Topics
- News and updates from Diane & Liz [1:40]
- Balanced Bites Podcast Facebook Group
- 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide in Costco
- Liz's gym adventures
- Balanced Bites Master Class Q&A [16:17]
- Liz's photo that broke the internet [26:54]
- Body positivity and finding the balance [37:23]
- Finding a place of non-judgement [46:05]
- Summertime fun plans [48:41]
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You’re listening to the Balanced Bites podcast episode 352.
Diane Sanfilippo: Welcome to the Balanced Bites podcast. I’m Diane; a certified nutrition consultant, and the New York Times bestselling author of Practical Paleo and the new 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide. I live in San Francisco with my husband and fur kids.
Liz Wolfe: I’m Liz; a nutritional therapy practitioner, and author of the Wall Street Journal best-seller Eat the Yolks; The Purely Primal Skincare Guide; and the online program Baby Making and Beyond. I live on a lake in the mystical land of the Midwest, outside of Kansas City.
We’re the co-creators of the Balanced Bites Master Class, and we’ve been bringing you this award-winning podcast for more than 6 years. We’re here to share our take on modern healthy living, answer your questions, and chat with leading health and wellness experts. Enjoy this week’s episode, and submit your questions at http://blog.balancedbites.com or watch the Balanced Bites podcast Instagram account for our weekly calls for questions. You can ask us anything in the comments.
Remember our disclaimer: The materials and content within this podcast are intended as general information only, and are not to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Before we get started, let’s hear from one of our sponsors.
Diane Sanfilippo: Today’s podcast is sponsored by Equip. Dr. Anthony Gustin and his teams have created lines of supplements that are super clean and effective, no matter what your dietary needs. I’ve been blending their complete collagen into my matcha every single day. Not only does each scoop have a boost of protein, but there is no added flavor. Check them out at www.EquipFoods.com and use the code BALANCED for 20% off of everything there, and with their sister products, Perfect Keto.
1. News and updates from Diane & Liz [1:40]
Liz Wolfe: Ok. Hey Diane.
Diane Sanfilippo: Hey.
Liz Wolfe: What’s happening over by the Bay?
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} Well I was thinking as you were reading our intro about questions, we also now have the Balanced Bites podcast Facebook group. And folks have been engaging really nicely in there and asking questions. So that’s another great place to ask questions if you all have them.
But what’s happening? I don’t know man. Just kind of getting work done. Signing up for some new projects. We all love a new project, don’t we? I don’t know, that’s kind of the big stuff. I’ve been sharing my weekly newsletter in a format on Instagram stories that I think a lot of folks are enjoying, feeling like they’re not missing out on whatever is going on. And then recently I was talking; and I know you and I have talked about this a bunch. How social media; our podcast listeners, you hear a lot of updates from us here every week.
But social media in general has just gotten to be very noisy. There are a lot of folks sharing content there. And the people that you really want to follow; it’s hard for you to get the content that you want to get. So I’m recommending that people basically subscribe to the 10 or so newsletter from people that you want to hear from. Myself, Liz, Cassy Joy. The people who you really want to hear from. Make sure you're getting our emails, because at the very least, throw them into a favorites folder. Check them twice a week or so, when you want to check them. That way you know you're seeing what you want to see, and not just what I affectionately refer to as “people of the internet” deem as popular.
Because that’s what ends up being shown to you. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or wherever. It’s this new algorithm situation where; I’m not complaining about it. Honestly. It is what it is. I’m just saying, if you want to actually see what you want to see, and not miss out on things that are timely, then you really do need to basically subscribe. Because that’s the only place that we can deliver content that you have control over whether or not you see it really easily.
Because aside from that; even the direction that Facebook has gone. We know that people don’t see things. And eventually Instagram is going to go that way too. So I want to make sure that, especially for those of you who are interested in things like the Master Class, which we’ll talk about. Or any little goodies that we might have to offer. Those things are always limited times. So just want to encourage everyone to make a folder. It doesn’t have to flood your inbox. And you can very consciously and deliberately decide when you're going to read that content.
What else? 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide is in Costco still. You guys; a lot of you have been telling me that you didn’t see it the first couple of weeks I mentioned it, but then it’s popping up now because it’s being unburied from the piles. So if you're looking for it, definitely dig through a few books over there and hopefully you’ll find it. I’m really appreciating all of the feedback from those of you who have gone through the program from January until now.
We’re getting so many amazing stories of people who said, “I’ve tried so many things, and really having this daily guide and the journal helped so much to not only stick to the outline of what to eat or not eat, but to apply it to your life in a way that’s meaningful.” Because I think you guys know the last almost 7 years of talking about nutrition and health; whether or not you follow a yes-no list of foods. To me, it’s whatever is going to work for you in terms of that short period of time.
But what I’m interested in is how do you get a long-term plan; what I’m calling your new normal. Or what you use after the fact. How do you figure out what’s right for you? Because I don’t want you following my rules, or anybody else’s for the rest of your life. Because that’s ultimately not the way to live. I do think that going through and actually journaling, and answering some questions, and digging deeper on why we do things helps you make something real. So I’m just excited to see people having great experiences.
We’ve had a bunch of people say that their parents are now asking questions and are interested. And to me, that’s just everything. Because I know how I feel; I know you're kind of the same way. If our parents make a change that’s for their health, I think that’s all we ever really care about. People that we love. So anyway, really great seeing that. So what’s going on over by the lake?
Liz Wolfe: Well.
Diane Sanfilippo: You just came back from the gym, didn’t you?
Liz Wolfe: I did. I just came back from the gym.
Diane Sanfilippo: I want to know what you did. I feel like we’re in weird role reversal.
Liz Wolfe: I know!
Diane Sanfilippo: Where I’m like, “I’m trying to work out.” And you’re like, “I’m with my trainer.”
Liz Wolfe: Well, I feel like, I don’t know. I have a lot of what I think are interesting thoughts swirling about this whole arrangement. I feel like; I’ve said in previous podcasts, the reason I’m doing this and jumping into all of these things is because I don’t want to waste this opportunity of being near all of these resources.
But I was also talking today to the trainer. And he’s great. He always checks in with me, how I’m doing mentally. How I’m feeling. Stuff like that. Totally the opposite of the stereotype that I had about non-CrossFit trainers. You know? Because for a while there, it was like CrossFit was where I felt like all the trainers were going that wanted to do something more functional with their clients. You know what I mean? And then there was Jillian Michaels. There was the CrossFit trainer, and then there was Jillian Michaels. They had similarities, but the functional fitness thing was just way more over in the CrossFit realm.
But really now, at this point the functional fitness thing. Which was not invented by CrossFit. I think it was just popularized by CrossFit. But it’s true that there are really great trainers everywhere. You don’t have to go to CrossFit. And that’s what I always kind of felt like. I was like; gosh I’ve got to get back into CrossFit. Goodness, I’ve got to get back into CrossFit. Because I’m not going to be able to come up with any workout that’s going to be good for me at the “regular” gym.
But this Lifetime Fitness, the one I’m going to, is just full of really, really well educated, smart trainers who get all of the lifestyle stuff, too. They get sleep. They get that mental health is important. And that’s just been really, really cool.
So, one of the things I was talking to him today about between sets was like; you know, I feel like I’m making progress. Which feels really good. Some of my impingements we’ve worked out. I was having some shoulder stuff. He referred me to a physical therapy practice that’s really great. Because in Kansas you don’t have to have a referral to go do that. So I feel like I’ve really built up and we’re on a good trajectory now.
What I said was; this was never really about, I need to get back into the gym to change my body. It was not about that at all. And I feel like maybe that’s why it’s sticking for me. It’s not just the fact that as an Obliger, I’m finding someone that I have to be accountable to. And this person is waiting for me several times a week for me to show up, and I’m going to show up and do the best I can so I don’t disappoint that person. That’s part of it.
But I think it’s also because my motivations behind doing this 100% had to do with my therapist going; “Yeah, Liz. Actually, working out is going to be a big part of you getting better and feeling better mentally and emotionally.” And I was like; ok. If I shirk that responsibility, then basically not only am I saying I don’t care about my mental health, but I’m also, in a way, disappointing the therapist, disappointing myself. And it was this reckoning. Where I was like; if I really want to get better, and feel better, and get out of some of these thought patterns that I’ve been in since I became a mom that have been really limiting my life. This was my test. Like; ok. Do you really want it?
And I do. And it’s making me; I’m proud of myself. And I’m feeling really good. And it actually has nothing to do with what my body looks like, or anything like that. Or even what my body can and can’t do. Because it can’t do a lot of stuff right now. But eventually it will. So I’m feeling good about it.
Diane Sanfilippo: I might be on the verge of tear! {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: I know, right? It’s good. I feel like I’m actually making progress. And a lot of things I feel like came together to make that happen. A lot of life decisions. Honestly, some financially limiting decisions. It’s not cheap to have a Colleen, and to have a trainer. And also to have just moved and bought a house and all of these things. So I’m hoping that eventually I get to a place where I can see the trainer one day a week instead of more than one day a week.
But right now, I just had to; I’m not saying I would have put this on a credit card. That’s not what I’m doing. But I had to find a way to figure out how to get this done. So we’re making some financial sacrifices right now, so I can do it. Which is good. But I’m proud of myself. And I think my self esteem is slowly rising. And I think that’s really important. Rather than; hey, what can I go do that will make my body look better. Or even what can I go do that will make my body feel better. Maybe asking yourself; how can I make myself proud of myself that for me, at least, as been a little bit more powerful. I want to be proud of myself, and I want the people around me to be proud of me. So that was motivating for me.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} I’m not laughing out of; it’s not funny. I’m just actually tearing up. Because first of all, I feel like my mother when I used to call her, and she’d be like, “You sound good.” And I’m like; “What the hell does that even mean?”
Liz Wolfe: {laughing}
Diane Sanfilippo: How can I sound like anything? You know? But I can see your face right now, so that’s different. And you're obviously just coming back from the gym. So you’ve got a little good endorphin high, which is great.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. But I do sound good.
Diane Sanfilippo: You do!
Liz Wolfe: I feel like I do.
Diane Sanfilippo: You sound clear. You sound clear and I think going to the gym has provided not only the physical benefit to your overall health. A physical benefit to your mental health. You know; like that endorphin kick and that clarity. But I think the other thing it’s doing is you are carving out time where it’s like; this is time for Liz to do something for Liz. And also, what I like to call throwing money at the problem. {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: Although you still have a responsibility to show up and do the work. But I think throwing money at problems, if you have it or can rearrange things so that you have that money for that thing. I’m all for it. If paying someone helps you show up, and then showing up to another person is what makes it work, that’s just being smart about how to get yourself to do things.
Liz Wolfe: Exactly.
Diane Sanfilippo: So I’m like; high-fives all over this. And we’re going to talk more about the body stuff in this whole episode. But as much as I feel like; you and I over the last 7 years. It’s like we’ve gone through these different iterations of; we’re both doing CrossFit. Then neither of us are doing CrossFit. Then we both feel like CrossFit is the only thing we can do because it’s so great. We’ve gone back and forth. Going back to spinning for me, I’m feeling exactly what you're describing. Where I’m like; I’m just proud of myself for going every day. And that creates an environment in my head that affects everything.
So I think you just hit the nail on the head with it, and that’s what we try and do all the time on this show. Is not beat people up for things. But what can you do that you can just be proud of yourself for that one thing. Because your ability to make better decisions, to feel more positive, to think more positively all comes from one small thing that builds your confidence.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. And you know, we’re going to talk about this. But the fact that I’m not going into this going to the gym everyday thinking; what am I going to look like in the mirror after this. Am I going to see my abs? Whatever. I’m just going in, and I’m like, I’m going to work really hard. And this is a good hour for me. And I’m not going to be all in my head going over and over all of the different things that I’m worried about in my life that I’m afraid will go wrong. It really is checking out for that moment.
I think in the past we’ve maybe mentioned that sometimes that’s a bad thing, in CrossFit. But I want to just bring this back to the middle, here. Where there is an extreme where you're completely checking out of your body. You're not paying attention. You're just beating the crap out of yourself. And that’s probably not good.
There’s the other end of the spectrum where you don’t kind of disengage with your internal monolog at all. And then right in the middle is kind of that sweet spot, where I am. Where I’m just letting myself; letting that stuff going for an hour. Working as hard as I can and feeling good because I did it. I think that’s kind of the sweet spot.
Diane Sanfilippo: I love it. It’s almost like a meditation, in a way.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: I think a lot of people try and look at meditation as a time where you have to sit quietly. But I think; I’ve heard this is a lot of places. Maybe you have too. Where just being present with what you're doing is a form of meditation. Bringing your mind and your consciousness to the one thing that you're doing in that moment versus being a million other places. It’s actually a form of meditation and it can help to calm us all down. I’m with you.
Although I will say sometimes when I’m in spin class, I definitely check out mentally. But I feel like I’m in a trance sometimes. Where I’m like; what just happened to those last 5 minutes? Was I paying attention to the teacher? I think I was. She said to pedal at this speed, I think I did that. I love that. I think that’s an amazing lesson that we can find a really good place in the middle. And hey; this podcast is called the Balanced Bites podcast. So the word balance is really; I think you're finding a good balance.
Liz Wolfe: And sometimes that’s hard. I mean, it’s hard. It’s actually more work, I think, to seek balance than it is to set yourself up at one extreme or the other. Or buy into a cultish mentality or become; I still love the fact that nobody is like; “I’m a paleo.” The way people say “I’m a vegan or I’m a vegetarian”. I think that it’s good that these things, we don’t let these things become our identity. Because that is limiting. So lots of good stuff going on.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yay. High-fives!
Liz Wolfe: Yeah!
2. Balanced Bites Master Class Q&A [16:17]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. So, I think we need to lean in to our Master Class information segment of this podcast. I know people have been excited about this, and have been waiting. And we are so close to enrollment. Opening up on Monday, June 18th. The 18th through the 28th.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yes. We have had a bunch of questions come in, from the Facebook group as I mentioned as well as all over the place. Lots of folks posting on my Instagram as well asking questions. So we wanted to answer a bunch of them because we know actually, I would say most of the folks who are taking the class are people who have been with us here on the podcast and listening for quite some time.
So the first question that we are getting is, what kind of weekly time commitment would this course likely require. The answer to that is, it’s going to depend on the module. But probably not more than two hours per week. And again, there are some modules that are a bit longer. There are some weeks that may take you more time or less, depending on how familiar or comfortable you are with the content. There are a few modules that get a little deeper into the science, and a few that are a little less scientific. I think that you’ll find that it varies. But I would say, on average, about two hours a week.
If you're doing the coaches version, I would say up to three or four, depending on how much studying you're doing and how much time it takes you to go through the assessment. So that’s a little bit more in depth. But as a student, I would say not more than about two.
Do you want to ask the questions here, and I’ll maybe get a bunch of the responses? Or we can go back and forth.
Liz Wolfe: Oh yeah. Absolutely. So is there a certain base of knowledge you should have before taking the course?
Diane Sanfilippo: Well, if you're a podcast listener, just having listened to this podcast is plenty. But actually, no. For the student class, you don’t need a base of knowledge. I think you would agree, Liz. Because we really did teach this class originally in person assuming people really didn’t know anything coming into it, right?
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: So, I don’t think there’s a base of knowledge. Part of the curriculum is having both Practical Paleo and Eat the Yolks. So you’ll gain a base of knowledge right from those books. So no, you can come right into it. But, we do get pretty in depth. So if you're like; oh, I’ve been listening or I’ve read the books. I know it all. You will learn a lot, I promise you. Because we’re able to expand on a lot of that information in ways we couldn’t in just the form of writing in a book.
Everybody comes out like; wow, either I learned so much more. I didn’t realize how much more there was to learn. Or I learned a different way to explain it to my friends and family. That’s a big one. Where people are like; how do I explain what I’m doing to my friends and family. But you don’t have to have a background.
Liz Wolfe: Ok. Should you have other certifications before you enroll? How is this different than other options out there, like IIN?
Diane Sanfilippo: So if you're enrolling as a student, you don’t need any other certifications. If you're enrolling as a coach, we do like you to have other certifications. This isn’t a program that’s like either the NTC or Bauman or IIN in a lot of ways. I think our program is perhaps a bit more scientific in some ways than what I know if IIN. I can’t speak directly to their curriculum because I haven’t gone through it myself. But what I know of it. It’s less scientific than what you would learn in a program like Bauman.
But I think it’s actually a bit on parallel with the type of content that you would learn in the NTA’s NTC program. That being said, we don’t have an accreditation. So we don’t have a way to say; ok. You can call yourself a health coach according to the state, if that makes sense. You will get a certification from us, as being certified Balanced Bites Master Class or Balanced Bites Coach.
So if you're a coach, then having any kind of health or fitness coaching certification coming into it is relevant and important. Because we’re asking you to take this class in a way that you would then apply that knowledge to a client. But if you're doing the student track, you don’t need any other certification before coming in. And I’ve had this question a lot for people who want to coach the 21-Day Sugar Detox.
The Balanced Bites Master Class is actually a perfectly suitable entry point to then be qualified to be a 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach.
So if you're a student; no you don’t need a certification beforehand. If you're enrolling as a coach, you do need another certification.
Liz Wolfe: Ok. So this question was about time zones. “Coming from Australia, will it be worth my enrollment, as I’ll be from a different time zone for any live classes or videos. Is it best to be a bit more local to complete the Master Class?”
Diane Sanfilippo: Ooh, that’s a good question. We assume most people are here in the States. We know that there will be a handful who are international. There’s only a handful of life calls. And we do our absolute best to make sure you have every chance possible to ask questions ahead of time so we can answer them on the live call. And then we’ll also follow-up from the live calls, so that you can watch the call, and if you realize; oh I have a question after the fact. Go ahead and post it in the comments and we will respond to those.
Truthfully, it does not matter. I think the live calls are great. Liz and I will be on them with you. We’ll be answering questions. But the reality is, the content that’s in the modules is 99.9% of this game. And being able to ask and get questions answered; it doesn’t have to happen in the live call. So you're absolutely not going to miss out on anything. And you will have access to it 24/7. So you’ll be fine as an international person.
Liz Wolfe: Ok. “Will there be any discussion at all about building a business in the non-practitioner track? I’m interested in the Master Class as a tool to gauge whether or not I will pursue further education, possibly NTA. But I live in a state where the laws restrict giving nutrition advice unless you're a registered dietician. So I’m reluctant to spend the money for a certification I may not be able to use where I live. I’ve heard the practitioner track goes into this quite a bit, but I’m wondering if I’ll be able to get some support in this area as well?”
Diane Sanfilippo: This is a good question. It’s particularly related to the Master Class and partially not. So we don’t discuss business elements in the student track. The student track is not for people who are already practitioners. But the student track is actually perfect if you're considering becoming a practitioner. And the reason for that is not because we teach you about the business side. The reason for that is, as a student the course is $500; it’s $497. And every single nutrition certification you're going to look at kind of at large is going to cost you somewhere in the thousands of dollars.
So if you're thinking; “I want to go to the NTC program, or IIN, or the Bauman program, or whatever it is. Before you throw in all of your chips, and decide to spend thousands of dollars, going through our class will really help you to solidify whether or not learning this stuff, and diving deeper on it is where you want to go.
So you may have listened to the podcast and read a bunch of books, but here’s a chance to dip your toe and say; you know what, what’s this going to be like to sit and study and learn about nutrition in a deeper way where I’m not investing thousands of dollars out of the gate. That being said, if you decide to come into the program as a student, you get a certification and you want to come back and use the coaches track, we’ll allow you to upgrade what you’ve done. So you don’t have repay from the start. We’ll have you apply what you paid as a student into the practitioner/coach’s track. And you’ll be able to use that.
So all that being said, when it comes to giving nutrition advice, the laws by state you can look those up. If you were to Google nutrition coaching by state. There are actually ways to coach people on nutrition without being a dietitian in every single state. But it typically requires not giving one on one nutrition advice. And that’s something that we also talk about in the 21-Day Sugar Detox coaches program. That being able to administer information in a group format, or that is not you providing prescriptive nutrition advice to one person. That’s typically the way to deal with that.
But I would tell you this; you need to know if you want to study this stuff first and foremost. Because then you will find a way to help people with the information. If you're feeling like you don’t know if you want to study it because of the limits around helping people in your state. Ultimately, that can’t be the end reason why you don’t pursue the education.
And this has nothing to do with the Master Class. If you're somebody who wants to help people with nutrition and health, you need to pursue more education regardless of what that education is. Regardless of what state you're in. Because you just can’t let the one detail of the way that you can help people get in your way, if that makes sense. You will find a way to help people that is in line with what your state allows. But you do need to have this certification.
So, that’s kind of where I’m at with that. And once you actually go through certifications, you are always given support and advice on how to help people where you live. But if you're apprehensive, the apprehension should be more about, “Do I want to learn this” than “how will I use it.” Because you will find a way to use it once you have the information if your desire to help people is super strong and that’s what you want to do. There is always a way.
Liz Wolfe: Right. Good stuff.
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Liz Wolfe: I’ll note, as well, that we just had a huge barbecue for Memorial Day fairly recently, and I got pretty much everything from Vital Choice. I got all kinds of burgers, and bison hot dogs, and all kinds of good stuff. It’s a good one to remember during the grilling season.
Diane Sanfilippo: Love it.
3. Liz’s photo that broke the internet [26:54]
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. Alright. So today we’re going to talk about a photo I posted on Instagram a little while ago. So if you haven’t seen my butt yet. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing} Liz broke the internet with this one.
Liz Wolfe: Indeed I did. And not for the reasons that you might be thinking. I will share; first of all I’ll share how the picture came about. Should I read the caption first or should I share how the picture came about first?
Diane Sanfilippo: Read the caption.
Liz Wolfe: Ok. So the caption was pretty short and sweet. It said, “Hey everyone! Just a reminder that you don’t have to list all the “in spite of” stuff before stating that you love, appreciate and enjoy your own body. Your body is not awesome IN SPITE OF cellulite, rolls, stretch marks, etc. (NEWS FLASH: we ALL have one or more of those things). Your body is awesome because IT’S AWESOME. Now enjoy your day at the pool and don’t let anything screw that up for you.”
And this caption was attached to a photo of my butt. And you know, normally that’s the type of thing that I would have been like; I’m not doing that. No way! Because I’m fairly private. {laughs} I don’t put my kid’s face on the internet. I don’t do a whole lot of that type of thing.
But what I’ve noticed lately, and I think this is, there are really good things about this. But I also want to kind of maybe hopefully nudge the conversation a little bit further in doing this. But what I’ve noticed lately on social media is a lot of posts that are more empowering than maybe what we were seeing 3 or 5 years ago. So 3 or 5 years ago, we would have seen people just doing pictures of their bodies after the gym and saying, “Just did a workout. Working on this, and that.” Basically listing all the things that they don’t like about themselves and how they’re using whatever multilevel marketing company to fix it. That type of thing.
And then three to five years later, what I’m seeing now is women who are clearly sick of body shaming. They’re sick of body shaming themselves. They’re sick of the way women are body shamed. Their sick of all of that stuff. So they’re posting things like; “Here’s my body. It has rolls. I’m uncomfortable with it, but these rolls mean I experienced life. Or I birthed a baby. And so I’m learning to embrace it and love it.” Yadda, yadda, yadda.
And I think that’s great. But I think I want to nudge the conversation a little bit beyond that. What I wanted to say is; you don’t have to talk about your body and list what’s wrong with it and how you're embracing that. Or how you used to have all of these issues and now you're learning to be softer with yourself. I think that’s wonderful. You can also just acknowledge the parts of you that are badass and shine the light on that. Because what you resist persists. What’s the thing; what you shine a light on gets bigger. What you pay attention to gets bigger.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} What you focus on, grows? I don’t know.
Liz Wolfe: Yes. Which is probably a poor analogy for body stuff. But my point was, I was just kind of tired of seeing these amazing, strong women posting pictures of themselves doing pullups, which is freaking incredible, but the whole caption was devoted to all this stuff they’re trying to learn to like. Even though it’s not the societal definition of beauty, and how they’re learning to wrap their heads around that.
So for me personally, I really just wanted to put something out there and be like, “Hey. Here’s my butt. I’m having a great day. Bye!” {laughs} It just felt like something I wanted to do in that moment.
So the picture is basically just of me at the pool. I actually handed my phone to a family member and was like; make sure you get all of my cellulite in this picture. And she was like, ok.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: Because; I’m going to stand in the light right here. And quite honestly, I think the light was so bright from the sun that maybe you're not seeing as much cellulite as I actually have. Which is, whatever. I tried. My intentions were good.
Diane Sanfilippo: My intentions to show you as much cellulite as possible were there.
Liz Wolfe: Yes.
Diane Sanfilippo: The sun was deciding otherwise.
Liz Wolfe: The sun was just too bright. So I’m at the pool. I’m watching my family swim in the pool, and we’re having a great day. That’s just what I wanted to show. Stop listing these things that you think are flaws. Because when you're talking about them all the time, they’re still kind of the boss of you a little bit. So let’s shine a light on what’s awesome, without doing this thing that I feel like maybe is uniquely something that women do in general, more so than men. But to almost apologize for something they like about themselves. I just don’t want people to list those two things in the same sentence all the time.
Just try it on. Right? I understand if you're in the process of learning to embrace certain things about yourself. I’m there. Most of us are there. But let’s also try every now and then to stop thinking about them in a flaw context and just start focusing on what’s awesome. Or not even what’s awesome. Maybe just the fact that you're having a great day at the pool, you know. Practice throwing those things out the window if you can.
Diane Sanfilippo: Amen. And I was, first of all when I saw that post, I was like; “Ok, this is going to be the most engaged with post Liz has ever shared.” Because, I mean, I know your intention was not, “I’m going to be vulnerable and make this post.” Really, I can tell. I was trying to find a post that I had made that was a long time ago. I can tell exactly what it was. I felt the intention of what you were sharing to get the message that you just reiterated across.
I had this feeling when I saw it that I hated that it takes a picture of you in a bathing suit to get that picture across. I hate that we can’t make a statement about not apologizing for our bodies, or loving them as they are, without actually showing them. For me, I feel like it’s just a shame that we have to do that to get people’s attention and get them to look, and then share that message.
So I think as not necessarily a counterpoint. But as a soft landing or whatever for the folks who do share something where they say; “And I love my body. Whether it is in spite of XYZ, or along with these rolls or stretch marks or whatever.” Maybe that’s the middle ground of where I think a lot of us go to. You know? We start out in a place where we’re like; I’m not sure if I love it, because of this. And then we get to a place where we’re like; no. I love it. And this is there too. And I don’t love that. But I love it anyway. And I think we get to a place, again, where we just love it. And I don’t care what other people think about it. My body is not up for anyone else’s judgement. Because nobody knows what we’ve all been through.
So I think that that’s a great point of view to share. And I think it’s a great mindset to share.
Liz Wolfe: And it’s having an honest conversation with yourself. Where you're like; ok. Maybe I don’t like this about myself. Why don’t I like it? Is it social messaging? Is it comparison, which is the thief of joy, I will remind everybody. Why don’t I like it? Now, I could go to the gym, and obsess over this. And try and blast this away and try and change it. Is that worth it to me? Is it worth it that I’m going to put my entire life on this one thing about myself. Or these 10 things. Or whatever it is. And I can honestly say now it is not worth it to me to put myself through that again. To change something that I don’t like for no good reason in the first place.
And I do want to acknowledge that my body is pretty close; it’s passable. No, that’s not how I want to say it. But I think I have gotten surprisingly. Not surprisingly, actually, because I have the best community on my Instagram page ever. There were no negative comments. There was nobody coming by and saying anything trollish. I didn’t have to delete any comments. Nobody was like; “I’m sorry, but you’re a health blogger. And you look like this?” There was none of that. Which I know people, our peers, get that frequently. People who are probably more traditionally fit than I am. So I just feel like maybe I’ve been really lucky to attract the right people to my Instagram. So I’m grateful for that.
But at the same time, I got a little tiny bit of private feedback that I appreciated very much. Just kind of expanded my consciousness about it. Is that my body is pretty close to what society kind of wants women to look like. It’s in that realm. And there are a lot of people that I know feel like the body positivity movement is being kind of coopted by people who have two stretch marks and a C-section scar. You know what I mean?
I understand that people feel like that message is getting lost, because someone like me is having this conversation. And I understand that this might be a little bit more difficult for people who feel that they have a much, much higher mountain to climb. Or that they are unhealthy. Or their body does not reflect what they feel like it should reflect. So I just want to acknowledge that. I don’t know that it’s either here nor there. But I know that what I was saying; a lot of people might say, “Well easy for you to embrace those things. Because you don’t have this mountain to climb.” So I just wanted to acknowledge that, as well.
4. Body positivity and finding the balance [37:23]
Diane Sanfilippo: I mean, I think that’s a fair thing to acknowledge. I do think also that as women, it’s important to realize that we don’t have any idea the conversation that’s going on within somebody’s mind about their own body. And we know for sure, because we’ve had women at our seminars who used to come up to us all the time who were shredded and lean and ripped, whatever. Looking in a way that society deems; I don’t know what. Good, positive, ideal. Actually doesn’t mean that person is confident or feels happy in their own skin.
And ultimately, I think that the more we scrutinize, and the more we put physicality on display for judgement; whether or not that person is worthy of our love and attention. Based on the perfection of their physicality. I think we continue to take away from the messages of building what we know as real confidence and real accomplishment and real; I don’t know. Just things to be proud of in life. I’m not at all saying that people can’t be proud of their physical appearance. People work hard for things. They work hard to look a certain way. And I’m not going to detract from any of that. That has nothing to do with what I’m saying.
But I do think as I’ve gotten older; I know I keep saying that. But there’s something that happens when you turn 40. It’s a big thing. Where I’m like; you know what? Maybe there’s something about the way that my body looks that I’m like; I don’t think that’s my favorite. There are things about me that I’m like; wow. A year ago, or year and a half, two years ago, my arms were pretty muscular and shredded. And I probably didn’t even love them as much as I could have at the time. But there’s also this sense; I just totally lost my train of thought.
Liz Wolfe: We were really good up until now.
Diane Sanfilippo: I know.
Liz Wolfe: We’ve got 39 minutes at least of really good conversation.
Diane Sanfilippo: I just really lost my train of thought. I do recognize that the way I feel about my physical appearance actually has more to do with the activities that I’m engaging in, back to your point earlier.
Liz Wolfe: Totally.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s less about what’s the result of how my arm looks, for example, as much as I would love to have buff arms again/all the time. I’m not going to lie. I would like for them to look a certain way. But what I really want is to be in that habit of exercising. Because what it means is I’m making the time to take care of myself in a way that I know makes me feel good. And then the physical outward appearance is just a byproduct of those other positive things.
So I do think that to your point earlier, about working out and the reason for working out. I think there can be this extreme level of working out for a physical appearance reason that then pushes the boundary of becoming negative. And every female who is listening who has gone to that place who wants to push back against what I’m saying knows that it’s true. You're feeling it viscerally, when I say that you're pushing to an extreme of trying to make this effort to get your body to look a certain way, and you're working really hard at it to the detriment of other elements and aspects in your life. That’s pushing you out of this area of balance. And balance is a moving target, but I do think that having the right intentions for why we exercise is more important than the physical, visual outcome in terms of our overall mental, emotional, and physical health.
I think that’s an important conversation to have. And I think that judging people based on their appearance, whether or not they're as lean as you think they should be. Whether or not they can teach you something about health and nutrition based on whether or not you think they’re lean enough to know what to say. You know what I mean? That was a thing for so long, and it still is. It’s like; can someone stand in front of you and share education about health, and can you understand the difference between them appearing in some sort of societal norm of optimal health, versus being an actual healthy person inside and out; mentally, emotionally.
I’m going on a tangent here. But all of this to say that I personally find that I can respect and listen to advice from people when I see that they’re entire life looks like something that is in balance, and they’re happy, content, healthy person. More so than just how they look physically. Because we both know that we could decide; “I’m going to spend most of my free time focused on my physical appearance, and be in the gym this much time. Only eat these foods.” And that’s to the detriment of so many other things in our lives. Because we can’t spend that time focusing on our physical appearance in that way, and then also spend it on giving attention to our loved ones. Giving attention to other things that matter to us.
So, I just want for people to recognize all of that balance, and respect it. If that makes sense.
Liz Wolfe: It does makes sense. And I do want people to know originally one of the goals that I listed with a trainer was I want to move well. I want to get through some of these impingements. I want to be able to activate certain muscle groups. It was very much a focus on corrective exercise. Because I wasn’t moving well. Part of that is because my C-section scar has kind of influenced how my lower abdomen works. Some of it is just not moving much. There’s a lot there.
But once we kind of got through a little bit of that, it was time to set some new goals. So I had this conversation with the trainer. And I said; you know, it’s toxic for me; I will not be making aesthetic goals. Really hard and fast aesthetic goals. Because it’s just not worth it to me. I don’t want to become obsessed over these things. Because I think one question we can all ask ourselves daily in anything that we’re doing is; what are the extremes of this and where am I? Am I somewhere in the middle of these two extremes? Or am I way to the left or way to the right? And kind of strive to bring ourselves back to center on most things. There’s a time and a place for intensity, but I think folks kind of understand what I’m saying.
But I did say; you know, I would actually like to look like an athlete again. Because for me it is kind of representative of putting in the work. However, it’s not like that for everybody. We know a lot of people who go and do the work, and their body does not change. And I think that can be a really difficult thing to wrap your head around. And I don’t know where this is going to take me. I don’t know if there are things that are going to stop me from feeling like I’m an athlete again. But this is not something I’m really hanging onto for dear life. I’m not like; I have to look like an athlete.
But one of the things I was thinking of when I made that statement, and I very much hesitated to make it. But one of the things I was thinking about was athletes come in a lot of forms. And a lot of body types. And you just know what feels good for you and what that looked like at a certain point. But at the same time, you have to be open and willing to putting in the work, even if it’s not going to end up looking like you want it to look like. And again, you're evaluating, “Why do I think I should look like this? What are the social contexts that are leading me to feel like I have to be a certain way?”
Again. Man it would be so much easier if we were just like, “Do this program! Look like this!” But that’s not what we’re about. We’re about helping people find balance. And I think if I had to distill this all down to one statement, it’s, are you apologizing with whatever statement you're making or whatever thoughts you're having about your body. Is this an apology? Or is this empowering yourself? Because there are a lot of hidden apologies that women make on the daily that impede us from getting to the place that we want to be.
Diane Sanfilippo: Amen. Can I do those emoji hands that go up?
Liz Wolfe: Yes, absolutely.
5. Finding a place of nonjudgement [46:05]
Diane Sanfilippo: You know what I wanted to say about this also. And we’ve talked about this probably many times before. I think this also tacks onto the conversation about judgement, and recognizing that when we get to a place where we can look at our own lives and realize that we don’t want to be judged for the minutia of things about our bodies. Because we don’t even judge ourselves for it anymore. And if we get to the place where we’re not judging ourselves for it, we’re able to stop judging others on those things, as well. And I think that’s where we can change the conversation.
{laughs} So it’s like, Michael Jackson song reference, starting with the woman in the mirror. But essentially, the more we have this conversation with ourselves of nonjudgement and acceptance. And acceptance because, period. Not in spite of. I think we’ve become softer to those around us. And I think we can’t not. If I stop judging myself for something, I can’t judge you for it. I just can’t. And I won’t.
And at the same time, I also want to encourage you guys; if you're following people on social media who make you feel like physicality is the end-all be-all of what’s important, and it makes you ever feel less than or not good enough because physicality is constantly on display in a way that just feels not good to you or not productive, then unfollow. It’s ok for you to unfollow people who are sending a message that’s contradictory to what you want to be living. And I really encourage you to do that.
Liz Wolfe: The Balanced Bites podcast is sponsored in part by the Nutritional Therapy Association. The NTA trains and certifies nutritional therapy practitioners and consultants (including me; I’m an NTP), emphasizing bio-individuality and the range of dietary strategies that support wellness. The NTA emphasizes local, whole, properly prepared nutrient dense foods as the key to restoring balance and enhancing the body’s ability to heal.
The NTA’s nutritional therapy practitioner program and new fully online nutritional therapy consultant program empower graduates with the education and skills needed to launch a successful, fulfilling career in holistic nutrition. To learn lots more about the NTA’s nutritional therapy programs, and to check out their free Nutritional Therapy 101 course, go to http://www.NutritionalTherapy.com. There are workshops in the US, Canada, and Australia, so chances are you’ll be able to find a venue that works for you.
6. Summertime fun plans [48:41]
Diane Sanfilippo: Alright, let’s talk about summer plans really quickly. What are you up to this summer? Maybe tell me something you're either planning. What’s going on? Favorite summertime food, or a treat maybe.
Liz Wolfe: So far, since now we live on a lake, there’s a little beach here. And it’s something to do, right. So we’ve been going down to the beach. It’s like a 3-minute golf cart ride. We’ve been going down to this little beach like twice a day. And I’m like already. I’ve been using sunscreen. I’ve been trying to build up this tan gradually. I don’t want to completely flaunt every dermatologist that I’ve ever known with this suntan thing. {laughs} But I am pretty darn tan. And it’s really just from going down there, being outside, going swimming. Honestly for a couple of hours a day. And that’s really been our thing so far. And it’s not even all that far into summer. So it’s been super fun. I might have to get one of those rash guards just to slow it down a little bit. Because it has been so hot and sunny this summer so far.
What are you doing asking me about my favorite foods to grill? You know I don’t cook!
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: Why don’t you tell me about your favorite summer foods to grill.
Diane Sanfilippo: We love to grill pretty much as much as possible. As many things as possible. Chicken thighs that we season with Balanced Bites coffee barbecue rub.
Liz Wolfe: Mm, that sounds good.
Diane Sanfilippo: So good. You season them ahead of time so it kind of sinks in. They are insane. You should definitely have Colleen make that. {laughs}
We love to grill pineapple. So amazing grilled. We also have been; well we’re going to do this today. I have a whole chicken that we spatchcocked. Which means we took the backbone out and kind of flattened it out. We’re going to throw it on the grill to start it, and then we’re going to finish it inside in the oven just to make sure we’re controlling the temperature.
I’m basically in a mode of will it grill? How many things… like the will it blend old YouTube video from yesteryear. Days of yore. But I definitely want to grill as much as possible. So that’s really where we’re at. Because we’ve got our grill in the backyard. And having a little mini yard here in San Francisco is pretty much; it’s not lake life, but it’s the life.
Liz Wolfe: It’s pretty darn nice.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s pretty good.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
Liz Wolfe: Alright, well that’s it for this week. You can find me, Liz, at http://realfoodliz.com/ and you can find Diane at http://dianesanfilippo.com. Join our email lists for free goodies and updates that you don’t find anywhere else on our website or on the podcast. While you’re on the internet, leave us an iTunes review please. We’ll see you next week.
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