Simplifying Lifestyle Changes
Have you visited your healthcare provider and been given lab results that showed hormone imbalance? Perhaps it was high cholesterol or blood sugars that showed prediabetes numbers. You may have been diagnosed with a chronic illness like heart disease, cancer, or thyroid disease, all of which require significant lifestyle changes.
When I was diagnosed with colon cancer and thyroid disease, I realized that there was a significant "missing link" in our healthcare system. There was a lack of support for implementing lifestyle changes into our daily lives, making necessary changes feel complicated and overwhelming. Making changes sounds easy in theory, but putting it into practice can be challenging.
"Don't do this. Do that!" may seem like helpful input, but it is a top-down model that doesn't empower you fully. In order to succeed, you need to cultivate strengths, actively brainstorm solutions and systems, and receive the accountability and support required to make a change.
Health & Yourself
I found myself in this exact position over two decades ago. I had been dealing with thyroid issues and was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer. My providers caught it early, and I was blessed to push for a colonoscopy. I was 30 and trying to figure out how to change my lifestyle significantly to optimize my health. I was overwhelmed and I still wanted to have children and live a full life. Changing my lifestyle felt scary at first, but I made it happen. My chronic health issues are ongoing but have become much more manageable now that I have the tools needed to combat them.
The word "health" comes up a lot right now. We are inundated with the idea of it. There's the pandemic, a recent outpouring of new years resolutions, and media intrusion. Our culture defines "health" in more ways than we can count.
From television to social media, from our doctors to our grocery store aisles, advertisements are all around us, telling us what we should look like. Let's cut through the clutter and take a moment to remember that health is individual. Let's take inventory of our current habits and define the state of our bodies for ourselves.
Where Do We Start?
We know that certain behaviors are unhealthy. Being inactive, living with unmanaged chronic stress, eating junk food, and having an inadequate sleep schedule are unhealthy. Analyze your behaviors. Decide that you are ready to work toward health not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually.
Make A Commitment To Change
Prioritize yourself. It's time to take back your health and joy. I have recently connected with several women with Cancer. They are looking for support and inspiration in the kitchen. I have come to the place where I feel my path is meant to intersect with theirs, and that is why I have developed my Cooking for Cancer Care program. You can read more about the program here. I am honored to fill the "missing link" I initially saw in healthcare during my own Cancer journey. I believe that with the proper support, encouragement, and guidance, change is possible.
If you or someone you know is/are feeling overwhelmed with lifestyle changes, please reach out today to schedule a free Discovery Session. Let's make positive change, together.
Brandy Lane Hickman, NBHWC
2B Well Integrative Health Collaborative, Owner Inspired Nutrition, National Board Certified Health Coach, Kitchen Therapy
Board President, Missouri Nutrition Alliance Non-Profit
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