The Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Directory

Greetings health and wellness lovers!

Today I wanted to share (yet another) new and exciting development that was officially announced at the Integrative Nutrition* Mega Conference this past weekend!

If you are a health coach, are considering becoming a health coach, or are interested in connecting with a health coach to attain your personal health goals, then you will greatly appreciate the value of...
The Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Directory

What are the benefits of this health coach directory?

• It's easy for individuals to search for a health coach by location and specialty.
• Individuals can read a coach's bio and find their website via the About page.
• Individuals can contact and interact with health coaches directly.
• Individuals can easily connect via Facebook and Twitter to any health coach.
• Health coaches can connect with each other to find solutions.

Pretty. brilliant.

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition continues to exceed my expectations... even after graduation! I am so grateful to have discovered an organization that is completely in alignment with my values, and makes it possible to create an amazing career + life.

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

Ashley 

*Integrative Nutrition® and Institute for Integrative Nutrition® are registered trademarks of Integrative Nutrition Inc. 

IIN Conference + Conflict of Interest by RobHerring

Greetings wellness lovers!

As I mentioned... this past weekend was the event of the Integrative Nutrition Mega conference in Long Beach, CA. It was my first live IIN event... and I was beyond impressed! 4,000+ health coaches, from all over the world, were in attendance!

I immediately sensed the excitement at the very beginning...

We were welcomed with a red carpet arrival!

The atrium from the outside... definitely Long Beach style!

The audio/visual set-up and team were amazing!

View of health coaches in the main lobby

It was by far the most inspiring professional conference I've ever attended... the IIN staff know what they are doing! I have a background in event planning, so I know what is required to host an event of this capacity. I overheard many other students and grads commenting on the excellent organization of the entire weekend!

Anyways... I am about to leave for work, but I just wanted to give a quick update... and also highlight a song by Rob Herring, who performed this song "Conflict of Interest" yesterday. It really resonated with me, as this is something I have really been analyzing lately...




Thoughts? ;)

Stay tuned for more conference highlights to come!

Have an amazing day!!

xoxo,
Ashley

Integrative Nutrition #MegaIIN Excitement!

Greetings wellness lovers!

As you may know... there is an exciting and huge event coming up! 26 days!!

#MegaIIN

This is going to be epic... from what I hear, it will be the largest live event ever hosted by my school (the largest nutrition school in the world!), the Institute for Integrative Nutrition*! To give you an idea... we're talking 4,000+ health coaches from all over the world!

This will be my 1st live IIN event... and I am ecstatic!!! It will be my 2nd time meeting fellow IIN students in person! My first time connecting with my Integrative Nutrition "family" was meeting with Joshua Rosenthal and a small group, maybe 30? last May! posted about it here

And I have to say... I had never experienced so much excitement, positive energy, and 'like-minded-ness' in the same room! It was intense, and amazing!! After many years researching preventative health and nutrition, I felt like I had finally 'met my peeps.' hahaha...

It was at this small meeting that I first learned, strait from Joshua, that there was going to be a live IIN conference in Long Beach this March! So of course... I immediately started counting down the days!

The Long Beach Convention Center

Reflections

I can't stop thinking about the way the Universe works... exactly 4 years ago, I was an attendee at this exact convention center, attending a professional conference for an entirely different career path. I remember seeing my college professors and peers speaking and leading seminars/workshops... and I was there on the sidelines, wondering to myself if I was really in the right career.

But now... I have finally found a movement/organization/school that is completely aligned with my personal values and passions! I almost feel like I am dreaming, because I had no idea that such an entity actually existed! Thank you internet!! Every day I am completely grateful, honored, and excited that I am part of something that is truly making the world a better place!

If you are interested in getting an inside peak at #MegaIIN, which is actually a closed/exclusive event... stay tuned! I have been invited to be an official live VIP blogger for the event, and will be posting updates this entire month, as well as at the event!

*Integrative Nutrition® and Institute for Integrative Nutrition® are registered trademarks of Integrative Nutrition Inc.

Sweet Potato Fries + Mega IIN Conference Contest!

Greetings!

Today I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite recipes... tropical sweet potato fries! Seriously, I love them. Sometimes I will enjoy them almost every day for a month!

Tropical Sweet Potato Fries

How to Make:

*note: I am not going to include exact ingredient measurements, as it's not necessary for this recipe. This is more of a 'how-to' v. an actual recipe. :)

Ingredients:

• sweet potatoes
• coconut oil
• salt (I use Himalayan salt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice sweet potatoes into pieces that are about 1/4" x 1/2" x 5" in dimension. Melt coconut oil in a pan on stove (enough to evenly cover the fries). Toss the melted coconut oil with the fries in a bowl, sprinkling salt to taste. Lightly grease a baking tray with leftover coconut oil. Arrange fries on the tray, making sure that they are not touching each other. (Use more than one tray if necessary.) Bake for 40-45 minutes... until fries are slightly crispy on the outside.

And... now a contest!

#MegaIIN

Interested to experience for yourself what the Institute for Integrative Nutrition* is all about? As I mentioned in a previous post, I was excited to receive the opportunity to bring 5 guests with me to the by-invite only Integrative Nutrition Mega Conference in Long Beach this March! As I have 3 2 1 0 2 tickets left... with many health and wellness lovers contacting me about this, I decided to have a contest!

It's pretty simple... just e-mail me at TasteforHealthy@gmail.com with a short introduction of yourself + why you want to attend the conference!

Conference Details!

At this empowering, energizing holistic health and wellness conference, contest winners will:

• hear from some of the best and brightest experts in health and wellness
• connect with our passionate, positive community
• turn your dreams and goals into reality
• enjoy time in sunny California

Learn from extraordinary health and wellness experts including:

Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, will bring his nutritional magic to this unprecedented  weekend. Known for encouraging people to take action towards  lofty goals, Joshua will rev your healthy engines so that you leave  the conference excited to do the work you love, earn major income,                        and live a life of passion and prosperity!

David Wolfe, world authority on raw foods; author of best-selling books Superfoods, Naked Chocolate and Eating for Beauty.

Geneen Roth is a pioneer in distinguishing the link between our emotions and hunger. She has appeared as an expert in her field  on Oprah, NBC and 20/20 and is an author of eight books including  When Food Is Love and Breaking Free from Emotional Eating.

Julia Ross, pioneer in nutritional psychotherapy, food/mood expert and author of The Diet Cure and The Mood Cure.

Gary Taubes, investigative American science writer known for exposing controversial beliefs in nutrition and health. He is the author  of Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Seane Corn, internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching.

FAQ

I can't wait to hear your stories and give away complimentary tickets to 3 individuals!

Have an excellent day! xoxoxo

*Integrative Nutrition® and Institute for Integrative Nutrition® are registered trademarks of Integrative Nutrition Inc.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Well hello there! :)

And happy Friday!!

Today, I am so excited to share a new recipe that I made last night! It was originally published in Bon Appetite by Katherine Burk (2002). Lately, I've been craving warm and spicy foods, which is very unusual... most likely from the chilly winter weather.

























This soup did the trick! It will satisfy your cravings for warm and spicy, and... even better, it may even be enjoyed by 'standard-American-diet eating' significant others! (My boyfriend loved it!!) As I know many of you can relate... it's difficult challenging cooking for people on completely opposite ends of the 'nutrition spectrum'. This recipe is definitely a make-again!

I made slight changes to the original recipe, to reduce the sodium/BPA content from the canned beans, and doubled up on the jalepeno pepper to add an extra metabolism-boosting kick! Below is the original recipe, with my modifications in italics, which made the recipe vegan + gluten free.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies
2 garlic cloves, chopped (I used large cloves.)
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chili with seeds (I used 2 tablespoons.)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, undrained (I rinsed them.)
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (vegetable broth to make vegan)
8 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream (didn't use)
Tortilla chips (didn't use)

Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, green chilies, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin. Sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans with juices and broth (rinsed). Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Puree 3 cups soup in batches in blender. Return puree to same pot. Mix in 6 tablespoons cilantro. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

What are your tips and/or recipes for cooking for people when one may not be into 'healthy?' I know I am not the only one who has a fast-food loving significant other. ;)

Interesting Articles + More!
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Why is There Soy in My Hain Celestial Tea?
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Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge <-- heavenly!
Recipe: Peppermint Hot Chocolate <--love this!

P.S. Have we connected via the new Facebook page?