Lifestyle Coaching

 

Are looking to step out of old habitual patterns and into a healthier self?

Knowledge is power and thousands of studies reveal the connection between health and variables related to our daily habits.  Genes are “turned on or off” by lifestyle factors,¹ and isolation raises mortality risk.²  Chronic stress suppresses the immune system, accounts for most primary care visits, and makes us prone to fatal disease.^3,4  Mental health issues are linked to factors we can influence, such as cortisol dysregulation,⁵  systemic inflammation,⁶ vitamin D deficiency,⁷ and the gut microbiome.⁸  In fact, many neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are synthesized by intestinal microbes that we can nourish through our diet.  There’s no denying it; how we choose to live affects our longevity and vitality.

But knowledge is not enough. Mindset is critical to modifying habits that lead to health empowerment.  Many people feel overwhelmed, alone, or simply unable to get momentum to adopt a new way of life.  Coaching provides guidance on overcoming barriers to health transformation . My experience in motivational interviewing and behavioral change, as well as a focus on the root cause of disorders, enables me to support individuals in reaching healthier versions of themselves.

My interest in alternatives to conventional medicine is also personal.  I was misdiagnosed for years (or merely told to manage my stress) and prescribed various psychotropics for what turned out to be an autoimmune condition.  Immersion in the literature opened my eyes to lifestyle changes that led to improved mental and physical health.  Now I enjoy helping others become empowered by taking charge of their wellbeing.

With 60% of U.S. adults living with at least one chronic health condition,⁹ and an alarming rise of these diagnoses in children, more people are targeting underlying reasons for declining health.  Parents are increasingly opting for lifestyle interventions to alleviate their children’s neurological or autoimmune symptoms.  Some have exhausted treatment options, while others are discovering new diagnoses like PANDAS and don’t know where to turn.  If you’re trying to educate yourself, feeling burdened with decisions, and wondering how you’ll hold up to the resistance of family members, coaching may be beneficial rather than “going it alone.”

 

 

“Health is the Greatest Gift.”

Buddha

 

1. Alegría-Torres, J. A., Baccarelli, A., & Bollati, V. (2011). Epigenetics and lifestyle. Epigenomics, 3(3), 267. doi:10.2217/epi.11.2

2. Henriksen, J., Larsen, E. R., Mattisson, C., & Andersson, N. W. (2019;2017;). Loneliness, health and mortality. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 28(2), 234-239. doi:10.1017/S2045796017000580

3. How stress affects the body. 2010. Infographic. Institute of Heartmath Web. 3 Dec 2013. http://www.heartmath.com/infographics/how-stress-effects-the-body.html

4. Best to Not Sweat the Small Stuff, because it could Kill You. Washington, D.C.: NPR, 2014. ProQuest. Web. 21 Dec. 2020.

5. Nandam, L. S., Brazel, M., Zhou, M., & Jhaveri, D. J. (2020;2019;). Cortisol and major depressive Disorder—Translating findings from humans to animal models and back. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 974-974. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00974

6. Miller, Andrew, H. Five Things to Know About Inflammation and Depression. (2018). Psychiatric Times, 35, 4.

7. Parker, G. B., Brotchie, H., & Graham, R. K. (2016;2017;). Vitamin D and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 208, 56-61. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.082

8. Peirce, J. M., & Alviña, K. (2019). The role of inflammation and the gut microbiome in depression and anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 97(10), 1223-1241. doi:10.1002/jnr.24476

9. Centers for Disease Control. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Chronic Diseases in America. Retrieved 12/21/2020

“Let food be thy medicine.”

Hippocrates