An Overview of Lifestyle Medicine
When they say, "Prevention is better than cure," they are not lying. Of course, how else can you prevent chronic diseases by practicing a healthy lifestyle?
This involves developing good eating habits, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep every night, balancing work and play, and making other healthy lifestyle choices.
Doing all these things makes you more prone to illnesses and diseases caused by unhealthy decisions.
Therefore, developing a healthy lifestyle is not just a decision but a life-long commitment that requires choice and action. As you go through your daily life, positively impact your body.
Make positive and healthy changes that reflect your physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. By doing so, you are also promoting a better sense of self-worth and self-confidence on yourself.
Not only that, but it will also allow you to lead a happier, more meaningful, and more satisfying life. Ultimately, it is a crucial factor that will help define your life's quality.
These facts suggest that lifestyle is medicine and cure. Positive lifestyle changes can help eliminate the risks of chronic diseases.
However, from a scientific standpoint, there is a so-called lifestyle medicine that several research studies and health professionals have backed.
In simpler terms, lifestyle medicine is a new approach to preventive medicine that encourages patients to focus on positive lifestyle changes to prevent, treat, or reverse the damaging effects of their current diseases.
Furthermore, lifestyle medicine encourages replacing bad habits with good ones as a replacement for medications and clinical treatments to get better.
As such, it allows you to take charge of your own life by not making you dependent on the doctor's prescriptions of tablets, capsules, and all sorts of medications. You get to experience the kind of treatment that allows you to heal naturally and healthily, requiring every ounce of your self-commitment to improve daily.
It is a medicine that promotes health through lifestyle interventions that alleviate good health outcomes.
Since lifestyle medicine is not a commonly discussed program, let us discuss it more. In this article, we will discuss lifestyle medicine as a whole, what it is, who can benefit from such a program, its six pillars, and what a lifestyle medicine practitioner does, among other things.
WHAT IS A LIFESTYLE MEDICINE?
By definition, lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based preventive medicine approach that treats patients by helping them recover through healthy lifestyle changes.
This is done by encouraging patients to improve their daily routines, including dietary patterns, sleep adequacy, physical activity, meal plans, stress management, and other lifestyle factors affecting overall health.
The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) defines lifestyle medicine as a guiding practice that helps patients improve their health and overall well-being.
One of the core competencies of lifestyle medicine is helping people understand how their chosen lifestyle can affect their whole lives—for better or worse.
Lifestyle medicine helps individuals and families achieve a healthier lifestyle. With the help of health professionals, patients can adopt and sustain healthy behaviors that will help lessen the risks of lifestyle-related diseases. These lifestyle medicine approaches consider everything from diet and exercise frequency to how individuals spend their leisure time.
What's more, this is a very flexible kind of treatment that lets you decide for yourself and discuss it with your lifestyle medicine specialist so that it can better suit your liking.
Ultimately, the goal is to eliminate the patient's unhealthy ways and lead a healthier and more meaningful life. This is because providing primary healthcare to patients is more than just giving prescriptions and ordering laboratory tests.
Often, they involve advising about healthy lifestyle patterns so they can heal faster and never get sick again.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM LIFESTYLE MEDICINE?
Now that we have established Lifestyle Medicine as a preventive medicine approach, the next question should be: Who can benefit from it?
Generally, everyone can undergo a lifestyle medicine program at their doctor's recommendation or discretion.
However, people in the following categories below are the ones most recommended to take the program:
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Obese
The term "obese" is used to denote a person with excessive weight and body fats according to his or her body mass index computation.
There are three classes of obesity:
• Class I obesity, with a BMI range between 30.0 to 34.9 and considered "low-risk."
• Class II obesity, with a BMI range between 35.0 to 39.9 and considered "moderate-risk."
• Class III obesity, with a BMI range equal to or greater than 40.0 and considered "high-risk"
In addition to that, there is also another category below "obesity," but above the normal weight range; it is called overweight. Regardless, all of the categories mentioned are at huge risk of serious health complications such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases. They are susceptible to posture and muscular errors such as scoliosis and arthritis.
As we all know, obesity is deeply rooted in poor dietary choices and bad eating habits. People become prone to obesity when they eat highly processed foods or foods with high levels of fat and sugar. Lack of exercise or workout routine can also be a vying factor. On top of that, some people are simply prone to obesity due to genetic makeup and other environmental factors.
This is the reason why lifestyle medicine caters to obese people. People can correct their eating habits and change their meal plans through lifestyle medicine by substituting junk food with a healthier food supply. This is a one-step at time process under the guidance of a lifestyle medicine specialist. Y
You may also undergo certain lifestyle medicine training where you will be given a particular meal and exercise program to incorporate into your daily routine. All of these, of course, are with medical supervision and regular consultation with your doctor.
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People living a sedentary lifestyle
People living a sedentary lifestyle, as in those who barely move throughout the day, are also fitted to undergo a lifestyle medicine program. If you go about your day with minimal movement, except standing up and sitting down, you are at risk of many negative health complications.
Some of these are as follows: elevated all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lipid disease, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure, among many others. You will also be at risk of cancer illnesses such as colon cancer and higher chances of contracting musculoskeletal diseases.
Now, it is important to note that people living a sedentary lifestyle are not necessarily obese, the same logic that not all obese people live a sedentary lifestyle. Still, living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity.
Therefore, individuals in both categories must significantly alter their dietary choices and exercise routines. Lifestyle medicine can assist you in overcoming unhealthy habits and moving toward health restoration.
Further, a sedentary lifestyle poses huge health risks and can evoke negative emotions. Since you are barely moving, presumably sitting or lying in bed, you have more time to entertain your thoughts, whether good or bad.
As a result, you become more prone to mental illnesses such as anxiety, panic disorder, and depression.
Furthermore, it can also prevent you from making positive social connections since you are not going anywhere to socialize and meet new people.
All in all, living this kind of lifestyle will not only hurt you physically, but it can also drag you into other aspects, such as your mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. -
Mentally-ill people
Mental illness can affect your everyday routine and, eventually, your physical health, too. This is why "Mental health is as important as physical health"; these two go hand in hand with each other.
When you are mentally unwell, you tend to self-destruct by making bad lifestyle choices. You tend to eat poorly and unhealthily, exercise less or not, and lose sleep over trivial things such as watching drama, scrolling through social media, etc.
Hence, lifestyle medicine is necessary to help guide these people and correct their destructive behaviors. Lifestyle medicine can include a lifestyle program, including a meal plan, exercise routine, leisure activity, and the development of other habits conducive to mental clarity.
Lifestyle medicine practitioners may also work with a mental professional to plan a program for you.
In an attempt to raise mental health awareness, it is necessary to acknowledge that mental illnesses are not about being "crazy" or "attention-seeking." Being mentally ill means that you are sick and in need of professional care to get better. When left untreated, it will start a domino effect from your mental health to your physical well-being.
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Seniors
As we age, our bodies and organs also age. This means our bodies will no longer function normally and deteriorate over time. This is why old people become more prone to chronic diseases and other illnesses, such as hearing problems, cataracts and refractive errors, osteoarthritis, endocrine disorders, and a variety of physical declines.
Not only that, but old age also comes with a lot of mental health declines, such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease, emotional stress, and depression.
While we cannot stop our bodies from aging, we can take a few preventive measures to lessen the negative effects of these inevitable bodily changes.
Starting with one's diet, doing the right exercise program, and getting healthy sleeping patterns —your body will have a fair fight against diseases brought upon by old age.
Furthermore, lifestyle medicine practitioners may also add fun and social activities to your program so that you have something to do during your free time. These may include board games, archery, reading books, visiting a movie theater, or visiting the local senior center.
Especially if you are retired from work, you may get bored very easily, so having these fun options can be helpful for you.
WHAT ARE THE SIX (6) PILLARS OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE?
According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACFD), the six pillars of lifestyle medicine are the following health factors.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the foundation of a healthy diet and a critical part of health and development. If you get the proper nutrition your body needs, all the other health factors will follow. This will result in a healthier lifestyle, allowing you to live happily and worry-free.
This pillar of lifestyle medicine helps you determine what to eat and how much to eat. Lifestyle medicine practitioners also help you plan your meal schedules and develop good eating habits. These habits strengthen your immune system, protecting you from chronic diseases and other illnesses caused by poor nutrition.
To enhance your health, incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods into your diet. You can also include healthy proteins, such as lean meats and eggs. For a nutritious morning boost, replace sweetened coffee with black coffee or green tea.
Exercise
Exercise, or daily movements, is critical to overall health. It helps manage weight, improves blood circulation, strengthens bones and muscles, and reduces the risks of harmful diseases. Exercise also boosts brain processes, gives mental clarity, and produces "happy" hormones, making people happier and more peaceful.
This is the reason why lifestyle medicine practitioners give importance to creating a healthy exercise regime as a means to improve one's overall health condition. They plan a workout routine based on the patient's lifestyle and health goals.
Stress management
Stress is an inevitable part of life. It may come from work, personal relationships, or daily tasks and activities that result in a stressful process. Since staying away from stress at all costs is impossible, it is important to learn how to manage and deal with it so it does not escalate to greater health problems.
Through lifestyle medicine, you will learn healthy and effective techniques for managing your stress. It may include deep breathing, setting a schedule for leisure time, or taking a break and spending it with your loved ones.
Substance Abuse
Unhealthy vices such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes or tobacco can pose serious health complications. They can lead to illnesses such as lung cancer, liver problems, tuberculosis, and heart disease.
This is the reason why lifestyle medicine gets involved in the patient's history of substance abuse and intervenes with it. Lifestyle medicine practitioners will help you manage your substance addiction slowly but surely. They will also give you a few healthy alternatives, especially during the process of eliminating such addiction.
Sleep
The amount of sleep you get daily is another important factor determining your overall health condition. Sleep can affect diet, exercise, and other behavioral changes. Hence, lifestyle medicine takes the patient's amount of sleep seriously when planning their treatment program.
Adequate sleep is vital for strengthening the immune system and helping to eliminate unpleasant emotions caused by sleep deprivation.
Relationships
Building healthy relationships is beneficial for one's social and emotional well-being. Getting the right social support is important to one's overall development.
This is why lifestyle medicine practitioners encourage you to meet your friends or spend time with loved ones. They will also encourage you to engage in social activities such as birthdays, parties, night outs, etc.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In conclusion, lifestyle medicine is an innovative treatment program that helps people improve by changing their lifestyles.
As such, lifestyle medicine involves positive changes in the patient's diet, exercise, and sleep routines. This allows the patient to heal naturally while making healthy changes to their daily activities.
Choosing to live healthily is a choice that not everyone dares to make.
But the moment you do, you will feel amazing changes in your body, allowing you to live happily and peacefully.
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