New Morehouse Healthcare Specialty Works to Reverse Existing Health Conditions, Prevent New Ones

ATLANTA, GA, GA., June 21, 2016 -- True healing begins when the whole patient is treated. This is the philosophy that drives the Optimal Health and Wellness Clinic, a new specialty clinic at Morehouse Healthcare that encourages a plant-based diet and lifestyle overhaul. "A healthy lifestyle helps medical treatments to be more effective and allows our bodies to heal naturally," says Dr. Jennifer Rooke, assistant professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine and medical director of the clinic.

To identify and address the underlying cause of disease, patient treatment includes a four-week Lifestyle Intervention that focuses on four pillars of health: food and nutrition, stress management, sleep, and physical activity. Patients are also encouraged to adopt a plant-based diet, which Rooke says unclogs arteries, reverses diabetes and reduces the risk of getting cancer and other chronic diseases.

Experts have found that:

• Coronary artery disease is "virtually absent in cultures that eat plant-based diets."
• "Blood pressure reductions equivalent to those produced by hypertension drugs" are possible with a low-sodium, plant-based diet.
• Vegetarians have "approximately half the risk of developing diabetes" as non-vegetarians.

"A whole-food, plant-based diet is delicious and much easier to adopt than most people think," Rooke says. The Lifestyle Intervention, which is preceded by an initial consultation to identify medical conditions requiring immediate medical care or referral, is held in a group setting. It is followed by monthly visits until health goals are met.

The clinic opened in May and integrates Lifestyle Interventions with complementary and alternative medical treatments in a clinical setting. It is not a replacement for primary care physicians and other medical specialists.

"Our goal is to make patient medical treatments more effective by addressing the unhealthy behaviors that all physicians discuss with their patients but may not always have the time to fully address," Rooke says.

The address for the Optimal Health and Wellness Clinic at Morehouse Healthcare is 1800 Howell Mill Road Ste. 275 & 550 Atlanta, GA 30318. Most major insurance is accepted. The clinic's website is http://preventionmhc.org.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (404) 756-1400.

About Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)

Founded in 1975, MSM is among the nation's leading educators of primary care physicians and was recognized by Annals of Internal Medicine in 2011 as the top institution in the first study of U.S. medical schools for our social mission based on our production of primary care physicians, training of underrepresented minority doctors and placement of doctors practicing in underserved communities. Our faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master's degrees. For more information, please visit www.msm.edu. 

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40638

CONTACT: Ronna Charles Nu'Man 	 
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         404-752-1717