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The Plant Powered Collective Podcast helps women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond live vibrantly and nourish boldly. Hosted by integrative nutrition coach Lori Willinski, each episode blends science-backed nutrition with approachable strategies for hormone balance, energy, and healthy aging. Rooted in lifestyle medicine and personalized coaching, Lori shares her story of thriving on plants since age 14 and managing autoimmune disease with nutrition. Discover how a plant powered lifestyle fuels not only your health, but also your leadership and your future self.
Back to the Plant Powered Collective podcast. I'm Lori Belinski, founder and integrative nutrition coach for The Plant Powered Collective, and today's conversation is real life. It's layered, it's emotional, and it's also deeply practical. I'm currently in my home state of Massachusetts and this trip is not a vacation. I'm here supporting my father through dementia navigating appointments, logistics, and the emotional weight that comes with watching someone you love change.
Speaker 1:And in the middle of that I've been very intentional about something taking care of myself too. Not perfectly, not rigidly but intentionally. And there have been these small meaningful moments throughout the week that reminded me what I do nourishment and the pillars of lifestyle medicine really looks like in real life. A visit to Cape Cod with my cousin, a quiet morning coffee with a friend I hadn't seen in a while were the intentional moments. Moments that could have easily been disconnected from nourishment but instead became opportunities to nourish more deeply.
Speaker 1:Let's dive into the podcast. Alright let's start here because this is what real life actually looks like. I'm here in Massachusetts supporting my father who is navigating dementia and that has meant stepping into a role that is both logistical and deeply emotional. I've been coordinating and stacking his doctor's appointments so I can bring him to each one efficiently. I've also scheduled a meeting with the owner of the company that provides his caregivers to ensure he has the right level of support.
Speaker 1:And I am sitting down with his dentist to talk through oral health decisions that are not simple at this stage of his life. I am also connecting with the Town Senior Center to learn more about their dementia program and I am
Speaker 2:getting him assessed so that he can have access to additional support and community. It's a lot. And while I have
Speaker 1:naturally tend to approach things from a very structured and solution driven perspective, This week has reminded me that there is another layer the emotional layer and when you are in a season like this your body my body is not operating from a neutral place. My nervous system is more activated, my cortisol levels are more elevated, and my digestion is less efficient. Because the body is prioritizing stress over restoration. That means reduced stomach acid, slower enzyme activity, changes in gut motility, shifts in my microbiome. So my digestion is off when life feels heavy and when I am traveling.
Speaker 1:And let me tell you that's not a lack of discipline. That's physiology. And this is why the anchors that I'm about to talk about matter so much because they gently guide my body back to balance. And I hope that if the anchors resonate with you that they will also bring your body back to balance when you're dealing with a stressful moment. I simplify everything into anchors.
Speaker 1:Not rules. Anchors. Because anchors create stability when everything else feels fluid. First anchor is plants first, always. From a nutritional standpoint this is foundational.
Speaker 1:Plants offer fiber which feeds beneficial gut bacteria. They provide polyphenols which reduce inflammation. They deliver key micronutrients that support energy and stress resilience. And I support this by preparing just enough. When I arrive somewhere I find a local store and pick up simple non refrigerated foods.
Speaker 1:Things like nuts and seeds, roasted chickpeas, whole grain crackers, nut butter packets, and oatmeal. These are not just convenient, they are stabilizing inputs for my gut. Number two Stay gently consistent. Consistency regulates our internal systems. Even small routines help regulate blood sugar, regulate hormones, and regulate digestive timing.
Speaker 1:A simple morning routine of hydration and a grounding meal can signal safety to your body. Move your body daily. Movement supports digestion and reduces stress. Sometimes that's
Speaker 2:a walk. And sometimes, especially when it's cold, and it's cold right now in Massachusetts, It's something much more personal. A somatic dance party in the bedroom. AirPods in, door closed, and just me. Somatic movement is intuitive, feel based movement that allows your body to release tension and regulate the nervous system.
Speaker 1:So when I get up in the morning and I'm in the bedroom that I'm sleeping in at my brother and sister in law's house I keep the door shut, put in my air pods, put on some good music, and I just have a little dance party. Get my body moving. Get my nervous system to be regulated. Because when the nervous system regulates, digestion improves.
Speaker 2:Number four.
Speaker 1:Create micro moments of calm.
Speaker 2:A breath of fresh air. A pause between moments. Like a pause between
Speaker 1:doctor's appointments and just give myself a few moments of calm, a few moments of breathing, a few moments of listening to some calming music. These micro moments activate the parasympathetic nervous system and that is where digestion thrives. This is where it all comes together because stress is not just logistical, is emotional. There was a moment this week that really stayed with me. We were driving through a neighborhood on the way to a hospital for my dad to have a scan and some blood work done.
Speaker 1:And my father recognized a home he had lived in. And everything sort of slowed down. The sun was setting and casting like a soft glow light across his face, and I could see it so clearly. I could see his age and his frailty. A version of him that felt both present and slipping at the same time, and it hit me in a way I wasn t expecting.
Speaker 1:Because I usually stay in a structured, solution driven space. You know, I approach things from a leadership perspective, from a professional perspective. But in this moment,
Speaker 2:it wasn't about solving anything. It wasn't about leadership.
Speaker 1:It was about a feeling, and it made me so sad. And this is exactly why everything we talked about in the last segment matters. All those anchors matter because stress lives in the body, And it impacts digestion, appetite, energy, and the microbiome itself.
Speaker 2:So in moments like that, the anchors become so, so important. The nourishment, the movement, and the pauses. Not to fix the emotion. I wanted to feel the emotion.
Speaker 1:I wanted to work through the emotion. So not to fix the emotion, but to support your body through it. Now after I took my dad to that to that scan and test, I took a little pause and visited my cousin on Cape Cod. Or like we say in Massachusetts, I went down
Speaker 2:the Cape. We spent the day exploring
Speaker 1:the historic coastal town that she lives in. We drove through small streets lined with weathered homes and local shops. We visited a cultural center, that was this beautiful old home. We visited this amazing New England lighthouse overlooking the ocean. There was a calmness to it.
Speaker 1:There was a familiarity with it, and it was a different pace from the day before. And then we went to lunch, both with my cousin and her friend.
Speaker 2:The restaurant was full. There was already, even though
Speaker 1:it was lunchtime, maybe a little bit later than lunchtime, but around lunchtime, and there were already in New England, we would call them townies, enjoying lunch at the bar, having a beer. It was lively. It was classic Cape Cod.
Speaker 2:And it was fried everything. Fried fish,
Speaker 1:french fries, onion rings. And my cousin and a friend kept on asking me, is there something you can eat
Speaker 2:here? And I felt that familiar discomfort, not because of them, but because I don't want the moment to feel limited. And the truth is, I usually can find something nourishing. I just need
Speaker 1:a moment. So what I do is
Speaker 2:I stay curious. And I look again at the menu. And I asked a question because I noticed that there was sushi on the menu and the sushi chef created something beautiful. Vegetable sushi.
Speaker 1:It was fresh and vibrant and thoughtful.
Speaker 2:And I was able to enjoy the experience. And that's the shift. Not I can't eat here, but what can I create here? And you'll be surprised how easy it is to do that and how willing the restaurant is to provide something nourishing and do something maybe a little creative, for you. Now I just got back to my brother and sister in law's house where I'm staying because, this morning is Saturday morning, and I went to
Speaker 1:a trendy coffee shop. It was super cute. It had, like, warm wood tones. There was sunlight pouring through the windows. It was in the basement of an old historic church.
Speaker 1:And I know the basement sounds like you have to go down these old, like, dark, staircases and it would be super dark, but it was, set on a hill.
Speaker 2:So the basement had beautiful, like, big windows,
Speaker 1:you know, and again, the sun was pouring through the windows. There were people there having, having muffins and and, breakfast breads and coffee, and, it was really just beautiful to see in this small town. And I was there because I met a friend that I hadn't seen in a while, and it felt easy and comfortable and connected. I mean, she grew up in the same small town that I grew up in in Massachusetts, and there's a lot of intersection of friends. She married a man who was the best man at my wedding.
Speaker 1:So and I've known, that family since I had been five years old. So we have so much in common. And I hadn't eaten breakfast. And again I wasn't sure what I would find. And then I saw them.
Speaker 1:I had already purchased my matcha,
Speaker 2:and I noticed that they had energy protein balls. They were vegan. They were simple. And they were nourishing. So having those with my matcha was perfect.
Speaker 1:When I sat down and took a bite, it was so good. Not just the food, but the moment, the conversation, the connection, and
Speaker 2:the presence. Another one of my anchors, that calm. I nourished my body, and I nourished my life at the same time. And now I'm sitting back at my brother and sister in law's home and recording this podcast.
Speaker 1:When I recorded this podcast yesterday on Saturday, I thought it was complete. I had shared the experiences from the week, the lessons, the moments of nourishment through food and movement and connection. But then today happened. It's Sunday. And I had an experience that felt important to add because it reminded me again that nourishment doesn't stop.
Speaker 1:It continues to unfold in real time. And as much as I've shared what this week has looked like so far, I still have a lot ahead. Monday and Tuesday, before I fly back home, there is still a lot more to do with my dad. I'll be bringing him to this local senior center assessment so he can access more support and community. I'll be continuing conversations with his dentist around his care.
Speaker 1:And I'll finally be bringing him to the neurologist an appointment we've been waiting for for a long time. One that had to be rescheduled from the winter because of all the snowstorms they had here in Massachusetts. So this continues. And I know I'll be relying on those anchors I mentioned earlier to move through these next couple of days. Coming back to plants and simple nourishment to support my body.
Speaker 1:Staying hydrated. Staying gently consistent where I can to create a sense of rhythm, moving my body even in small ways to release stress and stay grounded, and creating moments of calm so my nervous system can reset. Not because everything is easy, but because these are the things that support me so I can show up fully for him and for myself. And with that, I want to share this experience from today, Sunday. I accompanied my brother and sister-in-law to a Zen Center for a meditation session.
Speaker 1:It was simple, structured, and intentional. Twenty five minutes of sitting meditation, ten minutes of walking meditation, another twenty five minutes of sitting meditation, and then a dharma talk. And this week, the dharma talk centered around slowing down and not letting your mind get in the way of your peace. And that really stayed with me. Because so often, especially in a week like this, the mind is active.
Speaker 1:It's planning, organizing, and anticipating. But in that space today, everything softened.
Speaker 2:There was a natural, easy connection with the other meditators and the Buddhist facilitators. No pressure. No expectations. Just presence. And it felt like being part of something larger, a collective.
Speaker 2:Not just the room, but also my brother and sister in law's world. I don't get a lot of I don't get to spend a lot of time with them in person, and this was such a meaningful way to connect. And then later,
Speaker 1:I visited my niece, my sister's granddaughter, and her grandfather. I hadn't seen them in a few years. When my sister died suddenly and tragically in 2019, We all processed that loss in different ways. I was very present in the beginning, but then life shifted again. And I experienced another loss, a different kind of loss, the loss of my marriage, I lost touch with them.
Speaker 1:Walking into that space, walking into that home, it felt like no time had passed. It was warm and familiar and easy. We
Speaker 2:talked. We shared what was happening in our lives. And then
Speaker 1:we got in the car and took a drive to my sister's grave. And we started sharing memories, some deeply poignant, some completely hilarious. My sister had a great sense of humor. And my sister lived life fully, and she gave us so many moments to remember. And in that space, of course, there was sadness, but there was also laughter.
Speaker 1:Lots of it. There was connection and there was healing. And that's when it really landed for me. When we travel, when we move through these seasons of life, nourishment is not just about what is on your plate. It is about how you care for your mind, how you connect with others, how you allow yourself to feel because connection and stress reduction are not extras.
Speaker 1:They are essential. They are part
Speaker 2:of how we regulate, restore, and truly support our health. And when I stepped back and looked at the week as a whole, it became so clear.
Speaker 1:This is what bold nourishment actually looks like.
Speaker 2:It is not just about the food. It is
Speaker 1:about the full picture. About the full lifestyle. It is choosing plants that support your gut and give your body what it needs. It's moving your body in ways that release stress and bring back movement and bring you back to yourself. It's creating moments of calm so your nervous system can reset and your body can restore.
Speaker 1:It's allowing connection even when life feels full or complicated because all of these pieces work together. Your nutrition supports your microbiome, your movement supports your circulation and digestion, Your stress reduction supports your nervous system and hormone balance. Your connection supports your emotional well-being and sense of belonging. This is the integration. This is how we build resilience.
Speaker 1:Not through perfection, I always say that. But through layering these moments of support into real life. Into your lifestyle. Into my lifestyle. And when you begin to see it in this way, everything becomes an opportunity.
Speaker 1:An opportunity to nourish your body, your mind,
Speaker 2:and your life all at the same time.
Speaker 1:So here's your takeaway. You don't need perfect conditions to support your gut. You need consistent, intentional support within the life you're living. And to make it easier I created a free download called Nourish Anywhere. It's a simple practical checklist you can use while traveling or anytime life fills out of a routine.
Speaker 1:The link is in the show notes and take a moment to ask yourself what is one small way I can support my body today? If this episode resonated share it with someone who might need it. And if you're ready to go deeper join the Plant Powered Collective community or book a complimentary one on one session with me. All the links are in the show notes. Next week we'll continue this conversation and go deeper into stress and gut health.
Speaker 1:Until then nourish boldly and live vibrantly.