#326: English Conversations on Health & Wellness | Advanced Vocabulary

Have you ever been in this situation?

You’re in a meeting where everyone is discussing modern health and wellness topics in English. You have great ideas, but…

• The English vocabulary doesn’t come quickly enough
• You worry about making mistakes in conversations
• You end up saying less than you want to in health discussions

Or maybe you’re listening to your favorite English wellness podcast or watching healthcare videos. You understand the main ideas, but you miss important details because some advanced medical terms are unfamiliar.

I get it. You want to share your thoughts about health and wellness in English, you have the knowledge. You have the expertise. You just need the right professional vocabulary to express yourself with confidence.

That’s why I created this advanced English vocabulary lesson for you.

In this comprehensive health and wellness lesson, you’ll learn:

• Professional English vocabulary for natural medicine and wellness practices
• Modern terms for health technology, digital wellness, and the role of artificial intelligence
• Essential vocabulary for aging and nutrition conversations

This advanced English lesson is perfect if you:

✓ Work in healthcare or wellness and need professional English vocabulary

✓ Want to join English conversations about modern health topics

✓ Are ready to speak confidently with English-speaking colleagues

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to memorize complicated medical terminology. You just need the most useful professional health vocabulary and the confidence to use it in real conversations.

Want to master health and wellness vocabulary in English? Get started with the video below.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: To start using this advanced-level English health and wellness vocabulary confidently and build your fluency, begin with my free How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English training.

This 3-step process gives you practical tools to use what you learn and see real results in your communication.

Then, when you’re ready to reach your goals faster, join me in the Confident Women Community. It’s a supportive space to put everything you’ve learned into practice, refine your grammar, and connect with women working toward the same goals. Learn more about the Confident Women Community here.

English Conversations on Health & Wellness

Hot Topic #1: Vocabulary Related to Complementary and Alternative Medicine

1) Conventional medicine: You might know this as Western medicine. It focuses on finding and treating health issues by looking at symptoms. If you’ve got a problem, the goal is to manage it or get rid of it, often with medicine or surgery.

Example: Got a headache? Conventional medicine might suggest taking a painkiller.

2) Functional medicine: This is a bit like conventional medicine but goes deeper to find the why behind the illness. It’s about getting long-term results and better health through a personal plan. Treatments often include lifestyle changes, vitamins, or other therapies.

Example: If you have headaches often, functional medicine might look at your diet or stress levels to find out what’s causing them.

3) Integrative medicine: Integrative medicine also looks at the whole person, from family to lifestyle. It combines regular medicine with other practices to heal the mind, body, and spirit. This might include yoga, meditation, nutrition, or acupuncture.

Example: For back pain, integrative medicine might use both physical therapy (conventional) and acupuncture.

4) Ayurveda: This is an ancient form of medicine from India that focuses on balance in all parts of life. Ayurveda uses natural methods, including diet, lifestyle changes, and herbal treatments, to help you feel balanced and well.

Example: If you’re feeling stressed, Ayurvedic treatment might recommend breathing exercises, herbal teas, and a few lifestyle tweaks.

Hot Topic #2: Mental Health

1) Attachment style: This describes how people behave in relationships, like how close they want to be and how they react to relationship problems.

Example: Some people have an anxious attachment style, which means they worry about their partner leaving them.

2) Boundaries: Personal rules or limits we set in relationships, defining what is acceptable.

Example: Setting boundaries at work might mean not answering emails after hours.

Boundaries have become a buzzword, especially in Gen Z, but they’ve been around long before social media! They’re all about building healthy relationships at home and work.

3) Emotional intelligence (EQ) The skill of understanding and managing your emotions—and understanding others’ emotions too.

Example: A manager with high EQ might notice when their team is stressed and offer support.

EQ is a huge skill in the workplace and is all about handling emotions, just like boundaries. (Reference lesson)

4) Emotional labor: The work of managing feelings, especially at work.

Example: Customer service workers do emotional labor when they stay friendly and calm, even with challenging customers.

This term has recently come up to describe the challenge of handling emotions at work.

5) Inner child: The part of you that connects to your childhood memories and feelings—both good and bad.

Example: A therapist might help someone explore their inner child to understand fears or behaviors from the past.

This term has become popular on social media, often used to talk about childhood and how it affects us now.

6) Trauma: Deep emotional pain caused by a very upsetting experience.

Example: Someone may experience trauma after a serious accident or the loss of a loved one.

Mental health conversations often touch on trauma, which can be emotional, physical, or psychological.

7) Trigger: Something that causes someone to feel upset or afraid because it reminds them of a past trauma.

Example: A smell or sound might trigger memories of a difficult event.

Since trauma can be intense, triggers come up when discussing how we manage painful memories.

Hot Topic #3: Health & Technology

1) Biohacking: Trying to improve your health or performance by making changes to your body.

Example: Some people use biohacking to feel more energetic by tracking their sleep or diet with special apps.

2) Chatbots: These are computer programs using AI to simulate conversations, often for mental health.

Example: If someone is feeling stressed, a mental health chatbot might guide them through a calming exercise. Just remember, chatbots aren’t a replacement for real therapy!

3) Digital detox: Taking a break from electronic devices to reduce stress or focus on in-person connections.

Example: After feeling stressed from too many notifications, someone might do a digital detox over the weekend to recharge.

4) Virtual Ward: To understand this, let’s talk about a hospital ward first. A hospital ward is a section or group of rooms in a hospital where patients with similar needs are treated — for example, the intensive therapy ward or the nursery ward for infants and children.

A virtual ward is your “ward” at home; it’s a way to get medical care from home using digital tools that send real-time health data to a hospital.

Example: An older adult might be monitored through a virtual ward, so doctors can track their health remotely.

As AI grows, it’s also changing how we think about patient care, with benefits and challenges for people who need extra support.

5) Wearable tech: Small devices we wear, like smartwatches or fitness bands, that track and record data about our health.

Example: A smartwatch can monitor your heart rate and even remind you to stand up if you’ve been sitting too long.

Hot Topic #4: Aging & Diet

1) Alzheimer’s: This is a condition where a person’s memory and thinking skills slowly get worse, often starting in middle or old age.

Example: Research shows that staying active might help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

People talk a lot now about lifestyle changes that might prevent Alzheimer’s or help manage it.

2) Biological age: This shows how old your body’s cells and tissues are, based on their health.

Example: Someone could be 60 years old (chronological age), but have the biological age of 45 if they’re very fit and healthy.

3) Blue Zones: Places in the world where people live longer and healthier lives, often past 90.

Example: People in Blue Zones eat a lot of vegetables and little processed food.

Blue Zones became popular after a Netflix series explored the diets and lifestyles that might help us live longer.

4) Environmental factors: Things in our surroundings, like air quality, noise, or climate, that affect our health.

Example: High air pollution is an environmental factor that can impact lung health.

These factors are often discussed when we talk about longevity, or living a long, healthy life.

5) Menopause: When a woman stops having her menstrual cycle, marking the end of her reproductive years.

Example: Many women experience hot flashes during menopause.

Menopause is a big topic in women’s health, with researchers learning more about how to support women during this time.

6) Reproductive health: This is full physical, mental, and social well-being related to the reproductive system.

Example: Access to good information and care is important for reproductive health.

Conversations about reproductive health often focus on making sure people have access to trusted health services.

7) To prevent decline: Taking actions to slow down or stop the weakening of physical or mental health.

Example: A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent decline as we age.

Many people focus on diet and exercise to help them stay healthy as they get older.

Here are some terms that are helpful for discussing nutrition and diet:

1) Autoimmune Disease: When the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body.

Example: Common autoimmune diseases include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

With changes in food quality and lifestyle, autoimmune diseases are becoming more common, and people are talking more about them.

2) Anti-inflammatory: Foods or substances that help reduce swelling or irritation in the body.

Example: Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and can help with joint pain.

Anti-inflammatory foods are popular for reducing bloating and supporting a healthy diet.

3) Elimination diet: A temporary eating plan where certain foods are removed to find out if they are causing health issues.

Example: Someone with frequent stomach pain might try an elimination diet to see if dairy is the cause.

These diets help identify which foods may be causing allergies or sensitivities.

4) To heal your gut: Improving the health of your digestive system.

Example: Eating foods rich in fiber and probiotics can help heal your gut.

The gut microbiome (the community of bacteria in your intestines) plays a big role in overall health.

5) Nootropics: Substances that may improve mental abilities, like memory or focus.

Example: Some people use nootropics to improve their focus and concentration.

Interest in brain health and biohacking has led to more conversations about nootropics.

6) Pro/Pre-biotics:

Probiotics: Foods or supplements with live bacteria to improve the balance of “good” bacteria in the digestive system.

Prebiotics: Foods, usually high in fiber, that feed these beneficial bacteria.

Example: Yogurt is a common probiotic, while bananas are rich in prebiotics.

Bonus Practice 

To practice this new vocabulary, try answering some of these conversational questions: 

1) Have you or someone you know used alternative medicine? What were the experiences like?

2) How do you think mental health connects to physical health? Can you think of any examples?

3) How do you think wearable technology and artificial intelligence will impact the future of healthcare?

4) What role do you believe gut health plays in overall well-being?

I’d love to hear your thoughts — feel free to share with me in the comments below.

All my best,

~ Annemarie

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