Nutrition Coach Q&A
with Brandee Hommerding, GMAT Ninja Nutrition Expert
Brandee Hommerding is a Denver-based expert in holistic nutrition. She is driven by her passion to help clients find sustainable ways to cultivate lasting wellness. She focuses on identifying the root causes of symptoms, and incorporates research-backed approaches to nutrition for mental performance. For more on her approach to nutrition and wellness, visit Brandee’s website!
How does what you eat impact your performance on a test like the GMAT or GRE?
Food is a messenger to the cells in the body. The food we choose provides the body with macronutrients, micronutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and more! Foods that are of low nutritional quality mean our cells are deprived of key ingredients needed for optimal health and wellness.
What do you recommend eating on GMAT or GRE test day?
Rule #1, Don’t skip breakfast! How you choose to fuel your body in the morning will set the tone for the whole day. Every meal should contain all of the macronutrients - fat, carbs, and proteins. Each of those macros provides fuel that will last for varying lengths. You will digest carbs the fastest while protein takes the longest. By combining all macronutrients, you will be satiated longer and your blood sugar will be more stable.
What kinds of snacks would you recommend during a test break?
I’m also a big fan of combining at least two of the three macronutrients for snacks. Some quick options include jerky, nuts, fruit, hummus and veggies. Stabilizing your blood sugar will provide consistent energy and focus for the remainder of the exam.
Sometimes I just don’t have time to eat. Is it a big problem just to skip a meal?
Skipping a meal is never a great idea. When we get to that hangry state of hunger we are more likely to grab highly palatable foods that are often not as nutrient dense. I find that hunger is so elevated at that point that we tend to eat as quickly as we can, which then can also lead to overeating as the brain does not have enough time to register the signals of fullness and satiety.
What do you think about caffeine? Does it help or hinder test performance?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. However, in general, caffeine is going to raise your cortisol level. Cortisol is your fight or flight hormone that elevates your heart rate and increases blood pressure so you can run from the threat that is endangering your life. While that cup of coffee/soda/energy drink/etc may seem innocent, it can ramp up the feelings of anxiety.
Is there any link between food and anxiety?
Yes, there is mounting evidence that your gut health can impact your mental health.
Food is what fuels the cells in our body. The digestion process takes place in the GI tract, which houses its own ecosystem of nonhuman microorganisms also known as the microbiome. The bacteria of the microbiome outnumber human cells 10:1!
There are beneficial and pathogenic bacteria that live within the microbiome. Both are important and needed in the microbiome, but we must have more beneficial than pathogenic. When there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome where the pathogenic bacteria outnumber the beneficial, we can see an increase in mood disorders.
How can you maintain a healthy balance in your gut? Pathogenic bacteria tend to run rampant when your diet is low in fiber and high in inflammatory foods. Beneficial bacteria, on the other hand, thrive when you eat a wide variety of prebiotic, fiber rich foods that cover your macro and micro nutrient needs.
I really don’t have much time to cook. How can I eat a healthy diet without spending hours in the kitchen every day?
Meal time does not need to be an elaborate event. Sheet pan meals are one of the fastest and easiest ways to prep a lot of food at once that you can have for multiple meals. You can pick a protein source, chop up some veggies, toss in olive or avocado oil, season and roast for 20 minutes. You can get creative with this sheet pan meal and serve with a grain (brown rice, pasta, quinoa) and/or on a bed of greens.
I’m also a big fan of picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. You can debone it quickly at home and use the chicken for various meals throughout the week - tacos, salads, buddha bowls, etc.
If you’re still strapped for time, I do recommend checking out some of the meal prep delivery boxes. The ingredients come pre-prepped with easy to follow instructions. Dinner can be on the table in 20-40 minutes, depending on your meal selections for the week. Green Chef is the one I prefer.
How did you get interested in nutrition?
After years of silently suffering with my own GI symptoms, I decided to trial a 7 day shift in my diet and eliminated the most common inflammatory foods - gluten, dairy, corn, artificial sugar/sweeteners, soy, coffee, and alcohol. I was blown away how much better I felt in such a short time. I then began experimenting a bit more on how my body reacted to the different foods I fueled it with. I became increasingly curious and wanted to know more of the why behind the evidence my body was showing me.
My passion began to shift as I was working in traditional healthcare at the time. I began to really understand more the effects of poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle habits can begin to take a toll on the body. My focus shifted from traditional health care to holistic preventative care. I then enrolled in classes at the Nutrition Therapy Institute to become a Certified Nutrition Therapy Practitioner so I could really expand my knowledge through a program that was based on science and research.
What are some signs that an individual’s test-taking performance would improve with guidance from a nutrition expert?
When working with clients, I ask a lot of questions to understand more about their health and wellness journey thus far. I inquire about aspects beyond just food, including sleep, mood, energy, memory, menstrual cycle, obvious GI symptoms and the not so obvious symptoms related to GI health. Health and wellness is not a linear journey involving one area, but rather a collective of various aspects of life that can enhance one’s well being.
What I often find with clients is they have been suffering with underlying symptoms that they have been chalked up to as “getting older” or “genetic”. Or they may have had their symptoms dismissed by a provider who handed them a pamphlet on a “diet” to implement without any real guidance. Once we start to understand the mechanism of the body and correct any imbalances, we can see health improve as symptoms subside and one’s quality of life improves.
What usually happens during your first meeting with a client?
The first meeting is a 30 minute phone call in which I have clients explain to me why they are interested in working with a nutritionist. I have them share about their experience with nutrition thus far, any symptoms they are experiencing, and what they have tried in the past. Upon hearing more, I typically have some follow up questions to help me further understand where they are in the wellness journey. I then share with them what services I provide support I can offer in their journey.
What types of data and testing do you use to guide your clients’ nutrition plans?
“Test, don’t guess” is one of the mottos I stand by in my practice. The body is a complex and intricate network of continuous communication. The body will send us a message in the form of a symptom if something is a little askew and not performing optimally.
Unfortunately, these symptoms can have multiple underlying causes. While I can do a lot of the detective work, testing really provides us with a better roadmap as to where we will go on our journey together. Some of the most popular tests I do with clients include the IgG food sensitivity test + candida, GI MAP, salivary hormone panel, organic acids test (OAT), and comprehensive thyroid panel. During our consultation call together, we can determine if any of these (or any other) tests might benefit your wellness journey. You can read more about these options on my website.