Health coach: how to take control of your health

We live in a time of unprecedented opportunities to improve our health. Knowledge and information are available to everyone, so unless you have a genetic predisposition, you could be in perfect health. So why isn't this the case? One reason is that 'knowing' is not the same as 'doing'. Behavioral change is difficult. And if you can really do everything , this can be extremely paralyzing. Because where do you start? Marleen Vernooij, medical assistant in cardiology and health coach at Charged shares her vision.

Health coach: how to take control of your health

Marleen: "To illustrate this, let's go back to the 1980s and how people approached their health back then. Health became increasingly popular during that decade, but it was mainly a group activity. People followed what was 'in' at the time, often without considering what suited their own bodies. Aerobics was all the rage: entire rooms full of people took group classes, inspired by fitness icon Jane Fonda. It was all about participating and burning calories.

Low-fat food

Nutrition in the 1980s was mainly about low-fat foods. Fat was seen as the great enemy of health and everything had to be low-fat. This often happened without much attention to other important aspects, such as sugar intake or a balanced diet. Diets such as Weight Watchers were extremely popular and focused on simply counting calories. For general health questions, you went to your family doctor. If you had a problem, you went to the doctor and they solved it. Wellness, holistic health, and preventive care were still largely unknown to the general public. The focus was mainly on physical health: exercising, losing weight, and looking good. The mental aspect, sleep, and stress management were not yet on the radar. Health in the 1980s was therefore mainly focused on general advice, group activities, and popular trends, without much attention to the unique needs of the individual.

Health in 2025: you ask, we deliver

In 2025, we will know that prevention is better than cure and that lifestyle has a major influence on this. We also want more: not just to avoid getting sick, but to live life to the fullest, full of energy! We know that we differ in personality, home situation, budget, and that women are not just small men. The range of nutrition, exercise, relaxation, tools for good sleep, and social activities is enormous. One person may be vegan, do yoga three times a week, and go to bed at 9:30 p.m., while you may get more energy from eating meat, strength training, and going to bed at 11 p.m. But how do you know? By trying everything? That's possible, of course. But you'd rather know exactly what YOU can do (and not do) best, right? By looking very specifically at your characteristics and needs, you gain in-depth insight into what works for you. 

Your health type

I work as a health coach at Charged. There, we gain in-depth insight by first asking you extensive questions about your current healthy habits (the input) and how these affect how you feel (the output). Based on your answers, we determine your health type. In addition, it is important to consider what your body is telling us. Do you experience a lot of stress or fatigue? How flexible do you feel? Does your lifestyle suit your gender, body composition, cycle (if applicable), stage of life, and home situation?

Measurable health

Physically, you can measure your body composition instead of just your weight, in order to assess the effect of your exercise program on your muscle and fat percentages. You can have blood and DNA tests done to determine your risk of cardiovascular disease, for example, and thus know which risk factors you want to avoid. You can measure whether you are getting enough vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats from your current diet, or whether you should make some changes or take specific supplements. And you can measure stress in your body using heart rate variability, for example. Wearables such as a Fitbit, Oura Ring, or WHOOP measure your movement, heart rate, and recovery, so you know how your body is responding, when you can step it up a notch, or when you need more rest. 

Remain pragmatic

And now I hear you thinking: "Isn't this a bit excessive?" Perhaps you've seen the Netflix documentary "Don't Die," about Bryan Johnson, a tech millionaire who is trying to stop aging with extreme health measures. From strict diets to medical innovations such as blood transfusions with his son, Johnson strives for perfect health. As far as I'm concerned, this is not the goal. Health is a prerequisite for living a good life, not a goal in itself (unless it makes you very happy, of course). We want to grow old as healthily and energetically as possible. It helps to know exactly what is important to you, because that saves time, money, and energy.

Hormonal cycle

For me, regularly doing our Health Scan and the daily insights from the Oura ring have helped me gain more insight into how my hormonal cycle affects my well-being. That I actually have a higher heart rate, higher temperature, lower HRV, and less energy. The figures help me to actually act on this, by sleeping more, demanding less of myself when exercising, and eating extra well. Curious about what your body needs? Then fill in here the Longevity Questionnaire here and get an indication of your biological age. In the live webinar , Nora delves deeper into these themes.

Charged

This article was written by Marleen Vernooij, Cardiology Medical Assistant and Health Coach at Charged. Driven by her personal health journey, combined with her regular and complementary backgrounds, she coaches people toward better health, energy, and ownership.