Overview
What is Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA?
Eating Well for Optimal Health Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) is a six-week integrative shared medical appointment for weight management that encompasses body, mind and spirit to help you achieve your goals. This program was formally known as TRIM LIFE: Weight Management.
You will learn how to develop a healthier relationship to food, learn the difference between body hunger and stress eating, and effectively address food cravings and binge eating. This is a medical appointment facilitated by a physician in conjunction with a mind-body therapist and yoga therapist to provide a comprehensive approach to management of weight and other common conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Benefits of Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA include:
- Sustainable weight loss with lifestyle changes.
- Improved blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
- Effectively eliminate sugar and other food cravings.
- Reduced stress and anxiety.
- Greater self-empowerment.
- Improved mood.
- Better sleep.
- More energy.
What can I expect from Eating Well for Optimal Health appointments?
Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA is a series of six weekly, 90-minute group medical appointments. In these virtual appointments through MyChart, you will learn medical strategies for weight loss along with mind-body practices such as mindfulness, relaxation and coping skills, and guided imagery. You will also learn a set of tools to use daily to address the urge to eat for reasons other than hunger. As you become more mindful, it will be easier to make healthy food choices.
Where is Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA offered?
This SMA is available at virtually through MyChart. Please call our office to schedule a consult with one of our Integrative Medicine specialists to determine eligibility. Current schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., Wednesday 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. and Thursday 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. (as of 2/15/2021).
For more details and to schedule your appointments, please call Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine at 216.448.4325, option 4 or contact us by email at cilm@ccf.org.
If you are already registered for Eating Well, please visit clevelandclinic.org/eatwellaudio to access audio files for the shared medical appointments.
How the Program Helps
Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change. The goals are to stop the pattern of yo-yo dieting, food restriction, and using food to deal with stress. You will learn how to identify what is weighing you down, meet your emotional needs in healthy ways, and stop emotional eating. You will learn how to meet your needs in healthy ways and to make self-care a priority. Weight release is a natural byproduct of this process.
How can mindfulness and guided imagery help?
Guided imagery is a natural way of processing thoughts in a focused state of attention. Imagery enables you to use your imagination to help you reach a state of inner calm. In this frame of mind, you are better able to identify, address, and resolve the thoughts, feelings and beliefs that contribute to poor food choices. The mindfulness practices and guided imagery taught in this SMA will enable you to change old patterns of thinking and behaving, including unhealthy eating patterns.
How does guided imagery help to manage weight?
A mind-body therapist will use guided imagery in the Eating Well for Optimal Health SMA medical appointments to achieve the following:
- Identify unhealthy eating patterns.
- Create a healthier approach to food and other lifestyle choices.
- Remove the desire for specific foods that sabotage weight loss.
- Reduce sugar cravings.
- Imagine a smaller stomach so less food is needed to feel satisfied.
- Create a deeper state of inner calm and quiet.
How will I be able to maintain my progress after six weeks?
Patients will be offered an e-coach session during and after the program. A follow-up appointment with an Integrative Medicine specialist is recommended. You will receive a set of materials that you can refer back to at any time.
Insurance Coverage
Shared medical appointments are covered by most insurance plans. Patients are responsible for insurance co pays at the weekly appointments, and for a small one-time charge for materials. There is no copay for Cleveland Clinic Employees. Material fees are non-refundable.
For current dates and times and to register or reserve your spot, please call the Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine at 216.448.4325, and select option 4.
