Wellness Refocused Coaching and Consulting

It's just passed 5:40 in the morning and my partner just left for drill. I'm exhausted. And for the past three weeks I've had the itch to write, but I haven't had the time. So, instead of going to back to bed, I poured myself leftover coffee from yesterday and here we are. I've caught myself writing lines of poems in my head a lot lately, and even as I'm writing this, I'm thinking of all the things I want to say....

Free write #5: The Writer It’s just passed 5:40 in the morning and my partner just left for drill. I’m exhausted. And for the past three weeks I’ve had the itch to write, but I haven’t had the time. …

An oldie, but a goodie.

In this 7 minute read I talk about:

👩🏻‍🦱 What health coaching is
🧠 Different models that can help clients in the change process that recognize barriers they may experience
🧠 Coaching techniques that I use and are often used to help with setting health goals
✍🏻I also give some examples to help you think through what your needs are

If you've ever wanted to know what a health coach or a health and wellness coach can do, this may help.

Wellness Refocused Education: Introduction to Health Coaching + Importance of Overlapping Psychological Models There are many psychological models and theories that are utilized in health coaching. It’s because of the psychology used in health coaching that I know there can be a lot of gray – no…

It's been a long time coming that I change the name of this page.

A few years ago, I changed my Instagram name to reflect myself as a coach, the work I do with clients and the expansion of my consulting work with nonprofits and the public health space.

Over the past few months, I've tried posting more here and sharing a variety of health information - all of which is important to me and the work I do. But sometimes it felt inauthentic.

It feels relieving and like a big shift for me to finally change my name here. For more growth, letting go with the old and embracing the new is necessary.

Here are 5 things I want you to know about me and my work and this page:

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ I'm q***r and nonbinary, I use she and they pronouns and I do a lot of work in these spaces. I will share health information that impacts marginalized communities, especially the ones I'm a part of.

🍉 I'm Jewish AND I'm anti-genocide. I talk about learning about my Jewish identity as an adult and learning what that means to me. I also talk about the severe harms of discrimination, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism. War is a determinant of health.

🏋 I love weight lifting and nutrition. I will share information about both (especially access to both) so you can be directed to quality resources and also learn a bit about my philosophies when I work with folx 1:1.

🩺 Public health is a huge part of why I started coaching in the first place. Health is so much more than how or what we eat, how we move our bodies, and our body size. Social and political determinants are a foundation of focus when I work with individuals and nonprofits, and it's also what brought me closer to advocacy work outside of my paid work.

🤬 I'm going to share things that are controversial, I'm going to make you think. I won't get into arguments with you, even if I want to.

I hope you're ready for this next step. I know I am.

Health is political. Healthcare systems are dictated by policies created by legislators who introduce bills that become laws.

I wrote this post in February towards the beginning of the legislative cycle.

Regardless of how you vote, this post will help you learn how to get connected with your policy makers so your voice can be heard.

https://healthcoachcristina.com/2024/02/12/connecting-to-your-legislator-navigating-the-intersection-of-health-and-politics/

When I first started studying and working in public health, I didn't realize how much our built environment played a role in our health.

Healthy neighborhoods can be physical at first sight like safe sidewalks and quality roads, 🏠safe and healthy homes.

It can look like all residents having access to:
📚quality education
👩‍💼adequate employment
🚗transportation
🏋️‍♀️ physical activity
🍉nutrition
🏥quality health care.

Housing and environmental justice go hand-in-hand.

It's National Public Health Week and before the pandemic many had never heard of public health at all. For others they thought about 😷 vaccines and disease prevention🤧, but that is only part of public health.

Public health is all around us.

It can look like quality 🚶‍♀️👩‍🦼walkways and safe neighbors, 🏨free clinics, STI testing or s*x education, food labeling and ages restrictions on ci******es. It can also look like 🤰breastfeeding support, access to healthcare, 🏠affordable housing and free or reduced school meals.

There are a lot of things that impact our health. Things in and out of our control. Public health has the potential to make changes to improve our health.

This week I challenge you to think about how public health may show up for you.

March 31st is International Trans Day of Visibility, which is meant to celebrate the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary people everywhere by elevating voices and experiences from these communities.

Over the past 9 months, I've been exploring what it's meant for me to come out as non-binary and how that shows up in my life. I recognize the privileges I have in my body and also, how there are some times still complexities and challenges when explaining my pronouns and what it feels like for me.

The Human Rights Campaign has a ton of information explaining what this day is meant for, highlights celebrating trans and non-binary advocates, as well as information for advocacy and allyship.

I'd encourage you to check it out. I'm still learning and I thought this was a great resource.

Trans Day of Visibility Each year on March 31, we honor International Transgender Day of Visibility! We celebrate the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary people everywhere by elevating voices and experiences from…

5 Reasons to Understand Unit Pricing

Unit pricing can be tough to understand, especially when every item in the grocery store is a different unit of measurement.

But here are some reasons you shouldn’t ignore unit pricing.

Unit pricing enables us as consumers to compare the cost of similar products regardless of their package size or brand.

Understanding unit pricing helps us keep our costs low by preventing overpaying, and it can help us when we’re creating budgets. Also, did you know it’s possible that warehouse sized products aren’t always the more affordable option. When we understand unit pricing, we can make educated decisions about the sales and deals we’re shopping for.

Not only does shopping smarter help our wallets, but it reduces food waste.

https://healthcoachcristina.com/2019/10/15/budgeted-eats-tips-understanding-unit-pricing/

"Did you know there’s a difference between a food bank and a food pantry?

Food banks are large-scale warehouse or distribution centers that collect, store and distribute food to various charitable organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Food pantries are local, community-based organizations that distribute food directly to individuals and families in need.

It may seem tough to find an organization like these near you, but here are some tips you can try:

Using a standard Google search can turn up a lot of organizations. Try search terms like “local food bank near me” or “food pantry in [enter your town or city]”
Online directories like Feeding America or AmpleHarvest.org can connect you to vetted sources that they may partner with
Contacting local government or social services to learn about food assistance programs in your area
Religious or community-based organizations like community centers or other crisis assistance organizations may have their own food pantry, but may also be able to help you get connected to one
Asking local schools and libraries about local resources is another way to find something in your area, but also may get something started if it doesn’t exist

🚨 Did you know there are allowable misleading food marketing tactics? 🚨

Food labels can be confusing, especially ones that claim products are "organic," "natural," "healthy," "GMO-free," or "no hormones."

Here are 5 words that don’t mean what we think they mean:

1. Organic

Organic foods are often perceived as healthier and more environmentally friendly, the truth is that the term "organic" simply means that the food was produced without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

There are still over 200 chemicals allowable for organic farming, which means organic does not necessarily equate to healthier or more nutritious.

2. Natural

Have you seen "natural" on food labels?

This term is NOT regulated by the FDA and can be misleading. Foods labeled as ""natural"" may still contain artificial ingredients, additives, or preservatives.

Always check the ingredient list to ensure that a product truly aligns with your definition of natural.

3. Healthy

The term "healthy" is subjective and it’s definition actually changed a few years ago!

It’s a term used in a variety of ways to promote products, even those that are high in sugar, sodium, or unhealthy fats. Don't rely solely on claims of "healthy" on packaging—instead, focus on the overall nutritional content and ingredient list.

4. GMO-free

While some folx prefer to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs), products labeled as "GMO-free" may still contain other synthetic ingredients or be processed in ways that compromise their nutritional value. There are also only about 12 GMO crops in the US, meaning that products that DON’T have a GMO counterpart can be labeled as GMO-free.

It's essential to consider the overall quality of the food.

5. No hormones

The FDA DOESN’T allow hormones to be used in poultry production - whether added or artificial. However, all animals produce hormones naturally, so the term "no hormones" on meat or dairy products simply means that no additional hormones were administered to the animals.

*Livestock like cattle and sheep are allowed to use hormones, but are regulated and undergo strict safety testing.*

Foods labeled as "no hormones" may mislead consumers into believing that they are hormone-free.

🛒 Take the time to read labels, understand the ingredients (even the chemical terms!), and consider the overall nutritional value of the foods you buy. Companies want your money and these tactics help them. 🍎🛒

"There are a number of health professionals that do nutrition work and can support clients or patients in nutrition needs. However, the nutrition expert you work with may be dependent on the needs because of their scope of practice.

Registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)

These folx are often found in most clinical settings. They’ve gone through extensive training including mandated clinical hours to sit for state licensure. They have the widest scope of practice in nutrition and can prescribe nutrition therapy programs, and help clients manage condition-specific needs.

The term nutritionist is very general, isn’t regulated and isn’t the same as an RDN

Anyone can be a nutritionist, which is why it may seem like there are so many. This doesn’t mean that these foxl don’t have credentials to have general nutrition conversations, however, it’s important to look at credentials to determine if this person is qualified.

A certified health and wellness coach or a board-certified health and wellness coach is someone who can help with a variety of goals

These folx have gone through training and have been tested on topics of assessment, goal setting, general nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep and other aspects of health and wellness, behavior change, lifestyle modification and coaching psychology to support clients in a variety of health goals. However, certification is not the same as licensure. Often these coaches have other credentials that can broaden their scope, but it’s key to talk with these experts about their credentials, experience and approach to general nutrition and goal setting.

A medical doctor has limitations in their scope around nutrition

Primary care doctors can offer advice on healthy eating, but they’re unable to dive in and prescribe nutrition therapy. This is the scope of a RD or RDN. They can refer a patient to a RD or RDN for more in-depth nutrition advice and condition-specific support.

🥑The misconception that all fat is bad isn’t new. 🥜

Like all macronutrients, consuming too many calories from fat can possibly lead to weight gain, there are more nuances to the harms.

While consuming too much saturated and trans fats may be unhelpful, we need unsaturated fats in our diets. Unsaturated fats are found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil. They can have essential and beneficial effects on heart health when consumed in moderation.

⏰The belief that eating late at night inevitably leads to weight gain is not entirely accurate.⏰ Weight gain is primarily determined by the total number of calories consumed versus calories burned over the course of the day, rather than the timing of meals. What matters most is the quality and quantity of the food consumed, as well as overall calorie intake and expenditure.

☠️If you have a functioning liver and kidneys - you don’t need to detox your body. These two organs do it for you by continuously eliminating waste! ☠️

Detox diets often claim to rid the body of harmful “toxins” and promote better health and weight loss. Most detox diets lack scientific evidence to support their effectiveness and can be unnecessarily restrictive, leading to nutrient deficiencies and other health issues.

Instead of extreme detox regimens, focusing on a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, along with adequate hydration, supports the body's natural detoxification processes.

I've been sitting here for about 20 minutes and I've gotten distracted at least the same number of times. I want to write, but I'm not really sure what to say. There's a lot of thoughts floating around - some not appropriate outside the walls of my skull and some that just seem odd out of context. Others that feel like complaining....

Free write #4: It’s hard to say you’re not ok(ay) I’ve been sitting here for about 20 minutes and I’ve gotten distracted at least the same number of times. I want to write, but I’m not really sure what to say. There’s a lot…

📢First off - the term healthy is relative, and the USDA actually expanded its definition of it a few years ago and it will surprise some📢

I've found that for some folx, the quest for a healthy diet can break the bank and I used to think it needed to too.

A few years ago, I started a blog series to share some ideas about eating healthy or well on a budget, which can benefit everyone.

💵This post provides 9 tips to help you keep costs as low as possible, while eating foods you enjoy that are also good for you - and it's not just produce.🥦🍞

What are ways you keep costs low?

Budgeted Eats Tips: Ideas to Budget Your Eats Eating healthy [food] is expensive. This is a common phrase I hear. It’s something I said myself before I really understood what health meant for me and gave myself permission to define it. H…

Being active encompasses more than just structured exercise. Any form of movement throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking instead of driving, contributes to overall physical activity. It is important to shift the focus from a specific workout session to incorporating movement into daily routines and maintaining an active lifestyle throughout the day.

Try these:

📌taking breaks throughout the day to stretch or move around even if it’s just a few minutes

📌planning walks throughout the day a few times a week if your schedule allows for
it (remote work idea: walking around the house if you’re allowed to have your camera off)

📌park farther away when going to the store

📌if you have a sedentary job, plan daily cardio for 15 to 20 minutes

📌sign up for a class that you’ve never tried like yoga, group training, or dance
try a new sport – yes, adult leagues are a thing!

Let me know what works for you!

Did you know that eating disorders often co-occur with anxiety and/or depression?

For many, eating disorders and negative eating behavior stems from other unmanaged or undiagnosed mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD to name a few.

This is why it’s important to focus on the whole person, not just the symptoms. Creating a space to navigate where thoughts and habits come from and why they may be showing up for us allows us to get to the root cause.

Working with a therapist, and a dietitian, who both specialize in eating disorders can provide guidance because both of these aspects are important in eating disorder recovery.

As a trauma informed health and wellness coach, I’ve worked with individuals during their recovery - usually while they are in therapy too. It’s important to recognize how negative thoughts can impact habits, which then influences the goals that are created in a coaching relationship. It’s also crucial for us to recognize what goals aren’t helpful for clients, and how and when to refer them back to their therapist or dietitian. This also means holding space for clients to be vulnerable without judgment, listening to understand their thoughts behind their motives and giving the client autonomy. Recovery isn’t easy, but it’s possible when we acknowledge there are many factors like our mental health that play a role.

Have you ever heard of weight stigma or weight bias?

You may hear these phrases used interchangeably online. There are even professionals who can’t agree on their definitions. These phrases are connected, but are still different.

Weight bias is the negative attitudes, beliefs, judgments and stereotypes because of one’s weight.
Weight stigma are discriminatory acts aimed at individuals simply because of their weight.

Both of these can show up at the doctor’s office, at work and even in our personal relationships.

Weight bias heavily impacts how those in larger bodies are viewed, heard and respected, making eating disorder treatment and nutrition conversations challenging. Research has shown that those with a higher body weight have a 2.45 times greater chance of engaging in disordered eating behaviors as patients with “normal” weight, but those patients receive a clinical diagnosis half as often as those with “normal” or underweight status.

There is no specific body shape or size, gender, race or ethnicity for eating disorders, however, how bias shows up in this work makes it seem like there is.
Listen and honor people's experiences. If you notice your own biases around weight and body size, reflect on where that could be coming from - this is how we dismantle those beliefs.

✨This one goes out to my fellow students. ✨

We're close to half-way through the term and I know managing stress is hard.

Living with PTSD and anxiety, it's really important for me to pay attention to how stress is impacting me so I can manage it. Regardless of mental health status, this is something I talk with all clients about too.

Here are a few I do and a some I recommend to others.

🏋💃Regular activity: I dance and weight lift between 4-6 times a week depending on my schedule

🥪🥗🥞Healthy eating habits: I make sure I have a variety of foods on hand and I'm eating enough. It can be easy to under or over eat during stressful times.

⏱Time management: My calendar is my BEST friend. It helps me ensure that I have empty time for just myself.

There are so many ways to approach this such as practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing, engaging in regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and finding healthy ways to cope with stressors, such as talking to a friend or seeking professional help.

What are some ways that help you manage your stress?

"This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which actually overlaps with March Nutrition Month.

Over the past decade I have shared my experiences with binge eating disorder and recovery. I've also shared other aspects of my personal journey from weight loss to maintaining to being an athlete. These transitions weren't always easy, and there are still some hard days. But here are also so many more good ones where I offer kindness, compassion and understanding to myself while challenging negative thoughts like perfectionism and control.

As there have been more conversations online challenging diet culture mentality, societal expectations and norms about bodies, there has been a shift toward body acceptance and a better understanding about what is healthy.

Size doesn't equate health. Size also doesn't reflect if someone does or doesn't have an eating disorder.

This week and for the next month is about education to break the stigma around eating disorders, raising awareness and building compassion as well as sharing real nutrition information.

I encourage you to participate in your own way and share your experiences on the posts that I'll be sharing."

Did you that maintaining adequate hydration plays a vital role in our health? Water helps transport vitamins to different parts of our body, it also helps regulate cognition, energy and temperature. Not to mention supports activity and recovery!

How can you get more water in?

🫗 Set a goal based on your activity level, how much you sweat, how hot or dry the environment you live in is
🫗Set consistent reminders - your phone or using notes in places you go often in your house or at work can be helpful
🫗Track your water - tallying on the fridge or in a notebook can be helpful if you struggle to keep track throughout the day

Check out my recent post about why hydration goals should be included regardless of where you are in your health journey.

https://healthcoachcristina.com/2024/01/18/a-hydration-goal-should-be-included-in-your-health-and-wellness-goals-and-heres-why/

Marsha P. Johnson is a name we should know in the LGBTQAI+ community.

Her advocacy, especially around AIDS/HIV advocacy made a huge impact.

Did you know new HIV diagnoses decreased by 7% from 2017 to 2021 in the US, there is still an estimated 1.2M people living with HIV?

Racial and ethnic disparities is still a huge concern.

The most affected population is Black/African Americans, and most affected subpopulation is Black/African American gay and bis*xual men.

Increasing access to prevention tools like STI testing is pertinent.

Improving s*x education, including age appropriate s*x positive education and destigmatizing non-heteros*xual relationships will help continue to build on the work that trailblazers have done.

🌈 Honoring the Legacy of Marsha P. Johnson 🌟

✨Born on August 24, 1945, Marsha P. Johnson was a fierce transgender activist, a pivotal figure in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, and a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

✊🏽Marsha's unwavering commitment to justice and equality paved the way for significant progress in the fight against discrimination. From co-founding the Gay Liberation Front to establishing the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to support transgender and homeless youth, her impact on early LGBTQ+ advocacy cannot be measured.

🏳️‍⚧️If you or somebody you know is trans/nonbinary/gender nonconforming seeking support, visit our website to learn about our peer-led support group, Transfusion.

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Valentine's Day is a complicated day. For some, it's a day to show appreciation toward their significant other. For others, it brings on a variety of negative emotions.

Society puts a lot of pressure on us to be happy and to be coupled. These two things are not dependent on each other though.

If you are feeling sad, lonely, depressed, and yes, even jealous - this is normal. Take care of yourself today (and every other day). The most important relationship we will have is the one with ourselves.

❓Did you know that there's a relationship between our eating habits and our stress?

For many, stress eating is common and normal. For others, low appetite may is also common and normal. These are a part of the fight, flight or freeze responses we can have. As someone who experiences both of these, one strategy I use to help is keeping a list of 'safe foods' for snacking and meals.

Safe foods are foods that I know I can easily consume even when I'm experiencing high stress and low appetite. A list keeps the guess work.

It's true that consuming nutrient dense snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, or nuts, can provide a boost of energy, which can help with managing stress, but it's also ok if those are not the foods you're interested in.

Here are some ways you can plan ahead for those stressful times:

🍴Have some of your favorite foods or combinations written on a list on the fridge for those moments when being creative and thinking about food is hard.

🧊Keep a few frozen food options on hand for those 'thinking about meal' overwhelm. Maybe it's an Uncrustable, maybe it's a frozen pizza, it could also be a steambag of veggies to pair with a sandwich.

🚿Keep a list of activities that also help you relax, even if it's a short activity like staying in the shower longer or going for a walk.

📓🖊Journal and reflect about how you're feeling, and offer self-compassion. Managing our stress is important, but also not beating ourselves up during those moments is just as impactful.

Health is inherently political.

Bills are created. Legislators discuss issues and ideas presented. And for a small percentage of those bills, policies are made that create regulations.

This post is about how anyone can contact their legislators, and what you could include in an email or letter if you want to actually reach out to them.

Connecting to Your Legislator: Navigating the Intersection of Health and Politics Health is inherently political. Bills are created. Legislators discuss issues and ideas presented. And for a small percentage of those bills, policies are made that create regulations. If you& #8217…

Education is part of making healthy choices.

Access to quality education provides opportunites to learn how to think critically. This not only helps us think for ourselves, but contribute to our communities.

Censorship and mass book bans prove to us that some parents have rights and others don’t. Book bans show how autonomy can be taken away in different ways.

A school district in the low country in South Carolina has had 160 books challenged by one person. One person. This is a huge book purge.

This post is from the communications director of the ACLU of South Carolina, who attended this school district.

Dangerous books, South Carolina schools, and me Let me tell you about a book they’re trying to ban in South Carolina schools right now. The book is Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, a counterculture classic that nervous parents and modern McCarthyites have been trying to hide from children since its publication in 1969. In the last three ye...

Last week, I mentioned I wanted to share some information about Black health for Black History Month.

It's important to raise awareness about the increased risk of certain diseases that disproportionately affect the Black community because of systemic and structural racism (institutional racism).

Did you know that conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension have a higher prevalence (a proportion at any given time) among Black individuals?

Understanding WHY these disparities exist is the first step towards fostering a healthier future for everyone.

🤔 How do we change it?

🌐 Equitable access to healthcare: This means meeting people where they are geographically, financially, educationally.

🌐 Promoting preventive measures with cultural humility: This means recognizing how historical and current racism and medical trauma play a role in minority health, understanding cultural beliefs around physical, mental and emotional health in the Black community.

🌐 Challenge the factors that contribute to these health disparities: This means educating yourself and voting. Health is political because there are laws and policies created – get involved.

When you think about self-care, what comes to mind?

It's going to look different for everyone, but I think sometimes we imagine a shopping spree or getting expensive coffee. Those can be self-care, but so can physical and mental exercise.

YES - moving our bodies and engaging our minds are part of self-care.

Running, practicing yoga, reading, meeting a friend for coffee, dancing and even s*x and ma********on can release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. Endorphins can help alleviate tension and reduce pain, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall well-being.

What kind of self-care are you prioritizing lately?