The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (ILM) is showcasing those individuals who are contributing to the growth of lifestyle medicine and impacting their patients, clients, and communities.
All stories selected are shared in upcoming ILM newsletters, posted on the website, and shared via social media. Let us hear from you. Submit your “story” today. You DO make a difference.
Guidelines (350 – 500 words or less):
1. Tell us about your experience with lifestyle medicine.
2. How has your experience impacted your patients/clients/others?
3. Anything else you would like to share that would encourage others?
4. Feel free to submit a picture(s) and/or a video that you feel enhances your story.
Additional information for submissions can include:
- Your professional background e.g., doctor, nurse, coach, allied health professional
- How you were introduced to lifestyle medicine (conference, articles, talk, etc.)
- Description of your professional change (can include patient vignette or results of patients being “treated” with lifestyle medicine)
- Hopes and plans for the future e.g., perhaps expanding your practice, seeking more training, personal goals
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JULY 2020 Highlight
Munish Chawla, MD
Board Certified, Radiology and Lifestyle Medicine
Bandana Chawla, MD
Board Certified, Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine
In Their Own Words….
We are a physician couple who are passionate about educating and empowering patients to improve their health and reverse their diseases using the tools of lifestyle medicine. We were both able to optimize our own health and reverse several ailments such as migraines, inflammatory bowel disease, menstrual migraines, and allergic rhinitis. In August of 2019, we opened a holistic primary care and lifestyle medicine clinic together so we could introduce lifestyle medicine to the Houston community. Our experience has been very rewarding. We have been able to witness patients reverse chronic diseases and achieve optimal health and wellness. We have been privileged to be part of our patient’s journeys as they reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Gout, Obesity, Heart Disease, Fatty Liver, Erectile Dysfunction and even Autoimmune Diseases. We are trying to build a healthy community that allows patients to interact with not just us but also support and inspire each other by attending programs such as
Walk with a Doc, monthly plant based potlucks, free mindfulness sessions, yoga classes, and group visits. In this age of the epidemic of chronic diseases, lifestyle medicine is crucial to reduce the burden of poor health on individuals and societies. With lifestyle medicine, we can prevent, treat, and oftentimes reverse many chronic diseases. And in this age of the pandemic, the same pillars of lifestyle medicine can help us boost our immune health and avoid poor outcomes if and when exposed to the novel viruses. Visit our
website to learn more about our practice and to view a personal account of one of our patients and his journey to reverse his diabetes.
Meet us on YouTube!
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SEPTEMBER 2020 Highlight
Kaitlyn C. Peters , MSN, RN, NP-C
Ambulatory Services Manager
Synergy Private Health
In Her Own Words….
Lifestyle medicine has completely altered the way I practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have been overwhelmed by the power of simple lifestyle changes including a whole-food plant-based diet, physical activity, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and good sleep hygiene. I have had the pleasure of working with patients on preventing, treating, and reversing chronic disease through the addition of simple lifestyle changes. By asking patients what their health goals are and constructing simple steps to help them get there, the art of patient care is totally transformed. Patients become healthier, happier, and they can improve the quality of relationships in their lives. Fortunately, I work in a practice that has a teaching kitchen. We host monthly cooking classes where we demonstrate simple techniques such as how to chop vegetables and batch cook whole grains for the week. Getting into the kitchen with patients helps to make cooking less intimidating for those who are hesitant. Eating healthfully is so much more than eating salads for every meal, and we teach people easy ways to make real food taste even better. I have been so inspired by the transformative power of lifestyle medicine and as a result, I have become a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a Certified Health Coach. My career goal is to help people reach their health goals, improve their health outcomes, and become happier and more fulfilled in the process. If you want to learn more about lifestyle medicine, the resources are endless. The
Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and the
American College of Lifestyle Medicine are great places to start. If you are provider, simply start by asking your patients what types of foods they are eating and how they move their bodies each day. Counsel them to fill their plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Encourage them to move their bodies more. Small changes, over time, can make a big difference. There has never been a better time for lifestyle medicine!
Instagram: Lifemednp
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DECEMBER 2020 Highlight
Scott Durgin, MD, DipABLM, CPT, CES
Springfield Medical Care Systems
Director of Lifestyle Medicine
Springfield, Vermont
SDurgin@springfieldmed.org
In his own words…..
A system of fourteen Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) nestled in a post-industrial town in south central Vermont along the Black River, our patient population is diverse across education and income levels, but less so in age. Largely an older adult population, patients present with a high rate of co-morbidities, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scores, and common chronic diseases.
With the support of our CEO, we are moving towards making lifestyle medicine the foundation of our approach to primary care across all of our practice locations. Since February of 2019, we have acquired federal funding to support healthcare professionals and staff, including an RN care coordinator, wellness coaches, corrective exercise specialists, behavioral health professionals, and intensive lifestyle modification programs.
At the community level, the State of Vermont has awarded funding to help create living and working environments that make healthy choices the easy choice for employees and residents. During the past year, we have provided educational opportunities in wellness coaching, and shored up physical infrastructure to improve walkability and bike-ability of the region. We have strengthened the Wellness Policy of two local school districts to encourage improved nutritional intake of our youths, and continue to support local health and wellness initiatives through micro-grants supported by RiseVT, the State of Vermont’s primary prevention initiative.
We continue to see our patient population increase and co-morbidities decrease, including reversal of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, obesity, anxiety, depression, and increased emotional resilience. Our forward trajectory includes the recent establishment of a primary care clinic that includes athletic equipment and a pool.
It is with great pleasure to have witnessed the pillars of lifestyle medicine permeate and grow throughout our communities in rural Vermont. As patients and staff become empowered with new knowledge and skills that dramatically improve their health, we are reminded of what healthcare can and needs to be. Lifestyle medicine truly is the only proven path of prevention, treatment, and reversal of most chronic diseases while enhancing the happiness and satisfaction of those that facilitate these changes. Learn more about our lifestyle medicine program.
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February 2021 Highlight
Arti Thangudu, MD
Physician, Founder: Complete Medicine
In her own words…..
Lifestyle medicine changed my life and enables me to help others improve their health every day.
My journey with lifestyle medicine began in early 2019 as I juggled a career transition with raising a young family. My son was six months old and struggling to grow due to my long, busy hours in private practice. Lifestyle medicine led me away from the hamster wheel of private practice and taught me specific ways to care for myself and my family that I could translate to patient care.
I am an endocrinologist with 80% of my patients struggling with diabetes and many others suffering from lifestyle related conditions like insulin resistance, overweight and obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, anxiety, and stress. My patients come to me feeling helpless and distrustful of the medical community. By implementing lifestyle medicine techniques, I have been able to create a model of relationship-based care that educates, empowers, and educates patients to take their health and wellness to new levels by making sure they know they are important and by giving them specific, measurable, and attainable goals.
In my clinic, I have had an average diabetes complication risk reduction of over 75%, and patients feel as though they have a new lease on life. Once I had a patient tell me that before he saw me, he thought he was close to meeting his maker but now with blood sugars in the 100’s on reduced medication, he plans to live until he is 108 years old!
I believe lifestyle medicine is the future of medicine, and I am thrilled to be a part of this life changing movement.
Website: https://www.sacomplete.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arti-thangudu-60247243/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sacomplete/
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April 2021 Highlight
Marielle M. Silk, FNP-BC
The Outer Banks Hospital Center for Healthy Living
ACLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner
In her own words…..
My own health journey started at a young age. Early in my life I can remember noticing the association between what I ate and how I felt, especially with my mood and my ability to focus in school. I played sports and loved to exercise, and in my teens found exercise to be a treatment for my ADHD. It was at this young age that the seeds to my career path were planted. I followed a somewhat healthy lifestyle, eating predominantly plant-based food and exercising regularly, but I always separated that from my job. Once I became a nurse practitioner (NP) and saw how poor dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle were burdening so many people with chronic diseases, I started realizing that my role as an NP could be so much more than treating disease. I realized that with lifestyle medicine I had the potential to help clients prevent and even reverse their disease and drastically improve their quality of life. I continued to plug away in primary care for a few years, trying to weave in healthy lifestyle interventions as much as time allowed.
After having my second child I was struggling energy-wise with the demands of primary care and having a newborn and a toddler, especially since my husband is a pilot and is away much of the time. I was not satisfied with the idea of just accepting being tired and burned out as a working mom. I dove into the research and transitioned my diet to 100% whole food plant-based. I added meditation and more yoga to my daily routine, reduced alcohol, and prioritized sleep (as much as possible with little ones). Within a month I could not believe the amount of energy I had. That reaffirmed my desire to help people improve their life with simple lifestyle changes. If I could feel that much better with a few tweaks, I was excited to realize the possibility of how much better my patients could feel!
A few months later my mom transitioned to a whole food plant-based diet and was able to lose weight, come off all her prescription medications, and drastically improve her energy level and quality of life. I was sold! I had found my calling. I completed the plant-based nutrition certification through eCornell, became a certified tobacco treatment specialist, and became a certified lifestyle medicine provider through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). I launched an Instagram and Facebook page to help my clients with the practical, day-to-day components of following a healthy lifestyle—simple recipes (including vegan cheeses!), ideas, tips on getting kids to eat healthy. I am currently working on my professional plant-based chef certification to further help my clients, as well as training for alcohol use counseling, and an intensive yoga education course. I now have three kids, two dogs, a busy practice and have more than enough energy to pursue my passions—I am grateful every day to a plant-based lifestyle for giving me this energy!
Every touchpoint with a patient is an opportunity to learn more about them and help them improve their health.
Facebook: The Plant Based NP
Instagram: plant_based_np
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June 2021 Highlight
Dr. Victor Peña-Araujo
MB, BCh, BAO (Medicine, Surgery & Obstetrics)
MRCSI (Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
Dip ACLM (Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine)
In his own words…..
All I ever wanted to be was a surgeon. After a long and grueling journey with plenty of uncertainty, I reached my goal. However, after eight happy years in surgery, I found myself in the midst of a prestigious surgical fellowship in London. That is when I learned that my wife and I were expecting twin girls. As I envisioned my new life balancing fatherhood with surgery, I came across a one-page article featuring Dr. Edward Phillips in which he described something called “lifestyle medicine.” That article triggered the most consequential epiphany I have ever had. It instantly tapped into the years of frustration I had experienced while treating countless adult surgical patients. In my experience, poor lifestyle choices had been the one common root cause in most of the diabetic ulcer debridements, femoral bypass grafts, and limb amputations, not to mention the many surgical complications stemming from poor healing and prolonged immobility, such as thromboses and surgical wound dehiscences. My discovery of lifestyle medicine brought back a nagging and recurrent question I had pondered throughout my surgical training, often in the early morning hours towards the end of an exhausting night shift as I finished scribbling my tired notes in the Emergency Department while I sat surrounded by a roomful of busy doctors and nurses tending dozens of ailing patients. “With so many doctors rushing to treat so many chronically sick people, why can’t one be dedicated to guiding those who are eager to avoid becoming patients in the first place?”
Lifestyle medicine was the two-word answer that I had never heard about. Soon after sharing my excitement about this new field with my wife, we took a great leap of faith. I decided to leave my beloved surgical career, move my young family back to the United States, live off our life savings, devour every continuing medical education course on lifestyle medicine that I could find, and figure out how to help people never experience the pain and suffering I had witnessed in my patients. After two years of re-skilling, I became a Lifestyle Medicine Health Coach, speaker, educator, and industry consultant. It has been ten years since that fateful day when I read that article. The journey thus far has been an exhilarating one with a steep learning curve and many wonderful highlights, such as launching my own business, earning my diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, as well as delivering presentations to its wonderfully welcoming members at its annual meetings, and consulting with some innovative companies that are shaping our future. There have been many unexpected rewards throughout this adventure. I now lead a healthier and more balanced life that my wife and I share with our daughters and that aligns with my work, instead of competing with it. I continue to meet inspiring and like-minded professionals in this new field, and not a single day goes by when I don’t wake up excited to apply lifestyle medicine to improve my clients’ health and happiness.
Founder at ELITE Personalized Health.
Website.
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August 2021 Highlight
Karen Prieto, APRN, DNP
Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine
In her own words…
To be able to live healthy, engage in activities with friends and family, and enjoy life are goals for many people. There are multiple factors which can impact these goals and there are many mixed message about how to achieve. This is where an educated specialist can provide guidance and direction. I first recognized the benefits of healthy living at age 18. I smoked cigarettes in high school. I didn’t like how I felt and wanted to make a change. So, I started running and turned to a vegetarian diet, and quit tobacco. My biggest concern at that time was coughing related to cigarette smoke. After being consistent with running, I soon was able to run a 5K, then a 10K, and next a marathon. Running a marathon was more for personal accomplishment, but had many additional health benefits at the time. I have learned from experience that an important part of good health is to engage in healthful eating, regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco products.
My personal journey to better health encouraged me to learn more, and I made a choice to start on an educational pathway to do so. I enrolled in the Sport and Exercise Science program at the University of Minnesota. This education provided me with the knowledge I needed to understand the true benefits of regular physical activity and healthy eating. I then wanted to identify a direction which would allow me the opportunity to use my knowledge and educate others. Cardiac rehabilitation was my first job and from there, I applied to nursing school. I completed a BS in Nursing; an MA in Nursing; and, then a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. The doctorate prepared me to defend research proving the benefits of lifestyle medicine. I now have additional certifications: Board certified, Advanced Practice Nurse; Wellcoaches Certified Health and Wellness Coach; Certified Equine-guided coaching (Spirit Dance); and ACLM Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine.
I now work in a medical clinic as a medical provider and counsel people on weight management. My knowledge in lifestyle medicine allows me to educate patients on the benefits of healthy eating, exercise, good quality sleep, stress management, and the importance of quality relationships. In my current job, I created a Group Medical Visit using a lifestyle medicine approach to address weight loss. Previously, I developed a smoking cessation program using a combination of holistic and conventional medicine options. Both programs required me to meet patients where they were at that time, but with an understanding of some the underlying reasons people either emotionally eat or use tobacco. Addressing these key issues, helps to create long-term sustainable changes. I have been fortunate to work with a team of health professionals who collaborate to address healthy eating, exercise, and addressing the psycho social issues that can impact the ability to live healthy. I have seen people lose 15% of their initial body weight and reverse type II diabetes, fatty liver, discontinue medications for high blood pressure/high cholesterol, and have the ability to achieve their initial wellness goal e.g., playing with grandchildren.
When I originally started on this educational path, health promotion was an unspoken practice. Now, health promotion has flourished and, as a result, there are now organizations such as ILM and ACLM providing dedicated resources to advance lifestyle medicine as the foundation of healthcare. Combining my education with personal and work experiences prepares me to provide lifestyle medicine consults and set goals with patients to live healthier and achieve a better quality of life. My current employer is dedicated to educating patients about the benefits of lifestyle medicine and this has become an important component of our program. This allows me to reach out and assist my patients toward achieving a healthy weight and improved quality of life. The entire process is fulfilling and rewarding.
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October 2021 Highlight
Donna Chacko, MD
In her own words…
It’s never too late to become a lifestyle medicine “Changemaker.” When I retired in 2013 at the age of sixty-four after nearly forty years of being a doctor, I wasn’t ready to entirely leave medicine—even though I was limping and hurting from arthritis and was suffering from burnout. The following year I made the decision to start a health ministry called Serenity and Health. My goal was to promote the health of body, mind, and spirit. Increasingly I could see how abundant health required all three components. As part of my research for this program, I attended the 2016 Institute of Lifestyle Medicine Conference in Boston. By that time I’d had a hip replacement and was moving around more easily, but still had pain, inability to walk long distances, osteoporosis requiring medication, and no consistent exercise routine.
The conference provided convincing data, enthusiasm, and inspiration that I think motivated all of us in attendance to want to improve own health habits and help our patients and others do the same. We were challenged to write down our personal goals. I knew exactly what I had to do—I had known for some time but hadn’t acted on it. The day after I returned home from the conference, I marched into a gym and signed up with a personal trainer.
During my first session with Bryan, my new trainer, he showed me how to use two-and-a-half pound dumbbells for various arm exercises and how to do squats onto a box. Five years later, I still exercise regularly, feel much better, and have been able to discontinue my osteoporosis medications. In 2019 I wrote a
blog about the lifestyle medicine conference and my transforming experience at the gym.
From my own journey and from the experiences of others, I have seen how healthy habits, stress reduction practices, emotional health, mindfulness, and a connection to God work together to create whole health. Let me share some examples.
- “Gina” had decent exercise and eating habits, but was so stressed at work that her heart would pound and she couldn’t think. After learning about breathing practices in the stress-reduction session of Serenity and Health, she started doing the breathing practice at work whenever she felt the stress building. She became more mindful of her stressors and experienced peace of mind by frequently doing her breath work. Her job situation improved, and her husband noted she was less irritable.
- “Lena” was a college student with a job. She had insomnia and anxiety. Learning about self-care and action plans helped her finally address her habit of drinking six-eight cups of coffee every day. She was astounded how much better she felt and how her sleep improved after she eliminated the coffee.
- “James” was only forty but had a heart problem which was compounded by obesity and stress. He joined an exercise boot camp at our church. His persistence with this exercise program started a cascade of positive changes: weight loss, need for fewer medications, less depression, motivation to address his marriage problems, and a deeper faith rooted in profound gratitude.
I continue to share my hopeful message of healing in my Serenity and Health programs at my church, in my blog, and in my new book, Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey. It is a joy for me to see others learn, be inspired, and take their own steps toward health of body, mind, and spirit.
I’m grateful to ILM for its part in my journey.
*The names and details in the above stories have been modified to preserve the privacy of the individuals.
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January 2022 Highlight
Dr. Shagufta Feroz
In her own words…How I Landed Into the World of Lifestyle Medicine
For over 30 years I was applying the rules of a natural lifestyle in my family medicine practice because my gut feeling told me that these are the real-life principles that will fix medical disorders permanently. The first 15 years of clinical practice provided financial security, respect, fame, as well as frustration that patients were not being “cured.” I had a strong belief that the missing key was FOOD and began reading books on nutrition, and then over a period of about ten years formulated a concept of Diet Correction and began using with patients and seeing encouraging results. Diet Correction helped me in disease management, and to some degree disease prevention, as well as providing peace of mind for me. During this process I learned that we can’t reverse a chronic degenerative disease without an integrative scientific approach. Slowly the process of Diet Correction evolved into a fully developed “Synchronized Lifestyle Modification“ Program-SLP. It focused on the restoration of whole health by harmonizing the external routine of that person with the ongoing internal biorhythms with an outcome of homeostasis. The main pillar is Diet Correction through SLP 8-Rules (and the rejuvenation of nocturnal sleep, personalized exercise and laughter therapy). Once homeostasis is attained, inner wisdom can correct addictions and makes an individual compassionate. The SLP 8-Rules of Diet Correction focus on food type, time of intake, rotation, combinations, temperature, preferences, and food quantity. Correct water intake is the last rule of Correct Eating.
I shifted my drug-based practice to a drugless practice in 2002 and enrolled in Holistic Nutrition online from Clayton College of Natural Health Alabama. This enlightened me further about the role of nutrition in health. Since 2011, I have been learning (virtually) more about lifestyle medicine and realized that I was on the correct scientific tract, and, in fact, I was modifying my patient’s personal lifestyle. Therefore, when I landed into the lifestyle medicine world, I had a doctorate in Holistic Nutrition, and had a successful SLP based clinical practice. In 2011 I wrote a book “Living as Nature Intended” to describe the importance of biorhythms and their role in homeostasis. For the last 18 years I have been able to reverse disorders such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, depression, autoimmune disorders, and can slow down the progression of chronic liver diseases, kidney failure, or cancer. SLP can handle acute, chronic ailments with ease besides working on positive health.
Attending the ILM course “Lifestyle Medicine: Tools for Promoting Healthy Change” in 2013, in addition to ACLM Conferences, gave me immense confidence in my drugless clinical practice. The IBLM Certification and LMGA are sources of energy for my personal, professional, and community lifestyle movement. In 2019, my tiny center collaborated with an International University, and we established the first Institute of Lifestyle Medicine in Riphah University. I have trained leaders of about 30 medical departments. Starting in 2022, lifestyle medicine will be embedded in medical school curriculum as well–two more universities have recently collaborated with my department, and we will be preparing more master trainers nationally for lifestyle medicine.
Founder/President Pakistan Association of Lifestyle Medicine
Director Riphah Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Riphah University
Council Member Global Positive Health Institute
Professor(adjunct) Health Services Academy
Founder of Synchronized Lifestyle Modification Program-SLP; www.picchls.com
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March 2022 Highlight
Krutika Parasar Raulkar, MD
Physiatry, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Cone Health Medical Group, Greensboro, NC
In her own words…
- She is a young woman and yet her life is already a source of stress as she cares for her children, works long hours at a job she hates, and suffers from chronic pain that plagues her day and night.
- He is a sweet, social man who recently lost his job due to cervical myelopathy, after which he became homeless when he was unable to pay his bills.
- She is a healthy great grandmother who does one hour of yoga every morning, but has had to stop because of knee pain.
Three different stories with three different, individualized treatment plans. One thing they can all benefit from is lifestyle medicine.
As a
physiatrist at Cone Health Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Greensboro, NC, lifestyle medicine is my passion. As I listen to my patients’ stories, I also probe for opportunities to infuse positive lifestyle changes that will not only improve their physical and mental health, but their quality of life and joy for living.
- Our young woman loves to play basketball and she has abandoned it due to her obligations. As we strategize how she can make time for her to play basketball with her son, she lights up and sits straighter.
- After connecting him with a social worker to help him find a home, our cervical myelopathy patient can benefit from occupational therapy to strengthen his weakened hands and to provide weighted utensils so he can continue to eat on his own.
- After a short course of an anti-inflammatory and a few sessions of physical therapy, we encourage our elderly great grandmother to get back to her yoga. She is so thankful and relieved; she had thought her yoga days were over.
Lifestyle medicine can improve everyone’s lives. I see this with my patients every day. As budding physicians in medical school, we receive little training in lifestyle medicine, which is largely neglected in the curriculum. That is why I created a manual to teach medical students and other health care providers how to prescribe lifestyle medicine to their patients in a safe and fun manner. As physicians, we treat disease with medicine and surgery. But we can prevent disease with lifestyle medicine.
*** In addition to her very busy family and work schedule, Dr. Raulkar has sung the national anthem at Madison Square Garden and completed 3 marathons.
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December 2022 Highlight
Dr. Ivia Carolina Resedá Magalhães
Internal Medicine
In her own words…
My name is Ivia Magalhães. I am a physician in Brazil. Since I was very young, I have always done research about quality of life, but I needed practical tools to help my patients. I started to realize that prescribing medications was not enough to solve many health problems. I changed my medical practice, applying the principles of lifestyle medicine.
Patients arrive discouraged, thinking that to solve their problems they need a new medicine. I help them understand that improvement can also start from behavioral changes–the same behaviors that made them sick. After working on strategies to improve sleep, inserting more fruits and vegetables in the diet, encouraging contact with nature, teaching techniques for managing anxiety and stress, improving social life, physical activity, and online lecture and support for change, I have seen in follow up consultations improvement of intestinal rhythm, sleep, anxiety, insomnia, weight, chronic pain, asthma, laboratory tests, with impressive improvement in levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and greater satisfaction with life. Many patients report feelings of true happiness and life transformation.
I realized that I could deliver health information and knowledge to more people other than the individual visits in the office. In 2020, I created an Online Program called “Fontes da Saúde” to improve health through lifestyle changes. The title means “source of health” in English. The results after eight weeks of theoretical and practical classes exceeds expectations. In addition, the program impacts the entire family of each patient and improves family relationships.
Results to Date: The improvements obtained by the participants of the “Fontes da Saúde” Program, were measured using the WHOQOL-Bref Quality of Life Assessment Instrument, prepared by the World Health Organization.
* In the first class (03/2020 to 05/2020), 11 people participated. At the beginning of the Program, 7 responded, while 6 responded again at the end of the Program. N=6 Quality of Life improvement 24.33% (8.8%-44.26%).
* In the 2nd class of the Program (11/2020 to 01/2021), 39 people participated. At the beginning of the Program, 26 responded to the questionnaire, while 15 responded again at the End of the Program. N=15 Quality of Life improvement 26.0% (9.9%-53.6%).
* The third class of the program began in August 2022 and results are being compiled.
In addition to instrument responses, we have documented reports of improvements in symptoms of various health conditions, e.g., anxiety, depression, moodiness, irritability, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach pain, reflux, headache, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, insomnia, indisposition, lack of energy, low immunity, PMS, overweight, hair loss, acne, rhinitis. Many participants reported that they reduced or even eliminated the need for medication.
Considering that I cannot see more patients since I have reached my schedule occupancy limit and because patients usually wait three to six months for medical attention, expanding the reach of my medical practice and impacting more lives is now possible through the “Fontes da Saúde” Program.
If we are to truly transform people’s lives and health, we need to be role models, changing our own lives and habits. In addition to understanding that, in many cases medicines are not the first or the only solution. I hope our results encourage more people to incorporate lifestyle medicine into their lives and that of their patients.
www.iviamagalhaes.com.br
