Health Coach VS Nutritionist. What’s the difference?

Being a relatively recent craft, many people come to me asking what exactly does a Health Coach do and what is the difference between this service and that provided by a conventional Nutritionist. This article will shed some light on the topic.

This will, of course, depend from country to country but in order to become a Registered Dietitian one will usually complete the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree – which typically requires an average of four years of full-time study to complete. The program will normally include chemistry, organic chemistry, human anatomy, human physiology, and microbiology. A certified Health Coach will normally have one year intensive training in a highly specialized school, and the program will usually encompass two main areas: i) major scientific findings relating foods and lifestyle with major modern chronic illness, and; ii) advanced coaching techniques addressing behavioural issues underlying the client’s relation with food and other relevant aspects of its life.

Both approaches can be very productive and work very well but they do provide very different services and, therefore, very different experiences from a patient perspective! It really comes down to what exactly are your needs and what should you be looking for! Depending not only on what are your health concerns and objectives, but also on your overall beliefs regarding what it means to be healthy and live a healthy and meaningful life.

A Nutritionist will provide you with great knowledge and detail concerning the chemical science behind the body disease mechanisms and specific foods that might either denigrate your condition or support your health. On the other hand, a Health Coach approach will start from the premise that sustainable long term health is based on you regaining responsibility over your own health, instead of placing it on the hands of an outside expert (being a nutritionist or any other conventional health care professional). So more than information, a Health Coach will provide you an opportunity for transformation.

So by now you probably realized that by choosing to knock or any of these two health care providers’ doors, you will definitely have two very different experiences! The important take away here, is that there is really no right or wrong! For some people a nutritionist authoritative approach is a great way to get back on track, while for others a health coaching supportive method is just what they need to expand their awareness around food, health and lifestyle.