What Is a Holistic Nutritionist?

A holistic nutritionist is a person who receives training in the field of nutrition and takes that knowledge and applies it to the individual needs of each person he or she supports.
When we talk about nutrition we think of food, and which foods may be the best for us. There is no set formula, or perfect number of calories, or perfect foods that can be prescribed for anyone.  If you think about your life cycle, what you needed as a child to grow and thrive may be quite different from what you need and enjoy today. As a child I didn’t like broccoli or mushrooms but today they are among my favorite foods.
So a holistic nutritionist is someone who takes into account who you are, your age, your lifestyle, your personality, your ethnicity, and your health history to best guide you to a healthy way of eating. When all these factors are taken into account, the process is “holistic” in nature.

How does a holistic nutritionist help?

As a holistic nutritionist in Greater Boston, I help you navigate through the highly confusing maze of misleading information food manufacturers present, so you are able to make informed choices at the supermarket. In the past 80 years or so, more than 75,000 new chemicals have been developed, and many of these chemicals are part of the commercial food supply. Research is showing that many of these chemicals trigger cravings for more of the same foods, potentially leading to overeating.  In addition to chemicals, many synthetic vitamins and minerals are added to foods, which are no substitute for the real thing. Our bodies are designed for real food, not chemicals and synthetic reproductions of nutrients, so regularly ingesting these kinds of products creates special challenged for the body.

Getting back to real food
How does one make a lifestyle change and return to eating real quality food?  Fortunately because of the upswing in interest in Farmer’s Markets and organic farms, we still have a rich supply of highly nutritious real food to access in this country. A holistic nutritionist can help you identify and purchase foods that are truly nutritious and weed out the misleading and potentially harmful food products that have landed in your food basket. As you make the shift to truly nutritious foods, certain things will change for you:  1) you won’t have peaks and valleys in your energy any longer 2) you will see improvement in blood measurements – lipids, blood sugar, triglycerides, etc. 3) problems like constipation and acid reflux will improve dramatically 4) you will never want to go back to eating foods filled with chemicals!

Where to begin?

The best place to start is to begin noticing how you feel.  Are you hungry all the time? Are you exhausted every afternoon around three o’clock?  Are you watching the scale more than you watch the quality of the foods you eat? 
The single most important factor in making long lasting successful change is that you are ready and committed to doing so.  Getting consistent healthy nourishment is not simply an intellectual pursuit. It is a belief that you are worth the effort, and a belief that your health is a precious commodity that you have great potential to make better. If you want to be healthier than you have been in years, contact me for a complimentary health consultation to see if this is the vehicle for achieving that goal.  We will together explore your current health, your health history and your lifestyle to see what might be the best way to meet your goals. Contact me today to schedule an appointment in person or by phone.