Social prescribing is an innovative approach that allows healthcare professionals, primarily those in primary care settings like GPs and practice nurses, to refer patients to local, non-clinical services to address their social, emotional, or practical needs holistically. This method acknowledges that various factors, such as social, economic, and environmental conditions, play a significant role in a person’s overall health and well-being.
The goal of social prescribing is to enable individuals to take more control of their health and well-being by connecting them with a wide range of activities typically provided by voluntary and community sector organisations. These activities may include arts, volunteering, group learning, gardening, befriending, cookery, healthy eating advice, and various sports.
Prescribing Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) is a pioneering approach that combines the principles of social prescribing and Baking as Lifestyle Medicine to address a person’s overall health and well-being holistically. This method also acknowledges that various factors, such as social, economic, and environmental conditions, play a significant role in a person’s overall health and well-being.
Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) is an evidence-based framework focusing on the health benefits of baking sourdough bread and other fermented foods. BALM promotes the consumption of fibre-rich, diverse, and fermented foods to support gut health, mental well-being, and overall physical health. The BALM protocol also emphasises the importance of reducing refined sugar intake and increasing antioxidants and probiotics in the diet.
By integrating BALM with social prescribing, healthcare professionals, primarily those in primary care settings like GPs and practice nurses, can refer patients to local, non-clinical services such as baking classes or in our case, The Sourdough Club. These referrals aim to address the patient’s social, emotional, and practical needs while enabling them to take more control of their health and well-being.
Prescribing Baking as Lifestyle Medicine connects individuals with a wide range of activities. These activities can benefit individuals with mild or long-term mental health issues, complex needs, and social isolation and those with multiple long-term conditions who frequently access primary or secondary healthcare services.
As a part of community-centred approaches, prescribing Baking as Lifestyle Medicine aims to harness the power of communities to promote good health and well-being for individuals, addressing their needs beyond traditional clinical care. This innovative approach combines the power of social prescribing and BALM to create a comprehensive and effective strategy for improving health and well-being.
