I am a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Counselor which means I completed a 6 month course that was developed by an accredited school and scored a 90% or higher score on the 300+ question certification exam.
Another qualification I think is important is that I have struggled with weight management and have sucessfully maintained a weight loss of more than 50 pounds for more than one year.
Click on PICTURES for before and after photos of me.
During the 6 month course, I studied the following:
1]Give educated guidance to clients seeking nutritional advice on weight management, and who wish to enhance their health, and fitness performance.
2]Effectively communicate with clients in order to help them reach their desired goals.
3]Apply fundamental skills regarding counseling strategies and protocol, complemented by action-based worksheets and practical case studies, for the benefit of the client.
I studied the following subject areas : [this information is publically available on various websites that offer nutrition and wellness courses]
1. Major functions of macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, as well as oxygen
2. Practical food sources of the macronutrients
3. The effects of food choices on physical fitness and health
4. Principals of energy balance
5. Various weight control diets needed to meet appropriate weight goals
6. Methods used to assess nutritional status
7. Distinguishing sound nutritional information from unreliable nutritional information
8. Appropriate behavior change modifications and dietary approaches for different ages and populations
9. Foundations for wellness nutrition based on current scientific research
10. Role of diet in causing and preventing various diseases, particularly chronic diseases
11. Formulating and designing personalized meal plans for my clients [and myself as well]
12. Common myths and fallacies concerning diet
13. The art of understanding nutrition
14. The pursuit of an ideal diet
15. Carbohydrates: sugar, starch and fiber
16. Lipids: fats and oils
17. Proteins and amino acids
18. Vitamins
19. Water and minerals
20. Alcohol
21. Weight management
22. Nutrition and fitness
23. The life cycle: conception through the later years, food safety, and the global food supply
24. Nutrition resources
25. Introduction to the human body
26. American Dietary Guidelines and Recommendations
27. Canadian Dietary Guidelines and Recommendations
28. Aids to calculations
29. Food Exchange Systems
30. Table of food composition
31. Laying a foundation for good health
32. Beyond the physical causes of health
33. Stress and health
34. Characteristics of an optimum diet
35. Japanese and Mediterranean diet
36. Water and fat soluble vitamins
37. Tips to manage your weight
38. Food shopping, health food store navigation, and buying organic
39. Vitamins, minerals and supplements
40. Food labels
41. Cooking tips
42. Eating out
43. Importance of physical activity
44. Aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance training
45. Making positive changes
46. Effective counseling relationships
47. Nutrition counseling skills
48. Counseling interview
49. Goal setting
50. Designing a plan of action
51. Dietary assessments
52. Energy determinations, physical assessments, and documentation/charting
53. Strategies to promote change
54. Making behavior changes last
55. Role of a nutrition counselor in physical activity counseling
56. Ending the counseling relationship
57. Evaluation
58. Professionalism in the helping relationship
59. Group counseling
60. Lifestyle management
61. Documenting and assessing counseling sessions
62. Cultural foods, ethnic differences, food preferences, dietary needs among consumers
63. DRIs, healthy fats, organic foods, athletes and supplements, nutrition and cancer
64. Food selection and preparation
65. Healthy food and lifestyle
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a physician. I hold no medical licensing.
I am a Nutrition and Wellness Counselor, who has completed a course purchased from an accredited school.
I am not licensed to give medical advice.
My goal is to help facilitate an individualized program will help each client to achieve an optimum sense of well-being using widely available food sources, and I advise my clients to seek out the advice of licensed physicians with regards to any medical problems they think or know that they may have.
Any advice given by me is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
My ability to give non-medical nutrition advice without a dietetics licensure or registration is subject to the interpretation of laws by state and local government.
State laws regarding the practice of nutrition, wellness and holistic medicine vary from state to state.
To learn more about consultants of nutrition, wellness, and holistic methods, go to
http://www.cdrnet.org/certifications/licensure/index.htm http://www.healthkeepers.net