Sharing a full review of my experience completing the Level Two Integrative Health Practitioner course. You can read about my level one experience here! If you are interested in obtaining certification, Check out the details here and use code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off.
Hello friends! How is the morning treating you? I’m going to a Pilates class and have a couple of coaching calls today. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about my IHP certification and the process of becoming a certified health coach, if this is something you’re interested in doing.
Review of the Level Two Integrative Health Professional certification
Over 100 hours of courses, continuing education, and some very challenging exams, and now I’m a Level Two Integrative Health Practitioner. I am very excited to add functional medicine labs to my current offerings, share them with clients, and also use them for myself and our family. The timing was interesting too, especially with my sudden eye problems and previous autoimmune symptoms. I’m working with my medical team, but also doing my own deep dive to get my body back into balance as best I can. <3
While I LOVED Level One of the Integrative Health Professionals program, Level Two was everything I had been wanting and more. She couldn’t wait to study the material every day and during each module she thought: THIS is exactly what I want to learn. This is how I want to help my clients. I am very excited to have this health coach certification under my belt.
Here is a list of other fitness/health certification programs I have completed: Precision Nutrition Level 1, NASM Personal Trainer, NASM Weight Loss Specialist, NASM Women’s Fitness Specialist, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, Les Mills BODYPUMP, Zumba and Aqua Zumba, Barre Body, Schwinn, Yoga RTY-200 hr, Level One Raw Food Chef and AFAA Group Fitness Instructor. I want to continue learning as much as possible and then have my eye on High Performance Health certification.
This is how Level Two differs from Level One:
IHP Level One focuses on Dr. Stephen Cabral’s STRESS protocols (diet, exercise, stress management, toxin elimination, rest, emotional balance, supplementation) and Level Two is based exclusively on functional laboratories. We learned about specific home lab tests, how to run them, and how to analyze the results and recommend appropriate protocols. Everything is taught by Dr. Cabral himself and I enjoy the way he presents complex information, making it accessible and easy to implement. In my opinion, his real-world clinical experience is invaluable.
You can check out my review of the Integrative Health Practitioner Level One certification here.
These are the labs I learned to read:
Food sensitivity testing
This test shows your IgG reaction to 190 foods on a scale from non-significant to high. IgG reactions are sensitivities, not allergies, and represent a delayed response to food. This could be something like headaches, itching, bad mood, irritability, joint pain, muscle weakness, and rashes.
Stool tests for parasites and bacteria
This test analyzes key gut bacteria and parasite markers that can contribute to health problems such as body pain, brain fog, lack of energy, and headaches.
Organic Acids (Metabolic and Mineral):
The comprehensive Candida, Metabolic and Vitamin test provides an accurate assessment of intestinal yeast and bacteria. Abnormally high levels of these microorganisms can cause or worsen behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, movement disorders, fatigue, and immune function. Many people with chronic diseases and neurological disorders often excrete various abnormal organic acids.
(The photo above is from my personal test results)
Omega 3:
Many people understand the importance of keeping inflammation within their bodies under control. But here’s the thing: not many of us take the time to check our Omega-6 and Omega-3 ratios to see how balanced we really are. That’s where this specialized laboratory test comes in, allowing us to get a real look at our overall health.
Now, here’s a pretty surprising fact: research has shown that if Omega-3 levels in the blood reach 9% or more, the chances of suffering from sudden cardiac death are reduced by a staggering 90%. It’s a surprising statistic because it tells us that simply looking at plaque or cholesterol levels doesn’t give us the full picture. What really matters is whether our arteries can expand properly, and that largely depends on inflammation, which often results from having too many Omega-6s.
So the idea here is to increase our Omega-3 levels to achieve a balance with our Omega-6s. This not only benefits our heart health, but also has a positive impact on our overall well-being. Additionally, this same test can be very helpful in addressing issues such as muscle and joint pain, skin problems, nervous system issues, energy levels, mood, and more.
Adrenal hormone:
This lab looks at estrogen and progesterone levels and their relationship to each other, as well as cortisol patterns throughout the day.
Thyroid adrenal hormone:
This is the same as the adrenal hormone lab, with testosterone, DHEA, thyroid levels (T4, T3, TSH, TPO antibodies), insulin and A1C, and vitamin D included. Losing weight has less to do with how many calories you consume or how much you exercise, and more to do with hormonal balance, cortisol levels, and metabolism. By looking at hidden inflammatory triggers and hormonal imbalances, we can discover what needs to be rebalanced in the body.
HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis):
This is an amazing foundational lab and is easy to test with just a hair sample. Your mineral levels include your electrolytes, which provide you with the energy you need to get through a busy day, as well as buffering the effects of stress. It includes minerals, electrolytes, and toxic metals, which can indicate how your body responds to stress and whether it is a slow or fast oxidizer.
These laboratories are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease or illness; however, they can give you unique information about YOUR body.
Learn the IHP2 course material:
As I reviewed the material, I wanted to MASTER everything. About 2/3 of the way through I realized that if I kept going like this, I would never finish the certification, because you can always be learning about these topics. You can also choose a test and spend the rest of your life learning about that particular test. I also realized that the best way to master this material is to do it!
It took me many months to finish this certification and I am still learning by reading the test results. Every time I get a result, I look back at the module as I review each marker. This way, I can really solidify it in my brain and continue with podcasts, books, and continuing education.
How you are set up for success:
Dr. Cabral provides the exact protocols and handouts he uses with his clients, making it easy to provide resources along the way. I love that they are constantly adding new information, brochures, and modules to the platform! They also frequently host Q&A calls on Zoom, and our private Facebook group is another helpful resource.
How to become a certified health coach:
If there is a little voice in your head telling you that maybe this is for you, I cannot recommend the IHP program enough. I definitely would Level 1 and level two, especially if you want to be able to read functional labs. You also do not have to currently work in the health and wellness field to become an IHP. We have many PHI who have started completely new careers because it is something they are passionate about! We also have many physical therapists, nurses, doctors, personal trainers and dental professionals in PHI.
The mission behind IHP is for you to heal yourself and your loved ones. And help your loved ones live their healthiest, most vibrant lives. This is something I want to be able to do more than anything. And I have been very grateful for this knowledge as I am on my own healing journey. I was able to add a new layer to my 1:1 coaching and also work with family and friends.
Once you complete your Level Two certification, you will need to purchase your own insurance in order to take the tests. I did my insurance through Alternative Balance and it was pretty easy to set up. The majority of my wellness clients are virtual with a handful of in-person clients.
If you have any questions about the IHP program, please let me know and I will be happy to answer them. You can also use my link. and code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off here.
So tell me friends: have you ever done any functional testing? How did it go??? I’ll share some of my personal test results in an upcoming post!
hugs and kisses
gina
