Nutritionist Ekaterina Krupkina: Spring avitaminosis does not exist.

Nutritionist Ekaterina Krupkina discussed the challenges of changing dietary and lifestyle habits, breakfast routines, food combinations on plates, emotional overeating, and self-love through nutrition in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

Ekaterina Krupkina is a nutritionist, health coach, and founder of the Mindful Eating school. In her blog, Ekaterina shares insights on building a healthy relationship with food, and self-acceptance regarding one’s body.

Read about Ekaterina's views on diets, vegetarianism and veganism, intuitive and separate eating, the healthy plate method, "good" and "bad" foods, planning healthy meals, vitamin deficiencies, and detox days in her interview with RBC-Ukraine.

This is a condensed version of our conversation. Watch the full episode on the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.

– Katya, you are a nutritionist, but we also have dietitians and gastroenterologists. Let's clarify what a nutritionist is and how they differ from a dietitian?

– A dietitian is a doctor. They treat diseases, which is important to understand. A nutritionist does not prescribe medications or dietary supplements. A nutritionist focuses on nutrition and the implementation of dietary habits necessary for maintaining health. In other words, they teach how to eat, what to eat, and how to eat.

– Why do people find it difficult to change their eating habits?

– Because usually, people try to change everything at once. Unfortunately, our brain is wired in such a way that we cannot rely solely on willpower when the prefrontal cortex is constantly making decisions and exerting effort to act.

If we want to change something permanently, it needs to be done gradually, almost unnoticed by our brain, because everything new requires effort, and we generally live our lives on autopilot, thanks to our habits. We take the same route to work, brush our teeth in a specific way, eat in a particular manner. When we start making changes, the brain responds with, "Why? This will take a lot of energy."

Therefore, instead of trying to change everything on Monday, we should focus on one small thing and start implementing it. And through small steps, not in a month, as everyone wants, but over a year, two, or three, we can change our eating behavior and nutrition.

– What could be a good starting point?

– Anything. It depends on how the person eats. Perhaps I might start by adding breakfast. I could simply begin eating breakfast instead of having coffee with milk on an empty stomach.

Maybe I would start with vegetables, adding a bit of vegetables to each meal and focusing on that. Perhaps I will learn to eat slowly. And until I master that, I won’t move on to the next habit. Maybe I will learn to go to bed earlier, depending on what the person needs and focusing on that one thing. And when they realize that it takes little effort, they will automatically include those vegetables on their plate. That means the habit is established, and I can move on to the next one. And this is a very long journey.

But how do we typically approach this? I already eat breakfast, have lunch, eat vegetables, eat porridge, go to bed on time, do exercise, and get massages. Then it’s Monday evening, and I think, "Oh no, this healthy lifestyle doesn’t suit me." Because we take on too much at once.

– You mentioned breakfast, and I previously spoke to a dietitian and a fitness coach, and their opinions on this matter differed. In your view, is breakfast essential in the morning?

– I would say it depends on the circumstances. If a person doesn’t have time for breakfast and is rushing to work, then breakfast should be implemented. If someone drinks coffee with milk instead of having breakfast, we need to introduce breakfast.

If we have a nutritious breakfast in the morning, it helps us control our appetite throughout the day, preventing overeating in the evening, and it affects our hormonal system, but there are nuances.

Some people cannot physiologically eat in the morning. In my entire practice, there has been one patient who felt nauseous in the morning. How can you force someone to eat when they feel sick? We take a break of two or three hours after waking up and eat when the body is ready for food.

In all other circumstances, we add breakfast.

People often avoid breakfast out of laziness, but gradually, if you introduce breakfast, they will feel better, and the amount of overeating will decrease.

– What is your opinion on diets?

– I view them negatively. If a diet is used for weight loss, I am against it. Of course, there are therapeutic diets when we have issues with the gallbladder, pancreas, and similar problems. I understand why they are necessary. For instance, the ketogenic diet was developed for epilepsy.

We use them to manage certain diseases or to help ourselves feel better. When it comes to weight loss, I have a very negative attitude toward any diets because they are restrictions that we impose on ourselves and trap ourselves in this cycle.

– What about vegetarianism or veganism? This isn’t a therapeutic diet but rather a lifestyle choice, so to speak.

– If a person chooses this path, they must understand that we can easily get into serious deficiencies in iron, protein, vitamin B12, possibly calcium, and vitamin D3. And if we consciously choose this as a lifestyle, we need to check our bodies and take nutraceuticals; we cannot do without them. We need to support ourselves comprehensively and balance our diet.

This applies to vegetarianism, but it’s easier here because some vegetarians eat fish, and some eat eggs. It’s easier to build a diet, and sometimes even with a very balanced diet, you can manage without nutraceuticals and feel great.

In other words, if we choose this path, we should do so wisely, not just because, "Oh, this is trendy, everyone is doing it, so I will too." A year later, hair falls out, the thyroid suffers, we are deficient, and we feel unwell. What do we do? We seek treatment. We don’t want our health to suffer.

– Is intuitive eating effective in the 21st century?

– Let's start with the fact that I am a fan of intuitive eating. Again, everyone interprets intuitive eating in their own way. Essentially, when we live life consciously, understand our choices, listen to our bodies, and this isn’t just a fantasy about "listening to the body."

We have a whole hormonal cocktail that triggers hunger, satiety, thirst, the urge to go to the bathroom, and the desire to sleep. If we don’t live on autopilot, scrolling through social media and ignoring our body’s signals, we can always recognize when we are hungry and eat not according to a clock or some preset schedule, but as our body genuinely needs. The desire for food arises when our energy is depleted and the body needs to replenish its reserves.

We eat, stop at the right time, and move on with our lives. This is a great approach; it’s a healthy approach.

Some advocate that you should eat whatever you want, but that’s a bit different. If I choose to be healthy, I cannot eat everything indiscriminately. I understand that my body needs nutrients. I want to be healthy.

However, I also remember that it’s not just about health and energy; there should also be pleasure involved. This is biologically ingrained in us. We want to enjoy our food. Therefore, we should stimulate those receptors.

For me, intuitive eating means eating when I want, stopping when I’m full, and balancing all aspects on my plate: health, pleasure, and energy.

Some interpret intuitive eating as "eating without stopping," but that’s not true. I stop when I am satisfied. So there’s no room for overeating because you are attuned to your body.

– Sometimes we feel emotional hunger or a desire to eat something specific. Should we work on this? And if so, how?

– It’s essential to work on it. If it’s a one-time occurrence, for example, I just ate something, then I went for a walk, called a friend, and took a moment to breathe and calm down, then it’s okay. Sometimes we can soothe ourselves this way. The important thing is to have other options that also help us, not just food.

– This is also a common story, where food is used as a reward. Especially that sweet treat, which may even stem from childhood. Can we reward ourselves with food when