1. What brought you to study Holistic Nutrition at IHN?

In 2022, my wife, Sabrina, was diagnosed with high cholesterol and was deemed prediabetic. She was prescribed statins and when we went to pick up the prescription, the pharmacist was very concerned that someone so young was being prescribed statins so that night, we decided that she would not take statins and that we would follow a holistic approach to manage her high cholesterol and prediabetic condition. We started conducting our own research into nutrition and we quickly realized that we were eating foods that kept making us sick instead of nutritious whole foods. We applied what we learned into our lives and within 2 years, we did a complete 180 on our health; Sabrina no longer had high cholesterol and was no longer pre-diabetic, we shed 105 pounds between the both of us, we had more energy, and we felt and looked better. After going through that, it became my goal to share our experience with others and to help them reach their health goals. That’s when I looked into schools that taught holistic nutrition and I came across IHN. After looking at IHN’s curriculum it became clear that IHN was the best school to help me achieve my goal of helping others.

2. What professions have you worked in prior to enrolling at IHN?

I have been working as an accountant for over 9 years in multiple accounting related roles and organizations. My main area of focus is taxation; I have experience with cross-border (Canada & US), provincial, and non-resident tax.

3. What degrees or academic achievements did you have prior to IHN?

I have a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) Accounting Major and Finance Diploma from Camosun College, and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Designation from CPA Western School of Business.

4. What are your goals/aspirations as a CNP?

My goal is to have my own clinical practice specializing in gut health where I will help people re-establish their relationship with food, navigate the complex field of nutrition, take control of their gut health, learn about the digestive system, bring balance into their bodies, and in the process lose weight. I am fascinated by the digestive system and I believe that the digestive system is at the core of our health. I am also an advocate of lipids (fats and oils, and yes Cholesterol) and I want to show people that lipids are one of the most beautiful and important molecules that exist.

5. What has been your personal best achievement?

My personal best achievement, without a doubt, was conquering my health and body. In May 2022, at the same time that Sabrina was diagnosed with high cholesterol and deemed prediabetic, I was overweight (borderline obese and I was likely prediabetic as well). I felt tired all the time, my knees were hurting all the time and I had constant pain on my chest and heartburn; I could barely go up a flight of stairs without feeling my heart beat in my throat. This was caused by poor nutrition and eating habits, stress, and overeating. I knew I had a big problem that only I could solve and if I didn’t address it right away, I would regret it later. However, the solution wasn’t as easy as it seemed; changing those habits and taking control of my health and body was the hardest thing I have ever done, it was my Everest. Now that I have conquered by health and body, I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.

6. What is something you overcame in your life, that you didn’t think you could?

I was recently feeling very burnt out and I honestly didn’t know what to do as I had never experienced anything like it before. Initially I kept going, I told myself “life goes on” and I continued to push myself as I always do but then I started to notice that I was operating at my limit and I was stretched thin, I was feeling very tired, I had low motivation, I was getting sick often and I was having anxiety attacks. That’s when I decided to take a step back to try to address what was going on. I took time off work and I started meditating, journalling, going out for daily walks and being more appreciative of everything I have. I decided to slow down in every aspect of my life which is something very foreign to me and I didn’t think I could do because I am always on the go, operating at 100% capacity. I now prioritize my mental and physical health above everything else; I have learned to slow down and appreciate the little things in life that make me happy. Self-care is not selfish, it is self-love.

7. What is something about you that would surprise people?

I am an aesthete, someone who has a deep appreciation of art, nature, and beauty. Even though I am a very analytical and numbers-oriented person (I am an accountant after all), I completely lose myself when I am presented with pieces of art, landscapes, sunrises, sunsets, flowers, mountains, trees, etc. Most of the photos on my phone are of beautiful things I see while I am out and about. I also have an affinity for music and I am getting back to playing the bass and guitar.

8. Is there anything you would like to share about your experience at IHN so far?