When medical concerns arise, lifestyle still matters (profoundly)
to you
With the grind of earning a PhD behind me and a business to run, the last thing I wanted to do was spend two and a half months studying for an exam.
But that’s what I did (and fortunately, I passed).
I don’t need any more letters behind my name, and my PhD training (as intended) sharpened the critical thinking I need to evaluate evidence and learn independently.
So why commit time and money to getting yet another credential?
Because that’s how important I think the interdependence between lifestyle and medicine is.
Taking advantage of the many ways healthy habits can improve your quality of life means taking action when it’s warranted – particularly when medical concerns are involved.
If the medical plan is watchful waiting, that doesn’t rule out the potential for lifestyle changes to have significant benefits.
And even when medical intervention is needed, it doesn’t mean healthy habits “didn’t work.”
But that’s what many people think.
It’s undeniable that nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management habits can significantly influence quality of life.
If you want that influence to be positive, you have to be proactive.
That means actively going out of your way to reduce your risk of disease. And when that opportunity has passed, it means doing what you can to make as much improvement as possible.
Regardless of whether you have a medical diagnosis or are undergoing treatment, the influence of lifestyle habits is still present.
As the subject line states, lifestyle and medicine are a continuum, not an either-or.
For better or worse, your daily habits influence your risk of lifestyle-related disease. And if you already have a lifestyle-related disease, your daily habits are likely influencing its severity and progression.
The “lifestyle-related” part of this is real. It’s fair to say that many of the most common chronic health conditions that erode quality of life are influenced by lifestyle. Even if the relevance is partial, it’s often still enough to make a meaningful difference.
But taking full advantage of this potential often requires disease-specific lifestyle recommendations, which goes beyond the scope of general lifestyle coaching, particularly for nutrition.
Besides the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential, which you’re probably well aware of, the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential is another pathway to the highest level of legal qualification for this type of work (state licensure, where applicable).
Like the RD, earning the CNS requires passing a rigorous board exam and completing a significant amount of supervised practice hours.
The CNS board exam is the exam I recently passed. (And I’m almost halfway through my hours.)
This credential enables a more direct approach to disease-related nutrition guidance, when and where appropriate. (And the supervision of my practice hours allows me to put this approach to use right now, as I finish meeting the requirements.)
Coach Kayla is in on this, too. She’s already completed the training and is currently preparing for the exam to become a board-certified health coach. She’ll be the compassionate voice supporting any disease-specific lifestyle guidance I provide.
We’ve committed to these credentials because we take the medical relevance of healthy habits seriously – and because we’re dedicated to helping you benefit from them.
A healthy lifestyle is bigger than just having more energy. It’s bigger than having better hair and skin and looking young than your age. It’s bigger than weight loss.
As great as all of these benefits can be, there’s potential for more – much more. Healthy habits are important enough to be a difference maker in whether or not disease compromises your quality of life (and to what extent).
Many people will face lifestyle-related chronic disease at some point in life. If and when you do, remember that you can influence its trajectory and how it affects your quality of life, and you do have the choice to take advantage of this opportunity.
Even when medical treatment is the best path, know that there’s more you can do.
To the continuum of lifestyle and medicine,
Dr. Vin
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