Lifestyle Medicine Disease-Specific Applications

There is a plethora of scientific evidence on the foundational role of lifestyle-based interventions that play a critical role in the management of patients with diabetes. Growing scientific evidence continues to demonstrate that the lifestyle pillars promoted by the field of lifestyle medicine (which include a predominantly whole-food plant-based (WFPB) eating pattern, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, avoiding risky substances, stress management, and social support) are effective tools in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Emerging evidence also suggests that a lifestyle-based approach to diabetes management, emphasizing a low-fat WFPB diet, may assist in achieving T2DM remission. Given the solid clinical data regarding the anti-inflammatory nature of a predominantly WFPB diet and the salutary systemic effects of an overall healthy lifestyle, patients with other types of diabetes may also benefit from these principles. This chapter examines the relationship between lifestyle medicine pillars and diabetes management and provides practical, evidence-based strategies and guidelines to assist clinicians in dealing with patients with diabetes.