A Savoury Soul: McKel Hill // Nutrition Stripped

Today's Savoury Soul is McKel Hill, a Registered Dietitian and Health + Wellness coach who has a passion for green smoothies, wholesome nutritious food and is a self-proclaimed science nerd. When she's not concocting a culinary masterpiece in her kitchen she is practicing yoga, got  her nose in a book or exploring her hometown of Nashville.

McKel's recipes on her blog Nutrition Stripped will leave you literally drooling and pinning every one! Her photos are stunning and her beautiful spirit comes through  each and every one of her posts and recipes.

Without further ado....

Tell me all about your mission?

As a registered dietitian and health coach, my mission is to help everyone I can achieve their health and nutrition goals and ultimately led them to living a happier and healthier life. My passion for nutrition, wellness, and dietetics runs deep and I wish to share this passion and ignite change in those who are ready to take that step. The mission behind Nutrition Stripped is to educate and remind people that eating healthy, nourishing your body, all while being flexible isn’t something out of reach. Nutrition Stripped is your stripped-down guide to living an unprocessed lifestyle with no expiration date.

What sparked your interest in nutrition?

I first became extremely intrigued with nutrition on a purely performance level- with sports nutrition, fitness and athletics. After I became engaged and absorbed in the study of nutrition sciences and learning how fueling (or lack of proper fueling) your body can make or break how you perform physically, I began to also realize the impact mentally. (note I was never a collegiate athlete, simply recreational and weight lifting). I engrossed my studies into the psychological aspect of nutrition my sophomore year in college due to a phenomenal philosophy class and incorporated areas such as plant-based eating, mindful eating, and more. To this day I challenge myself, always question what the public is told (even as a nutrition professional), and come to my own conclusion using science, application, first hand experience, and practice as my backbone.

What do you find people are most confused about in regards to eating healthy?

There are so many confusing factors and media propaganda, diet and health “gurus” out there it’s confusing to anyone. It also doesn’t help facilitate appropriate changes when there are people who have studied a nutrition course and call themselves nutritionists. It’s frustrating as a nutrition profession but more importantly, potentially harmful to someone’s health if their not being mentored by an experienced professional who is also compassionate about helping their client achieve their goals.

If you could cook for anyone who would it be and what would you cook?

My family and friends, all at once -family style table! Simple as that. I love sharing my recipes and healthy food creations with the ones I love most. It’s a great connection we all can experience by cooking, enjoying, eating, and chatting about life over a great nourishing meal. It fulfilling knowing that my recipes and food are encouraging healthy habits and opening the minds and taste buds of people who may not gravitate towards healthy types of dishes.

What are your top 3 favorite recipes on your blog?

1) The Stripped Smoothie! It’s the signature green/fruit smoothie of Nutrition Stripped and I eat this every day or some variation of it- and have for many years now! Fantastic for digestion, quick nutrient absorption, and energy to sustain my busy mornings.

2) Kale Tabbouleh Salad- this is one of my favorite go-to’s and it keeps so well in the refrigerator for a really quick meal or side. Loaded with nutrients and my favorite king green, kale!

3 )Coconut Flour Crepe Cakes- these are so filling, high in protein, high in fiber, and lower in carbohydrates. These are my favorite because they’re so versatile as you can make them sweet or savory.

What are your top 3 favorite plant-based ingredients to use?

Nutritional yeast for an amazing cheesy flavor and full of B vitamins.

Nori sheets. I love making my own sushi, I have a great recipe for Veggie Sushi Rolls which are raw and vegan but can easily be made with proteins and other carbohydrates of your choice. Nori sheets offer great health benefits, mainly iodine.

Apple cider vinegar- I love using ACV (raw and unpasteurized is key!) on salad dressings to give it a little zing!

Lastly, I know you only asked for 3 but I have to add avocados on this list! Avocados are full of healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and loads of fiber. This is an especially great source of calories for someone who is on a plant-based or vegan diet where those individuals need to be mindful of getting enough calories to thrive.

What does self-care/love mean to you?

Self-care and self-love are the foundation of being able to show love, receive love, be compassionate towards others, and it gives you the tool to reach your highest potential. If we don't take care of ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually; how are we intended to care, love, build healthy relationships, or facilitate change in others (coming from a coaching perspective)?

What is your favorite thing about yourself, personality and appearance?

I have great determination, independence, willpower, strength in knowing my true self, motivation, compassionate for the greater good. Appearance-wise, I like my smile :)

In your own words, what is a Savoury Soul?

A Savory Soul is someone who savors, enjoys, takes in every present moment and relishes their gift and talents to be shared with others.

I’m a self-proclaimed green smoothie connoisseur, foodie, nutrition science nerd, fitness fiend, who has an affinity for plants and avocados.

I’m passionate about nutrition, wellness, and of course, food! I believe in taking an individualistic approach to coaching: meaning all my recommendations are tailored specifically to each individual in an attempt to reach their optimum health and wellness- ultimately leading to a longer, healthier, and happier life!

Nutrition Stripped is a platform where I share all things nutrition and focuses on nutrition information/research integrated into simple and delicious recipes. Nutrition Stripped mission is to help you gain knowledge of healthy food choices, nutrition, and apply them to your daily life. It's your stripped-down guide to an unprocessed lifestyle with no expiration date.

You can find more of McKel on her blog, Facebook and Twitter.

How to Conquer a Sugar Addiction {part 1} + A Little Recipe

I am a sugar addict. Or, I was a sugar addict. For years I'd load up on pounds of candy and sugar laden goodies and I couldn't get through a meal without finishing it off with a little something sweet.

My need for candy turned into a need for cakes, croissants and anything else that would give me my little buzz, only to leave me with a serious ache in my belly and a lull in my energy. I would sometimes wake up literally feeling hungover because I had consumed so much sugar the night before.  My head would be foggy, my skin would be muted and dry and my whole body would ache and long for more.

Here is the truth; sugar is a drug. Sugar, in it's most refined, highly processed forms, is a bad and dangerous socially acceptable drug and we don't even realize how much of it is in the foods we consume.

Sugar is pumped into everything to make it taste better and to keep us coming back for more. It wasn't until I started eating an extremely clean  vegan diet that I realized just how addicted I had been over the years. I do my very best to stay away from the stuff now but on the rare occation that I pop a sugar treat into my mouth, I am quickly reminder why it's, why I refer to, as the devil!

Today my need for sweets is still present but it's different.  I am a fanatic for my raw lemon bars and anything with cocao in it but I focus only on eating the things that are whole and natural and leave the white stuff out.

If you are looking to ditch the white stuff but want to know more of how you can get the good stuff I suggest you check out my two Pinterest boards, RAW Treats and Vegan Sweets.

Here you will find some of the most delectable treats I've found around the web and today I'm sharing a clean treat with you as well! Before that however, I want to give you a few tips on how to get over your sugar addiction. Pin it so you can go back and reference it whenever you need to!

So what can you eat instead of the sugary devil-like foods? Well, stay tuned next week for part two of this post. In the meantime, I leave you with one idea and it's the bom.com.

Ladies and gents...without further ado here it is:

Blueberry and Raspberry Galette. (Vegan, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar Free)

Ingredients:

For the crust you will need:

(I adapted my crust from one I found on Nutrition Striped)

1.5 cups baking and biscuit mix (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Mix)

1/2 cup coconut oil

3-4 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp organic pure almond extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

For the filling you will need:

1.5 cup organic blueberries

1.5 cups organic raspberries

Juice from one lemon

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup (grade B)

2 tbsp. agave

1.5 tsp organic pure vanilla extract

How to Make:

Begin by preheating oven to 325 degrees.

1. Add berries and all other filling ingredients together into a mixing bowl and set aside to marinate a bit.

2. Pouring the baking mix into a mixing bowl, extracts and salt into a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. I use a hand mixer because my food processor is broken but you could definitely use that!

3. Add in the coconut oil and mix until the pie crust is crumbly. Add ice water and mix until dough clumps together.

4/ Pour mixture onto a baking sheet on top of parchment paper (this makes life easier) and form dough into a large circle.

5. Add berry filling to the center of the pie crust making sure you don't add too much of the juice that has settled at the bottle.

6.  Gently fold just the edges of the dough (about two inches) and place it in a pie dish (I cut out a circle of parchment paper to help with removal later)

6.  Brush the outside of outside of the crust lightly with maple syrup and place in over for 30-40 minutes (this depends on your oven so check after 25 minutes)

7. Allow to cook and then serve with Coconut Whipped Cream.

What are your favorite clean treats? Share in the comments below!