AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

As a nutrition consultant passionate about helping others live a healthier lifestyle, you stay on top of the latest trends so you can provide the best experience for your clients. Your expertise is second to none, but are you also staying on top of the nutrition coaching apps and software to help you attract more clients and improve client relationships?

With the rise in healthy living, the need for personal trainers, health coaches, and nutritionists is greater than ever before. While it’s an exciting time for successful business owners, the tremendous growth of the market also means more competition for entrepreneurs in the space.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published March 2014 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

It is estimated that up to 45 percent of female athletes in certain sports experience menstrual irregularity, also referred to as Athletic Amenorrhea. Within the last 20 years, our society has witnessed a significant increase in the level of athletic participation by women and as a result, women are more aware of the changes experienced in their menstrual cycle.

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

As a nutrition consultant, you have a unique opportunity to help your clients develop better eating habits, achieve their weight-loss and fitness goals and ultimately maintain healthy and fulfilling lifestyle changes. "Proper nutrition is essential to healthy living and overall well-being," writes the staff at Livestrong. "A nutritionist can play an important role in your health by evaluating your diet and offering you personalized advice." It's also an opportunity to help inspire others and encourage them to shape a happier and healthier outlook.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published August 10, 2016 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Numerous bloggers and food writers dispense nutritional advice with ease, and some don't even cite any particular studies or research, they just seem to be coming up with these "insights" on their own. But for those who want to offer nutritional advice on a more professional basis, it's crucial to understand that advice must be delivered in a way that's credible, correct, and legal.

Is it that easy to fight a chocolate craving when you see chocolate almost everywhere you go? It’s in the supermarkets, in your local shop, in sweet shops, in TV advertisements, in the meal deals and there is always the dessert menu at your favorite restaurant. It’s definitely difficult to resist to the wonderful taste and the numerical options. The main reason we crave chocolate is due to its high sugar levels. Sugar helps in lifting mood and gives us short-term energy, but at the same time it makes us crave more sugary snacks and it’s the main cause for lots of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

You’ve probably heard someone say that you should “eat the rainbow” for optimal nutrition. The idea is to fill your plate with an array of colorful fruits and vegetables that are chock full of vitamins and nutrients.

Goal setting is a mighty motivating force.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published March 2016 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

As a personal trainer, it's always important to get to know your prospective clients as much as possible before determining that they'd be a good fit for your services. All too often, however, personal trainers don't understand the right questions to ask to get a true feel for a potential client.

In general, there are six key personal trainer questions to ask new clients before you think about scheduling them for their first workout session.