Who Is Your A-Team?
I recently watched the movie “Fed Up“. One of my favorite take aways was to have an A-Team to support you with your health and wellness.
I am breaking down some of the modalities I recommend and have personally tried. I separated them into physical & emotional support tools. If there any tools you have had success with, please share. And only try these recommendations if they resonate with you.
Physical
- Functional or Integrative Medicine Physician: Google this phrase in your location, interview an M.D or D.O. that you resonate with and take your health to the next level. They do more specific lab testing, and overall wellness vs. disease care.
- Acupuncture: These amazing doctors, have so much knowledge and provide hands on care. They check your pulse, tongue, eyes, and listen to what your body is experiencing. I compare this modality with rebooting your computer. Your nervous system gets a deep restoration and your body gets to rebalance.
- Massage Therapist: Book these regularly. Besides the deep tissue techniques we all crave, try more energy shifting alternatives. Look for therapists who have done extensive trainings and have your highest good at heart.
- Physical Therapist &Chiropractor & Feldenkrais Practitioners (an upcoming blog): These people can help you BEFORE you get an injury. If you have a nagging pain and don’t address it, your body will eventually experience an injury or more pain.
- Integrative Pharmacist: Look for a wellness clinic in your area that has supplements on hand that can support you from preventing a cold to helping you with food poisoning. There are pharmacist who were traditionally trained and then went on to help with a more preventative approach.
Emotional
- Meditation Coach: Meditation is scientifically proven to reduce stress. Stress is the #1 indicator for disease and an unhealthy life style. Meditation changed my life. Do not approach it as a perfectionist, ease in, be kind to yourself and it will become something you can not live with out.
- Relationship Coach & Therapist: Relationships are the hardest and the most desirable experiences in our lives. Whether it be your family, friends, co-workers, boss, or significant others, these relationships take so much of our time and energy. Having someone who has your back to help you process and offer other perspectives is key to enhancing your relationships to become healthier.
- Mentors: People of influence help us all feel motivated and supported. Reaching out to these people may surprise you, because they may be available. Nine out of ten times when I have reached out to someone who wrote a book I loved, or saw speaking live, they had time to answer some deep questions. I personally love having interns and answering questions regarding my field. I learn so much from these connections.
- Nutritionist: Of course I had to write this:) We are overwhelmed with so much nutrition information and then we ‘try’ it on our own. Observing how your body responds is the most important part of trying anything new. I added this under emotional for a few reasons. As I study the science behind our bodies and how the function efficiently, it is no doubt that nutrition is very important. However, most people have trouble changing their habits and beliefs. The relationship you have with yourself, your body and food is a story that you may need to change. Releasing shame and guilt with food has become even more of my passion. Having someone guide and support you and as you experiment and evolve will have lasting effects versus just putting you on another program or diet.
- Intuition or Life Coach: If you feel that you haven’t found your passion or cause, work with one of these experts who can help you discover more insights about yourself.
And of course a Primary Care Physician. If you have an amazing primary care physician who is open and supports other modalities, you are extra supported. I have been finding more and more physicians who are studying other types of preventative medicine because they want to see their patients become and stay healthy. A true testament if you are a good practitioner is that your people don’t “need” you anymore, and only come in for tune ups:)
“Give me a minute, I’m good. Give me an hour, I’m great. Give me six months, I’m unbeatable.”
-Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith
Go A Team,
Heather Fleming
