I just heard of the passing of an acquaintance whom I had spoken with about his health, but he wasn’t ready to make a change.  My first thought was, wow, I could have helped him and if we’d worked together, maybe he’d still be here. But he wasn’t ready to make changes and I didn’t continue to speak with him further because he wasn’t ready and didn’t see the need for a health coach. As a health coach, I work with people once they are ready for change, but this news hit me over the head. I realized I can spend more time with people in the early stages and try to influence their movement toward readiness. Of course, their doctors, friends, and family can do this too, and I guess I’ve depended on that route. Are you ready to work with a health coach? As a health coach, understanding the Stages of Readiness for Change is fundamental for guiding clients effectively. These stages come from the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change developed by Prochaska and DiClemente. Here are the stages and mindset.  In what stage do you see yourself? Read More

Are you a “clean” eater, choosing whole food or minimally processed food most of the time? If so, you are doing better in terms of nutritional choices than most.    Currently Ultra-processed Foods (UPF’s) make up 60% of adult calories (67% or children’s calories), up from 57% in 2018 up from 53.5% in 2001. Processed foods make up 10% of adult calories. That leaves only about 30% of our calories from fresh or frozen unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, meat, eggs, milk, plain yogurt and spices.     What are Ultra-Processed Foods? Read More