Over 25 years of research by nutrition researcher Deborah Kesten, MPH, and behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D., reveals that overeating, overweight, and obesity may be halted, even reversed, by replacing the statistically sound, new-normal overeating styles they have identified, with the perennial ancient food wisdom of their science-backed Whole Person Integrative Eating^® (WPIE) dietary lifestyle, model, and program.
Throughout the presentation, Deborah will distill Whole Person Integrative Eating^® into seven simple, yet powerful principles—for eating less, weighing less, and enjoying food more—by nourishing yourself physically, but also emotionally, spiritually, and socially (ergo, ‘whole person integrative eating). You will discover: (1) overeating styles that strongly predict overeating and weight gain; (2) ancient nutrition themes that are the antidotes to the WPIE overeating styles and overweight; (3) and the Four Facets of Food, which comprise the foundation of the Whole Person Integrative Eating^® program for eating less and weighing less. Without dieting.
You will come away with step-by-step WPIE tools and techniques for halting, even reversing the #1 health pandemics of overweight and obesity. And insights into the paradigm-shifting ‘whole person’ nutrition program that can build bridges between the medical community, and the millions who struggle with overeating, weight issues, and other diet-related chronic conditions.

A healthy lifestyle is a global necessity for all individuals to prevent lifestyle diseases. International Efforts are continuing to provide the community with information and tools. One of these efforts is the establishment and implementation of a project named Triple M(3M) that aims to encourage all adults and children to plan their (M)meals, (M)Mood, and (M)movement a healthy lifestyle to protect themselves from lifestyle diseases as atherosclerosis, heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and diseases associated with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse. In order to accomplish Triple M(3M) objectives, many related activities were organized as well as special creative tools and computer applications were designed in  Arabic and English such as the Triple M(3M) Application that was published on Google Play and Apple Store as well as Website: www.drbasimatrilem.com.Triple M(3M) tools were evaluated by specialists and are registered patent. The triple M(3M) project was presented at a regional workshop organized by the World Health Organization for the Mediterranean Region (WHO). TRIPLE M (3M) activities and tools were prepared according to my specialization and professional experience after spending 40 years performing scientific research in the field of Biological Sciences, Virology,  Nutrition, and health education in collaboration with various Ministries and International Organizations as World Health Organization, World Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD). To facilitate the reach of the TRIPLE M (3M) project to all communities of various ages, the Science of Nutrition was simplified and converted into ARTS. The Daily Nutritional Requirements of the individual were converted into ten colored smart interactive planning boards by using cups and spoons. These tools (boards)were used to plan and prepare around 1500 meals and dishes that were photographed and organized into a database called TRIPLE M (3M) DATABASE. TRIPLE M (3M) Food Planning Boards are very useful in training courses and workshops as the ones organized for leaders in international companies and for employees at various ministries and companies, doctors, nutritionists, health educators,  teachers, and university and school students.  In 2021 a YouTube channel named Dr. Basima Abbas Hajj's healthy lifestyle channel was established. Ten guides and over seventy YouTubes (videos) were published in the channel so as to reach the community internationally to encourage them to practice healthy lifestyle and even to guide them how to train others as well. An Exhibition was also published in the channel. It is called “The world's first art exhibition on prevention nutrition”. This exhibition is continuous and will be a source for  hundreds of food photos to show and train adults and children how to plan & prepare  balanced healthy meals for one person according to the individual`s nutritional requirements.  A Triple M(3M) video will be published in this conference to display some of the photos taken for the healthy balanced meals. Recommendations: It is worth adding TRIPLE M (3M) lifestyle project and its related activities and tools to other valuable international efforts related to a healthy lifestyle. Collaboration is welcomed to implement the following initiative “Healthy lifestyle for all and by all”. Each country is advised to organize a yearly campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle for all and by all. Such action and collaboration “By all” leaders and individuals in the government sectors as well as private sectors could prevent the population from lifestyle diseases and accordingly could economically save the money spent on medicine so as to use it in other economic benefits.

Worldwide we are experiencing a stress epidemic. Stress activates the neuro-endocrine and sympathetic pathways via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and medullary adrenal sympathetic system. This results in the release of the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. These stress hormones induce inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines, primarily interleukin 6, have been strongly implicated in oxidative stress and inflammation that lead to various diseases. Furthermore, stress depletes the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and GABA leading to poor mental health. Mindfulness has been shown to build stress resilience which helps to mitigate the impact of stress. Stress resiliency is the ability to bounce back from a stressful situation. How quickly one recovers from a stressful situation depends on how quickly the amygdala can be downregulated. Mindfulness intervention helps to downregulate the amygdala and activates the parasympathetic nervous system thus activating the relaxation response. This in turn decreases the production of stress hormones, oxidative stress and inflammation. Mindfulness promotes physical, mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Mindfulness has emerged as a promising intervention in the management of stress and its related disorders given the multitude health benefits attributed to this practice and few contraindications or side-effects. Mindfulness can also be integrated with other modalities of treatment including modern medicine.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in industrialized countries and blood hypertension is the most frequent treatable risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In fact, hypertension is closely associated with a major incidence of stroke (ischaemic and hemorrhagic), myocardial infarction, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, cognitive decline, and premature death. Emerging data suggest that lifestyle habits may affect blood pressure values. In this review, the authors examine the more relevant clinical and epidemiological studies about the influence that multiple lifestyle factors play on the development of hypertension. They conclude that there is clear evidence that lifestyle changes can have a favorable effect on the prevention and treatment of hypertension, with emphasis on alcohol and sodium intake, smoking cessation, physical activity level, and dietary patterns. Physicians and Public Health Authorities should encourage positive lifestyle modifications. Keywords: Lifestyle, Hypertension, Salt intake, Physical activity, Dietary pattern.

Lifestyle Medicine is one of the fastest-growing fields in medicine today.  Its focus on therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity is so critical in the world we live in today, especially as people are living longer, but with more disabilities.  In fact, according to the World Health Organization, lifestyle habits are the root cause of up to 80% of chronic diseases.  Thus, it is critical for researchers, scientists, students, and practitioners to understand Lifestyle Medicine and how it can be best used to prevent, treat and even reverse chronic disease.  In this webinar, Dr. Sarin will discuss:
The six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections and how it relates to preventing, treating, and reversing chronic disease challenges that practitioners and patients face when applying Lifestyle Medicine How to successfully incorporate the principles of Lifestyle Medicine into daily practice

Statement of the Problem: Although aging is not a disease, it often increases the risk of developing many chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases) and some infectious diseases (such as COVID-19). Studies have demonstrated that some lifestyle practices have the potential to either accelerate or slow down the aging process. Mitigating these lifestyle predictors of aging may be vital in the global efforts to achieve healthy life expectancy.  However, such a prospect has not been fully explored in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a health promotion intervention program on selected lifestyle predictors of aging and the estimated biological age of Nigerian adults.

Methodology and Theoretical Orientation: A pre-test post-test experimental research design with control was used to conduct a 14-week health promotion intervention on 82 Nigerian adults. The Free Radical Theory and Health Belief Model were used to focus the intervention on lifestyle modification. The statistics were analyzed at a 0.05 level of significance.

Findings: The intervention significantly improved the mean difference scores of the intervention groups’ diet quality (2.86, 95% CI: 9.44–10.16) after 6 weeks, which was sustained after 14 weeks (2.43, 95% CI: 9.03–9.62); physical activity after 6 weeks (0.39, 95% CI:1.71–2.01)) and after14 weeks (0.28, 95% CI:1.456–1.70); sleep quality after 6 weeks (-2.07, 95% CI:3.60–4.13) and after 14 weeks (-1.60, 95% CI:4.07–4.60); stress perception after 6 weeks (-2.86, 95% CI: 2.97–3.76) and after 14 weeks (-2.17, 95% CI:3.67–4.44); and social connectedness after 6 weeks (2.05, 95% CI:16.95–17.70) and after 14 weeks (2.38, 95% CI: 17.21–18.16). The intervention also significantly reduced the mean difference in the estimated biological age of the intervention group after 6 weeks (-2.97, 95% CI: 42.48–43.30) and after 14 weeks (-2.14, 95% CI:43.38–44.10).

Conclusion and Significance: The health promotion intervention program was effective in positively modifying the selected lifestyle predictors of aging and in reducing the estimated biological age of Nigerian adults. To increase the possibility of healthy aging among the citizen, such programs should be replicated in a different clusters of the country.

With the rapid development of China's economy and society, people in many industries are facing great mental stress. Continuous mental stress not only brings mental, sleep, and eating disorders, but also aggravates those who already have underlying diseases. The number of such people in China has been rising, and traditional medical means cannot solve these symptoms effectively, so people are looking forward to a natural lifestyle that is close to meditation, soothing, and easy to use to solve the dilemma.

The Aromatic Plant Research and Development Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University has been engaged in aromatic plant fragrance substances extraction and analysis, the health effects of essential oils, and the research of healing gardens for more than 20 years. We found that if we used specific aromatic plants in a healing garden, the fragrance substances to fight anxiety and lower blood pressure will be more effective than the essential oils themselves. The center has built healing gardens for blood pressure or anxiety in the past and has measured different physiological indicators such as blood pressure and thermal infrared rays on volunteers, all showing significant results. Based on this, our team has designed and built an anxiety-relieving healing garden in Jinshan District, Shanghai. We combined the healing effect of specific fragrance substances of aromatic plants such as Jade hairpin, mugwort, and motherwort with hardscape through this case. We set up a series of contents such as an entrance buffer zone, catharsis zone, water listening, and fish watching zone, climbing view zone, confession zone, meditation zone, and sunset viewing zone to realize the combination of smell, vision, and garden behavior, and gradually release anxiety in stages to achieve a healing effect. Unlike the previous case, this time we set up a "confession area". Psychologists Pennebaker and Larson found through their research that confession is an indispensable method to relieve anxiety. We, therefore, designed a special area in the project for visitors to talk to each other, and also designed different levels of "talking" to promote the improvement of visitors' emotions to the greatest extent.

Even in the backdrop of a deadly pandemic, heart disease remained the number 1 killer of all Americans in the year 2020 with nearly 700,000 victims compared to the nearly 350,000 COVID-19 deaths. According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is likely to continue to overshadow the COVID-19 virus for years to come as the long-term impact of the novel coronavirus directly affects cardiovascular health (resulting in death from heart attack and stroke for some or life with valvular disease and/or hypertension for others). Of note, the people of color suffer from a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as many other chronic illnesses. According to the NIH Office of Minority Health, African Americans were 30% more likely to die from heart disease in 2018 than non-Hispanic whites. In fact, although African Americans are less than 14% of the population, we account for 23.5% of deaths from CVD, compared to non-Hispanic whites who make up more than 75% of the U.S. population but merely 23.7% of CVD deaths. Regarding Hypertension specifically, Black women, are 60% more likely to have high blood pressure, as compared to non-Hispanic white women, and in the general population, African American adults are 40% more likely to have hypertension but, in turn, less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have their blood pressure under control. Unquestionably, social and economic conditions exist in marginalized populations that negatively impact our health status and can account for some of these differences like lack of adequate access to healthcare, poor treatment in healthcare driven by implicit or unconscious biases or explicit biases known as racism,  lack of economic stability (often driven by structural racism) to maintain medical care or afford the cost of health insurance and medications that are shown to marginally work in many Black people, and  other social determinants that contribute to an environment that results in poor health outcomes and poor compliance. Furthermore, research has shown that continuous and repeated activation of hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are associated with trauma and toxic stress. When released too frequently into the body, the results are hypertension, chronic inflammation, high glucose levels, and low bone density. Hence, the physiological effects of structural racism and the internalized trauma of microaggressions and unconscious biases that are repeatedly experienced by BIPOC populations have an enormous impact on both physical and mental health and it is imperative that we identify cost-effective ways to help mitigate the deadly effects. Recent studies have shown that Transcendental Meditation (TM) can significantly reduce hypertension and decrease other forms of CVD in all populations. Currently, the Center for Resilience is diligently working to help fund a Phase 3 trial studying hypertension in the BIPOC population that would allow us to obtain the scientific data necessary to continue advocating for vulnerable communities to have TM covered by medical insurance which will make this treatment affordable, accessible and equitable and will help build resilience in communities who suffer excessive trauma.

Joy at work is about meaning and purpose and connection and ensuring that caring and healing, which is the essence of what physicians do, is a naturally joyful activity. And it centre’s on realising the critical value of self-care and self-compassion.

Medicine is an incredibly rewarding profession but the pressures can sometimes be too hard to bear and the question that remains is how can you circumvent these pressures and avoid the burnout and mental decline that affects so many?

We need to value and prioritise our own self-care and self- compassion as a profession and consider joy at wok to be an essential, not a luxury item. 

The most joyful people at work are the most productive and engaged and feel both physically and psychologically safe, appreciate the meaning and purpose of their work, have some choice and control over their time, experience camaraderie with others at work, and perceive their work life to be fair and equitable.

Fitness/mind-body market is valued in $828.2 billion globally, by GWI in 2019. This report connects benefits of belly dance and tantra, both mental and physical. Belly dancing provides good cardio workout, increases flexibility and strength "core muscles" and legs. As low-impact exercise, can be suitable for women at any age, also increasing bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Due to the constant twisting and turning of the spine during repetitive undulations of hips and torso, there is an increased release of synovial fluid. Movements can also stimulate digestion flow and prepare for natural birth by opening hips and strengthen muscles used for better orgasms. Mental health benefits are associated with better body image, focus and concentration required to choreography. Enjoyable and fun way to meditate, getting in touch with inner feminine energy, it greatly reduces stress levels.

Tantra could be called "yoga for sex life", it connects body, mind, and soul, and cultivates sexual energy. Inside everyone there is a switch: kunda ( light bulb of sexual energy), which can be awakened through senses, meditation and deep breathing. Breathwork raises happiness chemicals: serotonin and dopamine, delivering pleasure. Heart oppening during tantra guides an intuitive way to grow into best selves, attracting healthy relationships. Tantric exercises will release orgasmic chemicals (serotonin, dopamine, and testosterone), which increases sex drive, energy, and creates more blissful feelings, also helping to heal symptoms of depression. So, there are much more feelings to experience the bliss that comes from living a tantric lifestyle.

Obesity has become a global epidemic, which is rapidly spreading at phenomenal rates. The gravity of this “Globesity” epidemic goes beyond sheer numbers, as it is directly linked to many diseases that pose serious health risks and are responsible for escalating health care expenditures. Notably, obesity is the single most important contributor to the development of type 2 diabetes along with other metabolic disorders; comprising the constellation of cardiovascular risks. In this presentation, the magnitude of this crisis and its hidden consequences will be delineated setting the stage for the necessary actionable steps. Though the solution seems straightforward with weight reduction being the cardinal intervention, however, achieving and maintaining weight loss is extremely challenging. Diets have disappointingly had limited short term benefits with lack of sustainability and even rebound weight gain. In addition to their restrictive nature, there are even more complex personal behaviour and social factors affecting food ingestion that current day “diets” do not address. These shortcomings will be explored in the context of dietary behaviour patterns promoting weight gain that may be critical in sabotaging weight loss efforts. Our research group has undertaken study initiatives including a multicentre survey aimed at understanding eating habits in overweight and obese individuals in our region. The published data will be shared for interactive discussion and a recently published novel eating behaviour modification concept will be introduced. This lecture aims to provide an evidence- based presentation intended specifically for the target audience with compelling take-home messages.

Many foods and drinks contain caffeine (1, 2, 7 trimethylxanthine) as purine alkaloids. On beside of coffee, caffeine can also be taken from drinks such as tea, cola, cocoa and energy drinks. Furthermore caffeine is part of frequently used drugs such as flu medicines, painkillers, slimming pills and stimulating drugs. Caffeine has effects on the body such as staying awake, reducing physical fatigue, increasing performance, increasing attention due to its stimulating properties. Recent studies on caffeine have found that this substance has many effects on the heart and circulatory system, respiratory system and endocrine system as well as the central nervous system. The stimulating effect of caffeine on the specific nervous system makes individuals more vigilant and alerted to the effects on the cardiovascular system as well as accelerating heart rate and vasodilatation by expanding blood vessels. It is a very important stimulating particle as it is found that it results in many complications, such as; insomnia, headache, impaired concentration, rise in heart rate and blood pressure, stomach problems, spontaneous abortions in pregnant women, babies with low birth weight and the diuretic effect. Depending on high dose caffeine consumption (400 mg/kg/day) it also adversely affects bone health and increases the risk of post-menopausal osteoporosis. On the other hand, it is shown that caffeine consumed in appropriate levels positively effects human health. Caffeine alleviates the physical and mental fatigue and thus increases work capacity. It increases alertness and mindfulness and in some cases, it eases headache and migraine pains. Therefore, caffeine is one of the most researched and discussed molecules of recent times.

Four geographical areas of the globe have been validated and designated as “Blue Zones.” The first Blue Zone discovered was in Sardinia, Italy.  Populations living in the Blue Zones appear to have the secrets of longevity living beyond 100 years of age and without experiencing chronic illnesses that plague most economically developed countries today. For the past two decades research scientists, medical professionals, psychologists, photographers and scientists and photographers from National Geographic magazine have studied the area in depth to uncover the many facets of living long and living well.

Carol Amendola D’Anca, citizen of both the U.S. and Italy is intimately familiar with the "Blue Zone" of Sardinia with first-hand knowledge of the people, diet and lifestyle. All photos in her presentation were taken by her while on her recent research trip to the Blue Zone of Sardinia.  They tell the story of why and how this phenomenon occurs.

Audiences are not only inspired by the story of the centenarians but also acquire a deep understanding for what produces meaningful health for themselves and their clients and patients.

Menopause is a physiological occurrence along with a series of bothersome symptoms. Given that lifestyle affects people's health and many menopausal symptoms are reduced by changing the lifestyle, this study aimed to determine the relationship between lifestyle and severity of menopausal symptoms in women referred to health centers in Yazd city. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 in Yazd city, Iran. By using stratified random sampling, 343 postmenopausal women were selected, who had experienced natural menopause for 1-5 years, and did not have any chronic or debilitating disease. The data collection tools were Walker's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP2) and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaires. A multiple hierarchical linear regression was used to investigate the adjusted association between lifestyle and severity of menopausal symptoms. Results: The total mean (SD) score of menopausal symptoms severity and women's lifestyle were 10.21(SD = 6.55) and 126.44(SD = 79.27), respectively. The results of multiple hierarchical linear regression showed that, by increasing each lifestyle score, the mean score of menopausal symptoms severity significantly decreased in all three models (P-value <0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that healthy lifestyle reduces the severity of menopausal symptoms. Therefore, it is suggested that health policy makers in the design of postmenopausal care programs should pay special attention to the role of healthy lifestyles, including physical activity and healthy diet. Moreover, by preventing aggravation of menopausal symptoms, it is possible to economize on referrals to physicians and medicinal and therapeutic costs.

In the European Regulation 1924/2006 and especially its first recital; the evaluation of health claims (HC) by European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) was introduced so as “to ensure a high level of consumer protection, [and] give the consumer the necessary information to make choices in full knowledge of the facts…” Now, with 10 years of hindsight since the Regulation was adopted, it can be asked whether EFSA HC process of evaluation that led to a marginal number of accepted claims is consistent with this objective, not just for protecting consumers but for allowing them to decide freely and make informed choices. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the inclusion of a ranking of the weight of evidence in the assessment of EFSA’s scientific substantiation of HC would allow consumers to benefit from the very high standard of scientific evaluation performed by EFSA. The definition of standards of proof is a generalized practice and rests on the principle that evaluations of health practices should be understood in terms of descriptions ranging from formal proof from high-power double-blind placebo-controlled studies to rankings based on the consensus views of experts or even agreement among professionals. Grading of weight of evidence – not of scientific expertise – is pervasive in all the recommendations or consensus meetings of health authorities or learned societies. This approach would stimulate research and product innovation as industrials would see a positive return on investment. The transition from an all-or-nothing system of health claims to a system graded by weight of evidence would be an alternative to the current system. This approach would be more consistent with the rationale of European Regulation which aims both to provide consumers with the best possible information by giving them the opportunity to exercise their free will in full knowledge of the facts and to promote research that meets sound scientific and medical grounds providing a basis for such information.