If you had told me 5 years ago that I would become a fitness model, bodybuilder, health coach, author and be fully recovered from depression I would have thought you were mad! I have spent a life time searching for answers to my unhappiness and I have stumbled across the solution completely by accident. You can read the full story of my journey in my book but I wanted to share with you one of the major components that has got me where I am today. My studies and ongoing affiliation with the Institution of Integrative Nutrition® (IIN).
I have battled depression my entire adult life. I have searched and searched for the answers to a happy life and why it alluded me. I have tried every pill/therapist/book/course/diet etc. And while my entire life was far from fulfilling in every area, and I was certainly searching on all fronts, I want to talk specifically about my search for a more rewarding career here.
I have never been the academic type. I have always resented the concept of learning via memory. So many subjects at school did not appeal to me so memorising information on these subjects in order to pass an exam I felt was an inappropriate way to learn. As a result, I only scraped through school and I didn’t go to university after I finished year 12 much to my mother’s horror! Society seems to measure intelligence by qualifications so I didn’t think I was very smart. School and society also educate that with or without formal qualifications, in order to earn money you must get a job. I didn’t think there was any other way to get by in life.
I did make numerous attempts over the years to conform to this must have additional formal qualifications mindset. I started two different degrees; one in maths and one in accounting only to drop out. I have also started many other courses through TAFE and various colleges, searching for that fulfilling career, but once again dropping out. The career I had fallen into did not have any official qualifications until recently and coupled with my opinion that I wasn’t smart I just plodded along in the rat race, hating Mondays and spending the week counting down to the weekend or the next holiday.The only course I actually did complete is when my fallen into career began to be more recognised as a profession and in 1997 I became qualified for the first time since leaving school in 1984. I seemed to be good at my job, it paid the bills so I stuck with it for 30 years…
I first heard about health coaching back stage at my first bodybuilding competition, 5 mins before my call out on stage! I decided I needed to connect with my fellow competitors in order to feel more secure while under the spotlight. I actually wanted to pee my pants and run for my life but that’s another story! I can’t believe I even remembered that conversation given the state I was in. But I did and 24 hours later when I had come back down to earth and regained some sense of normality after eating real food again I googled and found the Institute of Integrative Nutrition®.
I was instantly drawn to their health coaching program. I joined a live call to find out more about it, looked at their curriculum, sampled a class, spoke to a recruiter and signed up within a week. After all the dozens of courses I had started and dropped out, after all my searching for over 30 years I was finally being led in the right direction. I graduated from their yearlong course in April 2014.
“I have noticed that as people improve their health, they become empowered to pursue the life of their dreams – the life they came here to live.”
Joshue Rosenthal
What is health coaching? Health coaching extends the life coaching concept to include the health of your body, mind and spirit. You see, it is very difficult to achieve anything in life if you don’t address any health or weight issues and generally these issues are not just about food! Nutritionists/Dieticians will only look at the food component, doctors only give you 15 mins of their time and are not even trained in nutrition, life coaches will help you set and move towards your goals however none of these professions take a holistic approach and appreciate the impact that the health of your body has on every aspect of your life. And certainly none of these professions have come close to reversing the epidemic of obesity and sickness rampant in society today. If we add health coaches to this mix of wellness professionals, I believe that collectively we can have a huge impact on the future health of this planet. For more information on what health coaching is click here.
What is the Institute of Integrative Nutrition® difference? Like I mentioned earlier, I am not an academic and I hate learning via memory. IINs health coaching course is delivered in such a way that you don’t even feel like you are studying. It is like you are on a journey of discovery, surrounded by support, encouraged and motivated, inspired while generating a feeling of belonging to a likeminded community that is part of a very positive global movement. The lecturers are passionate, knowledgeable and well known within the wellness space and you are given the opportunity to not only learn about but are encouraged to try 100 different dietary theories. IIN are very much about bio-individuality, what works for one person may not work for another and you gain an understanding of what this means. Click here for further info.
Health coaching is the upcoming profession of the 21st century. IIN are lobbying congress in the US for support and recognition for the vital role we can play in resolving the global health crisis. We are also lifting the veil on how this crisis has come about and are challenging the social norm.
As a proud graduate and member of this movement it was only natural that I also became an ambassador. I would simply LOVE to be able to inspire more people to do this course and join me on this incredible journey I am on. I can offer you exclusive savings to access this life changing course. Yes; I do receive a commission if you are wondering! But my reward is not just monetary, it is knowing that I have contributed to this growing community and together we are making a difference.
If you would like to have a personal discussion with me regarding the course, IIN, or anything I have just written please click here to contact me or write a comment below. I LOVE talking about my passion in life!
