We get tons of questions here at the Primal Health Coach Institute. How do I break my addition to carbs? What’s the best way to set goals and keep them? Do I need to hire a Primal Health Coach to adopt a primal lifestyle? Maybe you have some of the same questions. If so, today’s post is for you. In Part 3 of our Ask the Coach series, our expert panel of Primal Health Coaches answers these questions and more.
If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of series, be sure to check them out.
How could working with a Primal Health Coach help me personalize and put into practice what I’ve read in Mark Sisson’s book The Primal Blueprint? – Brad R.
Monica L.: Living the primal lifestyle is a bit different than reading about it, so a Primal Health Coach will be able to relate to the changes, feelings, and concerns that you may have. They will be able to answer questions and do the research you may not have time for. Most coaches are reading and researching information to complement the Primal lifestyle, and can help you experiment with bio-hacks that fit your life in a personal way.
Rachel P.: We are here to be your accountability piece, and I always explain this to anyone who asks me about what I provide as a health coach. Changing your lifestyle isn’t always an easy thing, and we all need the support, especially if our family members aren’t quite on board at first. I started Paleo totally on my own, and many of my friends and family thought I was nuts at first to give up grains, but once they saw how well it was going, they started to approach it a little differently. Coaches can provide that level of support that many people need to get on their personal path to health, and it’s a beautiful thing when clients figure out their own ‘why.’
Linda B.: There’s a lot of information out there in the health-sphere. Having a Primal Health Coach work with you to sift through the information as it applies to you, to help you define your goals, and to create a workable, sustainable plan is what a coach is there for, working together for a successful outcome.
Nanette M.: You could, of course, do this on your own with all the resources available to you. Working with a coach accelerates and personalizes your experience. I help families realize results that it took me years to achieve.
I feel like I am stuck in my ways. I know I have several bad habits around sleep and diet. What’s your number one piece of advice relating to breaking bad habits and developing good ones? – Chandler C.
Monica: START. One minute. One day. One choice. Ask yourself: Do I really believe this is a bad habit? How would my life be better if I didn’t do ___? Am I willing to make this change to be in a better place?
Rachel: Good question! Really, it takes time. You can’t expect overnight success when you’re used to eating and living a certain way for years and years. Everyone goes at their own pace and you have to be kind to yourself. That’s so important. One bad day where you maybe don’t eat the best is not the be all end all. You can pick up and start over again tomorrow! Coaches are there to help you when you do have trouble, and we can help with mindset and personal attachments to unhealthy habits. Like with anything else, it’s not a sprint to the finish line, and the more you practice good habits, the more you’re likely to stick with them long term.
Linda: To be successful, you need to be serious in your commitment about wanting to make the change. Then you need to accept that change takes time, that you will have setbacks, that you don’t make new habits overnight. If you are committed, you will get there. A Primal Health Coach will keep you accountable to the goals you have decided upon together.
Nanette: Mindset first. Do you think you can be successful? If you aren’t committed and passionate about making changes, maybe you aren’t yet ready.
I need a pep talk. I know bread and grains aren’t great food choices, but I can’t help myself. Where should I start in order to break my addiction to bread and carbs? – Laura P.
Linda: Like any “addiction,” it takes time. Some days you will be successful. Some days you will not be successful. It’s okay, just start again. Remove all the foods you aren’t going to eat anymore from your kitchen. Then don’t buy them again. When you go out to dinner, order something that aligns with your goals the best you can. Change doesn’t happen overnight—you’re going to crave the food items you have eliminated, and sometimes you are going to eat them. Just keep going until you’ve conquered the beast.
Monica: Yes, you CAN help yourself. You ALWAYS have a choice. I tell my clients to reach for more of the other stuff—protein and fat.
Nanette: There are so many excellent options these days. Seriously, if I must have bread (and sometimes I do), I make a keto or paleo option. You’ll be OK. Just don’t put yourself in a situation where you are exposed to delicious breads but don’t have options.
Rachel: I would start off with cutting out gluten. This is how I started off, and it took me several months before I felt comfortable. I also knew that grains often made me feel bloated and heavy, and this helped me go grain-free. But yes, it took me about 5-6 months of feeling good sans gluten, and that’s when I made the jump to Paleo.
I’d love to be part of the Primal Health Coach tribe, and will likely enroll after I graduate from university. I’m curious, what was your main motivation for becoming a health coach? – Taylor L.
Linda: After following the Primal/Paleo way of eating and exercising for several years, I came to understand how many of today’s health problems were primarily caused by diet and lifestyle, only people don’t know how to unravel the onslaught of misinformation coming at them from all directions. I felt called to help people understand this information and work with them to create a customized plan that works for them. The status quo of standard medical care isn’t helping those in need, for the most part patients don’t get better, just placated with medications and mediocre or outdated information.
Nanette: I wanted to help moms so they didn’t have to go through what I did to get my family healthy. It was a rough road, and it could have been so much easier had I known what I know now.
Monica: To spread the benefits of Primal living and empower others to help themselves.
Rachel: My own experience led me here. I know so many coaches who have stories like mine. They were overweight perhaps, tired of feeling sick and tired, and found the path to health. It’s a calling. If you go through your own experience with finding better health, it often feels so good that you can’t help but want to spread that passion and message to others. I knew that when I had my first client, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It felt awesome to be able to help someone potentially live a longer life.
