I'm so happy right now... I do hope you have a minute. Perhaps some tea?
Today, my newest workshop, one that focuses on a practical, everyday approach to eating well, is here! Through online community, jam-packed weekly modules, and a healthy amount of time (three months!) - Whole Food Kitchen will be a place for absorbing, exploring, and transforming. Registration is now open! (Sorry, it's closed.)
February 6 - April 29, 2012
Registration is now closed, thank you!
Next Whole Food Kitchen will take place in 2013.
This workshop will teach and speak to a mostly plant-based diet, but is not exclusively vegan or vegetarian.
Come spend three months in the kitchen with me!
You will find my classes infused with a non-dogmatic, inclusive approach to nutrition. In life and in food, my focus is on simplicity, patience, keeping it real, and common sense.
Essential details:
three month immersion
twelve modules
amazing contributors
printable lessons, action steps, resources
email support as you need it
online community forum
nearly 100 recipes/food tutorials
video cooking classes, audio podcasts
self-paced
virtual classroom and forum remain open for 30 days post workshop
a down to earth approach to eating well
Module Topics:
Each weekly module topic will be explored broadly and deeply; using a multi-media approach, engaging lessons, and encouraging contributors. Listing these topics only skims the depth of content inside each.
Whole Food Fundamentals
Pantry and Kitchen Set-up
Menu Planning and Recipe Organization
Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds
Whole Grains and Legumes
Animal Protein: Meat and Dairy
Breakfast and the Lunch Box
Celebrating the Dinner Table
Holistic Lifestyle
Nourishing Snacks
Community, CSA, and Special Occasions
An Evolving Journey
In addition to the weekly modules, you'll have daily access to a private online community forum and weekday email support with me, as needed along your journey.
Amazing Contributors:
This is going to be fantastic! Real life mamas are generously inviting you into their homes and sharing their personal food and lifestyle stories. The topics they are writing about are as varied as the weekly modules - I promise tremendous inspiration and practical information from these carefully selected women.
I feel like it is such a gift to share the wisdom of these ladies with you.
Real food, mostly (not entirely) plants, tremendous support, that is my focus.
Do you feel ready?
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If you are ready to begin an inspiring journey of transformation...
Register for Whole Food Kitchen, a three month workshop, today!
February 6 - April 29, 2012
Registration is now closed, thank you!
Kind words received after my 30 Day Vegan workshop:
"This has been a wonderful journey, one I would have never been brave enough to tackle on my own. Thank you so much for your inspiration, encouragement and education through out this workshop." - Jessica
"Thank you Heather for all of the thought and hard work you put into making this workshop so rich for us. I am so glad that I was able to be a part of it,everything from the recipes to the little pearls of wisdom have made this month seem like a truly restorative experience. The weeks flew by quickly but I feel that major changes have transpired that go beyond anything I expected." - Claire
"Thank you so much for this workshop. It has been a wonderful 30 days. The food has been delicious, and the reflective space so welcome. My husband has been saying all week how sad he is the 30 days are over, and I assure him that we can continue eating the same food. " - Kirsten
"Heather - Please let me echo the sentiments of many of my classmates by thanking you for the effort that you put into this workshop. This is BY FAR the best online "class" I have taken." - Joni
"... you've been a wonderful guide and I really value and appreciate the work you put into making this workshop so complete - a perfect balance of practical knowledge and thoughtful inspiration." - Kim
UPDATE: Friends, technology is not on my side this morning. While I work out a few e-commerce kinks... I stare at the registration page, eager to share it with you, wishing you could take a peek right now too! All is well and ready to go (minus one detail), but it looks like an evening rather than a morning launch will be in store for us.
Patience, grasshopper... (a message to myself)
Registration will open tomorrow for my newest online workshop!
This course is designed to inspire, educate, and encourage people around creating a whole foods kitchen and lifestyle (or re-energize their existing one).
Whole Food Kitchen will teach and speak to a mostly plant-based diet, but not exclusively vegan. This class reflects a day to day, 90/10 - 80/20 approach to eating well.
Come spend three months in the kitchen with me!
You will find my classes infused with a non-dogmatic, inclusive approach to nutrition. In life and in food, my focus is on simplicity, patience, keeping it real, and common sense.
Essential details for now:
three month immersion
twelve modules
amazing contributors
printable lessons, action steps, resources
email support as you need it
online community forum
nearly 100 recipes/food tutorials
video cooking classes, audio podcasts
a down to earth approach to eating well
Real food, mostly plants, tremendous support, that is my focus.
Extensive details and open registration will be available in tomorrow's post!
One more thing before I go - this course will be launched with an incredible offer, find out tomorrow exactly what that is!
I've really enjoyed hearing from you that covering this topic is of interest. I wonder if the level of interest has to do with the newness of the holistic nutrition field and the curiosity that surrounds such new things. Meaning, if I had recently become an accountant, people would not have too many questions, we understand what that means already.
Have you read Part One of this series yet? It's a good place to start.
Originally, I thought I would cover both schools that I've attended in Part Two of this series, but I have a feeling this post will be quite lengthy so I'll just cover one at a time.
Today I'll share with you what I can about the first nutrition school I've chosen to attend, Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This isn't to offer a review of the school, but rather to simply share my personal thoughts and experiences.
Institute for Integrative Nutrition
:: contemporary :: new york city :: progressive :: sexy :: confidence building :: sophisticated :: impressive technology :: amazing teachers :: get out what you put in :: inclusive :: supportive :: open-minded :: mostly plant foods :: innovative :: down to earth :: truly holistic :: authentic :: comprehensive :: business preparation :: unconventional :: revolutionary :: professional :: intelligent :: intuitive :: keep it simple :: clean food :: individual needs vary :: experiential :: generous :: lifestyle matters :: great value :: not for everyone :: definitely for me ::
I could go on and on... these are the words and phrases that came to mind as I thought of IIN over one minute or so of typing. Doesn't sound like your typical school, does it? It really isn't, and that can take some people who are used to a mainstream university by surprise.
IIN was a great fit for the first part of my journey, but it isn't for everyone.
Unique approach.
IIN teaches holistic nutrition by staffing a wide variety of experts in the field, many with contradictory approaches from one another. The remaining curriculum is taught via an online classroom, DVD's, a business "workbook" and an iPod that is loaded with audio/video lecture content (which was wonderful to take in the car and to the gym). I think students enrolling now receive and iPad with all of that content - nice! That is how IIN is... always growing, moving forward, improving.
At Integrative Nutrition, students are taught the important philosophy of remaining open minded about the finer details of nutrition - so much of what we know is ever-evolving, new science is always emerging. One single approach does not best serve everybody. This is not to say their position on healthy eating is glossed over, not at all. IIN has strong views on eating whole, close-to-the-earth foods. They take a stance against the deficiencies in today's modern "food system," factory farming, agri-business, and the (political) document that is our nation's government issued guide to eating.
This is an online school. There are 40 modules (released weekly with the exception of certain holiday breaks and test weeks) over the course of one year. There is a "free" second year to the program, post certification that is called Immersion which takes you deeper and deeper into the vocation of holistic nutrition. This too, is entirely online with optional live workshops. Not many schools (regardless of the field) place such emphasis on actually "going to work" the way IIN does. You should know that this particular focus is unsettling for some people and turns them off.
Why is that?
Many of us are so passionate about nutrition and whole food that we get a little tentative when the talk turns to business and making money (something that was hard for me as a yoga teacher as well), but the reality is, we all have to pay our bills. Money has tremendous energy and stirs up a lot of emotion, especially when it involves something that our soul deeply connects with. It's worth working through those emotions though, because getting paid to do what you truly love is such a blessing.
There are various start dates throughout the year, but you can enroll at any time and receive your books, iPad, online access, etc., and begin immediately with the Fundamentals Program. I was highly impressed with the chance to dig into something right away. For example, I believe I enrolled in school in March and classes didn't officially begin until May, yet I had plenty to do and learn right away. Loved that.
The student website/classroom is incredibly impressive, with content running deeper than you can imagine. So much is there for the person willing to make the most of it.
Requires a great deal of self-discipline.
This is likely true for any distance learning program, perhaps more so with this school. As a student, your greatest accountability is to yourself - the weekly homework assignments are not graded but "sharing" them in the online classroom is encouraged, there are no papers to write, and the tests are simple. (Something I've been honestly critical about with IIN directly when it came time to evaluate and offer feedback at the end of my program.) You are also required to turn in a number of Health History forms that you've completed with other students or people in your own life.
As a student, your work is to read deeply into the online classroom, pour through modules that contain articles, graphs/charts/research/studies, listen to the lectures and watch videos. But there aren't any textbooks to dive into other than the business workbook. This isn't how most of us are used to doing school.
If you're interested in attending IIN, expect it to be unlike any other educational experience you've ever had. I didn't think this was a bad thing.
It is really hard to "fail" at this school. I think the majority of people committed to attending and paying for such a program do put their heart and soul into it, but demonstrating mastery is not an expectation. I wouldn't be surprised if this standard changes in the near future.
Free conferences.
Talk about generous! IIN hosts live single and multi-day conferences around the country, free to students and alumni. These events are filled with amazing guest speakers, activities, inspiration, and further training. A great way to stay fresh, focused and at the forefront of your field.
Focus on Health Coaching model.
The primary focus of IIN's professional training is the clinical practice of Health Coaching.
The premise of private practice as a Health Coach generally includes working with individuals or groups in a multi-month program of nutrition, lifestyle, and wellness counseling. Coaches are highly trained to support and educate people along this path, but there are other methods of reaching people that may be a more affordable option to the general public. Some insurance companies are beginning to cover Health Coach services, but it is not the norm yet. Many people simply cannot afford a $1,200 six month program. Those that can enter this kind of program will truly have one of the most profound experiences of their lives, but not everyone will be able to take advantage of that.
Hopefully, as more insurance companies cover this preventative service, as they should, more people will benefit.
If you are planning to enter this field, do allow yourself to think outside the box.
High level of business training.
I've already touched on this above, but it is worth focusing on further. You will not leave IIN wondering how on earth to use this degree in the work force. Many of us know people with degrees that don't translate well to an actual job, especially in the new job climate we live in. Education, as well as vocational training and application are essential. IIN really nails this.
As I mentioned above, the emphasis on business can feel a little off putting for some, it was for me at first too. In the end, I found it worthwhile to work through that energy, using it to further develop myself and move forward.
Other benefits.
Integrative Nutrition is always full of surprises. Little things - like sending you a new calendar at the holidays (seriously the most beautiful calendar I've ever owned), a package of meaningful swag (books, reusable shopping bags, aromatherapy charts, and lavender pillows) as a thank you for enrolling.
An amazing referral program! This really blew my mind, and I did experience this first hand, twice. If someone signed up and offered my name during their registration process, I received a check for $500! No questions, simple as can be, a gift of thanks.
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If you're looking for an amazing experience and valuable training from a school that thinks outside the box, IIN might be the right fit for you. It was for me.
I'm grateful for the life changing experience and important piece to my education.
In my next post, I'll share about the school I am currently attending (which probably won't be as long because my time there is not complete), Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.
Please remember that what I've mentioned here is simply a collection of my own thoughts and experiences. Each person has his or her unique goals and needs.
As always, if I didn't cover something you have a question about, please ask. I'll do my best to answer.
A little bit of a detour today to cover a topic many of you have inquired about.
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One of the top subjects of email entering my inbox has to do with my professional training in the field of holistic nutrition. I'm thinking it might be useful to cover this topic right here, a simple way for me to chat with each of you at once I suppose!
This topic will be shared in three parts:
How I discovered this field (and what exactly is holistic nutrition).
The schools I’ve attended (my thoughts on both).
Moving forward professionally.
Today I'll explain the role of a person in this holistic nutrition field, as well as how I became interested in pursuing this path.
The first time I heard of "holistic nutrition" was about six years ago. I was seated on my yoga mat waiting for class to begin, the teacher was giving announcements for upcoming events at the studio. We were told a women named Terry Walters would be leading a "Circle of Nourishment" at the studio - she was described as a Holistic Health Counselor and Macrobiotic Chef. I had never heard such a beautiful and more intriguing string of words before! Terry also taught cooking classes out of her home (she still does), as well as at places like Whole Foods.
Many of you know Terry Walters through her books, Clean Food and Clean Start. She's local to my (small) state and has been an inspiring nutrition educator in my area longer than either of her books have been on the shelf.
I attended a couple of her Circles of Nourishment and always left feeling inspired, grounded, and healed.
Terry’s work had a great impact on me, so much that I hired her services as a wedding gift to a friend. My friend and her new husband were busy urban school teachers, their energy reserves (both physical and mental) were not always primed at the end of the day when it was time to prepare dinner - yet they believed in clean, whole food. Terry came into their home and spent an entire afternoon teaching them the fundamentals of whole food cooking, including the ever important tips of being organized and planning ahead.
Terry’s in-house cooking classes include the following:
She brings the food, the pots, pans, knives, etc. She stays for about 3 hours and prepares alongside you several recipes, answering your questions and teaching many things along the way. When your time together is up, you are left with a bountiful meal to enjoy with friends or family, and great information to process as she heads out the door. Sounds great, yes?
There was a moment in June of 2006, standing in my yoga teacher’s kitchen, having just graduated from Yoga Teacher Training, that I knew pursuing studies in the field of Holistic Nutrition would be the next step for me. It seemed the perfect marriage, yogic perspective blends so naturally with how we eat and the lifestyle choices we make.
I waited. I taught yoga, I created a blog, I cooked, I made art, I lived.
For years, Terry was the only person I knew (in real life or online) that work in the field of holistic nutrition.
I would visit the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s website periodically... eventually I noticed there was a distance learning program! I couldn’t afford it. I waited some more.
Then one day I picked up the phone and called them, just to talk... I asked about student financing. They had a program that worked with my budget. I emailed Terry and asked if we could chat for a bit, I was curious to hear her perspective about the school (it's not a conventional school and is not the right fit for everyone, more on that in part 2). She filled me in on her experience and was very encouraging and objective.
I made my decision to enroll, and have been so pleased with that decision ever since. Currently, I am in year two with IIN. Health coach certification is earned in the first year - this second year places continued training on holistic health business practices and development, as well as deepening personal and professional growth.
At the end of this summer I enrolled in the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. This is a two year program resulting in certification as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I'll talk more specifically in Part 2 about the two schools I've chosen to attend.
Over the last two years, I have seen many Holistic Health Coaches (the title changed from Counselor to Coach during my training) pop up online, through blogs and such. This is very exciting because the need is great, and medical professionals agree.
Health Coaches are entering private practice, working in doctor's offices, transforming school lunch programs, developing gardens and nutrition programs in inner cities, teaching classes in their homes, communities and online, writing books, creating their own food lines, leading retreats, and so much more.
The field is quickly growing, yet is still a new idea for many. Compare it to the early days of yoga teaching in this country... it is 1965 and you tell someone you are a yoga teacher, they'll likely have no idea what you are talking about! Today, yoga is recognized as a powerful healing modality.
What exactly is a Holistic Health (or Nutrition) Coach?
Please go right over to this page for a full understanding. Additionally, to know the role of a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (the certification I am currently pursuing), please read here. I'll be speaking more about how the two compliment and differ from one another in another post.
The food we eat is the single most powerful tool we have to prevent disease and promote health. Furthermore, a specific focus in the holistic approach to nutrition is that lifestyle matters. People who feel joy in daily life, find physical activity they enjoy, do work they love (or find a way to love the work they do), create healthy relationships and a fulfilling spiritual practice... those are the happiest and healthiest people.
Holistic Health Coaches help people along the path of healing and wellness, for years I've felt drawn to be a part of that journey.
This concludes Part 1 of my series, A Holistic Nutrition Journey. I'll share the other two parts over the next couple of weeks, mixed in with regular posting.
My hope is to share what I love, where I've been, and how I'd like to move forward. As I cover these topics, I'm also trying to address your excellent questions and curious minds. If you have a further question relevant to today's topic, please feel free to ask!
Today marks the final day of the current 30 Day Vegan session. Feels very bittersweet.
It was such a wild month! New course elements (video cooking classes!), awesome guest contributor (Renee is amazing!), and a lovely mid-month wrench in the works named Irene (not so amazing!). To say this month ebbed and flowed is an understatement. Thankfully, it mostly flowed... quite gracefully at times too.
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Yesterday we started our new homeschool year and in the spirit of all things September, I thought I'd replay the homeschool series I wrote up last year at this time:
It's interesting to look back on these posts. Our start to this school year is looking very different (I'll be writing about that at Simple Homeschool later in the week), but still fresh and new all the same. With a tweaked approach and a growing child teen, our homeschool is ever-evolving, as it should.
I'm looking forward to giving proper attention to my blog again. Thank you for continuing to be here even (perhaps especially) when my attention is partially elsewhere... xo
