Shifting The Focus

Making small changes is a necessary step toward improving. How people approach daily routines can determine how they will feel and their ability to lead fulfilling lives. And in the face of health conditions, adjusting everyday wellness habits – and how we view wellness as a whole – can help us optimize our lifestyles for better overall health.

On the Ingrained & Balanced podcast about practicing a well-balanced lifestyle, hosts Lonnie and Marty discuss ways to achieve wellness after undergoing health adversities. On season 1, episode 15, they are joined by guest speaker Sarah Machemer, a fitness coach whose Crohn's disease diagnosis inspired her to adjust her approach to wellness and lifestyle habits.

Sarah's Wellness Journey

Sarah has always prioritized her physical fitness. But in college, she began facing health challenges after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. While managing her illness and maintaining her fitness, Sarah learned first-hand the importance of adjusting her lifestyle and thought processes.

On the podcast, Sarah joins Marty and Lonnie to discuss her current health habits and the lessons she learned about maintaining wellness while having a physical illness.

Small Changes for Big Results

As Sarah's health journey with Crohn's progressed, she realized she had to make significant lifestyle changes to keep her condition at bay.

To manage her autoimmune disease, she learned to watch her diet, alcohol consumption, stress levels, and daily habits.

In doing so, Sarah had to unlearn many of the ideas she once held about healthy habits and adjust her overall outlook on wellness.

Focus on Habits - Not Quick Fixes

Sarah received medication and treatment for Crohn's disease at the University of Chicago. However, despite the university's reputation for providing peak gastrointestinal care, she found that her doctors failed to emphasize the impact that diet and alcohol consumption would have on her condition. 

This experience inspired Sarah to take it upon herself to learn the importance of nutrition and gut health for those with Crohn's disease. She now believes that, when treating a condition, medical professionals should focus more on the importance of dietary health over medication alone. 

Sarah now views treatment for health conditions as a joint effort, involving both medical care through medication as well as appropriate lifestyle changes. 

Focus on Feeling - Not Physical Appearance

Like many of us, Sarah's fitness motivation used to rely heavily on changing her physical appearance rather than improving her physical health. As a former bodybuilder, she explains on the podcast how she would eat and exercise to achieve a desired body type while paying little attention to how she felt as a result of these actions.

Today, Sarah adjusts her habits based on the feelings of wellness after meals and workouts. By prioritizing her intake of proper nutrients and exercise, Sarah has witnessed improvement in how she feels physically and mentally. 

Physical and mental health can influence one another as well, which is why it is important to pay attention to these feelings. After developing Pyoderma following a period of high stress, Sarah began prioritizing her mental wellness - and her physical health as a result. Now habits like journaling and practicing gratitude allow her to reduce her stress and better manage her condition.

Focus on Building Strength - Not Losing Weight

As a strength training and fat-loss coach and the creator of be.FIT by Sarah, she helps her clients live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle through fitness and habit adjustments. Although "fat loss" is part of her title, Sarah explains that she emphasizes strength building as the main focus of her fitness coaching rather than losing weight.

Society often glorifies the fat-loss aspect of exercise rather than focusing on building muscle. However, fat loss efforts can promote unhealthy dietary and fitness practices that negatively impact the body. Instead, Sarah explains that people should focus on exercising to improve health and to feel better. 

By making lifestyle changes with the intention of experiencing more strength and better health, Sarah believes anyone can achieve wellness, even if they experience health adversities.

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To learn more about be.FIT by Sarah and Sarah's tips for leading a healthy lifestyle, check out the Ingrained & Balanced Podcast.