Primal Health Coach Institute: Functional Therapeutic Diets Specialist Certification Course

This certification is designed for healthcare practitioners, nutrition professionals, and existing health coaches who want to add therapeutic nutrition to their toolkit. The curriculum assumes a working understanding of nutrition and coaching, and is best suited to those already practicing in a related field who want to expand into elimination diets, ketogenic protocols, and functional approaches to specific health conditions.

The curriculum is built around twelve modules and a final exam, with the bulk of the content organized into nine chapters covering the principles of therapeutic nutrition and ten specific diets in depth. Foundational chapters explain how therapeutic diets work and how to apply them within scope of practice. Subsequent chapters explore the Primal and Paleo Diet, the Ketogenic Diet, and the Carnivore Diet—including their effects on inflammation, metabolic health, and chronic disease.

Further chapters cover the Basic Elimination Diet, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and Low FODMAP protocol, the Autoimmune Protocol, and specialty elimination diets addressing plant chemical intolerances and anti-nutrients. Throughout, students learn how to identify candidates for specific diets, conduct nutritional assessments, support clients through symptoms tied to the gut–brain connection, microbiome imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, and inflammation, and provide ongoing guidance using whole foods, supplements, and lifestyle interventions.

The course is taught by Martha Tettenborn, a registered dietitian, Primal Health Coach, and stage 1 ovarian cancer survivor who also works as a cancer keto coach. She brings together clinical nutrition expertise and lived experience with therapeutic dietary approaches, drawing on her background as both a credentialed dietitian and someone who has used these protocols personally.

The program is fully self-paced and delivered online, with lifetime access to all course materials so students can review and revisit content at any time. There are no required live sessions. The curriculum is organized into twelve modules and nine chapters, and concludes with a final exam. Students also gain access to a private Primal Health Coach Institute Facebook community for support from faculty and peers.

The curriculum is built around twelve modules and a final exam, with the bulk of the content organized into nine chapters covering the principles of therapeutic nutrition and ten specific diets in depth. Foundational chapters explain how therapeutic diets work and how to apply them within scope of practice. Subsequent chapters explore the Primal and Paleo Diet, the Ketogenic Diet, and the Carnivore Diet—including their effects on inflammation, metabolic health, and chronic disease.

Further chapters cover the Basic Elimination Diet, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and Low FODMAP protocol, the Autoimmune Protocol, and specialty elimination diets addressing plant chemical intolerances and anti-nutrients. Throughout, students learn how to identify candidates for specific diets, conduct nutritional assessments, support clients through symptoms tied to the gut–brain connection, microbiome imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, and inflammation, and provide ongoing guidance using whole foods, supplements, and lifestyle interventions.