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Many chronic diseases can be prevented and even reversed by making healthy changes to your diet, exercise routine, sleep habits, and stress levels. Marla Turnbull, MS, CDP, NBC-HWC discusses how evidence-based, lifestyle medicine is changing the health of her clients naturally, without pharmaceuticals.
As we close out 2024, it’s crucial to recognizing the importance of prevention and lifestyle changes. The World Health Organization reports that over 1.9 billion adults were overweight in 2023, with at least 650 million classified as obese. This alarming trend correlates directly with higher rates of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“As a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, I like to focus on what the clients are adding to their routine and how they feel when they do make these changes. People have a hard time letting go of what they are used to eating, how they are exercising, and how they socialize.”
Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based practice that treats illness and disease with lifestyle changes based on diet, exercise, sleep, social connections, and stress management. Lifestyle medicine gets to the root causes of chronic disease.
There is a lot of solid evidence that a predominantly plant-based diet supports good health. Eating primarily whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, with only a minimal amount of meat, especially red meat. Focusing on these anti-inflammatory foods and removing ultra-processed foods and artificial sugars from the diet will greatly help make America healthy again.
Exercise and physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, is recommended. At least 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week is ideal and can be as simple as a brisk walk. Strength training is also very important, as we age. The benefits of strength training can boost your metabolism for 48 hours allowing maximum bone, tissue and muscle growth, which are imperative to keep us active in our later years. In addition, it is very crucial to avoid being sedentary.
Restorative sleep is perhaps the most important pillar of a healthy lifestyle. Poor sleep creates conditions for disease, especially Alzheimer’s. Turnbull recommends setting an alarm for bedtime to remind you when to go to sleep. If you have insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy and adding magnesium to your routine before bedtime will greatly help.
Good stress can be motivating and energizing, but chronic low-level stress can cause inflammation and disease. One way to counter this is to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system – for example, practicing prayer, mindfulness and deep breathing. Stress is about 10% of what is happening right now and 90% of how we react to it.
There is an evidence-based correlation between social connection and longevity. Getting out and taking part in a group activity can raise your dopamine and serotonin levels. Decide to do something every day toward focusing on your self-care.
Turnbull has seen first-hand how her clients are able to reverse diabetes with a healthy lifestyle. She has also seen patients lower neurocognitive symptoms, as well as lose weight, lower cholesterol and lower high blood pressure. It can be overwhelming to make so many lifestyle changes at once. Turnbull walks closely with her clients and suggests starting small at first, focusing on the main priorities and setting sustainable goals along the way.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact me at Nature’s Divine Healing – Optimal Recovery, LLC or visit Nature's Divine Healing Website.
Embrace this opportunity for change; your future self will thank you!
Marla Turnbull
Certified Dementia Practitioner
National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Cell - 412-302-4638