In today’s fast-paced healthcare system, we often focus more on treating illness than preventing it. This "sick care" model has left many people frustrated and without the right support to live healthier, fuller lives. Enter Dr. Sarah Schuetz a dedicated primary care physician who has shifted her focus toward lifestyle medicine. In a recent interview, Dr. Schuetz shared her insights into her medical practice and the benefits of an individualized, holistic approach to health, particularly for midlife and older adults.

Why Lifestyle Medicine?

As Dr. Schuetz explains, many physicians struggle to help patients with lifestyle changes because traditional training doesn’t emphasize this aspect of care. In her practice, she bridges this gap by offering expertise not only in primary care but also in lifestyle counseling. Physicians often don’t have the time to delve deep into nutrition, exercise, and mental health, which are essential to preventing chronic illnesses. Dr. Schuetz’s approach provides the missing piece: guidance on how to live healthier lives through tailored lifestyle interventions.

Many of her colleagues, excited to have a trusted resource for their patients, refer to her because they understand the gap in care. Dr. Schuetz emphasizes that healthcare should involve much more than medication management — it should focus on long-term wellness.

What Happens During the First Visit?

The first visit is comprehensive, whether patients come with a specific concern (like a new diagnosis of pre-diabetes) or a desire to prevent future health issues. Dr. Schuetz emphasizes that prevention and managing conditions both require an in-depth approach. Here’s what patients can expect:

Homework Before the Appointment:

Patients fill out paperwork ahead of time, allowing Dr. Schuetz to review their health history in detail. This saves time and ensures she can focus on deeper issues during the visit.

Body Composition Testing:

Using an InBody 570, a non-invasive body composition analysis tool, Dr. Schuetz measures factors like muscle mass and fat distribution. This is particularly useful for tracking progress related to weight loss or muscle gain over time.

Vitals and Basic Exam:

Dr. Schuetz conducts a basic health exam and fills in any missing gaps in the patient’s health history.

Personalized Discussion:

Rather than the traditional sterile experience of sitting on an exam table, patients sit across from Dr. Schuetz at a table. Together, they discuss nutrition, exercise habits, sleep health, social connections, and stress management. Social connection is especially crucial for older adults, and Dr. Sachuetz notes that the sense of community at gyms, like the one she frequents, can make a significant difference in overall health.

Meal Planning and Nutritional Support:

Dr. Schuetz uses the Eat Love App to help patients plan meals that suit their specific dietary needs. For patients who track their food intake, the app also provides a detailed nutritional analysis to help refine their dietary habits.

Goal Setting and Accountability:

Each visit ends with setting specific goals for the next month. While some patients only want a one-time consultation, most prefer regular check-ins for accountability, returning every month or every three months to review progress and make adjustments.

Health Trends: What’s Being Overlooked?

According to Dr. Schuetz, two major areas are often neglected when it comes to health: nutrition and exercise.

1. Misinformation about Nutrition

Many people know they should focus on nutrition but are confused by the overwhelming and often contradictory information available. The challenge isn’t just understanding that nutrition is important but knowing how to do it right. Dr. Schuetz points out that much of the general advice about eating a “low-fat diet” is outdated and too simplistic. Instead, nutrition should be individualized to each person’s needs, with a focus on limiting saturated fats, eating healthy fats, and improving insulin sensitivity.

2. The Importance of Resistance Training

Another major gap is the lack of emphasis on resistance training, especially among older adults. Many people think that activities like walking or yoga are enough. While these are great for overall health, they don’t replace the need for resistance training, which is essential for maintaining muscle mass and bone density, particularly as we age. Dr. Schuetz emphasizes that starting resistance training early — and continuing it — can prevent frailty and falls, which are leading causes of injury in older adults.

Common Health Concerns: Post-Menopause and Cholesterol Management

Two listener questions were addressed during the interview, highlighting common health concerns for women over 55: post-menopausal health and cholesterol management.

1. Post-Menopausal Health

After menopause, many women experience a slower metabolism, changes in body composition, and other health shifts. Dr. Schuetz notes that this is a crucial time to reassess nutrition, ensuring adequate protein intake to maintain muscle mass. She also stresses the importance of resistance training to prevent frailty, reduce the risk of falls, and protect against osteoporosis. Hydration becomes another key issue, as thirst perception changes with age, and some women reduce their water intake due to concerns about incontinence.

2. Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health

Cholesterol is another complex issue that many women face. Dr. Schuetz explains that cholesterol is just one part of a person’s cardiovascular risk profile. Rather than focusing solely on lowering cholesterol, patients should look at the bigger picture, addressing other factors like blood pressure, insulin resistance, and overall cardiovascular health. Sometimes, despite following all the general advice, genetics play a role, and in those cases, cholesterol may be harder to manage without medication. Dr. Schuetz encourages patients to dive deeper into their lifestyle habits, such as tracking their saturated fat intake more precisely, to determine where improvements can be made.

Moving Beyond "Sick Care" to Real Healthcare

One of the most striking points in Dr. Schuetz’ conversation is her critique of our current “sick care” system. Too often, people with early signs of conditions like high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure aren’t given guidance on how to improve their health before it becomes a bigger problem. By the time they’re offered help, they may already need medication, when proactive lifestyle changes could have prevented the issue altogether.

Dr. Schuetz advocates for a healthcare model that prioritizes prevention and lifestyle changes long before medication becomes necessary.

Ready to Take Control of Your Health?

Dr. Schuetz is changing the way we approach healthcare by integrating lifestyle medicine into her practice. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can prevent or manage chronic conditions through lifestyle changes, you can visit her website at mylifestyledoc.com. There, you can schedule a free discovery call to see if her approach is right for you.

Whether you’re navigating the challenges of post-menopause, struggling with high cholesterol, or simply want to ensure you’re on the right track to a healthier future, Dr. Schuetz offers a compassionate, personalized approach to help you achieve your health goals.

If you have any questions or would like to share your experiences, feel free to drop a comment in the Fitness for 55+ Facebook group, where we’re always discussing topics like post-menopause, cholesterol, and more.