Need to Know
-
Who is this course for?Students of the Holistic Nutrition online program -
Course length (start & watch when you want)4.5 hours of video content -
ExtrasLifetime access · Certificate of completion
Meet your course instructor
Peter Conway | Medical Herbalist, Aromatic Medicine Specialist
Peter Conway trained as a Medical Herbalist in the UK, where he ran a clinical practice for over 20 years. In addition to seeing patients, Peter has taught herbal courses at several UK universities and other academic institutions, been involved in herbal politics as a committee member of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association, and written several books about herbalism. He was involved in writing the National Professional Standards in Herbal Medicine in the UK and worked with the UK Department of Health in developing professional regulatory standards for herbal practice. Peter was the President of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy for 12 years. In recognition of his services to the herbal profession, Peter was made a Fellow of both the College of Practitioners of phytotherapy and the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Peter now lives on the west coast of Canada, and he is a member of the Canadian Herbalists Association of British Columbia. He is currently teaching at Pacific Rim College, working on the revised second edition of his textbook, ‘The Consultation in Phytotherapy,’ and developing an online project that aims to share his herbal insights more widely.
Course description
Have you ever felt confused or challenged by the wide variety of “diets” that seem to constantly be presented to us—inviting our engagement and allegiance?
This course explores where the concept of diet comes from, how it has diversified over time, and how it impacts our bodies and societies. We will push the limits of what is considered a dietary element and reflect on how this relates to us individually.
By identifying core themes and drawing out the connections between diets and their meanings, this course aims to clarify a perplexing and contentious subject area.
After completing this course, you will be able to critique specific dietary concepts and developments from an enhanced perspective. This will aid in contextualizing and understanding both established dietary approaches and new dietary trends as they arise. In addition, this extended capacity will help you appreciate your personal dietary journeys and the impacts of dietary change on society as a whole.
By the end of this course, you will be able to describe and critique:
- The concept of “diet” and the origins of this concept and its permutations over long periods.
- The scope of “dietary elements” in a profoundly holistic sense.
- The connections between ‘foodways’ and ‘lifeways.’
- The notion that food contains not only nutrients but also meaning.
- The dimensions of interrelatedness between dietary change and societal shifts.
- The essential entwined nature of diet and culture.
- The evolution of your dietary journey so far.
- The varieties of dietary expression and strategies.
- How dietary fads tend to move through a predictable cycle of development.
- The implications of dietary forms and trends on bodies and concepts of self.
- The implications of dietary phenomena on our societies.
- The connections between the body and the body politic, including social justice issues.
- The possibilities for enhanced relationships between diet and society in ways that may lead to more sustainable and more satisfying trajectories.
