I am sharing a full review of my experience completing the Integrative Health Practitioner Level Two course. You can read about my level 1 experience here! If you are interested in getting certified, see the details here and use code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off.
Hello friends! How does he treat you in the morning? I’m going to a Pilates class and have some coaching calls later today. Today, I wanted to talk a little about my IHP certification and the process to become a certified health coach if that’s something you’re interested in doing!
Integrated Health Professional Level 2 certification audit
Over 100 hours of classes, continuing education, and some very demanding tests, and now I am Level 2 Integrated Health Professional. I am so excited to add functional medicine workshops to my current offerings, share them with clients, and use them for me and our family as well. The timing was also interesting, especially with my sudden eye problems and previous autoimmune symptoms. I work with my medical team, but also do my own deep diving to bring my body back into balance to the best of my ability. <3
While I LOVED Level One of the Integrative Health Practitioner program, Level 2 was everything I wanted and more. I looked forward to studying the material every day, and during each unit, I said that this is exactly what I want to learn. This is how I want to help my clients. I am so excited to have this health coaching certification under my belt.
Here is a list of the 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 Body, Schwinn, Yoga RTY-200 hr, Level One Raw Foods Chef and AFAA Group Fitness Instructor. I want to continue learning as much as possible and then have my sights set on the High Performance Healthcare certification.
Here’s how Level Two differs from Level 1:
IHP Level One focuses on the DESTRESS protocols of Dr. Stephen Cabral (diet, exercise, stress management, detoxification, rest, emotional balance, nutritional supplements) and Level 2 is based purely on functional workshops. We learned about the specific home laboratory tests, how to perform them and how to analyze the results and recommend the corresponding protocols. Everything is taught by Dr. Cabral himself and I enjoy the way he presents complex information, making it accessible and easy to apply. In my opinion, his real-world clinical experience is invaluable.
You can see my review of the Integrative Health Practitioner Level One certification here.
Here are the workshops I learned how to read:
Food sensitivity testing
This test shows your IgG reaction to 190 foods on a scale from not important to high. IgG reactions are sensitivities, not allergies, and represent a delayed response to food. This can be something like headaches, itching, bad mood, irritability, joint pain, muscle weakness and skin rashes.
Stool test for parasites and bacteria
This test looks at key gut bacteria and parasite markers that can contribute to health issues such as body aches, brain fog, low energy, and headaches.
Organic acids (metabolic and minerals):
The Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins 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 dysfunction. Many people with chronic diseases and neurological disorders often excrete quite a lot of abnormal organic acids.
(The photo above is from my personal test results)
Omega 3:
Many people understand the importance of keeping inflammation under control within their body. But here’s the thing, not too many of us actually take the time to check our Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios to see how balanced we really are. That’s where this specialized lab test comes in, allowing us to take a real look at our overall health.
Now, here’s a pretty amazing fact: Research has shown that if your blood Omega-3 levels reach 9% or more, your chances of experiencing sudden cardiac death drop by 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 dilate properly, and that depends a lot on inflammation, which often results from having too many omega-6 fatty acids.
So the idea here is to boost 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 extremely helpful in addressing issues such as muscle and joint pain, skin problems, nervous system problems, energy levels, mood, and more.
Adrenal hormone:
This lab tests estrogen and progesterone levels and their relationship to each other, in addition to cortisol patterns during the day.
Adrenal thyroid 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. Weight loss has less to do with the amount of calories you eat or how much you exercise, and anything to do with hormone balance, cortisol levels, and metabolism. By examining hidden inflammatory triggers and hormonal imbalances we can discover what may need to be rebalanced in the body.
HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis):
This is an amazing basic lab and easy to test with just a hair sample. Your mineral levels include your electrolytes, which give you the energy you need to get you through your busy day, as well as reduce the effects of stress. It includes minerals, electrolytes and toxic metals, which can indicate how your body responds to stress and whether you are a slow or fast oxidizer.
These laboratories are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease or illness. However, they can provide you with unique information about YOUR body.
Learning the IHP2 course material:
As I went through the material, I wanted to SEPARATE everything. I realized about 2/3 of the way through that if I continued this, I would never finish the certification, because you can always learn about these things. You could also choose a test and spend the rest of your life learning about that test. I also realized that the best way to master this material is to do it!
It took me many months to complete this certification and I continue to learn by actually reading the test results. Each time I return a result, I retrace the module as I go through each pointer. That way, I can really cement it into 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, which makes it easy to provide resources along the way. I love that they are constantly adding new information, brochures and sections to the platform! They also have frequent Q&A calls on Zoom, and our private Facebook group is another helpful resource.
How to become a certified health coach:
If there’s a little voice in your head saying maybe this is for you, I can’t recommend the IHP program enough. I certainly would Level 1 and level two, especially if you want to be able to read functional labs. You also do not need to currently work in the health and wellness field to become an IHP. We have many IHPs who have started completely new careers because it is something they are passionate about! We also have many physiotherapists, nurses, doctors, personal trainers and dental professionals in IHP.
The mission behind IHP is that you can heal yourself and continue to heal those you love. And help those you care about live their healthiest and most vibrant lives. This is something I want to be able to do more than anything else. And I am especially grateful for this knowledge as I am on my own healing journey. I was able to add a new level to my 1:1 training and also work with family members and friends.
Once you have completed your Level 2 certification, you must purchase your own insurance before you can take the test. I did my insurance through Alternative Balance and it was pretty easy to set up. Most of my wellness clients are virtual with a handful of in-person clients.
If you have any questions about the IHP program, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer! Also you can 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 will share some of my personal test results in an upcoming post!
ho ho
Gina
