From Athlete to Desk Job to Nutritionist - My Health and Wellness Journey

June 28, 2018 Yvonne Matthews

My health and wellness journey started before I even knew it, as it does for so many. So grab a cup of tea or bulletproof coffee and settle in.

I grew up with a very nurturing mom who was a high school health teacher, professional tennis coach, sports medicine master, and legit Boston Marathon Qualifier. We lived in the desert mountains above the Coachella Valley, in Southern California. As a young child, I remember going on long hikes with my mom and our dogs and learning about different plants and herbs that were native to our local desert. We would gather a few and take them home and drink some as tea and add others to the food we ate. It was a wonderful way to grow up and at the time I didn’t even realize it!

My next realization came when I was an adult. I made a conscious decision to stop taking birth control after 12 years of use. As a result, horrible acne started appearing on my face at the age of 28. I wasn’t in my teens anymore, why was I having such horrible acne? I went to some of the best estheticians in Los Angeles, I worked out most days of the week, I took all the supplements I thought I should, I ate a pretty clean and healthy diet, I even did juice cleanses! So what was going wrong? I also went to see a naturopath doctor, got some blood work and did a serious elimination diet. The acne got a little better but still nothing was completely clearing up my face.

Supplement Support - What I Take & Why

January 30, 2018 Yvonne Matthews

Whew! This is a long one guys. Let’s be honest, how often do I write short blog posts?!?! Ha! But a supplement post was highly requested. Especially now with the unfortunate acquisition of Pure Encapsulations, Douglas Labs and Garden of Life, among others, by Nestle last month. It just means it’s time to change up my game a bit! Though I was saddened by that news, I am not one for complacency, and there are a lot of other great brands out there.

Quick aside on my supplement philosophy:

This can be summed up in two words: Food First. I believe food is the bedrock of good health. However, in this world we live in today, with all the chemicals we spray on our food, the over farming that is being done, and more, the nutrients in the soil aren’t what used to be. 1 This is where supplements come in. They literally supplement, fill in the gaps, of where we fall short.

Everything You Need to Know About Eggs

July 25, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

One of my biggest pet peeves when I look around at all the “healthy” Instagrammers, bloggers and other health-nuts out there is that a lot of them are still eating egg whites only.

What?!?!

I thought by now everyone had gotten the memo that yolks don’t really contribute to bad cholesterol and heart disease, but are also where all the good nutrients and fats are. Yet I keep seeing Instagrams of "healthy" omelets made with only egg whites, as well as clients that are shocked when I tell them to eat the whole egg.

So, rather than keep telling people how good they are, I thought would show how good they are backed up with research studies, cause that’s how I roll.

Coffee: to drink or not to drink?

July 18, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

Like so many things we consume in this world there is no clear line to answer this question. It is more about you and your body - how it processes caffeine, are you allergic to it, the quality of coffee beans, how you drink it and of course the even bigger reason, why do you drink it. So, here's what you need to know:

1 // There is a gene and enzyme, both called CYP1A2, and because coffee is metabolized through the liver if you have the two copies of this gene (one from each parent) you are considered a fast metabolizer of caffeine, meaning it will affect you less than someone who has only one or none of this gene.

Moon Cycle Tea Recipe

June 20, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

Hey gang, it's been a minute. But I am here. I've been doing a lot of amazing things the last few months and getting ready to start a few new things as well. I will get into all that good stuff in another post, soon, I promise. But for now, I wanted to share a great tea recipe that I made yesterday inspired by a few things in my life: 1) I started my cycle today and am trying the meLuna cup today for the first time, so far I am loving it! 2) I was feeling a little overwhelmed with all the work I had committed to do, and after talking to my amazing business coach (who also happens to be an ayurvedic nutritionist) Claire of Vidya Living, who reminded me that during this time of my cycle, not only is it ok to back off and turn inward, but it's beneficial to me and those around me as well. So, yestreday and today I backed off a little bit, took a bath, spent some time outdoors in my garden, did yoga instead of spin class and took a little more gentle and loving time with myself.

Snacks on the Go

April 27, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

As a holistic nutritionist I get a lot of the same questions from my clients. One of the top question/concerns I am asked is how to eat healthy when they are so busy. To which I usually ask them how their typical days go. Where is all there "extra" time (the time not at work, taking care of their kids or in an office) being spent?

And you know what I find...? There is usually time in there. Holes where we get sucked into watching a few too many Insta-stories or reading too many articles on the same thing or even working form home in front of the TV and not being as efficient as we could be. Believe me, I understand. I have these times too!

The first part of that answer is awareness around that time.