Dishing a Taste of Nutritional Medicine
Danielle Moravek is a Functional Nutritionist who helps heal people through making recommendations on how to live a healthy lifestyle for both mental and physical health.
Danielle Moravek is a Functional Nutritionist who, by curing herself through making changes to her lifestyle and eating habits, learned that she can guide others to a healthier way of living both mentally and physically. During the coronavirus pandemic, it is more important now, than ever, to stay as mentally and physically healthy as possible to support a strong immune system and ward off the depression and anxiety this pandemic has brought upon many people.
Danielle: My name is Danielle Moravek, but I go by Dani. I am currently living in Norfolk, Virginia with my wife and our two rescue dogs. I recently started working for a digital health care company and I am also in the process of getting my certification as a certified nutrition specialist. So I'm really excited about that.
Shelby: What are your goals for your profession?
Danielle: I recently launched my personal company called Creative Nutrition Co., which is a company focused on a successful wellness, functional nutrition, and holistic health. So with that, my vision and my ultimate goal is to work alongside therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists in the Nutritional Psychiatry field because we need more of that. My goal is to offer wellness to LGBTQ plus communities [and] people who normally wouldn’t have that access to food therapy. That’s my goal. I want to make it fun. I want to make it accessible. I want to make it simple. I want to make it relatable. Reaching people from all different types of backgrounds is the goal.
Shelby: That is a great goal because everyone needs to focus on and improve their mental health, especially in times like this. Can you speak to the importance of diet and [physical] health in correlation to mental health?
Danielle: Absolutely, so this is my jam right here. [This is] definitely a topic I am super passionate about because I've lived through it personally. I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and also PTSD a couple of years ago. Upon receiving those diagnoses, I was on a number of different medications and that was basically [like] the fix. They didn’t really tend to get to the root of the problem. What about nutritional deficiencies? How’s your daily diet? How is your physical activity? How’s your home environment? All these different things are what they refused to shine light on. So with that, I got to a point where I was taking seven different medications a day. I was tired of the side effects and I wasn’t myself. I was like, “Okay, something has to give,” so that’s where my passion for Functional Nutrition came into play. I weaned off all of my medications, I changed my diet, and I started to notice that there is a true connection between what you eat and your mood. I began increasing Omega fatty acids in things like fatty fish, such as salmon, more greens, unprocessed foods, and fresh vegetables. It doesn’t have to be hard. It’s just a matter of being ready to take your health into your own hands. If you're eating crappy foods, [always] drinking sodas, not getting in your water each day, drinking a lot of alcohol, eating processed foods like candy and sweets, and not eating balanced meals, you're more like to be prone to depression, anxiety, fatigue, and low energy levels. All of these different things are in correlation with mental health conditions. Once we are able to see, “Oh my goodness, you can heal your mind, body, and spirit through food,” you will see that food is truly medicine and I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it and that’s why I want to help others come to that realization as well.
Shelby: You also display some really awesome energy considering the time we are living in now with COVID-19 and I know depression levels have went up because of it. I had a co-worker commit suicide over the first quarantine, so it has been tough on everyone. With the current pandemic, what have you been doing to stay in such a positive headspace?
Danielle: Well, honestly, some days it's been hard. I'm not gonna lie. So with that, I take extra precaution to again, [watch] the food's [that] I'm eating. I'm cooking at home more which is good. I'm trying new foods, creating a new dishes, and having fun with different recipes in the kitchen. I’ve been making sure that [if] I can’t go out, I will sit outside for a good 20 minutes to soak up the vitamin D. It naturally increases my mood and gets my endorphins going. I’m making sure to keep in touch with my family through phone conversations and FaceTime calls, I staying in contact with my friends, and doing things that bring me joy. I think that it’s super important during this time. I’m an introvert anyway so having this alone time has given me time to get back into journaling. When I’m not doing anything, I meditate. [All] these things are boosting my moods and keeping me in a positive headspace. There are days where I don’t want to do anything. I want to stay in bed and I’m not up for anything. [But] I have to learn to be patient with myself and, again, taking time to focus on my diet and in get some type of daily movement. Keeping social connections has helped to keep me in a positive headspace.
Shelby: Earlier talked a little earlier about how you were exposed to someone who had COVID-19. How did you overcome your anxieties with that?
Danielle: You know, obviously I was extremely anxious just because I didn't know what to expect. You hear all of these horror stories and you're like, “Oh my goodness!” You basically think you're doomed from the beginning. So with that, I took extra precautions. I quarantined for two weeks I made sure I was filling my body with healing foods like bone broth, green tea, fatty acids, lots of greens, fresh fruits, and vegetables, taking care of my body, taking vitamin c, and zinc as well. That was really important. A lot of sicknesses you [can] heal through foods. That is the major key. I took my own advice as a Functional Nutritionist. It's all about immune health. When you're focusing on things that are going to build and boost your immune system, you are going to heal and feel better. You are going to notice those symptoms like cough, body aches, and just not feeling well lift from your body. That's what I focused on. Staying hydrated, making sure you get at least eight ounces of water per hour to avoid being dehydrated. [Although] diet was key, I made sure I protected myself and others by just staying home. I also did some research and made sure I stayed up to date. I got tested and I was negative. That was a relief, but it is not only about you. It’s about other people too.
Shelby: Most definitely that is a great thing you did. I don’t think anyone should go out if they do not need to. You're a good example of someone who practices what they preach as far as you know eating right and doing healthy daily activities. It shows. You’re a very happy and positive person. I'm sure your clients absolutely love you. I think everyone should get a daily dose of Dani. Where can people find you and get in touch with you?
Danielle: Thank you! I like that. I have an instagram which is [at] Dani the Nutritionist and I’m in the middle of revamping my website, www.creativenutritionco.com. I’m still working on that, but I have some new offerings coming soon that I am really excited about. I try to be really active on social media and share insights, recipes, and health tips. I like to also post about my daily life as a Functional Nutritionist living with mental health conditions to motivate people and show them that if I can do it, you can do it too. I just want to motivate people to live a happy and healthy life.
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