Managers
Teachers Council
The program is aimed at any health professional interested in applying the pillars of MEV in their professional practice (doctors, dentists, nutritionists, kinesiologists, physiatrists, etc.). Participants will be able to use what they have learned either for personal purposes, to complement their practice, or as their main way of working.
This diploma program will review the scientific evidence and practical application of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, stress management, harmful substance use, sleep, and social connections. It will also examine key theories that support behavioral change and, finally, dedicate a module to planetary health, a vital topic for sustaining any action we wish to take.
To train healthcare professionals who are able to:
Throughout the program, the six fundamental pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (LM) will be addressed: promoting healthy eating, prioritizing physical activity and improving sleep quality, effectively managing emotions, valuing social connection, and avoiding harmful substances. In addition, the program will focus on the crucial pillar of caring for the planet and will offer a practical approach to managing major chronic diseases.
This program is designed for healthcare professionals who wish to enrich or integrate these pillars into their clinical practice or adopt them as their primary approach. Together with experts, participants will explore specific aspects often not included in conventional courses, such as the perspective of Vital Modeling (VM) in the clinical practice of different medical specialties, including physicians, dentists, nutritionists, and kinesiologists, as well as pain management strategies and other topics relevant to a comprehensive understanding of this discipline.
– Total course hours: 210 hs
Module 1: Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine
Objectives:
● Define the fundamental concepts of Lifestyle Medicine (LM) and describe its role in health systems.
● Identify and describe the key competencies of Lifestyle Medicine.
● Analyze the epidemiology of chronic diseases and their evolution over time.
● Interpret the scientific evidence that demonstrates the association between behaviors and health outcomes, as well as the evidence between interventions and health impact.
● Describe the pathogenesis and costs of chronic diseases.
● Apply effective communication strategies with patients to
to establish an effective doctor-patient relationship.
● Critique and evaluate the scientific evidence that supports Lifestyle Medicine practices.
Contents:
● Definition of MEV and its role in health systems.
● Lifestyle Medicine Competencies.
● Epidemiology of chronic diseases.
● Pathogenesis of chronic diseases.
● Costs of chronic diseases.
● Scientific evidence on the association between behaviors and outcomes
in health.
● Scientific evidence on interventions and their impact on health.
● Priority of MEV in Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for chronic diseases.
Module II: Behavioral Changes to Optimize Health
Objectives:
● Define the concept of habit and distinguish between positive and negative habits.
● Explain the fundamental principles of motivational interviewing and its application in behavior modification.
● Identify patient assessment tools and techniques in the context of behavioral health.
● Develop an action plan based on the comprehensive assessment of the patient and their specific needs.
Contents:
● Habits: construction and deconstruction.
● Models that promote behavioral changes (motivational interviewing, the transtheoretical model, cognitive behavioral therapy, and others).
● Patient assessment.
● Action plan for changing patient behavior.
MODULE III: Management of smoking cessation and other harmful substances
Objectives:
● Identify the most effective interventions for smoking cessation, including pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy.
● Identify and describe the most commonly used tracking tools for detecting alcohol misuse.
● Describe the short- and long-term effects of alcohol consumption on physical and mental health.
Contents:
● Interventions for smoking cessation.
● Tools for tracking alcohol misuse.
● Effects of alcohol and controversies
Module IV: Nutrition Science, Assessment and Prescription
Objectives:
● Incorporate a historical and anthropological perspective of food to conceptualize its role in promoting health and its impact on planetary sustainability.
● Review and critically analyze the foundational studies of nutritional science, deriving the major concepts for practice.
● Identify and explain how nutritional patterns based on ultra-processed foods are at the root of the most common diseases, and how patterns based on whole, plant-predominant foods are pivotal in the prevention and treatment of such conditions.
● Evaluate different dietary patterns, identify nutritional deficiencies and excesses, and discuss the health consequences of these imbalances.
● To understand and evaluate the most important diets, including their benefits and limitations. These include the Harvard diet, the DASH diet, the Mediterranean diet, the vegetarian diet, the portfolio diet, the ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, etc.
● Incorporate the concept of culinary medicine, including the role of the health professional as a cooking instructor.
Contents:
1) Introduction and Historical Context of Food ○ Evolution of Human Nutrition
■ Origins of human nutrition.
■ Impact of agriculture on food and on
social organization.
■ Outsourcing of digestion.
■ Coevolution. Relationship between human beings and nature.
■ Modern challenges: Food industry and
mindful eating.
2) The Science of Nutrition
○ Optimal nutrition for humans and the planet: Historical and anthropological perspectives.
○ Scientific literature and summary of outstanding studies: Seven Nations Study, China Study and Adventist Study.
○ Comparison of traditional and modern diets.
○ The role of nutrition in the causation of diseases and how
therapeutic tool.
3) Nutritional strategies in clinical practice
○ Strategies for Implementing Healthy Diets
■ Challenges of Diet Implementation.
■ Results of studies on the effectiveness of different
diets (e.g., Atkins, Mediterranean, low-fat)
■ Scientific literature and summary of outstanding studies:
case studies and lessons learned on the implementation of diets.
■ Factors that affect adherence to and maintenance of dietary changes.
■ Interventions and strategies to promote changes in eating habits and improve adherence (nutritional education, group support, role models).
Module V: Obesity and Digestive Health
Objectives and contents:
● Define obesity.
● To understand its epidemiology, prevention strategies and
treatment.
● Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to obesity.
● Evaluation and management of the main consultations on gastrointestinal discomfort (Gastroesophageal reflux, constipation, etc.).
● To understand what the microbiome is and how to optimize its function.
● To know about culinary medicine.
Module VI: Plant-Based Nutrition
General objectives:
• Explore the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate, visiting practical strategies that the health professional can pass on to the patient.
• Strategies for incorporating fruit
• How can we enrich the vegetable table?
• How to use cereals in practice. From making homemade bread to the practical use of pseudocereals.
• Resources for incorporating legumes, tofu, seeds, nuts, etc. into real life.
• Tools to achieve a diet that is sustainable, free of ultra-processed foods and feasible.
Contents:
Harvard Healthy Eating Plate
• Explanation of the model and its scientific foundations.
• Comparison with other dietary guidelines.
• Strategies for healthcare professionals to teach it to patients.
• Practical applications in different sociocultural contexts. Strategies for incorporating fruit
• What does the scientific evidence tell us?
• Practical ideas to increase consumption at different meals throughout the day.
• Adaptations according to preferences, storage and seasonality (climacteric and non-climacteric)
• Techniques to improve acceptance.
Enriching the table with vegetables
• Preparation methods. Boiled, baked and in salads.
• Cooking methods to preserve nutrients.
• Use of herbs, spices and oils to enhance flavors.
• Strategies to increase consumption in people with low adherence.
Practical use of cereals and pseudocereals
• Nutritional differences between whole grains and refined grains.
• Making homemade bread and other products from whole grains.
• Introduction and benefits of pseudocereals such as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat.
• Prescription of simple and quick preparations
– Incorporation of legumes, tofu, seeds and nuts
• Role of healthy proteins in a plant-based diet.
• Soaking, cooking and fermentation techniques to improve digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients.
• Practical recipes to incorporate these foods into breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
• Myths and realities about its consumption.
Tools for a sustainable, ultra-processed and feasible diet
• What is sustainable food?
• How can I reduce my patients' consumption of ultra-processed foods?
• Planning and linkages in the processes of purchasing, storing and consuming food.
• Purchasing and storage techniques to optimize resources and avoid waste.
Module VII: Physical activity, science and prescription
Objectives:
● Understand the relationship between health and physical activity and the impact it has on the MEV approach.
● Describe the main components of physical activity and how each one contributes to overall health.
● Identify the parameters that determine sedentary behavior and how to modify this habit.
● Identify the criteria for patient assessment before starting an exercise plan, emphasizing the importance of a personalized and safe approach.
● Develop strategies to motivate and sustain a lifestyle plan that includes adequate levels of physical activity, exploring behavior change techniques and long-term adherence.
● Understand the approach of physical activity as therapy for chronic non-communicable diseases.
Contents:
1) Relationship between health, quality of life and physical activity
○ Relationship between health and physical activity.
○ Benefits of physical activity on health and quality of life.
○ Epidemiological data related to physical activity.
2) Components and types of physical activity
○ Main components of physical activity: aerobic, endurance, flexibility and balance.
○ Types of exercises and their adaptive effects.
○ Energy expenditure and effects of exercise.
3) Evaluation and planning of physical exercise
○ Patient assessment prior to the initiation of an exercise plan.
○ Prior assessment before starting an exercise program.
○ Introductory models for beginners and advanced users.
4) Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders
○ Ergonomic disorders in everyday life.
○ Pain syndromes secondary to ergonomic disorders:
detection and strategies to modify attitudes.
○ Epidemiological data related to disorders
ergonomic.
5) Motivation and sustainability strategies in physical activity
○ Strategies to motivate and sustain a life plan with adequate levels of activity.
Module VIII: Emotional Well-being
Objectives:
● Understand the relevance of positive psychology to health in the practice of lifestyle medicine.
● Assess the impact of social relationships on happiness, well-being, and their influence on health according to scientific studies.
● Reflect on healthy practices for the prevention of burnout and the promotion of well-being through self-care.
● To learn about instruments for measuring emotional well-being, for the identification and promotion of character strengths and virtues.
● Integrate the principles of the PERMA Model with simple and practical exercises based on positive psychology in medical consultation.
Contents:
1) Introduction to positive psychology and its relevance to health
○ History and fundamental concepts of positive psychology.
○ Relationship between positive emotions and their impact on health
physical and mental.
○ Biological dimension and advances in neuroscience.
2) The importance of social connections
○ Scientific studies on human relations and their influence on
welfare.
3) Wellbeing assessment
○ Instruments for measuring well-being.
○ Character strengths and virtues.
4) Lifestyle interventions for emotional well-being
○ Principles of the PERMA Model.
○ Strategies and practical exercises based on psychology
positive in the medical consultation.
5) Proactive self-care and behavior modification
6) Relevance of self-care in the prevention of burnout and
promotion of well-being.
○ Incorporation of healthy practices as part of the
self care.
Module IX: The health of the health professional
Objectives
• Cite the scientific evidence that shows how healthcare professionals who are more inclined towards a healthy lifestyle advise their patients more on lifestyle changes.
• Strategies for incorporating health and well-being in the workplace
• Plan a personal assessment and action plan
Content
• Questionnaire to determine burnout
• Health assessment and how it impacts patient care.
Module X: Stress and ways of managing it
Objectives:
● Define stress and differentiate between acute and chronic stress, describing its physiology and its implications for physical and emotional health and its impact on overall well-being.
● Examine instruments for the diagnosis of stress, anxiety, and depression within clinical practice.
● Analyze resources and therapies for stress management, integrating techniques based on scientific evidence.
● Define meditation and mindfulness, learn about their different methods, and understand the scientific evidence that supports their use in stress management.
● Describe the concept of resilience and its importance in the stress response.
Contents:
● Definition of stress: What is stress? Differentiation between acute and chronic stress, with emphasis on the physiology of stress.
● Validated instruments for the diagnosis of stress, anxiety and depression.
● Definition of resilience: its key role in adaptation and response to stress.
● The expansion of meditation in the West, types of meditation. Myths and benefits of its application and practice.
Module XI: The Science of Sleep
Objectives:
● Sleep and Lifestyle.
● To understand the physiology of sleep and wakefulness.
● Identify biotypes and their impact on lifestyle.
● Understanding the role of sleep in chronic diseases.
● Explore sleep deprivation and its consequences.
● To know the common sleep disorders.
● Identify lifestyle factors that affect sleep.
● Understand how to improve sleep with lifestyle changes.
Contents:
● Pain assessment and management.
● Basic physiology of sleep and wakefulness.
● Biotypes and their implications for lifestyle.
● Role of sleep in chronic diseases and as a therapeutic strategy.
● Sleep deprivation epidemic.
● Most common sleep disorders.
● Lifestyle and its impact on sleep quality and duration.
● Lifestyle changes to improve sleep quality.
Module XII: Chronic Pain
Objectives:
● Pain and its management.
● Define pain and its types.
● Identify how to assess pain and its impact.
● To learn about non-pharmacological therapies for pain.
Contents:
● Pain and types of pain.
● Assessment of pain and its impact on daily life.
● Non-pharmacological measures and complementary therapies with scientific evidence.
Module XIII: Integration, Key Process
Objectives:
● Knowing the medical history in Lifestyle Medicine (LM).
● Understand the importance of the medical history focused on lifestyle and its main components.
-To learn about different strategies and tools to make the doctor's work in lifestyle medicine more efficient and productive.
● Evaluate the educational and preventive strategies used in MEV programs to promote healthy habits.
● Explore the advantages of group visits to increase patient commitment to lifestyle changes.
● To understand the different models of care in Lifestyle Medicine and their impact on patient health.
● Analyze the costs and benefits of different care models applied to MEV compared to traditional models.
● To know and analyze the main Lifestyle Medicine programs at an international level.
Contents:
● Know the medical history in MEV.
● To learn how group visits and telehealth can optimize
MEV.
● Care models.
● Learn about the programs available at MEV
Module XIV: Women's Health
Objectives:
● Analyze the impact of the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (LM) on the different stages of a woman's life.
● Analyze the impact of prenatal and perinatal factors on the development of chronic diseases and mental health throughout life, considering the influence of primary health on the immune, endocrine and nervous systems.
● To evaluate the effects of chronic inflammation, stress, diet and microbiome management on maternal and infant health, and their relationship to disease prevention in the primal and postpartum period.
● Examine in depth the physiological and psychological symptoms of menopause, assessing their impact on quality of life in the short, medium and long term, as well as identifying MEV-based management strategies to address them.
● Define and analyze sarcopenia, including its classification, symptoms, diagnosis and criteria, and develop effective strategies for prevention and optimization of bone health, integrating Wolff's Law and its benefits in the context of menopause.
Contents:
● Primary health and its implications in the development of basic adaptive systems: Impact of intrauterine life, birth and the first year of life on long-term health.
● Critical factors in the development of maternal and child health: Maternal nutrition, stress, microbiota and effects of chronic inflammation in pregnancy and childbirth.
● Definition of menopause from a modern perspective. Physiological and psychological symptoms and their impact on quality of life in the short, medium and long term.
● Sarcopenia: classification, symptoms, diagnosis, criteria and prevention strategies.
● Wolff's Law, definition and benefits.
● MEV strategies for menopause treatment in the different
stages of life.
● Consideration of menopause treatment in at-risk groups.
Module XV: Lifestyle Medicine at Different Stages of Life
Objectives:
● Analyze the impact of early nutritional experiences and the intrauterine environment on future health during the first 1000 days of life.
● Identify the effects of exposure to toxic chemicals and environmental stress on child development and its relationship to the risk of chronic diseases.
● Evaluate the importance of breastfeeding and physical activity in the early stages of life as key factors for overall well-being.
● Examine the consequences of adverse childhood experiences and chronic stress on long-term physical and mental development.
● Explore strategies for prevention and promotion of healthy aging, integrating the pillars of lifestyle medicine, such as functional capacity and environment.
● Recognize the demographic and epidemiological transition in older adults, acknowledging the challenges and opportunities to promote health in this population.
● Apply lifestyle medicine interventions tailored to children and the elderly, focused on disease prevention and improving quality of life.
Contents:
1. Pediatrics
○ Early nutritional experiences: prenatal, intrauterine environment and early years of life.
○ Impact on health from toxic chemicals and environmental stress.
○ Breastfeeding.
○ Physical activity during early stages of life.
○ Adverse childhood experiences and chronic stress.
2. Aging
○ Demographic and epidemiological transition.
○ Healthy aging: functional capacity, ability
intrinsic and environment.
○ Strategies for the prevention and promotion of aging
healthy.
Module XVI: Planetary Health
Objectives:
● Define climate change and its impact on health.
● Identify the main impacts of climate change on health.
● Understanding the impact of individual behaviors to mitigate the
climate change.
Contents:
● Climate change and health.
● Behaviors to mitigate climate change.
Module XVII: MEV and Oncological Diseases
Objectives and Contents
● Introduction to Integrative Oncology and Epidemiology of Preventable Cancers: Definition of integrative oncology, examination of the prevalence of preventable cancers and understanding of their causes.
● Cancer Prevalence and Prevention: Analysis of cancer prevalence statistics and prevention strategies at a global level and in Argentina.
● Impact of Dietary and Lifestyle Habits on Cancer Risk: Evaluation of the influence of diet, nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle habits on cancer risk.
● Mycotherapy with Adaptogenic Fungi in Oncology: Exploring the Use of Medicinal Fungi in Integrative Oncology.
● Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology in Oncology: Understanding the mind-body connection in cancer and its impact on patient treatment and outcomes.
Objectives:
● Applying the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine in oncology
or Understand the principles of Integrative Oncology and the
Epidemiology of Preventable Cancers.
or Identify and evaluate modifiable lifestyle factors
that influence the risk of cancer.
or Apply complementary therapies in cancer care.
Module XVIII: MEV and Diabetes
Objectives and Contents
● Diagnosis of increased risk categories (prediabetes) and diabetes.
● Role of dietary prescription in the prevention of diabetes.
● Role of the nutritional oval or the nutritional pyramid to understand and
adapt food groups for healthy nutrition.
● Role of exercise in the prevention of diabetes.
● Relationship between sleep disorders and diabetes.
Objectives:
● To diagnose the high-risk categories and the population at risk of developing diabetes and diabetes mellitus.
● Evaluate the impact of physical exercise on reducing the incidence of diabetes mellitus.
● Analyze the relationship between sleep disorders and the development of diabetes mellitus.
● Understand the importance of designing an appropriate dietary plan, based on medical prescription, to reduce the risk and delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
● Select foods based on the nutritional principles provided by each group.
● Personalize the dietary plan to promote long-term adherence and prevent chronic diseases.
Module XIX: MEV and cardiovascular diseases
Objectives and Contents:
● Apply the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine to Cardiovascular Health.
● Hypertension with a different approach.
● Dyslipidemia.
Objectives:
● Apply the principles of Lifestyle Medicine to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.
● Identify modifiable risk factors in hypertension and dyslipidemia.
● Incorporate changes in diet and exercise as key strategies in cardiovascular management.
● Promote stress management and sleep habits to improve cardiovascular health.
● Educate patients about the importance of a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular prevention.
– To be a healthcare professional
– Photocopy of the degree
– Photocopy of ID
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Due to the complex economic situation in Argentina, the tuition fees for our programs and degrees are adjusted periodically. This is to preserve the academic quality that underpins our value proposition and to meet the University's commitments and obligations. These increases will be based on indicators reported by the Central Bank of Argentina.
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