300. How to Nourish Your Body for Productivity with Molly Lupo

Dr. Molly Lupo talks about the importance of nutrition, how it can vary based on our daily activities, and what you can begin doing to keep your energy up.

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Check out Molly's website:
https://www.mollylupo.com/

Follow her on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drmollylupo/

Transcript

Jennia: Hello, I'm Jennia D'Lima. Welcome to Writing and Editing, the author-focused podcast that takes a whole person approach to everything related to both writing and editing. Being part of the writing and publishing community means we're probably going to encounter some stressful times. Like, maybe when you have a tight deadline and end up working through the night, or you're out all weekend for an event that leaves you physically or mentally taxed, or even encountering the mental drain that can come with a day of expended energy. But how can we choose foods that manage our well-being during these times? Dr. Molly Lupo is here to share her expert advice. And before we start, I just want to make it clear that we're not offering tips on losing weight or dieting. This is all about fueling your body in a way that will be beneficial for you. And we're looking at nutrition, not some fad diet or your outward appearance.

Jennia: So with that, welcome to the show, Molly!

Molly Lupo: Thank you so much for having me! I'm so excited to be here.

Jennia: Yeah, I'd love to hear that more about you and how you got into nutrition.

Molly Lupo: Yes, well, it's a winding path. So I started as a nurse and then I went on to become a nurse practitioner. Then I eventually got my doctorate in nursing. And I actually worked in oncology for a number of years. But what I actually found is I had so many people who are asking me once they had gotten this, you know, life threatening, like, diagnosis, "How can I be healthy today? Like, how can I live into it today?" And I just found that I wanted to learn more and more and more and more about it. And I just became, like, enamored with learning about the science from a nutrition perspective, from a behavior standpoint, from understanding habits. It is just so very nuanced in how we take care of ourselves.

Jennia: Mhm.

Molly Lupo: And so, yeah, just really like dove into all of the things nutrition and beyond nutrition, lifestyle, and how we take care of ourselves in the day to day.

Jennia: Well, on your website you talk about connecting food to how you feel. So can you describe that and maybe how listeners can also learn how to pick up on this association?

Molly Lupo: Yes. So . . . So many people, you know, just go on crash diets or whatever it is. There's so much out there. So how are they supposed to know what to believe, what not believe?

Jennia: Right!

Molly Lupo: Really, if we take a step back and we say, "Okay, what would actually nourish me today?" I find that is such a great question to ask. And for most people it's going to mean eating in a balanced way. So I don't ignore any food groups. I don't say, like, "Don't have XYZ," like, we have them all. I just really aim to get that plate balance. So having protein on your plate, having some carbohydrates, having some fiber, having some fat in there is going to be the key to how you feel throughout the day. Because that is what our bodies want, it's what our bodies thrive on. It is going to be so much different if you just start your day with, you know, like, a Starbucks order with—And if you're, like, missing one of those components, right? Then you're going to end up hungry a couple of hours later or perhaps you didn't get enough. Yeah. So I really want to feel like my hunger is sort of just in the background and not in the forefront. And that I feel satisfied with the way that I eat. So also, like, adding onto your plate the things that feel very satisfying to you. Whether that is, you know, like, some coffee creamer in your coffee, whether it's cheese and your eggs. Like, and I don't care what it is, but it has to feel satisfying for you to want to eat that way for the rest of your life.

Jennia: That's good advice. Well, what are some of the food choices that you see people making when they're under extreme stress?

Molly Lupo: Well, first of all, I would say it's not necessarily, like, their fault in that when we have more high stress environments, etc. . .  Like, our brain is being used in those situations, and our energy's being used in a way that the thing that we are grabbing for is maybe the more processed snacks, maybe more of the processed foods. Because those have carbohydrates in there—

Jennia: Mhm.

Molly Lupo: —those are going to give them that quick boost of energy, but it's not going to sustain them. So having some foods on hand that they know that they can go to, that are easily already prepared, chopped up, etc., and pairing, you know, their protein with fiber and maybe, like, a little satisfying snack in there is what can help them when they know the stress is going to hit. Because the stress always is going to be there in the day in, day out. It's just a matter of how can we prepare ourselves to be nourished in those moments?

Jennia: Yeah, that convenience seems to be a key point because it's like you don't want to do that one more thing when you already feel overloaded and just the thought of even having to chop up some celery is just too much sometimes.

Molly Lupo: Yeah, it's not in the moment of when we are forecasting this. Like, we almost need to think about this when we have some downtime, when we have some time to actually plan and prep. And then when those stressful moments hit because you're not going to go chop up apples, I can just guarantee it—

Jennia: (laughs) No!

Molly Lupo: —when those moments hit, then, then those choices become easier because you've already prepped your environment.

Jennia: Do you have any tips on how to do that?

Molly Lupo: Yes. Things I like to think about is just, like, keeping lists. I'm a big list person. So keep lists of foods that you actually like, that you actually enjoy, that you actually like to snack on, and make sure those are in your fridge, in your pantry, whatever. We keep a lot of just, like, easy things on hand. So, like, grilled chicken is boring, but if you put grilled chicken and you marinatee it with taco sauce or buffalo sauce, whatever it is that you like, stir fry sauce. So we usually just make, like, a ton of grilled chicken for the week and have that on hand so we can go grab it. We also just keep lots of, like, fruit and fresh veggies that we can just, like, have on hand. I also sort of always keep the freezer stocked with frozen berries, frozen veggies. Those are so easy to just—You know, you could make a smoothie with the frozen berries for dinner. A lot of times we will grab the frozen veggies and throw them in the air fryer. It doesn't always have to be super fresh from scratch. You can definitely use your freezer for options, a pantry, and just, like, making whatever works for you work for you.

Jennia: Can you explain how some of those choices that we might be making, like when we are reaching for the carbohydrates versus having a prepared snack of some of the items you just mentioned, how that's not going to be beneficial, not even just in the long term, but in the long term within the framework of that day?

Molly Lupo: Yeah. So when we're reaching for the more, like, carbohydrate, fat-latent snacks, what's happening is we're getting that quick, like, burst of energy. We're getting a quick, like, blood sugar spike, but then it's going to crash. And so it's not even that you can't have those things. You can, but maybe you pair it with a protein, maybe you pair it with a cottage cheese or a Greek yogurt, or a tuna pack, or some people really like to keep like beef jerky on hand. But pairing those with some protein and a little bit of fiber is going to actually keep you full for that afternoon. It's gonna give you the energy that you actually need to sustain versus the quick hit and crash.

Jennia: Then, do nutrition needs change throughout the day at all?

Molly Lupo: So I think it largely depends on what you're doing throughout the day, like, activity wise. So if you are, you know, moving a lot, or exercising, or walking a lot, or doing a lot of manual labor, then I think, yes, that they absolutely could. If you are mainly just, like, working from home and you're not super active, then I think you can sort of stick with what feels good to you, what feels nourishing, and you don't need to change a lot.

Jennia: Okay, so let's say that it's an author and they're normally pretty sedentary, sitting at their desk, writing. But then they have an upcoming event where they're going to be up and about 12, 14 hours a day. How should they change their diet for that time period?

Molly Lupo: If they have an event where they're going to be up on their feet and they're going to be a lot more active, like, that is going to change their energy needs right? And they like, I always think calories are energy. They need energy to make it through those events. Yeah. So I would definitely start with, like, a very solid, like, balanced breakfast, like we chatted about. And then perhaps they need to add a few snacks in there too. So eating every three to four hours, not skipping meals, making sure they stay hydrated, making sure they're getting really good sleep, like, six to eight hours a night—all of that stuff is going to help them prepare for that event, for that next day, to carry them through.

Jennia: That was going to be one of my other questions which you've already answered, and that is are different scenarios associated with needing different types of food or nutrition? So, yeah, that helps a lot, too, because I think it's easy also to get into that mindset of, "This is what I eat throughout a day," and then you just bring that same list over even though your day has now changed drastically from what you do have happening every single day.

Molly Lupo: Yeah, totally.

Jennia: And even the water one is a good one. So do you have any suggestions on how to make sure youre getting enough water in? Because, you know, even just being friends with various authors, there's a lot of talk about coffee. And, you know, "My three cups of coffee for this morning, here's my iced coffee for lunch," right?

Molly Lupo: Yeah, yeah. So coffee is great. I love it too. But we want to make sure, at the same time, we're also, like, meeting our hydration needs. So there's a few little tricks here. One, you can just keep, like, a water bottle in your fridge from the night before and maybe you drink that before you drink the coffee, just to get you a little bit hydrated. Get that energy going that way. You can also just get the bigger water bottle so you only have to fill them up a few times a day. I like the true lime and true lemon flavory that you can buy at the store, if you don't want to drink just plain water. There's lots of, like, water mix ins now. But trying to aim for about half your body weight in ounces of water is a pretty good spot to keep you hydrated, to keep you going throughout your day, to avoid, like, the energy crashes, all of that.

Jennia: Yeah, I'd love to hear that a little bit more about that, because I think it's also easy for us to assume, "Oh, if I have another cup of coffee, like, that's going to revive me." But can you explain why that might not necessarily be true?

Molly Lupo: So the coffee and the caffeine, absolutely. That has the potential to revive you. I agree. It's just that it's also going to be dehydrating to you and dehydrating to your cells and your body. And so we want to make sure that we are hydrating at the same time so that our cells are happy, so that we feel more energized. Sometimes if we're dehydrated, that can feel like hunger. So really making sure you're taking care of yourself in that way. And you can even just split it up into two or three parts of the day, whatever you like. But if your goal is to drink a hundred ounces a day, maybe you just aim to get 30 to 40 ounces in the morning, afternoon, and then in the evening. So those are just, like, some little tips and tricks I think about.

Jennia: Yeah, that's definitely helpful. Well, can you provide some alternative options to coffee? So say it's the middle of the day, you're feeling that midday slump, but you're on a deadline and you really just need to push through it.

Molly Lupo: Yeah. So you could—Well, a) you could go decaf coffee so it's not impacting your sleep in that way. You could go for, like, a green tea which has—it still has caffeine, it's just going to be a little bit less. There's lots of different flavored herbal teas as well. I love—There's a cinnamon tea. But you can definitely still go that way. And I would even think outside of the box in terms of energy wise, taking a break, going for a walk, getting some fresh air, that's also going to revitalize your energy. It's going to help clear that brain space to help you hit that deadline.

Jennia: Yeah, I found that too. I mean, not just even taking a walk, with just a break where you're just not trying to force yourself to do it, right.

Molly Lupo: Yeah.

Jennia: So what about those times, though, where we know we need to eat, but we can't seem to motivate ourselves to actually do it?

Molly Lupo: So for those times, I would just keep it simple. Maybe you just do a snack plate, where you put, you know, a pack of tuna, some crackers that you really like, or pretzels, some fruit, some sliced up carrots and cucumbers, and maybe, like, a ranch or hummus dip, and you're good.

Jennia: Do you think it's helpful to track when these times occur so that you can be better prepared? So for instance, you know that if you have to pull a late night, you're less likely to make, like, real dinner.

Molly Lupo: Sure. So I think absolutely the awareness of how you feel and when you eat, when you don't eat is crucial. The things I see so many people do is either skip breakfast or eat breakfast really late, which I think sets them up for more afternoon slumps and cravings. As far as like if you have a deadline coming up and you're trying to hit it, but maybe you skip this meal, yeah, like, you're not going to feel as good, you're probably going to get more hungry. So I think the more consistent you can be with your eating patterns throughout the day, even if it means you're grabbing that quick snack plate or making a quick smoothie, that's going to help sustain you more, that's going to help you not end up overeating a bunch of foods that you didn't really want to overeat in the first place. So just keeping regularly scheduled patterns of eating is going to help those hunger hormones and cues that you have.

Jennia: And then does hunger at all impair cognitive functioning?

Molly Lupo: Yes. So we know that if you don't get enough sleep, your hunger hormones are gonna be dysregulated. Your ghrelin, which is what makes you hungry, is going to go up, and how satiated you are is going to go down, and you're going to reach more for the carbohydrate, fat rich snacks. Because you want that energy because you don't have it from the night before. So I always think, like, the day is prepped by how the night went. So getting really good quality sleep is going to be key. And to further take care of yourself, it's like getting your breakfast in within an hour of waking up. I think it's so helpful. Making sure that that breakfast is balanced and making sure it's balanced to you. Like, everyone has their own customized nutrition needs.

Jennia: Do you have any ideas for what people could include in their breakfast based on maybe some popular, different needs that they might have? So, like, vegetarian, gluten free, that sort of thing?

Molly Lupo: Yes. So if you are vegetarian, you're going to go more for things like tofu, beans, seitan, but you're just going to have to eat more of the non-meat sources, a protein that is offered to vegetarians. And then as far as gluten free goes, gluten free, we really focus mostly on your proteins, and then your fruits and veggies, and then figuring out which carbohydrates you tolerate in life, whether it's rice, whether it's potatoes, squash. Finding those grains that are gluten free and that you can have, those are your options.

Jennia: Mhm. Okay, so what about when you're choosing food when you're out somewhere with a limited menu or limited selections? How can you best determine which items will be better for you?

Molly Lupo: I always think about eating out as I'm sort of scouring the menu for what their lean protein option is. Whether that's fish, whether that's chicken—and those are pretty much the options that they usually go for (Jennia laughs). But I will sometimes go for, like, ground beef tacos or whatever. But my point is, is, like, making sure you have protein on your plate. And then what I always like to ask is either I look at the menu to see, do they have any, like, grilled veggies or steamed veggies on the menu? Can I add that to whatever I'm ordering? And even if it's not listed, I will ask.

Jennia: Mmm.

Molly Lupo: And then I always think about the satisfying piece. So what is it that I really want on the menu? Is it, like, I want the fries today? Is it that I want the dessert? And making space and time for that. But I usually eat the protein, veg, fiber first because then I can eat the other thing and be very mindful about it, have a couple of bites, and move on.

Jennia: Do you have any ideas for substitutions for common cravings? So just as a personal example, I usually have gummy bears on hand when I'm really stressed out or I need to stay awake (laughs).

Molly Lupo: Yeah. So whenever I think about cravings, I think about, perhaps the meal before wasn't enough for you to be satisfied and to be satiated. So I really think about that meal pattern again, and I really think about balancing that plate to your customized needs. And then, it's like, if you want to have the gummy bears, you can work the gummy bears in. It's just they're not the thing that we are grabbing for all by themselves because again, they're just—they're just gonna be carbohydrates so they're gonna spike you quick in your blood sugar and then they'll drop you. So you could have, like, a yogurt and have your gummy bears, you know, and just be minful about your portions.

Jennia: Do you have any resources that people could go to for looking for a place to develop a meal plan?

Molly Lupo: So as far as meal plans go, registered dietitians can give those out. So they can look on, like, their insurance plan to see if there's a dietitian that they could work with who's in-network with them. They're really the only people who are certified to do that. With that being said, they can absolutely plan out their meals looking at a schedule, looking at their inventory, looking at what they have already, and then building meals around that. So those are the things I think about if I was meal planning for a week or even prepping.

Jennia: Mhm. And then, so we talked a little bit about some of the different scenarios and how that might change what you eat on a given day. But what about for, like, a recovery period or feeling refreshed? You know, like, you've been out at this thing for 36 hours and you're not normally doing something like that. And now you do feel a little more tired than usual or worn out. So is there anything you can eat to help sort of recover faster?

Molly Lupo: I would mostly think about sleep. So I would think about, like, recovering with sleep because that's going to always be sort of the foundation. But as far as what you can eat, you can eat a wide range of fruits and veggies. That's why we say eat the rainbow. That's going to help your gut microbiome. It's going to help your digestive tract. And then your lean proteins, and then your carbohydrates. Your carbohydrates are what gives you energy. So adding the potatoes and adding the rice and adding the things that you really like that are going to sustain that energy in that balanced way, those are the things that you could do. And just keep with your consistent eating patterns. So try not to skip the meals, feed yourself, you know, in those recovery days, take naps when you need to, take walks in the sunshine. All of those things help our intestines.

Jennia: Can you talk a little bit more about the importance of the gut biome? Because and I don't think we really talked about that and I don't want to just, you know, pass over it.

Molly Lupo: Sure. So the gut biome is very expansive. We're still learning lots and lots about it. And basically, your gut microbiome loves to be fed fiber. It loves to be fed fermented foods, like pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut. Those things all fall in there. Yogurt. And we basically just want to feed it a wide variety in color of fruits and veggies. Because depending on the color of the fruit and veggie, that's going to depend on your nutrients that you're getting from it. Your vitamins, your micronutrients, your minerals. So we want just a big array of those in our diet to support that digestive tract. and you can aim for somewhere around six to eight cups a day.

Jennia: Okay. Can you talk a little bit about how that will affect your day to day if it's off in any way?

Molly Lupo: If it's off, how you will feels—like, you might feel a little bit bloated, you might feel more tired, the digestive system might feel slower to you. So you can definitely feel it. And when people increase sort of their fiber intake or aim for around 30 grams of fiber a day, they feel different.

Jennia: Mhm. Got it. Well, if you had to narrow everything down to one main takeaway message, what would it be?

Molly Lupo: I think one main takeaway message would be to feed yourself in a consistent pattern in a nourished way on the daily. And when you get off track, when you missed a meal, whatever, just get back to it. That's how you build consistency.

Jennia: All right, well, thank you so much. Then, is there a best way to reach you or find you if people want to learn more?

Molly Lupo: Yeah, I'm pretty active over on Instagram. So it's just drmollylupo, D-R-M-O-L-L-Y-L-U-P-O. And then they can always find me on my website too. I send out a weekly newsletter, so anyone wants on the list, just shoot me a DM.

Jennia: Great! Thanks again!

Molly Lupo: You're welcome!

Jennia: Thank you for listening and be sure to check out the show notes for additional information, including Molly's links. And if you enjoyed today's episode, please share the link with a friend. And please join me next week when author Leah Lindeman will tell us how she conducts research for her historical fiction novels, and what to do when written resources are scarce. Thanks again!