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Frequently asked questions
About The Health Shift
The Health Shift is an educational platform dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine, mind-body medicine, and health optimisation. Its goal is to help people better understand their health and make informed, sustainable lifestyle choices.Rather than focusing on quick fixes or isolated health trends, The Health Shift explores how different aspects of our lives—such as nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, emotions, relationships, environment, and personal growth—work together to influence our wellbeing.Want to know more? Read our article Welcome to The Health Shift.
The name reflects a simple idea: meaningful improvements in health rarely come from a single intervention. Instead, they come from gradual shifts in how we eat, move, sleep, think, recover, connect with others, and interact with our environment. Rather than chasing perfection, The Health Shift is about making sustainable changes that move your health in the right direction, one step at a time.
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent, treat, and, where possible, reverse chronic disease.It focuses on the daily habits that have the greatest impact on health, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, avoiding harmful substances, and maintaining meaningful social connections. Lifestyle medicine complements conventional medical care rather than replacing it.
Mind-body medicine explores the interactions between our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and physical health. It recognises that psychological and social factors influence many biological processes and that improving mental and emotional wellbeing can positively affect physical health.The Health Shift approaches mind-body medicine from an evidence-based perspective and aims to distinguish well-supported interventions from those with limited or emerging evidence.
No.The information on this website is intended for educational purposes only. It is not personalised medical advice and should not replace consultation with your own physician or another qualified healthcare professional.Everyone's health situation is different. Decisions about diagnosis and treatment should always take your individual circumstances into account.You can read more about this in our Medical Disclaimer.
The Health Shift is for anyone who wants to better understand their health and make informed decisions based on the best available evidence.Whether you're simply curious about living a healthier life, managing a chronic condition, or looking to optimise your wellbeing, we hope you'll find practical, balanced information that helps you move forward.Healthcare professionals may also find value in many of the topics discussed.
We believe that reliable health information should be accessible to as many people as possible.The core educational content of The Health Shift will remain freely available. In the future, we may offer optional paid courses, workshops, or other educational resources to support the continued development of the platform.Some pages may also contain affiliate links (more about this in our affiliate disclosure). These help support the website without increasing the price you pay. Our recommendations remain independent and are never determined by affiliate commissions.
Every product, book, app, or tool featured on The Health Shift is selected because we believe it may provide genuine value to our readers.Recommendations are based on scientific evidence where available, clinical experience, personal experience, and careful evaluation of the available information. Commercial relationships never determine which products are recommended.
Many supplements are marketed with claims that are stronger than the scientific evidence supporting them.Whenever possible, we encourage building health through lifestyle first: nutritious food, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, healthy relationships, and a supportive environment.Supplements certainly have a place in medicine—for example, when deficiencies are present or specific medical conditions warrant them—but they are rarely a substitute for healthy habits.
Because science is rarely black and white.Many health topics involve individual differences, evolving evidence, or reasonable disagreement among experts. Rather than presenting oversimplified answers, The Health Shift aims to communicate what is known, what remains uncertain, and where the evidence is strongest.Read more about this in our Editorial Policy.
Artificial intelligence may occasionally be used as a tool during the writing process—for example, to assist with improving clarity, refining language, or generating images.Every article is reviewed, edited, and approved by Dr. Saartje Jooris, who remains responsible for the scientific accuracy and integrity of everything published on The Health Shift.You can read more about the use of AI in our editorial policy.
Health information shared online is often simplified, taken out of context, or based on individual experiences rather than scientific evidence.Our goal is not to follow trends but to interpret the best available evidence honestly, acknowledge uncertainty where it exists, and help readers make informed decisions rather than chasing the latest health hype.
The simplest way is to read, learn, and share the content with others who may benefit from it.You can also subscribe to our newsletter, share articles on social media, or choose to purchase recommended books or products through affiliate links when appropriate. These small actions help support the continued development of the platform while allowing the educational content to remain freely available.
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