Time to Register for
The Wellness Forum's Fall Continuing Education Conference
November 12-14, Columbus, Ohio
Our conferences are life-changing events for those who attend. The education is amazing, the food is the best you'll ever eat, and the opportunity to meet and get to know others who practice and promote plant-based nutrition is fantastic.
This conference will feature Dr. Mark Messina, the world's leading expert on soy; Dr. Amy Lanou, author of Building Bone Vitality, Trina Handler, hypnotherapist, and Chef AJ, the famous vegan chef from California. Other activities include the Saturday night multi-course gourmet vegan meal with wine pairings and opportunities for workouts with our expert trainers.
Tickets are only $99 for non-members and $49 for members. Seating is limited, so make your reservations today by calling our office at 614 841-7700.
For more conference details go to our web site.
Motivation for Change
This week's questions deal with important issues concerning diet and lifestyle change; how to motivate people to make positive changes, and to help people to stick with new habits. I've received questions during the last week from several people who are struggling to start the process of health improvement, and from a medical doctor who is concerned about how to get more people interested in taking charge of their health.
This is an issue that interests me for many reasons. I have been unsuccessful in convincing many of my own family members and others who are close to me to practice dietary excellence and I'd like to reach even more people through The Wellness Forum. If there's a "secret" to convincing people out there, I'm interested in finding out about it.
I'm not a psychologist and do not claim to have all the answers, but we've had enough success at The Wellness Forum with enough people to offer some suggestions that might be helpful. (Note: I've paraphrased some of the inquiries in the interest of grammar and space)
Dr. Pam, have you always practiced dietary excellence? I and most of the people I know have eaten poorly for decades and I'm wondering if some of you in the nutrition field don't understand what it is like for those of us who struggle.
I certainly do understand. For the record, my diet was horrible until about 16 years ago, and I hardly ever exercised. I converted from having the worst habits imaginable to practicing dietary excellence and engaging in regular exercise. Once I made up my mind, the diet and exercise habits were easy to develop and keep. However, there have been other areas in my life where I have had difficulty making changes, so I understand how hard change can be in general. I'm sure some of my family and friends have felt frustration with me over the years while I struggled to make changes I needed to make that did not come as easily as lifestyle change did for me.
So, how do we get people to change?
Based on my own experience and what I've gained from working with others, I think people tend to change their ways when the pain of staying the same begins to be worse than the difficulties associated with change. This is one of the reasons we have more success with people who are sicker; they are often highly motivated either because they are afraid, or because they are tired of being ill and are really ready to be healthy.
The bigger problem is how we motivate people who are not in a crisis to pay attention to their health before the crisis occurs. I think one thing that prevents some people from making the changes they should is that they are not told just how bad some of the foods they are eating are for them. Our government and most health care professionals are not telling people in directly enough about the risks associated with eating foods like dairy products, and as long as most people perceive the risks to be small or nonexistent, they will continue to eat these foods.
I am really struggling. My life is hectic, and I have no time for myself to eat healthy or exercise. I have developed some serious health issues and I need to lose a lot of weight. Give me some suggestions on how to start. I purchased Wellness 101 for home study, but have not yet started it.
There are three potential reasons why people do not do the things they say they want to do. The first is lack of organization. You probably know people who get an incredible number of things done every day. They have the same number of hours to work with as the rest of us, but they are more organized and efficient. Fortunately, organization and efficiency are skills that can be learned; becoming more organized and efficient will allow you to include more activities in your day, including healthy eating and exercise.
The second reason is prioritizing. We all make decisions every day to do some things and not to do others based on our priorities. Having a spotless house is less important to me than going to yoga; reading and learning are more important to me than shopping for clothes. It seems there are always things I'm not getting to, but I do get to the things that are important to me. You may have to examine the things you spend time on and change your priorities in order to make time to take proper care of yourself.
The last reason is that you may not have decided that improving your health is a priority. Before you dismiss this idea, think about it. I have encountered many people who think they should be thinner and healthier, many times because other people tell them that they should. But they really have not decided that this is an immediate goal for them. If this is the case, then perhaps it's time to get honest with yourself about what you really want.
If health is on your list of priorities, remember that people do not get what they want; they get what they schedule. A quick look at your appointment book will provide a pretty good picture of where you're going in life. If you're not happy with this direction, you can change it very quickly by scheduling different activities. In this case, scheduling study time for Wellness 101 and exercise would be great places to start.
How can we motivate people who are taking medications for coronary artery disease and other conditions to change their diets and improve their health? It amazes me that I talk to people who have poor health, and they don't seem motivated to change.
First, it is often hard to be a prophet in your own land. Some of the people closest to me have made changes after hearing speakers like Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn or Dr. John McDougall. An out-of-town speaker who is an expert sometimes commands more attention. This is fine with me - I just want people to get the message.
I also think that we have to wait for teachable moments. I don't want people to run away from me because I'm always preaching about diet and health. Sometimes it is better to wait until a question is asked or a topic comes up in conversation in order to make a comment or recommendation.
I also think that exposing people to the information through formal events is helpful and often more effective, which is why The Wellness Forum continues to grow, even with all of the books, DVD's and websites providing information on plant-based diets. Many people are trying to have substantive conversations about health with others while picking up their kids from school, at dinner parties, and at other social events, when it would be easier and more appropriate to invite them to attend a luncheon, dinner, conference call or other event to learn more about diet and health.
When I am making formal presentations (at dinners, lunches, lectures, or in companies in which we are conducting cost-reduction programs) I have found that one of the biggest motivators for change is to show people how ineffective the drugs and treatments they are receiving really are. I use information from the package inserts for the drugs along with results of published studies showing that patients generally get worse if they continue to receive traditional medical care for chronic degenerative conditions. The medical profession and the drug companies manage to hold on to their near-monopoly because they have managed to keep the misinformation flowing about the efficacy and safety of their products and procedures. Correct information often becomes a powerful motivator because it moves people from complacency to action.
I'll finish with this thought. No matter what we do, there are some people who we are never going to reach. We have to be invested in providing the information not in the outcome, and we cannot be discouraged from talking to the next person who may be willing to listen because someone has not responded the way we wanted them to.
Nutrition Educator Program Approved!
The State of Ohio has approved our Nutrition Educator Diploma Program! Classes will start in the first semester of 2011.
This program is for individuals who are seeking a career in a nutrition-related field and want an alternative to traditional dietetics. The curriculum includes basic science courses that are more rigorous than those required for many undergraduate nutrition degrees; courses that combine nutritional science with strategies for assisting clients in achieving and maintaining optimal health and effective approaches for common degenerative conditions; and many classes designed to teach practical skills needed for gainful employment. The program concludes with 200 hours of practical experience during which a candidate must demonstrate his/her ability to work effectively in the nutrition education field.
The program's objectives are to provide candidates with a rigorous science-based education in nutrition; to prepare students to teach and incorporate dietary interventions for the prevention, treatment or reversal of common diseases; to develop practical skills for making a living in the nutrition field; and to insure that students understand public policy issues that affect nutrition and health of the population.
Classes are offered through distance learning via live and interactive conference calls (a virtual classroom), making the program accessible to everyone regardless of location.
Full-time students will complete the classroom portion in 4 semesters, and then complete their 200-hour internship within 6 months of the end of their last semester.
Part-time students can take courses at their own pace, and all completed courses will be applied toward completion of the diploma program. The 200-hour practical experience module must be completed within 6 months of the end of the last qualifying class.
For more information about this program, you can either call the office at 614 841-7700 or email a request for a course catalog to pampopper@msn.com.
I have scheduled two more conference calls to discuss and answer questions about this program. The dates are:
- Tuesday September 21 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Wednesday, October 20 9:00 p.m. EDT
There is no charge for these calls; just call the office to get a number and passcode.
Upcoming Events
- MEMBERS ONLY: Weight Loss with Natala - Conference Call*
- MEMBERS ONLY: Conversations with Dr. Popper*
- MEMBERS ONLY: Wellness 101 Class
- CHEF DEL: Kid-Friendly Meals Cooking Class with Wendy Gabriel
*For MEMBERS ONLY: There is no charge for these classes, but you will need to call the office for a number and passcode.
NEW!!! - We are now combining webinars with interactive conference calls. You'll be looking at the slide show on your screen, while talking to the speaker and the other participants on the phone! This should facilitate more interaction, which both the speakers and the attendees like better. Let the staff explain how this works when you call to register.
ATTENTION MEMBERS: What's on the "Members Only" website? See Chef Del's cooking videos and if you missed a MO conference call or webinar (audio portion only), we are now posting them on the MO website.
Problems with access for either of these, just call the office at 614 841-7700.
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