Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Me

I started getting antsy.

I wanted to do something.

I wanted to learn something.  

I talked to Marcus and hashed out some ideas.  I looked at the local community college at different programs.  I didn't want to just take a class here and there.  I wanted to complete a program where I would then be "certified," able to actually do something in that field...whether I actually would do something in that field or not was/is unknown, but I wasn't interested in merely gaining more knowledge if I couldn't use it for financial-gain if necessary.  I was a teacher and absolutely loved that.  But because of circumstance, teaching is no longer something I'm interested in.  Tutoring was great for a time.  But I was feeling like there was something more for me.  

I already have a pretty full life.  I am a wife and take care of our home.  I am the mother to 3 children.  We want to have more children.  I work with a team to put on a fundraiser each year.  I'm a member of a very active/busy church.  I volunteer in Callie's classroom.  Plus, I want to keep reading and playing with my kids and doing things that help me unwind.  However, I felt drawn to learn more and use my brain and mind in a way that I really have missed.  I wanted to go back to school.

If I was going to do this successfully, I had to create some rules.  I set up some pretty strict perimeters.  

1. Sundays are Free.  Everyone has different opinions on Sundays and how they should be used.  But for me, I have found that when I have that specific day for the Lord, family and friends, I have a much better, clearer week.  I feel recharged.  If a program I contemplated required me to do anything on Sunday, it was immediately eliminated from my list of options.  Sundays are a sacred day for me.  Sunday is the day I attend church with my family, have a slow afternoon, and spend the evening having dinner and socializing with extended family.  I want this day for myself.  But I also really want my children to grow up feeling that Sunday is a sacred day for them as well.  How could I effectively teach my children that Sunday is a day worth putting aside for the Lord, myself, and others (family, service, etc) if I knowingly scheduled class/work/workshops/trainings for Sunday?  I realize not everyone feels this way about Sundays, and that's ok.  This is my own personal decision.  And, I also realize that there are exceptions and jobs where Sundays cannot always be avoided.  My own husband has to work on-call for the hospital and it overlaps to Sundays often.  I get it.  But since this was a choice, I had the luxury of making this a strict rule.  Keeping the Sabbath day a day for just those things is something that has helped strengthen my faith and if I was going to begin something kind of scary and new, I didn't want to take that spiritual factor out.  It has worked for me, so I didn't want to change it up.  Sundays are free.

2. Family-Stress Free.  There's no way to start something like this and not have it add some level of stress.  But stress isn't always a bad thing.  When it's too much, it's time to re-evaluate.  But I wanted this really badly, so I had to make sure it didn't add bad stress to my life...thus adding stress to our family.  This had to be something that I could manage.  I had to be able to have the time to do the assignments, the reading, the studying, whatever work it required of me; I had to be able to do it without putting my family out.  Essentially, it shouldn't affect them in a negative way.  No need to juggle with babysitters, crazy schedules, Marcus needing to take over what I normally do, etc.  Family-Stress Free.  

3.  Budget Friendly.  We are saving money for an adoption.  There's a reason why you see fundraisers out there for adoptions.  They are horribly expensive...I would say, sometimes, unethically expensive!  I didn't want to be a financial burden on our family when we have some major financial goals we're working on.  

4.  Good Vibes.  I needed to feel really good about it...excited, passionate, eager to learn.  There's no way I was about to enter some kind of program if I didn't get the vibe that this was what was right for me. 

So far, I was finding a ton of options, but they didn't meet ALL my qualifications.  And that was a requirement.  I wasn't going to bend. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

In June 2014, I talked to a friend.  And then I talked to her friend.  In this conversation, it came up that Katie's friend, Lauren, was a Holistic Health Coach.  It was a side comment really.  But it greatly piqued my interest.  At the end of the conversation, I asked her if we could revisit the topic of Holistic Health Coach.  She told me that she had enrolled and graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition a few years ago and completely loved it.  She shared some things that she learned and told me how it has changed her life.

I was interested.

I did my research.

AND it fit ALL my requirements.

And the good vibes...they were goooood!

I talked to my mom (for hours).  I talked to my sister (for hours).  I talked to Marcus (for hours).  I prayed and thought about it.  I weighed the pros and cons.  

And in July 2014, I enrolled.  

I've been working on my IIN education for 7 weeks now and am completely loving it.  I'm learning a ton and feeling energized and by December, I'll be able to start working with people.

So, what is a Holistic Health Coach?

This is what is exciting to me.  Because, yes, I am learning about foods and how nutrition plays a big role in our health.  But, "holistic" means so much more.  What IIN teaches is that HEALTH is so much more than food.  Yes, food is imperative.  But what we actually put into our mouths and into our bellies is Secondary Food.  So many people are unhealthy even though their cholesterol is good and blood pressure is normal.  You may be lean but if you struggle with your one or more of your Primary Foods (relationships, physical activity, spirituality, career [even if that's a stay-at-home mama])...your life is out of balance and you know what?  That's not healthy.  Holistic Health Coach.  This concept speaks to me.  Work on ALL aspects of health to achieve your goals.  I whole-heartedly believe that when we are out of balance, when we struggle finding happiness in an area of our life, then we have a harder time in other areas.  It's all connected.  

I'm excited to share my personal experiences with others and just perhaps I'll be able to help them.  But until then, we are becoming healthier and my kids are living in an overall healthier home.  

I'm no longer feeling antsy.

I'm doing something.

And I'm learning sooo much!  

And it makes me happy.