Saturday, January 13, 2018

WE NEED A HEALTH COACH REVOLUTION

The Health Coach Revolution - Doctors Aren't Enough by Chris Kresser

We don't need more information... Most people know that eating poorly, not exercising, not getting enough sleep and engaging in other unhealthy lifestyle habits is not good for them. Yet they continue these behaviors anyway, or they chase quick fixes that don’t last for more than a few weeks.

The average visit with a primary care provider in the Unites States is ten to twelve minutes, with newer doctors spending as little as eight minutes per visit with patients. That’s barely enough time to say hello, review the patient’s current medications, and possibly prescribe a new one. It’s not even remotely enough time to assess what behavior and lifestyle changes would be most effective for the patient and provide the support necessary for sustaining them for a lifetime.

HEALTH COACHES ARE THE SOLUTION
People want to feel good, avoid chronic disease and live a long life. They want to see their children and grandchildren grow up and have the energy to play with them. They want to perform better at work, enjoy their relationships, and be well enough to get the most out of life. But there’s a big difference between wanting the benefits of being healthy and consistently engaging in the behaviors that lead to health. That’s where health coaches come in. Coaches are trained in a number of disciplines that support people in making lasting change.

I’m not arguing that health coaches will replace doctors. Doctors and other licensed clinicians will always be required to order lab tests, analyze those results, diagnose disease, prescribe treatment and coordinate care. Health coaches aren’t trained to do those things, just as doctors aren’t trained to support behavior change.

I’m advocating for an approach that utilizes the professional that is best trained and suited for each particular need: health coaches to support diet, lifestyle, and behavior change, and doctors to practice medicine.

The writing is on the wall: chronic disease is destroying our quality of life, shortening our lifespan, bankrupting our country and threatening the health of future generations. It’s clearer than ever that our “disease management” system, which was designed to address medical emergencies and other acute conditions, is not prepared for the challenge of chronic disease. We desperately need a new solution – one that is affordable, timely and suitable for the task at hand. In short, we need a health coach revolution!



TIME FOR A NEW HEALTH PARADIGM

Some key take-aways from Why You Need a Health Coach Now More than Ever by Chris Kresser

You may have noticed that doctors lack the time and training to help us make lasting changes in areas such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and stress management, which are crucial for addressing chronic disease.

If we want to stem the rising tide of chronic disease, we need a new model of health care that is better equipped to support patients in changing their behavior. And that's where health coaches come in. I believe they will play an important role in a new, more holistic approach to wellness.

Health coaches are ideally positioned and trained to support you in changing your diet, lifestyle, and behavior—which is the single most important step you can take to address chronic disease.

A well-trained health coach acts as a guide and ally, helping you create new, healthy habits, let go of unhealthy behaviors, transform your health goals into realities, and ultimately become their own most powerful advocate. Health coaches also help you identify potential stumbling blocks and hold you accountable for your health behaviors so that you have the best chance of reaching your goals. By teaching you the skills you need to live a healthy life, health coaching can significantly lower long-term health care expenditures, making this a cost-effective approach for various socioeconomic backgrounds.

The medical community has begun to catch on to the benefits of health coaching, and a growing body of research indicates that health coaching can significantly improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.

The urgency of our health care situation means that healing needs to become a team effort, and I believe that the unique skills of health coaches are going to play a pivotal role in stopping the epidemic of chronic disease and empowering all of us to take responsibility for our own health.




MISSING CHINS - FIBER - AND MORE


Josh LaJaunie and his Missing Chins Running Club on Today
Q: Wasn't giving up meat hard?
A: Not as hard as walking around with 400 pounds.

I came across this article on fiber and even though it's 12 years old it's still relevant - probably even more so now.

From Refinery29.com Is a Plant-Based Diet Actually Legitimate?
"The positive environmental effects are clear: it is more energy efficient to eat plants than to feed plants to animals and then eat the animals." - Jessica Green, asst. professor of environmental studies at NY university

"In 30 years or so, we will no longer need to kill any animals and that all meat will either be lab- or plant-based, taste the same, and also be much healthier for everyone." - entrepreneur Richard Branson

WE NEED A HEALTH COACH REVOLUTION

The Health Coach Revolution - Doctors Aren't Enough  by Chris Kresser We don't need more information... Most people know that eati...