Alternative Medicine

The New Era of Lifestyle Medicine: 7 Emerging Trends Transforming Healthcare

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

A wooden block sign that says Healthy Lifestyle.

Written by Muhammad Numan,

With the escalation of chronic illnesses like diabetes, arthritis, and other mental illnesses, it is evident that traditional medical treatments would not be enough to treat them. The reason is that medication only treats the symptoms, not the root causes.

Lifestyle medicine is a healthcare approach that seeks to address the root causes of different chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity [i]. Thus, it has the potential to reduce the morbidity rate associated with chronic disease management significantly.

This behavioral intervention involves nutritional support, physical activity, stress management, avoidance of substance use, restorative sleep, and social engagement. Overall, lifestyle intervention is a clinical and population-level approach supported by integrated health coaching. It empowers patients to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, eliminating the need for conventional medications.

Read on to learn about the emerging trends in lifestyle medicine that are transforming healthcare!

 

Emerging Trends in Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle medicine employs a whole-person approach with integrated patient care. The seven emerging trends in lifestyle medicine are as follows:

1.     Precision in Lifestyle Medicine Based on Genomics

Precision lifestyle medicine incorporates multiomics data, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics. Such data helps tailor lifestyle prescriptions, such as physical exercise, diet, and supplement intake, to the individual’s unique lifestyle.

Genomic precision also varies from person to person when it comes to personalized dosing. For instance, in a study, vitamin D was found to benefit individuals with a specific genotype (rs7968585 AA), while for others, it proved to be detrimental. This highlights the importance of personalized dosing in genomics [ii].

2.     Digital Therapeutics and AI-Powered Behavioral Coaching

Digital lifestyle medicine (DLM) has become an emerging field in medicine. It highlights and elevates the importance of daily behaviors to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. Typically, using virtual or digital platforms, digital lifestyle medicine reaches out to patients to empower them to take charge of their healthcare journey.

Digital lifestyle medicine has also taken a next step in personalized treatments. By leveraging data from wearable devices, physicians are able to plan tailored treatment plans for their patients, incorporating their unique choices and preferences. Further, combined with AI powered coaching, digital lifestyle medicine is transitioning into precision lifestyle medicine.

Additionally, AI-based digital interventions integrated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) systems support behavioral strategies [iii]. These strategies are implemented for sustainable life changes.

3.     Microbiome Modulation as a Lifestyle Medicine Strategy

Microbiome modulation refers to intentional alteration of the composition and functioning of the microorganisms in the body through lifestyle interventions. Diet, exercise, sleep, and fasting are a few lifestyle behaviors that play pivotal roles in these alterations and prevent chronic diseases.

According to the research, gut microbiome supplementation, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics, assists in managing dysbiosis, a condition related to dysregulation of intestinal bacterial homeostasis [iv].

Contemporary research aims to find appropriate treatments to increase beneficial microbiota in the gut microbiome to modulate metabolic syndrome and reduce chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.

4.     Lifestyle Medicine in Mental Health and Neuroplasticity

Lifestyle medicine uses non-pharmaceutical strategies to support mental health through neuroplasticity. For instance, physical activities stimulate the production of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which is essential for the growth of neurons [v]. These particular neurons are mostly found in the brain’s hippocampus region, which is pivotal for learning and memory.

Several meta-analyses reveal that exercises positively impact your mood more than psychotherapy and medications. Agitation, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses can be cured with some routine exercise snacks [vi]. These are some short bouts of physical activities like push-ups, squats, or even stair climbing.

5.     Community-Based Interventions

Social prescribing and community-based interventions are among the most effective strategies for transforming healthcare through lifestyle medicine. A systematic review of random trials found that social prescribing interventions targeted specific chronic conditions, resulting in improved quality of life and disease-specific psychological outcomes [vii].

Social cohesion has also improved community engagement through various community-based initiatives. These community outreach programs keep the members active and engaged with each other, fostering their mental well-being.

6.     Lifestyle Medicine Meets Planetary Health

Planetary healthcare is the most undervalued area in medicine. It contends that human health is deeply connected to the earth’s natural system, and environmental degradation is a big public health challenge. Climate change is adversely affecting the very foundation of lifestyle medicine, which we all rely on to prevent chronic conditions [viii].

The situation posits that healthcare professionals should guide individuals to adopt climate-friendly behaviors to improve their quality of life. These include active transport, a biodiversity diet, the use of catalytic inverters in vehicles, and the avoidance of toxins. Such initiatives would build resilience in both individuals and the planet.

7.     Value-Based Care Models Support Lifestyle Medicine

Value-based care models refer to healthcare systems that reward healthcare professionals for providing quality care at affordable prices. Unlike volume-based models, which operate on a quantitative approach, value-based care models prefer quality over quantity [ix]. Coordinated care among the providers and the setting not only encourages prevention but also suggests tools to manage chronic diseases.

Lifestyle medicine completely resonates with the goals of Meadows Place Associates, which offers a value-based care model. Both prevent costly chronic disease conditions, improve long-term health goals, and ensure patient engagement and satisfaction.

Lifestyle Medicine – A Sustainable Solution for the Future of Healthcare

Lifestyle medicine is a medical approach that uses evidence-based behavioral changes to treat, prevent, or even reverse chronic diseases. It focuses on addressing the root causes of illness through evidence-based behavioral change in healthcare.

In the contemporary healthcare system with spiking healthcare challenges, lifestyle medicine provides a powerful tool to overcome these hurdles. Non-pharmaceutical interventions provide integrative healthcare coaching and incorporate nutritional support with healthy habits.

As we move through 2025, lifestyle medicine is becoming essential for everyone’s healthcare journey. Incorporating digital health tools, AI solutions, planetary healthcare, genomics, social prescribing, and microbiome modulation furthers the impact of lifestyle medicine.

Based on these principles, Meadows Place Associates is the one initiative that offers judgment-free, virtual care for adults who are tired of short visits and insurance headaches.

Author’s Biography

Muhammad Numan is a healthcare writer and Content Marketing Executive at Practice EHR, where he has spent the past two years creating impactful content for healthcare professionals. With a Master’s degree in Pharmacy, he brings a unique blend of clinical knowledge and marketing expertise to help health tech companies communicate more clearly and effectively. His work focuses on bridging the gap between complex healthcare concepts and accessible, audience-friendly messaging.

 

REFERENCES

  • Kushner, R. F., & Mechanick, J. I. (2016). The importance of healthy living and defining lifestyle medicine. In Lifestyle Medicine: A Manual for Clinical Practice (pp. 9-15). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  • Ballard, J. L., Wang, Z., Li, W., Shen, L., & Long, Q. (2024). Deep learning-based approaches for multi-omics data integration and analysis. BioData Mining, 17(1), 38.
  • Chen, C., Liu, A., Zhang, Z., Chen, J., & Huang, H. (2024). Digital therapeutics in hypertension: How to make sustainable lifestyle changes. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 26(10), 1125-1132.
  • Manske, S. (2024). Lifestyle medicine and the microbiome: Holistic prevention and treatment. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 23(5), 10.
  • Huizenga, A. (2025). Neuroplasticity and mental health: Implications for depression and anxiety treatment. The Cognitive Neuroscience Journal, 8(1), 251.
  • Amiri, S., Mahmood, N., Javaid, S. F., & Khan, M. A. (2024, November). The effect of lifestyle interventions on anxiety, depression and stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. In Healthcare (Vol. 12, No. 22, p. 2263). MDPI.
  • O’Sullivan, D. J., Bearne, L. M., Harrington, J. M., Cardoso, J. R., & McVeigh, J. G. (2024). The effectiveness of social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions in community-based adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Rehabilitation, 38(10), 1306-1320.
  • Pathak, N., Pollard, K. J., & McKinney, A. (2022). Lifestyle medicine interventions for personal and planetary health: the urgent need for action. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 16(5), 589-593.
  • Fernández-Salido, M., Alhambra-Borrás, T., Casanova, G., & Garcés-Ferrer, J. (2024). Value-based healthcare delivery: a scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 134.

 

 

Please also review AIHCP’s Holistic Nursing Certification programs and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification

Alternative Medicine: Reiki – What is It?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

 What is Reiki and How does it apply to Alternative Medicine?

Complementary and alternative medicine is becoming popular by day. This is because of the high costs and adverse side effects associated with conventional medicine. One of the best conventional treatments available today is Reiki. Reiki is cost effective, requires little technology, can blend easily with all other therapies and has very few side effects. So, what is Reiki?

Reiki is considered a form of spiritual healing where the Reiki Master or practitioner lays hands on the patient. The laying of hands purportedly promotes and stimulate the body to heal itself of malady through the process of detoxing the body and breaking down energy blocks. The energy used is not a person’s own but is in fact a universal energy which surrounds all living things and objects.

A picture of a gem stone. How does this apply to alternative medicine?
Alternative Medicine and Holistic Nursing Health Care often look towards Reiki and other forms of healing.

Basically, the healing energy is channeled through the practitioner’s hands and into the recipient during a non-intrusive hands on healing session. In order to channel this energy, you need to be attuned to it, which can only be done by a Reiki master. Once attuned to this energy, a person can channel Reiki at will, to heal mental, emotional and physical ailments. A Reiki practitioner can also send energy through time and space to heal others, or even to a past incidence which is causing ill effect in the present time. Reiki can be used together with other alternative forms of healing.

History of Reiki

Reiki, pronounced Ray-key, is a Japanese work which means universal life force energy. Reiki was discovered in the middle of 19th century by Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr. Usui was the head of a Christian university in Kyoto, Japan. His students explained to him one day that they never heard of the healing ways used by Jesus Christ. The students asked him to perform this type of healing for them. Unfortunately, Dr. Usui did not have any answers. With that he resigned as the head of the university and went on a journey to look for answers.

He travelled to America to further his studies in Theology. He then travelled to Japan to train in healings of Chinese Sutra and Buddha and then to Tibet where he studied the ancient language of India (Sanskrit) and the Tibetan Lotus Sutra. It was here that he found the answers he was looking for. He went back to Japan and climbed the Holy Mountain of Kuri Yama, where he fasted and meditated for 21 days.

Dr. Usui returned to his abbey in Kyoto to treat people and teach others. Usui relied on his intuition to know where and when to place his hands and how to conduct healings. One of his students, Dr, Hayashi, is credited for adding the specific hand positions that have become standard Reiki procedures. Reiki techniques and principles have been handed down from teacher to student for about 100 years. During this time, many styles, theories and techniques have evolved.

How it Works

A reiki treatment is given to a fully-clothed patient, on a plinth or seated on a chair. The practitioner places his hands on or above the patient. The hands are placed either lightly on or above the patient so there is no pressure on the body.

A practitioner acts as a conduit for the energy. Universal energy is classified as an intelligent energy, and simply knows where it needs to go during the healing session. The practitioner simply places his hands and allows the energy to flow through the hands to where it needs to be.

Each session can last between 20-60 minutes. A full healing session can take about 50-60 minutes and covers all areas of the body. This takes the practitioner through a number of different positions. Every hand position lasts about 3-5 minutes.

Each person’s experience with reiki can be varied, although the feeling of deep relaxation is felt by all. In many cases, patients feel a warm or cold sensation during the healing session. In some cases, they may see colors and feel extremely relaxed. Some experience a glowing radiance that flows through them and around them. Others drift off to sleep, get visions and others mystical experience. It’s also common to see some people shed tears during a healing session. This is because the energy can heal emotional issues which in turn can bring these emotions to the surface in order for them to be released. At the end of the session a person will not only be relaxed but will also have a positive and balanced outlook.

Many ailments can be treated through Reiki, such as panic attacks, pains, aches, migraines and other serious ailments.

Reiki Healing and Holistic Nursing

Reiki energy healing can be introduced to the patient by the nursing staff on all levels if they have received the special Reiki attunement by a Master Reiki Practitioner. Most frequently we see Certified Holistic and Integrative Health Care Nurses providing Reiki treatments. There are no adverse side effects from this treatment, and it can be implemented at any time or stage of an illness.

‘Dis-ease’ is an important messager, indicating the body’s homeostasis needs to be restored. Reiki fuels the homeostatic mechanisms and assist in restoration of physical, mental and emotional balance. Reiki works to enhance and accelerate the normal healing process of the body and mind. By inducing the relaxation response, Reiki encourages integration functioning of the body’s healing system. This deep relaxation acts through autonomic nervous system to lower heart rate and blood pressure. This treatment also augments the ability of the immune system and stimulates the production of endorphins, decreasing pain and creating a state of well-being.

A study by Sanoma State University, focusing on nurses trained in Reiki 1, concluded that that reiki is a natural adjunct to nursing, and can be incorporated in all areas of nursing care. Basically, reiki flows whenever a patient is touched by his/her caregiver.

Reiki can be used in all hospital environments and requires no specific setting or preparations. It can be incorporated unobtrusively into patient treatment to help relieve stress, pain, agitation as well as aiding sleep. It also promotes release of anger, anxiety, and grief. No adjustment to clothing is necessary, reiki healing even flows through casts. This treatment is not dependent upon the consciousness of the patient. Nurses who use reiki treatment report the following benefits.

Benefits of Reiki Treatment

1. Patients sleep calmly, and for longer time periods.

2. Patients have a better attitude, and are more cooperative.

3. Patients report decreased pain. They require less pain medication and leave the hospital sooner.

4. Reiki can reduce the dosage and frequency of pharmacological intervention.

5. Reiki can be used to balance patient’s energy during operations, including heart transplants and surgeries. Nurses’ report decreased post-op depression, leg weaknesses, and pain and reduced rejection rates.

6. Reiki helps in improving circulation and eliminating nerve blockages.

7. For cancer patients, reiki treatments may reduce side effects, like nausea and fatigue caused by radiation and chemotherapy.

8. Reiki treatments offer a gentle way for people traumatized by crime, rape or war to heal.

Certification in Holistic Nursing

Are you interested in learning more about Integrative and Complimentary therapies and how they can be applied in health care delivery today? If you are a Registered Nurse, you can become certified in Holistic and Integrative Nursing Practice. The AIHCP offers a full program of continuing education and national certification specifically for Registered Nurses. You can preview the program by Clicking Here