I’m often trying to find the right words to describe what it is I do as a health coach. I help people “uncomplicate” their relationship with food. I help people find joy and freedom around food, sugar and their bodies. I help people cultivate a relationship of love and trust and respect with their bodies. I help people make their body feel like HOME. I help people learn to heal their past in order to live with more joy and freedom today. I help people feel confident and capable in the kitchen. I help people create a lifestyle they love. I help people create a lifestyle they no longer want to escape.
I could go on.
Roger and I went for our daily walk on the boardwalk and as we were watching the dogs running on the beach, he said to me, “You help people unleash their animal.”
I stopped and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
He said that what’s happened to him, in his transformation. That he totally gets how he is an animal now. How he, Roger, is separate from his animal. That he’s like the owner of his animal and that he is the only one who can take care of it.
It was music to my ears.
This separation is such a key piece to the work I do. Helping people to really see how we are not our body–we have a body–and our body needs our care.
We are animals.
And we feel so good in nature because we are nature.
We do share the same basic needs as other animals, of course. We need:
Water – we literally die without it.
Nourishment – Our bodies do not know what food-like-products are. They only know what real food is and it’s the stuff that doesn’t give us diseases but rather prevents them and can heal them. Real food rots. It’s our fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, dairy, lean meats, nuts+seeds and pulses (beans, lentils, legumes) that keep us feeling our best and functioning optimally as the human-animal we are.
Exercise – We are literally designed to move. Born to move. We must move. Movement is life.
Connection – Humans are social animals. They thrive on being part of a group and having a common goal.
Unleashing our animal is all about caring for ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Where dogs and other animals can thrive with just the basics, human animals are more complex. That said, when we care for the physical health of our animals, we naturally care for their mental, emotional and spiritual health, as well.
We stood and watched the dogs running on the beach and I shared with him the story I tell my students about the Jones family taking home a puppy from the same litter as the Smith family. The Jones family takes their pup home, run with it daily, feed it a great diet and generally allow it to fulfill its potential as a dog. It dies in old age and the Jones family had many, many wonderful years with their dog.
The Smith family, on the other hand, is more sedentary, rarely taking their pup on walks. They choose a cheap brand of dog food and overfeed their pup with table scraps. Over the years, the dog develops obesity, diabetes, tumours and dies far sooner than it should have. She definitely didn’t fulfill her potential as a dog.
When I had my full body workup done with the naturopathic doctors at NutriChem in Ottawa, I was reviewing my results with my ND and she asked if I wanted to be “average” or “optimal”. “Optimal of course!”, I responded. I realized in that moment, that so many of us are just trying to be average. We want to be an average height. And average weight. Have average blood pressure. Average blood sugar. Average cholesterol. And I realized in that moment that I wanted to really see what I could do to not only live well, but to live optimally, optimizing this brain, this body, this animal.
Over the past 18+ years, I’ve made health my hobby. I’ve made it the thing that’s central to my lifestyle. Because I realize that without this health, without this body, without caring for this animal and allowing it to live optimally and to thrive, then I’m short-changing myself on life.
I have a desire to live a long and healthy life, and I know that I’ve got to make daily decisions to allow me to feel my best today while also leading me where I want to go tomorrow…and beyond.
If this resonates with you, then I invite you to join me on a 12 week journey where we unlearn and learn and we grow and develop over 3 months’ time. We talk food and lifestyle and nutrition. We talk about the past and how it shapes our current. We become purposeful with our time and energy and we get confident in the kitchen, learning new recipes and cooking to nourish ourselves in easy, tasty ways that never leave us feeling deprived. We cultivate a relationship of love and trust with our bodies and we connect with others on the same journey.
No diets. No cleanses. No strict protocols. Everyone designs their own lifestyle. And it can evolve over time because once you join one time, you are welcome to return as often as I run OBAAT programs. For FREE.
I’d love to help YOU become optimal.
I’d love to be YOUR health coach.
I’d love to help you unleash YOUR animal.
Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. My 12 week flagship coaching program called OBAAT (for One Bite At A Time) starts today, and it’s not too late to register! If you feel ready to create a paradigm shift around the way you care for your body and brain, then I invite you to learn more at OBAATCoaching.com. If you are tired of diets and protocols that just don’t help you find real freedom when it comes to the way you think about and use food, I believe this is the program for you.
P.P.S. Join ONCE, stay FOREVVVER! That’s right! Once you join OBAAT ONE time, you get lifetime access to ALL future rounds of coaching. FOR FREE. Some of my students have been with me since the very first round as a way to go deeper, learn more, connect with others and continue to stay on the path. I love that. 🙂
P.P.P.S. Here are a bunch of the Frequently Asked Questions I get about my program. Let me know if you have any others by emailing me at Sarah@SarahTalksFood.com.
FAQs
Do you only coach women? Nope! I coach people with a human body and my programs are applicable to everyone. We are an inclusive group and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in our spaces.
Do you only coach people in recovery or those who are overweight? No. I coach all people who are seeking a healthier lifestyle and who want to live with more freedom around food, sugar, weight and their body. Often, people who do my program have either quit drinking or want to quit drinking/cut down and/or lose weight, and I work with anyone who is contemplating making a health change, no matter how that looks for them.
Is your program offered in person or online? Online. You can live anywhere and access it!
What is your program about? My program is essentially MY personal recovery program; the one I patchworked together for myself 18+ years ago and all the way up to today! I share the best of what I’ve learned from the many teachers, coaches, experts and healers who have lit my path as well as the countless books I’ve read, documentaries I’ve watched, and research I’ve conducted (both primary and secondary) that’s all complimented my education to become a health coach.
I believe in a holistic approach, so we don’t isolate the physical from the mental and emotional; we work through exercises designed to help us integrate all aspects of ourselves and to heal in a way that allows us to move out of our past & future, and into the present; the only thing we ever have. You can see the entire curriculum at OBAATCoaching.com by clicking “Learn More” and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at Sarah@SarahTalksFood.com.
Who are you and what do you teach? I’m Sarah! And I’m a woman in long-term recovery from alcohol addiction. I went from being a pack-a-day smoker, nightly drinker, and late-night junk food eater to a woman who cares for–and about–herself in ways I truly never thought possible. I became a health coach to share my best practices–everything that worked really well for me in my life around mindset, fitness and food after I got sober 18+ years ago. Along with teaching my students the basics of nutrition, how to navigate the world of sugar, meal-planning 101, and cooking easy recipes together, we learn how to soothe our emotions without food and we go below the surface to understand ourselves and our behaviors better. We learn healthier ways to communicate, we learn to be more purposeful with our time, we learn to let things go, and we learn how to never, ever, ever go “on” or “off” a diet again. Ever. (Hint: because they work in the exact opposite way than we think they do!)
I’ve tried everything to lose weight. How is your program different? The biggest difference with my program is that it’s got nothing to do with dieting, restricting or sacrificing. It’s all about learning to cultivate a relationship with our bodies. I’ve cultivated a relationship of deep love and trust with my body and I teach others how to do the same with theirs. Caring for and nurturing our incredible, resilient, forgiving, capable, powerful bodies (and BRAINS!) is the most loving thing we can do.
While it’s not really about the food, but rather our mindset and behaviors around food, we certainly talk food all the way along because we still need to make sure we fully understand food and the way it works in the body (and brain!). Doing so makes creating a healthy lifestyle so much easier! It allows us to start wherever we are and know that every single decision we make to nourish and nurture our bodies, counts. The opposite is also true. In my program, we work to arrive at a place where we feel a sense of love and reverence for our body.
How long does your program run and does it run year round? OBAAT runs for 12 weeks and is held 4 times a year, seasonally. The next (Fall) session starts on Tuesday September 8th and ends on Sunday, November 29th, 2020. Once you enroll ONE time, you get unlimited FREE access to ALL future group rounds of OBAAT that I run. Some of my students have been with me since the very beginning as a way for them to stay inspired, motivated, accountable as well as being able to dig deeper into the emotional work of the program.
How much does your program cost? My program costs $497 USD which works out to about $6 per day over 12 weeks. Remember, you get FREE access if you choose to go through any future rounds of OBAAT, so that price could end up being much, much lower. 🙂
What does the program entail/What comes with it? The program consists of 12 weekly lessons, or “trainings” delivered via video inside your Private Member Portal. Each training is between 30 minutes and an hour in length. Each week, you’ll be assigned homework and mid-week, you’ll have a live coaching call with me, via Zoom; You’ll receive a digital copy of my Recipe Guide; a private Facebook group for your group alone–a great place to find community and accountability partners; a digital copy of my book upon completion; and access to me inside the private Facebook group, or via email or text, if needed between weekly live calls.
How much time each week should I set aside for this program? Plan for 30-60 mins to watch the training. As for the assignments, you’ll find they vary widely from person to person and based on how deep you want to go/how much time you want to spend cooking, etc. So, it’s completely up to each student how much time they spend.
When are the weekly trainings available?The first one in the September 2020 round goes up on September 8th. After that, tranings become available every Monday at 5 am ET. They are located inside your private member portal.
When are the live calls? For the September 2020 group, they run on Wednesday nights at 7 pm ET.
How do I access the live calls? We use Zoom. There will be a link that we’ll use every week that I will email you and also share in our private Facebook group.
What if I can’t make it to a Wednesday class? You are encouraged to block it off in your schedule as it’s your opportunity to ask questions and receive coaching, but if you can’t make it to a live class, not to worry! You can always catch the replay (and ask me questions ahead of time in the Facebook group, if you like).
Does everyone see and hear me on their computers? Only if you want us to. You can turn your camera and your microphone off, if you like, but you’re welcome to share and we create safe spaces.
Do you offer refunds? After 12 weeks, if you have completed the assignments and done the work and you truly feel you haven’t benefited from OBAAT, then by all means, I will refund your money.*
Do you only coach people of a certain age? No. I coach adults from age 18 to 118 (no offence to 119 year olds) 😉
*I ask to see proof of assignment completion before issuing a refund.
Leave A Response