What is Lifestyle Medicine
Evidence-based Medicine
Evidence-based Medicine
Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches – including a whole food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection – as a primary therapeutic modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease – American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Lifestyle medicine is multidisciplinary with many team members: doctor, dietitian, exercise physiologist, psychologist, fitness coach, health coach etc. The focus is more on treating the underlying determinants of chronic disease, the cause, rather than only treating the symptoms or biomarkers (eg. blood pressure, blood glucose).
Lifestyle medicine is a branch of evidence-based medicine – it is not alternative medicine. It is compatible with treatments based on pharmaceuticals and procedures. However, it is often so effective that medications need to be reduced (‘deprescribed’) under medical supervision to avoid symptoms of over treatment.
All aspects of a healthy lifestyle are necessary for us to truly thrive but we consider nutrition the keystone. Get the nutrition right and many of the other domains fall into place. Our lifestyle medicine approach will therefore give more emphasis to the food than any other lifestyle domain.
Nutrition
Nutrition
Healthful eating of whole, plant-based foods. A whole food, plant predominant diet is recommended by lifestyle medicine organisations and groups such as the EAT Lancet commission, and is supported by major nutrition bodies as a healthy and safe eating pattern. Each step a person takes towards a whole food, plant-based diet brings additional health benefits. In lifestyle medicine you decide how much you change and we, the health professional, support you wherever you are at.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Increase physical activity. Physical activity benefits every aspect of health: bones and joints, heart health, brain health, blood sugar control, digestive function, and mental health. Regular physical activity builds greater aerobic fitness, strength and agility providing extra functional capacity for work, life, and play. Lifestyle medicine engages personal trainers, physiotherapists, and exercise physiologists to support patients on their fitness journey.
Increase physical activity. Physical activity benefits every aspect of health: bones and joints, heart health, brain health, blood sugar control, digestive function, and mental health. Regular physical activity builds greater aerobic fitness, strength and agility providing extra functional capacity for work, life, and play. Lifestyle medicine engages personal trainers, physiotherapists, and exercise physiologists to support patients on their fitness journey.
SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS
SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS
Form and maintain relationships. Positive social relationships are essential for physical as well as mental health. Loneliness and social isolation is a heart disease risk factor. The initiation and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviours are facilitated by the support of like-minded people. Group support is a key element of most lifestyle medicine programs.
Sleep
Improve your sleep. During sleep our brain is busy reinforcing new memories, regulating our anxieties, and cleansing itself of potentially damaging waste. If there were a simple hack to reduce our need for sleep then nature would have found it to reduce the time we spend in a vulnerable and inactive state. Poor quality or inadequate sleep has adverse effects on the whole body, raising blood pressure, reducing carbohydrate tolerance, increasing stress hormones, even increasing cancer risk. Lifestyle medicine utilises evidence-based strategies to help patients improve the quality and quantity of their sleep.
Improve your sleep. During sleep our brain is busy reinforcing new memories, regulating our anxieties, and cleansing itself of potentially damaging waste. If there were a simple hack to reduce our need for sleep then nature would have found it to reduce the time we spend in a vulnerable and inactive state. Poor quality or inadequate sleep has adverse effects on the whole body, raising blood pressure, reducing carbohydrate tolerance, increasing stress hormones, even increasing cancer risk. Lifestyle medicine utilises evidence-based strategies to help patients improve the quality and quantity of their sleep.
Stress Management
Stress Management
Develop strategies to manage stress. The aim is not to eliminate stress but to build resilience to the stresses that might otherwise adversely impact on our physical health and well-being. ‘Good stress’, challenging or novel situations, can result in a positive physiological response and promote cognitive vitality and well-being. The lifestyle medicine approach often includes formal stress reduction approaches such as CBT, meditation, and yoga.
Psychological wellness deserves a domain of its own. Depression, anxiety, and trauma take a heavy toll on physical health and well-being. Healthy lifestyle behaviours can work hand in hand with mental health professionals to improve mental health outcomes.
Substance Use
Avoid risky substances. Alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and misused prescription drugs have many adverse health effects and often cause more pain than pleasure. Lifestyle medicine seeks to inform patients of the health facts, give them the tools and support to manage substance use and provide other means of experiencing well-being.
Avoid risky substances. Alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and misused prescription drugs have many adverse health effects and often cause more pain than pleasure. Lifestyle medicine seeks to inform patients of the health facts, give them the tools and support to manage substance use and provide other means of experiencing well-being.
