Our wellness workshops bring brain health practices into community spaces, from breathwork and chair yoga to nutrition and nervous system regulation. Our Flawless practitioners teach these skills and send people home with practical tools they can incorporate into their lifestyle.
Carol Galanty has been part of the Flawless family for years. She trained as a chef at the Natural Gourmet Institute and studied integrative nutrition health coaching at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She teaches yoga and leads sound healing sessions with crystal singing bowls and gongs to support rest and nervous system regulation. Her work also supports caregivers dealing with many medical conditions. She has had extensive experience moving through cancer treatment and recovery with her clients which grew out of caring for her parents in their final years and losing her brother and a close friend to cancer.
Carol recently led a workshop for NAMI on building a balanced plate. Here is her reflection.
By Carol Galanty
I recently led a workshop at NAMI focused on building a balanced plate and eating nutritiously. As a chef, I wanted to create a lunch for the participants to experience how eating can be delicious, fun, and healthy! As I was planning the menu, the dish I was least sure about was a pasta salad. I made it with a high-protein, gluten-free, red lentil pasta and many nutritious add-ins: roasted red pepper, spinach, pecans, dried apricots, artichokes, mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette. I had some reservations that it might be a bit out of everyone’s comfort zone.
They loved it, plus the rest of the lunch: an arugula salad, chicken salad sandwiches on sourdough bread, and fresh grapes.
I kept the session conversational, and the participants shared ideas and feedback throughout. We talked about the role that protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats play in our health, with practical examples to incorporate into their meal plans.
We also talked about various meals during the day. I wrote three different breakfast menus on the board and asked which would be more filling and satisfying, and nearly everyone landed on the same one.
Our final wrap up included an activity where the participants drew what a balanced meal looks like to them. Everyone left with a handout showing what an example of a balanced plate to keep at home.
What stays with me is how interested people were in eating well, and how many good questions they asked about making nutritious choices. Sharing a meal and talking about food turned out to be the same activity. It’s a topic this group would like to see more of, and I plan to bring it back!
