About Us — Nourish To Thrive, Holistic Nutrition

Hi there!

My name is Maria Powers and I am a certified health coach and an NTP, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.

I moved to California from Russia in 1993 and have been working full-time at a prominent high tech company in Bay Area since 2000.

Throughout my 20’s and 30’s I thought I led a healthy lifestyle.

Nevertheless…

I had pre-diabetes despite following the conventional eating guidelines and exercising.

With age, it got harder and harder to maintain the normal weight and I was plagued by obsessive thoughts of food, sweet cravings and mood swings.

Me at 38:

After two pregnancies
A layer of abdominal fat that was resistant to all my weight loss efforts.
Wearing baggy clothes to hide the roll around my waist
Always hangry (hungry + angry), always in need of a “treat”
Counting calories
Eating low fat foods
Always thinking about food, eating 3 meals a day + snacks
Low energy, always sleepy, especially after lunch
Low productivity
Lots of sick days (4-5 colds per year)
Mood swings
Stomach always growling
Poor sleep quality, didn’t feel recharged the next day even after a long night’s sleep.
Quality of life (1-10): 5

I was doing everything “right” and getting nowhere.

Little did I know that most of my symptoms stemmed from

INSULIN RESISTANCE

which is also called

METABOLIC SYNDROME.

By chance, I discovered ketogenic diet.

I tried it, just to lose weight. The first thing I noticed was that my mood improved! That was unexpected…

There were many more unexpected things: I started sleeping better, my energy increased. I stopped needing sugary and caffeinated “pick–me–ups” after lunch.

Extra weight came off after I became fully ketoadapted and started skipping dinners. I was surprised how much easier it is to fast in ketosis and it didn’t require willpower.

But most importantly, with low carb diet,

I returned my fasting glucose, insulin and HbA1c to normal ranges.

My insulin resistance was gone!

I was so fascinated with the way fat metabolism worked that I enrolled in a Health Coaching course at Primal Health Institute.

I also completed a Harvard upper-level online course in biochemistry.

A whole new world was revealed to me.

A world, where:

our bodies “work” much better on fat, not glucose
calories are not all equal because of the effect different nutrients have on our hormones
you can feel satiated without consuming extra calories
we do not need to eat a ton of fruit and grains every day
you don’t need to spend hours and hours in the gym to lose weight and keep it off
you don’t need to eat all the time, which leaves much more time for other things!
you stop craving SWEETS and start craving STEAK
and so much more…

Me at 47 (NOW):

Weight-stable at 125 lbs, no dieting

Intuitively eat 2 times a day, no snacks. I eat when I want to and forget about food till next meal
Not counting calories
Normal blood glucose, insulin and HbA1c
Lots of energy! Can easily keep up with my two sons, 8 and 11.
Stable mood
No growling stomach
Fewer sick days
Very deep and restful sleep. Feel fresh in the morning despite sleeping fewer hours.
Quality of life (1-10): 10

Upon graduation as a health coach in 2018 I opened an online nutrition practice in Russia along with an established endocrinologist. Together, we helped hundreds of Russians transition to low carb and keto safely, in many cases reversing type 2 diabetes completely.

Being a health coach was very rewarding but I wanted to be a nutritionist.

I received my nutritionist degree from the Moscow State University of Technology and Management and currently teach lipids and ketogenic/low carb diets.

I also wrote a book in Russian about ketogenic diet. It came out in August 2022.

Unfortunately, with the escalating situation in Ukraine in the spring of 2022 I was forced to close my business in Russia and enrolled in a 10-month nutrition course at the NTA.

I graduated in July 2023 as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and opened my private practice in Redding, CA.

I happily work with online and local clients.

Follow me on Instagram:

Maria Powers. Keto diet done right. @mariapowersntp

DM me if you want to get at the root cause of your symptoms!

DM me if you are tired of your digestive symptoms, low energy and mood swings!

This is my low carb version of the traditional Korean dish called “Doenjang Jiggae” aka fermented soybean stew. Doenjang is a veeeery funky fermented soybean paste (do not confuse with miso!) “Gochujang” is Korean spicy chili paste (it’s optional). You can buy both on Amazon. ⠀ This stew is so rich and satisfying, especially on a cold winter day! ⠀ I usually throw whatever I have in the fridge at the moment, but the basic formula is this: ⠀ protein (thinly sliced beef or pork) + veggies (onion, zucchini) + soft tofu + doenjang + gochujang. ⠀ I do not measure anything, and i taste as I go. ⠀ In this particular case, I decided to make the broth even deeper with the anchovy stock. ⠀ Ok, let’s cook! ⠀ Ingredients: ⠀ yellow onion - 1 small, sliced thinly sliced beef or pork - 4 oz mushrooms - 4 oz garlic cloves, minced - 4 avocado oil - 1 tbsp chicken stock - 2 cups soft tofu - 6 oz scallions - 2, sliced zucchini - 1 small, sliced doenjang - 2-5 TBSP (to taste) gochujang - 2-3 TSP (to taste) ⠀ For anchovy stock (optional): ⠀ 5 lrg dried anchovies, guts and head removed 3-4 pieces of kombu (seaweed), each 2x2” 2-3 slices of ginger root water 2 cups ⠀ 1. If making anchovy stock: put all ingredients for stock into 2 cups of water, bring to boil and lower heat immediately till it bubbles gently. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain. 2. In a separate pot, stir fry yellow onion with beef or pork in the avocado oil till nice and brown. 3. Add chicken broth and anchovy stock. 4. Add 1 TBSP of doenjang and 1 TSP of gochujang, stir and taste. Add more if you want. You will know when it’s too much. The doenjang is very salty. The gochujang is very spicy. If you overdo it, add more chicken broth to dilute. 5. Add mushrooms, garlic, tofu and zucchini (not pictured in the video as I ran out). Gently break up the tofu into large chunks. 6. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. 7. Optional: break an egg into the soup and cook for additional 3-5 minutes. 8. Serve in a deep bowl with scallions sprinkled on top. Add sesame oil if desired. #keto #doenjangjjigae #lowcarbrecipes #ketorecipes #doenjangstew

This dame in despair was plagued by years of digestive woes & chronic #acne. Desiring a healthy pregnancy, she sought my advice for lasting solutions. ⠀ The gut held the key 🔑 —severe #bloating, alternating #constipation & #diarrhea hinted at the culprits. ⠀ 🎯My investigation honed in on inadequate stomach acid and chronic stress as prime suspects. ⠀ The gut-skin connection is crucial! ⠀ The imbalances in the GI tract and an overworked liver could drive both acne and digestive issues. ⠀ Poor nutrient absorption, lack of quality protein and fat jeopardized hormone production vital for pregnancy. ⠀ Chronic stress was another assailant, wreaking havoc on digestion. 😱 ⠀ Her hectic lifestyle was greatly affecting her nutrient status. ⠀ Suboptimal stomach acid production was the linchpin, affecting all downstream systems & organs. ⠀ A comprehensive approach was tailored to her: a diet overhaul, emphasizing bio-available protein and healthy fats crucial for liver detox. Healthy carbs - veggies and berries🥦🫐 were included. ⠀ Quality enzymes and temporary hydrochloric acid supplementation provided much needed digestive support. ⠀ 3 months of meticulous care unfolded, unveiling a true transformation! ⠀ Nutrient absorption was boosted dramatically, paving the way for proper hormone production. ⠀ Acne receded & became less painful, while digestive distress diminished—an unmistakable sign of progress. 👍 ⠀ As the case closed, the client, armed with newfound knowledge, strode confidently toward her health goals. 💃🏻 ⠀ 🕵🏻‍♀️ For those grappling with health mysteries, my door is open—DM for personalized nutritional support. #chronicacne #chronicacnetreatment #nutritionaltherapy

No, low carb diets lie on a spectrum. Keto is just one of the types of low carb diets. Each type has their own level of carb restriction, based on your individual carb threshold - the amount of carbs that make you feel good. Some people can experience improvements in their symptoms on 120g carbs/day, some won't. It depends on your level of insulin resistance and your physical activity. Ketogenic diet is a type of low carb diet, usually very low in carbs (up to 20-30 g/day) and unlike other types of low carb diets, on keto your body fuels itself with fat, not glucose. So it's kind of unique in that way. In my practice I explain the term "low carb" as anything lower than what the average American eats in a day (around 450g/day) while the physiological need for glucose is only 120g/day or less.

Today I turned 47. Age is just a number, of course, but I especially feel that’s true on low carb. I feel like I am 30. ⠀ Yes, I get more wrinkles with each year, but how I feel cannot be described in words. ⠀ The quality of life is several times higher than it was before. ⠀ I have lots of energy, and it’s always stable. ⠀ I remember how in my 20s I could not wake up without an alarm clock and coffee. I remember the afternoon food coma, falling asleep in meetings. I remember coming home from work, hitting the couch to watch TV. I remember thinking that with age it would be even worse (and it would have been!). ⠀ Now I know that I had severe insulin resistance (prediabetes), but I didn't know that then, and no doctor ever pointed that out, because my blood glucose was normal. ⠀ These days I get up on my own, without an alarm clock, at 6, sometimes 5:30. I have a lot of energy all throughout the day. ⠀ Ketones give incredible clarity of consciousness. No brain fog. And this, coupled with plentiful energy, lets me do so much more. ⠀ I have 2 jobs: one corporate (4 days a week), and the other is my nutritionist practice/working with clients. Also, 2 children and household chores. ⠀ Despite all that, I get a lot done, much more than I could before. ⠀ I used to be afraid of getting old. Now I'm not afraid. It keeps getting better.

You might think a nutritionist is all about calorie cutting. Nope! As a society, we have focused on that approach for decades and if it really worked, then we wouldn't have the epidemic of obesity we have now! My approach as an NTP is different. It’s about GIVING your body what it needs to heal itself, NOT STARVING you to death. Hence the “NOURISH” in the name of my practice. Your body is your best doctor. All it needs is proper nutrients, not more medications. Get a FREE comprehensive health assessment from me and I will show you what areas you might need to focus on for optimal health! DM for details. Photo credit: Polina Shurygina