Getting to know Maria Owner of Vitalia Nutrition
I am so excited to be working with someone really awesome and I just had to introduce you to her! Maria is the owner and founder of Vitalia Nutrition. Maria and I came across each other in the Instagram world . We instantly resonated with one another . I have always personally been fascinated by health and nutrition , especially with all the varying information , fad diets , and all around general public that contradicts itself . For me boudoir is just as much an experience as it is a lifestyle. The best version of yourself . Let me tell you something girl, that starts on the inside !
For the next 6 weeks Maria and I will be talking about your health, nutrition and how it directly effects your photo session (makes sense right ?) . Its crazy when we think about beauty, we are instantly drawn to magazine covers and highly stylized ad’s . We often forget that beauty begins what we put into our bodies, and that effects how we look! I am so fortunate to have come across Maria’s business , she has a wealth of knowledge pertaining to foods and nutrition and a passion for working with women. I am thrilled to introduce you to her today as we kick off our 6 week blog series together.
Q&A With Maria
Hey Maria ! Thank you for letting me feature you on the blog I am so excited that we connected through instagram it’s such a powerful platform isn’t it ?
Thanks for reaching out Sam! Honestly as soon as you messaged I felt a connection that I never felt before with people reaching out on Instagram [and yes you’re right it is a very powerful platform]. Right away I knew were going to be friends and that we were going to put something great together! Like these blog series hehe
Through Maria’s blog & specialized wellness programs she helps stressed out Brides to feel incredible on their BIG DAY (and while they plan it).She can take you from bridezilla to Bride-Chillah. Her Mission is to help you feel incredible on your big day so you can be healthy, glowing, and zen all the time ; even if you hate exercising , have zero time and love dessert. WHERE DO I SIGN ?
Everyone wants to be flawless for their wedding day or photoshoot ! But it can be so easy to forget that beauty starts from the inside out.
Maria how did you first get started in the nutrition industry ?
You know Sam, I love food, I love going out and having a nice meal. As people describe it, food is one of the pleasures in this world. However it’s not always a good thing.
We obviously need food to fuel and nurture our body, but it is very easy to pass the point where it is not longer NEED but is a WANT. And that can lead to some health problems, especially because most cravings aren’t a salad but they are pizza, chips or sweets. Am I right??
So when I was like 16 I realized I was more on the want side than the need, and I decided to go to a nutritionist because I wanted to learn how to eat. I wanted to enjoy everything I liked [including my desserts] without the guilt and without negatively affecting my health. And as soon as I went with her I knew I wanted to become her, so I finished highschool and I went straight to University to reach that goal. I wanted to teach people that you don’t have to miss on anything as long as you know how to do it!
You have so much drive and I can tell that you feel very strongly about nutrition and health! What is it that makes you so passionate about this topic?
Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel because nowadays we all want to fix problems with a band aid, if you know what I mean; there’s pills for everything and we don’t take the time to ask ourselves “what’s really causing this?”. For that reason I love helping women to re-discover how awesome it feels to take care of yourself by finding the root cause and by improving your eating habits. There’s nothing better than to hear them said I’ve never felt this good before!
Taking Care of yourself is so important , and I know women especially tend to put others first. What attracted you to women and brides specifically ?
When I first started [8 years ago], my clients were mostly women, and most of them suffered from adrenal fatigue and digestive issues. Among these wonderful women about 20 – 30% were brides to be. And it deeply saddened me to hear them say “I cannot wait for this wedding to be over, it is so stressful and exhausting”!
And it shouldn’t be like that. Planning your wedding should be one of the happiest and most memorable times in your life. I then realized that I wanted to make it my mission to help these women feel AMAZING from the inside out so they can walk down the aisle as GLOWING brides.
Haha I wish I had found you before my wedding ! I See that you are the creator of “the Healthy Bride Method”? What is that ?!
Me as the bride I was once, I was starting to become my worst nightmare… a bridezilla! Overwhelm was started to be my middle name because I had to plan a wedding in less than 4 months. Stress started to get to me. However I wasn’t going to let that ruin my BIG DAY planning… so I did lots of research to help manage stress and I combined it with my wellness and nutrition background to create a system that not only helped me manage stress, but it also helped me shed some pounds and feel like the bride I always wanted to be.
So the Healthy Bride Method, is a method inspired by all wonderful brides because I want to make their planning magical and especially, I want them to feel like themselves while walking down the aisle. I want to share with them the system that changed my life!
Can anyone sign up for that or is it exclusive to Brides ?
Honestly Sam, this program is good for any woman that wants to be healthy but doesn’t even know where to start! It combines several techniques, from a nutritional & supplementation plan to a lifestyle and self-care routine that’s completely personalized. Plus the benefit of keeping yourself accountable by having a weekly call with me.
There are soooo many healthy options out there, it can be hard to navigate and tell the difference between someone who has a backing to their claims and someone who maybe teaches only from their own experience while not fully understanding nutrition. What is your education background with nutrition?
I went to university to study a bachelor’s in Nutrition & Food Science in Mexico City. The program lasted 5 years, including one year of internship, where I got to work in different areas on different hospitals in Mexico City.
Afterwards, when I moved to Canada, I got certified as a C.N.P. [Certified Nutritional Practitioner] aka Holistic Nutritionist by the Institute of Holistic Nutrition.
Currently I’m working on starting a program called Metabolic Balance, which is aimed specifically to weight loss.
You certainly have the experience and education , not to mention the pure passion for nutrition! Eating healthy and changing your habits can be so hard . What do you think the key to success is?
Yes! It is very hard Sam. And with time I have realized that the key to success has 3 main elements. The first and most important is that you have to really make sure that deep inside you want to make the change. Then the second step is to be constant and not to beat yourself if you fall down the wagon. And the third step is to be patient and to believe in yourself.
These are fantastic tips. I think with women specifically number two is specifically important, we are so hard on ourselves and sometimes being like that with nutrition just holds us back. Is there any tips you want to give to readers about their nutrition prior to their wedding day or photoshoot?
Yes! I have actually put together “The Healthy Bride Toolkit” that includes the 5 secrets nobody tells you about getting healthy before your wedding. You can download it completely for FREE here. I also just published a new blog post that talks about “What to eat, drink and do before your Boudoir session” [which can be good for any photoshoot]
Now a few fun things about you ! I loooove traveling and can’t seem to stay in one place for too long so I am curious , If you were to pick anywhere in the world to travel to, where would it be?
Iceland! It intrigues me!! I was recently traveling around South East Asia, and I completely fell in love with every part of it. However I think Iceland is something completely mystical!
Do you have a favourite quote you’d like to share with us?
“Beauty begins when you decide to be yourself” – Coco Chanel
Thats a beautiful thought to end with Maria thank you <3
We have some exciting things planned for the next 6 weeks BUT THE LAST WEEK WILL BE QUESTIONS FROM YOU . If you have any questions for Maria about your health and nutrition or if you have any questions for me about your wedding or boudoir photography email us at hello@seaweedanddiamonds.com for your chance to have them answered during week 6’s Blog post .
As always feel free to hang out with us on social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram . Have questions ? You can leave them in the comments below , reach out via our contact form or send us an email : hello@seaweedanddiamonds.com . I can’t wait until you #seayourselffree !