The Alessandra Cardin Show

Bernadette Pacana is a yoga teacher and plant-based holistic nutritionist who is passionate about helping people improve their health with mindfulness and plant-based foods. She believes that food can be our medicine, and mindful movement can help us tune into our bodies.  There are so many benefits of adding more plant-based foods and mindful movement to your life! In this episode, Bernadette shares about how adopting a plant-based lifestyle helped improve her energy levels, strength, and mood; along with her body’s healing abilities, and her personal sense of connection. We also chat about how practicing yoga can empower you to eat more mindfully. These are some benefits I gained from adopting a plant-based lifestyle, and practicing yoga as well! And if you’re interested in boosting your health with plant-based foods and yoga too, this is an episode you’ll definitely want to check out. In this conversation, Bernadette shares about how plant-based living transformed her health, the challenges she overcame when transitioning her diet and lifestyle, why she decided to study nutrition, and her key takeaways from nutrition school. You’ll hear her debunk some plant-based nutrition myths, and you’ll learn some of her amazing plant-based recipe ideas and tips for transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle too! We also dive into Bernadette’s yoga journey, and explore the connection between yoga and plant-based eating. I love that Bernadette promotes taking a customized approach to nutrition and movement; and that she emphasizes staying connected to your personal Why, and celebrating your wins! These are key things that I’ve discovered on my journey as well, and I completely resonate with her perspective. Let me know what your favourite parts of the podcast in the comments below! I hope this episode empowers you to live a more holistic plant-based life, and if you have any questions at all about plant-based nutrition be sure to reach out to either me or Bernadette! Enjoy the episode! Visit alessandracardin.com/podcast/20 for episode resources.

This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with holistic nutritionist Julia Marcuzzi. It’s a must listen to episode if you’re interested in going plant-based, or if you simply want to learn more about the science behind the plant-based diet! Julia is specialized in plant-based nutrition, and she runs a private nutritional consulting, and plant-based coaching practice. It’s her mission to share the current science-based evidence on how to eat, move, and live in the healthiest way; and she hopes to show how simple, yet abundant, plant-based living can be. In this episode, we discuss answers to some of the top questions that people have about plant-based eating: • Why should I avoid meat, dairy, and eggs? And what are some great plant-based alternatives? • Is organic, free-range meat okay? • What should my macronutrient ratio be? • Why should I avoid oil? • Do I need to take supplements? • Where do vegans get their vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3, iron, and calcium? … and more! If you haven’t already listened to Part 1, I highly recommend checking it out as well. You’ll learn about the benefits of the plant-based diet, what you can eat on a plant-based diet, how to prevent digestive issues when transitioning your diet, whether you should eat lectins and phytoestrogens, and more!  I hope you enjoy the episode, and I hope you learn a lot! If you have any additional questions about plant-based nutrition or would simply like to have a chat about plant-based living, please feel free to email me and Julia. We would absolutely love to support you on your plant-based journey! Lots of love, Alessandra Visit alessandracardin.com/podcast/19 for episode resources.

The special guest on this episode is my dear friend, Julia Marcuzzi. She’s a Registered Holistic Nutritionist specialized in plant-based nutrition, and she runs a private nutrition consulting and plant-based coaching practice. It’s her mission to share the current science-based evidence on how to eat, move, and live in the healthiest way; and she hopes to show how simple, yet abundant, plant-based living can be. Julia is from Toronto where I met her, but she moved to Byron Bay where she studied yoga (yes—she’s a yoga teacher as well)! In this episode, you’ll hear about Julia’s plant-based journey, and discover answers to some of the top common questions about plant-based eating: Why should I go vegan? What can I eat? Is it satisfying? How can I avoid bloating? Are phytoestrogens okay? Are lectins bad? How do I find credible nutrition research? How can I transition to a plant-based diet? If you’ve been thinking about going plant-based, this is an episode you HAVE to listen to. If you already are plant-based, you’ll definitely want to listen as well! I’m sure you’ll learn a ton about the science behind the plant-based diet; and be inspired by Julia’s journey, and her insights and advice on how to get started with plant-based living. We cover so many plant-based nutrition fundamentals in this conversation—in fact, we decided to make it a two-part podcast because we had so much to share! If you have any other specific questions about plant-based living you’d like us to answer in Part 2, be sure to leave them in comment or email your questions to me or Julia. Enjoy this episode, and stay tuned for the second half of the conversation! Lots of love, Alessandra Visit alessandracardin.com/podcast/18 for episode resources.

Today's episode is a fascinating conversation about sprouting, functional foods, and holistic nutrition. Sari Saadi is a cofounder of Nume, a plant-based functional snack brand that specializes in sprouted, nutrient dense, whole food cereal blends. In this episode, Sari shares about his personal health journey and why he started Nume; along with how nourishing our bodies with sprouted, functional, whole foods can empower us to thrive. Listen to learn about the benefits of sprouting, whether it’s better to get nutrients from whole foods or supplements, how to improve your gut health, how the food system affects the medical system, and so much more! Let me know in the comments what your biggest takeaways from this episode are, and let me know which sprouted foods you’re going to incorporate into your diet! Enjoy the episode!

Have you ever considered completing a health coaching certification? You can benefit from a health coach training program if you’re looking to build a career in wellness, or if you simply want to transform your own well-being! People are always asking me about my experience at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I completed my health coaching certification. I’m so grateful for IIN! It helped me uplevel my own wellbeing, while empowering me to step into my purpose of helping others fuel for optimal energy and vitality. Enrolling was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I’m so excited for you to learn more about the program today! In this episode, you’ll hear answers to some of the top questions I get asked about IIN. You’ll learn about my experience at IIN, IIN’s core concepts, the culture of the school, how IIN prepares you to work with clients, IIN’s global alumni network, IIN’s course content, the career options you can pursue with a health coaching certification, and so much more!

Kate began practicing yoga in 2009, and completed an Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training soon after. She then went on to complete The Art Of Mysore, Advanced Teacher Training, as well as a certification in Thai Yoga Massage. Kate left her job working as a manager at a local record store to teach yoga full time, but she hasn’t lost her love of vinyl—there is a strong emphasis on music in her yoga classes, and in her life. As a yoga teacher, Kate wishes to enable students to explore the body’s potential.  In this episode, you’ll hear about Kate’s yoga journey; and how yoga can empower you to embrace positive change, and transform your life. We explore the parallel between yoga and music, the healing benefits of music, and how Kate incorporates music into her yoga classes. From this conversation, you’ll also gain tons of valuable advice for how to start a yoga practice, and how to evolve as a yoga teacher.

You may be aware of the types of foods you are consuming… but are you aware of where they are from and how they were grown?  I’m so excited to share this eye-opening conversation with you today! Meghan De Jong a Holistic Nutritionist who is passionate about empowering others to nourish their bodies with real foods, and become more connected with the earth. She is an advocate of eating locally and growing your own food, and on the podcast she shares about how getting connected with your food sources is one of the best things that you can do for your health (and the planet)! In this episode, you’ll hear about how Meghan became a holistic nutritionist, and why she began growing her own food. You’ll discover the fascinating link between soil quality and both gut health and mental health, and you’ll learn some practical tips for making empowered purchase decisions at your local grocery store and farmers’ market. In addition to learning how to purchase the most nourishing foods, you'll also learn about how and why to grow your own food! Meghan shares some amazing tips for how to start growing food—even if you have limited time or space. In this episode she covers everything from which plants are easiest to grow, to how to keep pests away, to what kind of soil to use! We chat about holistic nutrition and which fermented foods can further support your microbiome health as well.  This conversation is so inspiring! I’m sure you’ll want to start a garden after listening. I already bought kale and collard seeds, and I am so excited to plant them! Let me know in the comments what your biggest takeaways from the episode are, and let me know what kinds of food you decide to grow!

Do you ever feel as if you’re getting too caught up in the external outcome of a goal you’ve set? In having the results of your efforts be “perfect”? I’ll admit it! I have for sure felt this way before. It’s of course great to set goals… but at the same time, focusing on finding joy in our day-to-day lives—finding joy in the journey—is so important. Because that is where life really happens—in the now! This is a topic I’ve been exploring a lot lately, and so I’m extremely excited to share this latest podcast episode with you. Maisie Kwong is a certified life coach, and the founder of The Maisie Lining. It’s her mission to inspire and awaken the hearts and minds of everyone around her, and empower others to reach their maximum potential.  In this episode, you’ll hear about Maisie’s personal journey in creating a more balanced life, and you’ll discover some powerful tools that will help you find greater balance too. You’ll also learn about the importance of striving for progress over perfection, how to identify when you’ve fallen into a perfectionist mindset, and how to let go of perfectionism.  Maisie shares a lot about life coaching as well. Listen to discover what exactly a life coach does, whether life coaching is something that may help you, what to look for in a life coach, how and why Maisie became a life coach, and whether becoming a life coach is something that may be right for you.

Neve Roseman is the founder of Wild Movement, a yoga and meditation YouTube channel that is a hub for mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Neve, who’s from Melbourne, Australia, is certified in both personal training and yoga. In this episode, Neve shares her unique and refreshing perspective on fitness. By applying eastern yogic philosophy to western style workouts, she inspires her personal training clients to view every kind of exercise as a form of mindful movement. It’s her mission to empower others to experience fitness in a new way that is unconditioned, authentic, love-filled, expansive, soulful, and fun!  In this episode, you’ll learn about how shifting your thoughts during exercise can impact your fitness results, your energy levels, and your entire life. We explore how movement can be used as a tool to link the subconscious mind with the body, and how exercise paired with deliberate thoughts can empower you to manifest any desire. We also chat about the value of setting intentions, practicing visualization techniques, and finding a balance between challenging yourself and letting yourself rest. You’ll get to hear about the spiritual transformation Neve experienced in Byron Bay, and the yoga teacher training she attended in India as well. This conversation is fascinating, fun, and truly life-changing! Enjoy the episode, and let me know when you try out any of Neve’s mindful fitness techniques!

As a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (AADP), Sarah Anne Stewart runs a leading mindfulness based private coaching practice in Los Angeles. Sarah's unique heart-centered approach has helped hundreds of women across the globe make sustainable lifestyle changes and heal their relationship with food and their bodies.  In this episode, Sarah shares about her personal wellness journey, and how she came to discover the power of transformational power of mindset. We chat about the importance of taking personal responsibility for your health and your life, what it means to truly love yourself, how to embrace intuitive eating, and so much more! Sarah shares her advice for how to process emotions, how to deal with perfectionism, and how to practice affirmations in the most effective way; along with her top tips that have helped her private coaching clients live their lives to the fullest.