Advice On Health and Wellness
Interview with Health & Wellness Coach: Kelli Arbogast
Script from interview:
Nafije Prishtina
How are you today Kelli?
Kelli Arbogast
I'm doing well. Thank you. How are you?
Nafije Prishtina
Awesome. Wonderful. So yeah, this is coach Kelli and she's here to give us some tips on how we can shine from the inside out in our health and just overall well-being. So, before we get started, and before you get to know Kelli and her work, I would like to just give you guys a brief introduction, and then we'll let Kelli go from there.
So, Kelli is a nutritional therapy practitioner. She lives in southern Colorado where she owns a nutrition practice. She enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and soaking in the natural hot springs when she isn't busy helping people heal through her nutritional therapy. Hot Springs sounds fun!
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, lots of good hot springs here.
Nafije Prishtina
Yeah, that's so wonderful. I actually didn't know that. I usually think of Colorado and snow.
Kelli Arbogast
Right. Yep, we get quite a bit of snow, but it's pretty magical sitting in the hot springs while it's snowing. That's one of my favorites.
Nafije Prishtina
Oh my god. I'm coming to join you.
Kelli Arbogast
Little secret.
Anytime! Yeah, they're all over the place.
Nafije Prishtina
That's wonderful.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah.
Nafije Prishtina
Great. So of course, we want to talk more about your background. Specifically, I want to know more about your work with health and wellness. And how did you get into your nutritional therapy coaching?
Kelli Arbogast
Sure, so I have always been really drawn to the medical field and when I was younger, I thought I wanted to be a surgeon or some sort of a doctor. Um, and over years of going through school and taking all of the anatomy classes and the physiology classes and learning more about the medical field, I sort of learned that maybe that wasn't quite the right path for me. And I've actually for the past five years, I've worked in a physical therapy practice here in Durango. And I've learned a lot of valuable information about helping people and running a business and running a practice. But when it really all came down to it, physical therapy wasn't quite right for me either. And I've found my home in nutritional therapy. So, during the pandemic I made the best use of my time that I could and I did an online certification course for nutritional therapy through the NTA, the Nutritional Therapy Association. So, I, I did go to Fort Lewis College and I graduated with a Bachelor's in Science, I studied Exercise Physiology and that sort of fed into really nicely the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner program that I graduated from. So, now I'm here and now I have my business that I work with my clients, and I help them with their nutrition. So very exciting.
Nafije Prishtina
Wonderful.
Well, we are very happy to introduce you to our community, because Shining Stars are all about shining from the inside out, and eating healthy and exercising is all about selfcare. And that is what helps us succeed in life. So, something that you said, was very interesting. So, you were drawn into the medical field, for sure, you even worked with physical therapy and now you're going all the way, shining from inside, where you're not just helping people fix things, and, you know, physically adjust them or help them with their physical aspect of it, but you're totally got like a 360-degree turn where you're focusing on their, what they're eating: Their nutrition. Tell me more about that. So, how do you coach people in regard to that aspect?
Kelli Arbogast
Sure. So, I've found in my practice and my studies and everything that I've learned that whether you're working on an emotional situation, a mental situation or a physical situation like you would be in physical therapy, it really comes down to nutrition. In my opinion, it really comes down to giving the body what it needs in order to heal itself and to support itself. So, if you're trying to rebuild a bone, you'll need certain vitamins and minerals to build those bones. If you're struggling with some sort of mental health situation, you know, there are vitamins and minerals that our bodies need in order to support our emotions and our emotional well-being. So, in my experience, it really all comes back to the building blocks of proper nutrition so our bodies can do what they need to do.
Nafije Prishtina
Wow!
Kelli Arbogast
I hope that answers your question.
Nafije Prishtina
That does, yes. I mean, there is a saying in my culture and I'm sure you heard that, that the best medicine is our food. So, that just makes so much sense about what you're saying.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, absolutely. And I work with my clients to really use food in that way of like, what is the function of this food? How's it going to benefit me? And making conscious decisions around if I'm trying to achieve this particular outcome or I have this symptom that I'd like to find the root cause of this symptom, we use food not really, you know, as the idea of like food as medicine. Like, I don't diagnose, I don't treat, I'm not a doctor. But, so, I won't use medicine for people, but we use that sort of thought process of what can I do? Like what can I eat that will help support my body in a way that I can use it for a functional purpose?
Nafije Prishtina
That's right. Yeah, that's actually a very interesting point, because when you go to the doctor, like even for physicals, you know, they check your weight, they check your blood, they do all these diagnostic things. They encourage you to eat healthy, I mean, I have like the best doctor that anybody could ask for. She definitely encourages healthy eating, you know, exercise and all that. But they don't always have the time to like, ask you what kind of food you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? So, I'm actually curious to know, a little bit more in-depth about how you help people become more aware about, what they're eating? And are they eating the right foods? So they can help themselves.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, definitely. So, a part of what I do is educating my clients. So, a big part of working with someone is providing them with the tools and resources that they need in order to reach the goals that they're trying to accomplish. But a part of that is awareness of bringing awareness to what we're eating, what we're putting on our bodies, and our habits and our relationships with food. So, one of the tools that I use, in my practice is a food and mood journal, and I have my clients record everything that they eat in a day, and everything that they drink in a day. They write down their mood throughout the day, and their energy levels. We talked about digestion, and some of that is just bringing awareness, like tuning into your body and paying attention to what's going on, because often we don't. And so that is a piece of that, piece of that puzzle.
Nafije Prishtina
Oh, my God. Yes. I'm glad you brought that up, because you actually provided with the journal for me.
Kelli Arbogast
Mmmhmmm.
Nafije Prishtina
So, that was very helpful for me as well.
Kelli Arbogast
Good.
Nafije Prishtina
And I am very much a big believer in that regard, where you will become more aware and more alert, if you're keeping track of things. So, as part of the time management system that I created, basically, in a way, that's kind of what I do when I'm asking people, you know, "what are your goals? How are you going to get there? What do you need to do every day to make progress towards your goals?" It doesn't just happen overnight, where you're like, "I want to lose 10 pounds."
Kelli Arbogast
Exactly.
Nafije Prishtina
I mean, that's a sensitive topic, and I'm sure you have more to say about that.
Kelli Arbogast
Right. Yep.
Nafije Prishtina
Let's just keep it simple in a way that I want to hear from you like, what are some of the challenges that your clients or customers, whatever you call them. I think it said clients on your Facebook. So, what kind of health issues come up from that for them and how do you help them?
Kelli Arbogast
Sure. So, there are, you know, there are a wide range of things that people can be struggling with. But I see a lot of digestive symptoms, digestive dysfunction and sometimes that comes from, like, our lifestyle habits of eating when we're stressed, eating on the run. Sometimes it comes from things like what we're eating, maybe we're eating a lot of processed foods, maybe we're eating something that we're sensitive to, and that's creating some digestive dysfunction. So, I see a lot of digestive issues. I see a lot of blood sugar regulation issues, and I live, so I live in Colorado in a small town where people are pretty active and pretty healthy. So I don't see a lot of people that have been diagnosed with Diabetes or are to that level. But I do see a lot of people that are struggling with their energy throughout the day, maybe they're struggling with their mood throughout the day. They get that like two, two o'clock afternoon sort of dump where they feel like they need an extra cup of coffee, there are lots of those. And then I see a lot of people who are just completely overwhelmed and bombarded with nutrition information. There are so many different schools of thought and so many different people out there telling you to do different things, but I see a lot of people that just would like some guidance and like to know what the right thing to do is. So, in order to help you know, manage all of those situations we sit down and we do some learning together lots of education, lots of exploring learning how our bodies work and how we can support them.
Nafije Prishtina
That's wonderful. Yes, I think we all need a coach in regards to that aspect of our life because you're so right. Like, every time I go to the grocery store it's like, here's the healthy aisle and all that. And then next time you go, there's something else and everything costs so much money, too. So, if you're always second guessing yourself and thinking, "should I eat this? Should I not?" You know, like, some days people say, "Eggs are bad for you." And then the next day they say, "Oh, no. Eggs are good for you." And same thing with the meat and everything else. So yeah, we need people who are actually educated in that so they can provide the guidance that we need. So, thank you so much for your work. I definitely appreciate having you as somebody who I can ask for this kind of advice.
Kelli Arbogast
Of course, yeah. Well, thank you. And I am happy to help. I love this work, I'm very passionate about it. So, I'm always telling people "Send me your questions!" Anybody who has questions, I'm happy to help. I love nerding out about nutrition. So.
Nafije Prishtina
Well, I do know that! That's why I want everybody to get to know you, because your approach is very simple. Like, I remember having a conversation with you where I was telling you that I'm trying not to eat fat and you're like, "Why?"
Kelli Arbogast
Right.
Nafije Prishtina
I feel I was feeling so guilty, because, I mean, I like milk. So like, I have to have some fat in there, I can't have like skim milk or you know, like people have almond milk, or it doesn't taste the same to me. And then you actually were the person who said, you can have fat and that fat, that certain kind of fat is good for you. So I've been advocating for you, Kelli.
Kelli Arbogast
Oh, thank you.
Nafije Prishtina
Telling my friends, definitely and my family and anybody who cares to know more about nutrition that was a big breakthrough for me, like, even I got a little carried away with the idea that, you know, no fats, no this, no that. And kind of started second-guessing myself all the time.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, that's easy to do. We have so much information. It's sort of a firehose of information coming at us. And it's easy to get caught up and sort of stuck in this cycle of, we can't do this, we can't do this. And really, it's about finding balance, finding things in moderation and not overdoing any one particular thing and not restricting any one particular thing too much. So, yeah, it's easy to do, I understand.
Nafije Prishtina
Yeah, definitely. You know, I have so many questions on that, but I'll just move on to the interview questions. So people get to know a little bit more about you. And hey, they can always reach out to you and ask more specific questions and hopefully work with you. So help us out. So what are some effective tools that you use to guide people in improving their health? Whatever their goals may be.
Kelli Arbogast
Sure. Um, so I mentioned already, the food and mood journal, I really like to use that. That helps me really get a clear picture of what somebody's day-to-day life looks like. I also use a technique in my work with people called Motivational Interviewing. So I spend a lot of time talking with people and just asking them questions, asking them about themselves and why they do the things that they do and what their perception is of why they do the things that they do. So, I think that's a very helpful tool of just talking and being there for people and listening to people. I also use a nutritional assessment questionnaire or a NAQ in my work. And that is a questionnaire it has over 300 questions on it about someone's symptoms that they're experiencing. And I find that that tool is really helpful for narrowing down what might be going on with somebody's body if they have a cluster of symptoms, but they don't necessarily have a diagnosis and they don't really know what's going on, that can be really valuable information of trying to narrow down what system needs support and what nutrients might be missing from their diet.
Nafije Prishtina
Wow, that's very interesting. In a way, there is that diagnostic aspect of it, but in a more what's the word? Neutral way like people are doing that by just, you know, self-analyzing and kind of like self-diagnosing.
So in your practice, how do you deal with people who kind of startup motivated, but then they kind of lose the motivation because it requires work to shine right? How do you help these people to keep the momentum to keep the motivation going? And use any example is as simple as eating healthier or losing weight, whatever example you'd
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, so that was a really good question because of the nature of my practice is like I can make as many recommendations as I want, but they're not going to do any good unless the person receiving them is ready to do the work is ready to implement them. So it does take a certain amount of motivation. Somebody does have to be motivated and be ready to make some changes in their life in order for our work together to be fulfilling. But if we get started and somebody is struggling with some of the recommendations or things are more challenging than they thought they were going to be, we do a lot of problem solving. We work through a lot of that stuff together.
So I like to meet with my clients every probably two weeks or four weeks when we first start working together. We meet more frequently for that exact reason to make sure that when things come up, we can problem solve and come up with strategies together. So people don't get stalled in their progress. And that comes back to the motivational interviewing. I'm just having conversations of exploring why is this a challenge for you? And what do we need to do to combat this challenge?
Something that I do in my practice is often I recommend supplements for people some more therapeutic support if it's needed. And I find that sometimes people really have a hard time remembering to take the supplements if they're supposed to take something three times a day with food, it's like okay, how do we help you? You know, how do we prime you so that you remember to take those supplements and sometimes it's as easy as setting an alarm on your phone that like, you know, you're gonna go on your lunch break at 12 o'clock. So you've set a little alarm for 12:15 and once you've had your meal, you then are prompted to take your supplements. So it's little things like that of whatever that barrier is, whatever is getting in the way of their motivation. You know, we do some brainstorming together, we do some problem solving because we really could do to step past that one hiccup and just keep the momentum going.
Nafije Prishtina
I love you talking about accountability. I mean, from what you're saying here, it sounds to me that you're actually doing a lot of life coaching as well because it's so important for people to take that holistic approach and, you know, not only, you know, commit to themselves by having somebody kind of pushes them, motivates them. That's so important.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah. So I am definitely actually like, I'm somebody who's accountability, buddy. And so like I said, that it's up to my client to do the work, but I'm always here for them if they are having a hard day and they want to check in and vent to somebody or if they're ready to celebrate one of their wins that they accomplish something that they've been working on. I am here to be that person for them as much as I can. And yeah, there's there's a certain amount of life coaching because it's not just about the food that we're eating. It's not just about the supplements that we might be taking. It's sort of a whole package. It's sleep, it's stressed, it's a movement, it's our environmental toxin. It's the food that we're putting into our bodies. It's all you know, it's all connected, and it all plays a role. So it is it's a very, like we've said before holistic approach that there are multiple pieces that come into it and it's not just about eating the broccoli for dinner.
Nafije Prishtina
That's, great. this will lead me to a different topic, but I'm going to try not to dwell too much on this. Unfortunately, some people who haven't experienced the power of life coaching, they don't understand how to go about creating that balance.
When it comes to our health and well being, everything we're doing counts. We're trying to better ourselves so we can perform better in life. So I love that. Not only are you educated and of course certified to do the work of nutritious practitioner, but you have like you're very much in tune with regards to all the other elements that affect your clients. I could see how they benefit from working with you!
Kelli Arbogast
I do appreciate that. And, yeah, I think it's valuable to know that like I have been through my own nutrition journey and my own health journey and so being able to speak to that experience of I've been on the other side of things that I feel like I can bring a lot to the table to help my clients but I have also been through it.
Nafije Prishtina
Coach Kelli, I want to ask you some more questions in regards to some of the health challenges that we face. And I'm actually interested to know, what advice do you have for people who have like a known health issue like for example, unhealthy eating habits, that they're trying to learn how to deal with whatever is triggering that. How do you help them overcome such an issue?
Kelli Arbogast
That is a good question. So I think our habits and our patterns are a really big part of this puzzle of trying to become healthier and choosing healthier foods. So I do some work with my clients around more awareness. of our habits and our patterns and how we came to be the way that we are. So it's helping people you know, I would provide some resources. I have some books that I've read, that really dive into why we have habits and how we develop habits and looking at you know, going a little bit deeper of the self exploration, the self-acknowledgment of why we do the things that we do. So if somebody has some patterns or habits that they don't think are healthy and they would like to do something about that my advice would be, you know, to start by reaching out to someone and asking for help, and you can start that process and you know, baby steps are often the way to go.
We start with baby steps. So step one might be okay, acknowledging that you're ready to make some changes and then step two might be okay, who can help me make these changes like Who do I need to reach out to but I do think it comes down to identifying what the situation is and then learning why you're in that situation before you just jump into trying to change something really do have to become aware of how you got to be in this place and why you're doing the things that you're doing in the first place, but thrive.
Nafije Prishtina
Yeah, I think there's so much for all of us to learn in regards to our habits and you know, whether it's the good habits we want to build more on top of the good habits or the negative habits we want to remove, they all influencers so, I love that you have like resources for people to, help them understand, or try to understand these habits and do something about making these changes for themselves.
Kelli Arbogast
Definitely. And it really ultimately the goal is to give people the information that they need to create a sustainable lifestyle so that they can continue to work on themselves and they can continue long term to develop healthier habits and healthy eating strategies. So you know through the work that we do together, I give recommendations, but I also give those informational resources so that people can continue the work that we're doing once we're finished meaning wonderful.
Nafije Prishtina
You gave us so many things to think about it here and I'm curious if you can summarize a few tips that you can recommend shining stars community in regards to health improvement, you know, what are the three most important things that they should Away from this interview?
Kelli Arbogast
Sure, So I always like to start with food. Like for me, I think food is really the basis and the starting point of the more that we can get back to the basics and eat more things, whether they're fruits and vegetables, or proteins, the more that we eat, that is not processed. It does not have extra things added to it, the closer it is to its natural state of how it grew out of the ground. I think the better. I think we have just evolved in a way that we do better with those things that are real foods, whole foods. So that would be number one.
Number two, I think is learning to manage your stress whether that is an emotional stressor, or if it's a physical stressor, you know, the foods that we eat can create more stress on the body as a physical stress. Maybe it's related to your exercise routine, and maybe it's related to sitting at a desk for 10 hours a day that can be stressful on the body just being opposed and not really.
But whatever the stress is, I think learning to mitigate your stress and have healthy mechanisms for dealing with stress can go a really long way.
And just being happy, whatever it means to you to be happy, whatever you need to do to support yourself and feel happy. I think just you know focusing on that can be a huge life changer for people.
We could always get into the nitty gritty and the details but just overarching. I think the more we can get back to real foods and the more we can be gentle with ourselves and manage our different sources of stress and the more that we could be asking for better.
Nafije Prishtina
So yeah, thank you for reminding us of the importance of the stressors, because as you know, that is my line of work. In regards to self-management. It is important for us to know where is the stress coming from and do something about changing the environment, whether it is from the inside or out.
For example, in recent years, I realized that I'm very sensitive to light from the computer. So it was a simple fix, I had to basically get the new glasses back and fixed the problem just like that.
Kelli Arbogast
Yeah, that is definitely that can be huge for people that blue light, that it's really activating and really ramps up our nervous system and so that's something that I also know I talked to my clients about if you're having trouble sleeping, maybe turning off the screens an hour before bed getting away from the blue light that really ramps us up that can be a huge make a huge difference for people. So I'm glad to hear that, you know, you recognize that and you've taken some steps to fix that.
Nafije Prishtina
I have so many questions for you, but I don't want to take too much of your time. So you can actually get back to helping you clients. But you know, there's so much to be said in regard to how much power we have as individuals for transformation. The whole idea behind shining stars is that we shine from the inside out, and we take steps to improve so we can be better for our family, for our friends, for society as we know. So we need more people like you to remind us of these important things that we need to do. So we can perform at our best.
Do want to say anything as closing remarks in regard to what would be something that you want us to remember, so we can continue pursuing our goals. Both nutrition-wise and just overall self-care.
Kelli Arbogast
Sure, of course, I feel like you know, when it really comes down to that we're all in this together. And I've heard time and time again that you have to take care of yourself before you can show up for other people and I think that's really true. And like you mentioned, the goal is to give back to society and give back to the earth and just, you know, do the best that we can for ourselves and do the best that we can for others and it all comes full circle. So I completely agree with that. And I really appreciate your time today. Thank you for inviting me to do this and I value being a part of the shining stars community. Think Nafije, thank you so much.
Nafije Prishtina
It was fun talking to you Kelli. And I hope that my community members take advantage of this wonderful advice that you shared here.
And if you want to get in touch with Kelly, just send me an email or you can reach her on her website below. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day keep on shining.
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