Show Notes: The Power of Cruciferous Vegetables, Featuring Kale

In this episode, Lori explores the incredible benefits of cruciferous vegetables, with a special focus on kale. These nutrient-dense plants support hormone balance, gut health, metabolism, inflammation reduction, and long-term vitality, making them essential allies for women in midlife.

Lori also shares a personal story about entering perimenopause early after a hysterectomy, and how cruciferous vegetables became a reliable anchor during a challenging season. From there, she dives into how kale became part of her own journey, including her years living in Shanghai, where leafy greens were common but kale wasn’t part of the everyday culinary landscape. It wasn’t until returning to the States in 2009 that she began experimenting with kale and learned to truly love it.

This episode blends science, practical strategies, and a light, playful approach to help you see how easy and enjoyable it can be to incorporate kale into your meals. From massaging and sautéing to blending, crisping, or even hiding kale in your pasta sauce, Lori walks you through approachable ways to make this powerhouse green part of your daily rhythm.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why cruciferous vegetables are powerful for hormone health, especially for women over 40

• The unique benefits of kale and why it stands out nutritionally

• How childhood experiences and learned behaviors influence how we feel about certain foods

• Lori’s personal journey with perimenopause and discovering kale after living abroad

• Simple, practical ways to prepare kale so it tastes great

• How to introduce kale gently, even to those who think they won’t like it

Free Resource: Download the All About Kale Guide

Get simple recipes, benefits for women over 40, types of kale, and easy ways to add this nourishing green into your weekly meals.
Download here: 5https://community.plantpoweredcollective.com/offers/q2bGRBo

Join the {IN}Powered Plant Community

Our online community is free right now and is the perfect place to connect with plant-curious women who are learning, growing, and thriving together. Enjoy weekly inspiration, nutrition discussions, recipe shares, and a welcoming space to ask questions and stay accountable.

Join here: bit.ly/4a5ylbv

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Lori Willinski, Integrative Nutrition Coach and Plant Powered Collective Founder, sits down with her partner, Chris, for an honest and heartwarming conversation about bio-individuality and what it really means to navigate life and nourishment when two people have different nutrition styles. Lori is vegan. Chris is an omnivore. And together, they’ve learned that food doesn’t have to be a barrier. It can be a bridge.

You’ll hear how their relationship has grown through respect, curiosity, and a shared love of flavor. From how they order at restaurants to how they build meals at home, this episode offers a refreshing look at how honoring each person’s unique needs creates deeper connection both on the plate and around it.

What You’ll Learn

1. What Bio-Individuality Really Means

Lori breaks down the core concept that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, wellness, or relationships. Your genes, lifestyle, history, stress levels, and rhythms make your path uniquely yours and that’s the beauty of it.

2. How Different Food Styles Can Actually Strengthen a Relationship

Lori and Chris share how they’ve learned to celebrate differences instead of trying to match each other’s meals. The conversations are fun, honest, and relatable.

3. Practical Ways to Cook Together with Different Diets

Chris talks about how they make it work in the kitchen like building a shared base (soups, bowls, salads) and customizing from there. You’ll hear the story of the night Chris cooked vegan for Lori and how he won her over through food.

4. A Cozy, Seasonal Recipe to Try Together

Lori and Chris walk through their shared favorite: Hearty Tomato Soup

• Lori’s plant-powered version
• Chris’ grilled-cheese-on-the-side version

Same base, personalized finish — the perfect example of bio-individuality in action.

5. Food as a Mirror for Communication

This episode explores how the way we approach food can reveal:

• how we listen
• how we adapt
• how we respect one another

There’s humor, vulnerability, and a lot of truth here.

6. A Look Ahead: New Plant Powered YouTube Channel

Lori and Chris share exciting news... their new Plant Powered Collective YouTube channel where you’ll see them cook together, experiment, and show what real-life balance looks like at home.

🍽 Episode Highlights

• What Chris really thought when he learned Lori was vegan
• The restaurant in SWFL where the chef makes custom vegan dishes for Lori
• How Chris learned to appreciate tofu
• Why shared curiosity matters more than shared diets
• How to make midlife nutrition simpler and more joyful

💚 Lori’s Key Takeaways

• Bio-individuality is freedom and permission to tune into your own body.
• Relationships thrive when you appreciate differences instead of erasing them.
• Each meal is a chance to nourish yourself and also connect.
• Food is personal… and that’s what makes it powerful.

🎥 Join Us on YouTube

Be sure to subscribe to our brand-new Plant Powered Collective YouTube channel, where Lori and Chris cook together, explore plant-forward meals, and show what balanced living looks like in real life.
https://www.youtube.com/@PlantPoweredCollective

💌 If This Episode Resonated…

Please follow, share, or leave a review. Your support helps this podcast reach more women who want to add more plants to their plates, feel better in their bodies, and live with intention.

🌿 Connect with Lori

Website: plantpoweredcollective.com
Instagram: @plantpoweredcollective
YouTube: Plant Powered Collective (new!)
Podcast: Plant Powered Collective Podcast

What's Around the Plate: Nourishing the Whole You This Holiday Season

Episode Description

This special holiday edition of the Plant Powered Collective Podcast goes beyond what's on your plate to explore what truly nourishes us during the season—connection, gratitude, rest, and intentional living.

Join Lori Willinski, Integrative Nutrition Coach and founder of Plant Powered Collective, as she shares personal stories from celebrating holidays abroad, introduces a beautiful gratitude practice for your holiday table, and explores the six pillars of lifestyle medicine that support whole-person health.

Whether you're hosting a crowd or keeping it simple this year, this episode will inspire you to create a holiday season that feeds your body, mind, and soul.

In This Episode You'll Discover:

🌍 The Beauty of Blended Traditions - How living in Asia for 13 years taught Lori that family isn't always biological and traditions can beautifully evolve

💭 The Gratitude Table Practice - A simple, heartfelt activity that transforms holiday gatherings into meaningful moments of connection (includes reflection prompts you can use right away)

🌿 The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine - Why nutrition is just one piece of the wellness puzzle, and how movement, sleep, stress resilience, social connection, and healthy habits work together

🍽️ What's Around the Plate - Understanding that food feeds the body, but connection, rest, and presence feed the soul

🍝 Lasagna Two Ways - A peek into Lori's holiday kitchen where classic comfort meets plant-powered creativity (and guests always surprise themselves!)

Key Takeaways:

✨ Nourishment goes far beyond food—it's in the people we share meals with, the laughter that fills the room, and the rest we allow ourselves

✨ The holidays don't have to be perfect to be beautiful—authenticity and presence matter more than Pinterest-worthy presentations

✨ Simple practices like gratitude sharing can transform any gathering into a deeply connecting experience

✨ When we tend to all six pillars of lifestyle medicine, we create sustainable health and joy that lasts well beyond the holidays

Resources Mentioned:

🎁 Plant Powered Collective Holiday Guide - $19.95

Transform your holiday season with this comprehensive 25-page guide designed to help you nourish boldly—body, mind, and soul.

Inside the guide:

• Complete plant-powered Thanksgiving and Christmas menus with 15+ recipes
• Smart ingredient swaps that keep traditional flavors while adding energy and vitality
• Gratitude Activity Guide for meaningful holiday gatherings
• 25 Days of Nourishment Advent Calendar with daily wellness practices
• New Year Vision Worksheet based on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine
• Build-Your-Own Holiday Bowl formula and pantry checklist
• Thoughtful gift guide for health-conscious giving

Download your guide today: https://lori-willinski.mykajabi.com/offers/rmo42uzL

Connect with Plant Powered Collective:

Website: plantpoweredcollective.com

Blog: plantpoweredcollective.com/blog (for more plant-forward holiday recipes and swaps)

Instagram: @ThePlantPoweredCollective

Hashtag: #NourishBoldly

About Your Host:

Lori Willinski is an Integrative Nutrition Coach and founder of Plant Powered Collective, where she helps people nourish boldly and live vibrantly through the six pillars of lifestyle medicine. With years of experience blending cultures, flavors, and wellness practices, Lori believes that health isn't about restriction—it's about nourishment, flexibility, and joy.

This season, nourish what's on your plate AND what's around it. Download the Plant Powered Collective Holiday Guide and create a celebration that truly feeds your whole self.

🌿 Podcast #9: Live Life Balanced – An Interview with Robin Jonas

🎙 Hosted by Lori Willinski, Integrative Nutrition Coach & Founder of Plant Powered Collective

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of the Plant Powered Collective Podcast, Lori welcomes her friend and fellow Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Robin Jonas, founder and host of the Healthy Habits for a Healthy Home Podcast.

Lori and Robin first connected during their time at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where they were part of a mastermind group that supported one another in growth, leadership, and building their coaching practices. Robin’s passion for helping others live with balance, authenticity, and intention shines through as she shares her story of transition from educator and mom to holistic health coach and podcaster.

Together, they explore what it means to live life balanced from building small, sustainable habits to redefining clean eating, toxin reduction, and aligning your daily choices with the life you want to create.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

🌱 How Robin made the shift to health coaching and what inspired her Live Life Balanced brand.
🌿 The power of the “1% shift” — and how small steps lead to lasting transformation.
🧘‍♀️ How to integrate mindset, nutrition, and environment for total wellness.
🥗 The importance of “primary foods” (like purpose, relationships, and joy) versus “secondary foods” (what’s on your plate).
💚 Practical clean eating tips and Robin’s go-to recipe that embodies nourishment and simplicity.
✨ Why toxin reduction and cleaner living can dramatically shift your health and energy.

Episode Highlights

Resources Mentioned

🌿 Explore more from Plant Powered Collective:
Find guides, recipes, and resources mentioned in this episode at plantpoweredcollective.com.

Check out Lori’s resources for:

• Creating nutritious bowls packed with color and balance
• How to roast vegetables perfectly every time
• Making a refreshing carrot salad
• Crafting lentil balls that nourish and satisfy
• How to grow your own sprouts and use them in daily meals

💫 Discover more from Robin Jonas and her work:

• Listen to her podcast, Healthy Habits for a Healthy Home
• Connect with her and explore her Non-Toxic Living Guide here:

Connect with Lori & Plant Powered Collective

Website: plantpoweredcollective.com
Instagram: @ThePlantPoweredCollective
LinkedIn: Lori Willinski
Podcast: Plant Powered Collective on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

Closing Thought

Today’s episode is extra special because I’m joined by my daughter, Caitrin, and we’re sharing highlights from a recent trip to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. This wasn’t just a vacation, it was family, reflection, and a reminder that we can stay connected to our healthy habits no matter where life takes us.

We’ll talk about how to eat well while traveling, how to make nourishing choices without sacrificing fun, and how to use food to connect with family, culture, and community.

Check out our Plant Powered Travel handouts with tips and takeaways when traveling.  Here are a few:

 ✨ Pack smart, simple snacks like nuts, apples, and herbal teas.
 ✨ Balance what’s on your plate with what’s around it—movement, rest, connection, and joy.
 ✨ Focus on presence, not perfection.

You can find both handouts — Plant Powered Travel Tips & Takeaways and Balancing What’s On the Plate and Around It While Traveling on the blog at plantpoweredcollective.com/blog.

Today we reframe menopause as a powerful new chapter. We’ll visit cultural traditions that honor this season, build a practical Menopause Performance Stack you can personalize, and share a simple recipe that can help you feel steady.

Visit plantpoweredcollective.com's blog for a downloadable Menopause Performance Stack worksheet and today's recipe.

Menopause is not an ending. It is a celebration of lived wisdom and a chance to step forward with vibrancy and boldness. Share this episode with a friend who needs a hopeful path.

Nourish boldly. Live vibrantly. 

Today, we’re diving into something I see as the foundation of all healthy change: the mindset shift of choosing you.

So often, we talk about food, movement, and sleep. But unless we first decide we’re worth prioritizing, none of those choices really stick. To explore this, I’ve invited respected therapist and my friend, Dr. Charity Godfrey, to join me. She’s someone I admire for her work on empowering people to have mental resilience and self-compassion.

Episode summary

In this updated re-release of my very first episode, I share how a shy kid from a small Massachusetts town learned to make life happen with intention. I talk about early plant based instincts, an autoimmune wake up call, years of great but not quite aligned careers, motherhood, a move to Shanghai that reawakened my curiosity, the reality of menopause and midlife change, and the turning point that led me to build Plant Powered Collective. You will hear how food and lifestyle foundations helped me rebuild trust, purpose, and confidence, and how they can support you too.  

What you will learn

• Why bio individuality matters and how simple plant forward meals can change energy, clarity, and focus
• The difference between nourishment on the plate and around the plate
• How to release perfection and return to supportive habits again and again
• The midlife mindset shift that turns setbacks into starting points
• Small steps you can take this week to feel better now

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro and why this is a re-release
• 02:00 My story, early plant based choices, and a home that felt unpredictable
• 07:00 Careers that looked right on paper, what felt right as a mom
• 10:00 Shanghai, traditional Chinese medicine, and food as medicine
• 15:00 Back to the United States, COVID studies, and a personal turning point
• 20:00 Defining nourishment on and around the plate
• 25:00 Stepping fully into Plant Powered Collective
• 28:00 Takeaways and your first steps

Key takeaways

• Wellness is not a destination, it is a practice of coming back to your foundations
• Confidence grows after action, not before
• Food that loves you back, plus rest, movement, stress care, connection, and a low tox home, creates steady change
• You are worthy of care, visibility, and love at every age

Try this this week

Choose one plant forward meal, drink water when you wake, take a ten minute walk after lunch, text a friend who lifts you up. Keep it simple and consistent.

For more information and the podcast recipe, visit plantpoweredcollective.com

Today’s episode is about you—and why one-size-fits-all diets fail because of something called bio-individuality.

Visit plantpoweredcollective.com for to book a complimentary exploratory session (this means free) with me, learn more about bio-individuality, grab the recipe for lentil soup, and download a worksheet that accompanies this podcast.

Episode 3: Your Personal Blueprint – SMART Goals for Midlife Health
Air Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Plant Powered Collective Podcast, host Lori Willinski explores how to turn intentions into action by creating a personal blueprint for midlife health. If you’ve ever said, “I want to eat better” or “I want more energy,” but struggled to follow through, this conversation will show you how to transform those hopes into clear, structured SMART goals that stick.

Lori shares her own deeply personal journey of moving from vague intentions to meaningful action and how SMART goals helped her reclaim health, confidence, and clarity in the midst of life transitions. You’ll also walk away with practical strategies, a simple plant-powered recipe, and a free downloadable handout (visit plantpoweredcollective.com/blog) to help you create your own health blueprint.

What You’ll Learn

• Why midlife is the perfect time to align your health with purpose
• How to move from intentions to SMART goals that create lasting change
• Strategies for writing down, anchoring, and celebrating your goals
• Lori’s personal story of resilience, healing, and growth
• A quick and nourishing Mediterranean Lentil Salad recipe

Resources & Links

• Connect with Lori: PlantPoweredCollective.com or email [email protected]

• Follow along on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn

Recipe Highlight

Mediterranean Lentil Salad – a simple, energizing dish packed with fiber, protein, and fresh flavor. Perfect for meal prep or a weekday lunch.

Key Takeaway

Healthy aging doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of aligned choices, structured goals, and consistent action. Start with one SMART goal this week and watch how it transforms your energy, clarity, and confidence.