9 Healthy Eating Tips for your Back Pocket

I feel that constantly reading and listening to expert information on nutrition and wellness helps me stay on track with my own habits. On the latest episode of the Sakara Life podcast, the company’s founders spoke at length about food acting not just as calories and fuel but as information for our bodies.

By Katerina Mountanos

9 Healthy Eating Tips for your Back Pocket

Dear Kosterina Family,

I feel that constantly reading and listening to expert information on nutrition and wellness helps me stay on track with my own habits. On the latest episode of the Sakara Life podcast, the company’s founders spoke at length about food acting not just as calories and fuel but as information for our bodies. The founders stated that “Food is informing our bodies of how to function, of what genes to turn on and off. Of what brain chemicals to produce, how you're going to think, how you're going to feel, how you're going to show up in the world."

And since Sakara’s perspective on food and nutrition is aligned with our own at Kosterina, I wanted to share their 9 nutrition pillars with you.

# 1 – No calorie counting. It took me several years to unlearn this!
#2 – Plant protein. Plant foods serve as great sources of protein especially if you eat a wide variety of them – vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.
#3 - Eat Your Water. Eating water rich plants like melon, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, allows our body to absorb water more slowly and keeps us hydrated longer. As if we needed an excuse to eat more watermelon in summer!
#4 – Eat your greens. It doesn’t really matter which ones but a wide variety is best. We need about 4-6 cups of greens per day. You can get this in with one big salad for either lunch or dinner. I use smoothies to up my intake when I haven’t gotten them in.
#5 – Good fats. If you are a member of the Kosterina community, I suspect you’re all set here! Good EVOO is one of the best sources of healthy fat but other delicious options are avocado and nuts.
#6 – Eat the Rainbow. Try to incorporate lots of color onto your plate. Think reds, yellows, greens and purples. I roast a large pan of veggies 2x a week with orange and red peppers, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and zucchini to get my veggie rainbow.
#7 – Nutrient Density. Seek out small foods that pack a big nutrient punch. Think chia seeds, adaptogens, herbs, hemp seeds, etc. The easiest way to consume these are atop your salad or in a smoothie.
#8 - Sulfur-rich veggies. This one was new to me. Apparently sulfur aids in collagen production and serves as a very powerful antioxidant and detoxifier. Where can we find it? Sakara lists cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage, mushrooms, garlic, leeks and onions as good sources of sulfur.
#9 – Body Intelligence. Listen to what your body is telling you and read up on intuitive eating.

I fall off the wagon sometimes like many of us do but these simple pillars serve as a good reminder on some key healthy habits and help me get back on tracker.

Do any of these resonate with you? We'd love to hear from you - tag us on Instagram at @kosterina.

Peace, love & EVOO,
Katerina