April 23, 2011 
A story in the Lifetime Fitness publication focused on the this line which you often hear in pharmaceutical advertisements “When lifestyle changes aren’t enough . . . ” But, obviously, their pitch is that changing your life can and does work with a blend of diet and exercise.
In fact, research shows that basic shifts in nutrition, activity, stress and other lifestyle factors can be more effective than drug protocols in treating inflammatory health conditions — dramatically improving overall health and fitness in the process.
They provide a nice summary of articles in a PDF that I thought were worth sharing. It includes articles on the following suggestions:
- Eliminate processed carbs
- Avoid sugars and alcohol
- Emphasize healthy fats
- Pack in phytonutrients
- Get more food-based fiber
- Aim for a blend of activity — high and low
- Get plenty of rest
- Set boundaries around work
- Meditate regularly
- Manage stress
- Minimize inflammation
Enabling Healthy Decisions 
Interesting that this is the second article you’ve posted from Lifetime Fitness that positions them against the use of prescription drugs. Your comment about contradictory consumer information is spot on! This would seem to fuel at least one of the major barriers to adherence: “I feel better so I can stop taking my medication.”
You can replace 1-5 with “Eat 15% less”. It’s a whole lot less complicated than trying to stay on top of 1-5. 🙂 It saddened me to read the article because it indicated that we are more or less incapable of eating in moderation.
Basically, if you’re eating until you’re full, you’ve eaten too much.