We are wrapping up the latest Lifecycle Nutrition Series on the podcast. In the past 7 episodes we've covered... - Nutrition for Preconception - Nutrition for Pregnancy - Nutrition for Postpartum/Breastfeeding - Infant Nutrition (0-6 months)- Baby Nutrition (6-12 months)- Toddler Nutrition (1~3 years) - Childhood, Adolescent, Teenage Nutrition (4~18 years) Dr. Susanna also shared her personal pregnancy and postpartum experience and tips to thrive in Episode #384. This week is a little wrap up and summary of the highlights from this series as well as the most important takeaways.  Epis ..read more

Next up in the plant-based lifecycle nutrition series is TODDLERS! We aren't there yet personally in our family with our little one, but it's helpful to know how to keep little ones thriving on plants. In this episode, Dr. Susanna get's into the plant-based nutritional science to support growing kiddos. This is important info considering the importance of nutrition for childhood development... and "just eating plants" certainly does not equate to health, especially amongst little ones. Episode Highlights Which plant milk is best for kiddos as a cow milk alternative What plant based toddler ..read more

Nutrition is pretty simple when you're a baby... MILK. Human breastmilk is the optimal source of nutrition for early infancy (0-6 months). Commercial baby formula (of which there are MANY) are considered the only acceptable alternative to breastmilk. In this episode you'll learn the amazing properties of breastmilk and how it is indeed the perfect food... for babies! One amazing fact is that breastmilk is pretty much the same in terms of nutritional status between breastfeeding mothers, regardless of the mothers' personal nutritional status (with the exception of toxins that may be in the m ..read more

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Susanna shares her recent trials and tribulations with nutrition and lifestyle through all phases of pregnancy and postpartum. With our little Grace being now 8 months, Dr. Susanna is 110% back to her normal and healthy self. She's got an extra 10% (at least!) from the innate superwoman powers that come through motherhood! While different individuals may struggle with following a "whole food plant based" lifestyle throughout this phase of life, Dr. Susanna shares her tips to prioritize nutrition as a way of thriving through the demands of this life stage ..read more

The postpartum and lactation phase of life demand intake of high quality nutrition in order to replenish and restore the mother’s nutritional stores, but also to provide the highest quality of breastmilk production for her baby.  Eating a plant-based diet is not only provides the the postpartum body all that it needs in this phase of life, it also provides benefits for both the mother’s and babies health - one of the biggest benefits being the lower levels of environmental toxicity in the breastmilk of plant-based mothers.  The postpartum/lactation phase certainly still has its man ..read more

Is it healthy to eat plant-based while pregnant? This is a big question that often comes up from plant-based skeptics. The short answer is YES! But with any pregnancy, no matter the diet of the mother, proper nutritional awareness and planning is necessary I order to support the best health for both mother and baby.  We’re going to discuss all the important nutrition considerations for a plant-based pregnancy in today’s episode, covering macronutrients, micronutrients, supplements, and so much more. Dr. Susanna will also be sharing her experience with plant-based eating during her first ..read more

Preconception is a lifecycle phase that is often overlooked. However, it is extremely important to prepare a mother’s body for a graceful pregnancy and healthy baby!  Several factors play into optimizing egg quality, sperm quality, and a healthy environment for a fertilized eggs to thrive in - nutrition is certainly one of the biggest factors.  In this episode we'll explore all the nutritional considerations to set both the female and male up for success in preparing for a healthy conception event and pregnancy. We’ll also discuss some of the many other lifestyle factors that play ..read more

Becoming a mom has really reminded me (Dr. Susanna) how different phases of life require different nutrition. Some phases of life have much more physical growth where more fuel, more fat, more everything in needed compared to other times in our life when we are maintaining, or perhaps even wanting to shed some excess growth. We are excited to be entering into a little mini-series within the podcast where we will be covering nutritional needs during these various phases of life.  In this Plant-Based Lifecycle Nutrition Series we’ll cover the nutritional needs in 6 stages of life: Precon ..read more

There are a million and one ways to eat Whole Food Plant-Based! ... and they don’t all promote health and healing! Preparing a BALANCED WFPB meal can be super easy! But if you don't know WHAT to focus on or HOW to make it balanced, you might run into some obstacles. In this episode, Dr. Susanna walks you through the 3 steps of preparing a balanced WFPB meal that supports HEALING. Step 1: Focus the meal around carbohydrate-rich foods  Step 2: Add an abundance of non-starchy vegetables  Step 3: Add an optional fat-rich garnish/condiment Other highlights of this episode include: Wh ..read more

Orthorexia is defined as "excessive preoccupation with eating healthy food." Well, "normal" is most definitely NOT healthy in our world today. Furthermore, focusing on health and creating healthy habits is essential for being healthy! So are you orthorexic? Does eating WFPB make you orthorexic? It's a big topic and an important question that is worth diving into. In a recent Episode on TMS and Digestion I talked about the direct link between state of mind and emotion on digestive health. The irony is that obsessing around healthy eating and lifestyle habits can make you less healthy! But ..read more