Petra Sovcov CH

Petra Sovcov is a Clinical Herbal Therapist and graduate of Dominion Herbal College. She is the owner of Healing House Natural Wellness Centre and also works at the Finlandia Health Centre and Naturopathic Clinic in Vancouver, BC. Petra is an active member of Herbalists Without Borders International (HWB) and directs the HWB Chapter and Free People’s Clinic for Vancouver. Additionally, she is a primary contributor for Home Herbalist Magazine (USA and Canada), writing the monthly “Ask an Herbalist” article, which allows readers to have their health questions answered by a clinical herbalist. Petra is passionate about promoting an individual’s healing path and enjoys enriching a person’s core wellness with the use of herbs and nutrition. She believes that health and healing should not be something afforded solely to those with the financial means to seek help, but rather that the knowledge of taking responsibility for one’s own healing is a basic human right. Apart from clinic and teaching, Petra is an avid gardener and sustainable small-scale food producer. She enjoys teaching out of her gardens at Healing House and finds great meaning in sharing the message of sustainability with others. She is passionate about heritage edible plants and domestic history, which she believes hold the solutions for the modern food crisis. Petra teaches Nutrition and the Environment at Institute of Holistic Nutrition’s Online program.

  • NE 009 Nutrition and the Environment

    Nutrition & the Environment The teachings in IHN’s Nutrition and the Environment is based on the underlying philosophy that promoting the health of ecosystems benefits human health. This course establishes the importance of recognizing the interdependency between all living organisms and the need to pursue sustainability, and seek environmental justice. Students will examine the soil food web, food insecurity, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, sustainable food production, and how to advocate for local and global food security. Students will gain an understanding of climate change, air pollution, and toxic materials in everyday consumer items and gain practical knowledge for limiting exposure. This course includes a hands-on component by visiting an organic farm to gain direct experience of local and sustainable food production. Learning Outcomes · Understand the impacts of large-scale agriculture and processing methods on human health and the environment, including biodiversity impacts, carbon footprints, and soil depletion. · Understand the broad mechanisms and health impacts of climate change and the impacts of food production on climate change. · Knowledge of the prevalence and health impacts of heavy metals contaminants found in foods, harmful food additives, and leaching from food packaging. · Understanding of the health impacts of ambient and household air pollution and how to reduce exposure and improve household air quality. · Explain common toxic materials found in consumer items, clothing, cleaning products, and cosmetics, and how to choose better alternatives · Explain how the seven channels of elimination (colon, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, lymphatic system, and skin) eliminate wastes, both nutritional and environmental, from the body. · Practical knowledge and resources for selecting safer and more sustainable foods, consumer items, and household products Nutrition and The Environment offers students knowledge of sustainable methods of food production including organic and biodynamic food production/certification as well as understanding of issues surrounding food insecurity, including how to reduce food waste and support local and national initiatives to promote food justice. This course is a deep dive in describing how the impact of environmental pollution, societal inequities, poor nutrition, electromagnetic fields, and stress that contributes to the Barrel Effect. This course focuses on how human health and the health of our food and environment are inextricably linked.