Choosing Between Health Coaches and Nutritionists

Article by Glenn Dickstein

Living in New York City means tolerating the busy and chaotic daily grind. With all of the frenetic activity, staying healthy is not an easy task. Establishing and maintaining good lifestyle habits is essential to having a healthy life. However there are many people who are stuck in their busy life and have trouble maintaining the healthy habits needed for optimal health. Sometimes it makes better sense to seek the assistance of health professionals. More and more, people are seeking guidance from health and fitness coaches or nutritionists.

Nutritionists and health and wellness coaches assist individuals in very important and specific ways. The nutritionist is primarily focused on a person’s food choices and habits. This tends to spill over into other aspects of lifestyle, however their primary concern is what you are eating on a daily basis. NYC Nutritionists are experienced in creating a palatable, nutritious daily diet that fits within the busy lifestyle most of us lead. Nutritionists strive to help their clients develop strong healthy habits. Once these habits are established, then it becomes easier to make the smart choices that lead to optimal health.

A health coach is another type of wellness professional an individual may enlist to help identify and correct some unhealthy habits. A health coach looks at a person’s life through a panoramic-like lens. A health coach wants to help you identify triggers that cause you to stray off the wellness path and make poor choices. Whereas a nutritionist looks specifically at a person’s diet, a health coach looks at every aspect of a person’s life to help their health. Health coaches may help analyze living arrangements, sleep habits and a person’s daily schedule. The health coach will help make suggestions on how to improve on a day to day and week by week basis. Dietary and nutritional habits are also explored as part of this. However they are not looking specifically at the diet as a nutritionist would. In some cases, the health coach wants to get the individual to realize on their own that changes need to be made in there life in order to achieve the goal of a healthy lifestyle. Living healthy needs to exist outside the conversation you have with your doctor. Living healthy involves making the right choices everyday.

Is it necessary to use the services of both a nutritionist and a health coach? Probably not. If you can take the time to ask yourself a few questions and identify what your needs are, you may come to your own conclusion on who to choose. Another option is to seek out some initial consultations with some nutritionists and health coaches in your neighborhood. The conversations will help you get a better idea of your needs, while at the same time getting to know your potential guide on your journey to better health. What you will find is that many health coaching certification programs have a nutrition component. Additionally, many certified NYC health coaches either start with a nutritionist certification or get one after they are certified as a Manhattan personal trainer.

If you feel that your life in general is a bit out of control and you need to get many things under control which in turn can help with your nutritional issues, than start with a health coach. If you are looking for a more specific food plan and not to concerned with other lifestyle habits, then start with a nutritionist NYC. If you really want to incorporate a fitness aspect into your program, you may even find a personal trainer with additional certifications in nutrition or health and fitness coaching.

About the Author

About the AuthorI have always believed that anyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle should have the opportunity. For more information please visit neighborhoodtrainer.com.

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