Real Food. Real Conversations.

This is the 100th episode of Real Food Real Conversations and I can't believe it! I published my first episode almost two years ago, so much has changed since then. Listen in to hear updates of how we are doing and where we are now! Time can change people, especially after the last two years we have had. It most certainly has changed our family and life. Starting my podcast was something I decided to do after realizing life was slowing down with all happening in 2020 and business was going to change for me. Brand budgets were tight, the world was unsure of it's future. I needed something else and my awesome business coach (I interviewed her in the episode about exercise habits) suggested a podcast. I am thinking it's because I like to talk, LOL! She is not wrong. Starting a podcast helped me express the thoughts and ideas I had without the pressure of social media. I liked having a platform that I didn't have to worry about an algorithm for, I could choose what to say and how I wanted to say it. It was so freeing and really helped me get through 2020. I loved meeting so many new people, even if it was only online. But that was our new normal at the time, and it gave me avenues to be social when being social in life was harder. How Our Life Has Changed The last two years have taught me a lot. My life, my self, and my business have all gone through changes. Some experiences have been good, and some have been rough. But all in all, I am a better person today than I was two years ago. Changes in my business When the world shut down, unfortunately so did a lot of my income. I make the bulk of my money partnering with brands to share products I know, use and love with my audience. Because of the financial breakdowns with all that happened in 2020, many businesses put their budgets on hold. Which meant I my income was also put on hold. The good part was that my site traffic increased a ton as people now were home learning how to cook and bake, and having more meals at home. This was great and I loved sharing more with everyone! I even created some pantry meal videos and gave them out for free to my audience, this felt good because I love giving to the community. But overall, we took a hit financially so I had to make some changes. When you go through struggles, you learn a lot about yourself and are able to step back and see what it is you truly want. I realized how much I love food photography and the creative aspect in what I do, from the photos to the recipes. Which led me to a year long photography mentorship that I am doing now. I also learned that I love the health aspect about what I teach and got certified to be an ACE Health and Wellness Coach. I truly enjoy working with clients to help them meet their health and wellness goals! If you are looking for a coach that will guide you towards your goals and be by your side as you succeed, I'm your girl! Today, I am in a very good place with Veggies Don't Bite. Business is picking up again and I am focusing on partnerships that make me happy and fill me up. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be unhappy. Money isn't everything, you can adjust your budget to keep your mental health in a good place. Why I don't eat gluten If you have read about our journey with our diet changes, and what led me to start my business, you'll know that it all started with my husband's health. We began eating a plant-based diet for his heart health, and (mostly) haven't made a ton of changes. About two years ago, I started working with a functional medicine doctor (I had her on the podcast to chat about mental and physical health) after I went into early onset menopause. One of the first things I learned was that I needed to cut out gluten. Wow, what a life changer. I had dealt with seasonal allergies my entire adult life, being on one form of medication for many years.

With the obsession over protein, we often miss the mark on what we really should focus on, fiber. This is why we are talking all about why fiber is important with our guest expert! Fiber is a necessary carbohydrate for our body. Everyone needs to include it in their diet in order to maintain physical health. Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, author of The Fiber Effect, has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for 27 years, specializing in heart disease, diabetes, sports nutrition and women's health. For the past 13 years, she has focused on plant-based lifestyles through inspiring and educating people about plant-based eating to optimize their health and the health of the planet. Nichole has been featured in Eating Well, Business Insider and Atlanta Journal Constitution. She is also a media spokesperson for The Weather Channel and local Atlanta television networks. She shares her passion through her website Purely Planted. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and rescue dog, Mariposa. Grab her Free 5 Tasty and Simple-to-Make Plant-Based Dressings ebook here! What is Fiber? Fiber is a carbohydrate that is not digested by our body. We don't have enzymes to break down the fibrous components of plants, although chewing does help a bit. But overall, it moves through us undigested and whole. There are two types, soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber becomes a gel like consistency when we eat it as it absorbs with water. Insoluble is more like roughage that moves through whole. Why Do We Need Fiber? Fiber is so important for our body. It impacts us both directly and indirectly. While many people think that fiber is there mainly for your digestive system, it does impact many other things as well. What fiber does for your body Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar and feeds healthy bacteria in the gut. There is now newer research coming out that shows how fiber is the foundation for gut health. Gut health is being linked to many things, from digestion to mental health and moods. Fiber helps lower cholesterol by decreasing the absorption of bad cholesterol and pulling some of it out of our system. Also helps keep inflammation down by feeding bacteria in our gut and diversifying it. This keeps inflammation down both short term and long term, which helps prevent lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes and also manage weight. This can also help indirectly by preventing types of dementia and cancers. Insoluble fiber helps to clear our toxins and carcinogens out of our body and pulls water into the large intestine and colon which helps you poop. What Happens if You Don't Get Enough Fiber? Most of the population are not getting enough fiber, in fact more than 95% are not getting what they need. Women are supposed to get a minimum of 25 grams a day and men 38 grams. This is based on fiber's role in the prevention of heart disease. When your body isn't getting enough fiber, it can't function ConstipationStomach painsHeadachesBlood sugar swingsMood swingsCraving carbohydratesNot feeling satisfied with mealsOvereating leading to weight gainNot sleeping well Sources of Fiber Whole foods are the best source of getting fiber. You cannot get fiber in animal products. When making any change in your diet, especially with upping your fiber, make sure to up it slowly to minimize GI discomfort. There are different types of fiber, so eating a variety of foods is important. Some foods that contain fiber are: Beans (lentils, black beans, pinto beans, etc)Leafy greensWhole grains (brown rice, farro, quinoa, buckwheat, etc)Chia seedsFlaxmeal Also make sure to drink plenty of water when you are eating lots of fiber! While supplements can also be helpful, using whole foods to get fiber is best because with supplements you aren't getting the other healing benefits like the phytonutrients that come with fiber.

Is there a connection between diet and menopause? There is a lot we can do as women while we go through this big change in our life! Join us today as we chat with a triple board satisfied OBGYN all about menopause and how we can tackle this time in our life to make it through in the best way possible! Having been through menopause myself (I was an early adopter yay me LOL!), this topic is such an important discussion to have. Learning the tools to navigate menopause in a way that works for you is the best thing you can do! Dr. Anna Cabeca, DO, OBGYN, FACOG, is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She has special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. For the past 20 years, she's served 10,000+ women in her private practice— and millions more through her books, online videos and articles. When her own health took a troubling turn during menopause, she sought out the wisdom of healers around the world. She learned that modern medicine and time-tested natural remedies are not at odds. Working together, they create indisputable results and true well being. Using delicious, healing foods and simple lifestyle changes, Dr. Anna reclaimed her health and life. Fueled by her belief that every woman deserves to be empowered and in control of their health and life, she developed the Keto-Green lifestyle, which has helped thousands of women opt out of menopause misery and experience a joyful transition to the next stage of their lives. With her methods, you, too, can breeze through menopause into your “second spring”, feeling the best you ever have. What is Menopause? While many think menopause is a period of time, it actually isn't. Menopause is the actual day that is 12 months from your last period. There are different stages you go through around the day of menopause, these are known as peri menopause and post menopause. This is a time of neuroendocrine vulnerability, your glucose uptake increase and your progesterone plummets. This can begin as early as our mid 30's and comes with a multitude of symptoms. Symptoms The symptoms during the stages of menopause can vary from person to person and in severity. Because we are all different, we can't pinpoint the exact things we will go through, but here are some common signs: hot flashesmood swings, depression and anxietyweight gainsleep disturbances and insomniairregular menstrual cycleschanges in hormones as seen through blood work Stages of Menopause As we said, the actual name menopause is the day that lies 12 months since your last period. Here are the stages that lie before and after that day: Pre menopause- this is the period before any symptoms of peri menopause begin. This is the time of main reproductive years for women. Peri menopause- this is the period of time when you are experience menopausal symptoms. It can be anything mentioned above and on average starts anywhere between 35-55. Menopause- the day that is exactly 12 months from your last period. Post menopause- this is the period of time after the day of menopause. However this all can be tricky because the terminology needs some work. For example, what happens when you've had a hysterectomy? Are you in post menopause even though you haven't naturally entered that stage? More work needs to be done in this area. How long does menopause last? The main stage of menopause, which is peri menopause, can last anywhere from 5-15 years. This again can vary from woman to woman. What Is the Best Diet for Menopausal Women? There are a lot of opinions when it comes to women and menopause, especially in the diet area. But according to Dr. Anna and the work she has done, she treats her patients with a keto green diet. This consists of: dark green leafy greensno sugarlow carbohydratesfoods t...

Learning how to go dairy free in an easy and doable way is an important part of your success! It doesn't have to be hard or stressful! There are many ways to love your dairy free diet, whether it's by choice or need going dairy free can be just as delicious. I don't have the best relationship with dairy. While I am not allergic, my body doesn't love dairy. That being said, I am really picky with my dairy free alternatives. So if I don't find something that tastes great, I won't eat it! I can't say I am totally dairy free, because if I want something and I don't have a great dairy free version as an option, I will still eat the dairy. But I try and do as dairy free as possible. If going dairy free is something you're looking to move towards, you can do it! There are lots of options, both store bought and homemade, to make your transition delicious. What is Dairy? Dairy is any food that is made of the milk products from an animal. There are many animals that produce milk, cow, sheep, goat are the most common. But there are other countries that use the milk from many other animals. Foods that have dairy There are many foods that contain dairy. Milk, yogurt, butter, cream, cheese, kefir and ice cream are some common ones. But milk can be hidden in many other foods so you have to be careful if you cannot eat it. Knowing the alternative names of dairy is important as there are many you probably wouldn't recognize. Some of the names for ingredients that are considered dairy but don't have the common names listed above are: caramel colorcaseincaseinatescurdscustardgalactosegheehalf and halfhydrolysateskoumisslactalbuminlactate solidslactitol monohydratelactoglobulinlactoselactuloselactyc yeastNisin preparationnougatpaneerpuddingquarkrecaldentrennetsherbetsimplessewhey Is Dairy Bad for You? Some people can tolerate dairy better than others. But just because you can tolerate it, doesn't mean you should be eating it as part of your regular diet. While I advocate for balance, and I don't think that eating dairy once in a while is a big deal (unless of course you can't tolerate it or have an allergy), it should be something you eat in small amounts. Dairy is the leading source of saturated fat in foods. Saturated fat contributes to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can increase your risk to things like high cholesterol and cancer. Dairy can also cause side effects for some people, for me especially I see it affect my skin. Whenever I eat dairy, I always have breakouts. How Long Does It Take To Get Dairy Out of Your System? Everyone's bodies are different. When trying to transition away from dairy, it takes months for you to see the full effects. But some sources say that after 2-3 weeks you can feel better with the effects of dairy making their way out. How Do I Transition to a Dairy Free Diet? Any time you make a change in something you are used to doing it will be difficult. This is because our daily habits are set in our life and we don't have to think hard about them. So changing those will take some brain power which takes more of our energy. But this doesn't mean that you can't make it easier, and one day the new habits will take over! Here are my tips for making the transition to a dairy free life easier: Start slow. This isn't a race and no one gets a trophy. Begin with foods you love most and find alternatives for those.Transition one food at a time over. No need to do a huge overhaul all at once. Look for store bought versions to start to make it easy, then you can start making your own if you prefer.If something doesn't taste good to you, don't eat it. You won't last with things you don't like.Have fun with it! Life is too short to be stressed! Best Dairy Free Brands I am really picky when it comes to my dairy free products. I often make a lot of things, like my vegan ranch dressing,

Many people want to know what a raw food diet is and how it differs from a traditional vegan diet. Our guest today is an expert on all things raw and is dishing out all the facts! It can get confusing keeping it all straight, and with so much information online it's hard to separate the real info. So we are making it easy! When it comes to deciding what way of eating is best for you, having up to date information you can trust is important. At the age of 28, Russell took a life-changing trip to Koh Samui, Thailand to clear up the acne that had plagued him for years. It was there he discovered raw food. Russell's mission is to make raw food accessible every day. Whether it's raw sandwiches or show-stopping dinner parties, your meals can be amazingly healthy. Today, Russell has had the pleasure of teaching raw food to thousands of people worldwide. Students have learned through his livestreams and online courses at therawchef.com. Russell also shows other wellness entrepreneurs how to build an audience for their online programs at shareyourwellness.com Join his FREE recipe of the week club here! Definition of a Raw Food Diet A raw food diet focuses on food that is in it's raw state or cooked below 116 degrees Fahrenheit (although that exact number can change depending on who you ask). 116 degress is the temperature that food tends to lose the most delicate of it's enzymes. Raw chefs use different ingredients that are in their natural state or dehydrated in a dehydrator. With this they can create all types of recipes, from food like pizza, crackers and even bread. Sauces can also be made in raw form. The secret is using alternative methods like thickening with other raw foods (like sun dried tomatoes for a tomato sauce or cashews for a dip or dressing). Making things like crackers or pizza tortillas requires you to slowly crisp these foods in a dehydrator. It simply just takes longer. The Theory Behind a Raw Food Diet As we said before, food tends to lose it's enzymes at around 116 degrees Fahrenheit. So theories behind raw foods diets say that to get the most out of foods you want to keep the enzymes. While not necessarily backed by science, theorists saw our body has enzyme bank account and if you eat food with all it's enzymes in it, you don't deplete them from you enzyme bank account which allows your body to be in it's best state. Others will say that enzymes don't make it through stomach acid anyway so it doesn't make a difference. The bottom line is that you need to try and see what works for you. Everyone needs to do their own research. If you eat something and it makes you feel good, then do it. Is a Raw Food Diet Healthy? Whether or now a raw food diet is the best for you depends on your individual body. You need to listen to your body and what works for it. Some people can't digest things that other people can, so while eating some raw food can make you feel amazing, others may not. Ethically, you can't say a raw diet will solve all problems. What works for one person may not work for another. That being said, raw fruit and vegetables is filled with nutrients that our body loves and needs to function. Nutritional deficiencies take a long time to show up, so it's hard to base how healthy a raw food diet is on that fact alone. You also need to think about what satiates you, whether you can feel satisfied with simply fruits and vegetables or if you need other types of foods is purely an individual issue. Examples of Raw Foods You'd be surprised how many things you already eat that are raw! Here are some examples of raw food and also raw ingredients you can put together to make something: JuicesSmoothiesGranola made in a dehydratorChia seed puddingOats (are steamed to preserve shelf life but ok when you are just starting)Nut milksSaladsDairy free cheeses made from raw nutsDressings like my vegan ranch Make a raw "meat" like this one fr...

Having a healthy relationship with food is so important for our mental health, but it also affects our physical health. Tune in to hear our guest expert, a board certified pediatrician, share strategies and tips to keep you feeling amazing! Keeping a positive food relationship when you are trying to make dietary changes can be challenging, even when you are trying to eat a more plant-based diet. The online diet world is tough to navigate so leaning on experts to guide the way is really important! Dr. Yami is a board-certified pediatrician, certified lifestyle medicine physician, national board-certified health and wellness coach, author and international speaker. She is a passionate promoter of healthy lifestyles, especially the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic disease. She founded VeggieFitKids.com where she provides information on plant-based diets for children. She also hosts the popular podcast Veggie Doctor Radio which boasts listeners from 96 countries and nearly half a million downloads to date. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, has a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is a certified Food for Life Instructor. Dr. Yami owns Nourish Wellness, a pediatric micro-practice in Yakima, Washington where she lives with her husband and two active sons. Her book is called “A Parent's Guide to Intuitive Eating: How to Raise Kids Who Love to Eat Healthy”. You can learn more about Dr. Yami at DoctorYami.com and grab some of her free resources here! Definition of a Healthy Food Relationship While the meaning of a healthy relationship with food will be different for each person, it's really important that we strive towards having one. According to Dr. Yami, her healthy relationship with food is defined as: One the supports health and well-being and fuels the body but also fits into ones lifestyle, culture, brings pleasure and is never associated with judgement, guilt or shame. The journey and end result may morph and change as we go through life, but the main thing to focus on is that you are moving forward and not falling into traps that diet culture can bring. Why a Healthy Food Relationship is Important In the US, 70% of children's calories come from ultra processed foods. Let that sink in a bit. Offering a diet rich in all the nutrients is so important for a child's growing body. And doing so in a way that helps guide them into a healthy food relationship is just as important. By the age of 5 children have already unlearned tuning into their bodies. This is due to many things, but parents trying to get their children to eat more, finish their meal, clean their plates, etc is a big contributer. If we don't give our children opportunities to be in tune with their own body cues with relation to food is very damaging. They won't be able to tell when they are hungry, full, or even honor their body's cravings (which can be a signal they need a certain nutrient). If children don't have these self help skills when they become adults, it can lead to a range of disordered eating. Which then moves from generation to generation. However, if we help guide our children when it comes to food, we allow them to become adults with a positive relationship to food. What Causes a Bad Relationship with Food? There are many reasons why one would create a negative relationship with food. It generally stems from the past and their experiences. One reason could be family environment, meaning how their family growing up viewed food and handled eating. It could be comments about appearance, weight, eating habits, etc. For example, telling our kids that we can't eat birthday cake, ice cream or candy can trigger a false fear surrounding that food. This restricting of certain foods can affect the brain and trigger binging when they come into contact with that food again.

While there are many things wrong with diet culture, a major issue is its effect on foodways and how it influences people into thinking the food from their culture may be deemed bad or wrong. There is no reason (other than a medical one) why you can't eat a food that is part of you and your culture. Just because our diet world likes to demonize certain foods, it doesn't mean it's right. Listen in to hear more about why this shouldn't happen and how to eat what makes you feel good while including all the foods you love! Dalina Soto MA, RD, LDN is a Spanish speaking registered dietitian. Dalina works as one of the few Spanish speaking RDs in the Philadelphia area and virtually across the country, teaching her clients how to ditch the diet mentality and keep their culture alive. Check out her Free Workshop: 3 Ways to Ditch Diets! What are Foodways? When we talk about foodways we mean what, how and why people eat as related to their culture or traditions. It isn't just about the actual food people eat but also about the reasons behind it, how it gets prepared, etc. Foodways encompasses the social, cultural and economic practices behind a person or groups of persons food. How Diet Culture Affects Foodways and Traditions Much of the science based training behind food (and diet culture), and how food affects health, is based on Eurocentric research (much like the history of BMI). This research doesn't include people in different countries, so how can we apply this science worldwide? We all know that even people within one culture are different in their bodies, the way they react to certain foods, what they can handle, etc. But yet, we apple the same science to them and to people in all different cultures. Instead of digging deeper and expanding our research, we apply stereotypes to all. The United States is a melting pot of cultures, it's the foundation of our country. So it's time to start being more culturally aware in many areas, especially when it comes to health and wellness. It is time to update the science to include things like social determinants of health, not just how food and exercise relate to our bodies. How to Eat and Keep Your Foodways One of the main things we need to start focusing on is the mental health aspect behind how we look at food. We need to move away from the diet culture message of what is "right" or "wrong" and away from extremes. Extremes sell, middle grounds do not. This is why we see extremes in main stream media and social media. But extremes also cause issues with our mental health, so it's up to us to control what we consume. There is a hierarchy of needs when it comes to our wellbeing: shelter and money are first. Then we can talk about nutrition. However, we often are made to feel like nutrition comes first and if you don't have the means then you are SOL (shit out of luck!). This is far from the truth. The sooner we can start using that hierarchy to help others guide their wellness, the more success we will have. First, start with reducing stress. Move away from what diet culture says you can and can't have. Honor what you have access to, and what you eat culturally. White rice is a great carbohydrate, and we need carbohydrates for energy. If you like it eat it, if you like brown rice, eat that. Both will provide carbohydrates. Try frozen and canned produce. Did you know that produce meant for freezing and canning is picked at peek ripeness? It's a great option for people! Take the fear away from what is sold as scary. A lot of the fear mongering behind foods isn't based on real data. It's base is sales in nature and while it can have success in making the sale, it wreaks havoc to our mental health. The bottom line is you get to choose, you don't have to do something that doesn't feel right. Once we can give the education to those that need it, it's up to them to use what they learn to make decisions for what they ...

With all the info out there, it is hard to know what the best vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare products are. But our guest today is an industry expert and is sharing all the info we need to choose the best products! Taking care of our skin is so important. It's the largest organ we have! And nothing feels better than high quality products that are good for your body and actually work. Which is why I always turn to OSEA Malibu for all my skin care needs! Use my link above and code veggies10 for 10% off your first order! OSEA began in Jenefer's kitchen sink after a decade working as Spa Director at the historic Murrieta Hot Springs. Paired with her training in various healing modalities including Polarity Therapy, Acupressure, Shiatsu and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Jenefer was a thought leader in the burgeoning wellness space. Her desire to create active, vegan and clean skincare was revolutionary and what began as a personal passion soon evolved into a fully-fledged beauty brand, manifesting the seed of her idea into reality. What Does Clean Mean in Skincare? The term clean skincare doesn't have one set definition because it is not regulated by the government, so it is up to each brand to define what clean skincare means to them. In general, clean skincare uses products that are from the earth, sustainable and do not contain synthetic chemicals. They are often also vegan and cruelty-free. OSEA products focus on marine based elements. Most of their products are seaweed based. What Is the Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free? When you look at a clean skincare brand, you often also see the labels vegan and cruelty-free. While these most often, and should, go hand in hand, they don't mean the same thing. Vegan means that they do not contain any animal products in the product itself. While cruelty-free means that the products are not tested on animals. Products can be cruelty-free but not vegan. But vegan products are also cruelty-free because vegan means that no animals were used at any point in making the product. Are Vegan, Cruelty-Free and Clean Skincare Products Best? Everyone has their own opinion on what products they believe are best. But over here, we focus on vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare brands. They are more sustainable than those that use synthetic chemicals because they use ingredients from the earth. Typically, clean skincare tends to give people less of a reaction when using them. This is mostly because they don't contain synthetic chemicals and focus on earth based ingredients, however someone can react to ingredients from the earth as well. Reducing synthetically derived chemicals also makes it so that products can work with so many different skin types. Often times a person who thinks they have sensitive skin finds out it was just the chemicals they were reacting to and their skin is not that sensitive. Also, clean skincare tends to have sustainable packaging which is also another way to help the earth. OSEA for example packages their products in glass packaging. A vegan plant-based life is overall the most sustainable way for us to live, there is so much to choose from when it comes from earth! Ingredients in Clean Skincare Products Most clean skincare brands use ingredients from the earth. OSEA stands for Ocean, Sun, Earth and Atmosphere. But they mostly focus on marine based ingredients. Most of their products use seaweed as a base, and some use essential oils. Seaweed is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are all amazing for your skin. Essential oils are another main ingredient used for clean skincare. They come from plants and capture the plants scent. How Do I Get a Clean Skincare Routine? First you need to find a product you love. OSEA is my go to! You also need to be consistent. You can't make progress on anything until you establish a good consistency.

If you're looking for info on how to start a vegan diet, you've come to the right place! Our expert guest is sharing all her best tips and tricks to make it easy and seamless! Change can be hard, but when you take it slow and commit to learning all you need to know it can be a lot easier than you think. Focusing on what works for you is most important! Having the info you need to make a change is also very important. We only know what we know! Monique Koch started her vegan journey in April 2010 because it was a way for her to protest animal & human exploitation, preserve the planet, and improve her health. Her purpose is to help everyday people learn about the benefits of vegan life with tips, recipes, and encouragement. After struggling to find easy recipes with accessible ingredients, she decided to start my YouTube channel to share all the creations she was making for herself and her family. A few years later, she started her podcast to have candid conversations with other vegans (especially other Black vegans) to inspire veganism in the Black community. Monique believes in “progression over perfection” and this compassionate approach gives everyday people the support they need to stay vegan for life. Make sure to pick up her free vegan starter kit! What Is a Vegan Diet? A vegan diet means you do not eat any products with animals. Veganism as a whole is not just about food though, it actually means that you live a life without any animal products. Things like leather, wool and even animal products in make up are things vegan people don't use. When the focus is purely on the diet part, it's more accurate to say you eat a plant-based diet. How Do I Start Going Vegan? The most important thing to start with is asking yourself why you want to do it in the first place. Is it health? The environment? Animals? There is no wrong answer, only the answer that resonates with you. As time goes on, you will go through moments that you really need to lean on your why. And your why may change! You need to make the decision for yourself because there is so much power in committing to something you really want! A great place to start is veganizing your favorite meals, this will give you something familiar that you can still eat. Focus on what you can eat and not what you can't eat. While many people think that you are eliminating so much, you are in fact adding in so much! There are so many new foods you will be exposed to and try that you may love. What Should a Beginner Vegan Eat? Other than focusing on finding vegan versions of your favorite meals, here are some ideas of simple meals you can make. The key is to keep it simple, eat things you love and making sure you are getting all your nutrients. Here are some ideas: Pasta: Use your favorite sauce or find plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy to make your favorite recipe.Smoothies: A great breakfast or snack and very easy to customize and add your favorite flavors.Soups: There are many options that are vegan, and you can even make your favorite non vegan soups using veggie broth instead of chicken or beef broth and adding veggies or meat alternatives.Find vegan versions of any staples you love like eggs, meat, cheese, ice cream, etc. Tips for Success The key to making a vegan diet part of your lifestyle is finding tips that work for long term success. Here are some ideas: Just because you try one hting you don't like don't give up because there are so many options and other ways to make something you love. This applies to store bought things like cheese or recipes you try to make.Be open minded to try and try again. All things take trial and error, you need to give yourself grace! Start small, it doesn't have to happen over night. Change takes time and there is nothing wrong with that.It's not a one size fits all support. We are all different humans so we can't expect a change like eating a vegan diet ...

The controversy between organic foods being healthier than conventional is ongoing. But what are the facts? Are organic foods healthier for you? I get this question often. I am unpacking all the details, and sharing my personal opinion about what organic means and making the choice to buy organic. Organic labels can often be used to spike prices and this is where food inequality comes into play. So does that make health overall an unreachable goal as well? This seems to be a common misconception. What Does Organic Mean? Some trains of thought out there say that organic food is no different than conventional food. That it's basically a farce and a sales tactic. While it can be used to hike prices, there actually is a difference with organically grown food. You can learn more about the details of organic farming in my post all about organic farming, but here are a few key points: If a farm grows conventional produce, it takes 3 years before it can sell it's produce as organic.Organic farmers focus more on the roots of the plants versus the end product, therefore they need to be more proactive and always stay steps ahead in order to catch an issue before it affects growth.The longer a farm is organic, the richer the soil is because organic farming has a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth as it gives to the soil as the soil gives back to the plants.Organic farmers have an approved list of substances they can use to treat issues that come up, however before they are allowed to use them they must show they tried physical, biological and mechanical solutions first.It takes a lot of time, effort and money to become certified organic so not all farms can make that happen. Why Is Organic Food So Much More Expensive? There is definitely a price difference between buying organic food and buying conventional. The main reason is that it costs the farms more money to grow organic food. While some brands may take advantage of this and hike prices even higher, most simply want to make a living! Do We Need Organic to Be Healthy? Overall, you get the same nutrients from conventional produce than organic produce. So on the nutrient level, there is no difference. However you do get less exposure to pesticides with organic produce. The question remains, does that exposure matter? Does it affect your health and cause issues long term? There isn't a hard and fast answer to this. Studies are not conclusive, even those that show a connection to pesticide exposure and health issues cannot be fully validated because people that tend to buy organic also tend to have healthier overall life styles and access to more health support. While a person can have allergies to certain chemicals found on conventional produce, this doesn't apply to everyone. The main overall advice is you should first focus on eating fruits and vegetables. The nutrients you gain far outweigh any risks of conventional produce. Then, if it's affordable and you want to eat organic, do so. Washing your produce and removing the outer leaves can even remove most of the pesticides used. Some also focus on only buying produce that is known to have higher levels of pesticides organic (such as celery, apples, grapes, tomatoes, strawberries and spinach) and don't worry about the rest. Benefits of Eating Organic There are benefits to eating organic when it is affordable and accessible. These benefits are not only focused on you but also the environment and community: Organic practices give back to the earth so it helps keep the soil rich and better for the animals living around the soil.Organic farms need to try many methods before they are allowed to use chemicals from an approved list so there are less pesticides in the food.Not always, but some organic produce is fresher due to lack of preservatives and since some come from small farms closer to where the produce is sold.

Many health professionals use BMI to judge health and wellness, but is BMI accurate? Learn what we should actually use and what we need to know to make sure we are at optimal health! Overall wellness is guided by many things, and while weight can be important it isn't necessarily indicative of where we are in our health. As a country we are weight obsessed, this can lead us to having issues with our mental wellness. Which in turn can affect our overall health. Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS is a registered dietitian, nutrition therapist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and the author of Unapologetic Eating: Make Peace With Food and Transform Your Life. Alissa is passionate about advocating for people to reclaim the space to eat and live unapologetically. She is the founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness, a weight-inclusive nutrition practice that offers virtual counseling and online programs to help people liberate themselves from dieting, cultivate a peaceful relationship to food and their bodies, and live a more authentic, connected life. Her expertise has been featured in hundreds of media outlets and she speaks regularly at events, online trainings, and conferences around the country. She calls New York City home and spends her free time exploring the city's food scene and searching for patches of green space to sunbathe in. Grab her FREE 5 step guide here! What is BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is a ratio between a persons weight and height. It is used to categorized people into groups of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese and morbidly obese So many health professionals use this to evaluate and diagnose health. How is BMI calculated? The BMI equation takes a person's weight in kilograms and divides it by the person's height in meters squared. History of BMI A man named Adolphe Quetelet developed what was called the Quetelet index in the early 1800's. He was not a medical practitioner, but in fact was a mathematician, astronomer, statistician, sociologist and a eugenicist and had no interest in health. Adolphe developed this equation to study population models. The data that he used to develop the equation and the categories were taken from white European groups that were mostly male. Which shows how skewed it is. Meanwhile life insurance companies in the US needed metrics to determine their rates and began using these height and weight tables. Which again were developed using mainly white wealthy men. Their tables showed higher rate of death for overweight people, and even though later on studies showed the opposite, that they had a lower risk, they never changed it. Then a researcher in the 1970's was trying to find a different way to evaluate body mass, and he proposed using the Quetelet index which eventually became the body mass index and started being used by health professionals and researchers. Accuracy of BMI BMI is not a good indication of whether you are healthy or not healthy. It is simply a plugin of numbers. It's easy to change categories within the span of your life by small gains or losses in weight due to differences in the stage of life or season of life you are in. It is also found that when weight related feedback is given to people, they are less likely to make long term health changes. A study done a few years ago (of about 40,000 people) found that almost 50% of people categorized in the overweight category and 30% in the obese category were all metabolically healthy. This means that all their numbers like blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, etc was normal. Also about 30% of people in normal category were found to be metabolically unhealthy. Another issue is that the differences between the BMI categories are largely arbitrary. If you zoom out and look at the bigger picture you can see that a jump in category may not be that big of a jump in the weight...

When it comes to enjoying food it's important to know what overeating is versus feeling full from enjoyment. Our expert today clears it all up so we can learn to enjoy food when we want! It's so important to know the difference in order to live a lifestyle with both our mental and physical wellness in mind. I love food and I love eating! It's not bad to feel overly full from time to time when we are enjoying the food we eat. We need to learn to trust our body to do what it needs to do instead of punish ourselves. Healthy Emmie is a plant-based nutritionist and founder of the Slim on Starch Program. She has helped thousands of people make massive changes to their lives and build a positive mindset around food and health for long-term weight loss. You can learn more at HealthyEmmie.org. Get her FREE one day meal plan here! Difference Between Overeating and Being Full Being hungry or full are not mutually exclusive. The hungry and full feelings are more of a spectrum that individual feelings. On one end you have the you are so hungry you may faint feeling and on the other end you have you are bursting full. So you can be anywhere along that spectrum throughout the day. Overeating means that you are ignoring the signals of your body that it's had too much and you keep eating anyway. You can feel full after overeating and be extremely uncomfortable, but you can also feel amply full and not in pain. Emotions and Overeating There are many emotions related to food. We gather to eat with those we love through parties and celebrations and holidays. For some people, food also plays a role in comfort. The food we eat has calories and calories give us dopamine. The more calories a food has, the more dopamine we get. This is why cookies taste better than carrots because they have more calories. Dopamine is the motivation chemical, it's a survival mechanism. So whenever we do something that promotes our survival we release dopamine. Things like eating, sleeping, sex...these are all linked to our survival. When we are trying to get that good feeling, it's often we turn to food, and mostly food with those high calorie levels since those have more dopamine. And the more dopamine we get, the more we self soothe. We are all different when it comes to our emotions and food and it's important to look at the big picture to see why someone may be turning to food and why overeating is occurring. How Many Calories Are Considered Overeating? There isn't one set amount of calories that we use for qualifying overeating. It really all depends on each person, their own body and how much they are taking in and using. So focusing on calorie numbers isn't the best approach. If we focus less on numbers and more on feeling, we can better address the issue. Another factor is exactly what someone is eating. This is because certain foods will help satiate you better than others. Foods with fiber, fat and protein can help you feel full longer so someone eating these may feel more full than someone eating foods without them. Signs You Are Overeating First and foremost, always listen to your body. The main reason behind overeating is a disagreement between what your mind is telling you and what your body is telling you. The signs are both physical and mental. Here are some things you may be experiencing: Sharp painOverall discomfortRemorse and desire to undo what has just been doneRestricting the next dayBeing caught in a cycle between overeating and extreme restriction How to Stop Overeating Many people think the issue is the binging, when in fact it's actually the restriction that is the main issue. So if we focus less on the overeating part and more on avoiding restriction, it can help stop the cycle better. Here are some things you can do to stop overeating: Follow a drip system eating where you eat every 2-3 hours.Eat when you are hungry not just during traditional meal tim...

Learn how to lower cholesterol with diet changes as our expert guest takes us through all we need to know to live a healthier and happier life! Overall wellness depends on so many things, but preventing and dealing with chronic disease is an important one. Veggies Don't Bite started due to wanting to help improve my husbands heart health and high cholesterol played a role. As we moved to a more plant rich diet we saw dramatic improvements! Ashley Reaver, MS, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian with a Master's degree in Nutritional Sciences from Tufts University and an undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Cornell University. Utilizing her years of work experience in clinical nutrition, outpatient counseling, personalized blood analytics, and education, she developed a program to help individuals lower their cholesterol naturally. In addition to the course, Ashley sees clients in her private practice in Oakland, CA and teaches nutrition and dietetics courses at University of California, Berkeley. Find her on Instagram @lower.cholesterol.nutrition. Sign up for her FREE class on how to lower cholesterol! What is Cholesterol? Cholesterol is an important compound that our body creates, it is a type of fat that is in the body. All animals create cholesterol. It is in every single cell in our body. It is part of the membrane, which is the outer layer. We use it to make sex hormones, it goes into our stress hormones, use it to make vitamin D, and use it as a digestive compound to help us break down fats. 95 million adults have what is considered high cholesterol. However, total cholesterol isn't the thing we need to focus on but instead we need to look at the parts that make up high cholesterol. What is considered high cholesterol? Cholesterol numbers are combo of High Density Lipoprotein or HDL (known as good cholesterol), Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL (known as bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. Total levels are considered high if they are above 200, but again the combo of the three parts are more important. LDL is considered high if it is above 130, but is best less than 100. If you have too much LDL for too long it can become dangerous and can cause the build up of plaque in our arteries which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. For HDL, ideally you want it above 50 for men and above 60 for women. If you have more LDL you want more HDL to pick it up and bring it to the liver and repurpose it as something that won't cause damage to your body. HDL can act as an antioxidant preventing LDL from becoming dangerous. With triglycerides you also want lower levels. It is the primary form of fat in our body, and also 95% of fats that we eat. Our body stores excess energy in the form triglycerides, so that we have extra to use. That is why you can see them circling around in our blood in a blood test. The reason the total cholesterol numbers can be deceiving is that you can hav high LDL and low HDL but the total numbers can still be below that 200 threshold but overall still not good. On the other hand you can also have high HDL and low LDL but still be over that 200 mark and be considered high when in reality you are still good. Also, depending on what is high or low will depend on what you want to do to help as far as nutrition changes and other support. Why Does Diet Matter? Cholesterol is made by our body from anything that provides us calories. If you are eating excess calories that you don't utilize, that surplus can lead to a higher production of cholesterol. However if you are not eating an excess amount of calories, then restricting calories to lose body weight will not have an impact on cholesterol. Unfortunately many doctors tell people to lose weight as a strategy but that may or may not be the issue. Nutrients we take in when we are eating protein, fat and carbohydrates can impact how long that cholesterol stays in the body.

Diet culture and the social media world is in a constant battle of what "diet" is best, fastest, the answer to all your problems. But in reality, it's an overall healthy balanced diet that wins. ADD SUMMIT LINK When we set out to better our health, it's easy to fall victim to the diet world and the stringent rules that these diets place upon us. However time and time again, studies show that diets don't work. Why Do Diets Fail? The focus with eating should be on an overall lifestyle and habits. It's not about one meal, or even one season. Life changes, it brings ups and downs, crazy non stop and more calm days. In order to get through, we need to let go a little and realize it's about what we do as a whole, not about one specific moment. Putting rules on your eating, especially those that make you cut out things you love, will only cause you to crave them more and can end up in binging. This is why we don't put rules on what we eat, and don't like to label ourselves. While we do focus on a plant rich diet, we also allow things we crave and love. Hence, balance. A big reason that diets fail is that they don't focus on creating life long habits. The focus on results within a certain set of restrictions, but if those restrictions aren't how you want to live your life forever, then eventually you go back to what you enjoy. What is a Healthy Balanced Diet This term can mean something different to everyone. Which is another reason why we need to step away from stringent rules. To us, this means that our foods consist of plant rich options, including all the macronutrients (fat, carbs and protein) but also allows for things we love that may or may not be nutrient rich. I really like to listen to my body when it comes to food. If I focus on being present and purposeful, I am able to eat what it is I crave, which leaves me feeling satisfied. One Size Fits All Doesn't Works What one person may need is not necessarily what another person needs. Sure, we all can benefit from plant rich diets. However there is space for other foods. My husband for instance cannot do any, or very little, animal based products in order to feel his best. His heart is affected quickly and his body just doesn't process them well. I on the other hand cannot do any gluten. My body hates it and I immediately feel the inflammation all over. So when we go out, I focus on avoiding one thing and he focuses on avoiding the other. Balance is Key So the main thing we decided to focus on was balance. Avoid what you know affects you negatively and then let go of the rest. This also plays a huge role in our mental health. While some people may not have the mental health piece, we do. So avoiding rules and labels allows us to be at our best both physically and mentally. This is the key to wellness. When your mental health is in balance you are able to reduce stress and approach any stress that comes your way without wreaking havoc in your body. People tend to forget this part of wellness when focusing in diets and placing rules on themselves. While following a diet may help you achieve things like weight loss goals, the mental health toll and rise of stress will eventually counteract all that. Follow Advice From Qualified Professionals My number one piece of advice I can give, is follow the advice of those that are qualified to give it. There are so many people online that try to sell things, advise others and get you to believe what they preach is the answer. I am not a medical doctor, I am not a dietician. I am an educator with a Master degree in education, and an undergraduate bachelors degree in psychology and biology. I am qualified to teach you how to create amazing gluten-free and plant-based recipes. I can teach you how to make it simple and create meal systems that work. However I cannot tell you what food does or doesn't work for your specific body.

Many people don't think about food racism, but the diet world can be a big contributor to making what we buy and how we eat a classist issue. As we scour the online world for recipes under whatever diet we follow, it's easy to assume that everyone has access to the ingredients so often found. But what happens to people that struggle to obtain those foods? Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition is a registered dietitian nutritionist, nationally recognized nutrition expert and adjunct professor at New York University. In her practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for the management of and risk reduction of non-communicable diseases. Maya received her Masters of Science in clinical nutrition at New York University, where she is adjunct faculty. Whether addressing the nation or working one on one and with groups, Maya believes in providing nutrition education from an antibias patient-centered, culturally sensitive approach. Maya is dedicated to promoting nutrition education that helps the public to make informed food choices that support health and longevity. Maya shares her approachable, real food-based solutions to millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing in local and national publications, via her social media account on Instagram, @mayafellerRD, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, GMA3: What You Need to Know and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life. Inequality in The Wellness Space As a whole, the wellness space struggles when it comes to being a welcome and accessible space to all people. Because of the "look" portrayed, many don't feel represented and therefore they don't believe it is a space they belong in. But we need to radicalize this space so that it feels more inclusive. This isn't easy as the issues run deep. A few things we can do to help make change are: Share others in the wellness space that come from all cultures.Share accounts with people who range in size, ability and ethnicity.Recognize your implicit bias and when working with clients don't make assumptions about their diet based on their culture or size. Allow clients to be a part of the process from the beginning.Recognize that foods aren't bad and good, and all foods can have a place in someones diet if planned correctly.Open space to talk about things that may make you uncomfortable. This issue is seen across diets, whether it's veganism or medical centered diet's like the Mediterranean and DASH diet. The research shows great gains when following these diets so at the core they are great, however they don't translate to race and ethnicity for people that don't eat in those ways. The bottom line is that there is not just one path to health. There are many ways to reach health goals that can honor the person as a whole. It is possible to support a diagnosed condition with a diet that includes cultural foods. Food Accessibility When it comes to wellness, there is an underlying assumption that it needs to be expensive and fit a certain theme. But not only is this not true, it also doesn't recognize that not everyone has access to the same foods. Depending on where someone lives, whether they have a car, what hours they work and many more other factors, being able to shop for, afford and even find things like fresh produce, specialty ingredients, grains, etc may not happen. But there are ways to help clients and readers with food accessibility and make wellness more accessible: Help share ways to look at food costs and determine where people can get the best deals.Encourage eating a combination of fresh foods and prepared foods, including those that are pre cut, canned or frozen to balance time and cost.Help make diet plans that will be sustainable long term. Keeping social determinants of health in mind when sharing wellness ideas and pract...

It is hard to know how to deal with trauma when you're in the thick of it. Learning strategies you can easily put in place is key! When we are struggling, it's hard to have the energy to come up with ideas on how to make it through. Which is why having these tools in our back pocket is so important. Suzanne Falter is a podcaster and the author of multiple self-help titles including The Extremely Busy Woman's Guide to Self-Care. She also hosts the ever popular Self-Care for Extremely Busy Women podcast and an active Facebook group. Grab her How's Your Self-Care worksheet here! What is Trauma? According to the American Psychological Association, Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Trauma can have many forms and range in severity. Nothing prepares you for traumatic events. It is really important to seek help to navigate life after a traumatic event. The Stages of Trauma After a traumatic event, we go through a similar set of stages as we process what happened. Here is a general idea of these stages: Denial- you question the event and often can't believe it is happening.Anger- feelings of anger, getting upset and asking why this happened.Bargaining- making compromises and promises to do something if XYZ would just stop or go away.Depression- a feeling of doom, loneliness and sadness having to adjust to the truth of what happened.Acceptance- accepting the truth of what happened and starting the process to heal. Best Ways to Navigate Trauma With traumatic events comes a lot of emotional and some even physical feelings. Being able to move forward as these pass through you is hard but there are things you can do to help. Here are some ideas: Read to learn more about the trauma or strategies to help.Be open and willing to make it into a transformational experience.Telling the truth about it, instead of pretending it didn't happen.Meditation or self care practice.Exercise or any movement of the body.Eat nutritious whole foods.Surround yourself by supportive people, family, friends and support groups.Find a way to get your feelings out, like writing or painting, etc. Does Trauma Ever Go Away? A traumatic event isn't something that will go away, but it can be navigated so that life can move on and even transform into a better place. We must allow ourselves to feel each stage we pass through in order for healing to happen. Once we reach acceptance and let ourselves experience all the feelings we will be able to slowly move past them. While the pain maybe always be there in some respect, it can begin to fade. Always remember that this is not to be taken as medical advice and you should always see a licensed professional for your mental health needs.

Having a baby and knowing about starting solids can be scary, confusing and overwhelming. Our guest today walks us through it all! Caitlyn Edson is a pediatric registered dietitian specializing in infants, toddlers, and young children. She is sharing all the tips to help parents feel secure and confident to start feeding their baby! She has a passion for helping people feed their families confidently in a way that feels manageable. Caitlyn works with families of children starting solids (particularly baby led weaning), picky eaters, those with growth struggles, youth athletes, and more! Grab her free starting solids guide here! Age to Start Solids There are certain signs of readiness when it comes to starting solids. Here are the main ones: Sit unassisted: not necessarily long periods of time but at least a couple seconds or in high chair being able to sit upright.Loss of tongue thrust reflex: when you put something into their mouth you don't want them to push it out of their mouth.Show interest in food: things like them watching you closely when you eat, grabbing for your food, etc. Traditionally we used to start feeding at 4 months but current research shows these readiness skills happen closer to 6 months. But it really depends on the baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends closer to 6 months. How to Start Feeding Your Baby There are many correct ways to start feeding your baby, you need to do what works best and feels right for you and your family. While there are things you shouldn't do, like starting too young or feed foods that are not the right consistency for their stage, overall their really isn't a wrong way to get started. There are two main avenues with starting solids: Baby led weaning- the premise behind this feeding technique is infant self feeding, giving the baby real whole foods in a safe consistency. While some say you don't do purees at all with Baby Led Weaning, it isn't necessarily true. The idea is you want to get the infant to feed themselves. So you put the puree on the spoon and put it in their hand and they get it in their mouth.Puree feeding- starting with purees can mean making your own or buying premade foods. You can choose foods that are naturally soft like bananas, apple sauce, yogurt or you can create your own by cooking foods and blending them. Before you start any feeding, it's a good idea to take a cpr class and learn the difference between gagging and choking because gagging is normal. You never want to stick your finger in a gagging baby's mouth because it can cause choking. What Foods to Introduce First Overall, you can really start with any foods you prefer. However there are a few things to avoid or think about: Avoid allergens if you have a family history and your pediatrician recommends it. Avoid honey until they are 12 months old.Better to avoid added salt and sugar until they are older. Not only are their bodies not able to process it well, but the flavors are too strong for them.Things like meat can be hard for babies to eat due to the consistency so you may want to avoid it until they are older. We use to say to start with rice cereal but that isn't necessarily the case. You can start with anything now! Starting with softer foods is a good first step. Things like avocado and bananas, or cooked foods like apples, zucchini, sweet potatoes and squash. You want to cut the foods into long thin strips when first starting because they use their 4 fingers to pick up and it's easier for them. Once they hit 9-10 months old, they develop a pincer grasp where they are able to pick up smaller pieces. How Much to Feed Per Meal Babies are good at instinctively knowing how much to eat, but with new eaters you should start small. It can be overwhelming to have a plate loaded with food so putting a small amount on the plate will make it easier for them. A teaspoon or a tablespoon of a food or one piec...

Throwing a vegan dinner party can be challenging and stressful. Listen in as our guest expert gives the tips and tricks for party success! Everybody loves a good dinner party, but how do you make it work so you are not drained, stressed and ready to fall apart by the end of the night? We got your back with all you need to know! Diana Goldman is a Vegan Caterer, Sierra Club Cooking Show Host and Plant-based Nutrition Educator based in Boston. She received a B.S. from Cornell University in Nutrition Science and an Ed.M. from Harvard University. Her blog Beantown Kitchen was awarded one of the top 100 plant-based blogs by Feedspot. She loves sharing recipes on her YouTube Channel and Instagram. Sign up to receive a free Healthy Vegan Made Easy ebook on her website Beantown Kitchen. How to Get Started Sometimes the hardest part of taking something on is getting started. When it comes to having a dinner party, knowing all that you need to do in an easy step by step format can really help reduce the overwhelm. Here are the basics to get you going: Find a date.Decide who your guests will be, make sure to take note of kids versus adults.Find out if there are any allergies, dislikes etc with your guests.Decide location, where and also if you will be inside or outside.Plan a theme and menu. Accommodating All Dietary Needs There are so many recipes available for us to use for free, so we shouldn't be stopped when we need to accommodate allergies or other foods our guests need or prefer to avoid. All you need to do is search online and look in cookbooks you have. Google, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook are all great for finding recipes for every diet. Sometimes the cuisine can guide us too. For example Indian and Thai cuisine use coconut for creaminess so can help if you have a guest that is nut free but can have coconut. While Italian cuisine tends to have a lot of cheese and vegan cheeses are often made from nuts, so it may not be best with nut allergies. Overall when you are used to making plant-based recipes, accommodating needs and preferences is second nature. What to Serve There are many avenues you can take that will help guide you when it comes to narrowing down what to make for your dinner party. Here are a few ideas: Start with a familiar main meal first and then pick sides that stem off of that main meal. Like if you do burgers, you can do fries, salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, etc.Pick a cuisine and focus your menu around that theme. If you do Italian, you can do lasagna, salad, risotto and tiramisu.Serve food buffet style so you can make a variety of things for people to serve themselves. Salads, and sides do great to get in variety with buffets.Have a build your own theme and allow people to make their own tacos, pizzas, bowls, etc. This is great when feeding people that have a lot of dietary differences so they can pick and choose what to have. The people coming to your dinner party, where you will eat and your dietary needs can all help guide which direction is best to take. How to Prep Prepping ahead can help keep the stress at a minimum. Once you have nailed down your menu, you should use that to find what ingredients you need. Then, check to see what you have at home and what you need to buy, and make a list for the grocery store. Figure out what you can make ahead. This is what you can do ahead of time: SaucesDessertsCasserolesDressing for a salad so it's done.Chop and prep the things you can't make ahead so they are ready day of.Cook things like grains, etc so they are ready to use. You can also set the table ahead of time to have it ready to go. This way the day of you can focus on organizing your space, cleaning, setting up the space more, etc. Also, if you get things prepared with time left before your guests arrive, you can relax a little so you are rested when the party starts.

Learning how to live with diabetes can feel overwhelming and impossible. Our guest today shares how she not only lives but thrives! Lynne Bowman has been living with diabetes and enjoying life to the fullest. She loves to share her story to help others do the same! Lynne has been featured at women's expos throughout the country, speaking on kitchen table culture, community planning and the gift of diabetes. She teamed with actress Deidre Hall to write and publish Deidre Hall's Kitchen Closeup (2010) and Deidre Hall's How Does She Do It? (2012). In a previous life, she worked with Silicon Valley companies as a creative director, winning national awards. She was Creative Director at E&J Gallo Winery, Advertising Manager at RedKen Laboratories, and held various other positions with agencies and clients in San Jose, Los Angeles, and on the East Coast. She has also worked as an actress, makeup artist, screenwriter, illustrator, legal journalist and television Weather Person. She is the mother of three grown children, with one absolutely perfect grandchild, and one more on the way. Sign up for "Lynne's List" and receive the recipe for Mimi's Badass Brownies, plus The Seven Sugar Substitutes That Will Change Your Life. Can You Live a Full Life With Diabetes? Yes! Not only can you live a full life but you can thrive. While we now know that we can do things to prevent chronic disease, there are still instances where no matter what we do, we have to live with it. But this doesn't mean you are destined for an unfulfilled life! Learning how to manage your diabetes is possible, other than medicine, between what you put into your body, how often you exercise and how you manage your mental health there are so many things you can do. How to Manage Daily Life When it comes to day to day life, nourishing your body with lots of plants, whole foods and getting in movement along with any medicine you need, should be part of your routine. A whole food plant-based diet is so beneficial for chronic disease. Plants give us nourishment we need and help us avoid the saturated fat that animal products contain. While adding some animal products from time to time is still okay when you want to maintain some balance, making sure they are high quality is important. It's also important to take care of your mental health. Yoga, meditation and mindfulness can all help control stress. As can doing things like family dinners, movie nights and other ways to connect with those you love. When we keep ourselves in a mostly stress free state this helps our health overall. The mind and body are very connected! Sleep is another thing our body needs in order to stay at optimum health. Our diets, exercise and mental well being can be so influenced by how rested we are! It's also very important to check in regularly with your doctor and see your doctor should you feel something is wrong. Things to consider/watch out for Learning how to live life with diabetes comes with complications and extra things you need to think about. Here are a few things you want to keep in mind: Read food labels to check for ingredients you can't haveListen to your body and detect any changes earlyThink about your meals ahead of timeLearn strategies that work for youWatching the glycemic index of food you eatYou should always listen to your medical professional Can Diabetes Go Away? Everyone is different, so there isn't a one size fits all approach. In general, diabetes cannot be reversed or go away. However, when it comes to type 2 diabetes people can go into remission and symptoms can get better with lifestyle changes if caught early enough. Some things people have done when it comes to relieving symptoms are: Changing their diet to be mostly whole food plant-basedAdd more fiber to your dietIncreasing amount of exerciseLosing weight if needed Tips For Managing Daily Life

Knowing how to reduce inflammation in the body is important for our health. There are many things we can do to help us along the way! Inflammation can wreak havoc on your body, and the culprits are many. Join us as we chat with expert Dani Williamson to dive deep on how to deal with it all! Dani Williamson MSN, FNP owns Integrative Family Medicine in Franklin, TN; focusing on gut, autoimmune thyroid (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is her passion), hormone and adrenal health with her patients. Her approach embodies a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual process to healing. Dani is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Nurse Midwifery and Family Nurse Practitioner program. She is on the board of Middle Tennessee chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and believes strongly in addressing issues of adverse childhood trauma and its relation to overall long-term health conditions. You can check out her course, Inflammation is the Devil, for more info and special discount for readers. Her first book Wild & Well Dani's Six Commonsense Steps to Radical Healing is being released November 9, 2021 by Morgan James Publishing. What is Inflammation? Inflammation is a cellular response in your body to some sort of injury. Cytokines are the proteins in your blood that create the inflammatory response. When you have cellular injury you get capillary dilation, increase in white blood cells, redness and warmth/heat. You have acute inflammation, which you need to protect you and heal you (like if you cut your hand). But there is also chronic inflammation, which is long lasting inflammation and this is the issue. Things that end in "-itis" basically are types of inflammation. For example like sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), gastritis (inflammation of the gut) and colitis (inflammation of the colon). Dani believes that inflammation is your bodies response to a poor diet, lack of exercise, inadequate sleep chronic bowel issues and lack of community connection. A few other things that can cause inflammation are mold, breast implant illness and viruses. Classic Signs of Inflammation Many things can be signs of inflammation. We need to look at the why and the root cause of things versus just treating the symptom because sometimes you don't even have symptoms until you develop a disease. Here are some things to look out for that may be signs of inflammation: AcneHeadachesExzcemaJoint pain, back pain, etc that are not injury relatedFatigueMigrainesSeasonal allergiesDepressionAnxietyBleeding gumsSkin conditions like acne and excema Ways to Reduce Inflammation While our western medicine seems to treat the symptoms of inflammation versus looking for the root cause, there are things you can do to keep your body less likely to have inflammation. First, increase fresh whole foods consumption. The more fresh food we eat, like veggies and fruit, the more nutrients we will get to keep us healthy. A mostly plant-based diet is a great way to eat. There are also foods we want to avoid. The top inflammatory foods are: GlutenDairySugarEggsPeanutsSoyCorn This isn't to say that everyone should not eat these at all, but if you are having issues start eliminating these foods to see what may be bothering you. There is a big connected with our gut health, inflammation and our mental health so making sure to pay attention to what you are eating is so important. Other things you can do to help fight inflammation is move your body regularly, get enough sleep and practice gratitude! More and more research is showing how much this is all connected. Natural Anti-Inflammatory Agents There are also other things you can take to help fight inflammation. While medication can be necessary in some cases, there are natural ways to help support your body as well that your medical provider may suggest. Here are a list of things out there that people...

Eating healthy meals on the go can be difficult, but our guest today helps us find ways to make it possible without making it stressful! While it's important to learn to let go and be balanced with what we eat, it can also make us feel better if we have healthy options to incorporate into meals when we are out of the house. Ashley Randall weighs in on this topic! Ashley has been working out and moving her body before she ever even knew it could be a career. She LOVES fitness and mindset, and knows the two of them are so dependent on each other. She believes that if you want to be strong in life mentally and physically you'll have to be able to tap into both. Teaching her clients how to do that is what really lights her up. She believes that being able to watch a client step into their power both mentally and physically is the best part of this line of work. She wants all her clients to feel like the CEO of their life, inside and out. Nobody can take away the confidence you have created. Grab Ashley's Free 7 Day Shred here! Importance of Nutritious Food Stress is one of the biggest wellness killers out there, so when it comes to being on the go and feeding yourself appropriately we need to focus on ways to make that happen without it being stressful. While balance it important, and making sure you know that eating things that aren't necessarily nutritious is totally ok, when we are on the go and active, our body still needs enough fuel to keep us going. Making sure you are getting the nutrients you need helps you feel as good as you can and gives your body the energy it needs to stay active and participate in all the activities you want or need to be part of. Challenges Making sure you are fueled when out and about can be hard, here are some of the biggest challenges we have found: It's difficult to find snacks that include all the nutrients we need.Prepackaged snacks tend to have larger amounts of sodium and sugar.It's harder to find protein filled snacks on the go.Finding fresh food on the go that is easy to eat can be challengingYou need to find the balance between spending time packing things and using prepackaged food.If you have dietary needs, or preferences, it can be challenging to find food to fit within your needs Tips For Snacks on the Go Here are some things you can do to find nutritious food on the go, whether it's day to day or when you are traveling: Keep baggies of protein powder with you, pour them in a water bottle and shake it up for a quick protein boost.Protein bars are great ways to get a quick snack to fill you up (but make sure to read the label and look for those with lower sugar and higher protein). Brands like No Cow and Aloha are great.If you eat meat, beef jerky is a great go to snack.Many stores carry precut veggies and fruit that are great on the go.Snack packs with veggies and hummus or apples and nut butter are great for on the go.Individual trail mix and nut packs. Healthy Snack Ideas You Can Prep There are also some things you can prep and plan for at home to have them ready to go when you need to grab them: Chickpea or tuna salad in individual containers with crackers or veggies.PB&J sandwiches are great because they do well without staying cold.Bean, avocado and cheese tortilla roll ups.Cereal "trail mix" in baggies (cereal mixed with nuts).Chickpeas, either raw or baked crispy. Signs You Need a Snack There are signs your body gives you to let you know it's time to fuel up. Everybody is different, but here are the most common things to look for when it's time to feed your body: Stomach growlingIrritability, more than averageFatigue or feeling like you're going to crashBrain fog or hard Shakiness Overall it's really important to look ahead and stop the crash before they come!

Knowing what's best when it comes to nutrition for kids, let alone plant-based options, is so hard! Today's expert shares all the facts. There is so much conflicting information out there, weeding through it all can be a full time job. But Whitney Tabaie is here to help make the job a whole lot easier! Whitney English Tabaie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, author, and co-founder of Plant-Based Juniors, a community helping parents raise healthy, conscious children. She is also the founder of the website/YouTube channel, Whitney E. RD. and co-author of The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler. Whitney's mission is to help people make educated decisions about the food they eat by providing evidence-based information on popular nutrition topics and sharing healthy original recipes that fit her "Predominantly Plant-Based" nutrition philosophy. She has been featured on outlets like Good Day LA, Bon Appetit, Parents, Wall Street Journal, People, Today's Dietitian, and many more. When she isn't whipping up healthy meals in "Whit's Kitch," she can be found soaking up the California sun with her husband, two children, and pup, Mr. Chow. Grab her free supplement guide and The PB3 Plate - a visual guide to meal planning to help you on your journey! Nutritional Needs For Kids When it comes to kids, the major focus is growth. Both physical growth as it relates to size but also growth of bodily systems like the central nervous system and the brain. The brain grows more in first 2-3 years of life than ever! We need to make sure that kids are getting enough macronutrients. Macronutrients give kids calories which they need to grow. A main source of these are carbohydrates but they also need the other macronutrients, protein and fat. Kids also need specific micronutrients, here are a few important ones: Iron Iron is the most critical when it comes to nutrient needs. Kids have stores of iron from being in utero, but they eventually get through that so starting at about 6 months until about 12 months, the need for iron peaks. For example, the RDA for a baby is 11 mg versus that for a grown adult male is only 8mg. Babies at this age can be at risk for iron deficiency especially if they are solely breast fed because breast milk doesn't have much iron. This is why it is important to add fortified foods like fortified baby cereal to their diet. Babies need iron because it is so important for brain development and also for the development of red blood cells which are at a rise during this time. Choline Choline is important for retinol development and brain development. While choline is rich in animal based foods, there are also many plant-based foods that have choline such as legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. DHA DHA is an omega 3 fatty acid. It is commonly found in fish however fish actually get it from the micro algae they eat. So you can get DHA from eating fish, supplements or even consuming a micro algae based oil. While we can make our own DHA from the alpha-linolenic acid (or ALA) we can get from many plant-based foods, the conversion rate is low so we still need supplementation to fill the gap. Is a plant-based diet ok for children? Yes! There are so many misconceptions with plant-based diet and kids. But more and more research is showing how a plant-based diet actually has many benefits for children. The major organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics all agree that eating plant rich diets are extremely beneficial for kids. The key however is they must be appropriately planned, meaning that they are rich in whole foods, contain a variety of foods and include the nutrients discussed above. The children that do not thrive eating a plant rich diet are those that are malnourished, do not have an appropriate diet or have parents that are negligen...

It's important to know that fat is good for you and how avoiding it can actually hurt your health. Listen in for types you should focus on! My guest today is breaking it down for us and giving the true story when it comes to the what, why and how of fats! Rhyan Geiger is a registered dietitian and vegan author who specializes in vegan nutrition. She is the owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian where she helps others easily transition to vegan living. She has many years of experience in vegan nutrition and believes in positively impacting the world one bite at a time. Rhyan is an expert in this field and has been featured in Women's Health and Business Insider. You can connect with her on her website (where you can join her newsletter to get a free vegan smoothie book!) or on Instagram. You can also get 10% off her book, A Complete Guide to Grocery Shopping Vegan, with code REALFOOD! Types of Fats Fats are one of the macronutrients (protein, carb, fat) and are really important for your body. There are different types of fats: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthy fats or heart healthy and are predominately found in foods that come from plants.Trans fat and saturated fats can wreak havoc in your body and are predominately found in foods that come from animals and in fried foods. Why We Need Healthy Fats Because trans and saturated fats can raise your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease, you want to avoid them for the most part. However a little in an otherwise healthy individual isn't the end of the world. But unsaturated fats are needed in order for our bodies to function properly. Fats do a variety of things. They help build cell membranes and build the surroundings of our nerves, which keep our body moving and functioning. Also vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble and they need fat in order to be absorbed. Without these vitamins you can experience a variety of health issues. Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fats. They are really important for brain function like building brain cells. These types of fat typically come from fish, but fish often get them from algae so there are ways to get Omega 3 fats from plants. Algae being one of them, however you can also get them from plant foods like flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Unsaturated keep you heart healthy overall and can help prevent heart disease. But fat also keeps you feeling full, because it takes you longer to digest. This helps regulate your blood sugar, which in turn can help prevention of type 2 diabetes. How Much Fat You Need The dietary reference Intake (DRI) is 20-35% of the total calories you are eating. So this will vary with everyone. Because many of us do not calculate or track our food, another way to visually think about it is through your plate. The MyPlate Guidelines say that half of your plate should be comprised of fruit and/or veggies, one quarter grains and one quarter protein. With fat, you can think about the area in the middle being filled with about two tablespoons of healthy fat. This is simply a guideline and will vary with each meal. Food With Healthy Fats Here are some foods you can include in your diet so you can get in those healthy fats: AvocadoNuts like walnuts, macadamia and almondsSeeds like chia, hemp and flaxNut buttersBeansDark chocolateOlives Here are some ideas on how to use these foods for meals: Adding flax, hemp and chia with fruit into a smoothieMaking a chickpea scramble and adding flax, hemp and chia in with veggiesPutting walnuts in oatmealEating avocado in a sandwich, wrap or tacoEating apples or toast with nut butterMaking dairy free sauces with cashews Also, if you keep these foods eye level in the fridge and pantry you are more likely to grab for them when making meals. Signs You May Need More Fats Fats are so important for our body to function appropri...

As we learn more about our bodies, strategies on how to improve gut health are becoming more and more popular. Listen in for things we can do! Gut health is coming into the forefront of conversations about our health more and more lately. As the science behind it grows, we are realizing how important it is! Amanda Sauceda is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in mindfulness and gut health. Amanda quickly realized that gut health is more than digestion, the microbiome, or the food we eat; it is also about honoring our gut feelings. This is why she created The Mindful Gut™, it is a holistic way of helping people to find their gut-friendly foods and lifestyle. Amanda has a virtual private practice where she runs group programs. Ps. Her favorite food is pizza! Grab her free journal here! What is Gut Health? Gut health is an overall term that relates to looking at your gut and how it benefits you both mentally and physically. It is multifaceted and includes many areas. The first thing people think about is digestion, but gut health also includes your microbiome and even honoring that inner wisdom, or what people call your gut feeling. Symptoms of Struggling Gut Health There are two P's to look out for when it comes to something being off with your gut: Persistence- is the pain continuous and not going away?Pain- are your symptoms painful and can't be alleviated? If your issues resolve or are temporary, it's most likely not a major issue. However if the pain won't go away and lasts over a long period of time, there is a good chance you need to look at your gut health. Another thing you should look out for is the list of "okay foods" you have. If it is getting smaller in number (meaning you are restricting foods due to a diet of some sort), this can feed into the problem because food diversity is so important. How to Help Gut Health Working on better gut health has many pillars that can be involved. Here are some things that Amanda work on with clients: Looking at trusting your gut, listening to that inner wisdom and your body overall. Resting and recharging. Stress can impact our gut health so much.Eating with intention. Choosing food for why it is good for you, not because someone else told you to eat it.Kitchen confidence. It's one thing to talk about what is nutritious but knowing the how is what helps get it done.Purpose over perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect gut. It's a balancing act and it's okay to not be all or nothing. Importance of Good Gut Health First and foremost you want to feel good and happy. But there is more than that when it comes to gut health. Your gut can impact your entire body, so keeping it in a happy range is so important. It can affect things like: Blood sugarBone healthImmunitySkinHeart healthCardiovascular systemMood and mental health Foods That Heal Your Gut Your gut loves and needs fiber! Some experts even say that 95% of the people in our country have a fiber problem. Here are the reasons our gut loves fiber: It helps feed the gut good bacteria. Fiber acts as a prebiotic, food for our bacteria to grow into a diverse microbiome.It helps move food through our body so we don't have constipation and issues with our bowel movements.It regulates our blood sugar and cholesterol.It helps you stay fuller longer and satisfied with what you eat.It acts like a broom to help clean things out of your digestive system. It's also important to eat a diverse amount of foods. Food variety is so important so you can get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Another thing that is great for gut health is fermented foods. Things like kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, etc They act as a probiotic which helps your microbiome. Foods to Avoid There is no one food or blanket recommendation when it comes to avoiding food, and in fact this can be a red flag.

What is binge eating and is it something real? Those of us that have never experienced it don't understand this disorder or how it works. It's really hard to understand things that you have never experienced, especially when it comes to disorders related to mental health and food. Our expert today helps us deep dive into the binge eating phenomenon. Coach Jon is a weight loss coach and emotional eating expert who has lost 100lbs. From nanotechnology researcher, to Navy marine engineer, to globetrotting nomad, Coach Jon spent most of his life running from his true calling, until one question changed his life. Now he's on a mission to help others lose weight for good and leave BS diets in the rearview mirror. With Freedom Nutrition Coaching he marries the Science of Metabolism with the Psychology of Behavior Change and the Compassion of Human Connection to create life-changing transformations with his clients. Grab his free Crush Your Cravings ebook! Definition of Binge Eating Binge eating is an eating disorder, meaning eating that we don't normally see as human behavior. It is defined as episodes of rapid uncontrolled eating in a short window of time. It is a repeated pattern, happening around once a week for probably a few consecutive months. There is a difference between overeating, emotional eating and binge eating. We overeat and emotionally eat when we binge eat but not all overeating and emotional eating is binge eating. Binge eating falls more into the extreme end of overeating and binge eating. Causes So ultimately we ask ourselves what drives this kind of behavior? This is important so that we can fully understand it. Some potential causes can be: Genetics- this is often overlooked because it isn't clearly understood, but there are some things we are starting to understand that can be carried down through our genetic history. Family history- having a parent that had a disordered relationship with food can form patterns we learn as children.Mental health disorders like depression, low self esteem, stress and anxiety- although cause and effect isn't entirely established as we don't know if the mental health caused the binge eating or the other way around. Everyone will be different in how these play a role. Signs to Look Out For There are many signs that you can look out for when it comes to binge eating. If any of these define you, it's really important you seek professional help. Eating in secret.Hoarding food.Eating food when you are already uncomfortably full or feeling the compulsion to keep eating.Disordered eating patterns- things like eating tiny meals in public but large eating episodes in private.Unhealthy emotional patterns- examples are if someone is a people pleaser and suppresses their own emotions to keep others happy and avoid conflict, identifying as needing constant control, and all or nothing type mindsets.Cognitive distortions- a thought pattern that creates an exaggerated view of reality in our head, such as catastrophizing (thinking the worse will happen)Generally feeling out of control around eating Strategies There are many strategies you can use to help with binge eating. Binge eating is rarely not associated to an event or cause, so trying different strategies can help connect the cause and bring these behaviors to our conscience awareness. Here are a few things you can try: Don't beat yourself up- easier said than done!Keep a food diary- this can be simple and is great to help connect to the cause or event.Eat in a regular rhythm or pattern- this can help stabilize your blood sugar to prevent spikes or crashes and trigger a binge.Put road blocks to the foods that you may binge- you can do things like making it harder to get to them, hiding them behind things so it takes effort to get them, etc . All of this makes you put effort into getting to the food which in turn brings the thought to a conscious level and can help y...

As one of the top killers in our country, it is important to know how to prevent heart disease so that you can live a long healthy life. While heart disease can run in families, it is still a highly preventable disease. There are so many lifestyle practices you can follow to help you stay away from this deadly disease. Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for 25 years, specializing in heart disease, diabetes, sports nutrition and women's health. For the past ten years, she has focused on plant-based lifestyles through inspiring and educating people about plant-based eating to optimize their health and the health of the planet. Nichole has been featured in Eating Well, Business Insider and Atlanta Journal Constitution. She is also a media spokesperson for The Weather Channel and local Atlanta television networks. A former triathlete and current yoga instructor, she shares her passion through her website Purely Planted. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and rescue dog, Mariposa. Grab her FREE ebook 5 Tasty and Simple Plant-Based Salad Dressings! The Science Behind Heart Disease Heart disease doesn't have just one cause, it can be multi factorial (ie it has many causes). It can start in your arteries with atherosclerosis, which is a thickening or hardening of the arteries. Plaque can build up through cholesterol and other particles like calcium. Blood pressure can also be an issue. The whole cardio vascular system from your feet up to your head keeps the blood flowing and pumping and brings it to the heart and lungs. As plaque start to build up, or your blood pressure is high, and the oxygen isn't brought to your heart and lungs through your blood, you start to develop symptoms of heart disease. Symptoms There are many things you can start feeling when your heart and lungs aren't getting the oxygen they need to function at full capacity. You may feel tired, weak, or have a lack of energy. However you also may feel nothing. Which makes it really important to know your risk factors and get regular blood work because heart disease can build up over time. Risk factors Lifestyle is a big part of staying healthy and preventing heart disease in individuals. We know that there are hereditary factors, however this doesn't mean that this is your fate. Other risk factors include: SmokingBeing overweightDietHigh cholesterolLack of exercise Eating a diet high in saturated fat contribute to high cholesterol. This is mainly an animal product based diet. Also, sugar contributes to high triglycerides so making sure to control added sugars is important as well. These things cause inflammation and can contribute to plaque build up and arterial hardening leading to heart disease. Starts at infancy, the risk for heart disease We need to educate the parents Hereditary factors If you have heart disease in your family, this doesn't mean you will have it too. There are many things you can do to help prevent it. Avoiding all those risk factors above will help, and living a lifestyle that includes a wholesome plant rich diet and some exercise will have a huge impact. Starting young is big. Being able to start those habits early will help make it easier to stay heart disease free. Preventing Heart Disease Heart disease is a chronic condition that you can actually do something about. Here are some things that you can do: Eat a diet rich in plants. This has the greatest impact. Animal products are full of cholesterol which contributes to heart disease. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing, but when your diet consists mostly of plants you are setting your body up for success.Get regular exercise. Moving your body is important for a healthy lifestyle. It helps keep your cardiovascular system in shape and strong and it can also reduce stress.Get regular check ups and blood work with your doct...

Thinking about travel and food you'll be eating can be stressful especially if you eat a plant-based diet. We've got tips to help! Going on vacation takes a lot of planning, and meals can be a big part of that. Our guests today are experts in all things plant-based and travel so are here to help! Adam and Shoshana Chaim are the co-hosts of the popular Plant Trainers Podcast, helping you improve your quality of life through nutrition and fitness. They are both also public speakers and authors of the Yummy Foods Activity Book For Kids. After a major wake-up call with Adam's health resulting in Shoshana's PTSD, their family adopted a plant-based lifestyle and now thrive in all areas of their life. Shoshana is an expert in plant-based nutrition and cellular communication and wellness. She works with health practitioners and individuals to increase cellular health and achieve rockstar wellness. Adam is a plant-based athlete and nutrition & fitness coach with over 20 years of experience and a certificate in plant-based nutrition. He is a 2X Ironman triathlete, completed several marathons and ultra runs and swims and successfully helps individuals with their nutrition and athletic endeavors big or small. They live in Toronto, Canada with their 2 plant-based thriving kids! Grab their FREE 20 Simple Recipe eBook here! Things to Consider About Meals While Traveling When there are dietary needs to think about and we leave the comfort of our own homes to hit the road, we need to keep a few things in mind with regards to meals so that our enjoyable vacay doesn't turn into stress. Here are a few things you can do to look ahead for any roadblocks (see what I did there?) that may come your way: Know where you are going- there is a difference in staying with someone at a home or if you'll be in a hotel when it comes to meals.Decide how much you have access too as far as preparing meals- you can bring easy things like bars and oatmeal packets, etc to keep you full.Figure out how much time you'll have to prepare food- if you'll be busy then you want to bring ready snacks to grab on the go so you don't have to stress.Research the area you are going to- find the grocery stores and restaurants so you can see what you will have access to when you are there. Can You Stay Plant-Based While You Travel? Absolutely! It depends on how much effort you want to put into it. You can be prepared before you go and have it run smoothly, or you can go on the fly and take whatever you can get. Remember that food doesn't have to be elaborate all the time. As long as you realize the way you eat at home won't necessarily be the same as you eat on the road. What to Bring With You You can bring things with you as you travel to make it easy! You can decided if you need a whole other piece of luggage or simply want to tuck things into a bag you already have. Here are a few ideas: Blender (like our trusty Vitamix) for making smoothies to get in veggies and fiber and keep you full.Air fryer to avoid using shared BBQ's, etcKnife or scissors for whole fruits (carried safely of course).Bake muffins and cookies before you go.Ready packed food like bars, tortilla roll ups, veggies, snack packs.Give kids their own bags with snacks (they can even make their own!). Tips For Eating Out When it comes to researching restaurants there are some great tips you can use: Join a vegan facebook group for the area you are going and ask questions for recommendations in the group.Do a google search for the area and the restaurants to see the reviews from others on what they ordered.Call the restaurants in advance to see what they can do to meet your dietary needs. What to Watch Out For While you are on the go and traveling to other areas, things can be different. This makes it important to be aware of what you are getting into so you can avoid any stress. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

While it's important to move your body, it's more important to have realistic long term fitness goals so you don't end up burning out! The problem is that many people don't know how to set these sustainable goals. Our guest today is an expert at keeping things real for ultimate success! Karina Inkster is your go-to, no-B.S. vegan fitness coach, author, and podcast host. Vegan since 2003 and vegetarian since 1998, she provides a friendly kick in the butt that inspires and motivates you to live your best, healthiest, most plant-strong life. Karina's award-winning online programs offer vegan fitness and nutrition coaching to clients around the world. She's the author of four books with a fifth in the works, a writer for several magazines, and host of the No-B.S. Vegan podcast. She holds a Master's degree in Gerontology, specializing in health and aging. When she's not working with her clients, writing, or weight lifting, you'll find Karina playing accordion, piano, and Australian didgeridoo; hanging out with her two cats; or sneaking spinach into her husband's smoothies. Grab her free guide, Vegan food logging 101: Your guide to calculating calories and macros. What Fitness Goals Mean Everyone is human and has an innate need to feel great, look great and feel comfortable with themselves. While not everyone is there yet, ultimately this is what we want to achieve. So there is no one size fits all approach to fitness however there are fitness goals that are more or less beneficial to us long term. For overall health, both mental health and physical health, we need to make sure we are making appropriate goals. Anything really can be a fitness goal. You may want to run your first marathon, loose fat, do a pull up, etc. There is not only one type of fitness goal. What is a Good Fitness Goal? We are all different, have different bodies and different lifestyles so fitness goals will depend on each individual person. Karina likes to focus on input versus output goals. Usually we have output goals like lose 10 pounds, deadlift twice my body weight, shrink our waist. We don't have direct control over these types of things. So instead we want to increase our input goals. For example, if we want to lose 10 pounds what are the input goals? It can be things like drink enough water, do your steps, strength training, increase cardiovascular activity, eat the right foods, etc. These are things we can track and have direct control over. An approach like this, is healthier psychologically than stepping on the scale and tracking the weight. Reasons Why a Fitness Goal Fails Most of the time when we fail at a goal, it's because our expectations are not appropriate. So the first thing we need to do is check those expectations. We don't know how long a goal is going to take. So to set a time frame with a goal can be counterproductive. So instead we can focus on habits. When we bring habits into our life instead of attaching a time frame to a goal, you are making things more realistic and fitting them into your actual life versus trying to race the clock to meet a certain time frame. How to Set a Fitness Habit When people see a trainer or any fitness support, they already have an idea of what they want to achieve. There is no one size fits all approach, the focus is a collaborative process between a trainer and client. Fitness habits need to be client centered because if it doesn't work with your lifestyle then it will be very hard to achieve. Having outside support is also great for accountability, which is important at the beginning until you are able to take it on yourself. You can also set fitness habits on your own if you are someone that is great at your own accountability. You can even find friends to be workout buddies with, which helps keep you motivated. Either way, it is important to start with a baseline of what you do already.

It's important to know the best foods for hypothyroidism so that you can keep it under control! Learn all you need to know from our guest RD. Diet plays an important role for all the medical issues we deal with, often more than we know. Specialist Lisha Knicely helps us with the ins and outs of diet and hypothyroidism! Lisha Knicely is a Registered Dietitian and Integrative & Functional Practitioner specializing in hypothyroid conditions. Being a Thyroid Warrior herself, Lisha understands what it's like to both live with and treat this common yet complex condition. Lisha's approach is comprehensive and holistic in nature; taking into consideration the immense positive impact that lifestyle and nutritional changes have for managing endocrine and metabolic disorders, like hypothyroidism. Being a part of and serving this community is a true passion for Lisha making her work both enjoyable and extremely rewarding. Download her FREE guide today! Hypothyroidism Definition and Types Hypothyroidism is a term to describe a low state of thyroid function. There are many conditions that fall under this but the most common cause is Hashimoto's disease. Hashimoto's is when the immune system is targeting and attacking the thyroid gland and causes the thyroid to be under active. Hashimoto's antibodies can be elevated for years before it causes damage so make sure to get checked if you suspect you have it. Some symptoms of hypothyroidism are: Weight loss resistance and weight gain (the thyroid is the master control gland for your metabolism)FatigueHair lossCold extremitiesElevated cholesterolDepression anxietyDigestive issues Most of the time this is a byproduct of lifestyle. Tips to Help Manage Hypothyroidism The first thing we do is look at a person's lifestyle and figure out what needs support. Reasons that can affect the thyroid are: Poor sleepNot managing stress (one of the biggest culprits and wreak havoc on the immune system)Poor dietNutrition deficiencies It varies from person to person so an individualized approach is important. We need to be advocates of our own bodies. Foods Good for Hypothyroidism In a broad sense, you want to be eating whole foods. Taking a close look at your diet and seeing how many whole foods are you eating can be helpful. Eating a diet rich in plant foods can offer antioxidants, polyphenols, fiber, etc which can all help. Make sure you eat high quality protein, whether it's animal or plant based, getting quality is the key. Also, healthy fats are so important for hormone health as they are needed to absorb certain vitamins. Overall, wee are each different so our needs of different levels of fat, protein, carbohydrates will vary. With Hashimoto's, try eliminating certain foods to see how you feel. While dairy, soy and gluten can cause issues for some, it isn't necessarily an issue for all so taking them out to see how you feel is important. With autoimmunity it's worth to investigate with food to see if you are better off with some over others. What Foods Can Make Hypothyroidism Worse? The main foods that cause issues for hypothyroidism are things called Goitrogens. These are foods that cause a goiter, which is the swelling or enlargement of the thyroid gland. When the thyroid gland is enlarged, it prevents the uptake of iodine. This in turn prevents the thyroid from efficiently making thyroid hormones. Goitrogenic foods include vegetables in the Cruciferous family, some of which are: CabbageBroccoliCauliflowerKaleBrussels sproutsRadishes You want to avoid high amounts of these foods in their raw state, however can cook them to reduce the goitrogenic effect. Also, make sure you are getting enough iodine overall. What Should You Drink? There are some things you can focus on drinking to help as well. Focus on getting plenty of filtered water. Also, you still need high quality salt so getting in ele...

Eating whole foods is great, but sometimes supplements for immunity can be very helpful. Learn more about creating a wiser immune system! This post was sponsored by For the Biome but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own. Our guest today is from the brand For The Biome and is an expert in creating a healthy immune environment. Paul Schulick is a master herbalist, author and the founder of both New Chapter, and his latest venture, For The Biome. For The Biome's mission is to deliver solutions for body, mind, and microbiome that build strength and resilience amidst modern health challenges. Schulick is renowned for pioneering whole-food fermented vitamins integrated with science-backed herbals. He has once again shifted the paradigm by redefining the immune category with time-tested ingredients that are new to market. For The  Biome's three immune products—Immune Therapy Cistus+ Infusion, Stress Therapy, and Gut-Lung Therapy—are formulated in Vermont and launched March 2021. Learn more about For The Biome through their channels on Instagram and Facebook! Use the code VEGGIES15 for 15% off any order. Why You Need a Wise Immune System The immune system is important when aren't feeling well, but it's also so much more than that. Our immune system is on 24/7 and is always restoring our physiology and clearing and cleaning the debris and cells that need to be removed, those that are not great for our body. It needs to be at work all the time. This makes our bodies amped up by all it is exposed to, which means our immune system is also amped up. So it often doesn't get a chance to relax and be quiet so that it can really restore itself. This is why, despite all the hype around “boosting” the immune system, what we all really need is balance within the immune system. For the Biome's Immune Therapy contains a unique class of polyphenols called polymeric polyphenols; these are unique because they are able to help regulate the immune response, so that your system can respond to threats appropriately, and then return to balance when the threat has been dealt with . Research shows that within one hour of taking Immune Therapy, immune cells (called monocytes) move from the bloodstream into the tissue, so that they are in the best position to respond to any immune challenges. After two hours the heavy hitters of the immune system, Natural Killer cells and T cells, are standing at attention and ready to respond if they're needed. At this point, those monocytes move back into the bloodstream, where they can be on the lookout for new immune threats. There are proteins within the immune system called cytokines that are important because they help our immune system function. Cytokines respond when something is threatening the immune system. However an overload of cytokines can throw the body out of balance. But with the right support (like the Immune Therapy Cistus+ Infusion by For The Biome), the immune system can balance its response: immune activation is supported, but so is the return to balance: it's helping the body to respond more efficiently and effectively.  How to Keep Your Immune System "Strong" Instead of using the word stronger, it seems more appropriate to use the word wiser. The reason is that you want your immune system to have the wisdom to know when to activate and send out the troops effectively, and to know when to retreat and head to the lookout posts, so that it's ready for the next attack. A wise immune response is balanced and efficient. When your body is exposed to things it doesn't like, your body goes into flight or flight response. But when it likes something it goes into the state of rest and digest. So when you support your immune system, you are able to better get into that rest and digest state so you can absorb your nutrients better, rejuvenate, and be in a better state of mind. Here are some things you can do for your immune system:...

Plant-based protein foods are sometimes hard for people to find. My guest today dishes out all the options and how the help you! Protein is a subject we are obsessed with in this country. But when trying to eat a mostly plan-based diet, getting what you need is always in question by others. Today we are clearing that up! Dr. Sunana Sohi is a Harvard educated board-certified gastroenterologist with a focus on wellness, plant-based health. She has all the knowledge about how to get what you need on a plant-based diet! What Does Protein Do For Our Body? Protein is an important part of our diet. It is what makes up our tissue structure and necessary for the growth and turning over of our cells. Protein makes up enzymes, hormones, keratin, collagen, etc. We need it to build muscles and can also provide energy. It is made up of 20 building blocks called amino acids. We can make up 11 of those ourselves, and the other 9 we need to get from external sources like food. Overall, protein is important, but we do not need to overdo it an we also need all the other macronutrients. Protein Necessity The general rule of thumb is you need .6-.8 g of protein per kg of body weight. This however can change depending on your goals. So if you have physical goals (like body building), then the protein you need will increase. But for the average person, the recommended range is sufficient. The problem is that many overdo it and think they need more. Some studies have shown that 96% of people do not have a protein issue but 96% have a fiber issue. It's important to keep this in mind, as protein deficiency is not something we see much of in this country. Another issue us that our bodies can get oversaturated when consuming too much protein at once. They think you can't even absorb more than 20-30 grams at one time. So if you overdo it and try and take in more than you really need at once, you potentially aren't even absorbing it all. Can You Get Protein From Plants? There is a misconception that you need to eat meat in order to get a complete protein source. Meaning meat has all 9 essential amino acids. The confusion lies in that many think that plants are incomplete sources of protein and do not include all 9 amino acids. We know now that is not true. All plants actually have all 9 essential amino acids, but some have more of one than another. This is why diversity in a plant-based diet is important. If you are eating a diverse diet, you are getting all the amino acids that you need. While meat can give you the amino acids as well, with meat you are also getting things that may not benefit you like saturated fat and inflammatory stuff. But when you are eating plant-based sources of protein you get things like fiber which is so important for overall health. Which Plant Foods Have the Most Protein There are many great plant sources of protein. We can get protein from many plants, but here are some that have a higher amount: SeitanSoy and EdamameLentilsBeansNutsSeedsOatsQuinoaPeas,Spinach You can see a great chart on Dr. Sohi's Instagram page. Overall just be diverse and don't stress about focusing on one thing!

Learn how to throw a party for all eaters with less stress and more fun! Get everything you need from planning to when your guests arrive! I love a good party, but throwing a bash that everyone will enjoy can be stressful! Alli is a party master and she's dishing out all she knows! Alli Ward is the head Maker behind Made with Happy. She is a color obsessed creative mom sharing easy crafts, Home DIY Projects, Entertaining Ideas and Travel that the whole family will love! We at Made with HAPPY are all about celebrating the HAPPY everyday! And while you are doing all your planning and prepping, check out Alli's amazing crafts to keep the kids busy! Planning a Party When it comes to entertaining, there are so many aspects. But if you break them down and tackle one thing at a time, it's much easier. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you plan your next party: Who is coming? Is it kids or adults?How many people will you have? How big is your space?Is there a theme? Is it the holidays, a birthday or just any day kind of party?What is the flow? Is it an open house or a scheduled activity party? Will you be sitting or standing?What are you going to serve?Are you going to decorate? Do you need to tidy up? Tips for Parties If you get overwhelmed easily, here are some tips to get you started. Throwing a party can be easy and fun if you go into it with the right tools. Start small. Plan a small dinner party, invite a few close friends or even one other family. A small kids only party is a good start point too.If you know what guests are coming, you can have an idea of where to go from there with the rest of the party planning.Get everyone's dietary needs. This makes it easier to make sure you are serving something for everyone.Decide on drinks. If you're serving alcohol, make sure you have an option for those that don't drink.If you decorate, keeping it simple can go a long way.Having parties is about getting together and relationships, it's not about keeping busy because people just want to spend time with you. So keep it simple. Kids Parties Throwing a party for kids can be a good way to get your feet wet with entertaining. Kids are easy to please and keep happy! You need to decide if you are just having kids or if you will have the adults as well. This will drive the rest of the decisions. Also, decide how long the party will be and at what time. If it's in between mealtimes then you do not need many snacks. If the party is only a few hours, you won't need to worry about people being fed too much. If you have the adults, you'll want a few snacks for them too. But if it's only kids, you can keep it very simple with a few snacks your kids love. You can even buy individual snack bags and put them in a basket for easy grab and go. Keep the decor simple, kids truly don't care. Heading to your local dollar store is a great way to keep it very inexpensive. If you have a theme, focus on getting one thing from that theme to save money. Then buy things within that themes color. For example, streamers are lower in cost and can be used in many ways! Have one section that is theme focused, it can be the food table or even just an entrance decor, and then use pops of color to bring the theme other places. You can keep it simple with one or two banners or get fancier with themed food. A photo wall can be fun and cheap. Use those streamers by taping them down a wall as the background, add a ballon or two and grab dress up stuff from your kids toys to use. Prepping Ahead Making sure you have planned ahead will keep the party much less stressful. Here are things you need to plan: Food- what to serve and how muchDrinks- alcohol or notSeating- have seats for half the people if it is a flow type of party and not a sit down.Decor- keep it simple and inexpensiveDecide what you can do ahead and what has to be done day of Drinks First and foremost,

Eating seasonal produce versus buying things that are not in season can have many benefits. Listen in to learn more about what they are! Depending on where you live and shop, you may not even realize what produce is in season when. This episode can help you learn the what, how and why of it all! Benefits of Eating Seasonal Produce Eating seasonal produce has many benefits. It can help the environment, our own health and wellness, and benefit the community as a whole. Here are some key benefits of eating seasonally: Reducing your carbon footprintYou get more nutrient dense foodsThe produce tastes betterThe cost is lowerKeeping your diet more diverseHelping the community Produce and Carbon Footprint Back before we had all the technology and access we have today, farmers grew what they were able to for the current season. If it was apple time, they grew apples. If it was peach season, that's what you got. But as time went on, developments in technology allowed produce to be grown year round. While this can definitely have its benefits for parts of the world where the weather doesn't allow for farming during the freezing cold months, it has also had it's detriment. Food travels much farther now, not only within the United States but also imported and exported around the world. This leaves a large carbon footprint which greatly affects out environment. Along with food traveling further than ever before, we have developed other ways to grow food, like inside greenhouses. These alternative growing methods can use more energy than growing the produce traditionally in the outdoors. Is Seasonal Produce More Nutritious? Produce that is in season has more nutrients. As produce grows, factors like the soil it is grown in, the amount of sun it gets and other climate related issues all contribute to how nutrient dense the produce is. For example, the soil of winter seasons give us produce that is rich in vitamin C. So if we grow these things in other seasons, we will not get as much as you would in winter. Also, in order for the produce to absorb the maximum amount of the nutrients in the soil, it needs to be allowed to reach it's peak ripeness. Out of season produce is picked early so it is not able to get everything from the soil. Flavor of Produce in Season Seasonal produce also tastes much better. Since it doesn't have to travel as far, you get a more flavorful result. The longer it is on the shelf, the less the flavor. Flavor can also be reduced when using things to control ripening and freshness on out of season produce. Cost of Seasonal Produce It can save you money. When food doesn't have to travel far, or use more expensive methods to grow, the cost can be reduced and sold for less. Next time you are at the grocery store, take note of the price of fruits and vegetables that are in season and track to see the cost rise as they become out of season. When the produce is more available, meaning it is the season that they grow in, the costs are much lower. Eating a Diverse Diet When you focus on the foods that are in season, you are able to eat a wider range of fruits and vegetables. The reason why you hear a lot about eating the rainbow is because every fruit and vegetable offers us different nutrients. We get the most nutrients when we eat a variety of foods, and some experts even say eating 30 different foods each week is best. So focusing on seasonal eating allows us to do that with ease! Helping Local Farmers When we buy foods that are in season, we are helping the farmers in our community. Visiting farmers markets, participating in local CSA boxes and shopping at stores who sell local produce all helps your local economy. If we each try and support local, we are helping those that live in our community and as a whole it brings an aura of support to those around us. What is in Season? So what is in season when?

Is it possible to change your story? Can we erase all the experiences, especially the trauma, that have shaped who we are? Listen in and see! How we think about food and our health starts with the experiences we had growing up. But some of those no longer serve us and who we are today. Emily Marquis talks about how we can make a change and use it to better our wellness. Emily is a Clinical Health and Wellness Coach, board certified NBC-HWC. She is an RYT200 Yoga Instructor and Mindfulness Consultant. She works with individuals and groups in support of creating healthy habits for sustainable lifestyle change. Drawing from her professional training and personal health challenges; she has experience in preventing, reducing, and managing chronic illness from stress to sleep to weight loss to work life balance. With her combined coaching and corporate HR background, Emily works with organizations in creating cultures of wellness and is NAHU certified. Emily also works with clinics and fellow practitioners to create a village for clients to best support their well-being. She is an Instructor at Emory University in their graduate Coaching certificate program. Emily lives in Colorado, USA with her family and loves the balance between a good TV show and an outdoor adventure. Grab her FREE 7 Day Gratitude Challenge here! And you can also grab her FREE health Quiz here! Our Personal Stories Stories can be a sentence, a whole experience and even an identity we attach to. These can affect how we live, the decisions we make. We are an onion and make of layers that create the human we are today. We experience and tell ourselves things that can pave our future and decisions. We have both narratives about ourselves and those for others. We even have stories about situations. These form biases that integrate into our every day life. Sometimes we can pin point where our stories came from, but other times we don't know. Making sure that the stories we created serve us and our goals is important. Even as parent we want to be an example for our own kid's narratives. The Meaning of Changing Your Story When our stories do not benefit us, we can change them. This means that we can make the stories that do not serve us weaker and eventually replace them with new stories that benefit us positively. The pathways from our negative stories have been created since birth and the more we say things to ourselves they get deeper and stronger. Then they affect every part of our lives. Neuroplasticity (the ability for the brain to form new connections) tells us that our brain is soft and flexible, which gives us the ability to change our thoughts and behaviors. The Science Behind Our Personal Narratives The brain has trillions of connections. When you have a narrative, there is a pathway for it. This is how your command center works. Your repetitive thought have strong connections because the more you repeat something to yourself, the stronger it gets. You can even make connections between things like a type of food and a physical symptom. Perhaps you had a bad experience once with something, and when you see it that memory comes back. Making that connection stronger every time. The less you use the pathway, the weaker it gets. Therefore, by changing the thought you can focus on the pathway you are trying to strengthen. This is like getting better at sports the more you practice. It's the same for your thoughts. Our brain is so powerful and has so much impact. Personal Narrative and Trauma Stories and narratives can have deep impact in fighting and healing. Trauma is trauma, but it's what you do after that matters. Science is showing that we can battle trauma and even relieve physical symptoms by changing the way we think and talk about our experiences. This shifting of our story has a great impact in our recovery and life after trauma.

These food hacks for kids are all you need to turn meals from something you dread to something you look forward to! Getting veggies into your kids can be a nightmare. But there is hope! I'm here to share my best meal hacks to get more plants in without the added stress! Feeding Kids Meal times can be, well stressful. Between kids who won't eat anything, to those who only eat one thing depending on the day, having a meal that pleases everyone is tough. Every kid can be a picky eater, and so can adults. And while I fully encourage exposing kids to all the fruits and veggies in whole form, there are also times when you just want to get them in without a fight and know they have some sort of nutrients in their body. Nutrition for Kids The number one thing my pediatrician told me was: They won't starve. It's something I always keep in mind when one decides they aren't eating what I made. Because I am not a restaurant, I am pretty strict when it comes to catering to each of their individual requests. We all get to pick something we like during the week, but we also say that they won't love everything. However I always try to have at least one thing on their plate they will eat. But kids are moody and you never know. As long as they are eating somewhat of a well rounded balanced diet with all the macronutrients, they will survive. Always check in with your own pediatrician if you have any concerns! Hacks for Easier Meal Times If you have a family that has different likes and dislikes, making one meal for everyone can be tricky. But there is hope! I like to use what's called Component Meals. This is when you make various food parts and then put them together in many ways to create meals. It can look a little but like a taco bar. Everyone is able to build their own and therefore choose what they like. But it doesn't stop at tacos. You can do this for pasta, grain bowls, pizza, even soup! If you're looking for a little trick to make a super fast and easy dinner that your family will eat, here is one that is a weekly go-to. Boil pasta. Add a chopped veggie or veggies that your kids will eat at the bottom of a pasta strainer. We usually do a mix of spinach, mushrooms, zucchini and broccoli. Once the pasta is done, strain it over the veggies hot water and all. Then put the cover of the pot over the top and let it sit for a few minutes. The heat from the water will blanche the veggies so they are cooked just enough and do not get mushy. Serve with parmesan and enjoy! Sneaking in Veggies I do think that kids need to see and experience veggies in their whole form. However, sometimes you just need to know they got some nutrients and you don't want to fight about it. So there are a few things I do to make it easy and stress free! Add greens to your smoothies and milkshakes. Spinach is a great choice because it is nutrient rich and mild in flavor. It blends well in chocolate especially so next time you want to get in an extra dose of greens, whip up a chocolate milkshake and add some spinach!Blend veggies into pasta sauces. I take the easy route and use our favorite jarred marinaras. Simply add them to a blender, and add in a few mild veggies, then puree and viola! Some great ones are zucchini, carrots and cauliflower. You can even pulse in a few greens if your kids are used to herbs because they look the same.Blended soups. These are a super easy way to get in an extra dose of veggies!Mix cauliflower rice with regular rice. Start with a small amount and slowly increase until you're 50% of each. These are just a few ideas of things we do to make life easier. If you want more tips and tricks for getting more plants into your school aged kids, you can check out our Plant-Based Parents class that gives loads of amazing info! Also, don't forget to grab your free guide on getting in more veggies below!

Learning how to be vegan in a non vegan household takes time, patience and compromising. But according to our guest expert it can be done! It isn't easy being the only one to eat a certain way in your house. I learned this when I began my gluten-free journey. But it is possible! Stephanie Dreyer is a meal planning expert and the founder of Batch Cooking Club™, a weekly plant-based meal prep membership. She helps busy parents make dinner easier by providing weekly plans and recipes without time consuming prep. Stephanie is also the award-winning author of the vegan picture books, Not A Nugget and Not A Purse, (both available on Amazon). Stephanie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children, who are not vegan. She's a pro at balancing her vegan lifestyle while feeding her omni family, and loves to help other families juggling the daily challenge of making healthy, homemade meals. Try her free mini email course, Meal Prep Magic here! Living with a Non Vegan Stephanie has been vegan for 11 years. When she changed her diet, the rest of her family (including her kids ages 1, 4, and 6) did not. Her oldest daughter went vegetarian about 5 years after, and then the rest of her family continues to eat a mix of everything. Stephanie didn't feel good in her body and wanted to change. She made the change overnight and told her family she was going from vegetarian to full vegan. Even though her husband was very supportive, there was tension due to how Stephanie approached food within the family. It started as a forced lifestyle, but she quickly realized that wasn't working. Now, she doesn't force her lifestyle on them, but instead educates about her choices. Over time, her husband has slowly started to eat more plant-based and her daughter has gone vegetarian. Change can be hard, but having an open conversation with your family will help. Especially with children who may not understand. Different people view things differently, so it may be hard to understand why others may not make the same changes. Others may also not understand the nutrition behind it and can give advice based on misunderstanding. However judgement can go both ways, others judging you and you judging them. Differences in Ethical Values When you transition to eating vegan based on ethical values, it makes it harder. Everyone has different opinions and views, so it can be hard to understand why your family doesn't see things like you do. Getting together with your family to talk openly without judgment is helpful. Dictating rules can make others defensive and make it harder to live in harmony. Setting up some ground rules is a good first step, things that help everyone feel comfortable. Showing respect for each others choices is really important, even if you don't agree. Compromising with Different Diets Setting up some ground rules and expectations can really help avoid arguments and resentment. Here are a few things that Stephanie and her family do that helps: Having separate pots and pansSetting separate sponges for cleaningWhen planning dinners make sure everyone feels included"Don't yuck each others yums" meaning do not say negative things about what the other person is eating If we want to spread our message, we need to step back from the extremist views. This pushes people away and can actually produce the opposite effect. Leading by example, teaching and showing will help others make their own decisions and perhaps allow them to move more towards a plant-based diet on their own. Adapting Meals It is possible to make one meal and satisfy all types of eaters! There are many strategies starting from the planning process that are helpful. When planning meals, each person can contribute. Making the meal plant-centered and building upon that for those that eat meat or dairy will help. If the person who doesn't eat animal products isn't comfortable cooking them,

The wellness continuum is a sliding scale with no end. The goal is to move towards wellness, but each moment can take us in any direction. Wellness isn't simply the absence of disease. It's a multidimensional continuum that encompasses both sides of health. The goal is to move towards optimal wellness, but the reality is we move up and back with every situation. What is Wellness? The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence." Basically it means you are practicing habits that move you towards better mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing so that you can achieve your full potential. The illness-wellness continuum shows a visual interpretation that shows how wellness is not simply the absence of disease, in fact there is a neutral point that depicts neither illness or wellness. The Illness-Wellness Continuum  This visual of the concept of wellbeing was first proposed by John Walton Travis in 1972. People generally associated wellness with the absence of illness. But through his illustration he showed that overall wellness includes many factors. Not only is there the absence of physical disease, but it takes emotional and mental health into account as well. Just because someone doesn't have physical disease, it doesn't mean they don't suffer from mental disease. Dimensions of Wellness There are many factors when it comes to wellness. While many focus on the physical and mental aspects, other areas come into play as well. Physical Wellness- the state of your physical health meaning how you eat, sleep and move your body affects your overall wellbeing.Emotional Wellness- the state of your feelings and emotions and how you cope with relationships and life in general.Social Wellness- how you interact with others.Spiritual Wellness- using your beliefs and values to live a meaningful life and develop a world view.Intellectual Wellness- keeping your brain stimulated by engaging in activities that are creative and challenge you.Environmental Wellness- making sure your environment allows your well-being to thrive.Occupational Wellness- enriching your life through work that is fulfilling and rewarding. The Importance of Wellness Being able to live life to your full potential requires you to be in a positive state of wellness. Our body cannot function at it's best if we are in a state of disease, whether it is physical or emotional. As we move towards wellness, we start to see many areas of our life improve. From our physical health, to the state of our relationships. Like Newton's First Law of Motion states that a body in motion remains in motion. This can be applied to the motion towards wellness. If we start with one are and work to improve on it, then we are motivated and able to work on other areas. This will come together to affect all areas of wellness and will help our overall wellbeing. Examples of Wellness There are many ways that you can work on your overall well-being. Here are some examples for all dimensions of wellness. Focus on eating wholesome nutritious food.Move your body each day.Meditate.Participate in activities that challenge you and make you step out of your comfort zone.Do something nice for a friend to show them that you care.Practice mindfulness.Surround yourself with people who contribute positively to your life.If you belong to a church, attend activities.Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night.Monitor how much social media you take inStart a new hobby. These are just some examples, there are many things you can do to improve your overall state of health in order to live your best life. Don't forget to download this healthy habits guide to help you along the way!

While some may love to eat their favorite food over and over, we need to recognize the great benefits that food diversity has for our health. I too am a creature of habit. I love to get into a routine of eating the same thing for breakfast, and even lunch, as it makes my day easier. But varying those meals is so important for many reasons. Tyler Mayoras is giving a glow-up to the world's most under appreciated superfood: the bean. A passionate impact investor and entrepreneur, he co-founded Cool Beans with a vision of bringing sustainable, whole-food goodness to the frozen foods aisle. Inspired by his own journey to a plant-based diet, he's making it easier than ever to eat clean, minimally-processed food that's good for your body, your soul, and the planet. What is Food Diversity? Food diversity basically means having a diverse number of plants in your diet. Each have different fibers and nutrients that are beneficial for your gut. When we eat a wide variety of nutrients, we more easily move toward better wellness. Some experts say we do best when eating up to 30 different types of foods a week! Cool Beans wraps gives you 24 of those! Between all five flavors, you get 24 different types if food. The Importance of Food Diversity The farming industry 200 years ago looks different than it does today. Farmers would grow 7-10 different types of crops and they would rotate each kind. This is because every plant takes something from soil and gives something to soil. Healthy soil is rich and biodiverse, having a variety of nutrients. So when we have a variety of plants growing, we then get a variety of nutrients from them. Healthy soil also holds moisture better. The moisture gives back to the environment and helps with getting us more rain. This helps grow plants better overall. Having a diet diverse in many foods is also really important for your physical health. Our gut is like soil. We are actually more bacteria than we are human. Bacteria helps tell us what we crave to eat based on what it wants and needs. You can actually replace your entire gut in a week by changing your diet! Eating more diverse foods helps you crave more nutritious food. Which overall even helps improve your immunity. How it Affects Health and Wellness Having a wide range of nutrients helps keep us moving towards optimal wellness. And this isn't just focused on our physical wellness, but it also helps our mental state. 90% of the seratonin in our body is created in the gut lining and comes from high fiber foods. We need serotonin to maintain a happy state of mind. When we feel our best, this also helps with our self esteem. While eating a diverse amount of food can certainly help us maintain a healthy weight, self esteem is not just focused on the way we look. When we are happy and filled with energy from all the nutrients we are eating, we are more successful and productive. This helps us feel good about ourselves and raises our self esteem. This isn't about a certain diet, or limiting one type of food or another, this is about a lifestyle where you bring a diverse amount of foods into your diet, focusing on more plants and less overly processed foods. Culture and Food Diversity Culture also plays a role in food diversity. Every region in our world includes different foods as staples. If we exclude ethnic foods, and only focus on our own culture, we are missing out on a many food options. Cool Beans started their business with a focus on cultural flavors. Both because they do not include sauce in order to avoid a mushy texture in the wraps, but also to have a diverse amount of ingredients in their wraps. The spices of each flavor of wrap really brings an amazing taste, along with all the incredible nutrients. You can find the following: Spicy ChipotleTikka MasalaMoroccan Gold Tuscan Basil (coming summer 2021)Sesame Ginger (coming summer 2021)

These unpopular opinions about food may not be what you want to hear! There are so many trends in the food space, and we're weighing in. There are SO many opinions in the online food world! Listen in as we tackle many of them and chat about where we stand. Chelsey Amer, MS, RDN is a New York-based registered dietitian, cookbook author, creative recipe developer, food blogger & photographer, and owner of Chelsey Amer Nutrition. When she's not playing in the kitchen, dreaming up delicious recipes, or guzzling coffee, she works with clients in 1:1 and group settings to answer the question "What should I eat?" to help eliminate restriction and promote inclusion of the foods that help you feel your best. Check out her free Balance Your Plate Guide here! Food Trends The online space gives us so many things that people take are hard fast rules. It's overloaded with opinions, what you should and shouldn't do. We have this lens into peoples lives and many think that if it's working for the one person then it must work for all people. But this is far from the truth. You need to do your own research, and in doing so making sure you are looking at actual peer reviewed studies is important. However many of those are hard to read and understand for the average person, which then leads them to look at sources that are misleading or even untrue. We need to stop polarizing foods and focus on what works for us to feel our best. We often listen to so many people that we forget to listen to ourselves. As Chelsey says to her client, our internal cues should be strongest with the external cues coming in secondary. But the problem is that many people have this as the opposite. Why Do People Jump on the Bandwagon? In the diet and wellness space, there is not so much room for grey, it seems to be very black and white. However it's that grey that what works for people overall. But that black and white set of rules can give people a sense of structure and even belonging. So it can be attractive. Another issue is we apply one person's success to mean it will be successful for all. Many diet trends have started this way. Take keto for example. It was originally developed for one population, dealing with epilepsy. But now the concept has been spread over a wide group of people. Overall, even when things may work short term, they are not usually sustainable for long haul, so we find ourselves jumping on the newest trend. Unpopular Opinions in Top Trends Here are some of our unpopular opinions and the reasoning behind them: Eating sweets daily is healthy for you It is actually good to allow yourself to eat real sweets. Things you crave with added sugar, butter, oil, the whole nine yards! When we don't allow ourself to eat something we crave, it tends to lead to binging which is a very unhealthy habit. Eventually you'll even see that you adjust and may not even crave sweets often anymore. You should not have cheat days Calling something you eat a "cheat" is an unhealthy habit. It's bad for your relationship with food as it attaches morality to your food. Food should be described in facts like delicious, nutritious, hard, soft, crunchy, salty, etc. Describing food as good, bad, clean, cheat, etc adds emotions to the food and creates an unhealthy relationship. Eating a balanced diet is the best way for you to enjoy eating, and keep your mental wellness at it's best. There is no food police to answer to. It's important that you sometimes eat for your body, and sometimes you eat for your mind as food can bring comfort and feelings of happiness. A vegan diet is not necessarily healthier or morally superior Eating a plant-based diet is not the end all be all. While eating a diet rich in plants can add a lot of nutrition to your diet, there is no reason it needs to be an all or nothing thing. We are all different and while a plant-based diet can be life changing f...

Is gluten free healthy or is it just a smoke screen? Listen in to hear the hard truth and how to make sure you aren't falling for tricks! Marketing on food packages leads you to believe that if something is gluten-free then it's healthy. Unfortunately this isn't always the case, and you can in fact be hurting yourself if you don't actually need to avoid gluten! Ale Zozos is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the founder of the Mediterranean Nutrition School - virtual nutrition coaching private practice geared towards helping clients with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart conditions. In addition, a Mediterranean diet can also be applied as preventative medicine for individuals and their families by learning the importance of good nutrition early on. She wants to empower her clients to ask themselves how their diets can improve by what they can ADD to their plan rather than by restricting foods and food groups. She also comes from a large Greek family and has lived the Mediterranean way since a young age. She found a love for cooking while watching her Yiayia cook with traditional Mediterranean ingredients growing up. She's also studied the Mediterranean diet and culture in Italy and has taken many trips abroad to further her knowledge and authenticity in this field. She hopes to show you that good food doesn't have to be sacrificed for health and that food can promote a better quality of life. What is Gluten? Gluten is the name for the protein found in some grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Basically it's the glue that holds everything together. While it is found in many grain products, there are also many grains that don't have gluten. Some gluten-free grains are: ArrowrootNut floursQuinoaAmaranthBuckwheatCassavaMilletRiceSorghumTapiocaTeff Also, oats are naturally gluten-free. However while they don't have gluten, cross contamination while they are grown is very high, so you should look for oats labeled as certified gluten-free. While many people think you have to give up carbs to be gluten-free, it's simply not true. There are many other ways to get carbs other than grains! Why Some People Can't Eat Gluten The main reason you cannot eat gluten is if you have a wheat allergy. Essentially, your immune system fires up in response to the gluten protein. This causes inflammation. Inflammation is the immune systems way of protecting you from things your body doesn't like. So when you have an allergy, that's how your body reacts. Some people also have a gluten sensitivity. They may not have a full blown allergy, but their body doesn't react great to it, so they avoid it in order to feel their best. It is also reported that some people that can't eat gluten in the United States, are able to without issue in Europe. So there is some questioning about the processing of gluten containing grains in different countries and whether that has something to do with it. All our bodies are different, so just because one person reacts to gluten doesn't mean it is bad for everything. If we applied that principle to things, we wouldn't have many things left that are ok to eat. Benefits of Gluten-Free For those people that react to gluten, cutting it out can be life changing. I myself have seen miraculous things happen by cutting gluten out of my diet. The biggest thing that I have seen is less inflammation. I was on allergy meds for seasonal allergies my entire adult life. At times, I had to use 2-3 medications just to breathe. Once I cut out gluten, within 6 months I was off all of my allergy medications without issue. This was a shock to me and I still can't believe it. Since gluten can cause inflammation all over the body, things like allergies can go away when cutting it out. But there are other benefits you can see too: Anxiety lesseningBloating decreasingConstipation clearing upBeing more regular with bowel movementsOverall feeling be...

Exercise habits are important in general, but the other areas of life that they can positively contribute to make them even more critical! Just because you were a college athlete, it doesn't mean that having exercise as part of your regular routine will be a lifelong simple thing to do. If you lose incorporating movement into your daily life, it is possible to get it back! Having healthy exercise habits isn't a use it or lose it kind of thing. Life happens, and our wellness goes up and down. Today's guest, Jenny Melrose, shares how she went from college athlete to exercising only when she had time. But has now worked to make movement as part of her daily habit! Jenny is a former reading specialist who “retired” from her teaching career when her blogging income far exceeded her salary. Through hard work and dedication, her lifestyle blog, The Melrose Family, became regularly sought out by nationally recognized brands such as Neutrogena, Smuckers, Glad, Costco, Stanley Steamer, Sara Lee, and many more. She is a content strategist that helps entrepreneurs better understand their messaging and unique position in the online space.  Now, she's combining her passion for teaching with her extensive experience of creating strategic content for online business owners via JennyMelrose.com and her podcast, Influencer Entrepreneurs with Jenny Melrose as well as her first book Influencer Entrepreneurs: The 4-Step Framework to Building Your Audience, Growing Your Business, and Making More Money Online. If you're feeling stuck and need some support to jumpstart your business, make sure to download Jenny's free guide! The Fluctuations of Exercise Routines Your routines for movement can change over your life. Jenny was a multi sport high school athlete and went on to play 2 sports in college. This gave her a routine to count on and made exercise easy. However after college, that structured routine went away and exercise was harder to keep up with. So just because you excelled at one point in your life, that doesn't mean it's set forever. Throughout the years your routine can be a roller coaster of ups and downs. If you are a routine oriented person, it makes getting a regular system hard. So finding something to help get that routine back is important. For Jenny it was deciding to train for a marathon. She had structure again, which made her bring regular exercise back into her life. After she had kids, it became hard again and it wasn't until she found an exercise program that she connected with that she was able to regularly exercise again. Lack of Exercise and How We Feel Moving our body is a very important part of overall wellness. When we don't move our body, we are not able to feel our best. This is especially true when we go through times of stress, which happens with all of us. As life happens and stress builds, we start to feel things like anxiety and even deperession. If we step back and listen to our bodies, they are pretty good at letting us know that we need something to help. When I feel things like: My chest tightenMy stomach being uneasyMy breath getting rapid All these things let me know that I need to get out and get moving. Benefits of Exercise Habits There are so many benefits to exercise, many have nothing to do with how you look! Here are some that both Jenny and I have felt first hand: Overall feeling betterLower frustration levelsGrounds you overallHelps you feel centered and focus on the tasks you need to doGive endorphins which help in life and businessContributes to overall happinessDecision making are better, they don't come a place of emotion Physical changes can also be seen. While these should not be the focus, they can help motivate you. Jenny had plenty of muscle memory from her past, so the first thing she started seeing was definition in her shoulders. I personally don't change much in size,

Learn more about the mindfulness principles, the pillars behind them and how you can start incorporating mindfulness into your daily life! Mindfulness incorporates a variety of principles specific to attitude. Each of these principles can help you find ways to live a more mindful life. History of Mindfulness Mindfulness is a concept that goes back to the Buddhist influence of alertness, attention and awareness. It was the monks and nuns who practiced meditation and mindfulness, the broader population didn't take interest until the 1960's. As immigration to the United States increased, so did the Buddhist culture and it's teachings. By the 1970's, Buddhist influence was on the rise and an interest in mindfulness practices became more prominent. The Purpose of Mindfulness The concept of mindfulness is surrounded by the idea of being present. It doesn't have to be complicated, and there are many ways to practice mindfulness. There isn't really an end goal when it comes to practice. It's simply something to be aware of in your every day life. It's okay for your practice to go up and down, but taking a few moments each day to be present and mindful can have many benefits. Being present and aware can help strengthen your relationships with not only others but with yourself. Today's technology has our attention on a million things at once, which makes our brains constantly distracted. Science shows that no matter how much we think we can, multitasking does not allow us to do the things we are doing well. It's always best to give our full focus to one thing at a time. Therefore, not only can being present help us improve relationships, it can also help us more successfully complete the tasks we are doing. Mindfulness has also been show to have many other benefits: Stress reductionConcentration and focusDecreased depressionOverall improved healthConfidenceSuccess at workLess burnout Pillars There are 9 main pillars of mindfulness. Each key attribute focuses on attitude. Non-Judgmental- allowing your thoughts to pass through versus acting on them.Patience- living in the present versus worrying about what's next to come.Beginner's Mind- being open to new experiences.Trust- trusting yourself with the decisions you make.Non-Striving- accepting ourselves for who we are in the present moment.Acceptance- working on the things that you can change instead of focusing on things you cannot.Letting Go- staying present in the moment instead of worrying about things we cannot control.Gratitude- being grateful for each moment and recognizing it.Generosity- helping others. How to Practice Mindfulness Practicing mindfulness doesn't have to be a big undertaking. In fact, by trying to do it all at once, you are not practicing mindfulness. Start small (small habits) and work on one thing at time, keeping the various pillars in mind. It can be a simple act you weave into your day, or an intentional change you make. Here are some ideas: Start the day with saying something you are grateful for.Put all technology away during a meal.Do something nice for your neighbors.Make a plan for meals for the week.Take a moment each day to be still.When you get anxious, notice the present environment and say things you see, hear, feel, etc to focus on the here and now.Learn a new hobby.Meet someone new and be open to learning more about them The idea is to stick to being aware and present in life. Instead of sticking with what you are used to and being complacent, try new things and be open to growing. To learn more grab me FREE mindfulness guide!

If you're looking for weight loss without the stress of dieting, counting calories or tracking what you eat, then this guest is what you need! Does anyone really like to track all they eat, count their calories and cut out foods they love? I doubt most people do, but many feel they have to to lose the weight they want. Listen in as our guest today tells us otherwise! Claudia is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition (CSSD) and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist/Trainer (CSCS) with a master's degree. Basically she's an overall health coach. She created ONE-TWO PUNCH to simplify eating, provide education on nutrition and offer tools to have at your fingertips. The book came together from meeting with thousands of clients and creating a method that is easy, doable and sustainable. Food touches every aspect of our lives and everyone needs to eat. Because of this, your relationship to food and your body is important, but it doesn't need to be hard. ONE-TWO PUNCH shows you how! You can check out the book on Amazon or grab a free copy at ONE-TWO PUNCH (you pay $4 shipping) with code: VEGGIES. When is Weight Loss Needed? Weight loss is a very personal subject. Because everyone is different, there are many reasons that it may be an appropriate part of their health journey. When you are not seeking a particular ideal or focusing on what social media tells you, weightless can be ok and you shouldn't feel bad or ashamed if it's something you want to do. Some of Claudia's clients are telling her that they feel uncomfortable, they know they are over eating, stress eating, etc and they want help in stopping this habit. While in essence the focus is working on the habits that are causing the weight gain, losing that weight is part of the process as well for them. The body positivity and health at every size movement is amazing, however when taken to the extreme, some people may feel like they can't say they want to lose weight even if they want to for good reasons. The point is that you need to pay attention to your body's signals, not what the outside world is telling you. Also, there are some medical conditions that can be helped with weight loss. Things like diabetes and pre diabetes, high cholesterol, dislipidemia, etc. Reasons Why Diets Don't Work When a diet is creating a calorie deficit, this will work initially but it works until it doesn't. The way most diets go about it isn't sustainable for real life. Which is the main reason people give for stopping the diet. We need to find a way to eat with how it works for our reality, we want to create a lifestyle not a short term thing. Also, many diets cut large groups of food or tell you that you can't eat things you actually love. If we love certain things, why would we agree to never eat them again? Which brings us back to stopping the diet. Our bodies need a balance of nutrients, and cutting out whole groups of them isn't something that is good long term. While we are all different, in general most of us need a balance of everything to function at our best. Counting Calories Overall, counting calories for every thing you eat is stressful. It's one more thing to do, and it doesn't allow you to be in the present moment so you can enjoy your food. As you continue to count calories and bring stress, you create a system of chronic stress which can increase your cortisol. And in turn and increase of cortisol will make you store fat. This goes back to the caveman days of fight or flight. Your body thinks it is in distress so it stores the fat for future use in order to keep you alive. Also, your other systems shut down in order to help you focus on fighting the stressor. When certain stress hormones are released, it makes you crave carbohydrates, which then makes you want to eat them and can lead to overeating. And the cycle continues.

While goals are great, small habits are even better. Working in tiny incremental steps will get you big goal success that is sustainable! We are told to have big goals in life. Reach for the stars! But the reality is that trying to meet those big goals is overwhelming, and when a task feels to big to tackle we give up So how do we achieve those big goals? It is possible with the right strategy! My education years getting my regular and special education teaching credentials and my masters degree in education, plus my 14 years as a teacher, taught me that small achievable steps had far greater results. I then went on to become health coach certified, and my training further strengthened that belief in small steps. We need to create small habits and integrate them into our every day life so that our goals feel natural and not a mountain we must climb. The Tiny Habits Method Part of my training to become a certified health coach included a section on the Tiny Habits Method by a man named BJ Fogg. This was one of those boxed out side pieces that we often skip as we study. But something about it caught my eye and I was fully immersed into this information. It took what I learned through my teaching experience and gave it a name. It all seems like common sense but I realized that many people don't know this. The idea behind the tiny habits method is to make the behavior changes you want so small that they are easy to do. Not overwhelming. This is exactly what I did with my students when I was teaching. I now take this method and use it in my health coaching business. I help my audience and clients achieve their wellness goals without overwhelm. When something feels achievable you are more likely to stick with it. How to Start Small Habits But where do we start? Actually starting seems to be one of the hardest parts. My free habits guide is a great place to begin if you're looking for a little push. I also work with clients one on one and in groups if you're needing a little something extra. The first thing I like to focus on is your why. The big reason for making a change. It's really important because it keeps you focused and reminds you why you are doing something. When things get hard, it's easy to give up if you don't have a why behind it. Your why can be anything that is meaningful to you. Just make sure it is about you and not what you "think" it should be. Some whys by current and past clients are: Help reduce my blood pressure and cholesterolReverse my diabetesAvoid diabetesAvoid the obesity some of my family has gotten toFeel strongerBe able to run around with my childrenLive long so I can see my kids get married and have children But it can really be anything! There is no wrong answer, unless it is based on what someone else has told you to focus on. Your why must come from within or it won't be meaningful. Steps for Creating a Small Habit Once you have your why, it's time to choose a goal and then dissect it into those small habits. This is a very personal process so I can't give specifics but I can give an example of my own journey. When we changed our diet to help better my husbands health, my own wellness also got better. This helped me realize that I wanted to keep working on my overall wellness. Since wellness encompasses the body and mind, I wrote down goals in both areas: Bring meditation into my daily habitsBe able to do a handstandCut gluten out of my diet In the food arena, I felt pretty solid, however I discovered that gluten is a huge issue for me so that is something I needed to work on taking out. It is really important to work on one small habit at a time, which means you need to pick one goal to start with. For me, making meditation as part of my daily routine was a good starting point because when I have a healthy mind the other goals come easier. I broke down my mediation goal into small achievable steps.

Find out what willpower is and why you actually don't want to rely on it to meet your health and wellness needs! We've heard a lot about how willpower can help you meet your goals, but what if we addressed it from another angle? Do you know how it can actually hurt you? Jenn Trepeck is described as a “force of nature" in the wellness space. She is an Optimal Health Coach, Podcaster and Business Consultant. After graduating from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Jenn founded Better Life Now LLC while working full time in hedge funds. After over a decade of coaching clients, Jenn started Salad with a Side of Fries Podcast to help pay it forward and reach a larger audience to teach the nutrition education we are all supposed to know but no one ever taught us. Jenn implements revenue generating wellness programs in doctors' offices, salons and spas to further expand impact and help change the state of healthcare as a Certified Transitions Lifestyle Coach and Consultant with nutraMetrix Custom Health Solutions. When not hunkered-down at home during a pandemic, Jenn is typically working out at Physique57, discovering hidden gem restaurants in NYC or traveling to spend time with friends and family. Click here to book a free wellness discovery call with Jenn! What is Willpower? The easiest way to describe willpower is that it is how we make decisions and what motivates those decisions. It is like self control, and stems from a very complex neurological and hormonal function. How Willpower Works Generally our day starts strong. We make our best decisions in regards to our wellness, but as the day goes on it can go "downhill" as people say. In the course of the day we make many decisions, and as those pile up, so does our ability to make them. This is called decision fatigue. Willpower is like making a decision and you need a brain in good form in order to make that decision. Since willpower is based on making decisions, our willpower changes as the day goes on. This is why you may find yourself choosing more wholesome options at the start of the day and turning to those not so wholesome snacks as the day goes on. The Science Behind Willpower All of this is very science based. As we wear out, we need to replenish our bodies with it's needed sources of energy. One main source is glucose, which is carbohydrates. Our brain especially needs carbs in order to function at it's best. Which is why we crave things like sugar or carbs when we are tired or drained. This helps us balance our blood sugar so that our brain can function at it's best. This goes back to the caveman days when our fight or flight response was triggered as we faced real dangers, like being attacked by a bear. Our body needed that quick burst of energy in order to fight to stay alive, or flee to save ourselves. However now, most of our stressors are mental versus physical. But our systems are still acting in the same way. It has not changed like our lives have. We also need to take other factors of brain science into account. When making decisions, are we operating from the emotion center at the back of brain (using fear and stress) or are we using the reasoning center in the front of the brain (using ordered thinking and problem solving). When it comes to making decisions with food. All the senses are involved (seeing a commercial and billboard or smelling a bakery etc). It isn't as simple as one might think. By using willpower we can also ignore the sensation coming from our body that help us decide if we are hungry or full. Is Willpower Needed? The real question is do we need to rely on willpower in order to make healthy decisions for our wellbeing. When people reference willpower they are focusing on the act of resisting desires. Studies have shown that people spend almost 20% of their waking hours resisting desires. By relying on that for our health,

When it comes to vending machines, vegan options are hard to come by. And one that is filled with all vegan treats is unheard of. Until now! These two women are taking the world by storm with their new product, a fully vegan vending machine! Listen to find out why they are doing it and the barriers they are breaking. Introducing CEO's Gabriella Rubin and Aurellia Cammock the Founders of VEGMI LLC. Gabriella is 24 from Staten Island, NY and Aurellia is 25 from Brooklyn, NY. VEGMI is a vegan vending machine business that is designed to offer snacking options for everyone. They also launched a global vegan market place in April 2021. Their mission is to save animals, stand up for human rights and help bring income to people all over the world. Vegan Vending Machine Options The goal of VEGMI is to replace every vending machine out there. To make grab and go snacks accessible for all, regardless of diet, allergy and perference. Right now there, are not always options in vending machines for a variety of needs. And if there are, trying to figure it out while looking through the glass at something you may or may not be able to read is downright impossible. VEGMI has the snacks clearly labeled so that you can grab and go without stress. The snacks encompass foods that are vegan, gluten free, kosher, soy free, non gmo, organic and more! Reasons to Have a Vegan Vending Machine The mission for VEGMI is focused on accessible food for all but it's also about giving opportunity to everyone. They want to make everyone feel included, so when you're needing that easy quick option there is something for you, no matter what diet you must or choose to follow. What we consume directly corresponds to how we feel, so we need some healthier options out there for those that want them. And currently, most vending machines do not provide that. Also, we need access to these types of options in all societies, money or not. We can't continue to sit back and watch our lower socioeconomic neighborhoods not have the same accessibility. VEGMI also wants to create an opportunity for everyone. The VEGMI vending machines are individually owned, so anyone that wants to start their own business has the opportunity. Gabby and Auri (we're besties now so I feel like I can call them by their nicknames), want to help people creating an income. Be their own boss and have that residual money coming in. Things Inside a Vegan Vending Machine There are so many options for what can be inside a vegan vending machine! The idea is to allow each person to own their own machines, and then they can make up what they want inside themselves. If they want it all healthy options, then great. If they want it all vegan or all kosher or all organic, then they have the choice. Some of the types of snacks you can find in a VEGMI machine are: OreosPotato chipsPretzelsProtein barsBada Bean Bada Boom snacksTrail mixYum EarthPumpkin seedsNutsMade Good snacksHippeasVeggie chipsAnd so many more! Where to Find Vegan Vending Machines The idea is to replace all vending machines with VEGMI machines. So truly, anywhere you see a vending machine is a great place to find VEGMI. A few places that you can find them are: SchoolsShopping MallsOfficesAuto body shopsGyms Apartment complexes Hospitals Nursing homes Challenges in Creating a Vegan Vending Machine The biggest issue is first to get people familiar with the snacks. One strategy is to have something they know, like Oreos, in the machine. Oreos are vegan, but many people don't know that. So if we break the stigma that vegan snacks are everywhere, even things you are used to eating, it will make people feel more comfortable. Vegan and healthy snacks are tasty, it's not all just nuts and fruit. Once someone is interested, they are able to explore the other options, and may be open to trying new things. Even healthier things that they may have not selec...

We are unpacking the truth behind what intuitive eating really is, clearing up any misconceptions and shedding light on its benefits! The phrase intuitive eating is thrown around the internet often. But what actually does it mean? There is a lot of misinformation out there and today our guest nutritionist is giving us the truth! Steph Gaudreau, NTP, is a nutritional therapy, intuitive eating, and strength training expert helping purpose-driven women build stronger bodies and healthier relationships with food. In her best-selling book, The Core 4, she details a four pillar approach to building health, embracing your body, and owning your power. Steph is trained in biology and human physiology and is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and USA Weightlifting Sports Performance coach. Her weekly podcast, the Listen to Your Body Podcast, has 3+ million downloads. She’s an international speaker that has been featured in Outside, MindBodyGreen, SELF, and ESPN Radio. Make sure to check out her FREE Food Freedom Mini course! What is Intuitive Eating? Simply put, intuitive eating is a set of 10 principals that you use to improve your relationship with food, yourself and your body. It is when what your body is telling you (as in your likes dislikes, etc) merges with the external stuff you are exposed to (like things you should and shouldn't so, what's "bad" or "good," etc). Th goal is to find overlap between what the external world tells you and your internal world to achieve optimal health for you. Everything we consume online and in the media has made people more disconnected with our own bodies and it's needs, so it helps bring us home to our body. Intuitive Eating and Mindful Eating Intuitive eating and mindful eating have a lot in common. Mindfulness is a component of intuitive eating, but intuitive eating goes a lot further and deeper. Both are centered around the concept of honoring your body, being present and in tune. Both have many studies, but one main difference is that the studies associated with mindful eating tend to be centered on weight loss. However intuitive eating is weight neutral. You can also get certified to be an intuitive eating counselor. The Basis of Intuitive Eating Intuitive eating was first coined in 1995 by two registered dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. It is based on 10 principals: Reject the Diet MentalityHonor Your HungerMake Peace with FoodChallenge the Food PoliceDiscover the Satisfaction FactorFeel Your FullnessCope with Your Emotions with KindnessRespect Your BodyMovement- Feel the DifferenceHonor Your Health- Gentle Nutrition While it has been around a while, it's really in the last few years that it has caught on. There are over 150 studies and growing, going into things like the efficacy of intuitive eating for mental and physiological health. Weight Loss and Intuitive Eating Intuitive eating is a weight neutral practice. Weight is something that is not focused on and can go up, down or stay the same. Honoring your hunger is one of the principles of intuitive eating. This not only focuses on the idea of eating when you are hungry, but also learning to feel your body's cues of satiety. Hormone signals for satiety don't happen in the first 5 minutes of eating, so the simple act of slowing down gives your body a chance to catch up and allows you to feel when you are full. So instead of counting your calories and allowing that to control what you eat, learning to honor your body's natural cues is the focus with intuitive eating. Diet Culture In intuitive eating, you work on making health promoting habits that stick and that have potentially no bearing on weight. Because weight and health has been so connected for so long, it's hard to break the habit of connecting the two. The goal of intuitive eating is to improve your relationship with food a...

Food accessibility is an area not taken into consideration often enough when we talk about wellness. Healthy can be done in many forms! The online world makes us feel like if you don't eat fancy products you can't be healthy. From superfoods to super grains, it's a super amount of money! The Evolution of Healthy Food Being what they call "an influencer" I see it all online. From people pushing fancy products with the promise of optimal wellness, to the opposite side of simply being able to access food for some populations. In today's almost post pandemic world, health is of uttermost importance. So why do we focus on creating newer "better" products instead of trying to find ways to get simple wholesome food to all populations? I consider myself very blessed to afford what we do. Yes, we work hard for it but my families history wasn't an easy road. I am first generation Greek, my parents were Greek immigrants to this country. When I was little, both of them worked full time in order to get food on the table and give us a good life. However my mom came from very little. She grew up poor in the mountains of Greece, not knowing if she would have food every day. She was one of the only women to go to high school and the first woman in her village to attend college. Back then, at 13 the women were brought home and married off. But my grandmother saw a light in her that needed to be fueled. So my mom was pushed to get an education. My mom is a hero in my eyes. She taught me the concept of hard work, and accomplishing dreams. She worked her ass off to give us an incredible life, and now lives very very comfortably. She gives a lot to the less fortunate, not only here in San Diego but also to family back in Greece who live on barely anything. She has volunteered and mentored at the homeless schools and basically is an incredible human. I tell this story, because I was raised on good wholesome healthy food. My mom also grew up eating all whole fresh foods, when they actually had food, because that was what they could grow and trade for. No superfoods. No fancy products. But here we are in America today where it seems if you can't afford Whole Foods prices, you are screwed. Except, you aren't. Social Determinants of Health If we are going to make health something all people can achieve, we need to take certain things into consideration. We need to think about where people are born, work and continue their life. There are social determinants that must be considered such as socioeconomic status, eduction level, the actual physical environment, their social networks, where they work and access to healthcare. While this is a deep discussion that could go on for hours, I will touch upon a few of these aspects and why we need to work on changing the narrative. Economic Access to Food The most talked about issue with a healthy diet is being able to afford it. If you can't shop at Whole Foods, is there still hope you can live in ultimate health? There are so many factors with economic access. From the income you bring in, your expenses, the debt you have, your medical bills and other supports. They all play a factor. Physical environment While money is a major issue, we also need to think about the fact that some people can't even get to places that offer fresh nutritious food. We take for granted how easy it is for those of us that have cars to get places. If you cannot afford a car, you rely on public transportation to get around. Not only does that take longer, but it also may not get you close to what you need. Where you live and what you have around you is an important factor. The grocery stores in your neighborhood, access to public transportation to get to them if walking isn't an option, and even the safety of leaving your home at the hours you have open to get that food should all be considered. Education and health

The health of our planet needs our support. Being creative with food waste by reusing, recycling and upcycling is a great first step! My guest today is a food waste solutions expert! She has all the tricks to help us move closer to saving our planet. Known as The Plant-Powered Dietitian, Sharon has established an award-winning career in the field of plant-based nutrition and sustainability. One of the most widely recognized registered dietitians in the world, Sharon is an accomplished writer, editor, blogger, author, speaker, professor, advisor, and media expert. Sharon has authored over 1000 articles in a variety of publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah Magazine, and LA Times. Her latest book, California Vegan: Inspiration and Recipes from the People and Places of the Golden State, was published on March 1, 2021. And she’s currently working on her fourth book on plant-based eating due for publication in 2022. She serves as the nutrition editor for Today’s Dietitian, associate faculty in the MS of Sustainable Food Systems Program at Prescott College, judge for the James Beard Journalism Awards, nutrition consultant for several organizations such as AICR and Oldways, and co-founder of Food and Planet. Sharon recently completed her Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in Vermont. And she still has time to blog every day for her popular online community (400 K members strong and growing) at The Plant-Powered Dietitian. Living in the sustainability mecca of Ojai, California with her husband and two dogs, Sharon enjoys tending to her own organic garden, visiting the local farmers market, volunteering in local environmental organizations, and cooking for friends and family. What is Food Waste? Food waste is when you discard edible nutritious healthy food, basically throwing away food that can be eaten. 40% of our food supply is wasted. That's crazy! This is not just about food going bad, it's about waste happening on many different levels. A lot of it is happening at the consumer level, in our household, when we shop at the grocery store and when we eat at restaurants. While it also happens at the grocery level and with the restaurants themselves, a lot is a result of what we do. All of this food is wasted while 12% of our population has food insecurity, meaning they don't know if they will have food to eat. Why Food Waste is Happening There are many reasons why food waste happens in our country, but a large issue is our food is relatively inexpensive compared to other countries. A study was done on the percentage of income we put towards food and when compared to other nations, it's a lot lower. This info is purely statistical and not related to food insecurity or those that cannot afford food. Since we put a lot less of our salary towards food, we don't value our food as much. Therefore, wasting it isn't something that we think about as an issue. Also, we don't use the entire plant when it comes to produce. We tend to throw away a lot, things like carrots tops, peeling veggies and fruit when the peels are edible and stalks of broccoli. Also, here in the US we are disconnected from our food system. Many people have never been to a farm, so we don't stop to think about all that goes into getting our food. Another issue is our perfection principal. If produce isn't perfect, it isn't good enough to buy or sell. From blemishes to off shapes, we tend to buy the produce that does not have these issues. And grocery stores only display those that are perfect as well. We also don't understand the expiration dates on packages. What are actually best buy dates, we take as an expiration. But in fact, many things are good well past the best buy date. Another huge issue in our country is our problem with portion sizes. This is actually factual, if you compare our portion sizes to other countries you can see a ...

Mindfulness practices are not just for yoga! When you take them beyond the mat, you begin to feel better and live a life you thrive in. While many people think mindfulness is something you do while in yoga class, there are many ways to bring it into your life. It doesn't have to be complicated, but the results are so beneficial! Donna Jones is a senior leadership executive with nearly twenty years of experience in the healthcare industry. As a registered nurse and community health leader, Donna is intimately familiar with the multitude of concerns associated with a hectic modern lifestyle.  Donna credits her own wellness journey to saving her life during a time of intense personal stress and change. Working her way up the career ladder in a competitive field while obtaining four degrees and multiple certifications, Donna knows exactly how it feels to push yourself to your limits in your life and your career. Through adopting strategic wellness practices and accumulating a multi-faceted lifestyle toolkit, she was able to not only overcome the odds stacked against her, but to thrive.  Donna’s desire to share her knowledge with others prompted her to begin (R)evolution Healthstyle, a 360-degree approach to wellness and healthcare that strives to prevent the common diseases and illnesses she saw plaguing those around her. Through plant-based, holistic strategies, Donna helps her clients create stress-free, health-filled lifestyles. With the help of yoga and meditation, the (R)evolution Healthstyle plan allows clients to become more present and to gain clarity wherever they happen to be in their busy lives. Donna is confident that she can help you create the vibrant, energetic life of your dreams. You can reach her at her website above or on Instagram. You can also grab her free Plant-Based Grocery Shopping Guide! The Definition of Mindfulness Mindfulness is a broad term. It refers to an awareness that arises from paying attention when living on purpose, being present in the moment and doing it all in a non judgmental way. The root is in compassion, both with others and ourselves. Overall wellness isn't just about the food we eat, it has to do with the wellness of our mind, body and spirit. We put a lot of emphasis on the food piece and not enough emphasis on the mind and spirit. Mindfulness helps us focus on all areas. While the mindfulness practice starts on the yoga mat, the practice can be brought into regular life with amazing results. Because the world today is filled with technology and instant access to just about everything, being mindful takes effort. Pillars of Mindfulness Mindfulness is not just one thing. There are a variety of characteristics that make up the concept of being mindful. A few of them are: Being purposefulNon judgmentBeing present in the momentCuriosity and self awareness These aspects can be woven in to every day actions but can also be part of a meditation practice. Mindfulness is multifaceted and can be done in just about every situation. Bringing Mindfulness into Life Many people start with yoga in order to get familiar with a mindful practice. There are so many types of yoga, and something for just about eveyrone. It can even be as simple as breath work, closing your eyes and just breathing as you pay attention to your breath. You can also begin with meditation. It can be done with music, just sitting in quiet or simply taking a few minutes to focus on the moment. It doesn't have to be complicated. Another way to practice mindfulness is journaling. From full journaling or just writing down a few things you are grateful for, it helps you focus on the moment. You can also just simply be in the moment. Sitting and being. It's that simple. Many people think that you have to rid your mind of all thoughts, This isn't true, it's ok to be aware of them, you simply need bring yourself back. Mindful eating

Diet culture is the thought that people are worth more or less based on their body size. Find out how we can move beyond this toxic idea! It is important that we as humans make moves away from the negative environment that is diet culture. With mental health needs on a huge incline, fighting the idea that our worth is tied to our body is so important. Breanna Danielle is the founder of the lifestyle and wellness site WhereSheBegins.com  Breanna combines her love for research and passion for wellness through her online work of creating a safe space for POC to improve their mental, spiritual and physical health. When Breanna isn’t working on content or teaching classes, you can find her being a foodie at your local vegan bakery. Living a plant-based lifestyle has been a long and rewarding 8-year journey, and she uses her lessons learned along the way to inspire others to change their lifestyle habits. You can connect with her on Instagram via @plantbasedbre. You can subscribe to her newsletter for awesome info here! What is Diet Culture? Diet culture is the overall idea that your worth, value, morality are tied to your body size. It focuses on how we look on the outside, and not who we actually are. Diet culture exists everywhere, from the infiltrated online world and social media, to places like doctors offices and clothing stores. Nutrition, workout culture, health and wellness spaces are filled with a particular body type. But food and exercise are really just a small part of overall wellness. Why is Diet Culture Toxic? A main problem with diet culture, is that it is everywhere. It affects every size, it affects every race. The idea that you must change your body to look a certain way reaches all people. We are conditioned to believe these things from a very young age. This creates stories in our subconscious which drive our future actions. If our stories are based in the toxicity of diet culture, then our actions will follow suit. Diet culture is found in such a wide array of areas in our life, that it is hard to escape. It takes work to undo the harm it has laid. You must put effort into training your mind to think differently. Another aspect of diet culture is the idea of toxic positivity, the need to be positive all the time. This is not reality When we don't accept and process our negative emotions, we are pushing them down and eventually they will burst. This toxic positivity is seen online constantly. It's the picture perfect house, mom, relationship, child. A pretty painting that is simply one snapshot of a real life. It's a highlight reel, but the problem is people take it as the whole movie. Identifying Diet Culture Bre says that diet culture started affecting her as young as 14 when she started to feel that she needed to lose X amount of weight. She was an active young woman, but still remembers having pediatricians tell her she was overweight. Many doctors still do this today. Without a full exam and deep dive into a persons life, and simply based on the number on a scale, they turn to weight loss as their go to sugestion. This is diet culture. It's based on the idea that a bigger body size is not acceptable. Except bigger does not necessarily mean unhealthy. Health can be achieved at all sizes and a deep look into someones life needs to be done before suggestions are given. Beauty culture is also very infiltrated with diet culture. The standards in beauty do not represent the real population. From the clothes sold in stores, to the products we are pushed to buy. The stereotype we are fed needs to be changed. Resisting Diet Culture In order to start chipping away at this idea that we are only worth what our body looks like, we need to make a change in the way we think. We need to ask ourselves the tough questions. While avoiding all media and online presence could help give us space away from diet culture,