Do you like change? We live in wonderful times…the amounts of information available to us often boggles my mind. Anything I want to know about is usually available to me within minutes…all I need to do is log onto my computer and do a search for whatever I want to learn about.

Unfortunately, along with that abundance of information, comes an increasing feeling of frustration…how can we ever know it all, and when information conflicts, how do we know what is correct? It’s hard to make changes when the "authorities" we turn to for our information can’t even agree.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of health. Many clients come to me for health information feeling confused by the different diets being advocated as ideal by one book or another, by different exercise programs, or by the vast number of alternative treatments, remedies, vitamin preparations or lotions and potions available to them.

So where do you start? In my health coaching business, I first teach people how to use applied kinesiology, or muscle testing, as a tool for determining what foods and substances are compatible with their unique biology. This puts clients in control. They no longer need to depend on me or anyone else to determine whether a product or food might be beneficial for them.

Next I help people define their needs. What are their goals? Have they developed unpleasant symptoms, or possibly disease conditions that they would like to get rid of, or are they trying to lose weight? Would they like to have more energy? Are they having trouble fighting off colds or the flu when it goes around the office or school?

If we continue to do things the same old way, we usually continue to experience the same results. Making changes means doing things a new way or trying new things. The best way to make permanent changes in your life is to develop new systems.

The biggest problem I run into in my practice is that people are too busy. Their days are so full of activities and commuting between activities, healthful living practices are often ignored. Parents are especially vulnerable. In their efforts to do everything possible to enhance their children’s lives, they often neglect their own health and well-being.

Yet once a good system is put in place, it shouldn’t take a lot of time to maintain it. The increased energy we feel more than compensates for the time we spend caring for ourselves. If we can find the time to learn a system and implement it in our lives, it soon becomes automatic.

Here are some recommendations for making the changes and implementing your own personal system for health.