldn’t agree more! You are a whole person, so anything less than a whole-person approach will not result in you living your best life.
Feeling overwhelmed and then falling sick shortly after is not a coincidence. Stress weakens our immune system, leaving us with an increased risk of illness. On the flip side, a strong immune system can alleviate stress. This is just a glimpse into the interconnectedness of our mind and body that is harnessed by a naturopathic approach. Our team at VIVA Wellness acknowledges this bond and strives to restore harmony between both. By achieving this balance, we can use your body’s ability to heal and experience sustainable weight loss.
Benefits of Holistic Medicine
The NIH is beginning to recognize the amazing power of whole-person medicine and is increasing its funding toward research in this area. Here are just a few of the many benefits of a whole-person approach to health.
Personal Attention:
You will get the personalized care you deserve with our caring team of Nurse Practitioners at VIVA Wellness. Unlike traditional doctors, our holistic NPs prioritize each client and provide one-on-one attention. Most primary care clinics have limited time and energy and won’t give you the level of attention you find at VIVA Wellness.
Address multiple health issues:
Holistic health care can be used to treat a wide range of conditions beyond losing weight. Treatment plans often improve other conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, diabetes, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems including IBS and constipation, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.
Focuses on preventative medicine:
Embracing preventive health care brings numerous benefits throughout a person’s life. It leads to fewer chronic illnesses, lower medical expenses, and better overall health and wellness. Rather than waiting for symptoms to appear, preventive medicine takes proactive measures to treat or prevent ailments. We offer numerous preventative measures such as diet counseling and vitamin infusions to avoid illness before it begins proactively.
Fewer side-effects:
Holistic treatments also tend to result in fewer side effects. Prescription medications, procedures, and surgery all result in unwanted side effects like nausea, weight gain, pain, and more. Alternative practices are designed to limit or eliminate common side effects in traditional medicine. You will remain more alert and in touch with what is happening in your body and mind and feel even better throughout your treatment. When these side effects do arise, we use complementary therapies to minimize their impact.
Achieve optimal health:
Discovering optimal health goes beyond just feeling “okay.” Our goal at VIVA Wellness is to guide each client toward achieving their peak level of well-being. What exactly does “optimal health” entail? We believe that true well-being encompasses more than just resolving individual symptoms—it promotes long-term wellness. While the definition of optimal health may vary for each individual, it typically involves feeling mentally and emotionally fulfilled, enjoying vitality and energy, engaging in activities that bring joy, and finding balance in life’s physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Utilize your body’s natural healing abilities:
This can improve self-awareness and a better understanding of what works best for you individually. When you take a whole-person approach to health, you learn how to listen to your body’s signals and respond accordingly. With VIVA Wellness, we will discover the untapped potential of your body’s innate healing abilities. Your defense system plays a significant role in maintaining optimal physical, mental, and emotional health. Emerging research has unveiled the powerful connection between whole-person health and your body’s natural defense mechanisms.
It is tailored to you and your body:
You will get the “standard” treatment when you see your primary care doctor. When you start our medical weight loss protocol, you can choose the best therapies for you and your needs. At VIVA Wellness, many different types of holistic therapies are available, so you can find something that appeals to you. If you don’t like one type of therapy, there are plenty of others to try. This flexibility makes holistic medicine a great option for people wanting to take an active role in their health journey.
Our Approach to Holistic Weight Loss
Struggling with weight can significantly impact various functions of the body. This can result in new symptoms appearing or existing ones worsening, often without an obvious connection. Many people with diabetes or weight issues deal with a series of isolated diagnoses that don’t seem to address the underlying problem.
That’s where the VIVA Wellness whole-person health comes in. We consider the whole person’s mind, body, mental state, emotions, and psyche. By considering multiple dimensions, we aim to identify the root cause of the problem and provide a comprehensive solution.
A holistic approach to weight loss incorporates more than taking a pill or injection. These approaches combine various medical systems, mind-body-spirit interventions, manipulative and body-based therapies, biological-based treatments, and energy therapies. Combining these traditional methods with naturopathic medicine creates a comprehensive and integrated approach to health.
When you come into our Brookfield, Wisconsin clinic, we thoroughly assess what’s not working well for you and why. From there, we create a personalized health plan that addresses the underlying issues to help you lose weight in a way that works with your body and not against it.
Holistic Services We Offer at VIVA Wellness
We offer a wide range of holistic wellness and alternative therapies to complement a weight management program.
Medications and injections to aid in losing weight:
- Compounded Semaglutide (or sometimes the brands Wegovy® or Ozempic® are prescribed for clients who qualify through their insurance): Used for diabetes and obesity, it provides powerful weight loss results through a weekly injection protocol
- Compounded Tirzepatide (or sometimes the brand Mourjaro® is prescribed): Offers similar results to those using compounded semaglutide—reducing appetite, sustaining satiety, and balancing blood sugar.
- CONTRAVE® (naltrexone HCI/bupropion HCl): Reduces hunger and helps control cravings.
- Phentermine: – A short-term solution for appetite suppression. Phentermine works best in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.
- Qsymia®: A combination of Phentermine and Topiramate that reduces appetite
We may prescribe additional medication if needed to help you reach your ideal body weight. While medications play a very important role in many of our clients’ weight journeys, they work best when used alongside the other complementary therapies we offer.
Colon Hydrotherapy
When you get a Colonic, you clean your colon (large intestine) through the gentle use of water. The water’s temperature and pressure are carefully controlled for your comfort and safety.
Lymphatic Drainage Treatment
Lymphatic Drainage Treatment is a way to encourage the movement of lymph fluid through the body, reduce swelling, and improve circulation in the lymphatic system.
Post-Surgery Lymphatic Drainage Treatment
Lymphatic drainage treatments can facilitate healing and may reduce the risk of post-surgical complications during the healing process.
Wellness Treatments
Body Contouring:
Body Contouring with Cavitation is a non-surgical body contouring treatment used for slimming, cellulite reduction, and skin tightening and toning.
IV Vitamin Infusions:
Schedule your Immunity Drip, Wellness Drip, or Glutathione to get the best of health and wellness IV Vitamin Infusion services. We can customize the perfect infusion for your needs.
IM Vitamin Injections:
Vitamins injected directly into the muscle can be more efficiently and effectively utilized by the body—just one of our wellness services to help you feel great.
Infrared Sauna:
When used as part of a healthy lifestyle, infrared saunas may help chronic diseases or conditions, including increased metabolism, pain relief, better sleep, and more.
Nutritional Supplements:
Dietary supplements include increased energy, gut health, support for a balanced diet, better sleep, and overall health.
Community Referrals:
While we have a very comprehensive list of therapies available at our clinic, there are certain types of alternative and Eastern medicine that we do not offer. However, we have many connections in the community and are happy to refer you to one of our trusted resources in the Waukesha and Milwaukee area.
Personalized Holistic Healthcare
It’s important to note that no one-size-fits-all approach to holistic health exists. We know the body, brain, and mental state are interconnected, complex, and unique to each client. Rather than applying a standard treatment, we look at the specifics and less obvious factors to create a complete solution tailored to each individual’s needs.
When a client comes into our Brookfield clinic looking for healthy weight loss or other concerns, we take the time to get to know them personally before deciding what programs fit their needs. We will start with a full assessment, noting your health history, lifestyle, and overall wellness goals.
Some of our clients have researched and asked about a GLP-1 weight loss protocol using compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide. If we determine the client is a good fit for this approach, we will use medication while supporting the whole system. Often, their other conditions, such as PCOS, hormonal imbalances, painful inflammation, and blood sugar imbalances, subside with a comprehensive treatment. Interestingly, many of our clients find these other issues contributed to the habits that caused the weight gain. When you unravel a client’s story, there is often so much more to it than a single simple explanation.
Your Partner in Health
VIVA Wellness was inspired and founded by Jennifer Hruz, FNP-BC, APNP, a Nurse Practitioner who began her wellness journey over a decade ago. She lost over 100 pounds and kept it off for over 15 years. Talk about walking “in your shoes”—these insights create programs and conversations that unlock lasting change. Jennifer has brought together a team that shares this passion for truly looking beyond the single presenting symptom to understand what the client is going through and what it will take to achieve their health and wellness goals.
Jennifer used her own story and the stories of our many clients as inspiration to develop our wellness protocols. Jennifer and the ever-expanding team at VIVA Wellness help others feel their best by bridging the Western, more traditional medical practices with alternative and complementary treatments. This balanced approach, along with the VIVA Wellness team’s broadmindedness and creativity, opens new opportunities for healing. Our whole-person approach is truly holistic, progressive, and integrative, allowing us to find the root cause and healing that lasts. Read more about our full Wellness Philosophy here.
If you feel lost in your health or weight loss efforts and don’t know where to turn, come to VIVA Wellness and let us help you find your path. We are here to walk alongside you every step of the way. Contact us today and book a consultation to begin your personalized pilgrimage to wellness.