Oct 25, 2022
This week, Joy chats with
Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietitian who takes an
evidence-based, integrative approach to her dietetics work, with a
focus on anti-inflammatory, plant-centred nutrition and digestive
health. She is the author of multiple books, including one on
anti-inflammatory nutrition called Un-Junk Your Diet, a plant-based cookbook called Eat
More Plants: 100 Anti-inflammatory Plant-centred Recipes for
Vibrant Living,
which became a #1 National Bestseller, and her new cookbook on gut
health, Good For Your Gut: A Plant-based Digestive
Health Guide and Nourishing Recipes for Living
Well. She also hosts the evidence-informed wellness
podcast, The Allsorts Podcast, where she interviews leading experts on
topics such as gut health, plant-based nutrition, and
more.
In this episode Desiree shares
actionable steps to help reduce bloating and train your digestive
tract to enjoy more plant-based foods. Desiree is a wealth of
knowledge and the simple, but powerful information she shares will
change your gut and your life forever! After listening to this
episode you will feel empowered to make small, sustainable changes
to your diet and lifestyle in order to support lasting
health.
If you’ve been struggling with
digestive health and overwhelmed with conflicting information on
how to heal then you won’t want to miss this episode! So grab your
favourite cup of tea, settle in with your notebook, and get ready
to heal your gut, naturally.
Episode Highlights:
- How Desire’s love of food led her to a career
in dietetics.
- Desiree’s aha moment of learning how food can
impact health.
- The decision she made to switch from pursuing a
medical degree to becoming a dietician.
- What plant-based nutrition means to
Desiree.
- Her focus as a dietician: digestive health,
plant-based nutrition, and chronic inflammatory
disorders.
- Why she thinks dieticians can be more specific
in their recommendations to empower clients.
- Why you should eat 30 different plants a week
to nourish your microbiome.
- How to incorporate this many plants into your
diet. Hint: herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains
all count as plants!
- The role of a healthy microbiome, especially in
the ascending colon, for overall health.
- What are short chain fatty acids and why should
you care?
- The interaction between gut health, immune
health, and nervous system function.
- The power of butyrate in improving the
inflammatory response.
- Why inflammation is a critical immune
response.
- How short chain fatty acids impact the nervous
system.
- Why IBS is considered a disorder of gut-brain
communication.
- How changes in the enteric nervous system may
impact our mental wellbeing.
- Different causes of bloating and what to do
about them.
- The role of psychological stress in altering
the function of the digestive system.
- How dysregulation in the abdominal wall can
impact digestive function.
- Why tight pants can cause
bloating.
- The importance of chewing your food
thoroughly.
- Desiree’s perspective on digestive bitters and
other quick & easy fixes for bloating.
- Why she suggests everyone incorporate more
bitter veggies into their lives.
- Why she thinks coffee can be a beneficial
addition to a healthy diet, based on context.
- The importance of understanding your body’s
unique needs to create your healthiest diet.
- Why you don’t need to adhere to strict dietary
guidelines for optimal health.
- The role of the migrating motor complex in
maintaining gut health.
- How Desiree’s eating habits have evolved over
the years.
- How much time you should leave between when you
eat your last meal and when you go to bed.
- The importance of consistency for digestive
health.
- What food intolerances can say about your gut
health.
- How training the gut can improve your capacity
to digest a variety of foods.
- How cooking and blending high fibre foods can
start training the gut.
- Desiree’s goal in writing her new book
Good For Your
Gut.
- The role of supplementation, stress management,
and lifestyle changes for gut health.
Resources:
Desiree on Instagram
Desiree’s Website
Sign up for Desiree’s Newsletter
Good for Your Gut Cookbook
Join Desiree’s Free Nutrition
Community
The Allsorts Podcast on
Instagram
Listen to the Allsorts Podcast
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