What is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine are —

• a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern,
• physical activity,
• restorative sleep,
• stress management,
• avoidance of risky substances and
• positive social connections.

Each of these pillars is important for maintaining good health, treating and even reversing chronic conditions.

Lifestyle Medicine principles are applicable at each and every stage of life right from newborn to old age. Healthy lifestyle will impact health at each stage of life. This is called the Lifecycle approach.

• Pre-conception and conception – Healthy parents with vibrant good health will conceive a healthy embryo which is primed for future good health with all the activated good genes. It is now known that our environment has the capacity to activate and silence genes. A healthy environment will activate the good health genes and these will be passed on to the next generation. This is called the science of epigenetics and has a vital role to play in the health of all humans.
• Pregnancy – a healthy pregnancy will ensure good growth and development of the growing baby. It will also ensure the mother stays healthy and has no complications such as pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes and other medical problems.
• Healthy child birth will be beneficial for both the baby and mother. This will help establishment of healthy lactation which is the foundation of the child’s health.
• Healthy children and adolescents who follow all the six pillars properly will reduce their risk of immediate illnesses such as recurrent infections and allergies. They will also reduce their risk of future lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.
• Healthy adolescents will grow up to become Healthy Adults. They will have the correct values of good health and will lead to a productive healthy society at large.

Let us see briefly what each lifestyle pillar means.

NUTRITION

a whole food plant based eating pattern is the most effective eating pattern for humans. Whole means unprocessed. It means using the food nature has given us in its natural form. Cooking the food is minimally processing it and is acceptable. But any further process will reduce its nutritive value. So instead of oil, we should use whole plant seeds and nuts, coconut and peanut in our food. Instead of sugar and jaggery, we should use fresh fruits, dates and other dry fruits to sweeten our food. We should use most vegetables and fruits with their peels on as this retains maximum nutrition and fibre. We should use whole unpolished grains and legumes which retain their nutrients and fibre. In fact this is the way our previous generation lived prior to the advent of Food Industry. Healthy eating is going back to our roots while using the knowledge of modern times to our best advantage. It is eating local and seasonal with a global perspective!

EXERCISE and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

this is a very important pillar of healthy lifestyle. It involves being as active as possible through the day with as less sedentary time as possible. Sedentary time is the time spent sitting, reclining, lying down or sleeping. Regular exercise for atleast 150 minutes per week which is of moderate to vigorous intensity is also an important aspect. We can vary and individualize the exercise type based on personal preference and abilty. Being active and regular exercise is known to improve mental and physical wellbeing and also improves quality of life and helps longevity.

SLEEP

this forms the third pillar of healthy lifestyle. A good quality and duration of sleep is very important for recovery and repair of our body tissues. Good sleep is also important for good immunity, good metabolic health and brain health. Many behaviors such as erratic eating habits, exposure to screens late till night and ignoring the body’s circadian rhythm lead to sleep disturbances and increases risk of chronic health conditions.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

the amount of stress we face these days is much higher than before. This makes it important to learn to effectively manage this stress so as to continue optimal functioning. Stress is a risk factor for all chronic conditions and also makes one susceptible to infections. Chronic stress causes inflammation and reduces immunity. It becomes important to learn mindfulness techniques for all ages so as to manage this stress of day to day life. Research has shown that regular practice of mindfulness and meditation leads to improved brain function, better problem solving skills and increased resiliency in general.

AVOIDING HARMFUL SUBSTANCES

in today’s world we are surrounded by innumerable chemicals which are harmful for us. These can be toxic to human tissues. These may disrupt our metabolism by acting as hormone mimickers. These are freely found in all the packaged and processed foods. In bottled water (read nano and micro plastics), in our personal care products ( shampoo, tooth paste, soaps etc.) and even in our home care products ( detergents, floor cleaners, dishwashing agents, room fresheners, perfumes etc.) we need to reduce our exposure to these chemicals by finding alternative products and reducing our consumption of bottled water and processed food.

Along with the above, it is important to avoid tobacco use and smoking, alcohol use and use of recreational and psychotropic drugs. All of these are associated with poor health and quality of life.

Alcohol and smoking are related to increase risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Psychotropic drugs are also addictive and cause many health problems.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

this is an equally important pillar of healthy lifestyle. Positive psychology means focusing on positive emotions and optimism inspite of negative circumstances. It involves activities which make the person not only thrive but also flourish. It involves volunteering for a social cause, helping the society and generally doing things which will make us as well as people around us better. Activities of self improvement and being part of an enriching social circle all involve use of positive psychology. It is fast growing field which complements the work of conventional psychology. Practising Positive Psychology will benefit everyone irrespective of their mental health status.