What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Healthy Living in Washington DC
A healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent chronic disease. Here, we discuss this approach to medicine and how it can help you live a longer, healthier life.
Chronic disease is the primary cause of disability and death in the United States. More than 50% of Americans have at least one chronic disease, and chronic illness accounts for 84% percent of healthcare costs (Chronic Disease in the United States: A Worsening Health and Economic Crisis - AAF, 2020). As the prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes continue to rise, more and more people are turning to lifestyle medicine as an effective way to prevent and treat these conditions.
Unlike traditional medicine, which focuses on treating symptoms, lifestyle medicine takes a holistic approach that considers a person’s physical, mental, and social well-being. By providing patients with the tools they need to make healthy lifestyle choices, lifestyle medicine can effectively treat and even prevent chronic disease.
There are six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, exercise, stress management, substance use, sleep, and relationships. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Nutrition
A healthy diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, as well as up to 40% of cancer, may be prevented by dietary and lifestyle changes alone. Nutrients play a vital role in everything from brain function to cell growth, and eating a balanced diet helps to ensure that our bodies get the nutrients necessary to function optimally. Increasing nutrient-dense foods and decreasing proinflammatory foods can help prevent and treat chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, there are certain fundamental principles that everyone should follow. These include eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats while limiting inflammatory foods such as heavily processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats. By following these guidelines, you can help to improve your overall health and well-being.
Exercise
Exercise is widely recognized as a key component of a healthy lifestyle. However, its role in preventative medicine is often undervalued. Exercise can prevent or delay various chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, and improving cardiovascular health. In addition, exercise has been shown to improve mental health and cognitive function, including memory.
Stress Management
Managing everyday challenges is a key pillar of lifestyle medicine! A short-lived stress response is acceptable and even necessary to function well in society. But, when we experience chronic stress, this can contribute to illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, and anxiety. We can improve our response to everyday stressors by learning coping skills and begin living more harmoniously.
It’s important to realize that stress is an inner response to a situation or event. This means we can adjust our inner response with practice if we want to! Many individuals find approaches such as deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and yoga helpful strategies to decrease and improve the stress response.
It is important to find methods that work for you and stick with them. By focusing on self-improvement, you can take an essential step toward preventing disease and maintaining good health.
Substance Use
As our society continues to face a rising tide of chronic disease, there is an increasing need for effective lifestyle interventions. In everyday life, we often encounter substances that can impact our health. For example, heavy smoking or smoke exposure is a significant risk factor for developing emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Heavy alcohol use can cause liver diseases, such as fatty liver or cirrhosis and heart disease, and also increases the risk of mouth, throat, and other cancers. Illicit drug use has been linked to mental health problems and an increased risk of accidents and injuries. Given the clear link between substance use and chronic disease, addressing substance use should be a key priority for those interested in promoting health and preventing disease.
Sleep
Sleep helps to restore and repair the body and allows the brain to process information and consolidate memories. Chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to various health problems, including obesity, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.
Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining good health. There are various ways to ensure you get enough sleep, such as setting a regular sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine before bed, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine.
Relationships
Relationships can provide support, love, and connection. They can also help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Strong relationships have been linked with better overall health and well-being.
There are various ways to improve your relationships, such as improving communication, resolving conflict, and spending time together. If you are struggling in your relationships, there is help available. Some counselors and therapists can help you to improve your communication and conflict resolution skills.
Importance of Seeing a Doctor Who Practices Lifestyle Medicine
A clinician who practices Lifestyle Medicine can help you prevent and treat chronic diseases in several ways.
First, they can help you identify and avoid chronic disease risk factors.
Second, they can guide how to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Third, they can offer support and motivation to stick with healthy habits.
Finally, they can monitor your progress and provide necessary adjustments.
At Bluerock Care, Lifestyle Medicine goes hand in hand with our approach to health care. Our clinicians work with you to develop individualized plans to help you reach your specific health goals. If you’re interested in making lasting changes to your health, contact Bluerock Care to make an appointment today. You’ll be glad you did!
Up Next: Lowering your Risk of Diabetes
References
Chronic Disease in the United States: A Worsening Health and Economic Crisis - AAF. (2020, September 10). The American Action Forum. Retrieved August 16, 2022, from https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/chronic-disease-in-the-united-states-a-worsening-health-and-economic-crisis/
Penman, S., Eldridge, B., Dryburgh, S., & Wilson, C. (n.d.). Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine: Home. Retrieved August 16, 2022, from https://www.lifestylemedicine.org.au/