Nutrition and Health: The Fundamentals changes the lens for how the world of health and healing is viewed. It sets the stage for the examination of nature’s power within the holistic paradigm. It is IHN’s foundational course, providing students with an understanding of “food as information” and orthomolecular concepts in the prevention of disease and the acquisition of optimal health. Fundamentals offers students a framework for the study of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), energy-yielding nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins), metabolism, digestion, absorption, and energy balance. The syllabus provides an in-depth analysis of their functions, classification and dietary requirements within an evidence-based model. This course teaches the mechanics and principles of essential nutrients for restoring the body’s ability to heal.

Learning Outcomes
• Assess the relationship between soil, cell, environment and human health
• Identify the structure and function of the GI tract, common digestive disorders, and links to major fatal diseases that are restored through the gut
• Explain functions of macronutrients and micronutrients, their requirements, sources, reasons for deficiencies, and use in disease prevention
• Understand the importance of water, antioxidants and detoxification
• The knowledge of how isolated nutrient interventions work against acute and chronic health condition

Nutrition and Health: The Fundamentals is a foundational axis course that lays the groundwork of knowing how to determine root cause—a key tenant of functional nutrition. This course stresses the importance of knowing “by which mechanism” essential nutrients orchestrate ideal physiological functions and optimal health.