Susan Barendregt is a Functional Nutritionist and is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition. She has also earned a degree in Statistics and a certificate in Massage Therapy. Susan is a former Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. She has been a practicing functional nutritionist since 2006.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” — Hippocrates

This idea that food should be our medicine is not a new one. In fact, it is the cornerstone of a modern day nutritionist's work. The role of a nutritionist is to help prevent disease and promote good health by encouraging an active lifestyle combined with healthy eating habits.

Alan is an Irish educated paramedic with previous experience in a variety of settings in Ireland, Europe, North America and the Middle East. He is adjunct faculty with Portland Community College, faculty in the paramedic programs at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario, Canada and a Paramedic Educator with Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is also a Prehospital Emergency Care and First Aid Program Manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross. He provides consultancy services to a number of organizations worldwide on research, clinical governance and educational matters. He is an editor and peer-reviewer for several publications including the Irish Journal of Paramedicine, and has affiliations with several organizations around the world as a paramedic researcher. 

Alan joins the Functional Nutrition instructor team to bring his expertise of research to the program. As a functional nutritionist, it is vitally important to discern between science-based and non science-based research. Alan has a background in teaching paramedics, and for the Functional Nutrition program he teaches the Research and Evidence-Based Practice for Nutritional Therapy course in Term 1. 

Alan also teaches in the Foundations of Clinical Research program in the modules Good Clinical Practice and Overview of Study Design.

The Institute for Health Professionals’ Functional Nutrition is approved by the National Association of Nutritional Professionals. The course series is taught over four terms and covers all of the following topics: assessment techniques, physical health and fitness, biochemical and pathophysiology of foods, ayurvedics and traditional Chinese medicine/herbology, business practice and ethics, nutritional research and resources, nutritional counseling, and buying, cooking, and storing food.

In this article we’ll take a closer look at determining if a nutritional therapy certification is right for you.