Today I took my last exam at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition! I had a wonderful experience taking classes there, and I wanted to share a little bit about it. One year ago, I knew nothing about IIN. Since then, I have gotten many questions about my experience at IIN, so I thought I would answer a few of them here!

What is IIN?

IIN is the largest nutrition and health coaching school in the world. It is headquartered in New York City, although all classes are fully online now. It was started by Joshua Rosenthal in 1992, and has rapidly expanded since then. IIN takes a holistic approach, meaning that they focus on caring for the whole person.

The health coaching certification program takes 1 year to complete. You can do it in six months, but I found that the 1 year program was a perfect fit for me. There is a new module that is released every week. These modules consist of lectures, notes, discussion boards, and quizzes. You pace yourself throughout the program, so time is never an issue. The information presented during the lectures is invaluable. Members of the health community are invited to lecture on their specialty. Here are a few examples of lecturers: Dr. Oz, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Alicia Silverstone, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Vani Hari.

The entire program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is built on the principle of “primary food.” Primary food is anything that is not on your plate (career, relationships, home environment, etc.). If an area of your life is not in balance, your health will suffer. We must pay as close attention to the things that are not on our plate, as we do to the things that are on our plate.

The other principle that IIN is built around is bioindividuality. This means that everyone is different. There is no universal diet. We must find what works for us. One person’s food, could be another person’s poison.

Another principle, and maybe my favorite, is the act of “crowding out.” Health Coaches at IIN are taught dozens of different dietary theories. However, we are also taught that 96% of people gain back all (and sometimes more) of the weight that they lose. Diets are not sustainable. Food is meant to be enjoyed. This is why we are taught how to crowd out specific foods. It is addition, not subtraction or restriction. Add more of the good stuff, and by default you will have less of the “bad” stuff.

What I got out of it:

I got a renewed perspective on what it means to be healthy. Health is all encompassing. It is everything that we eat, do, and think. If you have kept up with my story at all, you know that I went into remission from Crohn’s Disease 3 months after starting this program. It was a combination of knowing the right things and actually choosing to do them.

When I started the program, I was unsure if I wanted to pursue health coaching. I put up a wall to the idea, because I did not fully understand it. Once I saw the impact that health coaches are having on the world, I knew that I needed to be a part of it. Health coaches fill a major gap in the healthcare system. I knew that if I was able to go into remission, then maybe I could help other people do the same.

If you are intrigued about IIN, or want to know more about the nutrition and health coaching services that I offer, do not hesitate to reach out. You can book a free consultation on my website, or contact me via email.

I hope this post IINspires you to take control of your health. If I can do it, anyone can!