As a Health Coach I’m often asked, “What is the most important thing I can do to better my health?” This simple question often leads to a loaded response. So I wondered, how do other Health Coaches respond?
Here’s what the experts are saying…
Joe Wicks, The Body Coach recommends you “Ditch the diets.”
Low calorie, quick fix diets aren’t sustainable. Fad dieting often leads to relapse resulting in weight-gain. When it comes to dieting, slow is sustainable. Adding in nutrient rich food will eventually weed out the the processed garbage, resulting in long term weight-loss and overall improved health.
 Liz Della Croce of The Lemon Bowl suggests “Eating the rainbow.”
Humans are generalists. We thrive on a varied diet. Aim for a colorful plate (or bowl) every time you prepare a meal and you’ll nourish the body with a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
Kerry Bajaj, featured on Mind Body Green promotes “Unplugging by 10pm.”
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Gmail, Netflix, YouTube aaaahhhhhh! The privilege of 24-hour internet access carries with it the unfortunate repercussion of stimulation overload. Whether used for business or pleasure it’s easy to get carried down the rabbit hole for hours on end. Making it a point to shut off electronics by 10pm allows for mindful decompression and higher quality sleep.
 Robyn Youkilis of Your Healthiest You suggests “Go with your gut.”
You hear it all the time: “trust your gut,” “follow your heart,” “go with your intuition”- but what does it all mean exactly? It means ultimately, you have the answers to your problems. You know your body best. Many Nutritionalists, Dietitians and Health Coaches take a generalized approach to the should and should-nots of healthy eating. Western doctors often prescribe medication to alleviate diet related symptoms. At the end of the day, diet is not a ‘one size fits all.’ Every body is different. The best thing you can do to understand your own body’s needs, is to listen to it.
 McKel Hill of Nutrition Stripped  shares, “I don’t drink that often, but when I do I’m all about drinking responsibly.”
As a health coach people are often surprised to hear that I drink alcohol. “Sure, it’s all about balance,” is my general response. And it is. If I have a few beers, I feel it the next day. Â More than a few beers, and my workout takes a hit. A few beers, multiple times a week, now we’re talking sluggish, irritable, and unaroused. There’s nothing wrong with letting loose and having a few drinks, in fact, I believe it’s perfectly healthy. The key is (as with any indulgence) to do so in moderation.
 April Storey, known for her Wine Workout reveals, “Set a marathon pace. We’re all guilty of starting out a million miles an hour; setting unrealistic goals that are impossible to stick with and eventually burning out. The process takes time. Trust that the little, seemingly unimportant, small daily strides will get us to the finish line.”
Setting small, feasible goals leads to accomplishment and ultimately diminishes guilt. Taking daily action is crucial! Small steps will produce slow, sustainable results. Be patient. Appreciate the process. Track your progress, acknowledge small victories and reward big wins.
Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health recommends “Keeping a food journal.”
Food journals not only encourage accountability, they help to draw relationships between the body and its individual dietary needs. My Fitness Pal is a user-friendly app that allows you to track your daily intake right from your phone. The results may surprise you!
Michelle Pfennighaus of Find your Balance states, “One of the most important things you can do for your health is learn how to say “no.” We live over-scheduled, overly busy, over-committed lives. Learning how to say “no” means drawing boundaries, prioritizing how you spend your time and energy, and making space to breathe. Or cook. Or sleep. We don’t need another protein powder or kale smoothie to be healthy. We need to slow down.”
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Health is about prioritization. We make time for what we want most in our lives. What’s most important to you?
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach suggests “Go raw for a day.”
Going raw one day a week is an exceptional way to detox the body. Raw food is nutritionally complete. It’s fit fuel- energizing, revitalizing and invigorating. Try it- go raw for a day and tell me I’m wrong. đ
Nikki Sharp, Wellness Expert and Author reminds us, “What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.”
Seinfeld was once asked how he became such a successful comedian. His simple secret was to put in work every single day. He kept a calendar. Every day he would draw a red X over the day once he had worked on a bit. Somedays he would put in hours, other days, minutes. More importantly, he was consistently putting in effort, day after day. Consistency is the key to success. The Seinfeld system is fail-proof. If you put time and energy into something for 365 days there is not a chance in hell your situation or skill won’t improve.
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