The What and the Why, an introduction.

I used to think that Health Coaching didn't sound like a real thing.

I had seen a smattering of articles about these “coaches” but I never knew anyone who was one. To my knowledge, there were doctors, specialists, fitness instructors, chiropractors (and other alternative practitioners), vitamin shops, and "health food" stores that all seemed to have the same earthy scent to them and stocked items that my husband referred to as "twigs and berries".

In reading about health and food, the old saying that goes "look where your heart goes when it wanders" kept popping into my head. Sure, it could be referring to personal relationships, but I also interpret it to include a person's creative, intellectual, and soul-warming pursuits. What do you love to do? What interests you? What type of subject matter do you keep circling back to, again and again, even in subtle ways?

For me it is the ever-expanding, perpetually intriguing topic of wellness. I love trying new recipes and figuring out how to up my "homemade game. I love trying to make beloved recipes healthier, I love being in my garden and growing plants, and I love reading about what makes us tick and how the earth provides to us if we listen closely enough. I also love how with each passing year, we are learning more and better ways to take care of ourselves. This is all perfectly amazing and exciting, as far as lil’ ol’ me is concerned.

As I observe our people, food sources, planet, and what we prioritize, I recognize that there is a vital need for Health Coaches, this profession that I didn't think was a real thing. We use coaches in so many facets of our lives already: for sports, academics, rehabilitation, fitness, music, finances, mental health. How about beginning to reach out for coaching when it comes to overall health? And why can't we be more comfortable doing this? Our health is our greatest wealth, as another brilliant saying goes.