Speaker A [00:00:00]:
Hi, everyone. Welcome to today’s podcast episode. I’m very excited because this is my very first episode in a new series that I’m calling Ask Me Anything. So I have a few questions that were submitted to me from social media, and I’m going to answer them. You guys have really good questions, so let’s get started.
Speaker B [00:00:27]:
Welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast, where changing your eating habits is the key to losing weight, improving bowel health, and feeling your best. I’m your host, Fatima Fakouri. I’m a registered dietitian who’s married to a quadriplegic and specializes in nutrition for paralysis. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and motivated so you can take control of your health using the power of food. Let’s get started.
Speaker A [00:00:52]:
This is the Paralysis Nutrition podcast. So the first question, is coffee bad for you? Some people say it has health benefits, but I’m confused. All right, so this is a very good question, and I’m happy to answer it. So coffee is not bad for you. Is coffee really, really good for you? Probably not, but coffee is not bad for you. So one or two cups of coffee per day is totally fine? Yes. Some studies show that there are health benefits, and I’ll get into that. But let’s just say, okay, basically, coffee contains caffeine.
Speaker A [00:01:29]:
Okay? Caffeine is a stimulant. It makes us feel more energetic, and it does stuff to our brain, to our neurotransmitters, and it makes you feel more awake. You know, some people, obviously, you’ve seen all the jokes out there. It’s like, oh, I can’t do anything without my coffee. I think that whole narrative is getting kind of tired, and I think one or two cups a day is fine. There are some studies. So, like, one review article that I read said that for every cup of coffee that you consume, each cup of coffee is linked to a 6% lower risk of getting diabetes. Okay? So if I drink two cups a day of coffee, I have a 12% lower risk of developing diabetes.
Speaker A [00:02:12]:
I. All right, but there’s so many other things that I could do to prevent diabetes. Now, coffee does have antioxidants, so we like that. Right? Antioxidants help to lower inflammation in the body, and coffee also can help lower your risk of dementia and cognitive decline. This is super interesting to me because there is research that says coffee could protect you against Alzheimer’s. You know, going off of that, too. There are some studies that have shown a pretty clear positive effect on heart health. But in order to get those benefits, those cardio protective benefits.
Speaker A [00:02:57]:
You have to drink like four or five cups of coffee a day. You can do a lot of other things to have a healthier heart. You know, four or five cups a day and that’s like on the low end for those studies. That’s a lot of coffee. So you know it’s going to mess up your sleep if you’re drinking it all day. It also raises your blood pressure, which could be kind of a benign thing if you’re a full time wheelchair user and you have low blood pressure. But it’s also going to raise your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone and it makes it very hard for you to lose weight.
Speaker A [00:03:35]:
It’s not good for your blood sugar. So, you know, my recommendation is a cup a day, maximum two cups. Stop drinking it, you know, before noon. Don’t put a ton of sugar or, you know, creamer. Use that artificial sweetener. The Starbucks kind of drink culture has gotten really, really wild. Some of these drinks are like 700 calories and they have like 40 grams of sugar. It makes no sense.
Speaker A [00:04:02]:
Like, I would rather have an ice cream sundae for that, for that amount of calories and sugar. So stop the madness. You know, like it’s coffee. And people will always ask me, like in my, in my programs, you know, what’s a good coffee creamer? Like, what’s something good to put in your coffee? Honestly, I just use milk. Like I’ll use 2% milk or whole milk. It’s not a ton. You know, if you love your coffee creamer and it’s a little bit high in fat or it’s high in sugar, it’s whatever. But you only drink one cup of coffee a day.
Speaker A [00:04:38]:
Leave it alone. Focus on something else. I think people lose sight of the big picture and they get hung up on these little details, like confused about things like what coffee creamer or what salad dressing is good. But big picture is really what matters. What you eat and the supplements you take and how you live your life. That’s really going to matter a lot more than the coffee creamer that you use in your one or two cups of coffee a day. So I think when it comes to coffee, you know, moderation and timing is really the key. Don’t drink it all day long.
Speaker A [00:05:11]:
And also it’s a diuretic. It makes you pee so it can dehydrate you. You need to drink water too. Caffeine, anything with caffeine is going to increase your fluid needs. And if you hate drinking, you know, plain black coffee but you want to lose weight. Like, don’t do that. Don’t drink plain black coffee just because you know it has less calories. Drink it how you like it, but maybe cut down on the little, you know, the sugar.
Speaker A [00:05:39]:
Put a little less creamer, whatever it is. And also watch how, watch how your body reacts to caffeine if you have muscle spasms. Like, watch your spasms. Like, does caffeine affect your muscle spasms? Does it affect your bladder? Do you get bladder spasms when you drink too much coffee? A lot of people do. And, you know, be aware of your meds, too. I have a lot of clients who take stimulant meds, you know, like for ADHD or whatever. And you shouldn’t really be drinking so much coffee if you’re on a stimulant. And oh, last but important thing, do not drink coffee on an empty stomach.
Speaker A [00:06:16]:
First thing in the morning is terrible for your hormones and your blood sugar and makes your cortisol high. So have your coffee with some food, even if it’s something small. And I hope that that is. I really rambled on about coffee, but it’s a bigger subject, I think, than I initially thought. So thank you for that question. The next question is, in your opinion, what is too many vegetables or fruits in one meal or day? So again, focus on what actually matters. Do you think that you are eating too many fruits and vegetables? Is that an actual problem or are you kind of complicating things? So, I mean, I guess if you eat too many vegetables and you get full on them, there won’t be room for protein and healthy fat. Now you would have to eat a lot of those vegetables.
Speaker A [00:07:15]:
I. I don’t think most people have that problem. I recommend half a plate of vegetables twice a day, so it’s usually going to be at lunch and dinner. Although a savory breakfast is also very, very good and possible. So you may like, in my case, this morning, I had egg salad wrap this morning for breakfast and I put like a good amount of greens. Like, I used microgreens, they’re pea shoots. And I also used arugula. So I actually got like some vegetables this morning.
Speaker A [00:07:51]:
Too many. I don’t really have an answer for that other than to say, what is my recommendation? My recommendation is to have color on your plate all the time. Right? So half a plate of vegetables at two meals a day and two fruits per day. So vegetables are plants, they are carbs. Vegetables are. They tend to be lower in carbs than fruits. So I don’t really put, like, a big limit at all on vegetables. Obviously, if you’re, like, getting sick of them, if you’re, like, having you’re not feeling well, like, that’s obviously too many.
Speaker A [00:08:28]:
But again, half a plate of vegetables twice a day and then two servings of fruit in a day helps keep your bowels regular, helps you get your fiber in, your nutrients, your vitamins, your minerals, your antioxidants. So I would say too much fruit is more of a problem. And it’s not even a problem. Like, I can’t even remember having a client. That fruit was the reason that they were gaining weight. It wasn’t that. It was that they weren’t eating enough protein, they weren’t eating enough vegetables, and their portions were too large or whatever. You know what I mean? The problem is usually not that you’re eating too many fruits and vegetables.
Speaker A [00:09:05]:
So thank you for that question. Third question is, one day I heard a physiatrist say, nutritionists don’t know anything about the intestines of people with spinal cord injury. And introduce too many vegetables and a catastrophe ensues. What do you think about this? Okay, so I know that physiatrist wasn’t talking about me because I’m a registered dietitian. I am not just a nutritionist. Anybody can call themselves nutritionist. You could read a book on broccoli and say, I’m a nutritionist. I’m a registered dietitian.
Speaker A [00:09:42]:
I have a master’s degree in clinical nutrition, and I am, you know, registered with the, you know, the. What is it? Commission on dietetic Registration. So I know that physiatrist wasn’t talking about me. And I think that the tone is probably, like, kind of dismissive and saying that, you know, nobody is going to, like, no nutritionist is going to tell you the right thing. So let’s unpack this one. You know, he wasn’t talking to me. So that’s what I think about that. 2.
Speaker A [00:10:15]:
I think most dietitians who work in rehabs don’t know that much at all. Actually. Just had somebody who works at a rehab reach out to me and say, you know, do you ever do trainings, nutrition trainings for, like, sci rehabs this year? No, I’m not doing that. I’m. I’m not available for that stuff. But I said, don’t you have a dietitian, like, you work in an inpatient sci rehab? Isn’t there a dietitian? And he said, right, yes. But she’s, like, straight out of college and doesn’t know anything, so doesn’t know anything about spinal cord injury. So that is really unfortunate, but really, really common.
Speaker A [00:10:56]:
Even if you. I actually, I interviewed a past. On a past episode, I introduced a friend of mine, Rocky Roy, who is a dietitian who did work in a rehab. And you can go back and listen to her episode. She talks about what it was like to work at an sci rehab as a dietitian, and it wasn’t pretty. She basically says, like, there is no special training for us. There are standing orders for laxatives and Miralax and softener and Senna, and it’s just that’s how they manage it there. They don’t do anything with nutrition.
Speaker A [00:11:37]:
So I think that that’s a reality. If this physiatrist works in, you know, a place that there are dietitians, those dietitians probably don’t have special training in spinal cord injury, because that doesn’t exist. We don’t have training on. I mean, I have my master’s and I never was taught anything about neurogenic bowel or, like, much at all about people with disabilities. Like, dare I say, I do not remember anything, even at the master’s level, about working with people who have disabilities. So that stinks. And I think also to answer the part of the question that says, like, introducing too many vegetables and a catastrophe ensues. I don’t know what that catastrophe is.
Speaker A [00:12:25]:
Especially if you’re at a rehab, you’re on Miralax, so there’s cement basically poured into your intestines. And then on top of it, you’re on, like, bicycle or whatever, you know, laxative. Plus you’re on Senna, which makes you really bloated. And you’re also on medications that cause, you know, different side effects. You’re also not eating right. Like, it is a catastrophe at most times, right? Like, if you’re not eating right and you’re on a bunch of stuff, that’s how you get a catastrophe. Vegetables do not cause catastrophes. For people with neurogenic bowel, not eating vegetables is what creates a catastrophe.
Speaker A [00:13:11]:
Not eating enough fiber, not drinking enough water and taking too many of those physician suggested or physicians, orders of laxatives, softeners, Senna, Miralax, Movicol, whatever, you know. And so I hope that answers the question, what do I think about this? I think that the physiatrist is correct in assuming that most people who talk about nutrition don’t know anything about the needs of people who have spinal cord injury and paralysis. So yes, I agree with that part. Most do not. None of my dietitian colleagues, and they’re all very smart. They all specialize in different things. No one knows anything about neurogenic bowel. They would just kind of do their best, right? Or they’d ask me if they had a client like that.
Speaker A [00:14:03]:
So I think that it is correct and sad to say that most people who work in nutrition don’t know anything about neurogenic bowel, including dietitians. Also, always happy to clarify the difference between a registered dietitian and a quote unquote nutritionist. And I don’t think I highly disagree. I respectfully disagree with this physiatrist that too many vegetables cause problems. I think too many doctors orders for poopy pills is a catastrophe. I think not educating people on what a gut healthy diet is a catastrophe. I think people not drinking enough water and eating enough fiber also creates a catastrophe. And it’s not vegetables.
Speaker A [00:14:52]:
Don’t blame vegetables. That’s not the reason you have bowel. I’m so sorry. That is not the reason that you have bowel issues. That’s like, funny to me. Okay, and now let’s see, we have the last question. Okay. Oh, this is so funny.
Speaker A [00:15:06]:
So this is, this is a real question that I got. You’re naturally thin. I can tell a lot of assumption there. Why do you eat so healthy? Seems like you never cheat. I love that a real person asked me this question and that I’m actually going to take time to answer this. So one, you should never assume that someone is naturally thin because you have no idea what that person’s genetics are. I can tell you respectfully that I am genetically predisposed to being petite. So in my family, we don’t have a lot of tall people and especially not tall women.
Speaker A [00:15:49]:
So that makes sense that I’m a little bit on the petite side. However, I am now 40 years old and I eat very, very differently than when I was 20 years old or 30 years old because my body is changing, my outlook is changing, my preferences are changing based on how different foods make me feel. So I can tell you right now, this is probably the healthiest I’ve ever eaten ever in my life. Because I, in the past, I think, used to not put enough emphasis on feeding myself because, you know, it’s been. My kids are 4 and 6. And when you have really little babies like, you just don’t prioritize yourself. So now that they’re a bit older, I can do that. I can take more time to cook things that I want and that I like and prep for myself and my husband, you know, not just always, what do the kids need to eat? And so to answer the part about being naturally thin, I am not naturally thin.
Speaker A [00:16:53]:
I eat very well. I prioritize what I eat because I love food. And being a dietitian, I know a lot about food, and I know how, you know, different foods affect my body. And now that I’m a little older and my metabolism is different, my hormones are very different, I know that if I eat like I used to seven or eight years ago, I will not be at my current weight, like, all way more. And that’s okay, except that that way of eating doesn’t really feel that great to me. I definitely eat a bit lighter now than I did back then. Also, those were the early days of mothering, where I was nursing my kids, and I needed to eat differently. Now I don’t need as many calories, and so I focus on protein, vegetables, whole grains.
Speaker A [00:17:49]:
I eat carbs, protein, and fat at every meal. There’s color on my plate almost always. So because I eat that way and because I enjoy it, it may seem that that comes naturally to me, but it’s actually something that I’ve cultivated and I’ve practiced. So that’s the first part. That’s my kind of response to the first part about saying that I’m naturally thin. Also, I don’t take it as a compliment, just so you know, and I think a lot of people would take that as a compliment. But I think that making comments about people’s bodies in general, other than to say, you look awesome, I’m not into it. I don’t think that we should really be talking about other people’s bodies.
Speaker A [00:18:32]:
I am a little. Hmm. I did say ask me anything, so. But I will be honest. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way to read that comment to say, like, oh, you’re naturally thin. I eat really well, you know, I am trying to take better care of myself, especially my, like, I’ll say it again, my kids, for those first few years, you know, they’re less than two years apart. I didn’t really take care of myself. So now that I’m a little older and wiser and not so bogged down, you know, with taking care of everyone, I’m actually eating better.
Speaker A [00:19:09]:
And I probably weigh, I don’t know, five pounds less than I did five years ago when I was really in the thick of it, you know, And I feel good this way. Like, I feel satisfied. I Feel nourished. I feel happy to see all these healthy foods on my plate. So I’m not naturally thin, I’m naturally petite, right? But the way that I eat is how I appear. I don’t think I’m thin, but I, I don’t know. All that stuff is very relative, right? And the next part of the question was, why do you eat so healthy? Because I like to, because, oh, now we’re really going to get personal. Because I am really into luxurious experiences and to me, health, self care, spending time and energy on yourself is like the most luxurious thing to me.
Speaker A [00:20:07]:
When I say luxury, you might be thinking of like fancy things. I think of more like self indulgent. Like what is so self indulgent and what is just so, you know, luxurious to me. It’s like eating this beautiful food that tastes so good to me. That’s why I eat healthy. And I guess because I want to, because I like to, Because I value health too. I value not being diabetic. Like a lot of the people in my family are by the time they’re in their like mid-40s, early 50s.
Speaker A [00:20:43]:
It’s a really strong genetic thing in my family. Also heart disease. So two or three years ago I found out that I was pre diabetic. And so I’ve been working on that. I think I’ll do an episode when I get my blood work back and share that or, you know, maybe we’ll see. But I eat healthy because I don’t want to get sick. And even if I do eat healthy, I could get sick, right? But there are some nutrition related diseases that I could maybe that I am genetically predisposed to that I could maybe, you know, avoid for a little bit. I think they’ll eventually get me.
Speaker A [00:21:23]:
But that’s why I eat healthy, because I want to, because I value health and longevity. I value my, you know, my family, my relationships. I like my life and I want to be here. So that’s why I eat healthy. And I really do enjoy everything that I eat. If I make something and it doesn’t taste good, I’m always really disappointed and I try to fix it. And then the last part of the question is, seems like you never cheat. So I never cheat because I am not a cheater.
Speaker A [00:21:50]:
And food and eating is not a game. So you can’t cheat at it, you can’t win at it. It’s not a game. I do eat things that I enjoy that are indulgent and I don’t feel bad about it because 90% of the time. I eat my meals at home. So does my husband, so do my kids. So I don’t like that word cheat. Right? Like we’re not cheating.
Speaker A [00:22:16]:
We’re eating things. Like, let’s use the correct verbiage to describe food, like cheating or like junk food or you know, words like that. I try not to use those. Sometimes they come out, but I try not to say things like junk or garbage or whatever. When it comes to food, we order takeout every single Friday. And depending on the week, I might get recently. What have I gotten recently? I got chicken and waffles. Okay, that’s fried chicken and waffles was delicious.
Speaker A [00:22:50]:
I get cheeseburgers with fries. Sometimes I get this like peanut noodle bowl. Like I get stuff that I really enjoy. But we do it once a week on Friday. That is not cheating. That’s ordering takeout on a Friday and then usually one other meal during the weekend. Whether it’s like a restaurant. Usually it’s not.
Speaker A [00:23:11]:
It’s usually not takeout again because we really. That’s like our Friday night thing. But it might be, it might be a restaurant or we might like go to my parents or to my mother in law’s or another friend or something. We might have another meal. Not at home. So it doesn’t have to be a restaurant or takeout. Any meal outside of the home is going to be a little bit different than what I would make at my own house. So if it seems like I always eat really, really healthy, I mean, I think that ordering takeout and getting a cheeseburger or getting chicken and waffles, I think that’s healthy.
Speaker A [00:23:49]:
So you are correct in that seems like you. Oh, you said seems like you never cheat. Well, I guess not. Because to me, I’m not playing a game. And so I think that it is healthy. I always say this to all of my clients. Like they’re tracking their meals. They’re learning about macros, proteins, carbs, fats.
Speaker A [00:24:08]:
They’re tracking their meals. But then it’ll be like somebody’s birthday or a happy hour and then they get kind of confused as to what they do. And I always say all foods can fit into a healthy diet. And it is healthy to have a piece of cake at a birthday party. I think it’s unhealthy to say no to things that you love. You know, every single time that you can’t do that, I will say no to. You know, if I’m at the coffee shop and there’s like donuts, I’m not going to Get a donut, like kind of for no reason. But if I’m at a birthday party, of course I’m going to have a piece of cake.
Speaker A [00:24:46]:
If I’m celebrating a holiday, of course I’m going to have pie or whatever it is, you know, but it’s like being choosy again. This goes back to this. Like, I just think it’s very, in a way, it’s just self care. It’s not indulgent. Maybe it feels indulgent to me to like take time and make nice food for myself. Like, I value that. So why do I eat healthy? Because it is pure luxury. It is so luxurious to take the time and put together like these wholesome meals.
Speaker A [00:25:19]:
I really take pride in it. It’s not something that takes hours and hours. Like if you’ve ever seen on social what I share, it’s just like putting stuff together. Let’s put some stuff together and it’s gonna taste good. So I thank you for that question. My body is naturally petite and I kind of maintain a weight that I feel comfortable at because I eat in a specific way. And the. And really the same goes for my husband.
Speaker A [00:25:47]:
Like, it’s funny. Why does he, he eat healthy? Not because he’s like, oh, it’s so luxurious. That’s me. My husband eats healthy as a quadriplegic because he does not want to gain weight. He does not want to have bowel issues. He wants to avoid. Now this is very specific and personal for him. He wants to avoid having like hired outside help, like a caregiver or an aide for as long as possible.
Speaker A [00:26:16]:
That again, is his personal choice. And so those are his values. And so, you know, he doesn’t want to feel bloated. He doesn’t want to go back to the days of spending like an hour and a half or two hours in the bathroom. Like, he’s, he’s trying to avoid those things. So it’s not like a place of oh, I just love, you know, the like for me it’s like, I just love the experience of like having these really healthy meals. For my husband, it’s like, first of all, I’m lucky. Like, he’s not picky.
Speaker A [00:26:48]:
So like, what he eats, I eat and vice versa. Portions will vary and stuff. But, like, he likes eating vegetables. He likes eating chicken and fish and proteins and stuff. He’s got a sweet tooth. But I have noticed, like, the portions and stuff are smaller, right, Than perhaps they would have been a few years ago or 10 years ago with like cookies and, you know, fun dessert stuff. And like it’s because there’s a value there for health. There’s a value for health, for longevity and for staying in, in decent shape.
Speaker A [00:27:27]:
Right. So we’re motivated by different things. But I think everyone has their reasons for eating a certain way. I have a lot of clients that eat unhealthy in the beginning because they don’t really know what they should be eating. So they don’t really pay much attention. So it’s not like they’re doing it on purpose. Right. Also, mental health is a big part of it too, right? Like if your mental health is not in a good place, you are not going to, well, you’re going to crave like sugar, you’re going to crave comfort and you’re maybe going to try to find it in food.
Speaker A [00:28:03]:
Right. So if your mental health isn’t right, you’re not going to be able to make good choices, make healthy choices. So I hope that answers your question. So that’s the episode for today. I’m going to do this again, not the next episode, but the one after. It’s really fun to answer your specific questions. And so that is a wrap for this episode and I will see you on the next podcast episode.
Speaker B [00:28:30]:
That’s our episode for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it and that you learned something new. Remember, if you want to lose weight with paralysis, improve your bowel health and feel your best you can.
Speaker A [00:28:42]:
It’s possible.
Speaker B [00:28:43]:
You just have to change your eating habits. If you need inspiration on how to get started, check out the paralysis Nutrition Cookbook. 101 recipes to help you lose weight.
Speaker A [00:28:53]:
And improve bowel health.
Speaker B [00:28:54]:
The cookbook comes with a bonus 30 day meal plan and is the perfect way to start eating healthier. You can find it online at paralysisnutrition.com cookbook I’ll talk to you again soon.
