Q + A with Lisa Malin from This is Grounded

Two years ago I met Lisa Malin from This is Grounded by chance at a juice bar, go figure. I don’t know what sparked me to go up to her and tell her I liked her workout leggings, but I did.

According to author Michael Daniels in his book, Shadow, Self, Spirit (2005), groundedness refers to “a sense of being fully embodied, whole, centered and balanced in ourselves and our relationships.” It’s also a deeper connection to the authentic self. When you’re grounded, you have a sense of control with your mental and emotional self. I didn’t understand what this felt like at the time of meeting Lisa, but seeing her standing in line, I knew she lived and breathed it. Daniels further explains that groundedness is associated “with an experience of clarity, wholeness, ‘rightness’ and harmony."…

This was a time in my life where I started making radical changes to improve my health after neglecting it for so long…I really admired Lisa and her interest in helping me along my journey. She started to tell me about her time at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I am currently studying to be a health coach. If it weren’t for her, I would not be where I am today. To this day I can say she has been so much more than just a mentor of mine, but an example of someone I aspire to be in the health and wellness realm.

Since meeting Lisa at the mall that day, we have been talking regularly about what health means to us and how to better guide people with their health journeys. More importantly, and maybe unknowingly to her, she has been one of the most influential people in my life (and probably many others) for so many reasons. 

I sat down with Lisa at a cafe in Rye, New York on March 11th 2020. The Coronavirus was just making its way into America as Lisa and I were naively preparing ourselves for the pandemics arrival. At the time Lisa's son was studying abroad scrambling to get back (Lisa of course was staying cool as a cucumber), and we knew things were about to change forever. Although Lisa and I can’t physically sit down and talk together just yet, our virtual conversations have been just as powerful. Check out my virtual interview with Lisa below as she talks about what it’s like being grounded…

What motivated you to get into the health field? Although we have different paths we both share a genuine passion for health and nutrition.

I became interested in wellness and alternative types of healing in my early 20s. I developed dermatitis (red, itchy, inflamed skin) that was treated with cortisone creams and oral prednisone. These interventions only made my skin worse and incredibly sensitive to light and heat. After going from doctor to doctor with no success, I made the decision to see a holistic practitioner and nutritionist. I even worked with an acupuncturist and energy healer. I was desperate to find a cure and open to anything that may help! Alternative forms of healing were considered pretty fringe back then, but nothing else was working so I went for it! 

Each of these health practitioners treated the root cause of my dermatitis (not just the symptom) and used diet, targeted supplementation and hands-on healing to restore my skin back to health. It took time, but it worked. It was an “aha” moment for me and ignited my deep passion for health + wellness!

When I look back on this time now, I realize that my dermatitis was likely linked, at least in part, to a bout of food poisoning I had gotten while traveling abroad. I was treated with multiple rounds of strong antibiotics and antiparasitics that, we now know, can compromise gut health, create systemic inflammation and even show up as chronic skin problems.

What made you start your own health coaching practice; This Is Grounded. 

My own health journey and training as a Health Coach taught me that we have so much more control over our health and happiness than we believe: Eating well, reducing stress, moving our body, having a supportive community and even getting a good night’s rest can profoundly impact our long term health and well-being for the better. The truth is people generally know they should eat more vegetables, exercise a few times a week, and ditch sugar,  but knowing and doing it are two very different things. I founded Grounded to help people bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be, helping them to identify and connect with their unique wellness goals and make sustainable lifestyle shifts needed to reach them. 

Do you believe in diets? The past year especially, my relationship with food has completely shifted. I gave up trying to restrict and label my foods certain foods.

As a society we are obsessed with diets and a “quick fix” approach to weight loss. Anyone who has been on a diet knows that diets don’t work long term. Worse, strict diets can create a negative cycle of restricting and binging, as well as undermine our overall confidence to make strong food choices and find balance when we aren’t actively dieting.

I like to help clients create a much more personalized, sustainable approach to healthful eating, one that takes into account their personal preferences, lifestyle and unique health goals. I have also found that a little education around putting together a healthy, plant forward meal that elongates blood sugar, blunts cravings and boosts overall health and well-being is a much more powerful tool for weight management than following a diet.

I want to empower people to tune in and make strong food choices wherever they go and know how to hit the reset button when they over indulge. I want to put the joy back in eating! 

Once I found more balance with food, my whole life seemed to become more balanced. Do you believe this to be true? 

Yes, I do! A recent study showed that healthy adults eat an average of 4.2 to 10.5 times per day. That’s a lot of time and energy devoted to eating and making food decisions. Constantly worrying about our weight, seeing food as “good” or “bad” and stressing over food choices, mucks with our self-esteem, happiness and overall well being. A balanced relationship with food can have the opposite effect, making us feel happy, healthy, empowered and in control...more balanced.

What does your idea of a well-balanced plant-based breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like for you? 

When putting together a balanced plant-based meal, I always like to have a combination of plant based-protein (legumes, tempeh, beans, nuts, seeds), fiber (greens/non-starchy veggies) and healthy fats on my plate to balance my blood sugar, fill me up, curb cravings and supply my body with all the nutrients it needs to feel its best.

• Breakfast: I love a nutrient dense smoothie for breakfast. It’s simply the easiest way to pack a ton of nutrition into one meal. I like a smoothie made with handfuls of baby greens, berries, nut butters or flax/hemp/pumpkin seeds for a balance of fiber, fat and protein. Sometimes I add a scoop of clean, plant based protein powder from Sprout Living. I usually use water as the base of my smoothies for extra hydration. 

If I am craving something more warming, I may cook up some whole-grain oats and top it with sauteed greens, a generous handful of nuts or seeds and a drizzle of olive oil + sea salt. Yes, I like my oats savory, but if you prefer them sweet you can stir in some berries, nut butter and a splash of nut milk + cinnamon for a balanced cozy, breakfast bowl. 

• Lunch: Lunch is always a big, colorful salad filled with whatever veggies I have on hand (arugula, purple cabbage, radicchio, endive, carrots, riced cauliflower, peppers, celery, etc), some nuts or seeds, ¼ cup beans and avocado. Sometimes I add a scoop of quinoa or diced sweet potato for satiety. Whole grain crackers or a small sprouted whole grain tortilla fill out the meal and keep me full.  Dressing is usually a good quality balsamic vinaigrette or lemon and olive oil with a sea salt and black pepper.

• Dinner: I usually like something warm for dinner. Sometimes I’ll make a buddha bowl with beans/tofu or tempeh for protein, whole grains, sauteed greens, roasted veggies (broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini + cauliflower) and add seeds and my lemon-tahini dressing for healthy fats. Other days, a big stir fry or coconut curry of mixed veggies, chickpeas and a handful of cashews over a bowl of brown rice or quinoa hits the spot. When really pressed for time, a warming bowl of lentil soup and big salad with warm grains can do the trick. I like to keep it simple!

What is your go-to work out?

I love to mix it up. Soulcycle, Pilates, a long walk with a friend or my puppy + some strength training- I usually do a combination of these workouts each week. No matter what, I try to get in my 10,000 steps a day. Sometimes I’m successful, sometimes I’m not.

Do you believe everyone should work out a little bit each day?

Yes. I believe (and research shows) being active on a daily basis is one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health and you don’t need to join a gym or book a spin class to reap the benefits.  I encourage busy clients to find clever ways to add more movement to their day: Maybe it’s walking the kids to and from school, choosing to take the stairs over the elevator, picking the parking spot furthest from their destination, streaming a 10-15 minute workout on their phone 2x a day (everyone has 10 minutes!), or challenging themselves to get in those steps. Regular movement boosts mood, metabolism, energy, immunity, sleep quality and reduces one’s chances of developing chronic disease and other unwanted health problems. I believe it’s a vital part of a healthy, happy lifestyle. 

What does being grounded mean to you? Because you really do exude this sense of groundedness...What do you do to stay grounded each day?

Being grounded means feeling centered, rooted, balanced and at ease in the world. It means feeling good in your skin and capable of managing the stresses of everyday life with a sense of calm and grace and equanimity. Staying grounded takes practice! Some days I feel more grounded than others. 

Eating well, moving my body, getting enough sleep, staying organized and focusing on the positive helps me stay grounded as do my friends and family.

I find getting up an hour earlier than my family has big grounding payoffs! It allows me time to mindfully ease into my day, enjoy a quiet cup of coffee, breathe and calmly check emails/news feed -- A morning routine is a great grounding hack! 

You’re involved with Organic Pharmer.  Can you talk a little bit about how you got involved and what you are doing there? 

Yes! Organic Pharmer is a healthy grab-and-go eatery that was co-founded by Functional Medical doctor, Susan Blum to help her clients make the recommended dietary shifts needed to improve their health and well-being. Of course, we also service the wider community and have helped our customers embrace a whole foods, plant forward approach to eating. 

I have always loved Organic Pharmer, but ironically, Organic Pharmer found me. One of the founders, an amazing man named David Bender, who also happens to be a gifted artist, found me on instagram and asked if I wanted to meet. He was certain there was something we could do together! I took the meeting and it all started from there: I developed content for them, co-created plant-based meal programs and wrote blog posts. Recently, I was named Director of Communications for a new arm of the business. Unfortunately, COVID-19 put a pause on the launch. We are now discussing next steps and timelines! 

You talk a lot about finding the right community for you. I am all about human connection, I think it’s the most important thing that my generation lacks. What advice would you give someone who is looking for the right community for them?

I’d say that if you follow your passion and go after your dreams, you’ll likely find people who light you up, share similar values and common interests. I believe that surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and support you is essential, especially when you are working towards new goals and ways of operating. We all need our tribe, no matter how small!

Find out more about Lisa and her health practice here.