top of page

Search Results

Search this site

171 results found with an empty search

  • Culinary Medicine Resources

    CHEF Coaching Newsletters Winter 2019 Spring 2019* Summer 2019* Fall 2019 Winter 2020 Spring 2020* Fall 2020* Winter 2020* February 2021* June 2021* September 2021* December 2021* March 2022* June 2022 *Resources Curated by CHEF Coaching Faculty Recipe Library Recipes - Vegan Eatingwell Wholefoods Recipes Foodnetwork Diabetes-recipes Allrecipes Dr-Gourmet Recipes - Jamie Oliver Recipes - BBC Anne & Katie Medichefs Culinary Skills Clips Basic Cooking Skills - Jamie Oliver Basic Cooking Skills - BBC Recipes Clips Recipe Clips - Dr La Puma Culinary Information Ingredient's Dictionary Food safety2 Home Canning Freezing and Drying Complete Cooking Classes (Texts + Clips) Culinary Rx Weekly Cooking planners The Family Dinner Project Organize Yourself Plantoeat How-to-create-a-healthy-eating-plan Power Your Heart Meal Plan Cooking On a Budget Eatwell Tips1 Eatwell Tips2 Helpguide

  • On-Demand Continuing Education for Health & Wellness Coaches

    Self-paced CE courses for NBHWC, ACSM, NCHEC, and Wellcoaches credit. Explore GLP-1, motivational interviewing, and more! Earn CE credit on your schedule These on-demand courses let you earn continuing education credit on your schedule while building skills you'll use in your next session. Every course is self-paced, and you keep access indefinitely. Coaching Specialty Collection I Five classes to deepen the core skills behind every great coaching conversation. CEUs: Wellcoaches 5, NBHWC 5 (CEA-000328-1), ACSM 5, NCHEC 4. Format: Self-paced, 5 hours Price: $125 ADD TO CART Who it's for: Coaches who want to strengthen foundational skills through real coaching demonstrations. You'll leave able to: Turn closed-ended questions that come from an expert mindset into open-ended, thought-provoking inquiries Move from praising to truly affirming Replace repeating with perceptive reflections and other reflection types Describe systemic coaching and see the value of coaching from a systems perspective Spot how unclear contract parameters create coaching challenges, and how to address them Coaching Specialty Collection II Five classes on mental health, burnout, and the finer points of coaching presence. CEUs: Wellcoaches 5, NBHWC 5 (CEA-000359-1), ACSM 5, NCHEC 3. Format: Self-paced, 5 hours Price: $125 ADD TO CART Who it's for: Coaches who want a clear structure for mental health concerns that surface in sessions, plus demonstrations of advanced skills. After this course, coaches will be able to: Name indicators of declining mental health and follow a referral process Identify red flags and take appropriate action Coach clients (and fellow coaches) experiencing burnout symptoms Apply the five stages of Appreciative Inquiry in a coaching context Stay grounded during a generative moment while honoring the client's agenda Practice the main types of reflections in a variety of linguistic styles This course supports you within your scope of practice: you'll learn to guide behavior change Coaching Clients to a Healthy Weight: Clearing a Path to Healthier Lives in Diet Culture Many clients feel defeated after repeated weight-loss attempts. Learn compassionate, evidence-informed ways to support them. CEUs: Wellcoaches 9, NBHWC 9 (CEA-000348-1), ACSM 9, NCHEC 9. Format: Self-paced, 9 hours Price: $250 ADD TO CART Who it's for: Coaches supporting clients who feel pressure from society and the healthcare system around body weight and shape. After this course, coaches will be able to: Explain the evidence on how people lose weight and keep it off Recognize seven key obstacles to weight loss and respond to each Choose from dozens of practical tools for weight loss or weight maintenance approached with compassion Support clients' self-acceptance while they work toward their own health goals Taught by: Greg Hottinger and Michael Scholtz GLP-1 Medications: Coaching Considerations When Supporting Clients Through a Weight-Loss Process Clients are asking about GLP-1s. Build the knowledge and coaching skills to support them with confidence. CEUs: Wellcoaches 6, NBHWC 6 (CEA-100054-5), ACSM 6, NCHEC 6. Format: Self-paced, 6 hours Price: $200 ADD TO CART Who it's for: Coaches whose clients are considering, starting, or currently taking GLP-1 medications. After this course, coaches will be able to: Recognize your own biases about GLP-1 medications and how they show up in sessions Explain how the major medications work, what the data show, and what is known about side effects and long-term outcomes Apply behavior change strategies that fit what clients are physiologically experiencing Practice responding to common client situations through role-play This course supports you within your scope of practice: you'll learn to guide behavior change, not to advise on medication. Taught by: Greg Hottinger and Michael Scholtz Motivational Interviewing: Applying Evidence-Based Strategies for Positive Behavior Change and Growth Go deep on MI with a course built on the 4th edition by Miller and Rollnick. CEUs: Wellcoaches 10, NBHWC 10 (CE-000038-1), ACSM 10, NCHEC 10. Format: Self-paced, 10 hours Price: $250 ADD TO CART Who it's for: Coaches ready to sharpen their MI skills and adapt them to their own practice setting. After this course, coaches will be able to: Use the four MI tasks (Engaging, Guiding, Evoking, Planning) to support behavior change Apply the key principles and core skills of MI, with its new emphasis on growth as well as change Deepen reflective listening, elicit change talk, and respond effectively to sustain talk and discord Help clients explore and resolve ambivalence Share information using coaching competencies Adapt the MI method and spirit to your current practice setting Taught by: Darlene Trandel

  • AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) Continuing Education Credits & Courses

    Wellcoaches is an accredited program offering American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) continuing education credits and courses. These AAFP continuing education courses are for Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who are looking for AAFP PCs or ECs. We offer online courses in synchronous (virtual classroom) and asynchronous (recorded or self-paced) formats. Earn your AAFP credits today! Other resources for physicians High Quality and Accredited AAFP Credits Core Coach Training: Module 1 - 36 PCs Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction Coaching Psychology Manual Begin the journey to become a certified health coach and double the impact on your patients. Completion of Module 1 (including 100% attendance, completion of all lesson feedback surveys and a score of 80% or greater on quizzes) is required for course completion and to receive a Certificate of Attendance. ​See all upcoming classes. Lesson topics include:​ ​​Differentiating the coach from the expert How to establish growth-promoting relationships Coaching presence Expressing compassion through empathy Building positive emotions for resilience Eliciting motivation Building self-efficacy Readiness to change Building powerful visions Crafting designs for behavior experiments Creating generative (ah-ha!) moments Appreciative goal review Coaching habits e-course "I am incredibly proud to shared that I am now a certified Health and Well-being Coach thanks to the fantastic Wellcoaches certification program. I started this journey in December 2023 and admittedly took my time to soak in everything I was learning. Margaret Moore and her team have created the gold standard for understanding personal motivation and the coaching relationship! I highly recommend this to all other family physicians who want to encourage their patients in lifestyle based preventative care." - Jill Haltigan, Family Physician Core Coach Training Module 2: 10 PCs Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction along with numerous e-course offerings. Continue your journey of becoming a certified health coach. Module 2 was created to further deepen coaching skills through demonstration and practice opportunities. Participants will hone in on the specific topics: Organize Your Emotions, Organize Your Mind, Wellness Visions and Generative Moments A "Certificate of Attendance" is provided following class attendance, completion of 4 feedback surveys and a score of 80% or greater on all knowledge assessments. . Core Coach Training Module 2 PLUS: 8 ECs - pending approval Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction Module 2 PLUS prepares coaches to support the whole patient by building awareness of mental health conditions, cultural dynamics, and the broader environmental forces that shape health behaviors. Across four courses, coaches will learn to recognize mental health warning signs and make appropriate referrals, develop cultural competence and humility, examine their own biases and assumptions, and explore how Social Determinants of Health and ecological systems influence a patient's perspectives and well-being. Through self-reflection, skill-building, and practical application, coaches will emerge equipped to practice with greater cultural responsiveness, psychological awareness, and respect for each patient's unique lived experience. Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches - 21.5 ECs if enrolled prior to 9/1/26 & 16. 5 ECs if enrolled 9/1/26 and after Self-paced, self-directed e-course Lifestyle Medicine Coaches partner with clients seeking self-directed, lasting changes, aligned with their values, which promote health and wellness and, thereby, enhance well-being. They support clients to engage in the practices of lifestyle medicine, such as healthy diet, regular exercise, good sleep and stress management, in order to become healthier and happier. See overview of curriculum and world-renowned faculty. To earn a "Certificate of Attendance", students must view each of the lessons in full, complete the six knowledge assessments with 80% accuracy, and complete a course survey. "Establishing a standard for health coaches in lifestyle medicine will help ensure that crucial information is consistently of the highest caliber. Coaches reach an enormous number of people, and, with standardized training in lifestyle medicine, they'll have an enhanced ability to promote health and prevent disease. The public can be confident that certified coaches are practicing at a high standard and providing evidence-based guidance. Certified Health and Wellness Coaches who specialize in lifestyle medicine will become integral members of the lifestyle medicine practice team, contributing importantly to the treatment and even reversal of disease." - David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM, Past President of the ACLM Wellcoaches Habits - 10 PCs Self-paced, self-directed e-course The 10-hour habits course includes 8 collections of self-paced video lessons to explore common growth edges that hold us back as leaders and professionals, our signposts for new insights and wisdom. The Wellcoaches habits system is designed for any coach, team or organization that aspires to a culture of coaching where everyone is growing and thriving together. The course includes a Habits Library with several collections to choose from. Our collection includes: Behavior Change Communication Connection Leveraging Emotions Cultivating Capacities Burnout Prevention Transformational Leadership The Declipse Technique ™ (preview here) Each habit (70+ habits to choose from) comes with a 5-10 minute video, resources, reminders and tracker. A "Certificate of Attendance " is provided following course completion and feedback survey for all eight content collections. AAFP Continuing Education Requirements For live courses, once all requirements are complete, a Certificate of Attendance will be provided to the student. Physicians, NP’s, and PA’s will use this certificate to report completion of the course to AAFP. Synchronous courses are eligible for Prescribed Credit. AAFP Prescribed Credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When Applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed Credit earned must be reported as Prescribed Credit, not as Category 1. Have questions about a course? Your Coach Concierge, assigned by the first letter of your last name, is here to support you: Telephone: (866) 932-6224 (866 WE-COACH) Your Last name A - G: Julie Cummings [ext 712 ] Your Last name H - O: Joanna Thomas [ext 743] Your Last name P - Z: Angela Carter-Lanon [ext 742]

  • Medicare Is Ready to Pay for Coaching. The Details Will Decide Whether It Works. It's Your Moment to Help.

    Comments to CMS close September 14, 2026 On July 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed what Wellcoaches has worked toward for twenty-five years: national Medicare payment for health and well-being coaching. CMS proposed national payment of three coaching codes — 0591T, 0592T and 0593T — available to Medicare beneficiaries across the country. This CMS move sets the stage for wider payment for coaching services beyond Medicare in the future. We are halfway there, and we will get the rest of the way with wide comments from a multitude of coaches, physicians/clinicians, and organizations. What Works The CMS proposal accomplishes several important things: 1. It establishes national payment rather than leaving these codes to be priced Medicare contractor by contractor, which has not occurred since the coaching codes were added to the Medicare telehealth list in 2024. 2. It values coaching against chronic care management, which is a good comparison — both are longitudinal, both are delivered by trained clinical staff, both support patients in the long stretches between office visits. 3. It keeps coaching on the Medicare Telehealth Services List, including audio-only delivery where permitted, which matters everywhere, but particularly for rural and homebound beneficiaries. 4. It recognizes that coaches employed by community-based organizations can furnish these services. 5. CMS declines to impose frequency limits, leaving the number of sessions to medical necessity rather than an arbitrary cap. 6. CMS adopts the CPT definition of what coaching that we (NBHWC and VA) established with the AMA CPT Panel: a patient-centered approach in which patients determine their own goals, use self-discovery and active learning, and self-monitor their behavior, all within a relationship with a coach. What We Are Asking CMS to Do Our comment letter makes six requests: 1. Replace the temporary Category III codes with permanent G-codes to indicate long-term commitment and update descriptors to state clearly what the service is and how much qualified professional coach time it requires. 2. Pro-rate the practice expense to the clinical labor time in each descriptor, so that sixty minute coaching sessions are paid as sixty minutes of clinical work, and thirty minute coaching sessions are paid as thirty minutes of clinical work. 3. Confirm that these services are furnished under general supervision, which is currently the standard of care. 4. Maintain the coach certification standard exactly as the codes already define it (created by NBHWC and AMA CPT Panel in 2021), as a condition of payment. 5. Direct the valuation of evidence-based education programs funded under the Older Americans Act to the diabetes self-management training codes, G0108 and G0109, which are built for accredited curriculum-based programs. While those programs are valuable; they are not the patient-directed service the coaching codes describe. 6. Extend the delivery-organization provision beyond community-based organizations to hospital outpatient departments, rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. Why Your Comments Matter Wellcoaches is submitting detailed comments on coaching services for Medicare beneficiaries along with NBHWC and other organizations. Your own story as a coach or physician matters now to CMS, which reads every comment. How to Comment Before September 14 To get the full picture, here is a PPT summary of our requests and our draft comments: Download PPT overview Download draft comments We prepared two short guides - one for physicians and other billing practitioners, one for certified coaches: Download the guide for physicians Download the guide for coaches QUICK INSTRUCTIONS to SUBMIT CMS COMMENTS: 1. Go to this link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/CMS-2026-2377 2. Click Comment. 3. For: What is your comment about? Select your professional type from dropdown. 4. Paste your comment into the box, or attach it as a PDF or Word file. 5. Submit before the comment period closes at 11:59 pm ET, September 14, 2026. Your comment becomes part of the permanent public record, including your name and everything you write. Comments close at 11:59 PM ET September 14, 2026. Don't miss the deadline! Wellcoaches Corporation has trained more than 16,000 health and wellness professionals over 25 years, co-founded(2010) and co-created (2010-2023) the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching and its national training standards, coaching competencies, and certification examination.

  • CHEF Coaching Faculty

    Karla Arancibia, MD, MPH CHEF Coaching Faculty Karla Arancibia is a lifestyle medicine physician and health and wellness and culinary coach providing services in Latin America, Europe and the United States. She is the co-founder of the Latin American Lifestyle Medicine Association (LALMA). She is a graduate of the CHEF Coaching program and is co-founder of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinics in Latin America and owns her own health and wellness coaching practice Healthview Lifestyle Institute in the U.S. Karla has also served as professor at Ricardo Palma University in the first accredited specialty in Lifestyle Medicine in Latin America for physicians and health professionals, where she was director of the culinary medicine workshops. She has been a speaker at several international symposiums, on radio, and on television. Jane Barg, NBC-HWC, Chef CHEF Coaching Faculty Jane Barg is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness coach and a chef. She received her health coach training from Duke Integrative Medicine, Durham, NC. Jane oversees the education for the CHEF Coaching Program and serves as a member of the program faculty. She provides patient education as part of the CHEF Coaching study. In her private practice, Jane works with individuals and groups to help them make the changes needed to live healthier lives. She offers both culinary and health coaching programs in person and remotely. She is the founder of the Artful Palate catering company and has taught culinary classes in the Philadelphia region. Laura Klein, MBA, Chef, Health Coach CHEF Coaching Faculty Laura Klein is the owner of Well Seasoned Coaching and faculty for the CHEF Coaching program. As a Culinary Coach, Laura focuses on the challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in today’s busy world. Through a combination of nutrition education, healthy goal setting and home cooking skills Laura helps her clients achieve their wellness goals. Laura’s coaching credentials include certifications from the Coaches Training Institute, Wellcoaches, The American Council on Exercise and Genavix Wellness Corporation. Additionally, Laura holds a certificate in culinary nutrition from the Natural Gourmet Institute and is a graduate of the CHEF Coaching program and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Laura collaborates with physicians to teach healthy cooking classes to their patients and the public, both live and virtually. Laura is also a chef instructor at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Rani Polak, MD, Chef, MBA, ICF-PCC Director, CHEF Coaching Program Culinary Medicine Training Lead, Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health Dr. Rani Polak is the founding director of both the Culinary Healthcare Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching program at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, and the Center of Lifestyle Medicine at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. His work, alongside lipid clinical care, focuses on translational research related to the Culinary Coaching method, which combines culinary training with health coaching principles. Dr. Polak is the principal investigator of the Culinary Coaching research group, which was the first to demonstrate the impact of a culinary medicine intervention on weight in a bi-center randomized controlled trial. After over a decade at Harvard Medical School, he now leads the CHEF Coaching program through Wellcoaches and directs culinary medicine training through the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, helping to disseminate culinary medicine to thousands of clinicians and health coaches worldwide. Dr. Polak’s work has been featured in many media outlets, including Scientific American, the International Herald Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today.

  • CDR (Commission on Dietetic Registration) Continuing Education Credits & Courses

    Our CDR continuing education courses are for: Registered Dietitians (RD) Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR), and Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) If you're seeking to expand industry knowledge and meet your professional development requirements in the nutrition field, our courses are for you! Our teachings are evidence-based and will lead you and your clients to feel confident, inspired, and ready to take action. View our CDR approved courses below. CDR Continuing Education Courses for Dietitians Core Coach Training: Module 1 - Cohorts prior to July 2026 - 27.5 CPEUs Cohorts after July 2026- 38.75 Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction Wellcoaches supports dietitians throughout their careers by providing high-quality, engaging continuing education that meets CDR accreditation standards. Completion of Module 1 (including 100% attendance, completion of all lesson feedback surveys and a score of 80% or greater on quizzes) is required for course completion and to receive a Certificate of Attendance. See all upcoming classes. Lesson topics include:​ ​​Differentiating the coach from the expert How to establish growth-promoting relationships Coaching presence Expressing compassion through empathy Building positive emotions for resilience Eliciting motivation Building self-efficacy Readiness to change Building powerful visions Crafting designs for behavior experiments Creating generative (ah-ha!) moments Appreciative goal review Coaching habits e-course "I personally had such an amazing experience, I honestly didn’t want it to end! Thank you for your time and dedication to our training. You created a welcoming and comforting environment for all of us, which I believe was a crucial part of the training success and how we all felt as participants. I am very excited to have had this opportunity and look forward to continuing to grow and expand my knowledge in the coaching area. I also hope to continue working with you!" - Erica Cook, Wellness Program Coordinator, Clinical Exercise Physiologist Core Coach Training: Module 2 - Cohorts after July 2026 - 19.25 CPEUs Module 2 consists of 9 courses designed to deepen your coaching skills through demonstration, practice, and real-world application. You'll begin by strengthening core coaching abilities through hands-on practice in Organizing Your Emotions, Organizing Your Mind 1 and 2, Wellness Visions, and Generative Moments. These classes explore strategies based on brain science, steps based on coaching science, habits based on self science plus help develop the student's awareness of the connection between emotions and needs, while taking a new look at additional ways to create visions with clients that enable them to tap into the most creative process for creating a picture of their best life From there, you'll build the skills to support the whole patient — developing awareness of mental health conditions, cultural dynamics, and the broader environmental forces that shape health behaviors. You'll learn to recognize mental health warning signs and make appropriate referrals, develop cultural competence and humility, examine your own biases and assumptions, and explore how Social Determinants of Health and ecological systems shape a patient's perspective and well-being. Through self-reflection, skill-building, and practical application, you'll emerge equipped to practice with greater cultural responsiveness, psychological awareness, and respect for each patient's unique lived experience. A Certificate of Attendance is awarded upon completion of class attendance, all 7 feedback surveys, and a score of 80% or higher on all knowledge assessments. Professional Coach Training - 95 CEUs (Pending Prior Approval for 2027 cohort) This advanced program is specially designed for Certified Wellcoaches®, or Nationally Board Certified Coaches or ICF-ACC/PCC/MCC Coaches only Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction and two on-site sessions Once you have completed our Core Coach Training & Certification program, start making plans to lift your coaching mastery to a galactic orbit with our nine-month advanced Professional Coach Training & Certification Program. This program is developing the future leaders of the health and wellness coaching industry. We built and continue to upgrade an innovative, science and neuroscience-based, robust coaching framework we call the "Onward & Upward Model" designed to enable Certified Wellcoaches® to help clients optimize mental and physical well-being. This is a hit-the-ball-out-of-the-park opportunity for Certified Wellcoaches®, Nationally Board Certified Coaches or ICF-ACC/PCC/MCC Coaches who want to be masterful coaches. The Professional Coach Training course includes: Two 2.5 day on-site sessions in January and September each year 32 ninety-minute virtual classes with the ability to practice new tools and skills in class, including 8 group coaching sessions. Six private mentor coaching sessions with feedback from coaching masters regarding the application of Wellcoaches protocols and International Coach Federation Competencies A reading list of over 20 carefully chosen books written by scientists and psychologists with a strong evidence basis Cost: $4100 A "Certificate of Attendance" is provided following class attendance, completion of a feedback surveys and all mentoring sessions. "The great thing about the PCT is not only the professional growth that you get from all of the tools and skills that you learn from all of the mentor coaching, and from all of the great Wellcoaches faculty, but the greatest value is the personal growth. The books that you read and the way that you process all of the new information is truly life-changing and transforming. It makes you a better professional but, more importantly, it makes you a better person." - Noah Gentner, PhD CDR Continuing Education Requirements Once all requirements are complete, a Certificate of Attendance will be provided to the dietitian professional. Participants will use this certificate to report completion of the course to CDR for continuing education credits Have questions about a course? Your Coach Concierge, assigned by the first letter of your last name, is here to support you: Telephone: (866) 932-6224 (866 WE-COACH) Your Last name A - G: Julie Cummings [ext 712 ] Your Last name H - O: Joanna Thomas [ext 743] Your Last name P - Z: Angela Carter-Lanon [ext 742]

  • Your New AI Coach Assistant

    Here are a few of the ways that your new AI Coach Assistant can boost your efficacy as a coach! Analyze an assessment, screener or inventory and help you consider the results. Analyze a coaching session and get feedback on your skills. Learn more about coaching tools and receive guidance on how to utilize them. Check for potential risks, human harm and ethical responsibilities. Get different perspectives about an issue. Download conversations. Utilize the History Tab for downloading and sharing conversations. 7. Human Harm Check - a response from the tool regarding a medication question.

  • Cooking as Medicine

    Blog by Gary Sforzo and Margaret Moore with Claude AI For years, health and well-being coaches have known something that mainstream medicine is only beginning to fully embrace, behavior change is the engine of lasting health transformation. A new study published in Obesity - a highly respected journal - offers compelling, rigorous evidence that combining culinary skills training with health coaching principles produces meaningful, sustained weight loss over a full year. And it does so remotely, affordably, and without a single prescription pad. The article was selected to be featured by Obesity's May 2026 issue and also highlighted on Medscape. Here's what the science shows - and why it matters deeply for coaches, clients, and the future of lifestyle medicine. The Study at a Glance Conducted across two clinical centers - Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston and Sheba Medical Center in Israel - this bi-center randomized controlled trial enrolled adults aged 25–70 with BMIs between 27.5 and 35 kg/m². Participants cooked fewer than five home meals per week, making them a realistic proxy for the clients many of us work with every day. Fifty participants in the intervention (n=24) and control (n=26) groups received dietary counseling focused on the Mediterranean diet. The intervention group received 12 weekly, one-on-one, 30-minute telehealth sessions that combined culinary training with health and well-being coaching. Coaches helped participants identify their home cooking vision, set weekly culinary goals, review progress, and develop skills through a guided self-discovery process. The control group received access to culinary resources on their own. Body weight, nutrition, body composition, lipid profiles, cooking attitudes, and self-efficacy were measured at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The Results: Significant, Sustained, and Meaningful The weight loss findings are significant, particularly for a behavioral intervention delivered entirely by telehealth without any weight loss medication. The intervention group lost an average of 3.23% of body weight at 3 months — more than double the control group's 0.71%. At 6 months, the intervention group reached an average loss of 4.2%, compared to just 1.22% in the control group. At 12 months, the intervention group maintained their losses at an average of 4.02%, while the control group gained weight slightly. The between-group difference at one year was 4.3%, a statistically and clinically meaningful gap. Body composition data, analyzed through DXA scanning, reinforced the quality of the weight loss: the intervention group shed fat mass without significant loss of lean body mass. Fat loss without muscle loss is the signature of genuine metabolic improvement. The study's authors noted that this weight loss is comparable to pharmacological agents like naltrexone/bupropion and exceeded the short-term results of other culinary medicine programs that required in-person teaching kitchens. This was accomplished through twelve half-hour telehealth coaching sessions. The Coaching Piece: Not a Detail, but the Engine Perhaps the most important aspect of this study for the Wellcoaches community is what distinguished the intervention: the integration of health and well-being coaching principles into the culinary training. Participants weren't simply taught recipes. They were guided through a self-discovery process. They set their own cooking visions and weekly goals. They reflected on progress. They built confidence through action - and through the relationship with a trained health and well-being coach. Qualitative analyses from companion publications reveal that participants consistently named coaching elements - goal setting, planning, accountability, and growing confidence - as decisive factors in sustaining their new cooking habits. The culinary skills mattered. The coaching made those skills stick. This is the central insight of Wellcoaches' work, validated once more by rigorous science: knowledge alone doesn't change behavior. The coaching relationship - built on autonomy, self-efficacy, and structured reflection - is what transforms intention into lasting action. What Changed Nutritionally The dietary changes tracked with coaching's individualized, goal-centered approach. Rather than uniform improvements across all measures, participants shifted meaningfully in ways aligned with their personal goals at different points in time. Mediterranean diet scores improved significantly at 3 months. Caloric intake dropped by an average of 452 calories per day at 6 months — a substantial reduction achieved without prescribed calorie counting. Consumption of commercial sweets declined significantly at 3 months and sweet beverages at 12 months. Both groups reduced ultra-processed food intake and increased minimally processed food consumption over time, though the between-group differences were not statistically significant on NOVA classification measures. The authors suggest this may reflect the NOVA system's limits in detecting personal-level dietary change - an important nuance for coaches who know that individual food behavior is far more granular than broad classification systems can capture. Cooking Confidence as a Health Outcome One of the study's most practically useful findings concerns cooking self-efficacy. At 12 months, intervention group participants showed significantly improved confidence in cooking techniques and meal preparation. They reported greater skill in using knives, applying basic cooking methods, steaming, sautéing, stewing, and cooking from whole ingredients. These aren't trivial outcomes. They represent durable behavioral assets - capabilities that participants carry forward regardless of whether they're enrolled in a program. This is exactly the kind of change that health and wellness coaches are trained to cultivate: not compliance, but capability. Not dependence, but self-direction. Why This Matters for Our Field This study arrives at a pivotal moment. GLP-1 receptor agonists are transforming obesity medicine, but they carry side effects, costs, and questions about long-term use. Lifestyle modification remains the first-line recommendation in major clinical guidelines. Yet the behavioral infrastructure to support that modification — the coaching, culinary skills, and sustained relationship — has rarely been studied with this level of scientific rigor. This trial changes that. It demonstrates that a remote, coaching-integrated culinary medicine program can produce weight loss comparable to medication, sustain it over a full year, reduce fat mass without sacrificing muscle, and build lasting behavioral capacity — all through telehealth, without a teaching kitchen, using the core principles that health and wellness coaches practice every day. We are proud to say that the Wellcoaches coaching protocol was used in this study, and first author Rani Polak is Wellcoaches-trained and a long-standing member of our Wellcoaches family. For coaches advocating for the value of their work in healthcare systems, in lifestyle medicine programs, and in policy conversations about reimbursement and integration, this study is a gift. It speaks the language of medicine — randomized design, validated instruments, DXA scans, confidence intervals — while validating the science of coaching. The kitchen, as it turns out, is a powerful coaching room. And the coach, it turns out, is essential medicine. Polak R, et al. One-Year Weight Loss Following a Remote Culinary Medicine Program: A Bi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial. Obesity, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.70193

  • National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Continuing Education

    Wellcoaches is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) approved CEU provider . Our NASM continuing education courses are for personal trainers seeking to expand professional knowledge and meet their continuing ed and certification requirements in the fitness field. Our courses are evidence-based and will lead you and your clients to feel confident, inspired, and ready to take action. Learn more about our NASM approved courses below. NASM Approved CEU Courses for Personal Trainers Core Coach Training: Module 1 : 1.9 CEUs Attend in our virtual classroom . Wellcoaches supports personal trainers and CPTs throughout their careers by providing high-quality, engaging continuing education that meets NASM standards. Completion of Module 1 (including 100% attendance, completion of all lesson feedback surveys and a score of 80% or greater on quizzes) is required for course completion and to receive a Certificate of Attendance. See all upcoming classes . Lesson topics include:​ ​​Differentiating the coach from the expert How to establish growth-promoting relationships Coaching presence Expressing compassion through empathy Building positive emotions for resilience Eliciting motivation Building self-efficacy Readiness to change Building powerful visions Crafting designs for behavior experiments Creating generative (ah-ha!) moments Appreciative goal review Coaching habits e-course "I personally had such an amazing experience, I honestly didn’t want it to end! Thank you for your time and dedication to our training. You created a welcoming and comforting environment for all of us, which I believe was a crucial part of the training success and how we all felt as participants. I am very excited to have had this opportunity and look forward to continuing to grow and expand my knowledge in the coaching area. I also hope to continue working with you!" - Erica Cook, Wellness Program Coordinator, Clinical Exercise Physiologist Reporting NASM Continuing Education Personal Trainers and CPT professionals must attend all of Wellcoaches’ NASM approved courses in full, including attending ALL synchronous (live) classes, pass the Knowledge Assessments with 80% or higher, and complete a course feedback survey to receive credit. Have questions about a course? Your Coach Concierge, assigned by the first letter of your last name, is here to support you: Telephone: (866) 932-6224 (866 WE-COACH) Your Last name A - G : Julie Cummings [ext 712 ] Your Last name H - O : Joanna Thomas [ext 743] Your Last name P - Z : Angela Carter-Lanon [ext 742]

  • International Coaching Federation (ICF) Continuing Education Credits & Courses

    Wellcoaches School of Coaching is an accredited Level 2 coach training program by the ICF, providing the practical skills and tools you need to make a change in your life and in your community. If you're seeking to expand coaching skills knowledge and meet your professional development requirements for coaching, our continuing education courses are for you! Our teachings are evidence-based and will lead you and your clients to feel confident, inspired, and ready to take action. View our ICF approved courses below. ICF Approved Continuing Education for Coaches Professional Coach Training  - 142.5 hours Wellcoaches is an accredited Level 2 training program for ICF. Our PCT program is designed for Certified Wellcoaches®, Nationally Board Certified Coaches, or ICF-ACC/PCC/MCC Coaches only. Graduates from a Level 2 education and training program may apply for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential using the Level 2 application path if they meet the credentialing requirements. Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction and two on-site sessions Once you have completed our Core Coach Training & Certification program (Modules 1-3), start making plans to lift your coaching mastery to a galactic orbit with our nine-month advanced Professional Coach Training & Certification Program. This program is developing the future leaders of the health and wellness coaching industry. We built and continue to upgrade an innovative, science and neuroscience-based, robust coaching framework we call the "Onward & Upward Model" designed to enable Certified Wellcoaches® to help clients optimize mental and physical well-being. This is a hit-the-ball-out-of-the-park opportunity for Certified Wellcoaches®, Nationally Board Certified Coaches, or ICF-ACC/PCC/MCC Coaches who want to be masterful coaches. The Professional Coach Training course includes: Two 2.5 day on-site sessions in January and September each year 32 ninety-minute virtual classes with the ability to practice new tools and skills in class, including 8 group coaching sessions Six private mentor coaching sessions with feedback from coaching masters regarding the application of Wellcoaches protocols and International Coaching Federation Competencies A reading list of over 20 carefully chosen books written by scientists and psychologists with a strong evidence basis Cost: $4100 A "Certificate of Attendance" is provided following class attendance, completion of a feedback surveys and all mentoring sessions. "The great thing about the PCT is not only the professional growth that you get from all of the tools and skills that you learn from all of the mentor coaching, and from all of the great Wellcoaches faculty, but the greatest value is the personal growth. The books that you read and the way that you process all of the new information is truly life-changing and transforming. It makes you a better professional but, more importantly, it makes you a better person." - Noah Gentner, PhD Core Coach Training: Module 1 - 35 CCEs Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction- Because of our approved Level 2 accredited training program, courses within our approval are also approved for CCEs towards a credential or renewal for ICF. Wellcoaches supports health, well-being and wellness coaches throughout their careers by providing high-quality, engaging continuing education that meets ICF accreditation standards. Completion of Module 1 (including 100% attendance, completion of all lesson feedback surveys and a score of 80% or greater on quizzes) is required for course completion and to receive a Certificate of Attendance. See all upcoming classes . Lesson topics include:​ ​​Differentiating the coach from the expert How to establish growth-promoting relationships Coaching presence Expressing compassion through empathy Building positive emotions for resilience Eliciting motivation Building self-efficacy Readiness to change Building powerful visions Crafting designs for behavior experiments Creating generative (ah-ha!) moments Appreciative goal review Coaching habits e-course "Choose the right program and Wellcoaches has one of the best. I have almost every certification you can think of as a coach, but most of those certifications do not come with research and evidence-based curriculum. They do not go deep and wide. If you get certified with Wellcoaches, you will not only have the tools you need to be successful as a coach, but will have the tools that you need transform someone's life." - Dr. Ivan Young, MCC, NBC-HWC Module 2 - 10 CCEs Attend in our virtual classroom with real-time instruction along with numerous e-course offerings. Because of our approved Level 2 accredited training program, courses within our approval are also approved for CCEs towards a credential or renewal for ICF. Continue your journey of becoming a certified health coach. Module 2 was created to further deepen coaching skills through demonstration and practice opportunities. Participants will hone in on the specific topics: Organize Your Emotions, Organize Your Mind, Wellness Visions and Generative Moments A "Certificate of Attendance" is provided following class attendance, completion of 4 feedback survey and a score of 80% or greater on all knowledge assessments. . ICF Continuing Education Requirements Once all requirements are complete, a Certificate of Attendance will be provided. Participants will use this document along with a letter from our continuing education coordinator to validate their training and report completion of the course(s) to ICF for continuing education credits. ** Please contact your coach concierge for your verification letter before you submit your application to ICF. Have questions about a course? Your Coach Concierge, assigned by the first letter of your last name, is here to support you: Telephone: (866) 932-6224 (866 WE-COACH) Your Last name A - G : Julie Cummings [ext 712 ] Your Last name H - O : Joanna Thomas [ext 743] Your Last name P - Z : Angela Carter-Lanon [ext 742]

bottom of page