​The COVID-19 pandemic has many of us feeling uncertain.

This can feel like different things for different people. You may feel scared, overwhelmed, confused or worried, and you may be wanting more control. At the same time, you would like to feel hopeful, productive and connected. You are ready to be calm amidst the storm. 

Health Coaches Without Borders was designed to help you adapt to this changing new reality with grace and ease.

Many of my ADAPT- Certified Functional Health Coach colleagues along with myself are offering free individual and group coaching sessions. I am personally volunteering to coach 4 individuals on a first come first served basis.  If you would like health coaching at this time, please email me at Leenyhoff@gmail.com to secure your spot.  Once I get your email, I will set up a 20 minute call to see if we are a good fit and to give you an overview of the program.  If you'd rather have group coaching, head over to the Health Coaches Without Borders website to sign up.  We are here for you!

In this four-week free coaching program, you will have the opportunity to:

• Create a sense of hope, explore different ways to solve problems, and break down goals into small, doable steps 
• Build self confidence, know that you can do what you set your mind to, even in challenging circumstances
• Become more resilient, learn to fall and pick yourself back up, improvise, and find purpose in what you are doing
• Develop realistic optimism, staying safe, while enjoying what you have

Registration for individual and group coaching opens Sunday, April 12th
 
For more information on our free health coaching services visit www.healthcoacheswithoutborders.org
 

I'm excited to announce that I will be leading a 30-day Paleo nutrition and lifestyle challenge to set the "reset" button as we transition into fall.  This challenge is an opportunity for enhanced learning and understanding of the things that positively affect health with the support and accountability of a group.  

With a 30 day paleo reset, you will come to understand how you are unique in your response to different foods.  The aim is to set a new "baseline of health" by focusing on whole, unprocessed foods and taking out foods that are known gut irritants, cause systemic inflammation and disrupt proper hormone signaling.  We will enjoy nature's bounty of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy fats and quality proteins.  We will also be leaving out sugar and alcohol for the duration of the challenge because we know that things don't always end well with those in the mix!

In addition to nutrition, we will also have a weekly focus on other important lifestyle factors such as:
Sleep 
Exercise and Recovery 
Stress management practices including meditation, gratitude and deep breathing practices
Environmental factors that may be getting in the way of your best health

As a group, we will  "design our space" and create a supportive yet challenging atmosphere needed for growth.  A private facebook page will also be created to share recipes, discuss roadblocks and obstacles, answer questions and to cheer one another on.

What sets this challenge apart from past challenges is that we will also incorporate weekly group coaching sessions as well as individual 1:1 health coaching sessions to get your goals crystal clear and address any obstacles that get in your way.  This added feature will add a unique 1:1 experience, so helpful in creating lasting behavior change.

​I have some funny ass friends. And when you have funny ass friends, you often get their unique, unfiltered world view. I was reminded of this the other day when I ran into an old friend on a walk. (Old as in we go back a long way and old as in we are both in our 50's). We were talking about how much harder it is to fight the midlife middle when you hit your 50's and how we wish we looked like we did 10 years ago when we wanted to lose 10 pounds.

She said her husband told her he was going to have "DSM" inscribed on her tombstone...Diet Starts Monday. With that attitude to start the weekend, she went on, you can enjoy all life has to offer knowing that you will reel it in on Monday and get serious. I told her that in my house, we call it "going out with a bang". We laughed about our rationalizations but it got me to thinking about how pervasive this rationalization is. Turns out, the hope and excitement that come with committing to a healthier way of living can be fleeting as the harsh reality of behavior change hits you square between the eyes. By Wednesday or Thursday, if you make it that long, your resolve starts to wear thin and when Friday hits, it's back to "DSM". Wash, rinse, repeat.

Making diet and lifestyle changes is hard, especially if you have years of the "I'll do it tomorrow" attitude. Not only do we need some powerful motivation, but we also need the confidence it takes to make it happen. If one or two of those is off, real behavior change is doomed.

So how do we move those two markers of success in a positive direction? First, we need to find out what truly motivates us to make changes. Ask yourself, "Why is this important? What are my reasons for wanting to make this change? What might happen if I don't make this change?" Finding out your true reasons for making the change is a key start. But what do you do next to make lasting change?

This is where a health coach can be immensely helpful. From the Coaching Psychology Manual by Moore, Jackson and Tschannen-Moran, coaching is described as "a growth-promoting relationship that elicits autonomous motivation, increases the capacity to change, and facilitates a change process through visioning, goal setting, and accountability, which at its best leads to sustainable change for the good."

Below are five ways a health coach can help you realize the vision of health you create for yourself.

1. A HEALTH COACH IS A BEHAVIOR CHANGE SPECIALIST
A health coach specializes in behavior change and collaborates with you to lend support and empathy without judgement as you find your own strategies and motivation for change. Your coach will encourage you to mobilize your own insight, strengths, support and resources to help you make positive, sustainable changes for a higher level of well-being and performance in your life and work.

2. A COACH CELEBRATES THE EXPERT IN YOU
The coaching relationship is a partnership where creativity and thought provoking inquiry will inspire and support you to maximize your potential. The coach is not the expert in the relationship, rather they work alongside you to empower and encourage, so you can make the right choices for yourself. No one is more of an expert on your life than YOU! Have you ever had someone tell you what to do and suddenly you feel a bit resistant? When you come up with your own strategies that work within your circumstance, you are more likely to have success with that change.

3. A COACH HELPS FACILITATE YOUR VISION OF WELLNESS
At some point, you and your health coach will explore your "vision of wellness". If life is as good as it gets, what might that look like? How might your life be different if you were able to successfully make the changes you've been wanting? What do you value? What is important to you? You will explore all the beautiful experiences and qualities that make you unique, and create a vision of health and wellness that motivates and excites you.

4. COACHES CAN HELP KEEP YOU FOCUSED AS YOU PLAN OUT YOUR GOALS
Your health coach will listen attentively and carefully as you create 3-6 month goals for yourself that will ultimately get you closer to your wellness vision. With this roadmap in place, together you will break down your goals into smaller pieces and focus on each piece week by week. Through this process, you will explore your motivations and your resources. You'll leverage strengths and past successes as you commit to the changes you want to make. You'll get in touch with your values and beliefs and honor those as you create your plan. Your health coach will help you connect the dots between who you are and who you want to be.

5. A COACH CAN HELP KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE
In the beginning of any behavior change, accountability can be a big thing. Your health coach is there to support you as you make the changes you want. They will encourage, empower, and help keep you accountable. They will gently challenge you to venture just outside your comfort zone. They will be honest and open with you. And throughout the process, the coach will respect and honor your choices without judgement. Over time, you will find that you start finding your own ways of holding yourself accountable.


If you've been trying to make lifestyle changes but feel "stuck", maybe it's time to consider working with a health coach. You have everything you need within you to make change, but sometimes it helps to have someone unlock your superpowers, to respect you and your choices and to see you as whole, creative and resourceful. And what a powerful process this can be!