Be a Petri Dish

A fellow health coach recently had a great explanation as to what a health coach is - if a nutritionist and a life coach had a baby he/she would be a health coach. I studied to become a coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and they describe it as “a wellness authority and supportive mentor who motivates individuals to cultivate positive health choices. Health coaches educate and support clients to achieve their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments.”. We are all bombard on a daily basis with the “best” advice of the way to eat, or exercise, or the best pills to take. These people are convincing because they found something that worked for them. This is not to say that what they are touting will not work for you, but is it truly the best for you?

At IIN we learned about bio-individuality. Actually, this is the reason I chose this program. Basically, we are all different. What works well for me, your best friend, or your sister will

not necessarily work for you. It takes time to step back and question how you really feel rather then simply follow a generic plan. Yes, following a plan might be easier and you might even loose some weight in the beginning, but in the long run you will know no more about yourself then when you began.

It’s time for some self inquiry. As one of my teachers explains, you are your own petri dish. Each time you eat, pay attention to how you feel and how that food is working FOR you. This same principal goes with every aspect of your life - food, exercise, job, relationships, spiritual practice… Step back, take a look to see what is or is not growing in your petrie dish. I am not a doctor, personal trainer, dietician, therapist, nutritionist. I am a registered yoga instructor, health coach, and Reiki Master. I simply support my clients in their exploration of their life to figure out what their bio-individuality has been trying to tell them for their whole life. We start listening and great things happen!