Lifestyle Medicine

Blue zones describe communities where people live long and healthy lives. Several lifestyle factors make these communities unique. Although their diets differ substantially, robust evidence demonstrates that you are more likely to live a longer healthier life 

when you: 

• Consume more whole plant foods;
• Consume less processed foods, meat and fish.

You can potentially be unhealthy and malnourished whatever your weight.

Even in the UK, you can be malnourished whether you’re overweight or normal weight or taking weight loss injections 

“40% of the adult population suffer with sleep issues impacting on mood, behaviour, ability to concentrate and productivity.”

Citation: The Sleep Charity

Sleep plays a powerful role in maintaining health and yet we sleep less than we did in the 1960s. Poor sleep can lead to the development of chronic diseases including:

• Obesity;
• Heart disease; 
• Depression;
• Stroke.

Stress is our physiological response to a perceived threat. When the threat is perceived as too intense or too long, you may fail to cope with it, resulting in an inability to restore a state of balance.

Chronic stress leads to changes in our body, increasing our risk of, for example: 

• Chronic inflammation;
• Poor immune health & persistent sickness;
• Increased blood fat and sugar levels; 
• Reproductive hormone changes.

These compensatory changes increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, dementia and diabetes.

Connecting with others not only helps us to survive but to thrive.

Research demonstrates a link between the quality of our social connections and our risk of conditions including obesity, heart disease and even some cancers. Our mental health too is closely linked to our relationships with others, and loneliness is a key risk factor for depression.

Loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, or drinking alcohol to excess. It can increase the risk of heart attack and strokes by 30 percent.

How I can support you towards living longer happier and healthier

Together we will identify:

• Do you have supportive relationships with family and friends?
• Are there factors that prevent social connection, such as lack of transport, low self worth, low resilience, low confidence, feeling like you don’t belong
• Have you experienced a recent significant change in your life (this might include bereavement, moving house, retiring, physical ill health, stopping driving)?

Together we will work on the following:

• Loneliness is a sensitive topic and if you choose to engage, I will approach it with care;
• There are a number of, not uncommon, life events that may trigger loneliness;
• Understanding this will help us identify your limiting beliefs and develop solutions based on your needs.

Should you require more in depth coaching support to manage any unhelpful behaviours or beliefs, you might wish to consider my Health & Life Coaching Service. 

“The difference between excessive healthy enthusiasm and addiction is that healthy enthusiasms add to life whereas addictions take away from it.” 

Harmful substances include:

• Ultra processed foods / sugar;
• Recreational drugs;
• Side effects from some prescribed medications.

Along with pollutants (e.g. smoking) and alcohol, these can contribute to chronic inflammation with increased risk of cancer and other long-term health conditions.

Harmful behaviours include:

• Excess or harmful use of social media/technology - Technostress 
• Addictions to: food, health monitoring,video games, sex, internet, shopping, compulsive hoarding, plastic surgery, risky behaviour, exercise.

Many people are unaware of the potential health hazards associated with excessive exposure to some substances and behaviours. Whilst the NHS provides good support for alcohol and smoking cessation, there is little support for those with behavioural addictions, even though these can ‘take from your life’.