Plant-Based Pescatarian Lifestyle: Insight from a Nutrition Professional
Key Takeaways:
- Josiemer Mattei emphasizes the importance of food choices for overall wellness and follows a pescatarian diet.
- Mattei’s eating habits have evolved over the years from being a meat lover to adopting a plant-based diet partially due to health reasons and her advocacy for animal rights.
- Mattei emphasizes that there is no “perfect diet” and advises flexibility in food choices. She also highlights the importance of responding correctly to hunger and fullness cues.
- For those considering dietary changes, Mattei advises being clear about your motivations and suggests that well-being and health should be the primary motives.
- Mattei’s key nutrition advice is to eat what you like, but try to align it with your physical, mental, and budgetary needs. She recommends opting for whole foods and minimizing processed foods as much as possible.
Before she made a name for herself in the world of nutrition, Josiemer Mattei was just a young girl living and learning about food in a farm near Puerto Rico.
“Growing up near a farm gave me an incredible experience and advantage, as it allowed me to understand where my food was coming from, how it was cultivated and what true flavors should be like,” defines Mattei, currently an associate nutrition professor at a renowned public health school in Boston.
During her dialogues on dietary habits and decision-making, she discusses her pescatarian lifestyle, common mistakes roots adopt while striving for flawless health, and her holistic approach towards food.
A firm believer in the importance of food in wellbeing, she declares, “Eating is something that we do from the moment we exist until we draw our last breath. It’s indeed an essential part of our complete wellness.”
Determining Factors Behind Food Choices
Her food selection is a blend of various factors – health benefits, convenience, ethical reasons, preference of taste and culture, and company presence.
While choosing food, she remains highly aware of budget and also adheres to a pescatarian diet.
Evolvation of Eating Habits
Her dietary habits have indeed evolved over the years. From being a meat lover till her early 20s, she switched to a pescatarian diet mainly due to health reasons and her advocacy for animal rights, primarily concerning environmental outcomes.
During her teenage years, her food choices were affected by her immediate surroundings, often resorting to quick and processed food readily available at local corner stores and joints where she hung out with friends.
Influence of Cultural Background on Eating Habits
The traditional roots of Puerto Rico profoundly shaped her palate and food choices. “In Puerto Rico, we focus on food-rich culture. It’s not just about eating right but bonding over food. Our traditions say, when you visit a person’s house or want to express gratitude or concern, you bring food. Our food is nothing short of delicious!” exclaims Mattei.
Her transition to the mainland U.S saw a shift in her eating habits. Initially, it was a challenge adapting from Puerto Rican cuisine to available options. However, this shift arouse her interest in nutrition, considering the rampant instances of hypertension and diabetes among her kin back in Puerto Rico.
Peek Into Her Regular Dietary Intake
Mattei cautions against the notion of a “perfect diet”, emphasizing the importance of flexibility in food choices. That being said, coffee is a consistent part of her breakfast routine – a customary beverage from her homeland.
A typical day’s meal for her comprises either cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich or salad for lunch, and a healthy, home-cooked dinner with her family. She uses healthy plant-based oils for cooking, enjoys a drink or two in a week, and does not shy away from indulging in desserts, especially the Puerto Rican ones.
Mattei advocates awareness of one’s eating habits and emphasizes the importance of responding to hunger and fullness cues correctly. If hunger strikes between meals, she usually opts for yogurt or fruit.
Advice for Those Seeking Dietary Changes
For those looking to switch to healthier eating, she recommends being clear about their goals and motivations. In her view, the pursuit of well-being and health should be the primary aim of making dietary changes. As per her, temporary motivations like weight loss or enhanced physical appearance might not always work in the long term.
Key Nutrition Advice from the Expert
Eat what you like, but align it with your body and mind’s requirements, budget, and cultural values. Opt for wholesome foods and avoid processed ones as much as possible. Eating healthily is a long-term commitment. So, don’t be hard on yourself, keep striving, and enjoy the delicious food options available out there.
Not all views enlisted in the interview reflect the official stance of the concerned health organization. Copyrighted by the said organization, all rights reserved.
By Skillful Health Writer
