The Surprising Benefits Of A Mostly Plant-Based Diet With Mia Syn, MS, RDN, Author Of Mostly Plant-Based

Posted on February 06, 2023

 

Watch the episode here

 

You don’t have to go full-on vegan to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet. In this episode, Mia Syn show us how going “mostly” plant-based gets the job done just as well. Mia is the author of Mostly Plant-Based, a book that helps people transition smoothly to a plant-forward diet and lifestyle. In this conversation with Corinna Bellizzi, Mia walks us through the numerous benefits of a mostly plant-based diet, in terms of nutritional impact, cost, and environmental footprint. She also makes the case for animal-based protein and how you can use it in the context of a plant-forward diet. Plus, she shares some tricks and tips on making plant-based food exciting, especially for the children. Tune in for all these and more!

 

Key takeaways from this episode:

  • Plant-based foods offer incredible nutrition and benefits, but what plants don't have is just important about as what they do have.
  • Meat should be treated like a condiment, not as a main dish.
  • Some of the benefits of following a “mostly” plant-based diet are better sleep, weight loss, improved gut health, reduced dietary costs, and less environmental impact.
  • Transitioning from a typical omnivorous diet to a “mostly” plant-based diet is not that difficult if you do it in stages.
  • Variety is key to a successful “mostly” plant-based diets, so switch up your veggies, grains, nuts and seeds!

 

Guest Links:

Website: https://nutritionbymia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutritionbymia/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nutritionbymia?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nutritionbymia?lang=en

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The Surprising Benefits Of A Mostly Plant-Based Diet With Mia Syn, MS, RDN, Author Of Mostly Plant-Based

From Healthy Digestion To Better Sleep And Weight Loss, Going "Mostly" Plant-Based Has A Ton Of Health Benefits.

We are going to dive deep into the why behind the plant-based movement, and ultimately, even get to meet someone who has worked alongside Michael Pollan, who directs us specifically to eat whole foods, and mostly plants. Before I introduce our guest and explore their connection to Michael Pollan, I have to remind you that while we may talk about general health conditions on this show, what we offer here is for informational purposes only.

If you have specific health complaints, please connect with your healthcare provider, or even a nutritionist and registered dietician like the one that you'll meet. If you're compelled by what you hear, please subscribe to the show wherever you're tuning in. While you're at it, please give us a thumbs up, and a five-star rating, and write us a review, especially on Apple Podcasts.

This will help more people discover the show so they can benefit from the same great information. In the last episode, we talked about the importance of having a healthy digestive system, and even how prebiotics and probiotics can aid your long-term health. Now, we will discover why a whole foods first approach is best and why going mostly plant-based can be life-changing as we get to know Mia Syn.

Mia is a budding broadcast journalist turned nutritional scientist who was influenced by her journalism professor at UC, Berkeley. You guessed it. It's The New York Times bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan. Mia turned her investigative neck into a scientific pursuit after falling in love with nutritional science. After learning from Nobel laureates at UC Berkeley, Ivy League professors at Columbia, and more, she perfected the ability to translate that complex research into vital information that we can all understand.

You will catch Mia sharing evidence-based food nutrition and lifestyle tips on national and local TV shows and lifestyle programs across the country each week, including Good Food Friday on ABC Charleston, The Doctors, and many CBS and Fox affiliates. Mia's new book, Mostly Plant-Based, is available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Penguin Random House, and wherever books are sold. It includes 100 plant-forward recipes, and a 21-day meal plan to get you started. Mia, welcome to the show.

Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to chat.

Learning about your connection to Michael Pollan was a happy surprise because I invited you on before I knew that. I have followed his work for some time. I love his simple way of putting it, "Eat whole foods, mostly plants." It feels like this is a great bridge to your work with this book. I'd love for you to talk about that connection, how it inspired you, and what landed you writing this book.

You mentioned I had taken a course with Michael Pollan at UC Berkeley. He's a Journalism professor there. It was a Food Journalism class, and that was my first experience with nutrition. It wasn't something I grew up with or thought about much. I love that nutritional science is something that applies to each and every one of us every day.

Nutritional science is something that applies to each and every one of us every day. We all eat, and we all make decisions on what food we're going to choose to nourish our body.

We all eat. We all make decisions on what food we're going to prepare, and what food we're going to choose to nourish our bodies. I love that this was such an applicable science to everyone, no matter who you are or what walk of life you are. That's what led me to nutrition. I pretty much studied nutrition only UC Berkeley, Columbia, then I became a registered dietician. This is my debut book. All of my research and studies have led me to this point, this book. It's funny how it so aligns with Michael Pollan's philosophy of eat food, mostly plants.

Recently, he's doing a deep dive into psychedelics presently with a Netflix series, which is really surprising for me, but also not in a strange way.

I get it. They're adjacent. That's interesting. I'm excited to see that.

Do you remain connected to Michael Pollan?

I don't. I haven't been to Berkeley in years, maybe decades now, but I follow his work loosely. He was a huge catalyst for getting me into nutrition, and the educational side of nutrition and food science.

He also does an incredible job of digesting the complex into information that we can all understand and even parrot like, "Eat whole foods." It seems so simple, but ultimately is the foundation of a good overall diet. Let's talk about the benefits of going mostly plant-based, how it's different from veganism, and perhaps even starting with something as simple as the interface of our digestion since that was the topic we covered in the last episode.

The reason why I wrote this book called Mostly Plant-Based versus veganism or plant-based is it's something I believe very strongly about. There's no denying that plant-based foods offer incredible nutrition and benefits. There's fiber, which 97% of Americans fall short of. It's so important for our digestion, as you said, nourishing those gut bacteria, that prebiotic fiber, and helping with irregularity.

You're also getting vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Also, what plants don't have is just important as what they do have. You're not getting saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, or a lot of sodium. All foods have sodium, but very minimal sodium and no added sugar. I have a quote in my book that is, "Plant foods are almost like medicine. Food is medicine and plants are the most powerful ones."

I like to think of it like that, but also not discounting animal protein. In my book, I outline how to choose animal foods wisely and why they are still an essential part of the healthiest, most balanced diet. They provide certain vitamins and minerals that are more bioavailable to the body, so our body can absorb and utilize them more efficiently than those found in plants.

For example, spinach is known as a good source of iron, but our body is so inefficient at absorbing and utilizing that iron. You would have to eat 17 cups of spinach to get the same amount of iron as two ounces of animal protein. I break that down in the book, and explain why that is my approach to a well-rounded diet. I'm not discounting animal foods but also making plant foods the foundation of your diet.

It sounds more like you're looking at those animal-based foods as a condiment, as opposed to as the main course of the meal. That approach is one that is more planet-friendly because you're utilizing fewer other resources. Also, can give you those key nutrients that you might have a hard time absorbing. What would you say to the vegans out there that might be looking to you for guidance, too, on what supplements or nutrients they might want to watch out for or even consider taking an addition to a healthy diet that is completely plant-based?

I do have a chapter called, "Treat meat like a condiment." Thinking of it less as a mainstay of your plate, and more like a side dish. It shouldn't be the foundation of your diet, reframing your approach to animal foods. I talk about the nutrients that animal foods provide that are more bioavailable to us. I also have a page that outlines how vegans can still get those nutrients.

NWC 42 | Plant Based Diet

 

There are ways to get all the nutrients you need on a vegan completely plant-based diet. Supplementing when needed is also important. Some that I can think of are zinc combined with anti-nutrients called phytic acid. It binds zinc and limits its absorption in certain plant-based foods. You want to make sure that you're eating enough of those zinc-containing foods, a lot of those pumpkin seeds, cashews, oats, almonds, beans, whole grains.

Another one is iron as I had said. Pairing iron foods like spinach with vitamin C-containing foods is a great way to enhance absorption. That's a good trick when it comes to iron. Some other nutrients are vitamin A. Vitamin A found in plant-based foods is in the form of beta-keratin. Our body has to convert it to vitamin A for it to be useful for things like immunity and skin health. That conversion is not very efficient. Getting enough vitamin A is also important on a plant-based diet.

One that everyone knows about is vitamin B12. That's found almost exclusively in animal foods. Finding fortified foods or considering a supplement is important if you are following an entirely vegan or plant-based diet. There's a great handy chart in my book where I break it down and give plant-based, vegan eaters the tools they need to still meet their nutrient needs. They just have to be more mindful about doing it.

I want to offer a couple of points that will complement what you've shared. For one, we know, for instance, that iron and vitamin C both contribute to bone health. Iron helps to build strong bones. Vitamin C helps to build bones that are elastic enough that they don't break. You also need to consider getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and etc.

Having them in balance is easier when you're eating a balanced diet. I understand it can be easier to get a lot of these nutrients from animal foods as well. Vitamin B12 tends to be a very difficult nutrient to get enough of. It's one that we actually see in the spirulina that our sponsor, Orlo Nutrition is growing. I understand you recently covered their immunity boost on a segment that you did in Las Vegas. Do you want to talk for a moment about that?

I featured Orlo Nutrition's Immunity Spray in my CBS Las Vegas segment in December 2022, highlighting it as a tool for those that are traveling during the busy holiday season. This is flu season, people are getting sick, so it's great to have those tools in your back pocket so that you can get a leg up. I love that product. I also featured it on my Instagram. I did What's in my Bag since I traveled across the country to California to see my family. It's great to have those tools on hand with the changing seasons and what's going on in that sense.

This winter has been a little tough here in my home area of California. I'm on the Central Coast. We got a flurry of rain to the point where there were two atmospheric rivers that came back to back. Huge tax on people insofar as the stress that came with the weather because people were flooding, roads were closed, and all sorts of craziness.

At the same time that that happened, my family got COVID. I was the only person in my family. I had it when I was traveling, so I didn't end up falling sick again. We all hear about these nightmare scenarios where people get COVID repeatedly, and then start to get symptoms of long COVID. I was a little cautious even understanding my immune system was probably primed to deal with this because I'd had it in 2022.

I took the immunity boost every day, didn't fall ill, and was able to care for my family and get us through that hump. I will admit that I took supplemental zinc because I was also concerned about getting enough of that. I am, at this point, mostly plant-based. I still do eat some animal foods. I was also chuckling here because before we started this recording, I had a snack of carrots. Which contained beta-keratin, pumpkin seeds, and natural zinc. It is possible to go to foods for these key nutrients, but it can be tough to get enough. That's exactly when you should go to a few supplements that you trust to help bolster your system and ensure that you're good to go.

I wanted to talk beyond the immune system for a moment about sleep quality because it is on top of everybody's mind right now. As they're handling the stress of the winter season, trying to stay healthy, and trying not to get their immune system in this negative spiral, sleep has such an impactful effect on that, but so does that core nutrition. If somebody was to go mostly plant-based, what could they expect as far as the beneficial outcomes with regard to sleep, immune system, and then beyond?

Sleep is so important. It goes without saying. The recommendation is 7 to 8 hours. A lot of us run on less than that. There are some foods that can disrupt sleep quality and sleep onset. Some that come to mind are refined carbohydrates, added sugar, and alcohol. Those are things that registered dieticians would say to limit anyways in excess for good health.

On a mostly plant-based diet, you are focusing on whole-food nutrition, and ultimately, that should support better sleep. When we think of food and how it affects sleep, there are some foods that have been found to help with sleep quality as well like complex carbohydrates and oatmeal. Cherries are a natural source of melatonin. Those are something to keep in mind if you are looking for natural ways to support your sleep.

In a mostly plant-based diet, you are focusing on whole food nutrition, and ultimately that should support better sleep.

Does that extend to the other stone fruits on the cherry side of the world?

That's a good question. Cherries are the only ones I know about when it comes to melatonin, but that's an interesting theory.

They're some of my favorites, but they're also not in-season right now. I know something else you've advocated for is to eat whole foods. If you focus on the foods that are in-season, they're going to be both more affordable, and also support your health throughout the year. It'll give you more varied diet throughout the year as well, which can also help to support strong health throughout all the seasons. I'm wanting to dive a little deeper. I understand that you recently wrote an article to cover a few points that people can expect if they do go to this mostly plant-based diet. What more can you share?

Well+Good did a great cover story on mostly plant-based diets and their benefits. It's very much aligned with what I wrote about in my book, and I help contribute to the article. There are so many amazing benefits to following a mostly plant-based diet. I can go through some of them, but you mentioned buying in-season fruits and vegetables.

That's going to save you money when you buy in-season items. With a mostly plant-based diet, you're saving money. You're not spending as much money on animal foods. You're being more mindful about what animal foods you do buy. Plant-based foods in general are more affordable than animal foods. We had talked about Saving money and lowering your carbon footprint as well.

Beef requires almost 100 times more water to produce per pound than a plant protein. Some other great benefits are you'll get sick less often. That could ultimately save on healthcare costs. Plant foods are rich in key nutrients, vitamin C, and vitamin E. These play a role in supporting healthy immune function. Also, focusing on high-quality animal products like low mercury seafood and pasteurized eggs.

You're getting those bioavailable nutrients like zinc and vitamin D. Also, going off of health, your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Those have been found to all improve as well when people transition to a plant-based way of eating from a very meat-heavy diet. Weight management is also another benefit, and weight loss, if that's our goal. Plant foods are rich in fiber, which increases a tidy.

Usually, you'll eat less overall without even trying or thinking about it. You'll have more energy. You're getting nutrients that your body knows how to absorb and utilize whole food nutrition. Our body is created to extract the nutrients that whole foods provide. Your digestion and your gut health will improve. Everything's working more optimally. Those are some great benefits that you'll experience when you follow a mostly plant-based diet.

We had Dr. Joel Fuhrman who created the ANDI score. I'm sure you're familiar with his work. He mentioned more than once, he was driving the point home, that sometimes when people transition to a mostly plant-based diet. Especially moving away from things like refined seed oils and processed foods, they will sometimes feel a little crummy for a little while.

One of the things that are different about your approach is that you also provide some tools to help people transition, perhaps a little bit more slowly. I wonder if you could talk about those specific foods and what foods help people transition from a more general omnivore diet to something that is more focused on plant-based.

That is a huge motivation for me when it comes to sharing content on social media. With my book, I wanted to meet people where they are, and give them tools to make that transition, whether they're meat and potatoes eater, or they're trying to incorporate more plant-based meals and snacks into their diet. In my book, a lot of the recipes are comfort foods, but with a plant, veggie-forward twist.NWC 42 | Plant Based Diet

Some great tips that I like to share are cauliflower. Cauliflower is my favorite vegetable because it's mild-tasting. You can do so much with it other than roasting it. For example, you can add rice cauliflower to smoothies. You can add a serving of veggies. It doesn't affect the taste. It's adding fiber and vitamin C. You can use it for homemade pizza crust to have a recipe for that. Add it to your morning oatmeal to add volume and additional fiber as well.

Taking the foods that you're already eating and making them more plant, veggie-forward. Minced mushrooms are another one that I love to recommend. That savory umami flavor mimics the taste and texture of meat. You can either swap them for meat-containing dishes or go 50/50, and do half ground meat with half minced mushrooms in your taco night that you're having or your spaghetti bolognese. It's a great way to cut back on your meat consumption and boost your veggie consumption.

I have a lot of fun charts in my book that give people realistic ways that they can boost their nutrition without giving up their favorite foods. I also have a 21-day meal plan in the book where I treat it like levels. The first week is easing into a mostly plant-based diet. You're still eating animal protein, but just not at every meal. You can work your way to week 2 and week 3 where you're finally eating mostly plant-based. I give people a lot of tools and meet them where they are.

NWC 42 | Plant Based Diet

 

I want to bring up two points to echo some of what you are sharing as well. One is that Jonathan Safran Foer who happens to be a vegan author has written some incredible fiction works, but also a couple of non-fiction books. He wrote a book called We Are the Weather in which he recommends people look to eat plant-based exclusively before dinner.

By shifting their patterns throughout the day to being completely plant-based, they reduce their environmental impact. At the same time, not completely giving up some of those things that might feel like comfort food or entertainment-oriented. If you love that cheese, and you want to have a slice of it with whatever, then you can make these things somewhat more manageable, too.

Thinking about Jonathan Safran Foer's approaches can help people get to a space where they aren't necessarily going, '"I'm going to rip this off like a Band-Aid and make the switch completely." That can be so much more challenging for people when they are first trying a new diet. The next thing is the content of foods that you're trying to make.

I've found that it can be quite easy to supplement something. Let's say you want to do your taco nights. You have this tradition of having a Taco Tuesday with a couple of friends. You can replace the turkey or beef with tofu easily by using the seasoning mix for taco seasoning. What I learned through doing that is that my kids prefer the tofu version to the meat version.

I started it first as an option. They could try one or the other so that I didn't have a complete balking from the dinner table. Next time, Ron said, "Mommy, I only want the tofu." We're making that shift on our Taco Tuesday nights. I don't feel guilty about it. The kids are doing great. It's enabling them to get all the protein they need, but without necessarily having the sacrifice of the animal on the table.

That's amazing. I love that. That's a great example of using a mild-tasting veggie or plant protein and swapping it for meat. I didn't think of that. I thought of tofu for scrambled eggs. The seasonings make it because tofu has a mild flavor. I'm going to try that. I love that.

You'll find it way easier. I didn't expect it to be as big of a hit as it was, especially with children that are 5 and 8. You introduce these things. Give young kids a little bit of a taste. Before you know it, they've made the journey with you. When we talk about what foods help people transition, you mentioned cauliflower. As a parent, it's sometimes hard to do meal planning.

Every once in a while, I'm like, "I want to throw a pizza in the oven. It's Friday. I'm going to do it." I have recently made the shift of going from the wheat crust. I even went from wheat to sourdough, store-bought, I'm not making my own pizzas yet, then to cauliflower. My kids also seem to be fine with the cauliflower pizzas. Are there any other tips like that, that could be easy to transition away from without making it a complex meal?

Yes, something as simple as starting the day with overnight oats or a chia pudding instead of boxed breakfast cereal. You can jazz it up with some low sugar granola and fresh fruit. People are a little more hesitant about this one, but using beans in baked goods. I have a bean blondie recipe. You can add black beans to brownies. It allows you to cut back on the amount of butter and fat oil that you use.

It also boosts plant protein and fiber. Don't knock it until you try it. It's one of my favorite dessert recipes. I use chickpeas or white beans in the blondies, but I think that's a great healthy dessert hack. Even mashed potatoes are great. I like to boost them with some pureed cauliflower and parsnips to get more veggie goodness in there.

You mentioned variety is key when it comes to all foods in general. You want to make sure that you're switching up your veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. They each provide their unique package of nutrients. Boost up your mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower and parsnips. I like to do Portobello buns as hamburger buns.

A lot of hamburger buns are much to be desired in terms of nutrition, like the white bread ones. I love doing Portobello buns. Switch the flours that you cook with using almond or oat flour. That way, you're getting fiber, and good fats, doing that when you can. Pasta is another one that I love. I've found spiralizers for $10 on Amazon.

You can pretty much transform any of your favorite veggies like zucchini, carrots, and sweet potato into veggie noodles. If you're a big pasta lover, you can add that to your pasta or do a swap. It's a great way to add more veggies to your diet. Also, if you're a soda drinker, I am a fan of kombucha or those prebiotic sodas, and they're like bubbly beverages with benefits. There are a lot of great swaps you can do to boost your nutrition and add more veggies to your life. Another one is cauliflower rice which I had mentioned, but you can add that to regular rice or do a swap as well.

I do want to mention something about the mushrooms. When you take a mushroom and put it out in sunlight for a little while, it improves its level of vitamin D in it. You can get more supplemental vitamin D by eating the mushroom itself. I have found that using a Portobello mushroom, grilling it, and putting your marinara sauce on that can be a great replacement for the noodles.

I went completely grain-free for a while, and my kids would still want some pasta, so I would cook that on the side while their pasta was cooking. I use the same red sauce on my Portobello. It was divine. It was filling. I know it was done right by my nutrition. I was also getting some other micronutrients like vitamin D in there that I might otherwise be a little bit deficient in.

These are practical ways that you can make these changes. The spiralizer has me thinking about a fun way that I've got my kids to eat apples oblate. They have these apple corers that cut the apple in a spiral while taking away the outer edge of it. It essentially peels the apple at the same time that it's slicing it in a spiral.

The kids will eat the apple peel almost like it's a fun condiment because it ends up looking like pasta, and then, the apple itself is sliced really thin. They enjoy it more this way. It's a simple tool. They've existed since the '40s. It's not like it's a new kitchen tool. You just put it on your counter, you turn the crank, and the apple is then created into something fun for the kids to eat.

Making healthy food fun is a great thing to do when you have kids. Have you found that in your experience?

Getting them in the kitchen in any way. They come in, they're like, "Mommy, I want to have an apple. Can we spiral it? Can we do use the peeler?" They've called it either of those two things because you turn the crank, and it just moves the apple along. You then have this cool fun treat that's a pure whole food, and it's not them reaching for some processed snack.

They're going to eat a pure whole food. If this is the base of a healthy diet, I'm working to create that so that they get the fiber. They get the other nutrients. They're not just going to a box of fruit juice. They're getting the benefits of eating a more varied diet that is full of whole fresh foods, as opposed to something else. I wanted to ask you as we prepare to wrap this show if there are any particular things, your top supplements, or the things that you like to make sure that you have in your cabinet to ensure that you've got a healthy diet throughout the year.

Number one is vitamin D. Most people could benefit from a vitamin D supplement for many reasons. We're spending less time outdoors. It depends what climate you live in or the color of your skin. It can all affect how well your body's able to create vitamin D on its own. Most people could benefit from a vitamin D supplement. I take that every day.

Most people could benefit from a vitamin D supplement. Zinc and probiotics are also big ones.

Zinc is another great one when it's cold and flu season. It gives your immune system that extra boost. A high-quality probiotic is another one that I like to recommend, and that I personally use. Help your gut and get that good bacteria. The gut microbiome is such a hot emerging area of research. Research is linking into everything from our digestion, to our mood, to our weight, and the list goes on. Those are three that most people could benefit from.

On this show, we also touch on the importance of omega-3 fatty acids to reach your best health. For all of the vegans out there and pretty much everyone who eats a standard diet, it's tough to get enough of your omega-3 in your daily diet. There is no time like the present to try it. If you have never had your levels of omega-3 checked.

Many people get their vitamin D checked, but they don't necessarily get their omega-3 checked. You can actually get a blood spot test. They tend to sell for about $50. It's an added test, but even most medical plans will now cover that. When you get your annual physical, ask them to also check to your omega-3 levels.

You can go ahead and add supplement to your diet. It's something that you will notice a difference from. I touched on vitamin D a few times over the course of the show. What we heard from Joel Fuhrman is that he tends to recommend that people step it. You might take 1,000 or 2,000 IU a day, but not necessarily jump to 5,000 or 10,000 IU even though those products are available.

It's something that you have to take for a long period of time before you see your blood levels change. You can take your blood test 3 to 4 months later and see what the effect of taking that 1,000 or 2000 IU every day was, and adjust as needed. It's important that we all come from this informed perspective, especially as we're working to ensure our long-term health.

With Orlo Nutrition who sponsors the show, all readers can get an extra 10% off their orders by going to OrloNutrition.com and using the coupon code NWC10. That's NWC for Nutrition Without Compromise, and it can mean as much as 37% off your order. The pack that we're selling right now on the site will get you a two-month supply of the omega-3 product of your choice along with an immunity boost, which also contains 1,000 IU of vitamin D in every serving. Anyway, get off the soapbox on the omega-3s for a second. Mia, I want to offer you the opportunity to send people to your site, and follow you on Instagram. What can they expect if they follow Nutrition By Mia on Instagram? What do they see there?

It's NutritionByMia on Instagram. Also, NutritionByMia is on TikTok now. I share easy recipes, all ten ingredients or less. That's the foundation of my book as well, all ten ingredients or less. I want healthy eating to be easy for people. I also share one of my popular videos right now, Grocery Store Finds. People are wanting to know what we get at Trader Joe's, Target, Whole Foods, or Publix which is our local grocery store in Charleston. I'll do grocery store finds as well. You can find me there. My website is NutritionByMia.com.

That's fantastic. I've been paying attention to you on the Instagram platform. Now, I'll have to find you on TikTok because it seems like everybody's migrating over there these days.

It's a fun place to be.

My feed gives me a lot of things about three subjects lately because I've been also enjoying content there with my eight-year-old. It seems to be mostly flint knapping, guinea pigs, and nutrition.

Mine is dogs. You could just swap the guinea pigs and dogs. Also, recipes and nutrition tips.

There's a fair amount of that. I have discovered a few interesting recipes that are vegan. One was making an alternative to brownies that is gluten-free. The only ingredients were less than ten, oatmeal, vegetable oil, chocolate chips, and those could be vegan chocolate chips, a couple cups of rolled oats, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and water or your favorite vegan milk, I used oat milk in that case, and a little bit of oil. They turned out incredible.

My son loved them. He didn't even notice. He's like, "These are delicious. I want another brownie." I felt like they were healthy enough to even give them to him as breakfast which is not something I would've typically done. Every once in a while on a weekend, it was basically a healthy oatmeal chocolate.

I love that. I'm going to try that. Send that to me.

I did save it in my recent, so I will find that, and also re-share on our page because it makes life easy. We're there @OrloNutrition on TikTok as well to share this fun stuff. Thank you so much for joining me, Mia. This has been a lot of fun.

Thank you for having me.

Thank you so much for joining me on Nutrition Without Compromise. If you'd like to dive into specific topics with us in the future, you can always recommend a guest or a specific topic that you'd like to see us cover. Every once in a while, we also do Ask Me Anything episodes. If there are questions that you'd like to see us dive deeper in, you can always send those in as well. Just contact us via our social channels, @OrloNutrition, or you can send me an email note to Hello@OrloNutrition.com. As we close this show, I hope that you'll raise a cup of your favorite beverage with me, as I say in my closing words. Here's to your health.

 

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About Mia Syn

NWC 42 | Plant Based DietMia is a budding broadcast journalist turned nutritional scientist. Influenced by her former journalism professor, New York Times Best Selling Author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan at the University of California, Berkeley, Mia turned her investigative knack into a scientific pursuit after falling in love with nutritional science.

After learning from both Nobel Laureates at the University of California, Berkeley, the top public university in the country, and Ivy League professors at Columbia University, Mia acquired cutting-edge nutritional knowledge and an ability to translate the latest research to the public. Mia earned a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science Physiology and Metabolism from U.C. Berkeley and completed over 1200 hours of supervised practice in clinical nutrition before earning her Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential.

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