- 6 months ago
Beauty starts from within—literally. This interactive workshop led by nutritionists, wellness coaches, and beauty experts will break down the connection between food, skin health, gut health, and overall vitality. Guests will learn:
1. The best foods for glowing skin & strong hair
2. How to beat fatigue & inflammation through nutrition
3. Simple, nourishing recipes to incorporate into daily life
Attendees will leave with actionable tips and a fresh perspective on fueling their bodies for longevity, radiance, and overall wellness.
1. The best foods for glowing skin & strong hair
2. How to beat fatigue & inflammation through nutrition
3. Simple, nourishing recipes to incorporate into daily life
Attendees will leave with actionable tips and a fresh perspective on fueling their bodies for longevity, radiance, and overall wellness.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hello. Y'all look beautiful. Yes. Hey, Nola. My name is Akili King. I'm the senior beauty
00:07editor at Essence Magazine, and I am super, super excited about this panel today. Nourish
00:14and Glow, a topic very near and dear to my heart. We will be talking about all things
00:20skin and gut health, and just gut health for overall vitality, energy, et cetera, eating
00:28to feel good, and I'm here with some amazing experts today. First, we have registered
00:34dietitian, nutritionist, and cookbook author, Marissa Moore. Hey, girl. Woo-hoo. Yes. Skin
00:43glowing. And then we have body positive dietitian and food and lifestyle blogger, Andrea Mathis.
00:52Looking gorgeous as well. And last but not least, we have founder of Ascent Blends, New
01:00Orleans' very own Dominique Myers. Yes. Yes. So excited to be here with y'all. Thank you
01:08for being here. So I would love to get started. Each of you, tell me about your journeys. What
01:15inspired your career paths? We can start with you, Marissa, if you want. Of course. So for me,
01:21I would like to say that I started as a dietitian because I really like food. I like cooking,
01:27and I like the science of food as well. And I encountered this book called, oh, okay. Is
01:34that better? A little better? Okay. So I started because I like food, I like cooking, I like science.
01:41And I found this book called Food and Mood, and it inspired me to help empower women to
01:49live and feel their very best. Amazing. You mentioned a book. We're going to circle back
01:55on your book later. Yeah. So we'll get to that. Excited. And what about you, Andrea?
02:01Well, I've always been like a curvy girl ever since I was a kid growing up. So I've always
02:07been like heavier than my friends, my family. Um, and so I grew up kind of thinking that my body was
02:14a problem, you know, like it was something that needed to be fixed. So, um, I wanted to become
02:20a dietitian to kind of fix my own relationship with food, but also to help others. And when I
02:25entered that space, I noticed that there was like a lack of representation for people who look like me.
02:31So I made it my mission to focus on that and to, uh, kind of represent in that body positive space.
02:38So that's where I am today. Love it. I love it. And Dominique?
02:43Yeah. Um, basically working on self was started my journey. Um, trying different products,
02:52trying different ingredients, uh, becoming more fit. Uh, I had acne issue a lot after college.
02:59Um, you know, I'm, I'm in New Orleans where we're like one of the most unhealthiest cities
03:04in United States of America. Um, and so not wanting to be a statistic, right? And so out of that came
03:11a wellness company called the St. Blends. And I, um, I farmed it right on the sidewalk in my
03:17neighborhood. Uh, I did a pop-up and I grew a health hub on a sidewalk in the city and the city
03:23supported it. And to this day, we still going strong.
03:26I love it. Incredible. And then I would love for each of you to provide some examples of
03:33how eating properly helps us achieve wellness from the inside out, whether it's a personal
03:38story or a general tip.
03:42I can start. You know, the thing is when we think about food and, um, how it affects our
03:48mood and everything, we, we've all experienced how our mood can change when we eat a really
03:53big meal. So you can actually be proactive in what you eat because you can, um, it influences
04:00your overall health, your gut health, your hormonal health, all of that impacts your skin
04:04health, as well as your overall health as well.
04:08Um, well, just kind of piggyback off that. I think that eating properly for wellness includes
04:14eating a variety of nutrient dense foods, making sure that you're eating a balanced food, and
04:19also giving yourself that permission to eat those foods. You know, sometimes we're trying
04:24to skip meals because we're so busy, but we have to make time to nourish our bodies. And
04:29that's, what's going to give you, uh, that health and wellness from the inside out.
04:34Yeah. Um, at the end of the day, you are what you eat, period. Um, the, the system that is
04:43brought upon us is not the system. Our body needs the sugars, the fried foods. You're wondering
04:49why we have high blood pressure, diabetes. It's in the food. It's nowhere else. You're
04:52not just born with that, right? That's accumulated. That's what's in the foods. That's what's in
04:58the drinks. And so when you get away from those things, you're literally going to see the difference.
05:03A good friend of mine diagnosed with diabetes, borderline diabetic or whatever, immediately when
05:09he took away carbs, sugars, dropped the weight, everything, his numbers were good. So it's
05:15basically, you are what you eat. Yes, absolutely. And then Marissa, circling back on your cookbook,
05:24it is called The Plant Love Kitchen. Tell me about the inspiration behind that.
05:29Okay. So The Plant Love Kitchen is actually not my title. The publisher came to me and they asked
05:36me to write the book because I, they knew that I had a history of being vegan. I was vegetarian for
05:42a while, but I'm not anymore. And I love writing the book because it helped people to see that you
05:47don't have to stick to one label. You can be very flexible in the way that you eat, but the focus is
05:52really on making sure that you're eating what makes you feel good. And that's actually contributing
05:57to your overall health. So I loved writing the book. It's got great recipes. It was fun to write,
06:02but I'm also looking forward to writing a book about the foods that I grew up eating
06:06because we as black people, I think a lot of times we tend to think that what we grew up on
06:12is not healthy, but it is. Okra, sweet potatoes, collard greens, all these things are very healthy
06:18and I'd love to just shine a better, a higher light on that. Absolutely. And I'm seeing okra trending
06:24everywhere for skin and everything. So definitely love that. Well, that was going to be my follow-up
06:30question if we can expect another book. So I'm excited. We'll see. We'll see. Yes. Stay tuned.
06:36Amazing. And then for Andrea, you know, your approach to dietitian work is so inclusive and so incredible.
06:46Why is it so important for you to kind of broaden the boundaries of the wellness space with your work?
06:51Well, I think it's so important because we live in a society where, you know, we're praised for eating
06:58as little as possible. We're praised for shrinking our bodies to be as thin as possible. And we're often
07:05told that that's the ultimate marker of health. And when I worked in the hospital setting, a lot of my
07:11clients adapted that mentality and it affected negatively affected their relationships with food,
07:17their food choices. So I was like, someone has got to come in and do something about this. Someone has
07:24got to help to change that narrative. And after thinking about it, I was like, I guess that someone
07:29is going to be me. And so I decided to make that my focus. I came up with my food and lifestyle blog,
07:36Beautiful Eats and Things. And it just focuses on recipes and it has body inclusive nutrition advice
07:42and it creates that safe space for inclusive wellness.
07:46So beautiful. And just a reminder that wellness does not look one way. So that's so important. Yes.
07:52Amazing. And then Dominique, you have Ascent Blends here in NOLA. Tell us what inspired you to launch
08:00this brand and maybe what people who haven't been or people who are visiting can expect from the company.
08:06Gotcha. Um, well, you know, like I say, growing up in New Orleans, it's a lot of food deserts,
08:12especially when I started in 2016. So just wanting to educate my people and also provide a healthier
08:20option. Right. Um, again, when we wake up in our neighborhood, there's a fried food spot,
08:25there's a gas station, there's McDonald's, this, that, and a third, but there's, there wasn't nowhere
08:30where you can get some good quality products, good fruit at the snap of a finger. And so, uh,
08:36bringing that to my community helped build Ascent Blends. And, um, we've been with the people,
08:42like I said, I started on a sidewalk, the closest you could get to the people. Right. And so growing
08:47that and doing pop-ups all over the city to grabbing a location, to learning a business,
08:52expanding it. And like I say, we're steady growing and steady building right now. We have a lot of
08:57clients. We deal with special needs, athletes, kids, the list goes on and on. And you can expect
09:03a lot in the near future with Ascent Blends. I feel like I'm just getting started with my company,
09:08to be honest with you, because you never stopped learning. Right. Absolutely. I love it. And just
09:14making wellness accessible to, to the community. So important. Perfect segue, because I was going to
09:20ask each of you to kind of share your accessible tips for incorporating food from a wellness
09:28perspective into your routine. What are some easy ways that people can do this that have worked for
09:34you? So you have to do what works for you. So I think about simple things like a tuna salad,
09:42for example, everybody, if you like fish, you can enjoy tuna or salmon, just maybe add some vegetables
09:49to it. You can add in chopped carrots or cucumbers or chopped broccoli even, and make a simple salad
09:55that you can eat throughout the day. One of the things that I like to encourage people to do is
09:58to think about their future self and plan ahead just a little bit so that you can incorporate some
10:04of the things that are going to make your life easier and contribute to your overall health.
10:12Well, I always like to recommend seeing what you can add to your plate rather than take away.
10:18A lot of times, you know, we often think of restriction when it comes to trying to be
10:22healthier, but look at your plate to see what you can add to it. Does it need more leafy greens? Does
10:28it need more fiber, whole grains? Just kind of taking that time to look to see what you can add
10:35to make it a more balanced meal.
10:39Well, you know, it's a, it's a project. It's a, it's a whole situation that you have to go through,
10:45right? There's so many products. There's so many things. And so to me, I kind of just started
10:51doing research, like from what they're, you know, for the things that they say, like, okay,
10:56this is good for this. This is good for that. Right. So I look at the things that I may need.
11:00What do I lack? Um, get test ran to see if you, your vitamins are low or high or they're good.
11:05Right. And kind of go from there and, uh, start, start just, just start by starting, honestly. And if
11:12not now, then when, right? We want to, we want our women to live longer. We want our people to be
11:18here. Right. And so you have to just start by starting. Once you start, the doors will start
11:22opening. It's not rocket science. Right. So. Yes. I love that. Love that. And so each of you are glowing.
11:30So I have to ask, what is your, um, advice or top tips for incorporating foods for glowing skin,
11:40your recommendations there? So when it comes to foods for glowing skin, there's a few things you
11:46have to focus on. Um, one really, one thing that I think everybody's heard before is to eat foods
11:51with more color, but there's a reason for that. Colorful foods have like berries, melons, including
11:57watermelon, cantaloupe, they are high in antioxidants, which help to reduce, um, free radicals and it
12:04helps to reduce potential premature aging. So including more of those in your diet, but
12:09also healthy fats. So avocado, nuts, seeds, including peanuts and sunflower seeds. All of
12:16those are great for helping to make the skin a little more supple. And then of course, protein
12:21is another one, but I won't take all of them. Um, well, yes, for sure. All of those are really
12:30great choices. And I also want to add the citrus fruits. Um, they are also a great choice because
12:35they have the vitamin C, which will help to support and promote that collagen production.
12:40Um, and that's so important for our skin because it helps with the skin elasticity. It also helps
12:45to keep our skin like nice and firm. So that's also a great addition. Um, also honey, honey is a good
12:52addition. It contains, um, antimicrobial benefits that can help to keep, uh, breakouts away. So maybe
12:58add a little bit to your tea. Some people add it to coffee, you know, but, um, those are some great
13:04choices as well. Gotcha. Well, I would say, um, for me, especially that I went through the journey of
13:13reducing acne. And it was, like I said, it's a process. I didn't know everything, still learning.
13:18And, um, I for sure got rid of sugars, uh, lessened, lessened way, way of fried foods. Uh,
13:26I got away from meat. Right. And again, everything that works for me doesn't work for everybody else.
13:31Right. So you have a lot of people who can eat that and don't break out. Right. But for me,
13:35those things did that to my body. Right. And so, uh, my ginger shots is, I take daily right here,
13:44a scent blend. You can follow us on social media and we can get you some, um, water, blueberries.
13:50Um, those are my go-tos. And like I said, everybody's different. So what works for me
13:55don't work for you, but I will recommend ginger, uh, blueberries, uh, cayenne pepper and water is my
14:01favorite too. That's something simple. You can dash some cayenne pepper in some water and help
14:06clean those blood vessels, keep that blood flowing. And yeah. Very nice. I'm going to have to grab some
14:13of those ginger shots tomorrow. We got some back there for you. Oh, perfect. Okay. I will try some
14:18for sure. And then you mentioned acne. So on that kind of note, you know, when it comes to inflammation,
14:25what do you all recommend? Especially I'm an eczema girl, so I'm always struggling with that.
14:31So I'm curious, uh, for inflammation, your tips. So when it comes to inflammation, I have to say
14:37that food is important, but also your overall health. So sleep is number one. So getting enough
14:43sleep. I, when I work with people one-on-one, that's actually one of the first questions I ask
14:49about, like, how is your sleep? Because when you're not sleeping well, if you're stressed, all of that can
14:54show up on your face and in your skin. So making sure that that's a top priority is, is important.
14:59But a lot of the foods that we just named, I think are important for reducing inflammation. So
15:04lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, water. Yes, I agree. The healthy fats are a great
15:12food source. Also with the antioxidants. Another one is fiber-rich foods. So the produce will help
15:19to give you that. Maybe some whole grains. All of those can help to, you know, maybe prevent
15:24or at least reduce inflammation. So I think just a variety of those nutrient-dense foods will really
15:30help. And you can see some of those benefits. Gotcha. Um, so I know we, we, we've talked a lot
15:37about fruits, vegetables, but we didn't talk about exercising, being active, being in the sun, being in
15:45the water, right? All the elements to why we are even here, right? So it's from food to the sun. And, um,
15:54again, y'all, it's just getting started. That's, I go back to that because you're going to see the
15:59difference when you start adding and subtracting to your diet, right? It's not just a certain thing,
16:06a certain thing. It takes a collective unit and the proper oil to, for the motor to keep running,
16:12you know? Yes, absolutely. The holistic approach. Love it. And so, you know, also when it comes to
16:21fatigue, I know you mentioned obviously rest, but people deal with fatigue even beyond getting good
16:27rest. So what are some energizing recipes or snacks that we can rely on? So probably for energy. When I
16:36think about eating for energy, I think about, um, complex carbohydrates, like, um, bananas, for example,
16:44or adding in a little bit of peanut butter with that banana, that's going to give you a little quick
16:49energy. Um, there's, that's key, but I just, I really always have to encourage people to make sure
16:56that they're getting proper rest because food alone isn't going to give you everything that you need.
17:01Um, and when it comes to fatigue and trying to increase energy, I feel like a lot of us will
17:07reach for coffee. You know, I love some iced coffee, but we reach for coffee. We reach for those energy
17:13drinks to get that, that quick boost of energy. But if you notice shortly after that, you kind of crash
17:19because it's not that sustained level of energy that we need. So I recommend, um, uh, just to balance
17:25meals with the complex carbohydrates, a source of healthy fats, a source of protein, because that's
17:31going to help to stabilize blood sugars. And it's also going to help to give us that sustained energy
17:36that we need throughout the day. Um, a good one is breathing, getting oxygen to your blood. Um,
17:46when those pipes are clouded, what happens? You're nodding off, eating too much. Sometimes we eat,
17:51we overeat. We're supposed to eat to get fuel, not eat and go to sleep. That's, I think that's kind
17:57of backwards. Right? So I would say breathing is one, um, back to exercising, you know, or getting
18:04that motor going, um, and getting away from sugars, sugars turn into the foolishness and
18:10it brings upon fatigue, you know? Absolutely. Even when you just said breathing, I was like,
18:16let me take a deep breath right now. Anytime something's going on, what they tell you? Take a
18:21deep breath. Exactly. It relaxes the system, right? Exactly. No, I love it. I love it. And do you,
18:28each of you have favorite easy recipes that you've been relying on lately that are easy for us to do at
18:35home? Well, I, I love a one pot sheet pan meal, something that's quick and easy. I have two small boys,
18:44my husband, a dog, and I don't have a lot of time. So anything that is super quick and easy. So like,
18:51I love to make a sheet pan meal that includes like maybe put some chicken, some potatoes,
18:57add some vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, put it on that one sheet pan, season it up,
19:02and you have a complete meal that doesn't take a lot of time. Um, I also love smoothies because you
19:08can grab something out of your fridge, your freezer, uh, old produce, you know, or that's about to go bad
19:13to use that up and get some of those key nutrients that you need, you know, uh, with a quick and easy
19:19smoothie recipe. I love that. Yeah. Um, here's a good smoothie. I kind of jump when you say smoothie
19:27here. Um, blueberries, a banana oatmeal, and you probably can, everybody uses, some people use
19:35honey, agave, whatever your sweetness is. Um, and if you want almond butter, your choice, but
19:42I use that as a pre-workout in the morning. It, it, it, it stores energy. Um, I'm not eating a big
19:49breakfast in the morning because you need that. You don't want to, you don't, you don't want to
19:53crash on a big plate of breakfast, right? You want to have the energy stored so you can last,
19:58right? Again, in the mornings, a lot of our traditional meals are this, this, this, this,
20:04this. And then you're at work like, Oh, I'm kind of tired at this desk. And the day just started.
20:07That's kind of backwards. Right. And so light, but right is, is what I go for. So I'll say again,
20:14smoothie in the morning for me, that's what I do. A good blueberry banana, probably like a pack of
20:19oatmeal and, um, yeah. And blend it and see where you go. I love it. And then off of that, you know,
20:28what are each of your personal wellness routines? You each do a lot. So what's keeping you grounded
20:35these days? So not to say it again, but I prioritize sleep. Um, and I don't watch the news
20:42as much as I can avoid it because that's important for my mental health. Um, but when it comes to other
20:49things, I, um, dance a lot. That's my form of exercise. I move my body the way I like. And then
20:57I focus on foods that make me feel good. So like I make a chickpea salad and I might eat part of that
21:04throughout the lunch, um, throughout the week. Um, so focusing on foods that make me feel good,
21:10um, moving my body in joyful ways and getting enough rest. Very nice. Well, my routine, I like
21:17to carve out some time in the mornings, uh, just for me, whether it's some meditation or taking the
21:23time to just eat a nice breakfast by myself with, you know, some peace and quiet. Um, also making sure
21:30that I like to make sure that I'm hydrated. I want to say, I heard this advice on social media.
21:34Someone said that they are drinking water and minding their business. And I was like, that's
21:39what I'm going to do because we can all use less stress. And if we mind our business, we will have
21:44less stress. And of course, drinking water will, you know, provide you with hydration and nourishing
21:50your body. So, um, yeah, I think that that was just kind of, it summed it up for me.
21:54I like to piggyback what she said about the news, but just media period, like that's a mental fatigue
22:03right there. Like getting caught up in, Oh, she wore that dress. And now you thinking about, okay,
22:08how she, you know, it's, it goes too far and the brain can only process so much. Right. So I agree
22:14with media. I would say media, right. Lessening that, um, exercise is one of my big things. I love
22:21exercising. Like it's a time where you're building on self. You get the, not, not even if you're just
22:27trying to build muscles or anything, but it's a time where you get challenged, right? You might be
22:32like, damn, I don't got this last step in me, but you, but then you have to dig deep and, you know,
22:37it's a challenge for yourself. It's not nobody else pushing you. It's all on you. Right. So
22:41exercise is, is a, is a thing that I love to do. Um, and of course my diet, right, that you eat
22:46better, you think better, you feel better. It all comes together. Literally.
22:49Yes, absolutely. And so we've talked a lot about glowing from the inside out,
22:55but when it comes to topical products or routines, what is your skincare routine like right now?
23:03So mine is really simple. SPF every day, even in the winter, like year round, um, retinol and
23:12a moisturizer. Love it. Love your tip about SPF year round. Skin cancer is real. So. And wearing
23:20a hat when you're outside. Yes. That's important. Um, mine is very simple as well. I have very dry
23:27skin, so I'm all about moisture. So making sure that I have a moisturizer that contains an SPF.
23:32I also have a separate one for nighttime. That's a little bit thicker and heavier to provide me with,
23:38uh, some moisturizer throughout the night. Um, I also love serums like serums that have a vitamin C in
23:45it to help kind of brighten the skin. Um, so those are my products. Gotcha. Um, a basic like scrub,
23:53a facial scrub. Um, and then I make me a nice clay, a nice clay that I perfected. And that's pretty,
24:00it. I don't have to moisturize anything like that, you know, but I do keep that coconut oil on me,
24:05you know? Yes. I was told I got to go to another oil. My sister just said, you need to go to this
24:10one. So I'm, I'm gradually getting into the oils, but coconut oil has been doing its justice.
24:16I've been glowing. Yes. Yes. You're glowing. So whatever you're doing is working for sure.
24:22Yes. And then what is next for each of you that you're excited about or that you're hoping to tap
24:29into in this wellness industry? So I can share that I am restarting my sub stack,
24:36which I don't know if everybody knows what sub stack is, but it's kind of like a newsletter,
24:39but kind of like social media. It's a little in between. So I'm restarting that as a way to
24:45connect with my community, um, and inviting people to experience more joy. So over this last year or
24:51two years, really, I've taken time to travel and do some things outside of food and work.
24:56And I'd like to invite my community to do more of that with me.
25:01Uh, so I recently launched a social media and branding course called beautifully social. So
25:06I want to help others, uh, share their expertise and knowledge on social media in an engaging way.
25:12And also in a way that can be very lucrative. Um, I also launched an online shop on my website,
25:19beautiful eats and things. And it's a shop that has customs designs by me and all of them have a theme
25:26of body positivity, self-love empowerment. So you'll find all of that in my shop.
25:32Um, for, for me and my company, um, we basically just trying to get online much more so we can get
25:40the product directly to you. Cause we do a lot of local things in the city where products are
25:44distributed, but the, uh, we're just trying to build that more so we can get products to you.
25:49So more of the online presence, I would say. And first off, I want to thank everybody who's sitting
25:53right here. Y'all could have been at any booth anywhere in the convention center, but y'all right
25:57here. So y'all here for a reason. So I hopefully hope that the things that we've talked about y'all
26:03walk away with something, you know, so big up to y'all. Absolutely. Clap it up for yourselves.
26:09We love that. And where can everyone find each of you? So I'm everywhere. Marissa Moore at
26:17Marissa Moore on Instagram and everywhere. Um, my website, beautiful eats and things.com also on
26:23all the social media channels, beautiful eats and things. So you can find me there.
26:28And, um, we are at Ascent Blends on social media. And yeah.
26:36Yes. Amazing. Well, thank each and every one of you for being here today and for sharing your energy,
26:43expertise, time. So appreciate you all. And thank you to the audience once again for stopping by.
26:50Hope you enjoy Essence Festival and thank you so much. I'll see you soon.
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