March 19, 2024 • 26 mins
Welcome to Season 2 of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast!
Happy National Nutrition Month!
From Eatright.org, “National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
This year's (2024) theme is "Beyond the Table," which addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets — and even home food safety and storage practices. It also describes the various ways we eat — not only around a dinner table, but also on the go, in schools and restaurants, at games and events. This theme also includes sustainability, for instance, decreasing food waste from school and work to home and beyond.”
On today’s episode of The Essence of Health Tea Time podcast, Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers will be spilling “The Tea On Farm To Fork Nutrition Beyond The Table” with guest, Registered Dietician Nutritionist, YaQutullah Ibraheem.
YaQutullah is the owner of Nutrition Prescriptions, a consulting practice that specializes in recipe development and analysis, nutrition education and women’s wellness. She has extensive experience in developing recipes and nutrient analysis for cookbooks and has co-authored two books. YaQutullah utilizes her creative talents in developing and promoting healthy recipes, interactive nutrition education programs, and loves empowering others to learn and apply evidence-based nutrition into every facet of their lives to understand the connection between faith, health and wellness.
Synopsis
- Understand the health benefits of purchasing and eating food in the season in which it was produced.
- Gain some budget friendly tips for eating healthy.
- Discover some healing benefits of local honey and buying from your local farmers and gardens.
- Explore some tactical ways to navigate your next grocery trip for the benefits of your health.
- Get “safe-tea” tips from Yaqutulla on Food Safety guidance for staying healthy while eliminating food waste.
Connect with Essence of Health:
– Join the FREE Nourish & Flourish 5 Day Challenge at www.DrShayla.com/NFchallenge
–Learn more about Essence of Health Wellness Clinic & Coaching at www.DrShayla.com/EOH
–Click the SUBSCRIBE button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast!
–Get your FREE "Healthy Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle" Guide to get you started on your health and wellness path. https://essenceofhealth.link/e-book
–Follow Dr. Shayla on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and at DrShayla on TikTok.
—---------------------
–Ways to Connect with Nutritionist YaQutullah:
Website: https://yaqutullahrdn.com/
Facebook/Instagram: @NutritionPrescriptions
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
five days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for five days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:58):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
In today's episode of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast, I have a special guest,
(02:18):
Yakutula Ibrahim.
Yakutula is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Nutrition Prescriptions,
a consulting practice that specializes in recipe development and analysis, nutrition
education, and women's wellness.
She serves as a member of the Halal Food and Nutrition Security Research Advisory Group
(02:41):
to evaluate access to halal foods and food and nutrition security among Muslim college
students in the United States.
She is also a freelance writer and recipe developer for Halal Consumer Magazine.
Yakutula has extensive experience in developing recipes and nutrient analysis for cookbooks
(03:02):
and is a co-author of Cultural Food Practices Second Edition, a publication of the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a co-author of the Comprehensive Ramadan Reset Guidebook,
a preparation resource for those observing Ramadan annually.
She utilizes her creative talents in developing and promoting healthy recipes, interactive
(03:24):
nutrition, education programs, and loves empowering others to learn and apply evidence-based nutrition
into every facet of their lives to understand the connection between faith, health, and
wellness.
Welcome back to the show, Yakutula.
I am so excited to have you back on the show again.
Okay, thanks for having me.
(03:45):
Happy International Women's Day.
Happy Friday.
Glad to be back.
Yes, for sure.
Now, for our listening audience, I do invite you to listen to the Essence of Health Tea
Time podcast, Season 1, Episode 16, The Tea on Start and a Plan for Healthy Nourishment.
This is where Yakutula and I spilled the tea together on some quick and easy ways to get
(04:07):
more healthful plants on your plate and how having the right resources and utilizing community
resources can play an important part in successfully achieving your health goals.
But on today's episode, we'll be spilling the tea on the concept of farm-to-fork or
farm-to-table eating and its health benefits.
Now, if you're listening at a date beyond the time that this episode is released, we're
(04:29):
actually recording this in the month of March, which is also National Nutrition Month.
And the theme for National Nutrition Month 2024 is Beyond the Table as a way of highlighting
the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition.
So Yakutula, tell us how does understanding the journey of food from farm-to-fork influence
(04:50):
our dietary choices and our overall health?
Happy National Nutrition Month.
When we're able to understand the concept of farm-to-fork, we can actually make better
choices as far as what we choose to eat, what we choose to purchase, where our foods come
from.
And this information can actually help us make better choices and better decisions about
(05:13):
what we purchase, the time of year, what season we're in, right?
And that allows us to make better choices about what we put on our plates and what's
available.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
I saw even, you know, and we'll share with the audience how they can follow you on social
media, but I even saw one of your social media posts where you shared some seasonal foods.
(05:34):
And tell us about that, like, you know, even some of those seasonal foods maybe that you
shared recently and why is that important to consume foods within their season?
When you purchase seasonal foods, and some of the resources that we shared is called
What's in Season and we go every month and we see what's in season.
It allows you to purchase seasonal produce at its peak, it tastes better, it's better
(05:59):
quality, you're not importing it, you know, from different countries where it's in season
there but may not be in season here.
And it really allows you to support local agriculture and local economy and get the
best quality of produce at its peak.
And oftentimes it's actually more cost effective when you buy in season as well.
Yeah, yeah, that's so true because a lot of times if food has had to go through other
(06:25):
preservative processes or because it's not usually grown in that season then that can
add up on the price that you may pay for that food and can also affect the nutrients that,
you know, you receive from that particular food item.
So yeah, that's so important.
Produce goes through seasons, right?
(06:46):
So if you're purchasing in season, you're going to get a produce, fruit or vegetable
that's known to grow in season.
For instance, if you get a watermelon in December, it's not going to taste like a watermelon
in July and August, right?
Because it's peak season in July and August.
So it's going to affect the taste and the quality of that produce.
(07:08):
Yeah, and it's so funny you mentioned even watermelon.
Watermelon is one of my personal favorite fruits.
I have a personal testament that you are so right that watermelon purchased in the winter
does not taste like that fresh watermelon in the summer.
Yeah.
All right.
Now, so we've talked a little bit too about local farmers markets.
(07:31):
I know I definitely typically recommend them to my patients because they can get affordable
produce that way and be even introduced to some produce that, you know, may not necessarily
be able to be found in the local grocery store.
So what would you say even are some of those other benefits of supporting local farmers
markets, not just for our health, but even for our community?
(07:51):
So your health, of course, because again, you're getting better quality produce and
foods in general.
And you have the artisan markets.
It's not just produce, but you get specialty honeys, you get specialty cheese and dairy
products.
It's a way to support local agriculture as well as small businesses that are our farmers
in the community.
And it lets you have a hands on approach again to where your food comes from.
(08:15):
You know, the farmer who grew your food, right?
You can talk to them.
It creates a better relationship and link to where your food comes from.
Right.
So you're supporting local agriculture, you're supporting supporting local farmers through
businesses, the community farmers market.
I know here in Atlanta, we have community farmers market on different days of the week,
sometimes on Saturday, they have like a fall and a winter and then like a summer market
(08:37):
and they post when their community farmers markets are.
So you can go out and talk to the farmers.
You can get access to the best quality foods.
It's just a way to really be engaged, you know, in that farm to fork process and be
able to get the best quality foods and make better food choices.
Yeah, yeah.
And you know, I'm glad that you mentioned honey.
Honey is one of those, you know, for my vegan listeners, they probably will pause on honey.
(09:02):
But, you know, for others, honey does actually have some really great health benefits, especially
when you do purchase it locally.
Here in the South, we're both in the South and we see a lot of allergies, those environmental
and seasonal allergies that come about this time of year.
And that local honey can actually be helpful for boosting your immune system and helping
(09:23):
with those allergies because it's also local to those things that environmentally that
you've been exposed to.
So yeah, that's definitely one of those great benefits for sure too, of supporting local
and supporting your local farmers in that way.
And so now if we are navigating a grocery store, what are some of those tips that you
(09:46):
may have for individuals when they're trying to select the more nutritious options when
navigating in the grocery store?
I always encourage my patients and clients to make a list so you're not just like randomly
picking up items that you don't have a recipe for.
Hungry shopping.
What is your overall approach when you go grocery shopping?
And where are you grocery shopping?
(10:06):
Are you going to say the Cat Farmers Market or a farmers market?
Are you going to Kroger Republics or any other local?
And what are you looking for?
What's the goal?
Right?
So really just looking at, you know, I want to pick up my foods, my vegetables.
What do they look like if you're shopping for foods that are processed, looking at minimizing
it, maybe not doing ultra processed, but minimally processed.
(10:27):
And a lot of times people get stuck on the term processed.
Anytime you change a food from its initial form, it's a form of processing.
So if I chop up a vegetable, I've processed it.
But then you also have ultra processing where you no longer really can tell that food from
its original form.
So be very careful, of course, reading your ingredients, making sure that whatever you
(10:49):
do purchase has minimal ingredients or is a whole food itself.
Right?
Paying very special attention to not only the ingredients list, but the nutrition facts
panel, limiting sodium and maximizing vitamin and nutrient content.
How much protein is in this?
How much fiber is this giving me?
Right?
So you can make informed decisions about what you put into your body.
What are you getting out of the food that you're purchasing?
(11:10):
So a lot of it is education, reading your labels, having a plan for when you go grocery
shopping and just being overall mindful of your intent and purpose in planning your meals.
Yeah.
Those are really great tips.
Yeah.
And especially, you know, it's so important for folks to read those food labels.
And, you know, folks, once you start reading those food labels, you probably would even
(11:31):
be surprised with some of the stuff that's put into food because, you know, sometimes
I'll read a label and I'm thinking to myself, like, why is that even there?
Like, you didn't even, you know, need that.
And you let some, you know, preservative reason or something that the company has put it in
there for, or even just to make it taste better to you as the consumer so that you come back
and purchase a lot of it off the shelf.
(11:52):
But it's not, you know, giving you any nutritional benefit the majority of the time when they
have, you know, those really long list of multiple ingredients and a food item.
So it's so important for folks to look at those food labels and definitely, you know,
if it's something that you probably can't pronounce, then it's probably something that
you may not want to eat if it's on that food label because it should be ingredients that
(12:16):
you can readily understand.
You know, if it's something potato, then it should say potato.
If it's, you know, a cereal, it should say a whole grain, you know, and not some of these
other really difficult to pronounce or other additives that may be in the food.
It's interesting.
You mentioned the ingredients and some of the ingredients that are increasing maybe
the flavor or a lot of times there'll be ingredients that actually are included to increase shelf
(12:42):
life or prolong shelf life.
The key is that you're trying to eat more often than not fresh, right?
So making sure that again, you know, it's not like 30, 40 ingredients on the list when
there should just be like five.
So fewer ingredients, fresher foods for the most part, even if you do fresh frozen vegetables,
(13:03):
right?
It's processed, but it's minimally processed and there are not any additives to that, right?
It's frozen at its peak, fresh frozen.
So you can still do those.
Okay.
The key is to not add a ton of, you know, saturated fats and oils and salt and things
like that to it.
So just being mindful about your overall approach.
(13:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And as that reminded, you know, we were talking about seasonal foods.
The key to that with frozen foods, yeah, is that they are picked at the peak when they
are in season and then they're frozen to preserve them so that you can consume them at other
times of the year.
But yeah, that is one of the other beauties though to buy frozen food so you don't have
(13:45):
to worry about it, you know, going spoiled on you and you're still able to get those
things and retain some of those nutrients because it was picked at that time when it
was at peak seasonally.
If you're frustrated with your weight, taking more medications than you'd like to, have
been told that you are at risk for the development of a chronic preventable disease, or just
(14:06):
are not feeling in the best of health, then I'm talking to you.
Why?
Because you're tired of fat dieting, you know it's time for a change and you want a sustainable
plan to improve your health.
If you have found yourself at this place in life, well, I have developed a program that's
just for you.
It's called The Essence of Health and it's your prescription for transformation.
(14:31):
My goal with this program is to give you the tools needed to create sustainable lifestyle
changes within a group coaching setting along with one-to-one individualized coaching to
give you a personalized path to health that's just for you.
The benefits are priceless, so join today.
Head on over to eohcoaching.com to learn more.
(14:55):
The Essence of Health is in you.
What are some of those tips, and you know we've even mentioned some of them, but what
are some of those tips that you have for staying nourished on a budget?
So a lot of it is looking at what are your health goals and how does that align with
the choices that you're making.
Staying nourished on a budget, looking at including fruits and vegetables, if not fresh,
(15:18):
then frozen, and then making sure that you're including things like protein, right?
You have different types of protein.
Are you animal-based?
Are you plant-based?
Can you do eggs?
Can you do nuts and seeds and protein and other protein options that are non-perishable,
right?
You have beans, so really looking at what your approach is as far as your fruits, your
vegetables, your macros when it comes to your carbohydrates, your proteins, your heart-healthy
(15:41):
fats, making a list and deciding where you're going to get the bulk of your food from.
And oftentimes my patients will use things like coupons or they'll go to places where
they can buy in bulk.
So get your strategy straight, right?
So a lot of times it is doable.
It takes a little planning, but if you have a good strategy and you maximize your resources,
(16:02):
you can definitely be successful.
Yeah, those are great tips.
And some I might add that I will typically share with patients too are buy in bulk.
So if you have access to the bulk bins at your local grocery store or your market, you
can usually save that way, especially on those whole grain items.
If you buy, for instance, brown rice out of the bulk bin, it's usually a lot more cost-efficient
(16:27):
instead of buying it already prepackaged out.
And the same with things like quinoa or barley, buying them out of that bulk bin, dried beans
even too.
You can typically get them for really pennies on the dollar when you're buying them out
of the bulk bin instead of already in a package or already pre-prepared.
So that's another tip I like to share.
(16:50):
And then going back to even those frozen foods that we talked about, you can typically get
frozen vegetables for a lot cheaper than the fresh ones.
So if you have to purchase it that way, then I certainly recommend getting them frozen.
And then if you have to purchase it out of the can, get it out of the can.
You can always rinse those vegetables to get some of that extra sodium and things that
(17:10):
are off of them.
But if this is one of the methods that helps you stay on budget, then certainly do that
over some less helpful things that you may be considering.
If you're doing canned, you can also get no added sodium or low sodium options.
And then you can also take advantage of a lot of the community pantries that are around.
I know since COVID, a lot of them have popped up and I do have some clients that help supplement
(17:35):
some of their grocery bills or whatever with pantry foods.
It just depends on which one you go to.
I know there's one here in East Atlanta, it's enough to share.
And they have fruits and vegetables and dairy products twice a month.
So really just looking at ways to supplement your grocery shopping.
Yeah, yeah.
That's a great reminder too.
(17:55):
Thanks for sharing that.
Okay.
And so even pivoting a little bit, what are some key points to keep in mind regarding
food safety while also minimizing food waste?
So food safety.
Yeah, food safety is very important, especially as we get into spring and summer year round
(18:16):
really.
But just looking at making sure that you keep foods that should be refrigerated, refrigerated
and foods that can sit out at room temperature, making sure that foods are actually kept in
an environment that does not promote growth of bacteria and such.
Making sure that you're cooking foods to proper temperatures and really just making sure usually
(18:38):
if you have leftovers or something like that, you can keep them in the refrigerator for
up to seven days.
But I practice FIFO, first in, first out.
So making sure that you pay attention to what foods are going into your refrigerator, how
often you're going to rotate them out, making sure that you're cooking foods to temp and
just paying attention to what you have, even in your freezer, your pantry, your cabinets,
(19:00):
rotating out foods that you're no longer using.
A lot of foods do have expiration dates, like sell by, use by dates.
So you want to pay special attention to that as well.
So you're not eating or consuming foods after their date.
Yeah, yeah.
Those are great tips.
And then, you know, too, I would like that you mentioned first in, first out.
Even if you have to repurpose those meals, you know, so if you've cooked one dish and
(19:21):
then you're tired of eating it by day three, but you still don't want it to go to waste,
then repurpose it into something else.
You know, if it was a stir fry, maybe put it over some rice or some noodles or, you
know, turn something else into a sandwich so that you can also, you know, remember those
kind of repurposing things too, so that you can still utilize those food products without
food waste.
(19:42):
All righty.
And now, I don't know if, Yakutula, if you've ever had a home garden, but if you have or
haven't, share with us some of the benefits of a home or even a community garden.
And then what are some easy ways that, you know, folks may can get started with this
to also kind of have that farm to fork experience?
(20:02):
I did have an installation done for a garden and we grew tomatoes and cucumbers and basil
and oregano.
It was very simple to get started on the side of the house.
It was fun because then we could say, oh, we have stuff in the garden that we can actually
use.
And it creates a sense of connection to your food, a sense of mindfulness.
Even with community gardens, it's really great because you have this sense of input into
(20:25):
the community garden.
It's usually like a volunteer basis where you can put in and decide, you know, what
you guys grow and harvesting times and everyone can kind of take from that harvest.
So it's really nice.
It's really nice to have.
I would definitely, you know, encourage that.
You also have community supported agriculture or CSAs.
And oftentimes those are run by farms and organizations where citizens can buy into
(20:50):
the community supported agriculture and get a share on a monthly or seasonal basis.
So that's another way to stay connected to community gardening and farming.
So look into what's available in your area, in your community and get involved.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm glad you mentioned the CSA boxes because I love those too.
(21:11):
And you know, to folks listening, if you've never looked into a CSA box, what typically
happens, like Yakutula explained how you can support your local farmers and they have,
they give you a box of the produce that they're growing on their farm.
And then they usually, you know, distribute it out each week to you.
Now the fun part to that is you don't always know what you are going to get in that box
(21:34):
because it depends on, you know, what's in season, like we talked about, and what, you
know, that farmer has been able to grow for that period of time.
But it's also a great way for you to get introduced to some things that you may not have just
readily, you know, thought to purchase because you hadn't even heard of it before or you
hadn't tried it before.
So you might not have thought to purchase it, but you can get it in that CSA box and
(21:58):
try something new and expose your palette to something new.
So those are great.
Those are great tips.
Oftentimes with the CSAs, you'll get a rotation of different produce depending on the time
of year and season.
But it presents an opportunity for you to get to know your vegetables and your fruits
and how to prepare them.
You may have never seen it or worked with it before, but you can identify recipes to
(22:19):
use it.
Yeah, yeah.
And yeah, I have even seen, I don't know if you've helped as a recipe developer or
Yakutula, but I've seen with some CSA boxes where they'll even give you a little handout
of recipes, which is nice to have too, especially for some of those fruits or vegetables that
you may not be accustomed to.
Absolutely.
And that's always helpful to have an idea of how to use the fruits and vegetables so
(22:40):
they don't go to waste.
Yeah, yeah.
Otherwise food waste.
Right.
Yeah.
Now, are there any last words of advice or last tips that you would like to share just
as we highlight National Nutrition Month?
I would say get involved.
I would say, you know, explore new foods, check out your local farmers market if you
haven't already done so.
Explore new recipes, right?
Make it fun.
(23:01):
Maybe get the kids involved.
Really just kind of look at what your plan overall is as far as your nutrition strategy
and how you can make the best of it and make smarter choices and identify what your plan
is going to be and reach out.
You know, Dr. Shayla and I, we can help.
We have additional resources.
So yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's great.
(23:22):
And I'm glad you mentioned kids too, you know, because especially as we talked about gardening,
kids actually enjoy this kind of stuff.
You know, my kids, school.
They have a school garden that all the kids take part in taking care of.
When we have had gardens here at home, my kids have happily gone out and helped.
And that is a great way.
You know, a lot of people tend to have trouble getting their kids to eat vegetables, but
(23:42):
that is a great way too to actually get your child to get more of those nutrition benefits
from fruits and vegetables.
If they've had some time participating and seeing that growth process and seeing it go
that whole farm to fork experience, then they're more likely to consume it.
So thank you for sharing that with us.
I like that a hand in harvesting, as I like to call it, because now they're familiar with
(24:04):
it.
They know, oh, I picked this.
You know, this is not foreign to me.
So that when you prepare it or even involve them in a preparation, you know, it creates
a long lasting relationship to food from an early age.
We have a farm here, a school farm, and they harvest on Sundays and the kids can come out
and be involved in the process.
(24:26):
So I think that's a great way to start it off.
Yeah, yeah.
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much for coming back on the Teton podcast, Yakutula, and sharing with
my audience again.
So just please remind us how they can connect with you to learn more about what you do and
definitely to see those seasonal fruits and vegetables you share.
(24:47):
So you can follow me on Facebook at Nutrition Prescriptions, LLC, or Instagram.
And that's also Nutrition Prescriptions.
And I usually share that content out on a monthly basis and it rotates.
So you'll definitely be able to see it.
You can also book a session if you'd like to, to discuss kind of what you want your nutrition
strategy to look like.
(25:08):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Have a great week.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Teton podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
moment of the Essence of Health Teton podcast.
(25:28):
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living Guide to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube and at doctor.tw at EOHWC on TikTok.
(25:50):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Go head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
The Essence of Health is a You.
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
five days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for five days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:58):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
In today's episode of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast, I have a special guest,
(02:18):
Yakutula Ibrahim.
Yakutula is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Nutrition Prescriptions,
a consulting practice that specializes in recipe development and analysis, nutrition
education, and women's wellness.
She serves as a member of the Halal Food and Nutrition Security Research Advisory Group
(02:41):
to evaluate access to halal foods and food and nutrition security among Muslim college
students in the United States.
She is also a freelance writer and recipe developer for Halal Consumer Magazine.
Yakutula has extensive experience in developing recipes and nutrient analysis for cookbooks
(03:02):
and is a co-author of Cultural Food Practices Second Edition, a publication of the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a co-author of the Comprehensive Ramadan Reset Guidebook,
a preparation resource for those observing Ramadan annually.
She utilizes her creative talents in developing and promoting healthy recipes, interactive
(03:24):
nutrition, education programs, and loves empowering others to learn and apply evidence-based nutrition
into every facet of their lives to understand the connection between faith, health, and
wellness.
Welcome back to the show, Yakutula.
I am so excited to have you back on the show again.
Okay, thanks for having me.
(03:45):
Happy International Women's Day.
Happy Friday.
Glad to be back.
Yes, for sure.
Now, for our listening audience, I do invite you to listen to the Essence of Health Tea
Time podcast, Season 1, Episode 16, The Tea on Start and a Plan for Healthy Nourishment.
This is where Yakutula and I spilled the tea together on some quick and easy ways to get
(04:07):
more healthful plants on your plate and how having the right resources and utilizing community
resources can play an important part in successfully achieving your health goals.
But on today's episode, we'll be spilling the tea on the concept of farm-to-fork or
farm-to-table eating and its health benefits.
Now, if you're listening at a date beyond the time that this episode is released, we're
(04:29):
actually recording this in the month of March, which is also National Nutrition Month.
And the theme for National Nutrition Month 2024 is Beyond the Table as a way of highlighting
the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition.
So Yakutula, tell us how does understanding the journey of food from farm-to-fork influence
(04:50):
our dietary choices and our overall health?
Happy National Nutrition Month.
When we're able to understand the concept of farm-to-fork, we can actually make better
choices as far as what we choose to eat, what we choose to purchase, where our foods come
from.
And this information can actually help us make better choices and better decisions about
(05:13):
what we purchase, the time of year, what season we're in, right?
And that allows us to make better choices about what we put on our plates and what's
available.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
I saw even, you know, and we'll share with the audience how they can follow you on social
media, but I even saw one of your social media posts where you shared some seasonal foods.
(05:34):
And tell us about that, like, you know, even some of those seasonal foods maybe that you
shared recently and why is that important to consume foods within their season?
When you purchase seasonal foods, and some of the resources that we shared is called
What's in Season and we go every month and we see what's in season.
It allows you to purchase seasonal produce at its peak, it tastes better, it's better
(05:59):
quality, you're not importing it, you know, from different countries where it's in season
there but may not be in season here.
And it really allows you to support local agriculture and local economy and get the
best quality of produce at its peak.
And oftentimes it's actually more cost effective when you buy in season as well.
Yeah, yeah, that's so true because a lot of times if food has had to go through other
(06:25):
preservative processes or because it's not usually grown in that season then that can
add up on the price that you may pay for that food and can also affect the nutrients that,
you know, you receive from that particular food item.
So yeah, that's so important.
Produce goes through seasons, right?
(06:46):
So if you're purchasing in season, you're going to get a produce, fruit or vegetable
that's known to grow in season.
For instance, if you get a watermelon in December, it's not going to taste like a watermelon
in July and August, right?
Because it's peak season in July and August.
So it's going to affect the taste and the quality of that produce.
(07:08):
Yeah, and it's so funny you mentioned even watermelon.
Watermelon is one of my personal favorite fruits.
I have a personal testament that you are so right that watermelon purchased in the winter
does not taste like that fresh watermelon in the summer.
Yeah.
All right.
Now, so we've talked a little bit too about local farmers markets.
(07:31):
I know I definitely typically recommend them to my patients because they can get affordable
produce that way and be even introduced to some produce that, you know, may not necessarily
be able to be found in the local grocery store.
So what would you say even are some of those other benefits of supporting local farmers
markets, not just for our health, but even for our community?
(07:51):
So your health, of course, because again, you're getting better quality produce and
foods in general.
And you have the artisan markets.
It's not just produce, but you get specialty honeys, you get specialty cheese and dairy
products.
It's a way to support local agriculture as well as small businesses that are our farmers
in the community.
And it lets you have a hands on approach again to where your food comes from.
(08:15):
You know, the farmer who grew your food, right?
You can talk to them.
It creates a better relationship and link to where your food comes from.
Right.
So you're supporting local agriculture, you're supporting supporting local farmers through
businesses, the community farmers market.
I know here in Atlanta, we have community farmers market on different days of the week,
sometimes on Saturday, they have like a fall and a winter and then like a summer market
(08:37):
and they post when their community farmers markets are.
So you can go out and talk to the farmers.
You can get access to the best quality foods.
It's just a way to really be engaged, you know, in that farm to fork process and be
able to get the best quality foods and make better food choices.
Yeah, yeah.
And you know, I'm glad that you mentioned honey.
Honey is one of those, you know, for my vegan listeners, they probably will pause on honey.
(09:02):
But, you know, for others, honey does actually have some really great health benefits, especially
when you do purchase it locally.
Here in the South, we're both in the South and we see a lot of allergies, those environmental
and seasonal allergies that come about this time of year.
And that local honey can actually be helpful for boosting your immune system and helping
(09:23):
with those allergies because it's also local to those things that environmentally that
you've been exposed to.
So yeah, that's definitely one of those great benefits for sure too, of supporting local
and supporting your local farmers in that way.
And so now if we are navigating a grocery store, what are some of those tips that you
(09:46):
may have for individuals when they're trying to select the more nutritious options when
navigating in the grocery store?
I always encourage my patients and clients to make a list so you're not just like randomly
picking up items that you don't have a recipe for.
Hungry shopping.
What is your overall approach when you go grocery shopping?
And where are you grocery shopping?
(10:06):
Are you going to say the Cat Farmers Market or a farmers market?
Are you going to Kroger Republics or any other local?
And what are you looking for?
What's the goal?
Right?
So really just looking at, you know, I want to pick up my foods, my vegetables.
What do they look like if you're shopping for foods that are processed, looking at minimizing
it, maybe not doing ultra processed, but minimally processed.
(10:27):
And a lot of times people get stuck on the term processed.
Anytime you change a food from its initial form, it's a form of processing.
So if I chop up a vegetable, I've processed it.
But then you also have ultra processing where you no longer really can tell that food from
its original form.
So be very careful, of course, reading your ingredients, making sure that whatever you
(10:49):
do purchase has minimal ingredients or is a whole food itself.
Right?
Paying very special attention to not only the ingredients list, but the nutrition facts
panel, limiting sodium and maximizing vitamin and nutrient content.
How much protein is in this?
How much fiber is this giving me?
Right?
So you can make informed decisions about what you put into your body.
What are you getting out of the food that you're purchasing?
(11:10):
So a lot of it is education, reading your labels, having a plan for when you go grocery
shopping and just being overall mindful of your intent and purpose in planning your meals.
Yeah.
Those are really great tips.
Yeah.
And especially, you know, it's so important for folks to read those food labels.
And, you know, folks, once you start reading those food labels, you probably would even
(11:31):
be surprised with some of the stuff that's put into food because, you know, sometimes
I'll read a label and I'm thinking to myself, like, why is that even there?
Like, you didn't even, you know, need that.
And you let some, you know, preservative reason or something that the company has put it in
there for, or even just to make it taste better to you as the consumer so that you come back
and purchase a lot of it off the shelf.
(11:52):
But it's not, you know, giving you any nutritional benefit the majority of the time when they
have, you know, those really long list of multiple ingredients and a food item.
So it's so important for folks to look at those food labels and definitely, you know,
if it's something that you probably can't pronounce, then it's probably something that
you may not want to eat if it's on that food label because it should be ingredients that
(12:16):
you can readily understand.
You know, if it's something potato, then it should say potato.
If it's, you know, a cereal, it should say a whole grain, you know, and not some of these
other really difficult to pronounce or other additives that may be in the food.
It's interesting.
You mentioned the ingredients and some of the ingredients that are increasing maybe
the flavor or a lot of times there'll be ingredients that actually are included to increase shelf
(12:42):
life or prolong shelf life.
The key is that you're trying to eat more often than not fresh, right?
So making sure that again, you know, it's not like 30, 40 ingredients on the list when
there should just be like five.
So fewer ingredients, fresher foods for the most part, even if you do fresh frozen vegetables,
(13:03):
right?
It's processed, but it's minimally processed and there are not any additives to that, right?
It's frozen at its peak, fresh frozen.
So you can still do those.
Okay.
The key is to not add a ton of, you know, saturated fats and oils and salt and things
like that to it.
So just being mindful about your overall approach.
(13:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And as that reminded, you know, we were talking about seasonal foods.
The key to that with frozen foods, yeah, is that they are picked at the peak when they
are in season and then they're frozen to preserve them so that you can consume them at other
times of the year.
But yeah, that is one of the other beauties though to buy frozen food so you don't have
(13:45):
to worry about it, you know, going spoiled on you and you're still able to get those
things and retain some of those nutrients because it was picked at that time when it
was at peak seasonally.
If you're frustrated with your weight, taking more medications than you'd like to, have
been told that you are at risk for the development of a chronic preventable disease, or just
(14:06):
are not feeling in the best of health, then I'm talking to you.
Why?
Because you're tired of fat dieting, you know it's time for a change and you want a sustainable
plan to improve your health.
If you have found yourself at this place in life, well, I have developed a program that's
just for you.
It's called The Essence of Health and it's your prescription for transformation.
(14:31):
My goal with this program is to give you the tools needed to create sustainable lifestyle
changes within a group coaching setting along with one-to-one individualized coaching to
give you a personalized path to health that's just for you.
The benefits are priceless, so join today.
Head on over to eohcoaching.com to learn more.
(14:55):
The Essence of Health is in you.
What are some of those tips, and you know we've even mentioned some of them, but what
are some of those tips that you have for staying nourished on a budget?
So a lot of it is looking at what are your health goals and how does that align with
the choices that you're making.
Staying nourished on a budget, looking at including fruits and vegetables, if not fresh,
(15:18):
then frozen, and then making sure that you're including things like protein, right?
You have different types of protein.
Are you animal-based?
Are you plant-based?
Can you do eggs?
Can you do nuts and seeds and protein and other protein options that are non-perishable,
right?
You have beans, so really looking at what your approach is as far as your fruits, your
vegetables, your macros when it comes to your carbohydrates, your proteins, your heart-healthy
(15:41):
fats, making a list and deciding where you're going to get the bulk of your food from.
And oftentimes my patients will use things like coupons or they'll go to places where
they can buy in bulk.
So get your strategy straight, right?
So a lot of times it is doable.
It takes a little planning, but if you have a good strategy and you maximize your resources,
(16:02):
you can definitely be successful.
Yeah, those are great tips.
And some I might add that I will typically share with patients too are buy in bulk.
So if you have access to the bulk bins at your local grocery store or your market, you
can usually save that way, especially on those whole grain items.
If you buy, for instance, brown rice out of the bulk bin, it's usually a lot more cost-efficient
(16:27):
instead of buying it already prepackaged out.
And the same with things like quinoa or barley, buying them out of that bulk bin, dried beans
even too.
You can typically get them for really pennies on the dollar when you're buying them out
of the bulk bin instead of already in a package or already pre-prepared.
So that's another tip I like to share.
(16:50):
And then going back to even those frozen foods that we talked about, you can typically get
frozen vegetables for a lot cheaper than the fresh ones.
So if you have to purchase it that way, then I certainly recommend getting them frozen.
And then if you have to purchase it out of the can, get it out of the can.
You can always rinse those vegetables to get some of that extra sodium and things that
(17:10):
are off of them.
But if this is one of the methods that helps you stay on budget, then certainly do that
over some less helpful things that you may be considering.
If you're doing canned, you can also get no added sodium or low sodium options.
And then you can also take advantage of a lot of the community pantries that are around.
I know since COVID, a lot of them have popped up and I do have some clients that help supplement
(17:35):
some of their grocery bills or whatever with pantry foods.
It just depends on which one you go to.
I know there's one here in East Atlanta, it's enough to share.
And they have fruits and vegetables and dairy products twice a month.
So really just looking at ways to supplement your grocery shopping.
Yeah, yeah.
That's a great reminder too.
(17:55):
Thanks for sharing that.
Okay.
And so even pivoting a little bit, what are some key points to keep in mind regarding
food safety while also minimizing food waste?
So food safety.
Yeah, food safety is very important, especially as we get into spring and summer year round
(18:16):
really.
But just looking at making sure that you keep foods that should be refrigerated, refrigerated
and foods that can sit out at room temperature, making sure that foods are actually kept in
an environment that does not promote growth of bacteria and such.
Making sure that you're cooking foods to proper temperatures and really just making sure usually
(18:38):
if you have leftovers or something like that, you can keep them in the refrigerator for
up to seven days.
But I practice FIFO, first in, first out.
So making sure that you pay attention to what foods are going into your refrigerator, how
often you're going to rotate them out, making sure that you're cooking foods to temp and
just paying attention to what you have, even in your freezer, your pantry, your cabinets,
(19:00):
rotating out foods that you're no longer using.
A lot of foods do have expiration dates, like sell by, use by dates.
So you want to pay special attention to that as well.
So you're not eating or consuming foods after their date.
Yeah, yeah.
Those are great tips.
And then, you know, too, I would like that you mentioned first in, first out.
Even if you have to repurpose those meals, you know, so if you've cooked one dish and
(19:21):
then you're tired of eating it by day three, but you still don't want it to go to waste,
then repurpose it into something else.
You know, if it was a stir fry, maybe put it over some rice or some noodles or, you
know, turn something else into a sandwich so that you can also, you know, remember those
kind of repurposing things too, so that you can still utilize those food products without
food waste.
(19:42):
All righty.
And now, I don't know if, Yakutula, if you've ever had a home garden, but if you have or
haven't, share with us some of the benefits of a home or even a community garden.
And then what are some easy ways that, you know, folks may can get started with this
to also kind of have that farm to fork experience?
(20:02):
I did have an installation done for a garden and we grew tomatoes and cucumbers and basil
and oregano.
It was very simple to get started on the side of the house.
It was fun because then we could say, oh, we have stuff in the garden that we can actually
use.
And it creates a sense of connection to your food, a sense of mindfulness.
Even with community gardens, it's really great because you have this sense of input into
(20:25):
the community garden.
It's usually like a volunteer basis where you can put in and decide, you know, what
you guys grow and harvesting times and everyone can kind of take from that harvest.
So it's really nice.
It's really nice to have.
I would definitely, you know, encourage that.
You also have community supported agriculture or CSAs.
And oftentimes those are run by farms and organizations where citizens can buy into
(20:50):
the community supported agriculture and get a share on a monthly or seasonal basis.
So that's another way to stay connected to community gardening and farming.
So look into what's available in your area, in your community and get involved.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm glad you mentioned the CSA boxes because I love those too.
(21:11):
And you know, to folks listening, if you've never looked into a CSA box, what typically
happens, like Yakutula explained how you can support your local farmers and they have,
they give you a box of the produce that they're growing on their farm.
And then they usually, you know, distribute it out each week to you.
Now the fun part to that is you don't always know what you are going to get in that box
(21:34):
because it depends on, you know, what's in season, like we talked about, and what, you
know, that farmer has been able to grow for that period of time.
But it's also a great way for you to get introduced to some things that you may not have just
readily, you know, thought to purchase because you hadn't even heard of it before or you
hadn't tried it before.
So you might not have thought to purchase it, but you can get it in that CSA box and
(21:58):
try something new and expose your palette to something new.
So those are great.
Those are great tips.
Oftentimes with the CSAs, you'll get a rotation of different produce depending on the time
of year and season.
But it presents an opportunity for you to get to know your vegetables and your fruits
and how to prepare them.
You may have never seen it or worked with it before, but you can identify recipes to
(22:19):
use it.
Yeah, yeah.
And yeah, I have even seen, I don't know if you've helped as a recipe developer or
Yakutula, but I've seen with some CSA boxes where they'll even give you a little handout
of recipes, which is nice to have too, especially for some of those fruits or vegetables that
you may not be accustomed to.
Absolutely.
And that's always helpful to have an idea of how to use the fruits and vegetables so
(22:40):
they don't go to waste.
Yeah, yeah.
Otherwise food waste.
Right.
Yeah.
Now, are there any last words of advice or last tips that you would like to share just
as we highlight National Nutrition Month?
I would say get involved.
I would say, you know, explore new foods, check out your local farmers market if you
haven't already done so.
Explore new recipes, right?
Make it fun.
(23:01):
Maybe get the kids involved.
Really just kind of look at what your plan overall is as far as your nutrition strategy
and how you can make the best of it and make smarter choices and identify what your plan
is going to be and reach out.
You know, Dr. Shayla and I, we can help.
We have additional resources.
So yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's great.
(23:22):
And I'm glad you mentioned kids too, you know, because especially as we talked about gardening,
kids actually enjoy this kind of stuff.
You know, my kids, school.
They have a school garden that all the kids take part in taking care of.
When we have had gardens here at home, my kids have happily gone out and helped.
And that is a great way.
You know, a lot of people tend to have trouble getting their kids to eat vegetables, but
(23:42):
that is a great way too to actually get your child to get more of those nutrition benefits
from fruits and vegetables.
If they've had some time participating and seeing that growth process and seeing it go
that whole farm to fork experience, then they're more likely to consume it.
So thank you for sharing that with us.
I like that a hand in harvesting, as I like to call it, because now they're familiar with
(24:04):
it.
They know, oh, I picked this.
You know, this is not foreign to me.
So that when you prepare it or even involve them in a preparation, you know, it creates
a long lasting relationship to food from an early age.
We have a farm here, a school farm, and they harvest on Sundays and the kids can come out
and be involved in the process.
(24:26):
So I think that's a great way to start it off.
Yeah, yeah.
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much for coming back on the Teton podcast, Yakutula, and sharing with
my audience again.
So just please remind us how they can connect with you to learn more about what you do and
definitely to see those seasonal fruits and vegetables you share.
(24:47):
So you can follow me on Facebook at Nutrition Prescriptions, LLC, or Instagram.
And that's also Nutrition Prescriptions.
And I usually share that content out on a monthly basis and it rotates.
So you'll definitely be able to see it.
You can also book a session if you'd like to, to discuss kind of what you want your nutrition
strategy to look like.
(25:08):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Have a great week.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Teton podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
moment of the Essence of Health Teton podcast.
(25:28):
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living Guide to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube and at doctor.tw at EOHWC on TikTok.
(25:50):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Go head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
The Essence of Health is a You.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.