Personal trainers, doctors, dietitians, CrossFit, trendy diets and fads, it’s difficult to know which course you should pursue to achieve your fitness and weight-loss goals. Have you ever scrolled through your Facebook feed and seen your friends boast or promote one diet or exercise over another? It can be overwhelming and contradicting.

While many of the aforementioned avenues offer many health-related benefits, only one professional can provide a well-rounded, customized plan that will cater to your needs, abilities, and goals. This professional is the Health Coach. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) is the world’s largest nutrition school that is dedicated to educating and certifying professional Health Coaches.

Obesity is one of the largest health concerns in the United States with 67% of the county’s population who are overweight or obese. That’s a staggering number that has led to 1 in 3 Americans who will develop Type 2 Diabetes or cancer. We all possess the ability to fight this growing problem with our own lifestyle choices. However, too many people are uneducated when it comes to healthy living. Many adopt the mindset that it’s too difficult to stay healthy or that healthy foods and gym memberships are too expensive. If you’ve had this very thought, do not despair. There is an attainable solution for you! Find ways to educate yourself about your body and how to attain a healthy lifestyle.

Joshua Rosenthal founded the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to help educate the public on healthy living. Thanks to Rosenthal’s efforts and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, you can have access to this quality education about healthy living through a qualified and certified IIN Health Coach. So what makes an IIN Health Coach so special? How can they offer more than a dietitian, doctor, or personal trainer? Here, you will find the numerous benefits of hiring a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Health Coaches Have Well-Rounded Knowledge

Have you ever found yourself frustrated by not getting the direct answers you’re hoping for? Your doctor already has a lot of his or her plate, so when you ask what you should do to be healthier, you may be faced with the broad, generalized answer, “Diet and exercise.”

That’s all well and good, but you most likely want specifics. Which foods will best help you attain your ideal weight? Which diets are proven and which are fads? How can you know?

Sure, there may be a diet or exercise program your doctor recommends, but the truth is it’s not their field of expertise. And it most likely is not the best program or diet for your unique case.

Health Coaches not only customize a diet plan catered to your goals and health concerns, but they encourage small changes to attain a healthy lifestyle. You’ll be able to find a plan that is made just for you. Based on your body type, your past experiences with weight loss and exercise, your Health Coach will get to know you inside and out in order to find the best plan for you.

Sarah Haskins, a certified Health Coach who graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s program, highlights the skillset that Health Coaches acquire from IIN:

“Graduates of this program, including me, are trained in over 100 dietary theories and lifestyle coaching techniques to help you discover exactly what will bring you success, and what is holding you back.”

It’s important to understand that most Health Coaches are not personal trainers, though many carry that certification as well. What you should know is that Health Coaches continually study dietary theories long after earning their certification, and they know how to cultivate lifestyle changes with every client, that means you. When you hire a Health Coach, you are opening yourself up to a newer, healthier you, with a strong effort that includes both diet and other lifestyle choices.

Health Coaches Tailor Plans According to Your Needs

There are hundreds of diets and exercise plans out there; no doubt you’ve seen them.

Overwhelming, right?

Many other health professionals will recommend one and then expect you to follow that plan as outlined. The truth is that not one diet is meant to work for every individual. How many times have you attempted a diet or exercise regimen only to find minimal results? As a result, you’ve most likely felt disheartened and discouraged. Understand that we all have different needs, obstacles, and health concerns. The key to achieving your goals is to follow a plan that is catered to you.

Your Health Coach will take the time to get to know you, your habits, your current diet, your health and wellness goals, what history you have with previous diets and exercises, and then they will work with you to outline a plan designed to help you reach your goals. Sarah Haskins continues:

“We help you implement small changes, little by little, at a pace that’s comfortable for you so you can meet all your health goals. We work with you to help you discover your bio-individuality. There is something that will work for you -- the trick is finding it.”

But don’t just take it from one of our own. Dr. Frank Lipman, an expert on sustainable wellness, also encourages his followers to seek out a Health Coach for this same purpose:

“With a Health Coach as your wellness co-pilot, you’ll work together to develop a customized plan that takes your individual physical, emotional and lifestyle factors into account and fits with the way you live -- and ultimately leads you to permanent, positive change.”

 A Health Coach Is Your Ally

“Wellness co-pilot.” Dr. Lipman phrased it well. How comforting is it to know that your Health Coach will be your colleague and not just someone who will crack a whip? Health Coaches from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition are not drill sergeants; they are trained to be supportive mentors and to lead by example.

An IIN Health Coach loves their job, which motivates them to actively expand their knowledge as well as practice what they preach. A Health Coach will inspire and motivate you to achieve the goals you have established together. You’ll have a friend and confidant throughout your journey. Dr. Lipman touches on this aspect as well:

“....you have a Health Coach to hold your hand, guide you on the path and keep you accountable. With a healthy-living advisor to help you trade old habits for new ones, you won’t have to go it alone.”

Pricing and Client/Coach Relationship
Cost is often at the forefront of everyone’s mind when considering paying for a service. If you’ve thought about enlisting the service and skills of an IIN Health Coach, then you’ve most likely considered investing in the cost. The truth is that the cost will depend on the Health Coach you hire and how involved you want them in your journey towards a healthier you.

Most Health Coaches offer monthly pricing based on a variety of packages. Generally, a basic monthly package will cost around $200/month. This package typically includes a weekly check-in session where you and your Health Coach will review your progress, set new goals, identify obstacles, and find solutions. Most Health Coaches will provide follow-up phone calls or text messages to make you stay on the right track. They will also provide additional materials, such as informative pamphlets, articles, and even books to help educate you on healthy living.

Premium packages can cost $500/month or a few thousand for a 6-month program. The longer you commit to a Health Coach and their program, the better results you will see. These programs typically include more hands-on attention and education.

If you expect to reach all your goals after only a month of work, well….that’s just not how it works. If you encounter a diet guaranteeing you visible results in a short period of time, it probably isn’t the healthiest of programs for you.

Nevertheless, many Health Coaches will offer single-session or hourly rates for those who would like a one-time consultation. This is ideal if you’d simply like to pick at a Health Coach’s brain for an hour or two, and learning from their knowledge and experience. Group programs are also available which can be appealing if you want the camaraderie of working with others, plus the rates are usually discounted when done in a group.

Emotional Support And More

Perhaps you’ve wanted more than just information on healthy eating. Fortunately, Health Coaches from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition place a strong emphasis on improving your overall wellness. This means that you that you’ll receive so much more than physical health tips. As reported by Yahoo Beauty:

“Health Coaches look at exercise, eating, wellness, and food not just as calories and weight loss, but also on emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual terms. An Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who’s providing services in this area knows about various aspects of his or her clients’ lives like state of mind, health history background, as well as sleep patterns.”

The ultimate goal of your Health Coach is to improve your quality of life through effective and healthy habits and changes. In order to accomplish this, there must be a strong focus on the overall health of the individual. It could be that the reason previous diets or routines were ineffective was due to emotional or mental stressors. Your IIN Health Coach will dig deep to discover why previous attempts have failed, which will indicate the paths that should work in your individual case.

Most Health Coaches will set up weekly one-on-one meetings with follow-up phone calls or text messages during the week.  A caring Health Coach will make themselves available to you via text, phone, or email for your moments of need. With a Health Coach, you can rest assured that you’re receiving so much more than just informative guidance; you’ll be receiving a friend and mentor.

Receive Quality Education About Your Health

There’s a lot of conflicting information regarding your health, especially as your browse online on social media, blogs, or forums. Again, Health Coaches have expansive knowledge on healthy living and wellness. When working with an IIN Health Coach you’ll be the recipient of the information and experience they have collected and studied.

Your Health Coach will guide you to exercises that will help you strengthen your body and improve your health. They will create or gather clean-eating recipes that you can incorporate into your daily meals for both you and your family. Which foods are best for your body, based on your needs and goals? You’ll soon learn with your Health Coach.

This knowledge will stay with you long after you and your Health Coach part ways. You won’t walk away with general health tips that could be found through a simple Google search. You’ll have gained specific insight and knowledge into how your body works and what it needs in order to improve your health and wellness. Vitacost.com states it perfectly:

“The bottom line is that a Health Coach can be a helpful guide on your journey to living a healthier life. You can achieve your best health and you will be able to achieve your goals with a professional coach who has the proper knowledge and experience on your side.”

Other Benefits To A Healthy Lifestyle

We’ve established the benefits of seeking out a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, but why should you want to improve your health beyond the obvious reasons? Some people simply accept the mindset, “Well, I gotta die of something, right?” This response may get the occasional chuckle, but there are more benefits to being healthy than a prolonged life.

• Save On Medical Bills

○ healthy lifestyle means less visits to the doctor. If you are overweight or obese, then you are subject to other diseases that can increase your medical expenses rather quickly. Contrastly, if you engage in a healthy lifestyle, you’ll have a better chance warding off harmful diseases.

• Increased Energy

○     Sure, you can experience a sugar rush from candy and desserts, but you’ve surely felt the energy crash that inevitably follows. Saturated fats tend to drain your energy levels, and if your diet consists of many sugars and saturated fats, then not only will you experience significant weight gain, but your energy will slowly decrease. When you base your diet and lifestyle on healthy choices, you’ll experience more energy and vitality than ever before. More energy for quality time with family and friends.

• Less Stress

○     It’s no secret that regular exercise can be therapeutic and reduce stress, but healthy foods (such as foods high in Vitamin C and Magnesium) can help moderate your cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. When you’re stressed or in a chronic state, your body quickly breaks down protein. If you have sufficient protein in your diet you can help the body maintain those cortisol levels as well.

• Improved Self-Confidence

○     When you change your habits and lifestyle to become more health-oriented, your own self-worth increases, especially as you see results in your physical appearance. It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you constantly feel tired or out of shape. Start today on your path to a healthy lifestyle and watch your self-confidence grow as a result.

Conclusion

Bottom line: if you’ve previously failed to meet your health goals in the past due to impossible diets or if you’re looking to learn how you can make the necessary lifestyle changes to improve your overall wellness, then seek out a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

The good news is that IIN’s program is accessible for aspiring Health Coaches throughout the country, which means you’re likely to find many IIN Health Coaches wherever you live. If you’re curious to learn more about Health Coach training, then be sure to visit the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.