A holistic nurse coach is well-positioned to help reverse Type 2 diabetes, one of the most common diseases that plague our nation.
According to the CDC, 28.7 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes and 8.5 million have diabetes but have not been diagnosed. That’s a whopping 11.3% of all people living in the U.S.!
96 million people in the U.S. have prediabetes. To put things in a deeper perspective…. That’s 96 million people with a hemoglobin A1c (your average blood sugar levels over a 3-month period) above the average of 5.6% and below 6.4%.
So, how have we come to this?
There are many factors that can lead a person’s health down an undesirable path. Type 2 diabetes is the end result of mostly preventable causes like, unhealthy behaviors, lack of activity, obesity, socioeconomic challenges, and environment.
- Unhealthy behaviors: Staying up too late, poor food choices, over consumption of alcohol…. and yes…. not changing or sanitizing your kitchen sponge are all unhealthy behaviors that affect health. Could that last unhealthy behavior influence prediabetes…. maybe. If you become ill, do you eat foods you probably should not or do you get less sleep?
- Lack of activity: Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking”. There is a lot research showing that sitting for prolonged periods of time such as a sedentary job or long car ride, we are at increased risk of developing diabetes.
- Obesity: A disease itself, obesity can lead to many health issues like depression, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Many people live with obesity which directly correlates with all the other preventable causes listed.
- Socioeconomic challenges: Lack of access to healthcare, income, education are just a few challenges that can affect health and increase chronic illnesses.
- Environment: Our environment plays a very large role in our overall health and wellbeing. The chemicals in our foods like pesticides and preservatives, air pollution, infrastructure and climate stability all have an impact on our health. The internal factors are both hereditary (i.e., hyperlipidemia) and acquired (i.e., smoking). The hereditary factor, although not preventable, can be well managed.
Perhaps you or someone you know are experiencing prediabetes and want to make a change but not quite sure how or where to start. A health coach who is also carries the expertise of a nurse can help.
How can a Nurse Coach help reverse Prediabetes?
The Nurse Coach is not only an expert when it comes to disease process and prevention, she/he is a highly trained professional focused on helping you reach your best health and wellbeing.
As with any health concern, getting to the root cause is key to improving health. A nurse coach will utilize the evidence-based nurse coaching process to help you develop a plan to reach your goals such as losing weight, eating better, or changing habits.
Here is what partnering with a Nurse Coach might look like.
- Many nurse coaches offer a discovery call for a one-on-one session or a group event that brings people with a specific commonality like prediabetes together. Group events can progress to one-on-one sessions but will need to discuss that with the nurse coach.
- If both you and the nurse coach are a good fit, then a contract and confidentiality agreement is signed. Depending on if the nurse coach is employed at your place of employment or is in private business, the logistics of the agreement will vary.
- You may fill out an assessment form prior to or after your first session, which will the changes you wish to make and help the nurse coach meet you where you are in your journey. If the goal you wish to achieve is too big at first, the nurse coach may offer guidance to setting smaller, achievable goals. You can’t lose 100lbs overnight, but you can lose weight with diet, exercise, and sleep.
- Your nurse coach will support you, hold you accountable, and cheer you on. You do not have to do it alone.
With the guidance and intuition of a holistic nurse coach, you will be able to identify any obstacles, challenges, barriers, or fears to overcome. She/he can share with you additional tools and education to help you reverse prediabetes.
Lisa is an adult wellness nurse in a family practice by day and a freelance health content writer by night….and Saturday morning. She is passionate about her career because she gets to do what makes her happy, help others and write.
Lisa is still actively involved with her INCA alumni and meets monthly with her cohorts and pursuing her board certification in Nurse Coaching.
