There are so many amazing healthcare practitioners out there who simply want to help you reach your goals and optimize your health. I am most definitely one of those people. But with so many options to choose from how do you decide whether to go with a naturopath, dietitian, acupuncturist, herbalist, holistic nutritionist, medical doctor, nutritional consultant, etc?

I wanted to write this post to shine a little light on registered holistic nutritionists and what we do, so that you can make a more informed choice about which kind of health practitioner is best suited to your needs.

A registered holistic nutritionist (R.H.N.) is someone who has studied an integrated approach to nutrition and overall health, and takes into consideration the whole person as opposed to looking at one aspect of health alone. We conduct thorough sessions so that we can get to know our client’s current: mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual state. We also take into account family medical history, past medical conditions, lifestyle and dietary habits, environment, and more.

The goal is to determine the root cause of any health issues our clients may be experiencing and address that first rather than treat symptoms alone.

In addition, an R.H.N. will provide clients with nutritional education that will put them in a better position to maintain their health outside of our time spent together. This education also helps clients better understand the connection between what they are eating and how they are currently living to how they are feeling and the issues they are experiencing.

Nutrition is in our title but an R.H.N. provides recommendations outside of food alone. We will help you choose the right supplements, improve self care practices, mitigate stress, improve sleep, and find the right exercises to ensure you are taking realistic steps to achieve your desired health goals.

What can’t a R.H.N. do?

We are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication or diagnose medical diseases/illnesses.

With that said, we are happy to refer our clients within our network of trusted practitioners who CAN do those things when and if the situation calls for it.

As a R.H.N. myself, I hope you see the value in what we bring to the health care profession. I use this integrated approach to support women as they prepare for pregnancy, go through pregnancy, and heal from pregnancy and birth. I am honoured to be a part of each woman’s unique journey!

Please feel free to comment on this post or reach out to me personally at sarah.sajnovic@gmail.com if you have any questions about R.H.Ns in general or about my program options.