A holistic approach to nutrition, longevity, and an active outdoor life.
People have been obsessed with health-and-fitness trends since the advent of modern agriculture and the commodification of our food supply. However, such abundance has come at a cost—there’s no such thing as a “free lunch,” so to speak. While it’s easier than ever to fill our stomachs, it’s becoming harder and harder to nourish our bodies. Consequently, chronic illnesses, obesity epidemics, and accelerated biological aging—just to name a few—are on the rise.
To combat this, folks have been fashioning hair-brained diets and exercise regimens “guaranteed” to slim us down, rid of us of our fat butts and beer guts, and make us “feel good” again. When these restrictive, one-size-fits-all plans fail to yield a satisfactory result, we head to the doctor for pills that lessen our appetites. Even today, new trends and fad diets are on the rise. But typically, we just feel worse: tired, restless, irritable, and unable to think clearly.
“Our choices will affect us later. With the right guidance and education, we can set goals that are realistic, attainable, and simple. We can take agency over our aging.” —Heather West
Everyone knows that fresh air, sunshine, and exercise outdoors are invaluable to our health and wellbeing. But being physically fit is only part of the battle, especially if we want to keep playing outside late into our lives. And with everything we see around us, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Most of what we hear is misleading, and much is contradictory. But the answers to better health and longevity are simple when you have a knowledgeable professional in your corner. That’s where Heather West, of the aptly named Heart of the West Holistic Nutrition Services, comes in.
A typical grocery haul for Heather's clients
Healthy eating doesn't have to taste bad
A holistic approach to wellness challenges the narrow view of medicine as we know it. Rather than isolating, diagnosing, and treating specific issues, holistic nutritional therapists evaluate client health from a “bird's-eye view” by assessing the diets, lifestyles, environments, and goals of the folks under their care.
“Allopathic medicine (western medicine) has specialists who focus on particular ailments," Heather explains. "If I blow out my knee, I’m thankful to have an orthopedic surgeon put me back together. But modern medicine may be lacking when it comes to certain issues. Not everything can be isolated, the way a burst appendix or torn rotator cuff can."
On the other hand, she says, "A holistic lens shows us that everything is connected. Everything works together. Most people wouldn’t connect brain fog, joint pain, or headaches with an imbalance in the GI tract, but that can be the case. A holistic approach helps people understand underlying factors and enables them to implement strategies intended to return the body to a balanced state.”
Even if you’re regularly hitting the trails and eating what you think is healthy food, external factors like stress and irregular sleep can disrupt your ability to recover and perform. Eventually, this takes a toll.
In 2011, after 17 years as a veterinary technician in Colorado, Heather moved to Bozeman. As an active person, she had long been fascinated by wellness, nutrition, exercise, and how our diets affect our bodies. Her growing awareness and interest in how the body processes and digests different foods inspired her to leave the world of mainstream animal medicine behind and embark on a new path. To deepen her understanding of these systems and the interconnectivity between them, Heather began studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Master. She's a member of the National Association of Nutritional Professionals (NANP), the organization responsible for industry-wide holistic nutrition standards, and is pursuing additional nutritional training by the NANP to become board-certified in holistic nutrition.
“Bozeman’s an active place," says Heather. "You’ll see 70-year-olds on the trail who are more fit than the average 30-year-old. But you can also find 50-year-olds less capable than an 80-year-old. Our choices now will affect us later. With the right guidance and education, we can set goals that are realistic, attainable, and simple. We can take agency over our aging.”
“There is no perfect blueprint, no one-size-fits-all approach to health.” —Heather West
Unlike medical nutrition therapists, Heather’s services aren’t intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases and ailments, but rather to promote optimal health and well-being. Through a “whole food, whole person” approach, she supports her clients’ goals, working as both an educator and cheerleader to support small and simple changes that can have tremendous benefits. Her work transcends nutrition by assessing not only the foods we eat, but also how we use our bodies and the environmental factors we’re subjected to. Even if we’re regularly hitting the trails and eating what we think is healthy food, external factors like stress and irregular sleep can disrupt our ability to recover and perform. Eventually this takes a toll, expediting the aging process, and limiting our potential to stay active. To ensure longevity, biochemical balance, reverse our biological clocks, we must investigate all aspects of our lives and what goes on both inside and outside of our bodies.
You can find Heather outside on her days off
Get your advice from a fellow outdoor enthusiast
“There is no perfect blueprint, no one-size-fits-all approach to health," Heather points out. The things we could all benefit from—like eliminating inflammatory seed oils and consuming less processed junk—are just the tip of the iceberg. Through one-on-one coaching, Heather helps people better understand their nutrition and wellness needs and how their bodies operate to improve their quality of life.
"A holistic approach helps people to understand underlying factors and enables them to implement strategies intended to return the body to a balanced state.” —Heather West
In addition to her nutrition work, Heather is also a yoga teacher. Her classes emphasize mindfulness and connectivity, utilizing the many facets of her work to facilitate balance in all aspects of life. Through a science-based, whole-person approach, she works with clients to find this balance and live longer, healthier lives. From coaching packages to her a la carte services, such as in-house pantry visits and grocery-store field trips, there is nothing Heather won’t do to help her clients succeed. “It’s never too late, or too early, to make a positive change.” she says.
Don’t put an expiration date on your expeditions. Prepare for an active outdoor future, and a long, happy one, by investing in your health today. No matter what you’re facing or seeking out—managing chronic stress and pain, heart and gut health, sleep and immune support, hormonal imbalances, or weight-loss goals—you’ll be in good hands with Heather.
Learn more at heartofthewestnutrition.com, call Heather directly at 406-595-2595, or email her at [email protected].
