Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of both men and women.¹ This includes heart attacks, strokes, and other complications. Lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, smoking, sleep, stress management, and connection play a major role. Intensive diet and lifestyle interventions have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque and reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes.²

¹ CDC.gov
² Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease, Ornish et al. JAMA, 1998.

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise with 1 in 10 people in the US diagnosed with diabetes.¹ Many more are insulin resistant. High fiber, low fat, whole plant foods have been shown to lower blood sugar, HbA1C, prevent and even reverse type 2 diabetes.^2,3 Couple this with lifestyle factors such as exercise and stress management, and type 2 diabetes can be controlled.

¹CDC.gov
²A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, McMacken and Shaw, J of Geriatric Cardiology, 2017.
³Effectiveness of plant-based diets in promoting well-being in the management of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review, BMJ Journals, 2018.

Plant-based diets have consistently shown benefits for weight loss and weight maintenance.^1,2 Having support and creating healthy habits that are sustainable are powerful tools for successful weight management. Optimizing healthy lifestyle habits is also beneficial, including appropriate exercise, sleep, and stress management.

¹
Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018.
²Plant-based diet for obesity treatment. Frontiers Nutrition, Sept. 2022.

Autoimmune disease is when a body makes antibodies against itself. Some examples include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes. Lifestyle medicine can help reduce the inflammation, pain, fatigue and symptoms of an autoimmune disease. Eating an anti-inflammatory plant-based diet and enhancing lifestyle factors is important to lower inflammation and help prevent, halt, and improve autoimmune conditions.^1,2,3,4,5

¹Plant-based dietary changes may improve symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, Lupus, Jan 2022.
²C-reactive protein response to a vegan lifestyle intervention, Complement Ther Med. 2015.
³Nutrition Interventions in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Potential Use of Plant-Based Diets. A Review, Front Nutr., 2019.
⁴Stress as a trigger of autoimmune disease, Autoimmun Rev., 2008.
⁵Physical activity and autoimmune diseases: Get moving and manage the disease, Autoimmune Rev., 2018.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, or increased force through the blood vessel, is an extremely common disease affecting at least half of all Americans.¹ Any blood pressure over 119/79 is elevated and increases the risk of many serious diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, poor circulation, and even dementia.² But high blood pressure can be controlled and lowered with diet and lifestyle changes.³ Diets high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, low in sodium and alcohol, not smoking, getting regular exercise, and learning to handle stress can be powerful tools that improve blood pressure and overall health.

¹Heart.org
²CDC.gov/high blood pressure
³Lifestyle measures for treating hypertension, Arch Med Sci, 2017

Dyslipidemia refers to unhealthy levels of one or more types of lipids, or fats, in the blood. This includes total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, and Lp(a) for example. Elevated lipids are an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and dementia.^1,2,3

Optimizing lipids through diet, lifestyle factors such as exercise, stress management and relaxation, achieving a healthy weight, and optimizing sleep are effective tools for improving lipids, and should be a first line treatment.⁴

¹Trajectories of Lipids Profile and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Journal of American Heart Association, 2019.
²Lipid levels and the risk of dementia: A dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
³Lipoproteins and lipids in cardiovascular disease: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic targeting, Adv Drug Deliv Rev, 2020
⁴The Role of Specific Components of a Plant-Based Diet in Management of Dyslipidemia and the Impact on Cardiovascular Risk, Nutrients, 2020

Arthritis is a general term for pain and inflammation of joints. It’s the most common cause of disability, and includes osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis such as gout, autoimmune diseases, and infectious or post-infectious processes to name a few.¹ It can greatly affect quality of life and lead to permanent disability and damage. Understanding and addressing the root cause of arthritis can lead to significant improvement in joint pain and disability. By altering diet, lowering inflammation, nourishing, hydrating, and eliminating waste products, joint tissues can begin to repair and recover function.² A Lifestyle Medicine approach should be considered for anyone experiencing joint pains.
¹The Arthritis Foundation – What is Arthritis? By Linda Rath, updated June 9. 2022
²Osteoarthritis and its management – Epidemiology, nutritional aspects and environmental factors. Science Direct, Autoimmunity Reviews, 2014.