Lifestyle Medicine Consultation in Wokingham
Lifestyle Medicine Consultation
Understand your health, explore what matters to you, and create a personalised plan for positive, sustainable change in the Personalised GP Lifestyle Medicine Consultation.
Lifestyle medicine recognises that many long-term health conditions are influenced by the way we live, and that small, meaningful changes can have wide-ranging benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. It works alongside conventional medicine, complementing appropriate medications, investigations and other treatments rather than replacing them.
Your consultation is with Dr Karen Ireland, a GP and certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM). Together, we explore your health, lifestyle and priorities, identify areas where you would most like to make a difference, and develop practical strategies that fit your life.
The six pillars of lifestyle medicine
We consider six interconnected areas of health and wellbeing:
- Nutrition – supporting a nourishing, balanced and sustainable way of eating
- Physical activity – finding enjoyable ways to move more and build strength and fitness
- Sleep – improving the quality, quantity and consistency of sleep
- Stress management – developing skills to manage stress and support emotional wellbeing
- Relationships and social connection – strengthening the connections that support health and resilience
- Avoidance of harmful substances – addressing smoking, excess alcohol and other substances that may affect health
Addressing these pillars can influence multiple aspects of health simultaneously, including weight, metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, energy, sleep, mood, mental wellbeing and healthy ageing.
A collaborative approach
This is not about being told what you should do. We work together to understand your concerns, explore what may be getting in the way of change and identify realistic goals that are meaningful to you. It is important that you spend some time reflecting on your priorities before the consultation and there is a questionnaire that will help you to do this.
The consultation may incorporate health coaching, behavioural and psychological techniques, personalised lifestyle interventions and, where appropriate, conventional medication or other medical treatment. Blood tests are not compulsory but can clarify issues and improvements in your metabolic, endocrine and hormonal health.
Change is a process rather than a one-off appointment. Patients are encouraged to continue with regular 30-minute follow-up consultations, providing an opportunity to review progress, reflect on what has worked, understand what has not, and adapt the approach as your circumstances and goals evolve.
The aim is not simply to treat illness, but to help you build the knowledge, confidence and habits that support better health and wellbeing for the long term.
What is the Lifestyle Medicine consultation?
The consultation is a one-hour, personalised appointment designed to help patients understand the factors affecting their health and identify practical, sustainable ways to improve their wellbeing.
Lifestyle medicine recognises that many common long-term health problems are influenced by multiple aspects of our lifestyle. It looks at the whole person rather than focusing solely on a particular symptom or diagnosis.
The six key areas considered are:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Stress management and emotional wellbeing
- Relationships and social connection
- Avoidance of harmful substances
These areas are interconnected and addressing them can have benefits across multiple systems, including metabolic and cardiovascular health, weight, energy, sleep, mood, mental wellbeing and healthy ageing.
How is this different from a standard GP consultation?
The consultation provides more time and space to explore the bigger picture. Rather than simply giving patients a list of lifestyle changes they "should" make, Karen works collaboratively with them to understand their concerns, priorities, motivation and barriers to change.
Her background in psychology and health, combined with her medical training, allows her to incorporate health coaching, behavioural and psychological techniques and personalised lifestyle interventions.
Importantly, lifestyle medicine is complementary to conventional medical care. Medication and other medical treatments continue to have an important role where appropriate. Lifestyle interventions can be used alongside prescribing and other treatments, and may sometimes reduce the need for medication or improve the effectiveness of existing treatment.
Who might benefit?
The service may be particularly helpful for patients who:
- Want to improve their general health, energy or wellbeing
- Are concerned about weight, metabolic health or cardiovascular risk
- Have, or are at risk of developing, long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease
- Are struggling with sleep, stress, low energy or lifestyle-related symptoms
- Want support with sustainable weight management, rather than a short-term diet
- Are going through perimenopause or menopause and want to consider the wider lifestyle factors that influence health and wellbeing
- Feel they know what they "should" be doing but are finding it difficult to make or sustain changes
- Would like a more preventative approach to their health, even when they do not currently have a specific medical diagnosis
Pricing
60 min Personalised GP Medicine Consultation - £300
30 min Personalised GP Medicine Review Appointment - £150
Blood tests available with an additional charge.
Blood tests
Blood tests are not compulsory, but where appropriate they can provide additional information about metabolic, endocrine and hormonal health. Baseline and follow-up markers can also provide objective information about whether lifestyle changes or other interventions are having an effect.
Testing is tailored to the individual rather than being a routine panel for everyone.