My Story With Medicine
Between 1995-2013, I have practiced as anesthesiologist and critical care physician (ICU/Burns’ Center) at Hopital Libanais-Geitaoui.
👩🏻⚕️Certified in Lifestyle Medicine (LM) | Former ICU doc
🌿I help women 45+ live healthier, longer, and calmer through the 8 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.
🩺 In Person, Online & Workshop.
📍Lebanon
♥️ Narrative Medicine, Mindfulness & Zentangle In 2005, and till I quit, I was nominated Chief of Department of Intensive Care Unit/Burns Center. In 2013, I decided to quit; taking care of chronic patients had become emotionally exhausting for me. Since, I had continued to practice medicine as General Physician, Smoking Cessation Specialist, Addiction Counseling (Teens, youth and their mothers), either face-to-face or virtual sessions. However, my medical practice was interrupted by my frequent travels to USA and Canada, to visit my daughters. I had also other professional activities, like expert for Lebanese Hospital Accreditations, Public Health writer and consultant (Middle East Strategic Perspectives), health education and awareness, medical blogger (In 2014, I founded, a not-for-profit LAMSA (Lebanon) (www.lamsaleb.org) (Social Media: ). Adding to that, I have followed in 2016 the 8-weeks training in Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction at McGill University. Since, I personally practice this technique on a daily basis and I teach some of the exercises to my patients as stress reduction coping technique. January 2020, I moved to a new office in Brazilia-Baabda, but the Covid19 pandemic had emerged. With the lockdown ease, I am back to work for now as Smoking Cessation Specialist for youth (18-25 years old), privileging however the virtual sessions. Zeina Assaf Moukarzel, MD, MPH, MHA
Lebanese Order of Physicians Registration Number: A/571
Social Security (CNSS) Registration Number: 42/2002
Private cell phone: +961/3-341133
05/12/2025
Feeling overwhelmed? Try forest bathing, an ancient Japanese practice (Shinrin-yoku) — a scientifically proven lifestyle medicine practice.
Spending even 1 hour in nature,being present with your 5 senses, can lower cortisol, calm the amygdala, reduce anxiety, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and boost immune function thanks to forest phytoncides.
Nature isn’t a luxury… it’s therapy …the simplest way to feel better.🌲💚
Be Mindful.
#👩🏻⚕️foracause
03/12/2025
*International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025 | 3 December*
*1.3 billion people worldwide live with a disability.* Disability inclusion is essential to achieving health for all.
*Key concerns:*
🔹 Persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier.
🔹 They face twice the risk of depression, diabetes, asthma, stroke, and poor oral health.
🔹 Accessible and affordable transport is 15× harder to navigate.
🔹 Harmful laws can restrict autonomy and allow forced sterilization or involuntary treatment.
*What drives health inequities:*
🙅🏻 Poverty and exclusion from decision making, education and work.
⚠️ Higher exposure to non-communicable diseases.
🚧 Barriers in health systems, such as inaccessible services, poor provider training, and lack of disability-inclusive data.
*Health equity cannot be achieved until persons with disabilities have equal access to care, information, emergency response and public health interventions.*
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02/12/2025
Every step toward more plants supports a healthier, more healthier you. 🌱✨
I still remember that rainy afternoon when everything seemed to fall apart… and yet, it was in that moment I discovered my own strength. 🌧️
Life has a funny way of shaping us, sometimes through challenges we never asked for, sometimes through tiny moments we almost overlook. A smile from a stranger, a word that stayed with us, a habit we kept silently.
All those pieces, big and small, come together, quietly molding the person we are today. ❤️
What’s one moment in your life that changed you forever?
Be Mindful.
29/11/2025
Rest is part of your life. Boundaries are your best tool.
E-mails can wait. Your mental health can’t. 👩🏻⚕️🩺
Be Mindful.
#👩🏻⚕️foracause
28/11/2025
How to prevent insomnia?
Start with what you eat in the evening.
One of the most overlooked sleep disruptors is ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
Current evidence shows that higher UPF intake is linked to:
❌ poorer sleep quality
❌ more night awakenings
❌ shorter sleep duration
❌ higher risk of chronic insomnia
So if you want deeper, calmer sleep:
✨ Reduce UPFs after 5–6 PM
✨ Choose simple, whole foods for dinner
✨ Skip sugary snacks at night
✨ Keep evenings soft and slow for your nervous system
Protect your sleep tonight. Eat real food.
Your future self will thank you. 💛
Be Mindful.
#👩🏻⚕️foracause
27/11/2025
Holiday season = joy for many, for women.
Husbands, partners — this message is for you.
Your wife is managing meals, gifts, social expectations, emotional labor, and the logistics that make the season look effortless.
Support isn’t optional. It’s preventive medicine.
Divide tasks. Protect her rest. Step in before she breaks down.
If you’re thinking about shifting toward a plant-based lifestyle, here’s what the science keeps showing us 👇
❤️ 1. Better Cholesterol & Heart Protection
A diet rich in whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables can significantly lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Why?
Because plant foods are naturally high in fiber, plant sterols, and healthy fats, all of which support clean arteries and protect against cardiovascular disease.
🩺 2. Lower Diabetes Risk & Better Blood Sugar Control
Plant-based diets improve insulin sensitivity, reduce fasting glucose, and lower HbA1c in people with diabetes.
The biggest impact comes when you focus on whole, minimally processed plants and reduce refined carbs and added sugars.
⚖️ 3. Weight Loss Without “Dieting”
Studies show plant-based eaters often lose more weight even without strict calorie counting.
Why it works:
✔️ lower calorie density
✔️ high fiber = fullness
✔️ gut microbiome benefits
✔️ improved metabolism
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply “plant-forward,” every step toward more plants supports a healthier, more energetic you. 🌱✨
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” — Eckhart Tolle
Be Mind Full. Be Mindful.
#👩🏻⚕️foracause
24/11/2025
Violence against women remains a global crisis, with little change over the past two decades.
In the last 12 months alone, 11% ever-partnered women aged 15 years and older experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner.
Despite decades of commitment, progress remains slow, with only a 0.2% annual decline in prevalence.
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23/11/2025
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) aren’t “just processed foods.” They’re industrial formulations designed to look, taste, and smell like real food — but your body doesn’t treat them the same way.
Here’s how to spot them ⬇️
✔️ Long ingredient list
✔️ Additives you don’t use at home (emulsifiers, flavours, colourants, thickeners)
✔️ Protein isolates, modified starches, hydrogenated oils
✔️ Ready-to-eat, long shelf life, aggressive marketing
🔍 NOVA Classification:
1️⃣ Unprocessed / minimally processed
2️⃣ Culinary ingredients
3️⃣ Processed foods
4️⃣ Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) → the category linked with health risks
📊 What the NEW Lancet Series (2025) says:
• High UPF intake is associated with 93 health outcomes, including ↑ risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and all-cause mortality.
• Harm isn’t only about sugar/salt — it’s about additives, disrupted food structure, hyper-palatability, and industrial processing.
• The Lancet calls for urgent global action to regulate UPFs, similar to to***co control.
🌿 Better choice: prioritize minimally processed foods; use real ingredients; build meals around whole foods.
Small shifts → big impact. 💛
Be Mind Full. Be Mindful.
#👩🏻⚕️foracause
23/11/2025
Exciting news from the world of medical research: GLP-1 drugs, including popular treatments like Ozempic, have been linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer de@th. This finding could open new avenues for cancer prevention alongside diabetes and weight management therapies.
Researchers studied patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists and found that these drugs may have protective effects beyond blood sugar control. By influencing metabolism, inflammation, and cell growth in the gut, GLP-1 drugs could reduce the progression of colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related de@th worldwide.
While more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms, this discovery is significant because it suggests a dual benefit: managing diabetes and potentially lowering colorectal cancer risk. Experts emphasise that patients should continue medications as prescribed and discuss any health concerns with their doctors.
This revelation highlights the growing importance of drugs that not only treat chronic conditions but also provide unexpected protective effects, potentially reshaping preventive healthcare strategies for high-risk populations.
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Between 1995-2013, I have practiced as anesthesiologist and critical care physician (ICU/Burns’ Center) at Hopital Libanais-Geitaoui. In 2005, and till I quit, I was nominated Chief of Department of Intensive Care Unit/Burns Center. In 2013, I decided to quit; taking care of chronic patients had become emotionally exhausting for me.
Since, I had continued to practice medicine as General Physician, Smoking Cessation Specialist, Addiction Counseling (Teens, youth and their mothers), either face-to-face or virtual sessions. However, my medical practice was interrupted by my frequent travels to USA and Canada, to visit my daughters.
I had also other professional activities, like expert for Lebanese Hospital Accreditations, Public Health writer and consultant (Middle East Strategic Perspectives), health education and awareness, medical blogger (In 2014, I founded, a not-for-profit LAMSA (Lebanon) (www.lamsaleb.org) (Social Media: @lamsalebanon).
Adding to that, I have followed in 2016 the 8-weeks training in Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction at McGill University. Since, I personally practice this technique on a daily basis and I teach some of the exercises to my patients as stress reduction coping technique.
January 2020, I moved to a new office in Brazilia-Baabda, but the Covid19 pandemic had emerged.
With the lockdown ease, I am back to work for now as Smoking Cessation Specialist for youth (18-25 years old), privileging however the virtual sessions.
Zeina Assaf Moukarzel, MD, MPH, MHA
Lebanese Order of Physicians Registration Number: A/571
Social Security (CNSS) Registration Number: 42/2002
