Holistic Nutritionist or Naturopathic Doctor?
Much like the confusion surrounding Dietitians and Holistic Nutritionists, Naturopaths and Holistic Nutritionists are frequently confused as well. A Naturopath is a licensed physician who completed 4 years at a recognized holistic-oriented medical school. They are more inclined to recommend nutritional supplements and herbs and generally adopt a more natural philosophy to healing than the allopathic doctor. Much like a Holistic Nutritionist, a Naturopath opts for the least invasive approach to healing. Also, Naturopathy is a government-regulated profession and thus carries more stringent guidelines with it.
A Holistic Nutritionist, while using some of the same tools Naturopaths use, are much more food-oriented as a primary source of healing, also employing supplements, herbs, and other modalities to help each client. A Holistic Nutritionist is probably more detailed in terms of developing a customized health program for clients as opposed to being more “prescriptive.”