So, the number one question I get asked ALL the time is… What is the difference between a Nutritionist and a Health Coach? It seems to be on everyone’s mind. Nutritionists and Health Coaches both have the same end goal: help people get healthier by improving their diet. So it’s natural that people confuse the two. The major difference is in the process…
Dieticians and nutritionists are most often focused solely on the scientific aspects of the subject’s diet. Their advice almost always centers on a very restrictive diet to promote weight loss and a healthier body. There principles are often over simplified and reduced to platitudes such as “Fat makes you fat” “calories make you fat” and “calories in; Calories out”.
The thing is, nutrition is the one area of science where two studies and prove opposite ideas. There isn’t ONE way that ALL people should eat. Our genes are all very slightly different, and that can create some unique problems of some individuals.
A health coach is more likely to take a broader look at the problems that their clients have and introduce them to different dietary theories. Good health coaches will walk through a person’s whole life with them and help them identify the parts of their life that promote an unhealthy relationship with food.
Contrary to the nutritionist who is likely to want to take things out of your life, a health coach wants to add more to your life. When you are creating a more positive world view, adding in more exercise and new eating habits can make your life a lot happier overall.
A person who goes through life with a negative attitude doesn’t know what they are missing until a health coach can begin impacting their lives in a more positive way. Everyone wants a happy, healthy life, but few of them realize how free it can make you feel.
You may be a person who has lost control of their life to food. If you can’t stop thinking about what you are going to eat next, or have questions regarding how fat, carbs, and calories all interact in a person’s body, talking to your health coach about your confusion is probably a good idea to give you a better understanding of your body.
A nutritionist might be all you need if you have basic diet questions and no real problems outside of over eating or eating badly. But if you have a life that seems to leave you behind, or you can’t shake the dissatisfied feelings that hound you every day, contacting a health coach might do you more good. If you want an overall improvement in your life more than the science of digestion, your local health coach can help you change your life for the better.
Taheerah Barney is a holistic health & wellness counselor and has worked with hundreds of clients to improve their health & eating habits, combat disease and help them lose weight. To learn more about the benefits of hiring a Hoboken health coach please visit 360nourishment.com