Burman University will be hosting its first-ever Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing Symposium in early May.
Dr. Pekka Maattanen, is an associate professor and Chair of Biology at Burman University.
"We're having a really special event to emphasize lifestyle medicine," he said. "Basically, the first president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine will be coming to Lacombe and the event is really to emphasize the power of lifestyle medicine to both prevent, treat and even possibly reverse important chronic diseases that are a major issue in Canada."
Maattanen described lifestyle medicine as evidence-based medicine.
There are six pillars including healthy eating, increased physical activity, developing strategies to manage stress, forming and maintaining healthy relationships, improving sleep and avoiding risky substances.
"We have a lot of evidence to show that these are powerfully important for health," explained Maattanen. "Putting them all together really is quite powerful for people."
The term flourishing comes down to having joy in life and experiencing life to the fullest.
Maattanen explained why Burman University decided to host a symposium focusing on these topics.
"There's no real organized association for lifestyle medicine in Canada as of yet," he said. "We thought, maybe we could promote, maybe have an event where some of the presidents from the American College could come and present here in Canada and then that could be a spark."
There are quite a few physicians who emphasize lifestyle medicine in Central Alberta, Maattanen says it was just a matter of bringing them all together.
The Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing Symposium will take place May 1 to 4 at Burman University in Lacombe. The event will include a trip to Banff on Saturday, May 3.
Click here to register.
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