My Institute for Integrative Nutrition Review

I went though the 2017 Institute for Integrative Nutrition program, earning my certificate in January 2018 to become Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.

Before I enrolled, I did a ton of research and read a lot of reviews from previous students, which I found helpful. So, I’ve written my own Institute for Integrative Nutrition review based on my personal experience, in hopes that it may help anyone else considering the program.

Before I get into my experience with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition , here are some basics in case you’re not yet familiar with the program:

What is the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)?

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition calls itself as the world’s largest nutrition school. I personally don’t like to refer to it as that because I think it can be confusing. When telling someone that you’re in nutrition school, he or she is likely to jump to the conclusion that you’re doing it to become a Nutritionist or a Registered Dietician. Instead, IIN prepares students to become health coaches (I’ll go into the differences below).

The curriculum is not entirely about the nutrition of the foods we eat, as people may think. While a great deal of it does cover nutrition from the foods we eat, it also covers a lot of the things that nourish us on a deeper level… things like relationships, career, physical activity, spirituality, etc.

I like to think of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition more as a “holistic health” or “healthy living” school than as a “nutrition school.”

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition program is a one year education program (now all done online) that takes a very holistic approach to health and wellness. There are also a lot of lessons in business and entrepreneurial training. After completing all of the modules and course work, graduates receive a health coaching certification.

What’s a Health Coach?

A Health Coach is a wellness authority and supportive mentor who works with clients to help them feel their best through food and lifestyle changes. They help clients to identify their health goals, create individualized programs to help them reach their goals, and provide support and guidance along the way. It’s a relatively new occupation with a fast growing demand.

How is a Health Coach different from a Nutritionist or Registered Dietician?

We all have the same goal of helping people to become healthier, but it’s important to note that Health Coaches ARE NOT Nutritionists or Registered Dietitians. Here are just a few of the differences:

First, the education:

To become a Nutritionist or Registered Dietician, one must go through extensive schooling (a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree) to learn about things like the biochemistry of metabolism, pathways of nutrient and chemical assimilation and absorption, etc.

To become a Health Coach, one typically undergoes a one year training program. Topics of study include food, stress-management, physical activity, relationship monitoring, lifestyle balance, etc.

Second, the physical setting:

A great majority of Nutritionists/Registered Dietitians work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctor’s offices, wellness centers, or in public health.

The majority of Health Coaches tend to be self-employed, or work for gyms, spas, wellness centers, corporations, doctor’s offices, chiropractic offices, or in the health food industry.

Third, the approach:

Nutritionists and Dietitians diagnose clients’ nutritional imbalances and concerns through identifying problem, cause and symptom, and write up nutritional treatment plans to address needs.

A Health Coach does not diagnose or treat clients, but rather assesses a clients overall well-being, and supports them in reaching their desired goals.

We are all in this together to make the world a healthier place.

Is the program only for people who want to become a Health Coach professionally?

No! The education that is gained through the curriculum can serve as a complimentary role to many other wellness practices, such as yoga, massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, personal training, etc. It can serve tremendous value for anyone who wants to learn more about wellness and overall healthy living, whether it be for their own personal use, for their family, or professionally.

What does the program look like?

My Experience: An Institute for Integrative Nutrition Review

My background and what led me to IIN:

My interest in health and wellness goes far back to my teenage years, though when I was a child I paid no attention to the quality of food I ate (hello Lucky Charms, Toaster Strudels, Little Debbie snacks and Ramen Noodles). My guess is that my grandfather’s Pancreatic cancer diagnoses when I was 13 years old triggered my interest healthy living and wellbeing.

Before graduating high school, the first business venture I ever dreamt up was a smoothie bar… the kind with real fruit – no flavor shots or syrups. I experimented for years juicing and blending different fruit and vegetable variations, and researching the health benefits of each of my concoctions. The smoothie bar didn’t come to fruition (pun intended), but throughout all these years, I’ve had a deep knowing I’m meant to do something in the field of health and wellness.

So, in 2015 I started this blog as a creative outlet to share my knowledge and passion for wellness. I was working in finance and marketing at the time, but knew that wasn’t my future.

In 2016, as I started to take the idea of creating a wellness business more seriously, I began considering options to obtain credentials. When it came to health and nutrition, I was self-taught up until this point, always reading and researching things that sparked my interest. My formal education was in business, so I felt a huge lack of confidence telling people about nutrition and giving health hacks when I had no degree or certification on the topic. So, I didn’t talk much about it at all, except for to my boyfriend (now husband) and sister, who shares my same enthusiasm for wellness. I started researching to find what other wellness “experts” did and I found that the Institute for Integrative Nutrition came up quite often.

Why I chose to enroll in IIN:

From the time I learned about IIN to the time that I actually enrolled, it was about a year that went by. It’s definitely an investment, and it certainly wasn’t a decision I was taking lightly. But the desire was there, and it continuously popped into my head. And synchronicities kept happening too, pointing me in the direction to enroll. So, in January 2017, I signed up for the new year class.

Here’s why I chose to enroll in The Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coaching Program:

• It take a holistic approach to health. While I am deeply interested in nutrition, I’m also interested in lots of other facets that make up a healthy lifestyle. IIN’s c urriculum guide showed me a comprehensive coverage of more topics in line with my interests.
• Reputation. IIN has a great reputation, with over 100,000 students and graduates from over 150 countries.
• Reputable visiting teachers and speakers. Many of the visiting teachers are doctors, professors, and experts that I’ve followed and trusted for years. Currently, the program has 95 visiting faculty and speakers who are experts and thought leaders in the fields of health and wellness
• Good company. When looking into the backgrounds/educations of other wellness educators/authors I’ve followed over the years, and found that many were in fact IIN grads themselves. I felt I was in good company attending this school.
• Flexibility. The program is done virtually through a computer or smartphone, so it can be done anytime from anywhere.
• Educational partnerships. IIN has partnership agreements with colleges and universities including SUNY Purchase, Saybrook University’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, California Institute of Integral Studies, Maryland University of Integrative Health, Goddard College, and Excelsior College, allowing IIN alumni to earn credits towards a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or further certification.
• Gut feeling. Bottom line is that I just felt it was something that was right for me. As I mentioned, I contemplated the program for about a year before actually enrolling. All that while, it was on my mind and in my heart.

What I liked about The Institute for Integrative Nutrition:

• The holistic approach to health and wellness. It’s not all about nutrition, and I love that, because our relationships, career, spirituality, and physical activity are as important as the food we eat. As Joshua Rosenthal says within the program, “You can eat all the broccoli and brown rice in the world, but if you feel isolated and lonely, you are not going to be living life at full capacity.”

• The visiting teachers/speakers. Before starting the program, I was excited to learn from some of the visiting teachers listed in the curriculum guide , and they did not disappoint. I’ve also been introduced to some doctors, professors, and wellness authorities who I otherwise probably would never have found. I’ve enjoyed each of their lectures and have found their information helpful.

• The variety of information and conflicting theories. One week we learn about veganism, and another we learn about paleo. Nothing in the curriculum is one-sided. It’s all about bio-individuality.

• The Reference Library. Inside the student dashboard, you can navigate to a Reference Library, where there are dozens of audio files from more speakers/visiting teachers. These are not a requirement to listen to, but just there if you want to. I’ve found them very interesting and useful. *Important to note: Graduates do not have access to this library long-term (see below in “what I didn’t like” section).

• The Dietary Theory Library. Inside the student dashboard there is also a Dietary Theory Library, which lists and explains over 100 different dietary theories… things like the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Macrobiotics Diet, etc. These are not a requirement to learn, but the information is there if you want to reference it.

• The community. Each class has its own private Facebook group, which provides an easy way to connect and meet other students. IIN promotes connecting with others in the community, finding accountability partners, and creating your own spin-off groups.

• Covers lots of great everyday life skills. I’ve learned new time management, intention setting, listening and speaking skills.

• Business material. IIN provides students with handouts and marketing material to provide to clients.

• The pace. I’ve found the pace of the course to be pretty perfect, with just the right of information in each module. I dedicate probably 5-7 hours a week to the course.

What I didn’t like about IIN:

• You don’t get access to the reference library within the student dashboard forever. I believe it was six months after completing the program (maybe it was a year after completion), I lost access to view all that material. They do let you know this ahead of time, so I was aware of it, but still it would be nice to go back and view/reference that material in the long-term. So just be sure to save this material to your computer before you lose access to it.

• Another point I will make in case this applies to anybody NOT wanting to pursue coaching, is that a large component of the later modules is about building your health coaching practice and getting clients. This is great for those who want to do health coaching as a business. It is a school for training health coaches after all, but for anyone who enrolled to benefit their own health and wellness, and doesn’t necessarily want to coach clients in the end, this part of the program may seem a little drawn out. There’s still a lot of good educational info here though, which can be used in almost any business, profession, or life in general.

How my IIN education has helped me:

• I take better care of myself in all aspects of life.
• I’ve become a healthier eater, which I didn’t expect because I already considered myself a healthy eater before enrolling. I’ve learned more about food and the quality of food than I had anticipated.
• I’ve become a better grocery shopper. I know what to look for and am able to navigate my way easier.
• I’ve grown to love preparing and cooking food.
• I set clear intentions.
• I’ve increased my self worth.
• I’ve become aware of some pretty awesome leaders in the nutrition and wellness world, people whom I otherwise may have never come across. I now follow and continue to learn from them.
• I’ve met some local classmates, which AMAZED me since I live in a pretty small town in Upstate New York. It’s amazing to find people in your community who share the same interests and passions.
• I’ve learned great business building, listening, speaking, time management, and intention setting skills. I previously earned a business degree, but shockingly, what I’ve learned about business from IIN is actually much more “real life” than what I was taught in business school!
• I’ve gained confidence in my knowledge and ability to share information.
• I’m more optimistic about my future.

To sum it all up, my experience with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition was a great one, and it is a program that I often recommend.

Because I enjoyed the program and enjoy sharing my experience with others, I became an ambassador for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This means, that I receive a commission if someone ultimately enrolls through my referral link . Despite being an ambassador for IIN, my goal is not to try and sell the course. I definitely don’t want anyone to regret a decision in enrolling. But if you feel that your gut is telling you that IIN is right for you, my recommendation is to listen and take a closer look. As with everything in life, what you do with the information acquired through the program is up to you 🙂

Take 25% OFF the Healt h Coach Training Program with code BECKYBOVEEXII N

Posted By: Becky · In: Lifestyle, Reviews, Wellness