Columnist Dr. Cheryl Christy

Author's note: This column is intended for educational purposes only. It aims to highlight gaps in health knowledge, provide support and empower organizations to guide their members in creating effective health and wellness programs.

The rise in costly disease management, avoidable hospitalizations, clinician burnout and polypharmacy are symptoms of a healthcare system in crisis. Addressing these challenges requires more than incremental fixes; it demands a fundamental shift in how we deliver and prioritize healthcare.

Today, an estimated 60% of Americans, including children, live with at least one chronic disease, contributing to the $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare costs funded by taxpayers, even though many of these conditions are preventable and treatable in the early stage. This epidemic also takes a toll on medical professionals, with 62% of physicians reporting feelings of burnout.

The study of how personal habits and actions affect disease prevention and treatment is known as “lifestyle medicine.” It provides the foundation for a reimagined, high-value healthcare system that is cost-efficient, patient-centric and equitable. Health systems are now beginning to integrate lifestyle medicine into their care plans.

There is no longer any serious doubt that individual daily habits and actions profoundly affect both short-term and long-term health and quality of life. Thousands of research articles support this concept, and multiple evidence-based guidelines incorporate it for the prevention and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases.

Multiple daily practices profoundly affect both long-term and short-term health and quality of life. Below are key lifestyle habits that shape your present and future health outlook.

1. Nutrition (food is medicine)

This is not about dieting, although dietary patterns matter. It is about optimal nutrition, which is essential to the root-cause treatment of many chronic conditions. Replace heavily processed foods with whole, minimally processed meals high in fiber and protein and cut back on excess sugar and refined carbs.

2. Regular Physical Activity (daily movement)

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Add resistance training as a bonus. Walking improves glucose control and vascular health. Walk after supper. Walk the dog.

3. Restorative Sleep (often the most overlooked intervention)

Consistently obtaining 7-9 hours of quality sleep nightly. The American Heart Association notes that suboptimal sleep is associated with higher risks of diabetes (37%), hypertension (17%), cardiovascular disease (26%), obesity (38%) and mortality (12%). Sleep is not just recovery from the day. It is a vital component of metabolic and cardiovascular health.

4. Stress Management

Utilizing mind-body therapies and positive psychology mitigates the physiological toll of chronic stress, which is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Multitasking stresses your brain. Chronic stress kills neurons, affects memory and clouds thinking. Practice mindfulness.

5. Avoid Risky Substances

Risky substances like alcohol, tobacco and other drugs increase the risk of death and chronic disease as well as exacerbate the ill effects of current illness. It can negatively impact mental health and affect daily health choices as well as connection to others.

6. Connectedness

Meaningful interactions are a key factor in human happiness, longevity and treating chronic diseases. It affects physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

7. Environment

Clean drinking water, fresh air and sunlight. Reduce use of harsh household chemicals. Daily positive or toxic exposures affect energy, breathing and hormone balance.

CONCLUSION

Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based clinical guideline for preventing and managing chronic diseases by focusing on the whole person and identifying habits and daily activities affecting health outcomes. Rather than masking symptoms, lifestyle medicine addresses the root cause of disease through six interconnected pillars. It draws from a growing body of research evidence from diverse disciplines across nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection and risky behavior into a single, searchable entity.

Dr. Cheryl Christy is a Baldwin County resident and registered nurse with nearly 30 years of experience. She holds master's degrees in nursing education and nursing practice and a doctorate in nursing practice. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Phi Pi Chapter, a certified lay counselor and the author of "Voices for Healthcare," a healthcare blog.

Read her previous column titled "Should aging be treated as a disease?" on www.GulfCoastMedia.com. Her blog can be found at https://substack.com/@dnprn.