FAQ - HOLISTIC NUTRITION
Q. What is Holistic Nutrition?
A. 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 who are trained in holistic nutrition approach health and healing from a whole-person perspective. Using nutritional education as a primary tool, holistic nutrition professionals emphasize the building of health by approaching each person as a unique individual. This requires fully engaging the individual in their health recovery process and honoring their innate wisdom by working in an empowering and cooperative manner to chart a course to optimal health.
Q. What is the difference between a Holistic Nutrition Consultant (HNC) and a Registered Dietitian (RD)?
A. Nutrition is generally a career that falls under the holistic umbrella since it always focuses on how diet affects the body.
Holistic Nutrition goes a step beyond to address how lifestyle factors and diet work together to influence integrative health. Bio-chemical-individuality is taken into consideration, your body is different from your siblings’ body (even if you are twins) and your body needs are different. Age, activity, and lifestyle are also taken into consideration. Holistic Nutrition Consultants teach you how to find and shop for the most eco-friendly foods that are good for the land and good for you. A Holistic Nutrition Consultant looks at your entire lifestyle and coaches you into making lifestyle tweaks and nutrition changes until you learn your nutrition needs. We teach you to increase your nutrition density with real whole foods that are available in your area to lower your carbon footprint. You will learn the foods that have prebiotics and probiotics, foods that help hydrate you, foods to repair your gut, how to find a dietary balance, and to repair and care for your body with real food. Nutrition deficiencies need to be found with blood tests ordered from your General Doctor.
A Registered Dietitian operates from a S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) perspective and USDA rules. They will prepare a nutrition plan for you but are more likely to prescribe probiotic pills and protein shakes for weight loss. They might also promote a stomach clamp to lose weight. One benefit is that they can run blood tests.
Similarities include:
Food-based
Science-based
Work in community and clinical settings
Differences include:
Holistic Nutrition Professionals (HNPs) teach a whole, organic, chemical-free food approach to health.
The main tenet of holistic nutrition is biochemical individuality, and therefore, HNPs develop Individualized programs to address client health concerns.
Meal plans can be designed in all dietary formats: Vegan, Vegetarian, Palea/Keto, Mediterranean, Traditional, and so on.
RDs are encouraged by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to teach the USDA’s MyPlate approach.*
RDs are encouraged to use Association guidelines when developing protocols for their patients, such as those published by the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, etc.*
Q. Is Holistic Nutrition Consulting Science-based?
A. Yes! Absolutely! Holistic Nutrition aims at increasing your nutrition density by choosing foods that come from quality farms vs. conventional farms (pesticides and GMOs). Quality farms have quality soils, quality soil is what provides the nutrition density in all foods. Rather than be satisfied with symptom management with pills and supplements, we work with patients to find the root cause of symptoms to optimize health and well-being. We keep up with the latest science and research so people live longer, fuller lives free from disease.
Q. What kind of nutrition support does a Holistic Nutrition Consultant provide?
A. Some of the nutrition support you will expect from a Holistic Nutrition Consultant will be: Meal Planning, Sports Nutrition, Weight Management, Emotional Eating, Depression, Anxiety, Gluten-Free Celiac Lifestyles, Digestive Health, Vitamin Deficiency support, Hormonal/Endocrine Health, Immune Support, Stress Reduction, Food Sensitivity Diets, Cancer Support, Diabetes Support, Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Support & More.
Q. How is a Holistic Nutrition Professional Different from a Health Coach?
While there is some commonality in the scope of practice for health coaches and holistic nutrition professionals, a Health Coach is limited to motivational interviewing techniques (MIT). Holistic Nutrition Professionals gain extensive clinical education and knowledge that broadens their scope of practice beyond the limitations of health coaching.
Q. What Does a Holistic Nutrition Professional Do?
A Holistic Nutrition Professional advises individuals, families, and groups on how to improve diet, lifestyle, and attitude to promote health. He/she may work with a licensed healthcare provider to help individuals with previously diagnosed illnesses identify biochemical imbalances and toxicities that contribute to poor health. His/her advice and support is founded on evidence-based and holistic principles.
A Natural Chef teaches clients and groups to eat for health and provides healthy meals for them.
A licensed Healthcare Provider (MD, ND, DO, DC, RN, etc.) may work with a Holistic Nutrition Professional to educate patients on the benefits of whole foods, lifestyle improvements, and appropriate supplementation relative to their health issue, or provide these services themselves.
Holistic nutrition professionals have advanced clinical education that enables them to make evidence-based health and wellbeing recommendations, coupled with health coaching skills that support and enhance client compliance. Their education is science-based, focusing on bio-individuality, the science of food, nutrient composition, anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. HNPs are well-versed in research, critical thinking, and building client-counselor relationships.
Q. What kind of services are offered in Holistic Nutrition?
Holistic Nutrition Professionals Typically Offer the Following Types of Services:
Diet and lifestyle evaluation
The teaching of healthy eating
Shopping tours to learn better shopping decisions
Individual and Family meal planning
Suggestions for improving lifestyle
Suggestions for managing stress
Meal plans for improved weight, mood, energy, sports nutrition, and prevention and support for certain health conditions such as: diabetes, cancer, hormone balance, pre/post-natal, inflammation, depression, anxiety, stress, gut health, endocrine health, liver health, immune system health, musculo-skeletal health, fibromyalgia,
Teach classes on wellness and holistic nutrition
Advise clients on basic wellness supplementation (real food preferred)
Q. What kind of Therapeutic Services do Holistic Nutrition Professionals offer?
Holistic Nutrition Professionals offer the Following Therapeutic Services:
Intake
Advise therapeutic menu and nutrients
Research health issues
Provide follow-up support
Review laboratory assessments and customize a diet plan accordingly
Summarize case and group findings
Provide recommendations
Builds nutrition plans based on your budget
Teaches health professionals and consumers
Consults with a licensed practitioner
Role Delineation:
Our job is to bring non-biased health and nutrition information to friends, neighbors, associates, and the media. We educate the public on the cost/benefit of eating unprocessed local, fresh, plant-based foods. There is value in taking quality nutritional products to manage chronic nutritional deficiencies and toxicities associated with lifestyle and environmentally-related health problems.
WE DON’T
Practice Medical Nutrition
Diagnose disease
Make unproven health claims
Misrepresent training
Use unproven devices, assessments, or therapies
Use network marketing or product sales in lieu of individual client education
WE DO
Promote active lifestyles
Teach healthy eating
Holistic Nutrition Professionals’ Distinguishing Features:
Fresh, natural-foods basis
Educational emphasis
Client-based, not method or product-based
Refers to doctors for medical conditions
Highest standard of accountability and integrity
Uses informed consent and full disclosure forms