Joshua Rosenthal is the Founder and Director of Integrative Nutrition and a feature contributor for Wellness Today. We had the opportunity to speak with Joshua about what it’s like to create a life-changing program, like IIN’s Health Coach Training Program.

Integrative Nutrition is celebrating 20 years of bringing health and happiness to people all over the world. What are the biggest hurdles and lessons that you have learned along the way?

When society as a whole begins to evolve and understand that food changes everything, we will see major impacts on social change. It makes sense that when people are happier and healthier, working at jobs that fulfill them, getting adequate exercise, enjoying nourishing relationships, and developing a spiritual practice, that crime rates will go down, student achievement scores will rise, and rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer will drop. This shows we have to get nutrition education to those areas where crime is a problem. The same goes for children and young people. We need to vote with our fork and make our voices heard. Right now the government is on the side of corporations. When health is the number-one priority in this country and around the world, we will see the benefits of our movement. 

“I feel that everyone has a responsibility to do work that will make the world a better place. My work is the direct result of my vision that the world can be happier and healthier.” 

What would you say best defines the IIN philosophy?

I feel that everyone has a responsibility to do work that will make the world a better place. My work is the direct result of my vision that the world can be happier and healthier. When people discover Integrative Nutrition, hear about primary food for the first time and meet a community of passionate people out to change the world, they suddenly become inspired. This is what motivates me. When I see people make simple changes that drastically improve their health and happiness, I think "everyone can do this! Let's make it happen."

Who or what is your greatest inspiration?

My greatest inspiration year after year is the students and graduates of Integrative Nutrition. I’m truly humbled by their passion and devotion to making the world a happier healthier place.

Tell us about what some of the IIN students are doing out in the world.

Integrative Nutrition has almost 30,000 students and graduates in 100 countries. I think about the impact we are having now and then think what would it look like to double or triple that. It’s an incredible feeling. Our students and grads are changing the world. I don’t think very many schools can say they have a community as unique, diverse and passionate as ours. I am very proud and humbled to be associated with these amazing people. There are an immeasurable number of lives that have been impacted by the movement. In some large or small way, people are being helped every day. People heal relationships, help family get healthy, leave a career that's dragging them down. They start caring about what they eat and how it effects their body, health, the planet and future generations. Knowledge is something that is naturally and organically passed on to others when you are passionate and the knowledge is life changing.

How does Integrative Nutrition provide outreach to communities in need?  

As the largest nutrition school in the world, Integrative Nutrition is committed to making a difference by improving the health and happiness of communities worldwide. In addition to providing a world-class Health Coach Training Program, we consistently partner with organizations whose missions are to make a difference in the world. Through our charitable giving partnerships we support non-profits that preserve and promote seasonal, local eating and educates consumers on the dangers of fast food, commercial agribusiness, and factory farms. Our partner organizations fight issues of childhood obesity, farm animal cruelty, hunger, lack of nutrition and nutrition education in low income communities and we actively support ongoing relief efforts of the American Red Cross.