Palm Harbor Local

Are Fad Diets Worth It and Is Organic Food Actually Better with Marie Graf Ibrahim

• Donnie Hathaway • Episode 210

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In Episode 210, Donnie sits down with registered dietitian nutritionist Marie Graf Ibrahim of Marie E Graf Wellness to talk about what actually matters in nutrition—without the hype. They break down fad diets, whether organic food is worth the cost, and how to simplify food choices so they’re sustainable in real life.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The difference between a registered dietitian and a general “nutritionist”
  • A simple baseline for healthier eating that doesn’t require perfection
  • How to think about organic food realistically (budget included)
  • Why food labels feel confusing—and how to make them easier
  • The bigger concern Marie sees replacing fad diets: undernourishing and restriction

About the Guest:
Marie Graf Ibrahim is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the owner of Marie E Graf Wellness. With years of experience in hospital and outpatient settings, Marie now supports individuals and families with practical nutrition coaching focused on long-term health and quality of life.

Links:

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SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to Palm Harbor Local, the podcast dedicated to building community and sharing inspiring stories from the heart of Palm Harbor. I'm your host, Donnie Hathaway, and today we are joined by Marie Graph Ibrahim, who is the owner and founder of Marie Graph Wellness. Now, Palm Harbor Local is all about spotlighting individuals and businesses who are making a difference, overcoming challenges, and fostering connections right here in our hometown. If you're passionate about growing together, getting involved, and celebrating the people who are making Palm Harbor thrive, you're exactly where you need to be. Now, in today's episode, we're gonna talk about fad diets and whether they work or whether they don't work. And we'll also dive into organic food and whether it's worth the added cost. And we'll talk about what it's like working with Marie and how nutrition can impact your overall health. Now don't forget to connect with us on Instagram at Palm Harbor Local for behind the scenes highlights and join our weekly newsletter at PalmHarborLocal.com. Now let's dive in and build community together. Marie, welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. Great to be here.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I'm excited to chat with you and just explore your expertise a little bit more. And I'm I'm kind of curious about that. So you are a registered dietitian. Correct?

SPEAKER_01:

Yep, registered dietitian nutritionist. Yep.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Um I want to start with like one of the first things that came to mind when I was just kind of preparing for the podcast was, you know, I I hear like physical trainers, like they they're, you know, physical trainer, and then they also offer nutrition support and stuff too. And they have, you know, some sort of um certificate for nutrition or whatever. What is the difference between someone who's just a nutritionist versus someone who is a registered dietitian nutritionist like yourself?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's a great question. So a registered dietitian, nutritionist will have a degree. Um, nowadays it requires a master's degree. And so um, I have a bachelor's in science, and then in addition to that, you would get a degree. And then it also requires an internship program, which is usually around a year long. And then we have to sit for a test and pass that test in order to practice as a registered dietitian. So registered dietitians can practice in the hospital setting, which is oftentimes where a lot of people see us, um, and then also in other settings as well, research and outpatient and such. People like um physical trainers usually have a certificate program, which is a really practical, um, more short-term, could be several month program where they study um several materials and pass a test and then gain a certificate. And um that can be really handy for kind of some um practical, usually basic information of nutrition, which is great because a lot of times um physical trainers are on the front line of seeing people really um being proactive about their health. Um, however, us registered dietitian nutritionists have a more background in science and such. We would be more familiar with medications and have more training in disease states and such.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, cool. So, where did you what brought you to this career? How did you get involved in this?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, sure. Well, um, I think something that really made an impact on me was in high school. I took a trip um with my church to uh the Dominican Republic, and I saw the differences there um compared to the United States and how a lot of people were living. And I noticed um in one orphanage I visited in particular, there was a patient, uh, a child who had a cardiac condition and who was really undernourished because his body was spending a lot of extra calories and nutrients in order to survive because of the heart defect. And I really that made a big impact on me. And I really wanted to be able to do something practical to help people like that child.

SPEAKER_02:

So that that moment like led you into like, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna be become a nutritionist.

SPEAKER_01:

It's always stood out to me, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah, cool. Um so the the the process of like someone that's coming to work, or we let me talk about like going back to like early in your career, like you worked in in an inpatient um setting, correct?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I did. Yeah, my first job was at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Um, because of that experience I had in high school at the orphanage, um I really wanted to work in pediatrics. I wanted to empower the people that were um, you know, making the nutrition choices for the children, whether it was the physician, if it's a uh preterm baby in the NICU, or if it's an older child and um their parent. I wanted to be able to be a part of empowering them that the child could have the best nutrition that they could have.

SPEAKER_02:

What led you, and so now you're an outpatient, like what led you to that to transition into the role that you're in now?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, sure. So I spent around 15 years in the inpatient setting, and then I've been an outpatient for um around the last 10 years. And um it's a different pace. I really appreciate the inpatient time because I I was primarily in ICUs, pediatric ICUs, um, pediatric cardiac ICUs, neonatal ICUs. Um, I also saw adults as well, but um most of that time was in PEADs. And so I got a really strong background. So now I just prefer the um the different pace of the outpatient setting, having a family myself and not having as long hours at the hospital. So it's partly a lifestyle choice.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but additionally, it's nice because uh, you know, a lot of nutrition support, nutrition information um is needed in the outpatient setting, right? These kids and adults get discharged from the hospital. And um, you know, then you might have a child on a home tube feeding that needs adjustments. You might have an adult with a chronic um issue related to their, you know, GI situation. And so I really like uh having a good base understanding of what happened with their um medical situation while they were admitted or in their past and now helping them on the outpatient side to really optimize their quality of life.

SPEAKER_02:

So, in your role now, like talk to me about the, I guess the process of like, you know, if someone's coming to to see you for the first time, um, how does that work? And then what are you um is it just through conversation that you're trying to understanding, like what their goals are, what their diet should be, or or um like what does that process look like?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I really like the process, you know, it's different than when we see patients on the inpatient setting, especially for adults, because um, there too, sometimes uh there's a little bit of a misunderstanding about what registered dietitian and nutritionists do, because most times we see people in the inpatient setting and we're seeing them for five minutes. We have a quick amount of time to hand them a diet, which usually, you know, is some explanation of short-term things to include or exclude. And a lot of times people don't realize that has a lot to do with liability. So, what's going on in the inpatient setting is the hospital has assumes liability for the patient. And so, you know, we're careful about what they're offered or not offered during that time, right? If they are having kidney problems, um, perhaps having too much phosphorus or potassium or something could be a liability. Um, however, on the outpatient side, it's such a great different opportunity to provide a lot more practical information than just kind of um assuming liability. So, yeah, the way um, well, and just to mention too, there can be an access issue with seeing us dietitians on the outpatient setting. A lot of times there's a question do I need a doctor's referral or not? Is insurance going to recover it, uh, gonna cover it or not? And um, that can be a little bit of a complicated situation for people. So I like to really just um bypass and streamline all of that. Yeah. So I actually don't contract with insurance. Um, usually people reach out to me, parents of children or the adult themselves. I don't require a um physician's uh referral because I'm not going through insurance. And um in that capacity, too, then I um also uh am just providing more coaching and education. Whereas when we're doing medical nutrition therapy, we're more uh writing specific um, you know, recommendations of what should be done, which I can still do, and I do some, but the majority of what I do is is just a self-pay practice where patients present on behalf of their children or themselves, and I just can streamline and just see them right away.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's cool. So, what about um like overall like healthy nutrition? Like, what are some guidelines for people to, you know, maybe they're thinking about like um I want to improve my nutrition, I want to eat healthier, uh, I want to feel better, I want to look better. What are some just kind of general guidelines to kind of get them started on the right path?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, sure. So um, you know, it can be uh so complicated, and I think it's great how there's so much access now to nutrition information.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01:

We have so much social media messaging, and um that's good. It can be a little bit confusing and daunting. So I do think that it can boil down to some really basic principles, and that can be um, you know, leaning towards a whole food, organic diet with clean water, minimized and processed foods, really kind of hearkening back to the ancient ways, right? Of how humans have always done things or used to do things up until relatively recent in history. And that really provides greater bioavailability of nutrients. We notice that people um absorb and utilize nutrients better with just kind of this base thing. You know, we can get fancy after that, but just a base diet that's containing less chemicals and more nutrients is um a nice base foundation.

SPEAKER_02:

So the idea like organic versus non-organic, like are you try to eat as as much organic as you as you possibly can, or the foods that you're gonna eat the most of, like get organic, and then if we're eating smaller amounts or or maybe like your seasonings, right? Like the spices and stuff that you're seasoning your food with, like maybe those aren't organic. Like, do you what are your thoughts on organic versus versus not?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's a good question. I mean, what we're noticing, my thoughts about it have changed over the years, and I can understand why we don't have policy, um, you know, if we're doing like national guidelines for all Americans. I think it's wise policy to not say every American should be eating organic.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Because that just may not be possible for everyone from a financial standpoint. Um, however, there are in in the organic um certification classification is not a perfect one.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

But I would say here in the States, unless you're a homesteader who can raise your own foods minimized and um, you know, chemicals and such, that it's the closest that we've got. And because um organic foods do contain chemical, non-organic foods contain chemicals that are hormone disrupting, that bind to very important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, selenium, etc., decreasing copper and such, decreasing the body's ability to absorb it, that it's a a big consideration. Also, you know, that some of the chemicals that are in foods are stored in adipose cells. This, you know, is oftentimes related to people's weight. It can further disrupt other metabolic processes. And so I do think because the chemicals and foods and water and such have increased so much over the years, um, different than what it was, you know, 50 and 70 years ago, our foods have and water have more chemicals than they used to, that now it is worthwhile to utilize an organic diet as much as a person can.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, based on their financial situation, right? Because it's not it's not cheap anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

It's true. It's it's very expensive. Yeah, and and we have a lot of inflation going on. So all food is expensive right now. And, you know, I'd like to relate it to kind of um house cleaning. And so, you know, I could say, well, the rate of housekeepers, you know, having a cleaning lady continues to go up and up, um, you know, and that's just a big problem. Or, you know, I could say, as humans, we can learn, right? If I'm not familiar with how to clean my own house, which I am for reference, but you know, that is something, a skill that humans have done over the years that can be learned. And a five-dollar, you know, cleaning product is much less expensive than a cleaning person. And so, um, you know, I do think there's an element of that for our food situation nowadays. You know, we can say it is true that organic food is very expensive. Okay. However, as humans, we can grow food. It doesn't mean that every person has to be a self-sustaining, off-grid homesteader that has, you know, enough animals to support their household and milks their own cow and winters all their own chickens and et cetera. But um, humans can raise food. I mean, we see during, you know, um World War II, people um made very small gardens and that made up almost half of their food supply and could cut their grocery bills in half, nearly. And so um, you know, not that people have to do half, but if we're able to assume even 10 or 20 percent of our own food production, then that's significant. And that can be done, you know, for people that have a small yard, it can, you know, just means a couple raised um beds or boxes. Uh if people only have a balcony, there's a lot that can be done of just putting a couple pots on a balcony. Um, for people that don't even have a balcony, say they're in an apartment or in a city condo somewhere, um, you know, there's a lot of things that grow really well inside. Microgreens grow easily and well. A lot of herbs grow easily and well. And those are very nutritious. Those detox, um, they're they're really high in nutrients. And so I think there are ways to get around it. And um, you know, it takes some practice, but like riding a bike or something, once you get the hang of it, it's quite fun. And we have a lot of research showing how therapeutic gardening is. Yeah. Whether it's in a, you know, city apartment or condo or it's out in the country somewhere where you actually have some land or yard. You know, I know a lot of our um here in Palm Harbor, a lot of our um communities allow people to have chickens and such. Um, you know, we we have access to that. We have good fishing around here. And also, too, to the point of the cost situation, you know, I think when we look for opportunities, they might be there as well. For example, a pumpkin has, you know, around 100 seeds per pumpkin. And so let's say up front we buy an organic pumpkin, which is more pricey than a non-organic pumpkin. But say we even use a fraction of those seeds in order to grow a couple more pumpkins. And pumpkins may not be your thing, maybe it's something else, but maybe you can trade with your neighbor or a family member or something, you know, and then this the second generation of pumpkin costs cents. Yeah. And then the third generation, you know, by that point you're making money if you can sell some to your brother or something. So, you know, just to note that that humans have always been able to figure this out. And I think there's ways that the price point doesn't always have to be so high if we're not outsourcing all of our food production. We've just gotten to a different mindset over the last couple generations. Um, like that we're not gonna clean our house, that we're not gonna be a part of our own food production. And so perhaps, you know, it's that's something that can be a grand opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I like that idea. And even like you said, just just you know, you you buy something organic from the store, you're just uh increasing the longevity of that that one, that first purchase, right? Like you're growing some your tomatoes now, like all your vegetables are, you know, you can basically grow from from that one purchase at the store.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean, with the pumpkin, let's say we just start using more of the food. You know, I think um no waste is a little bit of a um not realistic thing to consider. We're not gonna have any waste. Um, but you know, say we use a fraction of those seeds to roast them and eat pumpkin seeds are very nutritious. Then we use even a part of them to to regrow pumpkins next season or whatever. And you know, we have an all-around the year growing season here in Florida, which is amazing. And so that's a grand opportunity too. So, you know, even when avocado tree, when citrus tree or something can produce so much. And if we can trade with our neighbor who's into pumpkins, maybe we're not, or whatever, you know, there's a lot of opportunity.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I like that. It'd be cool for each little neighborhood or community to put that together, right? And then be like, hey, let's let's all work together to kind of grow our own fruits and vegetables or whatever it is, and and everyone takes ownership of, like, okay, I'll grow the pumpkins, you know, I'll grow the tomatoes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, there's a lot of beautiful things about that, and a lot of people are doing it, which is really neat. That community, that even street, let's say a street does this, a community does it, a town does it, it's much less vulnerable to food, you know, supply chain issues like we saw five years ago and such. It's it's beautiful for, you know, we have so many people with um, you know, uh so many jobs, going home and such, and aren't in the workplace anymore, of just being able to interact with humans, um, which is so important. So, yeah, I mean, there's really a lot of positive effects from something like that.

SPEAKER_02:

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SPEAKER_01:

Well, some things have changed. Okay, one of the main things I would say would be the fact that we have a lot more access to non-synthetic options as far as supplements. Uh so when I was first starting out, a lot of the supplements that we had as far as just multivitamins and other supplements were synthetic, meaning made in a lab. They're analogs, molecules made to look like what we find in nature. And um now we've got some really interesting data showing that there's um some caveats to the synthetics and there might be and that there are benefits. We notice that synthetic vitamin D, vitamin D hormone is very important. It's interesting though, we have several ways of in improving our vitamin D hormone status. We can get more sunlight, which is great for us Floridians, but for some of our friends up north can be more challenging. So uh we can also, you know, take a synthetic supplement, for example, and it's very common and can help get it up. But um also another option is taking a Natural supplement like cod liver oil, which contains natural vitamin D. The caveat with synthetic vitamin D is it has a net depleting effect, depleting effect on vitamin K2, magnesium, and vitamin A. And so that can result in other shortages and affect other body systems. So it's nice that we have more access to natural supplements. There's food source selenium supplements and a whole variety of things. It's really handy.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. I've noticed, you know, the there, I mean, obviously we still have processed food in the grocery stores, even like the in in the healthier stores. And, you know, that has changed and like the ingredients they're putting in there is has changed. Is there still um is it still something you want to stay away from, even if it's organic, all organic um foods that have been, you know, processed and put together to to make whatever it is, a cereal or a granola bar or something? Um, is it something you still want to stay away from?

SPEAKER_01:

That's a good question. So, generally speaking, I would say that continuing to minimize processed food regardless is a nice policy because the more a food is processed, the less nutrients that are available, more get degraded and processing. And then there is greater opportunity for something being added to it that um we may not realize has a health risk. The nice thing with the organic label is for processed foods, there are some um additives, also called like sipients, that are um that cannot be allowed, like titanium dioxide and other things that we know are associated with increased disease risk. So we can know off the bat that if it's a processed food and it has the organic symbol that it doesn't have certain um additives in it that are usually stabilizers just to keep it um shelf stable for however long we're looking for this cracker to still look like a cracker a hundred years or something. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and it's it's interesting too, like all the different I was just thinking about the the labels that you have now. Um and even on meats too. I I remember watching something on the the level of meat quality, like it could be grass-fed but grain finished, and right, and it and it's hard to decipher all of that. Um it's kind of overwhelming or crazy to to you know to the point of what it's gotten to, even like eggs, like there's so many different levels of eggs now as well, you know. So it's hard to work through, you know, all those different scenarios and figure out like what's best and what what you know what's the best decision to to purchase and to eat.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it is. Usually what I notice is there's a learning curve up front, and that's when a registered dietitian, nutritionist can be extra handy. Um, but I I do see a learning curve, and I just like to encourage people to give themselves a lot of grace, right? Just like any kind of lifestyle adjustment. It usually takes some time, a year-ish or two, to really kind of get the feel for it. And then you don't have to be reading labels all the time or figuring out, you know, but taking the hour to really look into, you know, what kind of eggs is really what? I mean, it's I think that it's um it's set up very confusing and it doesn't have to be that confusing. But yeah, it's it's been overcomplicated by the industry and and such. Um, but yeah, speaking of eggs, a an um pasture-raised organic egg in research studies or a local egg has um the highest amount of nutrients. It's raised the most close to nature, meaning getting some sunlight, getting some fresh air, fed a natural diet, something a chicken would normally be eating, not just that they're eating because they have no other choice.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, and so, but yeah, those things um can take time, but but it's a learning curve that can be done. Yeah. And I'm happy to help with.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, that's what you're there for, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

What about like fad diets? I feel like those of um, you know, like uh like the carnivore diet or the keto diet, have those sort of I feel like the last couple of years they've they've kind of like calmed down. Like there's not like so many new diets that are coming out and be like, oh, this is the new hot topic. Let's let's jump on this one.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. I think um what I'm noticing at least what's happened is a transition from fad type diets, including the ones that you mentioned, um, which some people choose to do as a lifestyle and have good success depending on their situation. And other people um realize that they feel horrible and it's not helping their health parameters that they're looking for it to help. And it's not a lifestyle for some people. But for some people, the carnivore and keto is a great option and it works well for them. But for some people, it ends up being just a fad diet that it does isn't a good long-term fix. What I've noticed is things transitioning from fad diets to a more minimizing nutrition at all situation, right? We have a lot of um medications that are being utilized to just really minimize intake at all. And so I I think we've transitioned from fad diets to just a culture sort of supporting, minimizing eating and nourishing ourselves at all.

SPEAKER_02:

So like supplements, like you utilizing supplements more?

SPEAKER_01:

No, I mean people not eating.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01:

Really trying to not eat, either through the use of medications, um, targeting this, or or you know, in our younger kids, a a really unhealthy um social media culture, not encouraging normal self-care of nourishing oneself and just really um, you know, promoting a type of disordered eating uh that's so restrictive and just not eating. And so I think that's what I noticed about what's happened is just less fad diets and more just undernourishing oneself as much as possible.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Which is has significant health risks.

SPEAKER_02:

For sure. Is there a point where we get to where it's just like this is this is like what is um the baseline for for nutrition? I mean, I think we we kind of we understand that, but I feel like nutrition is always like you just said, like the new thing is you know, limiting what you're eating and and nutrition. And um, you know, before we had like a lot of processed foods, now we have like a lot of more organic foods, whole foods, and that sort of stuff. Are we ever gonna get to a point where it's like you know, this is the standard and and that's it, and like it doesn't change, or is is is it always gonna change because we're always trying to make improvements and in our nutrition and our health and and everything like that?

SPEAKER_01:

That's a good question. I think it's um partly depends on who we're listening to, right? So if we're um in and historically, at least in my lifetime and in the generation before me, you know, our national guidelines have been set, our policies have been set by organizations that um, you know, we're now learning may have had um interest in industry, yeah, that we're trumping some of the interest just um strictly in science. And so uh, you know, I think that if we're listening to industry-driven messaging, that they will continue to serve themselves as any good CFO would do an industry and company trying to make money. But um, you know, if we're listening to um to voices and groups that have human health at the forefront, then I think that we have always and will continue to get solid messaging. And it's curious because when we look at those groups, their message hasn't changed through the years, it's been consistent. And that's really through decades and centuries. It's curious to look back at really ancient writings of what humans were eating. Anyway, there's a lot of um really interesting um information about what humans have eaten, and many groups kind of stayed with that and just stayed on a more whole food-based diet through all of the um interesting messaging that's gone on. And um, some people, you know, diverged a lot. And now we have had to backtrack. We know now that typically, for example, um, you know, humans need more sodium than what we thought. And so, you know, that's curious and something to rethink. Now, you know, when we're making like national guidelines and saying a blanket statement, you know, there's a liability piece there. And so to just say all Americans need to be on a high sodium diet is not good messaging at all. But also, too, to say, you know, all Americans need to be on a low sodium diet can't fit every American, right? For example, my endurance athlete getting ready to run a 50-mile race in Florida in the heat cannot, you know, do low sodium. And so that's especially too um, where registered dietitian, nutritionists can come in and really individualize and customize things and make some sense out of what applies to particular situations.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, the the first thing I thought of was, and I've had this conversation before, but but the the marketing of the food companies, right, has really changed our our diets. And I think just marketing as a whole, right, and and has a lot of influence in in how we act, what we consume, what we do, and everything like that, right? But uh, you know, the marketing with our our food is just um it's another one of those, it's when you're looking back, you're like, man, it it's wild to to think about how companies marketed their their products that weren't great for you, but everyone bought into it because of the marketing message or whatever that was involved.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean it's curious. I don't, I mean, I think as humans, we're always gonna have some bias. And so to keep that in mind, you know, and recognize that I may not realize what kind of rose-colored glasses or, you know, what angle I'm seeing this from. I had a an adult um cardiologist challenge me on um seed oils and a fat distribution that I was recommending for a patient. Um, this was years ago. And so I was explaining to him the all the benefits of seed oils and quoting all of this stuff. And he was challenging me. And so I went back to my office and looked, and the um at the bottom, the the sponsor on the handouts that I had were the seed oil companies. And so that was a really nice, um, important wake-up call for me just to realize I did I wasn't realizing my own bias at the time. And I went back and re-reviewed a lot of journal articles, um, some that he had specifically mentioned.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And and tried to look at things more objectively. And I have colleagues, and you know, there's so much information now, which is great, but it can also be even for us providers, um, overwhelming. And I have colleagues that say, you know, I'm not reading all that, it's information overload. And then there are others of us, I am one of them, that are committed to staying as up to the research as we can and trying to read things as objectively as we can and notice who funded the study or who was involved in the study. Um, you know, I was recently at a conference and um one of the panel was asked, you know, how biased are research studies nowadays? And their answer was a very long pause and then maybe not as bad as they used to be. And so wow, meaning, yeah. And so I appreciate that because it's realistic. We know there's bias in studies, and so um, you know, how good of a job do the researchers do to try to take out that bias and and what are the implications and such. And so I really try to read um critically as much as I can and notice that there's likely intended or unintended bias um somewhere in a lot of our research and and to just keep that in mind and to keep an open mind.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, who's who's the who's it coming from? Who's putting out that message? Is there um like when when when a group is is doing research, how are they um are they funded by like the school or are they getting grants? Like how are they typically funded or are they funded by an organization to do the research? Like how does that typically work?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it varies. I'll just say generally, my understanding is that um industry is usually involved at some level, maybe not as directly, but at some level in most research. I know um, you know, sometimes, you know, I have patients or or myself, I'll say we just don't have a lot of research in this area. And oftentimes it's not because um someone hasn't been interested or tried to done tried to do research in the area. I know of primary researchers who have tried to get research studies, one of them on vitamin C and other things, on specific um controls looking at specific um patients and cohorts to look at certain things and can't get it funded. And so sometimes we say, oh, all we have is animal models. This isn't applicable to humans. Well, that's because nobody is willing to find a human study, because that might um serve a disinterest to anyone who has the capacity to fund a human study. And there's um politics as as well in in um academia and such. And so that affects things.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's so fascinating, like nutrition and how it's changed but not changed over the years, you know. If if someone's looking to get more info from you or wants to reach out to you, how can what's the best way for them to do so?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, sure. They can reach me at MarieGroff Wellness.com and um there's a link there where they can um get a free appointment. I give free consultations. I'm happy to see if it's a good fit. Um, andor just sign up for an appointment if they'd like. My other contact information, my email and phone number are on there as well.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, awesome. Marie, thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, anytime. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Palm Harbor Local. We are incredibly grateful for our sponsors who make this show possible. So be sure to keep supporting these local businesses and keep building community together. Until next time, stay connected, stay involved, and let's keep making Palm Harbor an amazing place to call home.

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Donnie Hathaway

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