Nutrition and Health Coaching

BTEC Advanced Diploma  1-Year, Part-time

“Chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes wreck our quality of life and cost a fortune. In recent years, a new and intriguing concept has emerged in the prevention and treatment of chronic illness: the health coach.” – CBS News, 2009

Learn how to educate, motivate and guide others towards good health and vitality through nutritional awareness and better choices, attitudes, skills and habits around food, exercise and lifestyle.

What Do Nutrition & Health Coaches Do?

They educate their clients about food, nutrition and health, prepare practical diet and lifestyle advice, and help them make it stick.

They ‘coach’ their clients – individuals, families, groups – towards ‘wellness’. Based on sound knowledge of nutrition, a Nutrition & Health Coach explains the importance of wholesome foods and healthy eating, and advises, instructs and encourages clients as they adopt more health-supporting food choices, cooking skills, eating habits and other lifestyle behaviours. Coaches know how to plan and prepare quick, practical, tasty and healthy meal options, and devise recipes and menus. Working with the client, they devise recommendations, based on health concerns, personal goals, food preferences and practical issues, among others. This results in people making better informed choices around food, exercise and lifestyle to improve their own health and that of family members.  In addition, Nutrition & Health Coaches are trained to give informal talks or presentations on food and health topics.

Does Nutrition & Health Coaching have Career Potential?

Coaches can work with private clients in their own practice. They can also be employed by companies, organisations, local authorities, client groups, families and so on, or work as part of a team. Their knowledge and skills are highly valued in settings such as complementary health clinics; beauty clinics; weight-loss and motivation programmes; corporate health and fitness programmes; sports clubs; spas; obesity projects; health initiatives run by charities, local authorities, groups and associations; recovery programmes; schools and nurseries; health stores and other health businesses; supermarkets, among others. Comprehensive and inexpensive practitioner insurance is available after graduation.

Course Duration & Time Commitment

The Nutrition & Health Coaching course is taught over 12 weekends (Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5), from September 2012 to June 2013.

There are approximately 300 guided learning hours (weekends plus assignments) in all. Weekend lectures cover the core material for the units, supported by tutorials (attendance and online) between study weekends. Classroom attendance is strongly advised, but all lectures are recorded for download.

Course Outline

The Coaching programme consists of seven units covering a wide variety of topics, including:

• Unit 1: Principles of Nutrition. Basic knowledge, terms & concepts. Includes Digestion
• Unit 2: Farm to Fork: Soil health, sustainable vs industrial production, refining, ingredients, labels
• Unit 3: Advice & Guidance: Listening & rapport, interviewing, motivating, supporting, reflecting
• Unit 4: Sports, Nutrition & Weight: Role of diet & hydration in sports & weight management
• Unit 5: Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching: Applying knowledge and skills with volunteer clients
• Unit 6: Presentations: Sourcing reliable info, giving short talk on nutrition & health topic
• Unit 7: Preparing to Practise: Business essentials, goals, clients, marketing, support, CPD.

Cooking skills: The 12 weekends also include two days of cooking demonstration classes.

Skills Objectives

• Develop core skills for effective communication and coaching
• Conduct detailed diet & health interviews
• Prepare appropriate diet and lifestyle recommendations based on client health, goals, knowledge, resources, among other factors.
• Select wholesome foods based on source, processing, ingredients, nutrient profile, GI/GL, health claims, etc
• Prepare wholesome meals, source recipes, devise suitable menus.
• Devise suitable diet plan for sports activity, and for successful weight management
• Plan and deliver a nutrition & health related presentation.
• Prepare own coaching practice plan.

Assignments and Assessments include:

• Reflective diet journal
• Interviews: older person; case study clients
• Prepare and explain diet and lifestyle recommendations (case studies)
• Understand food labels and health claims, select wholesome products
• Recipes and menu plans
• Brief reports, e.g. sustainable vs industrial farming methods
• Class presentation on nutrition topic of choice
• Plan for own practice
• Short classroom tests
• Written exam