Have you ever wondered what a health coach does and how she might be able to help you? Today on Crunchy Christian Podcast, Julie talks with health coach and holistic nutritionist, Tresa Rolando Salters of Live Well Blessed. Tresa is also a featured speaker at the upcoming Family Wellness Conference.
Tresa, tell our listeners a bit about what led you to become an integrative nutrition health coach.
 

Well, I had problems with reflux, and I went to the doctor, and he put me on medication. And, I actually felt worse on medication. So, I stopped it, and I did some research. I decided to try going gluten free to see if that would make a difference. I had an endoscope, and it didn't look great. But, I got started on the gluten free diet and did it for about six months. And when I went back for another endoscope, the doctor said, “Whatever you're doing, keep doing it.” And from there, I felt like I needed to help others. I had heard about this integrative nutrition program a few times in my research. So, I decided that becoming a health coach and getting a degree in holistic nutrition was the right path.
So, what is the difference? For example, what can a health coach do? How do they help?
 

Well, the way I see it is they're just a guide for someone to live a healthier life. That may mean eating healthier or integrating really good healthy habits into their lifestyle. And when I work with somebody, I start by telling them to keep a journal of what they're eating and what they're doing every day. And we talk about all the different pieces such as, Are you moving your body? Are you drinking enough water? Tresa talks about other things she does for people and how she integrates her faith on the podcast.
That sounds great! A lot times people have great intentions and they just don’t know how to go about it. So, a health coach like you can come alongside them and encourage them and give them the steps to take. It sounds like an accountability partner or support person.
 

That's exactly right. It's really huge just have somebody to check in with and know that they care about you because new habits can be hard to get going.
You also have a background in essential oils from what I understand. So how do you integrate that with being a health coach?
 

I was always interested in any kind of natural solution and I've been with doTERRA for about four and a half years. They offer a lot of education and I have learned so much about the oils. So, I started experimenting and my family started eliminating medications and household products that were toxic. So, I really try to help my health coach clients understand that they have these other alternatives and I share the oils with them. I start with simple things like you know, add some lemon to your water. Hear more from Tresa about this on the podcast.
On another note, on your website, you do mention that you are a trained in Christian yoga. I’m curious about how you’ve been able to overcome its association with Hindu worship and make it truly part of your worship of the Lord. Can you share a bit about that.
 

It's something that I even struggled with myself, because I love yoga. I've been doing it since I was a teenager. And I've always loved how it made me feel. And when I decided to become a yoga teacher, it was one of those things that I was really trying to balance. But I did some research on it. And it's really interesting for you to know that, actually, yoga predates the Hindu religion by about 1000 years. So, yoga was around for a long, long time. And then the Hindus kind of took it and made it part of their religion. But yoga was already there. And you know, there's only so many ways that you can move your bo...