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“Healing requires from us to stop struggling, but to enjoy life more and endure it less.”

~Darina Stoyanova

I was on the phone the other day with a woman who had various disease diagnoses and had multiple surgeries and treatments. She had already worked with a Functional Medicine practitioner who had put her on supplements and done some Functional testing.

However, apart from this she had not been given much in terms of guidance and support to help her with the dietary and lifestyle changes that were a necessary part of her healing journey. She told me that she had felt unmotivated and unsupported and left to deal with these changes all by herself. As a result she had seen some improvements but they had not lasted long.

She realised that she needed to make changes in her life and support her body’s healing process but she didn’t know where to start.

When we spoke and I shared with her the process that I follow in my programme, she signed up immediately. 

Why?

Because most of the time, people are not shown how to prioritise this when it comes to creating long term health

Brick by brick

Laying a strong foundation first when it comes to creating long term health is absolutely essential if we are to not only get well but stay well. 

However, many practitioners remain focused on improving certain lab markers and reducing symptoms at the expense of other foundational aspects of long term health creation.

If we do this without really helping the person understand and prepare for the journey ahead, the results are usually temporary.

You see, by not preparing her mentally and emotionally to continue with the changes, she will revert back to her old habits sooner or later.

Having a strong foundation when creating good health is KEY to sustaining the improvements over long periods of time

What do I mean when I say a strong foundation?

Things like

• Eating hygiene and mindful eating practices
• Sleep hygiene
• Learning to read ingredients and nutrition levels for packaged foods
• Knowing which foods to substitute and why
• Nourisnment beyond food like savouring rituals
• Increasing body awareness and learning how tap into the body’s wisdom for guidance
• Self compassion and dealing with the inner critic

In the video above I share with you the story of a client who uncovered some missing pieces that has helped her to sustain many of the health improvements long after she has stopped working with me.

I have written more on the topic of having the right mindset earlier and you can read it here.

An environment of healing

The point is not that we should not be doing Functional testing, taking supplements and making dietary changes, but that we often miss out on what is equally important and needs to be prioritised.

A healing environment

Creating a healing environment is a necessary first step and a critical part of laying a strong foundation.

In my own programme “Healing from within”, I have a framework that stands on 3 pillars to ensure that my clients are supported every step of the way while they are laying the foundations of good, long term health

These 3 pillars are

1. SIMPLIFY
2. RECONNECT
3. SUSTAIN

I believe that health creation is like a journey that you embark upon. While the destination is clear, the journey also needs to be as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. Only then will you be able to sustain it when things get tough

The 3 pillar framework

This framework offers a roadmap for the journey.

The first pillar simplifies the entire process to help you avoid overwhelm. 

The second helps you to reconnect with your body and increase the awareness that is needed to tap into your own body’s wisdom

The third is to learn how to sustain the improvements by prioritising what is important, incorporating self care practice and building emotional resiliency

This is a step by step process where each step builds upon the earlier one. If you would like to know more about the framework, then click here.

When we rush into testing, adding supplements without being clear on the journey and the steps ahead, we start to struggle. And ultimately, we may give up or at the very least not be able to sustain the health outcomes once we stop working with a practitioner or a coach.

Here are 3 things that you can take away from this post

1. You need to be very clear on which areas you need to focus on first
2. You need to focus on some of the mundane things that are necessary for laying a strong foundation ( eating hygiene, sleeping hygiene)
3. The approach or the mindset that you take toward your healing journey matters, pay attention to it

At the end of the day, your body is a self healing organism, when you clear the obstacles out of its way, it starts to heal