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Endocrinology & Diabetes

Lifestyle Medicine

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What Is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle medicine is medical care that focuses on healthy, evidence-based lifestyle habits to help prevent, treat, and even reverse certain chronic health conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and polycystic ovary syndrome. 

Six Areas for Improvement

Lifestyle medicine is often practiced in a group setting, using six pillars to target areas where patients can improve their health.

  • Nutrition

    Choose mostly whole, plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds). We teach simple ways to incorporate new and interesting foods into your daily routine, making healthy eating more fun and less overwhelming.

  • Physical Activity

    Regular physical activity is essential to our health, and lifestyle medicine recognizes that this doesn’t mean going to the gym every day. Activities such as walking, gardening, and push-ups can be done daily at home. Similarly, lifestyle medicine encourages minimizing sitting and getting up to move every 30-60 minutes (“exercise snacks”).

  • Healthy Relationship

    Social connectedness is key to good mental, emotional, and physical health. We work with you to determine what healthy relationships look like for you and how you can build or strengthen your support system. Additionally, our team-based program is a source of social connection in itself!

  • Stress Management/Reduction

    Stress can have both positive and negative effects on our health. We work with you to identify the difference so you can build a toolkit of techniques to reduce the stress that causes anxiety, depression, problems with the immune system, and more.

  • Sleep

    A lack of sleep—or poor-quality sleep—impacts the body, mind, and spirit. In addition, it has been shown to strain the immune system and lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms as we try to get more rest. We examine all factors that may compromise your nighttime routine and help you develop techniques to get the best night’s sleep.

  • Use of Risky Substances

    Addiction can increase your risk of serious long-term health problems, such as heart disease and cancer. We can support you in quitting smoking, stopping other forms of tobacco use, limiting alcohol consumption, and more.

How Are Lifestyle Medicine Visits Structured?

Our comprehensive programs last 3-6 months and include a combination of individual appointments and weekly or every-other-week group sessions.

Individual Consultations

Your first visit will be a 40-minute individual consultation to explore the lifestyle medicine pillars, with a focus on goal setting and connecting with the right support and resources. We work hard to develop an individualized care plan that supports each patient's needs and goals and helps them succeed and thrive.

Group Sessions

As part of your individualized care plan, you are encouraged to participate in 6-10 Lifestyle Medicine group visits. With a focus on taking small steps and enjoying our day-to-day lives, our group sessions discuss:

  • How to identify the triggers or impulses that lead to less healthy choices.
  • How to react to triggers and impulses with positive steps instead of old habits.
  • The importance of awareness and mindfulness.
  • Techniques for being successful in developing healthy habits.

Sessions will also focus on specific Lifestyle Medicine pillars, including:

  • Classes on reading nutrition labels, grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation.
  • Recipes and cooking tips/demonstrations.
  • Exercise classes, including cardio, strength training, and flexibility.
  • Sleep and stress management techniques.

“I learned a lot about loneliness and isolation, and it made me think about being more present with my family and friends. I feel as if every person in our group was helped today.”

– Lifestyle Medicine Participant

Referrals

You do not need to be a UConn Health patient to self-refer to the Lifestyle Medicine Program for an initial intake visit. The program is open to anyone in Connecticut. However, to join the group sessions, you must become a patient of UConn Health Endocrinology.

Program Costs and Insurance

Lifestyle Medicine sessions are covered by insurance, but you may need to pay a copay, coinsurance, or deductible, just as you would for an Endocrinology office visit.

Resources

Endocrinology

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