IN THE BEGINNING…

…I studied pastry. Although I loved the artistic part of the job - making croissants, cakes and tarts - the constant access to unhealthy food began affecting my own health. Still, I wanted to continue working in the culinary field. Just in a more healthy way. So I left the butter and sugar behind (mostly), made a hard pivot, and studied holistic nutrition with the goal of becoming a certified nutrition coach. I didn’t know it at the time, but ultimately that decision would bring me to THE LAB. But before that, I met my first nutrition client, Mikayla.

MIKAYLA

Mikayla was an eager 27-year old with simple goals: She wanted to lose 15 pounds, learn more about nutrition, and have me teach her basic cooking skills. Mikayla’s goals were common ones, but as I got to know her more, she said that suffered near-unbearable cramps every month, had a lot of bloating, and also experienced what she thought was systemic inflammation. She didn’t, however, believe her physical problems were food related. I wasn’t so sure.

PROCESSED FOODS

Since Mikayla didn’t cook much, she relied on take-out or pre-made grocery store meals. Why didn’t she cook? Too busy? Had no talent for it? No. She’d just never spent much time cooking and felt ill at ease in the kitchen. Which I understand. If you put a paintbrush in my hand and said, “Abby, paint me a picture” I’d have no clue where to start. But she needed to learn: Having worked in a lot of restaurants, I knew chances were that at least a good portion of the take-out food she consumed was likely processed or ultra-processed*. Like most of us, Mikayla has heard of processed foods, but didn’t think she was eating them, because she didn’t really know that they are.

(For those who don’t know, processed and ultra-processed foods contribute to coronary and cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes. And yet ultra-processed foods are the main source - nearly 58% - of calories Americans consume daily. And two symptoms of those diseases: inflammation and for some women, hormonal imbalances.

LEARNING TO COOK

Mikayla needed to learn how to make her own food. It’s really the only way to control what you put in your body. And people who feel confident in the kitchen are more likely to make their own meals and gain control. So we began cooking together. Simple, delicious meals like quinoa bowls loaded with fresh roasted vegetables, lemon-baked wild salmon full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids topped with a gut-healing probiotic yogurt and dill sauce. Lots of salads with healthy fats like avocados and nuts. A lot of legumes for extra protein and magnesium, which I suspected could help Mikayla with her cramps.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Changing habits is hard. Doing it alone is even harder. Being accountable to someone increases the odds of success. As LAB members know, having a training appointment on the books increases their odds of showing up which gets them a step closer toward reaching their goals. Similarly, I set up weekly meetings with Mikayla. These sessions became more and more social, and Mikayla began confiding in me, talking about her stress and anxiety, about her fitness routine (I encouraged her to get in more cardio), and our meetings proved invaluable, giving me more insight to Mikayla’s life, and for Mikayla, keeping her working toward her goals. But the one thing I stressed with Mikayla is that ultimately, she would have to learn how to be accountable to herself.

BIG CHANGES

After working with Mikayla for only a few weeks, she began becoming more confident in the kitchen, making healthy, simple meals for herself, and she noticed several changes in how she felt. Within a few weeks, her monthly cramps completely went away (magnesium and anti-oxidants the key there), and she said she had more energy, more motivation, almost no signs of inflammation, and had found real joy in cooking. And over a few months, she lost 10 of the 15 pounds she wanted to lose. Working with Mikayla and seeing the impact it had on her convinced me that I had found the right path, working as a nutrition coach.

THE LAB NUTRITION PROGRAM

When the pandemic faded, I moved to Santa Barbara where I heard about a progressive, whole-body training, PT, and recovery facility called, THE LAB. Both Ruth Loomer and Alex Ash knew about my desire to work in nutrition, so while I worked member services, we began planning a LAB nutrition program.

The program really came together when I began working with Dr. Fred Kass. He knows so much about the human body and food’s effects on it, cares deeply about his patients, and is the kindest, most generous man. I wish I’d had Fred to order blood panels, hormone tests, and other assessments for Mikayla so we could’ve established baselines and monitored Mikayla’s progress over time, as we’re doing with THE LAB nutrition members. His medical expertise is a game changer.

COOKING CLASSES

Together with physical therapy, training, and recovery, nutrition fits in perfectly with THE LAB’s whole-body ethos. And we’ll be hosting monthly cooking classes at THE LAB so members can become more comfortable and knowledgeable about buying and preparing their own foods, just like Mikayla. We’ll also dine together, sip wine, and enjoy the communal experience, all important components for health and longevity.

SUNDAY MORNINGS

One final note. Every once in a while, on a Sunday morning, I’ll get out the flour, butter, and sugar, laminate some dough, shape a few croissant, and bake them for me and my friends. It is only on a rare occasion, and it gives me great joy doing something I do so well, and we all need to enjoy life to be healthy. But like Mikayla, I remain accountable, these days to myself and my clients at THE LAB.

* As defined by Harvard Health, ultra-processed foods are “Foods made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks.”

THE LAB Nutrition Program

The Pacer

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