Why I Became a Health Coach

Since I can remember, I have always had an immense passion for health and nutrition. As a native of Bulgaria, I grew up in a household where my mother prepared meals for our family fresh daily with nothing short of simple, wholesome ingredients. No matter how busy she was, she made sure our entire family had healthy options readily available, even if that meant a quick salad or soup. So when I first moved to the United States, I was naturally shocked not only at the rising rates of type-2 diabetes and obesity this country faces, but the overall quality of food, specifically processed foods, that are accessible in this country. As silly as it may sound, I had never tried mac n cheese, or let alone heard of a “hot pocket.” This complete culture shock, influenced me to take initiative at my high school. It was there, where I initially began pursuing my passion of health and nutrition. I developed the school’s first health club and began integrating healthier options into the cafeteria. From working directly with the school to provide students with healthier alternatives, I realized my passion was to continue to provide health and nutrition education.

Fast forward years later and I had the opportunity to intern alongside Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, the founder of F-Factor. This was a tremendous opportunity for me to better understand nutritional counseling and client relationships, which really inspired me to jump-start my passion into a profession. After my internship, I was ready to dive into becoming certified as a health coach. I discovered the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), which was perfect for me because it teaches nutrition from a holistic perspective that focuses on bio-individuality — or understanding that every body is different and needs different things.

At IIN we learned about 100 different dietary theories from some of the world’s top experts, like Mark Hyman, Andrew Weil and Dr. Oz.

My education at IIN has not only helped me become a health coach, it has also helped me on a personal level. I had spent years struggling with my relationship with food while managing the effects of IBS and severe bloating. I would crash diet, eat very little or avoid eating certain foods all together. With proper education, I have been able to enhance my understanding of nutrition and lead a more balanced and nutritious life. Eating healthy does not need to compromise taste, which is why I continue to develop healthier takes on popular recipes and implement them into my client’s food plans.

After graduation I did continuing education earning a certificate in Culinary Nutrition at Natural Gourmet Institute and am earning my Masters in Food Studies at NYU. My education has inspired my blog — Healthy with Nedi and has helped me guide  thousands of people to create healthy lifestyle habits and achieve physical and psychological balance. I create my low-carb, figure friendly recipes using real, unprocessed, highly nutritious foods and help cut through the clutter of fad diets. It is my goal to help  set my readers on a path to a truly healthful lifestyle.

IIN is offering $1,500 off of Tuition when you sign up before January 2nd. You can get a free class and learn more about this incredible deal here. What a great way to start the new year. If you have any more questions about my time at IIN, feel free to email me at nedi@healthywithnedi.com.