It's not just about the food

While health coaching focuses a great deal of the time on nutrition, it is counterbalanced with attention paid to all the other parts of a person's life.  Because the reality is that even if a person is eating a fantastic diet, if they are in emotional distress over a relationship gone south or are in a job they really hate or are stressed out by a medical condition, it is unlikely they will be able to achieve the status of health they desire. Each area of our life, physical, emotional, career, spirituality, home environment, relationships, financial situation, etc. contributes to our overall well-being.

Holistic health coaching strives to help individuals help themselves into better habits and out of situations in which they feel hopeless and helpless. This is done by periodically checking on each of these areas.  As areas are identified as needing change, modest, doable goals are created for the individual to work on over a period of time. The commitment for health coaching (for coaches trained by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition - IIN) is six months.  Because it takes at least this long for lasting, permanent change to occur.

Health coaching also helps redirect people to begin to ask different questions. The initial question new clients ask is: What can I do to be healthy? When strides are made, goals are being met, energy returns, and health begins to be regained,  the new question becomes, What do I do with my health?  This is because the goal of health is not for its sake alone but for the betterment of the world.  Good health is a gift, not a prize.  It's not a trophy that sits on a shelf to be admired. Healthy people, each in their own way, contribute to the health and well-being of their communities in real and powerful ways. With health comes the motivation to inspire others and to have the inner reserves to keep at it.

The amount of illness being experienced in the world today is unprecedented. We are not supposed to suffer with chronic disease for years. We are not supposed to succumb to illness in the prime of our lives. We're not supposed to spend the last years of our life slowly fading away in a nursing home.  For many, the question is not if they will get cancer, diabetes or heart disease, but when.  None of this is normal.  And it is alarming that we accept such things as just being part of some natural progression. This is not to say that sometimes these things do occur even under the most perfect of circumstances. But it is abnormal for mass chronic illness to be the norm. Our bodies are wonderfully designed to deter illness and to heal itself.  We are supposed to be healthy, strong and vibrant. We are intended to be lean and physically fit. And we should be active in mind and body long into old age. And it is not only possible to address the health crisis that we are in, but as individuals to stack the deck overwhelmingly in favor of good health. This done by addressing all the food that feeds us - not just what's on our plates.

This is what motivates my work as a health coach:  To help people reclaim their health so that together we can share in creating a ripple effect of health and wellness that really will transform the world we live in.

Next time:  The new normal.

Discovering for myself the value of a health coach

Prior to beginning my studies for holistic health coaching with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) I had no real idea of what a health coach actually did. I had a vague idea of course from having some exposure to life coaches, but I really didn't understand how their work touches on every part of a person's life.  

The IIN program is designed in such a way that as you learn the educational material that will help you work with people in reaching their wellness goals, you are at the same time a client yourself.  By virtue of daily food and wellness journaling, in-depth nutritional education, IIN community support, and peer coaching I've had the opportunity to get really clear about who I am, what my own wellness issues are and how to work toward meeting the goals I've set to address them.  

For instance, I have been running for about three years.  But since running a half marathon a couple of years ago my running had fallen into inconsistent patterns and I didn't really have a clear intention about the role I wanted it to take in my life.  Winters are hard in the Central PA mountains and so I let it go for a good chunk of the year and then spend the fair weather months just gaining back muscle tone.  As I worked harder on my IIN studies, all the wellness information resonated with me on a very deep level. Very quickly I got very clear that I wanted to commit to make running a much more significant part of my life. I joined the local YMCA and used the treadmill throughout the winter months until I could get back outside.  Gym memberships are not always easy to stick with, so I was really proud of myself for getting in regular runs every week - even when I wasn't in the mood or when it was -3 F outside and just going to get into my car was a struggle. But there was a sense of accountability that was not there before.  I felt accountable to myself as a health coach:  I felt accountable to all of my future clients - that I too am walking the talk.  I felt accountable to the goal I had set and to the payoff in seeing the results in my body and the increased consistency in my mood.  

As part of my IIN training, it was strongly suggested that I connect with a fellow student for peer coaching.  Luckily, there was someone in my hometown that was also doing the IIN course and we actually knew each other a wee bit! As peer coaches we hit it off right away and have enjoyed getting together once a month or so to compare notes on classes and check in with one another on how we are doing as we began to work with clients.  

But the real pay off has been the conversation and the connection. It's been really nice having someone to talk to, a confidant who is happy to see me and is interested in what is "new and good" with me.  I have some modest goals I'm working on and each time we get together we touch on the progress I've made toward reaching them.  And most importantly is really important to me to have a sounding board with someone who just as healthy (and moreso) and just as interested and knowledgeable (and moreso) as I am regarding the effects of lifestyle on one's health and overall well-being as a support for my own journey. I look up to her as a role model am very grateful for her easy-going spirit and the wisdom she imparts so effortlessly.

This has been a bit of a surprise to me actually.  When I initially filled out my own health history for my peer coach I remembering thinking (naively): I'm the kind of person that doesn't need a health coach.  What I mean by this is that I'm in excellent health. (Many people who seek help from a health coach are not.)  I eat very well.  (Many people who seek help from a health coach do not.)  I am very happy with my weight. (Many people who seek help from a health coach are not.)  Additionally, I am very well read regarding food and health.  I'm totally on-board with integrative medicine (too bad its not practiced in my local) and am my own health advocate . I have two physicians: a naturopath and a chiropractor.  I no longer take any pharmaceutical medications, OTC drugs very rarely, and just a few basic supplements. Every day I actively take steps to reduce my chances of having a chronic disease by following a predominately plant-based diet and getting regular exercise. I take time to pray and meditate and nurture the relationships that are important to me. 

But for all this, I don't have it all figured out. I can only say that I have clear intentions about taking back my health and my life from the powerful commercial forces that put enormous pressure on the culture that end in illness, and in many cases, premature death. I can only say that my intentions are a good fit for me today, but may change tomorrow as I learn more and progress deeper into a lifestyle that is increasingly counter-cultural. To be healthy and to be well is no longer the norm in this country and its hard to fight against pervasive outdated and nutritional ideas and persuasive advertising and marketing of big businesses that don't have anyone's health or wellness at heart.  Because my life is a work in progress I still have a lot of work to do on me and its much harder to go it alone.  Having my own coach provides the support and encouragement I need to keep at it.

So as I begin to work with with people who are embarking on their own adventures to take back their health I hope that my own satisfaction with having a coach, and the work I'm putting into my own health and wellness will have a big pay off for them.

Next time..... its not just about the food you eat.