‘Support One, Benefit All’ Say Health Coaches
The future of healthcare was a topic of hot conversation amongst health coaches and medical professionals at a conference I went to last month. The general consensus within the room, that the NHS, and society as a whole, should shift focus and follow the lead of the fire service, by both reacting to and working to prevent, in its case, disease. Currently, the brilliant professionals who work within the NHS are doing all they can to manage the issues patients present to them, but what if, collectively, we could do more to prevent disease in the first place?
The good news is that I think we can. And if we did, we may save the NHS from increasing levels of struggle and strain. By integrating lifestyle medicine into daily life, we could get to the root cause of chronic disease in a far more effective way than by simply dishing out pill after pill. And we could reverse conditions like insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, chronic pain and inflammatory diseases without relying on a lifetime of prescriptions. Private practices, health coaches and functional medicine specialists are already educating patients about the benefits of good nutrition, meaningful daily movement, prioritising sleep, and managing stress and it’s working. The benefits are clear, but what’s needed now is permission for the NHS to do more to prevent the ‘fires’ it’s so good at putting out. That work needs to start in the classroom, teaching doctors about nutrition and movement; education that is currently lacking in 7 years of medical training.
Wellness Consultant in the Workplace
The focus can’t solely be on the NHS though. An institution of this size isn’t going to change seismically or quickly and that’s why each and every one of us has a roll to play too. For me, this starts with employers, as a well workforce is, for obvious reasons, a far more effective one. Some organisations have been leading the way, bringing wellness consultants into the workplace for years, but for the majority, health initiatives often feel like a ‘tick-box’ exercise. Themed days and calendared events may help raise awareness of what good health looks like, but ongoing support is what’s needed if people are to make meaningful change to their health and wellbeing.
Bryony’s employer saw the value of personalised support for those struggling though menopause, in addition to regular talks from health professionals. A health coach was brought in to work with her once a week for five consecutive weeks, enough time for her to identify and understand what was happening to her body and what support she needed. This personalised approach gave her space to challenge limiting beliefs and change her mindset and lifestyle habits. In Bryony’s words, this intervention was ‘life-changing’ for both her and her employer. Unfortunately, she is one of the lucky ones, working in a company that offers personalised coaching to all women over forty. Menopause costs UK employers £191 million per year in absenteeism alone but health and wellness coaches are still far from commonplace in the workplace.
Support the individual, benefit the masses
I can understand why this is the case, especially in this economic climate, but a focus on immediate cost is short-sighted. An investment in one employee doesn’t just benefit them, it has a ripple effect that can extend far and wide, opening up conversations and making subjects that were once taboo, less so. Bryony ‘told everyone she could’ about her menopause coach experience, and in doing so encouraged her colleagues to make meaningful change too. Lunchtime walks became an everyday occurrence with once sedentary colleagues encouraging each other, work life balance more accepted, and measures to reduce stress introduced. There’s not just one Bryony out there, there are thousands, who, in the words of Stephanie Sparkles, “walk out of the flames carrying buckets of water for those still consumed by the fire.”
From Institution, to Organisation, to Individual
Although the benefits of this personalised approach are crystal clear, it’s going to take time to shift the focus of institutions and organisations, but time is something we don’t have, and that’s why change should start with the individual. By empowering people with knowledge and support we can build on the four pillars of good health across communities, introducing better nutrition, more meaningful movement, restorative sleep habits and the reduction of stress, enabling shifts in mindset, changes to daily habits and the breaking down of limiting beliefs.
The World Around Us – AKA The Fifth Pillar
Food, exercise, sleep and calm are integral to a healthy lifestyle, but there’s more. One area in particular is often overlooked and that’s toxicity and its link to chronic inflammatory diseases. Toxins are everywhere, we can’t avoid them, but we can take steps to limit what enters our body. Education is needed to enact change and force governments, institutions and organisations to act. In this era of mass production, reducing toxins can and often does come at a cost, but we must also consider the cost to our health of not doing so. This topic is worthy of its own blog but let’s start with a summary…
Simple switches to reduce toxins
Fish & Salt
We often talk about the need for Omega-3s and the advice is to eat at least two portions of oily fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring) a week. Sadly, environmental toxins means that not all fish are equals and by eating some sources of fish – those that aren’t farmed sustainably or ethically – we could actually be harming our health and our world. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts and edamame are plant-based alternatives, there are some good supplements too which are definitely worth considering.
Salt is another issue. Thankfully, we’ve moved on from the days when table salt was the norm. Younger generations are far less likely to add it to their daily meals but there’s been an uncritical shift to ‘on trend’ alternatives such as Himalayan pink salt, or rock salts, which have been found to contain microplastics. Oryx Desert Salt is now seen as a potentially cleaner alternative. One many people don’t even know about.
Ultra Processed Foods
The danger of over-consuming ultra-processed foods has long been documented, but it’s clear that more and more consumers are now demanding better. Whole foods and regenerative farming methods are increasingly being called for, the farm to fork movement is growing, but this needs to continue until harmful chemical processes have been eradicated. Eating less, better-quality meat and vegetables is key, as is helping people to move away from a reliance on convenience. And, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, it’s useful to know which products contain higher levels of pesticides. The so-called ‘dirty dozen’ list can change, but strawberries, grapes, grapefruit, spinach, bagged lettuce and lemons, often score highly for residual pesticides. Where possible choose organic versions of these fruits and vegetables, opt for frozen alternatives which are often more cost-effective, and make sure you wash fresh produce thoroughly to remove as many chemicals as possible. You can also use salt, bicarbonate of soda and specially designed soaks to minimise exposure or go all-out and start to grow your own.
Small change, big impact
All of this goes back to my mantra - meaningful change starts small. The NHS and other institutions won’t change overnight, even GPs can’t shift their focus quickly, employers won’t suddenly start making health and wellness a key priority and individuals can’t completely eradicate harmful toxins from their daily lives, no matter how committed they are to the cause. Instead, we can all make small changes to better our health for today and all our tomorrows and together we can build a better health movement for this generation and the future ones.
