Rooted Origin Health and Wellness Coaching

11/07/2025

🌿 Now Accepting New Clients for Health Coaching! 🌿

At Rooted Origin Health and Wellness Coaching, we believe that true wellness starts from the inside out — rooted in your daily habits, mindset, and nourishment.

✨ What is Health Coaching?
Health coaching is a supportive, personalized partnership that helps you take charge of your well-being. A health coach guides you through lasting lifestyle changes—whether your goal is to:
🌱 Improve nutrition and energy
💪 Manage weight and chronic conditions
🧘 Reduce stress and boost mindfulness
🥗 Transition to a plant-based or whole-food lifestyle
💤 Improve sleep and daily habits
❤️ Find balance and motivation for sustainable change

With compassionate support, accountability, and customized guidance, you’ll learn how to make small shifts that lead to powerful, long-term results.

🌸 We have plenty of openings for new consultations!
Start your journey to a healthier, more balanced you — one step at a time.

📅 Book your consultation today!
👉 Message us here on Facebook or visit Rooted Origin Health and Wellness Coaching to schedule your session.

11/06/2025

🌸 Plant-Based Power for Moms-to-Be! 🌸

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful seasons of life — and what you eat now nourishes two hearts. Choosing a whole food, plant-based lifestyle gives your baby the healthiest start possible 🌱💚

✨ Why Plant-Based Is So Important During Pregnancy:
• 🌾 Rich in Nutrients: Plant foods are packed with essential vitamins like folate, iron, calcium, and antioxidants that help your baby grow strong.
• 💧 Supports Digestive Health: Fiber-rich meals reduce bloating and constipation — common pregnancy struggles!
• ❤️ Lowers Risk: A well-balanced plant-based diet helps reduce risks of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and excessive weight gain.
• 🌿 Builds Healthy Habits: You’re modeling lifelong nutrition for your growing family.

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🥑 Calories & Healthy Weight Gain

💪 First Trimester: No extra calories needed yet — focus on nutrient quality.
🍓 Second Trimester: Add about 340 extra calories/day (like a smoothie with oats, spinach & berries).
🍠 Third Trimester: Increase by about 450 extra calories/day to fuel baby’s final growth phase.

Healthy weight gain is vital — too little can affect baby’s development, too much can increase delivery risks.
✅ Average healthy gain:
• 25–35 lbs if you started at a healthy weight
• 15–25 lbs if overweight
• 28–40 lbs if underweight

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🥗 Plant-Based Pregnancy Fuel Ideas:
• Oatmeal topped with chia seeds, berries, and walnuts 🫐
• Lentil and sweet potato stew 🍠
• Quinoa and avocado bowls 🥑
• Green smoothies packed with spinach, banana, and flaxseed 🌿

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💕 Bottom Line:

A whole food, plant-based diet provides abundant nourishment for you and your baby — supporting steady energy, balanced weight, and vibrant health from the inside out. 🌸✨

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11/05/2025

🌿 What Is Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen?

The Daily Dozen is a checklist developed by Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. (founder of NutritionFacts.org) based on the best available evidence from nutritional science.
It’s a practical guide to help you include the most nutrient-dense, disease-fighting foods in your diet every day.

The list includes 12 categories of foods and healthy habits that support long-term health:
1. Beans (Legumes) – e.g., lentils, chickpeas, black beans
2. Berries – e.g., blueberries, strawberries, blackberries
3. Other Fruits – e.g., apples, oranges, grapes
4. Cruciferous Vegetables – e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, kale
5. Greens – e.g., spinach, collards, arugula
6. Other Vegetables – e.g., carrots, peppers, zucchini
7. Flaxseeds – ground flax daily for omega-3s & lignans
8. Nuts & Seeds – e.g., walnuts, almonds, chia
9. Herbs & Spices – especially turmeric, garlic, cinnamon
10. Whole Grains – e.g., oats, quinoa, brown rice
11. Beverages – ideally water, tea, coffee (unsweetened)
12. Exercise – at least 90 minutes of moderate or 40 minutes vigorous daily activity

You can use his free Daily Dozen app (available on iOS and Android) to check off servings and track consistency.

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💪 What It Does

The Daily Dozen is not a “diet” — it’s a nutritional foundation. It focuses on nutrient density, fiber, and phytochemical diversity.

When followed consistently, it:
• Floods the body with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
• Improves gut microbiome diversity, promoting better digestion, metabolism, and immunity
• Lowers cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure
• Reduces chronic inflammation, a key driver of disease
• Naturally promotes weight loss by emphasizing fiber-rich, low-calorie-density foods

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⚕️ How It Works for Chronic Illness

Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen aligns with research from The China Study, Adventist Health Studies, and Dr. Dean Ornish’s work showing that plant-based diets can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases such as:
• Heart disease – by reducing LDL cholesterol and plaque buildup
• Type 2 diabetes – by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering glucose levels
• Cancer – through antioxidants and reduced IGF-1 levels
• Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome – by lowering calorie density and improving satiety
• Hypertension and Stroke – by reducing sodium intake and improving vessel function

Each category of food targets different disease mechanisms — for example:
• Flaxseeds help reduce blood pressure and cancer risk.
• Cruciferous veggies activate detoxification enzymes that neutralize carcinogens.
• Berries protect DNA and blood vessel linings.
• Beans improve insulin control and reduce appetite.

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⚖️ How It Supports Weight Loss

The Daily Dozen naturally promotes weight loss without calorie counting because:
• High-fiber foods increase fullness and reduce overeating.
• Low-calorie density means you can eat large portions while still staying in a calorie deficit.
• Stable blood sugar levels prevent energy crashes and cravings.
• Plant-based proteins and complex carbs build lean mass and improve metabolism.

People who follow this plan typically lose weight steadily and sustainably, while gaining energy and improving metabolic health.

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🌍 Why It’s Important

Following Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen is about more than weight — it’s about long-term vitality and disease prevention.

It:
• Promotes longevity and cellular repair.
• Helps prevent chronic illness before it starts.
• Encourages mindful eating and whole-food, plant-based choices.
• Provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap for anyone seeking optimal health through nutrition.

As Dr. Greger says:

“It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating right.”

11/04/2025

🍁 November Is Here — Let’s Talk Plant-Based Holiday Balance! 🌱✨

Now that November is upon us and turkey season is right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to focus on feeling satisfied, not stuffed!

The holidays are meant for connection, comfort, and celebration — but they can also bring overindulgence, fatigue, and that heavy “food coma” feeling. The good news? You can enjoy all the flavors of the season while keeping your energy high and your digestion happy with a few mindful, plant-based nutrition tips and tricks:

🥦 1️⃣ Focus on Fiber-Rich Foods
Fill your plate with roasted veggies, lentils, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens. Fiber keeps you full longer, supports a healthy gut, and helps regulate blood sugar — preventing that post-meal crash and bloat.

🥗 2️⃣ Include Healthy Fats
Avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil add richness and help your body absorb important vitamins (A, D, E, and K). These healthy fats also promote steady energy and satisfaction, so you’re less likely to overeat.

🍠 3️⃣ Choose Whole Grains Over Refined Carbs
Whole grains like quinoa, wild rice, and whole-grain stuffing offer complex carbohydrates and nutrients that help stabilize your mood and metabolism — instead of the spike and slump refined carbs can cause.

🍊 4️⃣ Brighten Your Plate with Fresh Flavors
A crisp salad with citrus dressing or a tangy cranberry relish adds enzymes and antioxidants that support digestion and balance heavier foods.

🌿 5️⃣ Savor Mindfully
Slow down, enjoy every bite, and check in with how your body feels before going for seconds. Eating mindfully helps you connect with your food — and your gratitude — which is what this season is really about.

🎁 Bonus Holiday Tip:
Bring a nourishing plant-based dish to share! Try:
✨ Creamy cashew “cheese” mashed potato bake
✨ Maple-glazed Brussels sprouts
✨ Pumpkin lentil loaf or a roasted veggie harvest bowl
These dishes are delicious, filling, and kind to your body — proof that plant-based can be festive too!

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🌟 Why It Matters:
Eating this way isn’t about restriction — it’s about celebration through nourishment. A plant-powered holiday supports better digestion, reduces inflammation, keeps your immune system strong, and helps you feel energized enough to truly enjoy the season — whether that’s traveling, gathering with loved ones, or simply savoring quiet moments of gratitude.

This November, let’s celebrate abundance without excess — and feel lighter, brighter, and more joyful through the holidays! 💚

10/23/2025

🌿 Whole-Food Plant-Based vs. Standard Vegan: Why the Difference Matters

When most people hear “plant-based” or “vegan,” they assume it automatically means healthy.
But not all plant-based diets are created equal.

According to leading nutrition experts — Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, and Dr. Neal Barnard — the type of plant-based diet you follow determines whether your body heals or continues to struggle with chronic disease.

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🌱 The Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) Way

A whole-food plant-based lifestyle focuses on whole, unrefined, and minimally processed plant foods:
🌾 Whole grains
🥦 Vegetables
🍎 Fruits
🥣 Legumes, beans, and lentils
🌰 Nuts and seeds (in moderation)

It avoids added oils, refined sugars, and animal products altogether.
Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, found that populations eating this way had dramatically lower rates of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease compared to those consuming animal-based and processed foods.

Dr. Michael Greger emphasizes that these whole foods flood the body with antioxidants and fiber that reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar.
And Dr. Neal Barnard’s research with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows that WFPB diets can reverse type 2 diabetes and improve heart health — without calorie counting or medication increases.

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🍔 The Processed “Standard Vegan” Diet

In contrast, a standard vegan diet might exclude animal products, but still include:
🥐 White bread and pastries
🍟 French fries
🥤 Sugary drinks
🍕 Vegan cheese and imitation meats
🍫 Desserts made with refined sugar and oils

While it’s still animal-free, this version often lacks the healing power of whole plant foods. The refined carbs and added fats can still promote weight gain, inflammation, and high blood sugar — leading to the same chronic diseases we’re trying to prevent.

As Dr. Greger reminds us, “A vegan donut is still a donut.” 🍩

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💚 The Science Is Clear

Research consistently shows that a whole-food plant-based diet:
✅ Reverses atherosclerosis and heart disease (Esselstyn, Ornish, Campbell)
✅ Improves insulin sensitivity and reduces diabetes risk (Barnard et al., 2006)
✅ Supports longevity and lowers cancer risk (Campbell et al., 2006; Greger, 2019)
✅ Enhances energy, mood, and overall wellness

The key is whole foods, not just avoiding animal products. When we fill our plates with colorful, fiber-rich, natural foods, our bodies thrive.

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🌎 Final Thoughts

A vegan diet is a good start — but a Whole-Food Plant-Based lifestyle is where true transformation begins.
It’s not just about eliminating certain foods; it’s about embracing the healing power of nature’s bounty.
Your body, your heart, and even the planet will thank you. 💚

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📚 References (APA Style)
• Barnard, N. D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D. J., Turner-McGrievy, G., Gloede, L., Jaster, B., … Green, A. A. (2006). A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 29(8), 1777–1783.
• Campbell, T. C., & Campbell, T. M. (2006). The China Study. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.
• Esselstyn, C. B. (2010). Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure. Penguin.
• Greger, M. (2019). How Not to Diet. Flatiron Books.
• Greger, M. (2015). How Not to Die. Flatiron Books.

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🔖 Hashtags

10/22/2025

🌍 Animal-Based Diets and Chronic Disease: A Public Health Wake-Up Call

Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s are now the world’s top killers — and growing research points to one major cause: diets high in animal products.

The standard Western diet—loaded with red meat, dairy, and processed foods—fuels inflammation, insulin resistance, and artery damage. Studies show that shifting to a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and body weight in just weeks (Bansal et al., 2021).

Even so-called “healthy” meat-based cultures like the Maasai show clear signs of atherosclerosis upon autopsy, despite their active lifestyles (Oapen, n.d.-b). This debunks the myth that animal-heavy diets are harmless.

Animal fats don’t just hurt the heart—they also harm the brain. High saturated fat intake is linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, while plant-based diets protect brain cells with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Beyond health, the cost is staggering: billions spent each year on preventable, diet-related disease (The Cost of Chronic Care, 2023).
It’s time for public health to take action—by promoting plant-forward nutrition, supporting affordable healthy foods, and reducing the deceptive marketing of meat and dairy.

The evidence is clear:
👉 Animal-based diets fuel chronic disease.
🌱 Plant-based diets can prevent—and even reverse—it.

Let’s choose health for ourselves, our communities, and our planet.

10/02/2025

The Truth About Eggs: What the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

For decades, the egg industry has worked hard to market eggs as a “health food” — promoting slogans like “The Incredible, Edible Egg.” But when you dig deeper into the science, you discover a very different story.

Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), has spoken out about how the egg industry is fully aware of the risks eggs pose to human health, yet continues to spin the facts to protect profits. Internal documents from the egg industry itself have even revealed that they know they cannot legally advertise eggs as “safe,” “nutritious,” or even “healthy” because of the high cholesterol and saturated fat content.

Eggs and Cholesterol

A single egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol, nearly the entire daily limit recommended by health authorities. Research has shown that dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol, a key risk factor for heart disease and stroke — the leading causes of death worldwide.

Cancer Concerns

Eggs are also high in choline, which gut bacteria convert into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a compound linked with prostate cancer progression and cardiovascular disease. Studies have found that men consuming more than 2.5 eggs per week had an 81% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer compared to those eating less than half an egg per week.

Diabetes and Eggs

Egg consumption has also been linked to type 2 diabetes. Multiple studies have shown that people who eat just a few eggs a week are at higher risk for developing diabetes, and those who already have diabetes may see worse outcomes.

The Egg Industry’s Playbook

According to Dr. Barnard, when evidence against eggs mounts, the industry often shifts its marketing language rather than addressing the health risks. Instead of focusing on cholesterol, for example, ads may talk about “protein power” or “nutrient density.” The reality is that there are healthier, cholesterol-free sources of protein — such as beans, lentils, tofu, and whole grains — that don’t carry the same risks.

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🌱 Bottom line: Eggs are not the “superfood” the commercials make them out to be. The science is clear — avoiding eggs can help lower cholesterol, protect your heart, and reduce your risk of chronic disease. The good news is there are plenty of delicious, plant-based alternatives that provide all the protein and nutrients you need without the health risks.

09/29/2025

🌱 Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition for Athletes

Athletes following a WFPB diet can thrive and even gain a performance advantage when meals are balanced. Plant-based foods provide antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, and healthy carbohydrates that support recovery, endurance, and overall health.

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⚡️ Energy Needs
• Athletes often need higher calorie intake to fuel training.
• Carbohydrates should make up 55–65% of calories for endurance athletes, as glycogen is the primary fuel for exercise.
• WFPB sources: oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, beans, lentils, fruits, starchy veggies.

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💪 Protein for Athletes

RDA & Guidelines
• General population: 0.8 g/kg/day.
• Athletes: 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day, depending on training type (resistance vs. endurance).
• Plant-based athletes should aim for the upper range (1.6–2.0 g/kg/day) because plant proteins can be less concentrated than animal sources.

High-Protein Plant Foods
• Lentils (18 g/cup cooked)
• Chickpeas (15 g/cup cooked)
• Black beans (15 g/cup cooked)
• Tofu (20 g/1 cup)
• Tempeh (31 g/1 cup)
• Seitan (21 g/3 oz)
• Quinoa (8 g/cup cooked)
• Edamame (17 g/cup cooked)
• H**p seeds (10 g/3 Tbsp)
• Soy milk (7–8 g/cup)

👉 Combining legumes + whole grains (e.g., rice + beans) ensures a complete amino acid profile.

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🥬 Key Micronutrients for Plant-Based Athletes
• Iron (lentils, tofu, spinach, pumpkin seeds; absorption improves with vitamin C)
• Calcium (fortified plant milks, tofu, kale, bok choy)
• B12 (supplementation required; not naturally found in plants)
• Vitamin D (sunlight, fortified foods, or supplement in low-sun months)
• Omega-3s (chia, flax, h**p, walnuts; consider algae-based supplement)

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💧 Hydration for Athletes

Hydration is as important as nutrition.
• General guideline:
• ~500 mL (17 oz) water 2–3 hrs before exercise
• ~200–300 mL (7–10 oz) every 20 min during exercise
• Replace each pound lost in sweat with ~16–24 oz fluid afterward
• Electrolytes: Needed for endurance training in heat.
• Coconut water, bananas, sweet potatoes, leafy greens (potassium)
• Pumpkin seeds, nuts, legumes (magnesium)
• Table salt, miso, seaweed (sodium)
• Signs of dehydration: fatigue, headache, dizziness, dark urine.

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🥗 Sample WFPB Athlete Plate
• Breakfast: Overnight oats with soy milk, chia seeds, walnuts, blueberries
• Lunch: Lentil-quinoa bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, tahini-lemon dressing
• Snack: Edamame + banana + water
• Dinner: Tofu stir-fry with brown rice, broccoli, bell peppers, sesame seeds
• Post-Workout: Smoothie with soy milk, banana, spinach, h**p seeds, berries

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✅ Bottom line: With adequate calories, smart protein combinations, and attention to micronutrients, WFPB diets can fully support athletic performance, recovery, and long-term health.

09/28/2025

09/25/2025

Lifestyle choices aren’t just about living longer—they’re about living better.

Research shows that diet, exercise, and stress management can slow aging, preserve cognitive function, and reduce the risk of comorbidities like heart disease and metabolic dysfunction.

Alzheimer’s care isn’t only about treatment—it’s also about prevention.

09/23/2025

What happens when industry and facts collide.