Middletown, CT
Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Group ClassesThe LifeMed Program: shared medical appointments where you learn to eat, move and manage stress with your care team. Covered by insurance.
Next class: Tuesday, October 13, 3:30 PM, in person at 955 S Main St, Middletown
Group Classes for Chronic Health Support
The LifeMed Program is a series of plant-based group classes at Connecticut Lifestyle Medicine in Middletown. Each class is a shared medical appointment: you learn alongside other patients and your care team, and a provider is on hand to answer questions and review your plan. It is billed to insurance like any other visit.
Life changes. A diagnosis like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease can add medications, appointments and worry to an already full schedule. You don’t have to sort it out alone. With practical tools and a group that understands, healthy habits get easier to start and keep, so you can get back to what you enjoy, whether that’s dinner with friends, a pickleball game or time with the grandkids.
What is lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle medicine uses everyday habits as treatment. It works alongside your regular medical care to treat, prevent and, in many cases, reverse chronic disease. – American College of Lifestyle Medicine
It is built on six pillars:
- Nutrition, with a focus on whole, plant-based foods
- Physical activity
- Restorative sleep
- Stress management
- Social connection
- Avoiding risky substances
The LifeMed Program puts the most time into nutrition, exercise and stress management, with the other pillars woven in.
When
Upcoming Dates 2026
We consistently offer the LifeMed Program IN PERSON on the second Tuesday of each month. In October and December we have Thursday morning options too.
Tues | 10/13 3:30-5p
Thur | 10/29 7:30-8:30a
Tues | 11/10 3:30-5p
Tues | 12/8 3:30-5p
Thur | 12/10 7:30-8:30a
Description
What to expect at a lifestyle group visit
Each class runs about 90 minutes. You’ll have plenty of time to ask questions and connect with other people dealing with the same health conditions and worries. Every class includes:
- A cooking demo
- Breathing techniques and stress management tips
- Beginner-friendly exercises
- One-on-one time with a provider to ask questions, go over recent tests or adjust medications
The goal is to get to the bottom of the “how-to.”
What you’ll learn
Topics include (this is not a complete list):
- How to shop for plant-based foods at the grocery store
- How to read nutrition labels
- How to cook without oil
- How to make tofu taste good
- Simple dressings that add flavor
- Short breathing meditations for stress
- Beginner-friendly exercises
The LifeMed Program adds another layer of care to your treatment plan in a safe, supportive and confidential environment.
Help with chronic disease
Who the LifeMed Program is for
The program is for anyone living with a chronic condition who wants an extra boost to make healthy changes and keep them for life. Chronic conditions tend to bring more medications, more illness and a lower quality of life over time. Group support can help you get ahead of that. You’ll also meet people facing the same challenges, learn from their journeys and share yours.
High blood pressure
Food, movement and stress all play a part. In class you’ll learn practical changes, and a provider is available to answer questions about your readings and medications.
Diabetes
Learn how meals and activity fit into your plan, with hands-on help for shopping and cooking. A provider can go over recent test results and adjust medications. [Success Story]
High cholesterol and heart disease
Plant-based cooking is front and center, along with simple ways to add movement and manage stress. [Success Story]
Overweight or obesity
Get practical skills and a supportive group in place of another diet.
**If you have something urgent or need immediate attention from a specialist, shared medical appointments are not the right setting. Call the office instead.
How to Join our LifeMed Shared Appointments
- Become a patient. Shared medical appointments are for patients of the practice. If you’re new, book a new-patient visit. Already a patient? Go to step 2.
- Reserve your spot. Text or call the nurse line at 860-530-6355.
- Come to class. Join us in person at 955 S Main St, Middletown. Classes run about 90 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shared medical appointment?
A shared medical appointment is a group visit with your medical team and other patients who have similar health conditions. They have been around since the 1990s and fit well with lifestyle medicine, where the six pillars are used as therapies to treat, prevent and reverse chronic disease.
Who is the LifeMed Program for?
Anyone with a chronic condition, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or overweight or obesity. It’s for you if you want an extra boost to make healthy changes and keep them for life.
Do I need to be plant-based already?
No. The program teaches the basics, from grocery shopping to cooking without oil, so you can start where you are.
Does insurance cover shared medical appointments?
Yes. These appointments are billed like any other visit, so you’ll have the same cost-sharing, such as a copay or deductible, that you have for regular visits. Call the office at 860-788-6573 with questions about your plan.
Do I need to be a patient to join?
Yes. You must be a patient of the practice. If you’re not yet, make an appointment to establish care.
Do shared medical appointments replace regular visits?
No. They work alongside regular appointments. You’ll have time to check in with a provider, but in-depth discussions and test interpretation happen at a regular visit. Anything urgent, or anything that needs a specialist right away, isn’t appropriate for a shared appointment.
How often are classes, and do I have to attend every month?
Classes meet in person once a month on the second Tuesday at 3:30 PM, with a second monthly class on some months in the morning. You can attend all or just one class.
Can a family member come with me?
If they’re a patient, yes. If not, they must become a patient first.
Is it confidential?
Shared appointments take place in a safe, supportive and confidential environment. You only share what you’re comfortable with or not at all.
How do I sign up?
Text or call the nurse line at 860-530-6355
Ready to make healthy habits stick?
Join a plant-based group class in Middletown and learn the how-to with your care team and people who understand. Classes are billed to insurance like any other visit.
Connecticut Lifestyle Medicine · 955 S Main St, Middletown, CT · 860-530-6355
