As an advanced practice nurse, I have taken care of many people with preventable chronic illnesses who have suffered and died unnecessary early deaths.  Daily, I am saddened to observe family members, neighbors, patients, and friends endure chronic ailments that prevent them from accomplishing simple tasks and living life to the fullest.

My dad (Willie David Marshall, Sr.)  died of a sudden heart attack and my mom (Lizzie Octavia Marshall Winston) died during heart surgery from calcified plaque in her arteries.  With certainty, I can say the knowledge of Lifestyle Medicine would have extended my parents’ lifespan and quality of life a little longer.

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that teaches people to eat a whole-food plant-based meal while incorporating regular physical activity, sleeping seven to nine hours at night, meditating, increasing social connections, and abstaining from harmful substances like nicotine, fat, salt, and sugar, caffeine, and illegal drugs. 

Lifestyle Medicine will treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity.

If you are unaware of the term, ‘Lifestyle Medicine,’ listen to the first 38 minutes of the video below: