Knowing that better sleep, more movement or changes to your diet might help does not always tell you how to make them happen. Work, children, tiredness, money, enjoyment and familiar habits all compete for space. Advice becomes useful when there is a way to fit it into the life of the person receiving it.
As a family doctor, I want to understand that context with you. The starting point may be a health concern, a condition you have been managing for some time or a wish to feel better in everyday life.
What we can talk about
Lifestyle medicine brings together care around nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, relationships and substance use. These areas connect with one another and can contribute to both prevention and treatment.
In the consultation, they take the shape of your own life: what meals look like on a working day, what makes movement difficult, whether there is room to rest and who you can rely on. Deciding what needs attention brings together clinical assessment and what matters to you.
We may need to look more closely at insomnia, discuss alcohol and mental health, find support for stopping smoking or review care for a long-term condition. Each concern deserves its own attention.
Finding changes that are possible
A broad intention, such as “I want to take better care of myself”, can become something you can try and review. Starting an activity you enjoy, finding a practical way to organise meals or making room for rest are examples; what makes sense depends on your circumstances.
It helps to understand what you have already tried, what was worthwhile and why it became difficult to continue. Sometimes the plan, the environment or the available support needs to change. This conversation helps us choose a starting point and recognise difficulties without turning everything into a test of discipline.
Follow-up is part of making a change
At subsequent appointments, we compare the plan with your experience: what you could do, how you felt and how your needs have changed. We can adjust a goal, try another approach or decide that something else needs attention first.
What we follow also needs to matter to you. Energy during the day, sleep, taking part in activities you enjoy and, where relevant, clinical measurements and test results can help us assess progress. The frequency of appointments is agreed according to your needs.
Care that fits with the rest of your health
We consider medical conditions, medicines, pain, limitations and other ongoing treatment. When a dietitian, psychologist or another professional can help, care can be organised together.
My registered specialty is Family and Community Medicine. Attention to lifestyle is part of that practice: getting to know your history and making decisions together over time.
Appointments take place in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, and are also available online, according to the suitability of remote care and the need for an in-person assessment.