Wildly Well with Anna Brown, MS, RD

Wildly Well is a series of fun Friday chats with the experts (entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators in the culinary, wellness, fitness, and medical spaces) on how to create and live your most wildly healthy and joyful life. People who have wholeheartedly leaned into their wellness journeys to help you enhance your relationship with food, movement, self-care, and holistic well-being so you can live the most joyful life you want. We hope you enjoy our conversations with these amazing people and brands. We know they are going to enrich your lives.

We are thrilled to have Functional Registered Dietitian and Integrative Nutrition Practitioner, Anna Brown MS, RD of Nutrition Squeezed share her wisdom here! Anna’s philosophy honors science, ancient wisdoms, and our body’s innate intelligence to bring us back to our roots, and she is full of tips on how to ReWild and reconnect with nature for vibrant alignment and a fully optimized life. Follow along as we learn more about Anna’s journey — and check out our IG chat for more.

You were having a successful career in Public Relations and decided to go back to school for your Nutrition degree. What inspired your journey to wellness?

I had my Saturn return while hiking on a mountaintop in Peru when I was 29 and realized the life I was living wasn’t my own. My career was comfortable but it was by no means my purpose or my passion, which I’ve now figured out is nutrition and wellness.

You are a Functional Registered Dietitian and Integrative Nutrition practitioner. How does the scope of work differ?

It’s quite a different scope and an important difference. A registered dietitian is a protected title and requires specific prerequisite classes, a master’s degree, 1200 hours in a hospital, and to sit for a national boards exam. We also have continuing education that needs to be completed every 5 years. Meanwhile, becoming an Integrative Health Coach was just an online certification. I did the certification while in school to become an RD because my program was clinical nutrition and I always knew I wanted to have a more holistic approach, so they complemented each other well.

I talk a lot about integrative health. Can you tell us what that means to you and how you incorporate that into your work with people?

Yes and I love that about your approach! As a functional RD, it means I’m looking at the whole person and not just a symptom. I treat the underlying cause of their symptoms and don’t just stick a bandaid on. And the WAY I treat is with an integrative approach by incorporating diet, lifestyle, habits, spirituality, sleep, etc.

Our health does not exist in a silo. JUST eating well doesn’t mean you’re going to be healthy. JUST exercising doesn’t mean you’ll be healthy. JUST sleeping well doesn’t mean you’re going to be healthy. You have to focus on an overall, holistic approach to health and wellness that integrates whatever components will work for that person.

Much of your work revolves around nature and reconnecting to it. Why is that important? How does it help to reverse issues, help with mental health, etc.?
Nature is SO important! As humans, we evolved in nature and the further away we get from it, the sicker we get. There are countless studies supporting the health benefits of nature ranging from mental health, physical health, and environmental health (which also affects our health). Nature is one of my main pillars in how I approach healthcare because it’s so important.

Your signature program is called ReWild Reset. What exactly is ReWilding and how do you do it?

Yes, I love ReWilding! ReWilding is Returning the animals to the land and the land to the animals. It’s the opposite of domestication. HUMAN REWILDING: a return to a more wild or natural state. You do this by 1) living in sync with our human biology and 2) reconnecting with nature to restore optimal health.

I know you talk about the importance of honoring your Circadian Rhythm and Chronotype. Can you tell us what each means and how this can help your sleep and overall health?

Chronotype is our genetic predisposition to wake and sleep at a certain time. When someone says you’re a night owl or a morning bird, they’re talking about chronotype. Because it’s genetic, however, it can’t be changed. You can try to wake up earlier or later than your chronotype, but that generally means poorer sleep and health outcomes.

Your circadian rhythm on the other hand, is your 24 hour biological clock that’s influenced by the sun, your activity, food, and temperature. You want your circadian rhythm to be in sync with your chronotype for optimal health.

What happens when you start to tune in and live in sync with your body?

Magic happens! But really, the research is showing that living in sync with your biological rhythms (chronobiology) improves your health and wellbeing in countless ways. It improves your energy because you’re sleeping better; it can help you reach (and maintain) your body’s happy weight; it can improve markers of metabolic disease including blood sugar balance, weight, blood pressure, and blood lipid levels; it can improve inflammation; and balance your hormones.

How can people learn to get more in tune with their bodies?

Such a loaded question! It really comes down to slowing down, getting more in touch with your body, and honoring it’s cues. And also reconnecting with nature - the ultimate biological clock with the sun, moon, and seasons. I also help clients do this as part of my 1:1 programs, my weeklong seasonal resets, and my group program ReWild Reset.

I love that your business name is Nutrition Squeezed? How did that come about?

Thanks! I’ve definitely outgrown the name at this point but I’m too lazy to change it. I came up with it back in 2016 when I started my Instagram and blog right after I went back to school for nutrition. I knew I wanted nutrition to be in the title as a future RD, and I loved the symbolism of lemons. Plus, I always like to think I’m giving nutrition and health advice that’s fresh squeezed - never watered down or from concentrate ;)

Making healthy changes often feels overwhelming to people because they think it has to be an all or nothing big overhaul, so how do you help people start to “squeeze” more health into their lives?

Focus on small changes every day. When I work with my clients 1:1 we only focus on 3 realistic goals at a time until those become second nature, and we can add in a couple new ones

How does technology affect our health and habits?

A lot! There’s more and more research coming out about the detrimental effects of too much technology on our mental and physical health. Mentally, it activates our sympathetic nervous system (the fight or flight one), exposes us to blue light after the sun has gone down, and can cause a whole host of feelings of comparison, low self-worth.

Physically, there’s mounting evidence that staring at screens literally changes the gray matter in our brains. Plus, when you’re sitting and looking at screens for 11 hours/day (which the average adult is doing), you’re not moving your body and this can cause decreased blood flow, increased inflammation, weight gain, and stiff joints.

What is your philosophy on food and eating now?

Nutrition in Tune

Nutrition in Tune is an instinctual approach to eating that honors nature, biology, and our body's innate intelligence 🧬 It's evidence-based and rooted in the SCIENCE of chronobiology, physiology, and our hormones

6 Pillars

WHEN we eat is more important that WHAT or HOW MUCH you eat (Chrononutrition)
Eat with the Sun (Circadian Fasting)
Eat with the Moon (Cycle Syncing)
Eat with the Seasons (Ayurveda)
Honor your Body (Hunger fullness cues, etc)
What Would Nature Do? (ReWilding and eating wholesome foods)

What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness means waking up every day feeling inspired, energized, and vibrant. Granted there are ebbs and flows (especially as a menstruator), but to me, true wellness is when you’re so in tune with your body that you can ride those ebbs and flows for your most productive, optimized, and aligned life.

What things do you do to bring you joy?

Play with Lily, cook, snuggle with Bond, spend time with Turan, read, go for walks outside, garden, work (honestly, I LOVE my work)

What advice do you have for others on how they can get started on their journey to live wildly well and make wellness a part of their everyday life?

Just get started! There’s never going to be a “perfect” moment and you’re never going to be fully “ready” to make changes. That, and invest in yourself by working with a professional! How many diets or programs have you tried to do on your own? Working with someone will give you the accountability, motivation, and education you need to make lasting changes. Even coaches like me work with coaches for this reason! I’ve invested in business coaches, messaging coaches, Functional MD’s, and more!

What is your mission/purpose statement?

To help people FEEL better so they can show up as their most optimized, authentic, and whole selves. Because more people showing up with joy and passion is how we’ll make the world a better place

What is a typical day like for you?

Wake up 5:45am for some me-time before Lily wakes up at 7am. Hang out with her for an hour, drink coffee, have breakfast, go for a family walk. Then work from 9-5pm (client calls, content creation, admin). Then I make dinner and play with Lily from 5-6 then we get started on her bedtime routine. Once she’s down at 7pm Turan and I have dinner, catch up, watch a TV show or I’ll do some more work, read a book, take a bath and off to bed by 9pm

Are there any initiatives that you are passionate about and want to make a difference?

I’m a multi-passionate entrepreneur so this is a tough one! I’m really into environmental initiatives and a more preventative approach to our health and wellbeing.

What are you excited about for the next year?
Launching my FIRST week-long program, Spring Refresh! It’s a 7-day reset to prepare your mind and body for your healthiest spring yet. It includes a 40-page guidebook with 20 recipes, daily tips, videos and inspiration in your inbox, a private Facebook Group, and 1 live group coaching call. It starts March 7th - 13th!

After that, I have my next round of ReWild Reset starting the week of March 21st (first week of spring!).

What’s your biggest vice?

A glass of red wine or these dark chocolate sea salt caramels from Whole Foods.