Thankful for Integrative Nutrition

Well, hello there wellness lovers!

As many of you know... enrolling at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition was a life-changing experience for me. I didn't know exactly 'what' I wanted when I started, but I did know that I wanted to become an entrepreneur in an area I was passionate about: nutrition and all things wellness related! 

It's been a little over a year since I graduated... and well, I am excited to say that I have reached my larger goals of becoming a wellness entrepreneur, earning a pretty decent living doing what I love. The 'what' part just keeps transforming and has been getting better and better every day. Seriously, doors that I had no idea existed have opened since making the decision to enroll at IIN. 

It's been said that "whatever you want, IIN provides the stepping stones and framework to get you there." I have realized that this is right on. When I enrolled at Integrative Nutrition, I was very unhappy... feeling tied to a job with a schedule that was less-than-ideal (nights + weekends), which I was also over-qualified for. I had just graduated with my bachelor's degree in Recreation Management at the start of "The Great Recession", and was pretty much panicking, thinking: I went to college for this?!

I almost get teary-eyed when I think about what my life would be like if I hadn't randomly stumbled across IIN in one of my interesting Google searches. ;) It is the best feeling in the world to know that I am in charge of my own destiny... and now, thanks to IIN, have the skills and connections to make my goals happen.

Just this past week, I was able to visit my sister with my family in Oregon. The entire time, I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I was to be able to decide to take off on a long road trip, without having to ask anyone's permission for time off!

Wine-tasting in Oregon. That's me on the right and yes, that is wine... not my favorite apple cider vinegar drink. ;)

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If anyone out there is thinking about embarking on Integrative Nutrition's life-changing journey, one might be interested to know that IIN has recently partnered with Goddard College to apply Integrative Nutrition's studies towards Goddard College's undergraduate and graduate programs.

As a graduate of IIN's Health Coach Training Program, students who enroll in Goddard's Health Arts and Sciences graduate program are eligible to receive a $1,500 scholarship each semester. (You can learn more about Goddard's Health Arts and Sciences graduate program here.) Pretty awesome. IIN is the real deal.

If you or anyone you know of is interested in attending IIN, please feel free to reach out. :) My email is TasteforHealthy@gmail.com, and I am always happy to share my experience + insight!


I hope you have a happy Friday, and... an even better weekend!!

xoxo,
Ashley

Integrative Nutrition! 2011 Reflections

Greetings! 

And happy 2012! I hope the new year is treating you well so far!

As I sit here this afternoon, having just opened my official IIN certified health coach diploma in the mail... I realized something! Exactly one year ago today, I opened my beautiful big red box with all of my course materials + more, and officially began my journey as a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition!

Love.

*Yes, I received my coursework via the iPod Nano. However, as of January 2012, all new students started receiving their IIN material on an iPad! I am a little jealous... lol. read more about it in this post

Getting started

I had been contemplating my decision to enroll at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition for weeks before I picked up the phone to speak with an admissions advisor. I don't remember how I came across the school... but I remember that out of the several nutrition and natural health schools I was looking into, IIN immediately seemed like the perfect fit for what I wanted to do: start my own health counseling practice supporting individiuals to improve their overall health and happiness in a fun and enjoyable way!

Blindly, I 'leaped in,' enrolled, and made a promise to myself... 2011 was going to be 'the year of amazing!' After a somewhat rocky start (getting laid-off from a job at the beginning of the year)... things just kept getting better and better! I have never been happier, had a greater sense of purpose, nor have been more enthusiastic and passionate about everything! The glass ceiling that I had experienced at previous jobs was completely shattered. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to launch my holistic health coaching with IIN's support and guidance. It seemed like I blinked, and all of a sudden I had 6 clients enrolled in my 6-month program!

In May, I even got to meet Joshua and fellow IIN students from the Los Angeles/Southern California area at the W Hotel! posted about it here

Goals

Integrative Nutrition greatly stresses the importance of setting goals. At the beginning of the year, I had heard that it was possible for students to earn back their tuition by graduation. Immediately... Bam! That was going to be my goal. And, I can happily say... I've definitely accomplished it. :)

Additionally, of course, my other goal was to have clients. Check. I also started my monthly newsletter, presented several seminars and webinars including "Sugar Blues", "Healthy Kids," and 'Veg 101: Plant-Based Basics," published several articles on health + wellness topics, and had several recipes featured in Integrative Nutrition's seasonal recipe collections.

Looking ahead... 2012 Excitement!

I am so excited for what the future holds! I can't wait to spread the ripple effect of health and happiness into the lives of many more individuals!

Also... the Integrative Nutrition Mega Conference #MegaIIN is coming up!

The Integrative Nutrition Mega Conference is going to be held in Long Beach this March! It's going to be different, but totally exciting... returning to the Long Beach Convention Center for a professional conference that is completely unrelated to the last one I attended there! I am a firm believer that holistic nutrition is the way of the future! And, I can bring 5 guests with me to the conference, completely complimentary!

Something else I am excited about in 2012... the IIN Health Coaching Practice Management app is going to be released! I am definitely elated about this and can't wait to have a paperless practice! I adore that IIN continues to support their graduates even after graduation!

Have an excellent rest of the week! xoxo

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about exactly what an IIN education is all about, I highly recommend reading "Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health and Happiness" by Joshua Rosenthal, the director and founder of the school. It's listed on Amazon for about $25. You can also download it here, completely complimentary!

Mint Chocolate Chip 'Ice Cream' & Exciting News!

Greetings! And happy Friday! I hope you have all had a wonderful week!

In celebration of 'National Ice Cream Month,' banana soft serve 'ice cream' has been enjoyed on an almost daily basis. ♥

My favorite combination at the moment...

Mint & Chip 'Ice Cream'!

 
Ingredients:

• 1 banana (frozen, in halves)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbls. almond milk
• 1/4 tsp. mint extract
• cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

Directions:
Combine banana, vanilla, almond milk, & mint extract in a food processor. Garnish with cacao nibs or chocolate chips! So delicious... ♥

Exciting News!

As many of you know, I am a student at Integrative Nutrition, and recently started my health coaching practice! I already have 4 clients that I meet with every other week! ♥

And... yesterday I received some exciting news! As an ambassador of the school, Integrative Nutrition has given me the ability to select individuals to receive $1,000 scholarships! (I wish I could have been a recipient of one of these when I enrolled last December!) 

If you adore health & wellness, are passionate about inspiring individuals to enjoy healthy lifestyles, are interested in being an entrepreneur... Integrative Nutrition might be a perfect fit for you! I am always excited to share my experiences! My e-mail is TasteforHealthy@gmail.com.

I've only been a student for 7 months, but Integrative Nutrition has already changed my life in so many ways. Getting my 4-year degree at a university was a great experience, but Integrative Nutrition has already proven to be wayyyyy more practical when it comes to actually creating a meaningful career that makes a positive difference in peoples' lives. ♥

If you are interesting in learning more, check out this page!

Have an amazing weekend!!!

Institute for Integrative Nutrition: Update

Happy Friday wellness lovers! I hope you are having an amazing start to your weekend! :)

Today I wanted to give an update about the nutrition school I am currently attending! Many of you have  asked questions about it... so hopefully this will be enlightening!

About Integrative Nutrition
Integrative Nutrition is the world's largest nutrition school, where they teach 100 different dietary theories. Even more importantly, they teach how lifestyle factors have an even greater impact on your overall health & wellness than nutrition alone! I have been enrolled since January 2011, and am loving every minute! Every week, I listen to hours of lectures on an iPod, complete coursework online, and interact with faculty and fellow students on a weekly basis. A key highlight... the curriculum guides you through setting up your own health coaching practice as a "Certified Health Coach." They also connect you to a mentor, who has already graduated from the school and currently has a successful health coaching practice because of their education at Integrative Nutrition. And the best part? You get to work towards a career where you are in charge, can earn a living doing work you love & believe in, can work from your home office, and most importantly... inspire others to improve their overall health & wellness, which overall helps to make the world a happier and healthier place!

Also, graduates from Integrative Nutrition were recently featured in the article in the March 2011 issue of Oprah Magazine! You can read the article here.

If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them for you! I have only positive things to say about the school.... enrolling was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I get to study my passion and fulfill my dream of becoming an entrepreneur!!

If you are seriously interested in becoming a student, let me know! (I might be able to get you a scholarship!) I can be reached at tasteforhealthy@gmail.com.

More information:
Integrative Nutrition Website
Integrative Nutrition Catalog
Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches Take Miami 2011 (YouTube)

2011... The Year of AMAZING!

New Years Eve with my mom ♥

Happy New Year everyone! Wow... 2011, who can believe it!?!

I hope you had a fun and safe last day of 2010... now hooray for an AMAZING new year!! :)

The start of a new year is always an exciting time for me. I love starting "fresh" and planning new goals for the upcoming year! 

*2011 Goals* 

-Become a certified personal trainer
-Graduate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition
-Start my own business
-Walk and do yoga daily :)
-Create new healthy recipes
-Spend more time with my amazing family & friends

What are your goals for 2011?