Hi there,

I'm excited to share this newsletter with you because

1. It contains 3 of my favorite holiday recipes
2. I'm going to share with you some of the nutrients you may need to be paying closer attention to!

Generally, plant based practitioners don't go into detail on how to optimize nutrient intake.

Our body's thrive off getting diverse nutrients: fat soluble and water soluble vitamins, minerals, etc.

It can be easy to eat similar foods daily and get into a routine. But there are some sources of foods I would highly recommend adding into your rotation!

Let's go over these nutrients:

Selenium

This is important for quite a few different functions in our body, including:

• thyroid gland function
• reproductive health
• reducing oxidative stress

This nutrient is found highest in Brazil nuts. So unless you are taking a multivitamin with this nutrient included, you'll want to be eating 1-2 of these a day.

Zinc

This is so important for wound healing, immune function, and metabolism.

Vegans should aim for 50% more zinc per day than omnivores.

Men: 16mg/day

Women: 12mg/day

Sources: nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains

Out of the above sources the following are the best: pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and adzuki beans

To increase the bioavailability of these: sprouting/soaking or adding garlic/onions

Iodine

This gets missed a lot! It's found highest in seafood, so if you're plant based or avoid fish for toxin reasons, you need to find other sources.

It's extremely important for thyroid function.

Sources:

• seaweed flakes: 2 tsp/day
• iodized salt: 1/2 tsp/day
• supplement: 150mcg/day

Iron

Vegans should consume 1.8x the RDI for iron.

Men: 14.4mg/day

Women: 32.4mg/day

Sources: beans, lentils, tofu, quinoa, mushrooms

Iron enhancers: bell peppers, oranges, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, kale, onions/garlic

Iron inhibitors: beer, wine, coffee, tea, cocoa, grapes, calcium

Omega 3's:

These are important for fighting inflammation, decreasing risk for cancer, and increasing heart health

1 tbsp of chia or ground flax seed per day for women (2 for men) provides the body with sufficient ALA Omega 3's to produce adequate DHA and EPA.

Other sources:

• algae sources: spirulina, chlorella, nori
• seeds: flax, chia, hemp
• walnuts
• edamame
• supplement: 840- 1,000 mg/day is optimal

Supplements

As you can see, there's quite a few different vitamins/minerals that need to be granted more awareness. I love getting these through whole food sources, but sometimes supplements are needed.

The FDA doesn't regulate the supplement industry, so when checking supplements: make sure they've been third party tested for toxins, fillers etc

I personally take an Omega, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and multivitamin.

Christmas is around the corner..

Aka my favorite time of year!

But this time of year can also be stressful for many, as people feel obliged to eat food that doesn't coincide with the goals they planned for themselves.

What if you could make room for the foods you want, but still stay on track for your health goals?

It's 100% possible! It's all about having a plan, and this is something I go over in my 1:1 coaching.

I also included a mini recipe e-book for some of my favorite wholesome ways to make the delicious treats this time of year healthy!

Click here to access your free holiday e book.

Coaching

Do you need a plan for the holidays? it's not too late to sign up for my 1:1 coaching.

The initial consult goes into detail on how to create the best plan for you, then I organize a meal plan that fits your goals.

You can still maintain or lose weight around the holidays AND eat your favorite foods.

Click to learn more or book a free 15 minute consult.

Happy holidays!

Yours in health,

Stephanie