Paving YOUR Way to Wellness with Lifestyle Medicine Pioneer, Beth Frates, MD

Lisa is joined by Beth Frates, MD, pioneer in Lifestyle Medicine education and an award-winning teacher at Harvard Medical School, as well as at the Harvard Extension School. Dr. Frates joins Lisa to talk about lifestyle medicine and its six pillars: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress resiliency, addiction, and social connection in detail. At Harvard Medical School, Dr. Frates's passionate teaching style has earned her several Excellence in Teaching awards for work in multiple pre-clinical courses covering topics including nutrition, the musculoskeletal system, the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and an introduction to the medical profession. Working one-on-one with clients is what Dr. Frates does best. She connects with people and meets them right where they are at that moment. After establishing a personal connection, Dr. Frates can identify what her clients need to make progress in adopting healthy lifestyles. She believes in the power of implementing realistic small changes to create big results. In 2008, Dr. Frates met with a group of students at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and came up with the concept of a Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG). Dr. Frates is the faculty advisor for the group and has been since its inception. Each year Presidents or Co-Presidents help lead the group and set up lectures with space, appropriate time, and healthy food. Dr. Frates teaches some lectures and invites colleagues to share their expertise in exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress resiliency, motivational interviewing, behavior change, and other areas in Lifestyle Medicine. This HMS group is the template for LMIGs nationally and internationally. Dr. Frates works closely with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to support the growth and establishments of these groups.