Topics
- News and updates from Diane & Liz [2:19]
- Keto Quick Start tour stops
- Winter skin care tips
- Update on previous listener question [11:45]
- Developing a wine intolerance [16:22]
- Teenage acne [21:22]
- Early morning poop time [32:27]
- Winter self-care [38:19]
The episodes are also available in iTunes, Spotify & Stitcher.
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You’re listening to the Balanced Bites podcast episode 376.
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 21-Day Sugar Detox. My newest book, Keto Quick Start, will release on January 1, 2019. 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 7 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: 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 fully online nutritional therapy consultant program empower graduates with the education and skills needed to launch a successful, fulfilling career in holistic nutrition. Registration is now open for February class, and you can learn more and save your seat by going to http://www.NutritionalTherapy.com. Don’t forget to check out the NTA’s annual conference, Roots, happening March 1 through 3 in Portland, Oregon. It’s one of the most empowering and educational holistic nutritional events of the year, and all are welcome.
1. News and updates from Diane & Liz [2:19]
Liz Wolfe: Ok. So, Diane. What’s happening over there?
Diane Sanfilippo: Over here?
Liz Wolfe: Over there by the Bay.
Diane Sanfilippo: Well, I’m not sure if I can entirely see the Bay right now. We’re still dealing with some smoke left over from the camp fire. So by the time this airs, hopefully that will be cleared away. We’re recording this a few days ahead of Thanksgiving, and the air quality here has been crazy. I’m not complaining, because we have a home, and everything is safe. But it is no joke how far that smoke really spreads. It’s kind of crazy. And I think it was a little more than a year ago that fires were happening previously. I think it was close to Sonoma, in Sonoma, and around there. And I was shocked at how far the smoke was spreading at that point. It actually smelled like it was in our house, which was jarring. But yeah. So kind of waiting for that to clear away.
We have not been out for dog walks in a while, so if some of you are like; what happened to the pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge? Well, we haven’t really been able to walk outside for quite some time. I’m not really up for doing the whole mask thing to walk outside. So, anyway. That’s kind of the big update on just what’s going on life-wise.
Work-wise; I blogged! {laughs} It’s like, oh yeah. I have a blog. Maybe I should put some content on there.
Liz Wolfe: Hold on, I have to go outside and just check if there are pigs flying by outside my window.
Diane Sanfilippo: What’s funny is Nikki, my assistant/marketing manager/right hand, she texted me a pig in an airplane. {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: When I said I was blogging. So you're not the only one with that sentiment. But yeah. It’s like; every year, I somehow sign up to write a book from somewhere between May or June and November. And then I finish the book, and I’m like; huh. I want to create something else. Where do I put it? And I put it on the blog. And then two months go by. I might put up a few blog posts. And then I go on tour, and I get busy launching programs the next year, and all that, and I forget about the blog again. And it’s like two months out of the year I remember it’s there. Anyway. I’m going to try and do better next year.
Some other updates. Keto Quick Start is launching January 1st, as I mentioned in the intro. I have a whole bunch of tour dates coming up. I'm actually just going to rattle off the cities, but know that it kicks off January 3rd here in San Francisco. A whole bunch of cities. It sounds like the cat is trying to break in here. He is crying. I’m actually going to open this door.
Liz Wolfe: Are you sure that’s not my kid? Hold on. Just kidding.
Diane Sanfilippo: No, it’s definitely my cat. Hold on. Ok. So tour events; an update on this. I will be kicking it off in San Francisco on January 3rd. I’m just going to run through a bunch of the cities that I’ll be hitting. So head over to www.blog.balancedbites.com/tour for updates on when and where. And of course, you guys will see this on Instagram. I’ll send it out through email, as well.
San Francisco, Orange County, Huntington Beach, Boca Raton, Florida. Dallas, Texas. Houston, Texas. Los Angeles. Seattle. Portland. Las Vegas. There will be dates also in Washington D.C., Charlotte, North Carolina. Nashville. Kansas City. Denver. Possibly Omaha; not 100% sure. I will let you know. And then later on, as a separate sort of part; probably in March. Chicago, Columbus, Rochester, New York, and Phoenix, Arizona.
I’m an aggressive tour person. It’s my favorite part to writing a book. To me it’s the reward for writing a book. I know that that sounds crazy to a lot of people, but it’s absolutely my favorite part. So I hope to meet you on the book tour.
And if you're somebody who wants to preorder the book, I totally get it. Because some of you might not be coming to an event until February. Maybe you're not burning to get it immediately and you can wait. It’s always preferred for you to get the book at the event. Maybe just get a second copy at the event. Or just support the store in some way when you come to an event and buy a book; whether it’s mine or someone else’s so that they are thanked for hosting the event.
So those are the big updates. I want to give another shout out to the Body Awareness Project. You guys know; Liz and I both participated in the Body Awareness Project several months ago when it was a section on skin. And the second part is all about adrenal health, and a ton of people have been sending me feedback, telling me how much they love it, learning so much. We’ve done some podcasts on adrenal health, but if you want to sit down and really immerse yourself in the topic and learn a whole bunch, get a bunch of practical tips, steps to take, and ways to kind of work on healing, check out the Body Awareness Project. You can find it at Body Awareness Project on Instagram, and Body Awareness Project is on the internet, as well.
What’s going on over by the lake?
Liz Wolfe: Well. I don’t know. It’s getting to be winter. It’s just super sad. I just drafted an email on winter skin care. I should probably put that on the blog, as well. Just so people can find it forever and ever. So I don’t continue writing over again the same thing every year. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: I was going to say; I’m pretty sure I have at least three years’ worth of winter skincare tips.
Liz Wolfe: I think I’ve written this one before. But, you know, I learn new things. I’ve actually learned a couple of new things, and about a few active ingredients that I like for winter skin care. The same old, get your dang humidifier going, like yesterday if not sooner, type things. Because literally…
Diane Sanfilippo: I’m on the humidifier train.
Liz Wolfe: Oh my gosh. You know what’s really tough, though? So, obviously. Even if you have a whole house humidifier; I was just actually on the Fed and Fit podcast and we talked about this.
Diane Sanfilippo: Oh, yah!
Liz Wolfe: Even if you have a whole house humidifier attached to your heater or whatever they attach those things; it’s not enough. You need a humidifier running in your face all night, basically. Overnight is the best opportunity you have in a 24-hour cycle to stop the assault of winter skin and dry air on your face. Literally, dry air steals moisture out of your freaking face. So get that humidifier on at night.
But the hard thing is, so many of these humidifiers are lit up! It’s like a freaking strobe light show. And it’s really, really annoying and frustrating. I don’t know if you have a favorite humidifier that doesn’t have lights up all over it.
Diane Sanfilippo: I think we must have talked about this last year when I was touring, because you were talking about a humidifier that you like that has a way to turn the lights off.
Liz Wolfe: Which I can’t find it anywhere. I have two; I find it on Amazon and it’s always two left, and I order the last two.
Diane Sanfilippo: You're my favorite, because you're also an over buyer. I think you're more of an over buyer than I am.
Liz Wolfe: Well, I feel like when I buy things I’m actually solving a problem. Where, even if I’m not ever going to use those things, I feel like I’ve done something to solve a problem and it makes me feel better. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s my favorite thing.
Liz Wolfe: Me too.
Diane Sanfilippo: Because you're like; we would be traveling to teach an event, and you would have four different curling irons or something, and you're like; I’m not sure which one is the best but I just needed to make sure. I mean, that’s not the best example. But you’d be like; I have four black blazers. That’s a real possibility.
Liz Wolfe: Yes, black blazers. 100%. I have four. Two of them are the same.
Diane Sanfilippo: Anyway; the humidifier I have has lights, but I took black electrical tape and I made a little flap so that I could lift it up, and it wouldn’t be sticking to the panel, and I could see what I wanted to push, and then it would just kind of drop down. So I do like the one that we have.
The problem we have is that our dog cannot stand water. And the gurgly sound it makes; you know like the water cooler sound, when the water is coming down. We have to put her in a crate overnight if we want to use the humidifier. Which is like the most heartbreaking thing. So, anyway. I’m going to need to be like; honey, she’s going in the crate. My winter skin needs {laughs}.
Actually, for me it’s a breathing thing. The sinuses are way better with it.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. 100%. And that’s pretty much all I got for today. It’s exciting stuff over here by the lake.
Diane Sanfilippo: I mean, I think that’s a great tip. The humidifier tip.
Liz Wolfe: I’m full of great tips. Excellent tips. English tips.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} A lot of people will say that their kid has a humidifier. It’s like; does every parent, when you have a kid, get a humidifier? Is that on the baby checklist?
Liz Wolfe: Yes.
Diane Sanfilippo: And I’m like; you need one for you, also. {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Yes. All beings need a humidifier.
Diane Sanfilippo: Then there are going to be people who argue that they have too much humidity and they have issues with mold and they use a dehumidifier.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah. I don’t know what to do about that, honestly. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: Alright, well I argue for your sinuses. If you're someone who gets sinus infections, humidifier is literally life changing/life saving. And Liz is going to argue for winter skin; anti-aging. You need a humidifier. People who live in Houston, Texas, have no wrinkles. {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: {laughing}
Diane Sanfilippo: April on my team; nary a wrinkle on her face.
Liz Wolfe: You’re so right.
Diane Sanfilippo: She’s so dewy all the time. {laughs}
2. Update on previous listener question [11:45]
Liz Wolfe: Alright, so before we dive into today’s topic, we wanted to read a quick email we received from Jamie. She was the empty nester whose question we answered in episode 365. And this is really, really cute. “Hi ladies! It’s Jamie, the empty nester, ex-wine drinker. I wrote a while back, and you answered my question on episode 365. I wanted to report back to you that I have quit drinking wine every night, and took all of the advice. I listened to your responses several times, and decided to make a plan of who I want to be in this new era of my life. I started with rereading all the books that directed my health in the right direction. I re-read Eat the Yolks, reviewed the digestion information in Practical Paleo second edition, and focused on my gut healing. Finally, I retook my Four Tendencies quiz, and had the husband take it as well. It turns out I thought I was an Obliger, but I’m really an Upholder! And my husband is a Rebel. This explains so much about us!!!!”
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughing}
Liz Wolfe: “One. I determined that I like goals. I set a new goal for myself to achieve 10,000 steps a day. The hubby and I have been walking the dog like crazy and in different parts of town. We’ve even tried to walk down by the river to capture some Illinois sunsets.”
Huh. I wonder if they’re down by the bluffs, like in Alton and Elsa, Illinois. I’ve been there many times.
“Two. I have been enjoying yoga, so I decided to engage in the 200 yoga alliance teacher training. YTT. I finished the certification, and have been working with my husband on his ailments. He turns 50 this month. Three, I like kombucha, and when I return from my work meeting this week, I will start making my own again. Such a fun project. Four; read 8-minute meditation, and have begun meditating once I walk in the door from work to slow down the mind and prepare for the evening. This is where I would have had the wine. Five; we’ve been trying all the sparkling water. Ends up, I like plain, old fashioned Pellegrino, even though I drink water all day long. It feels so refreshing. Six; I gave up caffeine in the afternoon. Why was I drinking this fully loaded stuff I didn’t need? Sometimes I get a decaf iced americano, but only if I like it. Ends up there is a place in St. Louis that has kombucha on tap, if it’s been a good day I’ll grab that for the commute home.”
Answered my question. She’s near St. Louis, she’s probably walking around Alton or Elsa.
“Number seven; finally, I do enjoy wine on date night. Saturdays. I could go on, but I know you have other people that need you. My sincere thanks to you both. I feel so balanced. This is who I am, and I feel extremely confident, and have you to thank for redirecting my focus.”
Diane Sanfilippo: I feel like we should just stop podcasting forever after this.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah, I’m done. I’m good.
Diane Sanfilippo: This testimonial. First of all; I love me a good Upholder.
Liz Wolfe: That’s my husband.
Diane Sanfilippo: My favorite. I mean, I joke. I have a very full and complete team of not mostly Upholders. But I joke that I only ever want to hire an Upholder, because they just do all the things and you're not like; I mean, this list that she made; it would take me a year to put all of this into any kind of regular rotation of activities and habits that I would be maintaining. She did this within the span of just a couple of weeks, I think.
Liz Wolfe: Pretty amazing.
Diane Sanfilippo: It is pretty amazing.
Liz Wolfe: And fun to hear. And really, nice to be the catalyst for stuff like this. That’s very, very validating. This is why we show up every week.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yes. And at some point; I don’t know if it was on our show here, or on my husband’s podcast that we talked about, the two of us, as a Rebel and an Upholder. He’s an Upholder. Although I think he could be Upholder who tips to Obliger. But I think he’s an Upholder, and I’m a Rebel. And it would be interesting for her to listen. Because she’s an Upholder, if I say this, she will probably do it. To listen to how that dynamic works between myself as the Rebel and my husband as the Upholder. Which I think is an interesting combination.
And I’m with you on the plain Pellegrino. I’m all about that Pellegrino life. So this was awesome. High fives all around. And also, hope to meet you, Jamie, if you want to come to Kansas City. Right? From St. Louis, that’s not too far?
Liz Wolfe: No, it’s about 4 hours depending on where you're coming from and where exactly you're going.
Diane Sanfilippo: Listen. Grab a friend, make a little trip of it. Spend the night in Kansas City. And it will probably be both of us. So come see us. Anyway, I’ll get a date for everyone to hear. We would love to meet you. Snap a picture.
3. Developing a wine intolerance [16:22]
Liz Wolfe: Speaking of wine, by the way, Diane. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t do; I don’t know if I’m just getting old, or what it is. I’m sure there’s some NTP out there somewhere that’s like; oh, you can’t tolerate wine. That’s because you have this enzyme and that compound in the food. Ok. Fine.
Diane Sanfilippo: Or your, I think it’s phase 2 liver detox.
Liz Wolfe: Yeah, blah, blah. I doubt it, because I’m actually fine with tequila. {laughs} I don’t think that’s the problem.
Diane Sanfilippo: Maybe it’s sulfites. Is it red wine?
Liz Wolfe: It probably is. But you know; we drink really good wine. My mother-in-law is a wine connoisseur. She lives in Napa and so she’s always got recommendations. But literally within a couple of sips, I’ve got a wine headache, and I’m like; this is not worth it to me. And it makes me very sad. I can do a little bit of sparkling rose. But other than that, the wine not so much.
And I do; I miss it in the sense that it is a good, casual dinner party drink. When you're going straight to the tequila. I know you're not a drinker. But that can feel a little bit like; what kind of party is this?
Diane Sanfilippo: It’s not like I’ve never had a drink. {laughs} Like I don’t know the difference between wine and tequila! {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Well you know, maybe like the social cues around drinking are not as interesting to you. But for me it is.
Diane Sanfilippo: No, it is interesting.
Liz Wolfe: It’s something. It’s just funny. So when I feel like, most people are coming to a dinner party to drink wine and I have a tequila cocktail, it kind of feels like we’re at two different parties. {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: I could see that.
Liz Wolfe: So I find that interesting. But anyway, I love all of this that she figured out.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. I have been a little bit on the; I don’t want to say pushing. I don’t know. I’ve been a bit on the encouraging people to drink less tip for a while. And I don’t know if it is partially age, partially that I’ve never been a person who enjoys drinking that much. It doesn’t mean I didn’t drink a fair amount. I’ve never enjoyed drinking wine. I’ve done it because at the end of the glass, I’m a bit buzzed. You know what I mean? I always found the taste of alcohol. It’s not the taste. It would just burn my throat. So I never really quite enjoyed it for just the pleasure of drinking.
But I think there is something about getting a bit older. It doesn’t mean that folks can’t enjoy it now and then. But I do think that we also become a bit more reflective as Jamie noted, in her habits. We become a bit more reflective on what’s happening to us physically. But then, in some cases, too, and I think this is kind of with Jamie as well. We recognize that we’re looking for an escape. And I think this is true of so many different types of coping mechanisms. For me, it’s always been food. So that was just something that, when I was younger, and I would have my plate of nachos or whatever it was. Whatever it is, some people turn to different types of drugs, or alcohol, or food, or whatever it is they want to use to escape.
And I do think that as we get older, we can identify that better. And that’s not exactly what you're taking about, because you're kind of talking about just that physical; ugh. I don’t feel so good when I drink it. But I think a lot of that stuff kind of hits around the same time. A lot of women in their mid-30s to early 40s also notice. And also the next day, I’m a little bit off. I don’t feel great. And that’s not how I want to feel.
Liz Wolfe: Well, and a lot of us; I don’t have time for that. Because my kid is waking up at 7 o’clock no matter what.
Diane Sanfilippo: That’s exactly it. Then you're not; you tried to have a good time out the night before, and then you're just trying to be present with your kid. And you kind of can’t because you're feeling the remains of the night before. It’s just; ugh, it’s brutal. Anyway. If you're listening, and you're in your 20s;
Liz Wolfe: I mainly drink just to make me a better dancer.
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs}
Liz Wolfe: Or to care less about not being a good dancer.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yes. I mean, that’s definitely why I would have been drinking.
Liz Wolfe: {laughs}
Diane Sanfilippo: Oh boy. Anyway. Good stuff.
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4. Teenage acne [21:22]
Liz Wolfe: OK, so we have two questions today. We have one about teenage acne, and one about poop, which is Diane’s favorite topic. And my favorite topic to listen to Diane talk about.
Question number one; this is from Janice. “Hi Diane and Liz! This question is not about me directly, but about my 13-year-old daughter. She’s having a tough time with her skin, and I’m wondering if there’s anything you would recommend for her both topically and internally that can help her. I’m really hesitant to take her to a dermatologist, because I know they’re just going to want to put her on antibiotics, harsh topical creams, birth control, or Accutane. It’s really affecting her confidence and overall happiness, and it’s killing me to see her in such misery. I went through it as a teen also, and ended up on Accutane. I’ve tried it all, as well as my skin got bad again as an adult.
I’ve been thinking about getting her taking some desiccated liver for vitamin A and maybe zinc supplements. She currently just started using Proactiv, but I’m not sure it’s helping any. She tries to eat well, but as a teen with a social life, it’s tough to always eat clean. She takes a soil-based probiotic and eats minimal dairy. Help! I really love your podcast and books. Thank you for all of the amazing info.”
Ok, so this is really difficult because at this age, hormones are just changing so much. And at the same time, dietary strategies can make a big difference. But it’s also difficult, as she said, for compliance for somebody this age.
I’m kind of lately feeling a little bit more strongly that you don’t just; you test. You don’t guess, you test. So one of the things I would be curious about before you start pounding a bunch of desiccated liver. Because you know; three desiccated liver pills are roughly your recommended daily intake for vitamin A as retinol. So it doesn’t take much to get quite a bit of retinol from those liver pills. And some of my views around vitamin A have changed lately; just a little bit. And while I do think some people who are dealing with low vitamin A status can really benefit from liver and cod liver oil; I certainly did, to get them back to a sufficient state. We also have to remember that the body stores vitamin A. So it’s not a forever strategy.
At the same time, if that’s not the problem, then why start choking down desiccated liver pills? I’m pretty sure that the test for vitamin A is less expensive than a few bottles of liver pills. So it might be worth just running a couple of tests. You could have her tested for her vitamin A status, potentially for magnesium status, and maybe for B12 and folate status. Because B12 and folate status; even if you're not suspecting that it’s a problem related to acne, it can actually tell us a lot about your absorption of nutrients in general.
So you can go to request a test and just order those yourself. It’s pretty affordable. You could look at vitamin D. There are a million things you could do. The last thing you want to do is give a ton of blood and go in a bunch of times. But it might be worth doing that before you start spending money on a bunch of supplements that aren’t going to end up doing anything.
I don’t know a lot about soil-based probiotics. I know some of the recommendations for them, and I know some of the cautions against them, so I’m going to kind of stay away from that if you feel like it’s helping with digestive health. But what kind of comes to mind is looking for ways to, if not balance hormones. Because when all of these changes are happening around this age, you're not necessarily on a predictable trajectory hormone wise. As young girls start cycling, there will be more hormones one cycle and less hormones the next cycle as things are kind of warming up. These are all technical terms that I’m using here.
But it might be worth just doing what you can to help support her body around these hormonal changes that are going on. You're going to want to check this with your practitioner or with your NTP or whoever you are working with just to make sure. Because I don’t specialize in working with kids, or teens, or pre-teens. But I think that a really simple milk thistle tea can be really great. Or even just lemon water can be really good. And potentially castor oil packs. I’m a huge believer in castor oil packs. They helped me balance my cycle out within one cycle. It was really, really incredible. And they’ve continued to help me in so many different ways.
If you can do a castor oil pack, maybe once or twice, if she’s cycling. You could do that, I believe; I’m not sure which half of your cycle you're supposed to do it on. But you would not do it while you're menstruating. I believe I generally do it in the follicular phase of my cycle. If I’m remembering correctly. But if you do one of those castor oil packs, just place it over the liver, put the heating pad on top. And what this is supposed to do is support the liver in basically packaging and exporting the excess hormones. And I believe it to be extremely effective. I don’t know what kind of literature we have on it, but it was one of those things for me that I decided to just try, and see if it helped, and it did. So this could be something that you could use as a tool if she will sit still long enough to do it. I think that could be helpful.
So those are really my thoughts internally. As far as using Proactiv, I believe Proactiv is still based around benzoyl peroxide, which is effective, but it’s kind of like using a jackhammer to do a job that maybe a screwdriver could do. But again, it does work. I have some concerns about benzoyl peroxide, and what it does to the biome at the surface of the skin. But I also think we know that the biome at the surface of the skin recovers fairly quickly, as long as you don’t continue to assault it with a variety of products that are basically meant to disrupt it.
So, potentially, depending on how this might work. You’ll need to do your own research. But how it might work to introduce something like maybe Beautycounter’s charcoal mask, which contains salicylic acid and charcoal. That should go a long way in helping to kind of sop up some excess oil as well as using a really effective skincare acid that doesn’t have some of those downsides of benzoyl peroxide. That might be helpful.
That’s pretty much all I’ve got. Diane, do you have any thoughts for these folks?
Diane Sanfilippo: A couple of things on just dietary stuff; which she mentioned, of course. It is tough with a teenager. But I think it also is worthwhile to give her the information. Because you don’t know at what point the pain of having acne; I mean, I know I struggled with it for a long time in varying degrees. And I’m not sure if I would have taken the information and done anything about what I was eating. But at some point, just having the information and being armed with it, she can maybe make that decision.
So I definitely think avoiding dairy as much as possible in that time is not the worst idea. Although for some people, that’s not the trigger. I think sugar is a really important one to limit. And I mean that in terms of refined foods in any form. And I don’t mean she has to not eat carbs. But bread and pasta and the stuff that’s just refined, that’s hitting the blood sugar really intensely. It’s tricky. So I wouldn’t go and say; you can’t eat this, or don’t eat this. I would just let her know; hey. She can listen to this podcast. It’s a known potential cause of acne to have dysregulated blood sugar, to have dysregulated hormones as a result of fluctuating blood sugar levels.
So whether she’s having issues clearing hormones or it’s just a matter of this blood sugar dysregulation. Which I know for sure I was dealing with that. I was drinking Gatorade, eating granola bars, eating bagels. So much refined food all the time, not enough nutrition. And there’s just no way that wasn’t contributing to all of the problems.
So if it is hormonal; knowing that she can make a difference by eating different food. And really focusing on protein and veggies as the first thing she’s eating, and then if there’s going to be a little bit of the other junky stuff, it’s like; try and get some protein and veggies first, and fill in after that. Instead of going for the refined stuff first. Again; it’s just a matter of, hey. It’s information. If you want to try it. Because I think there are probably a lot of teenagers who; you know, knowing better or having information that you're like; I figured out if I’m eating this stuff, my skin is going to be clear. So I’m going to do this because I want to be empowered. I think there are plenty of teenagers who want to be empowered with that information. So there’s that.
Also, when it comes to what she’s eating and what’s going on internally; digestion, Liz as you mentioned, making sure she’s able to clear that excess whatever is going on with her hormones. It’s really common that most of us are dealing with more estrogen than we need. If for no other reason than environmental insults of estrogen. And obviously she’s going through a lot of hormonal changes right now. But I don’t know how you can find out if she’s really candid with you. But if she’s not pooping regularly, and I know we’re going to talk about poop in a future question. But if she’s not pooping regularly, then she’s not going to be able to clear those hormones. So it is something to just make sure her digestion is on point.
And then, again, just on the tip of detox. You can check out the liver detox meal plan in Practical Paleo, and see some of the stuff Liz was talking about. And then beyond that, as well, to support detox.
Liz Wolfe: Alrighty.
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5. Early morning poop time [32:27]
Liz Wolfe: Alright, next question from Kristen. “Hey ladies! Love the podcast. My first poop.” I love the transition. “My first poop comes really early sometimes. Like, 4 or 5 a.m. I go to bed around 9, so if I slept well, I’d get up around 6. I was eating late, around 8 p.m., but have recently committed to eating earlier with my daughter. Family dinners are important to me, and I think eating so late poorly affects my sleep. It’s hard to calm down and relax enough to eat with my 2-year-old, but I’m trying. Liz, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I’m working on teaching her to slow down and chew, and am modeling deep breathing before we eat, hoping it will eventually be part of our routine. But my girl eats so fast.
I was curious to see if eating earlier would change things, but usually have the early first poop either way. Any thoughts on what’s going on? Maybe my body is just ready to wake up, but 4 a.m. is just too early. Thanks for all you do! Love the different perspectives each of you brings to the show.”
The foods she eats that she’s listed here; mostly veggies, meat and fat. Kind of keto, but I don’t count macros, and have sweet potato or apple or other real food higher carbs whenever I want. Maybe once a week. I move almost every day; walking, weights, yoga, Pilates.
I’ll just say my one thought on the kid thing, and then you can jump into the poop stuff. I would not worry about how fast your daughter eats. I think kids are not so emotionally and mentally polluted, as we adults are, where we have actually learned; it’s a learned thing to be in fight or flight all the time, as many of us adults are, such that we have to take a moment to tell our bodies that we’re going to eat now. Calm down. Get in rest and digest mode.
Kids don’t have that baggage. So kids; when they’re ready to eat, sometimes we’ve got to remind them. But at 2 years old, it’s just like; it’s eating time. And I’m thinking their body switches into that mode pretty naturally when it’s time. I just wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s a great thing to model, but I mean, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Ok your turn.
Diane Sanfilippo: Ok. I mean honestly, I don’t know that there’s going to be a great way to tell you to get your body to slow down how quickly it wants to move through this whole cycle. Do you know what I mean? I’m thinking; if she’s eating at a certain time, and that’s your transit time of when you're actually going to go to the bathroom. I hear you that it’s super frustrating. I actually have a pretty similar schedule with my body. My body wakes up pretty early, and it’s usually because I need to go poop. {laughs}
I feel like the only way around this is to continue to go to bed early. Because it looks like you're going to get up no matter what. So I just don’t know how you can fight your body. Especially if you're trying to eat a little bit earlier in the evening. Which I actually think is a good idea. As it’s getting darker earlier, that’s something I’ve been noticing for myself. When I’m eating later, around 8, it just doesn’t feel that good. It’s so dark outside. I’m trying to go to bed or get in bed around 9 or 9:30 so I can be asleep by 10.
So I think it’s just a different way of looking at it. I know it seems super annoying to say around 4 o’clock is just too early. But the reality is it’s just a number on the clock. The only thing I can really think of is if you wanted to try and frontload your day, and eat a lot more of what you're going to eat earlier in the day and see if maybe doing a little bit of intermittent fasting in the evening and starting eating a little bit earlier. I don’t know what time she starts eating for the day. But if all of your food tends to be a little bit more weighed towards the evening, see how that might affect things. It’s just an idea. Because we don’t know that what you're eating at night is the thing that’s coming out in the morning, right? You’d have to do a transit time test to see at what point in the day, what meal is that that’s coming out in the morning.
So you could do that. You could eat some sesame seeds; whole sesame seeds, about a tablespoon or so. Preferably the white ones. Because as you eliminate them, you will see them. They won’t be digested. Information on this is in Practical Paleo. But you could do a transit time test and see what is that bolus that’s coming out. And then you can see how to kind of adjust things throughout the day.
It’s just one way to approach it. I think I personally would just go to bed earlier and wake up at the 4-4:30 time. It seems annoying, but I bet you can get a bunch of other things done, and just kind of shift your day. Otherwise, you're just going to need to try to shift what your body is doing digestion-wise.
You could also adjust how much vegetable matter you're eating in your dinner, and eat that earlier in the day and see if that helps. Just a few ideas.
Oh. You know, I don’t really have anything to say about how fast or slow kids should eat. But my friend, Robyn Youkilis, she has a lot of practices around slowing down and taking breaths and doing all of that. And it definitely seems like her daughter, Navi, who I think is; I don’t know if she’s quite 3. I think she’s a little over 2 now. You can follow her at Robyn Youkilis on Instagram. But I definitely think her daughter picks up on what she models. Not to say that what your kid is doing is wrong. But if you're finding that she seems to respond better when she slows down, maybe watch some of the stuff that Robyn does with her kid. Could be interesting.
6. Winter self-care [38:19]
Liz Wolfe: Alright. So before we head out, let’s quickly share one thing we’re each doing to help with winter self-care.
Diane Sanfilippo: Mmm.
Liz Wolfe: Mmm. I’ll say I’m sticking to my gym routine. And it helps because as some folks know I’m working with a trainer. And I’m an Obliger. So if I know my trainer is waiting for me, I will show up. But I do think if I didn’t have one, I probably would be like; it’s cold and dark. And I wouldn’t go. So we will see how that serves me during this winter we’re headed into. What about you, Diane?
Diane Sanfilippo: {laughs} I’m laughing because I’m a workout Obliger.
Liz Wolfe: Interesting.
Diane Sanfilippo: Yeah. If no one is there; I even tell Scott. Can you please workout with me? Because I’m not sure I’ll go downstairs and do it. It’s so annoying. I am going to do all of the things I did last winter on tour. I’ve been actually doing those things kind of throughout the year as I find the need. If my throat gets a little scratchy, I think I’m getting taken down by a bug. But I’m going to maintain the same things I had done.
I like to travel with colloidal silver. I like the nose and the throat spray, just depending. I’ve been using core shot; so the ginger and the vitamin C shots. I don’t know if it’s real. But I think it works. And humidifier, for sure. I will be definitely traveling with my humidifier again. I think that thing saved me every single night. I traveled for an entire month straight on a million air planes, hugging a million people (not a million, but you know.) And didn’t get sick. So I think all these things kind of come into play.
This where I’m like; throw all the solutions at it. I’m not sure if one of them is really the one that’s working. I don’t care. I’m going to do all the things. So that’s kind of my winter self-care.
Liz Wolfe: Alright, very good. That’s it for this week folks. You can find me, Liz, at http://realfoodliz.com/ and 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.