What is lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that utilizes therapeutic lifestyle interventions to treat and even reverse chronic conditions in some cases. Clinicians use evidence-based medicine and knowledge of the psychology of behavioral change to help members take control of their health. Chronic conditions we can treat include, but are not limited to, obesity, overweight, Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease.
What comprises lifestyle medicine?
There are six main pillars of lifestyle medicine:
Nutrition
We believe food is medicine. The food you eat can and does affect your health. We help you understand how to make sure it’s making a positive impact.
Physical activity
Regular, consistent physical activity can and should be maintained daily.
Restorative sleep
Lack of sleep can impact virtually all areas of your health and is a factor in many conditions. We’ll help you identify the issues that prevent you from maintaining restorative sleep habits.
Stress management
Chronic stress can lead to various health issues. Identifying ways to reduce stress and adopting healthy coping mechanisms is part of our whole-body approach to health.
Healthy Relationships
Developing positive social connections is essential to emotional health and, by extension, whole-body health.
Avoidance of risky substances
Using substances such as tobacco and alcohol increases our risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and other health conditions. Learning how and why to avoid these substances will improve your overall health.
Why is lifestyle medicine important for members?
Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The cost of chronic conditions comprises nearly 86% of health dollars spent in the U.S. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes are preventable through improvements to a person’s diet and lifestyle.
How does lifestyle medicine help?
We take an evidence-based approach to treating, reversing, and preventing disease. If we can treat the underlying causes of the disease rather than just its symptoms, we can improve a member’s health while reducing sky-rocketing medical costs.
Lifestyle medicine makes every member a partner in their own care, allowing them to take back control of their health and bodies.
