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JULY
Welcome member
What the new
Presidential roles
will mean for BSLM
In this month's Newsletter...
Headline News
- Introductory interviews with new BSLM President & Vice-Presidents
Lifestyle Medicine in Focus:
- New Brian Webster publication exploring hypertension and how Lifestyle Medicine can intervene
- Articles on microbiomes & optimising old age using lifestyle measurers
- New blogs from Sheena Fraser & Suzy Scarlett
BSLM News
- New Learning Academy course
- Join the #1change campaign
- Successful July Events
Upcoming Events
- Long Covid webinar & Yorkshire Regional Event
BSLM 2022
- Gala Dinner tickets now available
Opportunities & Courses
- New BSLM Regional lead positions available
Alex Maxwell & Ellen Fallows explain new roles
There's been a great buzz and many congratulations in for Alex and Ellen on their new presidential roles. We took the opportunity to interview them both, looking at everything they will bring to their new roles, as well as a little bit about their passions, aspirations and careers.
When asked about the nature of the role as BSLM President, Alex Maxwell said:
"I believe my role is mainly about representation with an element of leadership:
Representation – It is critical that the BSLM is well represented in all areas – to Healthcare Professionals, the public, professional bodies, and abroad. My role will be to help ensure we are representing ourselves accurately and with absolute legitimacy as well as directly representing our mission statement myself when speaking on behalf of the BSLM in a variety of contexts.
Leadership – I will contribute my voice, skills and understanding to helping guide the BSLM in navigating the challenging landscape of health and social care in the UK. My core values of legitimacy, learning and optimism align very well with the BSLM’s of honesty, transparency and integrity and I am dedicated to listening to the expertise of our staff and members to help lead us to even greater achievements and position.
This is a 2-year tenure, and I am very aware this is not a long time! These are not personal goals as my position is entirely to serve the BSLM and its members. Therefore, these are the top three I hope to achieve with the team in this time:
- Establish the BSLM and its Learning Academy as a world-leading, comprehensive, and high-quality Lifestyle Medicine educational resource for all academic levels – from public to professor.
- Have over 50% (this is 19 or more I believe) of Medical Schools in the UK include specific Lifestyle Medicine education in their curricula.
- Significantly increase the number of Nurse and Allied Healthcare Professional members to better represent their skills and experience."
As a new Vice-President, Ellen will play a key role in driving growth with BSLM and Lifestyle Medicine in the future:
"Luckily, we are challenged in keeping up with the massive growth in interest in Lifestyle Medicine. This is despite no funding from “big food” or pharma; we need membership subscriptions and aligned organisation support. There are much larger players than us in healthcare who risk skewing the narrative around health with a focus on precision medicine, genes, and medications when we need to balance this with more whole-person, values-based and lifestyle approaches.
I see a confident, grass roots charity rapidly growing and being embraced by the younger generation of health care professionals and practitioners who understand the critical role of this new approach. We have growing number of prestigious universities, not just dabbling in Lifestyle Medicine now but seeing it as a core and critical part of the medical curriculum that benefits both patients and their clinicians. The future is bright!"
Lifestyle Medicine
in Focus
Can we treat - and even beat - hypertension?
Brian Webster, one of BSLM's active Nurse members, argues that, despite its classification as a long-term condition, hypertension can be prevented, managed and even reversed through lifestyle changes.
It is estimated around 1.13billion people globally have the long-term condition known as hypertension, with that number set to increase to an estimated 1.5 billion without significant interventions.
These interventions should come in the form of Lifestyle Medicine, with these approaches becoming more advocated for among policy makers and researchers worldwide. These lifestyle interventions can involve changing exercise patterns, consumption of harmful substances and dietary choices, all of which are known to reduce blood pressure and improve overall health.
Members of the British Medical Journal can read the full publication through the link below
Could the gut microbiome be the key to better aging?
While many would like to discover the fountain of youth, the secret to aging gracefully might lie, in part, in our gut.
Ready to Retire? A Lifestyle Medicine approach to optimising this time of life
For many, retirement may take up a third of our lives, and adopting Lifestyle Medicine measures can help to ensure healthy longevity.
The Air we Breathe
Dr Sheena Fraser looks in depth into breathing, and how the adoption of various breathing techniques can help transform the lives of patients
Turning Setbacks into Learning Opportunities
Setbacks occur constantly throughout life. Dr Suzy Scarlett explores how to overcome these setbacks and facilitate behaviour change in patients, taking a particular focus on physical activity.
Diet, Lifestyle & Weight Management
Pam Brown takes a in-depth look at the American Diabetes Association Conference, which took a particular focus on nutrition, physical activity and weight management.
Andrew Paterson, PCC associate, considers the new normal for access to services, after COVID-19 has changed the way in which patients access primary care services.
The cost of opioid-induced constipation (OIC)
There has been a sharp increase in the prescribing of opioids to patients with chronic pain. However, despite the debilitating side effect of constipation many healthcare professionals continue to prescribe opioids.
New Learning Academy Course Coming Soon
We are excited to be bringing to you a new Learning Academy course! Our team have been working to develop a groundbreaking new educational course that delivers insightful Lifestyle Medicine content to healthcare professionals.
Details of the course will follow soon, so stayed tuned to hear what we have in store
Join our #1Change Campaign!
We would love for you all to participate in our #1Change campaign which runs continuously throughout the year.
We want you to tell us about the one lifestyle change you have made in your life that has made a difference to you. Let's highlight the positive changes that can transform lives through lifestyle medicine together.
Please email details of your #1Change to james.brownlee@bslm.org.uk (format details below). This will then be shared on our social media accounts to the BSLM community.
Format Details
- A photo OR video (under 1 minute) highlighting your #1Change (e.g. scenery, new recipe, walking to work...)
- Details of your #1Change and how it has benefited you
- Any social media handles you want us to tag you in
Rob Lawson at Medlife Inauguration
So exciting to see another sister society setting up and being active. Our very own Chairman, Dr Rob Lawson, there to learn, lead and inspire. The Mediterranean lifestyle offers many benefits and after their inaugural meeting, we are certain we'll see increased engagement and collaboration between societies going forward.
Successful Cornwall Regional Meeting
A lovely evening for BSLM Cornwall with a gathering of like-minded health professionals sharing examples of how Lifestyle Medicine is and can help their local community to manage, reverse and prevent chronic illness. There was some inspiring elevator pitches, loads of ideas, yummy healthy food, and even a dip in the sea!
Thanks to sprout at the yard and From Trees for their contribution to our successful regional meet!
July Monthly Webinar
Tuesday 19th July | 7pm
Please do join us live on the evening to have your questions asked and join the conversation. All our webinars are CPD Accredited (1hr) and certificates can be obtained on request.
This webinar is free and available to EVERYONE, regardless of membership, so please share far and wide with colleagues and patients!
Long Covid: Recovery & Wellbeing
Dr Deepak Ravindran
Suzy Bolt
Yorkshire Regional Event - Free Physical Activity Training
Sunday 24th July | 7pm
Exciting opportunity for our Yorkshire regional meet. Dr Varun Anand, Physical Activity Clinical Champion for the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID, former PHE will be delivering FREE tailored, peer to peer training sessions, to groups of NHS healthcare professionals (HCPs). It is available to all doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, advanced clinical practitioners, pharmacists, paramedics, psychologists, dieticians, OTs/physios, other Allied HCPs and trainees/students.
Benefits of training
Attending this FREE training provides the opportunity to:
- Access evidence-based resources proven to increase knowledge and confidence, and support clinical practice in line with guidance (e.g. NICE)
- Improve management and care of patients with 30+ long-term conditions (e.g. CVD, type 2 diabetes, depression, MSK issues, some cancers)
- Help reduce service demand and costs i.e. the ~£0.9bn annual cost to the NHS associated with insufficient physical activity
Gala Dinner Tickets Now Available
Join us at our gala dinner for an evening of great food and entertainment on Friday 23rd September, at the stunning venue of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It's sure to be a fantastic night with George McGavin as our after-dinner speaker and live music throughout the evening. Tickets are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment!
Visit London
Discover the best of London with Visit London, the official guide to England’s exciting capital. Find things to do in London, from iconic sightseeing spots and fun-filled days out to top restaurants, theatre and unmissable London events.
New Regional Lead Roles available within BSLM
If you’re interested in joining the BSLM regional team, please get in touch with office@bslm.org.uk … more information on the role below, further details available on request.
BSLM Regional Leads - Vacancies exist for:
- East Midlands
- East of England
- North East England & Yorkshire
- Wales
The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM) has set up Regional Leads (RL’s) who have agreed to take on responsibility for leading and coordinating the organisation’s activities in their region of the UK. They are expected to agree with the vision and mission of BSLM and work to further the organisation’s aims and objectives.
1: Responsibilities
Key responsibilities for the role include that RL’s should:
- act as the local advocate for BSLM, to promote lifestyle medicine, the Charity, and engagement locally
- lead and connect with BSLM members in their geographic area
- build and maintain sound working relationships with local members
- lead regional meetings and serve as an active participant in national meetings
- mentor and provide signposting to training and initiatives for local members
- to actively promote the BSLM Learning Academy, including the Diploma and any future courses
- act as the regional liaison member for the BSLM office staff
Regional Leads should ideally be IBLM/BSLM Certified (or working towards) and be able to hold at least one in-person and one online meeting/event per year in their region.
30% BSLM Member Offer
HealthyLongevity.guide is building a platform for progressive healthcare professionals eager to learn more about the booming world of longevity, healthy ageing and healthy lifespan extension, and gerontology sciences. Become a longevity expert and advance your career with a 30% discount for BSLM members.
Walk with a Doc - Lead Doctors needed
We are looking for more GPs and health professionals to lead Walk with a Doc the Wirr, taking place each Tuesday - 10:30 AM and 2nd Saturday of month - 11.30. This doctor-led group is a fun and safe place to go for a walk, learn about health, and meet new friends. The event is FREE and all ages are welcome! Get in touch with Dr Sue Smith for more information (sue@drsuesmith.co.uk)
GP Opportunity
We are currently looking for GP’s who are working in and around City and Hackney to provide lifestyle medicine advice to those signed up for virtual group consultations around women’s health. Following successful engagement events , Group Consultations Ltd and the City and Hackney PCN’s are looking to provide additional Virtual Group Consultations sessions in this area.
One of the key requests has been for evidence-based Lifestyle advice, around women’s health which provides us with a great opportunity to get lifestyle medicine at the forefront of discussions and they would like to engage with some GP’s willing to offer some time to share this advice, in the coming sessions. If you’re looking to gain exposure to virtual group consultations, this would offer a great opportunity to gain some first-hand experience and likely to lead to publications, potential paid work and opportunities for embedding this model in your own practice. Sessions will arranged in line with availability, 60 min sessions, virtually (MS Teams).
For other member opportunities and promotions, check out our website
Swim England Campaign & Research Launched
Swim England have launched the ‘England Swims’ campaign, appealing for those from ethnically diverse communities to give their views and experiences – with the aim of helping to make water-based activity more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
The national campaign, is asking for everyone to respond – including those who can swim but may choose not to, those who cannot swim, those who have tried but have not had positive experiences and those that already enjoy the water.
Complete the survey through the button below.
One year's UKHCA affiliate membership FREE
The UK Health Coaches Association are offering FIVE IPM Conference participants an opportunity to win ONE YEAR’S FREE Affiliate Membership – worth £120!
The UKHCA are also offering FIVE eligible Conference participants an opportunity to submit an application for our NEW Portfolio Route to UKHCA Full Membership – TOTALLY COST FREE!
On successful completion of the application process, you will enjoy a 50% DISCOUNT on fees for the first year of membership.
You can find out more information and enter on their website through the button below.
50% discount for International Academy of Nutrition
The International Academy of Nutrition Educators is a membership scheme for professionals interested in developing and delivering high quality nutrition education and evaluating its impact, particularly on healthcare practice.
As a member of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, you are entitled to 50% discount on your membership fee. Please add the code B2Y0C5Z2 during your application to avail.
Email us - office@bslm.org.uk
