Health Coach/Food Allergies Coach

Benefits of hiring a Health Coach

A health coach is a professional, who would work with you on developing your goals regarding health improvements, dealing with your health challenges and limitations and supporting you on the journey to achieve highest possible potential and confidence to live your life to the fullest.

Even though you have other professionals in your life, such as your family physician, nurse or dietitian, they typically have limited time and resources to attend to your complex needs. They don’t have time to help you to develop an individual plan to fit your busy life, implement your family’s needs into how to live with food allergies or any other dietary restrictions. They would provide you with information about your condition or food allergies, but it is left to you to find out what that means in the daily life, where to shop for foods, how to approach situations, such as work lunches, dating, family gatherings etc. You are left alone to decide how you going to tell others about your food limitation. Once again, it is you, who needs to make a decision on how your cooking for yourself and others is going to look like. Not easy decisions, right? And, I haven’t started talking about finding yourself in unfamiliar places, traveling, starting a new job, or planning meetings that involve food. Food and dining is part of our social life, our family memories and building new relations with others.

Hiring a health coach would make many situations easier; get you prepared to deal with them. You will be able to approach those new challenges from a different perspective and save yourself many struggles. If you are living with food allergies, you might also experience:

  • feeling STUCK

  • socially ISOLATED

  • being UNABLE TO CHANGE the SITUATION

  • MISSING OUT ON FUN THINGS IN LIFE

  • STRUGGLING TO BE HEALTHY

  • Feeling that LIFE IS TOO DEMANDING

  • LACK of SUPPORT

  • FEEL to be DIFFERENT AND DISAPPOINTED

 

Hire a Health Coach and GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

You can have GREAT SOCIAL LIFE, even with food allergies!

You CAN TRAVEL and enjoy new places while managing life with food allergies!

You can PREVENT many complications, by simply looking ahead and being prepared!

You can be CONFIDENT in your abilities to manage life and travel with food allergies! 

Stress Management with Food Allergies

Stress Management with Food Allergies

Stress management is extremely important especially if you are already experiencing any health problems, including food allergies. Even more challenging can be dealing with stress levels if you are suffering from autoimmune disease, connected to diet restrictions. Common examples are celiac disease and diabetes. In this case your autoimmune system ca be easily sent into overdrive and stress levels play an important role in managing such condition. Even though stress management can be challenging even in typical daily situations, additional health problems make it a key element to our healthy life.

According to American Psychological Association we’ve all felt stress at different times of our life. Sometimes stress can be a positive force, motivating you to perform well at your piano recital or job interview. But often — like when you’re stuck in traffic — it’s a negative force. If you experience stress over a prolonged period of time, it could become chronic — unless you take action.
Stress is a natural reaction of our body. Have you ever found yourself with sweaty hands on a first date or felt your heart pound during a scary movie? Then you know you can feel stress in both your mind and body.
This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors as a way to protect them from predators and other threats. When faced with danger, the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with hormones that elevate your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, boost your energy and prepare you to deal with the problem.

These days, you’re not likely to face the threat of being eaten. But you probably do confront multiple challenges every day, such as meeting deadlines, paying bills and juggling childcare that make your body react the same way. As a result, your body’s natural alarm system — the “fight or flight” response — may be stuck in the on position. And that can have serious consequences for your health.
Even short-lived, minor stress can have an impact. You might get a stomach-ache before you have to give a presentation, for example. More major acute stress, whether caused by a fight with your spouse or an event like a dissaster, can have an even bigger impact.

Multiple studies have shown that these sudden emotional stresses, especially those with strong emotional charge can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmia and even sudden death.  Although this happens mostly in people who already have heart disease, some people don’t know they have a problem until acute stress causes a heart attack or something worse.
Chronic stress presents a significant challenge for our body. When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period, it becomes even more dangerous. The longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body. You might feel fatigued, unable to concentrate or irritable for no good reason, for example. Furthermore, chronic stress causes wear and tear on your body, too.

Stress can make existing problems worse. In one study, for example, about half the participants saw improvements in chronic headaches after learning how to stop the stress-producing habit of “catastrophizing,” or constantly thinking negative thoughts about their pain. Chronic stress may also cause disease, either because of changes in your body or the overeating, smoking and other bad habits people use to cope with stress. Job strain — high demands coupled with low decision-making latitude — is associated with increased risk of coronary disease, for example. Other forms of chronic stress, or mental health issues, such as feeling depressed with low levels of social support, have also been implicated in increased cardiovascular risk. And once you’re sick, stress can also make it harder to recover. One analysis of past studies, for instance, suggests that cardiac patients with so-called “Type D” personalities — characterized by chronic distress — face higher risks of bad outcomes.

                                                                         YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
Reducing your stress levels can not only make you feel better right now, but may also protect your health long-term.
In one study, researchers examined the association between “positive affect” — feelings like happiness, joy, contentment and enthusiasm — and the development of coronary heart disease over a decade. They found that for every one-point increase in positive affect on a five-point scale, the rate of heart disease dropped by 22 percent.
While the study doesn’t prove that increasing positive affect decreases cardiovascular risks, the researchers recommend boosting your positive affect by making a little time for enjoyable activities every day.
Other strategies for reducing stress include:

  • Identify what’s causing stress. Monitor your state of mind throughout the day. If you feel stressed, write down the cause, your thoughts and your mood. Once you know what’s bothering you, develop a plan for addressing it. That might mean setting more reasonable expectations for yourself and others or asking for help with household responsibilities, job assignments or other tasks. List all your commitments, assess your priorities and then eliminate any tasks that are not absolutely essential.
  • Build strong relationships. Relationships can be a source of stress. Research has found that negative, hostile reactions with your spouse cause immediate changes in stress-sensitive hormones, for example. But relationships can also serve as stress buffers. Reach out to family members or close friends and let them know you’re having a tough time. They may be able to offer practical assistance and support, useful ideas or just a fresh perspective as you begin to tackle whatever’s causing your stress.
  • Walk away when you’re angry. Before you react, take time to regroup by counting to 10. Then reconsider. Walking or other physical activities can also help you work off steam. Plus, exercise increases the production of endorphins, your body’s natural mood-booster. Commit to a daily walk or other form of exercise — a small step that can make a big difference in reducing stress levels.
  • Rest your mind. Stress has even more consequences for everyday life. For example, stress keeps more than 40 percent of adults lying awake at night. To help ensure you get the recommended seven or eight hours of shut-eye, cut back on caffeine, remove distractions such as television or computers from your bedroom and go to bed at the same time each night. Research shows that activities like yoga and relaxation exercises not only help reduce stress, but also boost immune functioning.
  • Get help. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, hire a coach who can help you learn how to manage stress effectively. He or she can help you identify situations or behaviors that contribute to your chronic stress and then develop an action plan for changing them. 

Contact me for emotional support and developing a stress management technique

that will work in your unique situation.

How to buy local fresh food in season

How to buy local fresh food in season

Food Allergies and shopping

 

My personal experience is that my body is more sensitive to what I eat, to what is added to my food and to the type and level of preservative in the food. Being aware that I may have negative reaction to the food that I may not be necessarily allergic to, made me to think twice about what I feed myself. This experience brings me “back to the ground” and looking for food in its freshest and most natural form. No matter where you are or what you are doing you can always look after yourself and get the fresh – high quality food for yourself.

In my experience many places accommodate and even promote local produce. This is often done by setting up regular farmer’s market where you can buy fresh, quality produce grown locally. By buying at farmer’s market you can find out many things about the produce you are buying while you also support local farmers. My travels taught me that even places like Yukon or Alaska have abundance of local and fresh produce that is being regularly sold at farmers’ markets. This only applies to summer months, but I believe that most people visit cold places, such as Yukon or Alaska during summer months.

Many farmers are involved in sustainable farming and they produce fresh fruits and vegetables that are both organic, non GMO, and pesticide free. Look at their signs and ask questions when buying. My shopping contains trip to the farmers market every week, which takes care of majority of my produce needs. What I can’t get at the market I will look for at stores that offer good variety of fresh, organic produce.

Another benefit of buying locally is in ability to buy more seasonal food that should be a great option for our bodies. Cooking and eating seasonal foods was the way that our ancestors done for ever. There was not option of shipping food across the planet. Even though we have the opportunity to buy anything we want at any time of the year, it is nice to experience differences in season. Let’s get excited about first lettuce and radishes arriving to the market in the spring and look forward to explosion of options in fruit and vegetable in the late summer / fall.

When you buy seasonal foods which are typical for that particular area, you can also learn a lot about the new and interesting foods. Some people would also share their tips and recipes with you. This is especially true in rural areas where people tend to cook more and use whatever grows in their garden. They can have very creative ways in what toy use in the kitchen and how to cook it to make an interesting meal. My experience is in buying fresh produce from Amish community and asking questions about vegetables that I wasn’t as familiar with, such as okra or eggplant. I ended up with the whole list of great tasting recipes and tips how to use those vegetables.

I believe that looking for locally grown and seasonal foods leads to more natural food options that our bodies are more prepared to digest. As many cultures look at balance and ideal combination of foods, nature leads us to use more raw foods with high water content in hot summer months, which helps us to compensate for water loss and cool of our bodies. In the winter we reach for resources stored away, which we have to cook and fuel our bodies with hot, rich and more filling meals. Those fit better with our need for heat and more calories needed during cold winter months.

How to Save Money

How to Save Money

When I started my journey of living with food allergies, my main resource of safe foods was shopping at health food stores. I have mapped and explored all the stores in my area and have learned that gluten free, dairy free, soy free, organic or at least GMO free foods are much more expensive than buying at the regular grocery store. Have you find that too? Did you get any advice from your family physician or dietitian how to afford foods that cost much more? I didn’t.

I was the one who had to cover increased expenses, more frequent trips to the store and also more miles driven, as I wasn’t able to get everything I needed at one store. So the start was harsh and expensive. One of the factors could have been that my husband shared the same diet as me, which helped with cooking time and increased safety in own kitchen for me, but surely added to the grocery bill.

However, with time we were able to explore other options and stared checking our health food isles in regular grocery stores, such as Co-op, Sobey’s, Safeway and Canadian Superstore. Even Walmart offers some allergen free foods at very reasonable prices. Lately I love going to Costco again, due to their fairly significant section of organic foods and allergen free snacks.

If I was eating regular foods there is so much to choose from, but I am glad for what I can find. I have made friends at local farmers markets and I can get fruits and veggies free of pesticides and GMO free. I can also buy a great gluten free cakes, cookies or whole lunch – those small changes coming with time make my life so much better.

I haven’t given up on health food stores. They are still a significant source of great and safe foods, but I save money by buying online, researching options at other stores and even making my flour purchases at Bulk and Barn. Once again, they are getting better at listing allergens and going organic with some of their products. I find that more resourceful I am, more enjoyable my life can be and I can even get my foods at the reasonable price. Happy shopping!

Vacation planning

Vacation planning

Travel with food vacation – how to plan vacation

I believe that everyone who lives with food allergies has to make special considerations when planning a vacation. Are you able to handle all inclusive package, or would you rather cook for yourself all the time, missing out that feeling of being cared for while on vacation. Can you feel safe enough to visit local restaurants and try new foods? Even better, which option would you chose when travelling to a foreign country and you don’t speak the language.  Those are definitely basic questions you have to ask yourself every time when planning to go on vacation.  It is not as simple as to hit the road and enjoy.

Cooking your own meals:

I have been through making those choices many times, and it has never been an easy one. The right choice depends on many factors. If you don’t mind cooking and your highest priority is to feel hundred percent safe with your choice, you can always look for an accommodation with kitchenette and stores or local markets close by. As long as you stick to foods that you know and you can trust, you will be safe and able to enjoy your vacation. The downside of this choice is that you will be spending considerable time in the kitchen and eating foods that you already know. You will be also isolating yourself from meeting new people and learning about the culture and cuisine of the place you are visiting. However, if you are like me and enjoy exploring local markets, talking to farmers and learning about new produce, you may be OK.

All inclusive vacation and food allergies:

All inclusive vacation is fairly tricky, when dealing with food allergies. Even though this is a great and worry free option for people who don’t need to pay special attention to what they eat, it could be a disaster for someone with food allergies. All-inclusive resorts don’t provide option for your own cooking, so you end up in a mercy of a chief and resort management. Even if you call ahead and ask about their ability to accommodate your needs, you will most likely end up eating very limited variability of foods. You will also have to prepare yourself for a disappointment when it comes to food options and staff’s approach. I found out that planning ahead could make this situation much more pleasant and safe. Especially when travelling to a foreign country I make sure to have a small card printed out with the list of all of my food allergies and examples of common foods that contain those allergens. I make my list in English and use Google translate to provide the same information in the language of country that I am visiting. That way I could be sure that people who don’t speak English very well will not make a mistake. They often take my card to the chief who could make better choices when preparing my food. If you have variety of food allergies and limitation, like me, I would also suggest making another small list (on the same card) with foods that you can eat, to make some suggestions. I find this being very helpful, as people can be intimidated by complex food allergies. Also, taking to the chief at the very beginning of your stay may score you special attention and tastier foods. In countries, such as Mexico, you can get better services through giving small tips (I typically take lots of one US dollar bills). In this case all-inclusive is not completely all inclusive and additional $30-$50 can make you vacation more enjoyable and more pleasant. I know many people think you should not have to pay any extra – sometimes small additional amount truly helps. Even though I have made it through number of all-inclusive vacations it is not my favorite choice. Food options are limited and I have to be checking every food that they serve me.

Hotel accommodation and eating out while travelling with food allergies:

This is a great option of learning about the place you are visiting, while also trying out new foods. This option provides many varieties with many risks. If you are lucky and find restaurants that will cater to your needs, you can truly enjoy this option. I find that visiting places outside of busy hours (lunch and dinner) provides more flexibility and attention to your food. I know, you want to eat at the same time as anyone else, but maybe a slight change of plans and eating an hour later can lead to more pleasant time and better food. Many places are too busy to make special meals, or may not simply have much on their menu for someone with food allergies. Talking to the manager about your needs is an additional assurance that you will get what you have asked for. Don’t hesitate to double check when they serve you the meal, that they have truly paid attention to your specific request. I had been in situations when bread croutons found their way to my salad, or cheese has been added to the tomato sauce. Don’t assume that everyone is as concerned about your well-being as you are. Be polite, but remember that you are the only one paying the price for their mistake. Only you know how much you are going to suffer if you eat something you are not supposed to.