Past Pavers’ Place Gatherings and Classes for Connection

As founder of the wellness practice, StressFreeMD, she uniquely combines her training in medicine, yoga therapy, meditation & life coaching to teach others a whole person approach to relieve stress while increasing both lifespan and healthspan. Her innovative coaching, courses, presentations, retreats, podcast and book focus on creating effective behavior changes in the key topics of stress relief, nutrition, exercise, sleep, social connection, and nature while cultivating physical, mental, and emotional well-being and resilience.

Dr. Tiger is the author of Feeling Stressed is Optional, a unique multimodal interactive book which combines engaging content, videos and worksheets for the most effective transformative experience. She serves as lead faculty and subject matter expert in stress management for the Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Manual, hosts the StressFreeMD Podcast, and is a Western Carolina Medical Society Healthy Healer Partner.

She is deeply passionate about successfully guiding others to become the best versions of themselves and live their healthiest, happiest, most fulfilling lives!

Description: 

The Topics of Discussion includes:

• The most common symptoms & health effects of chronic stress
• The impact chronic stress plays on your daily lifestyle behavior choices
• 3 categories of hands-on stress relief tools

This class was hosted by Robyn Tiger, MD, DipABLM who is a double board-certified physician in Diagnostic Radiology and Lifestyle Medicine and a trauma-informed mind-body expert. 

In this Pavers' Place, Michelle Thompson discussed how your mindset can impact your body physically. She conducted the profound connection between the mind and body, providing practical tools and insights to cultivate a balanced, healthier life. Subjects include: Soft belly breathing, Mindful eating and Guided imagery/autogenic.

Description: 

Dr. Thompson triple board certified in lifestyle, integrative, and osteopathic family medicine incorporating culinary medicine, psychedelics and mind-body skills into her patient care along with teaching medical students, interns, residents, and attendings at UPMC since 2006. As the medical director for the Lifestyle Medicine Institute, she is leading the initiative to place self-care in the center of patient care and employee health. 

She has served as Chair of Medicine and currently Vice Chief of Staff for UPMC Horizon and Jameson. She is an advocate for system change and has been a pioneer in changing the way health care is delivered.

Janet is an experienced Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Certified Health Coach, and Mindful Movement teacher. Janet guides individuals through transforming exercise into whole-person self-care through Exercising Well, LLC offering clinical exercise coaching and step-by-step online programs. She is also part of the multidisciplinary team at the UMass Memorial Weight Center in Worcester, Massachusetts where she uses coaching methods and online programs to support medical and surgical weight loss patients.

Description: 

Are you interested in moving mindfully? Follow along this class with mindful beginner movements.

Video reference: "Foundation for Moving well"

Gordon’s mission is to make it easy for busy people to enjoy healthy local food. His farm is located 9 miles east of Saratoga Springs in New York State. He has a text to order business model, where busy people receive healthy salads and organic produce directly at their work once a week. 

Gordon services hundreds of companies in New England, and his passion for great, healthy food is contagious! He has also partnered with physicians and healthcare companies to deliver healing foods to patients as a “Food as Medicine” model, with great 

Description: 

Gordon will talk about his farm, his food and teach you how to grow your own vegetables, no matter your living arrangements.

Dr. Saad’s work currently focuses on food’s connection between human and planetary health. He completed a fellowship in climate change and health policy at the University of Colorado's Climate & Health Program where he is currently affiliate faculty. He is board-certified in Neurology, Stroke, and Lifestyle Medicine and has been practicing for over 15 years

Key leadership positions include: co-chair of the neurology member interest group at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, co-director of Neurologists Interested in Climate and Health (NICHe), and board member at Greener by Default. He is also part of ACLM’s global sustainability committee.

Description: 

Diet is not only one of the greatest social determinants of health, but a powerful lever to mitigate against climate change. This recording highlighted our food system's connection between human and planetary health and how clinicians can take climate action both in everyday clinical practice and beyond.

Terri Stone, MD, FACP, DipABLM serves as the Medical Director of “Fresh & Savory” Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Shared Medical Appointment Teaching Kitchen Program at Medstar Institute for Innovation in Washington D.C. Terri and her “Fresh & Savory” teammates work closely with Georgetown and Howard University colleagues to provide culinary nutrition workshops for Integrative and Health Sciences Graduate Students, medical students in Physician Well Being elective and Howard and Georgetown Graduate Medical trainees.

Maggie Tagare is a dietitian by trade and a foodie at heart. As a Culinary medicine consultant at MedStar Institute for Innovation, she devotes her time to expanding culinary and lifestyle medicine programming across the MedStar Health system via shared medical appointments for patients, wellbeing initiatives for staff, and graduate medical education curriculum development for residents. She also teaches an annual culinary medicine elective course for second year medical students at Georgetown University.

Description:

Follow along with the recipes attached for this cooking class!

1. The Reddy Family Power Energy Bites 
2. Refried Bean and Avocado Tacos
3. Chef Anthony’s Versatile Base Recipe

Chef Allen Campbell is widely known as a leader in the sports nutrition world. Through his culinary acumen, various publications, speaking engagement, and highly publicized work with athletes, actors and entertainers, he has revolutionized traditional culinary artistry by maximizing health benefits and sustainable practices. Chef Allen was Tom Brady’s personal chef, and now he dedicates his work to bringing a plant forward approach to people’s lives.

In this presentation, Chef Allen discussed his personal journey to optimal health, his food philosophy, passion and recommendations for us to practice food as medicine. 

Check out Chef Allen's amazing recipes here

Dr. Svetlana Chamoun, MD, PhD, FACC, DipABLM, is a cardiologist and Lifestyle Medicine expert with over two decades of experience in cardiology, Lifestyle Medicine, and wellness. After completing her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Virginia and Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging fellowship at Temple University Hospital, Dr. Chamoun has held various roles including leadership positions in cardiology and cardiac safety. As the founder and CEO of CardioSeeds and host of the CardioSeeds Podcast since 2022, she has actively led cardiovascular prevention and wellness initiatives for healthcare professionals, focusing on stress management for long-term cardiovascular risk reduction. Dr. Chamoun's RECLAIM wellness program uses a holistic approach to restoring and maintaining health

and wellness based on pillars endorsed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM).

Holding dual board certifications in cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Chamoun is an active

leader within ACLM, co-chairing the Cardiology Member Interest Group and founding the Work-Life Balance and Cardiovascular Health subcommittee. Her commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles is further evidenced by her certification as a Health and Wellness Coach from the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA). In 2023, Dr. Chamoun published a self-help book for female physicians, "Resilience in Scrubs: Thriving as a Woman Resident Physician." It is now available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. All proceeds will be donated to support ACLM trainee memberships. Dr. Chamoun is working on her second book for women physicians, continuing her advocacy for wellness in the medical community. Dr. Chamoun is an experienced speaker and gladly participates in speaking engagements for the general public, corporations, healthcare professionals, and trainees.

Description:

Understanding the importance of sustainable well-being is the foundation of a healthy and happy society. It starts with defining and achieving optimal health and wellness environments.

This presentation encapsulates the roadmap to personal and professional wellness.

Dr. Aleksandra Pikula is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at the University of Toronto, Clinician-Investigator at the Krembil Brain Institute, Director of the Stroke Neurology Research at the UHN/TWH, Co-Director of Women's Neurology Fellowship at U of T. She leads the largest multidisciplinary Stroke in Young Adults (SiYA) Program in Canada, with focus on Stroke in Women. She was recently appointed as an inaugural Jay & Sari Sonshine Chair in Stroke Prevention & Cerebrovascular Brain Health at the University of Toronto/ Krembil Brain Institute, with the full program being funded through visionary philanthropic efforts - supporting implementation of lifestyle medicine into mainstream preventive neurology over the next 10 years.

Description:

A stroke occurs every 3 seconds worldwide, making it the most prevalent neurological condition, globally, above and beyond dementia. Over 80% of the global burden of stroke, and 40% of the global burden of dementias had been linked to lifestyle habits and modifiable risk factors, with hypertension being the most prevalent. Lifestyle medicine as an evidence-based discipline can be used to target modifiable risks through its root cause approach. Although tremendous progress in stroke and dementia detection has been made, unmet patient needs with structured, interdisciplinary, multimodal, and educational lifestyle interventions and models of care for long-term stroke and dementia prevention are urgently required.



What has been proven to work in brain care, and how PAVING the Path to Wellness for Brain Health could be the solution?  Dr. Pikula will illustrate the Promising Journey through PPW as an integrated model of care for Preventive Neurology.

Jodi is the author of Plant Forward: A PAVING the Path to Wellness Cookbook. Jodi will teach us how to cook two delicious recipes: Crispy Roasted Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli and Green Tahini Dip. All participants who plan to cook along are encouraged to review the preparation instructions.

Dr. Dawn Harris Sherling is a board-certified internal medicine physician who is also board-certified in obesity medicine. She began studying journalism before switching to pre-med studies at the University of Florida where she graduated with honors and as a phi beta kappa. She earned her M.D. with honors from the Yale University School of Medicine and then completed her residency at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital where she went on to serve as an attending physician and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard University. She moved back to Florida in 2008, and currently sees patients at a clinic for underserved populations and is an associate program director for the internal medicine residency at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. She is most recently the author of Eat Everything: How to Ditch Additives and Emulsifiers, Heal Your Body, and Reclaim the Joy of Food. Inspired to write this book after an additive-free trip to Italy seemingly cured her IBS, she did a deep dive into the published literature on our microbiomes and how emulsifiers and other substances may be feeding the wrong bacteria in the wrong places, contributing to alarming rates of diet-related diseases.

Description

For the first time in 100 years, life expectancy in the United States is decreasing. While there are many possible reasons that need to be examined for this, our unprecedented consumption of ultra-processed foods is undoubtedly contributing and is something within our immediate control to change. The first step is identifying just what ultra-processed foods are and the ingredients in them that are contributing to our ill-health. The next step is getting these foods out of our diets and replacing them with nutritious, whole foods. And finally, we can't forget that food should be fun and celebratory, and we need to reclaim the joy of food as we reclaim our health.

Dr. Amy Comander is a breast oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. She holds the positions of Director of Breast Oncology and Cancer Survivorship at the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and Newton Wellesley Hospital. Additionally, she serves as the Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and holds the role of Director of Lifestyle Medicine, a pioneering program in the field of cancer care. As an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Comander actively engages in educating medical students and residents, with a particular focus on oncology and lifestyle medicine. Her dedication to cancer survivorship and lifestyle medical underscores her commitment to enhancing the quality of life, well-being, and outcome of individuals with cancer through important lifestyle interventions, including exercise, diet, and mind/body interventions. She promotes healthy lifestyles for patients during their active treatment phase and well into their survivorship journey. Leading by example, Dr. Comander has completed numerous marathons, including an impressive streak of ten consecutive Boston Marathons, all to improve the lives of those facing a cancer diagnosis. 

In collaboration with Dr Beth Frates, she has launched “PAVING the Path to Wellness,” a 12-week lifestyle medicine-based survivorship program for individuals with breast cancer. She and Dr. Frates, along with Dr. Michelle Tollefson, authored the “PAVING the Path to Wellness” workbook.  In January 2024, Dr. Comander and Dr. Tollefson are thrilled to offer PAVING the Path to Wellness for breast cancer survivors and thrivers through the non-profit!

Dr Comander is the first oncologist on the Board of Directors of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.  Furthermore, she serves on the Board of the Ellie Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services and support to women diagnosed with breast cancer in Massachusetts. She is also a medical advisor to the non-profit organization, SurvivingBreastCancer.org.  She has served as a medical advisor to Oneinforty, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage about the one-in-forty chance of having inherited a BRCA mutation. She is running the NYC Marathon on November 5 in order to raise awareness about the prevalence of BRCA mutations.  She is married to Jason, a physician-scientist at Mass Eye and Ear, and a mother to two teenagers.

Description

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the nearly 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can have a profound psychological impact, often serving as a catalyst for individuals to reevaluate their life goals, particularly concerning their health and overall well-being, as well as other aspects of their lives. The PAVING the Path to Wellness Program for breast cancer survivors has played a transformative role in the lives of many women. To echo the sentiments of Maya Angelou, this program empowers women “not merely survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” A highlight of this session will be the chance to gain insights from the distinctive viewpoints of graduates of the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program for breast cancer survivors at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

Dr. Melissa Sundermann is a double board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. She also has training in Integrative Medicine through the University of Michigan and has completed a Professional Training Program in Mind Body Medicine through the Center for Mind Body Medicine based in Washington, DC. She has been featured in several Lifestyle Medicine articles and podcasts as well as an invited speaker for health and wellbeing national and international conferences. She strongly believes in fostering a partnership with her patients and helping to guide them towards a healing pathway through self-care utilizing the pillars Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Sundermann is also known as “Doctor Outdoors” and is the Founding Chair of the Nature as Medicine sub-committee for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Sundermann currently specializes in Lifestyle Medicine at Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort in Lenox, MA and is also the co-founder of REVIVE! Lifestyle Medicine Well-Being Coaching. Prior to these roles, she practiced medicine with IHA in Ann Arbor, MI where she helped to launch the IHA Lifestyle Medicine Institute and also led the IHA Staywell Committee which focused on optimizing the health and well-being for 3000 employees of IHA. She does her best to practice what she preaches and enjoys running, biking, hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors and creating adventures with her husband, 2 children and 2 dogs. She is a 10x Boston Marathon finisher, 3x Full Ironman Triathlon finisher and currently training for several upcoming Ultramarathons. She truly believes that age is just a number and is passionate about spreading this word to all of her patients, family and friends.

Description

This presentation explores the profound health benefits of engaging in physical activities amidst the beauty of natural environments. Discover how outdoor movement can improve physical fitness, reduce stress, and boost mental well-being. Join us to learn how connecting with nature through movement can be a prescription for a healthier, happier life.

Resource: 2023 Work in America Survey: Workplaces as engines of psychological health and well-being (apa.org)

Valeria (Val) Tivnan is the Director of Population Health Strategy and Well-being at EBS, Employee Benefits Solutions. In this role she supports EBS clients in their journey to building a culture of health in the workplace while helping leaders transform employees into knowledgeable healthcare consumers. Val’s passion is to advise leaders on tactics to bring lifestyle medicine into workplaces with a goal of improving population health and decreasing healthcare costs.

Val has 30 years of experience in the wellness, well-being and lifestyle medicine fields. She is the Chair of the lifestyle medicine in the workplace group from ACLM and is involved in other organizations such as HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) where she has contributed to several committees and published papers at prestigious journals such as the Am. J. Health Promotion. Val is also in the board of a lifestyle medicine non-profit organization – PAVING the Path to Wellness.

Val has a master’s in education from Boston University and an MPH from UCLA. She is an Adjunct Professor at Merrimack College and has won EBA’s prestigious ‘Wellness Director of the Year’ award in 2017.

Description

Burnout is on the rise and continues to be a pervasive form of stress connected to work. For the employer, burnout leads to decrease engagement and productivity at work as well as turnover. For the employee, burnout can bring many physical and emotional health ailments. According to a survey from Deloitte, 77% of employees experience burnout, and healthcare workers are among the population suffering the most. In this presentation, we will discuss the role of mindfulness in the prevention and treatment of burnout as well as discuss the proven steps you can take to manage stress more effectively. You will be provided a checklist of effective strategies proven to support your mental health, so you can live a healthy, peaceful and happy life. Join us in this great discussion and find out how you are truly managing your stress today and what you can start doing tomorrow.

Resource: 2023 Work in America Survey: Workplaces as engines of psychological health and well-being (apa.org)

Dr. Michelle Tollefson is a lifestyle medicine expert and obstetrician-gynecologist. She is a pioneer in women’s health and lifestyle medicine and a professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is the editor-in-chief of the textbook Improving Women’s Health Across the Lifespan and co-authored PAVING a Woman’s Path through Menopause and Beyond with Drs. Frates and Comander. Dr. Tollefson was one of the first physicians ever trained as a wellness coach. She is an international speaker, women’s health consultant, mother to three kids, and a breast cancer survivor/thriver.

Description

Healthy eating, movement, sleep, stress management, social connections, a focus on purpose, and a positive attitude toward aging, support thriving through menopause and far beyond. In addition to decreasing the risk of chronic disease, healthy lifestyle behaviors can increase energy, cognition, and quality of life, throughout a woman’s lifespan.

Tulsi Chase Ed.M. is the Head of Education & Outreach at the Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet, a multidisciplinary research center at Harvard affiliate hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. With a Master's from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA in Movement Studies, Tulsi designs and facilitates various mind-body programs and research interventions at Sadhguru Center for patients, providers, and the public. She is an expert yoga teacher with over 3,000 hours of training from the renowned Classical Hatha Yoga School at Isha Yoga Centre, India. Tulsi has had the honor of leading various wellness programs for a decade for learners and leaders across USA, including at Harvard, Google, and Amazon; and internationally.

Sepideh Hariri PhD is an instructor in Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and the Program Manager at the Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet, a multidisciplinary research center at Harvard affiliate hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. With a PhD in Physics and research focus in Biophysics and Medical Imaging, she has been an active educator and researcher since 2013. Inspired by her profound experience of meditative practices over the past decade, Sepideh’s current research is focused on using meditation-based interventions to better understand and enhance brain health, cognition, optimal aging, and overall wellbeing. She has been offering yoga and meditation sessions to the general public, company employees, medical professionals, and college and school students since 2016. Sepideh strives to bring together a scientific approach and experiential exploration in her work as a researcher and educator.

Description

• Explore current scientific research evidence on yoga and meditation practices to boost mental health, help manage chronic diseases, and enhance overall well-being
• Gather resources to prevent burnout and also support patients and community health
• Learn and experience impacts of these wellness practices in your own personal and professional life.

Dr. Kanabar completed her fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the prestigious Stanford University. She is triple board certified in Addiction Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine and Family Medicine. Dr. Kanabar is dedicated to improving the lives of people with addiction and providing holistic care in recovery. She currently practices Addiction Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine in sunny Southern California. Dr. Kanabar is an international public speaker on various addiction topics including alcohol use, opioid use, gaming, and digital overuse. Dr. Kanabar is an avid gardener and proponent of leading a balanced lifestyle.

Description

This presentation focuses on things that may keep us in a never-ending loop - technology, gaming, gambling, and food. In addition, Dr. Kanabar discusses disordered eating, food addiction, and paving the way with Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Fifield is the Manager of the Substance Use Disorder and Integrated Behavioral Health Services at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of New England. He has a doctoral degree from the University of New England and is dual-licensed in NH as a clinical mental health counselor and a master's licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Peter has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 2011 and specializes in training for mental health and medical providers. He finds great satisfaction in working with groups who are seeking to provide more supportive, equitable, and effective care to clients. For over twenty years, he has been working in the field of trauma-informed integrated behavioral health and the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Description

With the ever-expanding availability of new types of substances like microbreweries, small-batch distillers, and marijuana dispensaries in our community, it is hard to know what is "healthy consumption". Come join us for a presentation that will discuss the concept of healthy limits, harm reduction theory, and deploying effective strategies.

Dr. Regan Stiegmann is proud to be one of the US military's leading world experts in achieving health-centric human performance optimization through Lifestyle Medicine. She spent over a decade in the US Air Force, serving as a double-board certified Active Duty Flight Surgeon, Preventive Medicine physician, and Lifestyle Medicine subject matter expert. Working to pioneer a combat-ready force that is not merely ready to deploy, but rather optimized to deploy, she launched the Lifestyle & Performance Medicine movement within the Department of Defense in 2015. Learn how to dial in your own optimal health at any age and how you can hack your health habits for prime performance to maximize the experience of your life!

Dr. Sley Tanigawa Guimaraes is a stress management expert, physician, co-founder and past-president of the Brazillian College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is certified by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine, the coordinator of Albert Einstein Hospital's Lifestyle Medicine program, and leader of PAVING in Brazil. In addition, she is married, the mom of three, has a dog, and is an ex-professional ballerina.

Dr. Jon Bonnet is a board-certified sports, obesity, and lifestyle medicine physician. He works at the Palo Alto VA in their weight management center and is a Clinical Associate (affiliate) Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is passionate about optimizing health, improving performance, and fostering longevity. His background is in exercise science and personal training. In addition to his clinical work, teaching, and research, he serves as a consultant to companies in the weight loss and wellness space looking to deliver personalized, preventive care via digital health.