Color My Food, Nutritional Therapy

09/15/2025

I believe the best way forward for our personal health is to be informed and mindful.

This is an insightful and fact-based overview:

Meat is more than protein. It is:
✅beneficial fats that support brain and hormone health + vitamins + minerals + diversity of phytochemicals
✅ecological health > choosing sustainable sourced foods supports regenerative farmers and ranchers

"Food is Nourishment - nourishment is personal. One-size-fits-all nutrition—especially one that omits entire food groups—does not serve public health."

Meat Is Medicine A Call for Real Nourishment By Sara Keough, MS, CNS, LDNThe “Food is Medicine” movement has been gaining traction across the healthcare world. At its core, the idea is promising: shift from simply treating disease to preventing it through what we eat. From produce prescriptions ...

09/15/2025

I keep saying 🌟quality matters — eat as close to nature as possible.

But let’s be real — in today’s busy world, none of us are out foraging for food, and cooking every single meal from scratch isn’t realistic. So what do we do?

✨ Pro Tips for Smarter Protein Choices:

👉 Read labels: The longer the ingredient list, the more processed the food. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, your body probably won’t either — and it may trigger inflammation or other issues.

👉 Use smart tools: I rely on the Yuka app (scans and analyzes labels in seconds) and the EWG Healthy Living app to see at a glance which products nourish and which to avoid.

This is how I discovered some clean, nourishing protein options:
🥟 Bibigo Potstickers (available in both omnivore + vegetarian versions)
🍔 Actual Veggies Bean Burgers — hearty, whole-food plant-based protein

🌟 Brain-boosting reminder: Eating closer to nature doesn’t mean perfection — it means making small, sustainable swaps that add up over time for your brain + body health.

🔖 Hashtags:

09/15/2025

🥬Plant-based friends — let’s recap the key protein ideas for brain + body health:

1️⃣ Quality matters. Choose protein sources as close to nature as possible: beans, lentils, quinoa, chia, nuts, leafy greens, and organic soy (edamame, tofu, tempeh). When it comes to burgers, skip the highly processed versions (Impossible, Beyond) and go for nature-based options like black bean, mushroom, or quinoa burgers.

2️⃣ Diversity matters. To get the full spectrum of essential amino acids, combine a variety of plant foods — beans + grains, nuts + seeds, or soy + veggies. This ensures your brain and body get the building blocks they need for focus, mood, and long-term health.

3️⃣ Individuality matters.
✨ Watch for nutrient gaps — annual labs help spot deficiencies early.

✨ Support your digestion — if you struggle with bloating, gas, or constipation, your body may not be absorbing nutrients even if you’re eating well.

🌟 Brain-boosting reminder: Plant-based eating can be powerful, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Tune into your body, rotate your foods, and choose quality over convenience.

🤔Want my quick list of favorite plant-based functional nutrition resources?
👉 DM me PLANT POWER and I’ll send it your way!

09/14/2025

Which of these habits are part of your brain health lifestyle? 😊✨

09/14/2025

Fascinating how the skin responds to what happens inside and out

Did you know your skin has its own stress pathway?

Just like the brain has the HPA axis (hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal), the skin has a similar system. When you’re stressed, whether from sunlight, pollution, or emotions, the skin makes its own stress signals (like CRH and cortisol) to protect and adapt.

That’s why stress can show up as:
🔴 Flushing or redness
⚡ Breakouts or acne
🐢 Slower wound healing

Your skin is not just a passive barrier: it’s an active endocrine organ, responding to and reflecting what’s happening inside and outside your body.

💭 Have you noticed your skin change during stressful times?

🔹 Educational only — not medical advice.

09/14/2025

🌱🍽️ Plant-Based & Hybrid Meatballs: Brain + Body Fuel

If you’re plant-based — or simply looking to boost your plant protein intake as part of a brain-healthy lifestyle — diversity is key.

Combining different plant proteins ensures your body gets all the essential amino acids your brain and body need.

Try plant-based or hybrid meatballs — packed with amino acids, fiber, and micronutrients for:
🧠 Focus + memory
⚡ Steady energy
💃 Muscle support
🌿 Gut and hormone health

Some tasty options:
✅Lentil & quinoa meatballs → complete protein + iron + magnesium
✅Chickpea & oat meatballs → fiber + plant protein + slow energy release
✅Mixed veggie + ground turkey or chicken → hybrid approach for a full amino acid profile

✨ Brain-boosting tip: Serve with rainbow veggies, a small portion of whole grains, or healthy fats like avocado or olive oil for a truly nutrient-dense meal.

Here’s a recipe I like: 👉 Moroccan Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce & Herbed Couscous

💡 Pro Tip: I add 1 cup cooked quinoa to boost the protein and make it more complete.

🤔 Would you try a lentil-based meatball or a hybrid veggie + meat version first?

🙏 If you have a favorite plant-based meatball recipe, please share!

Moroccan Lentil Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is made with simple ingredients and comes together in just 30 minutes.

09/14/2025

🍽️💪 Protein Made Easy: Brain-Boosting Meatballs

Friends let’s talk quick, nutrient-dense ways to up your protein game — without boring your taste buds!

👋Hello meatballs! — when made mindfully, they’re packed with protein, essential amino acids, and brain-loving nutrients to support:

🧠 Focus + memory
⚡ Steady energy all day
💃 Muscle maintenance + metabolism
🦴 Bone health
🎢 Hormone balancing

I’ve rounded up 8 brain-boosting meatball recipes that make it easy to hit your protein goals, whether you’re fueling yourself or your family:

🥬 Chimichurri Meatballs with Swiss Chard
🥥 Thai Coconut Curry Turkey Meatballs
🍍 Pork Meatballs with Spicy Pineapple Sauce
…and more!

✨ Brain-boosting tip: Rotate your proteins and use these meatballs as a base for meals with rainbow veggies, whole grains, or legumes — boosting nutrient density and flavor.
🌟 Bonus: add herbs and spices for more even more nutrient density - and flavor! 😋

Check out the full collection here:
👉 8 Nutrient-Dense Meatball Recipes
https://www.colormyfood.com/2025/08/7-nutrient-dense-meatball-recipes/

Next Step: Want more tips for pairing protein for steady energy, mood, and brain power? Comment PROTEIN and I’ll send you my Protein Power Guide.



Which type of meatball would you try first — something classic like turkey or something a little exotic like Thai coconut curry?

09/13/2025

🌸Ladies, let’s talk protein — your body’s most under-rated ally during perimenopause and menopause. 🌸

This isn’t just about nutrition. It’s about your brain and body working overtime through one of life’s biggest hormone shifts. As estrogen and progesterone decline, your adrenal glands and brain step in to compensate. That’s why you may feel:

⚡ Constant fatigue (even after rest)
🧠 Brain fog or forgetfulness
💥 Mood swings or anxiety
🦴 Concerns about bone strength

Here’s where protein makes a difference. It breaks down into essential amino acids your body uses to:

💪 Protect and rebuild muscle (critical after 40)
🌀 Support hormone production to soften the rollercoaster
🦴 Strengthen bones and reduce osteoporosis risk
🧠 Build neurotransmitters for mood, memory, and sleep
🌿 Nourish your gut microbiome (key for hormone balance + inflammation)

✨ Translation: More steady energy, sharper clarity, and emotional resilience.

So what does this look like in real life? Make sure you get protein at every meal
• Omnivore: fish, poultry, eggs, lean cuts of meat
• Plant-based: edamame, tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, peas, quinoa, oats, h**p seeds (get a variety for full essential amino acids power)

🌟 Brain-boosting reminder: Quality matters. Half the foods eaten daily in the U.S. are highly processed.
❤️Be kind to your brain and body in this incredible transition — choose foods as close to nature as possible.

💡 Want simple ways to hit your protein goals for hormone balance + brain health? Comment PROTEIN and I’ll send you my Protein Power Smoothie Guide

09/12/2025

Here's one of my favorite plant-based meals -- make a batch on the weekend and enjoy for breakfast lunch or dinner during the week.

Loaded with 7 brain-boosting nutrients! 🙌
✅ quinoa
✅ broccoli
✅ edamame
✅ kale
✅ avocado
✅ almonds
✅ sesame seeds

As always with Color My Food, think of it as a base recipe: mix and match with other veggies, nuts/seeds, add spices/herbs

Love the recipes from

Want more protein powered recipes?

👉Comment PROTEIN and I’ll send you my 14 High-Powered Smoothies & Bowls 🙌

This Easy Superfood Quinoa Bowl is loaded up with fresh green superfoods, and topped with a simple sesame vinaigrette and almonds.

09/12/2025

"Old age doesn’t decide your brain health. What you do today does." — David Perlmutter, Brain Maker

09/12/2025

The more we learn, the more we realize: trees don’t just grow… they listen, support, and remember. 🌳✨❤️

Research shows that the largest, oldest trees in a forest - often called “mother trees”- can identify tier kin thought chemical and hormonal signals. They use underground fungi networks to transfer nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and water directly to their seedlings, helping them survive.
Mother trees prioritize their own offspring, offering them greater resources and protection compared to unrelated trees. The selective nurturing increases the survival and resilience of the next generation, reinforcing the cooperative intelligence of the forest.
The more we learn, the more we realize: trees don’t just grow… they listen, support, and remember.
View Did You Know Tree Series, https://treerhythms.net/did_you_know

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09/12/2025

🍔🌱 Plant-Based Burgers: What’s Really on Your Plate?

Plant-based friends, let’s talk burgers.

Not all “veggie” burgers are created equal.

Man-made burgers like Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger are highly processed and often come with:
🚫 Industrial seed oils (inflammatory)
🚫 Isolates + additives
🚫 GMO ingredients
🚫 Nutrient gaps compared to nature's whole-food protein

Nature-based burgers give your brain + body what they truly need:
✅ Black bean burgers → fiber, minerals, steady energy
✅ Lentil or quinoa patties → plant protein + amino acids
✅ Traditional falafel → protein + herbs + spices = anti-inflammatory power

👉 Brain-boosting tip: If you’re craving a plant-based burger, build it from whole-food ingredients you’d recognize in your own kitchen.

Pair with rainbow veggies + healthy fats for a meal that nourishes mood, memory, and focus.

💡 Remember — just because something is “plant-based” doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy or brain-friendly. Prioritize nature-based foods for the nutrients your brain craves.

🌟 Want more ideas for building protein-powered meals that support steady energy + clarity?

👉Comment PROTEIN and I’ll send you my 14 High-Powered Smoothies & Bowls 🙌

09/12/2025

🤔To eat or not to eat soy?

There's so much contradictory information about soy that I stopped eating it altogether.

Digging into protein sources for brain health, here is what I learned:

Soy can be an excellent protein for brain + body > when it’s eaten the way it has been for centuries in Asia.

The facts:

⚠️ Most soy in the U.S. is highly processed, genetically modified, and found in thousands of packaged foods. This type of soy is linked to inflammation🔥, hormone imbalances 🎢 and allergies.

🌱Traditional soy (as eaten for centuries in Japan) is:

✅ Organic & minimally processed
✅ Often fermented → miso, tempeh, natto
✅ Eaten in small, balanced amounts (think: a golf ball–size piece of tofu, not a big slab)
✅ Packed with all essential amino acids + fiber + iron, magnesium, potassium + healthy fats your brain loves

Tips for brain-boosting nutrition:

🌟Choose organic edamame, tofu, tempeh, miso, natto, or traditional soy milk

⚠️ Skip highly processed soy protein isolates, commercial soy milk, soy oils, hidden soy fillers in packaged foods

❤️ Remember: Just like with all protein choices — omnivore or plant — the source matters. When soy is organic, minimally processed, and enjoyed in moderation, it can be a nourishing ally for your brain, your body, and your long-term health.

Source: Dr. Lisa Mosconi, Brain Food

🌟 Quick tip -- add edamame to your guacamole for a brain boosting snack.

Do you want the recipe?

09/11/2025

Diets rich in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats slow the accumulation of diseases like cardiovascular problems and dementia—while inflammatory diets heavy in red meat and sugary drinks speed it up

What we eat as we age may determine how many chronic illnesses we face later in life. A 15-year study of more than 2,400 older adults reveals that diets rich in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats slow the accumulation of diseases like cardiovascular problems and dementia—while inflam...

09/10/2025

What colors will you eat today?🥬🫜🍠🍐🥕🥔

A recent prospective cohort study in Korea observed that adults who ate at least 188 g per day of white-fleshed fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, cauliflower, bananas, onions, garlic, and mushrooms, had a lower incidence of gastrointestinal cancers over 8 years of follow-up compared to those eating less (PMID: 40544241). While more research is needed, this highlights how different colors of produce may provide unique compounds that support overall health.

✨ What does 188 g look like?

🍎 1 medium apple (~180–200 g)
🍐 1 medium pear (~170–190 g)
🍌 1 banana (~120 g)
🍄 1 cup mushrooms (~70–80 g)
🥦 1 cup cauliflower (~100–110 g)
🧅 1 medium onion (~150 g)
🧄 3 cloves garlic (~10–12 g)

So just one apple a day or a banana + a handful of mushrooms would do it! More in my Rainbow Diet book (the new one, which launched Feb 2025!).🌈

This post is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.