In 2017, Brittany Nicholson was going through a time that many of us can relate to – feeling like she was working out and eating healthy, but still not seeing the results she was hoping for. After studying holistic nutrition at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, she was able to find the root cause of her issues, and now wants to help others on their own health and wellness journeys.
Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Nicholson is now a registered holistic nutritionist, and has recently started her own nutritional coaching business: Holistic Britt Nutrition.
“I started my business about three months ago. It’s definitely very new and I’m really excited. Being a lifelong Saultite, it’s something that I’m really excited to be able to offer to the community in terms of the unique contribution that natural nutrition offers,” said the 30-year-old.
Nicholson provides one-on-one coaching for her clients, along with custom meal plans. The plans include supplementation recommendations, stress management, sleep support, and overall dietary changes. Before working with her clients, she likes to prioritize getting to know them on an individual level as well as a personal level. “As a holistic nutritionist, you’re looking at more than just what someone is eating. It’s important to look at when they’re eating, who they’re eating with, as well as different environmental factors like where they’re working, how much they’re sleeping, and if they are stressed. All of these factors will come in to play when working on their wellness goals,” she said.
When working with clients, Nicholson recognizes that every individual is unique, and what might work for someone else might not work for everyone. “My unique biochemical needs are going to be different from my neighbour’s or the girl I saw at the gym last week,” she said.
Nicholson says that her foundation when it comes to a good diet is based on three major components: food that is natural, meaning as close to its natural state as possible; food that is alive, live fruits and vegetables full of fibre and enzymes; and food that is good quality.
“I don’t believe in restriction. I feel like it creates a negative relationship with food,” she said. “It’s all about creating a healthy relationship with food and trying to find that balance. When it comes to diet and nutrition, restriction doesn’t work long-term. It might work short-term, but it’s not a long-term solution.”
What Nicholson wants to stress the most with her coaching is that we oftentimes don’t realize how our symptoms are connected. “When I went to school for natural nutrition, I was trying to understand fad diets and understand how a diet that is being coined “the next best thing” going to work for me and everyone else. The answer is that it doesn’t, because we’re all so different. When I was feeling like I was working out and not seeing results, feeling anxious, feeling bloated all the time, I asked myself what the root of all of these issues was. Sometimes it takes pulling things apart and trying to find the issue. Sometimes it’s in your gut, and sometimes it’s in your digestive or immune system. That’s ultimately what I try to do with my clients – look at their symptoms and what they’re experiencing and try and approach it with a natural nutrition approach.”
Her website can be found at here.
