Take control of your Health
The six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
As a Health and Wellness Coach, I lead you to be empowered in your Health with a focus on Lifestyle Medicine. This approach emphasizes the significance of lifestyle factors in preventing, managing, and even treating chronic diseases.
The goal of Lifestyle Medicine is to enhance your well-being by emphasizing healthy behaviors and positive lifestyle changes.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine endorses six core principles:
1. Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition
2. Physical activity
3. Stress management
4. Avoidance of risky substances
5. Restorative sleep
6. Social connection
The goal of Lifestyle Medicine is to enhance your well-being by emphasizing healthy behaviors and positive lifestyle changes.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine endorses six core principles:
1. Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition
2. Physical activity
3. Stress management
4. Avoidance of risky substances
5. Restorative sleep
6. Social connection
1. Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition
The main principles of a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet/Lifestyle:
- Eat whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods that come from plants
- Fill your plate with a variety of fruits, veggies, tubers, beans and legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds
- Avoid or minimize animal products : meat, fish, eggs, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter)
- Avoid or minimize oils and margarine
- Eat as much as you need, until you feel full and satisfied
- Don't count calories!
- Enjoy the amazing taste, all the colors and the extraordinary health benefits that come with this lifestyle!
2. Physical Activity
Your body wants to move! Remember how you loved moving as a kid? Together, we can help you create the right movement routine that you truly enjoy, that works for your unique body and that you will actually do, day after day!
Based on the current recommendations:
Based on the current recommendations:
- Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
- Adults also need 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
- This can also be 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity. In addition, adults need at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week.
- It is recommended to have a combination of strengthening, stretching, balance, and aerobic exercises.
3. Stress Management
We all have some level of stress in our lives. How we think about it and how we react to it makes the difference in how it impacts our health. There are many things you can do to manage your stress. Your Health and Wellness Coach can help you determine what would work best for you and support you in making small goals that would lead to lifelong change.
Here are a few things that could help:
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Talking to a friend or a loved one
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Getting involved in activities that bring you joy
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Listening to or playing music, singing, dancing, exercising
- Practicing meditation and yoga
- Being creative with fun activities or hobbies
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Keeping a gratitude journal
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Learning some breathing techniques
4. Avoidance of risky substances
Avoid smoking, consuming alcohol, drugs, and some prescription drugs. Counseling and medication can help.
Find more resources here: https://lifestylemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Pillar-Booklet.pdf
Find more resources here: https://lifestylemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Pillar-Booklet.pdf
5. Restorative sleep
When is the last time you had a great night sleep and woke up naturally full of energy and ready to start your day?
Getting the right bedtime routine and the right conditions for sleeping can help tremendously. Here are a few things you can implement with the personalized support of your Health and Wellness Coach:
- Limiting the use of screens at least an hour before bed
- Creating a cozy bedtime routine: listening to music, drinking an herbal tea, journaling about your day, reading a book, taking a bath or a shower
- Keeping the electronics outside of the bedroom
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends if possible
- Avoiding caffeine later in the day
- Keeping your bedroom at the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold, with minimal light and noise
- Consistency is the key!
- Limiting the use of screens at least an hour before bed
- Creating a cozy bedtime routine: listening to music, drinking an herbal tea, journaling about your day, reading a book, taking a bath or a shower
- Keeping the electronics outside of the bedroom
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends if possible
- Avoiding caffeine later in the day
- Keeping your bedroom at the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold, with minimal light and noise
- Consistency is the key!
6. Social connection
Research shows that the single most important predictor of human happiness and long life is having strong social connections. At the same time, more and more people complain from being lonely.
If you feel this pillar may be lacking in your life, take a look at theses tips and see which one you could implement:
- Connect with your family and friends in person as much as possible
- Join a group of like-minded people to practice an activity or a hobby together
- Volunteer, finding a cause that combines a passion, sense of purpose and social connections
- Join a choir
- Join a religious or spiritual group
- Participate in a local event, take a course or learn a new skill
- Get together with your coworkers
Find more information about Lifestyle Medicine here.
Ready to make some changes? Getting the support from a Health and Wellness Coach can make all the difference.
Get in touch so we can discuss your wellness vision!
Emmanuelle Burelli Coaching
