The concept of AI health coaching sounds pretty awesome. Having a digital assistant to communicate personalized health and wellness tips, recommendations and motivational words of encouragement 24/7 seems almost too good to be true. But is the reality of having such individualized health insights at your beck and call, the saviour to the global metabolic health crisis? Will the need for traditional human health coaches be a thing of the past?

In this post we’ll take a deep dive into AI health coach apps. We’ll discuss what apps are currently on the market, what benefits they hold, as well as their limitations. 

What Is an AI Health Coach?

An AI health coach is an advanced digital health assistant that provides personalized health recommendations based on your specific needs and goals. AI health coaching brings together two emerging technologies: 

1. Wearable technology like smartwatches and smart rings (Apple Health, Garmin, Oura ring and Whoop) that collect health metrics like blood oxygen, VO2 max, heart rate, and sleep data. 
2. Generative-AI technology like Open AI’s ChatGPT, that can “learn” your behavior and provide conversation feedback and guidance using cutting-edge technologies like deep learning, machine learning and natural language processing.

By combining the latest in wearable technology with generative AI, AI health coaching is able to use your personalized biometric data to provide tailored health guidance and motivation 24/7. You can even track your nutrition and enter lab results for a holistic health approach. 

Most of us have worn some sort of wearable to track our steps and/or heart rate. But sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what to do with this information. The generative AI technology can gain insight into your daily routine, and by inputting your health goals, your AI health coach can manage your health journey. It can help you integrate impactful lifestyle changes, while taking into account your fitness level and your goals. Whether you’re looking to manage a chronic condition like diabetes, or improve your 5km run time. Theoretically, an AI health coach can keep you motivated and accountable.

AI-Powered Health Coach Platforms

There’s a growing number of AI-powered health coach apps on the market, including ONVY,  Humanity, and Oura Advisor. These apps claim to provide personalized accountability based on your goals, individual lifestyle choices and your health biometrics.

There’s a lot of buzz around Thrive AI Health, a new AI health platform that was launched earlier this year. Thrive AI Health has been marked as the next big thing in AI health coaching. Announced in July 2024, this new venture is backed by OpenAI’s Startup Fund and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive global. Thrive AI Health reports that their technology will use large datasets and peer-reviewed science to provide personalized recommendations that go beyond the basics of health and fitness.

The Benefits of an AI Health Coach

The idea of having hyper-personalized 24/7 access to an AI health coach seems pretty awesome. Let’s take a look at the top benefits of this new technology:

Encourages Healthy Habits 

An AI life coach or health coach monitors your daily habits and behaviors. Over time generative-AI learns your routine and will help you build healthier habits that then become the foundation of your healthy life. As the AI coach learns your routine, it can provide nudges in a way that is non-intrusive and encouraging to help you stay on track with your health goals. This could be a reminder to drink water, to stay clear of ultra-processed foods or to schedule a 20 minute walk after work.

Managing Mental Health and Wellness

Many of the AI health coach apps offer mental health and wellness support. An AI health coach can offer stress management exercises, personalized meditation prompts or mood-tracking tools to address the mind-body connection, as part of a holistic approach to your overall health plan. This can be a useful strategy to help manage mental well-being, in conjunction with your mental health care provider. 

Personalized Recommendations for Health Problems and Chronic Disease Management

AI health coaching apps claim to improve health outcomes by offering targeted interventions based on real-time data. These real-time recommendations are based on your unique health profile. This is achieved by the continuous tracking of health data from a wearable device such as a Garmin or Apple Watch. 

In theory, this allows for specific suggestions for managing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (heart disease) or type 2 diabetes. In turn, an AI health coach will send personalized nudges like modifying your diet, engaging in stress management practices, or improving your sleep quality, to encourage healthier behavior.

While this all seems pretty epic, before taking on any suggestions from your AI health coach, you should always seek guidance from your medical doctor. This is essential if you’re going to allow your AI-powered health coach app to access your lab results and medical history. It’s important to note that there are some major limitations to generative-AI that can impact the validity of these targeted interventions. But more on this later.

Improved Patient Outcomes

The most powerful aspect of AI in healthcare is its ability to process vast amounts of health information from a variety of sources. These include medical records, healthcare apps, devices and clinical trials. By analyzing this data an AI health coach can identify patterns and provide personalized health advice that has the power to improve patient outcomes. If using an AI health coach in this way, it's important to do so in conjunction with a medical professional.

The potential of these AI health apps appears to be like something from a sci-fi movie. But as mentioned previously, there are some major drawbacks to using generative-AI to analyze and interpret lab testing and medical records. These limitations are discussed next.

AI Health Coach Limitations

AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but there are several red flags that need to be addressed. Here are our top concerns when it comes to AI health coaching:

Data Collection and Privacy Concerns

Like all emerging technologies new ethical implications must be considered. When it comes to AI health coaching, privacy concerns around the collection of sensitive health data is a potential red flag. It’s important that all personal health data is protected to avoid inequities in care, or discrimination from third parties such as health insurance companies, or employers.

Inaccurate Health Advice Through AI Bias and AI Hallucination 

AI health coaching is not devoid of human bias. The scientists creating the data on which AI was trained may have passed on their own potential biases, and this can lead to AI bias. AI draws its conclusions from the information that it has access to, and the current AI models haven't been exposed to enough health and medical information to make accurate decisions on these data sets. 

Generative-AI, like ChatGPT, can get things wrong. In a 2023 study, ChatGPT-4 was given 65 medical questions that are frequently seen in laboratory medicine. The researchers discovered that ChatGPT-4 only answered half of the questions correctly. Most worrisome was a phenomenon known as AI hallucination, that caused ChatGPT to output misleading and completely false responses to over 16 percent of the questions. The scariest aspect of AI hallucination is that these incorrect responses appeared correct based on the terminology used.

More Information Isn’t Always a Good Thing

In theory, having a digital assistant that has access to your personalized health information should lead to effortless healthy living. But the reality is, all this information can become exhausting and overwhelming. It may lead to some people switching off the app, and reverting to their old unhealthy habits.  

Why There’s Room for Both Human and AI Health Coaches  

There are many positives to AI health coaching. AI is still in its infancy, and its application in the health and medical fields is still very new. The limitations discussed here are very serious, but can be mitigated (to some degree) through human intervention in the form of a human health coach. 

We believe that there will always be room for traditional human health coaches in healthcare. There’s something about human connection that AI can’t provide, especially when it comes to accountability. Knowing that there’s someone out there besides you who understands your unique needs, holds immense power and influence over your behavior. Personalized nudges are great, but AI just doesn't cut it in some situations. With an AI health coach you can literally switch off the app, or silence notifications.

Final Thoughts

AI health coaching technology has the potential to revolutionize patient care. Its ability to link to health tracker platforms such as Apple Health, Aura and Garmin allows individuals to have personalized health advice unique to them. But, there are major red flags that limit AI’s role in healthcare at this time. AI-driven diagnostics of lab and other medical data is not accurate and should only be considered under the guidance of a medical doctor.

Whilst the idea of having a personalized nudge specific to your health metrics and lifestyle seems great in theory. But will it make any real difference to an individual’s health and well-being?

Most of us know that fast-food isn’t healthy, and that daily movement is key to longevity. For many people, it’s the busyness of our modern lives that is forcing us to make unhealthy lifestyle choices. Is an AI health coach app going to help you overhaul your stress-filled life? Maybe not. 

We believe that the best way to use AI health apps is in conjunction with a human health coach or personal trainer. Someone who can guide you through your major lifestyle changes, and to make sure AI bias or AI hallucination isn't spitting out dangerous health advice. 

Is hyper-personalization the key to optimal health? Not entirely. But we do believe that it's a major piece of the puzzle. We predict huge growth in AI health coaching as the technology develops. It may not be the miracle cure that it's been hyped up to be, but it will play a key role now and into the future.

In this comprehensive guide we’ll dive into the best superfoods for gut health.

We’ll also provide five helpful coaching tips that you can use with your clients to help them incorporate superfoods into their diet. 

The Connection Between Digestive Health and Well-Being 

The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of microorganisms that live inside your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Keeping your gut microbiome balanced is essential for good health, optimal digestion and overall digestive health. 

Your gut microbiome includes diverse gut microbes and beneficial gut bacteria. These microscopic creatures play a critical role in nutrient absorption, digestion and immune system function. 

When you have poor gut health, this can disturb the equilibrium in your GI tract. This can lead to the overgrowth of harmful microorganisms and health complications that can impact on your quality of life, including:

• Gut inflammation
• Leaky gut syndrome
• Digestive discomfort (such as bloating and gas)

If left untreated, these health complications can develop into debilitating and life-threatening diseases such as:

• Inflammatory bowel disease 
• Celiac disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Colorectal cancer (CRC)
• Chronic liver disease
• Pancreatic disorders

The good news is that we can control the type of bacteria that live in our gut by the food that we eat.

Nutritious Superfoods for Gut Health

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

Over 1700 years later, Hippocrates' quote could not be more relevant. Our gut microbiota has a major impact on our overall well-being, and eating healthy superfoods for gut health is key to a healthy life. 

The term superfood was coined as a way to describe a food that is rich in compounds considered to be beneficial to a person’s health. These compounds include:

• Fiber
• Antioxidants
• Fatty acids

Poor gut health is linked to reduced diversity in the gut microbiome, which is believed to be caused by aspects of modern life including increased antibiotic use and modern sanitation. Our “clean” living is wreaking havoc in our gut, but this can be rectified by consuming certain foods that the “good” bacteria enjoy.

Repopulating your gut with healthy bacteria starts by eating the right foods.

Next we’ll explore our top superfoods for gut health.

Top Superfoods for Gut Health Revealed

Here we've collated the most nutritious and delicious superfoods for gut health and grouped them into several categories.  

Probiotics and Fermented Foods 

Probiotics are microorganisms such as live bacteria and yeasts that can be consumed as part of a healthy diet. The most common probiotics are the healthy species of friendly microbes that already live in your body. The most well-known and best researched probiotics include:

• The Lactobacillus genus, including L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. casei and L. plantarum.
• The Bifidobacterium genus, including Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve.

Probiotic-containing foods help fight off the less friendly microbes and boost your immunity against infections. 

Fermented foods are foods and beverages that have undergone controlled microbial growth, otherwise known as fermentation. Their superfood status is largely due to their high probiotic content, which contributes to a more balanced gut flora, and promotes better overall gut health.

Here’s a list of our favorite probiotic-containing foods that support healthy bowel function and optimal digestion: 

• Kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage)
• Greek yogurt (full fat)
• Tempeh (fermented soybeans)
• Kefir
• Fermented milk
• Fermented tea (kombucha)

Fiber-Rich Foods

The next superfood category on our list is dietary fiber. Plant-based foods contain dietary fiber, which passes relatively intact through our stomach, small intestine and colon, before being excreted as stool.

Even though our bodies aren’t able to digest or absorb it, fiber is essential for optimal gastrointestinal health.

Fiber-rich foods also help manage blood sugar levels and promote healthy weight management.

There two types of fiber and they are:

Soluble fiber: Dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material. It has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and supports regular bowel movements.

Soluble fiber is found in:

• Apples
• Citrus fruits
• Carrots
• Psyllium
• Oats
• Peas
• Beans
• Brown rice
• Leafy greens

Insoluble fiber: Does not dissolve in water. It promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk.

Insoluble fiber can help those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools.

Foods that contain insoluble fiber include:

• Nuts
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Potatoes

Prebiotics

Prebiotics (also referred to as prebiotic dietary fiber) passes through our GI tract undigested. Most prebiotics contain fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which feed the “good” bacteria that reside in the large intestine. 

Whilst all prebiotics are fiber. Not all fiber is prebiotic. For a fiber to be classified as prebiotic it must:

• Only feed a small number of “beneficial” bacteria.
• Pass through the GI tract with the absence of undesirable side effects such as excessive gas in the gut.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows that prebiotics enhance gut function and microbiome health.

Foods high in prebiotics include: 

• Chicory root
• Bananas
• Flax seeds
• Artichokes
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Chia seeds
• Cooked and cooled potato
• Cooked and cooled rice

Root Vegetables

Did you know that ginger root and other edible roots are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties?

These fascinating superfoods can help ease digestive problems and support a healthy metabolism. They also possess the ability to sooth your digestive tract. 

Edible roots are the ultimate superfood for gut health. Research has shown that they:

• Reduce gut inflammation
• Improve digestion
• Are a potent antioxidant
• Alleviate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms 
• Feed “good” bacteria as a prebiotic

Here’s our list root vegetables superfoods:

• Turnips
• Yucca (cassava)
• Yams
• Beetroot
• Radishes
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Carrots

Berries

Berries are delicious and nutritious. Packed with health-promoting goodness, berries are an amazing superfood for gut health. Berries are loaded with fiber and a bucket-load of micronutrients including:

• Antioxidants to combat free radicals.
• Immune-boosting phytochemicals.
• Vitamins including vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A and the B vitamins.

Nutrient-dense berries to include in your life:

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Goji berries
• Elderberries
• Acai berries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cranberries
• Huckleberries

Superfoods for Gut Health: 5 Top Coaching Tips

Understanding what to eat is one thing, but incorporating these nutritious superfoods into daily life is a whole different thing! This is where you as a health coach can step in. 

Here are our top coaching tips you can use with your clients to make eating a balanced diet simple and stress free:

1. Start Small: Sometimes a gradual diet change works best. Aim to include two or three superfoods into your meal planning, such as Greek yogurt for breakfast and ginger in your afternoon tea.
2. Experiment With Recipes: Planning a healthy delicious meal is loads of fun. You can search for recipes online, and bookmark your favorites. 
3. Balance Your Diet: Do your best to include a mix of fiber-rich foods, healthy fats, and prebiotics and probiotics sources in your meal planning. Kimchi and kombucha will add flavor and probiotics to your meals. 
4. Be Kind to Yourself: No one is perfect and we all have slip-ups. Be kind to yourself if you have a period of time where your nutrition choices haven't been the healthiest. When this happens, it's never too late to press reset.
5. Refer to an Allied Health Professional: Remember your scope of practice as a health coach. If there are any specific health concerns or conditions like chronic constipation or acid reflux, don’t hesitate to refer your client on to a medical doctor or a registered dietitian.

Conclusion

Superfoods play a key role in promoting gut health, supporting optimal digestion, and keeping a healthy digestive system. Incorporating superfoods into your diet will help you maintain a balanced gut microbiome and healthy bowel function.

If you’re a health coach, then our handy coaching tips will help your clients effortlessly fit nutritious superfoods for gut health into everyday life.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in our modern fast-paced world. Often this can lead to negative thoughts and emotions. Unhealthy eating habits can then ensue. This includes comfort eating and binge eating. But this instant gratification is short-lived. Turning to comfort food when stressed can result in unhealthy eating patterns and further health complications. 

If you’re a health coach, understanding the power of the mind is key to breaking these unhealthy eating patterns.

In this post, we’ll share our top 7 positive thinking exercises that will cultivate a healthy mindset.  

What Are Positive Thinking Exercises?

Positive thinking is key to overall well-being, as it:

• Boosts happiness
• Improves relationships
• Leads to better physical health 
• Allows for a better night’s sleep

Positive thinking exercises are rituals or behaviors that promote calmness and evoke happiness. When practiced daily, positive thinking exercises can change your outlook on life.

Next, you'll find our top 7 positive thinking exercises that you can use to bring out the best in your clients. These exercises will help promote feelings of self-worth and improve self-esteem. 

1. Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude is a form of appreciation that evokes positivity. To practice gratitude is to acknowledge specific tangible aspects of your life that make you feel happy and thankful. 

Gratitude journaling is the process of recording moments or events that you are grateful for on a regular basis. This simple practice will shift your perspective and improve your outlook on life. Each day, take a few moments to write down three things you're grateful for. 

The habit of recording the positive aspects of your life in a daily journal has the power to remodel your brain. By doing this you will build resilience and improve happiness in your life. 

Another term for this exercise is “counting your blessings.” These blessings can be big or small, ranging from a delicious cup of coffee in the morning to the love and support of friends and family. 

If performed daily, gratitude journaling will shift your perspective and will foster a sense of abundance and contentment in your life. 

2. Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself regularly to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts.

Positive affirmations have the power to rewire negative thought patterns and to change your outlook in any given situation.

Having a list of affirmations that resonates with you, such as "I am worthy of love and success" or "I am capable of overcoming any challenge," is an excellent positive thinking practice to calm your negative energy. Affirmations work best when repeated daily, especially during moments of self-doubt or difficulty.

Having trouble finding the positive words that best resonate with you? Take a look at our list of 43 growth mindset affirmations. You’re sure to find a phrase or quote to motivate you.

3. Visualization

Visualization is the process of picturing the things you want or desire in your mind. During this process you focus on what it would be like if you were to attain or achieve your goals. 

Visualization is a powerful technique used by athletes, performers, and other successful people around the world. The process of visualizing can take many different forms and is often associated with meditation and mindfulness. Understanding how visualization works and how you can implement it into your own life has the power to transform your life.

We love visualization as a positive thinking exercise because it requires no equipment. Just your time and your focus. If you’re new to the process, you can start by taking a few minutes each day to visualize your goals and dreams. Immerse yourself in the experience and allow yourself to feel the emotions of joy, accomplishment, and fulfillment.

Visualization not only enhances motivation but also instills a deep sense of belief in your ability to achieve your aspirations. This technique is amazing for reframing negative thoughts into positive ones, and can also be referred to as cognitive restructuring.

4. Acts of Kindness

Ever wondered why it feels so good to help someone? Research shows that performing random acts of kindness is good for our own mental health as well as the mental well-being of the recipient.

Practicing random acts of kindness not only brightens someone else's day but also uplifts your own spirits. Whether it's offering a sincere compliment, helping a stranger in need, or volunteering your time for a cause you believe in, acts of kindness foster a sense of connection and purpose. By spreading positivity to others, you create a ripple effect of goodwill that comes back to enrich your own life.

5. Surround Yourself with Positivity

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” - Jim Rohn, is more than just a famous quote. 

Research has shown that we tend to become more similar in our appearance and behavior to the people we spend the most time with. This phenomenon is referred to as neural synchronization. 

Ideally your inner circle should be filled with uplifting individuals who inspire and support you. Do your best to surround yourself with people who have a healthy mindset and share a positive outlook on life. 

Conversely, it’s important to limit your exposure to negative influences and negative people, including toxic relationships, pessimistic news or social media that evokes comparison and envy. 

By surrounding yourself with positivity you will cultivate a positive environment that will nourish your soul and encourage personal growth. 

6. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful exercise that can soothe anxiety and calm the mind. It’s about being present in the moment, without judgment or attachment to thoughts and emotions. There are a variety of ways to include mindfulness practice in your daily routine, including:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing exercises
• Mindful walk in nature
• Relaxation 
• Grounding

Being mindful will allow you to live in the present moment. This will encourage a sense of inner peace and serenity, and you’ll free yourself from your worries and anxieties. 

7. Embrace Failure as Growth

Embracing failure as growth is easier said than done. But, if you can shift your perspective, you can turn a negative outcome into a valuable learning experience. This is growth mindset 101! 

By embracing failure as an opportunity to grow and learn, you’ll develop resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. This will allow you to deal with setbacks with a positive mindset, even during the most challenging times.

Bonus! Self-Care

Staying positive is difficult when you’re run down and sleep deprived. Our bonus tip is to make sure you’re on top of your self-care.

But what is self-care? The World Health Organization defines self-care as, “…the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.” 

This means, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, and that you’re eating nutritious food. The best way to do this is to plan ahead. Write a shopping list, allocate time to buy your groceries and to prepare your meals.

Self-care also involves engaging in activities that bring you joy. This could be spending time with loved ones. Or attending a yoga class. Most importantly you need to make sure you look after yourself. 

Summary

Cultivating positivity is not about ignoring the negative aspects of your life, or putting on rose-colored glasses. It’s about bringing optimism into your day, and training your mind to see the positive side in the midst of difficulty.

As a health coach, you’ll make the greatest impact if you can help your clients embrace a mindset of abundance, resilience and gratitude. Because a negative attitude is linked to low self-esteem and can ruin an entire day. The positive thinking exercises that we’ve shared in this post will help your clients shed any negativity they may be harboring and they’re sure to reap the health benefits from this. 

To recap, the 7 positive thinking exercises we’ve covered in this post are:

1. Gratitude journaling
2. Positive affirmations
3. Visualization
4. Acts of kindness
5. Surround yourself with positivity
6. Practice mindfulness
7. Embrace failure as growth

By incorporating these 7  positive thinking exercises into their daily life, your clients will transform their outlook and create a fulfilling life bursting with happy moments. Positivity is not just a state of mind – it's a way of life.