Over the past 30+ years, AFPA has certified over 130,000 health, nutrition and fitness professionals. We regularly feature distinguished and new graduates who are using what they’ve learned to inspire others and make a difference.
Meet one of our distinguished alumni, Kellie Hamilton BSN, RN, HN. She earned her Holistic Nutrition Certification from the AFPA.
Meet AFPA Alumna Kellie Hamilton BSN, RN, HN
Tell us about you.
My name is Kelly, and I am a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Nutritional Wellness Consultant with the AFPA. I am an ICU surgical nurse in central Massachusetts and a very proud owner A better way to wellness.
How did you first become interested in health and wellness?
I became interested in holistic health and wellness after graduating from one of the top nursing programs in Massachusetts in 2014. The first non-nursing book I picked up after a four-year university program in science and nursing was a book on holistic health and nutrition. and kitchen chemistry. I was blown away by the science and evidence-based information and helpful advice that no one had ever shared with us. I started asking my friends who were in medical school and no one was learning about this very basic part of health and wellness. There was such a lack of evidence-based nutrition, and I decided right then and there that I was going to start filling that void.
What AFPA certifications have you earned and why did you choose these certification programs?
I chose to be a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Nutritional Wellness Consultant with AFPA. After extensive research, I really wanted a program that not only kind of aligned with how I saw myself coaching in the future, but I also wanted something that would work with my busy schedule. I wanted something that could be done online and had great customer service.
I did extensive research reading reviews, comparing programs and AFPA just really checked all those boxes for me. I also liked that I could call and get a live person and ask questions and talk to them about what the program was really like for someone who had no idea what to compare it to.
The reason I chose the certifications I did was because I wanted to have one foot in holistic medicine and one foot in Western medicine. I felt like there’s such a disconnect and there’s such a place for both of them. I wanted to offer people more preventative hygiene and nutritional interventions to go along with their health. And the Holistic Nutritionist Program really aligned so well with that way of thinking.
Get your free guide to becoming a holistic nutritionist
Learn about the important role of holistic nutritionists, what it takes to be successful as one, and how to build a profitable career in nutrition.
How do you use your certification?
I use my certification to help people in many ways. Mainly, I have a home office here in Worcester, Massachusetts where and work with customers virtually from all over the country. I help them one on one in training sessions. We look at where you’re at and help you form a holistic plan for you and how you can use foods and things in your environment, whether you’re adding things or omitting things that just really affect the overall quality of your health.
I am also a very passionate public speaker. I like to do educational events, workshops and talks. In the last two years of my business, I’ve really branched out. I had the ability to lecture in the athletic department for my alma mater, which was amazing. I’ve won pitch competitions talking about innovations on how to change the picture of health. I have upcoming events for senior centers and give talks for them. I have appeared on cable TV on topics such as Parkinson’s nutrition and more. I have really used the certifications and licenses I have received and they have helped me push the health, wellness and nutrition space forward.
What are your favorite parts of running your business?
My favorite aspects of it A better way to wellness it’s the people I meet, whether it’s people who find me for sessions and training, or people I meet in the community doing vendor events or speaking engagements. I have made some of the best friends and colleagues, and have some of the best clients I could have ever asked for. The people I work with on a regular basis since starting this business and using my certifications in this way have increased tenfold. I’m so happy to be able to get to know and work with some of these amazing people.
Do you have any success stories you’d like to share?
I am grateful to be able to say that I have many success stories that I could share, but to pick one would do a disservice to the hard work that all of my clients have put in. Collectively, the amount of weight loss, the amount of reduced chronic disease, the amount of medications that my clients have been able to come off of, the biomarkers like lipid panels, fasting glucose, insulin levels that have all come down to a healthy, positive , The sustainable way has just shattered my expectations of what people can really achieve when they put their mind to something and have the power of a educated, professional, compassionate coach behind them. And that in itself is the success story of my clients because everyone succeeds in their own way. It was a joy and I will continue to be as I move forward in my career cheering them on and supporting them and shouting their success stories from the mountaintops because they deserve it.
What advice would you give to others considering becoming certified through AFPA?
My advice to other people who want to get certified through AFPA is to do it. It’s affordable, timely, and do-it-yourself. And I think it’s only going to benefit you as a person, as a professional, as a coach, to continue to educate yourself and be able to apply that to the patients, the clients, whatever you call them, that you’re taking care of, it’s only going to make you better in the long run . And the resources you get from joining this community alone will continue to serve you well throughout your career.
How can we find you online?
Instagram @a_better_path_to_wellness
Read more AFPA alumni success stories
Get your free guide to becoming a holistic nutritionist
Learn about the important role of holistic nutritionists, what it takes to be successful as one, and how to build a profitable career in nutrition.
