Why Lifestyle Medicine?
If you have made it to age 50 without chronic prescription drugs, you are in the vast minority. 75% of people over 50 are on chronic prescriptions. Chronic diseases are now the norm.
I challenge this normalization of illness - the human body was not made to be sick. In fact, there are even places in the world, The Blue Zones, such as Okinawa, Sardinia and Loma Linda where people live to their 100’s in good health and quality of life. These communities have health woven into the fabric of their lifestyle. Unintentionally, they have created something more powerful than any pharmaceutical we could ever create. Preventative lifestyle is the magic pill.
I recently certified in Lifestyle Medicine to gain evidence-based tools to help patients engage in a healthful life, to teach people that disease should not be expected, to find joy in self-care that serves us. My journey in Lifestyle Medicine has enabled me to reverse chronic diseases, but more, it has empowered me to move already productive members of our society to become healthier, more energetic and even more productive before developing illnesses, it has enabled me to educate our community, it has pushed me to live more healthfully and to create a healthier world for my children.
There are a few things you can do right now to live better.
- Eat more plants like whole fruits, veggies, grains and legumes
- Get moving doing exercise you enjoy
- Get more and better sleep
- Learn to manage stress by adopting a positive mindset
- Quit alcohol and tobacco
- Cultivate and foster healthy relationships
These simple practices will make your life better now and for tomorrow.
Join me in challenging our reactive “sickcare” system and in pushing for a proactive look at health that encourages each of us to live our best.