Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine as a practice has been around for quite some time, although possibly referred to by other names, like functional medicine or holistic health, the principles are very much the same and boil down to taking person centred approach to improve health using evidence and behaviour change techniques to support the process. The specialism is definitely gaining interest and credibility across conventional medicine and more people are hearing about. I personally applied the principles of Lifestyle Medicine to my own health journey when I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition many years ago and it has transformed my life.

There are of course different definitions of Lifestyle Medicine, but for now I will share the BSLM definition which describes the practice as

“Evidence based, clinical care that supports behaviour change through person-centred techniques to improve mental wellbeing, social connection, healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and minimisation of harmful substances and behaviours”.

The goal of LM is to work with the person to optimise their health and wellbeing, building on the six areas mentioned in the definition above while also understanding that there are many layers of life to consider when trying to impact change.

The evidence base for LM is strong and growing. There is a wealth of data coming through to support making even small and simple change to lifestyle and a great place to start is by looking at your normal daily routine. What can you quickly and easily change, even if it is just one thing it can make such a difference to how you feel. Coming up we will have lots of focussed blogs and workshops covering the pillars of LM, and if you have any questions please reach out.

Hugs from Jan.