Health Coaching for Patients With Chronic Illness

As a health coach, I occasionally get a question from a random person who wants to know what a health coach really does and what value they bring to the table. This article really does a nice job of summing up what a health coach can do, particularly in a healthcare setting.

Health coaching is one of those somewhat new and emerging careers that still needs some explanation. Think of it this way, at some point in anyone's life -- particularly during times of exasperation when goals have not been reached or coming to terms with an illness which has not quite registered with the individual -- that person could use a little helping hand.

Wouldn't you be better at reaching a goal if you had good support from a someone who was cheering you on and simply supporting you emotionally? Wouldn't you be more prone to accept that a chronic disease like diabetes isn't the end of life, but could simply be the start of truly taking care of oneself with proper social support and proper understanding? In talking through issues that are troublesome or even thought-provoking enough to the patient/client without their complete understanding of their current condition is hard enough!

As this article further points out, Health coaching encompasses five essential roles:

(1) Providing Self-Management Support: Here a coach can help with various aspects from teaching disease-specific skills, promoting healthy behaviors, providing emotional support and encouraging the patient to be part of their own solution.

(2) Bridging the gap between clinician and patient: It is hard enough for a patient to be given a new medication that they've never taken before for a newly-diagnosed illness, but if they don't truly understand the 'why's' of taking the meds in the first place, that could lead to confusion and neglect. It helps the patient in knowing they are being heard and also that there is someone there to help them  better navigate current obstacles or needs they may have, wouldn't you agree? What about questions they may have regarding cultural issues or other personal barriers?

(3) Helping Patients Navigate the Health Care System: Particularly for the elderly or more soft-spoken patient, many times they may need assistance with who they should follow up with or where they should go for certain tests or programs. It is helpful to have a voice for those that may not believe they are heard.

(4) Offering Emotional Support: While many clinicians give excellent information to the patient, it may be too rushed or not thoroughly explained to the patient. This is also where a health coach can step in and provide emotional support once trust and rapport have been established with the patient.

(5) Serving as a continuity figure: Despite a patient going to all designated appointments or taking medications when they should, who checks in on them from time to time to make sure they are following a healthy routine of taking care of themselves? Again, a coach is there to 'connect' with the patient and make sure that they are heard and benefiting from good self-care.

All in all, health coaches have been shown to provide excellent support and knowledge to bridge the gap between clinician and patient. Think of it this way, doesn't a student who is having a hard time in a class like statistics benefit from having a tutor so they can get a good grade? Of course! The same goes for a patient who is having a difficult time coming to terms with their own personal situation -- they need to know they are heard and understood. Even if a client's particular goal is not necessarily disease-related -- such as losing 10 pounds -- it helps to consult with a coach that can hold the client accountable enough to really instill good, positive behaviors that can ultimately keep disease off the radar!

Don't Nudge Me: The Limits of Behavioral Economics in Medicine

How do we get better at resisting the everyday temptations that exist in our environment? What are the everyday temptations you may ask? How about the overabundance of quick and easy fast-food "drive-through windows" or the easy access to a quick and easy snack that you can pick up at just about anywhere. To add to the lack of healthy options that our environment offers the everyday citizen, how "walkable" is your neighborhood and how safe is it to walk there at any given time of the day or night? 

To add more fuel to the fire, local food markets that meet daily needs (by offering healthy food choices), safe housing, access to adequate health care services and social support are frankly...lacking in supply -- especially in lower-income households. If we take just one aspect from those above-mentioned determinants of health like access to health care, then how do we ensure that those patients then comply with properly taking care of themselves? This is where the limits of behavioral economics in medicine comes into play. "Lessons to be learned from behavioral economics can be used to create environments that nudge people toward wiser decisions and healthier lives".

This also prompts the inquiry to behavior change being added to the mix of complications that affect overall population health. Particularly with those that suffer from chronic lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes, there happens to be an exceptionally high risk of those that don't comply with following treatment of their illness. In fact, The New England Journal of Medicine about 10 years ago estimated that up to two-thirds of medication-related hospital admissions in the United States were because of noncompliance, at a cost of $100 billion a year. So how can we improve medication adherence for chronic health problems effectively? 

The bottom-line is that it is very difficult for patients to change their behavior. Changing behaviors that are so firmly established can be a daunting task! But, what if there was a way to communicate more effectively with the patient or client to understand where "there head is at" rather than simply telling them what they need to do to get better? How can their compliance improve if clinicians, therapists or those that work closely with the public don't bother to first meet the patient where they are and build rapport and trust? How can we tackle so many of our healthcare concerns that are largely lifestyle related through wiser and more effective approaches? To a large degree, building our society's self-efficacy through various channels of communication by putting the responsibility of their wellbeing on their shoulders can be a positive approach if taken one step at a time. This clearly would be a work in progress.

In the words of Lou Holtz, "Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it". Those words seem pretty wise to me, what do you think? 

Junk Food Is Made To Be Twice As Distracting As Healthy Food

Just yesterday I was at a work-related event where lunch would be provided. Some of the participants brought in their left-over Halloween Candy simply because they no longer wanted it in their house! While I can't blame them, there is no reason to 'unload' it on the innocent who are trying to stay away from the stuff!

Interestingly enough though, a little can go a long way. In other words, try limiting yourself to one or two 'fun size' candies and believe it or not, that should be enough to satisfy the sweetest of the sweet tooth individual! 

Another great reason to limit yourself to one or two 'fun size' candies, can be seen in the results of the two-phase study conducted by Corbin A. Cunningham of Johns Hopkins University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. (You can read more about the study at the link provided below). In many ways, the study shows that indeed a little can go a long way when it comes to what a 'complete deprivation of certain foods mindset' can do to trick us into going down the path of junk food overload!

What would you do if you were told you could never ever ever have a piece of dark chocolate caramel (or whatever your go-to junk food choice was) ever again? You'd probably want to go crazy and have as many as possible, right? Complete deprivation just doesn't work -- moderation works better. 

The long and the short of it is -- based on the information from the study and the way we are behaviorally wired, it is simply healthier to have a mindset that sets us up for successful and doable baby-step behavior changes rather than one of unrealistic goals, wouldn't you agree? 

It's Not Your Fault Junk Food Is Twice As Distracting As Healthy Food

How To Cut Back On Highly Processed Foods

Let's get some clarification first on what a processed food is and go from there, okay? As mentioned in Processed Foods 101 from this article, processed foods encompass foods that have purposefully been changed before we eat them. So, just because we may walk down the 'canned veggie' aisle at the local grocery store doesn't necessarily mean that is a bad thing. In fact, canned vegetables usually are quite good for you as they contain fresh vegetables that are canned, hence the nutrition remains intact. Additionally, if simply trying to add vegetables to your diet, canned may be the way to go as well because many times the fresh vegetables are more expensive.

According to the International Food Information Council, the act of processing can be as easy or simple as freezing or even drying food for preservation purposes. Canned beans, tuna and even frozen fruits and vegetables are great examples of good processed food options.

The trickier aspect of processed foods and their nutrient deficient ingredients occurs with more highly processed foods, which we should attempt to minimize or eliminate as much as possible. As many folks may know, these foods are the culprits for higher sodium, sugar and artificial ingredients that can cause havoc on overall health.

If already on the path of eating minimally processed foods whenever possible, good for you; on the other hand, 'weaning' oneself off of highly processed foods that have been more of a staple in the diet is easier-said-than-done to get rid of -- but, oh so worth it!

The following is a list of small, doable steps to begin eliminating highly processed foods from one's diet:

(1) Start Slowly. As I've learned and applied the principals taken from wellness coaching, do what you can to meet the client/person where they are currently. Example: You can't take a chronic smoker that smokes a pack a day down to none over night, right? It is a process of bringing awareness of current behaviors and modifying them in ways that make a positive difference, even at a slow rate.

(2) Supplement current meals with fresh foods. Do what you can to substitute or supplement meals by following the Choose My Plate option to eating well. Even if having a burger with dinner, how about eliminating the fries and substituting a delicious salad instead? That way, you get to enjoy the burger and don't feel totally deprived. Remember, change is a process.

(3) Water can be boring, but in knowing how good water is for your body, it is worth it! If water is sounding 'too bland', how about adding a slice of lemon or other diced fruit to it to give it some jazz.

(4) Cut the sodium out: Now-a-days, there are so many salt substitutes that contain great spices. I can definitely say -- as much as I enjoy salt too -- a simple tweak of a salt-free substitute can add depth and zest to a meal.

(5) Choose Whole Grains Over Processed Grains: Whole grains are most definitely part of a healthful diet so substitute regular white rice with wild rice or brown rice. Once again, when walking down the grocery store bread aisle, find breads that have "Whole Grain" instead of "Whole Wheat" as first ingredient.

(6) Limit or avoid processed meats. This one can be difficult for many people, but in realizing there are delicious and more nutritious substitutes even limiting these foods can contribute to better health. Eating foods like these processed meats have been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

(7) Plan ahead. If you know you will be having a busy day and will have limited time getting a good meal, try planning ahead with smart snacks. It isn't difficult to throw in some mixed nuts, raisins, sliced veggies into your purse or your bag. Another great option is a portion-sized greek yogurt that adds flavor and nutrients.

(8) Substituting highly processed snacks and foods with healthier snack options is simple to do. The link above provides a list of healthier snack options to adopt into your diet plan.

(9) Make your own version of junk food: Check out Rule #4 in the 'own version' of junk food. As Michael Pollen believes, if you can't make it yourself, skip it all together. Chances are if you make your own junk food, it won't be an everyday occurrence.

(10) Make healthier versions of frozen meals. As in making smart substitutions for foods like Mac and Cheese and burgers, it's easy enough to substitute whole-wheat pasta for the Mac and Cheese or turkey/veggie burgers for the regular burger.

(11) Careful reading of labels is important. When it comes to substitutions that state "fat-free" or "sugar-free", those substitutions could be made with artificial ingredients that contain lots of sugar or food dyes.

By incorporating the above-mentioned healthy foods in place of more processed foods, there is no doubt that you will be feeling at your best in no time.

8 Low Glycemic Foods For Better Health

There are various reasons for doing what you can to stick to low glycemic foods. No, you don't and shouldn't look at carbs as being 'evil' or to be avoided at all cost, you simply need to do what you can to choose the right kinds of carbs. Yes, carbs that are low on the glycemic index are the ones to shoot for as much as possible.

The glycemic index measures carbohydrate-containing foods that impact blood sugar either positively or negatively. There is a scale that ranges from low (0-55) to medium (56-69) to high (70 and above). Becoming familiar with these ranges helps quite a bit when choosing the carbs that one eats frequently. Check out the list of foods, GI rating system and more here.

In knowing that a low-glycemic diet is the most beneficial to the body, it also helps to know why this is the case. Low-glycemic foods are good to incorporate in one's diet for the prevention of heart disease, diabetes and more. In addition, these foods also stabilize energy levels which means a more productive day. How good is that?

By the way, below is a list of the 8 Low Glycemic Foods:

(1) Wild Salmon
(2) Nuts
(3) Oils (Coconut and Olive)
(4) Cinnamon
(5) Oats
(6) Leafy Greens
(7) Seeds (think Pumpkin, Flax or Chia)
(8) Eggs

Video: Lack of Sleep Increases Junk Food Cravings

It is amazing how complex our bodies are...truly. We all know there is an obesity crisis, and it is important to know that it goes beyond the food we eat and the activities we do on a daily basis. While food and activity are crucial for weight loss, there are also other contributing factors that should be considered....like sleep.

The following video provides us with real scientific evidence that not sleeping enough contributes to an increase in junk food cravings. It is important for people to see the correlation between sleep and obesity. Our bodies absolutely need sleep and there is no way around it. So why not pass on the extra T.V. watching at night to catch your favorite show and get to bed an hour earlier? Your body and mind will thank you for it! Worried you'll miss your favorite show? Record it and save it for later!

Good health is not just the food we eat and exercising enough, it is more.....

Are you successfully aging well?

How well we live our lives successfully has so much to do with how well we take care of our bodies, wouldn't you agree? In this time of fast food, busy schedules, unhealthy environments and more, at least we do have some ability to slow the aging process by following some smart and effective steps.

Some of the main differences between how successfully or unsuccessfully we age has to do with how we live our lives day in and day out. Are we positive? Do we have good energy throughout our day and that includes good strength and general fitness? How well do we sleep? Are we stressed out all the time? These are important questions to ask ourselves and if there is hesitancy on any of the above-mentioned questions, perhaps it is time to re-evaluate how we live our lives on a daily basis.

Successful aging isn't just how well you look on the outside -- Do you have wrinkles? Do you look tired all of the time? Are you angry or depressed? Even those fortunate souls out there that do appear to age more gracefully have their fair share of 'tough days', but they seem to handle it differently. They have taken the necessary steps to lead a healthier lifestyle -- and, it is not always easy -- guaranteed. So, how about focusing on how we approach our day to day living with more energy, positivity and vigor?

If you aren't ready to 'hit the gym' for an hour a day, no worries, there are still so many things to get you going on a good path to better health. Start with small steps like moving as much as possible -- walk to the store, park farther, take the stairs -- you get the picture. Additionally, there is no reason to omit certain foods completely -- unless your doctor has you doing so -- just attempt to eat more whole foods and less processed foods, drink more water and watch portions too. It really takes some discipline, but isn't anything worth having in life worth fighting for -- as in your health?

The good news is that we can greatly influence how we age by taking action steps that will lead to healthier lifestyle outcomes.