At 38, I returned to my education, which I had declared “closed that chapter,” and it turns out there are so many others who are thinking the same thing 🙂 I found the saying “There’s no age limit to learning” even more meaningful this time 🙂

I received hundreds of questions about my school and online education. This post is written to share my experience on this topic 🙂

As I always say, I embarked on a journey to improve myself, and for years I have been reading and researching the relationship between diabetes and nutrition from hundreds of books and thousands of articles from foreign sources. Why foreign sources? Because 10 years ago, there were no Turkish resources on these topics. There was an understanding like, “Take your medicine, don’t eat sugar, but you’re condemned to this disease for life.” As I researched for myself, I found myself in an endless sea. After diabetes, I started reading about other diseases as well. The world of nutrition became a miraculous and colorful place for me. About 1.5 years ago, I decided that what I was reading was no longer enough for me and that I wanted to get a more academic education. Also, I wanted to share this knowledge with people in a more professional way.

How did I find IIN?

I graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Business Administration in Türkiye. I started researching to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition, but learned that I couldn’t do it in Türkiye because of my business administration degree. I thought, “Then I’ll look at universities abroad,” and entered the world of online education, and I was fascinated. Access to education and information was so easy. I could take any course I wanted. This thought excited me as if I had fallen in love. I couldn’t sleep for days from happiness.

If you type “nutrition school” into Google, IIN is one of the first results. It’s impossible to miss it. Their website has all kinds of information. You can also access it from this address: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/

Why did I choose IIN?

* First, I researched the instructors. They were all world-class, highly successful individuals in their fields.

* I looked at what former graduates were doing around the world. There were some who were doing truly exciting things.

* The school’s promises included excellent coaching training and presenting business models.

* I realized a very dear friend of mine was an IIN graduate and asked for her opinion. She said, “If you want to turn this into a profession, this school is the right choice.”

I’m generally the type of person who does what I set my mind to immediately. I don’t think about it for months. I made the decision and enrolled in 4 days.

What kind of training is provided?

* Upon graduation, your title becomes Holistic Nutrition Health Coach.

You are not a dietitian or a doctor; we don’t fall under the domain of other professions. The boundaries are very clearly defined. In America, Health Coaches work hand-in-hand with doctors and dietitians. I hope this will happen in our country soon. We coach people to achieve their health goals and make life easier for them. That’s the simplest definition.

* The training is entirely in English.

* To graduate, you have to take online exams and 6 online live-connected meetings.

* Classes are offered in weekly modules. You can complete them by dedicating an average of 4-5 hours a week.

* If you fall behind on the weekly schedule, it’s enough to complete the modules before the exam date.

* It takes exactly one year.

My thoughts as a graduate…

* IIN brought a different perspective to my view of nutrition. I clearly learned and experienced that nutrition isn’t just about the food on our plate.

* I learned the psychological aspect of nutrition. I think that was its biggest contribution.

* I had the opportunity to meet wonderful trainers I had never met before.

* The coaching training is good but insufficient. Initially, I was very determined not to use the title “coach” because there’s a prejudice against it in our country due to its misuse, and I had that too. But the moment I saw what a good coach can change in a person’s life during the training, I decided to use the title. First, I changed myself, I learned to take good care of myself. Then I learned how to apply this to others.

* The school provides you with all the necessary work modules (forms, procedural information, etc.).

* I think IIN falls short in terms of nutritional knowledge. They teach hundreds of nutritional trends, but to fit it all into one year, they present it in its most general form. Yes, the best doctors or educators on the subject explain it to you, but it’s brief. It all depends on you. IIN opens the door. They introduce you to the subject and the educator. If you are someone who is curious about reading and researching, you can rush through that door. You can read their books, research the new information they give you. You can find similar articles and books, and you will have learned from the best. But if you stick with the course IIN provides, you will have a very incomplete and confusing knowledge of nutrition.

* I already had a lot of knowledge about nutrition when I started school. I just had that knowledge confirmed by very good doctors and educators. That made me very happy, but it wasn’t enough.

* I would like to ask you to contact the school regarding the fees. There are different prices depending on the payment options. However, my personal opinion right now is that the fee is too high for the education provided. I think this is because my expectations regarding nutrition were higher.

* In online education, you’re completely on your own. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I was going to a real school.

* Because I wanted to learn more about nutrition, because I wanted nutrition in diseases to be my area of ​​expertise, and because I fell in love with Functional Medicine, as soon as I finished IIN, I started the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy affiliated with IFM. It’s only been a month, but I feel like I’m in a real school. It’s a much more rigorous school, and the system is completely different. If I had gone to that first, I might have struggled. I can say that IIN was my first step into Functional Medicine.

* If you only want to go to these schools for personal development, I’d say you don’t need to pay that much money. Many universities have distance learning certificate programs. You can get a good Nutrition education from them.

* If you want to pursue it as a profession, IIN is good in terms of coaching and business modules, but it’s not enough. You definitely need to supplement yourself with other training.

* November 10, 2018 EDIT: I wanted to add another update while I was in my 10th month of Functional Medicine school. FMCA is definitely a much higher-level school. The coaching training I received was fantastic. First of all, I myself have changed so much that it’s indescribable. Also, the nutrition training is much more specific and clear.

* February 2019 EDIT: I graduated from FMCA. It was the best experience of my life. The coaching training is really excellent, and the nutritional information gained is perfect for collaborating with a doctor or dietitian working from a Functional Medicine perspective.

If you want to work individually, the boundaries are very clear and defined. Studying here was a turning point in my life. My dear FMCA 🙂

I hope I’ve answered everyone’s questions. If you have any further questions, please write them in the comments section. The answer might be useful for someone else too.

Lots of love to everyone.