Dr. Mindy Pelz shares her tips to make sustainable choices to eat healthy and recipes to lose weight now and through the holidays.
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You’ve probably heard it said before: “The little things add up.” This nugget of wisdom is one Dr. Mindy Pelz, a nutrition expert, has shared with her clients over the last two decades. This month, she’s also sharing it with TWF readers to help set new goals and habits. You’ve probably also heard of the October Theory, the latest trend taking over Tik Tok. It poses the question, “what if you could give yourself a push for self reflection and growth to transform your life before the new year?” If you set new goals and intentions in October, instead of waiting until January, you’ll give yourself two chances for growth and avoid some of the pressure to do it all at once. According to experts like Dr. Mindy, the best way to transform, whichever month you choose, is by following that age old advice, one day, one habit, one change at a time.
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Dr. Mindy’s work has helped her clients reset their bodies for optimal health through sustainable habits to eat healthy and with recipes to lose weight. As a leading authority on women’s health, she specifically focuses on how foods can help women manage all the changes they experience, from monthly flows to menopause and beyond. And she does this by showing women how to follow the seasons of their own bodies and adopt one small change at a time to balance their health. This month she’s sharing this advice not only with TWF, but also through her latest cookbook “Eat Like A Girl”, featuring 100+ recipes to jumpstart our health journeys.
If you’re looking to eat healthy and for recipes to lose weight, you’ll most likely find recommendations for a diet ripe with whole foods. The recipes in Dr. Mindy’s book feature whole foods that come from the earth, can be sourced from your local farmer’s markets, and aren’t wrapped in plastic. Supporting your health through whole foods- vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and sustainably caught and grown meats- is also a way to support the health of the planet. Diets rich in whole plant-based foods contribute significantly less to greenhouse gas emissions and the food waste generated from preparing these foods can be composted to put nutrients back into the soil. And, the best part is that you can add these foods into your diet, one apple, squash, or seed at a time to optimize your diet and jump start your health goals.
What tips do you have to help people develop sustainable eating habits for the long term?
When it comes to sustainable eating habits, my biggest piece of advice is to work with your body, not against it. This is especially important for women because our nutritional needs change throughout the month as our hormones fluctuate.
Let’s say it’s week two of your cycle. Your estrogen is at its peak and you feel strong and confident and ready to get in shape. That’s a great time to try something powerful, like intermittent fasting or a low-carb meal plan.
But by week four of your cycle you’re probably in a totally different headspace, especially if you get PMS (and more than 90% of women do!). In the week before your period there’s a good chance you’re already exhausted and in pain, so don’t add the pressure of a challenging diet. Instead, nourish your body with plenty of comforting, healthy carbs and fats: butternut squash,sweet potato, grass-fed butter, lentils, olive oil, and so on. Work with your body’s natural rhythm.
Healthy eating is a lifelong change and weight loss takes time. That’s okay! Get in tune with the natural hormonal rhythm of your body and give yourself permission to be flexible based on how you feel.
October is cold and not that inspiring to get out and start a new exercise habit. What are some tips to start (and stick with) a new exercise or healthy eating routine?
Start small! Let’s be real: none of us go from zero exercise to running five days a week. Maybe you can keep that up for a week or two, but long-term? You’re setting yourself up to quit.
Instead make simple, sustainable changes that are within your current ability. If you don’t work out right now, start with walking a mile twice a week, or going to the gym twice. See if you can keep that up for four weeks—and if you can, add another day.
Same with diet. If you want to try intermittent fasting, start by skipping breakfast twice a week and drinking a big glass of water when you wake up instead. No need to make it complicated.
Start with small changes that feel approachable and sustainable. You’ll be amazed by how quickly they add up.
How are you using the October challenge to recap and create new healthy habits?
Every October I do a week-long challenge with all the amazing women in my Reset Academy. This year we’re taking each day of the week to learn a new food principle from my latest book, Eat Like A Girl.
Here’s a quick example: if you’ve been fasting all morning and you’re ready for your first meal, you can choose one of three tools, depending on your goals. Eating healthy fats will extend your fasting state and help you get leaner. Protein will help you build muscle. Fermented foods will heal and strengthen your gut microbiome. All three of them are enhanced by fasting, so you get a health boost no matter what you choose.
This October challenge is all about simple, actionable changes that help you get more out of your diet.
What does it mean to eat like a girl?
Eat Like A Girl focuses on eating to support your body’s natural rhythms. Instead of starving yourself or trying to lose weight fast, you eat foods that balance and nourish your hormones, encouraging your body to be stronger from the inside out.
What role do foods play in balancing our hormones?
Foods are HUGE for hormone balance! You need all kinds of minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients to make hormones, and providing your body with the right raw materials primes you for balanced hormone production.
There are also foods that directly increase your hormones. Soy is a perfect example: it’s packed with phytoestrogens—nutrients that immediately increase your estrogen levels. In fact, research shows that women who eat more soy isoflavones during menopause see significant symptom relief. Food is powerful!
What changes have you made to your diet to balance your hormones?
Now that I’ve gone through menopause I’ve changed my diet quite a bit. I eat a ton of hormone-building foods to support my estrogen and progesterone levels. Some of my favorites are soy, sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, cashews, and lots and lots of green veggies.
Lately I’ve also been eating extra protein. Women’s protein needs actually increase as we age. We need them for both hormone production and maintaining muscle mass. I’ve been trying to build muscle, so I’m focusing on getting plenty of complete protein from grass-fed steak, fatty fish, tofu, and pastured chicken.
I also still fast multiple times a week. I’ve been doing it for years now and it’s great for mental clarity and fat loss.
What tips do you have for maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle during the holiday season?
If you’re visiting relatives and they don’t share your love of healthy food, do yourself a favor and leave guilt at the door during the holidays. It’s a time for family and celebration, and a few slices of pie won’t make a difference in the long run. What matters is how you eat during the other 360 days of the year.
That said, I like cooking nourishing, hormone-supporting foods during the holidays. A lot of classic holiday dishes are actually quite healthy, as long as you source your ingredients well. Mashed sweet potatoes with plenty of grass-fed butter, a pasture-raised turkey with lots of greens on the side—you can eat well and still enjoy yourself during the holidays.
If you’re looking for inspiration, Eat Like A Girl has a lot of holiday-friendly recipes. I also like to do a 24-hour fast during the week before a holiday. I find it keeps that sluggish, I-ate-too-much feeling at bay.
