(NewsUSA) - Is the holistic approach the way to go when it comes to your own and your children's health?

That's certainly the advice of a variety of experts who say that a more big-picture view of "fit living" -- meaning, beyond the usual warnings to, say, exercise more -- can actually help improve your overall quality of life. 

Among the latest to weigh in: WebMD and Sanford Health, which recently unveiled their "Raising Fit Kids" informational guide that's replete with ideas on how "families can work together" to make positive behavioral changes in all aspects of their lives. "Being fit is about being healthy," says Dr. Chris Tiongson, a pediatrician with Sanford Health whose focus is childhood obesity. "It's a balance between mind, body and spirit, and having everything be in sync."

That same "balance," in fact, has long been advocated by doctors of chiropractic -- the nation's third largest primary health care profession -- who, along with providing non-invasive relief from things like back and neck pain, are trained in a wide range of conservative treatment and preventive services centered around lifestyle and nutrition.

"A holistic approach to fit living presents a great opportunity to improve overall health and well-being for a lifetime," says Gerard Clum, DC, of the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress.

High on every chiropractor's tip list:

* Take steps to manage stress.

* Make time for daily physical activity.

* Emphasize whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your diet.

* Maintain a healthy weight.

Need more convincing? Adopting a holistic strategy that includes chiropractic care, says Dr. Clum, "can help to successfully address consequential conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, which are commonly associated with obesity and poor health."

To locate a doctor of chiropractic, visit www.F4CP.org/findadoctor.