AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

Editor's Note: This post was originally published September 2017 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

When it comes to exciting careers, health and wellness is a fast-growing, future-proofed profession that offers a way to change people’s lives—both clients’ and your own.

A major part of that momentum is nutrition, especially as people become more interested in improving their health. With seemingly conflicting nutrition news and research, there’s a strong need for professionals who can translate complex information and deliver it in a way that’s meaningful. Best of all, choosing a career in nutrition gives you flexibility when it comes to tailoring your career, because the field has a breadth of opportunity. Here’s a handful of top choices when looking at careers in nutrition:

Editor's Note: This post was originally published November 2015 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

As defined by The National MS Society Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The exact antigen — or target that the immune cells are sensitized to attack — remains unknown, which is why MS is considered by many experts to be "immune-mediated" rather than "autoimmune."

In many ways, “holistic care” is an umbrella term. It encompasses a wide array of roles and specific job titles, but they all have one mission in common: to provide an integrated approach to healthcare that treats both mind and body.

With countless celebrities and brands embracing “Meatless Monday” as a mantra, plant-based nutrition has become all the rage—but not all devotees of plant-based nutrition are full-time vegans or vegetarians. In fact, many people are leaving meat and dairy off their plates more frequently to reap countless evidence-based health benefits, including lowering their risks of developing certain types of cancer.

Gaining education and experience in holistic health can offer numerous benefits, from giving you insights into your own health and self-care to assisting others who can benefit from advice on nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Those who follow nutritional shifts and research know that it can be challenging to translate the kind of complex information and advice that abounds today. Fortunately, we’re able to get expert opinions on what the latest developments might mean, particularly in holistic nutrition, which is one of the hottest areas of interest in the field. Here are seven blogs worth checking out:

Ever wonder what the day-to-day looks like for a holistic nutritionist? You may have a passion for clean eating, cooking healthy recipes, dialing in your diet to improve your health, and helping other people. But is a holistic nutritionist certification right for you?

It’s not always going to be a regular 9 to 5, but it is a great way to make a living and make a difference. Take a look at the typical day for a holistic nutritionist, and imagine yourself stepping into the role.

These days, there are all kinds of diets that focus on cutting down on carbohydrate intake in order to lose weight and shed fat. Perhaps the most extreme of these is the ketogenic diet (similar to Atkins), which sets a strict limit of around 20-25 carbs per day. Unfortunately, what many people who avoid carbs like the plague don't realize is that not all carbs are evil. In fact, there are "good" carbs and there are "bad" carbs. What your clients need to understand is that they need to work on cutting back on the bad carbs and replacing them with the good ones.

Yoga has continued to increase in popularity over the last few years in the fitness community, and it shows no signs of dying down as a fitness trend anytime soon. If you're a yoga instructor or working to become one, there's a good chance you'll teach some type of beginner yoga class at some point in your career. These classes can be very rewarding to teach, but they also come with their own unique sets of challenges, as many beginning students will get easily discouraged. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take as a yoga instructor to help your newbies succeed on the mat.

Since it's that time of year when it's tempting to spend more free time at holiday parties than at the gym, it's not surprising to find that a lot of December health and fitness articles center focus on resolutions for the new year. Some also offer great tips on how to make it through the holidays without backsliding too much! Enjoy these articles to review the basics and learn more about trends to expect in the future.