How to eat more plants (without rules or guilt)

I’m sure you have heard a lot about plant-based diets and all the potential benefits. Benefits to your health, the environment, animal rights, etc. Most people want to eat more plant-based meals but feel guilty because they think it’s hard to keep up, don’t like the foods, or see it as just another short-term diet. So how do we both increase the amount of plant-based foods we eat, and do it without the guilt and shame?

what do you like?

Start with what vegetables and plant-based foods you like.  And before you say “I don’t like any” I have yet to work with someone that does not like a single vegetable or plant based protein.  I find that it is more the narrative of “I don’t like any veggies even though I should” that is getting in your way rather than you not actually liking anything.  Make the list of all the things that you like.

Add, don’t replace

Now that you have an idea of a baseline of what you like, try adding in those veggies or plant proteins to meals that don’t have any, this could be breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.  Try adding these to meals in new ways and flavors. Making it a fun challenge helps you enjoy it more than forcing yourself into compliance.

Once you have that baseline going, now make another list.  This list is of plant foods that maybe you have never tried but are interested in, you aren’t sure if you like, or that you think you might like if it was cooked a certain way.

Start adding these into meals gradually, trying one new thing a week and building from there. It’s about steady progress, not a sudden overhaul that starts on Monday and fizzles out by Thursday.

what was your relationship to veggies growing up? (what is your veggie trauma)

This is a good thought exercise if you feel especially stuck in the above narrative of “I just don’t like veggies.”  9.9 times out of 10 when someone has this narrative it is because they are trying to force themselves to like boiled, unseasoned veggies or salad with a drop of dressing – ick.  Forget the myth that you “ruin” veggies by making them the way you’ll actually eat them. Carrot sticks with ranch don’t lose their nutrients just because you dip them. Adding a dressing you enjoy to your salad doesn’t make it unhealthy—it helps you like it more and crave it again. If veggies don’t excite you, try making them taste good in ways you love!

can you reframe to experiment and play?

As I said above there is so much guilt and shame when it comes to people eating vegetables and/or plant based foods.  They feel like it is the healthiest thing they could do, but also feel like unless they are eating a raw vegan diet, they are never going to be healthy enough.  This is not true and is the biggest barrier when it comes to people supporting their health even by having some veggies in their life.

Instead of shaming yourself, make it fun! Start with vegetables you actually like (even if you think you don’t), cook them in ways that sound good to you, and try adding one new veggie or cooking method for the veggie each week. Keep it simple and enjoyable! This causes positive reinforcement – a much more powerful tool for habit change than shame and guilt, which much push you two or three steps but will not feel good doing it.

getting out of the all/nothing with labels (vegetarian, vegan, etc)

You’re making an impact even if you aren’t 100% vegetarian/vegan.  Another large barrier that I see is the all or nothing when it comes to eating vegetables and plant-based.  If you want to be 100% vegetarian or vegan – go for it!  But what I find it that people feel that 100% is the only way to make a positive impact on their health, the environment, animal rights, etc.  This is also something that you can start slow and if you goal is eventually to get to 100% plant based that is also fine. 

There is also everything else in between where even if you start with adding veggies to some of you meals where there wasn’t any before – that is positive.  If you start having one plant-based meal a week where before it was all animal product based – that’s a positive impact.  You can start slow and also get to a place that isn’t 100% anything and still be positively contributing to the things that matter to you.  Our bodies work on averages and overall, not in the extremes of only having one path to health for your individual body.

I myself was a vegetarian for 5 years and have since moved away from that label. However when I think about my day-to-day eating patterns, I often gravitate towards vegetarian meals because that is my preference. I find that eating this way is much more sustainable and healthy for my body and also everyone can decide what is best for their own lives.

If this all sounded great but you’re not sure how to get started for yourself, reach out to me. I’d love to talk with you about working together on creating eating patterns that feel good! 

How to “FiberMaxx” Safely & Get the Most Benefits

Forgive me, I’m a millennial and I’m surprisingly not on the “health and wellness trends” side of TikTok so this was all new to me too.

First, what is fiber and why is it recommended to have more of it all the time?

Fiber is a non-digestible part of a plant that can come in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber reacts with water to form a type of gel texture and in-soluble stays bulky because it does not mix with water. Both can support your digestive system by helping your stools to be bulky and regular. Fiber can also help keep you full between meals and regulate blood sugar and your cholesterol levels.

With all of these benefits, it does not mean that more is better. So why are there nutrition recommendations constantly talking about getting in more fiber? That is because it has been found that the average American is not going to eat the recommended fiber intake for the day, which is 14g per 1,000 Calories. The reason I am talking about Calories is because the usual recommendations are based on different recommendations for men and women which is just based on the assumption that men take in more Calories than women, not that men have higher fiber needs. To me it is a more accurate picture of recommendations if you are looking at your overall energy intake, not your sex.

What is this new trend of “fibermaxxing”?

From what I found there are no specific goals to hit with fibermaxxing besides “meeting or exceeding the recommended fiber intake”. At first I thought this trend was going to have some outrageous recommedations, but I found that it could be balanced, if you don’t take it to an extreme.

More is not better with fiber, so trying to meet the recommended daily intake of fiber will help you with the health benefits you are looking for. It is in the “exceeding daily fiber recommendations” where I can see this trend heading in a bad direction. Here are my concerns:

• it is already difficult for some people to get the recommended daily intake, therefore when they fall short of exceeding, it will feel like they can’t be healthy

• since it is difficult to get in fiber, I can see this being a ripe area for fiber supplements, shakes, etc to help you meet that. To be clear I am not against supportive supplementation and such, but I am against products that make you feel like you can’t be “healthy” without them. Look out for marketing where they create a problem and then offer a solution.

• having too much fiber can actually lead to poor digestion, the opposite of what you want. You also need to make sure your fluid intake is adequate with taking in fiber.

• some people may try to take in excessive amounts of fiber at one meal in order to “get it all in”. However, like above, this can lead to poor digestion and as with everything in your body it is better to be taking things in moderation and spread out evenly as much as possible. This is where you get the most benefits from taking in fiber, not just eating one fiber-rich meal and then the rest has little to none.

How do I fiber maxx safely?

Like I said this trend was not as extreme as I originally thought. Stick with the recommended daily intake of fiber - 14g/1,000 kcal per day and don’t try to exceed this. Utilize these fibermaxxing videos to gain information on high-fiber foods and ways you can make a meal more fiber-rich but remembering that balance is key and it is better if the fiber is spread out between all of your meals/snacks.

I constantly hear recommendations to “eat more fiber” but then I don’t know where to start or how to keep it up.

• Start slowly, see what your guesstimate of how much fiber you are currently taking in, and then find little ways to add in more. Whether that be adding in veggies to a meal like pasta or a smoothie. (You also might be getting more fiber than you think.)

• Search “high fiber foods” online and seeing which ones you like. Start by adding them into meals and snacks

• Look for high fiber recipes just to get an idea of what dishes you could add fiber to. You can take a high fiber recipe and take one idea rather than maxing out the fiber in that one meal, which may be overwhelming.

• Remember that it isn’t just “eating more fiber for the sake of eating more fiber”. The recommendations are there because there have been proven health benefits to having fiber in our diets. Remind yourself of why you want to be doing this and also check in with yourself periodically to see if you are noticing any changes to your digestion/bowel movements, blood sugar levels, fullness, etc.

If you feel like more help and guidance in this area would be helpful for you, check out my services page on how to work together one on one!

4 Quick Tips for Healthy Eating, From an Intuitive Eating Dietitian

If you know me by now and have read my past blogs, you would probably know that these tips are going to be nuanced, shame-free and realistic. Sometimes you just have to feed the search engines exactly what they want, you know?

tip #1:

Eat within an hour of waking up.

I know that everyone has a different relationship with breakfast and being hungry in the morning. However, I am a big cheerleader for this tip for multiple reasons.

The why:

• It wakes up your metabolism and gets your energy going for the day.

• It helps to regulate your blood sugar after coming off an all night fast.

• It can help build the consistency of eating patterns by starting off your day with a meal.

• It can help reduce overeating/binging later in the day.

Tip #2:

Eat every 3-6 hours.

This is a general guideline and of course can be effected by what you ate last, how much, if you exercised, didn’t eat enough the day before and on and on. Even with all the caveats, this is a helpful cadence when you are starting to build in an eating routine. You can start by spacing out your meals and add in snacks as needed.

The why:

• It helps to keep your blood sugar from spiking or dropping too low.

• It helps keep your body regulated in knowing that you will eat at regular intervals (and build trust).

• It help keeps you hunger from becoming too intense, which could lead to becoming hangry, irritable, etc.

• It helps you with making the choices you want to make, whether that be meal planning or having a balanced meal rather than grabbing whatever is in sight.

tip #3:

Add, don’t subtract foods.

This is my favorite tip to give because it really supports the idea that there are no “good” or “bad” foods and you can still align with your health goals at the same time. For example, if you are wanting to eat more veggies, then add in veggies into your meal instead of replacing them with something else or thinking “I really should eat this veggie instead of xyz.” I have found with my clients but having the addition approach they still meet their health goals and overtime the foods balance themselves out without having to feel restricted.

The why:

• It decreases the feeling of restriction and helps with habituation/abundance mindset around foods.

• It supports the premise that there are no “good” or '“bad” foods (so important I said it twice).

• It helps thinking about food creatively rather than from a place of restriction.

TIP #4:

Slow down when eating.

I am reclaiming this tip from diet culture! This isn’t about chewing your food x number of times (ew), taking tiny bites or making sure that you take an hour to eat. This is to address something that I see so commonly in my work with people - they report eating meals really quickly (I’m talking minutes), sometimes standing up in the kitchen , etc. I feel this is a sign that you are eating in a stressed state, and a way that we can help our nervous system is to slow down the whole eating process. That means plating your food, sitting down at a table, and aiming for the meal taking at least 20 minutes.

You can also build to this! Start with setting a timer to see how long meals take you right now. Then from that starting point see if you can build up, adding a few minutes at a time. All the while taking deep breaths as you eat and really experiencing the food. This practice will help you notice your fullness and satisfaction cues, decrease stress and help the eating experience be more mindful and pleasant.

The why:

• It helps your body cue you that you are full and satisfied, if you quickly eat that can be extremely difficult to catch.

• It makes the eating experience more pleasant and less something that you have to “get it over with”.

• It helps you be more engaged in the eating experience and savor the foods.

• It helps you to learn more about yourself and your eating habits. Imagine trying to observe something that takes 3 minutes vs. 20 minutes.

•••

There we have it, my four tips! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, especially if you tried any of them out.

Also, if you’re feeling lost or like you don’t know where to start, I’d love to work with you on your journey towards food neutrality and improved health. I know that even quick tips like these can hold so much nuance, and sometimes you just need to talk out your personal situation with an expert!

What are ultra-processed foods and are they unhealthy?

I have been hearing the term “ultra-processed” more and more lately without really knowing what it truly meant, even as a dietitian.  This seemed like a new term so I was surprised to learn that it had actually been coined in 2009 by an epidemiologist, Carlos Augusto Monteiro as part of the NOVA food classification system.

So what does this term mean?

From what I gathered in my research it seems that there was an attempt to classify different food types into categories including unprocessed, culinary processed, processed and ultra-processed.  This was not only to provide guidelines for people for healthy eating, but also to be used in research.  The set up of the categories appears to make sense on the surface: define what “processed” means, and the different degrees.  However, when you get into the details of how to do that and what they came up with, it gets muddled real quick.

Some examples of how the categories are organized: foods that “increase shelf life” are in the “processed foods” and any foods that “increase convenience” are in the “ultra-processed” category.  Seems simple enough right?  Already I’m sure you can see how we are going to pick this apart.

For some examples, these categories mean that salted nuts and yogurt can be in the processed category, same as beer - things that we can agree all have different nutritional value and health effects.  Both white and whole wheat breads would be in the same category, also with different nutritional content.

Along these lines, some of the foods in ultra-processed category could range from hummus to soda, and so on and so forth.

Given these wild ranges of foods and their nutritional content, does this this food classification help guide nutritional choices?

As a dietitian, I am going to say that overall categorizing foods into unprocessed, processed and ultra-processed does not improve health choices.  Why do I say such a strong statement?  I am for nutrition education and public knowledge of foods and nutrition in order to help guide themselves on the health choices that they want to make.  However, this classification system is extremely flawed and doesn’t actually help guide in nutritional content or that not all things that help convenience and longevity of shelf life are treated the same.  I would love if there was this similar concept but from a shame-free lens and actually pulling apart different additives and preservatives to see if there are differences in health effects and nutritional content rather than having these broad categories.

Based on how this classification system has been used and interpreted since 2009, my assessment of it is that it strengthens the idea that there are “good” and “bad” foods and that “processed” = bad.  This creates more shame and stigma for people who consume these foods and rely on the convenience to be able to feed themselves and their family.  When we create these shame-ridden narratives around food it actually decreases our ability to assess and make the choices that are the most supportive for our health.  Every individual is unique on what a healthy choice would look like for them, and we should be open to that including processed foods in the mix with whole foods, especially when there has been no scientific evidence showing that these foods are harmful outside of the extremes (as with any type of eating).  This is also the case because we don’t have a proper classification system and examples that everyone can agree on because everyone interprets these categories differently.

Conclusion

I know there are going to be a lot of arguments for this classification system and how people in theory know which foods are “healthy” and which ones are “processed”.  However, when that is put to the test using this classification system, I know that you would be surprised at the results. There have also been studies showing that people tend to eat in balance when given the ability to do so, and that even in the “ultra-processed” category there is a wide range of nutritional differences.

Further reading and information:

• I highly recommend the Maintenance Phase podcast episode: Ultra-Processed Foods where they dive in more on how studies have tried to use this classification system and why it creates flawed narratives.

• Article from Academy of Nutrition: https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/practice-trends/examining-the-nova-food-classification-system-and-healthfulness-of-ultra-processed-foods

• Article from dietitians on more of the flaws: https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0325p20.shtml

Are Seed Oils Bad For You?

Seed oils: are they bad, unhealthy and toxic?

Right from the jump – no, seed oils are not bad for you. This may come as a surprise to some, especially with the growing buzz around "toxic" seed oils in popular media. I will break down what seed oils are, how they earned a bad reputation, why much of the fear surrounding them is based on misinformation and how you should actually eat for your health.

What Are Seed Oils?

As the name suggests, seed oils are oils derived from the seeds of plants. Some of the most common examples include canola, corn, peanut, soybean, flaxseed, sesame, and sunflower oils. These oils are widely used in cooking and processed foods due to their availability, relatively low cost, and versatility.

Why Are These Oils Thought to Be "Bad" or "Toxic"?

The idea that seed oils are toxic stems from their high content of omega-6 fatty acids, specifically polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fats that our bodies need to function properly. But the key word here is "essential"—our bodies require omega-6s for various processes, and they are crucial to our health.

So where did this connection between PUFAs and toxicity arise? As with most things it is sometimes hard to trace back where this rumor started. Without calling out names, it appears to have been popularized by an individual’s quest to back the “Carnivore Diet”. The claim is that these oxidized omega-6s raise our oxidized LDL (LDL is one of the markers associated with cholesterol levels to assess cardiovascular health, etc) which then may increase risk of cardiovascular disease. None of these claims have significant scientific backing and is a classic case of correlation, not causation. In fact the opposite idea, consuming omega-6s decreases risk of cardiovascular disease, has robust scientific backing.

It's not the omega-6s themselves that are the problem. Issues might arise with the imbalance between omega-6s and omega-3s in the average diet. Omega-3s, another type of essential fatty acid, are often under-consumed in comparison to omega-6s. This imbalance can lead to an unhealthy inflammatory response, but that doesn’t mean omega-6s themselves are harmful. It’s all about balance.

Omega-3s vs. Omega-6s: The Ratio Matters

You’ve likely heard a lot about omega-3 fatty acids and their many health benefits—reduced inflammation, heart health, brain function, and more. But what gets less attention is omega-6 fatty acids, which are also essential for your health. Omega-6s get a bad reputation when people see that they are “pro-inflammatory”.

It's important to note that inflammation, while often discussed negatively, is a necessary process in the body. It’s how the body responds to injury, infection, or harmful stimuli. Chronic inflammation, however, is the issue. It’s the long-term, constant state of inflammation that can lead to health problems. To maintain balance, our bodies need both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which work in tandem to regulate inflammation and other bodily functions. When you consume a variety of foods that include both omega-6s and omega-3s, your body has all the tools it needs to manage the natural ebb and flow of inflammation.

To better illustate this, think of a fever - which an inflammatory response. We see that a fever is useful, essential and a natural immune response to fight off a cold or infection. However, if the fever were to persist or escalate to too high of temperatures, then that is when we would view it as a problem. It is not the fact that we have fevers, but rather a dysregulated fever is an issue.

The Fear-Mongering Myths and Nutrition Trends

Seed oils have been caught in the crossfire of the latest nutrition trends, and often, they are unjustly vilified as "toxic." This feeds into a larger narrative of finding a singular cause for modern health problems. The idea that one specific food is to blame for all our ailments is oversimplified and misleading. Our bodies are complex, and there’s rarely one magic bullet for illness.

While it's important to question the food systems in place and explore how we can improve our diets, blaming seed oils for health problems is not the answer. Nutrition is far more complicated than blaming one food. Creating narratives around individual foods as “good” or “bad” increases stress and anxiety, which can actually harm your health more than the food itself.

A Balanced Approach to Eating

The key takeaway here is that balance is crucial. Seed oils, when consumed as part of a diverse and well-rounded diet, are not harmful. They provide essential fats that your body needs to function, and when consumed alongside a variety of other foods, they contribute to a healthy diet. Rather than focusing on whether a particular food is “toxic” or “good,” try to focus on the bigger picture of eating a variety of whole foods, balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fats, and nourishing your body with the nutrients it needs. There are also numerous studies backing the guidance that consuming plant-based fats can help lower LDL cholesterol.

Seed oils are not the scapegoat they’ve been made out to be. They are a source of healthy fats, essential for our bodies to function. The focus should be on consuming a variety of foods, including both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, to maintain balance and support overall health. So, the next time you hear about the dangers of seed oils, remember that the science doesn’t support the fear. The truth is, it’s not about demonizing individual foods—it’s about maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.