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‘First do no harm’
Published
9 years agoon
Using affirmations to change behavior
By Jackie Rainford Corcoran Explore Big Sky Health Columnist
Graduating from health coaching school in June of 2013 did not award me a perfectly disciplined diet and lifestyle. I still wrestle with unhealthy habits like drinking too much red wine and coffee, allowing my body to become dehydrated and not managing my time well.
With a constant drive to live life to its full potential, I recently wrote down my shortcomings and what needs to happen to overcome these hurdles. During this writing exercise, the phrase “First do no harm” kept coming up. Not being entirely sure of its origin, I Googled it.
The phrase “First do no harm” is often mistaken as part of the Hippocratic Oath – an oath often taken by physicians upon graduation of medical school – but appeared in medical literature much later than Hippocrates’ time.
The gist of the meaning is that a patient’s wellbeing is a physician’s primary concern. What if physicians prescribed “First do no harm” instead of doling out pharmaceuticals that often have side effects worse than the ailment they’re treating? This would be a game changer.
According to a 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study called “The Power of Prevention,” the U.S. spends more than 75 percent of its health care budget on people with chronic conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, alzheimers, arthritis and osteoporisis.
“These persistent conditions – the nation’s leading causes of death and disability – leave in their wake deaths that could have been prevented, lifelong disability, compromised quality of life, and burgeoning health care costs,” the study reports.
Instead of first prescribing a pill for a chronic condition, imagine physicians educating their patients to remove from their diet and lifestyle that which is slowly killing them and to get back to a more natural way of eating and living. It’s worth noting that the Latin root of the word doctor is “teacher,” and physician is “naturalist.”
Interestingly, lines from the original Hippocratic Oath say:
“With regard to healing the sick, I will devise and order for them the best diet, according to my judgment and means; and I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage.
“Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so.”
Clearly, Western medicine has strayed from this advice.
As a 45-year-old health coach who wants to stay off medications and prevent chronic disease, I’m forced to look at the decades of accumulated toxins in my body due to poor diet and lifestyle choices. Today, I enjoy a healthy diet of mostly homemade organic meals and I love to exercise. But how long can this lifestyle counterbalance the harm caused by my addictions and habits?
So now, posted next to my bathroom sink, is a note reminding me to “First do no harm.”
Regularly reading this puts a negative spin on actions that I used to consider “rewards” like coffee first thing every morning and red wine after work. It’s rewiring my brain and psyche to view them as potentially toxic because I have allowed them to become habit forming and addictive. This new perception is gradually helping me make real changes.
Jackie Rainford Corcoran is an IIN Certified Holistic Health Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, a public speaker and health activist. Contact her at jackie@thetahealth.com, or find more at thetahealth.org.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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april, 2024
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd