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Well Nourished with Erica, Santa Cruz, CA (2025)

11/04/2021

Yesterday’s lunch. Roasted delicata squash with olive oil, salt, cinnamon, chili powder, turmeric and cumin. Pan roasted black cod (if you haven’t tried this fish it is delicious). Steamed broccoli with ghee and salt. Roasted peppers and onions. Rice with root top gomashio and green onions. Feels good to be back in the kitchen! After eating out and traveling all last week, my body was craving vegetables so I cooked everything I had on hand.

What are your favorite vegetables?

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07/14/2021

Backyard plum harvest. This is my first time having fruit trees and I can honestly say that no store bought plum tastes quite like one fresh off the tree.

We have been conservative on water because it is a draught year, but our little tree still managed to produce quite a bit of tasty fruit.

They might not all be fully ripe, but I wanted to get them before all the critters do. They typically take one bite and leave the fruit to rot on the tree. 😔

What should I make with all these plums???

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06/16/2021

What do you eat for? This might sound like a strange question…let me explain.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The word “diet” is usually associated with restriction, regimented lists of foods that one is required to eat in order to loose weight, or foods they are not allowed to eat in order to loose weight. The food is medicine mentality — food is eaten for medical reasons. Food can serve different purposes and have many functions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What studies tell us about yo-yo dieting and weight cycling is that carrying extra weight is far less detrimental to health than losing weight and regaining it again and again. PMID: 25147734 And “overweight” people actually live longer than “normal weight” people. PMID: 15840860⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you eliminated weight, body shape, or health from the list of reasons to eat…what would you eat for?Instead of viewing ways of eating as a “diet”, you might find it helpful to eat for a greater purpose, one that aligns with your values and the changes you want to see in the world — because food is so much more than a diet! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💠Eating for social justice by only eating fair trade or supporting local sustainable farms resonates with you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💠Eating for a better environment by eating local, in season produce and meats; or eating organic and eating to reduce your carbon footprint. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💠Eating for spiritual growth by eating your culture’s traditional foods, staying kosher, or eating halal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💠Eating for pleasure and joy from food, traveling to different places around the world and try the local cuisine, or recreate your favorite restaurant foods at home. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💠Eating for love and nurturing relationships by cooking for friends and family.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Let me know what you eat for in the comments! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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05/27/2021

As defined by Oxford Languages: the tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others.��There is level of dogmatism in the health industry that cannot be denied. Whether you are vegan, keto, paleo, whole30, pegan, vegetarian, intuitive eater, or [insert diet], there is a tendency to put blinders on and no longer consider another person’s perspective. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Bias gets in the way of considering other options, and our assumptions prevent us truly understanding others. We all have something to learn from each other, and we should be prioritizing connection, listening, and learning interactions with a healthy dose of humility. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I am constantly challenging my ways of thinking, and actively follow people on social media that have viewpoints different from my own, because it is reminder that there are other opinions out there. I think it is so important to remember that our way of thinking is not the only way — we need to be less judgmental of others and more curious. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Unfortunately, this dogmatic way of thinking can find its way into the medical community and nutrition counseling. Nutritionists and doctor’s make assumptions about the exercise and eating habits of individuals because of their weight. We shouldn’t presume to know everything about a person’s culture, beliefs, and practices when it comes to diet.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As a practitioner, my goal is to listen to your needs and treat you with respect. You are the expert when it comes to your body, culture, life and practices. While I have skills and expertise in nutrition — you have autonomy as my client to choose what is best for you. All foods have a place in a healthy diet, and I haven’t done my job if I don’t empower you to meet your health goals in a way that is consistent with your cultural values and food preferences.

05/26/2021

Some days you feel defeated. All you can manage is to put one foot in front of the other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Society has taught me that if I work hard eventually I will find success, happiness, and all of the things that are of value: house, partnership, money, comfort. The problem is that the expectations are not set properly. No one tells you how hard it it going to be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Personal growth is a challenging and difficult path. Taking a path to become an entrepreneur, and make meaningful change in this world is a hard fought battle. It constantly challenges your ability to continue on, at times feeling like you have to have blind faith that things will all work out, even though logic tells you otherwise. Meanwhile that voice in the back of your head is telling you that if things are this hard, maybe this isn’t your path. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You can take a comfortable path, and make things easy on yourself. However, this path can encourage complacency, boredom and apathy. You disconnect from the process and let life happen to you instead of forging your own path. Change becomes stagnant. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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With change comes doubt and fear — doubt and fear are the thieves of growth. If your spirit is still telling you that this is your path, keep putting one foot in front of the other. Because it should be hard. Because it should be messy. It should make you question your choices.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To quote Gail Sheehy, “if we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, then we aren’t really living.” 🌱 Don’t let fear steal your growth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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05/13/2021

Is sugar addiction a real thing? You have probably seen the headlines, “sugar is more addicting than co***ne,” but is there strong scientific evidence that sugar is addicting and something that we should avoid? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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From an evolutionary standpoint, we are hardwired to seek out sugar. In nature, sugar is a sign that a plant food is at the peak of the season and has the highest nutrient density. We need sugar (glucose) for energy because it is essential for survival and it is the preferred fuel source of the brain. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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All carbohydrates, regardless of their form when eaten are broken down into molecules of glucose. Apples, rice, bread and cookies all contain different types of carbohydrates, but when broken down by the body their ultimate fate is to become glucose. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Most of the sugar addiction studies have been done on animals, and there is little empirical evidence examining sugar addiction in humans. Interestingly, binge-like behavior is usually seen when sugar is restricted and then given intermittent access to. Is it the restriction, or palatability of sugar driving the behavior? PMID: 27372453. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In human sugar studies, merely eating packets of sugar was not enough to satisfy sweet cravings. When asked what would satisfy the craving, there is a palatable food associated with the craving, i.e. ice cream, cupcake, cookies. The sensory experience is what is craved in relation to the sugar: cold, creamy, soft, crunchy, warm. PMID: 32532002⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Though sugar and co***ne may create some similar brain patterns when consumed, they do not create synonymous addictive tendencies. I think we can all agree that eating too much of anything could have negative consequences down the line, but contrary to popular belief the research to support that sugar is addicting is not conclusive. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Eating foods for pleasure is normal! Indulging a sugar craving doesn’t mean you need rehab.

05/12/2021

As a nutritionist, I can honestly say that there are days I don’t practice what I preach to my clients. People who have chosen careers dedicated to healing, or caring for others are often terrible at taking care of themselves — guilty as charged! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I remember when I was in grad school, a professor of mine told me I should read the class readings and discussion boards while I was eating as a way to stay on top of my studies. I thought it was a strange recommendation, considering I would never tell a client to work during lunch or dinner. Studies have shown that being distracted or not paying attention to a meal tended to make people eat more at that meal, and that paying attention to a meal was linked to eating less later on. Attention, memory, and stress all impact how much we eat, how well our digestive tract does its job, and how much we enjoy our food. PMID: 23446890⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To this day I still struggle with not scanning my electronics during meals, especially if I am eating alone. The urge is so strong sometimes that I have to remove my phone and computer from my line of sight. Otherwise, three bites in I will be reaching for my phone.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Gentle reminders:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ None of us are perfect. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ Even when we know something doesn’t serve us, we struggle to not do that thing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ After several years of implementing behavior change, we still might have days we struggle to stay the course.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Implementing long lasting behavior change is hard, messy, and very frustrating at times. Staying the course means not giving up, showing up, and some days all you can manage is putting one foot in front of the other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Stay curious in these challenging moments and remember to treat yourself with compassion. Self-compassion reduces perceived stress, anxiety and provides you with the space to continue implementing your goals. PMID: 28810473

05/07/2021

Questions I get from clients:
I just read Eat Fat Get Thin, should I try keto?

I heard lectins are bad for your gut — should I avoid legumes, grains and certain plant foods?

How many times in your life has someone brought up the newest diet craze, or book on nutrition in conversation? For me —too many to count! There are a lot of nutrition related and health promoting books out there, some of them written by big names in the medical community.

Unfortunately, the information being shared isn’t always evidence-based, or the evidence cited is of low quality and not accurately represented. Book reviews never look at the quality of evidence being shared and only evaluate it based on quality of the writing. So how does the average person know if the information being shared in the book is actually good for their health?

Checking every reference cited in a nutrition/health book takes some serious time. Red Pen Reviews is group of nutrition scientist that have taken on the task of reviewing nutrition/health books for scientific accuracy. Each book is reviewed by the primary reviewer and then peer reviewed. They are very transparent about their review process and are currently funded by their reader base. Link: www.redpenreviews.org

My hope is that anyone reading this post will seriously evaluate if they want to eliminate an entire food group because someone told you it was bad for you, or made the promise that it will help you lose weight. Especially if you enjoy eating that food group. Red Pen Reviews takes an unbiased, evidence-based approach to answer important questions. Before you move to an elimination diet, or become afraid of certain foods, take a look at the research and remember to listen to your body.

To be clear, there are some people who cannot eat certain foods because they are allergic, intolerant or have gastrointestinal distress when they eat trigger foods. At the end of the day you need to listen to your body when deciding if a diet is right for you or not, and there should be no judgment from anyone about your choice to honor your body. Please mind your own plate.

05/04/2021

Clients will often bring me books and products from doctors asking if it is something that will help them loose weight, or with x condition. I think we inherently trust doctors because they have taken the Hippocratic oath, and have dedicated their lives to the science of healing others. We want to believe that the things they promote are scientifically proven to be safe and effective, but this isn’t always the case.

Case in point, Dr. Oz was in hot water in 2014 over his claims that green coffee extract is a “miracle pill” and effective for weight loss. When questioned in front of congress, he stated, “there's not a pill that's going to help you long term lose weight without diet and exercise."

How can we protect ourselves from false claims make educated decisions about the products we choose to buy?

Look for bias. Credentials are important, but they aren’t everything! I usually check to see if the person has a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field of science. However, it is important to ask yourself if the person promoting the product has anything to gain from you buying it?

Look for citations. Is the email, ad, or article promising benefits without citing the sources for their claims? For example, if a company claims a product will make your heart healthy, it is their responsibility to provide proof for that claim.

Look for transparency. It is challenging to sift through scientific literature. People go through graduate programs to be able to read scientific studies and critically appraise the information contained in them. When people are transparent about their process, education, and limitations it means they have nothing to hide.

Talk to an expert. Supplements can be harmful! If you are on medications you need to have a professional check to make sure that the herbs or nutrients contained in supplements will not interact with your medications. You must talk to your doctor before blindly taking a pill.

Finally, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A healthy dose of cynicism is never a bad thing!

Well Nourished with Erica

11/04/2021

07/14/2021

06/16/2021

05/27/2021

05/26/2021

05/13/2021

05/12/2021

05/07/2021

05/04/2021

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm