Q+A with Yvette Styner, RHN, NNCP, PTS, CCF, CEO & Founder of Mipstick Nutrition.

When asking people what some of the biggest challenges they face when it comes to developing healthier lifestyle habits, you’ll often hear a BIG F-word drop

FOOD!

Food can be a source of ongoing personal, emotional & mental wars for a lot of us. With the diet industry raking in a whopping $72 billion in 2019¹, it’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed and conflicted. That’s why it’s important to have an educated nutrition professional helping us cut through the noise. Better yet, let’s find one that takes a holistic approach and addresses

Connecting with Yvette Styner, the Founder and CEO of Mipstick Nutrition, & hearing her take on common nutrition and diet questions, had me LIT UP. I think you’re going to love what she has to say.

We are constantly being sold so much Instagram-MD fitness advice on social media and Yvette’s approach to nutrition is the breath of holistic fresh air and educated, experience-based advice we NEED to hear.

Through Mipstick Nutrition, Yvette and her team not only preach optimizing your health through the lens of how much food you’re eating, but by also taking into account your digestion, immune system, micronutrients and hormonal balance.

In other words, an individualized, evidence-based approach to your health, which is exactly what we LOVE around here!

About Yvette

Please share a bit about yourself for those who aren’t familiar with your story

My story is similar to yours and perhaps to many others’. My passion for my work is the result of my own experiences and from my own journey from being unwell to feeling amazing in my body.  That kind of transformation truly changes your entire life, not just your physical body. 

And now it’s my passion to share with others the not-so-secrets I’ve learned along the way – It’s just too great to keep to yourself! (Kind of like when you discover a fabulous new shampoo and can’t wait to tell your friends about it… but this is way bigger than shampoo!)

I had spent almost two decades being very active and eating well (or so I thought). But despite my efforts, I never felt really great. I often struggled with a little extra weight, poor body image, and lots of wellness issues.

I had digestive issues (ulcers, bloating and chronic constipation), hormone imbalances (I had to have a partial hysterectomy at only 35), and low immunity (recurring cold sores, sinus infections, and eczema).

It was beyond frustrating because I felt like I “deserved” to look and feel amazing – because I put so much effort into it. 

Again, so I thought… until I learned otherwise. And that took a little time.

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Change requires time and some measure of consistency. But often there is something specific that triggers the changes for us all. 

There are no quick fixes or magic pills (fad diets and extremes are a huge pet-peeve of mine!), but an evidence-based holistic approach that combines body, mind and spirit is indeed when the magic happens.

Yvette Styner, RHN, NNCP, PTS, CCF

For me, there were a couple triggers:

First, it was working with a holistic sports coach whom I admired and respected greatly, and the accountability that working with him provided. The other catalyst was going back to school and learning about holistic nutrition and nutritional sciences. I changed careers and went back to study at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

The Business

What inspired you to create your business?

Throughout the years, I’d seen so many athletes like myself – from weekend warriors to competitive athletes, who were putting in the time and “grinding it out”, all while raising kids, building a career, paying off the mortgage.

If feeling great in your body, being happy, and enjoying great health were given out for effort, they would all have that and more! But they didn’t. 

And neither had I for so many years & when I did, wow it felt so good!  It was a no-brainer that my experiences and expertise should be used to help others. 

It became my mission to share my knowledge with others, to show them that there is so much more to optimal wellness than the numbers of reps you do in the gym and the grams of carbs or calories you put on your plate. 

There are no quick fixes or magic pills (fad diets and extremes are a huge pet-peeve of mine!), but an evidence-based holistic approach that combines body, mind and spirit is indeed when the magic happens.

How has your business evolved over time?

I feel like it’s been constantly evolving and probably always will! 

Most of the change though I would say has come from working with my wonderful clients who I learn so much from.  This allows me to continually refine and build best practices and processes to [hopefully] deliver improved education and support that best serves them.

What would you say sets you apart from other meal planning or sports nutrition services?

First and foremost, I’m an educator.

Knowledge is power. 

Knowledge creates an attachment. To make sustainable change, you must have an emotional attachment to it, it must mean something to you.

Knowing the whys behind an action will make that action meaningful to you.  So education and including the whys behind my nutrition recommendations is an integral part of all my programming, meal plans, and recipes. There is education behind every piece of content I put out.

Action without attachment is futile. Specifically for long term success.

Yvette Styner, RHN, NNCP, PTS, CCF

In the diet world, there really seems to be two very distinct approaches.

One is numbers-based.  Sports nutrition has a large focus on food quantity; total calories, grams of carbs, protein and such to support your goals. 

But even the right amount of foods at the right times will be futile if you have subpar functioning of digestion or immunity.

The other, more holistic approach recognizes that we all have our own unique biochemistry and can assess for potential imbalances in the body that may contribute to ill-health.

Holistic practitioners focus more on food quality, recommending the micronutrients specifically needed to restore balance and achieve wellness. 

A holistic approach also recognizes the significant roles that stress, sleep, cultural, behavioural and spiritual wellness play in overall wellness.

I marry both in my practice. I combine quality and quantity.

I recognize that we are athletes, we are humans, we have lives with stress and family issues and busy work schedules, we have different food preferences, schedule and budget requirements.

It’s through recognizing that we are holistic beings that we can support the whole person.

I like to think of it as an engine. All parts of an engine work together to make it run efficiently.  We are holistic beings and have many parts. To perform/feel/be optimal, all parts need to be taken care of.  

What has been the most challenging aspect of starting and running your business?

All the “business” stuff, the non-nutrition parts! 

Digital marketing, graphic design, bookkeeping, scheduling, automating, self-promotion, techie stuff, etc etc. 

It was a shocker at first when all I wanted to do was help educate and support people with nutrition!  As over 5 years in practice, I just now feel like I’ve got the right systems and people in place to help me with this huge part of having your own business. 

Another challenge has been figuring out how to reign myself in! Like you say in your story Eni, “There’s a lot of information in my brain”! 

I have so much I want to share with people that I know can change their lives in such positive, profound ways.  I’ve had to monitor myself and be ever vigilant about delivering it all in the way and the time that’ll best foster their learning and growth.

Nutrition

What are some things that would prompt somebody to consider seeking professional advice, guidance with their nutrition or diet

Number 1 would be weight loss. Many people struggle with their weight, and sadly many fall victim to extreme diet fads that are not safe or sustainable.

Fitness enthusiasts and athletes often are curious to see how they can tweak their diet to best support their training and optimize the efforts they’re putting in with their training. 

And lastly, anyone struggling with any varying degree of wellness issues that modern medicine either hasn’t been able to help with or they’re interested in more natural ways to address their concerns. 

What is your most popular meal plan?

Usually a weight loss plan, because again, many people are wishing to shed a little [or a lot] of weight, but are fed up or scared of by crazy fad diets.

*Mipstick Nutrition offers budget-friendly meal plans, coaching, cookbooks and more!. You can check them out here! I tried the Adrenal Support Meal plan and loved how easy it was to follow and kept me full.

Knowing the whys behind an action will make that action meaningful to you.  So education and including the whys behind my nutrition recommendations…

Yvette Styner, RHN, NNCP, PTS, CCF

What is the biggest misconception about food/nutrition that you hear from clients?

Hands down, it’s about carbs!  There’s such a hate-on for carbs in the last decade or so. 

Thirty years ago it was fats. Now, science has proven that fats aren’t the bad guy.  Our bodies need healthy fats for so many reasons. 

It’s the wrong kinds of fats and in excessive quantities that are “bad”.  Now we’re doing the same thing with carbs – making them a bad guy, when in fact, good quality carbohydrates are so important to the body and mind for many reasons. 

The “bad” is eating the wrong kinds of carbs and eating far too many of them.  Geesh, how about we just practice moderation and make good choices?!  The all or nothing mentality is a dangerous one. (Amen)

Do you deal with a lot of food sensitivities in your practice and what are some signs you look for (if any) that someone may be sensitive to something in their diet?

All the time. There are so many things that contribute to reduced digestive function in today’s world:

• Stress (when cortisol increases, digestive enzyme and acid production decreases)
• Inflammation (hello athletes!)
• Eating in a rush
• Poor sleep
• Poor diet choices (to name a few!)

Reduced digestive function then contributes to gut flora imbalance, reduced immunity, and hormonal imbalances. 

Because the effects of increased cortisol and reduced digestive function in the body are so far-reaching, symptoms can be too – but usually include bloating, skin issues, bowel movement irregularities, reduced performance or recovery, and susceptibility to colds and virus’.

What advice would you give to somebody who is JUST beginning a journey in changing their diet for the better? I.e. where do you suggest they start?

With food quality first. 

As their holistic nutritionist, I’d provide a meal plan that has been calculated with the approximate numbers (calories and macronutrient ratios) to support their goals and their health, but use it as a framework only. 

The primary focus is always on food quality and consuming enough nutrition to get all those part of the engine (within their own body) working optimally.

A lot of my audience share their struggle with emotional eating out of boredom, stress, anxiety, etc. Do you have any go-to tips for someone in that boat?

For sure ☺

Although emotional eating is a real thing, often there is very much physiological component to it too.

Stress or anxiety will increase the stress hormone cortisol in your body, and that messes with your hunger hormones.

Eating nutritious, whole foods can also curb cravings. When your body is missing nutrients your brain signals you to eat more through cravings. If you’re feeding your body everything it needs through a well-balanced nutrition plan, (coupled with the tools you mention below) cravings may actually take care of themselves!

Using meditation, deep breathing, increasing hydration, and even certain supplements are tools that can help mitigate and reduce some of that cortisol so it results in less emotional eating for you.

What is your take on intermittent fasting or time restricted eating?

It can be effective and work very well for some people, for others not so much. 

Some of the things we’d look at are blood sugar stability, tendency for emotional eating, mood regulation, sleep quality.  If some of these things are present, that individual may need a more frequent eating schedule.

You can read more about Yvette’s take on intermittent fasting below!

https://www.mipstick.com/?s=intermittent+eating

Do you recommend the general population use supplements of any kind, and if so, which ones?

My two go-to’s are: Probiotics and Fish Oil.

Probiotics

Research is continually showing how important gut flora is to everything in our body. In fact, there’s a well known statement from research that our gut flora is more important in determining who you are than genes! There are 10 x more strands bacteria in your body than genes. They can give DNA instructions on whether to turn on and off. They can even produce their own hormones, neurotransmitters, & affect your mental health.

There are so many different strains and varieties out there (millions!) My general recommendation is buying minimum 15 billion live cultures/bacteria and buy a different one every time you need a new bottle.

_{Mipstick Nutrition offers medical grade, high quality. 3rd party tested supplement brands at a 10% discount with direct shipping to your door. Check out their website for more!}

Fish Oil

Omega 3 anti-inflammatory and importance in overall health and cognitive function. (Holistic DPT note: Need we say more?)

Are there any resources you’d recommend & trust for someone who wants to learn more about holistic nutrition?

• www.mipstick.com
• Canadian School of Natural Nutrition – Website #1 evidence based program in holistic nutrition. It’s got a diploma program & courses available as independent workshops

Closing Thoughts

How do you embody holistic health in your personal life?

I am a work in progress like anybody is. I’ve experienced & learned first hand. I’ve learned in a textbook way and learn how holistic wellness affects sports performance. 

I have to remind myself “I know the evidence of scientific-proven benefits of restorative practices” and have to remind myself to take time to relax sometimes.

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Yvette, for taking the time to chat with me! Your passion and expertise is evident and I’m grateful for professionals like you that are pushing the diet & nutrition industry in the direction it needs to go.

Did you find this post helpful? Learn anything fun?

I’d LOVE to hear if this post gave you value in some way!

Don’t forget to tag me @holisticdpt and Yvette on Instagram at @MipstickYvette with your biggest takeaway points.

Share with anyone you think would benefit from this information!

Holistic DPT

References

1. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190225005455/en/72-Billion-Weight-Loss-Diet-Control-Market