Nutritionist

 What is a Certified Nutritionist and What Do They Do?

Certified nutritionists, who may also be called clinical nutritionists, are highly qualified professionals who structure diets for patients based on how food can affect the body biochemically. They may consider digestive problems, metabolic issues, immune function, how the brain responds to certain chemicals and how by-products can harm a patient's health. They work with individuals and not just with the general public when structuring a diet. This is because each of their patients will have a health concern that affects what they can consume.

In order to become a Certified Nutritionist, you will need a four-year degree in clinical nutrition or a master's degree in human nutrition, American Nutrition Association. In addition to possessing an accredited bachelor's degree, you must complete no less than a 900-hour internship. After you have the hands-on clinical experience, you will then sit for a national board exam so that you can show you can effectively manage nutrition programs for patients.

What is Holistic Nutrition?

Practitioners of holistic nutrition consider the whole person when they prescribe natural healing protocols. Conventional western medicinal practices generally diagnose diseases based on physical symptoms displayed by patients, but alternative medicinal approaches like holistic nutrition potentially help patients to uncover non-physical causes of poor nutrition that leads to disease. Holistic nutrition is not yet recognized by the government as a viable discipline that is subject to license and certification. However, there is enough of a demand for holistic nutritional knowledge to prompt schools to provide training, professional credentials and even career assistance. Here are some of the primary principles of holistic nutrition, a common career path of holistic nutritionists and the professional organizations that support the budding career field.