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Metabolic Clinic Focused on Long-Term Lifestyle Changes

Metabolic
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A number of stories related to mental health will be told in the days leading up to Bell Let’s Talk Day, which is scheduled for January 25.

Many of those stories will point to the need to treat mental health as important as we treat physical health. This is a common message and one that we often hear through the advocacy work being done to eliminate stigma and increase awareness for those living with mental illness.

However, the relationship between the two is far more than a key message.  And, it’s something we have the privilege of working on each day at the Metabolic and Weight Management (Metabolic Clinic) at Ontario Shores.

The impact physical and mental health have on each other is at the core of the work we do at the Metabolic Clinic.

The Metabolic Clinicis an award-winning patient-focused program with emphasis on long-term lifestyle changes and cardiovascular risk management. Our inter-professional healthcare team provides individuals living with mental illness specialized care and helps them to manage their physical health issues, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The Metabolic Clinic was developed specifically to maximize health and promote better overall health in people with mental illness.

The Metabolic Clinic is comprised of practical nurses, registered nurses and registered dietitians who have undergone specialized training in motivational interviewing, self-management, and diabetes education to best address the needs of the patients we serve.

This unique service is constantly evolving in order to meet the changing needs of patients. After an initial in-person visit, patients can utilize videoconferencing through Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) to attend appointments from the comfort of their own home. This removes traditional barriers, making it easier, quicker and more convenient to engage with patients, which can lead to improved care outcomes.

We offer a hands-on group designed to increase food literacy, food handling skills, budgeting, and planning a healthy meal. Patients get the opportunity to prepare the kitchen to prepare a well-balanced meal.

We also provide monthly peer support group for our patients to share successes and struggles with weight loss, diabetes and chronic disease management.

This is the first introduction of the Metabolic Clinic on #MindVine and I look forward to future posts as my colleagues and I set out to share information, resources and personal stories of recovery in this space. 

Click here to learn more about our Metabolic Clinic. 

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