Many patients are looking for holistic care practitioners in Savannah GA. The word “holistic” is often a loaded word that means many different things to different individuals. At Harvest Health MD we focus on “wholistic care” or whole person care. We believe that improving one’s health is not just about taking a pill but about taking a comprehensive approach to addressing one health issues. Through the lifestyle medicine framework, we deep dive into a person’s health and behaviors to come up with a treatment plan that is both evidence-based and personalized.
What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Lifestyle Medicine is a burgeoning field of primary care encompassing two important and connected aspects of healthcare: prevention and wellness. Lifestyle Medicine aims to improve the overall health of individuals and communities by reducing chronic disease, improving quality of life, increasing longevity, and decreasing costs. This is done by using behavior change and focusing on preventing and reducing chronic disease while also focusing on well aspects of health that focus on wellness, and longevity. Currently, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine offer medical professionals extra training as well as board certification in this field to promote lifestyle changes as a primary mode of reducing the disease burden on the US population.
What does Lifestyle Medicine consist of?
There are six pillars to Lifestyle Medicine which include: Nutrition; Exercise/Fitness Training; Social Support/Relationship; Substance Use, Sleep; and Stress Management. The six pillars work together harmoniously to create a well-balanced approach for those looking for an effective way to improve their health. Some have often called it a more wholistic approach to patient care because it can often delve into topics that may not be the focus of what is now expected in a traditional medical exam. We discuss this aspect in a little more depth below.
Nutrition: Nutrition is the first pillar of Lifestyle Medicine. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can help improve the health of an individual as they are rich with antioxidants which fight off free radicals that lead to inflammation and chronic disease. Nutrition plays a huge role in some of the most common chronic medical diseases in the US. By simply making some changes to your diet, you can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Exercise: Exercise helps to improve cardiovascular health, regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as weight management. Exercise is also important because it can lower stress which decreases chronic disease risk by regulating hormones like cortisol that play a huge role in how we deal with and manage stress. Exercise can also help to maintain bone health, improve mood and mental well-being, as well as regulate sleep patterns.
Sleep: Sleep is also important for our overall health. When we sleep, the brain goes into a restorative state while the body focuses on healing, detoxification, immunity, and other energy-intensive tasks.
Relationship/ Social Support: Social interactions and relationships of all kinds are important for promoting health and wellness. Research also supports the idea that social relationships can reduce inflammation in our bodies, thereby lowering one’s risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes or cardiovascular disease.”
Stress Management: Studies have shown that stress can be good for us under the right circumstances but when it becomes chronic or too intense, not only does our health suffer but we are also less successful in reaching goals and ambitions.” Too many stressors in our lives without the time to process them properly, then that can contribute to chronic inflammation.” So we must evaluate the stressors in our lives and make sure that we’re spending time processing and addressing them.
Substance Use: Tobacco use can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, and other life-threatening conditions. Alcohol abuse is associated with a higher risk for chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, and liver damage. Alcohol can also lead to injury, violence, and other legal problems. Illicit drugs, including marijuana, also can increase the risk of chronic health problems.
Why does Harvest Health MD has a Lifestyle Medicine focus?
At Harvest Health MD, we believe that focusing on Lifestyle Medicine is the perfect adjunct to direct primary care and can be paramount to improving a patient’s overall health and life experience by preventing and reducing chronic disease. At Harvest Health MD we have the time and ability to dive deep into a patient’s circumstance and provide tangible applicable solutions to some of their health challenges that can set the stage for providing truly impactful healthcare that will change lives, families, and communities for the better.
– Harvest Health MD
