IIN Chat: What’s a Health Coach?

Happy Wednesday!

I feel like this week is just flying by! I’ve been super busy, and my work week is short because I’m heading down to San Diego on Friday (more on the exciting reason behind my trip to come soon!). Last night my hubby and I had a rare weekday date night. I had gotten him tickets to see Kings of Leon as a Christmas gift, so we headed into San Jose to see them perform. The concert was a lot of fun! 🙂

Moving along to the topic of today’s post, after doing a recap of my first month as a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (a second one to come in the near future!), a couple of people asked me to go more in-depth as to what a health coach is. So let’s get into it!

At IIN, health coaches are believed to be the future of our healthcare system. At the school, students like myself learn about what IIN refers to as post-modern nutrition — that is, recognizing that one diet does not fit all and looking at factors in bio-individuality, such as age and ancestry, to understand how they play a role in diet. We learn not only about a ton of different diets and schools of thought when it comes to food, but the curriculum also focuses on coaching tools and mentoring skills. Why? Because a health coach combines all of this knowledge together to help people develop healthier and happier lives.

A health coach offers guidance and inspiration to help clients shift their behavior to healthier habits by making step-by-step changes to their diet and lifestyle. A school of thought at IIN is
recognizing that the food on our plates is only a small part of what feeds us. We call the different aspects of life that nurture us “primary food” (think of important parts of life like relationships, career, physical activity and spirituality). Health coaching clients will learn about this concept and how it relates to their life. As a result, clients develop a deeper understanding of the foods and lifestyle choices that work best for them. Health coaches help them to implement lasting changes
that improve their energy, balance and health.

IIN believes that health coaches are needed to fill the gap between medical professionals and preventative healthcare. The goal in health coaching isn’t to replace a doctor, nutritionist, or any other healthcare professionals; it’s meant to serve as a complement to existing healthcare providers.

Think about what typically happens when you go to the doctor. How much time does the doctor actually spend with you? Do they thoroughly look at the factors that could play into your current issue? Mine certainly do not. In our current healthcare system, almost no time is spent discussing daily diet and lifestyle. Look at it like this: If you go to the doc for a cold, they’ll probably spend a moment determining if it’s just a head cold, then rush you out the door with some kind of meds and the recommendation of some R&R. In contrast, if you go to a health coach and one of your health concerns is that you’re constantly getting head colds, they’ll look at factors like diet and stress to determine how you can help to build up your immune system and prevent yourself from getting the sniffles so much.

Health coaching takes on a holistic approach, always looking at the bigger picture. They serve as a guide and mentor who empowers clients to take responsibility for their own health, and supports them on their journey to achieve their personal wellness goals.

A lot of the time, health coaches build their own practice, but they could also work in places like spas, gyms, yoga studios and doctor’s offices. Once I complete my program at IIN, I plan to begin taking on clients on my own. Pursuing my passion in healthy living feels great, and I’m excited to see where it leads me!

Please don’t hesitate to email me at nicole[at]foodielovesfitness.com if you’re interested in learning more about IIN as a potential student, or if you’d like to find out more about my health coaching service. I won’t begin taking on any clients until later this year, but I’d love to chat!

Tell me…

Do you have any other questions about what a health coach does? 

What was the last concert you went to?