It was exactly what I needed to believe in as I became more and more skeptical of mainstream healthcare.
I was critical of what I felt was the industrys failure to treat the whole person.
I thought that alternative medicinespecifically holistic nutritionwas the answer.
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My lifestyle was a sword that I brandished in the face of all those who would listen.
Turns out, the blade of scrutiny I was wielding was actually a balloon sword.
Squeaky, brightly colored, and pretty much imaginary.
I had gone to holistic nutrition school.
I was running my own nutrition consulting business.
And suddenly I didnt believe in any of it anymore.
How did this flip flop come to pass?
Its a bit of a convoluted story that I am still trying to dissect myself.
It began when I was living in Italy in 2008.
Id started following a vegan diet, and I was pretty dogmatic about it.
And I made sure everyone knew it.
Until a few years later, that is, when my health started to fall apart.
I went to a naturopath and starting taking supplements and eating fewer refined foods.
When my symptoms started to clear up, I figured it was the supplements and dietary changes.
The truth is, they often lack sufficient, peer-reviewed, reliable scientific evidence of their supposed effectiveness.
Did I have rock-solid evidence that these products would do what their labels promised they would do?
Sure, I read studies here and there that found specific health benefits for some of the products.
This2015 studyfound that ingesting vinegar before a meal could improve insulin resistance.
But alas, the study had only eight subjects.
It only looked at 11 participants, all of whom had throw in 2 diabetes.
Was I relying on strong, valid evidence?
Nah, not really.
In an effort to expand my product knowledge I researched a lot of the different supplements available.
My world crumbled like a piece of raw gluten-free paleo cheesecake.
I subsequently disconnected from social media and distanced myself from the entire culture.
I took a good look at how I was personally and publicly communicating my relationships with food and wellness.
First of all, in total, my entire formal education as a holistic nutritionist was 10 months long.
Second of all, that education was intended to complementnot replacetraditional medical treatment.
But as soon as I finished the program, I could immediately start taking on clients.
We received a certificate, and that was that.
In the U.S.,the laws around this vary.
That’s about it.
But along the way I made many embarrassing and conjectural recommendations.
Like I said, I was far from knowingly deceiving anyone.
This essay is a firm farewell from a world I disconnected from long ago.
Denby Royal is a writer, former holistic nutritionist, and fashion industry veteran.
She currently lives on the west coast of Canada.
Check out her websitehere.
