Welcome to the August edition of Whole Health Digest — home to insights, inspiration, and announcements from the world of Whole Health, provided by the nonprofit Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH).

In today's newsletter, you'll discover:

• A new book for family physicians, Lifestyle Medicine and the Primary Care Provider: A Practical Guide to Enabling Whole Person Care
• How the Primary Care Collaborative is promoting whole person primary care
• More information on Full Plate Living’s free Shared Medical Appointment program and Facilitator Training
• And more

News and Journal Highlights

​Integrating Diet and Physical Activity When Prescribing GLP-1s – Lifestyle Factors Remain Crucial​

“Although GLP-1 RAs represent a major breakthrough in obesity management, lasting treatment success requires integrating medication with individualized nutrition and physical activity interventions.” This article emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach when prescribing GLP-1s and provides practical strategies for clinicians to manage gastrointestinal symptoms, preserve lean body mass, and ensure adequate nutrient intake for patients. (Source: JAMA Internal Medicine)

​Finger on the Pulse: Policy Pathways to Harness Beans for Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition​

This policy paper by Beans is How champions beans as an often-overlooked, climate-smart superfood that offers a simple, scalable solution to global challenges like malnutrition, food insecurity, and climate change. It outlines three actionable policy pathways – embedding beans in national frameworks, public procurement, and climate-resilient value chains – to unlock their unparalleled nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits, ultimately promoting better public health and more resilient food systems. (Source: Beans is How)

​Lifestyle Medicine for Obesity in the Era of Highly Effective Anti-Obesity Treatment​

This recent publication, funded in part by AIH, emphasizes that Lifestyle Medicine remains foundational to treating obesity, even with the availability of highly effective anti-obesity medications and metabolic surgery. The review highlights that clinicians and health systems should prioritize access to intensive, team-based lifestyle programs to effectively address the root causes of obesity and minimize side effects when therapy is escalated to anti-obesity medications or metabolic surgery. (Source: Nutrients)

Grants

Primary Care Collaborative: Promoting Whole Person Primary Care

AIH is delighted to support the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) in promoting whole person primary care to transform the way people are cared for in America. The PCC’s multi–year whole person primary care initiative, funded by AIH and the Healing Works Foundation, aims to deepen the primary care community’s understanding of Whole Health and Lifestyle Medicine concepts and cultivate alignment among stakeholders for a shared vision of whole person primary care.

Learn More

Since 2014, AIH has granted over $19 million to Whole Health projects and initiatives. To learn more about AIH's granting work, click here.

EVENTS

Family Medicine Experience 2025

AIH is delighted to sponsor and exhibit at Family Medicine Experience (FMX) 2025, hosted by AAFP. FMX is designed to inspire, educate, and foster meaningful connections among family physicians and their care teams, and the event offers a variety of educational opportunities, including over 200 cutting-edge sessions and hands-on learning experiences.

Learn More and Register

Full Plate Living Member Care Call

On August 27th, Full Plate Living is hosting a free member care call to support those interested in learning more about the Full Plate approach. Participants can ask questions, and the team will share bonus tips and offer encouragement and support. Register to join below or share the details with your patients, employees, or community members.

Learn More and Register

The Power of Food and Connection Through Shared Medical Appointments

In this upcoming webinar hosted by The Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, participants will hear from Dr. Daniel Chen, Internal Medicine Physician at Esperanza Health, and Amy Hanus, Full Plate Living’s Program Director, about how culinary medicine and community connection can support positive behavior change. Dr. Chen will share about his experience using the free Full Plate Living Shared Medical Appointment program at Esperanza Health.

Learn More and Register

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Available Now: Lifestyle Medicine and the Primary Care Provider

Lifestyle Medicine and the Primary Care Provider: A Practical Guide to Enabling Whole Person Care is available now!

This resource emphasizes principles like patient history, screening tools, and lab testing and focuses on streamlining workflows and facilitating behavior change with team-based approaches. It outlines methods for collaborating with external resources, like specialists and dietitians, for practices not in integrated care models and provides insights on maximizing reimbursement for Lifestyle Medicine services.

Lifestyle Medicine and the Primary Care Provider goes beyond theory to give clinicians the tools to foster sustainable lifestyle changes and support patient wellbeing and resilience.

Learn More and Order

P.S. Use code PCP25 for 25% off your order.

RESOURCES

Full Plate Living Facilitator Training

AIH is delighted to offer a free Full Plate Living Facilitator Training for clinicians and health providers, wellness directors, and community leaders. It was developed with input from industry experts and features a distinguished faculty, advice from past facilitators, and insights from the science of behavior change. When you are certified, you will have the training and tools needed to effectively lead:

1. A clinician-led Full Plate Living Shared Medical Appointment Program
2. An in-person or virtual group for the Full Plate Living Healthy Lifestyle Program

Learn More and Sign Up

ACLM Webinar: Bridging Health Gaps: A Collaborative Effort to Combat Chronic Disease

This ACLM webinar showcases how to use Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) to deliver billable, group-based care in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). The webinar highlights how the Full Plate Living SMA program was implemented in rural Georgia, demonstrating how SMAs can drive sustainable behavior change and improve chronic disease management.

Watch Webinar

See also: Equitable Access to Lifestyle Medicine: FQHCs, YMCAs, Trauma-Informed Health Coaching, and “Community as Medicine”​

Recording Available: Everyday Wins: Small Changes for Lasting Health

In this workshop, Dr. Wesley McWhorter explores how small, consistent shifts in how people eat, move, and live can lead to meaningful, lasting health improvements. With a primary focus on food, Dr. McWhorter shares practical, real-world strategies that make healthy living more sustainable, flexible, and enjoyable.

Watch Recording

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We hope you found today's newsletter informative and inspiring. We'll be back next month with another edition of Whole Health Digest.

Sincerely,

The AIH Team

P.S. This newsletter is offered by Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH), a nonprofit dedicated to improving people's health through the power of Whole Health and Lifestyle Medicine. If it was forwarded to you by a friend or colleague, and you'd like to receive it regularly, subscribe here.

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