234. Eating From Our Roots: Bringing Accessibility, Culture, & Health to the Table with Maya Feller #FabulousFriends

Today's guest is my friend Maya Feller, a Brooklyn-based RD who graduated from New York University. Maya's always been absolutely approachable and real food-based. You can find her on TV shows like Good Morning America as her private practice provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for the management of, and the risk reduction of, non-communicable diseases.

She's also the author of a fantastic new book called Eating From Our Roots, which is where we spend most of our time today. It was released on January 24th of this year and features over eighty global recipes to take you through the heritage of cooking and how healthy food can look (and taste) wildly different for different people in different places.

Backed by Goop Press, Maya’s powerful message of accessibility and education sets her apart in a general health-food conversation that gets noisier every day.

Her commitment to meeting people where they are promises a seat at the table for so many who’ve gone without one – I so respect and revere her work and community impact. It's a joy to welcome Maya to the Be Well By Kelly podcast today.

We also cover…

00:04:52 — Maya’s Path to Community Nutrition 

• Bonding over a shared mission to make healthy food relevant and accessible 
• Dabbling in theater and philosophy on her way to study nutrition at NYU
• Inspired to study the science of hydration while training for the Boston Marathon
• Working with a marginalized and disenfranchised population
• Serving for access vs. privilege 
• Maya’s powerful lessons from working in the community 
• Learning by listening to her patients’ needs 

00:19:34 — Eating From Our Roots

• Eating from Our Roots (Goop Press)
• Early inspirations and ideas for the book
• Culture, history, race, and ethnicity through the lens of food
• Expanding your family’s palette with worldly foods and flavors
• Working with Chef Silvia Barban
• Roadblocks of recipe testing during the pandemic
• Intentional use of additives and natural sweeteners

00:32:52 — Recipe Modifications for Health Conditions & Accessibility

• Levels CGM
• Moving away from an all-or-nothing approach
• Creating sustainable shifts to fit individual needs
• Having the ability to personalize Eating From our Roots recipes
• At-home tips for elevating limited-access eating
• Removing shame from the conversation

00:41:05 —Healthy Eating At Home with Maya

• Be sure to check out the seafood in Eating From Our Roots
• Breakfast yogurt hacks 
• Prioritizing family & home cooked meals
• Eating the (seasonal) rainbow
• One golden rule at Maya’s house – season everything!

00:54:36 — Simplifying Health with The Daily 5 

• Daily 5: water, fruit, veg, protein, and sleep
• Restoring the mind in nature 
• Kelly shares her sleep-deprived journey to 6-phase meditation
• Maya’s moving meditation + love for the outdoors
• Running the parks of NYC

Resources:

• Read: Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World: A Cookbook (Goop Press)
• Website: mayafellernutrition.com
• Instagram: @mayafellerrd

Connect with Kelly:

• kellyleveque.com
• Instagram: @bewellbykelly
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Cozy Earth | Get 35% off sitewide when you use the code 'BEWELL' at CozyEarth.com.

BWBK Protein Powder | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com.