The Process
Everything happens for a reason. The dynamics that produce symptoms have been happening for a long time before they become apparent. The body can handle a lot of adversity before it reveals symptoms from an internal dysfunction. Many of us have made concessions and accepted less than perfect health as our norm. Instead of focusing on how to alleviate symptoms, we will target your body’s ability to digest and metabolize as well as identify your deficiencies. When symptoms disappear it is necessary to remain focused and stay on course to completely eradicate these issues. Otherwise you can be one stressful event away from them reemerging.
WHAT YOU DO:
Complete a detailed health history. This will focus on foods, family history, digestion, stressors, addictions, behaviors, as well as your history with weight gain and loss. This information will be helpful in our initial consultation to begin to focus on your individual treatment plan.
Identify the pace that will work for you. Change is a process, not an event! Real change occurs when it fits into your lifestyle and makes sense to you. Getting the information on what is happening physically and behaviorally is a start. You have to be able to implement strategies that will work for you. Support, guidance and problem solving with someone that is objective will make that happen. This is not a diet to try until you feel better and then return to your previous routine. This work, in the end, will bring you an end result that will become your norm.
Be honest, committed and forthcoming with your information. I hold no judgment ever, but need the facts to properly assess your needs.
Meet at scheduled appointments. Keep in touch via e-mail, when needed, in between appointments. Maintaining momentum is important by noticing and addressing changes that occur along the way. These changes are part of your progress, which could have a domino effect on other issues that will need to be addressed. It is all part of the process.
WHAT I DO:
Give you a forum to speak without any judgment attached.
If I work with you then I am extremely committed to finding your answers. My process is tried and true. In some it can resolve the health issues completely. Since we are all different, others may require more research and work to find the balance of your answers. No two people have the same nutritional past or life experiences. Everyone is different and reacts or responds differently. Our work is one on one. No two people will get exactly the same information or have the same progress.
In the initial consultation, I will identify what your body is working on and the culprits that have brought it to this place. I will give an honest evaluation of what is involved for the repair process to achieve your goals. The repair process will happen from the food, using minimal supplementation as well as behavioral considerations.
Put together a 4 page “Beginning Dietary and Health Protocol” that is all inclusive and will identify all of your specific considerations along with beginning strategies. This can be emailed prior to our appointment to discuss it so you have time to study it and formulate your questions.
Identify what your “body’s formula” is in regards to the foods. That includes your metabolic type as well as how many servings from the different groups you need per day. This will often change as you repair.
I have access to a huge database of information as well as consult with licensed professionals on your case to get the full scope of available strategies, remedies and knowledge needed for your plan anytime I feel more information would be necessary.
WHAT WE DO:
Set up a series of appointments that will keep you on target and properly supported. That is the first strategy used to insure your needs will not get put on the back burner with all the intention to get to it but never quite happening. This confirms commitment on both our parts.
Implement and problem solve strategies that comfortably work into your life and schedule. Having a list of new foods and behaviors is not enough. It is only the ongoing support that will make this work.
Recognize other areas of your life that impact your health. Learn how what you think and feel can affect your mindset, your approach towards life and ultimately your state of health.
Focus how big a part stress plays in your health and find resolution. When nothing changes, nothing changes.
Problem solve along the way. Recognize what serves you and what does not. Since progress is a very individual thing my interaction with each client can be very different. The time this process takes depends on the pace that is right for you. It also depends on how much repair is needed before you see signs of improvement. It is not unusual to see changes almost immediately and significant results within a couple weeks. It is for this reason being counseled to notice the changes that show forward movement as well as keep you focused is important.
Review and dissect all of the disinformation that has been learned. Most of that information is for commercial gain and politics. It is a new skill to make evaluations on how you are affected, rather than what you have been taught. This will have you seeing things in a different light.
Reawaken the intuitive ability you have to make correct choices. Part of this is noticing cause and effect which can change at any given moment. There is no counting calories, carbohydrates or fat grams. These things get in the way of properly getting in touch with the communication mechanism, which is instinctive, and will teach you exactly which foods are the correct ones to eat at any given time. This is a skill and part of intuitive eating. When you are nourished properly the body will not want any more food. That is why knowing “your body’s formula” is important. Absolutely every craving can be dissected and understood. Will power is not to blame for overeating or craving sweets. Some blame emotional eating, where it is more often caused by a combination of a physiological deficiency coupled with a behavior that makes that happen repeatedly. We are creatures of habit. This is an education that is extremely introspective and eye opening. This type of introspection and intuition can be used in all areas of your life, not just with food and health.