‘I originally started this journey for my own health reasons’
Laura Freeman trained to be a doctor in Edinburgh before moving to Canada. After being diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she discovered lifestyle medicine and how it impacted on her own health for the better. Now she’s returned to Scotland determined to share her vision for holistic healthcare
Igrew up in Glasgow, but at the age of 18 made the journey from west to east to study at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. I graduated in 2006 and completed my training as a General Practitioner in 2011. After working as a GP Locum, my Canadian husband and I agreed to spend some time back in Toronto. I then attained full accreditation from the Medical Council of Canada and ran my own Family Medicine practice there for over seven years.
I have always had a strong interest in nutrition, but it was only when I became the patient instead of the doctor that I was forced to reconsider everything I thought I knew about diet and lifestyle. At that time, my youngest child was just six months old and I was an active, working mum. I overhauled my own diet and health habits almost overnight and it did not take me long to feel the transformation. Naturally, I felt compelled to share this with my family, friends and patients. Many of my patients had incredible successes with reversing diabetes, improving pain, coping with stress and just feeling much better in themselves.
I have now specialised and certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician. I am a member of Plant Based Health Professionals UK and the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
What is lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle medicine is an evidence based approach which promotes every aspect of physical and emotional wellbeing. It focuses on a predominantly whole food plant based diet, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances (cigarettes, alcohol and drugs) and positive social connections. In this way, the practice of lifestyle medicine can offer a first line management solution for the prevention, treatment and often reversal of many chronic lifestyle related diseases.
For the avoidance of doubt, I do not advocate that lifestyle medicine as a replacement for conventional medicine. After all, I required surgery after my cancer diagnosis and will remain on lifelong medication as a consequence. However, I do advocate that it offers something usefully different for the patient which can offer early intervention or effective supplementary treatment for lifestyle related illnesses.
Why lifestyle medicine?
Our lifestyle is the root cause of many of our health problems and these chronic lifestyle related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and Alzheimer’s are looming global pandemics and account for our everincreasing and unsustainable health care costs.
Certainly, for the majority of patients I see, many different elements of their lifestyle have played a key part in developing their illnesses – but that also means that their lifestyle is a crucial component in their treatment and recovery.
However, I am concerned that the information and advice around health and wellness has become increasingly complicated – often overwhelming and even contradictory at times. For patients and health-care professionals alike, the so called ‘wellness industry’ can be distracting and difficult to navigate. I want to simplify the message for my patients and help them to bypass the confusion by introducing them to lifestyle medicine, which is a straightforward, evidence based way to reach optimal wellness. Its recommendations all use the best available science encompassing all aspects of health and wellness to produce positive clinical outcomes.
More personally, another one of the many benefits of this practice, is that I am able to connect with patients at times when they feel healthy and not only at times when they are sick. I encourage patients to see me when they feel well and either want to optimise their health or prevent disease. In this way, my patients are taking a proactive approach to their health care rather than a reactive one. This is empowering for them – they can learn how best to take control of their own health destiny. From my side of the desk (though I like to sit beside my patients not across from them!) it is also a much more satisfying and rewarding way of promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
More broadly, I originally started this journey for my own health reasons and then for my patients’ health. But by following and continuing to learn about a whole food plant based diet I have become more aware of the wider benefits of eating ethically and sustainably. It has taken 18 years of medical training for me to realise my responsibility as a doctor to talk to patients about how their health and the health of the planet are inextricably linked. With ecoanxiety only rising, I believe this is another really important issue to work through with my patients.
Putting lifestyle medicine into practice
I am eager to put lifestyle medicine into practice in a variety of ways. I will be offering one-on-one consultations at my clinics in Glasgow and Edinburgh, providing patients with detailed analysis, clear recommendations and personalised lifestyle medicine intervention plans. I am fortunate to have the luxury of time with my patients, which allows us to talk about what matters to them most – be that their eating habits, activity levels, stress, friends, family, job, finances and more. Each patient, and their family, will have different health goals – so
“It has taken 18 years of medical training for me to realise my responsibility as a doctor to talk to patients about how their health and the health of the planet are inextricably linked”
it is crucial to discover what each of their priorities are and then work on a health plan that will be both meaningful and sustainable for that individual. This approach is proven to be a highly effective way to establish and maintain healthy behaviours in order to improve patients’ quality of life and longevity.
I am also collaborating with an award winning plant based restaurant – Soul Food Kitchen, located in the West End of Glasgow. From there, I will be running Scotland’s first ever “Walk with a Doc” programme – a free, monthly event bringing community members together for a walk and short health presentation. “Walk with a Doc” has been running successfully as a nonprofit organisation in America for over 15 years, effectively demonstrating how people can be empowered to exercise and form strong social connections at the same time.
In addition, I will be leading ‘CHIP’ – the Complete Health Improvement Programme – which is a 12-week Lifestyle Intervention Solution to prevent, treat, and potentially reverse some of the most common chronic diseases. CHIP is one of the most scientifically validated health programmes out there and has been running worldwide for more than 30 years with publications in more than 40 research papers. It has produced incredible health improvements for more than 80,000 participants to date. Evidence has shown CHIP participants reduce their risks of many lifestyle related diseases, including two of the most common chronic conditions, namely heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Participation in CHIP can also boost your mood, help you lose weight and promote strong social connections. It really empowers people to take control of their health and the opportunity to do this in a group setting provides the additional benefit of peer support and interaction. I’m truly thrilled to be launching the very first cycle of this powerful and exciting programme in Scotland.
Although I recognise that it often takes commitment to make healthy lifestyle changes, I also know that lifestyle medicine works extremely well in real life for real people – young or old, healthy or chronically ill. I have seen firsthand the success that lifestyle medicine has produced for my Canadian patients. Many of them have enjoyed feeling better and having more energy as well as reducing their blood pressure, sugar and high cholesterol. After spending almost 20 years away from home as part of my medical training, I now feel very lucky and grateful to be able to have returned to Scotland with my family. My goal now – and my passion – is to share all that I know about lifestyle medicine so that as many people as possible can live healthier, happier lives.