May is Global Lifestyle Medicine emphasis month.
I live in one of the prettiest parts of our country, a few kilometres from the Helderberg Nature Reserve with its 600-plus species of plants. The fynbos is the smallest but most diverse of the Floral Kingdoms. But even this gem is threatened by alien-plant invasion, severe weather events from climate change, and, in many places, the destruction of natural areas with housing development and farming. How can an ancient natural biome be threatened by such recent events?
The human species has survived and thrived in its natural environment for thousands of years. Modern medicines and therapies have helped to prolong life with antibiotics, surgical interventions and chemotherapies/radiotherapies for infectious diseases, trauma and cancer. However, these gains are threatened by the onslaught of the Western lifestyle. Diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia are growing at alarming rates. We need to understand what unnatural behaviours are causing these diseases and effectively address them.
Lifestyle-medicine experts have identified six pillars – healthy nutrition, adequate physical activity, restorative sleep, avoidance of harmful substances and behaviours, stress management, and wholesome relationships. Although these interventions seem so simple they provide powerful therapeutic effects to prevent, manage, and often reverse disease. There is abundant scientific evidence confirming their benefits. It is one of the most rewarding experiences in clinical medicine to see high blood pressure coming down, diabetes going into remission, blood cholesterol reverting to normal levels, excess weight melting off, angina disappearing, and aches and pains subsiding. These benefits are dose-dependent, though sometimes the diseases have been around for too long to expect full restoration. However, the feeling of well-being and increased vitality is sufficiently common to make the changes worthwhile.
Lifestyle-medicine associations or societies are found in most countries in the world, including South Africa. There is much one can learn about the power of lifestyle behaviour change to improve health by checking their official websites for looking up the scientific resources found or on various official social-media platforms.
If ancient floral kingdoms like the fynbos can be adversely affected by modern pressures, how much more can the globalisation of harmful Western lifestyle behaviours impact our normally resilient body?
Providing simple, natural internal and external interventions can facilitate the incredible healing properties found in our bodies and dramatically improve the quality of our lives.
