"This is exactly the information I've been waiting for!" said my customer. I had just eloquently explained to him why the things he eats and drinks every day are not good for his metabolism.

"Uh..." I hesitated briefly. "What does he mean now?" flashed through my mind. Had I perhaps overwhelmed him with theory, or had I overwhelmed him with the fact that I wanted to 'take away' all his favorite dishes?

"No, no," he said and laughed, "I really mean that literally. This is exactly the information I've been waiting for! I've suspected for some time that certain foods aren't good for me. And now I finally understand why. Thank you so much."

This is one of the many moments when I enjoyed my job with my own nutrition practice so much.

They say that when the time is right or you are open to it, you get the information you need. Life serves it up to us, so to speak. Because sometimes we can't see the wood for the trees. We know that something is wrong. We can almost grasp it. And yet we can't figure it out ourselves. Because we don't have a neutral view of our situation. After all, we're right in the middle of it.

Information overload? Not with a nutrition coach!

There has never been a time when we knew as much about nutrition as we do today! In the age of Google, YouTube and Wikipedia, we can get answers to almost any question we can think of within seconds. So the question naturally arises: does the world still need nutrition and health coaches if people already know or can look up everything they need to know about nutrition?

The difficulty with nutrition is certainly that it is not an exact science. For example, you can find studies that conclusively show you why dairy products are very healthy and you should definitely include them in your diet every day - only to stumble across another study the next second that claims the exact opposite! Have you ever experienced this?

A nutrition coach provides clarity because he or she has specialist expertise. He or she must also have the empathy to listen to your needs. They always focus on the solution that is best tailored to you personally.

Nutrition coach: reasons why you need one

1) You don't follow through with your New Year's resolutions

Science shows that 80% of people who make New Year's resolutions don't keep them. Meeting regularly with a nutrition coach to discuss progress and further measures increases commitment and motivation enormously!

In addition, a nutrition coach helps you to avoid setting yourself too big goals at once, which are doomed to failure from the outset.

2) You don't understand why you're not losing weight

You haven't actually changed anything about your diet. And yet you have gained 0.5 to 1 kg per year over the last few years. You quickly do the math: That would be 10 kg in 10 years!

Or else: you know exactly why you've put on weight: the new job, the pregnancies or the relationship stress can quickly lead to you losing weight. lead to a few extra kilos. And no matter what you've tried: You won't get rid of those few kilos again.

Sometimes you are "blind", to put it figuratively. You simply don't see "it". A conversation can help you identify the most important and, above all, the simplest changes that have the biggest impact on your health.

3) You don't have your cravings under control

Because you can't control this strong craving for sweet, or savory, or pasta, or bread, you simply give up. You eat more of it than is good for you, but you have resigned yourself to it.

A health coach can help you to find the reason for these cravings and make them disappear.

4) Your closest friends or relatives live an unhealthy lifestyle

"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."

JimRohn

If most of your friends or family members are overweight or don't feel healthy, it's quite possible that you don't know exactly what changes you could make to positively influence your lifestyle.

Sometimes it's just good to talk to an "outsider" about a topic (in this case, health and nutrition) that you can't or don't want to talk about with those around you due to a lack of interest.

5) You are thinking about crash diets

So-called crash diets often only bring short-term "success" and are also harmful to your health. And: they are no fun. A nutrition coach can show you how to lose weight quickly and easily, and above all in a healthy way, without having to give up everything you like.

6) You feel tired, moody or bloated all the time

You've already been to your GP, a gut specialist and a naturopath. They've all confirmed it: You have nothing! You are healthy. And yet you don't feel well. Could it really be that these complaints, which are almost normal in this day and age, are related to your diet?

Health and nutrition coaching is not always just about weight. Even if you are not overweight and actually eat a healthy diet, it could be that your diet is not suited to you and does not optimally support your health.

7) Carbohydrates, protein, fat... What am I eating?

Your best friend, your fitness trainer, your mom, the booklet at the hairdresser and the latest nutrition bestseller: they all tell you something different! If you don't know what's true or not, a nutrition coach can help you shed some light on the dark.

By the way, my big credo is that not everyone needs the same diet. Nevertheless, it is important that we know the basic rules of nutrition that are suitable for us humans. There is also a "species-appropriate" diet for us that ensures that we are well.

How to recognize a good nutrition coach

It's best to look for a person who has the following qualities:

1.) They have experience and can give real advice. can demonstrate their own customer successes. There are many black sheep in the industry who adorn themselves with other people's feathers.

2.) The person is likeable, takes time for you, listens to you and asks the right questions. They motivate you, but are also a bit strict with you and don't let you get away with everything. The Americans call this "tough love", which I find an extremely appropriate term.

3.) They are not dogmatic about a particular diet, but have a wide range of knowledge and accept different theories. Because your ideal diet is not set in stone and depends on your metabolism and your life circumstances.

4.) She uses laboratory analysis or has you do these tests with a doctor. Giving advice completely "out in the blue" rarely leads to the goal and you can't tell from the outside whether someone already has incipient insulin resistance or hidden inflammation.

5.) She not only explains to you what you should do, but why it makes sense and will lead to the goal.

6.) Be careful when products or miracle cures are sold to you, possibly even in a subscription system (i.e. you buy a product once and then automatically receive a new one every month unless you cancel it).

7.) She looks healthy herself and lives what she preaches. At least she's a few steps ahead of you.

So that's it, my 7 reasons. Can you think of any other reasons? Have you ever worked with a nutrition coach and would like to share your experiences? Then please leave me a comment below!