Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner
Certification Course

Become A Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner

Enroll Today

Beyond nutrition coaching, IWA’s Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner Certification (LCWCP) is the future of healing foods services for clients seeking optimal health and increased longevity. This dual certification program provides personal chef certification specializing in longevity cooking and healing foods as well as wellness culinary practitioner certification for the deepest and most comprehensive longevity nutritional coaching.

What is the Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner Certification?

The Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner certification program, offered by the Integrative Wellness Academy (IWA), delivers integrative education at the intersection of culinary arts and wellness. The program equips practitioners with practical knowledge—nutrition science, cooking methods, and coaching tools—so they can promote health through food and behavior change.

This certification course is a dual certification that trains you to be both a Longevity Chef as well as a Wellness Culinary Practitioner, the material will be a deep education on both longevity personal chef skills as well as the coaching skills of a Wellness Culinary Practitioner. You may decide to specialize your business practices in only one of those areas, however EVERYTHING that you learn can be applied to both! Additionally, the foundation of everything you learn is based on both an integrative and holistic framework. Both the education as well as practical skills you will learn will integrate various modalities to enrich your mastery of nutritional and healing food practices.

What is a Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner?

Certified Longevity Chef preparing nutrient-dense healing foods as part of a wellness culinary practitioner program.

A Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner is truly a specialist within the nutritional wellness field whose training encompasses:

  • Longevity cooking skills
  • Medicinal and healing foods
  • Holistic nutrition coaching
  • Integrative approach to nutritional health
  • Somatic approach to nutrition
  • Re-educating clients on nutrition

The role and goal of a Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner is to help clients to achieve longevity and optimize health by harnessing their innate human potential and supporting their unique body and needs to return to a state of homeostasis (wellbeing and health) and support the body’s natural human design in not only maintaining health but optimizing their body’s ability to heal itself and achieve optimal longevity.

Learn medical and healing approaches to food, somatic nutrition and longevity nutrition. Additionally, learn how to do nutritional assessments, design balanced meals that meets client’s needs. Master medical herbs used in nutrition, healing foods recipes, cooking techniques to reduce carcinogens and maximize nutrient retention and more. Learn how to structure one-on-one sessions, perform nutritional intakes and nutrition planning. This certification enables you to both coach clients, teach classes & workshops, and offer personal chef or meal services.

Master the healing arts of longevity nutrition, longevity chef techniques, culinary wellness coaching and healing foods as well as medicinal foods. Support clients in optimizing their physical and mental health, gaining support in balanced nutrition, healing foods and coaching to support chronic illness and disease, expanding longevity, preventative health through balanced nutritional wellbeing, establishing healthy food relationships and practices through somatic nutrition as well as improving overall wellness, energy and focus. Food is medicine for both the body and the soul.

Professional wellness culinary practitioner conducting a nutritional assessment and longevity meal planning session for a client.

What is the difference between traditional culinary skills and those of a longevity chef?

Beyond traditional culinary skills, longevity chefs are specialist in the preparation of healing foods. They are educated in how to prepare foods to retain nutrients as well as avoid anti-nutrients and carcinogens. Longevity in the culinary arts involves a holistic approach that focuses on nutrient-dense ingredients, health-promoting cooking techniques, and conscious eating habits. It is an emerging field, sometimes referred to as “culinary therapeutics”, “longevity cuisine”,” medicinal foods”, or “healing food” that combines ancient wisdom with modern nutritional science. 

What is the Difference Between a Nutrition Coach and a Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner?

Beyond traditional nutrition coaching, Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioners are next generation nutritional wellness practitioners and are viewed as experts within the field. While “nutrition coaching” has been hugely popular as a modality for years, becoming a Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner gives you specialist level expertise far above and beyond what a traditionally trained nutrition coach or health coach can provide.

Healing through food in both an ancient and modern practice. This dual certification course draws wisdom, longevity culinary techniques, coaching skills and education from ancient nutritional practices of longevity hotspots around the world as well as from nutritional sciences, coaching techniques, Functional Medicine, Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.

Mind-body infographic detailing how a Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner integrates holistic nutrition science with ancient wellness practices.

As a complementary & alternative healing modality that uses food, somatic approaches to food, coaching and mindfulness practices, LCWCP’s offer transformative support to their clients in deeply effective and balanced ways.

The Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner Certification Course is a hands-on pathway into nutrition and whole-person health. Designed for people who want to blend culinary skill with evidence-based nutritional coaching, the program teaches you how to design meals and client plans that support longevity, optimized health and long-term vitality. You’ll learn how to weave healing foods and wellness culinary practices beyond nutrition coaching into everyday through cooking and coaching so you can help others—and yourself—achieve better health outcomes.

Below we outline the course structure, core principles of longevity-focused nutrition, culinary medicine, healing foods and medicinal foods approaches, holistic approach to balanced nutrition, culinary techniques that protect nutrients, and what to expect from certification.

What Are the Foundations of Longevity Nutrition in This Course?

The certification course centers on core principles that form the backbone of longevity nutrition and practical application in the kitchen. These are science backed, research driven and holistic in nature. Our curriculum below reflects or focus and what you can expect to learn.

Longevity Chef Curriculum

  • An Overview of Longevity Culinary Arts
  • What Is a Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner?
  • What It Is Not
  • The Need and The Market
  • The Problem and Solution
  • Natures Perfection & Human Disruption (Preparation, Growing, GMO’s, Etc.)
  • Food As Medicine
  • Scope Of Practice (Legal, Ethical, & Do’s/Don’t)
  • Personal Chef
  • Coaching Vs. Prescribing
  • Educator
  • Working In Partnership
  • Food Coaching Foundations
  • Listening, Asking Powerful Questions
  • Holding Space
  • Acting As a Tour Guide
  • Mind-Body Connection
  • MEPS
  • Holistic Approach
  • Balance & Lifestyle Medicine
  • Longevity From ‘blue zones’ Approach
  • Living In Alignment with Nature
  • The Balanced Approach
  • Healing The Total Self
  • Quantum Physics and Biology
  • The Frequency of Foods (The Energy Practice of Foods)
  • Medicinal Food
  • Nutritional Healing
  • Mindful Nutrition
  • Relationship To Food
  • Meals As Meditation & Connection
  • Orthomolecular Nutrition (Mental Health Nutrition)
  • Somatic Nutrition
  • Holistic Nutrition
  • Culturally Honoring Nutrition
  • Eating The Rainbow
  • Fresh & In Season
  • Food Sourcing
  • Regenerative Foods
  • Toxins, Chemicals, Bacteria & Fungus
  • Herbs & Spices
  • Counter Indications and Pharmaceutical Interactions
  • Reading Labels
  • Problem With Plastic
  • Food Allergies
  • Flavors And Pairing
  • Modifying Recipes
  • Healing Foods and Combinations
  • Common Ailments & Conditions
  • Popular Nutrition and Diet Trends
  • Plant Forward Nutrition
  • Balance For Every ‘Body’
  • The ‘blue zones’ Longevity Food Pyramid
  • The Balanced Plate
  • Myths & Misinformation
  • Nutritional Re-Education
  • Food Sensitivities
  • Medicinal Foods
  • Dehydrating
  • Freezing
  • Farm To Table
  • Dirt
  • Raw Foods – Living Foods & Plant Stem Cells
  • Nutrients
  • Adaptogens
  • Antioxidants
  • Macro & Micro’s
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Eating For Your Dosha & Body Type
  • Seasonal Eating (The Power of Fresh & In-Season)
  • Aligning Food to The Seasons (Based On The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – 5 Elements)
  • Weight & Blood Sugar Management
  • Brain Health Foods
  • Immune Support Foods
  • Illness, Injury & Disease
  • Acidity
  • Inflammation
  • Toxicity
  • Hormone Balancing Foods
  • Pregnancy & Postnatal
  • Nourishing Children
  • Nourishing Elders
  • Nourishing Pets
  • Bulk Cooking
  • Teas & Elixirs
  • Sauces & Marinades
  • Home Cooking Pet Foods (Dog and Cat)
  • Recipes
  • Menu Planning
  • Bulk Cooking and Meal Prep
  • Growing Your Own
  • Educating Your Clients
  • DE&I & Honoring Your Client’s Culture
  • Toxic Diet Culture – Toxic Wellness
  • How To Avoid The ‘Everything Is Bad’ Restrictive Mindset
  • World Food Approaches
  • Advancing Your Cooking Skills
  • Advanced Culinary Skills
  • Food Prep and Storage
  • Kitchen Supplies
  • Non-Toxic Food Prep – Avoiding Carcinogenic Triggers (Georgio)
  • Cooking To Retain Nutrients
  • Advancing Knife Skills
  • Advancing Meat, Fish & Poultry Cooking Skills
  • Recommended Reading & Resources

  • Client Intake and Assessment
  • Co-Creating Individualized Meal Plans and Medicinal Recipes
  • Portions And Balance
  • The Balanced Plate
  • Under 6
  • Meal Assembly for Somatic Nutrition
  • Whole Foods
  • Coaching Clients on Somatic Nutrition and Intuitive Eating
  • Coaching Clients on Food Energies
  • Sourcing Ingredients
  • Medicinal Herb Garden
  • Building Your Apothecary
  • The Kitchen Apothecary
  • The Bathroom Apothecary
  • The Portable Apothecary
  • Crafting Your Own Herbal Remedies
  • Crafting Your Own Home & Beauty Products
  • Cleaning & Storing Your Ingredients
  • Meal Planning & Preparation
  • Food Delivery
  • Kitchen Tools
  • Cooking, Prep & Retaining Nutrients
  • Foundations Of Longevity Cooking
  • Meats, Fish, Eggs, Poultry
  • Vegetable Layering Technique
  • Hack And Hold Technique
  • Plants, Grains, Legumes
  • Healthy Fats
  • Sauces & Marinades

  • Niche Or Focus
  • Personal Chef
  • Event Chef & Catering
  • Retreat Chef
  • Educator (Retreats & Workshop Focus/Classes)
  • Coach
  • Food Delivery Services
  • Families
  • Busy Professionals
  • Recovery & Illness
  • Post-Partum
  • In-Person Vs Virtual
  • Pricing And Packages
  • Setting Up a Private Practice
  • Other Career Opportunities
  • Retreats, Classes & Workshops
  • Remaining Accessible
  • Ecological Business Model
  • Ecological Waste
  • How To Get and Maintain Clients

  • Assignments
  • Exam
  • Practicum

Course Instructors

Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, owner, founder, and head director of IWA Coaching for the Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner certification

Dr. Rachel Eva Dew

Rachel is a board certified Doctor of Natural Medicine, Integrative and Functional Medicine, with additional focus on Lifestyle Medicine. She is an international speaker, self-development author, and leader in integrative wellness. Dr. Rachel is the founder and head instructor for the Integrative Wellness Academy (IWA). Learn More

Andrea Leda Wilborn, IWA instructor for Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner certification students

Andrea Leda Wilborn

Andrea Leda Wilborn is an integrative life coach, speaker, and IWA instructor. She brings a deep understanding and practical application of powerful coaching, journal  therapy, mental health and mental and emotional release work. Learn More

Chef Nathan Hansen, IWA instructor for longevity chef training, healthy cuisine, and culinary wellness certification

Nathan Hansen

Chef Nathan Hansen is a simple luxury Private Chef who is known for his delectable, healthy cuisine. To date, Chef Nathan features a 20+ year background within 5 star and bib gourmand kitchens across the country. Enjoys every moment leveraging his rich expertise to not only meet expectations but exceed them. Learn More

Become A Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner

Enroll Today

What is the benefit to combining both – Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner?

This certification course is a dual certification that trains you to be both a Longevity Chef as well as a Wellness Culinary Practitioner, the material will be a deep education on both longevity personal chef skills as well as the coaching skills of a Wellness Culinary Practitioner.

You may decide to specialize your business practices in only one of those areas, however EVERYTHING that you learn can be applied to both! Additionally, the foundation of everything you learn is based on both an integrative and holistic framework. Both the education as well as practical skills you will learn will integrate in various modalities to enrich your mastery of nutritional practices.

An integrative approach to longevity nutrition, focusing on nutrient-dense ingredients and wellness culinary techniques.

Defining Longevity Nutrition and Wellness Culinary Arts

Longevity nutrition centers on food preparation, ingredient sourcing and eating patterns that support long-term health, resilience and optimizes health-span. It prioritizes nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods that help reduce chronic disease risk, improve health and quality of life and sustain energy. Wellness culinary arts pair those nutrition principles with cooking techniques that boost flavor and retention of key nutrients so meals are both delicious and health-promoting. This approach is useful whether you’re improving your own habits or guiding clients toward lasting change.

Research reinforces the value of combining molecular, physiological, cultural, and individual perspectives when we talk about nutrition and healthy aging.

Holistic Nutrition for Health, Aging, and Longevity

Holistic nutrition takes a person’s physiology, health risks as well as life into consideration when determining balanced and health optimizing nutrition plans. Optimizing both health and well as healthy aging and longevity is based on the holistic personalized nutritional approach as well as science-backed research and data from longevity hotspots around the world often called the ‘blue zones’.

Who Should Enroll in This Certification Course?

This certification fits people ready for personal growth and those who want to support others through a nutrition and food focused career. Whether you are completely new to the healing fields or are already in a wellness related field, the Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary dual certification course is a perfect fit. If you are in a role such as coaches, healers, culinary professionals, chef, or wellness practitioners that are seeking deeper, integrative skills in nutritional wellbeing and longevity, our program provides the ability for expansion.

Whether your goal is to shift careers, add coaching to your current culinary offerings, or simply build more confidence in healthy cooking in the kitchen, the course offers practical frameworks and tools to help you foster better health, improved longevity, and greater life satisfaction for yourself and your clients.

Aspiring wellness chef learning holistic nutrition and medicinal cooking techniques for a career in culinary wellness.
Plant-forward functional nutrition ingredients used by a Longevity Chef to optimize health-span and prevent chronic disease.

Key Principles of Plant-Based and Functional Nutrition

Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioners support clients through a balanced and plant forward approach to longevity nutrition. Plant-forward eating emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, which are consistently linked to better health outcomes. This does not mean vegan or vegetarian, but again a focus on optimal amounts of plant based whole foods.

Functional nutrition takes a personalized approach, using food to support specific bodily functions, health needs, increase longevity and prevent disease. Together these perspectives guide nutrition planning, recipe choices and coaching strategies tailored to individual needs.

Which Culinary Techniques Enhance Wellness and Longevity?

How you cook matters. Thoughtful longevity techniques for food sourcing and preparation can preserve nutrients, improve digestibility, optimize health, decrease exposure to toxins and chemicals and amplify flavor making healthy eating easier and more enjoyable.

Cooking Methods for Maximizing Nutrient Retention

The longevity cooking techniques learned within the Longevity Chef and Wellness Culinary Practitioner certification course help avoid nutrient depletion as well as the production of carcinogens during the cooking process.

Wellness culinary practitioner demonstrating cooking methods for maximizing nutrient retention and incorporating functional foods.

Gentle methods like steaming, low temperature sautéing, and slow roasting often retain more vitamins and phytonutrients than prolonged boiling, grilling or frying. Simple swaps—lower temperatures, slower cook times, or using cooking liquids in sauces—help keep nutrients in the dish while preserving texture and taste.

Incorporating Functional Foods into Recipes

Functional foods and medicinal or healing foods offer benefits beyond basic nutrition—think antioxidant-rich berries, omega-3–rich fish, fermented foods with probiotics, and spice blends high in polyphenols. Adding these ingredients to everyday recipes like grain bowls, salads, and dressings boosts a meal’s health potential without sacrificing enjoyment.

How Does Nutrition Coaching Certification Complement Culinary Training?

To be a successful Longevity Chef and Culinary Wellness Practitioner you do not need to become a michelin star chef. In fact, with basic cooking skills or advanced culinary skills, the additional longevity culinary training will provide you the skills needed to effectively support clients. While some of our students already have extensive culinary training, the longevity culinary skills and techniques will greatly expand and benefit any current culinary skills.

Whatever your current level of culinary skills or experience as a culinary professional, this course turns knowledge into lasting client change. It’s the bridge between a great recipe and a client who can sustain healthier habits.

What Are the Certification Process and Career Pathways? What are the Course Requirements & Timeline?

Prerequisites: Basic cooking skills are a prerequisite.

Steps to Achieve Longevity Chef & Wellness Culinary Practitioner Certification

Certification involves completing classes, coursework and practical training that cover longevity nutritional practices, nutrition science, culinary techniques, and coaching methods. Expect a mix of lessons, hands-on practice, and assignments. Successful participants earn a certificate that validates their competency to work as longevity and wellness-focused culinary practitioners and personal chefs.

Course Requirements & Timeline

The LCWCP certification course requires completing all classes and online lessons, completion of assignments, required reading (The Ultimate Guide To Somatic Nutrition), exam and practicum. The certification course typically takes students 100 hours to complete. You will have up to 6-months to complete the course and all required coursework. Within the 6-month time frame you can work at your own pace.

Career Opportunities and Benefits After Certification

Graduates can pursue roles as nutritionally focused wellness coaches, nutrition consultants, culinary educators, program designers, or private chefs with a health focus. Beyond job options, the certification builds credibility, deepens your skill set, and gives you practical tools to make a meaningful impact on clients’ health.

The majority of our alumni go into private practice either in  nutrition coaching as a specialist  Wellness Culinary Practitioner focusing on optimizing health and longevity, personal chef services or education through classes, workshops and retreats. Other alumni opt to go into group practice, work for a company, restaurant or wellness center.

Alumni Success Stories and Career Opportunities After Certification

Alumni of IWA’s Master Integrative Life Coaching Certification Course have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their coaching careers. Many have reported significant increases in their client base and revenue, attributing their success to the specialist level comprehensive training and support received during the program. The master level advanced certification opens doors to various career opportunities, enabling graduates to make a meaningful impact in the lives of their clients.

  • I’m so happy I took this course. I did loads of research to find a coaching curriculum that aligns to my beliefs and values, and this course did not disappoint. The course material and presentation were excellent. I struggle with online coursework, but with the material being presented in many forms – video, audio, text – I found it easy to engage. And the curriculum/material covered align exactly to my beliefs and my approach to health and wellness, particularly the whole system approach, and especially the spiritual component, which is often overlooked. I love the idea of being a guide to someone seeking balance in their life and look forward to putting these concepts into practice.
    – Stacy
  • Thank you for the time, effort, and care you’ve invested in creating this program. The structure and content are exceptionally thorough, offering a clear and practical roadmap for anyone seeking to understand life coaching at its core. One of the most valuable aspects of the program is how intentional each module feels—every section builds on the last, making complex concepts approachable and actionable. The inclusion of real-world examples and exercises helped bridge theory and practice, which has been incredibly helpful. Your patience and willingness to support each participant individually have stood out to me. Whether it was through answering questions in-depth or providing constructive feedback, your approach made learning feel both empowering and achievable. Overall, this program has not only given me the tools to be a better life coach but has also challenged me to grow personally. Your leadership and dedication are deeply appreciated. Thank you for all you do to support aspiring coaches like me.
    – Tatiana
  • I thought the course was really robust. There was a LOT of information but it was well organized and I enjoyed the structure of the curriculum. I also really like Dr. Rachel’s teaching style. Her lectures are engaging and there is a lot of practice time included. It was also really encouraging to observe the growth and difference in my own coaching confidence from the ILC course to this one. The foundational techniques were much more natural now that I have been practicing a couple of years, and it was easier to build into some of the more advanced skills learned here in the MILC.
    – Brett
  • IWA Rocks! I am so excited to have taken the Master Practitioner Course. The additional skills I have learned are life changing, not only for my clients, but also for me. I love the approach and the ease of learning with a real life – authentic instructor. Love the classes and the books and looking forward to many more classes in the future. Maybe a retreat some day! Referred another student, who just graduated 1 week ago and also loved the course! More to come! Thank you for sharing your wisdom
    – Katja
  • Truly wonderful course and educational experience! I highly recommend IWA’s MILC course
    – Laurie
  • I learned so much in this course! Thank you very much!
    – Kayla
  • This course was engaging and informative, and I appreciated the depth of knowledge shared.  It provided valuable insights into coaching techniques and personal growth strategies. The content was well-structured and easy to follow. I particularly enjoyed the practicum assignment as it was interactive with real-life coaching making learning more practical. Overall, this course was a valuable and alighting experience. I appreciate the effort put into creating a supportive and engaging learning environment.  I would recommend it to anyone interested in life coaching, especially those looking to help others, build a coaching business, etc.
    – Fiona
  • I thoroughly enjoyed and greatly benefited from taking the course with the Integrative Wellness Academy. I truly appreciated the self-paced nature of the program and the flexibility it provided, which was essential given my hectic schedule. One of the most valuable aspects of the course was having a book to refer back to, along with the diverse learning methods, including audio and video content. I am excited to begin integrating these coaching skills into my professional practice, and I deeply appreciate the time, effort, and thoughtfulness that went into creating this course. Additionally, the accessible price point made it even more worthwhile. I will definitely be recommending this course to others!
    – Yasmin
More Success Stories

Frequently Asked Questions

There are no prerequisites other than basic cooking skills and the ability to follow basic recipes. A genuine interest in cooking, nutrition, and helping others is the best starting point. People with backgrounds in health, fitness, or culinary arts will find the material especially applicable, but the course is designed to be accessible for motivated learners at different skill levels.

The LCWCP certification course requires completing all classes and online lessons, completion of assignments, required reading (The Ultimate Guide To Somatic Nutrition), exam and practicum. The certification course typically takes students 100 hours to complete. You will haveup to 6-months to complete the course and all required coursework. Within the 6-month time frame you can work at your own pace.

Some learners finish in a month or two with intensive study, while others take the full 6-months at a slower self-paced rhythm. The timeline depends on the number of modules, practical requirements, and how deeply you engage with hands-on assignments each week.

Yes. While continuing education is not required, IWA offers additional learning opportunities through other holistically focused certification courses and advanced workshops or retreats. You do not have to continue your development with IWA, in fact, within your course will be a recommended reading list to help you continue to advance your knowledge and skills.

Graduates are generally qualified to teach longevity cooking workshops and nutritional workshops or classes and lead educational sessions on nutrition and wellness-focused cooking. Check local regulations for any required teaching credentials in your area, but the certification provides a strong foundation for educational work.

Participants receive a mix of resources: online classes, lesson materials , recipe guides, tools, techniques and practical exercises. As part of your assignments and practicum you will gain hands-on practice to help you translate knowledge into skill.

Yes! IWA provides access to an online student cohort group where you can connect with other students and graduates for practice and study partners, post questions for instructors and build community. Students are also assigned an instructor mentor with whom they can schedule 1-on-1 calls throughout the educational journey. Lifetime access is provided to the course as well as the student cohort group so graduates can review information, share experiences, find collaborators, and continue learning together.

From The Blog

Follow our blog for advice, wellness tips, coaching resources, and information to empower your life and your clients’ lives!