Shireen Abdullah: [00:00:00] In today's episode, we sit down with registered dietitian Katya Galbis. She shares the key principles of a well-balanced plant-based diet, a role in symptom management and long-term health, and the cultural barriers she has encountered while advocating for plant-based nutrition in Spanish-speaking communities. Stay tuned. Podcasting from Dallas, Texas. I am Shireen, and this is the Yumlish podcast.

Yumlish is working to empower you to take charge of your health through diet and exercise and reduce the risk of chronic conditions like type two diabetes and heart disease. We hope to share a unique perspective and a culturally relevant approach to managing these chronic conditions with you each week.

Katya Galbis was born and raised [00:01:00] in Mexico as a plant-based dietitian. She is dedicated to promoting a plant-based diet through her food for life, nutrition and cooking classes. She also translates curricula and trains New Food for Life instructors for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, or PCRM.

Shireen: Welcome, Katya. 

Katya: Thank you so much for having me. 

Shireen: It is such a pleasure to have you on Katya. So first things first, you know, you have, this knowledge of plant-based nutrition. I first wanna start out with your why. Can you share with us your journey and what really inspired your passion for plant-based nutrition?

Katya: Yeah, absolutely. Well, this is very, very interesting because I never thought I was going to be somebody that recommends a plant-based diet, right? So everything started back in 2011 when my dad invited me over his radio program. [00:02:00] He's an animal activist and he wanted me to explain, as a dietician, he wanted me to explain the importance of eating a plant-based diet, right? So I went, and started the press, started the program with my dad.We noticed there were, there was a lot of interest. I was like, you know, there's something here that we are missing. I knew the information wasn't available in Spanish, so I was like, I really need to inform or share this information with, at least Mexico. I thought Mexico, because I am from Mexico. So at the end I discovered that not just Mexico was interested in this information, but other Latin American countries. So I started my blog, it's called Vegisima. I started sharing recipes, information, [00:03:00] and that brought me to giving or having classes, right. Nutrition and cooking classes. Of course, with this, uh, through all this time I started,you know, certifications and studying a lot about plant-based nutrition and discovered that this diet is just, it's good for, for the animals, but also for your health and for the planet. So I was like, okay, what else do you want to ask for a diet, right?

Because, you are covering the main points for me at least, right. And mostly health, right. I, since I came to plant-based nutrition through the ethics part of it. I learned that plant-based nutrition is really a solution to many, many chronic diseases that we see now, now based. [00:04:00] And now, um, of course, I, uh, work for PCRM, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and we are expanding the program into Spanish. So it's very exciting and that gives me a chance to share this information with the rest of the, the Spanish speaking communities. Mm-hmm.

Shireen: Absolutely love that, that there's this movement in the Spanish speaking community for this. I do, I do wanna take a, quick step back Katya and really understand some of the key principles of a healthy plant-based diet. Um, can you walk us through some of that first?

Katya: Yeah. It's, um, you know, right now there's so much, uh, confusion, right? Because people are like, oh, there's low fat, low sodium, low calories, no sugar, organic, MSG free. So there's so much information out there and it's very confusing. [00:05:00] So we forget, the basics. I really like to recommend and bring people back to basics, right?

I like to really focus on four food groups. If you include these four groups in your diet, you will make sure to add all these nutrients that you need, like vitamins, minerals, phytochemical, chemicals. So you add all these nutrients just by adding these four groups, and they are fruits, vegetables, grains, whole grains, and legumes.

So each group will add something to your diet will give you or provide you nutrients, right? So when we add these four groups, you are also adding a lot of fiber and fiber is very important for you, gut help, right? I also like to recommend, [00:06:00] um, variety of these foods. And I hear a lot, that people say, you know. “I-I don't like broccoli,” but I say, you know, have you tried broccoli?

Probably, you don't like it cooked, maybe you, if you try it, uh, in a salad or in a different dish, you may like it, like the, Sam I am right? You may like it. So I try, uh, to encourage people to try different ways of cooking food so they can add variety to their foods. And also, you know, color, when you add color to your diet, you are adding all these different nutrients that you need, and phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber.

So if you see the rainbow, for example, you can add all these colors to your diet, and that way you are making sure you are adding all the nutrients that you need.

Shireen: I, I love that as, even as a rule of thumb [00:07:00] to be able to look and see like, am I eating a rainbow? Am I eating a variety of different, uh, vitamins and minerals and things like that in order to really, um, be able to support the diet and in this case, of course, being the plant-based diet. How does a plant-based diet really impact chronic conditions? So that's something that you alluded to earlier. Um, specifically I'm looking to understand, you know, when we talk about diabetes or hypertension or just even broadly cardiovascular disease, can you help us understand that relationship better?

Katya: Yeah, actually that's a great question because when I, uh, when I hear, you know, I have hypertension or I have diabetes. People think that they have to follow a certain diet for that disease, right? We, we separate these diseases like they were in a separate box, right? But they're, we are a whole, right? So when you have a chronic disease, you have inflammation. Part of your body, [00:08:00] not just because your pancreas, or because your kidneys, or because of your heart. It's everything, so when people think that, you know, I need to be on a diabetic diet. Or I need to be in a, a hard diet. I say, you know what, what about eating one diet that will help you with everything? Right? So you are like, “no, no, because the sugar.” “No, because of the fat.”

“No, no, no. Just follow a plant-based low fat diet, for example”

 And when you include all these plant-based foods to your, to your diet. You are incorporating or adding all these nutrients because plant-based foods are nutrient dense. So we are not focusing on calories here. We're paying attention more to the nutrients. You want nutrient dense and low calorie foods and exactly, that's, [00:09:00] that's what all the plant-based foods are, right? They are low in calorie. They are high in nutrients, high in fiber. Uh, remember that fiber, fiber is only present in, uh, plant-based foods, right? So when we are eating, uh, naturally lowering, uh, diet, lowering calories, but rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals. We are promoting satiety. We are reducing our eating, so that help us maintain a healthy weight, and I'm not saying that you have to be skinny and looking like Barbie. I'm saying healthy weight. And, and adding all these plant-based foods will help you with that. 

Also, they help you with inflammation. Remember when you have a chronic disease. It's because there's inflammation. So when you add all these foods that are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, [00:10:00] you will be able to, to help your body reduce inflammation. So I want people to, to think as a holistic way of treating all these diseases that.

One, this diet will help you with, all right, you are gonna, uh, lower your weight. If you are, you have an unhealthy weight, you are gonna improve your diabetes. You are probably going to lower your hypertension. So you can do that just by following a plant-based diet.

Shireen: And now that you're talking about sort of looking across chronic conditions as like this, this, uh, one big idea. What are some foods or meals that you suggest, uh, to your patients dealing with any of these, you know, chronic conditions? 

Katya: Well, really there is so many. Um, if you follow a plant-based diet, you can do [00:11:00] any, any, all of them, all of them are healthy, right? So if you are doing grains right, try to add whole grains to your, to your plate.

What is. Uh, brown rice, whole wheats, breads, uh, whole wheat pastas, quinoa, tortilla,corn tortillas. So try to add these, these type of grains and limit the processed ones because they don't have much nutrients. Many nutrients like fiber, the fiber is gone when they process the grain and some nutrients are added back, but they are not necessarily part of the original part of the, the grain, right? So reducing your, or limiting your, um, your intake of processed grains and increasing your whole grain intake will help you too. Um, also for protein, for example, [00:12:00] you can, um, and I'm talking based on my cultural background. Like all the Latin American countries, beans are staples, right?

And you can find all kinds of dishes with beans and greens and vegetables. So when you are trying to eat a healthy diet. Just try to reduce your intake of processed foods, lower your sodium intake. Of course, these processed foods are high in sodium, high in calories, high in sugar, for example, processed sugars.So when you are limiting these foods. They don't take the place of these healthy other ingredients or foods in your diet.

Shireen: Most of these, from what I gather, they just end up becoming filler foods but not nutrient dense foods.

Katya: Exactly. And that's why when I say, okay, [00:13:00] if you are eating, for example. I don't know, a processed food, it won't allow you to add the healthy ones, right?

It was, it's going to replace, uh, a healthy ingredient or food. So try to eat your, your whole grains, your legumes, your vegetables, and then if you have space to eat, you know, some processed food, you can, but, try to eat your, your healthy foods first and that that will, you know, make it easier for you to say, you know what?

I feel like I want a little bit of this, but you know. That could be helpful sometimes. 

Shireen: Mm-hmm.So some people may feel that when we're talking about a plant-based diet, it's either, um, hard to maintain, hard to adopt. How do you educate people who are skeptical about adopting a plant-based diet?

Katya: Hmm. Yeah and you know what? [00:14:00] I'm always, always, um, getting people by showing them that we can eat delicious, familiar foods. So when people think of a plant-based diet, they think that they are not gonna taste good. This is gonna be boring. And, and when I say, you know what, have you tried this dish? I dunno.

Chili, chili with beans, right? Have you tried things that you are familiar with, like you don't have to eat something that you are not familiar, or that is not part of your culture, but start by eating these familiar foods, but changing them to a plant-based version, right? So it's something that you are used to, like, for example, pasta with meatballs or pasta with some lento stew, right?

Or you can do instead of chili with meat, you can do chili with beans. [00:15:00] So when you get people to try delicious food, it is easier for them to stick to it, and also culturally relevant, right? If you are familiar with the food that you used to eat, it's easier for, for people to change. 

Also, Um, lots of people think that eating healthy is very expensive. When I say, you know, what, if you. If you buy the basics: beans, rice, and, fruit and vegetables, you will be saving money, actually. You know, meat and eggs and dairy are expensive. Eating healthy means, you know, eating the basics and going back to basics. Not buying all these fancy foods that are like, this will give you, you know, you are gonna lose weight if you eat this type of food or the, the latest, uh, fad, uh, diet [00:16:00] that, you know, they, they, of course take advantage. The um, uh, it's a business, right? The food is business. So of course they will sell, sell you foods that are, ya know regular. You know, chia seeds, for example, right? And it's, uh, chia seeds back are present in, in the Peruvian or Latin American countries for ages for many, many generations, but now chia is the latest and it, they say it's gonna, you know, help you lose weight or control your blood glucose.

So unfortunately this, they will make them expensive, but that doesn't mean that, that you have to buy them. So, by just going to, to the basics, right? And also when you have a community other part of, you know, making changes. For, you know, the long run, making [00:17:00] connections and getting support, it's very important.

Don't feel like you are by yourself sometimes. Yeah, you feel like “I'm the only one eating healthy,” but find communities and find you the support that you need. It could be family members, it could be on Facebook or any social media. Uh, there is lots of, uh, community groups that have, or that promote a plant-based diet.

So I think those are some strategies and always, and, never, never feel bad that you are the only one doing these changes in your family, for example. Um. Don't give yourself any guilt tripping or any shaming when you are like eating something that is not as healthy, because sometimes people think that, oh my goodness, I ate this and I wasn't supposed to.

So don't shame, uh, [00:18:00] yourself, don't do the guilt trip. 'cause that won't help. Also, don't try to do recipes that are super complicated. So start slowly and start preparing very simple recipes, right? So people think that I, they have to, they have to know, like, to be a, like a chef, professional chef to cook healthy. So that's not the case.

Shireen: Mm-hmm. Start small, at least what I'm hearing you say is start small, but start somewhere. Right. Somewhere. Just bite-sized pieces. Yeah.

Katya: Exactly.

Shireen: We're, we're coming toward the end of the episode here, Katya. I would like to squeeze in two more questions if I can.

Katya: Yes.

Shireen: You mentioned, you know, the, the cultural relevance piece, which is a big, big piece for us in the work that we do at Yumlish as well. What cultural barriers and challenges have you encountered when promoting plant-based nutrition, uh, when it comes to Spanish speaking communities?

Katya: Well, there's, um, it's [00:19:00] very important to provide resources or sources that are reputable, right? So I try to share this information. I try to share the science on the plant-based, uh, nutrition on plant-based nutrition, but sometimes that is not enough. People, want more practical information, right? An advice that they can use if they say, “yes, I know that science that if you eat more fiber that will help you, you know, with weight loss or things like that.” But I found, uh, that giving or providing practical and actionable advice is done, just facts is very helpful.

And also acknowledging their concerns, when people think, come to me and say, uh, you know. I can't do this because I don't have money [00:20:00] or I don't have time, or my family says that if I don't eat meat, I'm gonna get sick. So I say, you know, for example, with, um, I won't get enough protein, right? So I will provide the facts, the science fact, but also I will show examples of a plant-based diet, a meal plan, and say, you know, look, this is the food that you are, that you're familiar with, right? Tacos or, uh, some kind of soups or dishes that are familiar to this community and, and say, you know, you can add these, um, beans, for example, which are high in protein instead of meat. So I will show them. These ways of cooking, um, or when they say, okay, the, um, plant base or eating healthy is very expensive.

I share, um, budget friendly meals[00:21:00], ideas.

Shireen: Mm-hmm.

Katya: And of course emphasizing cooking. Cooking at home, right? Because when we all eat out, it's hard to eat the healthy diet just because we don't know what's in that dish. And usually they add a lot of salt, a lot of oil, uh, because they want you to come back, right? Because they want you, that the food tastes good. So I really encourage, I. Cooking at home.

Shireen: That way you can also control a lot of the ingredients, the sodium, all of those different things within, within the food itself.

Katya: Exactly. Yeah, exactly.

Shireen: Lovely. We, we thought we are, unfortunately toward the end of the episode, Katya, at this point, if you could point our listeners to how they can connect with you. Just learn more about your work.

Katya: Yes. Thank you, Shireen. This was fun. You can find nutrition and cooking classes, free resources and programs by going to pcrm.org. [00:22:00] We are on Facebook as Physicians Community for Responsible Medicine and Comitè de Mèdicos for the Spanish social media. And you will find lots of information and, um, classes, resources. I hope this information is useful.

Shireen: Very much so. Katya thank you so very much to our listeners, thank you for listening in to another episode of the Yumlish podcast. It is that time to give you some work to do yourself. So head over to our social media.

Find this podcast post and comment below to tell us what is your favorite plant based dish. And if you're not on a plain based diet, that's absolutely fine. Help us understand where would you start? What would, where would you even begin to start a plain based diet for yourself or for a loved one? Again, head over to at Yumlish, both on Facebook or on Instagram.

Find this podcast post. Comment below again to tell us either what is your favorite plant-based dish, or what is a plant-based dish you'd love to explore next [00:23:00] for yourself. We will continue the conversation there. Katya. Thank you so very much again.

Katya: Thank you so much for having me, Shireen.

Thank you for listening to the Yumlish Podcast.

Make sure to follow us on social media at Yumlish underscore on Instagram and Twitter, and at Yumlish on Facebook and LinkedIn for tips about managing your diabetes and other chronic conditions, and to chat and connect with us about your journey and perspective. You can also visit our website, yumlish.com. For more recipes, advice, and to get involved with all of the exciting opportunities Yumlish has to offer.

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Connect with Yumlish!
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Connect with Katya Galbis and PCRM!

Website URL: pcrm.org

Instagram URL: @physicianscommittee

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/PCRM.org

LinkedIn URL: the physician committee for responsible medicine