DipABLM key terms

A way of eating centered on minimally processed vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, with animal products used sparingly or not at all and ultra-processed foods limited.

Industrial formulations made mostly from refined ingredients and additives, typically high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat and low in fiber, such as sugary drinks, packaged snacks, and reconstituted meat products.

Nondigestible carbohydrates found in plants that support bowel health, feed gut bacteria, and slow glucose absorption; intake is consistently linked to lower cardiovascular and metabolic risk.

The edible seed of plants in the pea family, including beans, lentils, and chickpeas, valued for their combination of protein and fiber and their low cost.

Protein obtained from plant foods such as legumes, soy, whole grains, nuts, and seeds; replacing some animal protein with these sources is associated with favorable cardiometabolic outcomes.

Sugars and syrups added during processing or preparation rather than occurring naturally in the food; excess intake raises risk of dental caries, weight gain, and metabolic disease.

A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose compared with a reference food; lower values generally reflect slower absorption and greater fiber content.

The community of bacteria and other microorganisms living in the digestive tract; its composition is shaped by diet, especially fiber intake, and influences metabolism and immune function.

Food transformed by microorganisms, such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh; regular intake may support gut microbial diversity.

The skill of reading a food label's serving size, ingredient list, and nutrient values to judge how a product fits a healthful eating pattern.

Activity that noticeably raises heart rate and breathing while still allowing conversation, roughly three to six times the energy cost of rest, such as brisk walking or cycling on level ground.

Activity that substantially raises heart rate and breathing so that speaking requires pauses, typically above six times the energy cost of rest, such as running or fast cycling.

Sustained rhythmic movement of large muscle groups that challenges the heart and lungs; accumulated minutes per week are the core of cardiovascular exercise recommendations.

Exercise that loads skeletal muscle against resistance, such as weight training, bodyweight exercise, or resistance bands, performed on at least two days per week to build strength and preserve lean mass.

Time spent sitting or reclining while awake with very low energy expenditure, such as desk work or television viewing; it carries risk independent of whether a person otherwise exercises.

A unit combining exercise intensity and duration, where one MET is resting energy expenditure; weekly totals quantify how much activity a person accumulates across different exercises.

Public health recommendations for weekly movement, commonly 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity plus two days of strength training.

A specific, written plan giving frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity, tailored to a person's health status, goals, and preferences, often using the FITT framework.

Total time spent asleep in a 24-hour period; most adults need at least seven hours, and both short and long habitual sleep are associated with worse cardiometabolic health.

How restorative and uninterrupted sleep feels, reflecting factors such as sleep latency, nighttime awakenings, and time spent in deep and REM stages rather than duration alone.

Habitual practices that support sleep, such as a consistent schedule, a dark cool bedroom, limiting evening caffeine and alcohol, and avoiding screens before bed.

Persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early despite adequate opportunity to sleep, with daytime consequences; first-line treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

A structured, evidence-based treatment using sleep restriction, stimulus control, and cognitive strategies to retrain sleep patterns; it is preferred over medication for chronic insomnia.

Repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep causing oxygen drops and arousals; it is strongly linked to obesity and raises risk of hypertension and cardiovascular events.

A stimulant found in coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks; its half-life is several hours, so intake late in the day can delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality.

The roughly 24-hour internal clock regulating sleep, hormone release, body temperature, and metabolism; it is synchronized by light exposure and regular daily routines.

The physiological and psychological response to demands or threats, involving activation of the sympathetic nervous system and cortisol release, which becomes harmful when chronic.

The cumulative wear and tear on body systems from repeated or prolonged stress responses; high load is linked to hypertension, immune suppression, and mood disorders.

Paying attention to the present moment on purpose and without judgment; structured training reduces perceived stress and is a core component of mindfulness-based stress reduction.

An eight-week group program combining meditation, body awareness, and gentle movement to reduce stress and improve coping; it has evidence for anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

A calm physiological state produced by practices such as slow breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, opposing the fight-or-flight response and lowering heart rate and blood pressure.

A technique for identifying distorted or unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with more balanced ones, commonly used in stress management and relapse prevention.

The process of stopping all tobacco use, including smoked and smokeless forms; combining counseling with pharmacotherapy such as nicotine replacement substantially improves success rates.

Use of nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, or inhalers to reduce withdrawal symptoms while a person stops smoking, ideally combined with behavioral counseling.

A problematic pattern of alcohol use causing significant impairment or distress, marked by craving, loss of control, and continued use despite harm; treatment includes counseling and medication.

A short, structured conversation, often five to fifteen minutes, giving feedback about risky substance use and clear advice to change, delivered in routine clinical settings.

A public health model in which patients are screened for risky alcohol or drug use, given short counseling if positive, and referred to specialized treatment when indicated.

A collaborative, person-centered counseling style that elicits a person's own reasons for change by exploring ambivalence and strengthening commitment, rather than advising or persuading.

Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, and work, including income, housing, education, and food access, that shape health outcomes and health behaviors.

Having few social contacts or infrequent interaction with others; it is associated with higher mortality and worse mental and cardiovascular health, comparable to major risk factors.

Supportive relationships with family, friends, and community that provide emotional support, belonging, and accountability, and that are linked to better health and longevity.

The practical and emotional help a person receives from others, which buffers stress, improves adherence to health behaviors, and supports recovery from illness.

A partnership in which a trained professional helps a person set self-directed goals and build sustainable behavior change using reflection, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving.

A group visit in which several patients with similar conditions meet together with clinicians for education and care, offering peer support and more time than a standard individual visit.

A person's belief in their capacity to carry out a specific behavior successfully; higher self-efficacy predicts better adherence to exercise, dietary, and substance-cessation plans.