Dr. Vera Martins’ unique approach to health

combines Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine with

Lifestyle Medicine. She is the only certified Lifestyle

Medicine practitioner in the UK who integrates

Naturopathy and Herbal medicine into her practice.

What is Lifestyle Medicine Lifestyle Medicine is the answer to today’s health crisis. It’s an evidence-based medical specialty, endorsed by the NHS, that uses comprehensive lifestyle changes to prevent, better manage and even reverse the progression of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory and musculoskeletal disease, as well as mental health conditions. It’s also very effective at addressing health issues such as poor sleep, digestive disorders, hormone imbalances, low mood, anxiety, and weight management.

How a Lifestyle Medicine consultation can

help you

Lifestyle medicine follows a compassionate and client-centred approach that focuses on listening and setting realistic goals, while empowering the client with the tools to start improving their health. Some of the evidence-based tools used by Lifestyle Medicine include: • Nutrition - improves patient nutritional health through specific plans tailored to individual needs; these may include increasing consumption of certain types of foods, swapping for alternatives, or reducing intake of others. Nutritional prescriptions are simple, specific, achievable and realistic. • Sleep support - guides patients achieving good quality sleep and to avoid behaviours which have the potential to impair sleep quality. • Mental wellbeing support – teaches stress reduction techniques and clients finding purpose in life improving health through practices such as connection with nature, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, good sleep hygiene, journaling and physical activity. “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison

What Lifestyle Medicine can help you with

• Nutritional optimisation • Supporting a healthy weight in a sustainable and healthy way instead of restrictive diets • Sleep • Digestive disorders • Mental health (low mood and anxiety) • Stress management • Cardiovascular diseases (e.g. hypertension, dyslipidemia) • Type 2 diabetes • Perimenopause and Menopause (all associated symptoms) • Hormone imbalances such as PCOS and endometriosis • Autoimmune conditions (e.g. Hashimoto’s, Rheumatoid arthritis) • Allergies • Wellbeing optimisation • Can be safely used alongside conventional medicine

What happens during your consultation

• When booking your initial appointment, you will receive a health questionnaire to be completed ahead of your session. • At your 75-minute initial consultation, we will discuss your symptoms and health needs in depth as well as the key aspects of health including your nutritional habits, digestive health, sleep quality, stress management and movement.

What you will leave with

• Following your consultation, you will receive a personalised plan, tailored to your health needs and goals, which includes nutrition, supplements, herbal remedies (can be custom- made if applicable), and self-care tool resources. • For ease, recommended supplements and herbal remedies will be accompanied by a shopping cart link with details for direct purchase. • Functional testing, if applicable, will be organised for you. • Email support in between appointments. • Based on your individual needs, we will discuss how many follow-up consultations may be recommended as well as frequency. Lifestyle Medicine is a step by step process working towards an end goal - in order to achieve optimal results, you need to be reviewed and your treatment tweaked accordingly. If you have undergone any tests or been asked to see your GP concerning a health issue, a follow-up would be required in order to discuss the results.