Over the past 30 years, AFPA has certified over 130,000 health, nutrition and fitness professionals. We regularly feature distinguished graduates who use what they’ve learned to inspire others and make a difference.
Meet one of our distinguished graduates, AFPA Certified Holistic Health Coach Claire Simmons.
Tell us about yourself.
Hello! My name is Claire Simmons and I am an AFPA Certified Holistic Health Coach. I live in North Carolina with my husband of eight years and our three boys, ages 6, 4, and 2.
I graduated from the University of Miami in 2004 and from there I got my first job as a TV reporter and producer. After spending several years in the industry, I accepted a job at one of the largest healthcare organizations in the country, where I worked as a senior director of communications. I really enjoyed my time there as it was a great mix of challenging and exciting work, but ultimately, I wanted to spend more time with my children.
In December 2022 I made the decision to quit my corporate job and stay home. Family is extremely important to me and I didn’t want to look back and wonder where the time went. Plus, my passion for health and wellness has always been at the center of my life, so I wanted to make sure I was creating the best possible life for my boys. I wanted to be there for them, cook them healthy food, play outside with them and give them a childhood based on wellness.
How did you first become interested in health and wellness?
Ever since I was a child, my parents encouraged my siblings and me to be active and play outdoors. My mom always cooked at home and eating out was a rare occasion. Once I left home and went to college, I knew I wanted to maintain a healthy lifestyle and not give in to the usual college temptations!
I started going to the gym and fell in love with fitness. This led me to get certified to teach group fitness, which I did throughout my college years. I remember voraciously reading women’s health magazines where I learned about nutrition and learned lots of tips and tricks that really came in handy as a young adult navigating life on my own for the first time.
From there, fitness and nutrition became a part of my daily life. Eventually, I started learning about intuitive and mindful eating, mental strength, emotional maturity, and all the other components of health that we don’t hear about as much as workouts and diets. That’s when it really clicked for me… having that whole package in place is what made me feel and perform my best. I couldn’t stop learning about wellness and wanted everyone around me to feel as good as I did!
I think I always knew there was a path for me in the wellness industry, but I was always busy with life and focusing on my career, having babies and stuff. But once I gave myself time to think about what direction I wanted to go and what I wanted my life to be like, I just couldn’t ignore the call that wellness was where I needed to be!
What AFPA certifications have you earned and why did you choose these certification programs?
I have earned my Holistic Health Coach Certification, which consists of the Health and Wellness Coaching Course as well as the Holistic Nutrition Course. I liked the choice to combine the two because true wellness is more than what you eat. True wellness must blend harmoniously with culture, society, family, work and family life. The Holistic Health Coach Certification teaches you nutrition is so important and includes strategies for how to navigate real life, even when your diet may not be “perfect.”
How do you use your certification/plan to use your certification?
First and foremost, my primary goal is to use the knowledge I have gained through my certifications to create the healthiest and happiest home environment for my family. My family is my priority and if we are not healthy, I know it is hard to live life to the fullest! Plus, I want my kids to learn about nutrition and fitness now when they’re young so they can rely on these tools throughout their lives. I think it could be the best gift I can give them! My husband is a businessman and has a very stressful and challenging job, so I want him to know that when he is home, he will always get the best from me in the form of delicious, healthy food, a place to rest, cleanliness and a tidy environment and , of course, a lot of attention from the kids and me. 😊
Besides my family, I have so many ideas to help others! I want to start a wellness committee at my sons school and help create programming to teach students about nutrition, fitness and wellness. I would love to make a garden at school and at home to grow fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. I want to help moms who also want the best for their families, but struggle to do so. I want to help those in corporate defense and show them that it is possible to integrate health into this busy lifestyle. I also want to create and share more content about nutrition and healthy living and post it on social media, a blog and for other sites that have like minded content.
How has getting certified with AFPA affected your life?
I am so grateful that I made the decision to become AFPA certified! It has given me the confidence to pursue my passion and establish my credibility in the wellness space as not just someone who loves health and wellness, but someone who is able and ready to help others. AFPA gave me reliable and solid information on so many topics and I dug deep into the science, research and current landscape of where we are as a nation with our health. I also feel like I have a whole community working towards a similar goal and a group of people who are always available to help me.
What was one thing you learned in your studies that has influenced you?
It strikes me how much our nation NEEDS health coaches. (Whereas before though having a coach was an absolute luxury!) Many of us don’t realize we live in a system that puts profit over health. It is up to the individual to do the research and decide what is best for them. It’s a sad truth, but if you really want to thrive and live your best life, you have to go against the grain. What is popular is usually not healthy and what is easy is rarely healthy. I hope I can be an advocate for those who crave health but don’t have the time or energy to find their own way.
How can we find you online?
My Instagram is @Clairehossimmons.
I love posting tips and tricks there, as well as my life as a busy boy mama!
Anything else we should know?
I just want people to know that if they make the decision to incorporate nutrition, fitness and wellness into their lives in a way that works for them, they will feel so good! There’s a workout out there that you can love, just like there’s a way of eating that can make you feel and look your best. Wellness is a superpower and our world would be so much better if we all decided to go the healthy way. Health coaches can bridge the gap between healthcare and real life, so don’t be shy to reach out and ask for help! We are here for you.
