Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching

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Nutrition and lifestyle coaches advise clients in healthy eating and lifestyle programmes to improve their health and wellbeing. The goal is to offer strategies for personal change and work towards a sustainable healthier future using dietary analysis software, body composition analysis and health coaching. A nutrition and lifestyle coach will focus on putting together a healthy eating programme that will ensure their client is eating for optimal health and to minimise the impact of genetic and environmental influences e.g. stress, pollution and lifestyle. A nutrition and lifestyle coach takes into account the food preferences, cooking skills, available time and exercise preferences of the client and educates & motivates them towards personal change that will benefit their quality of life for the future. This positive influence often extends further than the individual as they go on to instil healthy habits in their family and friends. A career in this field is particularly rewarding as you can make life-changing differences to clients and their families.

Dublin and Cork, next starting date September 2015

London and Manchester, next starting date February 2015

e-Learning, next starting date April 2015

About the Course

This Crossfields Institute certified UK level 4 (Irish level 6), ITEC accredited, CMA and FNTP registered 1 academic year course is ideal for individuals who wish to gain an industry recognised qualification and practical knowledge of diet and nutrition in order to advise clients in formulating long term and sustainable healthy eating programmes for weight loss and to improve general health and wellbeing. It is also ideal for those wanting to improve their knowledge of diet and nutrition in order to benefit their own health and that of their families. We examine food from farm to fork and discuss exactly how food is grown, processed and thus nutritionally depleted and the cumulative effect this has on health. Students are then taught how to analyse a client’s individual needs and instructed how food, nutrients and supplements can be used to counteract the health problems associated with modern lifestyles and promote optimum health. Cooking demonstrations show students first hand how to incorporate healthy eating cooking skills and ingredients into meals and snacks for both them and their future clients.

“I have enjoyed this programme very much. The curriculum has exceeded my expectations; it was interesting, challenging and rich in its content. The modules were well structured and scientifically detailed, which allowed me to gain greater knowledge and understanding in nutrition. I have received fantastic support from the IHS staff throughout the course, and they’ve been there for me until the last minute of my graduation” Svetlana Sarantseva, Graduate

Why Choose the Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching?

- The Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching is endorsed and certified by Crossfields Institute (www.crossfieldsinstitute.com). The Institute of Health Sciences has been subject to a quality audit by Crossfields Institute to ensure that both the college and this bespoke qualification meet the required quality criteria and necessary standards. This unregulated qualification has been verified by Crossfields Institute as equivalent to UK Level 4 (Irish level 6), indicating the depth of study and level of difficulty involved in successful completion by the learner. The unit summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this sector.

- Constantly updated material. All modules have a module leader responsible for them. The role of the module leader is to continually update the material delivered in lectures, student notes and online, set and mark assignments and to answer student queries on the module forums. This keeps IHS material up to date using evidence based research and the very latest theories in healthcare.

- Comprehensive and well structured study material supplied. Including presentation slides, case studies, video clips, quizzes, short answer questions and opportunities to reflect on your knowledge - all designed to make the learning experience as interactive as possible

- Dynamic and interactive lecture weekends (in-class students only). Designed to suit all learning types and engage students in the learning process. Lecture weekends include a mixture of formal lectures, group discussion, group exercises, role play and case studies

- Expert lecturers. Lecturers for the Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching include leading Nutritional Therapists, certified health and wellness coaches and health promotion experts, giving our students access to a wealth of knowledge and experience from their first day of study and students will be taught by at least four different lecturers to benefit from this

- Health and Wellness coaching underpins the Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching. Students are trained in the most effective ways of improving patient compliance; ensuring clients take responsibility for their own health, establishing how ready they are to change and then helping them overcome barriers to change

- The IHS commitment to pastoral care and student support. IHS have a dedicated student support officer employed to help struggling students or those with specific learning difficulties. We ensure that all students have access to both staff and peer support whilst studying with IHS

- Flexible study options. Students can study in-class, solely via e-Learning or a combination of the two (blended learning)

- Learn practical and saleable skills as well as the latest nutrition theories. Using the latest dietary analysis software - Nutritics - students learn to assess clients’ diets quickly and professionally. Body composition analysis includes in-depth training covering key body measurements and their links to health and disease. These all add potential income streams to you as a practitioner.

- Register with a professional body and insure yourself to practice. Graduates can join the Complementary Medical Association (CMA) or Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP), giving them all the support they would expect from a professional registering body and insurance to practice - including allowing them to give basic supplementation advice to their clients.

- Start seeing clients and earning immediately upon graduation. All consultation paperwork, client fact sheets and 4 custom designed comprehensive dietary counselling programmes provided to graduates to help them get started in business straight away

- Upgrade your knowledge and skills whilst beginning your career as a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. Graduates can transfer onto either the Diploma in Nutritional Therapy or the Diploma in Coaching and Behavioural Change, depending on their interests and goals.

With 375 hours guided learning hours, including 9 lecture weekends (approximately 1 per month), tutorials, home study and assignments, the Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching programme offers students practical training in key areas - specifically designed to ensure IHS graduates have a unique and diverse set of skills. This allows them to work successfully with a broad range of clients over a number of consultations. Our dietary analysis training is done using the very latest and most comprehensive dietary analysis software available, body composition analysis includes in-depth training covering key body measurements and their links to health and disease. Our health coaching skills are based on the dynamic and fast growing field of health and wellness coaching from the US, whereby students are trained in the most effective ways of improving client compliance, ensuring clients take responsibility for their own health, establishing how ready they are to change and then helping them overcome their barriers to change.

Students are organised into ‘buddy groups’ to allow them to practice key coaching and communication skills with their peers within a supportive environment and cooking demonstrations show students first hand how to incorporate healthy eating cooking skills and ingredients into meals and snacks for both them and their future clients.

All of the above are designed to produce confident and competent graduates ready for a successful career as a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach.

“It is amazing how alert and energised I feel since beginning the program. I’ve had a number of appointments with Lynne over the past two months re: dietary plan with the hope of continuing to lose weight and maintain a healthier lifestyle. From the moment of our first consultation I found I was very relaxed talking to Lynne, she listened and together we set realistic goals that suited my life and schedule. I found picking a small number of goals to start and increasing them as the weeks passed less overwhelming and easier to follow through. Lynne e-mailed and texted to see how I was getting on as the weeks progressed. Also sending on some interesting recipes and the introduction of coconut oil which is a big hit with not just me but the rest of the family. My starting weight was 187lbs. within the two months it’s down to 174lbs.” Testimonial of Arlene, client of Lynne Dalton, IHS Graduate & second year IHS Nutritional Therapy student

What will I study?

Please contact us for a lecture plan.

This industry recognised practitioner certificate course consists of 3 modules in total. The course covers an array of nutrition theory, alongside vital practical skills to ensure you have the skills to become a successful practitioner. These include:

  • Practitioner communication and coaching skills
  • Body composition and dietary analysis
  • Meal planning for different clients with different needs
  • The individual macro and micronutrients
  • The therapeutic qualities of food Bowel flora and health
  • Managing weight loss clients
  • The safe and effective use of nutritional supplements
  • Utilising online nutrition tools

These elements make the IHS Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching qualification the most comprehensive and practical available.

How is this course structured?
Choose from any of the following options depending on your current lifestyle and study preferences:

- In-class. Starting in September (Ireland) or January (UK) and with 9 lecture weekends (approximately one per month), this is the most popular way of completing the Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching.

- e-Learning. With 3 available starting slots - September, January and April - studying via e-Learning gives the flexibility to study wherever you are. You are assigned a Nutritional Therapist personal tutor to mentor you through the course as well as online forums and tutorials to give you the support you need to successfully graduate.

- Blended Learning. Those students studying via e-Learning are provided with a timetable of in-class lectures at the commencement of their studies so they can decide if and when they would like to attend lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, etc. for a small fee. This gives the flexibility of e-Learning with the benefits of attending lectures.

In class students need to study approximately 7 hours per week plus lecture weekends and for the e-Learning version, approximately 10 hours of study per week are required. All students are enrolled onto the IHS learning management system. Here you will find all course material, forums, quizzes, assessments etc in one place to help you organise your study and study material as efficiently as possible. You will also upload all assessments here and can also use it to communicate directly with module leaders, other members of staff and fellow students.

Add-on Module

Enhance your skills and knowledge with the IHS Certificate in Sports Nutrition

Entry Requirements

This certificate is a lifelong learning course and students are accepted on to this course through a combination of academic qualifications and relevant life experience.

Normal minimum entry requirements

The minimum academic entry requirement for this course is a grade C at Junior Certificate or 4 GCSEs grades A to C (preferably including a science subject). Equivalent international qualifications will also be accepted.

Prior Learning and Prior Experiential Learning

Applicants with Prior Learning and Experiential Prior Learning will also be considered. All knowledge, skills and competencies accumulated through life and work experience will be considered.

All applicants will be interviewed to determine their suitability for the course.
Course Fees
Ireland

€3495 in-class (not including Nutritics dietary analysis software - special discounted rate for IHS students - or optional ITEC fees)

UK

£2495 in-class (not including Nutritics dietary analysis software - special discounted rate for IHS students - or optional ITEC fees)

e-Learning

€2795 for enrolments for April 2015 onwards (not including Nutritics dietary analysis software - special discounted rate for IHS students - or optional ITEC fees)