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What is lifestyle medicine?

When it comes to your health, we can apply Benjamin Franklin’s famous adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle treatments as a primary modality to treat various and chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

When clinicians and physicians are certified in lifestyle medicine, they analyze the evidence and apply scientific methods to determine non-invasive methods of treatment that are focused on treating the problems rather than the symptoms. When done properly, they can even reverse these conditions rather than just treating them. At the foundation of lifestyle medicine are six pillars: a whole-food, plant-predominant diet, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections.

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What is lifestyle medicine?

When it comes to your health, we can apply Benjamin Franklin’s famous adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle treatments as a primary modality to treat various and chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

When clinicians and physicians are certified in lifestyle medicine, they analyze the evidence and apply scientific methods to determine non-invasive methods of treatment that are focused on treating the problems rather than the symptoms. When done properly, they can even reverse these conditions rather than just treating them. At the foundation of lifestyle medicine are six pillars: a whole-food, plant-predominant diet, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections.

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The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine

  • Nutrition

    Evidence supports the use of a whole food, plant-predominant diet to prevent, treat and reverse chronic illness.

  • Physical Activity

    Regular, consistent physical activity is an important part of overall health and resiliency.

  • Stress Management

    Managing negative stress can lessen anxiety, depression and immune dysfunction and leads to improved well-being.

  • Restorative Sleep

    Improving sleep quality can improve attention span, mood, insulin resistance and can reduce hunger, sluggishness and more.

  • Social Connection

    Positive social connections have beneficial affects on physical, mental and emotional health.

  • Avoidance of Risky Substances

    Use of tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption have been shown to increase risk of chronic diseases and death.

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How lifestyle medicine can help?

Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based approach to prevent and treat disease. Where other methods have only treated the symptoms of the condition, lifestyle medicine looks to address the root causes and restore the patient back to a state of health. In addition, lifestyle medicine can be used preventatively, which allows people to live longer and fuller lives, all while decreasing cost of healthcare.

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How lifestyle medicine can help?

Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based approach to prevent and treat disease. Where other methods have only treated the symptoms of the condition, lifestyle medicine looks to address the root causes and restore the patient back to a state of health. In addition, lifestyle medicine can be used preventatively, which allows people to live longer and fuller lives, all while decreasing cost of healthcare.

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The importance and urgency of lifestyle medicine

There has never been a better time to change your lifestyle. Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. Rates of chronic disease have never been higher, with the cost of chronic conditions eating up 86% of all health care dollars spent. Chronic disease is so common that more than half of U.S. adults have at least one condition, accounting for 90% of health care spending.

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer could be prevented, primarily with improvements to diet and lifestyle.

The U.S. spends at least 18% of its GDP ($3.35 trillion) on health expenditures. If costs continue to rise, by 2050 Medicare and Medicaid alone will account for 20% of the GDP. It’s time to take responsibility for our health and make better choices, not just for our present quality of life, but also our future.

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The importance and urgency of lifestyle medicine

There has never been a better time to change your lifestyle. Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. Rates of chronic disease have never been higher, with the cost of chronic conditions eating up 86% of all health care dollars spent. Chronic disease is so common that more than half of U.S. adults have at least one condition, accounting for 90% of health care spending.

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer could be prevented, primarily with improvements to diet and lifestyle.

The U.S. spends at least 18% of its GDP ($3.35 trillion) on health expenditures. If costs continue to rise, by 2050 Medicare and Medicaid alone will account for 20% of the GDP. It’s time to take responsibility for our health and make better choices, not just for our present quality of life, but also our future.

Sign Up Now

Dr. Jessica Fleagle Bender is trained and board certified in lifestyle medicine.