What if better health wasn't about restriction, but about growing toward wellness when the timing is right?

Dr. Mitika Kanabar shares her lifestyle medicine journey—from skeptic to practitioner to co-author of "How Healers Heal." Inspired by a new plant shoot in her studio, she explores how real change requires the right support, resources, and readiness.

From a "Plants for Life" class she almost dismissed, through pandemic grocery store discoveries (when only plants were left on shelves!), to measurable health improvements in her family, Mitika reveals how community and privilege shaped her path. She breaks down the six evidence-based pillars of lifestyle medicine and celebrates the new dietary guidelines that finally recognize cultural diversity in healthy eating.

✨ In this episode:

• The 6 pillars: plant-forward nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, connection, and avoiding risky substances
• Why she wasn't ready the first time—and what changed with community support
• The "health equity lens" in 2025-2030 guidelines: your cultural foods matter
• Nutrient density vs. calorie counting: a paradigm shift
• Real results: improved thyroid, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels
• How peas and lentils finally earned their place in the protein section

Resources mentioned:

ACLM, NutritionFacts.org, eCornell Certificate, "The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook," and "How Healers Heal"

Closing reflection:

Growth doesn't happen on demand. Like that new shoot on her plant, transformation comes when conditions align—privilege, timing, support, and readiness. The question isn't just what to do, but when you'll be ready to grow.

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