Vitamin D is a nutrient that is critical for your mental and physical health.  The good news is, it is relatively easy to get into your body.  Your health coach can help you learn the many ways to get more Vitamin D.  You need this vitamin to help prevent cancer, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, depression and other mental health issues like schizophrenia.  It also can help to prevent many serious diseases, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

You may be surprised to realize just how easy it is to add enough Vitamin D to your diet.  Once you add enough Vitamin D, you will not only experience the benefits listed above, but you will find that you can better manage your weight, your energy is improved and you are sleeping better.

Being healthy or having a disease is not as simple as “the luck of the draw.”  There are many things that you can do to help control whether you are healthy or sick.  One of these things is getting enough Vitamin D in your diet.  One reason that disease rates seem to be rising is that too many people fail to follow a healthy lifestyle.  If you are ready to make some serious changes to your lifestyle and become more healthy, you may be ready to begin working with a health coach and learn about nutrition, healing, wellness and many other ideas that will lead you down a healthier path.

There are some free ways to get more Vitamin D.  These include getting out for a few minutes of sunshine each day.  Five to ten minutes of sunshine a day will get you enough Vitamin D for your body.  And, you won’t burn in this amount of time.  Sunshine feels good, lifts your spirits and gets your blood flowing.  Your skin makes Vitamin D for you, and your body can store it if you can’t get enough every single day—but you should try, since most Americans are deficient in this nutrient.

You can also add Vitamin D to your diet through milk products and certain vegetables.  Talk with your health coach about the best ways to get more Vitamin D—sunlight, healthy foods and supplements, if necessary—and you will find yourself feeling more energetic and you will be fighting disease at the same time!

Sometimes improving your health is as simple as changing some bad habits. However, if you have any bad habits, then you know how difficult they can actually be to truly change. As a health coach, I work with my clients to help them make permanent changes to their bad habits and make positive changes that will improve their overall health and wellness.

A health coach can help you realize that even small changes can add up to big results. For example, if you have a large amount of weight to lose, it might be very overwhelming to consider. However, with support, you can start to slowly increase your exercise habits and learn how to make healthier food choices, and you will watch the number on the scale slowly but consistently get smaller. As this happens, your new habits will become stronger because of the reinforcement. Your health coach will also help you during the times that you may struggle and slip temporarily back into old habits, and help you reconnect with your goals.

Once you realize that certain health habits must be changed, and that there is no “magic pill” to help you make the changes, then you can focus on actually being successful at your goals. Some finally realize that smoking is terrible for them, others realize that unless they lose weight then they will be at a high risk for serious health problems. There are plenty of bad habits, but the good news is that working with a health coach can help you develop strong habits that are actually good for you. It is true that you can learn to love exercise and how it makes you feel. You can learn to love healthy foods. Once you begin to make the changes and experience the many benefits that come from a healthy lifestyle, you will wonder why you didn’t make the changes sooner!

Choosing to work with a health coach is becoming increasingly popular as people try to commit to a more healthy lifestyle and find that they need some guidance and support to do so.  Many people are finally choosing to embrace more healthy habits, like quitting smoking and drinking, eating healthier foods and exercising regularly.  Not everyone can make these changes alone, however.

Hiring a health coach is not difficult, but should be taken seriously.  There are several factors that should be considered when finding the right person.  Your health coach should be a good fit for you, and be able to clearly understand and relate to your own unique health and wellness needs.  Depending on what your health goals are, you may want a different focus from your health coach.

A health coach is different from a doctor; your doctor may make recommendations regarding your health habits and what you should change, but a health coach will work closely with you to help you actually make those changes and stick to them.  Some health and wellness coaches will be better trained in weight loss plans, others in increased fitness.  Still others may specialize in managing chronic health conditions.

Finding the right match for your needs will also depend on your personality and your ability to commit to a program and strategies to change your habits and lifestyle.  Think of a health coach as your partner and mentor as you make your lifestyle changes healthier.

It can be helpful to get recommendations from others when you are looking for a wellness coach.  But, be sure to ask some questions and make your decision based on what will work for you, not necessarily what will work for someone else.  Working with a health coach is not a “one size fits all” method of making health changes, each person is unique and has different specific needs.  Finding the right person to work with you can mean the difference between being successful with your life goals and slipping back into your bad habits.

Long before fast food was invented, humans followed a fruitarian diet, one that consisted solely of fruits.  Today, this is thought of as a fairly healthy lifestyle, especially when it consists of whole raw fruits and non-sweet fruits like cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes.  As a health coach, I find that many clients may not fully understand the strategy and benefits of the fruitarian diet.

Most natural food sources are destroyed during harvesting.  Fruit is one natural food source that can be harvested without harming the plant, making a fruitarian diet the most natural and sustainable way to get food.

Strict fruitarians will eat only raw fruits, and avoid seeds, nuts and grains.  Many times, a health coach will encourage their clients to consume at least small quantities of some of these foods as they can provide protein and many nutrients and vitamins that may not be readily available in raw fruits.

A fruitarian diet can be a healthy way to cleanse and detoxify the body on a short term basis.  Following a strict fruitarian diet can lead to some cravings as there are some nutrients that will not be included in a strict fruitarian diet.  Some healthcare practitioners consider a fruitarian diet to be only good for cleansing and detoxification, and should not be used as a lifestyle diet because it can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

A diet that includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables, as well as lean proteins and whole grains, is usually what is recommended by most people when they seek advice from a health coach.  Moderation is often the key when it comes to diet choices, and making as many healthy choices as possible is usually the key to maintaining a healthy diet and healthy weight, having more energy, boosting your immune system and experiencing the many other associated benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

The standard American diet typically contains a small amount of natural foods and high amounts of processed foods.  As a health coach, I recommend to my clients that they increase the amount of natural foods in their daily diet.  Eliminating sugar and processed foods is critical for a healthy diet, and no natural foods diet is going to work with these elements.

There are actually many things that are restricted or completely eliminated from a natural foods diet.  Refined grains, like white flour, should be completely avoided.  Hydrogenated oils of any kind are a no-no, as are any chemical additives, artificial colors and preservatives.  Table salt and white sugar cannot be a part of a natural foods diet, as they are highly processed.  Carbonated beverages are also restricted.

Choosing to follow a natural foods diet means that you make healthier choices for every meal.  Choices that are better for you include whole grains, honey as a sweetener instead of sugar, olive oil, fresh herbs and spices, like sea salt, and wild caught fish or pasture fed meats.  Your health coach can help you find ways to eliminate all processed and packaged foods from your diet.

When your diet is comprised nearly entirely of fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy lean protein sources, you will feel better, have a stronger immune system, have more energy and maintain your weight at a healthy level more easily.  The benefits of a natural foods diet are extremely significant when compared with the standard American diet.  Before making any drastic changes to your dietary habits, it is wise to consult with your doctor to make sure you have no limitations ore restrictions because of any chronic health concerns or diseases.  Work with a health coach to help develop healthy eating goals and habits that will lead to a lifestyle that supports your health best

Vegetarianism is at an all time high.  The popularity of plant based diets is growing every day.  As a health coach, I am often asked about how a vegetarian diet can include a healthy amount of protein.  There are plenty of plant based foods that can provide enough protein for a healthy diet, if you know how to find them.

Protein is essential for a healthy diet.  There are certain amounts that are recommended, depending on your body and age.  While the most common sources of protein are animal products like meat and dairy foods, many plant sources contain protein as well.  Some of the most common plant sources of protein include beans, seeds, sea plants and nuts.

Plant based diets are generally considered to be healthier than diets containing high amounts of animal products.  It is important to gather enough information so that you can continue to get the right amounts of protein for your plant based diet.  Most people on animal based diets actually consume too much protein, so while it may seem difficult to imagine that you can get enough from plant sources, it might be easier than you would think.  Your health coach can help you determine how much protein you need.

Plant based proteins are considered to be especially healthy, as there are usually no saturated fats or other harmful contents in the plant foods that are often found in animal products.  Nearly all plant foods contain some amount of protein, some contain far greater amounts than others.

If you are currently following or considering following a vegetarian or plant based diet, it is important that you get the correct information to maintain a healthy diet.  Your health coach can help you find the best plant based sources of protein and help you work out a healthy eating plan that incorporates all of the vitamins, nutrients and compounds that you require to keep your body running at its best!

When surveyed to see what the most dangerous lifestyle habits are, most people will probably say smoking or substance abuse.  In fact, having a sedentary lifestyle may be more detrimental to your health than smoking.  Your health coach can help you with increasing your activity levels—or quitting smoking, or both—and get you on the road to better health.

It has been reported in multiple research studies that more than 20% of all deaths in people ages 35 and older have a correlation to a sedentary lifestyle, meaning they lacked regular quality physical activity in their lives.  This rate is actually higher than the numbers of deaths that are attributed to smoking.

Your health coach will explain to you that the more you use your body, the healthier you will be.  This doesn’t mean that it is healthy to overexert yourself, but it means that an active lifestyle will offer you many advantages over a sedentary one.  Unfortunately, too many people get used to sitting on the couch watching television or playing video games.  These people are at a high risk for chronic health problems and deadly diseases.

Physical activity has healing powers, and it is good for both physical and mental health.  When you move around, you circulate your blood, bringing more oxygen to the organs and brain.  When you exercise outdoors, you have the added advantage of getting more fresh air, as well as sunlight.  Sunlight is known to increase levels of Vitamin D, essential for good health, and it is known to be a mood enhancer as well, so you will feel better after an outdoor workout.

It is never too late to become more active.  If you are looking for ways to increase your physical activity, you should first speak with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise.  Then, work with your health coach to develop a plan that will work for you.  Here’s to good health!

For many, losing weight is a huge challenge.  As a health coach, I work with my clients to help them focus more on developing a healthy lifestyle, and less on the number that the scale shows.  Your actual weight says very little about your overall health.  In fact, other factors like BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness are far more important when determining how healthy you are than how many pounds you may weigh.

Instead of starving yourself to lose a few pounds, try becoming more active.  Simply eating less food will help you lose weight, but there will be very few other associated health benefits.  On the other hand, not changing your food intake but taking a walk every day for an hour will have significantly more health benefits, including cardiovascular benefits and muscle tone benefits.

Your health coach can help you develop good habits related to increasing your activity level and burning more calories, as well as help you develop healthier eating habits.  The combination of these changes will result in major health benefits.

With obesity being one of the major health problems plaguing the nation, becoming more active is more important than ever.  A healthy lifestyle will leave you with more energy to enjoy the things you love, and you will find even more activities and interests when you are feeling good.

So, listen carefully to your health coach when they tell you to pay less attention to the number on the scale and more attention to the number of hours that you are active throughout each day.  This might be a new way of thinking for you, and it can take a while for new habits to form in a solid way to make lifestyle changes, but the effort you put forth in making those changes will have lifelong positive effects on your weight, your health and your overall energy and ability to enjoy your life to the fullest.

One of the most common requests that clients make to their health coach is regarding how to get going on a low carb diet.  The low carb diet fad is still going strong and is one of the most common diets that people use.  The high level of success that many people have experienced with regard to weight loss has made this diet fad extremely popular and extremely attractive to many people looking for a more healthy lifestyle.  Unfortunately, many people fall short as they try to understand the concept of low carb, as compared to no carb plans.

As the most commonly applied diet plan today, the low carb plan does require some interpretation.  Many people wonder how to make healthy choices when it comes to low carb breads, pastas and other typically high carb choices.  Companies that are able to provide low carb choices and low carb options for traditionally high carb foods will find that there are tremendous opportunities.  When consumers are eager to find low carb options, then those companies that can provide these products will be the ones that people seek out regularly.

Many of the regular recipes that people enjoy tend to be high carb, but there are many ways in which the recipes can be made into low carb options.  This is often where your health coach can help you most.  Adding veggies and decreasing pastas and breads is the most obvious way to limit carbs, but you can make some other important changes as well.

Learn as much as you can about carbs, and what types of carbs are considered low carb and what foods are no carb.  Find ways to reduce the carbs that are in your favorite recipes and then still be able to enjoy them.  Work with your health coach to find the best ways to make your favorites more healthy.  You can still enjoy desserts, breads, pastas and other foods that are traditionally carb loaded, if you make some small changes.

Eating heart smart means more than simply consuming a diet low in fat and calories.  There are certain foods that are known to make your heart healthier.  As a health coach, I often work with clients who are trying to have better cardiovascular health.

For instance, all oils are not created equal.  Some oils are artery clogging, while other cooking oils are known to contain certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, that are considered to be an essential component of heart health.  Canola oil is known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats, while peanut oil and corn oil contain unhealthy saturated fats.  Additionally, it contains monounsaturated fats.  These are the types of fats that help protect the heart by decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.  With zero trans fats and plenty of Vitamin E, and because it is light and allows the flavors of the main foods in the dish, it works very well in recipes and marinades.  Olive oil is another oil that is thought to be heart healthy.

Using heart healthy oils for cooking and preparing dishes can help your heart become healthier.  Whether you are using the oil for baking, sautéing or making a salad dressing or marinade, using heart healthy oils is smart.  You do not necessarily have to sacrifice good taste to have a heart healthy diet.  You can make many of the same delicious dishes that you have always enjoyed, and just make them with healthier, heart friendly ingredients.  Check with your health coach for recipe ideas and healthy substitutions.

Work with your health coach to limit the “bad” fats, which are primarily saturated and trans fats.  These are the fats that are commonly found in many commercial baked goods, fast foods and processed foods.  Trans fats raise cholesterol, while foods with healthy fats and no trans fats will be more heart healthy and raise the levels of “good” cholesterol.