Last week I was drinking tea in a bustling San Francisco coffee shop and reading 'Integrative Nutrition' by Joshua Rosenthal, when I was approached by a complete stranger - ecstatic about the Integrative Nutrition program, which his fiancee had recently graduated from, and his mother was enrolled in for the coming year.

A few weeks ago, I made a decision to change my future. I've committed myself to making positive change on global health. Will you join me?

I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a comprehensive year long nutrition program (the largest in the world) that studies nutrition in a bold new way - from the food we eat, to the environmental, political, and socioeconomic impacts of our food systems. On an individual level, it also focuses on the body as a whole - targeting not just edible food, but includes the mental, spiritual, and physical factors that keep us healthy.

Why did I sign up for INN?

1. I believe that what we eat is the most important factor in our health. Eating clean, wholesome, and delicious food is important, as is eating local and seasonal foods. Healthy diets are the best way to reduce the leading causes of disease in this country, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

2. I want to make dynamic career choices that keep me motivated and give back. Helping people regain their health and live happier and more successful lives is an ultimate goal of mine. I'm a fundamental believer of the more you give, the more you get.

3. I want flexibility and the satisfaction of owning my own business. Throughout the program, students at INN are taught how to run our own businesses, so that before we even graduate we can start working with clients. Ultimately, I plan on working not just with individual clients, but corporate clients - taking health to the masses.

4. Integrative Nutrition supports my own goals of leading a healthy lifestyle - over the past few years I have changed my own habits and am looking forward to the reinforcement and new information that I will learn to further my own success. Most of the students over the course of the year end up losing weight and becoming great role models for health.

INN offers two programs - a live program in New York City, and a distance learning option which is perfect for those outside of the city (which I'm enrolled in) which unlike other online courses is completely hands on, cooperative, and engaging. You won't have fill in the blank tests and rote learning in this education - it's an active program which starts you off immediately on a path to success.

I'm passionate that I've made the right choice, and I'm inviting you to join me. If this sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to look into enrolling. (If you do choose to enroll, let them know I sent you! Good karma!)

And in parting, I finally got down to watching Food Inc. last night. The main take home message is that we have the right to know where our food comes from, what is in our food, and what we are eating. If you haven't seen the film - I'd highly recommend watching it. It's straightforward, clear, and inspiring. Please watch this film, and encourage all of your friends and family to do so as well.