What is Lifestyle Medicine?

“Lifestyle Medicine” (LM) is a skyrocketting mutlti-disciplinary medical specialty established in 2004 that uses 6 pillars of health.


As a field, LM is strictly evidence-based and backed by thousands of studies proving chronic disease can be treated, and even reversed, with lifestyle interventions. That said, it's my opinion that a couple other "pillars" have shown to be incredibly valuable - the "honorable mentions" below.


The 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine are:

  • Whole food, plant predominant NUTRITION
  • PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
  • Restful SLEEP
  • STRESS Management
  • Social CONNECTIONS
  • Avoiding RISKY SUBSTANCES

2 "honorable mentions" (in my opinion) are:

  • RELIGION and SPIRITUALITY
  • Connection with NATURE

Lifestyle interventions are backed by decades of science, more powerful than you may think, incredibly effective, way cheaper, with less side effects than pills and procedures, and make you feel awesome! I build my coaching process around these pillars and also incorporate mind-body practices for the best possible results.

Nutrition.

You have incredible power over your health destiny based on your food choices. The closer you move to a whole food plant based diet & eliminate processed foods, the better you’ll feel and healthier you’ll be. We’ll work to demystify all the info out there & what your unique situation can embrace.

Physical Activity.

Find things you LIKE to do! Physical activity can include structured things like a gym workout, running, biking, or playing a sport. But it doesn’t have to! You can find ways to increase activity in your day by parking far away, taking the stairs, or walking with a friend at lunch. The options are endless!

Sleep.

Ahhhh . . . sleep! Most of us wish for more of this good stuff. We’ve all had sleepless nights, poor sleep quality, or are just trying to pack too much into the day that our sleep gets cut short. Your body works to restore itself at night and adequate sleep is essential.

Stress Management.

Many of us don’t make time to consciously tend to our emotional wellbeing with stress management techniques. Do you have a robust self-care regimen that fills your bucket & refreshes you, day after day? No? Let’s work together to change that!.

Risky Substances.

Today’s culture expects us to go, go, go! How do you like to relax? Does smoking a cigarette calm you down? What about a glass of wine or bottle of beer (or a few for that matter) in the evenings to help you sleep? Cutting back on these are incredibly powerful ways to benefit your helath.

Connection.

It’s no secret that time for social connection is limited in today’s world. Add to that our reliance on smart devices, which further limit true connection with others, animals, and nature. Add to these to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and you have a perfect storm for DIS-connection. This facet of life is way undervalued but more important than many of us realize.

Honorable Mentions . . .

Religion & Spirituality.

Many of us are devoted to our faith, which may look different from person to person. Others of us don’t engage this aspect of life. I think it’s essential to address and clarify the role religion and/or spirituality plays in your life. We’ll explore this as little or as much as you like (no judgment from me).

Connection with Nature.

Something about being in nature just soothes the soul! All you have to do is look at children’s perpetual desire to play outside. When did we lose that drive to get out there and connect with Mother Earth? The emerging science around our connection with nature is awe-inspiring and validation of age old wisdom.

Call or Email if times on the calendar don't work for you

252-235-7467

susie@vitaltransformationsllc.com

Hi! My name is Susie Spell.


I'm a nurse practitioner, holistic & lifestyle medicine health coach and owner of Vital Transformations, LLC. My passion is helping you connect the dots between how you live every day and your overall health and well-being. As a health coach, I guide, educate, and support your journey to better health, keeping you accountable to the goals you've set. Stop putting off to tomorrow, what you can do TODAY!