Stress is the root cause of many health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea. Having a stressful life leads us to make poor self-care choices, and the stress could in turn be a result of the lack of self-care in the first place. This may contribute to lifestyle-related diseases due to a tipped life balance, sedentary lifestyle, overconsumption of calorie-dense, nutritionally deprived foods, inadequate sleep, smoking and or use of drugs.

Wellness coaching focuses on helping the clients to first understand how they got to their present stage of their wellness and have a vision for their optimal wellness, and partners with them to take consistent small steps that lead to success.

There is clear evidence that even the loss of 5 to 10 percent of a person’s weight through lifestyle changes leads to significant improvements in diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis and sleep apnea. So, make 2018 the year in which you make your wellness a top priority in your life!

Radhika Kakarala, MD, MS,CHWC, is the owner of My Peak Wellness, in Ann Arbor. For more information, call 810-354-5878 or visit MyPeakWellness.com.