Plant Chat: Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT

Sharon Palmer RD

Published on December 7, 2016

I am so happy that my friend and colleague Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT stopped by my blog today! Kara, also known as The Foodie Dietitian, is a nationally recognized nutrition and culinary communications expert and yoga teacher based in Boston. Kara believes that the secret to a holistically happy life is nourishing the mind, body and spirit and she instills this integrative philosophy in the kitchen, yoga studio, working one-on-one with clients, on her food and healthy living blog, The Foodie Dietitian, and in her e-book, Nourish Your Namaste: How Nutrition and Yoga Can Support Digestion, Immunity, Energy and Relaxation. Her blog features delicious seasonal vegetarian recipes and simple strategies to bring more yoga and mindfulness into your life and has been most recently featured on SHAPE, TODAY, Fitness, SELF, The Kitchn, Prevention and Buzzfeed. Continue reading to learn more about her new book, health philosophies, and more.

What is the inspiration behind your book Nourish your Namaste?

Nutrition and yoga have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Practicing yoga while paying attention to the foods I put in my body have helped me to heal during some difficult periods of my life. Witnessing the power of nutrition and yoga firsthand and how the two modalities can help improve health and wellness inspired me to integrate yoga into my nutrition practice. There are so many mixed messages in the media about yoga and nutrition and people are left thinking they have to be vegan or eat kitchari all day to be a good yogi. I wanted to write a book that would help weed through all the confusion and provide sound, research-based information on how use nutrition and yoga to improve health and wellness, specifically digestion, immunity, energy and relaxation.

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What is your personal nutrition philosophy?

Eat whole foods that feel good in your body and never, ever deprive yourself.

What are some easy ways for people to incorporate some of the wellness principles you talk about in your book?

One of my favorite chapters is the chapter on relaxation because let’s face it, we can all benefit from a little R&R during our busy day-to-day lives. To help support relaxation, try some restorative yoga poses at home. These can be especially powerful when practiced right before bed. You don’t need fancy yoga props – simply grab some pillows and blankets for support. An easy pose to practice at home whenever you have five minutes is legs up the wall. It’s practiced just as it sounds – lying on your back with your legs resting on the wall. This cooling inversion will help you to slow down your breathing, activate your parasympathetic nervous system and relax. In terms of nutrition, choose foods like tart cherries, oats, bananas, and sweet potatoes that naturally contain melatonin (a hormone that regulates sleep cycle) or a precursor to melatonin like serotonin or tryptophan.

How do you feel yoga helps create a healthful, balanced lifestyle?

The word yoga is translated in the ancient yogic texts as “to still the turnings of the mind.” In other words, yoga helps us to get out of our head space, where we spend most of our days and to get into our bodies and in touch with our breath. When we’re in touch with our bodies and our breath, we approach life more calmly, with more clarity and innate wisdom. Yoga can help us to be more mindful around food and get in touch with our feelings of hunger and fullness.

Do you have some suggestions for practicing daily meditation?

Find a relatively quiet and comfortable space in your home and try to meditate in that same spot every time you sit so your body begins to associate that spot with meditation. Set a timer using an app like Insight Timer or try a guided meditation using an app like Headspace. If you notice your mind drifting, try counting your breath to gently bring your attention back inward. Be patient with the process – it’s a slow journey and the shifts are very subtle, yet powerful. I include a couple meditations in my Tier 3 Nourish Your Namaste package and have some on my YouTube channel as well.

What are some tips you can provide for people wanting to switch to a more plant-based diet?

Go slow. Start with one plant-based dinner on Monday for Meatless Monday and work your way up from there. Try incorporating “meaty” vegetables into your dishes like eggplant and mushrooms to give you a similar satisfying texture. Play around with plant-based proteins like beans, lentils and nuts for extra staying power.