The Sugar Season is Over. Now What?!

What is a Health Program, and Why It Can Help?

Let’s start with a real example: I was working with a client who was continuing to suffer from upset stomach and bowels, even after she incorporated health advice from her naturopathic doctor. She was miserable. To find the culprit, I designed a personalized Health Plan that used the Elimination Diet, following a FODMAPS approach. I walked her through the program for a little over a month. (While you might only need a few weeks to reset, some people, like this client, needed time to reduce inflammation and go through potential foods that might be triggering the digestive reaction.) Over those weeks, we put on our detective hats and found what her body did and did not like, and we successfully removed the foods, like grains, dairy and gluten, that were causing the reaction, and her stomach and bowels return to normal.

Sometimes, we need a cheerleader, a fellow food detective—a health coach—to meet our goals. I can suggest a specific option and if you want to try,  walk you through the program as you learn new food and lifestyle skills and habits to improve your health.

As I mention in my bio, I love to see people arrive at the point where they’re confident and equipped, and they don’t need to meet with me regularly. A specific Health Program can help you achieve that goal of successfully navigating your own health and wellness.

Examples of Health Programs

Like the client’s story above, we can do an Elimination Diet that follows a three-month plan or six-month plan.  This is a great way to clean up your eating and the book itself is a great resource to have even if you don’t do the plan!  Or, we can dive into other popular programs and classes:

• Detox-specific programs, like the 10-Day Sugar Detox or 12-Day Detox. I’ve done these detox programs, and by default, so has my family. (Poor things! Well, they don’t seem to mind…usually.) It’s a very practical way to reset your palate and remind your body how real food stabilizes and nourishes your system.
• 21-Day Detox Diet: Overlapping with the sugar detox, this program is more holistic. My clients and I often use the book Whole Detox by Dr. Deanna Minich. This practical book also includes recipes for both veggie and meat options. Sometimes, clients opt to do the detox diet again, making those habits really stick.  Several of the recipes in this book are family favorites!
• Healthy Shopping Tour : Reality check. All of these programs (and really any healthy approach to food) includes shopping and food prep at some level. If you have a bigger budget that allows you to purchase some truly healthy prepared foods, that might work, but I’ve found that clients who are hands on develop efficient food-prep skills and cultivate enthusiasm for making and eating real food. I’ve designed my tours and classes to help you gather skills that can make your food journey a little more doable—and then, a lot more fun.

 You’re not alone. As a health coach, it’s about person-to-person support. We not only meet regularly, I’ll often do the health program with you. Like one recent client, who was just struggling to get going, really benefited from knowing that she and I were doing the program together. She stayed motivated, and I benefited, too. Win-Win! If you’re looking for that extra support and insight, let’s talk!