Health
The benefits of wellness coaching
Sometimes it takes a holistic approach to get at the root of a health issue
Photo of Donna Dowdell (left), a doctor specializing in holistic nutrition, talking about the value of natural medicines to Cynthia Ricks-Brunson, Human Resource Department specialist, Enlisted Management Division, Directorate of Human Resources, U.S. Army Garrison. (Photo by Kevin Stabinsky via wikimedia commons)
Holistic is a buzz word that’s used a lot these days but the concept extends to the coaching world as well — certified wellness coaches are trained to assess and guide your overall health and well being.
Wellness coaching is a relatively new trend in life coaching that addresses the entire person and focuses on his or her overall life style rather than some of its elements. In particular, there is a more directed focus on eating strategies, fitness, exercise and the integration of healthy habits into daily lives.
The American College of Sports Medicine, the gold standard certifying agency in the fitness industry, stands by wellness coaching and now endorses a coaching certification program. There are several other wellness coaching certifications that are gaining respect as well. Some of the more reputable personal training certifications are integrating the wellness coaching paradigm into their certification programs.
Some physicians started referring their patients as they recognize they deal with physical and emotional manifestations of the impact unbalanced lives have on their patients. Stressors we have to deal with on a daily basis and might lead to all kinds of ailments require changing our attitude, life style, replacing bad habits with good ones, etc. It is very hard to do on our own, just as it’s hard to bring our physical fitness to the desired level without a personal trainer if we want long-lasting results.
Wellness coaching brings together several wellness disciplines together such as nutrition, physical training, yoga, meditation and spirituality. Some wellness coaches might be experts in any of those disciplines or none. What they are certainly experts in is helping clients develop a vision for a healthy life style where those elements are present and are part of the strategy for overall wellness.
It might be one or two, or all of these elements depending on the client’s needs and goals. Coaches have a comprehensive tool kit and extensive knowledge they acquired through their training that is designed to assess the client’s “current state of affairs,” set up goals, develop vision and a sound strategy to achieve those goals. Just as a physician might refer a patient to a wellness coach, a coach might refer a client to a personal trainer, a nutritionist, a yoga instructor, etc. The difference between doing it on our own and as part of wellness coaching is that the coach will keep us accountable on incorporating these elements in our daily/weekly/monthly activities in the context of our whole life while keeping us focused on our short term and long term realistic goals.
How many of us fail at New Year’s resolutions? How many diets fail in the long term? Just as the Japanese proverb says, “Vision without action remains just a dream; action without a vision is a nightmare,” we tend to stop at either having our vision of our life in a distant future or frantically trying to do this and that just because we saw it in a magazine or on TV having no idea how it applies to each of us individually.
We might be pretty good at vision but then we fail at acting consistently toward making our vision our reality. Or, we grab a trendy diet and rigorously follow it while ignoring daily stress, lack of exercise, dissatisfaction at work place, in the family, giving up on our passion and just being kind and nurturing to ourselves.
In a results-driven culture of high stress, wellness coaching is especially popular among those who woke up to the fact and realize that there is more to life than a hefty bank account, a promotion or a 10-hour work day. The realization is that there is something missing or I am missing out on something. How often is it pondered that a 10-hour work day can be utterly fulfilling if our work is our passion and not an obligation. If we get to change that one element our life can change completely. But those of us who are stuck at doing it need to realize that while we are thinking we are providing our needs, those needs are not met anyway due to lack of time, poor health, low energy level, bad relationships, etc.
I like to think of wellness coaching as a new awareness that can bring both peace and passion into our life while staying fit and healthy. It may seem like a lot of work if you have never worked with a coach, a nutritionist, a personal trainer, a spiritual advisor, yoga instructor, etc. Nonetheless, we are priceless commodities and wellness coaching can be one of the most effective investments you can make toward your overall health and well being.
Health
MISTR announces it’s now prescribing DoxyPE
MISTR, the telemedicine provider that offers free online PrEP and long-term HIV care in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, announced it is now prescribing Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (DoxyPEP), an antibiotic that reduces bacterial STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Patients can now use MISTR’s telehealth platform to receive DoxyPEP online for free, according to a release from the company.
With this launch, MISTR plans to offer patients access to post-exposure care, in addition to its existing preventive and long-term HIV treatment options, which include PrEP and antiretroviral therapy (ART). This comes at a time when the rate of STIs continue to rise. In 2022, more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in the U.S; of that population, gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected, the company reported.
“Despite an ongoing STI epidemic affecting the LGBTQ+ community, there are few resources available for this underserved, vulnerable community to get the preventative medication they need,” said Tristan Schukraft, CEO and founder of MISTR. “I’m proud that MISTR is democratizing access to PrEP, HIV care, and now DoxyPEP.”
An NIH-funded study published by the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2023 found that doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis, now known as DoxyPEP, reduced syphilis by 87%, chlamydia by 88%, and gonorrhea by 55% in individuals taking HIV PrEP, and reduced syphilis by 77%, chlamydia by 74% and gonorrhea by 57% in people living with HIV.
MISTR is a telemedicine platform offering free online access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and long-term HIV care Visit mistr.com for more information.
Health
UNAIDS to commemorate Zero Discrimination Day’s 10th anniversary
UN agency urges global action to protect human rights
As the world marks the 10th anniversary of Zero Discrimination Day; UNAIDS is sounding the alarm on the increasing threats to human rights, calling for renewed efforts to protect the rights of all individuals as a fundamental step towards ensuring health for everyone.
Established by UNAIDS a decade ago, Zero Discrimination Day aims to promote equality and fairness regardless of gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity or HIV status. The progress achieved over the past years is now in jeopardy, however, due to rising attacks on the rights of women, LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima emphasized the critical link between protecting human rights and safeguarding public health.
“The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health,” she said in a press release. “Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030. It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health.”
Despite challenges, there has been notable progress.
At the onset of the AIDS pandemic more than 40 years ago, two-thirds of countries criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. They are now decriminalized in two-thirds of countries. An additional 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, contributing to positive changes that include 50 million more girls attending school compared to 2015.
To sustain and enhance these advancements; UNAIDS urges global support for women’s rights movements, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and peace initiatives. By standing with communities advocating for their rights, the U.N. aims to reinforce the collective effort towards a more inclusive and equitable world.
Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1.
Events and activities that will take place around the world throughout the month will serve as reminders of the essential lesson and call to action: Protecting everyone’s health is synonymous with protecting everyone’s rights.
“Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a safer, fairer, kinder and happier world — for everyone,” said Byanyima.
Health
New CDC report finds transgender women at higher risk for HIV
More than 1,600 people in seven cities surveyed
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new study report this week that revealed that restricted by employment and housing discrimination and lack of access to needed gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women increasing the risk of contracting HIV.
Researchers reviewed data from a 2019-2020 survey, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Among Transgender Women, which found that the demographics of HIV/AIDS have been disproportionally high, especially among Black and Latina trans women, who had experienced employment and housing discrimination coupled with lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare.
The Jan. 25 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was based on data studies of more than 1,600 trans women in seven major urban locales. Participants from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle were chosen by referrals from people and community-based organizations who knew or were part of the local population of trans women.
The study’s researchers noted: “Employment discrimination occurs at the overlapping nexus of poverty, homelessness, incarceration, health insurance, disability, food insecurity and survival sex work. These issues are interconnected.”
The study stated that trans women’s inability to access quality healthcare, including gender-affirming treatment or access to PrEP, and can expose them to potential incarceration as many turn to “survival sex work” and violence, which increases the risk of contracting HIV.
The study’s author’s pointed out: “When economically marginalized transgender women are refused employment, this refusal cyclically contributes to economic hardships. This analysis …demonstrates the importance of transgender women working and living with dignity and without fear of unfair treatment.”
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