A health coach has a big role to play in combating lifestyle diseases:
What are lifestyle diseases?
Diabetes and obesity are the two that get talked about a lot however, there are many other related conditions like: pre-diabetes, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), dementia and some cancers to name but a few.
Shouldn’t my doctor deal with this?
Your doctor is your primary healthcare provider and prescribes drugs to deal with the symptoms. There are a lot of drugs available but the drugs just deal with the symptoms. Without stopping the disease getting worse you will need more drugs eventually.
Also, modern medicine does not fit lifestyle diseases. Because modern medicine treats infections/colds/physical injuries in a simple visit, it tries to treat lifestyle diseases the same way. As a result the doctor acts as a detective, figures out what is wrong and writes a prescription. You go on your way clutching your prescription and the doctor moves on to the next patient. The doctor won’t be thinking about you between visits as they have many other patients all fitting in to 10 minute appointment slots.
Doctors can only give limited advice in the 7 minutes they have to find out what is wrong, prescribe and see you out of the door. That advice is similar to as the high carb, low fat messages that were developed in the 80’s. A lot of research done since then into the role of carbohydrates and insulin resistance directly contradicts this advice.
OK. What lifestyle changes help?
A health coach helps you reduce stress.
Reducing insulin resistance is the key to combating lifestyle diseases. This means lowering the blood sugar levels through diet and detoxifying your body. An exercise program will help reduce insulin resistance as will stress management and good sleep practices.
That doesn’t sound like too much. Why use a health coach?
Think of the health coach like a bridge between Google and the healthcare professionals. Your doctor will see you and give you a prescription. You may be referred to a specialist like an endocrinologist or a dietitian for extra help. These specialists have time challenges the same as your doctor and there will be some time between appointments. That means they will provide you with expertise but they can’t go deep into goal setting and creating action plans.
A health coach is a non medical professional who will clear up confusion and work as part of your overall support team. A health coach is a huge source of support who will check in with you. You can be check in with them. The best bit is that they will work with you on a regular basis on your diet, exercise, stress management, sleep and detoxification. As a result they will provide you with accountability, structure and advice to achieve your goals.
If you have been told to change your lifestyle and would like some help contact me now for a free discovery session.
