From Athlete to Advocate: How Lifestyle Medicine Got Teacher Back on Track

Lee Senter has long known what a healthy body feels like. A competitive gymnast growing up, she ran track and cross country through much of her youth and competed in track for Indiana University. Back then, she could eat whatever she wanted. Meals were mostly home cooked. Processed foods were rare. And staying active was second nature. 

Stress Catches Up

Lee, now an educator in her 30s, began to experience a cascade of unpleasant health changes around 2021, as demands in her professional life increased. It started with weight gain from emotional eating.

Lee knew her adult eating habits needed to change, but she also recognized that stress and lack of exercise figured into her problems. Before coming to Chadwell Elementary as a literacy coach, she had worked in another school system under stressful circumstances. She was emotionally exhausted and her health was paying the price. 

Discovering Lifestyle Medicine

Lee needed a broad-based fix. She found it in the MNPS Health Care Centers’ new Lifestyle Medicine Department. 

A practical, whole-person approach, lifestyle medicine looks beyond symptoms to the root causes of illness, such as poor diet, stress and inadequate sleep. It focuses on improving everyday habits to shape long-term health — habits such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, social connection and avoiding risky substances.

One way MNPS delivers lifestyle medicine is through a nutrition program called Full Plate Living, which Lee decided to explore.

“As long as it wasn’t a diet, I was willing to investigate,” she says “I just wanted to make a positive change.”

No Pressure, Real Support

The four-week Full Plate Living program was far less intimidating than Lee expected.

"We all thought we were going to have to weigh in in front of each other," she laughs. Instead, the care team created a supportive, low-stress environment. The focus was on adding fiber-rich foods — fruits, vegetables and grains — into meals people were already eating.

"We learned to eat in a way that is manageable," says Lee, who doesn’t want to stress over meals.

Learning Together

Health coach B.J. Reeves helped lead the sessions at the MNPS Employee Wellness Center, often bringing in food samples that surprised even the skeptics. 

“I don’t even like cabbage. And she had cabbage, it seemed, in everything,” Lee says, laughing. “She also taught us batch cooking.”

The group, all MNPS employees and family members, became comfortable being vulnerable together, Lee says.

“There were people from all walks of life; people of all shapes and sizes,” she says. “We were able to teach and encourage each other.

Primary care provider Morgan Stine supported the group alongside Reeves, answering questions and, to Lee’s relief, staying accessible between sessions. 

Results Beyond Weight Loss

Over the four weeks of Full Plate Living, Lee lost five pounds. She began walking more, picked up Pilates and noticed changes that went beyond the scale. 

“I actually feel lighter; more pep in my step. I have more mental energy,” she adds. “I sleep better. My mood improved.”

Initially, she worried about eating during travels and holidays, but instead of fear, she found confidence. “I had to get over that fear of causing myself to be inflamed again,” Lee says. “I can eat reasonably and logically if I just think it through.”

Doctor’s visits confirmed her health improvements. Her inflammation markers dropped, and her other labs improved.

Lee is now among Full Plate Living’s biggest champions, but she does have one suggestion for organizers: “You know, guys, we’re going to need an alumni group!”