Health Coach Conversations

Today’s guest, Keith Hersey, has a different approach to chronic disease. He is a pharmacist but wants to get people off medications to cure their chronic diseases. Keith talks about how making lifestyle changes instead of solely relying on medications can help manage chronic conditions and live a more fulfilling life. He shares his personal journey with type 2 diabetes and how making healthy choices has helped him improve his health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Keith’s background and passion for helping people with chronic diseases

• As a pharmacist, why does Keith want to get people off medications instead of putting them on more

• How Keith helps people safely reduce medications and focus on a healthy lifestyle

• The link between inflammation and chronic diseases

• How Keith works with his clients and collaborates with healthcare providers

• The challenges pharmacies face in keeping track of patient’s medications, especially when people use multiple pharmacies or buy them online

• Why people should stick to the same pharmacist consistently

• Advice for people to incorporate more vegetables and water into the diet

Memorable Quotes

• “One of the downsides of technology is that we have access to so much information... and a lot of conflicting information.”

• “So much of our chronic disease is traced to inflammation, and being able to reduce that greatly alleviates those medical conditions.”

BIO:

Keith Hersey is a licensed pharmacist in Durham, North Carolina and the owner of Hersey Pharmacy located in Durham in the Woodcroft Shopping Center. Keith was born in New York City but raised in North Carolina, and from the time he was in high school he's had a passion and desire to help people live healthy lives.

After graduating high school, he went on to receive his Batchelor of Science and his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For nearly twenty years he worked as a community pharmacist for Eckerd, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. In 2020, he started his own pharmacy (Hersey Pharmacy). Keith has a wealth of experience and expertise in traditional and functional medicine. As a type 2 diabetic himself, Keith’s goal is to reduce or reverse type 2 diabetes with his patients. Keith has recently started a podcast about type 2 diabetes to help increase awareness about the disease.

His podcast, “Destroying Diabetes” is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and he encourages anyone with type 2 diabetes or has someone in their family with type 2 diabetes to listen and subscribe to this podcast. Keith is married to his college sweetheart, Deborah and lives in Durham with their son Jordan and their rescue dog, Karma.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Keith Hersey’s ebook: https://destroydiabetes.samcart.com/products/from-chaos-to-control

Keith Hersey’s Website: https://www.drkeithspeaking.com/

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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You must have heard that one size does not fit all when it comes to health and fitness. But do you know that finding what truly works for you may include more than just diet and exercise plans? Today’s guest, Mitch Webb, helps you discover your unique path to lasting health. Mitch discusses his holistic approach beyond just diet and exercise to help his clients find their lasting health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Mitch became interested in health coaching

• The type of clients Mitch works with

• Common issues clients experience before working with Mitch

• Success story of a client who lost and gained weight multiple times in his life cause of childhood trauma

• Mitch’s experience with health issues and how it helped clients feel understood and supported

• Importance of addressing unprocessed trauma and doing inner work for overall health and wellness

• Do men handle stress better than women

• The challenge of feeling unworthy due to comparisons to others

• Details of Mitch’s FREE 30-minute consult call for listeners

Memorable Quotes

• “Everybody can heal, but not everybody will. It takes two things: you have to believe that it’s possible, and you have to believe that you deserve it.”

• “Health should be easy and effortless.”

• “Comparison is the thief of joy. And so when we’re comparing ourselves to other people, it makes us feel unworthy.”

BIO:

Mitch Webb is a personal health coach for men and all those needing to find their unique path to lasting health. As a certified health coach since 2016, he’s helped more than 100 people get the specific plans, personalized tools, accountability, and export support they’ve needed to change their lifestyles and their lives for good.

Once a Corporate Sales Executive, Mitch discovered his passion for wellness after many health curveballs including Lyme disease, two traumatic brain injuries, long Covid, weight loss resistance, mold toxicity, and the mental health impacts of it all. After visiting multiple doctors and not getting answers, Mitch dove into the research, found a specific lifestyle that allowed him to heal himself and get his life back, and fought his way back to better - many times over.

Now, Mitch provides his coaching clients with the deep expertise, compassion, and partnership he wished he’d had along the way – helping them find and keep walking their personal journeys to healthier, happier lives.

Based in Raleigh, NC and serving clients nationwide, Mitch can often be found nerding out about all things wellness, supporting men’s mental health via his community group, “Men on a Journey,” and walking his two pups. He’s happily married to his UNC alum wife, Katie (even though she picked the wrong shade of blue – so far as this Blue Devil fan is concerned!)

To learn more or connect with Mitch, visit mitchwebb.com.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Free 30 minute consult call for listeners

Mitch Webb Website: https://mitchwebb.com/contact/

Mitch Webb on IG: @kmitchwebb

Mitch Webb on LinkedIn: Mitch Webb Health Coaching | LinkedIn

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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Is your plate making you and the planet sick? Dr. Shireen Kassam shares that a plant-based diet is the optimal way to improve your and the planetary health. She shares evidence that eating plant-based nutrition and avoiding animal products can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases. She also discusses how shifting to a more plant-heavy food system would help reduce the environmental harm caused by industrial animal agriculture. Tune in to learn the science behind plant-based nutrition and get tips for transitioning to a healthier and more sustainable way of eating!

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Dr. Shireen became interested in plant-based nutrition

• The health benefits of plant-based diets in preventing chronic diseases

• Evidence that plant-based diets are better for the environment

• The NHS in the UK should provide more plant-based meals in hospitals to improve health

• Common myths around plant-based diets

• Is plant-based diets suitable for people of all ages

• Best ways to make the transition from a standard diet to a plant-based diet

• How can healthcare practitioners help provide information and support to clients interested in plant-based nutrition

Memorable Quotes

• “A diet centered around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, lots of herbs and spices for flavor, and mainly water for thirst is one that has been known for decades now to be associated with lower rates of all of our common chronic conditions.”

• “Without a healthy planet, we have no healthy people. And it’s absolutely clear that our food system is one of the key drivers of both the climate crisis and the ecological crisis.”

BIO:

Dr Shireen Kassam is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College Hospital, London with a specialist interest in the treatment of lymphoma. She is also a Visiting-Professor at University of Winchester, Hampshire, where she has developed and facilitates the UK's first University-based course on plant-based nutrition. In 2023 she launched a course on lifestyle medicine for cancer.

Shireen is passionate about promoting plant-based nutrition for the prevention and reversal of chronic disease and for maintaining optimal health after treatment for cancer. In 2019 she became certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician and is also a CHIP facilitator.
Shireen founded Plant-Based Health Professionals UK in 2018, a non-profit, membership organisation whose mission is to provide evidence-based education on whole food plant-based nutrition.

Shireen qualified as a doctor in 2000. During her training, she completed a PhD, which investigated the role of selenium in sensitising cancer cells to chemotherapy. Shireen has published a number of peer-reviewed papers in the field of lymphoma. Her first book, Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions, co-authored with her sister Zahra, was published in January 2022. She has also co-edited the textbook Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice, published in September 2022.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Eating Plant-Based Book: https://www.hammersmithbooks.co.uk/product/eating-plant-based/

Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice Book: https://www.hammersmithbooks.co.uk/product/plant-based-nutrition-in-clinical-practice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholefoodplantbasednutrition/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/plantbasedhealthprofessionals/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/plantbasedhpuk

Plant Based Health Professionals UK Website: https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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For far too long, women have faced disparities in healthcare that put their well-being at risk. Today’s guest, Dr. Mary O’Connor, has seen firsthand how the healthcare system often fails to meet women’s unique needs. She has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities that negatively impact women. She shares her insights on why women do not always receive the same quality of care as men and how health coaches and other wellness practitioners can support women facing health disparities.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Health disparities faced by women, particularly women in rural areas

• The role of social determinants of health and access to healthcare in creating disparities

• How sex and gender impact medical conditions and access to care

• The reason why women do not receive the same health care as men

• Importance of considering sex in medical research

• Dr. Mary’s book Taking Care of You to empower women to address their health disparities

• Role of education, social support between women, and advocacy in addressing health disparities

• Actions healthcare practitioners can take to support women facing disparities

Memorable Quotes

• “A health disparity is when a certain group of people don’t receive the same quality of health care as another group.”

• “Self-love is important, and being comfortable with yourself and your body is very important. But that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you. Being overweight and being obese is not healthy for you.”

• “You need to find a doctor or nurse practitioner that you trust. And that means someone who will listen to you.”

• “As women, we are painted with this umbrella, that we exaggerate our symptoms, that we’re histrionic. And so, when women talk about concerns or problems in the traditional system, they get diminished, minimized… it’s important that your doctor, nurse believe what you’re telling them.”

BIO:

Mary I. O’Connor, MD, is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Vori Health, a nationwide virtual-first physician-led musculoskeletal medical practice offering a biopsychosocial model of care. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of Movement is Life, a nonprofit coalition committed to advancing health equity. Her recent book, “Taking Care of You: The Empowered Woman’s Guide to Better Health” (Mayo Clinic Press 2022), supports women taking charge of their own health. A recipient of the Diversity Awards of both the American Academy of Orthopaedical Surgery and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons as well as the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Clinician Award, she is Professor Emerita of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic and past Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. O’Connor is past chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Florida and past president of numerous orthopedic societies. An Olympian (US Women’s Rowing), she is passionate in her promotion of the power of sports for girls and women and the benefits to all of physical activity.

Mentioned In This Episode:

The Recipe Book for WOMEN'S HEALTH: https://tcywomen.org

Better Healthcare for EVERY woman: https://www.1millionmorewomen.org

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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Loving yourself from the inside out could be the secret to being the healthiest version of you! Nutritionist and hypnotherapist Jiordana Saade discusses how reprogramming your mind is the key to sustainable weight loss. She shares tips for reprogramming your mind for lasting weight loss results, the real reasons behind stubborn weight loss plateaus, and reveals what many need to be talking about for holistic health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Jiordana’s journey with weight struggles and eating disorders which led her to specialize in food psychology

• Common issues people have with their relationship to food

• Impact of societal pressures on body image and eating habits and how Jiordana addresses these impacts in her therapy

• Strategies to help clients have a better relationship with their food and bodies

• Navigating the balance between promoting healthy eating without triggering disordered thoughts

• Impact of the language we use around food and body on our mental health

• Jiordana’s approach to using mindfulness and hypnotherapy when addressing food or body image concerns

Memorable Quotes

• “Self-love is literally the antidote of self-sabotage... When you can love yourself so much, you don’t want to hurt yourself. That’s where we kind of build up that self-esteem.”

• “It’s not about weight loss or weight gain... It’s about health, finding the healthiest version of you. When we do it from a food psychology perspective, you’re never going to be underweight or overweight... The body wants to be healthy.”

BIO:

Jiordana is a clinical nutritionist, hypnotherapist, and an expert in eating behavior. Jiordana runs a vibrant practice that focuses on the connection between mental health and nutrition and our relationship with food. Jiordana works with women all over the world using her signature program “The Mind-Full Method ™” to help facilitate permanent changes around eating behaviors and reprogram the nervous system to end self-sabotage. Jiordana focuses on the brain-body connection and believes if the body is holding onto weight, there are imbalances in both the mental state, and the physiological body. Jiordana helps clients to recover their mental and physical health through the use of Holistic Nutrition, Functional Medicine, Hypnotherapy, and Behavioural Psychology.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Food Freedom Guide: https://themindfullclinic.com/#services

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0nrObV3iy0t2KOqULEJiYw?si=1d9d263b2bc64ef8

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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In this episode, New York Times bestselling author Elise Loehnen discusses her book On Our Best Behavior, which is about the seven deadly sins and their impact on women’s lives and roles in society. She also shares how women are often conditioned to disconnect from their bodies and emotions due to societal and cultural pressures and how health coaches can help them reconnect with their desires, boundaries, and suppressed feelings.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The inspiration behind Elise’s book On Our Best Behavior

• How writing the book helped Elise with her personal transformation and how it impacted her well-being and relationships

• The need for collective work to recognize unhealthy language and behaviors toward women

• Elise’s journey toward self-definition away from cultural and social expectations

• How can people reconcile their faith with the empowerment and reevaluation of women’s roles in society

• The role of health coaches in helping women reconnect with their desires, suppressed feelings, etc

• The concept of envy and how it is reframed in a positive way in the book

Memorable Quotes

• “It’s really difficult to liberate yourself from these ideas of what it is to be a good woman and stand alone, because you’ll be vilified and continually sort of painted as a bad person.”

• “If patriarchy were so natural, we wouldn’t chafe against it.”

• “We women, through trauma, self-hate, etc., are generally totally disembodied... So the most loving thing a health coach can do is to get women re-embodied and re-in touch with our appetites, our desires, our boundaries, our suppressed and repressed emotions.”

BIO:

Elise Loehnen is a New York Times bestselling author and the host of the podcast, Pulling the Thread, where she interviews cultural luminaries about the big questions of today, including people like Jo Harjo, Loretta Ross, Pico Iyer, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Terry Real. She’s the author of the New York Times bestselling On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good. Elise lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Rob, and their sons, Max and Sam.

Elise has also co-written 12 books, including five New York Times Best Sellers Previously, she was the chief content officer of goop. While there, Elise co-hosted The goop Podcast and The goop Lab on Netflix, and led the brand’s content strategy and programming, including the launch of a magazine with Condé Nast and a book imprint. For the podcast, she interviewed 100s of thought leaders, doctors, and experts, including Ibram X Kendi, Bryan Stevenson, Nicholas Kristof, Ambassador Samantha Power, Rebecca Traister, John & Julie Gottman, among others. Prior to goop, she was the editorial projects director of Conde Nast Traveler. Before Traveler, she was the editor at large and deputy editor of Lucky Magazine, where she also served as the on-air spokesperson, appearing regularly on shows like Today, E!, Good Morning America, and The Early Show. She has a B.A. from Yale and majored in English and Fine Arts; she also went to St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Before that, she attended a school where lunchtimes were spent jumping an irrigation ditch. Originally from Missoula, Montana, it's important to her that people know that she went to the National Mathletes Championship when she was in 8th grade and that she’s a horse whisperer. These days, she serves on two boards (Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Skinfix), advises a beauty bio-tech start-up (Arcaea), and spends her time writing, reading, and fundraising for causes and politicians focused on environmental action, social justice, women and children’s health, and a more equitable world.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Pulling the Thread with Elise Loehnen: https://eliseloehnen.substack.com/

Elise Loehnen’s Website: https://www.eliseloehnen.com/

On Our Best Behavior Book: https://www.eliseloehnen.com/onourbestbehavior

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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Today’s guest is Diego Oliveira Sanchez, founder of NutriAdmin — a nutrition software designed to help nutritionists, health coaches, and personal trainers manage their clients and work more efficiently. Diego discusses how his personal health journey led him to create the software, NutriAdmin’s features for consultations, meal planning, client portals, follow-up care, etc., and how the software makes it easy for health coaches to customize nutrition for their clients.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What is NutriAdmin and how it helps health coaches

• How poor diet and weight gain in university led Diego to launch NutriAdmin

• Some common pain points nutritionists and health coaches face

• Key aspects of the NutriAdmin user experience — the meal plan generator, note-taking during consultations, client portals, etc.

• NutriAdmin’s suitability for other professionals like nurses or mental health specialists

• How long does it take users to learn how to use NutriAdmin

• Examples of success clients have seen with NutriAdmin

• The free trial, money-back guarantee, and resources available on NutriAdmin

Memorable Quotes

• “I want to help in any way I can, for more people to have access to nutrition, to great education so that they can improve their health.”

• “A lot of people work in the fitness industry, and they are kind of mastering the fitness part. They’re coaching their clients, they are doing the exercise, but then the clients are not eating well. And it’s probably impossible, or really hard, to get fit if you’re exercising but you’re not eating well.”

BIO:

Diego is the co-founder of NutriAdmin (nutriadmin.com) - a leading software for nutritionists and coaches launched in 2016. For Diego, NutriAdmin combines his two passions: software and nutrition. Diego has a background in Scientific Computing from Cambridge University and has been writing code since 2009. Diego has also been passionate about nutrition for more than a decade. It's personal. Whilst at uni, Diego gained 35Kg through an unhealthy diet, reaching a dangerous weight. Then, after reading dozens of books in nutrition and with the invaluable help of a nutrition coach, Diego has lost all excess weight, regained his health, and stayed at high fitness levels for over a decade. Diego has seen (on himself and countless others) how nutrition and coaching have tremendous power to transform people's health. The dream with NutriAdmin is to help nutritionists and coaches to reach more clients, so that they regain their health and become their best selves.

Links:

NutriAdmin Website: https://nutriadmin.com/?via=cathy-sykora
(This podcast may include affiliate links. If you sign up through my referral link, I may receive credit or commissions for your purchase. This does not increase or change the cost to you)

Email Diego at: [email protected]

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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I had the pleasure of interviewing my granddaughter, Sykora Roberts. Sykora is currently a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), making her the third generation in our family to attend IIN after myself and her mother.

Sykora shares what inspired her to pursue a career in health coaching and integrative nutrition, as well as her experience so far in the Integrative Nutrition program at the IIN. She discusses some of the unique aspects of the Integrative Nutrition program that have stood out to her and the impact that integrative nutrition can have on both public health and individual lives.

For anyone considering a career in integrative nutrition, I hope Sykora’s story offers encouragement and motivation to follow their passion.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Sykora’s inspiration for joining the IIN and her passion for helping others

• Sykora’s experience so far at IIN and how it compares to university studies

• The flexibility and personalized nature of the IIN program

• Challenges Sykora faced during her studies and how she overcame them

• Sykora’s advice to others considering a career in nutrition

• Aspects of the IIN program that stood out to Sykora, like the gut health module

• Subjects and courses Sykora found most engaging at IIN

• How IIN addresses nutrition from a global and multicultural perspective

• Qualities Sykora values in the instructors and mentors at IIN

• Sykora’s future goals and plans after graduating from IIN

Memorable Quotes

• “Integrative Nutrition is something that could completely change the world... Once everyone understands what it is and sees it for what it is, it will not only boost public morale, make people a lot happier, but it will also make people a lot healthier.”

• “If it's something that you can picture yourself doing, if you really care about helping people, go for it. There's no room for fear or putting it off just because you're scared. You won't succeed.”

• “Prioritize your tasks... Get the hardest thing done first... and just keep rolling.”

Links:

Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) Website: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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As a health coach, you must know how important it is to build your online presence and attract new clients. That’s why I’m here to discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which will help you optimize your website to rank higher in search engines like Google, so more people can find you.

I share the basics of SEO, what is it, how it works, its importance for health coaches, and the tips and strategies you can implement right away like keyword research and on-page optimization, so you too can start reaching more clients online and grow your business through search.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What is SEO and its importance for health coaches to attract potential clients

• How to do keyword research to find the right keywords for health coaching and target audience

• How to optimize a webpage for SEO

• Tips for health coaches – using long-tail keywords that have less competition, analyzing competitors, making valuable content

• Best SEO strategies – identifying easy fixes on a webpage to improve SEO ranking, leverage podcast interviews for backlinks, etc

Keyword research tools mentioned: Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, UberSuggest, Google Trends

Website optimization and analytics tools mentioned: Yoast SEO plugin, Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, MonsterInsights

Websites where health coaches can write articles to build backlinks and improve SEO: Forbes, Yoast, etc

Memorable Quotes

• “SEO isn’t just about attracting new clients, it’s also about retaining them. So a well-optimized website with engaging content encourages visitors to spend more time on your site, exploring your services and potentially becoming repeat clients.”

• “Visibility leads to accessibility... Higher visibility on search engines makes your health coaching services more accessible.”

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

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Today’s guest, Ali Shapiro, discusses how to develop a personalized coaching methodology that leads to greater impact and business success. Ali says coaching is about helping clients make lasting changes through self-awareness and experimentation instead of simply providing information and advice. Ali also shares techniques to address adaptive change challenges in coaching.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The two types of change: adaptive change and technical change

• How to keep from telling somebody they have to change now instead of being patient

• The concept of survivor self and how it impacts coaching

• Understanding the difference between adaptive change and technical change

• The reason why so many coaches struggle with shiny object syndrome

• The benefits of mastery in coaching and developing a unique approach

• Examples of how Ali’s coaching methodology has helped other coaches develop signature programs and find success

Memorable Quotes

• “When we no longer know which way to go, that’s when the real work has begun.”

• “Health is so much more than weight. The research shows that paradoxically, the less you’re just focused on the weight, the more likely it will happen.”

• “Understanding all of that is really realizing, ‘Oh, I don’t need a shiny new tool. I need to really help figure out how to move my client from the survivor self back to the healthy adult self.’ And that is a process.”

BIO:

Ali Shapiro is the host of the top-ranked podcast Insatiable, a holistic nutritionist, integrated health coach, and rebel with a serious cause.

She’s academically, practically, and empathetically aware of how the medical system, diet culture, and body positivity movements all have their own flavor of crazy.

Ali developed Truce with Food while in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, where she drew from her decade plus of working with real life clients and her own personal healing journey from emotional eating and having cancer as a teenager.

Links:

Ali Shapiro Website:https://alishapiro.com/

Sign up for Ali’s FREE coaching call: https://alishapiro.com/disruptor/

Links to resources:

Health Coach Group Website
https://www.thehealthcoachgroup.com/

Use the code HCC50 to save $50 on our website

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