What is holistic nutrition anyway?
Perhaps you’ve heard of or ‘met’ a few of us online, but aren’t quite sure what we’re all about. Who are these crazy holistic nutritionists and what can they do for me?
Let’s break it down:
Holistic
- Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.
- Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical.
Nutritionist
- A person who studies or is an expert in nutrition.
I’m a nutrition savvy, passionate natural health advocate who loves to share my knowledge in this field, hoping to improve the lives of others. My medicine of choice: food. Healthy, whole, nutrient dense food that comes from the earth that has been minimally interfered with by man.
I literally stumbled across this career path as a result of my own food allergies. In 2007 I discovered gluten (the main protein in wheat) and I just aren’t meant to get along. During this discovery my health sky rocketed from a tired, bloated, stimulant (coffee and sugar) abuser, to an energetic, life loving, superfoodie who needed to share my new findings with the world.
What can we do for you?
First off, we start by listening. Listening to you, listen to your own body. It literally talks, sometimes screams at you, the trick is figuring out what it’s trying to say. So often I hear (and used to tell myself), well that is “normal for me”. But is it “normal” (for lack of a better word) to be constipated, bloated, uncomfortable, overweight, tired….etc. We can help you determine if what you are experiencing are symptoms of an underlying problem related to diet, digestion, elimination, detoxification, nutrient deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances, just by listening to you talk about your own body. You, as a whole person – physically, mentally, socially, spiritually.
After listening, we work with you in pursuit of the ever so desirable “optimal health”. We do this by strengthening the digestive system, teaching you which foods would be best suited for you and your personal goals, manage portions, and emphasize the importance of the quality of foods you choose to chew.
We can provide you with personalized meal plans, take you on a tour of the grocery, or health foods store, raid your kitchen, tear up the pantry and teach you how to restock it, teach cooking classes, recommend nutritional supplements and work with you one-on-one until you feel confident you have the tools you need to continue on your journey.
But I have an ND, do I need a holistic nutritionist?
Perhaps! Holistic nutritionists and naturopathic doctors are a dynamite combo. We both have our specialties and our limitations. For example your ND may have you do an IgG Food Sensitivity test, when you receive your results, a Holistic Nutritionist can use these to build a nutrition plan and teach you to use foods specific to your unique needs and restrictions. Often times this includes ancient whole grains and superfoods many people are unaware of, or haven’t used in their kitchens before.
Personally, I have an ND as a sister and we often use each other as a resource for our clients and patients. It is our dream to eventually combine forces and tackle the natural health world as a duo. In our experience, clients and patients who work with both an ND and holistic nutritionist begin to see results at an accelerated pace.
Hopefully you now understand what it is we mean by “holistic nutritionist” and are intrigued to give us a try! We’ll be waiting for your call, magic carrots in hand 
A note from Dr. Michelle:
Dr. Michelle Peris & Associates (soon to have a new name 😉 ) will have a team available to support you in your nutrition goals.
More on that in our next newsletter, but you may be hearing a lot more from this incredible nutritionist in the near future! 😉