What is Integrative Nutrition? 

Many friends and clients over the years have asked a very valid question: "what is Integrative Nutrition?" I actually love this question because what I do and the curriculum I got to absorb has some pretty stark differences from working with a Dietician or Nutritionist.  Here’s a quick overview of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)’s concept of Integrative Nutrition® — what it is, how it works, and the key ideas behind it.

What is Integrative Nutrition®? Integrative Nutrition® is the foundational approach taught by IIN, defined by them as “the integration of all dimensions of your well-being to create true health and happiness.”* Rather than viewing nutrition solely as intake of macronutrients and calories, this model treats food and eating as part of a broader holistic system, involving physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, environmental and lifestyle factors.*

Core PrinciplesHere are some of the key ideas behind their model:
  • Bio-individuality: IIN emphasizes that “everyone’s needs are different and what works for one person won’t work for another.”*  The idea is to help individuals discover their own health philosophy, and what foods, habits and lifestyle support them.
  • Holistic scope: It’s not just about the food you eat — but about sleep, stress, relationships, spirituality, career and environment. “Nutrition in the broadest sense of the word,”* as IIN puts it. 
  • Coaching + transformation: IIN positions health coaching as a profession that helps clients explore their wellness goals, develop sustainable behaviors, and realize stronger health and happiness.*
  • Personal empowerment and ripple effect: According to IIN’s mission, the goal is to improve individual health and happiness, which in turn creates a “ripple effect” that can transform larger communities and the world.*

How IIN Applies It:
In practice, IIN offers courses (notably their flagship Health Coach Training Program™) that teach students this integrative approach — combining modules on nutrition, coaching skills, business and lifestyle wellness.*
Students learn about the “IINtegrative Coaching Method™” and apply the bio-individuality/human-holistic model through exercises, labs and coaching practice.*

Why It’s Different / What to WatchWhat makes it distinct:
  • It goes beyond conventional nutrition/dietetics which often focus on nutrients, calorie counts, disease-specific diets. Instead it centers on broader lifestyle, mindset, and individualized wellness.
  • It frames the role of a health coach as someone who may work solo or alongside medical professionals, focusing on behaviors and whole-person wellness rather than prescribing diagnoses or medications*. 

Things to consider:
  • The term “Integrative Nutrition®” is trademarked by IIN and represents their distinct brand of holistic health coaching.* 
  • While the coaching model can offer broad value for lifestyle change and wellness guidance, it’s important to understand that health coaching is not the same as medical nutrition therapy, being a registered dietitian’s scope of practice, or clinical care for serious medical conditions. For some, this can be a positive-- if they're seeking to cover whole person health, which would include lifestyle factors such as: finances, relationships, home environment, fitness, spirituality, creativity, etc. Over the years, I've learned that working with an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is sometimes a client's last resort, having felt there concerns or struggles were disregarded in various clinical settings. 

In Summary:
Integrative Nutrition®, as taught by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, is a holistic, individualized approach to wellness that sees food and nutrition as one piece of a larger human-system puzzle. It emphasizes personal empowerment, whole-life context (mind, body, spirit, environment), and coaching to support sustainable health and happiness. For those curious about health coaching or wellness professions, it offers one pathway — and if you'd like to find out more, please sign up for a complimentary Lifestyle Assessment today! 


*Sources: 
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