Christin Bummer used to lavish care on dogs via her Canine Kingdom business. Now she coaches humans to give similar consideration to themselves.

She went plant-based in 2011, just before Forks Over Knives was released. In fact, she turned vegan overnight, which made me wonder how she relates to clients who don't keep their promises to themselves as she has been able to.

But then Christin revealed her own secret behavior during pregnancy, adding Starbucks lattes, then non-vegan scones, then Panera chocolate chip cookies, even while she was an ethical vegan activist. 

She snapped out of it - again, overnight - after naming it a processed food addiction (under the guidance of Chef AJ and John Pierre) and committing to abstinence of sugar, flour, and alcohol.

As a coach, Christin's philosophy is to meet people where they are, rather than impose a model of addiction on them. She's a big fan of the power of group coaching, and values the dynamics that a community of support can bring to the individual.

She credits her own self-development work for her ability to stay focused, curious, intuitive, and helpful to her clients. At the end of the day, the details of the food plan or workout plan are trivialities compared to the mindset and the deep internal dialogs that determine our actions.

For example, many women in caretaker roles abandon their own needs due to a belief that "I don't matter." Eventually, as those around them demand more and more of their time and attention, they become resentful. Operating from a different belief becomes far more important than blocking off 30 minutes of yoga in their calendar.

We spent some time unpacking the practice of Intuitive Coaching, which involves trusting oneself and the client, and engaging in deep, curiosity-driven listening. Coaches will find this section particularly useful.

You can find Christin at TheForeverDiet.org. She's got a new book, Baby Got Back in Her Pants, which you can purchase from her website or on Amazon.