Losing weight, reversing diabetes, and healthy vs unhealthy plant-based diets - with guest Andrea Sereda, MSc

In Episode #4 I interviewed Andrea Sereda and we chatted about her experience in losing over half of her body weight by switching to a whole food plant-based diet, reversing her type 2 diabetes & liver disease, and so much more. Andrea’s story has been featured in Forks Over Knives Magazine, Impact Magazine, the Chicago Tribune and through numerous television appearances.

In this conversation we also discussed:

- The difference between a healthy and unhealthy plant-based diet. 

- Using the power of food to improve your health. 

- Caloric versus nutrient density. 

- Coaching clients on taking the small steps in eating more plant-based to improve health.

- Andrea’s quick tips on transitioning into a plant-based diet. 

- Andrea’s favorite plant-based foods.  

Resources: 

Journey Health Studio - https://www.journeyhealthstudio.com

"She knew where she wanted to go and came to trust that steps, rather than speed, where the way she wanted to get there.” -unknown

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About your host: Dr. Travis Cox - BA, DC, MSc is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a focus on Functional Medicine and plant-based nutrition. He is the creator of PBandHealthy.com and host of the Plant-Based and Healthy podcast. Connect with him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @yourvegandoc #pbandhealthy. And remember, individuals inspire and communities create change!

Audio credit: Thank you @katetrajanmusic for your lovely voice on the intro/outro and @craigritchiemusic for the super catchy music track for the intro/outro... many thanks!

Transcript

Dr. Travis Cox:

On today's episode of Plant-Based and Healthy, we have a special guest, Andrea Sereda, who is a behavioral health and nutrition coach. She has unique experience in losing over half her body weight when going on a healthy, whole food, plant-based diet and, in the process, reversing type two diabetes and going off all of her medications. All right. Thank you, Andrea, for joining the show today.

Andrea Sereda:

Thank you so much for having me.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Yeah. Well, let's get right into it. So I'm going to start by asking you to put yourself in the plant-based and healthy time machine and go back to the time where you decided to transition to a plant-based lifestyle.

Andrea Sereda:

Sure. So that would have been about seven or eight years ago. I had recently been on television. I had been vegetarian for quite a long time at that point, and I had made that change because I had battled my weight since childhood. I was having lots of different symptoms. I was losing my hair and having lots of digestive issues. So I went vegetarian because veganism, it seemed too extreme for a Dutch girl because us Dutch people are made of cheese. So fast forward to this TV appearance and I had gained quite a bit of weight.

Andrea Sereda:

I was, my best guess is, well over 300 pounds, and I had type two diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Mobility was a real issue because I was putting so much pressure on my joints. So when I went for this TV appearance, they went live and I saw myself in the monitor. It literally knocked the wind right out of me because it's not how I saw myself. So even though I knew what size I was, it was different to see myself in that monitor. So I went home and I'm like, "I got to sort this out." My husband was also vegetarian and had spent periods of time following a vegan diet.

Andrea Sereda:

He had mentioned to me. He was like, "Maybe we should cut out the wheat and the dairy." Wheat is not an animal product, but he thought maybe wheat. So I tried that first, and it didn't really make me feel much better. But this time he said, "I think we should really give it a go, and I think that we should also cut out eggs and dairy this time." We sat down and watched the Forks Over Knives documentary. By the end of the documentary, we turned to each other and said, "Okay, now that we know this, we can't unlearn this information. We need to give this a try."

Andrea Sereda:

So we transitioned to a plant-based diet. Well, no, we transitioned to a vegan diet. In the months following, I gained about 35 to 40 pounds because I missed an important part of the message of that documentary, and I was still eating a lot of processed, vegan junk food, basically. I mean I'd been dieting my whole life. I was like, "Well, vegans are all skinny and French fries are vegan. So I can eat French fries and they're going to be vegan." I hadn't eaten a lot of that food for a long time. So went a little bit crazy with the vegan junk food and then decided to re-watch Forks Over Knives. In re-watching it, I got the differentiation between a vegan diet and a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.

Andrea Sereda:

So I moved towards a whole food, plant-based lifestyle and cut the oils out and reduced the fat and did a lot more research in terms of how was I going to reverse then my diabetes? So it took two years and three months, but I was able to lose over 150 pounds on a plant-based diet and reverse my diabetes. I was on metformin. I'm no longer on diabetes medication, and I haven't been for years now. My liver is completely normal, and my mobility is better than it's ever been.

Andrea Sereda:

When I'm teaching a full schedule, I teach 10 fitness classes a week of varying intensities, which I would have never been able to do before adopting a whole food, plant-based diet.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Wow. That's quite the story, Andrea, and such a powerful message because, like you said, being vegan can be done unhealthfully. There's maybe some misinformation or maybe not enough clear information on how to implement the healthy version, like you said, the whole food, plant-based lifestyle, and then do so so you can get the health benefits from it.

Andrea Sereda:

Absolutely. Absolutely. Even things that I thought were healthy, so to speak, I was eating too many of those things and not enough of foods that were lower in calories and high in fiber, so even natural peanut butters and avocados and things like that. When I went vegan, I went to town on those things and didn't realize the health implications of that. So once I got the full picture of what a whole food, plant-based lifestyle should look like, it made it much easier, and I had a lot more success.

Dr. Travis Cox:

When you transitioned, I guess, or made that realization with understanding the differences there between the two styles of vegan, like you said, both were vegan, but one was healthier and made for the differences and changes in your life and your health that you wanted and needed. Did you get any other input from anywhere else other than re-watching Forks Over Knives?

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. So I went and did a lot of ... I love research because I want to know why. One of my favorite resources, particularly when I was looking at reversing my diabetes, was a book called Reversing Diabetes by Dr. Neal Barnard. When he describes how type two diabetes works so beautifully, it made it easy to eat right. Really, I had to unlearn so much information about what I understood about diabetes and carbohydrates and fruit. I mean I was told, "Don't eat too much fruit because it's got sugar in it."

Andrea Sereda:

Dr. Neal Barnard is like, "No, you want to eat lots of fruit and lots veggies and lots of complex carbohydrates." I thought, "This is nuts. This is not going to work. I am going to end up needing more medicine. But you know what? What else can I try?" I did it and it worked. It worked like a charm. So now I can be a little bit evangelical when I talk to other people that live with type two diabetes. I'm just like, "Eat the fruit. The fruit is fine."

Dr. Travis Cox:

Totally, yeah. There's lots of unfortunate misinformation out there. But, in my opinion, there's not enough knowledge base even with the healthcare system and healthcare providers around eating a healthful diet, especially when it comes down to being plant-based or vegan. They're just not properly trained in that. So of course, having been diagnosed with type two diabetes and this non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, did you get any guidance from your family doctor or what was that experience like in that journey?

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. So I was originally put on the metformin to help produce milk for my baby because I really struggled, which is probably because I was insulin resistant, but I was not yet type two diabetic. Often people will say, "Oh, well, did you have gestational diabetes? Is that what it was?" No, it wasn't. I was tested for that. This popped up afterwards. So I originally was put on it to help with breastfeeding.

Andrea Sereda:

And then when I wanted to stop taking the medicine, my doctor was like, "Your A1C is seven point something on metformin. We can't take you off of it. You're type two diabetic." All that he said to me was, "We need to do something about the weight." That was it.

Dr. Travis Cox:

What was the advice that you were given about that element, the weight?

Andrea Sereda:

No, that was it.

Dr. Travis Cox:

That was it. Oh, wow. Okay.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. So there was no advice. There was no advice. There were no resources. He knew I was vegetarian. He wasn't supportive, but he also didn't try to deter me from that. He just said, "We've got to figure out something with the weight." I think he did tell me at one point, I should maybe exercise more. But as I said, my knees and my hips and my feet were in pain. I struggled to walk some days. How does somebody like that get started? I wasn't sent to a dietician. I wasn't offered any resources in the community or otherwise, and I was sort of left to my own devices. So there wasn't anything.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Yeah. That's important. We talk about this a lot on this podcast, which is the strength and power of a community, not only just to have other like-minded people that you can converse with, but where you can get information from and share stories and understand lessons learned and what works, what doesn't. Of course, there's more to it. Like you said, the research is a big factor. But knowing how little proper information is involved in the healthcare system, understanding veganism and vegetarianism and plant-based lifestyle, we need that. We, of course, need to share those messages with everyone.

Andrea Sereda:

Absolutely.

Dr. Travis Cox:

So my next question would be, what was your biggest obstacle to overcome in making this transition to the healthy version of a vegan, plant-based lifestyle?

Andrea Sereda:

I think by the time that I got there, I was making small changes over time. I found that it was harder to initially get rid of some of the dairy because, as I mentioned earlier, I'm half Dutch. That is more than a food group for us. It's a lifestyle. I grew up drinking glasses of milk and cheese, and I couldn't imagine that. So that was a big part of it. And then when I flipped into I want to get my health back and I want to lose weight, a big challenge for me was finding good information on weight loss with a whole food, plant-based diet, because everywhere I turned, I was reading, "You can eat whatever you want, however much you want, as long as it's plants."

Andrea Sereda:

That's partly what got me into trouble in my first few months as a vegan was eating. Well, I can eat as many nuts as I want. I can eat as many this as I want because it's a plant. It's fine. So I had to go a little bit further and research a little bit more. This is where I learned about caloric density. That was life changing for me because once I understood caloric density, I knew exactly what to eat to stay full. Because that was my other challenge when I initially went vegan was I found that I was quite hungry some days.

Andrea Sereda:

So when I figured out the healthy version of a whole food, plant-based diet, I was eating way more fruits and veggies, more whole grains, an obscene amount of fruits and vegetables. That was a game changer for me because I never felt hungry, and I was losing weight and reversing my conditions.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Wow. That's great. I'm certainly happy you found out that information and you came to that realization, but I'm sure it wasn't easy and, like you said, baby steps along the way. You kind of have to learn. To some extent, some people have to learn in a fail-forward mentality. But when it comes to health and wellbeing, that's a really challenging spot to be in. So good for you for figuring that out and achieving those health goals and getting it to a point where you are now where you're much healthier and happier, right?

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. It was. I had to navigate through a lot of things, and it is challenging. I can see why some people start and then they give up because it's hard to find to be full and be satiated and full of energy and feeling good in your body and trying to find the information that you need. There's a lot of information out there, and it's hard to wade through it sometimes. So I'm happy I found my way.

Dr. Travis Cox:

100%. Speaking of finding our way, I found you or I met you via the Calvary Vegetarian and Vegan Facebook group.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes.

Dr. Travis Cox:

So when you were focused on becoming whole food, plant-based vegan, did you have a community to rely on for support or more information like that Facebook group?

Andrea Sereda:

Well, I've been a part of that Facebook group for a long time. I was very fortunate in that my husband grew up vegetarian, so he's been vegetarian forever, which is wild because his parents aren't vegetarian. He just, as a baby, is like, "I'm not eating meat," and he never has. He has had periods of time where he was vegan. So we were raising our children vegetarian. So I had my own little community here at home, which was definitely helpful. I know that can be a challenge for people when their partner is not eating the same way they are. So I was very fortunate.

Andrea Sereda:

He was right alongside me, well, until I cut out the oils. He was not onboard with that. That took about 10 months to bring him around to that. But I definitely relied on the vegans and vegetarians groups on Facebook. They're virtual groups, but it's nice to know we can talk about things like, "Oh, I'm going to a family event. I guess I'm going to eat white dinner rolls and salad again or whatnot." Or sharing recipes is always very helpful because I'm the only one in my friend group who eats this way.

Andrea Sereda:

I've got wonderful friends and they're very supportive and they always let me pick the restaurant, but I'm the only one that eats this way. So those virtual communities have been incredibly important along the journey.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Totally. The fact that you had, like you said, your husband and your children that were vegetarian, that makes it a lot easier because if you're only person in your household or friend circle that eats a plant-based diet, of course, yeah, you're going to have challenges of having to cook different meals or having to maybe bend the rules, so to speak, when you're eating out or hosting other people for dinner, et cetera. So there are challenges.

Dr. Travis Cox:

But again, like you said, the recipes that you can share in the community and maybe some tips and tricks is always helpful. I always say, too, don't be too hard on yourself. So if you do break the rules of being a strict vegan, for example, you're not going to beat your emotions up and feel terrible about yourself, just-

Andrea Sereda:

Absolutely.

Dr. Travis Cox:

... progress on.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. 100%. We are not plant perfect in this house. We do our very best. But we have traveled from time to time, and it's not always easy traveling. We always try and hit the great vegan restaurants and the vegan spots. I've been to some awesome restaurants in different countries and have really enjoyed it. I don't feel like extremism really serves anybody. I don't buy cheese. I don't eat cheese. But I'm sure that sometimes when I'm traveling, I will get a vegetable sandwich and there's maybe some dairy in the bread. I don't know.

Andrea Sereda:

Anytime in the past, when I was working on my health and I tried to be perfect, it never really worked out in the long run. I'm in this for the long game. So if I can be an imperfect vegan or imperfect plant-based person, then that's going to get me a lot farther than trying to be all or nothing about it. I always like to say all or something instead of all or nothing.

Dr. Travis Cox:

I like that, all or something. Yeah. That's interesting because Brenda Davis, who you probably know of, she is of the same mindset. She has this mantra, strive for progress, not perfection because perfection will cause stress and, of course, all these negative emotions that doesn't help you achieve your goals in your health journey. Right?

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah, absolutely.

Dr. Travis Cox:

So if you were to give one tip to someone transitioning to a more strict plant-based diet, what would that tip or trick be?

Andrea Sereda:

I would say what we were just talking about, start small. Start slowly and just change one thing at a time. So when we went from vegetarianism to veganism that first time, we didn't throw everything in the garbage. What we did is as we ran out of things, we didn't replace them with the dairy version. So when we ran out of butter, we replaced it with Earth Balance or whatnot. When we ran out of milk, I didn't buy more milk. We bought oat milk or almond milk or soy milk. It was a gentle transition.

Andrea Sereda:

If I did slip up with something because I didn't know, then I would, okay, learn the lesson and carry on, instead of beating myself up and throwing my hands in the air and saying, "This is too hard. This is too much." That's what I would say is strive for progress over perfection. You don't need to be perfect at this. Any small step that you take towards eating more plants and more whole foods is going to benefit your health. It took me months to really figure out exactly what to eat, how to cook, what my family liked and what made me feel good, my body feel good.

Andrea Sereda:

It's okay that it took months. I'm still learning all the time. I learn new things about plant-based foods every single week. That's part of the fun. It's part of the adventure and looking at it as an adventure that can take lots of time, then I think it takes some of the pressure off because sometimes, especially in our vegan and vegetarian spaces, it's like you are either on or you're off. If you're vegan, but you eat a REESE'S Pieces Peanut Butter Cup, well, then you're not vegan. That's not true. I mean even Caldwell Esselstyn eats a peanut butter cup every once in a while.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Right. Rightfully so.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes.

Dr. Travis Cox:

I like REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah.

Dr. Travis Cox:

So I think that that's important to say because, especially when talking about a plant-based diet lifestyle and being vegan, it is fairly strict, no animal products whatsoever. If you eat something that does have it, you shouldn't be shamed or ostracized from the vegan community. However, there are some people in the community that do come across in a negative way. But again, I think that's not very supportive and helpful, even if it's well-intended, because people have different reasons for being vegan, especially if it involves the animal cruelty welfare.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Those ethical reasons are very important to them. So of course, they can share their opinions and perspectives about other people doing things in a way that they wouldn't agree with.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes, absolutely. But I always figure you know what? I work with clients now and people ask me all the time, "Do you make everybody go plant-based?" I say, "Well, no, I want you to have something that's sustainable. But you will definitely be probably eating more plants working with me." If I have a client who's like, "Well, I'm toying with the idea of meatless Mondays, or I'm toying with the idea of having plant-based meals two days a week," I applaud them. I encourage them for what they're trying to do rather than say, "Well, what about the other five days?"

Andrea Sereda:

I mean I know that their health will be benefited immensely by a full-time plant-based diet. But if it means that they start small and they look at progressing towards a more plant-based diet, then everybody wins. Their health is better. It's better for the planet. It's better for the animals. It's better for everyone. So I try and take a really moderate approach when I'm setting an example and talking to friends, family, and clients, that any step towards eating more plants is a step that's worth taking.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Totally, absolutely. In saying that, are there common themes with working with your clients, like common health conditions that you often see in your practice?

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. Well, most of the people that I work with want to change their relationship with food. That's a big one. I work mostly with women, although not exclusively. A lot of them are looking for weight loss. I've had people with type two diabetes before. That's a common one and high blood pressure. I mean even, like I said, the clients who do plant-based 50% see fantastic shifts. A1C goes down. Blood pressure goes down. I had one client who started fainting and most people would be like, "Oh, that's terrible." No, it was awesome.

Andrea Sereda:

Her blood pressure meds were too high because she had done such a great job of changing her diet. Now, she went pretty much full plant-based, 95% plant-based. Within a matter of months, her blood pressure had dropped so much so that she was getting dizzy and lightheaded and having to get her meds adjusted. So weight loss is a big one though, I would say. But I work with clients if they want to be more plant-based or not. But as I said, I'm always getting more plants in there.

Andrea Sereda:

I'm always trying to help them get a little bit closer because I know what it did for me and my husband. My husband also, after he really got full on the whole food, plant-based train, he lost 70 pounds. So between the two of us, we lost 220 pounds on a plant-based diet.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Wow. That's huge. That's amazing. Can you please share a story working with a client where you had the most dramatic change in success, other than the ones you already mentioned?

Andrea Sereda:

Other than ones I've already mentioned. Well, it's really hard. It's really hard to pick one because it depends on how you define success. So if the listeners are thinking, "Well, who lost the most weight?" Well, I'm working with a client right now who's lost over 60 pounds, and she's eating more plant-based meals. She's recovering her eyesight and a number of other things, health-wise. But then I've got another client who lost 10 pounds, but she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said that because of working with me and changing up her eating, she was able to sail through the treatment.

Andrea Sereda:

She was able to handle radiation and double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery like a boss. She felt healthy and energetic through the whole process. So how does one define success? Is it weight loss? Is it that they don't hate their bodies anymore? It depends on the client. I have one gentleman who lost 60 pounds and has kept it off for over a year, another one that came off diabetes medication. So it all depends on how you define success.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Totally. I think all those are lovely examples. Of course, that just speaks to the power of having to go in mind with some support, knowing what to do. If you can emphasize a plant-based lifestyle, that's going to make a big, big, positive impact.

Andrea Sereda:

Absolutely. I truly wish that all of my clients would eat a plant-based diet because then, oh, giddy up, their minds would be blown with how great they feel and in their bodies and in just the activities of daily living. I can't adequately express how different my life is now than it was when I was sick and morbidly obese, as much as I hate that term. But yeah.

Dr. Travis Cox:

It sounds like you're saying you have to meet people where they are. Because if you think that eating a vegan diet's going to help them, but they don't want to be vegan, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole very easily. It's not going to benefit them to the long term.

Andrea Sereda:

That's right. My goal is to help them find a lifestyle that is sustainable because women whose goal is to lose weight, and this is most of my clients, they have done all the diets. They've done it all. They are experts in weight loss, in fact. They truly are. They know. They've done Weight Watchers and Dr. Bernstein and the grapefruit diet and intermittent fasting, et cetera, et cetera. So when they come and see me, my goal is to help them sort through all of that and give them information.

Andrea Sereda:

But I teach them caloric density. I teach them why we should eat more fruits and vegetables, not just because the Canada Food Guide says we should and not because of just vitamins. But it's like, "You don't want to feel hungry, eat more fruits and veggies, my friends." I don't tell them to eat a plant-based diet. But when I'm teaching them some of these concepts that we hear a lot in the plant-based space that we don't hear in keto and we don't hear with intermittent fasting, I teach them those principles and then naturally they start doing it. I'm kind of sneaky like that.

Dr. Travis Cox:

It is sneaky.

Andrea Sereda:

I meet them where they are, but I'm also kind of sneaky like that.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Like a plant-based ninja, sliding in-

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. I like that. I want a shirt that says that.

Dr. Travis Cox:

I'll buy one. I'll definitely get one of those, too. Do you mind sharing a story of you working with a client where they didn't necessarily reach those health goals that they were trying to achieve, but more along the lines of what the learning point was for you as an aha moment?

Andrea Sereda:

Well, I'm trying to think. One woman comes to mind. Whenever I start with people and I work with people usually six to 12 months. I have the gift of time with people. This is a journey. It does take time. When I met her, she's like, "I want to lose at least 20, but I prefer 40 pounds." At the end of it, she hadn't really lost any weight. We had worked together this whole time. She hadn't really lost any weight, but she was thrilled. Because then at the end, I do another interview. At the end, I ask a few questions like, "What are your biggest takeaways? What do you wish was different, et cetera?"

Andrea Sereda:

She said she didn't really lose the weight that she wanted. However, what she did get was a completely different perspective and the numbers on the scale didn't matter so much to her anymore because now she was active every single day and looked forward to exercising every single day. Because what I do is behavioral health and nutrition coaching, I work a lot on habits and working with people with habits. So while she didn't lose any weight, she was very happy with the outcome.

Andrea Sereda:

What did I learn as a coach with that particular client is that even though many clients will tell me that they want to lose weight, not all clients actually want to lose weight because there are a certain number of changes that people have to be willing to make in order to have that number shift. If they're not willing to change their eating habits, which is the most powerful way to shift our body composition, if they're not willing to do that, then the weight isn't going to move. But weight loss or fat loss may not be what they really want anyways. Does that make sense?

Dr. Travis Cox:

It does. Yeah. What I hear you saying is that there's more to health than losing numbers on a scale or decreasing that weight. Of course, it's a journey. So people get benefits in other ways even if they don't decrease that weight. If someone can actually appreciate that new perspective or that lesson learned on that experience, that journey, then that's actually in and of itself worth the effort.

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. I think, as her coach, the whole time, I was like ... I mean I don't ask my clients to tell me how much they've lost week to week. They're able to share with me when they want and if they want. She was telling me. She's like, "I'm not really losing weight. I'm not really losing weight." I thought, "What am I doing wrong? What am I doing?" It wasn't until the end where it was ... So the aha moment for me was that what she really wanted was to feel better in her body.

Andrea Sereda:

What she really wanted was to feel strong again because she used to train like crazy and did all this running and all this crazy, crazy training, like professional fighter type training. She got back to being active every day. She lost inches, but the number on the scale didn't matter to her anymore. So the transformation was one that happened in her mind and in her body as well. But the bigger one happened in her mind. So I felt really badly all the way through.

Andrea Sereda:

I'm like, "She is getting nothing from me." And then it turned out that she got more than she had signed up for, I guess you could say. She was quite happy with the outcome.

Dr. Travis Cox:

That's great. I'm glad there was a positive takeaway from that, of course, for both you. Yeah. Andrea, what's a plant-based health tip that you swear by right now?

Andrea Sereda:

Yes. For me, it is fruits and veggies with every meal and snack. Every meal and snack, I pack fruits and vegetables in half my plate. You've seen those plates before. But for me, even with a snack, if I'm going to have a bowl of popcorn with a movie, with some nooch on it, I love my nutrition yeast, I'll also have a bowl of raspberries with it. So that is a tip. My people are tired of hearing me say that now, but maybe your people won't be tired of hearing me say that. But yeah. Fruits and veggies with every meal and snack. You can't eat too many fruits and veggies. It's impossible. I dare you to try.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Dare you to try. Eating that fiber and, of course, all those other wonderful polyphenols and nutrients is going to offset some of those other potential anti-nutrients or lack of nutrients at all with any meal if you have a snack that's not as healthful. But the plants have you covered.

Andrea Sereda:

That's right, exactly. It helps with feeling full and giving you lots of energy. So that's my big one because, for me, that's one of the beauties of a plant-based diet is that you can eat a large amount of food and maintain a healthy weight, achieve and maintain a healthy weight if you're eating a whole food, plant-based diet. I starved. I starved for the first 36 years of my life. I was one of those people that ate nothing and was still very, very heavy. So it's refreshing. That's why it's my number one tip. Fruits and veggies, carbs are your friend.

Dr. Travis Cox:

What would be your favorite plant-based food that you'd recommend?

Andrea Sereda:

I love berries, specifically strawberries and raspberries. Strawberries are one of the best caloric deals on the planet. I can have a massive bowl of strawberries for next to nothing, and they are sweet and juicy, and I love them. They are my favorite.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Yeah. No, when they're in season, I go bonkers for strawberries, too.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. I can. You know what? I have got to the point where I can't even wait for them to be in season. They're $10. I'm like, "Well, I guess we don't need something else. We don't need toothpaste this week." No, I'm kidding. We always have toothpaste. I really love my berries.

Dr. Travis Cox:

No. I think that's warranted. I think that you can go without toothpaste for a week if you can just replace them with strawberries, for sure. You just might have more red pulp in your teeth-

Andrea Sereda:

That's right, little-

Dr. Travis Cox:

... with those seeds in there.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah.

Dr. Travis Cox:

What would be your favorite plant-based food that has medicinal properties, other than strawberries, because they have them too, but ...

Andrea Sereda:

So I take a Brazil nut every day for medicinal properties. I have hypothyroidism. Being on a plant-based diet, I learned that a plant-based diet is low in selenium, and Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium. So I just take one Brazil nut. Sometimes I stuff it in a date if I'm feeling like I want something a little sweet. I take it every day for my thyroid health.

Dr. Travis Cox:

That's great. Yeah. No, Brazil nuts are great for selenium. I haven't tried putting them in a date though. I might have to give that a whirl.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah, yeah. Because they open them up to pit them, and then you just put it in. Ooh, it tastes almost like pecan pie.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Yeah. That softy outer layer and then that crunchiness inside. I'm going to do that, for sure.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah, yeah. It's really good.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Favorite, inspirational quote that you can share with our listeners.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. So early on in my health journey, I found this quote and it had a tortoise on it. I don't know if you can see back here. I have a little collection of my little tortoises.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Nice.

Andrea Sereda:

Slow and steady wins the race. So this quote said, I don't know who said it, but it still is one of my favorites is, "She knew where she wanted to go and she came to trust that steps rather than speed was the way that she wanted to get there." That kind of sums me up right there. Now I have a lot of tortoises because of that quote.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Yeah. Your kids also like tortoises because of that?

Andrea Sereda:

Well, they're not allowed to touch my tortoises. But they do, yeah. Those are mine.

Dr. Travis Cox:

They're mom's. Okay. Got it, duly noted.

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. Mom's tortoises. Yes.

Dr. Travis Cox:

Great. So before we wrap up, where can we send our listeners to find out more about you and what you do and your story?

Andrea Sereda:

Yeah. So I do have a website. When pandemic hit, I brought all of my services online, and so I have a virtual health studio called Journey Health Studio. So they can find me at journeyhealthstudio.com. I also do run a free private women's group on Facebook called The Journey: Transforming How We Feel About Food, Movement, and Ourselves. People are welcome to join me there. Those are probably the best two places to find me.

Dr. Travis Cox:

That's great. Yeah. I'll put those links in the show notes for our listeners to follow up with that. I just want to thank you, Andrea, for joining us today. It's been a pleasure having you. I really appreciate you spending time with us today.

Andrea Sereda:

Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Dr. Travis Cox:

On today's episode of Plant-Based and Healthy, we have a special guest, Andrea Sereda, where we talk about her experience going on a whole food, plant-based diet and losing over 150 pounds of unhealthy body fat and achieving optimal health and, in the process, reversing her type two diabetes and liver disease.