Lisa Tolentino is making a jump from helping guide communities to helping individuals get healthier. The familiar face from food and transportation forums recently announced she is starting a new business.
“This new direction is really more of a lateral shift than a whole new career,” she told The Highlander.
“As a wellness consultant and health coach, I am now working more with individuals than with groups, but doing some very similar things.”
She will help people examine their health and wellbeing. That will involve assessing their current situation and identifying the issues they would like to work on. She then assists them to develop a vision of how they would like to be in the future, and works with them to set strategies to get there. She then continues to support them as they make changes to their diet and/or lifestyle to meet their goals.
“This involves helping them to recognize their strengths, assets and other resources, as well as providing inspiration and assisting them to keep moving forward by reminding them of just what is motivating them. It also includes offering encouragement and support when they run into any barriers, challenges and set-backs,” Tolentino said.
She said another reason she chose the new path is because she’s personally experienced Autoimmune Disease challenges over the years. She has previously been diagnosed with Endometriosis, Celiac Disease and Hashimoto’s (a thyroid condition). She didn’t have a wellness consultant and health coach.
“As a result, I had to learn how to muddle through and eventually overcome those health issues.” She said she now has a lot to offer to others because of it. “Over the years, I have managed to get each of them under control and now lead a relatively healthy life.”
She had help form local holistic nutritionist Angela McGreevy and is offering a series of upcoming workshops with McGreevy.
Tolentino said her approach is different than getting advice online, since “we take how the body actually functions into account – looking at ways the various body parts are actually interconnected, work together and rely on each other.
“So, rather than simply focusing on one particular body part, as most specialists do, we consider the whole person. Functional health also means that we focus on the root causes of a person’s illness, as opposed to simply trying to address their symptoms.”
She said they also examine other aspects of well-being, such as the role that the various environments a person finds themselves in plays, including family and home, work or school, the outdoor environment, social supports and connections.
Workshops coming
The first workshop, Outsmart Your Sugar Habit, is happening Jan. 28 at the Abbey Retreat Centre. Tolentino said the workshops that she and McGreevy are delivering go beyond what is currently available online, as they are tailoring the content to meet the individual needs of those who are participating.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. People will be able to develop action plans that meet them where they are at and are geared toward their daily lives and the realities of their various situations.
“Moreover, being able to come together in person with other people in situations similar to yourself just doesn’t compare to taking a workshop online. People are able to see and hear what others in the same town and county are dealing with and they not only no longer feel alone, but they can also draw upon one another for mutual support if desired. This type of connection is invaluable.”
Find out more at immerseyourselfinhealth.com
