What is Lifestyle Medicine
Exploring what is Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle medicine is a medical speciality that aims to promote optimal health and prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic illnesses at all stages of life. It takes a comprehensive approach to health that considers an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being as a whole. Lifestyle medicine focuses on the lifestyle choices that give rise to imbalances or diseases and addresses the root causes.
Health interventions in lifestyle medicine make use of evidence-based behavioral strategies that prioritize equity and sustainability. The ultimate goal is to improve self-management skills and optimize the following aspects of health:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Sleep hygiene
- Stress management
- Substance use
- Sexual health & fertility
- Social connection
- Environmental exposure
Lifestyle Medicine Approach
In a lifestyle medicine session, individuals are given the guidance and tools for health optimization. The first step is to understand their current state of health and lifestyle and then create an action plan that utilizes lifestyle intervention, holistic support tools such as mind and body health management, and ongoing support. This empowers individuals to improve their health and well-being.
It is important to note that choosing to pursue treatment through lifestyle medicine does not mean rejecting all conventional medicine. Lifestyle medicine treatment can work in conjunction with other conventional or Western medicine treatments. A lifestyle medicine practitioner assists patients in course-correcting and getting on a path to fostering healthier habits. It is essential to establish a base level of health before the body can begin to heal itself.
Lifestyle Matters
According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, 80% of healthcare spending in the U.S. goes towards treating or managing health issues related to poor lifestyle choices. Many health issues, like heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and even mental health disorders can be remedied through preventative medicine. As a form of preventative medicine, lifestyle medicine seeks to prescribe behaviour changes that reduce unhealthy behaviours and focus on the promotion of positive ones.
Our genes do not determine our fate
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine states that people often feel helpless regarding their genes and chronic disease treatment, but this is not necessarily true.
People’s health is 80% influenced by their lifestyle choices, not their genes. Making positive lifestyle choices can help individuals take control of their own well-being.
“When your habits don’t line up with your dream, then you need to either change your habits or change your dream.”
– John C. Maxwell
American author
