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Plant based nutrition is the topic on today’s Exploring Mind and Body, and this is something I personally believe in so I couldn’t be happier to bring this topic to you and introduce as guest as well who will be shining some light on this topic for us.
Sarah Skalzub is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer and Educator at Vega. Drawing on her retail leadership in the natural health industry, her own nutrition consulting, and a personal passion, she equips audiences with tools and inspiration to feel their absolute best from the inside, out. Sarah is active as a runner, playing soccer or enjoying the Rocky Mountains on her snowboard.
Sarah was kind enough to send over these tips for us that we went over in the show:
Top 5 Tips to Plant Based Nutrition
1. Whole Food over Processed Foods
Tantalizing packaging and luscious food photos call to you from every aisle of the grocery store. Although those pretty packages might be appealing, highly refined foods are stripped of their nutrient value. You’re better off sticking to foods that will fuel your body by choosing whole foods over processed foods. Try to make most of the foods you eat ones with single ingredients that resemble something you would find in nature.
2. Pick Plant-Based Foods
Eating an abundance of plant-based foods helps feed your body with the nutrients it craves. Plant-based foods are naturally full of vitamins and minerals. Choose fruits and vegetables that are from all colors of the rainbow to get a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Remember—variety is the spice of life! Challenge yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable a week that you’ve never tried before.
3. Stay Away from Artificial Substances
Whole foods won’t have any artificial ingredients added to them, but when reality has you reaching for something in a package, make sure it’s free of artificial colors, flavors, and ingredients. I want my foods to be natural in color, there should be no need to alter it. Artificial flavors are hard to trace to their original ingredients, so it’s best to avoid them. Avoid artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame, and choose natural sweeteners such as stevia, maple syrup or coconut palm nectar instead.
4. Beware of Sensitivity Aggravating Ingredients
Have you ever experienced a headache or maybe some stomach upset after a meal? It’s possible you may be sensitive to some foods. Three of the top sensitivity aggravating ingredients are dairy, gluten, and soy. Whether you’re trying to avoid one of these ingredients or all three, there are more dairy, gluten, or soy-free options to choose from than ever. Many companies are now providing alternatives that are free of these top three sensitivity aggravating ingredients.
5. Eat Local, and Non-GMO and Organic When Possible.
It’s easy to focus on non-GMO and organic ingredients exclusively and forget about local foods. While organic foods are better for the environment, and non GMO-foods let you eat what nature intended, local foods are also important. When you buy local foods, you support your community, while promoting biodiversity. Plus, in season food grown locally tastes better than any supermarket produce. Look for verification from third party organizations such as USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project certification.
(Editors note:)
It’s so important to pay attention to where you get your foods from, we have real people, and real families that offer us quality products, why not support them. Buying items from across the world, where we have no idea where they’re from, how they’re handled, what condition they’re grown in should all be considered when purchasing your foods. As Sarah mentions in the show farmers markets are a great place to get your produce now that summer is here and we have a better option.
Summary
What a pleasure this interview was, Sarah and I have so much in common, I entirely believe with what she says and the way she says it. She did a great job of relaying information and sharing how important it is to pay attention to the foods you eat. The most important thing you can take away from this interview is how important it is to read the ingredients, understand what’s in the food we’re consuming and paying attention to how it reacts in your body. I even enjoyed how she talked about the importance of starting a food journal and how that could give you a better understanding of how you feel after you consume certain foods which I believe in 100%.
Thank you
Just a quick thank you to Sarah for coming on air with us, to Jaclyn for setting up the interview and to Jamieson Brown for production. And of course all of you out there, I couldn’t be more grateful for your support in helping this show move forward. I hope this show gave you a better understanding of plant based nutrition and that some of these tips will help you live a healthier lifestyle. Until next time…..
If you’d like to follow Sarah you can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
(A special thanks to Jaclyn for sending a box of goodies)