Q&A with Megan Hallett

Meet Megan Hallet. Megan is a certified women’s holistic health and nutrition coach at IIN and is currently studying to be a nutritional therapist at CNM.

She has a background in recipe development and even has a cookbook that she co-authored with Nicole Jardim.  For recipe ideas, nutrition tips, and drool-worthy food photography, you can also check out Megan’s Instagram.

Megan is also the creator of the All is Well podcast.

If Megan’s style resonates with you and you’d like to learn more about working with her, you can sign up for a free discovery call here.

What does your practice focus on? What areas do you consider specialities?

My practice focuses on women’s health from a holistic standpoint - nutrition, radical rest and self-care, and mental health. I work with a range of conditions including PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea, thyroid dysfunction, endometriosis, as well as getting to the root cause of symptoms including adult acne, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, hair loss and anxiety.

What drew you to women's health and the credentials you have pursued?

I was drawn to women’s health after years of struggling with my own PCOS. I was tossed around from practitioner to practitioner, all with one thing in common; treating the symptoms. I decided to take my health into my own hands and get to the root cause and on that journey, discovering a real passion for helping other women with similar stories.

I became a qualified health coach and currently a trainee nutritional therapist. I am also a published cookbook author of The Happy Balance and love being able to bring accessible information on the endocrine system and women’s health to both the masses and individuals I work with.  

In what instances should someone consider working with a practicer to improve hormonal imbalance symptoms?

I believe that every woman is different, so deciding if and how they see a qualified practitioner really depends on the individual.

For some women, I recommend getting the nutrition and lifestyle basics down first and then start to fill in the gaps with the help of a practitioner. For others, the whole process can be very overwhelming and it helps to have a nutrition coach along with your every step of the way.

When I work with clients, they have full access to me and are free to ask any questions or get feedback on specific problems. The greatest success stories really come from not being afraid to ask for help.

What can a client expect from working with you?

If you decide to work with me, we start by running through a very in-depth intake form and get to know all about your health background, from the previous supplementation to family health. This takes roughly 30 minutes to 1 hour.

From there, I’ll ask you to keep a food diary for a week and note down how your feeling in terms of mood, energy and symptoms.

The next steps look different for everyone. I’ll either write out an in-depth plan that we’ll work through together, or send you away with 2-3 different goals to be working on each week or fortnight.

I like my clients to schedule in follow up coaching calls anywhere from once a fortnight, once a month to every couple of months. As I said, I’m always on hand via WhatsApp and email for direct question answering!

What are your favorite tips and tricks for managing a hormonal imbalance?

My basic starting points and baseline tips and tricks for tackling a hormonal imbalance consist of three pillars of health:

1. Supporting the nervous system
2. Balancing blood sugar
3. Supporting our body’s elimination pathways (i..e, the gut and the liver)

Sometimes other factors come into play, such as how well we are absorbing our foods, any nutritional deficiencies due to previous medication and if there is any underlying inflammation that is wreaking havoc under the surface.

How do you work?

I communicate with my clients via phone call sessions, Zoom or Skype - whichever they are most comfortable with.

I can also cut my sessions down to half an hour if one is time short or trying to budget.

I always provide thorough session notes after each call, so no need to focus on note-taking!

Challenges in today's healthcare system?

In all honestly, I think that being self-employed requires a bit of a sales brain. But I see a lot of health coaches and nutritionists who focus too much on this side of things and forget about why they do what they do. Money shouldn’t be the driving force for what you do (and this goes for any industry) and it certainly isn’t for me.

This is why I keep my prices low and will never force you into a pay upfront plan. I work the way a PT does, you pay per session and you tell me what you need from me rather me telling you what you need.

I advise others to always pick a practitioner who is focused on helping support you and your health. I’ve always believed that doctors and western medicine professionals do an incredible job at keeping us alive, but a nutritionist will keep you thriving. If you chose to work with the two, then your GP or other "more “conventional” practitioner should be working with that decision rather than against it!

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