Lifestyle medicine: How to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

As an osteopath passionate about aiding individuals on their journey to recovery from various health issues and injuries, I have always been deeply committed to the idea that holistic wellness extends beyond just the physical aspects of our bodies. Drawing from my background in sports science and personal training, my approach to helping people attain better health has evolved into a multifaceted methodology encompassing physical and psychological dimensions; we can also call this lifestyle medicine coaching.  Over the years, I've been shaping my practice using a wide range of techniques, including thorough physical assessments, comprehensive case histories, and targeted interventions to facilitate the healing process. However, I desired to delve even deeper into the realm of healthcare, which led me to explore the fascinating field of lifestyle medicine. In pursuit of expanding my coaching capabilities to offer a more comprehensive approach to healing, I recently enrolled as a Hintsa Performance Coach. They are a high-performance coaching company based in Finland. The company started life by offering comprehensive support to Formula 1 racing drivers but has since taken this knowledge and learned how to provide it within other professional sports environments and to people in the workplace. Hintsa's holistic philosophy resonated with me, as it centers around a metaphorical wheel with the core or purpose of one's life at its epicenter. This essence represents the discovery of one's life purpose—a process that involves introspection and self-inquiry, guided by thought-provoking questions such as:

1. Who are you at your core?
2. What do you want?
3. Are you in command of your life?

The journey to understanding one's purpose paves the way for cultivating habits and practices that foster health across many areas of a person's life. This wheel extends outward, representing key areas of focus that makeup lifestyle medicine:

1. **Nutrition**: Nourishing the body with balanced, wholesome foods.
2. **Biomechanics**: Ensuring optimal physical alignment and movement mechanics.
3. **Mental Energy**: Optimizing cognitive abilities and emotional well-being.
4. **Sleep and Recovery**: Prioritizing restorative sleep patterns for regeneration.
5. **Physical Activity**: Engaging in suitable exercises for overall fitness.
6. **General Health**: Taking proactive measures to safeguard well-being.

For example, using this approach, I lowered my LDL cholesterol by 58 points, from 136mg/dL (potentially unhealthy)  to 78mg/dL, optimized for my age and sex, and this took just three months. There are many other small changes that I've made in my life after I applied the principles of high-performance coaching using the lifestyle medicine model to myself, and I summarize many of them in this video: [embed]https://youtu.be/KRYUucHrOt8[/embed] My journey as an osteopath has evolved into a holistic pursuit of well-being, encompassing the physical aspects and the intricate interplay between the mind, body, and purpose. The integration of lifestyle medicine principles, as exemplified by Hintsa's philosophy, has changed my life. Still, through coaching my clients, I have enabled many of them to start these transformative journeys of self-discovery and healing themselves. Whether they come to me because of a recent health scare, high cholesterol is the most common reason, or they just want to get rid of chronic pain, I use this integrated approach of science-backed insights to help them reach their goals and ultimately add health span to their lifespan. Find out if lifestyle medicine coaching is for you. Email me at ed@edpaget.com, and we can jump on a quick call to see how I can help you. 

Childhood Obesity

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Carol, an MD who is board certified in general pediatrics and obesity medicine but prefers private coaching for people with obesity. We got into a great discussion about how to help parents and children lose weight and how to deal with the consequences of obesity. One hugely concerning thing is the prevalence of obesity in our children. The CDC in the US notes that between 2017 and 2020, obesity prevalence was:

• 12.7% among 2- to 5-year-olds
• 20.7% among 6- to 11-year-olds
• 22.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds. 

And the rates are on the rise!  Why is this? Doctors agree that consuming more calories than the body needs and not getting enough physical activity is one of the main causes. But factors such as genetics, family habits, and environmental influences can also contribute to the development of obesity in children. Personally, I feel that our modern way of life is so far removed from our physiology that most kids today haven’t got a chance. I have 2 kids and give them a choice between anything pre-packaged and sweetened and some real whole-food vegetables; I’m afraid to say they will take the sweet stuff every time.  The sad part is that childhood obesity can have serious health implications, especially an increased risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Obese children may also face psychological and social challenges, such as low self-esteem and bullying or shaming, as Dr Carol points out. What can be done? Prevention is key; this starts by helping parents with education and understanding. Yes, ironically, budget can be a factor as some of the calories dense, unhealthy food can be cheaper than other more healthy food, but this is not always the case. One of my colleagues, Barb Sheldon, who was featured on episode 2 of the Your Lifestyle Is Your Medicine Podcast (https://edpaget.com/?cat=search_podcasts&s=barb) [embed]https://youtu.be/XZ89j7XUyk4[/embed] Notes that not many people have the knife skills to prepare fresh food. She teaches knife skills to her clients so they can feel comfortable preparing vegetables.  This type of education needs to be country-wide or even global. You see, the problem, at the moment, is mainly concentrated in developed countries, but as other countries with large populations develop, scientists have noticed an increase in obesity. I see this where I currently am in Nicaragua. Kids and adults will prefer drinking Coca-Cola over water; for some, it’s their only drink! If you and your family struggle with obesity, I suggest seeking someone like Dr Carol or myself who can give you a holistic approach to weight loss. We address factors like sleep, stress, purpose, and community which, when combined with nutrition and physical activity, make Your Lifestyle into Your Medicine  DM me. I'm always happy to chat!

How you think can lead to heart disease or happiness

Did you know that thinking you aren’t doing enough exercise can be worse for you than not doing enough? I find this a fascinating area because when I work with people looking to improve their health and performance with lifestyle medicine, I consistently underestimate how important mindset is.  For example, aside from my work with scoliosis, I specialize in helping busy professionals reach optimal performance at work and in life.  Usually, someone comes to me with a problem or a goal. They may have high cholesterol and want to bring it down naturally, or they may want to optimize their lifestyle for longevity and continued high performance at work. As an aside, I find that osteopaths and other manual therapists need this type of coaching the most, and I’ll explain why in a minute.  But first, I want to share with you this research study. Stanford University researchers conducted it and suggested that how people perceive themselves can be linked to shorter lifespans. The researchers found that individuals with negative self-perceptions, such as thinking they were less physically capable or less active than others, were more likely to experience health problems and die earlier than those with positive self-perceptions. The study analyzed data from over 6,000 participants, who were followed for several years. The researchers considered factors like age, socioeconomic status, and overall health to ensure these variables did not influence the results. Surprisingly they noticed that the people who thought they were less physically capable or less active than others had a higher risk of developing health issues, including heart disease and other chronic conditions, ultimately leading to a shorter lifespan. This is why it’s important that busy professionals, including all my osteopathic colleagues, pay attention to this. While you are busy building your business and serving your clients, you are also exposed to an insidious feed from social media and mainstream media. It’s telling you to move more, to exercise more, and if you know it’s important but continually put self-care in second place in your life, it can affect you.  The key is to plan your days, weeks, months, etc, so that you build the right amount of activity for you. This doesn’t have to be gym time; for example, one of my clients in New York just gets off the subway one stop earlier than before, and she manages to get 40 minutes extra walking into her day without a huge time sacrifice.  In addition to movement, we must pay attention to sleep, nutrition, community, stress, and what we put into and on our bodies.  Companies like Hintsa have used this holistic approach to performance coaching to help the best athletes in the world sustain high performance (Lewis Hamiton uses a Hinsta coach) and can also help busy professionals enjoy a fast-paced life while avoiding burnout and unseen pitfalls.  If you want to know more about mindset and health, below is a link to a recent video I made, but also you can DM me if you have any questions about your situation.    [embed]https://youtu.be/EBOXcSRKPfA[/embed] Sources: https://news.stanford.edu/2017/07/20/self-perceptions-linked-shorter-lifespans/  

Moving Naturally

I recently had a chance to go on a survival course in the heart of the jungle on the side of El Hoyo, a volcano, outside the city of Leon in Nicaragua. It was an experience that challenged me both mentally and physically. Over three days and two nights, I returned to nature by learning to hunt and move quietly through the forest. What was striking to me was how much I moved my body. Ducking under branches, climbing over fallen trees, holding my breath, and trying not to sweat as something to hunt came into view. In the evenings, we built a fire and cooked what we had caught, in our case, an Iguana and a rabbit...the volcano provides... But I was amazed at how sore I was. I'm meant to be a movement guy. I recently ran 50 miles and climbed seven volcanoes, all within two weeks, not even a pulled muscle. However, there is a difference between hiking and hunting. In just 3 days, my ears got better at identifying bird calls and judging distances. I worked my jaw and teeth hard, picking the meat of the unusual bones. My breath control became more acute, and somehow, my balance improved. (I'm not recommending everyone go hunting, but simply bird-watching or trying to take animal photos will have the same effect).  In the evenings, I sat cross-legged by the fire; this position was once my nemesis. I fixed that by removing the chairs in my house and sitting on the floor for a year. Now, sitting crossed-legged isn't a pleasure, but it's tolerable.  But sitting there, tending the fire, and thinking about how humans have been hunting and sitting by fires for tens of thousands of years, and yet most people in the 'developed world have yet to do it. It seems like such a waste of our innate skills, like driving a Ferrari and never taking it out of first gear.  Our bodies are capable of much more than what we use them for. I now know a few physicians that prescribe camping for stress, and I fully agree. Getting out there and going through a nature reset can profoundly change your physiology and state of mind. If you want to learn more about how lifestyle medicine can help you obtain optimal help, just email or DM me, and I’ll get back to you.  If you want to see a short video of my adventures, check out my new YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/FG_jOtlVLkA