CNP stands for Certified Nutritional Practitioner. It is a designation given out by the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. IHN is a private college that offers a fast-tracked diploma program in nutrition, which covers many foundations in biological sciences and some Complimentary and Alternative practices. In short, it allows graduates to practice nutrition.
Everyone leaves IHN practicing differently. Some gravitate to energy medicine (say what you will about it, I have no stance on it because I practice much differently), while others really liked herbal medicine's eastern roots. Others, like me, appreciate the sciences, like biochemistry, as well as sports nutrition.
Due to my logical mind and previous college history with biology, chemistry, and the human body, I very much enjoyed refreshing myself with biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, and my absolute favourite class, Advanced Research. As you can probably elude, the Complimentary and Alternative medicines (i.e. anything to do with energy or detoxes, many the herbal medicines, and whatever else didn't have a research paper attached to it) was not for me. Some of that, in fact, I believe them to be dangerous and potentially quite costly. But more on that for another day!
CNP's are given the basics of nutrition, but a lot of work needs to be done to further their education. I believe with the right direction in education, CNP's can improve the general population, and even on a client to client basis.
WHAT CNP'S CANNOT LEGALLY DO
We are NOT:
Doctors
Registered dietitians
Naturopaths
We do not diagnose or treat known illnesses
CNP's should never pose as any of the above professions either.
WHAT CNP'S CAN LEGALLY DO
We can provide nutritional services, including weight loss and improving overall health and well being. CNP's understand the need for personalized nutrition, depending on the client and where they are at. CNP's recognize and recommend. Below are 3 examples.
A client comes in who works 2 jobs to feed his/her 2 kids, never has any time for themselves and has difficulty sleeping. We can recognize that this person may be very stressed, and throughout the conversation, find out their sleep is terrible. After learning their medical history, we recommend melatonin to help get them to sleep, and either ashwagandha or Rhodiola for stress. Also suggesting to carve out 5 to 10 minutes of meditation each day if they can. We would also consider the diet if they are eating enough to support their busy workday.
Another example. A CNP is working with a personal trainer. Together, they can provide a proper exercise regime with tailored nutrition to help the client achieve their goals.
A third example. A CNP can provide workshops and classes with educational material on a variety of topics. For example, digestive health- the importance of fibre. Or sustainable weight loss. Or how to improve your athletics with proper nutrition. And many more.
My goal is to bring to light the benefit CNP's can provide, and I will do my absolute best to prove that.
If you have any questions, feel free to pop them in the comments!