My Experience w/ AFPA - holistic nutrition program review & my biggest takeaways
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- I recently got certified as a holistic nutritionist through AFPA and thought I'd share my experience! I just did this to learn more about the health and wellness field and get this qualification in case I would like to pursue something related in the future. For now, I am just trying to implement the knowledge I've gained into my own life and inspire others through this channel and my Instagram @hihealthyliving for fun!
Please reach out if you are curious about anything and I'll try my best to answer your questions! Feel free to email lin.hihealthyliving@gmail.com or leave a comment or DM!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:14 - My motivation/why I chose AFPA's Holistic Nutrition
4:00 - Program curriculum
8:04 - Main concepts/takeaways
16:04 - Outro
If you found this video helpful and are thinking of enrolling in an AFPA program, please feel free to use my referral link: store.afpafitness.com/?rfsn=5...
Make sure to allow cookies and not switch browsers or devices once you open the site. I earn a small percentage of commission if you purchase from this :)
American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA) Website:
www.afpafitness.com/
Holistic Nutrition Certification:
store.afpafitness.com/holisti...
* Downloadable program guide available
If you found this video helpful and are thinking of enrolling, please use my referral code (I earn a small percentage of commission) if you would like! Info is now in the description box :)
Congratulations again Lindsey! Thanks for sharing your experience 😁
Thank you Alyssa! Mahalo for watching ❤
Thank you for this review! And all the answers in the comments too! Answered a ton of my own questions as I read thru them :-) God bless everyone here with their goals & careers!
Glad it was helpful!
I’ve been thinking about trying this program out for a lot of the same reasons you did. So I really do appreciate the honest review. 💜
yay! I'm so glad
Thank you so much for this video. This is the most affordable holistic nutritionist program I have heard of. You were
informative.
Glad it helped! Yeah, it definitely is the most cost-effective, and I feel like it is very comparable to what pricey competitors offer.
Thanks for sharing this! It makes me feel good about my decision to enroll.
Thank you for watching! I'm glad it helped and wish you the best in learning!
Nice video, very comprehensive and informative. I particularly like your statement about wanting to do something community based. Food for thought. Thanks for posting.
Glad it was helpful! And yes, community education and opportunities are everything!!
I really appreciate this review! I already have a BA and an MS in other fields but have a lifelong love of nutrition. I've taken a few nutrition certificate courses but didn't feel they prepared me for coaching or sharing nutrition with others (raw food nutritionist, paleo nutritionist, vegan-vegetarian nutritionist, sport nutrition specialist). I'm a certified yoga instructor and interested in holistic health that is based on research and science, but don't want to be an RD or work in that capacity, so I appreciate that you mentioned this too. Nutritionists and nutrition/health coaches are not RDs and shouldn't work in the same capacity or fill the same role!
Glad it was helpful! And yes, definitely a coach/nutritionist vs. dietician vary greatly. While this program is not the most thorough thing in the world (as I mentioned, it’s mostly reading), it gives a great foundation and set of resources for anyone who wants a broad understanding of health!
I love this! I plan on exploring this and I am also an ethical vegan so it’s cool to be able to put these two together.
I believe everyone has different needs as well, so I won’t be that nutritionist who thinks everyone should go vegan, because that’s not the answer for everyone! That’s just what works for me and resonates with my own heart!
Thank you for the video 😊
Thank you! Definitely agree that everyone’s diet can and should vary. It truly depends on cultural and ethical preferences! Most people, myself included, like something with more freedom, so I really like the concept of focusing on plants but not necessarily cutting out animal products. Thanks for sharing 💕
Thank you for this info ! I just enrolled 😍🙏🏼
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy the course!
Yes yes yes. We, in American medicine, have been conditioned to treating the effects of acute illnesses and not the cause of said illnesses. You sound like a future naturopathic doctor! Thank you very much for the program review.
👏👏👏 The things we must change indeed. And thank you so much, perhaps one day! Mahalo for watching!
Another fraudulent online scam.
@@lin_millhow much this cost ??
@@lin_mill how much all this cours??
Awh such a lovely review & overall video! Thank you very much, I'll be starting myself very soon, it helps to further know about it's program. :)
thank you! good luck to you! :)
@@lin_mill Aw you're welcome! Lol it's appreciated. Currently having to find the energy at times to further-on continue the weekly readings 😹 as a joke but true.
@@StephanieRZ it’s quite a struggle lol, you got this!!
@@lin_mill Thanks ♡🤞🏼
Congratulations. And thank you for a review of the program. Was thinking about signing up too and was looking at the price like yikes 😬. Was looking for some honest reviews and this helped.
So glad it was useful! Yeah the price is a bit daunting, but if you are looking for an official certification it really isn't too bad. 100% worth it in my opinion, but it's also worth checking out what other programs have to offer! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions :)
@@lin_mill I was looking at AFPA and IIN. I know prices are insanely different. For my pockets it would be AFPA. Also thank you so much. I will definitely come to you if I have any additional questions 😁
loved this thank you so much! I was looking into this program and I found your video
So glad you found it! Good luck if you choose to do the program :)
You are going places!
😜💘
Hey Lindsey, such an authentic review! Absolutely loved it. Just enrolled myself in the same course a few weeks back. I had few doubts regarding the short videos and the articles that they want us to watch and read that are there in the curriculum, are they just for our extra knowledge or is it a part of the final examination as well?
Thank you! I tried my best to be honest 😊 and yes, great question! I believe some exam questions do relate to those short videos, but the focus is really those books for sure. I honestly didn’t really watch the videos until taking the final exam since you have the time to reference back. Good luck in the program!
This topic sparks so much joy for me ! Thanks for sharing ❤️ I too dropped out of a course i was like “what am i doing. I’m not excited for this.” I’m super excited to start my course !
So happy for you! Following our excitement is all we can really do, and it’s always the best choice!!
Thanks for the great reiiew . It.helped me to choose one for me😍
So glad it was helpful! Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing 🥰🥰🥰
Nice..I'm a grad from this program I did Nutrition and Wellness Consulting. I used my certification to start my private health and wellness coaching practice.
Congratulations! That's awesome!! Something I'd definitely want to try doing in the future too, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Thank you for watching!!
Thank you for sharing this. :) I'm from Slovenia and i'm really thinking abouth enroll.
But i'm really scared because of my English language...and i don't know how strict they are abouth the grammer at exams. (I hope not if it's international ed.)
Good luck Lindsey!
Glad it was helpful! Yeah, I'm not too sure about international students, but I'm sure there are accommodations as long as you communicate with them! The more important thing is definitely the reading comprehension part. Thanks for watching!
Great content. I applauded your efforts at creating this video after having gone through s dozen others trying to layout the same points but have missing points. Yours thus far is the best. However, I am still confused with the growing nomenclature of certifications from AFPA then there are those eg CNS,RDN...! It gets bewildering don't you think?
Thank you! And I totally feel you. There’s so many titles out there, a lot are so similar with just slightly different focuses. Always great to just start somewhere and continue exploring areas as you go!
Thank you for this review! Did you do the textbook, the eBooks or both? I am trying to determine what materials are most beneficial. :)
Hi! I just did the ebooks to save money and it’s easy to navigate in digital form. Though a hard copy is nice to have and I sometimes wish I had one, I think the ebooks are just fine. Really up to your preferences!
Thank you so much for this video! Does the course come with the books or do you have to buy it? Would you say this program is enough to venture off with your own clients with the knowledge you learn ?
You’re welcome! The books are included in the cost of the program.
I think it’s possible but personally I’d want to learn more before jumping into working with clients. The books and assignments cover a good amount, but in general 6 months is very quick to master anything. At the same time, practice is really what will help you get better at anything. It seems like some people do try to get into coaching soon after the program, but it’s really up to you and what you want to offer your clients. AFPA requires you to submit proof of additional learning every 2 years to maintain your certification, so either way, you will be continuing your lifelong learning!
Hi Lindsey! Thank you so much for posting this video. I'm currently looking into studying holistic nutrition and wanted to look more at AFPA and what they had to offer, so your video was really helpful. I had a question regarding a response you made on a previous comment. You mentioned that AFPA requires you to submit proof of additional learning every 2 years to maintain the certification. I was just wondering what kind of learning is considered valid to keep the certification. I'm guessing being in the field and working with it might not be enough? :)
Hi! Yeah there is actually this AFPA renewal handbook available online that gives more details on it. I know they count college courses on related health topics, that’s what I did. There are many ways of doing it, but highly recommend reading the handbook for clarity.
@@lin_mill thank you so much, I think that’s what I came across when I was looking around the website last night. ☺️
Congratulations and thank you for this review. Here's a question.... when you pay for the course curriculum +books. Do you get ebooks only or do you receive hard copies of books?
Thank you! You have the option of either ebook or hardcopy, and you can even get both if you would like. The prices vary with just ebooks being the cheapest I believe (that's what I chose) Thanks for watching! Hope this helps 💕
@@lin_mill The information did help. Thank you so much
Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Hi there! Awesome video. I am a month from finishing, and I have no idea what to do with it. How did you end up using the cert? Thanks
Hi! I’m basically still in the same boat as you!! I didn’t enter it with a specific plan in mind so as of now I’m just continuing to learn and share inspiration through social media. In the future I would love to maybe start my own coaching service or work in nutrition education, but as of now I’m just broadening my knowledge and have the certification under my belt if I ever need it 😊
very informative thank you :)
you’re so welcome! glad it was helpful 😊
Thanks for this great program review! I would love to know how much time you spent studying per week. I really want to enroll in this program but I'm a little worried about the time commitment.
Hi! I'd say on average I spent about just 2 hours per week. The main thing is to read the recommended couple of chapters and then answer a few questions based on them. Towards the end, I definitely procrastinated so I had to put in more time to catch up and do the main final assignments, but I think if you stay on track you should be okay. Some books are definitely harder to read and comprehend (at least for me) so the reading and homework time can definitely fluctuate depending on how thoroughly you want to understand the books.
But not too bad at all! I was able to balance it with part-time college and work and would just read a bit for a couple of days per week. Hope that helps!
Yes, thank you!! Glad to hear it's not a huge time investment. I personally don't know anyone who has completed this program so it's really nice to hear some feedback.
Thankyou for the review! if you have questions, do you have any chance to ask the specialist directly? is it interactive and you get proper answer from them?
Thank you for watching! It honestly isn't the most interactive thing, but it is there if you need it. You send your answers to an AFPA education specialist and they are there to support you through it all. You can email that person anytime you have questions and they respond fairly quickly. I honestly haven't asked many things besides submission/assignment-related things, but I'm sure they would be happy to answer anything!
Hi Lindssey,
Thank you for such an in depth review of AFPA. I'm considering taking this certification to become a plant-based nutrition coach. Did they teach you anything about how to coach and attract clients? How to start your own business? I'm looking for an online certification as well as a coaching component. Thank you for any info you can provide.
Dolores
Hi! There were readings related to coaching like example documents, change behavior models and an exercise with a trial client. There wasn’t anything on the business end unfortunately, but I’m not sure if there have been any changes to the course. I’d recommend a separate business/entrepreneurship course, I’ve taken one and look forward to maybe taking more in the future.
It was very easy and i'm in same boat, still don't know what to do with certification. I got holistic health coach and nutrition.
Congrats! Yeah it's pretty straightforward, just a matter of keeping on track with readings. Good luck on any future work you may do in the field! I'm also in no rush to start something yet, but it's always great to have the knowledge for yourself too!
Thanks for the review! I was hoping you could share some insight about the exam. Does it focus more on the concepts or do they expect you to memorize the technical stuff like numbers and the statistics? Just started the course so I am just curious what to focus my note taking on while I work through it. Thanks in advance!
Hi! It was definitely more on concepts, maybe some numerical things but I think more so definitions. Sorry, I don’t remember to well! But luckily their exams are open book! The key thing is to remember the general concepts so you know where to refer back to, notes can help with that.
@@lin_mill Oh I didn’t know it was open book! Super helpful, thank you very much Lindsey!
@@dB_swell no problem! I’m actually not sure if they explicitly say that, but there’s no rules against it. There is no time limit and you can open and close the testing program for 28 days, so the whole thing felt more like a long review assignment. You can definitely try to do it without notes or books but there’s nothing really stopping you from using the resources. Good luck!
@@lin_mill You are awesome! Thanks for that info, eliminated my test anxiety lol! Now I feel like I can actually focus on learning some stuff instead of trying to pick out the info they might put in the exam, that gets distracting for me!!
Would you say that this program did a good job preparing you for the final exam?? How long do they give you to study for it?
Yeah, the information is all there in either the books or videos! Plus it is an open notes/resource test so you really just need to be able to locate the information and make sure you comprehend it correctly. So once you submit your final assignment, you have a month from the day you gain access to the testing site. You can spend that month studying first if you want or you can just take the test at your own pace with breaks in between. Everything will just save where you left off so you can go in and out of the test as you please for that 1 month. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the info. This was good to know. I am currently enrolled and about 2 months away for the deadline for the exam to be completed. I was curious if the practice exam they provide helpful for the exam? I have seen a lot of practice exam for different Certifications I've received but non prepared me for the exam nor were the questions even close. Thankfully I passed because I knew the material and not by studying the practice exam. And do you have any suggestions for preparing or recommendations for what what's mostly important for this exam?
Hi! I didn’t really look at the practice exam, but the exam itself really isn’t too bad. I think just make sure to keep note of what each book covers and the general outline of the chapters since you are able to reference your materials throughout taking the exam. There are quite a few questions regarding the nutrition.org videos as well so it’s probably good to at least skim those. Good luck!
@@lin_mill Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!
In this program do you have access to practice with potential clients and other students? Also, are you able to connect with current coaches?
Hi! Yes one of the exercises it to do a trial consultation but it’s up to you to select a client, it can just be a family or a friend. As for connecting with coaches, nothing really through the program itself, but I’d recommend utilizing social media and trying to talk to people that the AFPA Instagram spotlights, things like that 😊
Yesssaaahhh
Thank you for supporting me!! I love you 💓
@@lin_mill AHH waiting for you to make a podcast series 🤧🤧 I LOVE U MORE ❤️
Hi Lindsey,
Does afpa give you a transcript so you could transfer your certification credits to a university for when you do decide to continue your education for a bachelor's/masters/doctorates degree?
Not a transcript, just the certificate. I don’t think most schools would accept them as “transferable credits” but if there may be some classes that you could try and do an equivalency/test out type of process. Unfortunately it isn’t a college course so it’s not in the same system, but always ask your school!
@@lin_mill oh okay gotcha, thank you so much for your assistance and informative video!
Hey Lindsey, I had one question. Is the exam a month before your certification ends or after that? Also how difficult is the final exam?
Hiya! So the exam is open to you once you finish your final assignment, for example, I took the full 6 months to finish all my readings and assignments so then my exam was open to me for the following month. You get a full month to complete the exam and it is true or false statements so really not hard at all! Definitely just take your time with it and reference your materials as needed.
@@lin_mill Isn't it 300 questions
Hi I am Monika congratulations to you . Have one question how did you do the assignment 6 28 days meal plan how many meals do we have to cook and how to send them
Thank you Monika! For that one its just a really rough meal plan. No need to cook anything, just a 28-day plan of recipes. The recipes don't need to be very detailed just like "bean patty wrap w/ greens and hummus" or however detailed you want really. And you can repeat recipes! Nothing too crazy, and always feel free to email the AFPA rep who you are in contact with.
Thank you so much 😊
Thank you for such informative video ! 😍One question , is this school accredited ?? 🤔
Yes! Check out AFPA's website for more info, I'm not too sure on the details of who they're accredited by and all that.
Thank you 🙏🏼 ♥️
Hi i was wondering are you from New York if so what program did u attend ? And I’m in college rn and I’m only doing two years of nutrition and I’m not sure that that would get me a long term job future wise i really don’t want to go for a bachelors in nutrition in college because college just jnst for me but hearing about holistic programs has me very interested in learning what its about.
Hi! I'm actually from Hawaii and so I'm doing community college here studying agriculture and I did the AFPA holistic nutrition course on the side last semester. And I totally relate on the college/bachelor's degree, its just not for everyone man. But yeah, if you'd like to talk more, my email is lin.hihealthyliving@gmail.com if you have any other specific questions or things to chat about :)
@@lin_mill Hii yes thank youu i would definitely be emailing you when i can.
What is the final exam like and how do you prepare for it?
And so you take one exam after reading the entire book? There aren’t any small tests by chapter?
Do you do the questions after reading the entire book too?
You mentioned that the videos are quite relevant to the topics? How long are they?
Do you complete the course at your own pace? Do you have any interaction or live calls with educators?
Finally, how do you receive the books? Are they mailed over? Do they offer ebooks like through Kindle?
Sorry so many questions!
Also, do you they give you different recipe ideas?
Hi! Thanks for watching and hope these are helpful!
The exam is 350 true/false questions. You have 1 month to do it (can take breaks and come back to it) and it's all open notes. Fairly easy, really just testing your comprehension.
There are only assignments after each book. You do these at your own pace and it's written response questions. You can take however long in the 6 months to do all of these. But it's recommended about 1 book/assignment per month.
The videos are just around 5 minutes but there are quite a few of them. They are more specific topics and current research examples, sruff like that.
There isn't any live interaction but you can definitely reach out through email if you have any questions for them. The videos and books are your main teacher.
You can choose how you want the books, either e-book or hardcopy.
@@yofitjamie22 and yes! Several of the books have great recipes and meal prepping ideas.
Hi is the exam timed?
@@shwetatalwar2231 Not really. You have 1 month to complete the whole thing, but essentially you could take as long as you need, stopping and going as you please. As long as it is turned in by the 1 month mark!
Thanks! I noticed you said you printed it out? Do they not send you a certificate?
No, they do don't unfortunately :(
@@lin_mill That's a bummer
Hi, did you learn making meal plans, counting calories etc while doing course? Was that part of course or not? Thank you so much ❤️
I’m curious about this too!
Hi! Definitely some meal planning but not quite calorie counting. Calories weren’t really and emphasized point as the teachings really focused on nutrients for better overall wellness, not purely weight loss. This was actually something I really appreciated and kind of shifted my focus back to what’s more important like disease prevention and longevity!
Does it pay as a job well?
I’ll fiailed my first test my question is do you get to take it over but not the whole thing just the ones that you failed
I believe you’ll have to retake the entire test. You can try asking the AFPA email contact who was helping throughout your course
I had a stroke that left me with cognitive struggles dou think this is a course that i can be successful in?
Doctors are taught to treat not heal. It's up to us to take action with our own health. So we can basically buy these books and learn what you did?
🙌 so true! And yes, to be quite honest, majority of the content is in the books. The program is basically to guide you through, prompt you with questions and whatnot, and give extra resources you can use in the future. If you are just looking to learn a bit, by all means just check out the books the program uses and you’re sure to learn a ton. The certification is just the extra title you can get by doing a some assignments and if you want to have it under your belt for credibility. Hope that helps!
That's an imaginary baloney description of what physicians are trained to do. You don't know what you're talking about. Hogwash.
What's the difference between holistic nutrition VS holistic health coach, both are in my shopping cart..
Hi! In my understanding, the holistic health coach program is a combo of both "holistic nutrition" and "health and wellness coaching" so it's what I talked about plus a bit more extra. I think the health/wellness stuff gears a little more toward mental and emotional health (relationships and work life perhaps), whereas the holistic nutrition program is pretty focused on diet with only a little bit of other lifestyle factors. Definitely try to check out their online program guides on their site for more info!
@@lin_mill Do you have pdf of notes? I think I'm going to do it, video was helpful, how long did you say it took for your cert?
@@clintontkelly Yay, glad it was helpful! And not really any pdfs, I took my notes in a notebook. But if you have any other questions, feel free to email me: lin.hihealthyliving@gmail.com
Hi great vid. Beside the whole good book would you mind telling me the name of the other books.
Hi! I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share all of that since the AFPA website doesn’t disclose everything until you register for a course. That being said, some of my favorite health books that may or may not have been in the course were How Not to Die and The Disease Delusion 😉 the others were great too but these 2 really resonated with me and taught me the core ideals.
You can see in afpa instagram. Alot of alumnies posted a picture with their certification and their books from afpa
Thank you so much for the video. Can I ask practice legally in US as a certified holistic nutritionist once I get the certificate …
Hi! I believe it depends on the state. Some don’t require any certification, most will accept this, but some may be more strict. Search for your specific state for the best details!
@@lin_mill thank you so much for your guidance and support. Really very appreciative.
Sorry again for disturbing, does the certificate has like credential number ….
@@user-il7kx8ek9t yeah, you will get a certification number on your certificate when you pass
thank you for the great review of the program. I'm looking into signing up for this program.What financing plan did u choose? Affirm or Paypal credit?. Did they do a hard credit check for them?. Did they charge interest for the payments?
Thank you for watching! I believe I payed with credit card upfront, not too familiar with the payment plans.
How many hours a week did you spend over the six months? Thanks :)
I’d say somewhere around 3 hrs/week. It’s mainly keeping up with the readings and taking notes if you’d like. Then there’s just one assignment per book that you can work on as you go. There may have been changes since I’ve done it, but that’s how it was for me!
@@lin_mill thank you! So helpful
How do you make money with this? Do you apply somewhere once you get it?
Hi! There isn’t a specific path for anyone coming out of h program, but it’s a good credential for aspiring health coaches, personal trainers, health store workers, etc. Like anything, it’s really up to you to find and create opportunities for yourself. Just keep in mind this is a certificate NOT a college degree, so it’s not as thorough but still provides essential base knowledge. Especially if you’re looking to start your own business or expand on past knowledge, this is a great introduction.
Aren't there 300 questions on the final exam that seems a bit much.
Yes, but they are all true/false and you can stop and go, so not too bad 👍
@@lin_mill Thank you
hi can you kindly share the books you read for your certification
Sure! They were:
- Deeply Holistic
- How Not to Die
- The Whole Foods Diet
- The Disease Delusion
- Body into Balance
- Nutrition Counseling and Education Skill Development
@@lin_mill thank you very much..
gonna read those
@@shafaqataamanatali1859 awesome! That's honestly all you need to do to learn the same things I did, just without the guided questions and final exam :) Highly recommend everyone read at least one that intrigues you if you decide the certification isn't for you!
@@lin_mill thank you so much for helping..
Hi
what bibliography did you had for the course?
Ganda naman ni crush ko
How is the exam like?
When I took it, it was 350 true or false questions covering all the topics and books. You could take your time, stop and go within 28 days from starting. Best to check the website and guidebook for any updates though.
@@lin_mill did you pass it in the first go. My only apprehension is the retake exam cost as that can turn out to be expensive
@@attrikahazarika I did. Just take your time with it and you can even refer to the books or your notes! You got this!
I’m so confused I thought you had to attend 4 years of college to become a holistic nutritionist
You need to be board certified to call yourself a Nutritionist, so yes it is a college degree. These certificate course you can only call yourself a nutrition coach or advisor. You cannot diagnose a person condition or suggest diet to improve a medical condition. You can assist a person to adhere to a diet prescribed by a MD or RD.