Good health becomes more important over time. While our body changes during aging, we are faced with more risks and health conditions such as chronic diseases, diabetes and arthritis, as well as mental health problems, including depression and anxiety that can be caused by things such as family relationships or balance between professional and private life. All this can have a negative impact on your quality of life. This is where lifestyle medicine comes into play as a powerful tool to improve your risks and promote better health.
“Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a main modality to treat chronic conditions,” said Dr Lauren Vockefamily doctor at McLaren Greater Lansing Family Medicine Clinic. “We focus on six pillars of lifestyle medicine, including nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection and avoidance of risky substances, and we can work with our patients in a way that they can positively integrate these health initiatives in their lives.”
In fact, in the United States, the prevalence of chronic diseases is at a record level. Six out of ten adults have chronic disease, while four out of ten adults will have two or more chronic diseases. This leads to higher levels of health care expenses and a percentage of deaths due to chronic disease. Acting through life -style medicine techniques can help reduce your condition and sometimes even reverse these conditions.
“Starting with the first pillar of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, extended scientific evidence maintains that a whole food, food predominance is an important strategy for preventing and treating chronic diseases,” said Dr. Vocke. “So, we like to promote nutrients, rich in fiber vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, while avoiding ultra-trained food.”
Regular and coherent physical activity can combat the negative effects of sedentary behavior and can increase your mental and global health. It is recommended that adults perform 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic physical activity of moderate intensity (a fast walk, vacuum cleaner or mowing lawn) or 75-150 minutes of rigorous physical activity with rigorous intensity (race, basketball or tennis) each week. Flexibility and balance activities are also encouraged to prevent injury and falling incidents.
The other three pillars – restful sleep, stress management and social connections – all connect to your general well -being. For example, an inadequate sleep causes low attention, a decrease in sociability, depression and a decrease in diurnal calorie burns. It is also linked to an increased risk in cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes.
“Stress can also be managed by social connections because it allows you to get more involved in different activities and promotes positive effects on your body, like laughing,” said Dr. Vocke.
Finally, part of the program of lifestyle medicine reduces your alcohol consumption and avoids risky substances such as tobacco and without prescription because they lead to chronic and death diseases.
Many guidelines indicate that lifestyle changes are the first recommendation to prevent and treat chronic conditions. Including these lifestyle medicine pillars and creating healthier habits can considerably reduce your risks and help you live a better and healthier life.
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