What Is A Holistic Health Counselor, Anyway?
I have to chuckle at some of the comments people have made when they hear the word "holistic" in my title.
I'd love to set the record straight:
- I don't work with crystals or rocks (unless I'm buying jewelry or gardening)
- I don't communicate with angels or spirits (at least, not in my business!)
- I don't ask my clients to eat twigs (unless they're out camping and bears ate their food rations and they're desperate)
- I don't wear flowy white dresses and chant "OM" all day (only sometimes on Halloween or in yoga class)
Here's the real scoop:
I received my certification from a school in nutrition called The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. To read a much-publicized news interview that was conducted with Joshua Rosenthal, the Founder of IIN, click here.
Upon graduation, I applied for (and received) certification by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. This is a national certification that certifies health practitioners who do not work with pharmaceuticals.
My mission as founder and director of Boston Health Coach is to help people fall in love with three things:
- Healthy Eating
- Juicy Living
- Guilt-Free Self-Care
What that means is... I support the WHOLE YOU (that's where the "holistic" piece comes in).
My goal is to make sure all of your foods are working as well as possible.
I'm talking about the food you put in your mouth (the stuff that gets digested and becomes your hair, nails, teeth, tissues, organs, mood, feelings, thoughts... basically, everything!).
I'm also talking about your Primary Food, which is everything that feeds the health of your soul. "Primary Food" - a phrase created by IIN - refers to your relationships, your career, your fitness routine, your spirituality, your self-care, your FUN! These things play have just as much an impact on your health as the food you eat does.
When both of these Foods are in balance, then you will feel insanely marvelousl If one of these Foods is out of balance, then you may try to compensate with the other (for example, that's why you may go for sugar if your relationship is in a lousy place or you hate your job).
As a holistic health counselor, I believe there is no one right diet. Let me say that again: there's NO ONE RIGHT DIET.
It's really tough to figure out what to eat these days, because you run across conflicting nutrition information everywhere you turn. At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I was trained in 40+ dietary theories from eastern and western medicine. These days, I read a lot of nutrition books. I like to experiment with the different diets - just so I can see (from my own personal experience) what they are like.
There are certain aspects of each diet that I like... and certain aspects I don't. But I want to be able to help my clients figure out what will work best for them. To do that, I need to be able to pick and choose from all the different nutrition theories out there to help my clients craft the diets that will work for them.
As a health counselor, I believe each person is a UNIQUE individual.
Someone who's 25 years old needs to eat differently than someone who's 50. Men usually need to eat differently than women. Women who are pregnant or nursing need to eat differently than they did before they conceived. Your blood type, ancestry, work out routine... these can all have an impact on the food that will support you best.
My goal is to help you listen to your body in a way that will allow you to be flexible with your food for the rest of your life.
Because the diet that works for you today probably won't work for you next season... next year... or 5 years down the line. So, why try to find an eating plan that you can 'stick to' when you know that you're simply going to need/want to change it down the road?
That's why I don't design meal plans for my clients...
That's why I encourage folks to stop counting calories and stop getting on the scale...
And why I don't allow dieting in my programs!
The ironic thing is: we take the time to learn how to drive a car, work our computer, and set up our surround sound systems … but we often don't take the time to figure out how to operate our own bodies and souls!
As a Holistic Health Counselor, I’m here to help you do that.
You don't have to eat twigs and berries to be healthy! Unless you want to, of course.
As a health counselor, my goal is to help you transition towards healthy eating... and I want you to really love what you eat.
I start from WHEREVER YOU ARE.
If you're eating junk food or fast food every day, we'll start from there.
If you eat healthy and have your local health food store memorized, then I'll help you fine-tune your foods and look at your diet from new angles, perhaps ones you may have never considered before.
When it comes to your Primary Food, my goal is to help you:
- Get into the healthiest, most supportive relationships possible (and get out of those that drain you)
- Find a job that feeds your soul and your passions
- Design a workout routine that doesn't feel like work
- Take insanely good care of your spiritual soul
Is this the kind of health support you've been looking for? If so, I encourage you to participate in one of my monthly teleclasses to jumpstart your health.
Would you like to bring this kind of health message into your company? If so, please check out the corporate seminars I facilitate for organizations like yours.
