The HEALTH COACH Practical Guide to Health

It is the unknown outcome that makes the first step 

seem difficult

1. Health Literacy

We are not born with the knowledge of health. That education is not available presently to individuals, or for health and medical professionals in Canada. We are illiterate because there is no definitive, coherent language for us to use to communicate with each other about health; to educate ourselves; nor does a comprehensive system exist for the evaluation of health, and for practical application.

WHAT IS HEALTH?

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. 

Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. The three main purposes of metabolism are the conversion of food to energy to run cellular processes, the conversion of food to building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and some carbohydrates, and the elimination of nitrogenous wastes. 

These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments.

This means that the principle life, and health-supporting physiological functions are involved in:

• cellular function
• cellular building and repair
• elimination of waste by-products

The necessary elements for the physiological functions of health are dependent on and supplied by your Basic Health Habits.

Health relates only to an intact flesh and blood body.

In humans, health is also the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental, or social challenges.

The Physiology of Health

HEALTH COACH research identifies 13 Basic Health Habits, necessary, universally, for human physiological health. This is the fundamental foundation of health missing, and needed to build a coherent and definitive infrastructure of education systems, government policy, and healthcare that actually includes health.

HEALTH COACH research is focused on providing the evidence to show that the basic health habits are not only necessary for physiological function, health maintenance, and for structural integrity; but also, when practiced together as a whole, the 13 Basic Health Habits are comprehensive enough to create and maintain health, to reduce the risk of disease, and for healthy habit formation.

The 13 Basic Health Habits are also a dependable system for evaluating health. Conventional medical tests give us our risk of particular conditions - high cholesterol warns of impending heart disease, for example, while high blood sugar predicts diabetes. Basic Health Habits, by contrast, help us to evaluate the basic needs to support healthy physiological function and structural integrity, and to supply the practical application to address any issues.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

2. Knowledge and understanding 

Knowledge about your body, and understanding what it needs for healthy function, translates to wiser, more effective choices, and increase the odds for pleasurable and successful accomplishment of your goals. 

This can help you understand difficulties or setbacks. A healthy lifestyle also involves being able to negotiate relapses, compromises, breaks, changes, adjustments, restarts, and continuations.

If you were to build a wall for the first time, you would probably consult a How-to manual or a DIY guide. If you skipped the instruction stage, you would not be surprised if you didn't have all the supplies or the tools needed, or if you made a mistake. If your wall falls down because of faulty methods, you would come to an understanding of your error and you would accept responsibility. You would start again and fix it or consult an expert. 

Canadians are health illiterate, and to be fair, we are uneducated. We are on our own when learning about health. The result is that we are unprepared,  make poor choices, lack the skill to follow through to successful attainment of the goal, and give up in despair, believing that we lack ability. We look at other people with healthier habits and assume that it is easy for them. 

What really separates people with unhealthy habits from those with healthy habits is a wall of unsubstantiated beliefs and faulty ideas. What is lacking is the know-how. Even if you wanted to have this knowledge about health, you would have to devote great effort into sifting through the available information to find something truly helpful.

3. Healthy Habit Formation

Information is knowledge only when you can utilize it.

Most of the obstacles in our way to starting and developing a new habit, are phantoms of fear, created by a lack of knowledge, understanding, and experience. The difficulty with a new habit, if you lack experience, is the difficulty appreciating the rewards of health during the decision-making phase. 

With experience, you will discover that health is more rewarding and fulfilling than all other options. The healthier you become, the more you will be motivated by and able to include these certain rewards to influence and inspire your choices. As your health improves, you will discover that your resolve and capabilities have also flourished. Making changes based on future outcomes is a goal, not a starting point.

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I am empowered with the knowledge of how my body functions and what it needs to be healthy. I am encouraged by the ability of the human body to be healthy and to heal itself. I am inspired by the desire to see what is possible as I age and to avoid harrowing and invasive medical intervention. I am certain of the rewards of health - they determine and motivate my choices.

Health is the goal. I am developing a relationship with my health habits that is enjoyable, sustainable and richly rewarding, because I understand what my body needs to be healthy, and what works for me personally. I appreciate that this is not a static relationship and that my needs will change.

When I make health choices, pleasure and sustainability are two of my primary criteria. I have found this to be an easy objective to fulfill; the 13 Basic Health Habits supply abundant options.

I do not abandon my healthy habits during times of indulgence. I consistently hydrate, rest, follow a primordial rhythm of sleep, eat a high fibre, plant-based, whole food, nutrient-dense, 80-20 alkaline - acid pH balanced, probiotic rich diet, engage in physical activity, with a new goal of physical conditioning (The Longevity Test Challenge 2018), and seasonally calibrate my Basic Health Habits. 

Basic Health Habits are life skills. They must be deliberately modelled, taught, and learned, like all life skills.

There is no pill that will make you healthy

4. No pill, cure, or therapy can replace basic health habits. 

Our body is equipped to maintain health and designed to heal itself. Regarding our personal health care, our primary behaviour should involve the support of these natural functions with the practise of Basic Health Habits.

As long as we are made of flesh and blood, we are bound by natural laws. If your present system of healthcare is not built on a foundation of understanding and support of the natural functions of your body, then it is a faulty system.

The New Moderation

In regard to unhealthy habits, HEALTH COACH recommends moderation, gradual reduction, and finally, elimination. An increase of healthy habits is the most effective way to achieve this. 

When you understand what your body needs to be healthy and to function optimally; and when you make informed choices based on this knowledge and understanding; this can give you a relationship with your health and power of your habits that is more effective than self control.

Develop a new relationship with your health that is based on knowledge, understanding, and effective choices.

5. HEALTH COACH BASIC HEALTH HABITS

1. Sleep

2. Digestive Health + Nutrition

3. Hydration: water + electrolytes

4. Physical Activity

5. Positive Mental Attitude

6. Breathing

7. Sweating

8. Sunlight

9. Rest and Relaxation

10. Meditation 

11. Hygiene personal, home, social, public, occupational, professional, medical, commercial, animal, and environmental

12. Life Skills emotional intelligence, communication, conflict resolution, practical skills, critical thinking, integrity, love and compassion, social graces, social responsibility, and more ...
13. Nature We need a healthy environment to be healthy and disease-free.

All basic health habits are learned behaviours. 

The younger the age that we learn these habits, the more likely they are to be our dependable, and default system, especially in response to unexpected demands and unplanned stress.

HEALTH COACH basic health habits provide a stable foundation for building knowledge, understanding, and is the most basic of practical guides for your health. With each basic health habit you can customize and personalize your choices.

6. Healthy habits and unhealthy habits work the same way, with some distinctions. 

The physiological process for unhealthy and healthy habits is identical. The process for developing healthy habits is exactly the same repetitive process that occurs when we develop an unhealthy habit and addictions.

If a behaviour is repeated daily, it takes 45 days to develop a new neural pathway and to the start of a new habit.

The difference between the two is that unhealthy habits can alter body chemistry and physiological structure in a harmful way, while healthy habits support and promote physiological health and function.

Please visit: HEALTH COACH: The Neurobiology of Habit

7. Healthy habits are not harder than unhealthy habits.

The repetitive process of habit formation is the same for all habit. 

It is true that it is hard to overcome unhealthy habits due to the physiological dysfunction and structural change that occurs as a result of the harmful habit. Unhealthy habits can damage our bodies and disrupt normal physiological function. This is the fundamental reason that unhealthy habits have any control and healthy habits seem to have less. 

I like to associate unhealthy habits with chaos and healthy habits with order. Unhealthy habits happen when we are not proactive about our health.

Health is a deliberate, conscious choice which requires informed effort. The process of healthy habit formation is gentler, and promotes health and healing. The rebuilding of health starts the moment that you start improving your basic health habits.

The most effective way to overcome unhealthy habits is to increase your basic health habits.

8. It takes less time to be healthy than it does to become unhealthy.

It takes a relatively long time to become unhealthy when you neglect your basic health habits and the good news is that the benefits and rewards of healthy habits are immediate, progressive, and comprehensive. HEALTH COACH research data finds the ratio of the amount of time required to become healthy:unhealthy, is 1:4.

Be patient for the body to repair, heal, and rebuild itself. It simply will require time as you increase and continue your basic health habits.
  

The return of health is affected by the degree of ill health, age, disease, physical and functional alteration by surgery and medications, and the effort and dedication devoted to your health.

Keep in mind the benefits and rewards of healthy habits. As your health improves you will discover that your resolve and capabilities will also flourish. There are many gifts and delightful surprises waiting for you and they start the very moment that you start to make healthier choices.

9. Make choices that suit you. 

You will need to develop honesty with yourself to know what suits you, what will work in your life, to make choices you will enjoy, and to be self-supportive. 

Feeling overwhelmed is a sign that I listen to that indicates I'm off track with myself and need to reevaluate or modify my choices, adjust my perspective, and renew my motivations for my health goals. It usually means that I am pressuring myself for results that are not realistic at this time. I respond by taking a step back and doing less or focusing on one goal at a time. I am always learning about myself and what works, with ease, for me. 

I choose yoga because I genuinely enjoy this type of physical activity. I appreciate all of the benefits that yoga gives without limit. Along with breathing instruction, muscle toning, and flexibility training; yoga teaches body awareness - improving body mechanics and structural alignment. Yoga rehabilitates injuries and strains; relieves stress, and increases all types of resilience. Yoga has the ability to reset healthy habits, and to transform behaviour. I see that I get maximum return for my efforts. Yoga is one of the great loves of my life.

10. We have a social responsibility to be healthy. 

This is especially true in a social system of Medicare, like we have here in Canada.

Doing nothing to care for your health is neglectful; cultivating unhealthy habits is self-abusive.

11. Health is the only cure.

The human body is an ecosystem of complementary, co-dependent, and cooperative systems, functioning together to maintain health and designed to heal itself. Neglect of basic health habits leads to physical deterioration, malfunction, a cascade effect of health complications, and finally, to disease.

Our body is equipped to maintain health and designed to heal itself. Regarding our personal health care, our primary behaviour should involve the support of these natural functions with the practise of basic health habits.

As long as we are made of flesh and blood, we are bound by natural laws. If your present system of health care is not built on a foundation of understanding and support of the natural functions of your body, then it is a faulty system.



12. Take care of your daily health.

What a great concept. This idea directs us to take care of our health with daily habits, one day at a time, starting where we are right now. 

13. Choose health. 

• When I make health choices, pleasure and sustainability are two of my primary criteria.
• I make informed choices that increase success.
• I take care of my daily health, using methodical strategies that suit me. In other words, I put thought and care into the organizing of daily routines that support my physiological health consistently.
• Seasonally (four times a year), I evaluate and calibrate my Basic Health Habits.
• Whenever my body gets my attention with pain, skin, or digestive dysfunction, poor wound healing, hormonal imbalance, stress, or I find myself worrying about my age, the first thing I do is evaluate and calibrate my Basic Health Habits.  
• I am increasingly able to make choices that will benefit my future self, as well as having benefit now.
• Try HEALTH COACH Basic Health Habits for your health
• A healthy body is a hostile environment for pathogens.

A Practical Guide for Healthy Habits 

• Anyone can transform their habits and lifestyle.

• The skills required for a healthy, happy, and successful life are all learned behaviours.

• When health is the goal, rather than weight loss or an increase in body size, better choices are made, the health benefits are more comprehensive and sustainable, and include beauty, weight loss, muscle development, and healthy aging.

• Be honest with yourself about where you're at - what skills you have to work with, obstacles and strengths - and the skills you will need to learn to attain your goal, and how it  all fits in your life.

• Being honest with yourself also means recognizing your strengths, giving yourself credit for all progress and accomplishments, and rewarding yourself. 

• Being honest with yourself also means recognizing, acknowledging, and celebrating how good healthy feels.

• An important part of a healthy lifestyle involves choosing rewards that add to your health - not subtract from it.

• When you understand what your body needs to be healthy and to function optimally, this can give you a relationship and power of your physical health that is more effective than self control. Develop a new relationship with your health that is based on knowledge, understanding and effective choices.

• As you develop healthy habits, your struggles will change and your capabilities will improve.

• Reduce your stress. When the prefrontal cortex responsible for decision making is overloaded by chronic stress and fatigue - your resolve and best intentions are likely to succumb to emotional desire for instant gratification.

• Please visit HEALTH COACH Basic Health Habit No. 9: Rest & Relaxation

• Meditation calms the limbic system and the desire for immediate gratification and empowers the prefrontal cortex and our willpower. 

• Please visit HEALTH COACH Basic Health Habit No. 10: Meditation

• Make a detailed plan of goals and priorities. 

• Make a detailed plan of strategies for coping with barriers, triggers and setbacks. 

• Plan in advance resources, aids, support, and healthy rewards. 

• A detailed plan should also include emotional rewards when milestones are reached. This will strongly link changing behaviour to positive emotions and will ease and enhance the process of habit becoming instinctive, automatic and natural. 

• The more realistic, detailed and specific your goal is, the more likely you will succeed.

• The ultimate goal at HEALTH COACH is to challenge and transform your ideas about health, and to prove that health is easy and profoundly rewarding. Health does not require a sacrifice of pleasure or satisfaction. 

• Habit is overcome by habit.

• If a behaviour is repeated daily, it takes 45 days to develop a new neural pathway and to the start of a new habit.

• If your goal is multi-faceted and repeated with less frequency, the longer it will take to become habit because it is easier to forget, there is less repetition and it is a larger commitment - easily engaging our natural avoidance strategies.

• Installing a new health habit requires: valuing your health, motivation and inspiration, commitment, energy, and it takes time.

• Start small - get the habit of starting handled - conditioning yourself to new habits - then build.

• Start with exercise that is gentle like walking, yoga, dancing, swimming or Tai Chi. It will stimulate dopamine, the brain chemical of pleasure and aid in deep breathing, sweating, stress reduction, a more restful sleep , better food and hydration choices and feelings of empowerment. These forms of exercise also affect the brain to help you to maintain your intentions and resolve and to calm emotional desire.

• Link positive emotions with your new habits. 

• Educate yourself about health: read HEALTH COACH Basic Health Habit features: No. 1-13. This will give you knowledge and understanding of your body, specific goals, inspiration, and practical tips to help you achieve your goals.

• Habit: How to Overcome Unhealthy Habits and How to Adopt Healthy Habits. Part One: Obstacles - Part Two: A Practical Guide

• Keep in mind the benefits and rewards of healthy habits. As your health improves you will discover that your resolve and capabilities will also flourish. 

• Get out of your comfort zone and into your courage zone. Learning new physical skills, knowledge, behaviours and habits, new experiences, and self-development all contribute to healthy brain function which has a direct influence on habit-forming behavioural mechanisms.

• Health is the best happy feeling of all.

• Have a massage. Massage will create and strengthen the healthy relationship between you and your body and give you the experience of relaxation.

• Remember: The best things happen when you're relaxed.

• What To Do If You Miss A Day: Do not despair, panic, or lose control if you do not always meet your commitments, goals, or if you miss a day. A healthy lifestyle also involves being able to negotiate setbacks, compromises, breaks, changes, adjustments, restarts, and continuations. Do not give up on yourself.

• There are many gifts and delightful surprises waiting for you and they start the very moment that you start to make healthier choices.

• A healthy body is a hostile environment for pathogens.

Coming soon:

HEALTH COACH TALKS WITH Valerie Tonner, ARMT, LCSP (Phys.)

Credits
The first step is aways the most difficult: Yves Lecoq

Art Pill: Made by Kim Laurenti of Herman Marie on Etsy

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