As a healthcare provider, you see it every day: patients struggling with obesity, diabetes, digestive issues, and other chronic conditions. You know that nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management are the most powerful tools to address these challenges, but with the average appointment lasting less than 20 minutes, there’s little time to provide meaningful lifestyle coaching.
This gap leaves patients with prescriptions but not the tools, support, or accountability they need to change.
The Global Health Project, a free initiative powered by Healthy Steps Nutrition (HSN), was created to bridge that gap by connecting providers with trusted gyms and coaches.
HSN has been leading this work since 2012 and was recognized in 2025 as the Top Habit-Based Coaching Program, having already helped over 50,000 people worldwide improve their health through nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
With over 1,000 healthcare-fitness partnerships formed since March 2025, this initiative proves that healthcare and fitness can work hand-in-hand to improve patient outcomes on a global scale.
The Time Crunch in Clinical Care: Why Providers Struggle with Lifestyle Interventions
For over a decade, we’ve heard the same message from physicians: “I just don’t have enough time.”
With appointments often limited to 15–20 minutes, there’s barely room to diagnose and prescribe, let alone provide detailed lifestyle coaching. Tracking protein intake, sleep quality, stress, or exercise simply isn’t realistic in that setting.
How the Global Health Project helps: Trained coaches act as an extension of your care team, taking on the follow-through, accountability, and habit coaching your patients need but you don’t have the bandwidth to provide.
The Patient Problem: Overwhelmed and Stuck
Today, more than 93% of U.S. adults are metabolically unhealthy. Yet most of them don’t know what to do or worse, they try everything and give up.
Patients are bombarded with:
Conflicting advice from social media “experts”
Restrictive diets that aren’t sustainable
Quick fixes that leave them right back where they started
The result? Confusion leads to inaction.
But here’s the truth: health is the outcome of habits.
Patients don’t need another crash diet; they need a clear plan, a coach to guide them, and accountability to stay consistent.
That’s exactly what Healthy Steps Nutrition coaching provides.
Real Partnership With Healthcare Providers
Dr. Hernandez – A Decade Of Collaboration with Healthy Steps Nutrition
Dr. Enrique Hernandez, a pediatric gastroenterologist with over 27 years in practice, sees firsthand how nutrition and lifestyle habits impact long-term health. When treating children struggling with gastric issues, he often finds that weight concerns, elevated triglycerides, and poor diet quality are also part of the picture. Knowing that families need more than a quick recommendation, Dr. Hernandez established a trusted referral process with Healthy Steps Nutrition (HSN).
How It Works:
When a patient would benefit from lifestyle support, Dr. Hernandez provides a referral card for Healthy Steps Nutrition. Parents can book a free discovery call to connect with the HSN team and discuss their family’s goals. From there, many enroll in the HSN Family Nutrition Coaching Program.
The Program:
Initial Consultation: Parents meet with one of HSN’s registered dietitians to identify family goals and outline one simple, realistic step to begin practicing together.
Ongoing Support: Families gain access to the HSN App, which includes:
Daily family-friendly health videos
Healthy recipes tailored to busy households
Habit tracking and ongoing coach communication
Resources: Families receive a copy of the Healthy Steps Kids Cookbook, filled with recipes designed for kids and parents alike.
Accountability: Families meet with their coach every other week for follow-up visits and receive weekly check-ins to maintain momentum.
Why It Works:
Health is the outcome of daily habits, not restrictive diets. Instead of taking foods away, HSN coaches start by adding more whole, nutrient-dense options. This approach helps children and parents build sustainable routines without the stress or mealtime battles.
📊 Research shows that only 1 in 10 children and adults in the U.S. eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This lack of nutrition contributes to rising rates of prediabetes, obesity, and other chronic health issues. By addressing these habits early, families in the HSN program consistently improve diet quality, energy, and health markers.
The Results:
While many referrals come in due to concerns about weight or triglycerides, the program does not focus on weight loss. Instead, the emphasis is on building sustainable, healthy habits that improve long-term outcomes. Families report less stress around meals, improved confidence in food choices, and better overall health for both children and parents.
By creating this bridge, Dr. Hernandez ensures his patients don’t just hear “eat better” — they receive structured support, tools, and accountability to actually do it.
🎥 [Watch Dr. Hernandez share his story]
Megan Cali, PA-C: Creating a Bridge Between Family Practice & CrossFit 696
Megan is a nurse practitioner at Family Medical. With only about 20 minutes during wellness visits, she knew it wasn’t enough to give patients the support they need to make lasting lifestyle changes. To fill the gap, her medical practice partnered with CrossFit 696 as a trusted referral source for patients looking for nutrition and fitness coaching.
Here’s how her system works:
Clinical Referral: During patient visits, Megan provides education on the importance of lifestyle change. If patients want additional support, they fill out a referral slip that’s sent to CrossFit 696. From there, Matt, the gym owner, follows up and schedules a free intro to explore how the team can help.
Baseline Data: Every patient prescribed GLP-1 medication begins with a comprehensive InBody scan at CrossFit 696 to establish biometrics and muscle mass.
Results Review: Experts at the gym explain the results and discuss the option of enrolling in their nutrition, fitness, and accountability program to help preserve muscle and improve overall health.
Personalized Pathways: Some patients choose nutrition-only coaching, while others enroll in both nutrition and fitness coaching. Both options provide structured, evidence-based support.
HSN-Certified Coaching: Patients work directly with coaches trained and certified in the Healthy Steps Nutrition framework, a proven, habit-based approach trusted by healthcare providers worldwide.
Ongoing Accountability: Through the Healthy Steps Nutrition app, patients receive daily education, habit tracking, personalized coaching, and weekly check-ins — ensuring consistency and progress long after the prescription is written.
