We are thrilled to introduce you to sought after nutritional expert Mia Syn. Mia is a nutritionist specializing in sustainable and enjoyable whole food eating. She attended Columbia University in New York, where she earned her master's in Nutritional Science. Mia is the founder of Nutrition By Mia, a vibrant website full of the latest evidence-based nutrition information, delicious whole food recipes, and effortless entertaining ideas for every occasion. We recently chatted with Mia about what inspired her to become a nutritionist, how she incorporates exercise into her busy schedule, and what makes her feel beautiful. Plus, she's sharing with us her nutritional expertise on ways we can easily incorporate whole foods into our daily meals. Her answers are insightful, and guaranteed to redefine the way you think, eat and shop for food....
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to feature you on EnRose. Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
I am so happy to be featured here on EnRose! My name is Mia, I grew up in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area and attended college at University of California, Berkeley with dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist. I anchored our university broadcast news covering hard-hitting stories and interned at NBC. I took a class with world acclaimed food journalist and NYT bestselling author Michael Pollan and became enamored with nutritional science from an investigative perspective and how it so intimately integrates into our everyday lives. After switching my major and graduating with my bachelor's in nutrition metabolism I set off to New York City, where I completed my master's in human nutrition at Columbia University. Shortly thereafter I started Nutrition By Mia as a resource for whole food recipes, health-driven celebrations and tangible evidence-based nutrition for women to readily implement into their lives!
When did you start your company and what inspired you to do so?
I started Nutrition By Mia in 2014 on a crisp fall day while living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. After interning for New York City dietitian, Keri Glassman helping to develop content for Women's Health Magazine, the Today Show and the like, I learned so many valuable skills particularly how to take evidence-based nutrition and package it into a digestible way for the public to easily absorb and implement into their lives.
Besides my science-oriented brain, I have a passion for communications and design. My education, creativity and journalistic background fused and Nutrition By Mia was born! It has been the most rewarding experience to connect with like-minded nutrition- and health-oriented individuals over social media looking for ways to improve their lives through nutrition. Nutrition By Mia started on Instagram and has grown at an exponential rate- faster than I could have ever imagined! I just took on some amazing interns who are helping me with some exciting new projects. Our objective is to make nutrition easy, tangible and fun while integrating it into everyday life and celebrations.
Eating clean can be overwhelming for many. Where do you encourage women to begin?
"Clean eating" can be difficult in today's food environment. It's a really simple concept when it comes down to it- stick to the basics- "real food your great grandma would recognize" (as my professor and food journalist Michael Pollan said). This means shopping the perimeter of the grocery stores for the most part and choosing organic, when feasible. When you do buy packaged food or eat out, you want to be able to recognize all the ingredients used. It requires preparing a lot of your meals ensuring you have control over the ingredients and are being mindful of what you cook with.
On that same note, it's not something to be entirely extreme about because it's not 100% feasible in today's food environment. I believe in the "all foods fit" philosophy. Be gentle with yourself, make good choices because of how they make you feel- physically and emotionally. Eating nutritious food should make you feel good because it fuels your cells and supports your health. Sometimes you'll need the chocolate chip cookie and I don't blame you! It will balance out when you make mostly clean choices.
Do you have a workout routine? If so, how do you fit exercise into your busy schedule?
I am a huge morning person and former night owl. I love waking up before the day gets started to exercise and get in some movement. I started doing this in college and it has become such a powerful part of my daily routine and something that I actually look forward to. I feel physically energized, creative and motivated for the day when I get movement in during the morning hours. When it comes to intensity, I am one who embraces moderation. I believe in movement that gets your heart rate up and isn't creating too great of a stress on your body (especially for women). I try to integrate some sort of resistance training 2-3 times per week, as well, which is important for building and maintaining muscle mass.
When do you feel the most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful when I make time to take care of myself. I used to be such a go-go-go individual (so many of us are!). It made it really easy to neglect my health and wellbeing. I think it is important for women to find some time to slow down each day and make taking care of themselves a priority whether it is treating yourself to a nutritious meal that you cook from scratch or treating yourself to a mani/pedi. “When you feel good in your skin, you can better be there to serve others,” is my honest philosophy.
We recently tried out Mia's delightfully healthy Sparkling Lavender Lemonade recipe and it was so refreshing during these hot and humid days! Find out the secret ingredient she uses to amp both nutrition and flavor to these refreshing drinks.
Thank you so much Mia for sharing with us your nutritional expertise. We had so much fun getting to know you; it has been an absolute delight chatting with you. You can find more of Mia's evidence-based nutritional information and her delicious recipe's on Nutrition By Mia. Plus, be sure to follow Mia on instagram @nutritionbymia for daily nutritional tips!
Mangez Bien, Riez Souvent, Aimed Beaucoup! "Eat Well, Laugh Often, Love Abundantly."
Images: Nutrition By Mia