Burman University staff are gearing up to host the 1st Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing Symposium - Central Alberta' this May.
The event, which will also include an overnight stay in Banff, runs May 1 to 4.
The earlybird registration deadline is April 1.
A range of top speakers are scheduled to share during the course of the symposium, which will explore aspects of what is called 'Lifestyle Medicine', said Dr. Pekka Maattanen, associate professor and chair of biology at Burman University.
"The main focus of it is that we build awareness and capacity in Canada for Lifestyle Medicine," he said.
"When people think of 'lifestyle', they think of things like eating well, exercising, getting proper sleep, and not stressing too much - essentially, good life habits.
"These things are actually much more important that we thought - and science is showing this really clearly now," he said, adding physicians can often emphasize these concepts mainly for the prevention of illness.
"That's where lifestyle medicine has always sort of sat. But now, the shift has come where lifestyle medicine is not just about prevention. It's prevention, treatment, and reversal. That's been the big shift that has come in lifestyle medicine," he said.
"It's essential that this takes off everywhere because first of all, it's really cost-effective. You don't have to pay a lot for it. But it is harder to implement because the patient becomes a participant in their care," he said, noting it ultimately includes the full scope of changing one's behaviour on several fronts.
"That's where it gets challenging, and that is where the education piece has to come in for primary care physicians and clinicians," he said.
Also, the concept of 'flourishing' isn't just about living free of disease.
"It's about enjoying your life, being well, feeling good, and just relishing every moment."
There are six pillars to Lifestyle Medicine - restorative sleep, a whole-foods, more plant-based diet, regular physical activity, stress management, avoidance of risky substances (like tobacco), and positive social connections.
"Lots of studies have shown that these pillars are critical to our health," he said. "The power of actually healing through these modalities, when practiced together, is incredible."
The symposium's keynote speaker, John Kelly, is the founding president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Maattanen noted that the concept of Lifestyle Medicine has really taken off in the U.S. in particular.
For the symposium, things begin on the evening of May 1st with 'Dinner with the Doctor' featuring John Kelly, speaking on 'Lifestyle Medicine, Epigenetics, and the Future of Medicine'.
May 2 begins with a session of morning exercises and rejuvenation, followed by breakfast and another address by Kelly on 'Mind-Body Connections: Lifestyle Medicine and Neuroplasticity'.
Other featured speakers include Emmanuel Gye, Hussain Khimji, Mylène Juneau, MD, Lisa Lindquist, RD, Loreen Wales, RD, and Määttänen himself who will speak on 'Optimizing Gut Microbiota and their Metabolites with Diet'.
As mentioned, the symposium then relocates to Banff for one night, with several more sessions planned along with a Bow River and Falls walk as one of the special highlights as well.
"Bringing the symposium here locally to Lacombe is gong to be really exciting," said Määttänen.
"We would also love for local physicians to come - we really want to support our community in this respect. I think if they are aware that some of these world-class people are showing up, they might want to come for sure."
Meanwhile, Burman has also launched a LIFEstyle Medicine and Flourishing Centre - which is actually the host for the symposium.
The purpose of this centre is for research, education, and practice in Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing.
Faculty has also recently added two tracks for Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing through their biology and wellness degrees.
To register for the symposium, or for more information, head to www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/burmanuniversity/events/lmf-symposium/
