My Experience with IIN — Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Growing up, I was the kid that was always sick. Scarlet fever, mono that lasted for months, stomach aches, strep throat sometimes monthly; so hopped up on antibiotics that I thought it was just the norm. I can still taste that viscous, bright pink liquid bubblegum amoxicillin. I would have such horrible stomach pains that would leave me crying on the floor, not having the slightest clue what they could be from.
I went from doctor to doctor only to have them either a. put me on more antibiotics or b. tell me there wasn’t really anything wrong and that I was probably just “stressed” at age 11. Which in reality, I didn’t have the best school life so I probably was and that played a bit roll in things too (the mind-gut connection is so powerful!). In school I had teachers tell me I was sick because I grew up eating a vegetarian diet, and then I had others tell me I was just weak. Honestly, I felt very stuck for most of my childhood/early teenage years until I dove into alternative healing for myself.
I always had an interest in nutrition, but it really began in middle school when I dog walked and later babysat for a family who was into alternative living (around 2007/2008, this was pretty uncommon, at least in my small conservative town) and I thought their lifestyle was pretty cool. I saw her drinking this weird drink called kombucha, taking probiotics (wha! the opposite of antibotics!? my mind was blown), doing yoga, and eating unprocessed foods. So, I became that person and started taking kombucha to school (which I got in trouble for because someone thought it was wine…ha!) and would bring brown rice bowls with seaweed for lunch when everyone else was eating hot pockets. I began searching for real answers, which led me to food sensitivity testing. Turns out, I was allergic to milk! That solved a some of my problems, but only touched the surface.
So, fast forward to that time of your life when everyone is asking “what do you want to do?”. I knew I had an interest in nutrition, so I took a college class in it only to find out it was the exact opposite of what I wanted. We were taught that carbs were evil, that counting calories is a daily necessity, and that we must have our plates full of meat at every meal. I was informed enough to know that was all wrong, even if the government was teaching it. I constantly challenged the teacher, literally writing on multiple choice question “there is no correct answer… low-fat milk is just full of sugar and stripped of any nutritional value” on a test, and well I think you can figure out the rest. I dropped it, never coming back to it until many years later.
I was living in Portland, Oregon when some of my previous health issues started to creep back into my life, and I decided to take the leap to become a certified Integrative Health Coach so that I could begin healing myself and hopefully down the road help others. After a few rough years, between health issues and not feeling my best, I decided to dive into holistic healing. It began with listening to hours of podcasts with healers and doctors, reading books about different nutrition viewpoints, to learning how to cook fresh and vibrant food that tasted amazing. Below I am going to go over my year-long experience with IIN in case you are interested and want to take that next leap too!
“IIN is more than a school; it’s a movement of over 100,000 students and graduates in 122 countries worldwide. Our mission is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.”
After 12 months of learning from some of the best mentors in the world, I graduated as a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and launched Whole Nourish. My goal is to support others in their journey to finding their personalized wellness. If you would like to enroll in their March classes, you can enroll here!
Reasons why I recommend IIN:
It is based around bio-individuality, and never encourages one diet theory over the other.
Unlike my college class experience, there is a strong focus on bio-individuality. Basically, there is no one size fits all for nutrition. We cover all areas of nutrition and wellness, from meditation to over a dozen of different diets. This aspect was probably one of my favorite things about IIN. Every diet we learn about is taught through an unbias, fact-driven lens.
They cover the business side of becoming a health coach, from what insurance is needed to how to properly market your knowledge and services.
As someone with a business mind, I appreciated this aspect of it. From setting your worth on how much to charge to the proper insurance you’ll need to practice, I found these sections very helpful.
You choose how much to get out of it.
Honestly, you get out how much you put into your learnings. You can choose to hastily do the work just to pass, or you can dive in ready to learn with an open mind. Towards the end of the program, weekly calls are done with several classmates and a team leader. This is a great time to hone your coaching skills. Although I don’t see myself working 1:1 with clients through phone calls, this was good practice and put me outside my comfort zone.
The weekly courses with quizzes kept you on track.
I like that IIN doesn’t just throw a bunch of information at you and expect you to learn it all by yourself. The quizzes keep you on track, and the modules are spaced out very well.
Many respected IIN graduates and made an inspiring career through it.
On my search of finding what school to attend, I looked at women’s careers I admired and saw that many of them attended IIN. It’s packed with all the information you need to become an expert in holistic nutrition and more importantly, a qualified Integrative Nutrition health coach.
Some tips & important information:
I recommend a year-long course. There is an option to take the expedited course, but the reason I enjoyed this year's course was that it prepared me for becoming a health coach in all areas of life. I was also running my brick and mortar retail store at this time and appreciated the flexibility of learning times. If you are wondering if you can work while taking this course, the answer is a definite yes.
Extracurricular learning is highly encouraged. In my case, I spent several years prior to taking the course listening to all the podcasts, reading different books, and learning on my own. If you are going to be working as a health coach professional, I definitely recommend upping your knowledge from other sources.
This most likely will not be the last program you take. IIN does not go into depth about certain areas (i.e. Ayurveda, hormonal health, herbalism), so if you do find you have an interest in something, you may want to embark on further learning after you graduate. They lay out the foundational work, but it’s up to you to hone your unique voice and practice
It is a financial commitment. It isn’t nearly as expensive as traditional college, and it is actually one of the most affordable online programs you can take, but it does cost. I would recommend having a game plan for the first year to see how you can pay it off.
Being a self-motivated, engaged learner is a must. If you already have an interest in holistic living and nutrition, this course should inspire and activate your eagerness to learn.
This is NOT a dietitian degree. Dietitians’ curriculum requirements are intense. Within most states, these providers must: Have a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, nutrition and have 1,200 hours in supervised ACEND-accredited clinical experience, and must pass the CDR board examination. We each play a unique role in building a healthier future. IIN does not teach nutritional principles based on the FDA or USDA guidelines, IIN teaches you many different dietary theories, as well as how non-food aspects in our lives have an effect on our health and happiness, and how you can apply this to different people based on their conditions.
I have decided to become an IIN Ambassador in hopes that I can inspire others to take this path if they are interested! I do earn a small commission for every enrollment, and I’m so grateful for any support! If you would like to get any more information or have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me just to chat about it!
Receive $2,000 off tuition when you pay in full or $1,500 off payment plans for all time
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