Wake Up and Read the Labels!

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Regulating Your GI Health with James and Dahlia Marin Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

Understanding your GI health requires patience and a holistic health approach that western medicine doesn’t always offer. There’s no quick fix or magic pill that can solve every GI issue, so the question is – where do you start?

James Marin and Dahlia Marin, Registered Dietitians, Co-Founders of Married to Health, and husband and wife, are back for a second time to explain the different lifestyle choices that impact our GI health. Many of the people who come to Married to Health have tried using laxatives, antacids, and supplements recommended by their practitioners to fix their GI issues. But James and Dahlia believe that great GI health starts with a solid foundation of stress management, hydration, probiotic foods, and a wide variety of plants. In their practice, James and Dahlia along with their team of specialists spend time understanding their patients’ lifestyles and the depth of their symptoms.

In this episode, James Marin and Dahlia Marin talk to Jen about their practice in functional medicine, the challenges in the traditional medical system, and building a solid foundation for GI health.

Key Takeaways

[01:32] - James and Dahlia explain GI disease.
[03:46] - How James and Dahlia’s practice differs from standard western medicine.
[06:33] - The difference between functional and chronic GI disease.
[12:34] - How a person goes from healthy to having GI issues.
[18:01] - How a person can fix GI disease independently.
[19:13] - Strategies to address GI diseases.
[20:04] - What nutrition and food can do for chronic GI disease.
[25:05] - The cost of fixing your gut.

Quotes

[01:48] - “We see so many gastrointestinal diseases and disorders, and we know that it is the most common issue people seek medical attention for.” ~ Dahlia Marin

[07:52] - “Just because you’ve been diagnosed with IBS and were given a low dose anti-depressant just so you can numb your nerves and the discomfort, doesn’t take care of the IBS or even tell you why you have IBS.” ~ Dahlia Marin

[12:52] - “Literally, we’re taking the outside world, putting it in our body, and it is becoming our body.” ~ James Marin

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Nutrition in a Pinch with James Barry Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

When the average American prepares meat for dinner, liver, heart, and pancreas are probably not on their table. Many cultures recognize organ meats, or “offal”, for their incredible flavor and nutrient-rich qualities, so why does the standard American diet discard them?

James Barry, Founder and CEO at Castle Hill Foods, Inc., was inspired to make a nutritional supplement after his youngest daughter got sick with a life-threatening toxin and was barely able to eat. Luckily, she recovered but James knew the standard American diet, which is made up of about 70% processed food, was not good enough to keep his family healthy. He created Pluck to promote conscious eating and sustainable agriculture without sacrificing flavor. His seasonings are packed with nutrients from the highest quality meat.

In this episode, James talks to Jen about what motivated him to start his business, focusing on organ meats or “offal”, the benefits of eating every part of the animal, and his experience as a celebrity chef.

Key Takeaways

[01:59] - James explains what are considered organ meats.
[07:35] - The benefits of eating organ meat.
[13:06] - James’ thoughts on Tom Cruise.
[15:13] - What inspired James to create Pluck.
[18:42] - How Pluck sources their meat.
[23:48] - Is Pluck a seasoning or a pinch of nutrition?
[27:42] - Why choose unrefined sea salt.
[31:42] - How much organ meat is in each Pluck product.
[37:10] - James’ Wake-Up moment.

Quotes

[08:01] - “92% of the US population is deficient in at least one or more vitamins or minerals.” ~ James Barry

[09:17] - “Organ meats are the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, hands down.” ~ James Barry

[28:50] - “I created this product because I wanted my kids to be healthier, but now I want you to be healthy.” ~ James Barry

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Upgrading Your Meat Products with Autumn Smith Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Being the champion of our health often requires us to go against what’s popular, cut through the noise and misinformation and listen to our bodies.

On the outside, Autumn Smith appeared to be a happy, successful celebrity trainer working with stars like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Ellen Pompeo. Below the surface, she struggled with debilitating digestive issues and crippling anxiety. She’s been in and out of doctors’ offices since she was 10 years old and her health kept her from making plans with friends and enjoying life with her husband. So Autumn took her health into her own hands, cut out processed foods, quit her job, and went back to school to learn about food and health. She founded Wild Pastures and Paleovalley to change people’s perception of meat and animal products and focus on agriculture practices that are good for people and the environment.

In this episode, Autumn talks to Jen about quitting her job as a celebrity personal trainer and building a business focused on clean meat, the importance of meat and animal products in our diet, and how to read the labels on meat.

Key Takeaways

[01:23] - An intro to Autumn Smith and her celebrity clients.
[04:20] - Autumn’s health issues.
[06:16] - Why Autumn started investigating her foods.
[10:08] - Where the idea that meat is bad for health came from.
[16:04] - The benefits of meat for health.
[22:48] - Autumn speaks about Wild Pastures.
[29:34] - Animal product labels consumers should be aware of.
[35:04] - What makes Wild Pasture cost-effective.

Quotes

[07:37] - “We just cut out processed food, we started shopping at the Pasadena Farmers Market, and the change was so dramatic that I quit that amazing job as a celebrity fitness trainer under Tracy Anderson and went back to school.” ~ Autumn Smith

[14:25] - “We’re being told, ‘don’t eat meat.’ There are nuances, and ways to raise meat that can be more beneficial than any other type of agriculture.” ~ Autumn Smith

[16:44] - “Meat and animal products are invaluable in our diet.” ~ Autumn Smith

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Teaching Kids to Find Power in Their Food with Haley Scheich Oct 25, 2022

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The most formative years of our lives are during childhood. It’s where we develop attitudes towards wellness that will likely follow us throughout our lives. However, most people don’t start learning about healthy eating until adulthood.

Haley Scheich, Co-Founder of My SuperHero Foods, didn’t get in tune with her body until she was in her 20s. She dealt with bloating, brain fog, and frequent headaches until she changed her diet. When she became a mom, she used the lessons learned on her own clean eating journey to empower her children to cook with her, try new recipes, and tune into how food makes them feel. This inspired Haley’s husband Dr. Tarek Pacha to co-write a children’s book titled “My SuperHero Foods”. The book features a fictional story with two characters based on her two eldest children learning about how superhero foods make them stronger, faster, and better.

In this episode, Haley talks to Jen about dedicating her life to teaching children about wellness, leaving her master’s program in nutrition, and the dangers of pill-popping.

Key Takeaways

[01:06] - Intro to Haley Scheich.
[05:26] - Why Haley stepped away from nutrition school.
[07:42] - How Haley knew what she was eating was affecting her negatively.
[10:37] - Haley speaks about her job at Pfizer.
[15:04] - Haley discusses her book, “My Superhero Foods”.
[18:43] - The difference in kids when they eat superhero foods.
[21:59] - Guidelines on the types and amount of sugar appropriate for kids.
[23:59] - The number one misconception about eating healthy.
[25:34] - Haley’s Wake Up moment.

Quotes

[02:15] - “This part of my life right now is just dedicated to teaching children about wellness.” ~ Haley Scheich

[02:26] - “Often people will come to wellness and start to really learn about the importance of nutrition and sleep and movement, all these amazing pillars of health in their 20s, 30s and their 40s. And we thought, why do we have to wait this long to learn this information? Let's teach this information to our kids.” ~ Haley Scheich

[12:02] - “While they do have some life-saving drugs, the majority of these pills, if we just do some behavior modification, clean up our diet, move, sleep better, we wouldn’t need to be on these drugs.” ~ Haley Scheich

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Creating Wake Up and Read the Labels with Jen Smiley Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Nutrition and entrepreneurship were a right of passage for Jen Smiley. Growing up, she practically lived in her parent's grocery store, stocking shelves, and watching brand reps quarrel over shelf space.

After Jen became a stay-at-home mom, she wanted an outlet and she knew she wanted to start a business. When a social media consultant encouraged her to get uncomfortable in front of the camera and share her clean eating journey, things started to align. People started asking for help clearing out their pantries and shopping for groceries with cleaner, simpler ingredients.

Jen’s “freak food” wasn’t always understood by the people around her. But nearly three years later, she’s helped improve people’s lives through Wake Up and Read the Labels along with her husband Seth. She also has a book on the horizon.

In this episode, the roles are reversed and Sarah Persich, Head of Operations at Wake Up, interviews Jen about her clean eating journey, how Wake Up and Read the Labels started, and what motivates her to keep the company going.

Key Takeaways

[01:26] - Jen’s grocery store upbringing.
[04:10] - When Jen realized product placement was important.
[04:53] - The beginning of Wake Up and Read the Labels.
[09:40] - The unexpected impact of Jen’s business.
[10:20] - How Jen’s friends and family reacted to the food she was eating.
[11:59] - What Jen likes about her job.
[14:02] - Jen’s experience working with her husband Seth.
[16:38] - Three motivators for Jen when she falls off track.
[18:36] - Upcoming plans for Wake Up and Read the Labels.
[19:28] - Jen’s Wake Up moment.

Quotes

[10:08] - “It feels like the food industry is criminal and people don't understand what they're doing, and we're all confused. So I feel as though it's a void that needs to be filled.” ~ Jen Smiley

[13:00] - “There's a lot of things I like about my job, but I would say probably the best thing is hearing the results, hearing the transformations, because that is what feeds me to keep going.” ~ Jen Smiley

[18:13] - “I know that the food industry is capitalized, it's out of control. They have made the quality so terrible. They're trying to get you to eat more, make it addictive, all these things. So it's feeling empowered and being able to overcome it that allows you to stay in control, feel good, reap the benefits, and eat the foods you love.” ~ Jen Smiley

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Restoring Gut Health Through the Coconut Cult with Noah Simon-Wadell Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Reading the labels is an easy way to tell what food is clean and what food isn’t. But what happens when labels are created with the intention to mislead?

Noah Simon-Wadell, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of The Coconut Cult, created clean yogurt with high-quality medicinal probiotics that can help heal the gut. He struggled with a weak immune system and digestive issues for most of his life. On a journey to heal his inflammation, he made a radical change to his diet and experimented with probiotics to see what would regulate his digestion. During Noah’s research, he looked into yogurt brands that claim to have millions of good probiotics. But when he dug deeper and spoke to experts in the field, he discovered that all the probiotics in most yogurts on the shelves were dead.

In this episode, Noah talks to Jen about his journey with digestive issues, the food industry’s fear of living organisms, and why he decided to make clean yogurt.

Key Takeaways

[01:17] - An introduction to Noah and The Coconut Cult.
[06:32] - How conventional yogurt is made.
[12:13] - The benefits of bacteria in yogurt.
[17:05] - How and when to incorporate yogurt into your diet.
[22:34] - Ingredients of The Coconut Cult versus Activia.
[24:05] - Why Noah chose coconuts.
[25:19] - Noah talks about The Coconut Cults team.
[27:00] - The Coconut Cult’s future endeavors.
[29:55] - Noah’s Wake Up moment.

Quotes

[07:56] - “I found out, unfortunately, that what seems like over 80% or 90% of yogurt, is made the same exact way. After they culture the bacteria, they cook it at such a high temperature to intentionally kill or pasteurize all the bacteria in the yogurt.” ~ Noah Simon-Wadell

[12:44] - “We’ve all been trained over the last couple of decades, that fake food is real food.” ~ Noah Simon-Wadell

[15:36] - “There is a balance in your gut, and this balance is between beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria and yeast.” ~ Noah Simon-Wadell

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Prevailing Through Food with Ashley Kohn Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Inflammation is like an unfortunate gift. It doesn’t feel great, but it’s the body’s way of protecting itself and revealing that something in our food or environment needs to change. Often, change is simply going back to food the body recognizes.

After a childhood filled with food allergies, Ashley Kohn, Founder and CEO at Prevail Jerky, knew it was time for a change when she went into the hospital with swollen lips. She went back to basics and started eating scratch-made dressings, vegetables, and homemade jerky. Pretty soon, she was able to drop the medications and focus on healing through food. When Ashley and her husband created Prevail Jerky, they wanted to go back to the roots of jerky when the process and ingredients were simple while adding their stamp on an old favorite.

In this episode, Ashley talks to Jen about overcoming food allergies, living with celiac disease, and what inspired her to make organic jerky.

Key Takeaways

[01:19] - An introduction to Ashley Kohn.
[01:42] - Why Ashley founded Prevail Jerky.
[03:57] - How Ashley discovered her food was making her feel worse.
[08:21] - Why kids love Prevail Jerky.
[10:16] - What are the ingredients in Prevail Jerky.
[13:29] - How Ashley came up with their flavor offerings.
[16:05] - Prevail Jerky’s partnership with the Food Equality Initiative.
[18:08] - Ashley’s Wake up moment.

Quotes

[02:40] - “When I would read the labels, there was all this stuff in there that I couldn't read, that I didn’t know what it was and I just thought there has got to be something better than this.” ~ Ashley Kohn

[05:56] - “Why do I have to suffer through bland boring food just because I have food allergies or just because I was looking for a clean label?” ~ Ashley Kohn

[17:17] - “It was important for me in our mission to help people prevail through their food. And so what better way to do it than with food banks that are serving children and making sure that they have enough protein and nutrition in their diet.” ~ Ashley Kohn

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For 15% off purchase, use this code: WAKEUP15

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Prioritizing Your Internal Ecosystem with James and Dahlia Marin Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

A healthy balanced gut is an ultimate goal. Keeping it that way can be a challenge when it’s easily thrown out of whack by chemical, physical, and emotional stress.

James Marin and Dahlia Marin are Registered Dieticians and Co-Founders of Married to Health. They are also life partners who both struggled with obesity and had a long list of health issues as a result. After conquering their difficult relationship with food and health, they started living by the philosophy that gut health is the epicenter of all health and they embody that philosophy through their plant-based diet.

In their practice, Married to Health, James and Dahlia help people struggling with disordered eating, IBS, and metabolic diseases to introduce plant-based foods into their life while managing their symptoms.

In his episode, Jen talks to James and Dahlia, about working with your spouse, raising a fully plant-based kid, and prioritizing your gut health.

Key Takeaways

[00:56] - An introduction to James and Dahlia Marin.
[01:31] - How health has been a priority for James and Dahlia in their relationship.
[03:16] - The experience of having a child that's plant-based.
[09:05] - The importance of gut health and the signs of bad gut health.
[14:29] - Other factors affecting the gut besides food.
[17:27] - Two great recipes that support gut health.
[21:49] - James and Dahlia’s opinion on lectins in vegetables.
[24:37] - How James and Dahlia feel about foods such as plant-based meats.
[28:21] - James and Dahlia’s thoughts on the food pyramid.
[30:28] - Options offered by James and Dahlia’s practice Married to Health.
[32:44] - James and Dahlia’s Wake Up moment.

Quotes

[02:11] - “We planted the seed of marriage, and now we’re watching that tree grow and blossom and bear fruit.” ~ James Marin

[04:22] - “We’re going to continue to see more mindless eating, more distracted eating. Kids these days are busier than ever.” ~ Dahlia Marin

[07:38] - “The most important ecosystem is the one inside of you. If you are not taking care of that ecosystem inside of you, more specifically your gut microbiome, you are doing more harm to the outer ecosystem than you can ever possibly imagine.” ~ James Marin

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Living With Parents Who Read the Labels with Jude and Luke Smiley Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Do you remember how you felt about food as a kid? Could you pronounce the words on the ingredient list of a bag of chips? Well, 11-year-old Jude Smiley and 8-year-old Luke Smiley are just your average boys who like soccer, video games, and donuts. But, there’s one major difference - in the Smiley household, they eat clean.

Jude remembers life before eating clean and indulging in all the sugary snacks kids love. When Luke was born, things changed and their mom Jen started swapping regular butter for grass-fed butter and cane sugar for coconut sugar. It’s tough getting kids to eat clean but with a bit of creativity, the boys have grown to love their mom’s clean recipes, especially her chip chicken.

Jude and Luke aren’t restricted. They eat french toast sticks at grandma’s house on the weekends and drink sports drinks at their soccer games. It’s all about balance for the Smiley boys, who gladly name some of their favorite processed snacks. The important thing for Jen is that they learn the connection between the food they eat and how they feel.

In this episode, Jen talks to Jude and Luke about what it’s like having a mom who reads the labels, acknowledging how unhealthy food makes them feel, and their favorite mom-approved recipes.

Key Takeaways

[01:05] - Life with a mom who reads all the labels.
[03:58] - The good and bad about reading labels.
[04:46] - How Luke ate before Jen was a food coach.
[05:41] - Remembering when Jen achieved 1,000 and 10,000 followers.
[06:21] - How Jude and Luke feel about being in Jen’s videos.
[06:54] - Jude and Luke’s favorite clean recipes.
[08:02] - What Luke’s friends think about reading the labels and eating clean.
[09:42] - Jude and Luke’s favorite recipes that aren’t mom-approved.
[11:27] - Jude names one bad ingredient.
[12:27] - Luke names one good ingredient.
[13:30] - How students reacted to Luke’s lunch.
[13:59] - How Jude and Luke feel after eating bad food.
[14:22] - How Jude and Luke feel at parties and games with the food.
[15:28] - The drink of choice for Jude and Luke.
[15:44] - Getting to know Jude and Luke with a game of this or that.
[19:57] - Jude and Luke name something listeners don’t know about Jen.
[20:46] - Jude and Luke’s Wake Up moments.

Quotes

[02:08] - “When we go to groceries, she just takes up something that looks good. And then she flips to the back of it. If it says acids or sugars, then she puts it right back.” ~ Jude Smiley

[03:04] - “The more labels that we read, the more that we know about the foods we’re eating and we can stop those businesses from producing those [bad] foods.” ~ Jude Smiley

[03:53] - “If you eat the bad stuff, then you feel really horrible the next day. If you eat the good stuff, then you don't.” ~ Luke Smiley

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Keep the Adventure Alive: Healing Osteoarthritis with Dr. Alyssa Kuhn Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

When the body breaks down, many people turn to surgery searching for what they believe will be a permanent fix. Often, what the body really needs is the chance to heal through diet, lifestyle change, and therapy.

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn is the founder of Keep the Adventure Alive based in Salt Lake City Utah. She’s on a mission to educate people around the globe on osteoarthritis pain reduction and prevention through diet and movement.

When Alyssa started working in an independent living facility, she was inspired by the residents who were very active. This affirmed that osteoarthritis didn’t have to be a life of pain, isolation, and immobility. She saw this firsthand when her 50-year-old client living with debilitating osteoarthritis could finally do a stair jump after months of therapy.

In this episode, Jen talks to Alyssa about osteoarthritis misinformation online and healing chronic pain through diet and therapy.

Key Takeaways

[00:51] - Intro to Dr. Alyssa Kuhn and Keep the Adventure Alive.
[03:49] - The reason osteoarthritis is becoming more common.
[06:14] - Alyssa's early days as a physical therapist and her mission.
[10:30] - The origin of the name Keep the Adventure Alive.
[11:42] - The Arthritis Adventure Blueprint.
[14:58] - How Alyssa feels when she hears positive reviews.
[17:06] - Alyssa's journey from being a physical therapist to starting her own business.
[19:56] - A run-through of a patient’s experience with Alyssa.
[24:25] - Alyssa’s book, “Move Well Age Well”.
[25:07] - Alyssa’s Wake Up moment.

Quotes

[08:05] - “Food and exercise and these sort of lifestyle changes can positively impact you as you get older, and it doesn't have to include all of these aches, pains, despair, and sitting on the couch for the rest of your life.” ~ @kuhnalyssa_dpt

[18:44] - “One-on-one, you can only impact one person. Maybe some of the people around them, but what if we could pull this out and now start to educate the globe, educate so many more people.” ~ @kuhnalyssa_dpt

[23:06] - “I do want to highlight the fact that the common denominator through all of this is consistency. And I know that you probably preach this too with food that you have to be consistent. You have to dedicate yourself to it. The problem is, I think a lot of people give up too early. And they give up right before this breakthrough. So we have to think of it in small wins.” ~ @kuhnalyssa_dpt

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