One of my favorite things about my health coaching education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is that it didn’t end after the year I was actually in classes.  I’m currently enrolled in a 6-month follow-up course from IIN called “Immersion,” which focuses on business-building and coaching techniques.  I’m in several incredibly active and supportive Facebook groups, participate in a few monthly group calls with fellow IIN grads, talk to my peer coach from IIN every other week, and keep in touch with several other graduates to share our ideas and experiences. 
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But despite all that, one of the best things about IIN’s continuing education is the IIN Live conferences. Â I’ve attended two conferences live (one in New York City last year, which actually made me bite the bullet and start my blog, and one in California a few years ago, when I first met Clare and was totally starstruck – ha!). Â Each conference hosts an impressive line-up of powerful experts in the field of health and nutrition, as well as inspirational speakers who share their vision and motivate the audience. Â And the best news is that if you can’t make the live conferences, IIN offers live streaming for graduates! 
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Yesterday, while running errands, eating lunch, and cleaning the house, I listened to the first day of this year’s IIN Live conference, and was blown away.  It’s impossible to communicate even a fraction of the information I learned in one blog post, so instead I’ll share my top 10 inspirational quotes from yesterday’s conference.  Enjoy!
- Dream big:Â “Be the career that you want in the future right this second” and “Your dreams are inside you because you are meant to achieve them” –Nitika ChopraÂ
(picture source) - Slow down and sleep more:Â “We live in a world that has forgotten what rest is … we are literally restless” and “We need to renegotiate our relationship with sleep. Â We need to fall back in love with it” –Dr. Rubin Naiman, PhD. Â He also mentioned that women are twice as likely to eat due to sleepiness than men. Â I wish I couldn’t relate to that!
(picture source) - Believe in the power of health coaching:Â “Health coaches are agents of love in disguise” –Dr. Mark Hyman, MD. Â I think that this applies to anyone trying to help others get healthier. Â Let’s go out and change the world!
(picture source) - Eat less sugar:Â “Sugar is 8 times more addicting than cocaine”-Dr. Mark Hyman. Â He also mentioned these scary facts:
- The average American eats 146 pounds of flour and 152 pounds of sugar per year!
- American kids are eating 34 teaspoons of sugar per day
- Teenage diabetes and pre-diabetes increased from 9% to 23% from 2000 to 2008
- There is a 60% increased risk of obesity in kids who drink one soda per day, and an 80% increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women who drink 1 soda per day
- Recognize the power of your food:Â “Food is information, it’s not just calories” -Dr. Mark Hyman. Â He talked about how certain calories make your fat cells “hungry,” and how visceral fat “wants” to grow, which I found very interesting. Â His point was that the classic calorie restrictive diet is not the right approach! Â This reminded me of Friday’s post, where we discussed how the food you eat impacts stress, not just your waistline.
- You can always get better:Â “Whether you’re eating quinoa or Swedish Fish, you can always take your health up a notch” –Keri Glassman, RD. Â YES! Â I’m all about continuous self-improvement, no matter where your starting place.
(picture source) - Drink more water: “Obese people who drank 2 cups of water before each meal over a 3 month period lost 5 pounds more than those who didn’t … and 1 year later, they had kept off more weight” -Keri Glassman.  You know how important I think water is … I’ve talked about the importance of water, and the importance of drinking throughout the day, rather than just after your workout.
- Take charge of your health:Â “The healthcare system is actually a sick care system today. Â We deserve to take our health into our own hands” –Joshua RosenthalÂ
(picture source) - Create your idea of success and respect others’ ideas: “Don’t let the world dictate your definition of success” and “Whose idea of success are you prescribing to right now?” and “In any given moment, the most important thing you can do is recognize the truth of who others are” –Marie ForleoÂ
(picture source) - You can find the time: “If you find yourself saying ‘I don’t have time to get to the gym’ or ‘I don’t have time to eat right,’ I want you to start calling bullsh** on yourself … you always find a way for that which is important for you” -Marie Forleo
Doesn’t this sound amazing? Â If you’ve ever considered an education at IIN, I’d love to talk to you about it (and hook you up with the frequent discounts they offer to those referred by alumni!). Â I can’t wait for Day #2 of the conference today!
So tell me in the comments …Â Which one of these quotes spoke to you the most?
all your quotes are really impressing thanks for sharing
Inspiring indeed! Thank you for sharing this full of motivational and inspiring quotes to us. This gives us courage to continue the journey in the many possibilities of life. For us to find the greatness within ourselves, mentors and leaders will help us see what is possible for us. Glad that you’ve shared something awesome on your conference. At the moment I think my favorite has to be: “Create your idea of success and respect others’ ideas.”
It was SUCH an inspiring conference! I’m so glad you got to tune in from home!
Me too, Laura! And I’m so glad you got to go in person!
I really love ALL of these quotes, but ultimately the ‘recognize the power in your food’ moves me the most – it is SO true and important!
Some of those are the same goals that I had when I did your Spring Reset. I’m still struggling with sleeping more-snoring husband has let to too many nights on the couch. I’m still trying to reduce my sugar. Some weeks are better than others. I do believe as well that you can always get better. Small steps make a big difference.
So sorry you’re dealing with some sleep “impediments”! I am always working on reducing my sugar, as well. It’s about the journey!
Love #5 and #6! I always like to work on “good, better, best” options – health is a journey, and no one has to eat 100% perfect everyday.
I agree, Lauren! I certainly don’t eat 100% perfectly every single day! It’s all about balance and finding what works for your body!
Love these!! I think each one of them speaks to me in their own way but #1 FOR SURE! I am trying to do that RIGHT NOW!
Good luck, Sara! keep up the good work!
I like this post, but even more interesting is to see the variety of comments. That supports why I think one on one health coaching is so important – because EVERYONE is different and we have different issues and our bodies react differently to different foods and even different combinations of foods. Then you have to add that we all are leading different lifestyles and each of our personalities respond to guidance differently. What works for me, may NEVER work for the next person. That’s why I KNOW that “canned” diets just simply do NOT work – and trust me, I’ve tried every single one of them and not just once. I needed to learn and understand HEALTHY eating ……..so I could FINALLY lose weight AND also be more healthy and feel better.
To answer your question, Dr Hyman’s “Food is information, it’s not just calories” screamed at me. 🙂
Mom, you are such an inspiration to so many. The way you transformed into pursuing HEALTH after pursuing crazy diets for so long is exactly what I hope for so many of my clients. The sad thing is that the fad diets DO work … for a week, or a month, or two months … but then you always gain the weight back. As you now know, a real foods approach is so much more sustainable. Thank you for your constant encouragement, and congrats on the huge changes you’ve made!
“We are literally restless” speaks to me. Completely true! Though I did finally spell 10 hours last night. I think I could sleep 10 more!
OK … I slept 10 hours per night the last 2 nights on vacation … and still took an hour nap today :). Even though I believe we can’t “catch up” fully from a sleep deficit, allowing ourselves to rest is pretty awesome, right?!
Great quotes! Two of my favorites are “Whether you’re eating quinoa or Swedish Fish, you can always take your health up a notch”and “Be the career that you want in the future right this second”.
Thanks for sharing!
What career do YOU want in the future, Lisa? Thanks for reading!
I would love to hear any of these people speak especially Mark Hyman. The first quote is me. Right now. At this very moment. Tell me Megan. How do you balance reality with dreaming big?
Ah, Jill, such a big question. At times, I think my dreams are huge and powerful (I want to help thousands … or millions… of people make small changes that will contribute to their overall health and happiness), and other times I think my dreams are realistic (I want to sign 4 new health coaching clients this month). Regardless, I think it’s a constant balance – we need to dream big to stay inspired, but we also need to stay realistic so as not to beat ourselves up over not reaching “the dream” too soon. As I started my business in January, I somehow thought I should be “there” right away, despite knowing better that it takes time to build a business. It just took a bit of time to give me a dose of reality! Happy to brainstorm if you ever want to :).
love it!! such great quotes to live by and remember!! And amazing people of course!
Thank you, Lindsay! Yes, I loved the lineup at the conference!