About Us

The treatment of chronic disease consumes 67% of all direct health care costs, and costs the Canadian economy $190 billion annually – $68 billion is attributed to treatment and the remainder to lost productivity. Health expenditures to treat chronic diseases are rising faster than our economic growth. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 80% of heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases and 40% of cancers are preventable by eliminating four common risk factors:

1. Smoking
2. Physical Inactivity
3. Unhealthy Diets
4. Harmful use of Alcohol

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one third of adults will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime.   Poor mental health according to their report conservatively costs Canada 50 billion per year with another 46 billion if adding the costs of addiction.  

Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing can prevent, treat and often reverse the common lifestyle diseases that plague Canada and for every dollar invested in mental health $4-10 dollars are returned into the economy.  Research has shown that following the principles of Lifestyle Medicine and Flourishing not only prevents illness but lengthens, enriches and promotes flourishing as well.  

Our LIFEstyle Medicine and Flourishing Centre incorporates concepts for vitality rooted in ancient knowledge passed down by our Creator and supported by modern medical research. These are captured by the acronym LIFE HUB, which also captures our vision to be a hub of healing education, research, and practice that will support the restoration of life in humanity. LIFEstyle Medicine and Flourishing is for everyone and we invite you to consider the following LIFE principles:

Light: Discover the evidence-based healing properties of sunlight, and why God’s first command was “Let there be light”

Inspiration: Abundant fresh air is pivotal to life itself and provides healthy oxygenated blood to heal damaged organs and tissues. “God breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul.” Moments of flourishing are part of inspiration, an invitation to "breathe in" moments of vitality, gratitude and awareness of the breath that is with us, that nourishes us, and affirms the life within us.

Food: Our original diet was defined in the very first chapter of scripture! Genesis 1:29. Whole foods from plants are human fuel, providing not only energy, but incredible healing in their constituents.

Exercise: We were prescribed by our Creator to “tend to the garden”, and regular physical activity is known to be an effective prescription for most chronic conditions.

Hydration/Hydrotherapy: Adequate intake of pure water is especially critical for those who are highly active, and because it carries zero calories, it is the liquid of choice for sustaining a healthy body. The effective use of external hot and cold water treatments for healing has been appreciated for millennia.

Unwind: After adequate food and water intake, cardiovascular exercise (physical activity), and appropriate exposure to sunshine, our bodies will desire restoration through sleep. Not only is resting important every night (7-9 hours minimum) for our bodies to rejuvenate, a weekly rest day free from all mental and physical work provides added benefit.

Belong: Humans are wired for connection and belonging.  Knowing that we belong is a deeply felt need of all humans. Belonging provides deep meaning through positive connections which foster freedom from addictions. Knowing we belong helps us understand our value both individually and collectively. It also encourages altruism that leads to experiences of flourishing. Close relationships that include a sense of secure belonging are connected to life satisfaction and resilience.