It’s the first week of March 2021, and we have officially endured a year dominated by the pandemic. When I think about how much my life has changed, I can only be so grateful. Through my switch to veganism 2,5 years ago, I have learned so much about the power of plants. The interesting part is that I chose veganism (and not just plantbased living) primarily to silence that ever louder and ongoing debate in my head about the meat I consumed and the pure love and compassion I felt for all animals. At the age of 44 I decided to stop that debate, the negotiating, the excuses. I feel animals are far more superior than people, and the way we treat them as commodities (and I am not talking about the few lucky dogs and cats and horses), the way we value some lives more than others (who the hell do we think we are?), is all that is wrong in the world. I saw only one way forward to stop being an active part in that cruel, vicious cycle, and that was to step out of it.
In that process of giving in to my compassion for animals, the physical rewards have been incredible: I have toned my body, cleared my skin, balanced my moods and cravings, increased my energy, sharpened my mind, reversed IBS (and so strengthened my immune system) and eliminated all inflammation in my joints and back. No, this did not happen overnight, and yes, it took some sacrificing of other things as well (such as alcohol). And it was not just changing what I ate, it also required implementing a simple, daily routine of movement, stretching and strength training. But was it worth it to be and move without pain, to sleep like a log, to be able to think again, to have a happy tummy and no more inflammatory reactions? Hell yes.
When COVID hit us and devastated my international travel business, the idea grew (thanks to the advice from a friend – Hayley, I will mention you!) to dive deeper into coaching. I had already completed a Life Coaching and NLP Practitioner course in 2014, which I loved, but I missed something: the health element. And so when I found the Health Coaching Academy in South Africa and their Health Transformation Coaching programme, I knew where I would be heading. My journey to a stronger, healthier body was through trial and error, and although this was fun, I know there was a better way: through coaching.
Let me start to explain what a health coach does NOT do. A health coach is NOT a counselor or therapist. A health coach is also not a medical professional, who will prescribe you medication based on your symptoms and some tests. A health coach is also not your best friend, who will tell you anything you want to hear.
So what does a health coach do? A health coach listens, deeply, and through effective questioning empowers YOU to find YOUR own way out of your “stuck state” to a healthier body and life. The health goal is unique and different for everyone, and so is the journey. Some people get there without a coach, but most never do. The main reason for this is that people typically revert back to the same remedies for the same problems, even when they clearly do not solve anything, or at least not for long. These remedies become part of people’s lifestyles, and change becomes harder as people get older. A Health Coach come in, cracks the whole thing wide open, and helps people overcome their barriers so that they make the necessary changes that will lead to the best version of themselves.
It sounds simple doesn’t it? Trust me, it is. But is it easy? Definitely not. If it were easy, we would not be living in a world where chronic diseases (particularly cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes) cause innumerable suffering and 70% of deaths worldwide (1) – diseases which are 95% preventable through lifestyle changes. You do the math.
So what is the Plantbased Plunge? It’s a 6-week coaching programme to help you introduce more plantbased nutrition into your busy (family) life. The Plantbased Plunge is open to anyone – vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, omnivores and carnivores, it doesn’t matter where you are in your own personal health journey. All I ask of you is to be open to learn, and to commit to your own personal (plantbased) goals. I, as your coach, am committed to facilitate the process of helping you reach YOUR goals, and not to push any agenda of my own.
Want to learn more and find out costs? Click here!