Highlights from IIN Live 2019: Transform Health

Health Coaches are leading a movement.
One of the best things about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is our community. Our students and graduates spread the ripple effect of health and happiness using the tools and coaching skills they learned in our dynamic Health Coach Training Program. Health Coaches support those looking to transform their health and lives and, oftentimes, end up transforming their own health and lives as well.

Health Coaches excel at creating a safe space for their clients to talk through health issues, concerns, and goals, while focusing on bio-individuality, the concept that health and wellness is not one size fits all. Navigating your health journey alone can be a daunting endeavor, and that’s where Health Coaches come in. We’re truly stronger together.

IIN Live 2019: Transform Health
This year’s IIN live conference was held in New York City and centered around transformation. One thousand students and graduates from all over the world came to the Big Apple to connect with their classmates and network with other change agents.

Over two days, world-renowned speakers graced the stage to share about various areas of health, healthcare, and self-transformation. Our esteemed presenters spoke about the intimate connection between chronic illness and diet and lifestyle, and we soaked up every last word of wisdom! Here are some highlights from the weekend:

Saturday // IIN Live 2019
The air was buzzing with excitement as Integrative Nutrition’s chief executive officer, Lynda Cloud, welcomed us. Lynda energized the crowd with a call to action: “The world needs a health revolution, and it’s ready for you!” She emphasized that the entire IIN community has what it takes to inspire courageous wellness journeys and motivate radical transformation across the globe. We couldn’t agree more – with our current state of health, Health Coaches are needed now more than ever.

Pilar Gerasimo, IIN’s chief creative officer, guided the community through the weekend, but kicked off the conference with a talk on “healthy deviance,” the art of being a healthy person in an unhealthy world. Her energy was contagious!

Andrew Weil, MD, a functional medicine pioneer and incredible speaker, addressed the challenges of our current healthcare system, what we could call a “disease-care system.” His powerful words rang true as we thought about how we’re not getting to the true root of disease; we’re only treating the symptoms. Dr. Weil also demonstrated his calming 4-7-8 breathing technique to decrease stress – something we can all benefit from!

Robyn Youkilis, Integrative Nutrition grad and gut health expert, got to live out her dreams by speaking to the audience about her own health coaching experience and why following your gut (and maintaining good gut health!) is incredibly important.

Cora Poage, another Integrative Nutrition graduate, brought us into the afternoon with a coaching demo that really opened our eyes to how sacred the coach-client relationship is and how just providing that safe space can be super impactful.

The community got to shake things out before the end of the day with Afro Flow Yoga® founders Leslie Salmon Jones and Jeff W. Jones. They encouraged us to loosen up and move to the music.

Terry Wahls, MD, closed out Day 1 by talking through her own health journey and sharing how focusing on optimizing her nutrition made the biggest difference in her recovery. She shared how she’s helped her patients through their struggles with MS, improving motor function by altering diet and lifestyle.

Sunday // IIN Live 2019
Lissa Rankin, MD, breathtakingly began Day 2 with a presentation on everyday trauma and how to heal through self-compassion. Her words are still resonating with us, teaching us how to practice more self-love and move through our daily lives without beating ourselves up for every little thing that goes wrong.

The morning continued with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow, who led us through a guided meditation that kept us grounded and focused for the rest of the day.

After the lunch break, Pilar Gerasimo taught us about biohacking, the concept that we can manipulate our own DNA to conquer cravings, mood swings, and even inflammation! We can’t wait to keep coming back to this concept to improve our own health!

Meghan McCarthy, systems director of community health at PeaceHealth, spoke on how Health Coaches play an integral role in the healthcare system and how they can help bridge the gap between conventional medicine and more holistic practices. Everyone was thrilled to hear this – Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches are so needed, and there’s no shortage of ways to contribute to everyone’s health.

David Ludwig, MD, PHD, professor and nutrition researcher, echoed this sentiment in his segment about nutrition and how to improve our diet for sustainable weight loss and overall health. He let us in on how he’s conducting research – using himself as one of the participants – on how the ketogenic diet may help with neurological function and inflammation.

Special guest Mark Hyman, MD, functional medicine physician, bestselling author, and founder of The UltraWellness Center, joined Dr. Ludwig for a Q&A, where they spoke about the true power of nutrition as preventive medicine. Dr. Hyman made sure to note that meatless burgers may not be part of a healthy diet.

Want to learn more? Check out this post about whether a plant-based diet is actually healthier. Hearing these doctors really drove home the idea that food is medicine!

Check out one of our many virtual webinars to learn how you, too, can become part of the amazing Integrative Nutrition community!