Welcome! I'm Brae and I'm a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. I enjoy pizza, ice cream, tacos, and chocolate, but I also love plenty of fruits and vegetables. People often assume that I don't eat anything unhealthy because of my title, and while that used to be true, it's definitely not anymore. I love helping people achieve true health and happiness through food, lifestyle, and mindset shifts. It is possible to enjoy foods you love while maintaining an overall healthy eating pattern.
The goal of Gather Nourish Grow is to provide nutrition education, healthy recipes, workouts, and other resources to help you on your journey. My hope is for everyone to feel their best so that they may live a full life.
I am part Polish and my mom always told me that, because we are Polish, we like to feed people. While I have no idea if that's true, it has always been true for our family, and it's true for me. I love to cook and bake for others and host friends and family for meals. If someone tells me they are hungry, I'll offer them any food I have on hand. I have been interested in food and nutrition from a young age (elementary school young), and have been on a path to feeding people good food ever since.
Food is fuel and nourishment. It is necessary to help us grow physically.
Food is grown and gathered. When possible I love gathering food that nature has provided us, growing it myself, or purchasing from a local farm. The food closest to nature is often the most delicious and nutrient dense.
Food is social and helps us grow mentally and emotionally. Whether we're gathered around the table, in the kitchen, at someone's home, at a church, or a community center, I do believe it's important to eat and share food with others as often as possible. We grow through communities.
We also gather information, perspectives, and ideas from other people and resources, nourishing our minds and growing our knowledge and beliefs. You won't find solely information about food on this site, but about many facets of life. All areas of our lives affect our health.
Food is religious and helps us grow spiritually. Christians may know this through taking Communion. Jews may know this by choosing kosher foods. Many of us also pray before meals, thanking God for many things, but especially the food before us.
I want people to feel well-nourished from a hunger, nutrient, and taste standpoint. Nutrient density is imperative for overall health of the body and brain, but taste is imperative for overall health of the mind. Nutritious food can taste amazing, but so does less nutritious foods, and both can be part of a well-balanced eating pattern. Sometimes health concerns require a stricter diet, but it's usually not forever, unless due to a severe food sensitivity or allergy. Well-nourished means enjoying food too.
So, we grow and gather food and we gather together to enjoy it. We nourish our bodies, minds, and souls. And we grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually: Gather Nourish Grow.