Lifestyle medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on using evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent, manage, and treat chronic diseases, including mental illness. At Wholeness Center, we recognize the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors to promote overall well-being. We focus on nourishment, movement, sleep hygiene, and fulfilling relationships as essential pillars for resilient mental health.
Lifestyle Medicine
Lifestyle Medicine
Nourishment
We emphasize the power of nutrition and guide you in making informed choices to fuel your body and mind with nutrient-dense, whole foods that support brain health and mood stability.
Movement
Engaging in regular physical activity is crucial for mental health. We emphasize that movement is one of the best medicines available for mental well-being. Frequent exercise boosts mood, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being.
Sleep Hygiene
Quality sleep is vital for mental wellness. We help you develop healthy sleep habits, create a restful sleep environment, and optimize your sleep patterns for rejuvenation and cognitive function.
Quality sleep is paramount for mental health. It promotes emotional resilience, cognitive function, and overall well-being. Prioritizing restful sleep nurtures optimal mental health and supports a balanced and fulfilling life.
Fulfilling Relationships
Meaningful connections are essential for emotional well-being. We explore strategies to cultivate and nurture positive relationships, fostering a support system that promotes mental resilience and happiness.
How it works
Let’s dive into the information about how a Lifestyle medicine session works. Who will you see? What will you discuss? What kinds of tests, if any, will you take, what type of plan will you get? Is there follow-up and measurement? Or is this a part of the Wholeness Method already? Will everyone receive lifestyle medicine?
During a visit with one of our functional medicine providers, a thorough history is taken and patterns related to lifestyle contributing factors are identified. This is typically followed up with some testing to support the findings. This in conjunction with the provider’s clinical experience will help identify specific lifestyle recommendations. This can include looking at how your diet affects your brain function, energy, and mood. Assessing sleep both quality and quantity and focusing on ways to improve this vital body function. Assessing physical health, movement, and personal relationships. Lifestyle medicine is a pillar that helps support you in getting well and it is foundational in keeping you well. Wholeness providers strongly believe that lifestyle medicine is essential to mental health treatment and maintaining remission of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mood or brain health concerns.
Your plan may include (but is not limited to):
- specific movement recommendations based on physician health parameters
- testing to help uncover the source of sleep concerns, fatigue, anxiety, attention concerns, depression, inflammation, or other reasons for symptoms
- supplementation to address deficiencies that may be affecting sleep, pain, energy, anxiety, attention, and mood support for connection with other people and relationships.
Example lifestyle plan for a 30-year-old with depression over the course of a few months:
- Nutritional support based on testing, clinical history, and exam
- Focus on specific movements that are practical based on the severity of depression
- Sleep assessment and sleep hygiene implementation, both too much and too little can be associated with depression
- Supplementation or medications for sleep support
- Brain mapping to help determine the subtype of depression and lifestyle recommendations including specific meditation, support around the organization of your day specific to your brain
- Referral to a therapist to help uncover relationship and personal blocks