HEALTH COACHING 

What is Integrative Health Coaching?

Integrative Health Coaching empowers clients to make lasting behavior changes that are the foundation for a lifetime of health and well-being. Health is impacted by multiple interconnected dimensions. These dimensions include the choices one makes that affect their physical, mental, spiritual well-being and the medical care approaches utilized for their health. An Integrative Health Coach helps support their clients in discovering ways to successfully implement healthy lifestyle behaviors across these various dimensions into their unique lives.

How does Integrative Health Coaching work?

• Integrative health coaches work with the whole person, take time to listen to your concerns, and ask powerful questions to help motivate you to make changes.

• Coaches utilize the Duke Integrative Medicine Wheel of Health to facilitate inquiry and personal discovery.

• Coaching helps facilitate behavior change in a structured, supportive partnership between you and your coach.

• Coaches can help you to identify obstacles to change and create strategies for forward movement.

• Coaches provide additional resources for making healthy behavior changes.

• Sessions can take place over the telephone, or in person

(Source: Duke Integrative Health Coach Program)

 A Health Coach Is Your Partner

How comforting is it to know that your Health Coach will be your colleague and not just someone who will crack a whip? Health Coaches are not drill sergeants; they are trained to be supportive mentors and to lead by example.

A Health Coach loves their job, which motivates them to actively expand their knowledge as well as practice what they preach. A Health Coach will inspire and motivate you to achieve the goals you have established together. You’ll have a friend and partner throughout your journey.

Emotional Support And More

Health Coaches place a strong emphasis on improving your overall wellness. This means that you that you’ll receive so much more than physical health tips. As reported by Yahoo Beauty:

“Health Coaches look at exercise, eating, wellness, and food not just as calories and weight loss, but also on emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual terms."

The ultimate goal of your Health Coach is to improve your quality of life through effective and healthy habits and changes. In order to accomplish this, there must be a strong focus on the overall health of the individual. It could be that the reason previous diets or routines were ineffective was due to emotional or mental stressors. Your Health Coach will dig deep to discover why previous attempts have failed, which will indicate the paths that should work in your individual case.

With a Health Coach, you can rest assured that you’re receiving so much more than just informative guidance; you’ll be receiving a friend and mentor.

Receive Quality Education

About Your Health

There’s a lot of conflicting information regarding your health, especially as your browse online on social media, blogs, or forums. Again, Health Coaches have an expansive knowledge of healthy living and wellness. When working with a Health Coach you’ll be the recipient of the information and experience they have collected and studied.

“The bottom line is that a Health Coach can be a helpful guide on your journey to living a healthier life. You can achieve your best health and you will be able to achieve your goals with a professional coach who has the proper knowledge and experience on your side.”

Other Benefits To A Healthy Lifestyle

• Save On Medical Bills

○ A healthy lifestyle means fewer visits to the doctor. If you are overweight or obese, then you are subject to other diseases that can increase your medical expenses rather quickly. Contrastly, if you engage in a healthy lifestyle, you’ll have a better chance warding off harmful diseases.

• Increased Energy

○     Sure, you can experience a sugar rush from candy and desserts, but you’ve surely felt the energy crash that inevitably follows. Saturated fats tend to drain your energy levels, and if your diet consists of many sugars and saturated fats, then not only will you experience significant weight gain, but your energy will slowly decrease. When you base your diet and lifestyle on healthy choices, you’ll experience more energy and vitality than ever before. More energy for quality time with family and friends.

• Less Stress

○     It’s no secret that regular exercise can be therapeutic and reduce stress, but healthy foods (such as foods high in Vitamin C and Magnesium) can help moderate your cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. When you’re stressed or in a chronic state, your body quickly breaks down protein. If you have sufficient protein in your diet you can help the body maintain those cortisol levels as well.

• Improved Self-Confidence

○     When you change your habits and lifestyle to become more health-oriented, your own self-worth increases, especially as you see results in your physical appearance. It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you constantly feel tired or out of shape. Start today on your path to a healthy lifestyle and watch your self-confidence grow as a result.

Conclusion

Bottom line: if you’ve previously failed to meet your health goals in the past due to impossible diets or if you’re looking to learn how you can make the necessary lifestyle changes to improve your overall wellness, then seek out a Health Coach.

(Source: www.IntegrativeNutrition.com)