Make a Plan for 2020 and Rejuvenate from the Inside out by Shauna Mann

After the holiday season filled with parties and great food, the focus turns to a new year, and a new you. However, my philosophies on health and wellness are that we should be living a balanced lifestyle year round, and January is the perfect time to set goals for yourself. Most people set unrealistic goals for themselves and then fail because they don’t have a plan of action in place. By writing your goals on a piece of paper and then breaking it down with ways you can achieve them, you are more likely to succeed in achieving what you set out to accomplish in 2020. Making small and attainable changes will have everlasting results. So what better way to start off the new year than to rejuvenate from the inside out!

In this issue, I share my top three simple tweaks anyone can make to their diets and daily supplement protocol that will have a lasting impact on their mental and physical health. I also share my delicious and comforting Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and full of healthy fats and flavour. I use nutritional yeast, an inactive yeast that has a natural cheesy flavour, in the recipe. Nutritional yeast is chock full of incredible nutrients to help rejuvenate your body. It is naturally high in protein (8g per 1/4 cup) and contains B-vitamins that help with energy levels, healthy brain function, good digestion and proper nerve function. Nutritional yeast also contains a specific strain of yeast called S.cerevisiae that has been proven to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.

Remember, keeping it simple is best. We dive deeper into rejuvenating from the inside out, throughout this issue. On page 13, we look into mental rejuvenation and then on page 18, we give you some eco-friendly home rejuvenation strategies. It’s a new year and a new decade so let’s hit the ground running and make it the best one yet!

SHAUNA MANN is a certified nutritional practitioner and culinary expert who graduated from The Institute of Holistic Nutrition with first class honours and as valedictorian of her class. After a 12 year battle with an eating disorder, she learned the key to a successful, balanced lifestyle is through being non-restrictive with food and she passes on this anti-diet approach to help people have a healthier relationship with food and their body. She is a passionate foodie and often turns her kitchen into a space for creative freedom. Nothing is more satisfying to her than creating a delicious meal from scratch!

@ SHAUNA.M.NUTRITION

What’s your philosophy of nutrition? What are the guidelines that, in your view, will benefit most if not all eaters?

My philosophy of nutrition has evolved over time and I truly believe one size does not fit all. One thing that stands out and will benefit all eaters is to incorporate balance into your diet and lifestyle. What this looks like to me is to follow the 80/20 rule. By doing so, this allows you to integrate foods that society sees as “unhealthy” into your daily life and thus, you’ll reduce cravings and ultimately binges, resulting in a healthier relationship with food and body.

We’ve been looking at whole system rejuvenation this issue. What are the best nutritional strategies for rejuvenating your entire self ?

First and foremost, drink water. This is something that everyone can do - begin hydrating from the inside out. If plain water bores you, add things like cucumber slices, fresh berries and lemon slices to flavour the water and make it more palatable. I also drink my water at room temperature as I find it’s easier to consume. Secondly, eat whole foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit and veggies and good quality meat and eggs (preferably organic or grass fed meat and wild caught fish). Try to incorporate as many fresh vegetables into your day as you can, changing the type and colours for a wide range of phytonutrients. Every day, I include a scoop of greens powder into my smoothie or even just straight into my water for an extra kick of nutrients that is energizing, detoxifying and rejuvenating. Finally, move your body! Find activities that you love doing so that it doesn’t feel like a chore. I schedule and book my workouts a week in advance so there are no excuses. I also plan my days around my workouts, knowing that the morning is my time to focus on me so that I can start my day off with a strong mentality and getting a good sweat on.

You’ve been open about your struggles with depression. Can you tell us about that journey and how nutrition fits into it?

Where do I begin?! My struggles with depression began from a lack of emotional expression within an unhealthy relationship and lack of self worth, body image and healthy relationship with food. All this ultimately led to a 12 year battle with an eating disorder. The more I pushed my feelings down, the more I turned to food to cope and thus the vicious cycle continued and the depression got deeper. It wasn’t nutrition (in terms of diet) that ultimately healed me but it was my drive to focus on my mental health and take control of my life. I ended the relationship, saw a therapist who helped me gain an immense amount of confidence and understand my worth as a woman and finally started doing things for myself professionally and personally. This meant learning how to have a healthier relationship with food and it is when I started introducing the 80/20 way of living and I have never looked back.

“My philosophy of nutrition has evolved over time and I truly believe one size does not fit all. One thing that stands out and will benefit all eaters is to incorporate balance into your diet and lifestyle.”

I really focus on listening to my body and the cues it provides me. I eat what my body wants, when it wants it and therefore I’ve significantly reduced the binges that used to plague me every day. I have successfully lived a balanced lifestyle for three years now with no more yoyo dieting and have never loved and appreciated myself more.

How did you become so dedicated to and knowledgeable about food?

I am a massive foodie, and always have been. It really stems back to when I was younger. My mom was always in the kitchen cooking up a storm and I was right there beside her, always stirring and taste testing (those were my favourite jobs). One thing that my mom really taught me was to make something from nothing. It’s the claim to fame in my family that we can open a fridge and what may look empty to the average person doesn’t to us. We can always whip up a delicious meal using whatever is leftover and in the pantry. This helped spark a love for creating in the kitchen. Also, The Food Network has always been my favourite channel on TV and I love getting ideas and then adapting them to be healthier.

Fast forward to when I was studying to become a nutritionist and working full time for Marni Wasserman (nutritionist, chef and co-host of The Ultimate Health Podcast) as her assistant and volunteer in her plant-based cooking school. I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could. Eventually, I started running all the private events at the food studio and then my own classes, deepening my knowledge and love for food. Once Marni closed her school, I continued renting the space and used it to teach a variety of cooking classes that incorporated my philosophies as a nutritionist like Chinese Take Out, Pub Night and Weekday Meals. After I knew I had a solid foundation of nutrition and holistic food prep, I approached The Institute of Holistic Nutrition to teach their Holistic Food Prep Course, where I taught 10 students at a time during the three-day course.

What are your go-to supplements and why?

My go-to supplements change based on my needs at the time. I like to focus more on whole foods and only supplement when I have a known deficiency or I’m trying to heal something in my body. Having said that, there are a few staples that I take every day. A high quality greens powder is first and foremost. I always have at least two different types in my fridge that I rotate every day to make sure I’m incorporating enough greens on top of my daily intake of fresh veggies.

Another supplement I use is collagen. Now, I know there is a lot of hype around collagen and it’s become a trend lately but I actually use it in my cup of coffee for the protein. I am sensitive to caffeine but love a bit of a boost in the morning so the protein in the collagen slows down the absorption of the caffeine, giving me a more sustained energy source without the jitters. It also helps make my coffee super creamy when I blend it together, reducing the need for milk or cream.

Lastly, I always have a good quality fish oil on hand. I find that I don’t eat a lot of fish or get nearly enough omegas from other food sources like hemp seeds, flaxseeds and nuts/seeds so I like to supplement where I know I’m lacking in my diet. In the winter time, my skin gets incredibly dry so taking fish oil helps moisturize my skin from the inside out.

What are three simple tweaks people could make to their diets today that would make all the difference in the world?

1. Drink a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning before having coffee.

2. Choose a day of the week to prep your meals. Failing to plan is planning to fail. We are all super busy with our professional and personal lives that having prepped meals will ensure you are eating quality food and not spending money on quick take out options.

3. Reduce refined sugar and use simple swaps like coconut sugar/nectar, dates, raw honey, maple syrup and monk fruit sweetener.

Comforting Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon coconut oil

• ½ large white onion, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• ½ teaspoon chili powder •

1½ cups raw cashews (soaked overnight) •

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 package brown rice macaroni

• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets and steamed

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to the package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the coconut oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for roughly 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the turmeric and chili powder. Stir and cook until fragrant, roughly another 30 seconds to one minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Drain the cashews and place them into a high-speed blender or food processor along with the fresh lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion mixture, salt and pepper. Blend, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it’s combined into a thick but creamy sauce. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. Mix the sauce with the pasta and top with steamed broccoli. Serve warm and enjoy!