Now this is a story all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down…wait, more like got flipped right-side up! Yes, this is chapter 1 in my story of being a nutritionist, the first step in my “thousand-mile” journey to a fullfilling life of healing and educating. Ok, let’s take a step back…I’m not actually a nutritionist YET, but I’m on my way. For all intents purposes, I will refer to myself as a Holistic Nutritionist Candidate, until I write my board exam in August 2014.
Why Nutrition
Is there anything in your life that you are so passionate about that it consumes all your free thoughts and free time? For me this was nutrition, and it didn’t take me very long to decide that my passion could become my career. From an early age I felt like I was meant to be in a career where I could help people. On the surface you wouldn’t have known this, as I ended up taking a business route, and focusing on marketing. However, a few years into my marketing career I started to get itchy feet, and began thinking of a career change. I thought that maybe I wanted to become a nurse, and then I had the grand idea to become a Naturopath. With no high school sciences, and only a diploma in Marketing from BCIT it would have been a looong road for either of these careers, which is fine, but when I started to make excuses to prevent me from pursuing either of these paths, I knew that these truly weren’t right for me.
One of the things that attracted me most to naturopathy was that nutrition was studied extensively as one of the 5 primary modalities. It then dawned on me, that I didn’t have to become a naturopathic doctor to help people heal themselves with food. And that’s when I began to research the possibility of becoming a nutritionist.
Why Now?
The internet, and what seems like the world, is blowing up with health blogs. Dr. Oz has the TV realm covered, letting day-time watchers in on all the hottest health trends. Everyone – regardless of whether or not they are formally trained – is setting up their blog, providing recipes, and their own 2-cents on what is/isn’t the best way to lose weight, reverse diabetes, save the planet, etc. And it’s starting to get confusing! So why should I add my own voice into the mix? I really don’t have a good answer for this right now. The last thing I want is to add to the confusion, but what if I’m able to provide some clarity? Even if it’s to only one other person (hi Mom!), wouldn’t that all be worth it? I think so!
Also, I’m young! Well, to many people I’d be considered young. And at this stage in my life I currently don’t have any extra responsibilities outside of my full-time job and feeding my cat, so the idea of going back to school wasn’t as overwhelming as it might have been for some others.
Lastly, why NOT now? Ideas are wonderful things. They can be inspiring, and motivating. But without action, they fall a little short in the meaningful category. I was never going to become a nutritionist unless I took some actionable steps to start this journey. So I filled out my application, and walked it into the school full to the brim with nervous and excited anticipation.
Why the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN)?
Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t decide on the CSNN right away. There was a lot of research, and a lot of hours spent discussing school options with a dear friend who at the time was also dancing with the idea of a career change to nutrition. I also looked at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition (IHN), where I could have earned a designation as a Certified Nutritional Practitioner. I also looked at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and online nutrition training option, that seemed to have an expansive online network. All these options looked great, and I really believed that none would lead me astray. But I decided on the CSNN for a few reasons:
- I am lucky to live just a few blocks from the CSNN Vancouver school, and after a long commute to and from work, the last thing I wanted was a long commute to school.
- I prefer a live-in person education experience. I wasn’t confident that I would be good at the self-directed nature of the IIN.
- The CSNN allowed me to complete my training in 1 year, in the evenings, permitting me to keep my full time marketing day job.
- With my research, I was finding more and more Vancouver nutritionists were graduates of CSNN, as opposed to IHN. Not to say that the IHN doesn’t produce fabulous CNPs (Meghan Telpner of the best selling book UnDiet, and Sarah Ramsden, who has an amazing and beautiful website, are both IHN grads and are kicking ass in the nutrition world).
- While the curriculum of both CSNN and IHN are very similar, the CSNN resonated with me a bit more.
Needless to say, I’m very happy with my choice of school, and I’m so pumped to be a student again. Things are definitely different this time around, as a mature student. For example, I spent a good part of my August pre-reading my text book!
Why this Blog?
I mentioned earlier that the internet is blowing up right now with so much nutritional fodder in the way blogs, podcasts, videocasts, etc. So why would I want to add to the noise? Well call me selfish, but I’m hoping to use this site as a place to challenge myself to think and write about the topics I’m learning at school. I’m hoping that by using this medium, I’ll be able to drill home the information, making it stick and hopefully making me a more knowledgeable nutritionist. (I fully acknowledge the fact that I will probably learn 1 million times more about nutrition once I”m actually practicing, than what I’m learning at school – but I’m only on the school part of my journey.)
Despite my selfish motives, I’m hoping that there could be some positive outcomes. Maybe someone other than my mom, and boyfriend will end up finding my site and reading my page, and find this information helpful! Maybe they’re a potential nutrition student looking for motivation to take the plunge and enroll. Or maybe they’ll be a person so frustrated with the state of their health, but not fully understanding how they could benefit from seeing a nutritionist, and a page on my site pushes them to make the call. Or maybe it’s as simple as someone needing a recipe for carrot soup, and they find mine (coming soon!) through a Google search. Either way, I’m inviting everyone to join me on my journey over the next year and beyond.
In love & health,
Aly
How do you feel about your school/work/life balance? I’m currently working full time and will be starting the one year program at csnn this fall and am wondering if I’ll be able to handle both work and school at the same time. I would love to hear about your experience!
Yay, congrats on deciding to attend CSNN! I’m not going to sugar coat it, it’s a lot of work to balance both, and also still keep up relationships outside of the classroom, but it is totally doable. There were 13 other ladies in my class, and we all worked full time, and attended school 2-3 nights a week. The front end of the program is at a nice manageable pace, but after Christmas is when it really picks up. You have your regular classwork, and then a practicum pretty much every week, plus you start your case study work on top of everything else. It can feel like a lot, but when you’re in the same boat as the rest of your classmates you have so much support. I personally really enjoy when things are fast paced, and looking back at the entire year, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be only half way done right now, instead of writing my board exam in two weeks. If you’re committed, and good at managing your time you will do amazing in the one year program! What campus are you doing the program at, or are you doing it self-paced? Good luck, and if you have any questions at all about the program please let me know!
Hi Aly! Good luck tomorrow! Writing in Ontario…just procrastinating right now about studying! Looks like you’re off to a great start!!!
Thank you Sue! I hope your exam went well as well. It’s kind of neat that even though we’ve never met, there’s a whole group of us aspiring nutritionists connected across the country, all writing at the same time 🙂
Amy you must be all done school now? To add to your comment about the different schools, I think at the end of the day you just have to go with the one that gives you the right vibe. From my experience dealing with other nutritionists, it’s not the school, but the individual who keeps reading and learning once school is done!
I love the premise behind your site!
Thank you Sarah! I totally agree…school is definitely just the first step towards a lifetime of learning 🙂
Thanks for sharing aly, i would also like to take this course but live about an hour from the school, so iw as thinking of doing the iin curiculum? And i am a mom so i thoight it would be easier to do online, i also noticed their was a price difference, your thoughts on iin? Does everythin apply in canada?
Hi Pauline, I can definitely understand how being a mom and living far from a CSNN campus would make doing a nutrition course by correspondence or online easier for you. I personally can’t say that I know much about the IIN program. I do know that CSNN offers the opportunity to do their program by correspondence, which may be a good option for you if you’re unable to travel to a campus. As for the IIN certification applying in Canada: nutrition coaching isn’t regulated in Canada, so technically yes, if you did their program you would be able to practice nutrition and call yourself a nutritionist. The program at CSNN provides a professional designation of Registered Holistic Nutritionist, which is widely acknowledged and respected within the integrative health community, and would be handy to have if you are planning to consult and see clients. I’m not sure if IIN provides any sort of designation, but I do believe you would be able to call yourself a health coach as this is what I see many graduates of IIN call themselves online. I hope this helps 🙂
Hi Aly! I am looking into becoming a Nutritionist as well after I finish my RMT designation this year. I have been looking at schools and wondered why you chose CSNN over IHN? I have noticed that most people on this thread were mostly trying to choose between CSNN and IIN…but no one has considered IHN except your brief mention in your blog. Is there a reason why you didn’t like this one? Was it the course offerings? Or was it mostly the times available during the week and the proximity to your house? From what I can tell, they both offer online and in class options. They both offer a 1yr program…although the IHN is 4x/week and CSNN is only 2x/week for the full time course. They both offer designations and options to become Registered, as well as memberships to the same Associations. The prices are comparable. The only thing that I can think that would be different is the course content. So I am curious what drew you to one over the other in terms of content. I am just trying to weigh my options. Thanks in advance for your reply. Great job on the blog. Very helpful indeed. 🙂
Hello Aly! Its already been one year since this blog was posted and I’m happy to have stumbled upon it now. It is funny to say that I am currently in the same boat you were in last year. I’m a graduate from BCIT and have been in the Construction Industry since I graduated in 2012. I am so grateful that I was able to achieve everything that I wanted initially, but similar to you, I am now starting to realize that nutrition and optimal health are things i am continuously seeking and want to dig deeper into. I can honestly say that your story is almost identical to mine. Up until about a month ago, I was in denial of ever considering a career change already, knowing how hard I worked to get here and how ambitious I was on this career to begin with (you would know if you went to BCIT!). But now I am starting to realize myself and am aware that you need to take that leap of faith in life if you want to live to your fullest potential and happiness. Anywho! Now that I am clear with what I want, it was definitely contemplating between IHN or CSNN, but I am definitely leaning towards CSNN, I appreciate your input on your decision! Perhaps you’ll be hearing from me through my own personal blog in the mere future. Thanks for the extra burst of motivation!!
Kind regards,
Hi Aly, I stumbled upon your website looking for information about holistic nutrition schools in Vancouver. Your styling of writing and your personality has a rather endearing quality which made me want to read everything on your blog, very inspirational too I must add. I am currently living in the Middle East, looking at migrating to Canada. I have dabbled with various career paths for 2 decades but I have always found myself inclining towards health and nutrition. Up until now I’ve only been toying with the idea of stepping into this field. But now I am looking at the possibility of getting entry into Canada as a student which can give me a work permit once I finish. Do you have any idea if this CSNN course would qualify for this mode of entry?
Hi Shabana,
I can’t say that I know the answer to your question. My best recommendation would be to contact the school directly.
Hello Shabana!! I just saw your comment, I know it was from 2 years ago… But maybe you can help me.
I am also interested in studying at the CSNN but I am wondering about the post-graduation work permit. Did you get it?
Hi Gaby,
Do you have the post grad work permit answer as yet?
Thanks
Payal
Hey Aly!
I am considering attending CSNN after maternity leave. It’s a scary step because I would be leaving a secure career with sonority but it’s something I really think I would be interested in. How are you doing now? Are you working in the field? Do you still feel happy with your choice to take the course? I feel very positive, like I could start my own business doing holistic nutrition consulting, but in all reality it could be high risk for failure so I’d love any info you have!
Hey Ashley, It is scary! Trust me, I totally understand what it feels like to take the leap from the corporate world. I personally loved my time at CSNN, and even if I wasn’t practicing, what you learn can be used on a personal level for you and your family for the rest of your life. I will say though, that if you are considering going to the school with the intent of consulting or practicing after graduation, then you need to be very prepared to work harder than you ever have in your life. Being a nutritionist is extremely entrepreneurial. Even if you get a gig working in a clinic, you will still need to be out there selling yourself and educating the public on how you can help them. It’s not as easy as just hanging up your shingle and they all start banging on your door. I don’t tell you this to discourage you, because if you are passionate about helping people find health through food, then you will find this will be some of the most purposeful and fulfilling work you will ever do, and the sky is the limit in terms of your own success!
I’m thinking about csnn distance program. I work two jobs, I’m a single mother for two teenage boys and I just finished registered massage therapy three yrs ago. I have always loved food and natural nutrition. I have found thru treatment of people at my massage clinic – good nutrition always plays a vital role. Also my own health has had some recent developments and I’m looking for a long term plan for great health for myself. I know where I am and where I want to be but how to get there?
Is the two yrs program slower paced-I can’t do fast paced. Are the case studies complicated and time involved? Lastly what are the practicums and approx how much time is involved there? Thx!
Hi Carrie! The two year program is definitely slower pace, which is great as it allows you more time to really dig into the required reading and absorb all of the info. As a mother of two, I imagine your life is probably full of lots of activities and fun, so my best advice is if you’re going to do the distance program you’ll really need to carve out the time every single day (even if it’s just an hour) to do some work – reading, tests, case studies, etc., and then you’ll be totally able to rock it! I think distance is all about discipline 🙂
The information that you’ll learn in the program is definitely invaluable for your own health, your family’s health, and even in your work in your massage clinic! I swear, you can’t unlearn this stuff 😉
The Case Studies are definitely time consuming, and not super complicated once you have figured out their format. They aren’t necessarily representative as to how you’d work with nutrition in real life, but they are more of a learning tool to prepare you for your board exam. That’s how I saw them at least…and I actually kept most of mine until the end of the program and used them to study for my exam. But they definitely take up a ton of time. (I think I worked on my last 6 or 7 for 3 weeks straight…about 8-10 hours a day, leading up to my exam). Having said that, you can totally space them out, and be more proactive in getting them done than my procrastinating self.
As for the practicums, I’m not sure how these work in the distance program. I don’t think they are called practicums any more at the school either… but they were just extra learning opportunities on topics that didn’t fit into a full course. I know the school in Vancouver now has a full professional teaching kitchen, so these extra courses now include specialized cooking courses, which is awesome, and a huge selling point for attending the in-person program at that location.
I hope this answers your questions, and feel free to reach out to me via email if you want more details! Also, the school is pretty responsive, and would be happy to answer your questions too.
Hey Aly!!!
Thanks for this amazing post! You definitely convinced me even more to sign up at CSNN!
I was just wondering, did you find it hard
oops, i hit send too quick haha. I meant did you find it hard to find work after? or do you own your own company? I’m scared about when i finish that I won’t be able to utilize the certificate… Thank you!!!
Hi Denise,
After CSNN I went the route of starting my own company, so I never really pursued finding nutritionist roles. The campus in Vancouver does an awesome job at sharing a ton of job opportunities in the community for nutritionists, which is awesome! If you want to practice consulting and work in a clinic or start your own practice, I do recommend having a bit of an entrepreneurial drive within you. Regardless of whether or not you actually practice with the certificate or not, the info that you do learn in the program is invaluable! If you want to talk more about it, feel free to message me through the contact page and we can chat more 🙂
Hello Aly.
Thank you for this information. I have a question about CSNN online course.
Actually I’m mom’s for two girls under 7 years. Do you think the full time in classroom hard to me or not ? especially when the csnn far away from my house about 2 hours by car. ?
From your experience, what is recommended me to do ?
Thank you Aly
Hi Ema,
That’s a tough one that only you can really answer. You get so much value from completing the course in person in the classroom, however, if the school is about 2 hours from your home, that could potentially be 4 hours on school days that you spend just commuting. I imagine that if you did the course via distance, those 4 hours per day would be much better spent focusing on your studies and course projects. If I were in your shoes, I would personally do the distance course, but then try and connect online with some other students who are also doing the distance program and set up a study or accountability group. I hope this helps!
Hi Aly!
Your blog has been really helpful! Right now I’m browsing both IHN and CSNN. Both are the same commute time, the courses seem roughly the same (but CSNN did resonate with me a bit more – maybe because I learned about it first?) That being said, I’m very open to IHN because of the co-op placement opportunity. This is a BIG plus for me! Did you feel like you missed out on this at CSNN? I would like the real world experience and networking. Also, some material I read online said that IHN’s designation wasn’t really a known or reputable one… this comment has stuck with me! I would like the R.H.N. title. Do you know if this is true?
Thanks!
Alison
Hi Alison,
If you are really wanting to have a placement be a part of your nutrition education, then IHN may be better for you. I personally preferred the case study option with CSNN as I was working full time while in the program, and it allowed me the most flexibility. As far as the designation is concerned, I think both are fairly well respected and recognized. At the end of the day, your client is going to care more about how you can help them transform their lives, more so than the letters behind your name 🙂
Great blog post Aly!
I am also looking at IHN and CSNN for January of 2018 and I was wondering if now that you are have your own practice, do you find many clients are able to use their company benefits to pay for your services? Or is this still something they are working on with Benefit companies in Canada?
Hi Kathleen, great question! Since Holistic Nutrition is not a regulated industry most extended health plans do not cover sessions. Often if the extended health plan lists nutrition services, the client will still need to check with the insurance company directly as they may actually be referring to services by a dietician, and not an R.H.N. Having said that, if you have a client who works for a company that offers a health spending allowance, they certainly could apply that towards your services. I hope this helps!
Aly do you know anybody that studied the CSNN distance option? I am seriously thinking of starting, but it would be nice to talk to somebody who went through it. As I live in Asia I do not have the option of onsite studies.
Hi Henriette, I have one friend who I believe did the distance program but it was quite a few years ago. Have you reached out to the school? They may be able to put you in contact with someone. Otherwise, there are a few nutrition industry facebook groups where you may be able to connect with someone. Try searching “Networking Nutritionists” on Facebook and posting your question to that group. It’s a very active and generous group.
Hi Aly,
I can not thank you enough (on behalf of all the readers I’m sure) for the very informative post and your kind care and interaction with us! I am also seriously considering CSNN but because I am an international and never been to Canada, I can’t for the love of me decide on the branch that would be best …. which City? the most Diverse? Any reference or input by any chance?
Also what I’m most interested to find out is what would you have done better or differently if you had to do it all over again? 🙂
any study organization, plans, time management tips you’d advise?
5 years later, how relevant do you think the information you learned in CSNN is?
Thank you so much for your comment! The lovely thing about Canada is that it’s full of diversity wherever you go, especially in the major cities. I can’t really speak about the other branches as I’ve never visited, but I loved my time at CSNN Vancouver. They also now have a kitchen, and teach holistic culinary skills as part of their practicum. I don’t think this is offered in any other nutrition school across the country (at least that I’m aware of.)
If I had to do things differently all over again, I would start building my business while I was still in school by putting together health plans and protocols for clients. That way, upon graduating, I would have some programs and offerings ready that I could start to drive potential clients to. Instead, I spent a lot of time tinkering with a website, obsessing about logos, and stuff like that which really does not matter at all. Your future clients will care more about how you can help them, and if you have a solid process to take them through to help them reach their goals then that’s way more valuable.
As far as tips: if the program you land on requires you to do case studies, then stay on top of them! I did the 1-year full-time program, while also working full time, and the case study deadlines and board exam crept up so fast.
It hasn’t quite been 5 years since I graduated, but I do feel that the information is still relevant. My personal beliefs about nutrition have evolved over time, but the fundamentals of what I learned in school is still true.
Hi Teq,
I am also considering the same being an international student.Do you know anything about the work permit after course?
Have you applied already?
Payal
Hello! I am writing from the US 🙂 I am currently attending lIfe Universtiy, but I am not interested in learning Western Medicine and going the clinical route. I have been looking at IHN. 2 questions:
Were you able to receive FA at the school you chose?
Why that school over IHN? (not to mean one is better than the other, just why for you personally?)
Hi Alisa,
As far as I know CSNN does not provide financial assistance, however, in BC I believe I would have been able to get a student loan through the government. I worked full time while in the program, and took advantage of the payment plan option that CSNN provided, so I found it perfectly manageable to pay for school without needing financial aid.
As for why CSNN over IHN – I looked at both schools and for me, it came down to flexibility that would allow me to continue to work while attending school. CSNN has you complete case studies with practice clients, as opposed to IHN which requires you to do an internship/practicum (sorry, I don’t know exactly what they call it), with another practitioner or clinic. I felt the case studies would allow me to complete them on my own time, around my work schedule.
If you plan to attend CSNN in person in Vancouver, they now offer a Holistic Culinary Certificate of their main program. In 2014 they finished the addition of a teaching kitchen at their campus, and you get to take cooking courses throughout your program, which earns you this additional certificate. It’s an awesome value add, and I really wish it had been a part of the school when I was there. If I were choosing a school today, this would be the deal breaker for me!
Hi Aly,
Thank you so much for posting this article! I am in the exact same position as you were a few years ago (working in marketing with a business degree and wanting a career in natural nutrition). I am looking to enroll into the CSNN in Vancouver this year :). Your post gave me the hope I needed to abandon everything and pursue my dream career.
First off, thank you so much for writing this! I’m sort of going through what you were going through. Changing careers, and turning 30 in 2 weeks as I type this.
Just a question: the part about comparing IHN and CSNN, what part about CSNN resonated more with you? I took a tour of IHN at the Vancouver campus. Everything seems great.
I’m still quite plugged into the whole “letters beside my name as respected designation” thinking but in the future I want to market myself as in that way when it comes to job/building a business.
Hey, for me the decision between the two schools came down to which program would fit into my personal lifestyle. I was working full time and wanted to do a full-time program, and I liked the appeal of how the case studies at CSNN could work around my work schedule. I believe at IHN students were required to do a practicum with a fellow practitioner (I’m not familiar with their requirements now).
Keep in mind, this was back in 2013/2014, and the program at CSNN has changed a lot since then, including their professional teaching kitchen. So when you do a program at CSNN you earn two certificates, one of which is a Culinary Nutrition Certificate, which is very cool.
The letters after your name are important only to a certain point. Nutrition is an unregulated profession in Canada, which means that ANYONE can practice. As professionals with training, the letters can help signal to clients that we do have a deeper level of training – this may be important if you wish to work in a clinic setting. If you plan to be entrepreneurial and have your own business, the letters are less important. What really matters is the niche you choose to focus on, the problems you’ve identified your clients are struggling with, your ability to communicate how you help clients solve their issues and whether or not you help your clients get their desired results. If at the end of the day you help a client move through their biggest health struggle and feel empowered in the process, they will not care at all about what letters are behind your name.