I’ve been spreading the word about the primal lifestyle for over a decade now, and while the information on this blog and in my books has reached millions, I wonder how many of these millions have actually been able to live some version of a primal life consistently and confidently. My guess is, not as many as I’d like.
Of course not. Because changing the way we live, think, eat, move, is one of the greatest challenges of the human experience. Behavior change is TOUGH, my friends, but the future of the world’s health depends on it.
I’m watching more and more of my colleagues put out terrific, research-backed health information, and I’ve certainly been trying to do the same, but despite the growing wealth of knowledge available, Americans overall appear to be getting unhealthier.
I think it’s safe to say, it’s not because they don’t know better. It’s more likely because they don’t know HOW to apply the knowledge to their lives on a long-term basis. This is where health coaching comes in, and this is why I started the Primal Health Coach program.
You’re here for a reason. You’re interested in living a healthy lifestyle and are either looking deeper into the Primal Blueprint laws, or have been practicing them faithfully for while. You are an anomaly. You are a revolutionary. Congratulations!
If we look at America as a whole, however, we see a much different profile.
Eating habits: The typical American diet consists of way too much refined grains, added sugars, and trans fats. As of 2013, Americans ate fruit 1.1 times a day, and vegetables 1.6 times a day—far below standard dietary guidelines and Primal Blueprint recommendations. Do we know the importance of eating our veggies? Sure. But the average intake shows a gaping hole between knowing and doing. I’d love to blame it on the fact that there are twice as many fast food restaurants tempting us as there were in the 1970s, but we’re the ones pulling into the drive-thru and there’s accountability to be had.
Physical activity: We still aren’t moving as much as we should, even though fitness offers a new fad for exploration almost every day. Nearly 80% of adults aren’t meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic conditioning and strength training. And if we don’t move, we’re at a higher risk for life-threatening, chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers.
Then there’s the obesity epidemic, which keeps rising steadily with each new estimate. A snapshot of fast facts from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2013–2014 says it best:
We’ve been made well aware of the dangers of obesity-related conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. We also know the right lifestyle conditions can help stave off these preventable diseases. Still, the statistics climb unfavorably.
Unfortunately, much of America and the world aren’t following the Grok life and living in accordance with the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws. And education is just the first part of the solution.
To understand just how difficult behavior change is, as well as the necessity of health coaches, we merely need to look at the disastrous success rate of New Year’s resolutions, apropos for this time of year.
At the start of this year, Statistic Brain Research Institute surveyed 1,562 people to determine the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions of 2017. The #1 resolution was weight loss and healthy eating, with 21.4% of people surveyed making a rededication to their health.
It’s the end of the year, so let’s check in. How many of that 21% are still committed to their New Year’s resolutions as 2017 reaches an end? University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people stick to their New Year’s goals. So, that would be just 26 people out of 334, if Statistic Brain’s numbers are accurate. Either way, a very small number of people are successful when it comes to sticking with new eating, exercise, and lifestyle plans, even when they know what’s good for them, and even if they have a desire to change.
Health coaches have been trained to take that desire and turn it into value-based goals and corresponding actionable steps. They motivate, they inspire confidence, and they encourage self-awareness and accountability. Health coaches know how to actively listen, reflectively question, and build lasting behavior change that takes clients to the finish line of their goals and beyond. I’d bet that if more people had health coaches directing their desires, setting agendas, creating accountability, and fostering commitment, that 8% could easily become a solid 88%.
What’s especially exciting to me is that health coaching is a field fit for inspirers of all kinds, not just the scientifically inclined. You can pursue a career in wellness without having to go back to grad school and accrue debt. It helps people live healthier, and provides a prosperous living to those wanting more from a career.
Of all my professional endeavors, the Primal Health Coach program keeps me directly tapped into my global mission to transform the health of millions. I’m truly passionate about the work we’re doing. As the program continues to develop and grow, I’m getting an even clearer picture of how important health coaches are to the future of healthcare. I’d like to share this progress with you, my community of Primal enthusiasts—because it’s important information to have for personal edification and for those of you interested in sharing the Primal way of life with others. I think you’ll really appreciate how far we’ve come!
Let’s go back to the very beginning—2014. We’d made incredible strides in the ancestral health movement, but we were still on the outskirts and reaching only those who dared venture outside mainstream lines. We’ve woven a vast network of Primal devotees through Mark’s Daily Apple, changed hundreds of thousands of lives, but I didn’t want to plateau there. I wanted to help even more people take control of their health and well-being, especially in the face of a broken healthcare system and a cesspool of misinformation too readily available to the masses. Why not start a health coaching program centered on the Primal philosophy? And so I did.
The Primal Health Coach program kills several birds with one stone. By training a network of health coaches, I’m reaching far more people than I could alone, and I’m also helping others build the careers of their dreams. The growth of the network since 2014 has been amazing. Thousands of folks who are passionate about health and wellness have joined the program, and are embarking on careers that make a real difference in the world.
Our health coaches are going deep into the belly of the Primal Blueprint, learning the guts of evolutionary biology. It has been so incredibly rewarding to watch them take all they have learned and help others regain control of their health, circumventing the broken healthcare system and getting tremendous results.
Like Carolyn Coffin, physical therapist turned health coach:
The Primal Health Coach program is exactly what I needed to take my health coaching business to the next level. For the past 5 years, I’ve been health coaching without even realizing it’s a “thing,” but simply because I’ve felt a calling to do so. I’ve gone from feeling like an imposter to feeling like I belong in this amazing community of like-minded people who are on a similar mission. But most of all, I’m far more confident in my ability to create lasting change for my clients and finally enjoy a fulfilling and profitable career doing exactly what I love.
And Dana Leigh Lyons, Doctor of Oriental Medicine:
The Primal Health Coach program expanded my access to and credibility with people who embrace primal principles but who may not have considered holistic medicine, enhancing my practice and extending my professional reach. The modules offer a wealth of knowledge…plus expert guidance for turning that knowledge into a livelihood.
Then there are aspiring health professionals like Jeff Dougherty, who are launching into an entirely new field!
I started this adventure to simply further my education on this way of life. As a result I have become extremely passionate about helping people in their wellness journey. There is a massive amount of information online, and being able to help clients filter through the noise and focus on relevant steps toward achieving optimal wellness has been rewarding. This is not a fad! I am not a trainer, degreed nutritionist or gym manager. I am just a guy who loves helping people and this course has allowed me to pursue that dream.
We’re keeping close tabs on all our graduates. You can check out some of their success stories here.
While the course is self-paced and online, we’ve been very focused on community building and outreach, encouraging connections between students and graduates through our lively private Facebook groups and special events.
This year we took Primal Health Coach to Paleo f(x) and the CrossFit Games, co-hosted a Los Angeles Meetup, and held our Inaugural Masterclass, where a small select group of students and graduates joined me and Christine Hassler for a weekend retreat. We met at my house in Malibu and brainstormed the most effective ways to break down barriers and confidently move forward to the career of their dreams. I love being able to meet our students and grads in person. We had a blast, and I can’t wait to do it again in 2018.
Speaking of 2018, we have big plans for next year, so if you’ve been thinking of exploring a career in health coaching, I recommend getting in now before the year’s end to lock in the existing rate.
I can’t unveil what’s coming in 2018 (yet) but I can tell you we’ve made significant investments to the program throughout 2017. We implemented a brand new learning center platform to improve the overall learning experience. We updated and expanded coaching coursework, so our grads not only have all the Primal knowledge they need, but also have the coaching expertise to communicate effectively with clients and inspire lasting transformation.
We also developed a brand new Business Resource Center to give our coaches all the tools required to build a successful business upon graduation.
Health Professional Michael Kaye summed his experience with the program up nicely:
The Primal Health Coaching program has been extremely helpful to me, my family and to my patients. The PHC program is an excellent gateway to those who want to begin their path in the health coaching field and the program is also a wonderful adjunct for the professional who would like to enhance their education as Mark provides excellent resource material and references to support his recommendations and concepts. I am currently enjoying their new business coaching module(s) as they provide you with forms, recommendations and guidance to building your coaching business. Since people have different learning styles (auditory, visual, etc.) Mark provides you with the ability to learn through recordings, video, and/or reading text material. Most importantly, I enjoy their Facebook community as everyone is willing to share their knowledge and experience. I look forward to growing my relationship with the Primal Health Coaching community and I am sure they will continue to provide additional guidance and new products to help not only ourselves but our clients as well.
Yes, Michael…we most certainly will! There’s a lot more on the horizon.
In the meantime, check out my webinar with Christine Hassler that’s all about how to make a lucrative living as a health coach. Just click here to sign up. If you think it’s a good fit, give us a ring at 844-307-7662 (or 310-579-6596) and join our community.
And if you need a coach of your own, don’t hesitate to contact one of ours. You can find the best of the best here to support you with your personal health and wellness goals—whatever they are. As always, thanks so much for your support and for a terrific year, everybody!
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