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Exploring the Benefits of Lifestyle Medicine: Who Can Benefit from Expert Guidance?

Alisha Bennett


Moving your body is an important aspect of Lifestyle Medicine
Moving your body is an important aspect of Lifestyle Medicine

I pride myself on having a strong emphasis on diet and lifestyle intervention before I give you a bottle of pills With this in mind, I give you a sense here of how a natruopath like myself can help but also why guidance can sometimes assist you.

Lifestyle medicine is redefining how chronic diseases are prevented, managed, and even reversed. As a discipline rooted in evidence-based practices, it emphasizes sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes to address the root causes of illness. For many, sifting through the complex and overwhelming information online or on social media is confusing. From diet, supplements, meditation, mindfulness, high protein, low carb or fasting... Where do you start? This is where professionals like naturopaths play an essential role in guiding patients through implementing lifestyle medicine.


What Is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle medicine focuses on the use of behavioural changes to improve health outcomes, grounded in six core pillars:

  1. Nutrition: Prioritizing whole, plant-based foods.

  2. Physical Activity: Promoting regular, individualized exercise.

  3. Stress Management: Incorporating mindfulness and coping strategies.

  4. Sleep Health: Encouraging improved sleep hygiene.

  5. Substance Avoidance: Reducing tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful substances.

  6. Healthy Relationships: Fostering positive social connections and emotional support.

Healthcare professionals, including naturopaths, guide patients toward healthier lifestyles, empowering them to adopt sustainable habits tailored to their unique needs.


Lifestyle Medicine Supports Chronic Disease

Lifestyle medicine has been proven effective in addressing several chronic diseases, such as:

  • Cardiovascular Disease: Reducing blood pressure and cholesterol through plant-based diets and physical activity.

  • Type 2 Diabetes: Managing blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity through personalized nutrition and exercise.

  • Mental Health Disorders: Alleviating anxiety and depression with mindfulness, stress reduction, and anti-inflammatory diets.

  • Neurodegenerative Conditions: Slowing cognitive decline with omega-3-rich diets and brain-stimulating activities.

While these conditions respond well to lifestyle interventions, navigating the required changes can be daunting, especially for individuals unfamiliar with evidence-based strategies. This is where naturopaths can provide invaluable support.


Assistance with Lifestyle Medicine

Naturopaths are holistic healthcare practitioners trained to address the root causes of disease through natural and integrative methods. Naturopathy places a strong emphasis on lifestyle as the foundation of health, making it a natural ally to lifestyle medicine. By addressing not just physical symptoms but also mental, emotional, and social health, naturopaths create a holistic care model that prioritizes prevention and healing.


How Naturopaths Guide Patients Through Lifestyle Medicine

  1. Comprehensive Assessment

    • Naturopaths begin with an in-depth evaluation of a patient’s diet, physical activity, sleep patterns, stress levels, and overall health. They use this information to identify barriers to success and develop personalized care plans.

  2. Educational Guidance

    • Many individuals lack the knowledge needed to make informed choices. Naturopaths educate patients on the scientific principles behind lifestyle changes, explaining the why and how of their recommendations.

  3. Creating Manageable Steps

    • Large-scale changes can feel overwhelming, so naturopaths break down lifestyle modifications into smaller, achievable goals. For example:

      • Transitioning gradually to a plant-based diet.

      • Introducing short, enjoyable physical activities.

      • Encouraging mindfulness practices in manageable increments.

  4. Behavioural Support

    • Behaviour change is at the heart of lifestyle medicine, and naturopaths are skilled in helping patients overcome challenges like motivation loss, emotional eating, or negative self-talk. Techniques like motivational interviewing and habit tracking are often employed.

  5. Monitoring and Adjusting Plans

    • Naturopaths provide ongoing support, tracking progress and adjusting plans based on outcomes or life changes. This dynamic approach ensures the plan evolves with the patient’s needs.

  6. Coordinating with Other Professionals

    • For more intricate aspects of care, such as addressing specific mental health concerns or specific exercise requirements, naturopaths may refer patients to specialists like psychologists, exercise physiologists/physiotherapists or accupunturists. This ensures comprehensive and well-rounded care.

  7. Empowering Self-Efficacy

    • A naturopath’s ultimate goal is to empower patients to take control of their health, fostering confidence and independence in making lifestyle changes that last a lifetime.


Supplements in Lifestyle Medicine

I wanted to make a specific mention of supplements. While supplements can play a supportive role, they are not the primary focus of lifestyle medicine. Instead, they serve as tools to complement dietary and behavioural changes when specific deficiencies or conditions warrant their use.

How Supplements Assist

  • Filling Gaps: For individuals unable to meet nutrient needs through diet alone (e.g., B12 for vegans or vitamin D for those with limited sun exposure).

  • Therapeutic Benefits: Supplements like omega-3s for heart health or magnesium for stress reduction may offer targeted support.

Limitations and Professional Oversight

  • Supplements should never replace a healthy diet or lifestyle changes.

  • Overuse or misuse of supplements can lead to adverse effects, including toxicity or drug interactions.

  • A qualified nutrition professional, such as a naturopath or dietitian, should always guide supplement use to ensure safety and efficacy.


Chronic diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, often rooted in poor lifestyle habits. Unlike conventional medicine, which often addresses symptoms, lifestyle medicine focuses on prevention and reversal. Empowering individuals to take charge of their health, fosters long-term well-being and significantly reduces healthcare costs.


Lifestyle medicine is a game-changing approach to health that emphasises the importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and relationships. Naturopaths are uniquely positioned to help individuals navigate this intricate framework, providing personalized guidance, education, and support. While supplements have a role, they are secondary to the foundational pillars of lifestyle medicine and must be prescribed with professional oversight.

With the collaborative efforts of naturopaths and other healthcare professionals, lifestyle medicine is paving the way for a healthier, more sustainable future.


If you feel you may benefit from lifestyle interventions book in with me at Ondol Oriental Medicine Clinic or via telehealth/video.





References

  1. Buettner, D. (2012). The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest. National Geographic Books.

  2. Esselstyn, C. B., et al. (2014). A way to reverse CAD? The American Journal of Cardiology, 114(2), 229-235.

  3. Knowler, W. C., et al. (2002). Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. The New England Journal of Medicine, 346(6), 393-403.

  4. Ornish, D., et al. (1990). Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? The Lancet, 336(8708), 129-133.

  5. Kushi, L. H., et al. (2012). American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 62(1), 30-67.

  6. Barnard, N. D., et al. (2014). Diet and lifestyle guidelines for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiology of Aging, 35(1), S74-S78.


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