Health Coaching: An Imperative Approach to Wellness - Research Paper Example

Contents Contents 0 Health Coaching: An Imperative Approach to Wellness 1 Unhealthy lifestyle can knock several years off your lifespan 2 The New Alternative Approach 4 A rich way to eat fish 7 Chargrilled monkfish kebabs 7 Time for breakfast 8 Broccoli & Feta Omelette with Toast 8 Deliciously Creamy and Natural 9 Classic guacamole 9 Baked Samosas Packed with flavour 10 Baked veggie samosas 10 You Can Burn down your body fat with this 12 Spiced Green Tea Smoothie 12 Editorial Health Coaching: An Imperative Approach to Wellness In order to help people gain stability in terms of their health status, healthcare practitioners are constantly reaching out for significant education with an aim of becoming health coaches. Poor health deprives of the kind of life they deserve after working really tirelessly for it. Now as a health coach qualified to worked on this field, I believe in helping people transform their lives through promotion of better living standards based on my experience in the field. In order to achieve the health coaching objectives I assess my victims or rather clients for transformation and try finding out the point at which their lives is out of balance through interviews. I question the clients in a rather motivational manner to help them realize their current state of life and wellness based on their lively undertakings. Holding the interviewees accountable while still remaining non-judgemental makes them realize the courses they have been taking in life that has brought about the poor health status. Furthermore, it also lies within coaches like me to acknowledge that the information on poor health and wellness is just of as much importance to poor health victims as it is to healthy individuals. This is more like a cautious measure to the entire health misery. What’s New in the World of Medicine? Unhealthy lifestyle can knock several years off your lifespan An improvement in the world of medicine reveals that an unhealthy lifestyle comes at the expense of denying you 23 years of your lifespan (Knapton 2015). This includes smoking, poor diet and little or not exercising at all. Many people develop heart diseases, stroke as well as diabetes just because of poor choice of lifestyle; all these risks are largely preventable. According to statistical estimates revealed by Sarah Knapton, 80% of poor health cases could be prevented through doing regular exercises, keeping body weight checked, sticking to healthy diet and avoiding too much of smoke and alcohol. Doctor Emanuele Di Angelantonio from University of Cambridge stipulates that “We showed that having a combination of diabetes and heart disease is associated with a substantially lower life expectancy.” (Knapton 2015). Perhaps revealing such kind of information to health risk takers is enough to help reverse their thoughts on the deliberate risky choices they make. Other studies have shown that people who lead poor dietary lifestyle, don’t exercise, are addicted to alcohol and smoking are much likely to die from cardiovascular diseases and cancer compared to those who are not involved in the four activities (Woznicki 2010). And people engaging in such unhealthy lifestyle risk throwing away up to 12 years of their lifespan. From Woznicki’s study, Elisabeth Kvaavik, PhD, of the University of Oslo in Norway affirms that “To fully understand the public health impact of these behaviours, it is necessary to examine both their individual and combined impact on health outcomes.” It is therefore important to conclude that adjusting behavioural lifestyle to a modest bust achievable level will most likely affect not only individuals but also a larger population. Alternative Medicines The New Alternative Approach Well this might sound new to your ears but believe me when I say it is something you are already familiar with. In fact it is much more common in the contemporary world than you can imagine. Alternative medicines include healing treatments as acupuncture and herbal medicine which do not by any chance fall in the medical training convention. Such alternatives are now deeply rooted in eastern countries. However, patients in western hospitals have now drawn concern to the ‘alternative approaches’ and are now reaching out for knowledge based on the field (KidsHealth 1995-2015). Some of the most common alternative medicine in today’s society used in treatment includes; aromatherapies, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, meditation, herbal remedies, and spiritual therapy (Harter 2013). The fact that several societies across the globe are now adopting the new alternative approach means there is pretty much to gain out of it. Well the newly adopted treatment trend happens to cultivate personal awareness and brings about an understanding of humanity altogether (Harter 2013). Other advantages that come with using alternative medicines is that there are no side effects involved (Innocent 2009). This can be argued in the sense that the alternative medicine works with the body which is unlike modern medicine which basically supresses symptoms. The medicines are also readily available and more cost effective compared to modern manufactured medicines. Furthermore, the alternative medicine only recognizes the physical symptoms when mental and emotional signs get ignored. His makes it easy to deal with the problems as they arise in a rather free manner without physical symptoms having to be noticed (Innocent 2009). Consequently, it is imperative to acknowledge that alternative medicines cannot cure all diseases. This sounds pretty much obvious but it is quite disappointing that alternative medicines can cure much fewer diseases compared to allopath. This could be attributed to the argument that there are only a few researches in the field of alternative medicines (Silverman 2012). As much as the alternative medications are herbal/natural, they are still medicine and should be taken according to prescription. Most people associate them with plant materials hence regarding them as harmless which is still dangerous. The alternatives may not also go well with allopath (Silverman 2012). When consumed along with allopath tablets things might just get worse health wise. Advice Column Frequently asked Questions (FAQs) You might want to consider some of the most frequently asked questions on the subject of wellness. Most times people tend to ask questions based on what seems to affect their life. Proper health is not just something you wish for; you can question what deprives you of it. 1. Question: Who are the potential victims of poor health? Answer: Anyone living an unhealthy lifestyle risks falling a victim to poor health. It does not matter how old they are or in what manner they lead an unhealthy lifestyle. 2. Question: Does leading a proper lifestyle and having good health justify total wellness? Answer: Not really, good health is just a portion of wellness that ensures you do not become susceptible to health related infections. You could still get involved in an accident and get injured. That way you will still be rendered unwell. However, you should know that staying healthy keeps you strong and that that is probably the best form of wellness. 3. Question: What are some of the major causes of poor health with regard to wellness? Answer: Poor health can be brought about by poverty which in that case is difficult to prevent as the potential victims can barely keep up with healthy balanced diet. Furthermore, poor health can also be caused by unhealthy lifestyle. Unhealthy lifestyle in this case means not exercising, adopting poor diet, and dealing in drugs all of which renders the victim unwell. 4. Question: Do some diets work better than other in improving health? Answer: Every diet has a role to play in the body and that is what calls for a balanced diet. It would therefore be wrong to ignore other diets assuming they are better than others. Diets work collectively to improve health and for wellness to be achieved they must all be considered equal. 5. Question: How can one identify victims of poor health? Answer: That can be highly achieved through observations. Most victims of poor health are abnormally lean when starving or abnormally fat in case of excessive feeding accompanied by sedentary lifestyle. Other symptoms are frequent coughs, feebleness and susceptibility to infections. The list is too long but most important of all is that poor health victims can never be comfortable under normal conditions. Recipes Recipes define our health. They are the determinants of wellness which is built on proper diet. Below are recipes such as those that help burn down the fats in your body. A rich way to eat fish Chargrilled monkfish kebabs Makes 6 Ingredients 100 g ciabatta 600 g responsibly sourced skinless monkfish fillets or other firm fish, trimmed 1 lemon olive oil sea salt freshly ground black pepper Method 1. Place 6 wooden skewers into a large roasting tray of cold water to soak - this will stop them from burning. 2. On a chopping board, slice the crusts off the ciabatta, then cut into 2cm chunks. Place into a large mixing bowl with a splash of boiling water and toss together. 3. On a chopping board, slice the fish into even-sized chunks, roughly the same size as the ciabatta. 4. Wash your hands, the board and the knife, then cut the lemon into 6 wedges. 5. Remove the skewers from the tray, discard the water and wipe the tray dry. 6. Divide and thread the ciabatta and fish between your skewers – don't push them too close together otherwise they won't cook properly. 7. Thread a lemon wedge onto the end of each skewer. 8. Place each one onto the tray. 9. Put the griddle pan on a high heat to warm up (or you could cook them under the grill). 10. Place the skewers onto the griddle pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning every 2 minutes to get nice and golden on all sides – you may need to do this in batches. 11. Once cooked, transfer the kebabs to a serving platter and serve with a fresh zingy salad and some rice or flatbreads. This recipe contains 2.2 grams of fat per serving. Fat is essential in our diet as it helps us grow, but we need to take it in low quantity because too much of it could bring about heart diseases and obesity. Time for breakfast Broccoli & Feta Omelette with Toast Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 1 serving (1 omelette and 2 pieces toast) Ingredients Cooking spray 1 cup chopped broccoli 2 large eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 teaspoon dried dill 2 slices rye bread, toasted Preparation 1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add broccoli, and cook 3 minutes. 2. Combine egg, feta, and dill in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes; flip omelette and cook 2 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with toast. Every service in this recipe contains about 19 grams of fat. This has to be broken down during the daily undertakings. Deliciously Creamy and Natural Classic guacamole Serves 8 Ingredients ½ a small red onion 1-2 fresh red chillies 3 ripe avocados 1 bunch of fresh coriander 6 ripe cherry tomatoes 2 limes, juice from extra virgin olive oil sea salt freshly ground black pepper Method Step 1: Peel the onion and deseed one chilli, then roughly chop it all on a rough board. Destone the avocados and scoop the flesh into the board. Step 2: Start chopping it all together until fine and well combined. Pick over most of the coriander leaves, roughly chop and add the tomatoes, then continue chopping it all together. Step 3: Add the juice from 1 lime and 1 tablespoon of oil, then season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Deseed, finely chop and scatter over the remaining chilli if you want more of a kick, pick over the reserved coriander leaves, then serve. This recipe contains 8.9 grams of fats per serving. You can find it delicious when served with fajitas and quesadillas or you could just eat it as a snack. Baked Samosas Packed with flavour Baked veggie samosas Makes 20 Ingredients sea salt freshly ground black pepper groundnut oil, or vegetable oil 400 g Maris Piper potatoes 250 g cauliflower 125 g frozen peas 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger 1 fresh green chilli 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon gram masala 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ a lemon, juice from ½ bunch of fresh coriander From the dough: 550 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons ajwain seeds, optional Method Step 1: To make the dough combine the flavour, baking powder, a good pinch of salt and the ajwain seeds (if using) in a large bowl. Use your fingers to rub in 120ml of oil until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in 150ml of cold water, then bring it together with your hands into rough dough, adding a splash more water, if needed. Place in a flour-dusted bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Step 2: Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into rough 2.5cm chunks, then break the cauliflower into florets so they're roughly the same size. Add the potatoes to a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender, adding the cauliflower after 3 minutes. Add the peas for the final minute, then drain. Step 3: Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then peel and finely grate the ginger. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Heat a lug of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and then add the cumin and onion. Fry for 8 minutes, or until softened but not coloured, stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli, then fry for a further few minutes. Bash the fennel seeds to a fine powder and add to the pan along with the gram masala and ground coriander. Mix well. Step 4: Stir the cooked veg into the pan and crush gently with a potato masher – don't overdo it: you want a fairly chunky mixture. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season to taste. Leave to cool, then pick, finely chop and stir in the coriander leaves. Step 5: Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Lightly grease a large baking tray with oil. Step 6: On a flour-dusted surface, halve the dough and roll out each portion to about 3cm thick. Using a 7cm pastry cutter, stamp out as many circles as you can, then roll into rounds, roughly ½cm thick and 18cm in diameter. Cut each round in half, and then brush the straight edges with a little water. Roll into a cone shape, bringing the straight edges together and pressing lightly to seal. Spoon in the filling, brush the exposed dough with a little water, then fold over and press to seal. Step 7: Place onto the prepared baking tray, then repeat with the remaining ingredients, keeping the samosas covered with a damp tea towel as you go. Brush with a little oil and place in the hot oven for around 45 minutes, or until golden and piping hot through. Serve straightaway with mango chutney. The recipe contains 3.2 grams of fat per service. It is perfect as a curry accompaniment or brilliant as a snack. You Can Burn down your body fat with this Spiced Green Tea Smoothie Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Yield: Makes 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup) Ingredients 3/4 cup strong green tea, chilled 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 TBSP) 2 teaspoons agave nectar 1 small pear, skin on, cut into pieces 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt 6-8 ice cubes Preparation Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Drink cold. The recipe contains 0.2 grams of fat per serving. Wellness Interviews I conducted interviews on three people of different age groups and their responses never seemed similar at all. The first interviewee happened to be a teenager named Mary Pawley participating in volleyball at school. Based on what she had learnt wellness to hear meant keeping her body fit and less vulnerable to infections. However, she also thought that someone can only be assumed well if they perform their daily activities well which includes job and studies. The second interviewee was Dean Moor, a college psychological consultant. He thought of wellness as being in the right state of mind and in good physical condition. Based on the man’s experience, someone who is well is still capable of making mistakes due to external influences as frustration or tiresomeness having worked for long. “All that has to be done in the case that someone seems unwell is to let them take a rest before any conclusions on their health are made” said Dean Moor. Finally Jane Wilsons closed the interview chapter. Jane is parent and according to her wellness counts only when proactive growth and balance in the human health is achieved. She thinks wellness encompasses all spheres of life including mental, physical and spiritual growth. According to Jane, wellness is happiness. From the entire interview the idea of mental and physical states are positively mentioned. And we could thus regard them as the basis of wellness agenda. References Woznicki, K. (2010). What a Bad Lifestyle Does to Your Life Span. WebMD. Retrieved on July 12, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/heart disease/news/20100426/what-a-bad-lifestyle-does-to-your-life-span Silverman, C. (2012). About Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative medicine. Acupuncture Alternative Medicine. CNM Health. Posted on December 1, 2012. Retrieved from: http://cnmhealth.blogspot.com/2012/12/about-advantages-and disadvantages-of.html Innocent, M. (2009). Seven Advantages of Alternative Medicine. Ezine Articles. Retrieved on July 12, 2015. Retrieved from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Advantages-of Alternative-Medicine&id=2159789 Knapton, S. (2015). Unhealthy lifestyle can knock 23 years off lifespan. The Telegraph. Retrieved on July 12, 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11723443/Unhealthy-lifestyle-can knock-23-years-off-lifespan.html KidsHealth (1995-2015). Complementary and Alternative medicine. Teens Health. Retrieved on July 12, 2015. Retrieved from: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/medical_care/alternative_medicine.html Harter, L. (2013). Alternative Medicine in Today’s Society. Elephant. Retrieved on July 12, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/01/alternative medicine-in-todays-society/ Read More