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I Am Not a Health Coach

Women want guidance on portion control and how much protein to consume. That’s not what they need.
Lina Salazar

Lina Salazar

3 Min Read

I am not a health coach. I am an awareness coach. 

Women ask me to “fix” their craziness around food and their bodies, and they want me to provide The Answer. They want guidance on portion control and how much protein to consume, but that’s not what they need. 

Instead, I coach women on how to develop awareness, the most important skill anyone can build or regain.

Awareness is the door to change and growth. Thanks to awareness I recovered from an eating disorder and body obsession. My “muscle” of awareness got stronger as a result of a consistent meditation practice that I started seven years ago.

Awareness decreases your tendency to be on autopilot. With awareness, you clearly see the triggers (e.g. lack of purpose at work or fear of failing) and your usual reactions (e.g. binge eating or spending too much money on things you don’t need).

Awareness gives you    m  o  r  e      s  p   a   c  e    to see that you can take a different, wiser path (e.g. plan your career, challenge your beliefs).

By Lina Salazar, Live Well

When the women I work with first experience awareness, they “see” when their minds tell them to eat an entire loaf of bread because they are sad or fear failing. It’s thanks to awareness that they pause, reflect on their state of mind, and can tell if they actually are hungry, full or just need rest. That is freedom.

A former client told me: “Our work was a powerful resource for understanding my issues with food, but what’s stuck with me the most is how much calmer my whole life feels. Originally, I just wanted to “solve” my mania around food, but my friendships, partnership, relationships with my family, and job have all taken on a different weight as I become more present”.

Training in awareness can help you quit smoking, minimize drinking, and manage stress, anger or compulsive behaviors. Awareness can help you build healthier habits and break those that don’t serve you well.

Trust me. The process of improving any area of your life will be easier if you train your mind in awareness—no matter what tools you choose (I suggest meditation).

In what area of your life do you feel on autopilot and believe you could use some a w a r e n e s s and s p a c e ?

Written by Lina Salazar

The information provided in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use.



Author(s)

  • Lina Salazar

    Anti-Diet Health Coach

    Live Well

    Lina is an Anti-diet Health Coach based in Washington D.C. She helps women make peace with food by breaking free from diet culture, increased emotional agility, and an enhanced attunement to their bodies. Lina’s practice is based on the principles of Health at Every Size® (HAES), intuitive eating, and leading insights and tools from eastern thought on how to actualize emotional, mental, and physical well-being.  She also works with companies and leads mindfulness sessions in organizations of all sizes. Prior to this work, Lina worked for several years in international development, passing through entities such as the OECD in Paris and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington D.C. Lina holds a dual master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University, and Sciences Po in Paris. She is a political scientist and a lawyer from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Lina got her certification at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. Lina is a board member at FRESHFARM, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable agriculture and improves food access and equity in the Mid-Atlantic region. Lina writes for Thrive Global, and has been interviewed on the podcasts Lunch Agenda, Simple Roots, pineapple radio, Unbreakable You and A-Cup. You can follow Lina on Instagram, LinkedIn and read her blog.