Renewal Fitness & Nutrition Coaching - Holistic Nutrition & Fitness Counseling!
When it comes to achieving lasting health and wellness, Holly Soto, MS, RDN, CDN, CPT, stands out as a compassionate and inspiring guide. As the founder of RenewalFitCoach.com, Holly merges her expertise as a licensed and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, and fitness coach to empower women on their journeys to improved health and confidence. Specializing in gut health, sports nutrition for runners and triathletes, and faith-based weight loss, she offers a truly holistic approach that addresses the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Holly's journey to becoming the fittest, healthiest, and most confident version of herself wasn't without challenges. Overcoming years of struggles with weight, eating habits, and chronic digestive issues, she discovered the power of personalized nutrition and evidence-based solutions. Her dedication to empowering lasting change is evident in her coaching and her participation in the YouTube documentary series Dianne’s Challenge: Fit for Wedding, where she guided a client to achieve remarkable results in time for her special day. Join Delivery Rank as we delve into Holly’s inspiring journey, her innovative approach to health and wellness, and how she continues to help women rewrite their health stories for good.
You emphasize addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health. How do you integrate these elements into your coaching for lasting transformation?
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, my primary focus with my clients is nutrition, however as a certified personal trainer, I also know that a person cannot be truly and completely healthy without physical exercise. So I always coach my clients through workouts ideas, tips, and encouragement because motivation can be tough for many people. With women especially, our physical body can represent beliefs about ourselves, whether it's self-worth, confidence, or fear of failure. We discuss those issues when appropriate because what we believe has a strong influence on how we act and if we succeed with our health and wellness goals. These beliefs about ourselves and life often connect to our spiritual beliefs and faith or lack thereof. We often forget that God cares about our body and overall health and that we can pray and seek God for answers, guidance, discipline and strength when we feel weak. I remind my clients of this and pray for them if they are comfortable with it because I believe we are much more successful when we're not relying solely on our own strength. If we don't address all of these aspects of our mind and health, and instead look for quick fixes or try to muster up self-control, it rarely lasts long-term. This is why so many people "fail" at weight loss and living healthy lives. I recently designed a 6-week weight loss and health course called 6 Weeks to Renewal specifically for the purpose of teaching women how to practically exercise their bodies, nourish themselves with healthy food, and lean into God with their faith as a holistic means of reaching their goals with greater meaning. It's a culmination of the lessons I learned in my own weight loss journey which helped me find lasting success, strength and confidence.
Gut health plays a critical role in overall well-being. What are some common misconceptions about gut health, and how do you guide clients to improve it effectively?
One of the biggest misconceptions about gut health is that many digestive issues are "normal" just because they're common. However, regular bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, looking pregnant after a meal, or reflux...these are usually a sign that something is off with the gut and diet. Many people don't realize that our minds affect our gut as well. Anxiety, stress and depression can make symptoms worse. It's not always a food or functionality problem and the solution is not medication, which only masks symptoms but doesn't deal with the root cause. Which, again, is why holistic health is so important! Every part of our bodies and minds are connected. Another misconception is that all of the products marketed these days like probiotics in everything or going on fad diets will fix gut health. There is so much bad information on social media, even from health professionals! There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gut health, so I guide clients step-by-step through their unique symptoms, triggers and health issues to find solutions that are safe and effective for them and their lifestyle long-term health. We may also have to work as a team with their doctor, gastroenterologist, therapist, etc, to make sure that they are receiving proper and safe care.
Your journey to losing over 30 pounds and overcoming chronic digestive issues is inspiring. How has your personal experience shaped your approach to helping clients?
My personal experience plays a huge role in helping my clients! As I mentioned with my 6 Weeks to Renewal Course, it was created from both scientific education and personal experience of what works and what doesn't. In both my weight loss journey as well as my gut healing, I feel like I tried just about everything and had so many ups and downs. I learned a lot about what works long-term and how hard these struggles can be! I think understanding and empathy are really important. Many people act like weight loss is as easy as "just eat less". Many doctors dismiss gut issues as "normal" or "nothing to be worried about" because they're not always life-threatening. We all need someone who can say, "I get it. I know how hard that must be", who will listen, and to let us know they'll work with us every step of the way to figure it out. I did most of my weight loss and gut healing alone, but there were a few key people who were there are just the right time for knowledge, motivation and support. And having a "coach" can make the process SO much simpler and faster. I hope to be that person for others. I've also created a variety of programs because I know that people want different approaches. I have one-on-one private coaching, group coaching, and an online program that is completely independent, and provides a variety of downloadable resources on my website for the self-sufficient types so that everyone can find something that works for their personality.
As a specialist in sports nutrition, what are some key nutritional strategies you recommend for runners and triathletes to optimize their performance?
Two of the most common issues I see with runners and triathletes is not drinking enough water and not knowing how much to eat before, during, and after exercise. One of the simplest but most important strategies is starting exercise hydrated and staying hydrated, as well as knowing when to add sodium to ensure you get the right balance of fluids and electrolytes. Another is proper fueling. So many recreational and college-level athletes undereat carbohydrates before and during exercise, then wonder why they "bonk" or run out of energy. Most people need to be drinking and eating more sugar or carbs during long workouts than they think. Many running coaches will tell everyone something generic like "eat a gel every 45 minutes", but nutrition is more complicated than that, even for the average recreational runner who may not be aiming to win every race, but just wants to perform and feel well. They may say, "I feel fine and finish my workout", but not realize how much easier it could feel and faster they could run if they were optimizing their nutrition. Not to mention that proper fueling helps speed up recovery and reduce injuries. Also, as someone who has had stomach upset during exercise, I love working with athletes who have this struggle. There are many things that can cause or fix an upset stomach that people don't know about. I created a course for runners with gastrointestinal issues just for this purpose so that they don't have to be slowed down by stomach upset, because that's probably one of the most frustrating issues for many endurance athletes that hinders performance.
As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, how do you balance natural solutions with evidence-based practices in your programs?
Of course, as a dietitian, we must use evidence-based practices. That is a key standard of our profession and what sets us apart from a general nutritionist. However, this is an interesting question because, in my opinion, it's not hard to balance the two. They are just different types of recommendations I give to my clients. For instance, peppermint essential oil may not be a top recommendation that dietitians turn to for digestive upset, but it has plenty of evidence behind it for relaxing the gastrointestinal muscles and calming cramps, pain, and nausea. Part of the issue with Western health practices is that "natural" or "holistic" can be seen as non-evidence-based or "alternative medicine" when actually many natural solutions have plenty of evidence behind them and work as well if not better with fewer risks and side effects. But I always start with proper evidence-based nutrition and exercise because these can correct so many problems without having to rely on medications or supplements. For me, anything I recommend or suggest to a client must have some evidence behind it, otherwise I don't feel comfortable recommending it to a client because their safety and long-term well-being is my priority.
To read more about Renewal Fitness & Nutrition Coaching, please visit https://renewalfitcoach.com/