Q:
How Can Nutritional Counselling
improve the quality of my life?
Q:
I have tried many "diets",
and spent thousands of dollars on plans from Bernstein®,
Herbal Magic®, The Zone®, and more. I always "grow"
back to where I started and it's very discouraging. What can
you offer me that is different from these "diets"?
Q:
Why is it that so many people are
overweight and dieting doesn't work?
Q:
Should I buy organic food? Is it
worth the price?
Q:
I've tried programs in the past
where I felt pressured into purchasing expensive supplements
and cleansing products. Do you insist that people buy supplements
from you? What if I don't want to use supplements? There is
so much conflicting information out there…I don't know
who to believe!
Q:
Can you provide me with information
about the safety of supplements?
Q:
What is the difference between
a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and a Registered Dietician?
Q:
My doctor has told me that if I
eat a balanced diet, I don't need to take supplements, besides,
they are so expensive, if I don't need them, why should I
take them?
Q:
How do you know which nutritional
approach is right for me?
Q:
You seem to focus primarily on
"proper" digestion, why is this? I don't think I
have any "digestive" issues.
Q:
I think I might have some issues
with my bowels, but I'm embarrassed to mention it to my doctor
or anyone else.
The cells in your body are built from the foods you eat. When
you make suitable food choices for your specific requirements
- you will feel better and build better cell structures. Proper
nutrition is your best prevention against obesity, typeII
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel syndrome,
certain types of cancer, frequent colds, infections, chronic
fatigue, and many more conditions. It just makes sense…you
eat several times per day. What you eat and the quality of
your food must have a tremendous impact on all of your body
cells.
Each person is
bio-chemically unique. Thus, any "one" diet is not
appropriate for every person, although trendy diet promoters
will do their best to convince you. Case in point: the Atkins®
diet, or The South beach® diet or The Zone® diet.
Each of these diets possess some good and some not-so-good
features, depending on who you are. Also, any one diet is
not adequate for any one person 100% of the time. This is
why customized menu planning can help. To learn more, click
on Menu-Planning under Services on our home page.
Introducing new dietary habits frightens a lot
of people. They want a quick-fix and they often fail to admit
that whatever "diet" they tried in the past did
not include techniques to address connections to their weight
problem that had to do with anything other than food intake
and non-specific factors involving food. Your Registered Holistic
Nutritionist should work with you, incorporating the latest
nutritional knowledge into your program.
Consumption of
refined and processed foods are mainly to blame for the current
epidemic increase in weight-related issues. The body needs
much more than calories. It needs vitamins, minerals, enzymes
and numerous trace elements and substances (phytochemicals)
that have not been quantified or identified by science. Whole,
natural foods are the solution, not dieting. Most "diets"
focus only on calories and their sources, and totally miss
the part about quality. As a result, the body does not get
the nutrients it needs, and appetite is not satisfied even
after eating enough calories.
This depends
on many factors. You should do your research and make an informed
decision. The organic food movement is rooted in soil sustainability,
sound farming practices, and ecological preservation. Healthier,
more nourishing food is a result of the movement. There are
many institutions currently conducting studies on the nutritional
advantages to organic. Some of the best can be downloaded
from www.organic-center.org. To locate stores and markets
selling organic foods in your geographic area visit Canadian
Organic Growers. In the United States, contact the Organic
Consumers Association for information on organic sources
of foods. There is a new Organic Regulatory Standard for Canada,
as of December, 2006. Visit the Canadian
Organic Growers website to learn more. Within the next
two years, official labels containing the wording "Canada
Organic" will appear on certified organic products that
contain 95% or more organic ingredients. The organic standard
is regulated by the Canada Organic Office, which is a newly
created office within the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
You should never
feel pressured into purchasing anything. If it felt wrong
for you at the time, it probably was. Many consultants and
health store salespeople recommend supplements without knowing
enough about the client's overall needs. We do not insist
that our clients purchase supplements from us, nor do we pressure
them. Our forte is education and empowerment. We provide you
with information about what your body needs. Yes - we can
construct your program to focus solely on food without supplements.
We may advise you that when it is difficult to achieve optimal
health through food alone, due to severe nutritional imbalances
or disturbances in lifestyle, we can design a personalized
supplement program. Yes - you may purchase professional quality
supplements (that are GMP certified and regulated for sale
in Canada) directly from our office, only after a consultation
with one of our holistic nutritionists.
Yes. We pride
ourselves on our ability to be resourceful and to service
your needs. We are a member of the Canadian
Health Food Association (CHFA), which sends us alerts
on the safety and regulation of supplements and the health
food industry in Canada. Feel free to visit www.chfa.ca for
more information. Canadian natural health products are recognized
worldwide for their safety, efficacy and high quality standards.
Further, Canada is regarded as an innovative leader in the
regulation of natural health products (NHPs). Regulations
were introduced by Health Canada in 2004 that require government
review of all NHPs for safety, efficacy, quality and adherence
to Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The industry has until
January 2010 to ensure full compliance with the Natural Health
Products Regulations.
Registered Holistic
Nutritionists are granted their designation after completing
a demanding course of study set by the Canadian
School of Natural Nutrition . They must complete the program
within the allotted time frame (1 or 2 years) along with case
studies, subject-specific, board and oral examinations, and
practicum hours, with a cumulative minimum average of 80%
to graduate. The school then grants them the RHN designation.
Many RHNs go on to join the IONC,
or International Organization of Nutritional Consultant and
obtain the RNCP designation. RHNs and RNCPs must abide by
strict codes of ethics or face consequences like losing their
designation and the right to practice. RNCPs must complete
annual upgrading requirements to keep their title. There has
been much confusion lately with use of the term "nutritionist".
Although it is true that anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist",
only graduates from the CSNN program can call themselves an
RHN. There are other nutrition schools granting various designations,
and the client should investigate the credentials of their
practitioner if they doubt their training or experience. Dieticians
play an important role in the community, educating large groups
of people, working in hospitals and other health care institutions.
They have completed their bachelor's degree in human nutrition
and an internship program to gain clinical experience
in their chosen field of employment. Most Dieticians (95%, according to our sources) work in clinics, industry or institutions, and about 5% are in private practice. Dieticians are regulated under the Regulated Health Practitioners Act. Although some RHNs are employed in clinics and by the food industry, most RHNs work in private practice. Dieticians follow
general recommendations for food selection set out by the Canada Food Guide. RHNs do not believe that there should be one guide for everyone,
because everyone is different. However, RHNs recognize and appreciate that the Canada Food Guide is a reference tool for persons that are generally healthy and active without any health conditions or symptoms of ill-health. Registered Holistic Nutritionists
respect the education, training and expertise of
Registered Dieticians. Because of the differences in thier training, an RHN will take a different approach (as compared with a Dietician) to nutrition and lifestyle recommendations. RHNs help their clients choose appropriate foods specific to their needs and sensitivities and provide
other services with respect to this selection process. Dieticians have many other
specific skills, especially in the areas of psychology and
education. Some dieticians have even joined the IONC as RNCPs,
or obtained an RHN designation. We welcome the opportunity
of working with Dieticians and other Health Professionals
for the good of our clients.
Let me ask you
some questions (before I answer that): Do you eat a balanced
diet? Do you know what your balanced diet should consist of?
Do you know that the quality of your food is an integral part
of a balanced diet? Has your doctor provided you with this
information? Would your doctor give you this information if
you asked for it…would they spend the time? You may think
that you eat a balanced diet, however, you probably cannot
answer the second and third questions above without some difficulty.
Your doctor is busy dealing with acutely and chronically ill
patients and does not have a lot of time to spend with you
discussing diet and preventative health. He or she probably
answers your questions broadly, not specifically, because
nutrition is not their specialty. The truth is that you may
have a nutritional deficiency that is evidenced by symptoms
that do not show up on routine blood tests or examinations.
If you don't "feel healthy" or you intuitively know
that something is "wrong", you can do yourself a
lot of good by acting preventatively. In fact, a current Ipsos
Reid study confirmed that over 75% of Canadians purchased
natural health products in the past year. Further, 85% of
Canadians agree that there should be increased government
funding into the health benefits or NHPs. Some extended health
plans (mainly offered by large corporations) do provide insurance
coverage for natural health product purchases.
We can use some
or several non-invasive assessment tools including:
• Questionnaires that detail symptoms relating to body
systems and nutrient status
• Interview (question and answer)
• Iridology
(analysis of the eye for symptoms of imbalance)
• Visual observations of physical characteristics including:
skin, hair, nails
• PH analysis
• Dietary and Nutrient Analysis (using software programs
that evaluate client-provided data)
• Blood Type
• Biochemical Blood Analysis (based on blood test results
provided by the client)
• Other medical test results (provided by the client)
• Metabolic Body Type Analysis
• Food allergy or food intolerance blood test results
These tools help us pinpoint if there are any
vitamin/mineral deficiencies or excesses in the body, as well
as which system(s)/organ(s) need the most work, and what may
be the root cause of the person's health problems. Then, we
design a program to strengthen the weakest areas of the body
first. For more information and details on specific services
offered click on: New Client Information and Price List for
Services.
Correct. Proper
digestion is the foundation for good health. You may not have
any noticeable or diagnosed problems with digestion (basically
the passage of food from the mouth to the intestines). However,
the type of food you eat, and how and when you eat it can
affect the absorption of nutrients (physical extraction of
nutrients you need, and passage into the bloodstream through
the intestinal wall) from your food. It follows that what
you don't need has to be eliminated efficiently. Bowel problems
are often lumped into the category of "digestive problems".
Dr. Bernard Jensen spent years helping people overcome illness,
disability and disease. After treating over 300,000 patients
during his lifetime (he died in his 90's after a car accident)
he was convinced that poor bowel management is at the root
of almost every health problem. One of my favourite quotes
from Dr. Jensen is:"It is the bowel that invariably has
to be cared for first before any effective healing can take
place".
You could be
doing yourself serious harm by not talking about your issues
with a health professional. Digestive and bowel problems,
left untreated, can lead to serious diseases like Crohn's,
Colitis, Diverticulitis, obstructions, perforations, or even
Colon Cancer.
Here are some shocking bowel statistics:
• $350 million/yr is spent
on drugstore laxatives.
• Over 70 million of North
Americans suffer from bowel problems; one of the reasons for
this is because the average person eats less than 11 grams
of fiber/day, when they should be eating 25-38 grams daily,
for females and males, respectively.
• Normally it takes 18 hours
for food to go through the body and eliminate. Eat 3 meals
today, eliminate 3 times tomorrow. How many people do you
know that actually do this?
• If waste is not going
out…where is it going? Basically, accumulation without
elimination makes the colon expand, and we may see ballooned
portions of the colon or abdomen, diverticulitis, colitis,
irritable bowel, malabsorption, Crohn's disease, etc.
For more information on our workshops
regarding cleansing and detoxification,
click here.
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