Curious to know what a holistic health coach is and how one can support you? Read on to learn the 3 key elements of a holistic health coaching program: nutrition, lifestyle, and coaching support.
Nutrition
Is all the information about food and diets confusing to you? Here’s a little secret: health isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach! A holistic health coach will help you discover how to become YOUR healthiest self, whatever that means to you. You may decide to focus on reducing sugar cravings, while someone else may decide to focus on transitioning to a gluten-free diet. The nutrition guidance you receive from a holistic health coach depends on your goals and focus.
Not only is holistic health coaching about the food on your plate, but it’s also about how you approach food and your relationship with it. The habits that work for one individual will be different than what works for someone else, and that’s okay!
An important note: If you are looking for prescribed medical attention, calorie counts, or food measurements (i.e. exactly what to eat, how much, and when), then it is recommended you speak with a dietician or a clinical nutritionist, as this is typically outside of a holistic health coach’s scope of practice.
Healthy Lifestyle
Health isn’t just about the food on your plate. It’s about every component of life: career, social life, exercise, relationships, and your mindset. Eat all the kale in the world, but if you’re surrounded by toxic relationships or you’re feeding yourself negative self-talk, you’ll feel held back. Health coaches take a holistic approach to health and wellness, looking at how all areas of life are connected. Does stress at work cause you to overeat? Does lack of sleep or low energy prevent you from exercising? These are the questions you’ll get answers to when working with a holistic health coach.
Coaching Support
Ultimately, a holistic health coach facilitates behavior change, so come ready to make PROGRESS, not a quick fix! Coaches offer a safe space for you to ask questions, deconstruct your health habits, provide accountability and guide you to resources for ongoing support. Instead of “giving you the answers,” coaches focus on their conversation with you, listen to your ideas, ask questions and provide advice or feedback.
Health coaches work with you to create specific goals that bring you closer to your vision! Creating goals with reasonable time frames and actionable steps helps you focus. You’ll get recommendations and even mini-assignments in between sessions that focus on you taking action.
Holistic Health Coaches are certified and go through training to learn innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and dietary theory. Some may also go through additional training to provide coaching on a particular topic, such as emotional eating.
Health coaching seems like an investment because it IS an investment… after all, we’re talking about your health and ultimately the rest of your life. Envision what you’d like your life to look like exactly three months from now. If you could place a value on what it’s worth to you, what would that be? Is that dollar amount worth an investment to have someone support you by providing guidance, encouragement, and holding you accountable?
If so, we’re here to support you with a complimentary consultation. We’ll discuss your nutrition and health goals to determine the best program for you. To learn more about health coaching at Holistic Wellness Practice, visit our Nutrition Coaching page.
Lauren Stickney is an integrative nutrition health coach and emotional eating coach certified through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She specializes in women’s nutrition, women’s relationship with food, and healing an unhealthy body image.
We offer in-person and virtual services – contact us today to learn more!
