Episode #210 - Erin Skinner

Today I am sharing my conversation with fellow dietitian and podcaster Erin Skinner, founder of Empowered Nutrition, a functional nutrition practice. Erin is a board-certified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and holds a certification in integrative and functional nutrition therapy.   

When the company she was working for elected to adopt The Blue Zones Lifestyle, Erin saw this as an opportunity for a research project. She followed the Blue Zone’s generated meal plan, tracked her nutrition, and in the end, found the diet lacking in 15 key nutrients!

In the course of her research, she also uncovered fundamental flaws in the information on which the Blue Zones framework is based. Did you know that one of the Blue Zones kept such poor records that it was difficult to determine their ages? That’s a problem when your claim to fame is measured in years of life.

This topic is so fascinating. You can read my article where I breakdown the Blue Zones and listen in as Erin and I discuss:

• How the Blue Zones Diet came to be

• The history of Seventh Day Adventists’ involvement in health care

• The importance of including meat in your diet

• Conflicts of interest in vegan and vegetarian diets

• Erin’s company, Empowered Nutrition

• Diana’s work with the Global Food Justice Alliance