What Dr Fay Has To Say! The 3rd Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute Symposium

The 3^rd Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute Symposium: where you get to experience the research!

Hello again,

This is Dr Fay, and I have something to say about the 3rd Symposium held by the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute (MLMI), in Greece, in June this year.

It was only recently, that I discovered the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute of Greece, and I would like to share some details about them and their 3^rd Symposium.

This group of committed passionate and inspiring medical and health care professionals are dedicated to promoting the Greek Mediterranean Lifestyle. They came together thanks to the vision of Professor Labros Sidossis, who found two other equally passionate people, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, from Australia and Dr Rob Lawson, from Scotland and they officially formed the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute, in 2022.

This year’s delegates came together from all over the world from a variety of disciplines. They came from Greece, Cyprus, Australia, United States, England, Scotland, Spain, Poland, Romania, Chile, Ukraine, Turkey, and Nigeria. Those present at this year’s MLMI Symposium included academics, researchers, medical practitioners and specialists, psychologists, anthropologists, dentists, physical therapists, and nutritionists. They came together for one common cause - to participate in, and share evidence-based knowledge, experiences, and skills in the Greek Mediterranean Lifestyle, in order to further the cause of promoting this way of life and its health benefits.

The delegates came together for five days on the beautiful island of Leros, one of the Dodecanese islands, to hear updates from the six lifestyle subgroups created within MLMI. These groups each specialise in one of the 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sleep, Stress Management, Social Connectedness and Substance Abuses Management. Each group is currently in the process of conducting extensive literature reviews to determine the effects of the Mediterranean lifestyle on health, longevity, and quality of life.

Prof Labros Sidossis was congratulated for his vision and efforts to date and was presented with a thank you in the form a plaque reading ‘METRON ARISTON’ i.e. ‘all things in moderation’. However, I can honestly say there was NO moderation when it came to passion, learning, sharing ideas, ‘filoxenia’, ‘filotemia’, Greek food, dancing and laughter! It was all to excess, and everyone indulged and enjoyed themselves, immersing themselves not only in the research, but in the Greek lifestyle. The Lifestyle Pillars of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Social Connectedness were experienced without limitations, boundaries or reservations, within the context of the Greek Mediterranean lifestyle.

Here is what some of the delegates had to say…

“An amazing immersion in Mediterranean Lifestyle in Leros with deep scholarly discussion on how we can all practice MLM (Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine) and better equip our health force in patient-centred holistic LM (Lifestyle Medicine) care,” said Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, from Melbourne, Australia.

“It was such a pleasure, to spend the last 5 days together, talking about our work in the field of lifestyle medicine and enjoying life during the social activities,” said Dr Ourania Kolokotroni, from Cyprus.

“Thank you all, for my first MLMI Symposium, such a wonderfully inspiring experience,” said Linda Errington, Librarian, UK.

A talk about ‘free-will’ or the illusion of ‘free-will’, was presented by the President of MLMI, Professor Labros Sidossis, was very thought provoking and created a very lively discussion amongst the delegates. All scientific presentations were well received and prompted interesting questions and stimulating conversations about the Mediterranean lifestyle and its health benefits.

I had the honour and pleasure of co-presenting the methodology for a review on the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits with Prof. Catherine Itsiopoulos. I also presented on the topic of musculoskeletal problems and how the Greek Mediterranean diet contributes to the reduction of inflammation. My only regret is that I did not discover this wonderful group of people earlier! But one thing is for sure, now that I have, I’ll be attending the symposium every year.

Thank you to all who participated and helped to organise the event: Prof. Labros, Prof. Catherine, Dr Rob, Prof Eleni Soultounaki, and Simon Mathews (who was also a fabulous MC). A special thank you goes to Anthi, for her organisational skills, everything ran smoothly! And another very special thank you to the woman behind the man i.e. the woman behind Prof. Labros, and that is his amazing, caring and ‘filotimi’ wife, Kaiti. Thank you for hosting the most spectacular welcome dinner party in your beautiful home, on the island of Leros.

If you are a health professional and you would like to experience an exceptional Lifestyle Medicine symposium on a Greek island with amazing people, please feel free to contact Professor Labros Sidossis.

Perhaps I’ll see you there next year!

Have a great week.

For more information or to enquire about public speaking engagements and bookings, visit drfay.com.au

DISCLAIMER:

• The purpose of this article and its contents is for disseminating health information for the benefit of the public.
• This article is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.
• disease/disorder/condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.
• We do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information provided in this article.

Read also $550 Million in Handshakes: Why Top Gun Banker George Frazis Bet Everything on Relationships