Want to know how a nutrition super-guru thinks, where she gets her motivation and inspiration to live just so incredibly healthily?! We chatted to McKel Hill, the creator of Nutrition Stripped, the internationally popular guide to living well. It's all about stripping down your diet to the whole food basics and understanding that wellness is a lifestyle too. Let's sniff out some of McKel's nutrition secrets and see if we can take on this lifestyle ourselves!
OB: What sparked your interest in nutrition and made you change to a plant based lifestyle?
MH: I realized my passion of nutrition and healthy living in college, when I became interested in fitness and sports nutrition. I was, and still am, fascinated at the body’s ability to change composition, heal, and reverse from disease states all of which affect every area of ones life.
I found myself consuming “health foods” that were quite the opposite of healthy and definitely not in line with the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle now. It was being “fed up” with a diet full of low-fat this, low-carb that, counting every calorie, not connecting my food with its source, and a philosophy class that shifted my way of thinking and living more mindfully.
I essentially integrated all that I was taught in school, formal education and clinical nutrition, with the world of integrative and functional medicine and researched this in my spare time. In a nutshell, it was years of education, experience, and listening to my intuition that led me to living this lifestyle I do now. Truthfully, once you experience a radical shift in your thinking and your physical health as I did, you simply can’t look back! Also feel free to read more about me and my health journey.
OB: Your website is more than just mouth watering recipes, there is a wealth of information on there. What is your favourite part of being a dietitian?
MH: First, thank you for the kind words! That’s exactly what my mission is to do- provide far more than nourishing whole food recipes, but to share my lifestyle with everyone in hope that transitioning into the Nutrition Stripped whole food lifestyle is simple, delicious, and practical. Being a dietitian with my business is quite the unique “job”- I definitely don’t view what I do as a nutritionist/dietitian as work nor a job, it’s my passion, what I’m here to do, and my lifestyle. I truly love being able to connect with people all over the world (take this interview for example!), coach women from the US to the UK and back, share delicious recipes, be writing my first cookbook (which is still a dream come true), and share nutrition resources to make this lifestyle easier for people to grasp! I work hard to share this information in recipes, nutrition related posts, coaching women one-on-one, providing downloadable tip sheets and guides in my shop, and hosting events like my Nutrition Stripped Supper Clubs!
OB: What do you find people are most confused about in regards to eating healthily?
MH: This is such a great question! A more appropriate question may be “what are people NOT confused about regarding healthy eating” haha- there is so much conflicting information out there with nutrition “gurus” who have no formal training, the media blasting new fad diets or celebrating weight loss in unhealthy ways, or bashing entire food groups like carbohydrates. We all need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture - how food and our lifestyles are affecting our overall health and wellbeing. Eating whole foods, foods closest to nature as possible, and paying close attention to the other lifestyle factors is what the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle is all about - it’s one I preach to clients and practice daily.
OB: What are your top 3 favourite plant-based ingredients to use?
MH: This is such a hard question to answer! Nutritional yeast is incredibly high in B vitamins and protein, not to mention it tastes like cheese. Spirulina, a fantastic mineral-rich source of protein, and veggies such as sweet potatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower - all of which can be used in REALLY unique ways (Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Cauliflower Mash, Blue Morning Smoothie Bowl, Raw Zucchini Bread Bites, Flourless Blackberry Chocolate Cake, and Cinnamon Sweet Potato Truffles are just some of my recipes using these veggies).
OB: When and why would you recommend someone incorporates superfoods into their diet?
MH: Superfoods are great to incorporate into your diet, they’re simply nutrient dense foods typically found in smaller volumes. Wheatgrass is a great example, it’s rich in chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and boosts your energy like no cup of coffee can… in my opinion! I love boosting my whole food recipes in simple ways by adding a spoonful of any of OB's superfood powders. They're incredibly easy to use and great quality!
OB: What is your all time favourite Nutrition Stripped Recipe?
MH: I’m a big fan and advocate for getting in those greens - so I’d have to say my Stripped Green Smoothie. One serving easily contains 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables, almost a 1/3 of your daily fiber intake and incredibly rich in vitamins A, K, C, Bs, protein and minerals. It’s also great because it embodies what the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle is all about - balance and flexibility. For example, nowadays I can enjoy the Stripped Green Smoothie sans fruit - all greens! But when I first started experimenting with developing green smoothie recipes I was drawn to adding far more fruit to even out the flavors, which is often what I recommend for my clients to do. I thoroughly enjoy the greens and my body craves it! Added bonus, watch me make it here!
OB: You are now bringing out a cookbook, how exciting! Tell us about what you want people to take away from the book?
MH: Thank you so much! I’m thrilled beyond words and find myself welling up with tears because this is truly a dream of mine, coming into fruition as we speak. I want my cookbook to reflect what Nutrition Stripped is all about- a lifestyle. The cookbook will be far more than delicious recipes where I incorporate flavors from around the globe, but will be a resource. I’ll be including many back to basic tips in the kitchen, products I love, nutrition tips, and much more! It will be a “coffee table” cookbook, where your friends and family will come to visit and find themselves enjoying your good company while flipping through the pages in awe and getting inspired to hop in your kitchen to cook - that’s my goal!
Thank you McKel, we can't wait to see the book!
OB: What sparked your interest in nutrition and made you change to a plant based lifestyle?
MH: I realized my passion of nutrition and healthy living in college, when I became interested in fitness and sports nutrition. I was, and still am, fascinated at the body’s ability to change composition, heal, and reverse from disease states all of which affect every area of ones life.
I found myself consuming “health foods” that were quite the opposite of healthy and definitely not in line with the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle now. It was being “fed up” with a diet full of low-fat this, low-carb that, counting every calorie, not connecting my food with its source, and a philosophy class that shifted my way of thinking and living more mindfully.
I essentially integrated all that I was taught in school, formal education and clinical nutrition, with the world of integrative and functional medicine and researched this in my spare time. In a nutshell, it was years of education, experience, and listening to my intuition that led me to living this lifestyle I do now. Truthfully, once you experience a radical shift in your thinking and your physical health as I did, you simply can’t look back! Also feel free to read more about me and my health journey.
OB: Your website is more than just mouth watering recipes, there is a wealth of information on there. What is your favourite part of being a dietitian?
MH: First, thank you for the kind words! That’s exactly what my mission is to do- provide far more than nourishing whole food recipes, but to share my lifestyle with everyone in hope that transitioning into the Nutrition Stripped whole food lifestyle is simple, delicious, and practical. Being a dietitian with my business is quite the unique “job”- I definitely don’t view what I do as a nutritionist/dietitian as work nor a job, it’s my passion, what I’m here to do, and my lifestyle. I truly love being able to connect with people all over the world (take this interview for example!), coach women from the US to the UK and back, share delicious recipes, be writing my first cookbook (which is still a dream come true), and share nutrition resources to make this lifestyle easier for people to grasp! I work hard to share this information in recipes, nutrition related posts, coaching women one-on-one, providing downloadable tip sheets and guides in my shop, and hosting events like my Nutrition Stripped Supper Clubs!
OB: What do you find people are most confused about in regards to eating healthily?
MH: This is such a great question! A more appropriate question may be “what are people NOT confused about regarding healthy eating” haha- there is so much conflicting information out there with nutrition “gurus” who have no formal training, the media blasting new fad diets or celebrating weight loss in unhealthy ways, or bashing entire food groups like carbohydrates. We all need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture - how food and our lifestyles are affecting our overall health and wellbeing. Eating whole foods, foods closest to nature as possible, and paying close attention to the other lifestyle factors is what the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle is all about - it’s one I preach to clients and practice daily.
OB: What are your top 3 favourite plant-based ingredients to use?
MH: This is such a hard question to answer! Nutritional yeast is incredibly high in B vitamins and protein, not to mention it tastes like cheese. Spirulina, a fantastic mineral-rich source of protein, and veggies such as sweet potatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower - all of which can be used in REALLY unique ways (Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Cauliflower Mash, Blue Morning Smoothie Bowl, Raw Zucchini Bread Bites, Flourless Blackberry Chocolate Cake, and Cinnamon Sweet Potato Truffles are just some of my recipes using these veggies).
OB: When and why would you recommend someone incorporates superfoods into their diet?
MH: Superfoods are great to incorporate into your diet, they’re simply nutrient dense foods typically found in smaller volumes. Wheatgrass is a great example, it’s rich in chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and boosts your energy like no cup of coffee can… in my opinion! I love boosting my whole food recipes in simple ways by adding a spoonful of any of OB's superfood powders. They're incredibly easy to use and great quality!
OB: What is your all time favourite Nutrition Stripped Recipe?
MH: I’m a big fan and advocate for getting in those greens - so I’d have to say my Stripped Green Smoothie. One serving easily contains 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables, almost a 1/3 of your daily fiber intake and incredibly rich in vitamins A, K, C, Bs, protein and minerals. It’s also great because it embodies what the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle is all about - balance and flexibility. For example, nowadays I can enjoy the Stripped Green Smoothie sans fruit - all greens! But when I first started experimenting with developing green smoothie recipes I was drawn to adding far more fruit to even out the flavors, which is often what I recommend for my clients to do. I thoroughly enjoy the greens and my body craves it! Added bonus, watch me make it here!
OB: You are now bringing out a cookbook, how exciting! Tell us about what you want people to take away from the book?
MH: Thank you so much! I’m thrilled beyond words and find myself welling up with tears because this is truly a dream of mine, coming into fruition as we speak. I want my cookbook to reflect what Nutrition Stripped is all about- a lifestyle. The cookbook will be far more than delicious recipes where I incorporate flavors from around the globe, but will be a resource. I’ll be including many back to basic tips in the kitchen, products I love, nutrition tips, and much more! It will be a “coffee table” cookbook, where your friends and family will come to visit and find themselves enjoying your good company while flipping through the pages in awe and getting inspired to hop in your kitchen to cook - that’s my goal!
Thank you McKel, we can't wait to see the book!
By Registered Dietitian McKel Hill
McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN is an internationally known dietitian/nutritionist and the creator of Nutrition Stripped, a plant-centric whole foods lifestyle and blog. McKel shares nourishing and delicious recipes weekly while inspiring her readers to take their health to the next level. McKel coaches privately with women all over the world bringing them to optimal wellness with her nutrition lifestyle protocol, support, and expertise.
McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN is an internationally known dietitian/nutritionist and the creator of Nutrition Stripped, a plant-centric whole foods lifestyle and blog. McKel shares nourishing and delicious recipes weekly while inspiring her readers to take their health to the next level. McKel coaches privately with women all over the world bringing them to optimal wellness with her nutrition lifestyle protocol, support, and expertise.
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