• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Amy Hoogervorst

Integrative Health and Wellness Coach

  • WHAT IS HEALTH COACHING?
  • ABOUT AMY
  • SERVICES
  • BLOG
    • FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY
    • MIND-BODY CONNECTION
    • MOVEMENT, EXERCISE AND REST
    • NUTRITION
    • PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
    • RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION
  • GET STARTED
    • SCHEDULE A FREE CALL
    • ACCESS FREE RESOURCES
    • VIEW ARCHIVED VIDEOS

Oct 18, 2017
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT· SELF CARE

Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease

What illnesses are the most common, costly, and preventable in our nation and other industrialized countries?

Chronic disease.

In the U.S., as of 2010, 86% of the nation’s $2.7 trillion annual health care expenditures were for people with chronic and mental health conditions. By 2017, that had increased to 90% of the nation’s $3.8 trillion in annual health care costs.

And heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and chronic respiratory illnesses lead the list.

But health experts say those chronic illnesses also are among the most preventable. That’s because their primary risk factors are unhealthy behaviors that can be changed.

Four of these health risk behaviors—lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and drinking too much alcohol—cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And the World Health Organization says it’s the same elsewhere in the developed world.

Chronic Disease Risk Factors

So what do we need to change to reduce that risk?

A study published in 2015 in the Journal of Community Medicine and Health Education lists factors that contribute to chronic disease:

  • Poor diet and body fat
  • Physical inactivity
  • Tobacco use
  • Mental illness
  • Poor medication adherence
  • High alcohol consumption
  • Excess salt intake

These point to a need for better health habits and lifestyle changes. But making those changes feels like it’s easier said than done, doesn’t it? Often we feel we take a step forward and then two steps back. It seems difficult to make these changes on our own.

If any of these seem like a place you need extra help – so that you can live your best life – you may benefit from working with an integrative health coach. A coach partners with a client to help create new, healthier behaviors that can reduce risk factors.

chronic disease risk factors include not taking medications properly

Other Approaches to Reduce Chronic Disease

The 2015 study in the Journal of Community Medicine and Health Education  called for a multi-faceted effort to reduce chronic disease:

  • Increase government policy and regulation
  • Improve physical environments to make it easier to access healthy food and physical activity
  • Value community-based health initiatives
  • Install workplace wellness programs
  •  Use technology to help change behaviors

These initiatives could help reduce chronic disease risks. But implementing them may take some time. How much time do you have?

If you’re ready to take some steps on your own, here’s where to start:

  • Move your body regularly – 30 minutes per day, at least five days per week. Break it up into shorter segments if necessary.
  • And maintain a healthy weight.
  • Get sufficient sleep.
  • Plus, consume moderate or no alcohol.
  • And don’t smoke.

Which of these is your greatest challenge? If you need accountability partners to stay the course, or simply some help to get started, consider enlisting the help of a friend and/or a professional. The bigger team you can build around you, cheering you on, the more likely you will be to make and sustain changes. If you’d like to explore working with me, you can read more about integrative health coaching here and contact me to set up an initial session.

I’m cheering you on to your best health.

I’m Amy Hoogervorst, an integrative health coach, offering grace and space for a healthier you. Thanks for joining me for Step 18 in the “31 Steps to a Healthier You” series, part of #Write31Days 2017. You can read what the series is all about here and catch up on past posts. If you don’t want to miss a thing, subscribe to get each one in your inbox.

31 steps to a healthier you

 

 

Tweet
Share
Pin

Don’t Miss out

Join our newsletter to get all the latest!

Previous Post: « Step 17: Seek Out (and Sniff-Test) New Ideas
Next Post: Create Some Routines for Overall Health »

Primary Sidebar

MEET AMY

Hi! I'm Amy Hoogervorst, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, integrative health coach, and creative entrepreneur offering grace and space for a healthier you. Read More…

Latest on the Blog

Women have a higher risk of Alzheimer's than men but often don't recognize what they can do to reduce that risk. Image is of a woman with outstretched hands, as if to hold a computer-generated image of a brain

Of every three people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s, two are women. And, even factoring in women’s longer lifespans, they’re twice as likely as men to develop the disease. But a recent poll indicated that many women don’t know about their elevated risk, nor what they can do to reduce it. It’s time […]

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest on Instagram

"You can never change just one behavior. Our behav "You can never change just one behavior. Our behaviors are interconnected, so when you change one behavior, other behaviors also shift." - B.J. Fogg, social scientist and author of "Tiny Habits"

#tuesdaythoughts #behaviorchange #habits #integrativehealthcoach #graceandspaceforahealthieryou #quotes #wellcheck #inspiration #information #mindful #awareness
Still thinking about the conversations, ideas, and Still thinking about the conversations, ideas, and welcome I experienced Saturday @wildgoosefest, and I know this experience will stay with me for a long time. 💟

So grateful to my friends @secondbreathcenter for inviting me to the Goose as part of a panel discussing "Mothering as a Verb." 

We talked about ways we've been mothered; ways that we've mothered other people, pets, ourselves, ideas, and things including vocations; and how spiritual practice has supported us in and through that.

What's spiritual practice? It's practical tools and strategies that help you connect more with God, yourself, and others. These mind-body practices can help transform our way of thinking, feeling, and behaving away from fear and control ➡️ toward faith, hope, and love.

For example, through the years I've mothered my creativity, my vocation, and my children with the practices of journaling, mindfulness meditation, and centering prayer. These are some of the ways I refill my tank.

What are ways you fill your tank?

Second Breath offers classes and practices rooted in the Christian wisdom tradition and modern neuroscience. I first experienced those classes in 2018 and this fall will be facilitating an online group going through "The Inward Journey" together. If you're interested in knowing more (or getting a discount code for a class!) send me a DM.

For now, I'm treasuring my weekend, what I learned from many different speakers throughout the day, and the gift of these new sisters and their stories. 

tl;dr - I went to the Wild Goose festival and, as part of a panel formed by #secondbreathcenter, spoke about "mothering as a verb." It was deep, authentic, and meaningful. 

#graceandspaceforahealthieryou
#secondbreath #mindbodypractices
#spiritualpractice #mindful #christianwisdomtradition
#authenticity #consciousfacilitator #integrativehealthcoach #wholeness #faith #spirituality #welcome
Farmers' market haul 🍅 (I kept forgetting to g Farmers' market haul 🍅

(I kept forgetting to go!! So I set a reminder this week to get there.🙌🏼😁)

#woohoo #tomatothursday #isthatathing #eatlocal #nutrition #eattherainbow #fruitsandveggies #graceandspaceforahealthieryou #integrativehealthcoach #summer #summereats
🍅 and 🍉 in one dish? Yes! July is here. What 🍅 and 🍉 in one dish? Yes! July is here. What summer foods are your favorites?

#graceandspaceforahealthieryou #summereats #nutrition #july #smallplates #storiestreetgrille #heirloomtomatoes #watermelon #eattherainbow #letseat #nutrition #integrativehealthcoach
Follow on Instagram

Tags

accountability anxiety best self books challenge choices coaching dreams exercise faith faith and sweat fitness friends goals habits health health coaching healthy eating healthy food healthy lifestyle holidays inflammation memories mindful mindfulness mindset movement nutrition perseverance personal growth PhotoOrganize Me photos recipes resources rest self-care sleep social media stewardship stories stress sugar wellness what i learned Youngevity
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • DISCLOSURES
  • CONTACT
© 2022 Amy Hoogervorst - All Rights Reserved

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Amy Hoogervorst
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.