By Fari Valji, MD
In a 15 or 20 minute visit with a patient, how effective can we be at counseling on diet or exercise? I’ll admit for me, most times it feels like an impossible task to give a patient the information that will change the course of their chronic illness. I recently attended an Orange County chapter meeting and Dr. Everard Esteban shared the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. This is a great place to start for patient resources and educational content for those looking to learn more.
Some of my favorite handouts include “Food as Medicine Jumpstart” and “Calorie Density – A Simple Yet Powerful Approach to Weight Loss”. They provide tangible examples of changes patients can make along with a how and why. You can create a free account to access these resources along with a free CME course, “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials Course”. This really boosted my ability to help my patients move toward their goals.
