IIN Dietary Assessment & Counseling 3

Question 1

A client following a vegan diet reports brittle nails and hair loss. Which nutrient deficiency should be assessed first?

Accepted Answer

Zinc

Answer

Zinc is commonly deficient in vegan diets due to lower bioavailability from plant foods and is directly linked to hair and nail health.

Question 2

Which stage of the Transtheoretical Model describes a client who has been making consistent dietary changes for six months?

Accepted Answer

Maintenance

Answer

The Maintenance stage begins when a behavior change has been sustained for six months or longer.

Question 3

When counseling a client with emotional eating, the IIN Health Coach's primary role is to:

Accepted Answer

Help the client identify patterns and explore root causes without judgment

Answer

IIN coaches support clients in building self-awareness around emotional triggers while staying within their scope of practice.

Question 4

A client's dietary recall reveals very low omega-3 fatty acid intake. Which food group is the most bioavailable dietary source?

Accepted Answer

Fatty fish like salmon or mackerel

Answer

Fatty fish provide EPA and DHA directly, which are far more bioavailable than the ALA found in plant sources like flax or chia.

Question 5

In IIN's circle of life assessment, 'primary food' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Non-food areas of life such as relationships, career, and spirituality that nourish the soul

Answer

IIN defines primary food as the non-dietary aspects of life—relationships, career, exercise, spirituality—that feed overall satisfaction.

(IIN) Institute for Integrative Nutrition Certification Practice Test