Lifestyle Medicine in Singapore
Lifestyle Medicine is a branch of medicine that combines the best of Primary Medical Care with a holistic, whole-person approach to health.
Many conditions, particularly chronic health conditions, are due to lifestyle factors and our modern environments. Lifestyle Medicine addresses this by exploring and managing the 6 lifestyle areas that contribute to our health and well-being:
- Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Sleep
- Stress Management and Mental Health
- Purpose and Social Connection
- Minimising Harmful Substances
Our aim is to support you in making sustainable changes for lifelong wellbeing. With our health coaching approach, we’ll not only help you move forward but also address any barriers that may have impeded your progress in the past.
Our Lifestyle framework focuses on six key areas:
Weight management is complex, nuanced, and addresses many contributing factors.
Lifestyle Medicine takes a holistic approach to weight management, where realistic goals are set with the understanding that this journey is a marathon and not a sprint; that prioritising and addressing the pillars of good health lays the foundation to overall wellbeing and reduces our risk of chronic disease. Weight loss becomes less of a primary focus but rather a positive outcome of adopting healthy habits as a whole.
Type 2 diabetes is on the rise globally and with a younger onset of disease. The misconception of this being an irreversible condition is now being challenged as we learn more about the lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes and its associated complications.
Lifestyle Medicine uses an evidence-based approach to address lifestyle factors that help patients regain control of their diabetes, reduce their medication, and, in some cases, reverse their condition. In addition, insulin resistance and pre-diabetes, which precede type 2 diabetes, are identified and managed early to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Lifestyle choices often contribute to the development of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, including cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, arthritis, and dementia.
Evidence-based lifestyle changes have been proven to help manage, reverse and prevent these chronic conditions.
Many chronic diseases are preventable and are caused by lifestyle factors and the surrounding environment we live in. Over time these chronic diseases begin to result in increased healthcare needs, medication use and can impact an individual’s quality of life.
Lifestyle Medicine employs evidence-backed methods to promote healthy behaviour changes, empowering patients to play an active role in their wellbeing and guiding them toward sustainable lifestyle modifications that will help prevent chronic diseases.
Our mental wellbeing and how we cope with everyday stressors, are vital to our physical health and overall wellbeing.
Using the six-pillar framework and behaviour change principles, chronic stress can be managed with effective strategies that empower patients to cope and minimise the negative impact of chronic stress for better mental wellbeing.
Lifestyle Medicine principles can alleviate the symptoms for women experiencing hormonal imbalances such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or menopause. Fatigue, weight management, brain fog, sleep disturbances and many other common symptoms can be managed with lifestyle changes in both women who are or those who are not taking HRT or other hormonal preparations.
Our 3A Lifestyle Medicine Framework
Assessment
- Holistic Health Assessment
- Identify your health goals
Application
- Personalised Lifestyle Prescriptions – tailored to your health goals
- Health Coaching – for lasting healthy behaviour changes
- Goal setting and Ongoing Support
Achievement
Reduce
- The risk of developing chronic disease and dementia
- The risk of developing certain cancers
- The number of medications you are taking
Reverse
- Pre-diabetes and in some cases Type 2 Diabetes
Regain
- Optimal health without additional medication
- Hormonal balance
- Improved gut health and microbiome
The duration varies based on individual needs and goals. Lifestyle changes take time, and our program is designed to support you throughout your journey to long-term, sustainable well-being.
Lifestyle Medicine FAQ’s
Traditional medicine often addresses symptoms and diseases with medications or procedures. Lifestyle Medicine compliments traditional medicine by emphasising the modification of lifestyle factors to address the root causes of health issues, promoting long-term wellbeing.
Our assessment will cover everything from your nutrition, gut health, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connections in addition to a traditional medical screening as well as other determinants of health that we now know contribute to the root cause of disease.
Every individual is unique, requiring personalised treatment approaches. Taking into account the underlying cause of your condition and your health objectives, we’ll tailor your prescription and provide health coaching to assist you in adopting the necessary changes.
This can range from:
- Sustainable and healthy dietary advice
- Improving your microbiome and gut health
- Focusing on movement that is result-driven and does not feel like a chore
- Strategies to help you sleep better
- Managing chronic stress and tending to your mental health
- Learning to minimise and detox from substances that cause harm
- Understanding the importance of purpose and social connection
Our GPs have a special interest in Lifestyle Medicine and have undertaken additional training in Lifestyle Prescriptions and health coaching, they will oversee these services. Depending on individual needs, we may also refer patients to other healthcare professionals such as dietitians, exercise physiologists, psychologists, and relevant specialists to offer a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach.
Lifestyle Medicine uses an evidence-based approach to address lifestyle factors that help patients gain back control of their diabetes, reduce their medication and, in some cases, reverse their condition.
Adopting the principles of Lifestyle Medicine, can be used to help patients manage their weight in a sustainable manner. This allows patients to maintain the weight loss long-term, without the common yo-yo effects of many weight loss programs.
Almost 40% of cancers can be attributed to lifestyle factors. Alongside regular cancer screening, Lifestyle Medicine can help identify which health behaviour changes will significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer in the future.
Adopting evidence-based lifestyle changes has been proven to help reduce blood pressure without medication if it is clinically safe to do so. However, if blood pressure is very high, we may commence medication alongside Lifestyle Medicine strategies, aiming to withdraw the medication once blood pressure begins to return to normal.
Lifestyle Medicine principles can be very beneficial for any woman experiencing hormonal imbalances. Fatigue, weight management, brain fog, sleep disturbances and many other common symptoms can be managed with lifestyle changes in both women who are or those who are not taking HRT.
Using the 6 pillar framework and behaviour change principles, stress that is chronic can be managed with effective strategies that empower patients to cope and minimise the negative impact of chronic stress.
Sleep is often overlooked for its importance in general health and wellbeing. Sleep has a core role in Lifestyle Medicine and is addressed in every consult. The aim is to identify the root cause of sleep deprivation and adopt strategies that help patients.
Health coaching involves a collaborative partnership between a trained coach and a patient to set and achieve health-related goals.
Health Coaches ulitise behaviour change techniques, personalised guidance, accountability and ongoing support to empower individuals to make sustainable lifestyle improvements with the aim of improving health outcomes and overall well-being.
If you have any questions, queries or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact us through the form below.
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