What is a Health Coach and How Can I Benefit?
As Health Coaches seem to be popping up everywhere, it’s important to undestand their place in one’s wellness journey. A health or wellness coach helps to educate and empower people to make healthier lifestyle changes. Many of today’s medical professionals seek to treat patients after they’re been injured or diagnosed with an illness or disease.
There are dieticians, physical therapists, personal trainers and others to help with specific aspects of welnnes, however an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach takes a whole-person approach, helping individuals to optimize their diet while considering all aspects of their lives.
You can eat all the kale and walnuts you want, and exercise routinely, but if other factors are impacting sleep, stress, or your mobilty- those need to be considered in a holistic approach to wellness.
Integrative medicine, and integrative nutrition, seek to help you prevent getting sick by addressing the variables in our control including: diet, physical activity, relationships, stress management, self-care, joy, social life, career, spirituality, and home environment. While there are fundamental nutritional recommendations for everyone, integrative nutrition evaluates each person’s lifestyle and respects their bio-individuality before suggesting personalized health plans.
Sometimes we get stuck asking for help. I understand- we don’t always want to admit we could benefit from a nudge to get started, someone to keep us accountable and guidance along the way. Yet, the benefits are immense- and lead to healthier habits that get passed on to each generation. Even the New York Times agrees “We Could All Use a Health Coach”
As an evidence-based health coach, I empower and educate my clients to improve their overall health by providing a confidential space to:
1. Explore diet & nutrition goals and challenges. You may realize you’d feel better by incorporating more vegetables and whole grains into your meals or cutting down on your sugar intake, but don’t know where to start or how to keep your motivation going.
I ask thought-provoking questions to get to the root of why you want to change your habits and what has been holding you back. I don’t simply provide a meal plan and wish you well. We work together to create reasonable goals that work for you, respecting your bio-individuality. We meet regularly to hold you accountable and discuss successes, setbacks and new goals to help you feel your best.
2. Create a personalized wellness plan to optimize your health. Perhaps you have too many goals or aren’t sure how to prioritize them. I will help you to see the connections, determine what’s most important to you and create healthy, sustainable habits for life.
Perhaps you created a lofty New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, without an actual number in mind, or to lose 20 lbs by spring break, but the calorie-restricted diet or intense workout routine are too hard to stick with. I get it- I’ve been there! As an alternative to diets or extreme exercise, I help you make choices that suit you and promoted a balanced and healthy lifestyle shift that works..
3. Understand the connectivity between why you eat what you do, and how you can use your own intrinsic motivation to make sustainable habit shifts to become the healthiest version of you.
Culture, habit, ease, cost and “comfort food” are some of the many reasons we eat what we do and sometimes feel that we can’t change our habits.
But, if you took stock of what you ate for mealtimes as a child and what you’re eating today, you may be surprised at what changes you’ve made already. We can honor your food preferences while finding ways to eat more nutrient-dense foods to help you feel fuller longer, have less cravings, incorporate more fruits and vegetables and enjoy more energy.
A health coach helps you harness intrinsic motivation to make sustainable lifestyle changes to improve your health.
However you have to be ready to be committed to making these changes. Find a health coach who can be your educated cheer leader and accountability partner- and the strides you’ll make will be worth the time and energy spent.
Are you ready to start feeling great in your body? Schedule a free consultation.