As a holistic health coach, I work with clients to look at their life from a mind, body and soul lens. While food, home cooking and exercise are pieces of the puzzle, I also love examining mindset, relationships, home environment and more.
In many cases, my clients are going through a transitional time like starting a new job, becoming a parent or launching a creative project. Depending on their goals and what type of support they are looking for, I love referring clients to other practitioners who specialize in specific areas that align.
I’ve experienced firsthand how food and movement are two key pieces to a healthy lifestyle that have powerful long-term impacts. Calling in the right team to support you with your wellness goals can be an empowering part of the health journey.
Depending on your focus, there is a wide range of practitioners and expertise here on Guam. This month, I sat down with 3 practitioners I’ve worked with, and highlight how they might be able to support you on your journey.
Working with a dietitian
If you’ve been interested to take a deeper look into your diet and food choices, working with a dietitian may be a good place to start. Dietitians are able to thoroughly assess, nutritionally diagnose, and develop nutrition interventions.
This includes acknowledging the wider perspective of food and nutrition, the levels of influence that affect food decisions, and the personal experiences of the person seeking care.
Lenora Matanane Makela, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Sagua MPG, is referred to patients for medical nutrition therapy for conditions such as diabetes, weight management and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
She also works with athletes seeking to optimize performance with personalized nutrition goals, some also needing to make weight.
Makela believes “the biggest value working with a dietitian is building a positive relationship with food and learning skills worth a lifetime of health. My goal is not to tell you what to eat, but rather to teach you how to make those decisions for yourself in any situation and environment, starting with wherever you are at and building up from there.”
Makela focuses on a realistic and sustainable approach by “embracing culture, working with what you can afford, and striving for sustainable progress,” all embedded into the conversations she has with her patients.
Working with a personal trainer
I have many clients who not only want to develop a consistent exercise routine, but also have specific fitness goals. What I love about having a trainer myself is how they can support you with a personalized program based on you and where your body is at today.
Jasmin Wenzel, certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a certified strength and conditioning specialist, trains her clients at Paradise Fitness.
She creates exercise programs that are safe, effective and fun, and believes that clients seek personal trainers to improve their lives.
Wenzel’s clients find value in “gaining confidence in skills, exercise movements, and overall self-esteem. Gaining self-confidence and taking pride in putting in the work at the gym is priceless and can never be taken away.”
In Tamuning is 23 Fitness Guam, a local private training and performance center owned by Mychal Borja.
As a certified personal trainer and sports conditioning specialist with the American Council on Exercise, Borja says “great trainers understand that fitness is pretty simple, but not one size fits all. A trainer’s role is to blend a good program into your lifestyle, specific to your goals. Understanding the client fully — from their jobs, their physical limitations, their mindsets, their current lifestyle — all of these are important when building a program and working on goals that a client can actually sustain.”
23 Fitness attracts a range of clients — from people simply looking to get in shape, looking to learn how to exercise or improve everyday mobility, people looking for help because of physical limitations and seasoned athletes looking to condition or level up.
Two things that Wenzel and Borja experience with their clients are the power of mindset and accountability. “Clients often want to improve themselves physically and mentally,” Wenzel says.
“Some clients just want to become more confident in the gym and work through their fears with a trainer by their side.” Borja sees the biggest value in working with a personal trainer as education and accountability.
“Anyone can exercise on their own. You can find a wealth of information online. However, an experienced trainer can help you understand your ‘why’ and provide expertise and how to go after it.”
Check out the full article here.
Livia Marati is a women’s holistic health coach and founder of Ina Wellness Collective. You can send her questions and comments at livia@inawellnesscollective.com.