Put my love for nutrition, food, animals, and creating together and you have Zest & The City. I always loved photography and videography as well (and if I hadn’t studied nutrition, I would have studied design and multimedia) so I wanted to create a platform that brought all my passions together. Besides that, I wanted to present you with a more visual way of learning nutrition. Unfortunately during nutrition consultations, it isn’t possible to share with the costumers all of the nutritional information we, dietitians, would like to share, so it’s always good to have a reliable platform where people can get science-based (and fun!) nutrition articles to learn more! I’m also so grateful to be able to share my nutrition point of view with you, wherever in the world you are! Thank you all for sticking around 💛

It was a long process, finding the perfect name for this project… Probably the longest process of Zest’s history! I wanted to find an easy to remember, fun name. We tried a lot of options but most of them were already taken. Then I, as a big fan of Sex and the City thought of doing a pun with sex and zest. The name was available in most social platforms, sounded good, and reflected a bit of my personality and taste! And then Zest was born 🍋

I don’t believe in diets. I believe in constant changes and small daily habits that lead to a permanent shift in your lifestyle. I believe in an uncomplicated, fresh, and gentle nutrition. I believe the key to our wellbeing is falling in love every day with a healthy lifestyle and good nutritional habits. This is the only way to achieve a natural process. Eating well by choice and not by obligation makes all the difference.

I learned that eating well is a gift we give ourselves. It is a process of self-love. That is why I defend the perspective of conscious nutrition. Looking inward, healing your relationship with food and yourself can be liberating. 

I only advise, prescribe, and indicate what I trust, what I study, and what I test, always respecting individuality and food preferences and basing my practice on the most recent scientific evidence.

I believe we should all strive to prioritize “real” and less processed foods. I believe a good diet is not measured by calories but by nutrients. That’s why I believe in natural and lively nutrition. Life brings life!

Since I believe life brings life, that our nutrition must be gentle, kind and a process of self-love and love for others, I advocate plant-based nutrition, with little to no animal products. 

Although I am not a vegan or a vegetarian – as occasionally I might still eat some fish or eggs – I eat a mostly plant-based diet and my cookings are always free of animal products, as will any recipe shared with you in Zest & The City. 

My diet consists mainly of whole foods from plant sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds, but sometimes you might find me indulging in some non-healthy and processed foods, like pastries or French fries (my favorites ❤︎). And that’s ok if you know how to make exceptions.

From a nutritional perspective, unprocessed animal products are not bad for your health, when eaten in the right amounts. I choose to leave them out of my plate for ethical reasons. 

Although you’ll find plenty of nutrition advice on plant-based, vegan and vegetarian diets, here on the blog and in my youtube, if you’re thinking of giving these diets a go, talk previously to your dietitian or doctor so he can advise you on your specific case. Plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diets are definitely healthy if care is taken with regard to nutrients, restrictions, and deficiencies. In some cases, a meal plan might be needed, so don’t be afraid to look for a health professional to discuss your case!

I completed a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, which included a 10-month internship in one of my country’s largest hospitals, a fitness academy, and a research center. Right now, I’m concluding my post-graduate studies in Clinical Nutrition, where I study in depth different pathologies and the way they interact with nutrients and foods. 

Since I finished my degree, I have worked in private-practice clinical nutrition, helping my customers adopt a personalized and healthy diet, taking in consideration their goals, individual needs, health concerns (such as diabetes, obesity, eating disorders, cardiovascular diseases or food allergies and intolerances) and lifestyle.

Right now, I do not have a subscription form but hopefully, I’ll do very soon! I do want to get closer to my readers and offer you exclusive little bites of nutrition information, cooking tips, and unique recipes, so we’re working on it!

You can find the form in the “contact me” page, right here!

You can find all recipe videos on my YouTube channel – right here!

All the content on my Website, Instagram, and YouTube is developed with a lot of care and research so, of course, you can borrow material like images and written excerpts, if due credit is given, with a clear statement of the source and a redirecting link to “www.zestandthecity.com”. Thank you for your support and comprehension!

Of course! You can download them and save for later! They are perfectly printable too. In the recipe post, scroll down until you find the recipe card. Right in the upper right corner of the card photo, you can find the printer button. Another tab will open wit the printable recipe and you can even choose if you want to save it with the thumbnail or without the image for a more print-friendly version