Laura, a fellow graduate from Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, is here today to share her CSNN experience with you as part of my Power Posse series. I’m so very thrilled to have her here as I know many of you are interested in attending CSNN or are toying with the idea of going back to school.

If you’d like to read more about CSNN, you can read all about my personal experience here.

POWER POSSE POST BY LAURA HILLIER

I remember loving food, from a very young age. Looking back, I know now that the food I ate was not good for me.

I grew up in a house of four kids with one parent that worked. We had a pretty strict grocery budget so things like pasta, breads and cereals were pretty popular. My favourite foods were veggies covered in cheese sauce, homemade spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, sandwiches and Shake and Bake chicken.

I suffered from terrible digestive issues that was eventually diagnosed as IBS, I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder while suffering from moderately severe depression, and I was miserable. Doctors didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was unhappy and very overweight.

As an adult, I was fortunate enough to connect with a Naturopath that ended up discovering that I was allergic to gluten and dairy. After 3 months of being gluten-free, I had lost 30 pounds, got off my anti-depressants and figured out that I was definitely not bipolar. Gluten and dairy were poisoning my body.

Using my new-found energy and having to relearn how to eat again, I explored every single book that related to Celiac disease, gluten-free living, and holistic healing. I spent a year healing my “IBS” and in the process, found out about the Registered Holistic Nutrition program at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I signed up for the March 2011 One Year Program and anxiously awaited the arrival of my books. I was very eager to begin!

The school suggests that students work part-time as the workload, while only attending twice a week, is heavy. I was living on my own at the time, supporting myself, so full-time work plus school was a must for me. And I am proof that it can be done!

In addition to the two times per week schedule, there are specific practicum lessons that you can sign up for depending on your interests. Practicum runs throughout the school year, from September to May. These classes are designed to focus on one health issue, like weight loss, and drill down on that specific topic for a couple of hours. While the lessons were long and drawn out, I learned so much more than I ever thought possible. Plus, I got to focus on the topics that meant most to me.

One of the requirements of the program is to complete 14 case studies by performing nutritional consultations on friends and family. Your pseudo client fills out forms (as a real client would) and then you write a paper with the advice you would give said client using the Holistic Nutrition body, mind, spirit approach to wellness. Running through each scenario helps students learn how to best address individual cases, analyze client information and make the most out of the time you have with your client.

The school year ends with a board exam, compiled of a couple of levels of testing.

Graduates of CSNN have endless opportunities for a career in nutrition. You can start up a private practice, work in a Naturopathic office, work alongside Chiropractors, or in healthcare facilities, get a job with a supplement company, health food store, or build an online empire. As soon as I received my RHN designation, I immediately started up my nutrition consulting business, Nutralicious Consulting.

Many of my classmates attended the school out of interest, with no plans to integrate into their field of work, while others attended so that they could meld the lessons into their current practices. Jobs are plentiful in this field and with more people taking charge of their health, being at the forefront of it all in something like holistic nutrition can only help this planet become a more mindful, healthier place to live.

I loved the course and I am so passionate about what I do that I would do it all over again. No questions asked.

If you’re currently enrolled at CSNN, or you’re looking to start, I have a couple of words of wisdom that I wish I’d had when I first began…

1. Be open-minded. There are a lot of really interesting concepts taught in the program and openly receiving them will help you learn better.
2. Build a support network. Your instructors and classmates are there for a reason and will be more than happy to brainstorm or go over the concepts with you.
3. Come from a place of passion instead of stress. Stress is the #1 cause of disease. Remind yourself why you’re attending class, what this means for you, and how it will change your life. Coming at it from a place of passion will ease your stress and help you remember what’s important.
4. Build your schedule. If you have to work full-time as I did, you will make it happen. Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it. When you study, you study, when you work, you work. Creating defined times in your day where you can focus solely on one thing will help you feel like you’ve accomplished so much more than if you flail around multitasking.
5. Enjoy yourself. This was the best experience of my life and I couldn’t imagine a better school to be at.

Author bio: Laura is a graduate of CSNN Vancouver and owner of Nutralicious Consulting where she helps her clients connect with their mind, body and spirit to achieve optimal health.

Connect with Laura…

Facebook: Nutralicious Consulting
Twitter: Laura Hillier
Web: Nutralicious Consulting

Whether you’re planning on enjoying the sunshine, having friends over, going to a social event or just relaxing all weekend long, you’re going to need to eat.

And why not chow down on some good-for-you, barbecue-friendly foods instead of the average not-so-healthy and non-feel-good long weekend options?

Healthy appetizers, burgers, salads and desserts…

I’ve got you covered.

Stuffed Pizza Mushrooms – Stuffed mushroom caps with bacon, daiya cheese, salami, peppers, and spinach, topped with a gluten-free crispy garlic topping.

Grilled Fennel Dippers – Transform a fennel bulb into the perfect dipper! This 10 minute appetizer is made from simple ingredients and produces delicious results.

Bacon Wrapped Dates – The thing I love most about these wrapped dates is that they can be prepared up to 2 days in advance letting you worry about other, more important things.

Strawberry Coleslaw – Creamy and light coleslaw made with fresh strawberries, grapes and homemade creamy poppy seed dressing.

Caesar Salad – The real deal… this vegan (and paleo) Caesar salad dressing tastes so much like the real thing. It’s creamy, flavorful and downright ridiculous.

Brilliant Beet Slaw – Light and refreshing slaw with lemon vinaigrette, chickpeas and loads of dill!

Salmon Burgers – Ready in under 15 minutes, these burgers are quick, easy, and only dirty one bowl + frying pan. They’ll wow dinner guests!

Quinoa Burgers – Biryani inspired quinoa burgers with dried currants, curry leaves and sunflower seeds. It comes with a burger bun recipe, too.

Turkey Burgers – These burgers are high in protein, low in fat, and lick-your-lips delicious! Trading in an egg for egg whites and bread crumbs for quinoa flakes cleans up this lean approach to your everyday burger.

Rice Crisp Treats – Healthier version of classic rice crispy treats without the gelatin! Each square is just 5 grams of fat and less than 150 calories.

Lemon Tarts – Mini tarts made with grain-free sugar cookie and filled with a coconut cream.

Blueberry Pie – This sugar and dairy free no bake cream pie is light, refreshing, packed with fiber, and made from 100% whole foods.

Here in Canada, our long weekend was this past weekend. There were barbecues lit up everywhere, the smell of charcoal at every turn, and; because 3 days off warrants a visit from a special friend, Angela made the trek to Montreal to join in the long weekend festivities. We grilled to our hearts content, watched chick flicks, lit it up with a couple of rounds of Turbo Fire, and toured Montreal on foot. It was a grand time.

I’m guessing that most of you are ramping up for your very own long weekend.

Ya, it’s a bit far down the road than most of us would like, but it’s coming, and it’s going to be a good one.

Are you planning on having a barbecue? Maybe you’ve been invited to a friends’ home for dinner?

I have the perfect mayonnaise-free, healthy salad that you can take along with you. It’s easy to whip up, safe for many people with allergies, and it’s effortless. No potato peeling, no fancy ingredients.

This recipe is inspired by the salad that Renee, Kevin’s Mom, makes for us every time we get together. Her version is fantastic, but it takes far too long to make. Peel the potatoes, slice them into strips, saute, boil, cut, wash, ah! I’ve watched her make it and it ‘aint pretty. So many steps, so much time. So, I’ve massively simplified it (because I’m pretty lazy in the kitchen, believe it or not) and tried to do the original recipe justice.

And hey, potato skin is good for you, so… I’m doing our health a favor by keeping it on!

To print, email or text this recipe, click here.

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Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain and allow potatoes to cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the skin from the cucumber with a small sharp knife and slice into thin coins.

Once cooled, slice the potatoes in half and add to a large bowl. Stir in diced shallots.

Pour broth over top, then oil, then vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rotate gently to cover and top with sliced cucumber.

Do not stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours, for the flavors to develop.

Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

What’s your all-time favorite thing to do on weekends? That’s an easy one for me… I LOVE lounging on the patio, cuddled up and reading a book in the sunshine!