The power of lifestyle as medicine

HEALTH COACH・FAIRFAX, VA

A group of people cooking healthy food in the kitchen while laughing and talking to each other using the guidance of a health coach

Let food be thy medicine

Staying motivated with a healthy lifestyle and eating habits can be difficult, especially when life gets busy. It’s easy to forget about taking care of ourselves in the midst of our daily lives.

Hiring a health coach can help you stay on track by providing support, accountability and guidance that is tailored to your individual needs. As your lifestyle medicine doctor and health coach, I will work with you to create achievable goals so that it becomes easier for you to stick with them over time.

Additionally, having a doctor who understands nutrition science and has experience helping others reach their goals makes it easier to maintain healthier lifestyles in the long run!

A woman preparing a healthy meal in her kitchen using a recipe from her health coach

Health Coaching

This is a soft reset for your body & soul.

“I’ll help you to remove the roadblocks that prevent you from sticking to healthy resolutions, creating change and transforming your approach to self-care.” – Dr. Nancy Selim, D.O.

A health coach works in the prevention room.

Did you know that over 80% of the most common chronic diseases are preventable? By identifying the key areas of your life that contribute to poor health you reduce your future risk of disease and reach optimal performance.

As your health coach, I’ll reconnect you with your more authentic self and motivations, helping you reframe your goals, and supporting you through natural setbacks and negative self-talk.

We’re in this together.

My holistic approach to wellness

A woman's hand and leg folded in a yoga pose signifying the holistic approach taken by Dr. Selim's health coaching

Food is our fuel. Put good in, get good out.

But it’s not that simple, is it?

Overall health is about more than just diet alone. That’s why I treat the person as a whole, touching all the areas of wellness, including:

Physical activity: Even small amounts of exercise each day can reap great health benefits.

Stress reduction: We work together to identify areas of negative stress response and how to manage those responses through coping mechanisms and reduction techniques.

Quality Sleep: Lack of, or poor-quality sleep can lead to a strained immune system and an increased risk for all types of diseases. I’ll teach you how to get the most out of that precious time.

Relationships: Often overlooked, social connectedness is essential to emotional resiliency.

Nutrition: Diet has been shown time and time again to be the most powerful indicator of longevity and overall health. 

Substance Abuse: Minimizing your intake of dangerous substances is a huge step to improving your health.

Let’s thrive, not just survive!

Lifestyle Medicine Pillars of Health

We treat the whole person

These are the pillars of health, and we’ll work to improve all of them.

A fork and knife to represent nutrition & weight loss

Nutrition

Diet has been shown time and time again to be the most powerful indicator of longevity and overall health. Food truly is medicine.

a pair of sneakers to represent physical activity and weight loss

Physical Activity

Even small amounts of exercise each day can reap great benefits. You would be surprised at what a 30 minute walk a day can do.

 

a chaotic scribble in a circle representing stress in weight loss

Stress Reduction

We work together to identify areas of negative stress response and how to manage those responses through coping mechanisms and reduction techniques.

 

a pillow to represent restful sleep and weight loss

Quality Sleep

Lack of, or poor-quality sleep can lead to a strained immune system and an increased risk for obesity and heart disease. I’ll teach you how to get the most out of that precious time.

two hand holding together to represent relationships and weight loss

Relationships

Often overlooked, social connectedness is essential to emotional resiliency. Strengthening our relationships and deepening our intimacy can have profound effects.

a glass of wine to represent substance abuse and weight loss

Substance Abuse

Minimizing your intake of dangerous substances is a huge step to improving your health. Don’t worry, I’ll never tell you that you have to give up the glass of red wine…it’s just about moderation.

Results Matter

Our feedback says it all

“Let food be thy medicine,
and medicine be thy food.”
– Hippocrates

Heath Coaching Roadmap

How it works

Whether you’d like to improve the symptoms of a chronic illness, improve your mental health or push your current fitness to the next level, as your health coach, I marry my extensive physiological and lifestyle medicine knowledge to treat you as the unique individual you are.

I’ll not only help you to be your best self but I equip you with the invaluable knowledge of how to continue to do so without me.

01.

Evaluate

We’ll begin with an in-depth metabolic health assessment with a history, physical, and lab evaluation. We’ll discuss your goals and your health, then design a holistic health coaching program that is built around you.

02.

Action

It’s time to get started. I’ll teach you to eat in a whole new way by removing foods that cause inflammation of the gut and replacing those with foods that promote energy and restful sleep.

You’ll have plenty of recipes in the Online Health App for healthy and delicious meals that won’t leave you feeling deprived.

03.

Progress Tracking

This is the point where patients get really excited about the results their feeling and seeing.

We’ll have regular check-ins to discuss your progress and make any necessary changes. 

04.

Celebrate & Maintain

At this point you’ll want to celebrate! You’ll feel amazing, be sleeping better, and be able to handle food temptations and stress triggers with ease.  You’ll be able to enjoy everything in moderation, and making healthy choices will be much easier.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you accept insurance?

In order to provide exceptional care that is thorough and unrushed, Dr. Selim is an out-of-network physician and does not accept insurance. If desired, a superbill can be provided to submit to your insurance company, but there is no guarantee that you will be reimbursed.

FSA/HSA is accepted. Please confirm with your employer regarding benefits.

What is a health coach?

Think of a health coach as your personal health cheerleader, guide, and partner. We help you implement lifestyle changes to improve your physical health. Unlike a nutrition coach, health coaching focuses on more than just diet. We also address unhealthy habits like sleep deprivation and stress management, to name a few.

We’ll work with you to get you “unstuck” by helping you figure out what’s keeping you from reaching your health goals.

 

Can Dr. Selim be my PCP?

While I am trained as a Family Medicine Physician, I will be acting as a consultant and advise that you have your own Primary Care Physician to manage your general health. I’m happy to communicate with your personal doctor at your request.

What should I bring with me to my appointment?

To maximize the value of your initial appointment, please bring any recent blood work completed in the past 6 months and an EKG if available. If medications are recommended that require an EKG, you will be asked to complete this test with your primary care doctor prior to any prescriptions being given.

What is the cancellation policy?

 All appointments that are not canceled 24 hours in advance will be charged a $75 cancellation fee.