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Welcome member
In this month's Newsletter...
Headline News
Top 5 ways walking helps your mental health
Lifestyle Medicine in Focus:
Sleep deprivation, menopause awareness, optimal exercise and more
Opportunities & Courses
PG Mutual 20% off for members, Mr Motivator club, alongside other member offers
BSLM News
Sugar tax debate, Newcastle LM Society and SIG update.
Upcoming Events
Stress Management training, pain management regional meeting and more
BSLM Learning Academy
New Gut Microbiome course breakdown
NHS Weekly Newsletter
The latest from the NHS Weekly Blogs
HEADLINE NEWS
Top 5 ways walking helps your mental health
By Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi
Physical activity is a fundamental pillar in lifestyle medicine. The BSLM and RCGP have joined forces to help promote and support two key physical activity-based projects, and we need your help to spread it right across primary care and entire communities.
Why not take part in a parkrun and see for yourself what it’s all about and register as a parkrun practice today!
We would love your help in championing these initiatives, and encouraging as many practices in your area to take part. It’s by working together that we can start to change the tide, and put movement and physical activity at the heart of individual and community health wellbeing!
There are also almost endless ways to improve your mental health, starting with simply going for a walk. Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi is a GP, a TV doctor, RCGP Lifestyle and Physical Activity Clinical Champion and a triathlete, and he has also shared his top five ways walking helps your mental health. A great blog by Dr Hussain, truly highlighting the benefits walking can bring to mental health. It is well worth the read.
- Connection with nature and green spaces
- Sense of community
- Boosts your endorphins
- Boosts our mood and lowers our stress levels
- Great start to your weekend: Now known as parkwalk day!
LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN FOCUS
Sleeping 5 hours or less a night linked to serious, chronic illness
By Eve Bender, Medscape
Individuals who are middle-aged and older and who sleep 5 hours or less a night may be at risk for an array of serious and chronic health conditions, ranging from heart disease to cancer, results of a large study show.
Researchers at University College London in the United Kingdom and Université Paris Cité, France, found that beginning at age 50, those who slept 5 hours or less a night had a 30% higher risk of developing multiple chronic diseases over time than those who slept at least 7 hours a night. By the time the participants were aged 70 years, that risk had increased to 40%.
Diseases for which there was a higher risk included diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, depression, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and arthritis.
"Only 1 Nurse knew about Lifestyle Medicine, now 100 do!"
Last month, Dr Helen Kini, BSLM Regional Lifestyle Lead North-West, was at Princes Limited with Louise Minchin to raise awareness and understanding for menopause in the workplace.
With 70% of women in paid employment, and over 4 million in the UK aged 50 or older, Helen sees it as crucial that they understand menopause and are best placed to see improved support, productivity and attendance. She feels it is so important in order to empower woman and ensure this transition is a positive one.
This is fantastic work by Helen, and as she said after this event, out of 100 nurses attending only 1 had heard about lifestyle medicine. Now, they all do! As a community we must do all we can to continuously send out the message about lifestyle medicine, and the benefits it can bring to the lives of everyone.
Why do we stop using BMI to diagnose obesity?
"BMI is trash. Full stop." This controversial tweet received 26,500 likes and almost 3000 retweets. The 400 comments from medical and nonhealthcare personnel ranged from agreeable to contrary to offensive.
Regardless of your opinion on BMI (body mass index), this conversation highlighted that the medical community needs to discuss the limitations of BMI and decide its future.
Swim England and Good Boost partnership wins two prestigious health awards
Swim England and Good Boost have won two prestigious honours at the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Awards.
It was a successful evening at the East Wintergarden in London as the partnership were announced as winners of the Community Health Development category, followed by the Public Health Minister’s Award.
Exploring the world of probiotics
This article lifts the lid on the science behind probiotics. It also explores the applications of the research in this field, explains how to tell the difference between a fermented food and probiotic, and shares some of the exciting studies in the area.
You might travel the globe in search of the world’s most beautiful habitats, like the Amazon rainforest or the Great Barrier Reef, but did you know that one of the most magnificent ecosystems is living right inside of you?
Research on the optimal amount of exercise
HealthyLongevity.guide analyzed several studies on the impact of exercise on longevity, and summarized the results in an article.
It reveals how many hours of aerobic activity per week are ideal, how much strength training should be included, how many steps are recommended to walk every day, and how much exercise is already too much and has negative effects on health.
To read the article, create a free account at HealthyLongevity.guide
OPPORTUNITIES & COURSES
Many members are now fulfilling portfolio roles and may have requirements for extra protection. We partnered with PG Mutual to help. Income Protection Plus could be what you need to reassure yourself that should the unthinkable happen, and you find yourself unable to work due to illness or injury, then your plan could look after your income and, in turn, the things you care about most, like your family and home.
As a BSLM member, you get a 20% discount on Income Protection Plus, so there’s even more reason to consider protecting your income through PG Mutual.
Get a Quick Quote today
*T&Cs apply. Visit www.pgmutual.co.uk/legal
Mr Motivator Club GP Referral Programme
The Mr Motivator Club offers live Zoom classes with standing and sitting options three times a week, as well as access to a library of pre-recorded classes. Healthcare professionals can refer patients with a chronic condition who are not meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) physical activity recommendations. Patients will pay a discounted fee of £1.99 per month (usually £6.99 per month) and have full access to the site including nutrition advice.
University College London (UCL) is performing a study about the experience. See Downloads for the full programme flyer and Vimeo for a video explaining how and why healthcare professionals should refer patients to the club.
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.
LATEST NEWS AT BSLM
Sugar Tax Debate at BSLM 2022 | Panel Discussion
You can now catch up on the BSLM 2022 panel discussion, where, Professor Tim Spector, Jonathan Holmes, Christopher Snowdon and Professor Sumantra Ray answer questions on various exciting and controversial topics, including whether a tax on sugar would be beneficial.
If you would like to keep up with engaging Lifestyle Medicine videos, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel so you don't miss out.
Sunrise Swim and Breakfast event with the Newcastle Lifestyle Medicine Society
It was great to see so many people at the Newcastle Lifestyle Medicine Society Sunrise Swim and Breakfast event. It looked an amazing time and is fantastic to have these events encouraging so many future health professionals to explore lifestyle medicine!
BSLM: Special Interest Groups
The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine values specialist expertise to guide the work of the Society. It has agreed to convene a Special Interest Group (SIG) structure, to provide an evidence-based resource, for members and the wider public. SIGs provide an excellent opportunity to involve members to reach a consensus on best practice in the area under consideration and share the information to speed up learning and integration of Lifestyle Medicine into practice. There is currently a vacancy for a Chair for our deprescribing SIG.
No December Webinar
With it's proximity to Christmas and how busy people typically are, there will be no monthly webinar in December, with the series resuming the following month in January. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has both attended or contributed to the webinars this year!
We would love to hear suggestions for topics of what you'd like to hear about next year. Get in touch through office@bslm.org.uk
Stress Management and Resiliency Training (S.M.A.R.T.)
Begins 23rd Nov | Online on Zoom
A Mind Body Program for Improved Health & Resiliency. Stress Management is one of the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. This is an experiential skills-based program that presents a variety of tools for helping ourselves and our patients.
This 8-week research-proven* program will help you develop self-care tools to recognise and manage your stress, reduce medical symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
Pain management: through the lens of lifestyle medicine
Wednesday 23rd November | 7pm - 8pm
Join Dr Deepak Ravindran as a speaker, with Dr Adaeze Ifezulike MBE and Dr Julie Gray as hosts for the latest North East Scotland regional meeting, exploring ‘Pain Management through the lens of Lifestyle Medicine‘. This event is open to the public and therefore you are welcome to share with colleagues and patients far and wide!
29th November | 9am - 4:45pm
This event will explore the subject of food supplements, “functional” and “superfoods” from a scientific, legislative and commercial perspective.
Confusion exists amongst the general public and healthcare professionals regarding the safety, legal status and utility of these categories of foods. The primary objective of this conference is to provide a balanced perspective so participants are better informed and the use of supplements can become exclusively based on their functionality.
BSLM LEARNING ACADEMY
The Gut Microbiome for Clinicians | Course Breakdown
BSLM Learning Academy course writers, Dr's Siobhan McCormack and Sheena Fraser have spent time to provide a comprehensive breakdown on our new course educating on the gut microbiome, a fascinating and crucial part of our bodies. Check out the video above.
NHS NETWORKS
Effective communication will help
Primary care is barely out of the news. Patient expectations are rising. Public understanding of the challenges within primary care is often low or non-existent. GP practice staff are working with new team members, often from different practices within primary care networks (PCNs).
Dental sytem reform - focus groups
The blog this week is from Wendy Crew, one of PCC’s expert advisers who has an interest in dental commissioning, the blog focuses on dental system reform and invites dental professional groups to influence the future.
Email us - office@bslm.org.uk
