Heartfelt Health

Heartfelt Health

I have been passionate about health since my teenage years. Exercise and healthy eating has always been my lifestyle for as long as I can remember. My character is founded in health consciousness. Through my life experiences, I have gained insight to what it really means to be healthy. I have had many traumatic experiences in life that have caused detours and roadblocks to my fitness practices, but the one thing that remained constant is my stable, joyful, inner being. I attribute my good health and well being to my firm belief that the body has a natural healing power, as well as my belief that a power greater than me, a special divine presence called faith, guards and protects my health.

I have learned from my experiences that the body reacts to matters of the heart. My body has reacted to trauma by gaining weight. In theory, my body's protective measure against harm is the excess weight. As a health and wellness passionate, I have grown to understand the human heart and the relationship between heart matters and physical and emotional health. Many health and fitness professionals, in my opinion, neglect to gain such insight and continue to focus on the physical appearance of their clients. I challenge everyone to make a paradigm shift and focus on the client. My recent experiences in working with a health coach, and a personal trainer have been more frustrating than rewarding. Both professionals, although knowledgeable in their fields, focused on my weight and not the big picture. By focusing on that number, my confidence was undermined instead of strengthened. The results were weight-gain, instead of weight loss, with an injured knee to boot! My point is, when you focus on the numbers and not people, in any business or profession, you will negatively impact the lives of others, not to mention your bottom line.

Over the years my observations of human behavior have conflicted with the beliefs and practices of the health and fitness profession. I have noticed that when people obsess about physical appearances such as weight, measurements, muscle bulk or definition, dress size, etc., they sacrifice their health, and develop conditions such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, eating disorders, poor body image and sometimes cancer. As health and wellness professionals, I ask you to join me in making a difference in the profession by empowering, inspiring, and promoting heartfelt health.

Theoretically, heartfelt health tells us that when one focuses on the client’s needs, the profits will follow because the sincere interaction builds a trusting, respectful relationship between the professional and the client. Now, to test the theory, apply it to my experience with a health coach. When I contacted a health coach, for privacy purposes her name remains undisclosed, I was in a fearful state of mind. I was in a vulnerable position in which my safety and security were in jeopardy. I expressed my fears and worries, and asked for assistance with confidence building. Instead of focusing on the immediate need, she pointed out that I was overweight and that I needed to work on my diet and exercise. When I tried to explain my history to her, she proceeded to say: “don’t tell me at such and such weight, that you eat healthy …. You gained the weight because you like to eat the wrong foods and you need a coach to help you get into shape.” Reflecting upon this experience, how profitable was the interaction for this professional?

Consider my next experience with a personal trainer. I told her my goal was to feel as strong as I felt when I was in the military. Again, my main conce
was building my confidence, because I knew I would eventually lose the weight when my body was ready. She pointed out that my goal should be to lose weight and that because of my weight I could only eat a certain amount of protein and no sweets at all. After I finished explaining that I am a vegetarian, she continued to educate me on nutrition by explaining that chicken is better to eat than beef, and that I should eat mostly salad and no bread, etc. Reflecting upon this experience, how profitable was the interaction for this professional?

My concept of heartfelt health is not a new one; rather, it is one that brings individuals back to the basics. Our hearts hold many gifts and talents that, when accessed, allow us to sincerely and humbly navigate this chaotic world that we live in, with a stable, peaceful presence that creates profound impressions, and builds enriching relationships that drive sustainable profits. By tapping into the wonders of the heart, not only will you grow as an individual, you will also impact the lives of others as well, which can be more rewarding than closing the deal.

Sincerely,
Marisa DiTommaso, M.A.