Health Coach Training, first thoughts

This photo is totally unrelated to the content. But pretty!

April 6 2017

Post 2

I have just completed the second week of my health coach training.

And I just published a post promising to write about my journey towards being a health coach.

…what was I thinking?

Since today’s first post was all about how I plan to do this writing reflection exercise and not actually in itself a reflection on my process, I thought I would bang out a second post. Bonus Thursday!

So, I feel like I have come into this training program somewhat abruptly. I found the program; signed up the same week; and started the week after that. Lickety split!

But sometimes all you get from taking time to reflect is wasted time, and that’s what it felt like this time. I was ready to do something, have been thinking about something in this area for a long time and the program seemed about as right as I could expect to find.

For me, the big pros of the training are that I will leave with a structured 90 day program that I can offer clients. I have LOTS of information in my head about health, diet and how to take care of your whole self. But that isn’t the same as having a way to convey that – a plan of action!

And, the added piece that I think is key – their program is built on principles of habit change. No diet for 3 months will fix your health, but focused work on behavior change can. Especially as it delves deep into the ‘why’ of our food challenges. Juicy stuff!

It also covers business aspects – how to market, how to price services, etc. Another area that I am very happy to take direction on!

Now, I find myself in the first section of the training which I expected to be the least useful. This is where they share their ‘essential nutrition’ principles. The basis of their content surrounding food and health. Already I nearly sprained something rolling my eyes hard when among their arguments for less sugar was the fact that most sugar is GMO. Wow. That is about the least of my concerns around the proliferation of sweeteners throughout the food supply.

I expect it not to be useful because I have already read so much nutrition data, and have pretty set opinions (backed by science and experience) about what the best choices are for me at least, and much of that I think is pretty well applicable to anyone that I would be coaching. But I’ve decided that this attitude just means that I will be grateful for any aspect that I do find helpful.

For one thing, it is the context of coaching. While I do feel like I have a lot of ‘The Answers’, the point is not to show off my knowledge to clients (that’s what I have a blog for); the point is to help folks find their own best health. There is so much more to health than food and even exercise. Food is emotional, it is cultural and it all happens in the context of sometimes very chaotic lives. So information sharing is good, but better to learn how to help people figure out their own shit. Because there will always be shit to figure out.

Another key principle is the idea that most people do not want ALL of the information about health and nutrition. Most people’s kindles are not loaded with nonfiction books about insulin resistance and the history of food industrialization and its impact on health. What they want is distilled information that leads to actionable change. Curated content is how the program refers to it. I am a big proponent of the value of editing, or curating to use their word. In writing as in life. And, also it turns out in health.

I disagree with some of the elements the instructors have pulled out as essential nutrition information, and that’s ok. My assignment for myself is to hear their thoughts, and then go to my own research and develop a similarly actionable plan based on the best science I can find. There is no perfect diet for every person, and there is a lot that influences everyone’s choices. But I do think there is best evidence, and that everyone deserves to have the best information to help them make good choices.

That’s me for the day for reflection. We’ll see how these Thursdays shape up…

Make good choices, folks!

PS – re: value of editing in relationship to these posts. While I dearly value editing, I am forgoing a lot of editing and revising in favor of just getting something done, on the page and published. So please forgive my run-on thoughts and rambling sentiments… I am letting you into the meandering workings of my consciousness.

You’re welcome.