At the heart of Lifestyle Medicine is behavior change
Is this right for you?
Lifestyle medicine can play an important role in preventing and treating many health conditions, and can quickly and meaningfully improve the quality of your life. Most modern diseases are caused by lifestyle. Have you been diagnosed with a chronic disease, at risk of developing a chronic disease, or looking for a lifestyle approach to boost your health? Do any of these apply to you?
Physical inactivity
Unhealthy diet
Overweight
Stress
Anxiety
Depressed mood
Poor sleep
Hormonal imbalance
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
High blood sugar-prediabetes
Diabetes Type 2
Heart disease
Inflammatory and autoimmune disease
Family history of chronic disease
Skin conditions
How does it work?
The idea is that a healthy lifestyle supports optimal anti-inflammatory, immune and metabolic processes. The same lifestyle changes benefit many conditions because these conditions have many common, underlying pathways. A whole foods, plant-predominant dietary pattern is one of the most impactful pillars of health - within a few days to a few weeks of incorporating this, patients often experience improved energy, mood, weight loss, skin conditions, gastrointestinal symptoms, blood pressure, blood sugar, and less joint pain among others.
I offer services to meet your needs to support you on your health journey.
My Approach
Evidence- based
As a double board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Lifestyle Medicine Provider I have a broad and well honed skill set. I utilize evidence-based, conventional medical and holistic health training to provide a scientific, whole person approach to your health. I love to learn and stay up to date with continuing education in my relevant fields.
Holistic
You are a whole person and your mind, body, emotions, spirit, ancestral history, environment, community and relationships all have a role to play in your health. I bring this perspective into each patient encounter to provide a grounded and balanced approach to your care.
Personalized and Compassionate Care
I value getting to know you first and foremost as a person. You have time in your visit to share what is important to you and know you will be listened to. I meet you wherever you are on your health journey with respect and an open heart and mind.
Coaching
I am passionate about personal transformation and growth. I work closely with you to assess your unique health challenges and hopes, and create a realistic, tailored treatment plan to reach your goals. My role is to empower you to make sustainable lifestyle changes and provide accountability.
Equity
I believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity to achieve their best health. My aim is to offer high quality, accessible and affordable healthcare. As a mixed race, black woman I relate to many types of people and deeply value the diversity of life.
F.A.Q.s
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Lifestyle medicine is a distinct field of medicine with the goal of treating the cause of most modern diseases with the strongest evidence-based modalities available. Lifestyle prescriptions are first line therapy and medications and other modalities are used when needed. In contrast, conventional medicine treats the actual disease but not the underlying cause. The American College of LIfestyle Medicine was founded in 2004 and is the medical professional society for the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine.
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Though lifestyle medicine, functional medicine and integrative medicine focus on personalized health prescriptions to address the cause of disease, lifestyle medicine is distinct in that lifestyle changes are prescribed as the first and most important therapy for disease prevention, treatment and reversal.
Functional medicine takes a detailed view of the genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and uses that data for personal treatment plans.
Integrative medicine combines conventional therapies, such as medications and surgery, with complementary therapies like acupuncture.
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All new clients must first have a 15 minute free discovery video call. Book your call by selecting any of the buttons or links you see on this site prompting you to book, and you will be sent to a separate calendar. Follow these instructions:
Select New Patient
Select Virtual Visit
Select Discovery Call Virtual Visit from the drop down menu.
Select a Date and Time
Fill out your information.
Select Continue
You will receive an email with the link for the video call when your appointment is confirmed.
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No, we do not accept insurance at this time. We will provide you with a super bill for services that you submit to your insurance company, Flexible Spending Account (FSA)/ Health Savings Account (HSA) for reimbursement. We do not submit payment to your insurance company or guarantee reimbursement. Reducing administrative time allows us to spend more time focused on your care.
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We want our services to be available to all who desire them. We offer a reduced rate for services. Please contact us if you would like more information on this.
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Prior to your first visit, called the new patient consultation, you are asked to complete a comprehensive intake form (expect 20 minutes) to help us get to know you. The intake consists of your medical and social history, dietary patterns, physical activity, stress, sleep, substance use, social connectedness, and any other issues you identify as impacting your health.
The new patient consultation is in person where we will further explore your health history, and together, identify and prioritize areas to improve, as well as potential challenges that you may face. We make a plan of treatment based on lifestyle interventions and provide educational resources to support your goals. During in person visits we take your vital signs and do a brief physical exam. We may order lab tests if needed.
In follow up visits, we revisit your progress, celebrate successes, use a growth mind set to investigate any obstacles, and make adjustments to your plan.
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How often to meet is based on your needs. Experience shows that a big change in the beginning with frequent follow-ups yields the best results. After the new patient consultation, we recommend follow up visits every two weeks over the course of one to two months to keep the momentum going and support your health goals. After this, visits can be spaced out based on your needs and progress.
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Our aim is that you will recognize how lifestyle is the foundation of your health and that even small changes can have a powerful impact on how you feel, function and even look. We hope that you are empowered to make sustainable changes, which can also be demonstrated objectively. Most off all, we hope that you discover and sustain the joy of healthy living!
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Consider your lifestyle patterns, personal health goals, readiness to change, any barriers that could be in the way, and strengths that you have. Be patient and compassionate with yourself, and have an open mind. This is not about a quick fix approach, but rather adopting healthy habits that will serve you well for a lifetime.
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No, however, a whole foods, plant-predominant dietary pattern is one of the most impactful pillars of health. Most people do not need to be completely vegan or vegetarian to see the health benefits from eating more plants.
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No, we do not provide primary care services. You will need a primary care provider (PCP) who you see for physicals, acute conditions, medication prescriptions and adjustments, and referrals to specialists when needed. We can work with your PCP to support your treatment plan. You may fill out a release of information (ROI) , which will allow us to receive and share medical information with your PCP. We can alert your PCP to the possible need for dose reductions in medications as your health improves.
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Lifestyle prescriptions are the first line therapy. If medications are needed, we will defer to your PCP or specialist. In some rare cases, medications may be prescribed. We do not prescribe weight loss medications, controlled substances or sell nutraceuticals. We can order labs (blood) tests as needed to track progress. We typically do not order diagnostic tests, and would defer to your PCP for these.
