What Is A Holistic Nutritionist?
Sep 28, 2022
What Is A Holistic Nutritionist?
Think of it this way: A Holistic Nutritionist is to a Dietician what a Naturopathic Doctor is to a Medical Doctor. Or, alternatively, the difference between a Clinical Herbalist and a Pharmacist.
Holistic Nutritionists, Herbalists and Naturopaths all focus on illness prevention and natural wellness therapies.
Dietitians, Pharmacists and Doctors focus more on illness management and calculated therapies.
This is an oversimplification and absolutely my own opinion. Also, I believe there is a need and a place in society for everyone.
Natural medicine and preventative health, in an ideal world, would be how we live our day-to-day lives. This would prevent so much chronic illness and alleviate the medical system as we know it. Allopathic medicine would be saved for acute injury or illness. I made a post about it here.
The philosophy of holistic nutrition is that one’s health is an expression of the complex interplay between the physical and chemical, mental and emotional, as well as spiritual and environmental aspects of one’s life and being.
As such, professionals trained in holistic nutrition approach health and healing from a whole-person perspective. Nutritional education is the primary tool we use to guide our clients into balance. This requires fully engaging the individual in their health recovery process and honouring their innate wisdom while mapping their path to optimal wellness.
What does a holistic nutritionist do?
Instead of focusing on just one aspect of the person, or taking a one size fits all methodology, holistic nutrition evaluates the complete health history, emotional state, lifestyle habits and current diet habits of an individual to unearth the root cause of their health issues. Here some of the many health concerns that holistic nutritionists help with:
- Acne
- Detoxification/Elimination
- Dietary changes/food allergies, intolerances
- Digestive issues (constipation, diarrhea, reflux, abdominal pain, gut health)
- Disease prevention (i.e. cancer/osteoporosis/arthritis)
- Energy levels (low energy, hyperactivity)
- Emotional eating
- Food cravings
- Hormonal imbalances
- Mood disorders (anxiety, depression)
- Skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis)
- Sleep problems (insomnia, chronic fatigue)
- Weight management
From there, the goal is to empower and educate the client into improving their health with the use of nutrient-dense foods, lifestyle recommendations, and natural supplementation if necessary.
How do holistic nutritionists work?
We all have our own methods, depending on where we studied, our area of expertise and the individual we are working with.
For instance, my specialty is a combination of Vegan Ayurvedic Nutrition (nourishing foods and lifestyle rituals), Human Design (personalization based on your unique energetics), and Yoga (compassionate embodiment).
Generally speaking, we look at a few key aspects:
- Your health history (including your family’s health history)
- Your current diet and lifestyle
- The products you use in your home
- The products you use on your skin
- Your environment (work, home, relationships, etc)
- Your mental health
Your wellness goals are always taken into account when your nutrition plan is created. Ideally, the nutritionist will give you clear, actionable steps to reach those goals with ease.
Holistic Nutritionists are conscientious and well informed about the connections between the environment, toxins, food production and preparation, and the resulting quality of food. We recommend whole foods that are natural, alive and good quality, and which support sustainable farming practices and a healthy environment. We may also recommend high-quality natural source vitamins and minerals available from health food stores. We encourage the use of non-toxic, environmentally friendly household and personal products.
Are all holistic nutritionists plant-based?
No, not all holistic nutritionists are plant-based, though I imagine that most are conscientious about their intake of whole, plant-based foods.
The term plant-based is quite vague, and it could be said that someone who eats a diet of 80% plants and 20% animal products is still “plant-based”. It could also be said that someone who eats a vegan diet with the occasional dollop of raw honey is also plant-based. It’s important to ask your nutritionist how they choose to work.
For example, I work in a strictly plant-based, vegetarian and vegan manner. I will never recommend animal products like dairy, meat or gelatin to my clients, and I make this very clear from the beginning. If they prefer to eat animal products, I will happily refer them to another nutritionist that works with omnivores. Easy peasy!
Vegan and vegetarian nutrition is a specialty that is very important to get right. Therefore, if you’re a vegan/vegetarian person seeking nutritional consultation, I advise you to choose a practitioner who is well versed in vegan/vegetarian nutrition.
Are Holistic Nutritionists government regulated?
Not yet in Canada. It’s important to look for the correct certification, as there are lots of people out there calling themselves nutrition coaches without the true designation. There are many schools in Canada and abroad that teach natural or holistic nutrition. Depending on the province or country where you’re looking, you may see different designations such as R.H.N. (Registered Holistic Nutritionist), C.H.N. (Certified Holistic Nutritionist), C.H.N.C (Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant), or C.N.P (Certified Nutritional Practitioner).
I studied Natural Nutrition at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Kelowna, BC. Truly, this program forever transformed my life and perspective on wellness.
You can find more information about the different Canadian designations here.
Here is a list of some of the courses a Holistic Nutritionist would have taken:
- Fundamentals of nutrition
- Anatomy & physiology
- Biochemistry
- Advanced nutrition research
- Herbal medicine
- Prevention of disease
- Pathology of disease
- Nutrition and the environment
- Psychology of disease
- Natural supplementation
- Holistic food preparation
Can holistic nutrition help with health issues?
Absolutely!
Holistic Nutrition helped me with my own personal health issues, such as:
Digestion & bloating: targeting the imbalance responsible for my discomfort and how to create my own gut-health protocol.
Bacteria and yeast overgrowth, and how to properly cleanse from them.
- Acne and eczema – determining the root cause and natural alternatives to harsh medication/methods.
- Healing strep throat for good. I used to get strep at least once a year (often twice, annually) and I was able to identify the cause and heal myself, naturally.
- Using food as medicine - how to properly nourish myself with wholesome, plant-based foods (and actually enjoy eating them). I always thought it would need to be salads and smoothies all day long to be healthy, but understanding HOW foods interact with my body (and mind) was a powerful tool indeed. Now, I view food as fuel, and I discover new ways to remix and prepare my meals depending on the season, where I am, and what’s fresh and available.
- Energy and deficiencies: I learned how to naturally increase my iron levels and integrate the right foods & supplements.
- Hormonal imbalances: options for natural birth control planning, how to support my hormones, how to support my body while coming off The Pill and so much more.
- STOP DIETING. To see through the fad diets and stop feeling like the exception to every diet (because I was). It allowed me a sense of peace and playfulness with my diet. Ironically, the less I focused on “dieting” the more weight I lost, the clearer my skin became, and the happier I felt.
Can Nutritionists replace medical advice?
Absolutely not.
Holistic Nutritionists are not qualified to diagnose or prescribe you anything. They can, however, work alongside your medical practitioner to give you a holistic perspective of your nourishment.
Can holistic nutritionists offer insurance receipts?
That will depend on two things:
- Your insurance plan
- If the nutritionist is associated with a governing body
As I live and practice in the province of Quebec, I am associated with the ANPQ, which allows me to offer insurance receipts to my clients. This is because Quebec has different laws around nutrition consulting than the other provinces.
I do hope this changes some day, but for now it is what it is!
Are Holistic Nutritionists covered on benefits programs?
It depends which company you use, and this is constantly changing - more and more, companies are starting to cover Alternative Health Care Practices.
The more often that you request Holistic Nutrition to be covered, the more likely this will keep expanding to be covered under more plans.
Why should I go see a holistic nutritionist?
Most of us were not raised with awareness of how food interacts with our body, mind and soul.
In my own experience, I was always told I had to eat every bit of food on my plate or else “no dessert!”. The threat of not being able to have a sweet treat (problem #1) drove me to overeat and stop listening to my body’s cues of being full (problem #2).
This also pushed me to eat very quickly - too quickly - and I was disconnected from the experience of how food felt in my body (problem #3).
To top it off, I was so unaware of how the foods I had grown up eating were actually poison for me. Large amounts of meat and dairy (the worst possible foods for a Kapha-type), and so many gluten-containing foods like bread, pasta, cookies, cakes and pastries. In fact, this is what my diet consisted of, almost exclusively (BIG problem #4).
My parents did a wonderful job with us, and they were following guidelines fed to them by the Canadian Food Guide and big corporations like the FDA.
The thing is, it was all that we ever knew. That’s what we were all raised to believe was nourishment, and it took becoming very sick and ending up in the hospital to realize that perhaps everything I knew about nutrition was, in fact, not The Truth, but rather a perspective that was given to me.
This is what led me to studying holistic nutrition, and there was SO much more that came from this transformative experience than just getting a handle on my nutrition.
- It taught me self-awareness.
- I became more experimental in the kitchen, creating delicious and nourishing meals simply by using ingredients that would support my current state of health.
- I began to see how deeply I was affected by marketing and my role in the system that supplies our food.
It was truly life-changing, which is why I believe that everyone - no matter where you are in your wellness journey - would benefit from seeing a nutritionist at least once in their lives.
That being said, just like with everything in life, not every nutritionist is created equal.
It’s a lot like yoga teachers, or your dentist… you might not like the teacher or practitioner’s methods, but that doesn’t mean that all yoga and all dentists are terrible. It’s simply a misalignment with the person you’re working with.
If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a holistic nutritionist, coach, consultant, or alternative wellness professional, I strongly suggest that you seek another practitioner that you vibe with.
At the end of the day, you’re going to have better, long lasting results if you are working with a custom strategy and a non-dogmatic structure.
Holistic nutritionists will help you get a hang of nourishing yourself properly.
