This is something I haven’t thought of much, but now I am brought to ponder it, due to some recent events regarding my soon-to-be professional designation. 

I am a student at the Calgary School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN). The views I am sharing in this post are mine and mine alone, based on my individual personal experiences. Also, these amendments effect Alberta only, as far as my own knowledge goes. 

The Health Practicioners Act recently made several amendments, one of which affects my fellow students and other CSNN graduates. 

Previous graduates have been using the professional designation of “Certified Holistic Nutritionist”. Now, because of the amendments, the word “nutritionist” is now protected in Alberta. 

I understand that this stems from a lot of supposed confusion in the general population about what it is that CSNN graduates actually do, so I want to share a bit of that today. I cannot make much comparison to other professions, for example a Registered Dietician. Not only am I not one, but I am also not educated on that particular profession, so it simply wouldn’t be my place. 

So I’m here to talk about my community of Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultants and the magic that they do. 

First and foremost, people gravitate to this program from all different directions. I’ve met Social Workers, Personal Trainers, Stay at home moms, and everything else under the sun. We all have two things in common: the desire to help others, and the understanding that the idea of health is highly interconnected. 

Holistic is the key word. The food that we eat plays a huge role in our health, but holistic acknowledges that it is not the only component to optimal wellness. 

Wellness. It’s about lifestyle. It’s about mindset. It’s about self-love, self-care, and kindness. It’s biochemical individuality. It’s a journey. 

I chose this road to helping others because of its values and ideas, and no wording on a title can change that for me. 

Whatever professional designation I use when I graduate, my purpose remains the same : to help people be the best they can be mind, body, and soul. To care for others and to help them learn how to care for themselves. 

Thank you readers for being here and sticking with me through all of the changes over the coming year!