A Health Coach Today Keeps the Doctor Away

The following article was originally posted at MY Nutrition School, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition

In the last century modern medicine has made incredible breakthroughs in the treatments of some of our worst diseases. So why are Americans still very sick?

According to American Diabetes Association in 2011, 8.3% of the population has diabetes. That means 25.8 million people in the United States suffer from a largely preventable disease. And they are not alone. High blood pressure, asthma, and other diseases are also preventable and highly treatable.

Why, then, are doctors stuck in a tug-o-war with their patients’ diseases? A recent New York Times article laments the fact that the evidence based practices that many doctors use do not translate well into patients’ day-to-day lives. Part of the disconnect is that evidence based medicine treats the disease, but not the whole person. Some patients do not listen to their doctor’s advice out of stubbornness, but most people simply need more guidance than a list of dos and don’ts.

Evidence based practices treat human beings like a science experiment. However, there is another very important side of the healing process: the human element. It’s hard to make and maintain meaningful changes in diet and lifestyle while the rest of the world continues on unchanged.

Enter Health Coaches. A Health Coach can, show you how to cook, take you grocery shopping and help support you in finding a healthy lifestyle and strategy that works for YOU. Health Coaches do not teach a one-size-fits-all program, they cater to what your goals are and what your body needs.

Many diseases can be partially treated, or have symptoms eased, through diet and exercise. People need to know that they don’t have to choose between being sick and eating cardboard-like diet foods. A Health Coach can demonstrate how to prepare delicious meals that will lead to wellness and healing.

We desperately need our doctors and Health Coaches to help heal and prevent disease to ease the pressure on our overburdened health care system. More importantly, it will make us a happier, healthier society.