About Gwen
Hello,
I am Gwen Cottingham a Registered Nutritionist and Certified Life Coach. My passion is to provide simple nutritional solutions with “no gimmicks” to enable people to have a healthier lifestyle that is sustainable. It is time to bring the fun back into real food and bring the family back into the kitchen.
My Why....How it began
My story begins in my early 20’s. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after a miscarriage and food allergies to just about everything under the sun. In addition to the food allergies I was also severely positive for many seasonal allergies. I was placed on Synthryoid and took this medication until I was in my 40’s. Being on this medication resulted in many changes to my body, both internally and externally. The biggest was the weight gain. Regardless of what I tried, I was unsuccessful in meeting my goals. Their were different diets and I even exercised my little heart out only to feel frustrated and a failure. After having my second child, I never gained any additional weight from this point, but it took me over 20 years before I lost anything at all. To make matters worse, I began getting bad side effects that were negatively impacting my quality of life and contributing to my depression and unhappiness. This all resulted in me developing Hashimoto’s, Syndrome X and many other autoimmune disorders, 5 in total.
Enough was enough!
I was tired of looking and feeling FAT!
I was tired of feeling unhealthy!
Changing My Mindset & Started Healing The Mind, Body & Soul
My relationship and mindset about nutrition and health was very negative and was continuing to become worse. I knew I had to do something. I had trusted in our conventional medical system but it was not enough. This is when I started to seek out non-conventional medicine. I realized that having a happy and healthy lifestyle required the right mindset while combining both conventional and non-conventional methods.Being trained as a
Certified Life Coach brought me into the right mindset for myself. Removing the guilt, the negative emotions and rebuilding my relationship with food directed me into more positive discussions that allowed me share feelings resulting in a shift in the right direction towards my goals.Introducing a Naturopathic Doctor (N.D.) into my life was a game changer. Working together with both the Naturopathic Doctor and my Conventional Doctor I went off the medication for my hypothyroidism. This led me to become a
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
adding more tools to my own personal toolbox.
Rebuilding My Health And My Relationship With Food
Working with non-conventional medicine I removed many of my food allergies and was able to reintroduce many foods that I was not able to have prior. I have built the knowledge and healthy relationship with food to achieve many of my goals without the gimmicks and adding some fun into it. Our world and our own lives are consistently changing. We (Me included) experience challenges, traumas, and a wide variety of life experiences. At times it can seem complicated, difficult and impossible. What worked for us in our 20’s is different then in our 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and beyond. Additionally your definition of a healthy and happy lifestyle is different (as it should be) than mine, your neighbours and even some family members. It is also something that is continuously evolving and therefore requires having a regular check up and efforts.
Achieving the happy and healthy lifestyle begins with you defining it, working on your own mindset, building your own healthy relationship with food. I am here for you and your family so you don’t need to become a certified coach and registered nutritionist.
Wishing you health and happiness.
Gwen Cottingham, RHN, CPP Mother, Grandmother, Business Woman and Community Advocate
Making nutrition simple, fun and sustainable.
Helping you and your family define and build your own happy and healthy life!
FAQS
What is holistic nutrition?
Holistic nutrition is a holistic approach to health and wellness that focuses on the whole person, not just their diet. It takes into account all aspects of your life, including your physical and mental health, your environment, and your relationships. Holistic nutritionists believe that food is a powerful tool that can be used to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
They work alongside healthcare providers to deal with many aspects involved in a client’s health.
Forget the fads, the gimmicks, the false promises for quick results. We know that sustainability is not put in place over night.
What is the difference between a holistic nutritionist and a registered dietitian?
Dieticians tend to have an emphasis on biology and chemistry and that their education is focused on conducting and interpreting food studies and research, global food-related problems, organizational aspects of institutional functioning, the intricacies of macro and micro nutrients, and dietary programs based on government Food Guides.
For holistic nutrition professionals basic science, instruction on how nutrients contribute to health and disease, and how to read nutritional research are covered by all of the approved nutrition schools, but the emphasis is on how to use these insights to help people make positive diet and health changes. A heavy emphasis in our education is put on conducting consultation sessions with the use of symptomatology, understanding alternative modalities and building individualized programs based on various dietary approaches. Also, our training includes the added holistic dimension that considers the impact of digestion, detoxification, stress management, movement, and the body-mind-spirit connection on health and wellbeing. We also learn about natural health products like nutritional supplements and botanicals.
CERTIFICATION & REGULATION
Dietitians are recognized and regulated by government, and are held to rules set by a government body while a responsive body of peers defines practice policies. Regulation allows Dietitians to work in government sectors such as hospitals.
Certified Holistic Nutrition professionals are not regulated by government but still do have industry regulations in place. Those of us who are members of one of our professional associations must meet professional requirements in education, continued education, and conduct ourselves according to a Code of Ethics and other practice parameters.
Currently in Canada, membership in a professional association is voluntary for holistic nutrition professionals. It is important to work with one who is a member of one of our associations (CANNP, CAHN-pro or IONC) so you know they are meeting these specific standards.
How much does it cost to see a holistic nutritionist?
The cost of seeing a Certified Registered Nutritionists can vary depending on the practitioner's experience, expertise, experience and on what you need.
Some may also be trained in bloodwork, as a life coach, Reiki, Women's Health & Hormones, etc.
Most holistic nutritionists charge by the hour, but some may also offer packages or discounts.
