Lifestyle medicine is a medical approach that emphasizes daily lifestyle habits in treating, preventing, and in some cases even reversing chronic disease. The key areas of focus in this approach are nutrition, physical activity, avoidance of risky substances, stress management, restorative sleep, and healthy social connections. Numerous studies have supported this approach as effective in reducing risk and improving prognosis of chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, dementia, anxiety, depression, and several types of cancer. Principles of lifestyle medicine are included within guidelines for many health organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics, among others.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine defines health-giving nutrition as a whole-food, predominantly plant-based diet that aims to drastically reduce or eliminate intake of processed foods, refined grains, fried foods, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners. There is an extensive evidence base that links this type of diet with prevention and reversal of many chronic illnesses. Avoidance of risky substances such as tobacco and excessive amounts of alcohol is also shown to greatly reduce risk of disease and improve both mental and physical well-being. In addition to this consistent physical activity, defined as a minimum of about 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, is linked with a significant reduction of risk of many chronic illnesses, improved cognitive functioning, and greater health resilience.
Proper stress management is correlated with reduction of disease and improved mental and physical well-being. This includes identifying and eliminating stressors and learning proper coping skills in addition to regular practice of gratitude, forgiveness, and self care. Restorative sleep, which is defined as a minimum of 7 hours a night for adults, is linked to better physical and mental health. Positive relationships with others are also shown in studies to increase life satisfaction and overall well-being. Many of these concepts overlap each other, meaning that working to improve one area can lead to improvement in the others
Lifestyle medicine provides a preventative and restorative approach to health that focuses on addressing root causes, reducing disease, and increasing quality of life. This view empowers people to be in control of their own health although it is not meant to be done apart from the counsel of their regular health care provider. These concepts require minimal financial cost but involve daily effort and discipline. This most often must be a progress and not perfection journey that grows into healthier habits a little at a time so that they can be maintained. Research shows that the effort of daily discipline in these areas pays great dividends on health, leading to a significant reduction in risk of chronic disease, extended life expectancy, and achieving optimal mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Sources:
https://lifestylemedicine.org/overview/#:~:text=Definition%20of%20Lifestyle%20Medicine,type%202%20diabetes%2C%20and%20obesity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658361223000604 Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board