I am so thrilled to be featuring the talented and beautiful, Christal from the Nutritionist in the Kitch blog! I typically find myself staring and drooling at her recipes while I’m at work. She’s not only a healthy recipe magician, but she is also a practicing holistic nutritionist in Canada as well as a massage therapist. Yeah, she’s that awesome! Read below to check out my Q & A with Christal…
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your blog, where you live, what you love to do : )
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, with my hubby and our little cat – we don’t have any kids, yet.. but it’s in our 5-year plan! I love to stay active, I’m at the gym 6 days a week or doing something active outside when it’s nice, and I LOVE to travel – I’ve been to Southeast Asia, Central America, Western Europe, throughout the USA, and we have Eastern Europe in the plans for next year!
My blog is my space to really share my passion for nutrition, food, and healthy living! I’m a firm believer of the “you are what you eat” motto, and I truly try to fuel my body with fresh, wholesome, natural foods each and every day to keep my body feeling energized, healthy, and happy!
On Nutritionist in the Kitch, I can create and share recipes that do just that. My nutrition practice is wonderful! I get to work with clients who are looking to discover optimal health through the foods they thrive on, and seeing them do that is incredibly rewarding! My weight loss clients are especially rewarding as over a period of time I get to watch them transform, learn, and grow (or shrink, I should say! *;) (winking) . Nothing makes my day more than watching a clients face light up when they step on the scale and see what they’ve accomplished!
2. If you could give someone 5 main health tips to follow, what would they be?
1) Eat whole, unrefined, natural foods 80% of the time, and allow yourself some indulgence 20% of the time – life is all about balance.
2) Get your fiber – aim for at least 30g of fiber per day from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables! A happy digestive system is a great thing!
3) Keep moving – exercise should be part of EVERY DAY, even on ‘rest days’ you should be doing something like stretching or yoga – exercise should be like brushing your teeth – wouldn’t go a day without it!
4) Love yourself – it’s too easy to get down on ourselves and have negative self-talk all the time – every morning when you wake up, take a look in the mirror and compliment yourself!! Positive thinking leads to positive actions which lead to positive habits!
5) Sleep! It’s so important to get quality sleep every night to fuel your body and support your immunity – aim for 7 hours every night!
3. Yummy Recipe:
Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough Protein Blizzard anyone?
4. I noticed that you take digestive enzymes as supplements. Are those a supplement most people could be taking?
I have dealt with digestive issues (IBS) since I was a teenager – it wasn’t until I first got into holistic nutrition that I had some insight into WHY I was always having troubles, even after numerous unanswered trips to the doctor! So, I take digestive enzymes and probiotics daily, as they have both made a huge improvement in my digestive health. The enzymes help me break down macronutrients better and absorb nutrients fully, and the probiotics keep my digestive system running smoothly! It’s actually very common for many people to suffer from poor digestion due to lack of enzyme production in the body so I believe most people WOULD benefit from supplementing with them. That being said, every body is unique and it is important to research anything (supplement, OR medication) before taking
5. What is the best advice you would give someone having a hard time losing weight?
Talk to/seek out a professional! There is something to be said for having professional advice from someone who can set you up on a plan or program that is suited to your individual needs and lifestyle rather than just following something out of a book or magazine – also, accountability is HUGE! It may be a financial investment, but it’s truly an investment into a longer life, happier you, and better health!
6. Go-to meals/foods when eating out?
I pack most of my foods with me wherever I go, so I typically only ‘eat out’ about 1 or 2 times in a month (Saves $$ which is great, and I love to cook!). When I do eat out I usually go for a salad with lean meat and side dressing, or an entree like fish, chicken, or tenderloin (local/organic if possible) and a big side of steamed vegetables, and pass on the carb – not that there is anything wrong with carbs, but typically restaurant carbs (potatoes, rice) are FULL of butter/oil/cream, etc!
7. Your typical breakfast?
I go through phases – right now it’s 1/4 cup plain oatmeal mixed with ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and a pinch of stevia, cooked with water and topped with berries, and an omelet on the side made with 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup egg whites, salt, pepper, dill, and hot sauce! YUM! I also love overnight quinoa & oats, protein pancakes, protein waffles, and protein french toast which can all be found on my blog recipe page!
8. Favorite snacks?
I love plain Greek yogurt with fruit and nut butter, apples and nut butter, hummus and veggies, protein smoothies (made with all natural protein powder – my favorite is North Coast Naturals brand), and I’m a sucker for tortilla chips and salsa!! Oh, and Kettle Corn!!!
9. Describe your ideal “great day!” : )
Really, an ‘ideal day’ for me is’ any day that I am exploring somewhere new in the world’! As I said, I LOVE to travel and any chance I get to be in a new place with a different culture, food, environment, and way of life is ideal! Traveling is incredibly humbling and really something I have been so blessed to do so much of!
