Twenty years ago Joshua Rosenthal founded Integrative Nutrition which is now the largest nutrition school in the world offering health coaching, nutrition education, business management and healthy lifestyle choices.Here he talks to Essence Of Life about being a health coach and the choices people make regarding food.
What inspires you to be a health coach?
People want to be healthy, they just need help doing it. I meet people every day with food issues, body issues, relationship issues…after one conversation they feel a sense of relief. All they needed was for someone to listen.
I’m also inspired by the students and graduates of our school. They are phenomenal. I absolutely love when they get back to me with what they’re up to. The Integrative Nutrition community is tireless. They are the most passionate individuals I’ve ever met. And we’re just getting started. We’re now in 64 countries, and the ripple effect is igniting.
Also young people inspire me. They have the energy and passion to take all this to the next level. That’s what our planet dearly needs, effective leadership from intelligent, well balanced young people.
How has your diet changed since you became a health coach?
My diet hasn’t changed much, I like to experiment. I still enjoy 90% homemade organic foods that vary from season to season.
I always talk to my students about being flexible with their diet. If you have a favorite snack food it’s ok to enjoy it for it. For me it’s ice cream. My mom grew up on an organic dairy farm. It was organic because they didn’t have chemicals yet. So I have a genetic predisposition towards dairy. Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. I can’t resist the flavors and the feeling it gives me. It helps chill me out.
When you founded Integrative Nutrition what was your intention? How is your intention being realized?
Through working with clients and observing human behavior, I became convinced that the key to optimal health is understanding each person’s individual needs, rather than follow rules and regulations.
Then I discovered primary food, the concept that happy relationships, cool career, exercise and a spiritual practice are even more important to health than the food on your plate.
We all know what it means to live healthy lives. We just aren’t doing it. Integrative Nutrition trains health coaches to work with family, friends and clients so they can attain that high level wellness in an easy, creative way. The way it should be. Our mission is to create a healthier, happier world. Our graduates make a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of thousands, if not millions, of people.
When one person strives for and acquires optimal health, it affects everyone around them. This ripple effect will eventually transform the health and happiness of everyone. My vision is that more and more people will experience full rich lives….that they will live the life of their dreams.
What do you feel is the single biggest challenge that people face in terms of eating healthy?
Support. People who want to make any lifestyle changes need support. When you pay attention to the mainstream media and advertising, making healthy choices can be confusing and difficult. There are more food commercials on TV than any other type of advertising! If you ate everything the television told to eat, you’d be in a nutrition deficit. That’s where the health coach comes in.
People who are confused and struggle to attain optimal health need someone to guide them to the right choices to live a healthy life. Once the foundation is created and new habits are formed, the transformation is easy.
How can people really know what food suits them? Do they need to know their blood type etc?
Our body has infinite wisdom. When we eat something that does not agree with us, our body tells us. We get a headache, or become lethargic or experience some other discomfort. When we eat nutritious whole foods, we are energetic, vibrant beings. It’s really simple, listen to your body, it will tell you.
What tip(s) would you give somebody who is unable to cook and likes to eat processed foods?
The first thing I would suggest to someone on the Standard American Diet (SAD) is to start listening to their body. Every time you eat processed foods, how do you feel? People need to see the vital connection between how they feel and what they eat. Long lasting changes sometimes happen slowly. I talk about crowding out at the school. If someone’s diet is mostly store bough or take-out I would say try to increase how many times they eat at home each week - make one or two small changes every week.
Do you think that there are certain countries/types of people who eat healthier?
Any culture that relies on local resources for plant and animal foods will be healthier naturally. And when I say local resources, I don’t mean the local supermarket. I mean whole foods that are grown, raised, cultivated and harvested within a short distance from your home. People who grow and raise their own food have a unique connection to it and their environment. There’s a certain respect for what nourishes when you take a hand in creating it. It’s very special.
What impact do our food choices have on our planet?
When we choose produce that’s flown from the opposite side of the world, I think there’s an obvious impact on the planet. More and more fuel is being used to transport food from one corner of the earth to the other. To me it’s a no brainer. Absolutely the food choices we make impact the environment. You can always impact it in a positive way be choosing local sustainable foods.
What’s your favourite meal?
Any meal, made with love, and enjoyed with friends, family - people I care for, that’s my favorite meal. I am not strict with food. Whatever I eat, I balance it with primary food.
What do you think is the essence of life?
Such a big question with such simple answer. To be happy and healthy and live full, rich, vibrant lives. Enjoy relationships that are loving and supportive. Do work that is meaningful. And inspire others to live the best life possible.
How do you see the future in terms of your work?
I have a big vision. I have seen a major shift in attitudes toward health and wellness in the last 20 years. But, we still have work to do. Today, all of us know someone or some company that does not understand that food affects everything – our health and happiness, our planet, our future, and our connection to each other. This can change. My goal--Integrative Nutrition’s goal-- is to have the world see clearly, with 20/20 vision, that food changes everything.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/