Integrative Nutrition graduates are finding their calling to help others heal in various aspects of their lives. We caught up with Kenrese Young, Motivational Speaker and Health Coach to find out more about her practice and how Integrative Nutrition's Health Coach Training Program impacted her life.

What were you doing before Integrative Nutrition?

Before Integrative Nutrition I was working as a Senior Product Development Executive. I was also actively searching for my purpose as I felt there was more I could be doing.

What led you to explore Integrative Nutrition’s program?

There’s a war going on out there, and some Philadelphia parents are taking matters into their own hands.

School lunch reform is something that we are in dire need of in this country. People know it and steps are being taken, but the pace is slow and special interest groups are doing their best to inhibit real change. But schools are not the only places where kids are eating junk.

At 310lbs with a gut the size of a beach ball, Joe Cross did something amazing. He loaded up his car with a generator, a juicer, and a camera and set off on a journey to find himself – and save his life in the process. 

He traded in his junk food and spent the next 60 days and 3,000 miles drinking only fresh fruit juice and vegetable juice in an attempt to regain balance in his life and get off the medications for good.

Healthy bodies make healthy minds, and so it makes sense that serving kids junk not only makes their bodies unhealthy, but affects their academic abilities as well. Add to that the alarmingly high (and rising!) obesity rate and the fact that overweight and obese children often become overweight and obese adults, it starts to become clear: something has to change.

1.    Our resident raw food guru and Integrative Nutrition guest teacher David Wolfe talks about getting started with detox in this short but super informative video.

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolution?

Every year millions of Americans make resolutions on January 1st. Many of them have something to do with improving health and wellness. But by February 1st a majority of those resolutions have gone right out the window.

Since 1980 the American Dietetic Associate has been providing a gentle springtime reminder by celebrating National Nutrition Month in March. Each year there is a theme to help us eat better and be healthier. This year’s theme is “Eat Right with Color.”

If you aren't wearing green today, you can eat green instead! This delicious green smoothie recipe is courtesy of Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Julia Argenti, also the creator of Lemons and Loafers, a popular health and fashion blog. Also don't miss the webinar we have with her next week, "Spring into a Clean Mind, Body, and Home," to get yourself ready for spring! (More details below).

Green Smoothie!

Mexico, like nearly every other industrialized country, is fat. In fact, with 30% of their population categorized as obese and 70% overweight, Mexico is the fattest country in the world. But this January, officials put their foot down and said, “We have had enough.”

In the last century modern medicine has made incredible breakthroughs in the treatments of some of our worst diseases. So why are Americans still very sick?

According to American Diabetes Association in 2011, 8.3% of the population has diabetes. That means 25.8 million people in the United States suffer from a largely preventable disease. And they are not alone. High blood pressure, asthma, and other diseases are also preventable and highly treatable.

The ability to function on as little sleep as possible has long been a point of pride for busy Americans, but getting less than 7 hours not only makes you tired, it make you sick. Insufficient sleep has been linked to an increased risk of chronic disease, such as diabetes and depression. Getting a good night's sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing. 

So how much sleep do you need? The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours for adults and as much as 11 hours for children.