What is Holistic Nutrition?

Holistic Nutrition is a mindful approach to nutrition. It comprehensively breaks down the unique needs and lifestyle of each individual, and it approaches nourishment of the body with a focus on how it is interconnected with the mind and spirit. Holistic Nutritionists focus on how your physical health can impact your mental and emotional health, and we understand that everything is interconnected. This is what sets us apart from what’s come to be known as traditional dietitians.

How can you care for your mind, body, and spirit, and feel your very best, getting the balance of nutrients you need – from food? This is my personal approach to helping people as a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner. Not only what foods do you need, but what are the best sources for you to get these foods from? What are the best forms to eat foods in? What are some of the fallacies we’ve come to accept as the norm when it comes to healthy foods? These are all things that we need to evaluate as we take the first steps on our journey towards wellness. Holistic Nutritionists and Health Coaches work alongside MDs, NDs, Chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals to help people bring their bodies back into balance. We are trained to understand how symptoms are caused by a complex web of underlying imbalances and we bring diet into the therapeutic mix, working to reverse those symptoms through cellular nourishment and lifestyle changes.

In this age of quick searches online, it’s easy to think that you can find out everything you need to know by hitting google and entering a few queries. That’s not necessarily the case, though. There are a lot of things that are important to implement hand-in-hand in order to generate the best outcomes for your health. Sometimes things that you look up online might actually be helpful, but without knowing how the body’s different systems function together, this knowledge can often be applied in ways that are ineffective. Food combining and understanding how combinations of food work in the body for digestion and absorption are a good example of this. A direct example would be fat soluble (A,D,E,K) vitamins, which are found in orange (A) and green (K) vegetables, are best absorbed with healthy fats, such as olive oil.

Every person is different and that’s another approach that I take when seeing clients. What works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for another. Everyone is experiencing different things with their physical and mental health, so that could mean very different approaches in paths to wellness. Once we’ve met and I have all of the information I need, I will craft your personalized wellness plan. This includes a summary of what we’ve talked about, lifestyle changes and how to implement them, a week-long meal plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some recipes, a supplement schedule if necessary, and some goals that we’re going to aim to hit before your next visit. I want you to have the tools you need to succeed as you start taking steps. The rest is up to you, but I'm here when you need support.

I give clients the opportunity to book as needed. Multiple appointments booked at a time works well for some people who like to have more structure for accountability. Some people will only need to book often enough to check in regarding their progress, and make tweaks when necessary. You can book to see me weekly for the first little while, if you wish, or you can come in less frequently. Ideally, we’d follow-up in a month after your initial intake to check on your progress and make any necessary tweaks. After that, if you need more accountability, we can book accordingly. If you feel confident that you’ve got control of how things are going, then you can book your next appointment when you see fit. This could be in another month, or in two or three months. If we get you on the right track and you’re feeling great, then we’ve accomplished what we’ve set out to do. If you need a tweak down the line, I’ll be happy to book you back in and take a look at where we can make a few changes.

Nutrition is the first step we can take towards being in charge of our health. In terms of potential correction to certain ailments, as well as prevention, taking control of your health and wellness through nutrition is a vital first step. My purpose is to help you address issues at their root, using food and some possible supplementation. My focus is on detoxing the body, the gut-brain connection, mood, and cognitive behavioural coaching techniques to give you the tools you need to implement meaningful and lasting changes in your life. I can also get you setup with a couple of weeks worth of fresh and healthy food and juices, to help you get started with food prep and getting some good nutrients into your body. These packages can be purchased here: www.smilewellnessclinic.ca/category/all-products We can also complete an order for you during your intake appointment. I am always happy to see clients and be in the loop about how they’re doing. When I know you’re on the right track though, and I don’t see you for awhile, that means that I’ve achieved my purpose in helping you...and that’s why I do this.

Holistic Nutrition is covered by many extended health benefits. Companies that offer extended benefits for Holistic Nutrition services include, but are not limited to, Manulife, Sunlife, Blue Cross, Co-Operators, Equitable Life, Great West Life, and more. Contact your insurance company today to find out if your benefits cover Holistic Nutrition & Health Coaching Services. If you have any questions at all, please email: smilewellnessclinic.ca@gmail.com If you’d like to have a 15 minute meet and greet with me, I would love to talk with you some more about how I can help you. Please book online @ www.smilewellnessclinic.ca