People contact me all the time with questions about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the school where I received my training to practice Health Counseling. Is it for real? Would it be a good fit for me? Is it too good to be true? What's it really like and is it worth the tuition? What about the experience? Is it really as fabulous and exciting as they make it sound?
If you're wondering whether the school is as good as it sounds, my short answer to you is YES! I loved my time at the school, and I found it to be an incredible experience. And yes, Joshua is every bit as committed, caring, and dedicated to the school's mission to "play a crucial role in improving the health and happiness of Americans and through that process create a ripple effect that transforms the world", as he says he is.
For all of you who've expressed an interest in IIN, and for those who are just curious or just thinking about it, I thought I would post a little more information about the experience and give you the reasons why I highly recommend the school:
1. My experience at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition was of a topnotch education. I thoroughly enjoyed Joshua's informative, funny, brilliant and unbiased approach to where America is around food today. And I loved hearing from some of the best and brightest minds in health care today, from Dr. Mehmet Oz (Oprah's favorite doctor) to Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Barry Sears, Sally Fallon and many, many others. I realized early on that while I could hear these speakers in public venues, hearing from them at IIN was a different experience. They were speaking to us not as lay people, but as health care students and professionals. They shared their own experiences of entering the health care arena, and they very candidly shared their views of today's problems in the health care systems. (They were able to do this without fear of offending sponsoring food and pharma interests because IIN accepts no funding or sponsorship from such interests.)
2. IIN is not just a school, it's a movement. What does that mean? It means the school is involved in many charitable and institutional projects for improving how America eats, from improving the school lunch program, to joining with government officials to improve access to healthy foods for New York's most underserved neighborhoods. If you are looking for avenues to get involved in a community that excels in giving back and can foster your opportunities to give back to your community, then this is a place for you. You'll have no shortage of opportunities to get involved at the local, regional and national level. And if that's not your cup of tea, read on for all the other reasons I recommend the school.
3. At IIN, you meet lots of bright people, who are of like mind. IIN attracts students from all walks of life. In my class the youngest was 18 and the oldest was 75. The school honors both these age groups for what they uniquely bring to the educational experience of all the students. The common denominator at IIN is a passion for food, nutrition, health and helping others. It's a rare opportunity to be immersed in a community of hundreds of people with similar goals and dreams, taking their own unique path to realizing those goals and dreams. It is a wave of support that will continue to carry you forward for years to come, if you let it. And the school provides ongoing support through the immersion program (free second year of advanced training for those who qualify) and lot's of online support via the OEF (online education forum) where you connect not only with teachers and mentors, but with all your fellow students.
4. You get to enjoy all this in one of the great cities of the world, New York. The venue where classes were held when I attended was the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, in Rose Hall, a fabulous place to spend a weekend. Next year's class will be held at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, another world class venue. One of the things Joshua started doing with our class was to bring in the chef/owners of some of New York's healthiest eateries to speak to the class and introduce us to their restaurants. It was then easy to find these restaurants after class and try them out. My favorite was Pure Food and Wine, a completely raw food menu, prepared very gourmet. Delicious, and so digestible!
5. The school keeps adding more and more into the program every year. The already comprehensive and thorough program is improved every year, with additions like providing students with web sites, business cards and brochures, so that there is one less obstacle to students getting out and starting to do this work. One of the things that really impresses me about the school is this constant learning and improving of the program that is ongoing.
6. The curriculum is broad and all encompassing. For example, you learn about all the different dietary theories, from Macrobiotics and Ayurveda in the East, to The Zone and Atkins in the West. It's very unusual for a school to allow all these conflicting ideas to be presented, discussed, and support you the student to form your own opinions. If you disagree with what's presented, that's fine! The main thing is to keep an open mind and explore what really works for your own unique needs. And this education equips you to give guidance to your future clients on how to find their way through all the conflicting information out there about food today.
7. You get vocational training and lot's of practical information about building your business, as part of the program. You're not left wondering where to start once you graduate. In fact, part of what attracted me to IIN was the solid business model that they teach in the curriculum. It's a proven model with lot's of instruction on exactly how to make it work for you. You can customize the model as you go along, so that by the time you graduate, you're following the simple instructions from the school, but beginning to develop your unique voice and learning how to present your unique contribution.
I could go on, but you get the picture. I whole-heartedly recommend the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and if you're considering enrolling, there's no time like the present! As Mel Fisher (world's richest treasure salvor) used to say: Today's the Day!
If you'd like to sign up, or learn more, you can call today at (877) 730-5444. Be sure to mention that Laura Brown sent you, and tell them I said hi. (If you call by September 15th, call me to hear about the special discount I'm authorized to offer you for your tuition.)
I hope I've answered your questions about IIN, and if you'd like to know more, feel free to call me at 770-953-0534. As my friends know, I love to talk about this amazing school!
