How to Become Your Own Health Coach
“Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn’t good for you.” – Deepak Chopra
“ We are committed to helping every client achieve personalized results through an integrated approach that gets results.” - Coach Chris
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably followed the suggestions and advice of “experts” and “gurus” and experimented with various eating approaches.
It seems like nearly everyday, a new diet or method of eating is being promoted and touted as the “best” and/or “healthiest”.
As a result, you may feel extremely confused about which approach works best as you attempt to sort through the overwhelming amount of information.
Here’s the problem: there is no “one size fits all approach” that works for everyone.
Why?
Because cookie cutter methods don’t take into account your bio-individuality.
What this means is that we’re all unique and we have different needs.
Our relationships, career, sleep patterns, emotional states, level of activity, genetic pre-dispositions and more greatly influence the way in which we digest and metabolize the food we eat.
What is good for you one day may not be as beneficial on another day under different circumstances.
So, what do you do?
You have to eat, right?
Here are 3 keys:
1) You must reclaim the power you’ve given away to the “experts” and recognize that YOU are the ultimate authority/expert of your body. No one knows how you feel during and after eating a meal except YOU. Now, I’m not recommending you completely stop reading books and learning from people in the field who study nutrition for a living. What I am saying is that your health begins by listening to the messages being communicated to you from your body. Through symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, upset stomach, brain fog, pain, your body is constantly speaking to you, providing feedback. Are you paying attention? Leading a healthy life involves paying close attention to what your body and your intuitive sense (gut feel) are sharing with you. Sounds simple, yet emotions can interfere with our ability to listen to our body, leading to the second key.
2) Refuse to allow your emotional state to dictate your eating choices. It is important to understand this point: emotion wins over logic most of the time. Unhealthy emotional states lead to unhealthy decisions. You may know in your mind that a food is unhealthy and won’t make you feel very good physically, however, if you are stressed and looking to improve your mood, food offers a quick, temporary fix. But, and this is a big BUT, a vicious cycle ensues where many people experience guilt and shame after feeding their emotions, leading to more of the same. So, the solution is in RECOGNIZING the emotional state you are in and DEVELOPING non-food related strategies for being with these emotions. Perhaps you can journal, go for a walk with a friend, meditate, turn on some uplifting music, or attend a yoga class. Bottom line: CHOOSE to manage your stress by turning to something besides food.
3) Slow down. Our society is addicted to speed and productivity, which can radically impair our judgment when making eating decisions. As Gandhi once said, “there is more to life than increasing its speed.” In order to listen to your body and your intuition, you have to slow down enough to actually hear what they have to say. The stress of our fast-paced world has led to a collective coma when it comes to food. We’re being overfed information by a media possessing its’ own motives regarding the foods deemed “healthy” or “unhealthy.” Slowing down and freeing ourselves of weight means dropping all the distractions and stress and eating in a state of relaxation and awareness to enjoy the fruits of the experience. At one time, eating was an occasion and celebration. I believe the time has arrived for us as a culture to re-adopt this perspective.
Eating health-giving, real food begins by getting real honest with how you feel deep down.
By becoming aware of how you handle your emotional states, you’ll bring a new level of consciousness to the table.
Through slowing down and listening to your body’s messages, you allow a powerful inner wisdom to become THE guiding force in what you choose to consume mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically.
To get started on your path to overall wellness, schedule a complimentary AUMazing Body consultation today.
You’ll receive a tour fitness center and have a private consultation with one of our expert of personal trainers to design a personalized plan to help you reach your health and weight loss goals.