Antioxidants & Natural Supplements
Brief Introduction/Tell Us About yourself (where you are from, et
My name is Gabrielle Tafur (formerly Mancella). I am currently working towards my doctorate in clinical nutrition at the University of North Florida and am a Registered Dietitian with a Master of Science in Dietetics. Prior to being hired at Keiser University as the Clinical Coordinator, I was a graduate research assistant at UNF while working as a corporate wellness dietitian. I have experience in acute and sub-acute/long term care and food service as a clinical nutrition manager here in Florida. Upon graduating from my dietetic internship, I have been working as an adjunct professor at two local universities and in my (rare) free time, I serve as an engagement tutor for an educational company serving Stanford University well as a consultant for private counseling or an array of other sectors! When I am not working, I like to fill my time with dog parks, running, and eating lots of food.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in nutrition?
I think it started when I found myself googling the “healthiest foods” and asking to do the grocery shopping with my parents. I was always the weird one in the family bringing a bean dip instead of a baked good to our family gatherings and always felt a strong connection between the things I was putting into my body and how I felt on the outside!
What kind of training did you undergo/certification you received?
I have a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, completed a supervised practice dietetic internship and sat for the Registered Dietitian exam, a Master of Science in Nutrition, and am currently a Doctoral Candidate working on my thesis to earn my doctorate in clinical nutrition research.
What do people look for in a health coach, nutritionist or dietician?
I had to expand my private practice from offering services to individuals to more corporate offerings in the areas of academia, research, and corporate wellness. These are currently the areas I feel most comfortable saying there is a need based on the requests that I receive on a daily basis, though, from working with various different groups I can attest that nutrition is unlimited in the areas it is, and will, extend to in the future as we progress into areas of sustainability and public policy.
If you could persuade people to change three things about their diet, what would they be?
Eat more whole foods (from the ground!) and decrease the “boxed” items, drink more water and focus on hydration, and be intentional with the foods you are eating so that you can thoroughly enjoy the ones that may not be the best for us.
How important is it to properly hydrating throughout the day?
This is an area I find that I am constantly repeating myself in. Many confuse drinking the recommended “8 cups of water” per day with ensuring that they are hydrated (meaning, receiving the vitamins and minerals essential to allow the fluid within our bodies to flow into the areas that it needs to, and be released from the areas that it no longer serves).
How much water should someone drink in a day?
I typically recommend 1 ml of water per calorie of food consumed. This is highly dependent upon the individual and, the foods we eat. Drinking water alone will not guarantee hydration. I have many clients claim they are “drinking water” throughout the day but still suffer from headaches, dehydration, migraines, vertigo, and an array of other illnesses that are traced back by their primary care physicians to an electrolyte imbalance.
What are the benefits of purified water?
As we know water can come in many forms as we have access to advanced technology that grants us the opportunity to modify water in its natural form as we see fit. Luckily, when we stick to purified water, we remove contaminants that may remain in drinking water and improve the quality and taste.
Plant based living is becoming more and more popular. When eating a mostly plant based / vegetarian diet, are there certain foods to focus on to make sure we’re getting enough nutrients and protein?
I think to generalize and place focus on certain foods as being “better” or “worse” than the other can lead to confusion and misconceptions surrounding nutrition. A plant based diet can be highly beneficial as it generally provides more fiber and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) than the traditional Western Diet. Other components of food that warrant further research include phytochemicals and probiotics that can be a massive benefit of a plant based diet.
Speaking of plant based, what are some of the benefits of drinking chlorophyll water / benefits of liquid chlorophyll?
I can recall my dad putting liquid chlorophyll / chlorophyll water into our foods when we were younger and being completely put off by the color-until I did my research. It's been said to help with blood detoxification, odor control, wound healing, gut health, energy, immune system support and cancer prevention. I have often heard it referred to as “plant blood”! I can always justify the price of a wheatgrass shot after knowing the benefits this food has been known for and do not hesitate to grab one at every opportunity that I can. In fact, I have opted to even purchase the frozen cubes to throw into my smoothies as well to get the added benefit.
What’s your favorite source of antioxidants that you recommend?
I love adding frozen wheatgrass cubes to my smoothies throughout the week in order to get the additional vitamins and nutrients into my diet. I am not a huge fan of supplements in their traditional sense as I strive to have a whole-food approach. I tend to see improvements in my skin, hair, and functional performance when I primarily incorporate plant-based foods in the fermented or raw forms as well.
What’s one of your favorite organic/natural supplements or vitamins you recommended?
I have recently been favoring Barlean’s Omega-3 liquid as it has a delicious flavor and can assist with any reservations in regard to the flavor of adding liquid chlorophyll to foods. This would be a wonderful accompaniment to ease into adding liquid chlorophyll into the diet.
Any favorite health / nutrition podcasts or books you recommend to our readers?
Lately I am on a kick with “Wellness Mama” as it covers a pretty broad spectrum of topics. I like to challenge myself and I try to include new topics each week that I may not necessarily know much about with the goal of being open minded and ideally-finding something new to incorporate into my daily routine.
Where can our readers find you? (Instagram, Facebook, etc)
I can be reached on Instagram @NutritionGab or at my website: NutritionGab.com!
