Success Stories From Past Students



I was in the initial Pursuit of Healthiness online course. I highly recommend this course, it opens your eyes about why, how and what we eat. It provides invaluable information that I still have today in my binder!
I am happy and proud to say that I have lost 20+ pounds by eating healthy food and a mindful, positive approach since I participated in this program.
Be kind to yourself, you are worth it, participate in this program!

Mavis Taylor



"I am a busy mom, with kids in high level sports, working full-time downtown, and running our home acreage outside the City.  I now have the knowledge and tools I need to plan for and manage the chaos of meal planning. Using the tools in the course I have been able to adapt them to a system that works for me and my family."

Gillian Gray

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"​The approach, non-judgemental support and course materials are a no-nonsense way of thinking and learning to have a much better relationship with food."

Joanne MacDonald

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"I learned not only about what to eat for a healthful life, but how to actually make it happen on a day to day basis, despite life's busyness."

Cindy Periard

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"I really liked the flexible approach to eating healthy, the online support, webinars, the unlimited access to the materials and so much more. I learned not only about the science of a healthy lifestyle but how to go about making those changes."

Glen Beaver

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"I could write an essay on how good this course is! I learned about the science of food and what I need to do to be successful in taking control of my food habits.

​I took this course in the hope to gain a little more control of my eating habits. Like many others, I have found that diets do not work in the long term. When I am on a diet, I obsess about what to eat and what I can’t have - that is a no-win situation. When I am not conscience of what I am eating, I have eating remorse. ​This course allowed me to “have my cake and eat it too” – but just not all the time! The course gave me the insight and information to take control of my eating behavior. ​You get the tools to help you decide what is important to you so you can be successful in your food choices.

I learned about the science of food and what I need to do to be successful in taking control of my food habits. I am a chipaholic and I use to eat chips almost every day. I now rarely have chips and my craving for them has almost disappeared. I learned that I need to have carbohydrates with my meals to feel satisfied. The cheat sheets for eating out are wonderful. The recipes provided are an added bonus. Delicious recipes from a nutrition consultant – how can you lose!

The structure of the course is optimal as you can access specific issues/concerns on an ongoing basis. After taking the course and having a number of successes, I reviewed the course again and found more “nuggets” of information. My review of the course reinforced that I was on my way to controlling my eating habits and it identified areas that I could tweak to be even more healthy and happy.

Thanks! Because of ​this course I am making the right choices and I have a new relationship with food!"

​Jane Adler

"I was blown away by the completeness of the course. It provides incredible richness and the missing keys."

A.R., Ottawa

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"Every lesson from every module had at least one new point I had either never heard of, or had refused to think about previous to taking this course. The course materials are invaluable!"

Wendy Burnside

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"Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. ​Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations."

Lorri Lawrence

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"​You could tell the amount of time and effort put into this comprehensive course based on the content and the delivery. ​One of the things I appreciated was that ​we were not told there was only one way to do something. Instead the course provided overall strategies and then ​we ​could ask questions in our members area and live chat sessions to help provide specific advice."

Nicole Heuer

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"The self-exploration, fun, activities, and ability to customize everything to your own personal needs is a small reason to sign up for this awesome course."

Courtney K, Lethbridge

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"The incredible amount of information in each module was the approach I was looking for and the ability to sit in my den and participate in webinars and closed Facebook sessions was simply great! I created a binder for all the module information, recipes and helpful worksheets, the best tools I have been provided in over 30 years!!"

Mavis Taylor

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"I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom..."

Lynn Haley

Hi Health Stand Team and fellow travellers on the Pursuit of Healthiness,

First off, many thanks to all for the support, experience, and strength shared so freely by our online community group.

Like many life changes, the decision to take action on a personal challenge is so much easier with the fellowship of like minded folk.

What a relief to discover our struggles are not always unique and moreover, sharing them opens doors to new ideas and fresh beliefs.

I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies.

In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs.

Now when I look in mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.

My 63 year-old body and I have launched on a mission of tender loving care that includes delicious nourishment and a daily offer of thanks for the children she has borne, the miles we've run and the strength to care for those I love.

The "gift" was delivered in a well constructed, progressive series of bite-sized packages, containing practical tools and engaging webinars for meal planning , grocery shopping, personal evaluation and homework to translate "intellectual property" into concrete action. Every morsel was gift wrapped in solid nutritional science, 

​The course instructors 20 years of professional experience and a beautiful ribbon of encouragement and compassion.

I would like to claim my Pursuit of Healthiness was relentless and well disciplined, but my flimsy all or nothing mantra collapsed within the first week, along my with ego.

I am still laughing at the absurdity of thinking I could short cut the process and get the course wrapped up in two short weeks. My career included many years as a food writer so I was just looking for new quick fix tips on managing a post menopausal body that was spreading in ways I didn't like. 

Thankfully I was quickly introduced to the concept of failing forward which was the game changer.

It helped me slow down, ingest the science, absorb the teaching one mouthful at a time, and punt perfection to the curb along with a truckload of negative self talk.

The 6 week course took me 8 weeks and I'm still adding bits and pieces to my binder.

Funny what happens when we make room for new thinking.

I have chopped veggies in my fridge, hard boiled eggs, frozen grapes, overnight oatmeal and the best blueberry oatmeal muffins (along with my cookie soul food) are all ready to pack for my daily adventures where-ever they take me. My body and I look forward to our mindful moments to refuel –– this from the girl who had dashboard dining honed to a fine art and considered a day of starvation as pure rationale for an evening binge of, shall we say, sketchy nutrition.

Best of all, the fears of getting fat, not being enough, letting myself go, seem to be fading into oblivion.

I trust the science. I believe in the beauty of a balanced plate. I celebrate the peace of knowing I am intentionally giving my body what it needs to live well.

The voice of disordered eating has been silenced by joy and laughter.

Today my grandchildren and I ran through the park and found the ice cream truck.

We challenged each other to see who had the stickiest fingers when all was said and done.

Guess who won?

With gratitude,

Lynn Haley

"Within a few weeks, I noticed a big difference in my energy. I wasn't crashing in the afternoon, and the wild cravings had subsided dramatically! I feel very fortunate to have all this information and to have so much access to you and your wealth of knowledge."

Laura Connolly

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"You have fun, sensibility, new skills and supportive friendship all rolled into this course. Everything about this course is for a lifetime, how great is that!"

Sharon Cameron

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"Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. ​Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations."

Lorri Lawrence

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"...eating well doesn't have to be difficult... small changes can really make a difference."

Debra Watt, Manager, Court Services, Alberta Justice

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"​Andrea has a longstanding, solid reputation with colleagues and clients because of her creative, compassionate, “let’s do it” approach to life and work. Her information is credible, evidence-based and better yet, presented in a way that sticks."

​Dr. Colleen Cannon  Clinical Psychologist, Co-founder Craving Change Inc.

"In six months and three short meetings, ​my Dietitian passed her nutrition experience to me with a commitment that by year-end I was not going on the cholesterol pill. I followed her plan and made some lifestyle changes. Together we shocked my doctor."

Charlie

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"I admit I went to see ​​a Dietitian with somewhat of a closed mind, thinking she was going to be some “granola feeding dietitian”. Was I surprised! ​My Dietitian’s practical approach and acceptance of human nature helped me to lose 40 lbs and 6 pant sizes; and this was the absolute easiest way to lower my cholesterol. ​The tailored program allows me to eat whatever I want. The ongoing consultation and having my wife join the program definitely made a difference in my life."

Mike Podovinnikoff

"40 lbs weight loss...helpful, customized hints to improve eating habits in a healthy, user friendly way."

John Watson, accountant

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"​Andrea helps people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for a lifetime of health."

​Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician

"​My Dietitian was a tremendous help to me in changing my eating patterns only slightly to make a huge difference in my ability to control hunger."

Lois, homemaker

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"​​Working with my Dietitian has had significant impact on my health and quality of life. This process allows a person to make life changes not just temporary fixes"

Judy, School Principal

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"​I now focus on enjoying tasty healthy food, committing to exercise, and not focusing on the scale."

Dennis Garnham, Artistic Director, The Grand Theatre

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"My Dietitian taught me how to not "diet"... I now have my bingeing under control... and ​I am not totally consumed with what I am eating"

Alana, Working Mom

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"With the changes we made to my diet as well as exercise, I was able to reduce my cholesterol by over one unit in only 3 months."

Bjorn, IT Professional

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"...lively, engaging, captivating...delivers great, fresh ideas!"

Pete Luckette, Professional Speaker and Founder of Pete’s Wholesale/Retail Outlets and Luckett Vineyards

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"You truly took the "die" out of dietician!"

Carole Ann LaGrange, MLTTransfusion Medicine Safety Officer, Event Planner for Laboratory Diagnostic Imaging

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"I learned sustainable strategies for shopping, cooking and eating that I have incorporated into my life. It was definitely money well spent."

Bruce Sellery, Business Journalist, Television News Anchor and Personal Finance Expert

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"Went from being very close to having diabetes 6 months ago, to having current blood sugar levels that are normal."

Barbara, Registered Social Worker

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"They make healthy eating healthy easy, and understands how to be realistic, practical and forgiving of not being perfect!"

Jacqueline Drew, CEO Tenato Strategy Inc.

​“I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team.

​Adele Fox, Psychologist