We outsource so much of our health to trends, influencers and whatever’s being marketed as the next miracle solution that we sometimes forget one crucial truth: you are the expert on you. This is where becoming your own health advocate becomes key.
This doesn’t mean dismissing professional advice or doing everything alone. It’s about taking ownership of your health and becoming curious, informed and engaged in your own wellbeing, so you can make choices from a place of awareness rather than confusion or fear. When you step into this role, everything changes. You stop passively following advice and start actively participating in your health journey.
Advocacy begins with one fundamental practice: awareness. This means tuning into how your body and mind respond to different foods, habits and environments. When you eat, move, rest and think consciously, you start to notice the patterns. You realise what fuels you, what drains you, what supports your energy and what quietly inflames it. This kind of self-awareness is transformative. It gives you the clarity to ask better questions, seek the right support and make decisions that align with your unique physiology and values, not what worked for someone else on social media.
Over the years I’ve learnt this firsthand. Through training for demanding physical challenges, recovering from burnout and navigating my own health changes, I’ve had to become deeply attuned to what my body is trying to tell me. There have been moments where I’ve had to pause, question and make adjustments for what my body truly needed in the moment, rather than what I thought it ‘should’ be doing. That personal practice of awareness and self-responsibility shapes not only how I live, but how I guide others.
There’s often pressure to hand over control to the latest diet plan, ‘expert’ opinion or medical system without question. But true health advocacy means stepping out of passive compliance and into curious collaboration. So how can you go about this?
It’s really important to:
Don’t let ‘your results are normal’ be the end of the conversation if you know something doesn’t feel right. Normal doesn’t always mean optimal, and optimal is what you deserve. You’re allowed to advocate for a version of health that isn’t just the absence of disease, but the presence of vitality, energy and balance.
Advocating for yourself isn’t only about what’s on your plate. It’s about the bigger picture of what truly nourishes you. Real nourishment includes your boundaries, mindset, environment and emotional health. This holistic view recognises that a perfect meal plan won’t help if you’re surrounded by toxic relationships, that supplements can’t fix chronic sleep deprivation and that exercise alone won’t resolve unprocessed stress. Everything is connected, and true health advocacy means addressing what matters most in your unique situation.
Being your own advocate also means having the courage to act on what you discover. It’s setting boundaries that protect your wellbeing, saying no to things that deplete you and yes to the routines and choices that help you thrive. Sometimes this looks like speaking up in medical appointments, sometimes it’s changing your daily routine and sometimes it’s investing in support that helps you understand yourself better. So what’s the common thread? Action that aligns with your awareness.
Remember that no one will ever live in your body but you. The best practitioner, coach or mentor can guide and empower you, but your voice must be heard in the process. You should feel seen, understood and involved in every decision about your wellbeing. This is where real transformation happens; when you choose to be an active participant in your own health, not simply a passive recipient of advice.
The professionals who truly serve you will welcome your questions, respect your observations and work with you collaboratively. They’ll understand that their expertise becomes most powerful when combined with your intimate knowledge of yourself.
The key message I want you to take from this is: be curious about what your body is telling you, be consistent in paying attention and always advocate for yourself. Because when you take ownership, awareness deepens. And with awareness comes the power to create lasting change from the inside out.
If you’re ready to develop this deeper connection with yourself and create a healthy approach that truly works for your unique needs, I’m here to support you. Together, we can build the awareness, tools and confidence you need to become your own best health advocate. Get in touch today and let’s start this conversation.
