In today's episode, I got to sit down with Jordan Hostetler, a Functional Registered Dietitian who focuses on full body healing while getting to the root of your symptoms!
After earning her Bachelor's Degree, completing her 10-month Dietetic internship, and passing her board-certified registered dietitian exam, she worked as a clinical dietitian for five years in a long-term care facility.
After seeing how clinical nutrition worked and how food and lifestyle affected these patients and their health, Jordan knew it was time to switch to preventive medicine and help individuals understand how their food & lifestyle choices work together in healing the mind, body, and soul!
After 13 months of extensive training and education in evidence-based functional nutrition lab testing, she decided to take her career further by creating Blissfully Balanced Nutrition. In her practice, she sees a range of clients anywhere from chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases, blood sugar dysfunction, hormone imbalances, GI issues, etc.
Rememberer, your only job as a diabetic is to figure out what will work for you!
My Diabetes Coaching Resources:
Website: www.simplifyingdiabetes.com
Newsletter Sign Up
"More Than A1C" - My Signature Coaching Program
The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course
The 5-Pillars Of Diabetes Success Worksheet
Don't forget to check out Ancient Bliss an herbal supplement company.
Use Discount Code KEN20 for 20% off at check out.
Have a question, send me a DM or email. I'd love to connect and answer any questions you have.
You can find the show on any platform you listen to your podcasts!
Don't forget to click on that subscribe button and leave a 5-star review, so you're notified when new episode drop every week.
Questions about diabetes, don't hesitate to reach out:
Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your diabetes management.
In today's episode, I got to sit down with Jordan Hostetler, a Functional Registered Dietitian who focuses on full body healing while getting to the root of your symptoms!
After earning her Bachelor's Degree, completing her 10-month Dietetic internship, and passing her board-certified registered dietitian exam, she worked as a clinical dietitian for five years in a long-term care facility.
After seeing how clinical nutrition worked and how food and lifestyle affected these patients and their health, Jordan knew it was time to switch to preventive medicine and help individuals understand how their food & lifestyle choices work together in healing the mind, body, and soul!
After 13 months of extensive training and education in evidence-based functional nutrition lab testing, she decided to take her career further by creating Blissfully Balanced Nutrition. In her practice, she sees a range of clients anywhere from chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases, blood sugar dysfunction, hormone imbalances, GI issues, etc.
Rememberer, your only job as a diabetic is to figure out what will work for you!
My Diabetes Coaching Resources:
Website: www.simplifyingdiabetes.com
Newsletter Sign Up
"More Than A1C" - My Signature Coaching Program
The Diabetes Nutrition Master Course
The 5-Pillars Of Diabetes Success Worksheet
Don't forget to check out Ancient Bliss an herbal supplement company.
Use Discount Code KEN20 for 20% off at check out.
Have a question, send me a DM or email. I'd love to connect and answer any questions you have.
You can find the show on any platform you listen to your podcasts!
Don't forget to click on that subscribe button and leave a 5-star review, so you're notified when new episode drop every week.
Questions about diabetes, don't hesitate to reach out:
Podcast Disclaimer: Nothing that you hear on The Healthy Diabetic Podcast should be considered medical advice or otherwise; please always consult your medical TEAM before making any changes to your diabetes management.
And everyone is so different. Even their diagnosis are different, their symptoms are different, their lifestyles are different, and that's why I love what I do is because I kind of like a puzzle. So people who are excited or at least trust in me enough to make them excited, like we're gonna, we're gonna, we got this, we got. And then they're like, oh good, we got this one.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to the healthy diabetic podcast. Before we get started, please remember that nothing that you hear on this podcast we consider medical advice or otherwise. Please always consult your medical team before making any changes to diabetes management. Also, a reminder if you have any friends, family members, people that you know that are diabetic, please, please share the show with them. The more conversations that we hear as diabetics, the more information that we have to be able to figure out what works for us, and that's the ultimate goal. As we all know, the ultimate goal is to figure out what works for you, so please share the show with someone that you know is going to get a lot of value out of it.
Speaker 2:I've got a fabulous one for you again today. I've had such a fun time connecting with new dieticians and telling their stories. I really believe that nutrition strategies are the number one thing that can help you achieve stable blood sugars and consistently spend time and range, and it's really important for us to hear different perspectives about nutrition and the foods that we eat, because everyone has their own perspectives. I'm always talking about that. I'm always saying that Making sure that you're improving or increasing the people that are in your inner circle, because the more stories that you hear, the more information that you have to ultimately figure out what works for you, which is the ultimate goal. That's, the goal of diabetes is to figure out what works for you. So, as you sit here and listen to this episode, I want you to be mindful of the conversation and think about one or two things that you can implement into your management style, right?
Speaker 2:now no matter where you are on your journey. So let's get into today's guest. So today's guest is with Jordan Hotsteller, a functional registered dietitian who focuses on full body healing while getting to the root of your symptoms. After earning her bachelor's degree, completing her 10 month dietetic internship and passing the boards, she worked as a clinical dietitian for five years in a long term care facility. This is important because, after seeing how clinical nutrition worked and how food and lifestyle affected these patients and their overall health, Jordan knew it was time to switch her perspective and switch to preventative medicine and help individuals understand how their food and lifestyle choices work together in healing the mind, body and their soul, After 13 months of extensive training and education in evidence based functional nutrition lab testing, which we just talked about functional nutrition labs versus conventional labs last week.
Speaker 2:So make sure that you go on and listen to that with Kelly Schmidt. So, after Jordan's extensive training, she decided to take her career to the next level by creating blissfully balanced nutrition her own practice. In her practice she sees a range of clients, anywhere from chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, blood sugar regulation and dysregulation, hormonal imbalances, Ig issues and so much more. As a functional dietitian, as a functional nutrition and having her own practice. She has a lot of opportunities and abilities to look at the whole entire person, which is one of the things that I was really astounded and loved about Jordan when I started talking to her about coming on to the show. This was such a great conversation and I'm so pumped for you to hear all about functional nutrition in a different way. So, without further ado, let's get with Jordan Hasteller Awesome yeah.
Speaker 1:So I don't really have this huge story of this happened to me and I wanted to do this and become a dietitian. But I will say I've always kind of been into sports and just health in general and that's what led me into my bachelor's with nutrition.
Speaker 1:And from there then I was like, okay, I want to become a dietitian because when you're in school for undergrad you have the option to do. You get your nutrition and sciences and your bachelor's degree and then you can kind of, while you're in there, they're like all right, is either this or you take it up a notch and we go the route of becoming a dietitian. And so I was like, oh, definitely, that's what I want to be like, I want those credentials, I want to be knowledgeable. And so I was like that's what I'm going to do. And then that is where you go to the school for a little bit longer. You have to apply to a didactic program and go essentially into another school for nine to 10 months and you do an internship and then you take your national board exam. So my more of my story, of my like inspiration of becoming a dietitian, is more like functional nutrition.
Speaker 1:I, right out of school, I went and became a clinical dietitian in a long term care facility and that was great. I love my elderly, my elderly souls. It was a lot of sickness and a lot of medications, and medications have a time and a place, don't get me wrong, especially for chronic diseases. But there were so many, like every person, and I was seeing tons of people, hundreds of people in and out, and they all had just lists of diseases and lists of medications and I'm like there has to like. This can't be how every person lives. Like every adults cannot. This can't be what it's going to be.
Speaker 1:And so I kind of started getting into the thought process of like all right, there's more out there. There's got to be more because when you're in school for your bachelor's or even the internship, it is very clinical based, it's low fat, this because that's what was in the books from 20 years ago and it just they haven't caught up to the times. The school has it and then that's just what you learn. And so I went into this functional realm and did some applied for a practitioner functional nutrition program which was 13 months with Erin Holt nutrition.
Speaker 1:She is probably the most knowledgeable person. I know it's wild, but we got to learn everything about gut health and the basics and hormones and thyroid and everything you could possibly need to learn. I felt like I learned and it gave me the confidence to be like it's time to grow my own business. I'm getting out of clinical and I'm moving on. So I went part time with my clinical because I'm like let's have a little safety net here, jordan, let's not get too crazy. And then started growing my own business and then eventually could leave that and, yeah, now we have blissfully balanced nutrition, which is fantastic, and went from seeing people only online to now having my own space which is pretty great.
Speaker 1:And I know it's so good I actually get to be in person with people and show them things and, like I don't know, it's pretty great, yeah. So that's kind of my little, my little story, nothing crazy.
Speaker 2:No, but I think that it's super interesting because one thing stuck out to me when you were telling that story and it was it was you being in this internship and dealing with all of these sick people and Extremely sick people and asking yourself that one question is like is this what it really is? Really like, because I don't know if I'm jiving. I don't know if I jive with this type of population or this type of person, and I think that that is one thing, though a lot of people, it takes people so long to understand and think about that like it does. This is this part of who. What I value, do I want to do? I want to be in front of this type of population, where it's probably in that type of population, because I've dealt with that, that that type of population as well as is.
Speaker 2:It's so much basic stuff. We don't get to get into the nitty-gritty Because they they're just not gonna understand. It's like you know, if you think about that level one, level two, level three person, and it's like a lot of us coaches, a lot of us entrepreneurs that are in that, in this space, we want to get to that person that needs that high level Education, that high level information that, like they understand the basics, they understand what they need, what they, what needs to be done every single day, because they live it. They live part of that. That's their lifestyle, that's what they value. And now we can, now we can dive into the nitty-gritty of it, and a lot of people don't. It takes them so long to get to that point. I'm so glad to that point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that was pretty pretty eye-opening for sure, and very exciting to be like wow, there's more. Like I don't just have to basically go buy a book and See somebody for ten minutes because I have to see somebody on my, my next list and it's like almost a checkbox, which, unfortunately, is conventional medicine and you know there's there's great doctors out there in conventional medicine. It's not to say there's not, but it's very fast-paced and Functional. At least what I do with functional nutrition, which is more root cause nutrition, you're figuring out what is the underlying problem, like you have a disease, but why did that happen? You have a diagnosis, but how did that come to be what? What is going on in your body that is making all of these systems kind of cross, and that was like kind of the big thing to be like, oh, that exists, that is out there, and and it takes time to study for sure, but it's there and you can learn it and then I can teach it. And Something that I love to do in my practice is kind of like what you were saying, excuse me is start with the basics.
Speaker 1:I do get a lot of people that come to me and they're like you know, I've done this, I've tried this. I already know, you know, I eat really well. Like what is it? That's a whole, that's like it's own thing, and then we figure out. You know really what's going on, like immediately. Then I have a lot of people that also come to me and they're like you know, I'm just I don't even know where to begin. There's so much out there and it's so overwhelming and I'm like it's overwhelming to me too. I have this person be like well, have you heard of this? And then I have this information being, you know, emailed to me, and then this new journal article a lot and it there's just so much noise, so a lot of. It's like let's tone down the noise. Let's learn how to trust in yourself, trust in your choices, trust in your body, because your body is here to keep you safe and heal you, but we just have to give it the tools to heal yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that because it's it's one of the I love this thought process for holistic integration and integrative medicine because it's it really is. You're looking at the whole entire person and then and then even in my practice of Coaching, in looking at Diabetics in general, of what's going on and being able to understand that that thought process and give them the right information At least what I believe the right information is, because I'm not a licensed practitioner but being able to, to be able to coach them on that journey is just it's so powerful of being able to look at the global person and not Just we have to treat the symptoms, because that's not going to get into where they are and I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it might change in the moment it might help something, but longevity it most likely won't and.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I work with or next to a chiropractor, so it's pretty awesome, just, and that kind of goes into the whole. Integrative health is who can you refer out to? It's not my job to do everything, you know. Do you need an endocrinologist? Do you need a gastro? Do you need a chiropractor to help check your, your spine and your nervous system and make sure that's all aligned? There's like a massage lady down the hall. You know.
Speaker 1:You just do what you can for people and however they are Communicating with you is what, how, how and what you can offer, and so that's another big thing is meeting people where they're at like. You know, I never go into a visit like this is what we're gonna do, because that might not what I have in my head, might not work. For this person who has three kids and it's full-time mom and running around doing this and has to take care of that. It's like, okay, well, she might not be able to Cook three elegant meal of the day and go work out for X amount of time. It's like, what can she do, though?
Speaker 2:And yeah, we work backwards but I think that that's a that's a great point, because looking at the intake of what's going on right. So you need that basic information to be able to understand what's the next step, and and even even in the fitness industry, I don't think that's being done On on the grand scale. What it should be of asking the right, the asking specific questions, you know, like asking those smart questions and being able to look at, like, how can we take these, these, this information that I need, and build an actual plan around that and around what this person actually needs.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and everyone is so different, so different even there. Even their diagnosis are different, their symptoms are different, their life styles are different. And that's why I love what I do is because I kind of like a puzzle yeah, each, there's no product, you know, there's, there's protocol, steps. I guess you could say but, but there's no. Or maybe structure, but there's no, like ABCD steps. Here you go.
Speaker 2:What's your ideal client? Ideal person in terms of who who like gets you jazzed in terms of I mean, I love dealing with this problem or this issue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really love. I love blood sugar, yes, but I think blood sugar is because I love talking about food and helping people understand food. So I kind of love when people come to me and they're A1C maybe a little high or they have symptoms that are kind of showing low or and or high blood sugar, because we can have both at the same time. So I kind of love that. I also love the guts and adrenals, but a lot of that plays hand in hand, like wonky blood sugar. I am always talking about stress and adrenals because those go hand in hand. But my, my favorite, like I love those kind of I don't want to call them issues because they're not I just those scenarios or types of people that they're. They're dealing with those certain things such as wonky blood sugars.
Speaker 1:But I would say somebody who's just like very excited to be here and learn because I'm a I'm a big educator. So if I get somebody in there like, well, I'm just not going to do that, and it's like, ok, well, that's fine, well, let's maybe try that. You know we're versus. Somebody's like, oh, that's so exciting, tell me more. And then I'm like, yeah, let me tell you more. It's like yeah, like yeah, it's the energy. Energy is huge for me. So people who are excited, or at least trust in me enough to make them excited, like we're going to, we're going to we got this.
Speaker 1:And then they're like oh good, we got this. So yeah, that's kind of the energy is really big for me versus an actual kind of diagnosis, because I work with a lot of different people. You know a lot of. A lot of blood sugar imbalances, a lot of adrenal issues, hormones is huge. So, like perimenopause, menopause, pcos I've done work with some fertility people but gut is a big one. A lot of stuff starts in the gut and that, especially if I have people come to me with autoimmune diseases, that's going to be the first place that we start. But also food, because food goes into your gut.
Speaker 2:And I think this is really cool. This is segmenting into the next thing I'd love to talk to you about. Let's talk about blood sugar in the gut and I would love for you to kind of tell the audience in terms of like, what is your like? What is your philosophy in terms of like gut health and food, and because I mean, we could go on a such a big rabbit hole even on this topic of the of the gut. But I would love to start with you like, what is your just your philosophy within food? Is it whole foods? Is it? Is it like an equal amount of macronutrients? Is what types of food do you think really helps with the gut lining? And like, can you start there?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, oh, my gosh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we could talk about this, I mean, but this is why I love this podcast, because it's being able to take specific information, whatever the individual or whatever the guest I have. Because we, yeah, I just I am such a passionate advocate about food and the quality of the food that we're consuming and I've been doing so much research on not just whole foods but what is on a food label and the bullshit that we have to try to to mall through, and I've been doing so much and talking so much about that. But then I just I love this thought process about every single thing that we are consuming, whether it's a protein, fat or macronutrient or carbohydrate, and these three macronutrients everyone thinks in the I just I just had an amazing conversation the other day with a entercone ologist in the doc and and the conversation went in the right direction, but it went. It went in like kind of a bad direction too, because a lot of times when I sit in front of these entercone ologists and they think they know about food and I'm asking them specific questions, okay, well, how would you tell someone to eat?
Speaker 2:And they're like well, just eat whatever you want, but within reason, and make sure you cover with insulin, and that was that was when I first got diagnosed with diabetes. That was the conversation and I'm like, I'm like, wait a second. So are we saying that every carbohydrate, regardless of what the gram consumption is, if I've got 30 grams of carbs, it doesn't matter what type of carb? Is that what we're saying? And and I just have to listen to these individuals say like, yes, let's just take you know, just eat whatever you want and just make sure you cover with insulin. And and I'm just like it's so much more complex than that. Hold on time out saying these things to people.
Speaker 1:So it's insane to me it's, it's, it's a lot, and I don't well, I do know, you know, medical doctors only get, I think, like one class of nutrition yeah, but but to be more of a specialist. That's kind of a little more shocking to me, because I'm like, well, this is kind of what you do. You know you're working with, yeah, those with diabetes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I will say that, like you know, just like anything, there's there's good practitioners and there's not great practitioners, and I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't want to put a blank.
Speaker 2:This blanket statement on every endocrinologist is not good, because that is not the case. I've been in front of some really good endocrinologist and I've been in front of some not so really good endocrinologist and I've been in front of endocrinologist like in the middle of that, and I think that the thing that we have to understand as the patient is we have to, we have to have ammo when we go into our doctors and even when we're going and sitting in front of amazing individuals like yourself, there are dietitians that are trying to help us from the food aspect, that with specific questions that we can ask that can we can advocate for ourselves, because I think that we get in front of medical people and we just think that everything that they're saying is gospel and it's like the Bible and it. That's not the case. They have their own perception and their own perspective, just like all of us, and I think that I think people have to understand that concept of you, have to be able to advocate for yourself and and I don't think enough people do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's huge, and that's something I do talk a lot with my clients too when they go to the doctor is like, well, there's two things it's tough because, one, if I'm telling them to advocate, I'm like you have to advocate for anything that you're feeling and you have to just come out and tell them this because they're not going to ask. And then, two, when it comes to labs, I always want people to use their insurance and so I'm like, okay, let's try and go make a doctor's appointment, but I need you to ask for these labs specifically. And then I'll even write out like why, and their doctors will still come back and be like my doctor said that that wasn't important, so they didn't write it. And it's not, it's yeah, and it's like I expect it. You know, I'm like, okay, I figured that was going to happen, but it's worth a shot and it's I don't. Again, I don't know if it goes back to to I don't want to say education, because they're knowledgeable, but it's just, is it time there's?
Speaker 1:just a lot that I don't understand and about about doctors and not listening and that's one of my biggest things is like I am here to listen to you Like I am not going to shame you ever.
Speaker 1:I will never judge you. I will only help you and make better decisions for you. But know that anything that you're feeling is not wrong, because I feel like we go to the doctor's office a lot and we feel wrong. I had someone tell me this the other day was like I felt crazy, like I, I felt like what I was experiencing and telling my doctor wasn't, wasn't right and I'm like, oh my God.
Speaker 2:And it happened all the time.
Speaker 1:And it's like you know your body best. You are the only one who visit and knows every feeling, every off sense of everything, because you live in your body. So for someone to tell you it's just anxiety or it's just, you know, it's just this or that or you're fine or just go run some some more or some it's, it's very just disheartening, like something's wrong. You're not listening and you're also not helping me to figure out how to fix it. What do I do next? And then they're just left there with that and it's like oh, so sad.
Speaker 2:I think the biggest thing there, I think the biggest thing there is like, because it is, it is sad that that is happening, but it's not happening everywhere. So what I, what I always tell people, is is, if that is happening, if you feel not heard, if you feel not seen, then you need to go look for a different doctor.
Speaker 1:Just like anything right?
Speaker 2:So if people think that they're not here to see with my programs or they don't like my programs, then their job is to go find someone that they jive with and they align with. I mean, I've never had that happen, god knock on wood, but it's, it is, it's. It's not about hurting feelings at this point because you're not getting what you need, and that's the biggest thing.
Speaker 1:That's the biggest thing.
Speaker 2:And unfortunately, I see this happen more in conventional medicine than I do private practice. Private practice, I feel like we're seeing more, and maybe that's just because they have more time. That might be it, and it might literally be that way. Right, I just had to find a new endocrinologist because my endocrinologist who I loved it was. We aligned very well together. I felt seen, I felt heard, but he left the practice, so I had to go to someone else and I didn't know what to expect.
Speaker 2:When I met this gentleman and I will tell you this that I I asked him questions, I was prepared with questions, and he spent way more time than any other endocrinologist that I've ever had spent or spent with me, and it was just such an amazing experience.
Speaker 2:It was an amazing feeling to feel like, oh my God, this, this guy went out of his way, talked about things on my chart, talked to things about things on my lab that I never even even as a coach and I think about a lot of stuff, things that I never even thought about Ways to look at my trends and my CGM data that I never even knew that you could look at, and I and I picked that stuff apart all the time.
Speaker 2:So it's just like. It's like when you find that alignment with whoever you are working with or in front of it's. It's so powerful and I hope that everyone listening to this right now, regardless of where you are in your life, regardless of what issues that you have going on, that when you are in front of a coach, when you're in front of your dietitian, when you're in front of your medical team, whoever it is, that you feel aligned with everything, or at least most of the things that they are saying and talking about. Because if you don't, then it is your job. It's not on them. It's your job to say this is not working for me, I'm not in alignment with what you say. It's okay, I'm going to go get a second opinion or I'm going to go some. I'm going to go find someone else that I align with, with what I value, because that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that, I love that. And yeah, it kind of goes back to energy. Do you guys mesh and are you hearing the same things correctly? Are you feeling validated? And, too, you guys was like you're hiring us essentially, like you know, like we work for you.
Speaker 2:But that is a great point, because that is really what it is right. Why do we not feel that way when we go see an endocrinologist or a primary practitioner or a dentist? We don't feel like I don't feel like I'm working for me. I feel like I'm like on their time, I'm imposing on their practice, I'm imposing on them. But anytime I've ever hired my business coach, when I hired people on my team, they work for me, they're helping me out, they're helping what I need out. So I've never thought about it that way. Jordan, I love that. That it's like even when you're sitting in front of a doctor, they're working for you. I'm taking that approach now for the rest of my life. Jordan, thank you, thank you. Everybody that loves this. I love this. Anybody that's listening to this. If you don't listen to one single thing me and Jordan are talking about, you, take that away. Everyone works for you I love that.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it's so true. Yeah, you're paying us baby, you're paying us.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's the insurance piece.
Speaker 1:I think I was going to say that's kind of the mindset, maybe that's the mindset.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just boom Lights going off over here in this podcast. All right, we went on a totally different direction than I wanted to go. That's okay, if you're still listening to this episode. We're going to start talking about some food now. Oh gosh.
Speaker 1:I love this. Oh okay, sorry guys.
Speaker 2:The tangent's going to go on. Jordan's going to talk to us now about food and gut health. Let's do this. Let's do this. Let's get back on track here. What are your top three to five foods that you really love, that, you know, love our guts, yeah.
Speaker 1:Of course, everyone is so different. For instance, I love fermented veggies.
Speaker 1:They're going to give you all the good probiotics and the prebiotics but say you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which is a large word, but bacterial overgrowth we might not want to start throwing those at you. You might not be able to handle it. That might cause more gas because it's fermented food and you're fermenting what you're eating. If your body's already doing that on overdrive, that might not be great for you. What I'm going to say is very general, not for a specific case, but I would say that whole foods, whole foods, whole foods. It's very basic. I don't mean that in any slide of people getting overwhelmed because it is overwhelming, but stick to the basics. We think, all right, years ago we were hunting and we were gathering. Bring that back to your day to day. It's like, no, we're not going to go hunt and gather, but we can in the grocery store. Or if I'm in Montana, so a lot of hunting goes on here, which is fantastic as far as like well, we do pick the huckleberry sometimes. But on a day to day, go to the grocery store, shop the perimeter, get your produce, get your meat, veggies, all the nourishing things Start there. Then it's like okay, can we get some cruciferous veggies in here? Can we get those sulfur veggies? Can we get red, red and purple, those deep polyphenol nourishing? Every color of food has a different kind of nutrient. All of them have different vitamins and minerals. And then we have just different compounds, which some have more antioxidants, some are anti-carcinogenic, some just have more nourishing benefits.
Speaker 1:Eating the rainbow and not the skittles, but the actual vegetables and fruits. How much more diversity can you get into your diet? In my mind, let's shop that. Let's get all the produce. Then, instead of having broccoli every single day for lunch, it's like can we throw some Brussels sprouts in there? Or maybe can we have some asparagus or mushrooms and onions and tomatoes? It's like how many more different species of good bacteria can we get into the gut to help heal and not cause overgrowth in certain bacteria or undergrowth in others? Our body just wants to feel safe and it just wants to be balanced. The more good that you can feed it and stay away from the packaged foods and the processed foods, the safer your body is going to feel, the less inflammation you're going to have and the more balanced your blood sugar is going to be. Instead of having these massive spikes, you're going to be a lot more balanced when we can just get those nourishing whole foods in you.
Speaker 2:This is awesome. I think that I want to go over each macronutrient here, because you're talking about whole food, which is amazing, because that's what I preach all the time. When we think of it, let's look at red meat first, because everyone has these questions about different meats Red meat, grass fed, non-grass fed, doesn't matter. Let's go there first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, as far as your meat, I would definitely grass fed, grass finished. If you can Kind of think back, go back a little bit in your mind to your ancestors. It's like their cows and their animals were just grazing as they should be. They should just be eating bugs and grass and living off the pasture and loving life and getting sunshine and eating little mushrooms as they grow up and whatever it is. They shouldn't really be fed all this corn and grain and whatever else are being fed, because now, if you think about it, whatever the cow is fed, you are eating. So I think meat is great and but it's what type of meat that you're getting?
Speaker 1:If you're getting that grass fed meat, it's most likely the majority of that cow is made of grass. You know they're pretty healthy cow, they're just grazing off the pasture. Same kind of thing with chickens. Can you get pasture? Because those chickens are just roaming and they're getting the sunshine and they're eating the bugs and they're eating the grass and whatever else they're eating. They're not stuck in this tiny little coop where they can't get out. Yeah, yeah, because it used to be.
Speaker 2:They're nourished it used to be free range or we can get free range.
Speaker 1:Now.
Speaker 2:I believe we're on pasture, pasture raised.
Speaker 1:Yep Pasture raised I would say is the best Free range, probably the next Cage free down here and then just. Organic, just your standard.
Speaker 2:Because I think yeah.
Speaker 2:In argument. Yeah, I was just going to say because, like, when you get, when at least where I am, when I go to the grocery store we have those really five options. We just have regular eggs, then we've got free range, we've got pasture raised, we've got organic, we've got cage free, so I can understand from the consumer's perspective. It's like, well, what the hell do I do? What's the best, what's not the best? What should I not do? And it's those things that I can't stand about going and trying to basically be a food detective Because that's what I like have taken on this. I feel like I've taken on this persona of like a food detective, of being able to go into these food labels or understand the difference between pasture raised, free range, organic, whatever it is. It's the same with meats, you know you got the grass fed, or just organic. You know 85% lean, 95% lean, like all these crazy things. And I think the most, for me, one of the most important things is is quality over everything. I don't care about price price.
Speaker 2:It comes into the equation. Obviously, if you have your whole entire shopping cart is organic foods and you're spending $400 for two people like that, that's a little obsessive. But we can think about like we're getting ready to start going back to getting all of our meats either from Costco, because Costco or some type of whole foods company that or whole sale company that has you can get tons of bulk stuff for a lower price. There's the options of getting of now getting food delivered to you, that a lot of delivery services are pretty good for the most part, at least here in Columbus Ohio, there's now food deliveries or food services that get all their food right from farmers, local farmers. We have a couple of companies in Columbus that are just that, are like that.
Speaker 2:And I think, like as we, as we start thinking outside of the box and not just thinking about what can I only get into the grocery store and how do I hack the grocery store, as I like to call it? I think that's an important piece. So I'm really glad you're you're you're bringing these things to the surface of things that I constantly talk about. But I mean, I'm not a dietitian, so who the hell is going to believe me?
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my gosh, yeah, it is about quality, for sure. And then so it and it can get overwhelming. So when you kind of can hear it from multiple different pieces of like oh, you know, I've heard grass fed a lot it's like, yeah, that's where it's at. Also, do your own research too. You know, always look up journal articles and and and be like is grass fed? You know all as it is that made up to be, it's like it, it, yes, but do that own research If you have that time. That will help you feel a little better too, because you're seeing it written out and it's it's an journal article or a dot or something. Dot like very good source, and so start again. This is where it's at. Don't either said than done, but try not to feel like everything's out to kill you because it's not Well, some of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But like, but like. As far as it being like, well, do I get this, this or that or this, or, and then it becomes really stressing, like, if it's very stressful, take a beat. Okay, let's think about this. Let's just try and get some grass fed meat. If I can find the pasture is eggs, great. If I can't do organic, free range is going to be fine. Just fine, you're going to be okay. And then it's like let's go to the fruits and vegetables. Can you get organic at least on the dirty dozen?
Speaker 2:What are the dirty dozens of people start there.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm going to pull up a list so I don't miss it up, because there's a lot that changes every year, but there's 12 of them.
Speaker 2:I feel like they keep adding to it. It's actually more than a dozen.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So it's going to be like I'm going to the EWG website right now and off the top of my head like strawberries for sure, always on there Grape's typically are. This is why wine's really important to buy organic too. Bell peppers are huge. Buying bell peppers organic. Let's see pears, nectarines, apples. You guys know like when you eat an apple and it's not organic and it tastes waxy Absolutely. Like what.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:These. This is just something that you are noticing. So then internalize that and be like this is strange, right. And then be like I wonder why? And start kind of asking yourself question why is that so waxy? And then it like buy an organic one, do you have that same feel mouthfeel? And then you'll be like I don't. Oh, it was the pesticides. Was everything sprayed to not make it break down and basically mold and rock quickly. Yeah, so there's some one spinach, kale, your greens there for salads, so definitely organic. And then blueberries, cherries and green beans. So yeah, there's, there's a lot. Again, I went to the EWG website. They always have the dirty dozen and then also, you guys, they have the clean 15.
Speaker 2:Love it.
Speaker 1:So this is exciting, yeah, because it's not like, oh yeah, it's like not, it's like not all, just negative. It's like, oh, these are clean and let me see if I can pull those up. But what I usually will tell myself is, if you know, because it does get expensive to what you're saying, and all organic cart is expensive and we have to acknowledge that. So something that this isn't true for all, but but I tell myself, is like if it has a thick peel, odds of the pesticides and the sprays penetrating into the actual fruit that you're eating is a little more difficult. So if you are working on a budget and but you're also, like you know, kind of in that panicky space of like I can't remember and take a beat, it's going to be okay.
Speaker 1:Are you looking at a watermelon that has a this stick of a skin? It's like you're okay to not get organic, you know. Are you looking at an orange? Or yeah, maybe like an orange, or a papaya, a banana? Yeah, like really thick, thick skin mangoes. That is like you're having to do this to get it off. Odds are like the pesticides and the herbicides are not spraying as deeply into that, and so kind of thinking about like that.
Speaker 2:I love that because I always thought about, like we always go in the fitness energy. For years we've been saying if it has a peel, if you have to peel it, it's probably okay to not 100% go organic on it. But if you're not peeling it like your berries and all these things you're talking about the dirty dozen like then you they need to be as close to organic or organic as possible, because you know you're not getting all the pesticides, which is also an interesting thing. The more research I do on what the regulations are and restrictions are, being able to put an organic label on a food, because I can't remember the exact percentage, but I think it only has to be like 20%, 25% or something like that organic and depending on the food, and they're allowed to put its organic on it.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, that's. That's exactly what I know as well, and so it's scary too. It does, it does get. It's like what's what? Huh, if you guys can grow your own food oh yeah, oh yeah. That is where it's at, and then if you can start canning this, I I don't do this, but it's one of my goals. I have like these dream goals and that's been one. It's just like start my own garden and then it can, and then I feel so much better about like when the apocalypse hits you know.
Speaker 2:yeah, good happen any day, we don't know. I love that. I love that.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's, that's all good there. One thing I did just want to say, which is a tip that I tell a lot of my clients and they always kind of have this like oh, that makes sense, kind of moment, is that naked carbs? And I can't remember who coined this because I learned it so long ago, but I still use the column naked carbs and I try and avoid naked carbs. And so when you go to eat a snack or you know even a meal, if it's just pasta and that's it, or you're just eating an apple, you're spiking your blood sugar tremendously, which means a lot of insulin has to come up and grab it and pull it down.
Speaker 1:And what happens when we go and eat a nut butter or some sort of almonds or something before that, or we put avocado on our toast or meat sauce with vegetables in it on our pasta, we're lessening that spike because there's protein and healthy fats that are going to go in your body with it first and prevent that massive spike. It's going to slow it because now you're eating more of a balanced, well rounded meal and so your blood sugar is not going to spike as high because it had. It's almost like being masked by the protein and the healthy fat just going to come up and then I'll just a little bit of insulin has to come out and pull it down a little bit and then it goes up again when you eat again and go down a little bit. So avoiding these huge spikes by just eating naked carbs, or just carbs alone, really, really can help as far as inflammation and blood sugar can come out.
Speaker 2:I love that because it's one of the things that I think about, even on the diabetics side, where we're eating, you know whatever it might be, some fruit or whatever it is, and I know like if I'm eating just an apple per se or just a banana and not eating some almond butter with it or whatever it is like, you definitely can tell the difference between that and not eating the fat or protein with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and you'll even sometimes have like a little crash or feel more tired after what you thought. You know you're like, oh, I'm eating an apple, this is healthy, and it is healthy as great great antioxidants, tons of nourishing fiber. But just giving it that support of the healthy protein or the fat is really going to prevent that spike and then that drop which can have you feeling a little more tired, like that's weird. I just you know why do I feel so like after I ate an apple? Could be because it wasn't, you know, wasn't paired with the protein.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so nutrition aspect could be something that we've already kind of touched on. What are kind of one of three things there kind of might be a staple for you to tell the listeners that, something that they could put into action now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just okay for for health in general.
Speaker 2:All the above anything that, anything that we can think of like, because, at the end of the day, like in terms of food or in terms of something for nutrition basis, it's it's going to improve or help blood sugars. It's going to improve overall health. It's going to improve brain fog. It's I mean, being able to do the specific either food, specific foods or some type of specific strategy is going to improve the overall health.
Speaker 1:Definitely, yeah, yeah. So I would say, as far as your meals and thinking about meals, focus on having a protein, a healthy fat and a fiber with each meal. So this, this kind of takes away. There's another way to look at it to. You can do like a half a plate of non starchy vegetables, a fourth being meat and a fourth of your plate being a starch, and that starts can look like rice, it can look like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, winter squash, those are kind of like the heavy quinoa, kind of like the main starchy foods, I guess. But you can look at it like that.
Speaker 1:Or you have a mindset of like protein, healthy fat and fiber, and that fiber can be any fruit and vegetable, beans, lentils. The healthy fats can be chia seeds, flax seeds we forget about seeds, you guys, these are so easy and they're so packed with nutrients and healthy fats to help our hormones, blood sugar, all that good stuff. You can put them in yogurt, you can put them in oatmeal, you can put it in smoothies, like so simple, and and then, yeah, so just well rounded. Just think, if you, if you have a idea of your like I don't know where to start protein, healthy fat, fiber with each meal. Start there, I would. I would kind of go back to the snacking X aspect of like whole foods and then pairing your foods with a you know, not just eating those naked carbs really really pairing them and then asking yourself why you're snacking.
Speaker 1:So that's huge if you're somebody who's like I graze all day or I pick all day, or you know, I just have these small meals and then I'm snacking a lot.
Speaker 1:Why are you snacking? Because it's most likely you're under eating at your meals and that you're still hungry between your meals. And what happens here is, if we're constantly eating, one, we're not giving our digestive system a break and two were we're not giving our digestive system a break and two were having a lot of insulin that has to come out and pull all of that blood sugar back down, and then then you become insulin resistant and that's where we can start to see problems with potential diabetes type two or just Shakeiness and imbalance blood sugar, which is inflammation in general can lead to other things. And then move, if you can after your meals. If you can do, you can do any sort of activity or Walk or chore, cleaning up or anything after your eat. You eat, you're lowering that blood sugar significantly right after your meal, which is, you know, 1015 minutes, soul something, little walk going to mailbox something. Those were probably just like my well rounded.
Speaker 2:I love it. Yeah, that's awesome. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you so much for talking with us. If someone wants to reach out to you, ask you questions, potentially even work with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so my business, blissfully balanced nutritioncom, is where they can find me. I can only legally see people out of Montana and North Carolina. Those are my where my licenses are. I do have one in Maryland, but it will expire soon, so Montana in North Carolina I can see you in person in Montana and telehealth in North Carolina. I do take insurance, which has been a game changer for people like Check your insurance, friends, because you may have great coverage for to see a dietitian and you don't even know it. So Check that because that's pretty cool. It's kind of a newer thing. And, yeah, so blissfully balanced nutritioncom, blissfully balanced underscore dietitian on Instagram and if you need anything, I would love to to work with you or I do free like 20 minute calls just to see if we're a good fit and if I can help. I love it.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, jordan. If you guys are still listening, if you guys are still with, please, please, please, make sure you reach out to Jordan. All of us have nutrition questions, all of us have food questions. Just send her, send her a quick message, even if you're not in one of her states that she's licensed to practice in. I'm sure she would give you as much advice as she can. So thank you, jordan, so much for coming on connecting with us, and thank you for everyone for listening, and I will see everybody next time.