My Journey to Becoming a Health Coach

Becoming a health coach was an idea that first came to me almost 15 years before I actually decided to take the leap and go to school to become certified.

I had always enjoyed helping people, and I had a natural affinity for wellness. Looking back, I think my own journey toward health started much earlier than I realized.

I grew up in an era when kids ate Pop-Tarts for breakfast, washed their Lunchables down with Nesquik, and didn’t think twice about it. My parents meant well, but the wellness movement wasn’t nearly as prominent as it is today, and I was responsible for making most of my own meals besides dinner.

So, naturally, I was scooping spoonfuls of sugar into my cereal and drinking soda every day. I became so dependent on it that I would actually get a headache if I didn’t have my afternoon Pepsi.

As I got older and began learning more about what my body truly needed, something clicked. It was like a light bulb went off. I started thinking about my body differently—as something I wanted to nourish, care for, and respect.

I became intentional about what I put into my body. I started learning about nutrition and the vitamins and nutrients different foods provided. As I learned more about pesticides and the way our food is grown, I began choosing organic foods whenever possible, eventually buying organic about 90% of the time.

I also started paying attention to something just as important: how I felt.

How did I feel after eating certain foods? Did I have energy, or did I feel sluggish? Did something upset my stomach? Did I feel nourished and satisfied?

I began listening to my body instead of simply following rules about what I should or shouldn’t eat. If something consistently didn’t make me feel good, I eliminated it or chose to have it only occasionally.

That shift made taking care of myself feel so much less stressful. I didn’t have to constantly wonder whether I was making the “right” choice. I was learning to understand my own body and trust the signals it was giving me.

Over time, I lost weight, my body felt less inflamed, and I had more energy.

But eventually, I realized that true wellness was about so much more than what I ate.

As my healing journey continued, I began looking inward. I started working on my emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being—not just my physical health.

And that was when some of the most profound changes began to happen.

I noticed my anxiety beginning to dissipate. My looping thoughts became quieter. I felt more grounded and more connected to myself and to my body. I began to understand that our physical health, emotional well-being, mindset, and spiritual life are not separate pieces of us. They are deeply interconnected.

It was during this time that I knew I wanted to share what I had learned with other people. I wanted to take the knowledge and experiences I had gained through my own journey and use them to help others on theirs.

And then I remembered the school I had discovered all those years ago: The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

I found myself circling back to that thought I had carried with me for nearly 15 years:

I want to be a health coach.

Looking back, I truly believe it all came together in divine timing.

Maybe I wasn’t ready 15 years ago. I needed to experience my own growth. I needed to learn what my body was teaching me. I needed to explore the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of healing. I needed to live through the process myself before I could authentically guide someone else through theirs.

Today, that is what I love most about being a health coach.

I don't believe wellness is about perfection, restriction, or following someone else's definition of what healthy looks like. I believe it is about learning to listen to your body, understanding what you need, and creating a life that supports your whole self—mind, body, energy, and spirit.

If you've been thinking about creating a healthier, more balanced, and fulfilling life for yourself, I'd love to connect with you.

Book a complimentary 30-minute call, and we can talk about where you are now, where you'd like to be, and how I can support you on your journey.

Sending love and light on your healing journey,

Amanda G.

Anam Cara Holistic Healing