From anorexic to binge eater to Holistic Health Coach - this is my personal journey of how I went from battling my own disordered eating demons to helping others tackle theirs. I take you all the way back to the first time I opened up about my eating disorder, how I struggled to find someone who could relate, how I finally found someone who was able to hold a safe space for me to be vulnerable and when/how I felt ready to give back and help others. I also talk about how I initially looked into becoming a nutritionist or psychologist, but soon realised that wasn’t the right path for me and eventually stumbled across The Institute For Integrative Nutrition, also known as IIN.

In Part 2 we talk about

• The night I hit rock bottom and realised I had an eating disorder

I had a very tumultuous relationship to food and my body in my teens and struggled with anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating. When I eventually hit rock bottom and decided that things needed to change, I tried a couple of things to get better. For one, I tried working with two different psychologists, but unfortunately, neither of them resonated with me and it just didn’t feel right. But then, by chance, I stumbled a cross a Holistic Health Coach whom herself had gone through years of disordered eating and it through working with someone who could truly relate to my struggles, that I learnt to rebuild my relationship to myself and make peace with my plate. 

•  The moment I realised I’m not the only one struggling with food issues

As I started feeling more like myself again, I began sharing my progress, my ups and downs and much of my inner world with others. First with family and friends around me, then with strangers and on social media. It was about that time that I realised there’s so many people, especially women, struggling in silence with similar mental health issues that I had experienced. I began receiving messages from girls in my uni, asking if we could grab a coffee because they could relate to my story and wanted advice and guidance to help with their struggles. 

•  The power of vulnerability and working with a Health Coach who’s gone through the same struggles as you

This is really where it hit me, and I realised that I wanted to use my story to help others in their disordered eating struggles, much like my health coach had helped me at the time. I felt so judged and misunderstood by the traditional paths I had tried prior, but working with someone who could relate so deeply and was able to hold a safe space for me to be vulnerable was exactly what I needed at the time. And that’s why I’m such a huge believer in the power of vulnerability and the the idea that your mess is your message, and doing a Health Coaching Certification through IIN allowed me to go out and share that message and ultimately help others through their food struggles.

• Some other key take aways:

x You are not alone in your food battles. It isn’t normal behaviour, but it’s certainly very COMMON.

x If the first person you seek help from doesn’t resonate with you, keep looking.

x Find someone who has gone through the same thing as you, as they will be able to relate on a deeply personal level.

x Opening up about your struggles is like therapy. It takes away some of the guilt and shame, and there is so much power in vulnerability.

You can also learn more about The Institute for Integrative Nutrition by following this link or by downloading the Info Kit, Sample Class and Curriculum Guide below. Otherwise, stay tuned for Part 3 of this 4-part dedicated IIN IGTV series.

In Part 3, we will cover

• How an IIN certification can help you improve your own health and enable you to help others through their own health and wellness struggles

• Specific facts about IIN such as program set up, time commitment needed, nutrition theories covered, coaching and business skills taught

• Whether or not you can do IIN purely for personal self development reasons