Everything You Need to Know About Nutrition from Dallas' #1 Dietitian
Meet Whitney Stuart @whitnessnutrition!
Nutrition can seem SO complex. So we sat down with Dallas' #1 Registered Dietitian, Whitney Stuart, to break it down and keep things simple and attainable.
Let's dive in:
Q. What's the #1 reason clients start to work with you?
A. Most of my high-achieving female clients come in with the question, "Can you just tell me what to eat? I'm tired, I've tried everything, but the scale won't budge." And, they're looking for sustainable nutrition without deprivation; to really, find optimal long term health. They want fat loss, they want all-day energy, they want to enjoy date night without bloating, they want to eat pizza without shaming themselves later.
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Q. When your clients start choosing healthier options, what's the first thing they typically start to notice?
A. Wins are my favorite! First - energy levels! Like, "I actually gave up my afternoon coffee, I didn't even need it". And, "I thought I would need a mid morning snack but breakfast held me all the way to lunch". Also, confidence! "I had happy hour with friends and left without a stomach ache" and "I didn't overeat at family brunch; a first for me!"
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Q. Why is it really so important to balance our blood sugar?
A. Blood sugar is the root of all my patient's health success (and its dysregulation is the root of all their problems!) Why? Because imbalanced blood sugar contributes to elevated insulin (the hormone responsible for allowing your body to use energy for fuel and not storage!) elevated inflammation, erratic mood swings, irregular hormones and cycles, energy swings, fatigue, irrational food choices and cravings, and weight gain. Did I just name off one of your symptoms?! Likely.
This is why 90% of my patients' problems improve with work on this ONE ROOT CAUSE. Blood sugar, or really, the chronic elevation of insulin, is also an area where small lifestyle improvements have a big impact. I don't reach for medication, cleanses, or restrictive processes to see extreme improvements in health.
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Q. 95% of Americans don't get enough fiber. Why is it so important to get enough fiber in our diets?
A. Fiber transits stool through your body. Not sexy, but neither is constipation. Fiber acts as a powerful cultivator of good gut health. The MORE fiber diversity, the MORE gut diversity, the healthier your microbiome (the root of your health and immune system) is. I aim for 30 plant foods per week in my patient population (this includes all plant foods; fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, legumes, grains) to ensure they're nurturing their gut. Also, from a very basic level, insoluble fiber from non starchy veggies bulks your stomach to quite literally tell your belly you are getting full, which can help you more easily recognize fullness.
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Q. As someone on-the-go a lot, what snacks do you recommend to your clients to keep them feeling good while on the move?
A. We provide two different format options for snacks: fat + fiber snacks (think produce + sauce): celery and almond butter, carrots and guac, jicama and hummus. This helps us not only increase gut diversity with a favorite of plant fibers, but also aim to obtain our goal of ENOUGH VEGGIES per day which is so difficult for our busy CEO patients. If not fat and fiber, we focus on protein! Protein is so satiating, we call it a hunger block, because it is a powerful way you can tell the brain "I'm good now!". Besides my obvious obsession with the B.T.R. Cherry Chocolate Chip ZEN bar, we recommend meat sticks, pumpkin seeds, HB eggs, nitrate-free turkey slices, and a good old cottage cheese + EBTB seasoning and diced tomatoes.
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Ready for life change? Book a free call with Whitney to chat! Whitney says, if you like B.T.R. NATION, you've already taken one great step :)
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