AFPA Graduate of the Month: Meral Jibouri, holistic nutritionist

AFPA Graduate of the Month: Meral Jibouri, holistic nutritionist

Over the past 27 years, we have certified over 130,000 health, nutrition and fitness professionals. Each month we recognize one of our outstanding graduates who is using what they have learned to inspire others and make a difference.

Meet our featured graduate for the month of June,Meral Jibouria AFPA certified holistic nutritionist.

How did you become interested in health and fitness?

I think I have always had a fundamental interest in health and fitness with my holistic approach to my wellbeing. I have always believed that it is not one thing that makes you healthy or unhealthy and that it is important to be aware of what you eat, your mental well-being, healthy human relationships and so on. About a few years ago I read How Not to Die by Dr. Read Michael Greger, a book my sister Nehal recommended to me, and the rest is history. When I learned about a plant-based diet and lifestyle, it immediately resonated with me and the journey started from there and continues to evolve.

Which certification did you choose and why did you choose AFPA?

I have successfully completed the AFPA Certified Holistic Nutritionist certification. I researched and compared different options but ultimately chose AFPA because the nutrition certification offered focused on a predominantly whole-food, plant-based diet, which is what I believe in. It was very important for me to pursue a certification based on the latest evidence-based nutrition and therefore the ethics of promoting and teaching others.

What was your career before certification?

I am actually a business graduate with a dual focus on marketing communications and communications management with over ten years of PR experience in companies. After that, I took a few years off to grow my family and then changed industries.

What does your career look like now?

Today I'm dabbling in a few things including plant-based nutrition coaching and content creation.

What are your favorite parts of your career?

I love the opportunity to help someone out there improve their health, confidence, mindset and just their overall quality of life.

How has AFPA certification impacted your life?

The original goal of this certification was to promote my personal development and that of my immediate family, with the possibility of pursuing it professionally as well. It has certainly solidified my knowledge, understanding and belief in the health benefits of a predominantly WFPB diet. It has also equipped me with the tools and credentials to help fundamentally improve the way my family eats, coach others, and formulate recipes with healthier ingredients to create content to spread awareness of this diet in the Middle East region.

Do you have any customer success stories you would like to share?

Yes. My brother-in-law Zaid has type 1.5 diabetes and has struggled with ever-increasing blood sugar levels for the past fifteen years, resulting in a constant increase in his insulin intake and other strong medications, weight gain, and an overall deterioration in his health. He also suffered two heart attacks, despite his many efforts to eat a clean carnivore diet.
After switching to a WFPB diet and responsibly keeping his doctors informed, he managed to reduce his insulin dosage by over 60% after two weeks and lowered his overall HB1AC from 6.5 to 5.4 after a year and a half. His basal insulin was reduced from 70 units to 28 units per day, his cholesterol medication was reduced by more than half and he has now lost over 15 kilos in this short period of time.

Today, over a year later, he is not only at his best with his diabetes, but he continues to raise the bar and pursue even more extraordinary lifestyle changes with his overall well-being, including his diet, fitness, sleep, and more.
He went from someone struggling with his deteriorating health to a successful health enthusiast. Being able to change the narrative of your life is the greatest blessing of all.

What advice would you give to others thinking about getting certified?

To ensure you are doing this for the right reasons, be it for personal development or pursuing a career. This certification will certainly equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to truly dive into a WFPB understanding, and it's really up to you which path you want to take from here.

To connect with Meral, follow her Instagramfor further information or visit their website to learn more.

... more about that in the next part.
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