[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants\/","headline":"5 Important Principles for Nutritional Consultants","name":"5 Important Principles for Nutritional Consultants","description":"[vc_row type=\u201cin_container\u201d full_screen_row_position=\u201cmiddle\u201d column_margin=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_tablet=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_phone=\u201cdefault\u201d scene_position=\u201ccenter\u201d text_color=\u201cdark\u201d text_align=\u201cleft\u201d row_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d row_border_radius_applies=\u201cbg\u201d overflow=\u201cvisible\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d shape_divider_position=\u201cbottom\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d][vc_column column_padding=\u201cno-extra-padding\u201d column_padding_tablet=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_phone=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_position=\u201call\u201d column_element_direction_desktop=\u201cdefault\u201d column_element_spacing=\u201cdefault\u201d desktop_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d tablet_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d phone_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d background_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d background_hover_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d column_backdrop_filter=\u201cnone\u201d column_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d...","datePublished":"2013-10-08","dateModified":"2026-01-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/author\/ein_marlene\/#Person","name":"Marlene","url":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/author\/ein_marlene\/","identifier":4,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/669d68837c50949b8a978b90d77c2c97da62be0c9a8fee8912abb01c7e0947a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/669d68837c50949b8a978b90d77c2c97da62be0c9a8fee8912abb01c7e0947a8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Edison Institute of Nutrition","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Edison-Institute-of-Nutrition-logo-color.svg","url":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Edison-Institute-of-Nutrition-logo-color.svg","width":0,"height":0}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants.jpg","url":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants.jpg","height":630,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants\/","about":["Articles","Health Conditions","Holistic Nutrition","Nutrition Science","Nutritional Supplements &amp; Remedies","Recipes &amp; Meal Planning"],"wordCount":1988,"articleBody":"[vc_row type=\u201cin_container\u201d full_screen_row_position=\u201cmiddle\u201d column_margin=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_tablet=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_phone=\u201cdefault\u201d scene_position=\u201ccenter\u201d text_color=\u201cdark\u201d text_align=\u201cleft\u201d row_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d row_border_radius_applies=\u201cbg\u201d overflow=\u201cvisible\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d shape_divider_position=\u201cbottom\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d][vc_column column_padding=\u201cno-extra-padding\u201d column_padding_tablet=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_phone=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_position=\u201call\u201d column_element_direction_desktop=\u201cdefault\u201d column_element_spacing=\u201cdefault\u201d desktop_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d tablet_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d phone_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d background_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d background_hover_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d column_backdrop_filter=\u201cnone\u201d column_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d column_link_target=\u201c_self\u201d column_position=\u201cdefault\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d width=\u201c1\/1\u201d tablet_width_inherit=\u201cdefault\u201d animation_type=\u201cdefault\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d border_type=\u201csimple\u201d column_border_width=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_style=\u201csolid\u201d][image_with_animation image_url=\u201c45333\u201d image_size=\u201cfull\u201d animation_type=\u201centrance\u201d animation=\u201cNone\u201d animation_movement_type=\u201ctransform_y\u201d hover_animation=\u201cnone\u201d alignment=\u201ccenter\u201d border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d box_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d image_loading=\u201cdefault\u201d max_width=\u201c100%\u201d max_width_mobile=\u201cdefault\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=\u201cin_container\u201d full_screen_row_position=\u201cmiddle\u201d column_margin=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_tablet=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_phone=\u201cdefault\u201d scene_position=\u201ccenter\u201d text_color=\u201cdark\u201d text_align=\u201cleft\u201d row_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d row_border_radius_applies=\u201cbg\u201d overflow=\u201cvisible\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d shape_divider_position=\u201cbottom\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d][vc_column column_padding=\u201cno-extra-padding\u201d column_padding_tablet=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_phone=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_position=\u201call\u201d column_element_direction_desktop=\u201cdefault\u201d column_element_spacing=\u201cdefault\u201d desktop_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d tablet_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d phone_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d background_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d background_hover_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d column_backdrop_filter=\u201cnone\u201d column_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d column_link_target=\u201c_self\u201d column_position=\u201cdefault\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d width=\u201c1\/1\u201d tablet_width_inherit=\u201cdefault\u201d animation_type=\u201cdefault\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d border_type=\u201csimple\u201d column_border_width=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_style=\u201csolid\u201d][vc_column_text] 5 Important Principles for Nutritional Consultants&nbsp;Book Review: Mind Over Medicine, by Lissa Rankin M.D.I had the pleasure of receiving a&nbsp;review copy of Mind Over Medicine, by Lissa Rankin. As a&nbsp;nutritional consultant, I&nbsp;subsequently joined her online course for both those with \u201cchronic\u201d illness, as well as, alternative and mainstream health providers, called \u201cTake Back Your Health\u201d.In both the book and the course, Lissa outlines several really useful principles, extremely helpful to those of us who are nutritional consultants. She references many medical studies, which support her theories, and presents them in an easy to read and entertaining manner. In this review, I&nbsp;will highlight just 5&nbsp;of many.Nurturing CareDr. Rankin writes: \u201cIn a&nbsp;study published in The Lancet, which investigated the role of endorphins in how placebos relieve pain, researchers found that, despite the use of a&nbsp;double-blind procedure, the expectations of the physicians still influenced how patients responded to injections of fentanyl, naloxone, or placebo. If the doctor doesn\u2019t believe a&nbsp;certain treatment will work, the treatment may actually be less effective.\u201dWhile we are not physicians and don\u2019t treat disease, as nutritional consultants, we are in a&nbsp;unique position to help our clients recognize their own innate ability to heal and to provide a&nbsp;positive, hopeful environment to assist this process. By approaching all illness with a&nbsp;belief in the person\u2019s ability to get well and in the recommended therapies, designed to bring their body back to balance, we can offer them something many clients who seek our care need most, which is&nbsp;hope.The Placebo Effect&nbsp;Lissa has a&nbsp;fresh approach to this mental phenomenon. She highlights the science behind the effectiveness of placebos and how a&nbsp;nutritional consultant can use this belief\/self-healing cycle to the benefit of their clients. One way is by providing healthy \u201crituals\u201d, which hold significance to their client. For example; rather than simply recommending a&nbsp;homeopathic remedy to a&nbsp;client, a&nbsp;nutritional consultants could activate the placebo effect by recommending the client hold the homeopathic remedy in their hands to \u201cwarm\u201d it. She would then explain how one\u2019s mind can affect how the body will absorb or assimilate the remedy. Explaining this to the client and having them take a&nbsp;couple of deep breaths and imagining what it will be doing for their health, will encourage the client to deactivate their stress response before consuming the recommended product. It may increase the effectiveness of their protocol, simply by activating their BELIEF in it. We know that stress affects both the immune system and the digestive system, and that state of mind has a&nbsp;lot to do with how our bodies perceive what we consume. Thus, it makes sense that positive belief will also do the&nbsp;same!Trust Your Clients\u2019 Inner Pilot&nbsp;LightAn interesting concept, put forth by Lissa, is that, many dealing with illness need someone to ask the right questions. She writes:\u201cThat\u2019s when I&nbsp;began asking my patients two mother-lode questions. \u201cWhat do you think may lie at the root of your illness?\u201d And most important, \u201cWhat does your body need in order to heal?\u201d She continues: \u201cWhen I&nbsp;first started popping these questions, I&nbsp;assumed people would tell me that the root cause of their illness was a&nbsp;hormonal imbalance or an unhealthy diet\u2026But more often than not,&nbsp;my patients said things like these: \u201cI&nbsp;give until I\u2019m depleted.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m miserable in my marriage.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m out of touch with my life purpose.\u201dAnd when I&nbsp;asked my patients, \u201cWhat does your body need in order heal?\u201d my patients shocked me with their answers. \u201cI have to quit my job.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s time for me to finally come out of the closet to my parents.\u201d \u201cI need to tell my husband I\u2019m having an affair.\u201d The results these patients (who followed through) achieved were astonishing. Sometimes, a&nbsp;laundry list of illnesses would disappear, often very quickly. My patients were healing themselves after years of medical therapies had proven useless. I&nbsp;was in&nbsp;awe.\u201dFor me, this is a&nbsp;very important aspect of any nutritional consultant. Our bodies need nutritional support and the right kinds of toxin elimination, but our bodies do not operate independent of all other aspects of our lives. When meeting with a&nbsp;client, I&nbsp;feel it is our duty to explore the whole of their life and all the \u201cinputs\u201d that may need addressed, in order for the body to have an optimal environment in which to heal. If, in this investigative process, we identify some non-nutritional needs which are outside of our scope of practice, we can refer to trusted professionals, to assist in those aspects of our client\u2019s journey to wellness. For this purpose, it is a&nbsp;good idea to have made contact with a&nbsp;few different health care providers, to which we can refer comfortably and provide this referral list to our clients.The Relaxation Response&nbsp;Activating this response deactivates the stress response, allowing the body to go into repair mode. This can be done, through a&nbsp;variety of exercises, which are outlined in the book. Among these are meditation, prayer, creating something, solitude, and specific breathing exercises. This is helpful, because many of our clients come to us in a&nbsp;state of anxiety, fear or hopelessness.Helping our clients learn how to activate their own relaxation response provides an environment in which self-healing can begin. One of the best ways we can help with relaxation is to recommend the Castor Oil Pack application. The softness of the flannel in combination with the oil and heat stimulates the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and bowels to remove toxins. It also increases the production of neutrophils by 40%, in only 20&nbsp;minutes. Most importantly, it puts the person\u2019s nervous system into the parasympathetic mode. This creates relaxation; therefore, reducing stress hormones and inflammation and allowing the healing to&nbsp;begin.The Whole Health CairnDr. Rankin uses a&nbsp;self-evaluation tool she calls the \u201cWhole Health Cairn\u201d. It looks like&nbsp;this:The Whole Health Cairn is her visual depiction of all the aspects in our lives that need to be considered when the body is out of balance. Sometimes a&nbsp;health problem, which is manifesting in the body, may have its core cause in a&nbsp;person\u2019s life purpose \u201cstone\u201d.She recommends that nutritional consultants ask their clients to spend some time considering how well each of these aspects of their lives are going and how well they are nourishing each stone, on a&nbsp;regular basis. She then recommends using a&nbsp;different color for each stone. She may then have the individual evaluate how well they are nurturing each of their \u201cstones\u201d, on a&nbsp;regular basis. I&nbsp;found this exercise beneficial for women, in particular, because we tend to be very relationship oriented. Dr. Rankin emphasises that she has seen a&nbsp;significant connection between the quality and happiness of a&nbsp;patient\u2019s relationship stone and the prevalence of illness. Asking a&nbsp;client to take this home and spend time considering each stone and how they can improve those that need supportive action, is a&nbsp;great tool to shift the client into a&nbsp;holistic way of thinking.I highly recommend Mind Over Medicine by Lissa Rankin as both a&nbsp;resource for Nutritional Consultants, interested in improving their own belief system, so as to positively affect those with whom they consult, as well as a&nbsp;tool to recommend to clients who may benefit from reading it. With its many study references, stories of hope, healing, and remission, as well as, its honest discussion of those cases where there has been work by the client on all of these fronts, and still healing did not come, I&nbsp;personally find it an excellent addition to my resource list.By Marcie Macari-EIN graduateEarn a&nbsp;Diploma in Holistic Nutrition as a&nbsp;Nutritional Consultant. EIN strives to provide you with the knowledge to live well and stay healthy. We are an internationally recognized school offering online nutrition training. If you\u2019d like to learn more about any of our programs, call us today at&nbsp;1\u2212800\u2212456\u22129313&nbsp;or&nbsp;contact us&nbsp;online.Flexible online learning \u2022 Payment plans \u2022 Advisor supportExplore Our Programs | Book an Advisor Call [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=\u201cin_container\u201d full_screen_row_position=\u201cmiddle\u201d column_margin=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_tablet=\u201cdefault\u201d column_direction_phone=\u201cdefault\u201d scene_position=\u201ccenter\u201d text_color=\u201cdark\u201d text_align=\u201cleft\u201d row_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d row_border_radius_applies=\u201cbg\u201d overflow=\u201cvisible\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d shape_divider_position=\u201cbottom\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d][vc_column column_padding=\u201cno-extra-padding\u201d column_padding_tablet=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_phone=\u201cinherit\u201d column_padding_position=\u201call\u201d column_element_direction_desktop=\u201cdefault\u201d column_element_spacing=\u201cdefault\u201d desktop_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d tablet_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d phone_text_alignment=\u201cdefault\u201d background_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d background_hover_color_opacity=\u201c1\u201d column_backdrop_filter=\u201cnone\u201d column_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d column_link_target=\u201c_self\u201d column_position=\u201cdefault\u201d gradient_direction=\u201cleft_to_right\u201d overlay_strength=\u201c0.3\u201d width=\u201c1\/1\u201d tablet_width_inherit=\u201cdefault\u201d animation_type=\u201cdefault\u201d bg_image_animation=\u201cnone\u201d border_type=\u201csimple\u201d column_border_width=\u201cnone\u201d column_border_style=\u201csolid\u201d][image_with_animation image_size=\u201cfull\u201d animation_type=\u201centrance\u201d animation=\u201cNone\u201d animation_movement_type=\u201ctransform_y\u201d hover_animation=\u201cnone\u201d alignment=\u201d\u201d border_radius=\u201cnone\u201d box_shadow=\u201cnone\u201d image_loading=\u201cdefault\u201d max_width=\u201c100%\u201d max_width_mobile=\u201cdefault\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row] "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"5 Important Principles for Nutritional Consultants","item":"https:\/\/edisoninst.com\/5-important-principles-for-nutritional-consultants\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]