Topics
- News and updates from Diane & Liz [1:46]
- Sunset walks
- Balanced Bites Master Class
- Kansas City humidity
- Marriage relationships
- Avocado toast-gate
- What I've eaten today so far [12:31]
- Listener questions: mindset and personal growth [19:24]
- Quality multivitamin and prenatal recommendations [25:30]
- Digestion issues with history of disordered eating [32:16]
- Favorite workout move this week [38:53]
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You’re listening to the Balanced Bites podcast episode 353.
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 bestseller 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.
Liz Wolfe: Today’s podcast is sponsored by Vital Choice wild seafood and organics. The leading source of high quality, sustainably sourced seafood and a certified B corporation. Spring has sprung, and it’s time for light but powerful paleo-friendly fare. Like omega-3 rich wild seafood and delicious grass-fed meat. For something easy on the go, grab one of their pocket-sized tins of sardines, or some salmon or bison jerky. They’ve got our favorite wild salmon and shellfish; plus salmon burgers, dogs, bacon, and even organic bone broths. Check it all out at www.vitalchoice.com.
1. News and updates from Diane & Liz [1:46]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. So Diane, what’s happening with you guys over there?
Diane Sanfilippo: Well. What’s happening? Hmm. Since we last did this podcast. We were talking about grilling on our last episode, and I will say we’ve definitely been taking advantage of some outdoor time. Even though San Francisco can get quite cloudy during the summer. Everyone else gets sunny and warm; and we call it June Gloom here in San Francisco.
Liz Wolfe: Aww.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} It’s fine. It’s all fine. Because come February, we’ll get a week of 70-degree weather, and it all balances out. But yeah, just trying to enjoy time outside. One big thing we’ve been doing lately is; as often as we can, doing a sunset walk. We often take the dog for a nice walk in the morning. Not on mornings where Scott works really early. Which; Tuesday and Thursday he works super early.
But on days where we can, because the sunset is so late now. It’s after 8 o’clock. We try and do a quick 30 minutes and catch that. It’s nice for a variety of reasons. It’s some nice, quiet quality time. It’s obviously great for the dog to get some extra exercise. I love watching the sunset. As many of you know, it’s one of my favorite things. It just makes me feel so much; I don’t know, peace and also gratitude. And it’s just beautiful, and I take pictures of it every time. It’s like; can’t I stop taking pictures of it? No.
But that’s kind of a big thing that’s been going on with us. We’re trying to remind each other. Hey, do you want to go for that sunset walk? And not let it slip. So that’s kind of a big thing.
And then professionally, we have one more week of enrollment for the Master Class. So you guys, if you have been listening to us talk about it, obviously for weeks now. www.blog.balancedbites.com/masterclass. There’s also a FAQ post; www.blog.balancedbites.com/masterclass-faq. If you want to just check out getting more of your questions answers. We’ll probably have a live video regarding last calls for questions and all of that that you guys can tune into. So just stay tuned to our social channels and make sure you're aware of what’s coming up with all of that.
I think that’s pretty much it for this week. What’s happening by the lake?
Liz Wolfe: Oh, it’s 97 effing degrees outside.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: We had one week of spring. And then it was 97 degrees. And it’s humid in Kansas City, too. Which is; I would live in Phoenix all day long in 106-degree heat because it’s dry heat.
Diane Sanfilippo: No humidity.
Liz Wolfe: Ugh. Man it’s the worst.
Diane Sanfilippo: But it’s good for your skin, right?
Liz Wolfe: Oh, it’s great. It’s great. I’m glowing. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: I’m glowing, and all my makeup is sliding off my face. So. Stuff is going well over here. Spending a lot of time in the water, which is great. I really like what you said about your sunset walks. I always try to get my husband to go on walks with me. But sometimes it seems like we’re two ships passing in the night.
I feel like; I’ve been working on my stuff in therapy. And I’ve been working on myself. Maybe next I’m going to try to cultivate a really good habit to kind of nurture my marriage. That sounds really, really nice.
Oh you must be muted. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: I’m not. I’m just nodding.
Liz Wolfe: You're nodding. Yeah; something about taking a walk with your person is just so nice. I want to do more of that. So thanks for telling me that.
Diane Sanfilippo: Well I was listening because you talk about two ships passing. Scott and I are definitely not in that camp. We talk about it often, how we feel very fortunate that we’re not two ships passing. Or we’re not away from each other for the 8 hours where people are working, and then come back home to each other. We had this conversation just yesterday, how you choose the person that you want to spend your life with. Yet then most people end up spending most of their life with other people, not that spouse or that person.
I don’t know how I would handle it if I were in a more “traditional” set up where we both went somewhere else all day long.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah, but there are challenges to your extreme, as well, I think. Just not being able to have a minute {laughing}
Diane Sanfilippo: Um…
Liz Wolfe: Maybe?
Diane Sanfilippo: I’m sure there are for every way. I do find that getting more solo time is a little harder. But I can’t say that that’s really a challenge, necessarily.
Liz Wolfe: Well that’s good.
Diane Sanfilippo: But it also is different because we don’t have kids. So it’s the two of us. So right now, even he’s recording at another end of the house. And I’m back here, doing my thing. But it is good to take that time where it’s not frenetic. We’re not working. And it is quality time. Because the time that we’re together all day, even if it’s not ships passing, it’s still not always quality time.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah, yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: So it does make a difference. And yes, I would encourage everyone in the summer months when it’s bearable to be out there sometime at 8 o’clock at night. Take a little sunset walk. See if you can capture it. Take a picture. Tag us in it. We want to see.
Liz Wolfe: I like that. I don’t think even having lived out here, I don’t know that I’ve ever watched the sunset over the lake. So maybe I prioritize that.
Diane Sanfilippo: Homework.
Liz Wolfe: Take a little picture for you. Tag you in it.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yes, do it. I would love that.
Liz Wolfe: Did we ever talk about the avocado toast picture on the podcast?
Diane Sanfilippo: Avocado toast-gate? {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Avocado toast-gate? Look. So, y’all. I went and ordered some avocado toast just to see what the fuss was about.
Diane Sanfilippo: Let me just say, it didn’t look like the best avocado toast I’ve ever seen. So whatever review you're about to have of it. I was like; that doesn’t even look that good.
Liz Wolfe: It wasn’t the prettiest. It wasn’t the prettiest avocado toast.
Diane Sanfilippo: It looked like guacamole toast.
Liz Wolfe: I know; that’s kind of what I thought too. And I didn’t want to say that in the post, because the restaurant was so lovely and we had a good experience there.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s kind of you.
Liz Wolfe: And I would totally go back. But yeah, it looked kind of more like guacamole toast with tomatoes on it. It was fine. But I didn’t hate it. However; you really ran with that whole “Didn’t hate it” thing. I didn’t really mean it as that much of a compliment.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} But what I’m saying is, I don’t think you had the best experience of avocado toast.
Liz Wolfe: True.
Diane Sanfilippo: I’m glad that you tried it. And I’m glad you didn’t hate it.
Liz Wolfe: I will try it again.
Diane Sanfilippo: Because not hating it is the first step.
Liz Wolfe: {sigh} Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: Here’s the thing. I think in your mind you were trying to understand why anybody would replace butter with avocado.
Liz Wolfe: Yes.
Diane Sanfilippo: But it’s not about replacing butter for everyone. For some people who can’t do dairy, it is. And so let them have something else. We’re eating zoodles. You're eating spaghetti squash. You're replacing noodles with something else.
But I do think of it as something different. And, the point about the texture is it’s got to be really more sliced and then smashed avocado to be the best avocado toast. Because there is something about the texture variation of the avocado that makes a difference. The crunchy toast with the interesting texture of the avocado. It’s a whole different thing.
And it’s not to be compared with buttered toast. You cannot replace buttered toast. That is a sacrilege to think you're replacing buttered toast.
Liz Wolfe: Right.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s not what we’re doing here.
Liz Wolfe: I’m going to; I will order it again. I’ll go to some place in Kansas City, some place great that makes it. I’ll check if West Side Local or the Farm House.
Diane Sanfilippo: I think you should probably fly to California to have some good avocado toast! {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: Oh good lord. Have some decent avocado toast.
Diane Sanfilippo: LA and San Francisco will show you the avocado toast goodness.
Liz Wolfe: I will try it again. If I could find one with pickled onions on it.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s what I’m saying!
Liz Wolfe: I would be happy.
Diane Sanfilippo: Actually, Jane on Filmore here in San Francisco. Not necessarily just on Filmore. But this restaurant Jane, here. They do an amazing avocado toast. I will say they kind of do a little bit of the guacamole style, where I think it’s overly mashed avocado. Which is not my favorite.
Liz Wolfe: To me, that totally changes the entire experience.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s not the best.
Liz Wolfe: Eating an avocado is totally different than eating guacamole.
Diane Sanfilippo: I know. And I think it’s not the best when they do that. But they put a soft-boiled egg on the top; which is really good. And pickled onions.
Liz Wolfe: Mmm. Do they let you smash it yourself?
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah, you slice it open, runny goodness.
Liz Wolfe: Nice.
Diane Sanfilippo: And their slice of toast is literally like an inch thick. And they have pickled onions. Pickled jalapeno maybe, also?
Liz Wolfe: No-no. Never.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s really good. Really good.
Liz Wolfe: Never a pickled jalapeno.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah, pickled jalapenos are good.
Liz Wolfe: Do they allow substitutions?
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. I mean, I get it with the gluten free toast. And sometimes an extra egg. Because I’m like; we’re making a meal here. And one egg does not a meal make.
Liz Wolfe: {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: But, this is really important that we bring Liz over to the other side! {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: It’s going to be hard. If I’m going to have a piece of bread with something on it, it’s just really hard for me to imagine not putting a crap-ton of butter on it and calling it a day.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s fine. Whatever.
Liz Wolfe: Anyway. Moving on.
Diane Sanfilippo: Whatever. I’m getting cheese fries. {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: {laughing} Alright. Moving on. I just want to remind everybody, we have a Balanced Bites podcast Facebook group. And the discussion has been really good over there. Diane, can you remind people how to join the BB podcast Facebook group?
Diane Sanfilippo: You can actually just go to Facebook and type Balanced Bites podcast into the little search bar and you will find it. We are making everyone answer a question about; you know, being civil, kind, humans to each other. So if you didn’t answer that question and you're wondering why we haven’t accepted you, it’s because you need to answer that question.
But you never know when we might pop in over there. Maybe hop in and do a live video. Myself, especially, since my time is a little more fluid. But I do think it’s just a great way for us to have a conversation.
I know sometimes Instagram; you guys want to share your feedback on something that’s a little more delicate. So it’s a little too public, sometimes, there. So the group is a great place for other topics that you might not want to talk about as publicly.
Liz Wolfe: Sweet.
2. What I’ve eaten today so far [12:31]
Liz Wolfe: Ok. A very, very important question. What did you eat so far today, Diane?
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} Ok, well it’s 10 a.m. here in San Francisco. I was up super early, and I knew that I would be recording and doing things. I have another interview after this, all morning. So onto the toast question; I actually had two slices of gluten free toast. One had smashed avocado on it, because we didn’t have enough for both. One had lactose-free cream cheese, which I seem to tolerate better than regular. And organic; all that good stuff. And then, Vital Choice smoked salmon. And pickled onions. And broccoli sprouts. So I had basically open-faced lox sammi situation. And then a matcha latte, as I always do, with my collagen, and cacao butter, and all that good stuff. And that’s what I’ve eaten so far. I went big.
Liz Wolfe: {laughs} You went for it. You really went for it.
Diane Sanfilippo: It was a good breakfast. And Bagel blend, of course. Sorry. Balanced Bites Bagel blend on my smoked salmon.
Liz Wolfe: Of course Bagel blend.
Diane Sanfilippo: Of course Bagel blend. What did you have so far?
Liz Wolfe: I’ve had “two bowls of special K, three pieces of turkey bacon…
Diane Sanfilippo: Four M&Ms. {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: 5 peanut butter M&Ms, and like 3 pieces of licorice.” No, no. Did I tell this story on the podcast how I went to Nordstrom and I saw a Clueless shirt there? I told that story right?
Diane Sanfilippo: No.
Liz Wolfe: Oh my gosh.
Diane Sanfilippo: Unless it was an interview that I wasn’t a part of.
Liz Wolfe: I don’t think so. I went to Nordstrom, and my friend’s make fun of me because I only shop at Nordstrom. Because it’s because they have free shipping. Them and Zappos. But I’ve been shopping at Old Navy lately.
Diane Sanfilippo: This has nothing to do with what you ate so far today.
Liz Wolfe: This has nothing to do with anything.
Diane Sanfilippo: Also, we were quoting Clueless. That’s why she’s talking about Clueless.
Liz Wolfe: Yes, oh my gosh.
Diane Sanfilippo: Liz did not eat two bowls of Special K. {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Ugh.
Diane Sanfilippo: Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Liz Wolfe: No. Oh my gosh, when we lived at the farm, I had a baby sitter. And somehow, we got around to the movie Clueless. And I was like; so have you seen the movie, Clueless. She was like; “I’ve seen parts of it, I think.” And I was like; you’ve seen parts of it, you think?!?
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: Like, this is a major moment in American cinema.
Diane Sanfilippo: Stop watching my child right now and sit down.
Liz Wolfe: Yes.
Diane Sanfilippo: For some Alicia Silverstone.
Liz Wolfe: I don’t care if you know how to change a diaper. You need to watch this movie.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: I feel the same way about the Princess Bride. I can’t talk to you unless you’ve seen it.
Diane Sanfilippo: And Mean Girls. I really think.
Liz Wolfe: Oh yeah. So anyway, the point is. I went to Nordstrom and I saw this vintage looking Clueless shirt. And I was like; oh, cool! You know that picture where it’s like, Dionne, Cher, and Tai, and they’re all on their phones looking like ingenious. And I was like; this is kind of a fun shirt. I’d love to have this shirt. And then I look over to the side, and the display on the table says, “Gifts for Mother’s Day.” {laughing}
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing} And the T-shirt was probably $120.
Liz Wolfe: Oh my gosh! It was like $50. And I was like; wait, wait, wait.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: They had a focus group that was like; “What do moms remember from their youth that they think is really cool?” And it was like; “Oh, Clueless. Moms love Clueless.”
Diane Sanfilippo: God.
Liz Wolfe: That was a moment. I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture of it.
Diane Sanfilippo: We are old. I wish you had.
Liz Wolfe: Mmm. So old. Anyway. So I’m not going to tell you what I had so far to eat today, because I’ve kind of been on the run. So I have not eaten as much as I should have.
Diane Sanfilippo: Wait; so you're not even going to tell us?
Liz Wolfe: I’ve had a power ball. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: What time is it?
Liz Wolfe: So, it’s noon. And I’m hungry. But I woke up. I slept in. I woke up, I went to train, came back, and I didn’t want to eat before I trained because that always makes me feel yucky.
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s ok if you haven’t eaten much today. That’s part of the conversation. It’s quasi-fasting, and you will eat after this. That’s the point.
Liz Wolfe: I will eat right after this.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
Liz Wolfe: But I did pretty good; I liked what I ate yesterday so I’m going to share that.
Diane Sanfilippo: But that’s not the point of the segment.
Liz Wolfe: No, come on. Let me do it. Just let me do it. This is what I ate yesterday.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: I had salad. I had roasted veggies over brown rice with avocado. And I had two bratwursts from Vital Choice.
Diane Sanfilippo: All day?
Liz Wolfe: There was something else but I forgot.
Diane Sanfilippo: I eat for three people, according to Liz’s meals for the day, by the way.
Liz Wolfe: It was a huge salad! There was a whole other meal and a snack in there, I just can’t remember what it was.
Diane Sanfilippo: Ok. Dietary recall. Not working now.
Liz Wolfe: {laughs} Exactly.
Diane Sanfilippo: But I’m saying;
Liz Wolfe: You’ve got to let me know when these questions are coming so I can write it down.
Diane Sanfilippo: But the point is not; what is the optimal ideal thing that we ate in a certain day. It’s like; just on a given day, what’s the reality of what we ate.
Liz Wolfe: I know.
Diane Sanfilippo: So I think it’s totally fair.
Liz Wolfe: My track record is not good on this question, though. And I want people to know that sometimes, I do actually pay attention.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s fair.
Liz Wolfe: Because, a lot of times, on the days we record podcasts, I am running around.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
Liz Wolfe: Because we block out hours and whatever it is.
Diane Sanfilippo: Had I not been up as early, and had I not also been on this kick of being sure that I eat before I drink the matcha. Because I feel better when I eat before it.
Liz Wolfe: Before I drink the matcha.
Diane Sanfilippo: The matcha. That’s something my mom would say. The matcha. I heard people calling Murph the Murph. And I was like; that’s not it. You don’t say, “I’m doing the MURPH.”
Liz Wolfe: That’s weird.
Diane Sanfilippo: You're just doing MURPH.
Liz Wolfe: That’s really weird.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s just MURPH. The workout is called MURPH. Not The MURPH. I digress. Anyway. It’s not a report card. It’s not a score card.
Liz Wolfe: Alright.
Diane Sanfilippo: Fasting is what you ate so far today, then fasting is it. And that’s ok.
Liz Wolfe: What I ate so far today; saliva. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: Fasting.
Diane Sanfilippo: The cells from the inside wall of my mouth.
Liz Wolfe: {laughing}
Diane Sanfilippo: Sorry. We’re rapidly declining. Let’s move on.
Liz Wolfe: Oh man.
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, 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.
3. Listener questions: mindset and personal growth [19:24]
Liz Wolfe: OK. So today, we’re going to answer a few questions covering a variety of topics. A pupu platter of topics, if you will.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Alright, so this one is from Margie. And we’re going to kind of tie this into our history module from the Balanced Bites Master Class. Because we love talking about nutrition science, but we also love talking about context. This is from Margie, “I would love more conversations on the podcast regarding general mindset, growth, and challenges that Liz and Diane have gone through. Those are my favorite episodes by far. Keep up the great content.”
Diane Sanfilippo: Well, Margie if you didn’t hear our last episode, definitely go back and listen to that one. Because I think that was a really good growth mindset episode, don’t you think Liz? The body stuff.
Liz Wolfe: I thought so. Indeed.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
Liz Wolfe: We kind of spent most of our energy on that podcast {laughs}.
Diane Sanfilippo: We actually also did an episode. I think it’s recent, but it’s probably not that recent, about how our thought process, and the show, and all of that has evolved over time. And I think that’s a relevant conversation to have. But talking about growth and challenges that we’ve gone through personally. We have done that a lot on previous shows. And we do talk about that in the Master Class, which is one of the reasons we wanted to answer this today and just talk about it.
We give you guys a background on where we came from. Liz talks about all the crazy things she tried in her day. And I talked about where my journey has been. But I’m just going to talk about a little more current context. We’ve been doing this show for almost 7 years. We’ve both written books, and blogged, and shared a lot of content around different topics. And perhaps being most well-known for the paleo stuff.
Originally; and I think for a lot of people that would pigeon-hole us. And that would pigeon-hole lots of folks. And I think one of the biggest things that we’ve worked really hard to maintain is that sense of; we’re here to find what’s best for optimal health in a balanced way. And that doesn’t mean optimal in a perfect setting. Or in a biohacking approach. It’s really more about; what can we maintain that keeps us happy, and sane, and as healthy as we can be without physical health being this myopic, hyperfocused on goal.
Because I do think there are a lot of folks that lose the forest for the trees. Because they’re so focused on; “I need to get healthy.” Then they forget about the concept of mental, emotional, life, balance, joy, finding pleasure in the everyday things. They’re so hyperfocused on physical health, that they actually become less healthy as a result.
So for me, that’s been one of the things that I think has been one of the greatest area of growth for both of us. And to your point about; you were talking in our last episode about how nobody came by your Instagram commenting something negative. About; oh but you’re a nutritionist. You should XYZ. I think we have done a really good job at maintaining this level of; we’re always trying to strive for something that’s optimal. But we never ignore the fact that that doesn’t mean perfect. I’m going to eat the gluten free brownie if I want to eat it. I’m not going to experience guilt or shame or try to say that everyone should eat them all the time, or nobody should eat them ever. I think that’s something that has been a big area of growth for both of us, in terms of what we share.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah.
Liz Wolfe: I feel we’ve said multiple times that we could make a lot more money {laughs} if we were really camping out at one extreme or the other. I think we see that a lot in our general community. Who is actually cashing in on certain things. And that’s cool, if that’s what makes you feel best and you can build your life around a really extreme approach. But that’s just, man.
Diane Sanfilippo: Or only ever talking about or teaching one thing.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: And that’s like; “this is my purview and this is all I share.” Which maybe somebody likes that. Maybe it’s too stressful to kind of; I don’t know, widen, or broaden, or evolve the point of view.
Liz Wolfe: Well it is hard. It actually is really hard to really start to see things in context. That’s a tough shift. Because; oh man. The easy thing about a religion, whether it’s like your workout religion or your food religion or whatever it is. It offers answers sometimes without context. A lot of times, we end up banging our head up against the wall as you and I both have. My history is basically a history of banging my head against the wall and beating myself up for things that are really not necessary to beat myself up for.
So it has been a tough journey over the course of almost 7 years of doing this podcast. Where it’s like; finding balance is actually a much greater challenge. Really looking at this long term. What’s my life going to look like? What can I fit in now that I can continue to fit some iteration of into my life later? Family. Work. Fulfillment activities. Mental health activities. Enjoyment. All of these different things. And recognizing how to become this ever shifting; figuring out how to balance your life for the long-term. That’s actually really, really hard. And it was something I didn’t even want to think about for a long time. How was I ever going to figure out how to make all of these levers move in an acceptable range for the long term? There’s no way. So I would zero in on stuff. Like, how many carbs am I eating? Am I doing enough CrossFit? And those things became the things I would try and hang my hat on while everything else kind of fell apart.
Diane Sanfilippo: Mm-hmm.
4. Quality multivitamin and prenatal recommendations [25:30]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. This one is from Whitney. “I’m looking for a good quality multivitamin, or prenatal vitamin, that isn’t filled with synthetic ingredients and fillers. Do you have any recommendations? I’ve always had the mindset of first getting all my nutrients from nutrient-dense foods. Even when eating a healthy diet, do you think it’s important for women to supplement with multivitamins or prenatal vitamins? Or should this be avoided?”
I know, Diane, you were using the Nutreince for a little while. What did you think about that?
Diane Sanfilippo: I was taking that for a while. I just notoriously am sort of bad at taking supplements. {laughs} The only reason I’ve gotten good at taking collagen is because it’s part of my matcha. I think Nutreince is a good way to go if you're looking for something that’s well balanced, that’s easily absorbed, and that separates out certain nutrients that can be competitive. There’s nutrient competition in terms of receptor sites, and I know Nutreince really separates into an a.m. and p.m. dose. So that’s a good one to go for.
Back in my holistic nutrition 101 coaching days, I used to often recommend that folks look at a brand called New Chapter. I believe they have a food-based multivitamin. So that’s a way to get something that’s concentrated from very purely sourced food-based ingredients, versus something that could be synthetic.
But when it comes to prenatals, it’s definitely not my area of expertise. I don’t know if there’s something that you recommend, or that you want to just say about that in general.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. I generally point people toward the Innate Response prenatal, or the, I think it’s New Chapter. It kind of depends. And I just had a conversation recently with Cassy Joy on her podcast about favorite prenatals and all of that stuff. I used to be of the mind that we try and get everything from food, as much as possible. But again; context. In pregnancy, you’ve got food aversions. We actually have a lot of good research about certain nutrients, like folate, for example, that people need to kind of load up on before they’re even. Not load up on, that was the wrong phrase. That’s not a balanced phrase.
But that people need to ensure that they’re getting for a period of time before they conceive. Because a lot of times, the demand for folate developmentally for a growing baby, a lot of what folate is used for is occurring in the weeks before a woman even knows she’s pregnant. So when you're thinking about pregnancy, I think it’s really important to get on a good prenatal to ensure your intake of some of these nutrients is up to par. And then you go into the first trimester, and you might have food aversions, so I think that’s important, too.
One of the things that I’m grappling with right now as far as research for Baby Making and Beyond is how we want to tackle the vitamin A topic. We have a huge, incredibly well-researched. Not huge. I don’t want to scare people. We have a comprehensive and detailed article within the program that we’ll release that will kind of explain the literature. What we know about vitamin A and what we don’t.
A lot of people are very scared of vitamin A because they’ve been told that it can be teratogenic; it can cause birth defects. And then we have this other camp, the Weston A. Price camp, that’s like; “Have 20,000 IUs per day of vitamin A.” When some doctors are basically telling you to have none.
So we did a ton of research around that topic. And one of my concerns really is that women, even paleo, are not getting enough vitamin A. Or that they have genetic predispositions to not be able to convert precursors of vitamin A into true vitamin A. Or there are a million different things that can happen in the conversion process.
So one of the things I’ve grappled with is how to handle recommendations for vitamin A, when most prenatals don’t actually contain it. Most prenatals contain beta carotene and not preformed vitamin A. Which in some ways could be a good thing, and in other ways maybe we actually need a little bit of preformed vitamin A in our prenatals. So that’s still a question that I’m grappling with.
My preference would probably be to find some source of preformed vitamin A during pregnancy. But to really know how much you're getting, and from where. One of my issues with vitamins in general, me personally, is I find that I sleep more poorly when I’m taking a lot of; I don’t want to use the wrong word here. But when I’m taking a supplement that a person has formulated, instead of that has been plucked directly out of nature. So for me, I’ve done a little bit better with the Pure Synergy prenatal, or the Pure Synergy vitamins. Those completely whole-food based formulations. Versus something that was formulated from nutrient stock and combined.
Actually, I love the Nutreince. I know a lot of people that have done really well on it. For me personally, I prefer the totally whole foods based ones, while being a little bit more nickel and dimey and aware of how much I’m getting from each nutrient. So, kind of went off on a tangent.
Diane Sanfilippo: What do you think of organ capsules; like liver capsules?
Liz Wolfe: I think that they’re good. We are looking at doing some nutrient testing of some different foods, as well as capsules, to make sure that we have actually done our own calculations of how much one nutrient is in those. Because what we’ve learned is it can really, really vary. So my concern is, for example, the USDA I think lists liver as having a certain amount of vitamin A, right? And using that figure is how most people will calculate the vitamin A content. Or the percent daily value on the labels of their food products. This isn’t true of everyone. A lot of these liver capsule pill companies have actually done the nutrient scans themselves, and that’s great.
But you really do need to know, because a liver from a grass-fed animal looks to me, right now, like the vitamin A content is much, much higher. Versus whatever the USDA would have used in their nutrient chromatography. Or however they figured out how much vitamin A was in whatever liver they used. So that’s my concern right now. I really want to find out a really close range of how much vitamin A is in some of these things, so we can ensure people get enough, but not too much. But I think it can be a really good tool.
5. Digestion issues with history of disordered eating [32:16]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. Next topic. We’re going to talk a little bit about poop. This is from Vanessa. “Hi there! Love, love, love your podcast. Been on the paleo journey now for five years, and the dramatic changes in me and my family’s health and lifestyle are so great thanks to you. I have a question regarding digestion, and if years of binge eating and overeating can impact it or cause long-term damage. I’ve eaten to cope with emotion for almost as long as I can remember. And the path to healing that has been long and undulating. However, I believe I’m on the other side of things for the most part now, and have been so for nearly a year.
I do, however, seem to still battle bloating and digestive issues. And I wonder if the two are related. It doesn’t take much food for me to experience abdominal discomfort, bloating, and gas. I’ve been asked on more than one occasion if I’m pregnant, especially after I eat. And they aren’t even huge meals. In fact, I can’t tolerate very large meals, even when I’m hungry, because my belly gets so distended and uncomfortable. I’ve had intolerance testing and done elimination diets. About 80% of the time, I eat within the confines of paleo for me. Some good quality grains, like rice, corn, and legumes occasionally. Although probably more legumes than I need, as I use a pea protein shake, and can’t help myself when peanut butter is around. With the exception of meals out or parties where I may indulge in paleo foods cooked in low-quality oils. I’m dairy free and gluten free nearly 100% of the time.
I take magnesium and vitamin D and thyroid medication. I’m active five to six days a week. Try to meditate on the regular. And attempt to eat my meals peacefully and slowly. Not sure what else I can tell you, but parts of me wonders if all the years of stuffing myself and jam packing that stomach as caused me some long-term dyspepsia. Any help or pointers would be great. Thank you again for all you do. You truly are amazing, and my most significant and trusted point of reference for all things nutrition.”
Diane Sanfilippo: Aww.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah.
Diane Sanfilippo: Thanks for those kind words, Vanessa. So this is a great question. And everything that we’re talking about today, we dive into more in the Master Class. Which is why we wanted to bring up some of these questions and kind of kick it old school with a bunch of Q&A. But when it comes to digestion, we have to remember that this is a top-down process. And it does start in the brain.
So first of all, wondering whether or not the years of disordered eating played into this; maybe, maybe not. And I just want Vanessa to know that whether or not that played into it, focusing on how things are working now is more important. Because it’s not really that relevant to healing. Do you know what I mean? If I said yes or no, it still doesn’t matter to; what’s the protocol now that you're dealing with it.
So what I would recommend for Vanessa is a couple of things. One, it’s very possible that she’s experience small intestine bacterial overgrowth or SIBO. We’ve talked about this on the show many times. You can check the archives by topic. But I know that she said she’s done eliminations and all of that. But if you are dealing with that type of bloating and discomfort, it’s a really big sign that you could have this bacterial overgrowth in the wrong place.
So typically, our bacterial is living more in our large intestine. So when it gets pushed back into our small intestine, that’s when we can have a problem digesting foods properly, and get a lot of that bloating. You also may be having the bloating directly in your stomach as you're mentioning dyspepsia, could be a matter of low stomach acid.
Again, we cover all this in the class. And I cover it in Practical Paleo. I know a lot of you have the book. Going back and reading through that digestion section again to really dissect from top down. Am I doing what I know would help? She mentioned meditating. Getting into rest and digest mode. Kind of chilling out when you're going to eat. Which she does talk about; that’s definitely step one. Step two; and I say all of this would be before even micromanaging whether or not the pea protein is working for you. Get all of this stuff in check; then deal with the minutia of; ok maybe pea protein doesn’t work for you.
But rest and digest mode. Make sure you're chewing really well. If your food feels like it sits in your stomach; you're not digesting it well after you’ve chewed it really well, then stomach acid may be an issue. Or it may not be the stomach acid. It could be digestive enzymes that are missing. So here’s where supplementing with some type of broad range digestive enzyme. And you can read the label and it will tell you all the different types of enzymes in it and what they help to digest. You want something that will help you break down fats, carbs, and protein. You may want to look for something that has some ox bile in it, that will help you also break down fatty acids much better. You may not need stomach acid in this case. You may just need those enzymes. So that’s a really good place to start, digestive enzymes. Because those are going to help you signal the rest of your digestive system to work more appropriately. And it may also calm down some of that bloat.
Drinking too much water at your meal is definitely going to encourage more bloat than not. So if you're somebody who sits down to a big meal, and you always have a big glass of water with you; don’t pour yourself so much water. Make sure you're really chewing your food well, instead of just slugging it down with water, and that will really help.
But this question of whether or not that long-term “stuffing herself” and all of that caused the issue; I just don’t know. And we won’t know. But I do think just dealing with the situation now and trying to remedy it is the best way forward. So those are some of my tips. There’s more to it as well. Looking at your poop and seeing what’s happening in the toilet, and then kind of working backwards to address ways to heal that. Again, you can use the poop chart in Practical Paleo for that.
You might really enjoy the Master Class, because it will give you a time and a space to learn about this and apply it to yourself and just be focused on it in that way, rather than just kind floating out there and not having a community to talk to about it. It might be more helpful to have that community while you're sorting it out.
Liz Wolfe: Well-said.
Diane Sanfilippo: Today’s podcast is sponsored by Equip Foods. 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, as well. I love the texture. It’s a super fine powder, blends in extremely well. Check them out at www.EquipFoods.com and use the code BALANCED for 20% off all Equip Foods and Perfect Keto, their sister product site.
6. Favorite workout move this week [38:53]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. Diane, let’s do a quick detour before we close up. Why don’t you let me know what your favorite workout move is?
Diane Sanfilippo: Oh. {laughs} So I’ve been trying to get back into lifting weights. As you guys know, I’ve been going to spin class for a while. I’ve got one right now that’s my favorite. I like using a thin band. Not the long band that you would use for assisted pullups, but the thinner one that goes around your knees. And I like doing these lateral side to side steps. Whether it’s one to the right, one to the left. Or a whole bunch to one side. And I like to put on a song, and just kind of do that. I like how it gives me that resistance in the lateral plane versus the sagittal plane. {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Ah.
Diane Sanfilippo: So instead of just working forward and back, or in that direction as I do in spin. So that’s a move I’m into. Resistance banded lateral stepping.
Liz Wolfe: Interesting.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. I’m deciding that’s what it’s called. Resistance banded lateral stepping. What are you into?
Liz Wolfe: Well, my trainer has put me through all kinds of really interesting band work and different types of motions with the kettlebell and with the dumbbells and all kinds of stuff to do the more corrective exercise stuff. But today I got to deadlift heavy, and I was just so happy. So that’s my favorite right now.
Diane Sanfilippo: I have this daydream of deadlifting again, but my body hasn’t yet given me the green light. But in my brain, I’m like; I want to deadlift.
Liz Wolfe: It is so; the neurological benefits of deadlifting. I mean, of all exercises.
Diane Sanfilippo: I love deadlifting.
Liz Wolfe: It’s awesome. But it’s always just really; it’s a good day when I get to deadlift.
Alright, that’s it for this week then. 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. See you next week.
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