Our Health Coach Feature series shares the inspiring stories of Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches who are cultivating positive health choices and educating others to live more wholesome lifestyles. Join us twice per month on the IIN Blog to read more about what brought our grads to IIN and what they’re up to now!

Carly Paige is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, a plant-based cooking instructor, and the founder of FitLiving Eats. It’s her mission to make healthy simple both on and off the plate to increase energy and confidence. Carly works with individuals and groups through her coaching practice and hosts monthly cooking classes and corporate wellness workshop events. She also shares healthy recipes and lifestyle tips on Instagram and her blog. Carly graduated from IIN in 2016 and has since received several PLANTLAB culinary certifications.

Q: What were you doing prior to enrolling at Integrative Nutrition?
A: I was the digital communications manager for Arnold Palmer Medical Center, a children’s hospital in Florida. My job was to implement and manage social media strategy and content strategy for the hospital’s online blog and write and produce patient story videos.

Q: What led you to explore the Health Coach Training Program?
A: About four years into my corporate job, my role began to shift. At the time, I felt like I was at a crossroads, where I either needed to start looking for other job opportunities in the digital marketing space or figure out a way to turn my passion for preventive health and wellness into a career. I was actually a certified personal trainer in college and had begun an online dietetics program two days after graduating from my undergraduate studies. However, both of these tracks felt too singularly focused and I wanted to explore something that offered a more holistic approach. This is when I found Integrative Nutrition and saw how the graduates had turned their training into a platform for their careers. I wanted to be doing what they were doing – educating and working with clients from a holistic perspective. I knew that Integrative Nutrition was my next best step in laying the foundation for the career I craved!

Q: How has your life changed since becoming a Health Coach?
A: My entire professional and personal life has shifted. Professionally, I’m able to wake up and be incredibly grateful to have my own business doing what I love. I’ve surprised myself with what I’m able to accomplish (and actually enjoy the process!) by being open-minded and saying yes to various opportunities, like public speaking. Personally, I’ve been on a journey of learning to know and love myself. 

Q: Which topics and modules were most beneficial for you?
A: I enjoyed learning from the visiting teachers and their philosophies on wellness. Some of the most beneficial were the practical business modules and learning how to conduct Health Histories and coaching sessions. Practicing with my peers was also helpful, and I’ve formed lasting friendships because of this!   

Q: What does a typical day look like for you now?
A: Oh man, every day looks different. Some days I’ll be working from home, developing new recipes and writing blog posts. Other days I’ll be meeting with individual clients or networking. And then some days, I’ll be grocery shopping for, preparing, and hosting one of my monthly cooking classes or workshops!
6:30am – wake up and eat something light
7am – exercise
8am – breakfast
8:30am – catch up on emails, client meetings, or grocery shopping (for cooking classes!)
12pm – lunch and walk outside with my dog
1–5pm – test/photograph recipes, content creation, or client meetings
5pm – afternoon break or prepare for event
7pm – dinner, night out with friends, or cooking class/workshop event
8–10pm – read or “me” time
10pm – bedtime!

Q: What makes you and your practice unique?
A: I think a lot of times entrepreneurs are encouraged to focus on one area of business to be known for that one thing. My path looks a bit different as my business is made up of multiple streams of income. I have an online brand, work with individual clients, host cooking classes and workshops, and have a video course product that is mostly used for corporate coaching opportunities. There is always a lot going on, but that’s what keeps it interesting!

Q: How do you help your clients be successful? Is there a recent example that stands out for you?
A: My mission is to make healthy simple to increase energy and confidence by introducing clients to a new way of looking at their day-to-day and what’s on their plate. I really encourage clients to take ownership of their health by committing to the journey and striving for consistency. One of my most recent clients had an incredible transformation. When we started working together, she experienced a lot of debilitating GI issues. By incorporating more nutrient-dense foods into her diet (that are naturally gluten-free) and being consistent in the changes she was making, she is now symptom-free!

Q: What do you love about your work?
A: The thing I love most is when my clients have that aha moment. It’s the shift that occurs when change feels like a lot of work to something that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle. It could also be when someone experiences a meal in one of my cooking classes or from a recipe I’ve shared and sees how easy and delicious real food can be to prepare and taste!

Q: How have you seen the need for Health Coaches change over the years?
A: I think there has been a shift in the way people view their health and the quality of what’s on their plate. The ideas of preventive wellness and holistic health are becoming more mainstream, which I believe opens up a huge opportunity for Health Coaches and the kind of support that we can provide clients.

Q: What’s your tip for balancing your family, work, and personal wellness?
A: I’ve learned to let go of the pressure to find a “perfect” balance. The better I can create structure in my day, the more balanced I feel. For example, I love to get a workout in most mornings and take evening walks with my dog. I also schedule in times with my family and friends each week and allow myself consistent “me time” to unwind. I also recognize that there are going to be seasons where some things take priority over others and that’s okay!

Q: Tell us your favorite way to wake up each day!
A: My favorite thing to do first is sneak in some cuddles with my pup, then hydrate with a glass of lemon water. I love to get my workout done in the morning because it helps give me energy for the day. After my workout, if I have time to make a scrambled egg breakfast with avocado toast, I will; otherwise, it’s a quick smoothie. Ideally, I’ll get all this done before checking my phone for emails, scrolling through Instagram, etc.

Does this have you interested in becoming an Integrative Nutriton Health Coach? Click here to get started!