Be Fab - Be You LLC Health/Wellness & Fitness

09/03/2026

This whole oxalate conversation started with one simple question under a Costco video: “What about the oxalates in kiwi and figs?”

The answer is a lot more useful than a list of foods to avoid.

Spinach smoothie every morning. Almond butter for a snack. Dark chocolate later. Sweet potato at dinner. Maybe a greens powder or a few supplements too.

Individually? All of those can fit into a healthy diet.

Together, every day? Now we have a pattern worth noticing.

Oxalates are not a reason to fear healthy food. Most people do not need a strict low-oxalate diet just because they learned oxalates exist. But amount, frequency, concentration, and health history can change the picture.

The mistake I want you to avoid is removing half your grocery cart before you have looked at what you are actually doing.

Swipe through, then think about your own week. Are the same greens, nuts, powders, snacks, and supplements showing up again and again?

Comment TRACKER and I’ll send you my free 7-Day Food Variety & Oxalate Awareness Tracker so you can see the pattern for yourself before making your diet more restrictive.

Sources:
1) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Kidney Stones.
2) Oxalosis & Hyperoxaluria Foundation. Oxalate Food Content Database.

09/03/2026

Does this look like breakfast?
Maybe not.

Do I care?
Nope.

This was my Leftover Steak Breakfast Bowl, and it kept me full for hours.

I used leftover New York strip steak, steamed broccoli, mushrooms, a little blue cheese, mixed greens, microgreens, and psyllium husk for extra fiber.

Approximate nutrition:
~8g fiber | ~35g protein | ~8g net carbs | ~24g fat | ~400 calories

This is why I love leftovers.
Dinner can become breakfast.
Breakfast can look like lunch.
Food is food.

Your body does not care what we call the meal. Your body responds to nutrients.

Where’s the fiber? Think digestion, gut health, fullness, and steadier energy.
Where’s the protein? Think muscle, recovery, body composition, and staying full.
Where are the plants? Think micronutrients, volume, and metabolic health.

This was simple because most of the work was already done.

The steak, broccoli, and mushrooms came from dinner leftovers. In the morning,
I added greens and psyllium husk to make it more fiber-rich and breakfast was done.

That is functional health coaching in real life: learning how to build meals that support digestion, steady energy, metabolic health, weight management, body composition, and performance without making food complicated.

Maria food rule: Stop asking if it looks like breakfast. Ask if it fuels you.

Before you say, “I have nothing for breakfast,” check your leftovers.
Can you add greens?
Can you add fiber?
Can you add enough protein?

Want to understand why meal composition matters for energy, cravings, and blood sugar balance?

Comment ENERGY or DM me ENERGY and I’ll send you my blog on blood sugar imbalance symptoms and the rollercoaster effect.

09/03/2026

More food variety is not automatically better.

A diverse diet can provide a wider range of amino acids, fiber, micronutrients, macronutrients, and plant compounds that can support a more diverse gut microbiome.

But there is an important catch.

If you're already dealing with digestive problems and can tolerate only a small number of foods, suddenly adding dozens of plants to your diet may make you feel worse.

The goal isn't to keep restricting your diet forever.

And it's not to force foods your body clearly isn't tolerating.

The goal is to understand what's happening, investigate persistent symptoms, and gradually expand your food choices in a way your body can handle.

Sometimes the answer isn't another food to eliminate. It's figuring out why your body isn't tolerating the foods in the first place.

That's where personalized nutrition and functional health coaching can make a difference.

What foods do you currently struggle to tolerate?

09/02/2026

One healthy meal does not protect your heart.

One vacation meal does not ruin it either.

The more useful question is:
What pattern are you building over time?

A new study followed 2,238 adults from young adulthood into midlife and looked at long-term adherence to a DASH-style eating pattern.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

It emphasizes foods such as vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, with generally less sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat.

People in the higher long-term DASH-adherence trajectory had a 21% lower risk of coronary artery calcium progression compared with those in the lower-adherence trajectory.

This was an observational analysis, so it does not prove that DASH prevents plaque.

But I think the bigger lesson is powerful:
Your body responds to what you repeatedly do.
Not the salad you ate once because you felt guilty.
Not the restaurant meal you enjoyed on vacation.
Not one “perfect” week.
Your trajectory matters.

Swipe through for the study, what DASH actually means, and a simple way to look at your own eating pattern.

Save this for the days when one imperfect meal makes you feel as if you ruined your progress.

Source:
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Score Trajectories From Early to Middle Adulthood and Coronary Artery Calcium Progression in Middle Age. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2026. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.125.044564

09/01/2026

Not against whey protein. Just not convinced it is the best choice for everyone.

Whey naturally has a strong essential amino acid and leucine profile, and it is highly bioavailable. But whether it makes sense for you depends on your individual needs.

Food sensitivities. Allergies. Gut health. Digestion. Age. Goals. Even your personal preferences.

The best protein powder is not necessarily the one with the fanciest label. It is the one that fits your needs, agrees with your body, and helps you stay consistent.

And remember, protein powder is only one small piece of the health puzzle. It should help fill gaps, not replace a food-first approach.

Are you currently using whey protein, dairy-free protein, or both?

08/31/2026

Protein powder is a tool.

It is not the foundation.

Yes, it can help you hit your protein goal.
Yes, it can help when life gets busy.
Yes, it can make recipes more balanced.

And no, it should not replace real food all day long.

When you chew real food, you often get more texture, fiber, nutrients, and fullness than a fast shake with powder and water.

Use protein powder to fill the gaps, not avoid the basics.

Save this as your food-first reminder.

Sources:
Effects of chewing on appetite, food intake and gut hormones: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiology & Behavior. 2015.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511000122

08/28/2026

Before or after workout?
Yes, protein can help around training.
No, you do not need to panic and chug a shake 3 seconds after your last rep.

What matters more:
• Enough protein across the day
• Protein quality
• Protein spread across meals
• Enough total food for your goal
• Strength training consistency
• Recovery, sleep, and stress

When you train early or feel under-fueled, a pre-workout shake may help.

When your day gets busy after training, a post-workout shake may help.

Timing helps. Consistency wins.

Save this for your next training day.

Source: DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

Chocolate mousse for breakfast?
Yep. I did that.

This was one serving of my High-Fiber Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse with about 3 oz of chicken breast on the side.

The mousse was made with silken tofu, dark chocolate, cacao, chia, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, vanilla, and a sugar-free maple-style syrup.

I made it ahead, chilled it overnight, and breakfast was almost ready the next morning.

I added chicken breast because the mousse alone was not enough protein for me.

Approximate nutrition for the full breakfast:
~12g fiber | ~38g protein | ~14g net carbs | ~28g fat | ~467 calories

This is real-life healthy eating.

You can enjoy something chocolatey and still build the meal with intention.

The mousse brings fiber, some protein, healthy fats, and flavor. The chicken adds lean protein to help with fullness, muscle support, body composition, and steady energy.

That is what I mean by making food functional.
It still tastes good, and it also does something for your body.

This recipe makes multiple servings, so you can make it once and use it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. If you have more people at home, make a bigger batch and portion it out.

Maria food rule: Sweet foods do not have to run the meal. Build around them.

Next time you want something sweet for breakfast, ask: “What protein can I pair with this so it actually keeps me full?”

Want the full recipe and serving ideas?
Comment MOUSSE or DM me MOUSSE and I’ll send you the link.

08/26/2026

Encounters that can change lives...

It's especially awesome when short exchanges have the potential of impacting the health and life of children. I freaking love it ❤️

It all starts with parents.

One healtheir step and há it can do so much in the long term.