“Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.” Charles Darwin.

Nutrition and health is the 'cornerstone' of wellbeing and longevity. Since our humble beginnings as a species our genes have been shaped by subsistence strategies that have played a critical role in our evolution. For example, improvements in the quality of diets were critical for the development of a larger brain in Homo sapiens. However, profound changes in our diet and lifestyle that began with the introduction of the agricultural revolution, and more recently, the availability of energy-dense processed foods are thought to be too recent to facilitate adaptive changes in our genes to compensate for these new dietary practices.

Accordingly, it is suggested that the discordance between our ancestral legacy and contemporary lifestyles may be contributing to several 'lifestyle' diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, autoimmunity, type 2 diabetes, and many others.

Furthermore, in our industrialised and technologically sophisticated lives humans are losing touch with the realities of the natural world. Many of us don’t understand where our food comes from; we spend large amounts of money on things we don’t need; we are stressed, confused, and frustrated. The benefits of embracing nature on our mental and physical health have been thoroughly demonstrated and evidence conclusively indicates that knowing and experiencing nature makes us generally happier and healthier people. Accordingly, understanding where we 'fit' in nature will help us appreciate where we have come from and where we might be heading as a species.

This module will introduce participants to the concept of vitalism and the human body’s innate intelligence. It will 'set the scene' for all other corresponding modules and provide the core principles that support the overall Functional Nutrition Course. We will also take an excursion through time to investigate food and nutrition and develop an understanding of current food trends and nutritional habits in modern society. This will create a strong foundation for participants to commence their investigative journey into the world of food and nutrition.

What Is Vitalism?

Vitalism is a philosophy that respects the structure and function of living organisms while at the same time recognising that organisms have an “innate intelligence” that is self-regulating and self-healing that is designed to maintain the whole living system’s functionality.

Lesson 1 will introduce the participant to the concept of vitalism and the study of complex biological systems. The lesson aims to challenge your thinking about opposing views that question the vitalistic approach to life.

Upon completion of this lesson it is anticipated that participants will have a familiarity with the concept of vitalism and be able to apply some general reasoning behind a vitalistic approach to understanding life.

To achieve the learning objectives you will need to:
1. Have a basic understanding of the two concepts: vitalism and reductionism.
2. Understand that complex systems are not just the sum of their components but require all of their parts working together in harmony to achieve a specific outcome or function.
3. Apply some reasoning that in order to address problems associated with the biological sciences that the two philosophies: vitalism and reductionism, must find some common ground and work together in an interdisciplinary and harmonious manner.
Viewing Activity:

To begin this lesson, please click to watch the following short video on vitalism. It is just over a minute long but sums up vitalism perfectly.

We will now explore the concept of vitalism in more detail.

Please read the following lesson: Module1, Lesson 1 Vitalism.
This reading briefly explores the historical perspective of vitalism in the context of the human sciences. Following this reading you will start to gain an appreciation and understanding of the complex nature of life and the fact that there are two competing philosophies: vitalism and reductionism.

Let us explore these two concepts of vitalism and reductionism in a little more detail. A great place to start your journey to understand these two concepts is through the idea of Systems Thinking (that is, understanding that a system works as a whole rather than the sum of its parts). Also, you are probably aware that vitalism is not just the innate intelligence of the body to be self-aware and self-healing, but it is also grounded in holism; the idea that natural systems and their properties should be viewed as a whole system and not just a collection of their parts.

Accordingly, the following video highlights how all of a system’s components are needed to interact effectively in order for the system to function.
Viewing Activity:

Please watch the following video on Complex Systems and Reductionism. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Reading Activity:
To finish off this lesson, please read Module 1, Reading 1.0. This short reading summarises the understanding of complex systems. Greek R (2013) Evolved Complex Systems. Biol Syst Open Access 2:e107. doi: 10.4172/2329-6577.1000e107. Copyright:© 2013 Greek R.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

For those that would like to be challenged further on the concept of vitalism, please read Module 1, Reading 1.1. “From substantival to functional vitalism and beyond: animas, organisms and attitudes (2011), Charles T. Wolfe, EIDOS Nº 14:212-235.

Warning: This manuscript by Wolfe is quite complex and jargon-heavy. Don’t be put off by this as the paper provides a nice summary of vitalism and complex systems.
If you’re passionate about nutrition and you’d like to take your health into your own hands, enrol in the Functional Nutrition Course and unlock full access!

The Introduction to Nutrition Course is our introductory, Information only course. It is a great starting course especially if you are new to nutrition and our philosophy. It does not contain any assessments. It consists of a selection of different learning formats from podcasts, to reports to videos etc. The Introduction course sets the foundation of learning about our philosophy, so you can move into our more advanced Functional Nutrition course if you wish.

No, unless you think your knowledge of Nutrition is at starter level, then we would suggest completing this course first. The Introduction to Nutrition course is based on our course creators Cyndi O’Meara’s book Changing Habits Changing Lives (Now called- Lab To Table), if you are not familiar with this book or the philosophy, then we suggest starting at this level or familiarising yourself with the content of Lab To Table book.

Our Introduction to Nutrition and Microbiome courses can be started anytime during the year. Our Functional Nutrition Course has 6 intakes a year, contact us today to find out the next enrolment date.

Our courses are not accredited with any governing body you will receive a certificate of completion at the end of each course. If you wish to become a Nutritionist or Dietitian a degree in Nutrition from a university is required for this. 

The Functional Nutrition Course is an Approved Training Provider with IICT which means we have professional recognition and our students and graduates qualify for membership and Insurance through IICT as a Nutrition Consultant.

Introduction to Nutrition : This course is a 10-module course that can be completed in 10 weeks working on one module per week. You'll have 12 months access to complete it.
Functional Nutrition Course : Is a 12-module course which can be completed within 12 months or less and we'll give you 2 years access to complete it.
Microbiome Course : Is a 10-module course that can be completed in 10 weeks if you can complete a module a week. You'll have 12 months access to complete it.

It takes approximately 4-6 hours per lesson and there are 4 lessons per module. If you can dedicate 4-6 hours per week and complete one lesson weekly or one module per month you could complete the 12 modules in 12 months. 



You can however spend a lot more time if you are interested in a topic, as there are additional suggested readings for each module. We also understand that everyone learns at a different pace, so these are approximate guidelines only. That’s why we give you two years access to complete the course.

Yes, our Functional Nutrition Course and Microbiome courses contain assessments. The assessment varies from multiple choice, short response to essay questions, and our qualified assessors give reflective feedback to further your learning. There are no assessments in the Introduction to Nutrition Course.

Yes, you are provided with support throughout your learning journey by The Nutrition Academy team, qualified assessors, and other learners and graduates through our private Facebook group, online forum and direct messaging system in the E-Learning Platform.

Our courses are completely online, meaning you don't have to go to any physical classrooms – you can learn from wherever you're comfortable. Besides the main course materials, we hold monthly webinars for students, which you can join online or watch later since they're recorded.



The course itself covers a range of resources like lesson notes, videos, audios, and interactive activities to help you grasp the material and enhance your critical thinking. Everything you need to ace your assessments is included. At the end of each module, we've also added a suggested readings section. These are optional books we recommend for those who want to keep expanding their knowledge. The best part? There's no extra charge – they're automatically part of the package.

We empower our learners to develop critical thinking skills, especially in the face of a barrage of conflicting information. Our aim is to equip our learners with the ability to discern credible sources and to be well-versed in locating and presenting evidence when needed.



The knowledge you acquire through our course sets it apart from other mainstream nutrition programs available. Our holistic approach is rooted in Cultural Anthropology principles and a vitalistic perspective on nutrition, viewing the body as a complete entity. Instead of merely focusing on individual components, we examine the entire system and its interconnectedness. This approach delves into how the components collaborate harmoniously to achieve specific functions and outcomes.

Absolutely! Our courses are entirely online, so you can access the course content from anywhere around the globe, provided you have a reliable internet connection and access to a computer.

Our courses are not government accredited. We are an approved Training provider with IICT (International Institute of Complementary Therapists). Which means our graduates of our Functional Nutrition Course qualify for Membership and Insurance through one of the most comprehensive professional bodies for Natural Therapists in the world. All our graduates in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe and United Kingdom, qualify for membership and insurance under the modality of Nutrition Consultant.