Next Gen LM: Mentorship in Medicine

In this episode, we sit down with orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Ajeya Joshi to explore what it looks like to bring lifestyle medicine into a surgical specialty. Practicing in San Antonio, Dr. Joshi shares how his journey into lifestyle medicine reshaped the way he thinks about patient care—both inside and far beyond the operating room. From spine surgery to population health, he offers a candid look at why lifestyle medicine matters in every field of medicine, not just primary care.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Joshi breaks down how lifestyle medicine can be integrated into a busy surgical practice, from counseling patients who don’t need procedures to optimizing surgical outcomes through nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management. He also reflects on the challenges of delivering behavior change in time-constrained clinical settings and shares real-world stories that highlight the impact of lifestyle-based interventions.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with practical insights on how trainees and clinicians can introduce lifestyle medicine conversations in respectful, effective ways—regardless of specialty. Whether you’re a medical student exploring career paths, a resident navigating clinical realities, or a practicing clinician interested in expanding your impact, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t start—or end—with a procedure.

Learn more about the work ACLM is doing for the next generation of healthcare professionals: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/student/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode, we sit down with one of the true pioneers of the lifestyle medicine, Dr. Beth Frates, to explore why lifestyle medicine belongs in every medical school. As a founding leader of the field, former president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and longtime educator at Harvard, Dr. Frates shares the story of how lifestyle medicine has grown from a grassroots idea into a science-driven discipline shaping the future of healthcare.

By the end of this conversation, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the opportunities—and barriers—facing lifestyle medicine in medical education today. Dr. Frates breaks down how trainees and faculty can effectively advocate for curriculum change, align lifestyle medicine with core medical competencies, and use evidence-based science to drive institutional buy-in. She also shares her vision for what medical education could look like if lifestyle medicine were introduced from day one.

This episode is packed with practical insights, inspiring reflections, and a hopeful roadmap for training the next generation of physicians. Whether you’re a medical student, resident, educator, or established clinician, Dr. Frates offers powerful guidance on how to move lifestyle medicine from the margins to the mainstream—and how each of us can play a role in shaping a healthier future.

Frates, B., Ortega, H. A., Freeman, K. J., Co, J. P. T., & Bernstein, M. (2024). Lifestyle medicine in medical education: Maximizing impact. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 8(5), 451–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2024.07.003

Lifestyle Medicine 101 Curriculum: https://learning.lifestylemedicine.org/content/lifestyle-medicine-101-curriculum

Learn more about the work ACLM is doing for the next generation of healthcare professionals: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/student/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Visit lifestylemedicine.org: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, we welcome back our first-ever return guest, Dr. Wayne Dysinger, for a deep dive into the next evolution of his groundbreaking work. As a pioneer who has transitioned from academia to lifestyle medicine, Dr. Dysinger is now embarking on his most ambitious project yet as the Chief Medical Officer of Blue Zones Health.

By the time you finish listening, you’ll gain a clear perspective on the transition from traditional fee-for-service models to high-value, lifestyle-centered care. Dr. Dysinger breaks down the economic and practical challenges of scaling lifestyle medicine and shares the promising solutions being implemented at Blue Zones Health to make this model accessible and sustainable for both practitioners and patients.

This conversation is filled with insightful reflections and optimistic visions, providing a roadmap for how lifestyle medicine can move from a niche practice to a transformative force in global health. Whether you are an established provider or an emerging professional, Dr. Dysinger’s journey offers a compelling example of how to build a viable, impactful career dedicated to a healthier future.

Ready to bring these principles into your own practice? Learn how to implement evidence-based lifestyle medicine in your community with the Blue Zones® Certification Course: https://learning.lifestylemedicine.org/content/blue-zones%C2%AE-certification-course#group-tabs-node-course-default1

Learn more about the work ACLM is doing for the next generation of healthcare professionals: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/student/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with ACLM Online!

Visit lifestylemedicine.org: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mahima Gulati, a triple board-certified physician in endocrinology and internal medicine, and a diplomat of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. After years of practicing traditional medicine, Dr. Gulati reached a point of burnout where she felt disenchanted and questioned her career choice. Her trajectory shifted in 2018 when she discovered lifestyle medicine, a transition she describes as "transformational". She realized that while she was skilled at administering pharmacotherapy for acute issues, 80% of endocrine disorders—including Type 2 diabetes, PCOS, and obesity—are more effectively managed through therapeutic lifestyle changes.

Now an academic faculty member at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Gulati is launching a lifestyle medicine clinic to train the next generation of residents and fellows. She shares practical strategies for integrating the six pillars into a busy specialty practice, utilizing tools like detailed intake questionnaires and educational office displays to maximize patient impact within standard 20-to-40-minute appointments.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be inspired by Dr. Gulati’s vision for a future where lifestyle medicine is the fastest-growing medical specialty, supported by health systems, insurers, and policymakers alike. This episode is a powerful reminder that while we can rarely "cure" chronic endocrine disease with pills alone, we have the opportunity to offer true healing through lifestyle medicine at every patient encounter.

Learn more about the work ACLM is doing for the next generation of healthcare professionals: ⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/student/⁠

Connect with ACLM Online!

Visit lifestylemedicine.org: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Meagan Grega, a family physician, lifestyle medicine pioneer, and one of the earliest diplomates certified in the field. Her journey began with a simple but powerful realization early in her career: despite following every evidence-based guideline available, her patients weren’t getting better—they were just getting worse more slowly. That moment of dissonance sparked a deep search for a better way, ultimately leading her to the emerging world of lifestyle medicine and reshaping her entire approach to care.

Dr. Grega shares how her frustration with the limits of traditional chronic disease management led her to explore the work of early lifestyle medicine leaders, transform her own family’s habits, and begin bringing these principles into her clinical practice. This exploration ignited her decades-long commitment to prevention, community health, and medical education, culminating in her role as Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Kellyn Foundation.

Today, Dr. Grega works on the front lines of academic medicine as faculty for family medicine, internal medicine, and medical students at St. Luke’s and Temple/St. Luke’s. She offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how lifestyle medicine is being woven into residency training—from culinary medicine sessions and journal clubs, to behavior change practicums, to helping residents meet LMRC requirements through real patient encounters. She explains how teaching lifestyle medicine is “teaching the future,” enabling new clinicians to care not just for individuals, but for entire communities.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Grega walks us through Kellyn’s Healthy Neighborhood Immersion strategy, an innovative, four-pillar model designed to make the healthy choice the easy choice. From school-based food detective lessons and garden education, to community culinary medicine classes, medically supportive meals, and mobile markets delivering fresh produce to food-insecure neighborhoods, she illustrates how true health transformation happens when we reshape the environments where people live, work, learn, and play.

Dr. Grega also breaks down the systemic challenges holding lifestyle medicine back—from fee-for-service barriers to time constraints—and explains why the shift toward value-based care may finally align incentives with prevention. Her examples make clear that the conversation around lifestyle medicine has evolved: it’s no longer why we should do it but how we build systems that support it.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be inspired by Dr. Grega’s unwavering commitment to changing the culture of health—one neighborhood, one residency program, and one trainee at a time. She offers actionable guidance for students and residents, including how to build a resource library, find mentors, get involved in research, and prepare to practice lifestyle medicine in any specialty. This episode is a powerful reminder that the future of medicine belongs to clinicians who can teach, inspire, and lead—and that lifestyle medicine is the foundation for a healthier generation to come.

Learn more about the Kellyn Foundation: https://www.kellyn.org/

Learn more about the work ACLM is doing for the next generation of healthcare professionals: https://lifestylemedicine.org/student/

Connect with ACLM Online!

Visit lifestylemedicine.org: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lifestylemedicine.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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