Achieving Balance
Through collaborative coaching, support, and education, you will be empowered to use lifestyle as medicine to achieve and maintain the healthiest version of yourself.
Individual Health Coaching
It is easier, with help, to go beyond what we are able to do alone.
Achieving Balance offers a series of one-hour virtual coaching sessions to help you to set and achieve your personal health goals.
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer (among others), are the most common and preventable of all health problems.
Confusing messages from scientists, media, the food industry, and other sources make it difficult to understand which lifestyle choices are most beneficial to your health. It is my goal to provide you with evidence-based lifestyle modifications which will have the greatest impact on your health.
Change is difficult. However, it can also be fun and open us up to new possibilities! Positive change is best accomplished through healthy relationships; therefore, my clients are given the gift of time, respect, and individual attention. I would like to help you when you are ready to accept the challenge.
Meet Dr. Renee Nilan
I have always been interested in my own health and wellness. That interest led me to pursue a career in medicine.
Through my work as a physician, I have witnessed the devastating effect that an unhealthy lifestyle has on my patients. It is heartbreaking. In contrast, a healthy lifestyle has the potential for the greatest and longest-lasting impact on our health and wellbeing. I decided to spend the remainder of my career coaching others to improve their own health and wellness through lifestyle modification. Toward this end, I studied Lifestyle Medicine and became certified as a health coach.
It is my mission to educate you on how the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine work together to support your health, and to assist you in setting and achieving your personal health goals.
Renee Nilan, M.D., NSHC Certified Health Coach
Misson & Vision
Our Mission
Achieving Balance provides collaborative coaching. We support, educate, and empower you to use lifestyle as medicine, in order to achieve and maintain the healthiest version of you.
The Need
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases and conditions are among the most common and preventable of all health problems. Heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease, among others, account for the majority of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Most of these chronic conditions are attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle and are therefore preventable by, or amenable to, adoption of healthy lifestyle choices.
For most health care practitioners, time constraints of office practice make it difficult or impossible to discuss, educate and implement with their patients an effective, long-term plan to address positive lifestyle modification. Instead, there is a heavy reliance on medication alone, rather than an integrative approach to health care. In addition, confusing messages from scientists, the media, the food industry, and other sources make it difficult for the general population to discern which choices are most beneficial regarding their health.
Our Solution
Achieving Balance offers health coaching for individuals. We work in collaboration with you, using evidence-based lifestyle modifications tailored to your individual health assessment and personal goals, to develop a stepwise approach to lifestyle improvements that can lead to improved overall health.
A healthy lifestyle is meant to be complementary to conventional medicine. We are happy to collaborate with your primary physician to maximize your approach to health.
Positive change is best accomplished through healthy relationships. Therefore, you are given the gift of time, respect, and individual attention.
Our Vision
Achieving Balance would like to see diseases of lifestyle become a thing of the past.
The 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
Nutrition
A healthy diet supports our body’s functions and provides fuel for our body and mind. To achieve a positive impact, choose a whole food, predominantly plant-based diet, and stay hydrated. We all know it, yet it’s so hard to achieve on our own. Let me help you with a plan.
Restorative Sleep
We are at our most productive, creative, and emotionally stable when we get enough quality sleep. Sleep is imperative for memory formation and learning, as well as for immune function. It is also an important tool for weight management! We will discuss sleep hygiene strategies to improve your nightly sleep.
Physical Activity
Daily physical activity is recommended for optimal health. It’s important to mix it up. We will discuss the various components of physical health, as well as strategies to increase your daily physical activity. You will receive encouragement and I will help you stay accountable.
Stress Management
Ongoing stress, without relief, can have negative impacts on our health. Developing effective strategies is paramount. Together we can review the various strategies available to increase your emotional resilience.
Social Connection
Humans are social beings; we are hard-wired for connection. Meaningful social connection can help you to live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Typically, we have a plan for other areas of our life, but not for this. Let’s come up with a focused approach to make sure your social networks and close relationships are supporting your health.
Avoidance of Risky Substances
Toxic chemicals, whether you drink them, smoke them, or use them around your home, have the potential to negatively impact your health. They may even act as a trigger for certain diseases. We can explore and understand how they impact you on a regular basis.
Testimonials
“Dr. Nilan’s kind and gentle encouragement changed me. I went from considering surgery to altering my diet and exercise routine. Not only did my hip feel better, but I lost a bit of excess weight and I feel (and look) better. I may still, in the future, require a hip replacement, but NOT NOW! With her program, I am so much more mobile and flexible. When I ‘fall off’ I do notice a difference, and without judgement, she encourages me back on track. I remember her telling me of her own struggles and accomplishments and I said “I need to do that!” Her response, so kind and understanding, was “It’s not a contest. Grow at your own pace.” I am so grateful for her guidance and help and continued support.”
Cate G.
“For years, I have struggled with abnormal sleep patterns due to regular overseas work travel. Jet lag would take hold when I arrived at my destination and again when I returned home, impacting my ability to engage with my family, exercise, and have a positive outlook on life. It could literally take one to two weeks for me to calibrate after traveling to another time zone. After just one session with Dr. Nilan, I learned practical strategies that fit my needs and lifestyle. After a bit of practice, I was able to get my sleep back on track much more quickly after traveling, which has drastically improved my quality of life.”
Ella A.
“Dr Nilan is a caring and compassionate friend and physician. I have several complex problems concerning my back and abdomen. These can create problems when tackling my nutritional and exercise needs. She is my undeniable resource for nutritional information. I trust and benefit from the research, schooling, and the personal commitment she has made to her well-being, and the well-being of others. Not only is Renee knowledgeable about the body as a whole, she is fantastic at offering up little hacks and tricks to get me where I want to be. I am so fortunate to count her as a part of my team. She is wholly focused on longevity and the quality of my life.”
Maureen McKenzie Lueder, Age 53
“I sought out a coach because I needed help getting started with an exercise program to preserve (and even improve!) my physical health. Renee helped me to prioritize my goals and had multiple techniques for keeping my fitness options front and center. Even as I was going through an incredibly stressful time, she held space for my challenges and was creative with solutions. She was able to provide a safe place for me to bring up the mind drama I was experiencing and then helped me get clear on how I wanted to respond. She was really there for all of it. Because of our work together, I finally figured out how to show up to my goal in a way that makes me proud and empowered. I would absolutely recommend working with Renee.”
Audrey W.
Questions?
This is your opportunity to ask questions about my approach and what you can expect when we work together. Please feel free to schedule a call.