Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on using healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent, treat and reverse diseases and chronic conditions. When implemented as a permanent part of your lifestyle, this evidence-based approach to health has the potential to enhance your quality of life and well-being.

Lifestyle medicine has six pillars: nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, avoidance of risky substances and social connection.

Learn how each of those pillars plays a role in lifestyle medicine. When you’re ready to work with a lifestyle medicine-certified clinician, we’ll tell you how to contact WellMed.

1. Nutrition

Whole foods — particularly plant-based foods — contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that can boost your immune system and protect you from disease and illness.

Many of these foods also have anti-inflammatory properties that may prevent and treat inflammatory conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Researchers who published a review in Cureus found that the plant-based diet emphasized in lifestyle medicine can significantly prevent or slow cognitive decline.

Foods to include in your plant-based diet include:

• Vegetables, including leafy greens
• Fruits
• Whole grains, such as oats, quinoa, and barley
• Beans
• Nuts
• Seeds, such as chia, flax, and pumpkin
• Herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, and dill
• Spices, such as paprika, turmeric, and cumin

Aim to eat fewer foods that are processed, fried and high in sugar, as these foods can cause inflammation and contribute to disease.

2. Physical activity

 

Regular physical activity is one of the most effective, non-invasive ways to naturally prevent and treat illness and disease. Exercise can increase your longevity and greatly improve your quality of life, according to a study published in Sports Medicine and Health Science.

Physical activity can increase blood flow and improve your circulation to ward off heart disease. It can balance your insulin to reduce your risk for diabetes and can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can also boost your mood to combat stress, anxiety and depression, and strengthen your bones and muscles to keep you active well into your older years.

Aim to exercise on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes a day. Do a combination of muscle-strengthening activities and aerobic exercises, such as walking, jogging and swimming. Even household activities such as mowing the lawn, vacuuming and carrying bags of groceries count as physical activity.

3. Stress management

In lifestyle medicine, it is recognized that stress can lead to serious health problems such as anxiety, depression, obesity and immune dysfunction. Stress management is key to experiencing the positive benefits of short-term stress while avoiding the negative consequences of chronic stress.

Stress is a normal part of life, and in some situations, can motivate you to reach your goals. It can also enhance your resilience, improve your problem-solving skills and strengthen your relationships.

According to a study published by lifestyle-medicine clinicians in the Journal of Family Practice, stress management can be achieved in two ways: reducing exposure to stressors and practicing stress-reduction techniques. Many healthy lifestyle behaviors — such as practicing good nutrition and exercising regularly — can naturally reduce your stress.

Some helpful stress management tips include:

• Connecting with others
• Dancing
• Listening to music
• Making time to laugh
• Taking care of your spiritual needs
• Practicing deep breathing and meditation

4. Restorative sleep

Sleep deprivation is linked to chronic conditions, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, stroke and depression. Poor sleep quality may also cause low attention span, sluggishness, weight gain, decreased sociability and performance.

Improving your sleep habits and getting restorative sleep every night can go a long way toward boosting your overall health and reducing your risk for disease. Aim to get at least seven hours of sleep every night. You may need to change your sleep environment to feel more comfortable and stay asleep without interruptions.

Things you can try to improve your sleep quality include:

• Going to bed and waking at the same time every day.
• Getting natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Exercising every day.
• Avoiding alcohol and nicotine.
• Avoiding caffeine six to eight hours before bedtime.
• Limiting nighttime electronics use and avoiding blue light.

5. Avoidance of risky substances

Tobacco and heavy alcohol use are top risk factors for chronic conditions and death. For instance, smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and is responsible for nearly 90% of lung cancer cases.

Nicotine and alcohol are habit-forming substances and can be difficult to stop using without patience and support. Lifestyle medicine uses the SMART goal model to help patients avoid and stop using risky substances.

SMART stands for:

• Specific — What will you do to decrease your substance use?
• Measurable — How much will you reduce your usage?
• Attainable — Do you have what it takes to follow through?
• Realistic — What can you do realistically?
• Time Connected — How frequently, and how long will you commit?

If you need help reducing your use of risky substances, ask your provider for support. Counseling and medications are effective treatments that can help you abstain from nicotine and alcohol.

6. Social connection

Positive social connections and relationships can significantly boost physical, mental and emotional health. Being social can make you happier, increase your longevity and improve physical markers such as blood pressure and heart rate.

Try to seek in-person connections over virtual connections whenever possible. Social media can be a valuable tool to connect with others who share the same interests. However, spending time with family and friends helps forge a strong personal and social connection.

Establishing social connections can include volunteering your time—such as at a food bank or animal shelter—and attending local community events and celebrations. You can also take free courses at your local library or community center and make plans to catch up with friends and family.

WellMed is dedicated to providing quality, proactive patient care with a strong focus on prevention. Our clinicians can help you implement healthy lifestyle behaviors and reduce symptoms of chronic disease. Contact WellMed today at (888) 781-WELL or visit our website to find a doctor near you.