HEAL — Health Enhancement And Lifestyle medicine — is led by Dr Flaminia Bruno, Internal Medicine physician. It is a lifestyle programme designed to help you achieve your best health, prevent chronic disease, and potentially even reverse existing conditions. For patients who need more, HEAL Plus adds medically supervised weight-loss treatment on top of the same lifestyle foundations.

How HEAL works

The programme focuses on positive, sustainable change across five key areas:

  • Nutrition: a whole-food, plant-based diet, rich in nutrients and low in processed foods
  • Exercise: regular physical activity for energy, strength and disease prevention
  • Stress management: effective techniques to manage stress and boost overall wellbeing
  • Sleep: prioritising quality sleep for energy, focus and health
  • Support: personalised guidance from healthcare professionals and a supportive community

Potential benefits

  • Reduced risk of chronic disease — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and more
  • Weight loss without restrictive dieting
  • Improved energy levels, mood and mental clarity
  • Potential reversal of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure

What to expect

  • Initial assessment of your health and lifestyle habits
  • Educational sessions on nutrition, exercise and other healthy habits
  • Personalised coaching from health professionals
  • Community support and ongoing tools to maintain your changes

HEAL Plus: medically supervised weight loss

Obesity is a growing global concern and significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. HEAL Plus is a comprehensive weight loss programme that combines the power of semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, with the holistic approach to wellness described above. Lasting weight loss is achieved through a combination of:

  • Semaglutide and other GLP-1/GIP agonists (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) — administered under strict medical supervision, working by mimicking a natural hormone that helps control appetite and blood sugar; a powerful tool, but not a "magic bullet" on its own
  • Nutrition — a personalised, healthy and sustainable eating plan developed with expert nutritionists
  • Physical activity — a tailored exercise programme guided by exercise physiologists
  • Stress management — mindfulness and relaxation techniques to support healthy coping mechanisms
  • Medical support — ongoing monitoring, with your plan adjusted as needed throughout your journey

Why medical supervision matters

Semaglutide and related medications can have side effects, so treatment is provided under the guidance of a healthcare professional who will assess your suitability, monitor for side effects, and provide ongoing education and support.

Obesity and heart health

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has published a clinical consensus statement highlighting the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD):

  • Obesity rates have more than doubled globally in the last four decades; nearly 1 in 4 European adults live with obesity
  • 67.5% of excess deaths related to obesity are attributed to CVD
  • Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol, places direct strain on the heart, and promotes chronic inflammation that contributes to atherosclerosis
  • People with obesity have a 50–100% increased risk of death from all causes compared to those at a healthy weight

Losing even a small amount of weight can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk — through knowing your numbers (BMI, waist circumference), lifestyle change, professional support, and, where appropriate, medical intervention.