We often use the term ” it takes a village ” when referring to raising a child. The West Africa proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” means that raising children is the responsibility of more than just a child’s parents.Kids need guidance and help from more than just their parents. Teaches, coaches, siblings, friends, pastors, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, mentors, community, etc.  all play a role in the raising of a child. As I get older I notice that lots of adults still need that guidance in many ways but we have difficulty asking for help because it is not the norm. We are noticing more crimes and issues dealing with mental health these days. It is easy to blame the parents but it the responsibility of the community to help raise this child to be a productive part of society. When adults are falling short in this area there are lots of people that are able to help as well. As a health coach, personal trainer, and all around life manager I have loved helping clients for the past 10 years to improve their quality of life. What does that mean ? Looking back at the past decade there are a few clients that stand out in my mind……..

1. I worked with a married couple improve their nutrition as they were already putting in the work in the gym and on the tennis court. They learned what foods helping them to achieve their weight loss goals and reduce inches as well. The bonus for the wife was that her allergy symptoms she had dealt with her entire life had almost completely disappeared.  I am happy to say that years later they still practice what they learned to stay fit but also reduce medications, recover quickly from injuries, and so much more.

2. I am passionate about diabetes prevention due to a personal family history. I worked with a gentlemen who had been diabetic for years and it was getting out of control and was going to require insulin use if he could not get his blood sugar numbers in range.  After working together for 3 months we were able to change his food choices and the timing of his meals/choices. We also added in fitness (mostly walking) at certain times to lower his blood sugar prior to sleeping. The am blood sugar reading is the most difficult to reduces because we are not able to influence it by exercise and food while we are sleeping.

3. One of my first clients was a woman who was in her 70’s and had recently lost her spouse. She was the opposite of most of my clients where she needed to gain weight and learn how to eat to maintain a healthy body weight rather than lose weight which is more common. She was afraid of losing weight as her spouse had become frail which was a factor in his passing. The education around eating foods that will help gain weight in a healthy weight is very similar to losing weight in a healthy manner. This can be scary for people who may have had weight struggles in the past. Asking tough questions is part of the health coaching relationship and can often end in tears. As a health coach that is not related to my clients my only goal is to improve their quality of life.

As adults we need to seek assistance more often and don’t give up when life throws you to the ground. There is always a way to get back up. Contact me directly at [email protected] or 316-650-9437 to get your life moving in the right direction.