While studying modern dance at The Ailey School, 2007 graduate Adina Grigore met many people who were working with a Health Coach. Dancers brought up Integrative Nutrition in conversation all the time, and then a long-time interest in nutrition led her to a talk by Joshua Rosenthal. After hearing him speak, she knew that completing the Heath Coach Training Program was the missing piece to her personal training practice.

What Adina expected to get out of the program and what she actually took away after graduating were drastically different. Her training went beyond a solid education with teachings from renowned health professionals. She came away as a new person: a leader and a bold businesswoman with an invincible attitude. She went in as a personal trainer seeking a credible edge, and came out with a thriving natural skincare business. This interview highlights the influence Integrative Nutrition has had on Adina, who lives in Brooklyn, NY, and how her company Sprout Skincare came to be.

How has Joshua Rosenthal made an impact on you since enrolling in the program?

I think anyone who has ever heard Joshua speak would agree that he's pretty powerful. He just seemed to be saying all the things I had always thought about nutrition, but had never been able to articulate. It made me realize the school would help me be able to do that. Now that I've gotten to talk to and work with Joshua, his honesty and warmth has helped me aspire to be that type of business owner as well.

With students and graduates in 88 countries, Integrative Nutrition is truly an international training program committed to making the opportunity to become a Health Coach accessible to people all over the world. One of the best parts of hearing from our alumni is learning about the state of health and wellness in different countries across the globe. Even better? Knowing that these Health Coaches are making a difference in places where it’s needed most.

2011 graduate Tamar Henry is an expatriate currently living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she’s found a community in desperate need of attention to health. Obesity, diabetes and heart disease run rampant throughout the region, while a lack of knowledge threatens a younger generation. Tamar is tackling both of these issues by bringing her nutrition knowledge and business practices to schools, group wellness programs, cooking classes, and a community health ambassador role.

What led you to enroll in the Health Coach Training Program?

I had a Bachelor’s of Science degree with a focus in health and wellness, and I owned a small vegan muffins and cupcakes business. I had a personal interest in nutrition, and wanted to find a career that I could be passionate about, where I could help others. I wanted to learn more about the subjects that I was interested in and I wanted to connect with like-minded people.

You’ve heard all the excuses before: from “I’m too busy to cook at home,” to “I end up overeating when I cook for myself,” there’s always a justification for what keeps people from taking control in their own kitchen.

These are exactly the challenges that Integrative Nutrition graduates Quinn Asteak, class of 2010, and Robyn Youkilis, class of 2009, set out to tackle. Both have thriving health coaching practices in New York City and share a passion for whipping up healthy, delicious meals. After meeting at the Fall IINto Action Conference last September, the two got to chatting and decided to team up and create a program to teach people how cooking can make all the difference. Thus was born {Healthy} Cooking Camp, an online, interactive 4-week workshop designed to take the totally confused to total connoisseur in the kitchen.

I recently caught up with the pair to learn more and get the scoop on their exciting new project. Quinn and Robyn are fun, energetic and enthusiastic - check out a preview from the series below! With such a zest for healthy cooking, it’s no surprise that they’ve got big plans for the future.

{Healthy} Cooking Camp launches Wednesday, January 25, 2012. For more information and to register, visit the website.

Special bonus: Members of the IIN community can receive $50 off the regular cost of $199 by entering the code “primaryfood” when registering!

Our graduates are doing amazing things. From developing food and wellness products to opening private practices, we love sharing stories from successful students and grads that are working to change the world for the better. 2009 graduate Susan Roberts, of New York City, is a special case. She’s making strides in an area where the importance of good nutrition is not explored or emphasized enough.

Susan applied what she learned in the Health Coach Training Program to her work as an occupational therapist. She already addressed other areas of wellness with her clients, such as the importance of primary food, but for this advanced scholar, author and lecturer, her nutrition education provided the final piece of the puzzle in her practice: eating well. This interview with Susan highlights her thoughts on where the “mealtime” process went wrong, and her essential work to restore a healthy, positive diet for even the pickiest kids out there.

What type of work have you done since completing in Integrative Nutrition's program, and what are you up to now?

I began touring the United States teaching other professionals (primarily occupational therapists, speech therapists and registered dietitians) the role of primary foods and real foods to helping children eat a wider variety of healthy foods and the importance of having "happy" mealtimes. My presentation is called "Mealtime Success for Kids on the Spectrum: Holistic Nutrition for Picky Eaters." I educate 200 to 300 professionals every month. I also wrote a book on the same subject for families, My Kid Eats Everything: a Journey from Picky to Adventurous Eating.

Recent graduate Shannon Lavin Vanjoske is starting her own health revolution. Co-author of a children's book on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, blogger and health coach, Shannon is doing it all. She was recently featured on a popular blog called the Ingredient Critic based out of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Below is a portion of her interview. You can read the entire interview here.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Shannon Lavin Vanjoske and I am a certified holistic health and nutrition coach. I own a private health coaching practice called “mother + earth wellness” that focuses on healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices for individuals and their families. The cornerstone of my business is advocating for a plant-strong, vegan diet. In addition to my health coachig practice, I recently co-authored Regan the Vegan, a children’s book promoting the health benefits of living a plant-strong lifestyle with illustrations and words even a child can understand. Also, I manage a health and wellness blog featuring plant-strong recipes, healthy living tips, and information about natural birth and eco-parenting. You can find my blog at www.motherplusearth.blogspot.com.

Maia Lagerstedt, a 2007 graduate from New Fairfield, CT, has always loved writing, yet she didn’t find her career as a freelance writer completely fulfilling. When she came across the Health Coach Training Program she was able to combine her passions for writing and health, and created a career that she loves. 

Now a Health Coach and published author, Maia helps people eat healthily within a budget, and has several other projects in the works including a cookbook and a wedding guide. Read on to learn more about this successful graduate! 

What were you doing before Integrative Nutrition?

Vista McCroskery, a 2011 graduate from Nacogdoches, TX, grew up on a small farm where she planted her own seeds and enjoyed organic fruits and vegetables. When she moved away, her diet and lifestyle drastically changed, and consequently she became overwhelmed with serious health problems. She did not seek help for a long time, but years of medications and stress forced her to make a change.

After rediscovering whole foods and primary foods through the Health Coaching Training Program, Vista was able to move away from her medications and lose an astonishing 100 pounds. She launched her own health coaching business, and currently has three books in the making. Most importantly, Vista has returned to a state of happiness and self-confidence, and after a long, difficult journey, she’s finally living to her full potential.

More often than not, it’s receiving scary news or a moment of fear that prompts a dramatic change in lifestyle. For 2010 graduate Sera Snyder, it was learning she had a rare tumor in her stomach.

After working with another Integrative Nutrition grad, Sera was inspired to enroll in the Health Coach Training Program. In addition to discovering her path to wellness following surgery, she also launched a new career that she’s passionate about after having worked in an unfulfilling career for several years prior. Read more of Sera’s story and how she’s educating medical professionals about integrative care for cancer patients in her new role.

2011 graduate Elisa Haggarty realized two things upon her arrival in Hong Kong, where she relocated from Morristown, New Jersey. One: her new job as an English teacher was not all she had hoped it would be; and two: her students suffered from a poor level of health and nutrition.

After contemplating where she saw her future self, and how she could make a difference in the health of her students, she enrolled in Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coach Training Program and sensed a new path emerging in her career. Elisa continues to teach English, but is now sharing her knowledge of health and wellness in her school and introducing new practices that her coworkers and students otherwise may never have learned. She hopes to eventually transition to educating others about whole foods and eating well full-time, since she has found in her travels that the strong need for health coaches is universal. Read more about this graduate’s journey below!

What were you doing before Integrative Nutrition?

Before enrolling in IIN, I was teaching English at an International School in Hong Kong. I came here from New Jersey in the pursuit of an adventure, change of pace and a new challenge. As soon as I arrived, I knew this job was not the right fit for me. I had no support system here and felt frustrated by teaching English when I KNEW there was more important information and more issues for me to tackle. At one point, only four years into teaching English, I even contemplated quitting teaching and finding another profession. I felt an overwhelming sense of apathy because I saw so many of my students were overweight and headed straight towards bad health and disease.

2010 Integrative Nutrition graduate Jessica Idleman had an existing background and knowledge in health that supported her work as a nutritionist. What she was missing, however, was the ability to turn this expertise into a thriving business. Through new connections and a gained sense of confidence acquired in the Health Coach Training Program, Jessica found the direction she needed for her practice, Glow Nutrition, and catapulted into success. Now she’s sharing her knowledge and expertise in healthy cooking with members of her community in Springfield, MO, a place where health coaches are hard to come by and many people rely solely on counting calories to stay slim. Read more about what this grad is up to below!

What were you doing before Integrative Nutrition?

I was working as a nutritionist doing essentially the same thing I am still doing. Integrative Nutrition helped me take my practice to the next level and solidify a business model.

What led you to explore Integrative Nutrition's program?