Health coaching Creates Lifelong Wellness

Authored by Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

What I've noticed in the 10 years I've worked as a holistic healthcare provider is that the biggest challenge people face is sticking with a plan. Making the plan is easy! Following through is the hard part. Diets work because they give us rules that we know we can follow...at least for a period of time. ​Anyone can cut out sugar for 2 weeks to lose weight, for example. But how does going through that effort really do us any good if after that 2 week period we go back to eating donuts for breakfast?

The role of a health coach is that of any other coach: to give guidance, tools, structure and accountability for honing a skill. In this case, the skills you're practicing are those that improve your health and life. The specific goals that bring someone into a relationship with a health coach vary considerably: resolve chronic health concerns like diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or anxiety. Your goals may be more focused on the future, like aging easily or losing weight so you can garden again or get on the floor to play with your grandchildren. Someone might work with a health coach simply to establish a healthy lifestyle. Whether you come in with a general or specific goal, the first session with a health coach would focus on getting really clear about where you've been and where you want to go with your health, and then building a roadmap from point A to point B. Your following sessions would focus on getting to point B step by step. 

When you hire a health coach, you get a mentor, teacher and cheerleader all in one. More often than not, a health coach offers a program or package of sessions. This structure allows you to develop a relationship with your coach and make diet, exercise and mindset changes that stick. You can expect to meet with your coach for 6-12 sessions, either on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. No two clients have the same needs, so your sessions will be customized to you.

In addition to being a great starting point for making healthful changes, this service can be a terrific compliment to other work in your life:

• Times of transition (career, relationship, etc.) can be incredibly unsettling and also an opportunity to reevaluate what's working in your diet and life and what's not. 
• Treatment plans can be overwhelming! Get support implementing dietary and lifestyle changes provided by your naturopathic doctor. 
• Unravel cravings and emotional eating alongside dismantling the power these emotions have on you in therapy.
• Create a nutrition plan to support healing and the work you're doing with your acupuncturist. reiki or bodywork therapist.
• Getting into fitness? Learn how to fuel your performance!
  
  

There is never a bad time to work on your health. The changes you make do not need to be major in order to have a positive effect. Health coaches help you prioritize, strategize and commit. What are you waiting for?

Jesse Haas, CNS, LN is a licensed functional nutritionist and certified health coach. She was a founding partner of Wellness Minneapolis and was an active practitioner with the clinic from 2014-2022. To connect with her regarding functional nutrition and health coaching services, please follow this link.