What does a Health Coache do

Have you ever had a real conversation with your doctor about your health- habits, your nutrition, your lifestyle or your activity levels?

Most doctors only spend a few minutes with each patient, they are too busy and don’t have the time to listen.  

Some doctors are trained to focus on sickness.

Most conventional doctors aren’t trained on how to develop a long term plan to keep you healthy and motivated while holding you accountable.

Today’s doctors have less time for personal interaction and are required to have more knowledge in a narrow defined niche.

The landscape of our healthcare has also changed. Chronic disease far outweighs acute illness. According to the CDC “as a nation, we spend 86% of our healthcare dollars on the treatment of chronic disease. 

Some chronic disease deaths, life long disability, compromised quality of life, and growing health care costs, could all be prevented by changing the same healthcare conditions.

But this is where health coaches can help!

Many chronic diseases are preventable through diet and lifestyle changes. Health coaches have the time to support clients on an individual basis. 

What exactly does a health coach do?

The primary goal is to help clients achieve their health goals. In other words, a health coach provides personalized care. They not only help clients work through lifestyle and behavior modifications, but they also mentor, inspire, guide, and motivate them to cultivate positive healthy choices.

We all know by now what healthy eating is and what isn’t, right?

however there are a lot more factors to consider, which is where a health coach comes in handy.  

Health coaches have the luxury of time that medical doctors don’t have and because of that doctors offices are starting to add health coaches to their staff, which is a huge win for patients!

Some examples of a health coach's role include assessing clients current health condition, developing healthy goals for clients, providing counseling services, documenting clients progress, conducting behavioral health screenings and establishing clients plan of action.  

Many health coaches earn specialized certifications. Requirements for various certifications differ by state. Certification is not always required; However it does increase credibility. 

It is important to know that a health coach is not a licensed dietitian.

Many states require separate licenses for prescribing specific diet plans.

                                                                                                                     A health coach can help understand the fundamentals of nutrition. Health coaches are not medical advisors who treat medical conditions or disease. 

Here’s how health coaches can help, they offer support for clients by offering educational resources and help problem solve.

 Health coaches can help clients become well versed in the healthcare system and medical resources. They provide excellent emotional support for their clients. Health Coaches can be useful for building a relationship with medical providers by helping clients keep health histories to provide their medical doctors.

They provide support throughout health and wellness efforts made by the client. 

The future of healthcare is reshaping with the focus moving from treatment to prevention. While conventional medicine specializes in acute illness such as; broken bones, asthma attacks, pneumonia, and appendicitis. Chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, is now noted as being an epidemic today. Because acute and chronic disease act differently in the body, traditional medicine simply cannot (and does not) have the necessary approaches in place.

Fortunately, health coaches can help! The holistic care they provide is truly the future, treating the whole person, not just the symptoms. 

A few examples that conventional care doesn't have but health coaches do are; 

They focus on holistic care, they make a personal connection, help clients make smart goals, they help clients retrain the brain and help them become self-reliant by making lifestyle changes. 

Some studies have shown health coaching to be effective in helping individuals lose and maintain their weight and therefore lower their risk of heart disease. Health coaches can help support smokers through the quitting process and help them stay smoke free. They also help people manage stress that may cause countless illnesses. These are just a few of the things they can help with. 

Health coaches take the time to get to know clients in order to help set up obtainable goals. They understand the psychological behavior, and emotional needs of clients, a health coach can provide a truly personalized client-centered experience. 

 James Maskell said “ Health Coaches are the nurses of the wellness revolution”