November 7, 2025 • 29 mins
This week on 'Kentucky Focus with Scott Fitzgerald,' we’re exploring wellness, resilience, and a touch of holiday magic. Discover how small choices in health and nutrition can lead to remarkable transformations—and even help you enjoy holiday meals without the guilt. Plus, could your teeth be affecting your mental health? New developments have dentists taking notice. That and more, right here on 'Kentucky Focus.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
And welcome to Kentucky Focus. So I'm Scott Fitzgerald. This,
of course, is the show that brings you the stories
the people's idea is shaping our state and the world
in general. Today, we've got two incredible guests you don't
want to miss. First, we're talking about something we all
take for granted, that would be our teeth, and how
mental health can actually affect our mental well being. Later on,
we'll meet someone's life who is turned upside down by
(00:23):
illness only to come back stronger and why it's right
on time for the holiday season. We'll talk about that
and much more. You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics and history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kN N.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Only one in five people with disabilities, including those with autism,
are employed, despite many having the skill set and desire
to work.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Maybe it's because employees don't know what kind of jobs
they can do.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Okay, try me, what about a programmer that is a
job for someone with autism?
Speaker 4 (01:07):
What about a teacher, That is.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
A job for someone with autism.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Oh how about a healthcare worker?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yes, those are all jobs for someone with autism. The
truth is qualified people with autism can do a lot
of different jobs, but often get overlooked due to outdated
stigmas and beliefs. Business is value diversity, but sometimes don't
recognize the unique strengths and abilities of the autism community.
Introducing WIN, the Workplace Inclusion Now Program by Autism Speaks,
(01:35):
we help businesses lead the way in inclusive hiring.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Ooh what about a ranch hand.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah, sure, that's a job for someone with autism too.
To learn more, go to Autism Speaks dot org, slash win.
That's Autism Speaks dot org slash win.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Joining us
now is doctor Pat Carroll, one of Kentucky's top dental experts.
Of course, last month was Dental high you know Awareness
month and doctor Carroll, with exceptional dentistry in Kentucky's here
to explain why caring for your teeth is more about.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Just a smile.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It can also impact your overall health and mental wellness.
Believe it or not, so, Doctor Pat Carroll, good morning
and welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
And so as we.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Leave Dental Hygiene Awareness Month, what's the takeaway you want
for listeners.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
We in dentistry have known for a long time that
the mouth is connected to the rest of the body.
But so many people these days, I think, think, you know, well,
I need to brush my teeth and floss and everything,
just because we need to keep our teeth good so
that we can eat and enjoy the things we want
to enjoy as we get older. But we know now
that there's so much more important with good oral care
(02:42):
as far as taking care of your body. I want
to just point up one study that came out. They
took an MRI of about twelve hundred people, and in
that MRI they found a much higher incidence of white
matter hyperintensities and people that had periodontal disease. White matter
hyper intensities, well, white matter neurons in your brain to
(03:05):
carry information from one part of your brain to the
other and when they glow in an MRI or more
hyper intense, that shows they've been damaged. Well, in that
study there was a much much higher degree of hyperintensity
in people that had peridonal disease. At the same time,
they did a parallel study of almost six thousand people
that they followed for twenty one years, and they found
(03:27):
that people with paradonal disease had a much much higher
rate of cerebral vascular disease with strokes, and those with
pardonal disease and cavities had even a much higher rate
of strokes than those with just paradonal disease. When the
physicians said, there's no way this is a benign neuroimaging finding,
(03:48):
a large body of evidence has shown that severe white
matter hyper intensities are associated with an increased risk of dementia, mortality,
subular vascular strokes, those kind of things. So you know, Scott,
my family has heart disease and Alzheimer's disease runs in it.
So I'm going to do everything in my power to
try to reduce that. So right there, that just shows
(04:10):
you just new information come out daily that Hey, it's
not just about keeping your eyes so you can chew, man,
this is keeping your mind sound. It can reduce the
risk of having those issues in the future. So that's
why I think world cares. We know that, you know,
the mass connected to the body man, so you got
to take care of it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Doctor Pat Carrolly is with exceptional dentistry in Kentucky here
and that's why we love bringing the in doct because
people don't draw all those correlations. This isn't just going
about getting your teeth cleaned and being scared you're going.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
To have a cavity and get it filled.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
This will certainly improve your quality of life in many
other ways, and doc hygenis are often described as the
unsung heroes of the dental practice, much like yours. And
I know that first an from your great staff you
have there. They balance patient care, technology, of course, long hours.
What do you think makes a great dental hygienist and
how do you see that come out of the place
like exceptional dentistry.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
That's a great question and it kind of it comes
down to maybe with people who think of pass But
the thing with hygiene is that you've got to be
a carrying individual. You've got to really care about people
and trying to make their life better because it's not
an easy job. You've got to have the love of learning.
Because like these articles that I follow, you know, I
pass these on to my hygien is, say guys. This
(05:22):
is stuff that's important and they take it. So you've
got to have a love of learning, because you've got
to want to embrace the stuff and pass that on
to patients. When you're work in an office like guards,
you're working closely with people all day every day. We're
seeing people in times where a lot of people don't
want to see us. You know, we're not their favorite people.
So you've got to have people that are a team player,
personal caring about people, and have a good work ethic
(05:44):
because it's not an easy job. They're in some weird
positions trying to keep their teeth clean. You know, they're
more prone to like risk problems, back problems, those kinds
of things. So you can't overload these people. You've got
to have people with a good work ethic, good team player,
and are really carrying individual you.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Know, we're talking with doctor Pat Carrolly's with exceptional dentistry
here in Kentucky and we're wrapping up Dental Hygiene Month
and the time to really look at yourself inwards is
doc has told us it affects more than just your teeth.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
That can affect your mental health, your brain.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
There are a lot of moving parts here an he
of course at Kentucky on at dental dot Com and
doc I follow you on social media and I follow
of course Exceptional Dentistry on social media, and I see
to your point you're doing a lot of social events
with your hygienist. How important is it to really, I guess,
kind of prevent burnout in the field, because, as you mentioned,
(06:35):
the physical and emotional demands can be can be quite
a bit in this field.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
I mean it is a tough balance. God. You know,
since COVID changed, people I think have changed a little bit.
I think there are expectations of we in healthcare have
gotten higher. I think that we have noticed they're more demanding.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's something
we have to take into account. And so how did
this are seeing this, you know, right at the right
of the thing, and it's something they have to work
(07:01):
through with people that maybe not want to be seen there.
So you can't just put these people in a thing
and say, okay, guys, we're here for eight hours or
seeing eight patients every seeing one patient every sixty minutes.
You got to get this stuff done. You know, you
don't want to get them on that treadmill. Hygenis now
are high demand. We've lost a lot of them the
profession after COVID, worried about their safety and these kinds
(07:23):
of things burn out. So we want to be sure
to support our hygienists and the best we can. So
you've got to give them enough time to get done
what we asked them to do. And it can't be
all about work. It's building a culture of trust. And
my partner, actually down, my boss, doctor Devn Schumaker, does
a great, great job at that. She realizes that most
of these people, a lot of our hygienists are mothers
(07:46):
of young children, a lot of our hygienists are are
taking continue education, so there's a lot of demands on
their time. So it can't just be we come to
work and we work great ours. You know, you go
to see a lot of dental office that they have
hygienists and forty five minute hours, forty five minute blocks,
get that patient in, get their teeth cleaned, get those
things done. Let's get them out of here. Kind of
a treadmill. We had exceptional dentistry with dev as our leader.
(08:09):
Don't do that, as you see, there'd be some afternoons.
We take an afternoon out of the office and we
had a pumpkin decorating gone to us with everybody, you know,
people to vote for him. Devil shut down the day
like Halloween, we're not working in the office because she
knows that a lot of our hygienists have children that
they want to go to the school for their Halloween
(08:29):
parties and things like that. So I think that's something
and that's something we have to ask our patients to
understand because we've had a couple of hygienists leave and
the profession so we can't see as many people as
we wanted to and we're having to space them out
a little bit. But we still have to take this
time for ourselves because I don't want a health care
provider that's burned out. I know you don't want a
health care that You want people that care and you've
(08:53):
got to keep them in that caring attitude. So we
try to create a culture of education, continued learning, fund
and care for each other, team building those kinds of things.
I know it sounds kind of passa, but when you
do it with intent, I think that that matters. And
I think if you have a happy team, you're going
to have happy patients and a good work balance.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Right on again.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Talking with doctor Pat Carroll, spending a few good minutes
with him, he of course is with exceptional dentistry here
in Kentucky. And if you want more information or just
have questions for doc Kentucky and a dental dot com
is a great place to start. And of course it's
Dental Hygiene Months. We're wrapping that up here in October.
And along those lines, Doc, we've seen, you know, technology
and AI work its way into every bit of business,
(09:34):
to include our own here at iHeartMedia. What really builds
patient trust in the human interaction in the midst of
all these digital imaging tools and AI. How do you
strike that balance between technology and personal connection.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Yeah, I think that's a great question, con And you know, technology,
we've got to remember, at least in healthcare, you know,
we're still a high touch, high interaction profession. So technology
can only be a tool to kind of increase the
care and make the appointment easier and better for our patients.
But you know, all the technology, all the great technology
(10:09):
in the world, can't make it for someone who doesn't
care or someone who's not competent at least in our
field right now. So what I tell or what I
telled all our patientscuse me, all our team members, is
that you know, it's a pascity, it's a cliche, but
you know, no one cares how much you know till
they know how much you care. So you know, no
one's going to care about this great tool till they
(10:30):
know you're trying to use that to make their situation better.
So what we try to tell people is, like you've
seen our inter oral scanners, technology and things like that
is a tool for us. We used to tell people, hey,
you have this issue, and we try to show it
on an X rayer, we try to throw it on
a picture. But technology is a tool for us so
(10:51):
that we can make our patients better. Understand when we
take a scan of your mouth and we put it
up on a large screen TV and we show he
you know, Scott, you've got a crack in this tooth.
Or see where your gums are we're seeding here, Or
see how your your teeths are wearing down where things
they couldn't see, well now they can see it in
a picture and go, hey, doc, you know you're not
just snowing me and trying to make a real issues.
(11:14):
I can see the issue you're talking about right now,
and I can see we need to fix that. So
that I think technology does two things. It enables us
to educate the patient better. And now when we do
a crown prep or something, we can scan it with
an int oral scanner, which is easier for the patient.
We're not having to put you know, all the sometimes
we still have to, but we're not having to put
all the gunk in the people's mouth to take an
(11:35):
impression to get a crown. So technology is just a
tool for us to educate our patients, make it easier
for our patients. Now that means that it makes it easier
for us to do those things, but it's only a tool,
and so you have to make that connection with the patient.
The patient. You can show them all this stuff, but
if they think you don't care, then they're not going
(11:55):
to They're not going to seek you out as your
treatment to provide their treatment. So knowledge is a great tool,
but it's never gonna take It's not good in the
hands of an uncarrying or an incompetent provider.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Talking with doctor pat Carroll exceptional dentistry here in Kentucky.
Great resource on this dental Hygiene month as we wrap
it up here and if you want to learn more again,
the website.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Is Kentucky at a dental dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Last question for you, Doc, Okay, we're gonna head into
the holiday season now, routines we know can slip quite
a bit. What's the one thing you'd like everybody to
keep in mind about maintaining that healthy mouth and gums
year round so they can at least partly work to
put you out of business?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
You know, Dev and our kid about this time of years,
it kind of being as the farmer said, this is
kind of a harvest time. Yeah, because because people are
going to inadvertently get busy in the holidays, they're gonna
like kids are gonna go out for candy and tomorrow
night they're gonna trig a treat and they're gonna start
eating stuff they would never eat. They would never go
to store the bath, So you know, they're gonna start
(12:56):
breaking teeth on hard stuff. Holidays, eating nuts and stuff,
all those kind of things. We see a much bigger
increase in our emergency calls during this time of year,
so you know, My thing in this case would be
try to stay as much as you can into your routine.
You know, when your kids go out trick or treating
tonight and you bring all that stuff home, you know,
kind of do a little sneak peek stuff in there
(13:18):
that you would never let them eat, and go to
the store to buy toss it out. You know, they're
going to get more candy tonight that they can eat
for the next you know, month and a half, So
it's okay to take a little bit of that way.
Try to keep them in the routine of you know,
brushing and flossing and those kind of things. Same thing
with we adults, you know, we start going out to
Thanksgiving parties and Christmas parties, we get out of our routines.
(13:38):
We're eating and drinking stuff we didn't used to. Big
thing is try to be a little mindful. We're all gonna,
you know, this is the holidays, go out, have a
good time, eat and drink the things you want to
bean drink. But try to stay a little bit in
that routine of and be mindful of Okay, we can't
let everything just go to pot. We're not going to
gain one hundred pounds eating and drinking and breaking our
teeth on stuff. So that's the biggest thing is just
(14:00):
try to get into a routine, stay in a routine,
enjoy have a good time. But you know that if
nothing else, twice a day, once in the morning, once
the night, you gotta brush. Got to hit that philoss
once a day. And if you're gonna eat a lot
of candy and things, I got your kids this evening
and stuff. If you're gonna get a snicker bar, eat
the snicker bar. Don't take a bite.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Right because it's not how.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Much you eat, but it's how often you eat it.
So that's the big thing you got to you gotta
watch out for. So go into the holidays, have a
great time, but be mindful that you know you gotta
you gotta stay in that routine.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Right on, Doctor Pat Carroll, you are the absolute best
of my friend.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
I always enjoy coming to see it.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
And full disclosure, Doc Carroll got me over my one
hundred percent guaranteed fear of dentists.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
He knows I had it.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
He rebuilt my mouth and he's done a great job.
Exceptional dentistry is where they're at Kentucky and a dental
dot com.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Doc.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Thank you so much, my friend, and I look forward
to talking to you down the road.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Thanks God, it's always a pleasure. I really appreciate you
having me on again.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Thanks so much to doctor bad Carroll with exceptional dentistry
here in Kentucky. If you more information or just have
a question for doctor's staff, let me be happy to
answer it for you. Just visit Kentucky aadental dot com
coming up just in time for the holidays. What if
I told you that you could enjoy all those sweet
treats you wanted to.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
And you don't have to worry about it?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Do any agree?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
We'll talk about that in more coming up. I'm Scott Fitzgerald.
You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 7 (15:24):
The best words to hear At the TSA security checkpoint,
you're here to go.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
All it takes is a little preparation.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Get to the airport early, bring a carry on bag
that fits in the overhead, and have an acceptable ID.
Not all state issued IDs will cut it. Check out
TSA dot CoV slash ID and see which TSA acceptable
IDs make the grade like a real ID or passport
before you jet.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Do a little prep and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Check out TSA dot gov, slash id or the my TSAP.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Well today, I'm Kentucky folk.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Guys, We're welcoming a truly inspiring guest, someone whose story
proves that resilience, determination, and a little creativity can transform
even the toughest challenges. Jane Jones, also known as the
No Sugar Baker, based life altering diabetes diagnosis that.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Temporarily left her without sight. But she didn't let that
stop her.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
She even reinvented her life, returned to the kitchen, and
created delicious sugar free recipes that bring joy without compromising health.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Jane, thanks so much, and welcome to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 6 (16:23):
Thank you so much for having me on. I appreciate
it all.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Right, Jane, let's start at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
On your forty fourth birthday, you ended up in the
er with sky high blood pressure levels and glucose levels.
Talk about what that moment was like and what it
felt like to face it a severe diagnosis.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
Yeah, so here's actually what happened. So I thought I
had the flu. Basically I was sick for about a week.
My husband dragged me in the emergency room. It was
my birthday, believe it or not. Well, I think that's
when the body clock just completely just stopped. So went
to the ear my bears tell you, my blood pressure
was two eighty nine over one eighty nine day. My
gluehost level was over six hundred. I had no idea
what glucose meant at the time. The er physician diagnosed
(17:01):
me as severely diabetic and told me these magical words.
She released me. She said, for the rest of your life,
you need lean meats and salads, and she sent me home.
What she did tell me I was gonna wake up
to no eyesight for the next three weeks of my life.
But six months later I was insulin free, diabetic meds
and free, sugar free. Sixty pounds later, my vision was
back to twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Well, talk about some healthy ways you might be able
to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday? What was that like
when you finally came to the realization like I can't
see and I need to change my life.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
When we talk about that.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
I think it's more in shock. Basically, I'll never forget
this day. So I'm a lawyer by trade, and one
of the very first things I do in the morning
as I check my email, so of course I was
in the er the night before I got home and
we slept probably pretty well. I woke up and grabbed
my phone and I told my husband. I'm like, oh great,
and now we need to go get a new phone.
And then we turned on the TV to watch the
(17:49):
headlines and I'm like, we have to go get to
do TV too, and he's like, what are you talking about?
And I'm like, you can see the TV. He's like,
you can't. And from that moment, I for three weeks
the ice I went from very blurry to very nothing.
So more than anything, I think I was just afraid
and afraid scared if somebody would have told me when
(18:11):
your glucose level is that high, over six hundred, right,
and then what happens is the retina swells. So when
it's that high, and then you start to decrease naturally, right,
because I went I mean I went cold turkey on
the no sugar instantly. Yeah. So when it starts to
decrease like that, the vision it swells even worse, and
even more so it temporarily goes right. But not one person,
(18:31):
nobody even told me that. So here, I am a
health lawyer by trade, got super duper sick, had no
resources were out there, So I started a blog. Believe
it or not, six months after I got sick. I
started a blog to be like, hey, look, you know
what I'm going to tell you exactly what it's like
to go through what I went through, so that there's
anybody else out there that's searching for those answers. You
(18:53):
got a place to go to and somebody who's not
a fitness model right telling you to run around the
track and not eat that candy bar. Completely get it,
because I'm the real deal.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
After recovering, you said you went back into the kitchen,
you reinvented recipes. How did you get started with your
sugar free recipes?
Speaker 4 (19:10):
Your creations?
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Really, so here's what happened. That's a great story. So
basically everybody, all my friends were like listen. So August
was my first got sick. So like once I got there, like,
you just need to get through Christmas, gets to get
through the holidays, and then everybody under the sun goes
sugar free and January, so it'll be super easy for you,
like every capstane pick, just get through it. Just get
through the holidays. While I got through the holidays, found
(19:32):
myself at the grocery store, and I'm a believer, said
a little proer to God. I'm like, there's got to
be a way, because I always speak in terms of
before I got sick and after I got sick. Well,
before I got sick, I used to love to bake.
It was my hobby. After I got sick, I literally
threw everything in my kitchen away. I was mad at
the world. If you google it, the first thing that
comes up is obesity. Right, So I'm like, I turn rest,
so said a prayer, turn around, And I found a
(19:53):
product that was all natural sweetener. I bought it. Didn't
tell anybody. My parents live across the street. My husband
works with me full time, so we're together twenty four seven.
I didn't tell either one either one of those guys
what I was doing. I made chocolate chip cookies using
sugar free chocolate chips. I didn't even try the dough.
I brought them more with my parents.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
You know what they did, Huh?
Speaker 6 (20:14):
They started to cry, And I'm like, oh, dear God,
are they that bad? Yeah? And They're like, no, We've
been waiting for this day since the day our daughter
got sick. And we finally see that spirit and spark
back in her. From that moment on, I started just
kind of experimenting a little bit, figure out, Okay, what
can you do? What can't you do? And from the
get go here's what I was determined this way. I
was like, we're not baking with lemon grass, We're not
(20:36):
baking with super official like all those supplements, all the
other protein crap that people push out there, because that's
not realistic. I was the Midwest girl that was going
to tell you how you can bake stuff that you
have right now in your pantry, that you can do
it and it tastes good. My very favorite recipe if
you guys google it, just go to no sugar baker
dot com is the Holy Smokes pumpkin bars. You want
to know why I call them holy smokes? Why is
(20:58):
that because everybody had tastes them suff totally smokes afterwards
because they can't believe they're sugar free.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Isn't it a magical discovery when you realize, you know, like,
if you have a sugar craving like I do, there
are alternatives out there for you, and you can actually
you can make the recipea.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
Smart about it right, Yeah, exactly, sugar right, Moe, sugar
margin has sugar like my very first you remind me
of saying it was my very first Thanksgiving. My mom
boss her heart was trying to make Thanksgiving and be
special again because oh, we can't have Jane over for
Thanksgiving because you can't have sugar like it was like
a dot like people were like treating me like a Martian.
It was crazy, right, So my mom was like, oh,
(21:33):
we can do this. Well she used she actually used
a very cheat butter and she didn't look at them
now we look at labels like crazy. That was full
of sugar. I was sicker than a dog that first Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
What I find interesting, too, Jane, is that when people
discover that you're eating maybe a sugar substitute and having
never tried it, they will need your react and they'll go, oh,
I need, I just need the real thing I need.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
How do you respond to folks like that, especially if you're.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Starting to cook for Thanksgiving and you want to make
those cookies, you want to make those pumpkin bars.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
You say to folks, listen, I'm using sugar step.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
I have two ways of responding to that. Yeah, So
here's the first wife. So we do food chows, right,
and if I say the sugar for people walk by
and they're like, oh, sugar free, and they're like, oh,
I dare you to try one? Just try it for me? Right,
They're like, oh no, I don't I like sugar. But
I'm like, well that's great and Danny, but if you
try this, it's gonna knock your socks off. And then
they try it and they're like, oh my gosh, really
that's sugar free. Unbelievable. The other thing is this, So
I get asked all the time. I'm like, how do
(22:25):
you miss Do you miss the brownie? You must really
miss a BROWNI you must really miss a candy bar.
You want to know my answer? If it's a choice
between life or death, which is just choice for me.
So two years ago I ended up with a severe,
huge kidney stone. That kidney stone lead to stepsis shock.
I'd a one percent chance of survival twice. CPR saved
my little life twice. If it's a choice between life
(22:48):
or death, or a candy bar or a living I'll
be damned if I'm ever picking that candy bar, because
to me, life is the most valuable thing. You possibly have.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
What's interesting, Jane is also when my family used to
look at me like I can taste the sugar substitute.
So far, the past three times, I've made cookies and
brownies with a sugar substitute and people rave.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
So rhythatol is the skin of a grape. Did you
know that?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yes, I had a dentist that recommended that to me.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
One time is a rhythtall. I use a little bit
among free once in a while. I use some AliOS.
I kind of spuitch them up, like there are certain
ones I go to. They're all all natural. Here's the
best part. They don't raise sprinkle cleo sal at all.
That's the most important thing. Number two. The most important
thing is I never have gotten an aftertaste ever.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
M h same here.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know what people talk about this aftertaste. I'm like,
what are you talking about? I don't get it. In
number three, I don't get a headache. But number four,
it tastes good right, and when you're using the brown
types of it, it actually bakes really well and it golden.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Is the cookie no sugar baker. Jane Jones.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
We're talking to her today as we get ready to
prepare and a lot of us prepare to cook for
the holidays. And Jane, on another note, you've worked with
some special needs communities and led inclusive baking classes. How
is your work impacted others just beyond cooking?
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Well, my husband and I started a nonprofit, My Gosh
twelve years ago take individuals with IDD on a chaperone
trips across the country and across the world. And what
I discovered when we did that is that, you know,
I speak very highly of my friends, but they have
very high obesity rates, very high mostly come home sometimes,
I think because of the medications are on for their IDD,
and they're different levels of ability and men mobility. So
(24:22):
we decided, I was like, you know, we have one
population here, Like I believe I'm a big believer in
independence for people with IDD. My mom actually ran group
homes in northern Minnesota for years, and I'm like a
big believer in the independence. Like if we're teaching people
how to live independently, then why aren't we teaching them
how to bake and cook sugar free to and teaching
them that they can actually enjoy the kitchen and learn
the skills and to experiment a little bit, and so
(24:42):
once a month we go and we teach from oh
my gosh, I've top two year olds to twenty six
year olds that are twenty six, twenty seven, sixty year
olds that have idd different levels from downstand them to
cerebral palsy to autism, that cooking can be enjoyable. It's
a science experiment and sometimes you win, sometimes you fail.
We win, and we've been doing it completely sugar free.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
And again Jane Jones, the No Sugar Bakers joining us
and Jane, your story is simply incredible. I mean, we
could go Unfortunately we're up against time, but we could
go forever talking about your story.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
First time I saw it, I was like, I have
gotten to talk to this lady. So tell us, Jane,
what is next? I mean, it sounds like you've pretty
much accomplished mission accomplished here.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
What's next for you?
Speaker 6 (25:24):
Well, gosh, you know, I am just so thankful for
every single day and be able to tell this message.
I mean, I've forgotten a million years I would be
the crusader of what it's like to live sugar free
or slinging cookies. So right now, believe it or not.
We are in the knee aps of it. So we
are talking to I think they're the second largest retailer
in the United States currently. For the last year we've
been and talks with them about developing completely sugar free products.
I'm hoping maybe Scott can have me back on in
(25:47):
about four weeks. Yeah, I think between now and four
weeks we're going to be launching our very first pies.
This is kind of a fun story. So they told
my husband, Jay's ready to go home. She's ready to
get diagnosed. He's like, they're like, we have one problem.
My husband's like, she's been through hell. What's the problem.
They're like, she doesn't eat And he's like, well, funny
should ask that because the little menu they give you
in the morning to circle like what you want to eat? Right,
(26:07):
They're like, on one hand, it's full of sugar. On
the other hand, you're telling her she can't have sugar.
Sused to end up here, so my mom was there.
They had to run to the grocery store to get
berries to make me a little heavy whipping cream. Parfe
I got released the next day with a seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars hospital bill. Six months after I
got released, I got the all clear side and I
was sitting at this desk right here, and I asked
(26:29):
my husband, I'm like, hey, why isn't there any such
thing as a sugar free cinnamon roll or sugar free cookie?
At the hospital. They wanted me to have a hot
fudge Sunday for breakfast.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Oh my god, I'm like, think.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
About that for a second. Why isn't that an option?
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Right?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
Like sad Like, if somebody would have cared enough about me,
that would have done a hack a lot more healing
than the ivy in my arm. M think about that
for a second.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
So you know we've done for the last year, we've
developed that sugar free cinnamon roll using my recipes with
the cream cheese frosty, and that tastes asked like fan plastic.
We've been to d C talking to your wonderful senators,
actually your senators in particular, talking to your wonderful senators
about you know what that Medicare and Medicaid should be
offering higher reimbursement levels to those hospitals that do offer
(27:12):
Anderson homes that do offer especialty dietary items to reduce
chronic disease.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Mm hm A one to have a product.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
On your shelf very very very very very soon, knock
on wood, because we've gotten so close to that ninety
yard line. We're ready to still go and I can't
wait for it to happen because it's almost a dream
come true for me because it's sure, you know what,
it's that purpose in life, right you. Everybody has that
purpose and God's given you a talent some reasons why,
so maybe it's that purpose of you know, I never
thought I'd be slinging cookies my entire life, but.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Hey, hey, there's worse things you could do. Let me
be honest with She's a cookie addict. And this has
been a real treat for me, pun intended. This has
been great. It's been great to talk to you. I
definitely want to talk to you down the road when
you get this product released, because any any chance we
can to promote this for folks is an absolutely wonderful thing.
And last, but certainly not least, Jane, where in the wild,
wild world of the internet can people go and find
(28:02):
your stuff?
Speaker 6 (28:02):
No, sugar Baker dot com, go there find me in
all the socials. I'm a social princess. If I'm in
all the socials, go to sugar baker dot com. Send
me a message, let me know your story. I respond
back to everybody.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Hey, listen, Jane Jones, it's been amazing to talk to you.
I really appreciate you making time. Lets you and I
keep in touch and we'll go look for those recipes
and I'll talk to you about four weeks beautiful. Wow,
what incredible show today, Doctor Pat Carroll reminding us that
taking care of our teeth is more than a smile,
could impact our mental health. And of course, Jane Jones
showed us that even after a life altering health challenge,
(28:35):
it's possible to enjoy the holidays and make the things
you like sugar free, guilt free, and almost importantly, full
of flavor. If you're planning your holiday meals, remember there's
always a way to make them healthier without sacrificing that
great taste.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Hey, thanks for joining us. I know I speak for
all of us at the.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Kentucky News Network and Kentucky Focus when I remind you
to be happy, stay healthy, and most importantly, join us
next week, I'm Scott Fitzgeral.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
We'll talk to you on Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Snakes, zombies, public speaking.
Speaker 7 (29:20):
The list of fears is endless, but the real danger
is in your hand when you're behind the wheel. Distracted
driving is what's really scary and even deadly.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Eyes Forward, Don't Drive Distracted Brought to you by Nitze
and the AD Council
And welcome to Kentucky Focus. So I'm Scott Fitzgerald. This,
of course, is the show that brings you the stories
the people's idea is shaping our state and the world
in general. Today, we've got two incredible guests you don't
want to miss. First, we're talking about something we all
take for granted, that would be our teeth, and how
mental health can actually affect our mental well being. Later on,
we'll meet someone's life who is turned upside down by
(00:23):
illness only to come back stronger and why it's right
on time for the holiday season. We'll talk about that
and much more. You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics and history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kN N.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Only one in five people with disabilities, including those with autism,
are employed, despite many having the skill set and desire
to work.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Maybe it's because employees don't know what kind of jobs
they can do.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Okay, try me, what about a programmer that is a
job for someone with autism?
Speaker 4 (01:07):
What about a teacher, That is.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
A job for someone with autism.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Oh how about a healthcare worker?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yes, those are all jobs for someone with autism. The
truth is qualified people with autism can do a lot
of different jobs, but often get overlooked due to outdated
stigmas and beliefs. Business is value diversity, but sometimes don't
recognize the unique strengths and abilities of the autism community.
Introducing WIN, the Workplace Inclusion Now Program by Autism Speaks,
(01:35):
we help businesses lead the way in inclusive hiring.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Ooh what about a ranch hand.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah, sure, that's a job for someone with autism too.
To learn more, go to Autism Speaks dot org, slash win.
That's Autism Speaks dot org slash win.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Welcome back to Kentucky Focus. I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Joining us
now is doctor Pat Carroll, one of Kentucky's top dental experts.
Of course, last month was Dental high you know Awareness
month and doctor Carroll, with exceptional dentistry in Kentucky's here
to explain why caring for your teeth is more about.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Just a smile.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It can also impact your overall health and mental wellness.
Believe it or not, so, Doctor Pat Carroll, good morning
and welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
And so as we.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Leave Dental Hygiene Awareness Month, what's the takeaway you want
for listeners.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
We in dentistry have known for a long time that
the mouth is connected to the rest of the body.
But so many people these days, I think, think, you know, well,
I need to brush my teeth and floss and everything,
just because we need to keep our teeth good so
that we can eat and enjoy the things we want
to enjoy as we get older. But we know now
that there's so much more important with good oral care
(02:42):
as far as taking care of your body. I want
to just point up one study that came out. They
took an MRI of about twelve hundred people, and in
that MRI they found a much higher incidence of white
matter hyperintensities and people that had periodontal disease. White matter
hyper intensities, well, white matter neurons in your brain to
(03:05):
carry information from one part of your brain to the
other and when they glow in an MRI or more
hyper intense, that shows they've been damaged. Well, in that
study there was a much much higher degree of hyperintensity
in people that had peridonal disease. At the same time,
they did a parallel study of almost six thousand people
that they followed for twenty one years, and they found
(03:27):
that people with paradonal disease had a much much higher
rate of cerebral vascular disease with strokes, and those with
pardonal disease and cavities had even a much higher rate
of strokes than those with just paradonal disease. When the
physicians said, there's no way this is a benign neuroimaging finding,
(03:48):
a large body of evidence has shown that severe white
matter hyper intensities are associated with an increased risk of dementia, mortality,
subular vascular strokes, those kind of things. So you know, Scott,
my family has heart disease and Alzheimer's disease runs in it.
So I'm going to do everything in my power to
try to reduce that. So right there, that just shows
(04:10):
you just new information come out daily that Hey, it's
not just about keeping your eyes so you can chew, man,
this is keeping your mind sound. It can reduce the
risk of having those issues in the future. So that's
why I think world cares. We know that, you know,
the mass connected to the body man, so you got
to take care of it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Doctor Pat Carrolly is with exceptional dentistry in Kentucky here
and that's why we love bringing the in doct because
people don't draw all those correlations. This isn't just going
about getting your teeth cleaned and being scared you're going.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
To have a cavity and get it filled.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
This will certainly improve your quality of life in many
other ways, and doc hygenis are often described as the
unsung heroes of the dental practice, much like yours. And
I know that first an from your great staff you
have there. They balance patient care, technology, of course, long hours.
What do you think makes a great dental hygienist and
how do you see that come out of the place
like exceptional dentistry.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
That's a great question and it kind of it comes
down to maybe with people who think of pass But
the thing with hygiene is that you've got to be
a carrying individual. You've got to really care about people
and trying to make their life better because it's not
an easy job. You've got to have the love of learning.
Because like these articles that I follow, you know, I
pass these on to my hygien is, say guys. This
(05:22):
is stuff that's important and they take it. So you've
got to have a love of learning, because you've got
to want to embrace the stuff and pass that on
to patients. When you're work in an office like guards,
you're working closely with people all day every day. We're
seeing people in times where a lot of people don't
want to see us. You know, we're not their favorite people.
So you've got to have people that are a team player,
personal caring about people, and have a good work ethic
(05:44):
because it's not an easy job. They're in some weird
positions trying to keep their teeth clean. You know, they're
more prone to like risk problems, back problems, those kinds
of things. So you can't overload these people. You've got
to have people with a good work ethic, good team player,
and are really carrying individual you.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Know, we're talking with doctor Pat Carrolly's with exceptional dentistry
here in Kentucky and we're wrapping up Dental Hygiene Month
and the time to really look at yourself inwards is
doc has told us it affects more than just your teeth.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
That can affect your mental health, your brain.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
There are a lot of moving parts here an he
of course at Kentucky on at dental dot Com and
doc I follow you on social media and I follow
of course Exceptional Dentistry on social media, and I see
to your point you're doing a lot of social events
with your hygienist. How important is it to really, I guess,
kind of prevent burnout in the field, because, as you mentioned,
(06:35):
the physical and emotional demands can be can be quite
a bit in this field.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
I mean it is a tough balance. God. You know,
since COVID changed, people I think have changed a little bit.
I think there are expectations of we in healthcare have
gotten higher. I think that we have noticed they're more demanding.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's something
we have to take into account. And so how did
this are seeing this, you know, right at the right
of the thing, and it's something they have to work
(07:01):
through with people that maybe not want to be seen there.
So you can't just put these people in a thing
and say, okay, guys, we're here for eight hours or
seeing eight patients every seeing one patient every sixty minutes.
You got to get this stuff done. You know, you
don't want to get them on that treadmill. Hygenis now
are high demand. We've lost a lot of them the
profession after COVID, worried about their safety and these kinds
(07:23):
of things burn out. So we want to be sure
to support our hygienists and the best we can. So
you've got to give them enough time to get done
what we asked them to do. And it can't be
all about work. It's building a culture of trust. And
my partner, actually down, my boss, doctor Devn Schumaker, does
a great, great job at that. She realizes that most
of these people, a lot of our hygienists are mothers
(07:46):
of young children, a lot of our hygienists are are
taking continue education, so there's a lot of demands on
their time. So it can't just be we come to
work and we work great ours. You know, you go
to see a lot of dental office that they have
hygienists and forty five minute hours, forty five minute blocks,
get that patient in, get their teeth cleaned, get those
things done. Let's get them out of here. Kind of
a treadmill. We had exceptional dentistry with dev as our leader.
(08:09):
Don't do that, as you see, there'd be some afternoons.
We take an afternoon out of the office and we
had a pumpkin decorating gone to us with everybody, you know,
people to vote for him. Devil shut down the day
like Halloween, we're not working in the office because she
knows that a lot of our hygienists have children that
they want to go to the school for their Halloween
(08:29):
parties and things like that. So I think that's something
and that's something we have to ask our patients to
understand because we've had a couple of hygienists leave and
the profession so we can't see as many people as
we wanted to and we're having to space them out
a little bit. But we still have to take this
time for ourselves because I don't want a health care
provider that's burned out. I know you don't want a
health care that You want people that care and you've
(08:53):
got to keep them in that caring attitude. So we
try to create a culture of education, continued learning, fund
and care for each other, team building those kinds of things.
I know it sounds kind of passa, but when you
do it with intent, I think that that matters. And
I think if you have a happy team, you're going
to have happy patients and a good work balance.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Right on again.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Talking with doctor Pat Carroll, spending a few good minutes
with him, he of course is with exceptional dentistry here
in Kentucky. And if you want more information or just
have questions for doc Kentucky and a dental dot com
is a great place to start. And of course it's
Dental Hygiene Months. We're wrapping that up here in October.
And along those lines, Doc, we've seen, you know, technology
and AI work its way into every bit of business,
(09:34):
to include our own here at iHeartMedia. What really builds
patient trust in the human interaction in the midst of
all these digital imaging tools and AI. How do you
strike that balance between technology and personal connection.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Yeah, I think that's a great question, con And you know, technology,
we've got to remember, at least in healthcare, you know,
we're still a high touch, high interaction profession. So technology
can only be a tool to kind of increase the
care and make the appointment easier and better for our patients.
But you know, all the technology, all the great technology
(10:09):
in the world, can't make it for someone who doesn't
care or someone who's not competent at least in our
field right now. So what I tell or what I
telled all our patientscuse me, all our team members, is
that you know, it's a pascity, it's a cliche, but
you know, no one cares how much you know till
they know how much you care. So you know, no
one's going to care about this great tool till they
(10:30):
know you're trying to use that to make their situation better.
So what we try to tell people is, like you've
seen our inter oral scanners, technology and things like that
is a tool for us. We used to tell people, hey,
you have this issue, and we try to show it
on an X rayer, we try to throw it on
a picture. But technology is a tool for us so
(10:51):
that we can make our patients better. Understand when we
take a scan of your mouth and we put it
up on a large screen TV and we show he
you know, Scott, you've got a crack in this tooth.
Or see where your gums are we're seeding here, Or
see how your your teeths are wearing down where things
they couldn't see, well now they can see it in
a picture and go, hey, doc, you know you're not
just snowing me and trying to make a real issues.
(11:14):
I can see the issue you're talking about right now,
and I can see we need to fix that. So
that I think technology does two things. It enables us
to educate the patient better. And now when we do
a crown prep or something, we can scan it with
an int oral scanner, which is easier for the patient.
We're not having to put you know, all the sometimes
we still have to, but we're not having to put
all the gunk in the people's mouth to take an
(11:35):
impression to get a crown. So technology is just a
tool for us to educate our patients, make it easier
for our patients. Now that means that it makes it easier
for us to do those things, but it's only a tool,
and so you have to make that connection with the patient.
The patient. You can show them all this stuff, but
if they think you don't care, then they're not going
(11:55):
to They're not going to seek you out as your
treatment to provide their treatment. So knowledge is a great tool,
but it's never gonna take It's not good in the
hands of an uncarrying or an incompetent provider.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Talking with doctor pat Carroll exceptional dentistry here in Kentucky.
Great resource on this dental Hygiene month as we wrap
it up here and if you want to learn more again,
the website.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Is Kentucky at a dental dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Last question for you, Doc, Okay, we're gonna head into
the holiday season now, routines we know can slip quite
a bit. What's the one thing you'd like everybody to
keep in mind about maintaining that healthy mouth and gums
year round so they can at least partly work to
put you out of business?
Speaker 5 (12:35):
You know, Dev and our kid about this time of years,
it kind of being as the farmer said, this is
kind of a harvest time. Yeah, because because people are
going to inadvertently get busy in the holidays, they're gonna
like kids are gonna go out for candy and tomorrow
night they're gonna trig a treat and they're gonna start
eating stuff they would never eat. They would never go
to store the bath, So you know, they're gonna start
(12:56):
breaking teeth on hard stuff. Holidays, eating nuts and stuff,
all those kind of things. We see a much bigger
increase in our emergency calls during this time of year,
so you know, My thing in this case would be
try to stay as much as you can into your routine.
You know, when your kids go out trick or treating
tonight and you bring all that stuff home, you know,
kind of do a little sneak peek stuff in there
(13:18):
that you would never let them eat, and go to
the store to buy toss it out. You know, they're
going to get more candy tonight that they can eat
for the next you know, month and a half, So
it's okay to take a little bit of that way.
Try to keep them in the routine of you know,
brushing and flossing and those kind of things. Same thing
with we adults, you know, we start going out to
Thanksgiving parties and Christmas parties, we get out of our routines.
(13:38):
We're eating and drinking stuff we didn't used to. Big
thing is try to be a little mindful. We're all gonna,
you know, this is the holidays, go out, have a
good time, eat and drink the things you want to
bean drink. But try to stay a little bit in
that routine of and be mindful of Okay, we can't
let everything just go to pot. We're not going to
gain one hundred pounds eating and drinking and breaking our
teeth on stuff. So that's the biggest thing is just
(14:00):
try to get into a routine, stay in a routine,
enjoy have a good time. But you know that if
nothing else, twice a day, once in the morning, once
the night, you gotta brush. Got to hit that philoss
once a day. And if you're gonna eat a lot
of candy and things, I got your kids this evening
and stuff. If you're gonna get a snicker bar, eat
the snicker bar. Don't take a bite.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Right because it's not how.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Much you eat, but it's how often you eat it.
So that's the big thing you got to you gotta
watch out for. So go into the holidays, have a
great time, but be mindful that you know you gotta
you gotta stay in that routine.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Right on, Doctor Pat Carroll, you are the absolute best
of my friend.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
I always enjoy coming to see it.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
And full disclosure, Doc Carroll got me over my one
hundred percent guaranteed fear of dentists.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
He knows I had it.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
He rebuilt my mouth and he's done a great job.
Exceptional dentistry is where they're at Kentucky and a dental
dot com.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Doc.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Thank you so much, my friend, and I look forward
to talking to you down the road.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Thanks God, it's always a pleasure. I really appreciate you
having me on again.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Thanks so much to doctor bad Carroll with exceptional dentistry
here in Kentucky. If you more information or just have
a question for doctor's staff, let me be happy to
answer it for you. Just visit Kentucky aadental dot com
coming up just in time for the holidays. What if
I told you that you could enjoy all those sweet
treats you wanted to.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
And you don't have to worry about it?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Do any agree?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
We'll talk about that in more coming up. I'm Scott Fitzgerald.
You're listening to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 7 (15:24):
The best words to hear At the TSA security checkpoint,
you're here to go.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
All it takes is a little preparation.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Get to the airport early, bring a carry on bag
that fits in the overhead, and have an acceptable ID.
Not all state issued IDs will cut it. Check out
TSA dot CoV slash ID and see which TSA acceptable
IDs make the grade like a real ID or passport
before you jet.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Do a little prep and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Check out TSA dot gov, slash id or the my TSAP.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Well today, I'm Kentucky folk.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Guys, We're welcoming a truly inspiring guest, someone whose story
proves that resilience, determination, and a little creativity can transform
even the toughest challenges. Jane Jones, also known as the
No Sugar Baker, based life altering diabetes diagnosis that.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Temporarily left her without sight. But she didn't let that
stop her.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
She even reinvented her life, returned to the kitchen, and
created delicious sugar free recipes that bring joy without compromising health.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Jane, thanks so much, and welcome to Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 6 (16:23):
Thank you so much for having me on. I appreciate
it all.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Right, Jane, let's start at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
On your forty fourth birthday, you ended up in the
er with sky high blood pressure levels and glucose levels.
Talk about what that moment was like and what it
felt like to face it a severe diagnosis.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
Yeah, so here's actually what happened. So I thought I
had the flu. Basically I was sick for about a week.
My husband dragged me in the emergency room. It was
my birthday, believe it or not. Well, I think that's
when the body clock just completely just stopped. So went
to the ear my bears tell you, my blood pressure
was two eighty nine over one eighty nine day. My
gluehost level was over six hundred. I had no idea
what glucose meant at the time. The er physician diagnosed
(17:01):
me as severely diabetic and told me these magical words.
She released me. She said, for the rest of your life,
you need lean meats and salads, and she sent me home.
What she did tell me I was gonna wake up
to no eyesight for the next three weeks of my life.
But six months later I was insulin free, diabetic meds
and free, sugar free. Sixty pounds later, my vision was
back to twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Well, talk about some healthy ways you might be able
to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday? What was that like
when you finally came to the realization like I can't
see and I need to change my life.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
When we talk about that.
Speaker 6 (17:29):
I think it's more in shock. Basically, I'll never forget
this day. So I'm a lawyer by trade, and one
of the very first things I do in the morning
as I check my email, so of course I was
in the er the night before I got home and
we slept probably pretty well. I woke up and grabbed
my phone and I told my husband. I'm like, oh great,
and now we need to go get a new phone.
And then we turned on the TV to watch the
(17:49):
headlines and I'm like, we have to go get to
do TV too, and he's like, what are you talking about?
And I'm like, you can see the TV. He's like,
you can't. And from that moment, I for three weeks
the ice I went from very blurry to very nothing.
So more than anything, I think I was just afraid
and afraid scared if somebody would have told me when
(18:11):
your glucose level is that high, over six hundred, right,
and then what happens is the retina swells. So when
it's that high, and then you start to decrease naturally, right,
because I went I mean I went cold turkey on
the no sugar instantly. Yeah. So when it starts to
decrease like that, the vision it swells even worse, and
even more so it temporarily goes right. But not one person,
(18:31):
nobody even told me that. So here, I am a
health lawyer by trade, got super duper sick, had no
resources were out there, So I started a blog. Believe
it or not, six months after I got sick. I
started a blog to be like, hey, look, you know
what I'm going to tell you exactly what it's like
to go through what I went through, so that there's
anybody else out there that's searching for those answers. You
(18:53):
got a place to go to and somebody who's not
a fitness model right telling you to run around the
track and not eat that candy bar. Completely get it,
because I'm the real deal.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
After recovering, you said you went back into the kitchen,
you reinvented recipes. How did you get started with your
sugar free recipes?
Speaker 4 (19:10):
Your creations?
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Really, so here's what happened. That's a great story. So
basically everybody, all my friends were like listen. So August
was my first got sick. So like once I got there, like,
you just need to get through Christmas, gets to get
through the holidays, and then everybody under the sun goes
sugar free and January, so it'll be super easy for you,
like every capstane pick, just get through it. Just get
through the holidays. While I got through the holidays, found
(19:32):
myself at the grocery store, and I'm a believer, said
a little proer to God. I'm like, there's got to
be a way, because I always speak in terms of
before I got sick and after I got sick. Well,
before I got sick, I used to love to bake.
It was my hobby. After I got sick, I literally
threw everything in my kitchen away. I was mad at
the world. If you google it, the first thing that
comes up is obesity. Right, So I'm like, I turn rest,
so said a prayer, turn around, And I found a
(19:53):
product that was all natural sweetener. I bought it. Didn't
tell anybody. My parents live across the street. My husband
works with me full time, so we're together twenty four seven.
I didn't tell either one either one of those guys
what I was doing. I made chocolate chip cookies using
sugar free chocolate chips. I didn't even try the dough.
I brought them more with my parents.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
You know what they did, Huh?
Speaker 6 (20:14):
They started to cry, And I'm like, oh, dear God,
are they that bad? Yeah? And They're like, no, We've
been waiting for this day since the day our daughter
got sick. And we finally see that spirit and spark
back in her. From that moment on, I started just
kind of experimenting a little bit, figure out, Okay, what
can you do? What can't you do? And from the
get go here's what I was determined this way. I
was like, we're not baking with lemon grass, We're not
(20:36):
baking with super official like all those supplements, all the
other protein crap that people push out there, because that's
not realistic. I was the Midwest girl that was going
to tell you how you can bake stuff that you
have right now in your pantry, that you can do
it and it tastes good. My very favorite recipe if
you guys google it, just go to no sugar baker
dot com is the Holy Smokes pumpkin bars. You want
to know why I call them holy smokes? Why is
(20:58):
that because everybody had tastes them suff totally smokes afterwards
because they can't believe they're sugar free.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Isn't it a magical discovery when you realize, you know, like,
if you have a sugar craving like I do, there
are alternatives out there for you, and you can actually
you can make the recipea.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
Smart about it right, Yeah, exactly, sugar right, Moe, sugar
margin has sugar like my very first you remind me
of saying it was my very first Thanksgiving. My mom
boss her heart was trying to make Thanksgiving and be
special again because oh, we can't have Jane over for
Thanksgiving because you can't have sugar like it was like
a dot like people were like treating me like a Martian.
It was crazy, right, So my mom was like, oh,
(21:33):
we can do this. Well she used she actually used
a very cheat butter and she didn't look at them
now we look at labels like crazy. That was full
of sugar. I was sicker than a dog that first Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
What I find interesting, too, Jane, is that when people
discover that you're eating maybe a sugar substitute and having
never tried it, they will need your react and they'll go, oh,
I need, I just need the real thing I need.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
How do you respond to folks like that, especially if you're.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Starting to cook for Thanksgiving and you want to make
those cookies, you want to make those pumpkin bars.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
You say to folks, listen, I'm using sugar step.
Speaker 6 (22:04):
I have two ways of responding to that. Yeah, So
here's the first wife. So we do food chows, right,
and if I say the sugar for people walk by
and they're like, oh, sugar free, and they're like, oh,
I dare you to try one? Just try it for me? Right,
They're like, oh no, I don't I like sugar. But
I'm like, well that's great and Danny, but if you
try this, it's gonna knock your socks off. And then
they try it and they're like, oh my gosh, really
that's sugar free. Unbelievable. The other thing is this, So
I get asked all the time. I'm like, how do
(22:25):
you miss Do you miss the brownie? You must really
miss a BROWNI you must really miss a candy bar.
You want to know my answer? If it's a choice
between life or death, which is just choice for me.
So two years ago I ended up with a severe,
huge kidney stone. That kidney stone lead to stepsis shock.
I'd a one percent chance of survival twice. CPR saved
my little life twice. If it's a choice between life
(22:48):
or death, or a candy bar or a living I'll
be damned if I'm ever picking that candy bar, because
to me, life is the most valuable thing. You possibly have.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
What's interesting, Jane is also when my family used to
look at me like I can taste the sugar substitute.
So far, the past three times, I've made cookies and
brownies with a sugar substitute and people rave.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
So rhythatol is the skin of a grape. Did you
know that?
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yes, I had a dentist that recommended that to me.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
One time is a rhythtall. I use a little bit
among free once in a while. I use some AliOS.
I kind of spuitch them up, like there are certain
ones I go to. They're all all natural. Here's the
best part. They don't raise sprinkle cleo sal at all.
That's the most important thing. Number two. The most important
thing is I never have gotten an aftertaste ever.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
M h same here.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know what people talk about this aftertaste. I'm like,
what are you talking about? I don't get it. In
number three, I don't get a headache. But number four,
it tastes good right, and when you're using the brown
types of it, it actually bakes really well and it golden.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Is the cookie no sugar baker. Jane Jones.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
We're talking to her today as we get ready to
prepare and a lot of us prepare to cook for
the holidays. And Jane, on another note, you've worked with
some special needs communities and led inclusive baking classes. How
is your work impacted others just beyond cooking?
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Well, my husband and I started a nonprofit, My Gosh
twelve years ago take individuals with IDD on a chaperone
trips across the country and across the world. And what
I discovered when we did that is that, you know,
I speak very highly of my friends, but they have
very high obesity rates, very high mostly come home sometimes,
I think because of the medications are on for their IDD,
and they're different levels of ability and men mobility. So
(24:22):
we decided, I was like, you know, we have one
population here, Like I believe I'm a big believer in
independence for people with IDD. My mom actually ran group
homes in northern Minnesota for years, and I'm like a
big believer in the independence. Like if we're teaching people
how to live independently, then why aren't we teaching them
how to bake and cook sugar free to and teaching
them that they can actually enjoy the kitchen and learn
the skills and to experiment a little bit, and so
(24:42):
once a month we go and we teach from oh
my gosh, I've top two year olds to twenty six
year olds that are twenty six, twenty seven, sixty year
olds that have idd different levels from downstand them to
cerebral palsy to autism, that cooking can be enjoyable. It's
a science experiment and sometimes you win, sometimes you fail.
We win, and we've been doing it completely sugar free.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
And again Jane Jones, the No Sugar Bakers joining us
and Jane, your story is simply incredible. I mean, we
could go Unfortunately we're up against time, but we could
go forever talking about your story.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
First time I saw it, I was like, I have
gotten to talk to this lady. So tell us, Jane,
what is next? I mean, it sounds like you've pretty
much accomplished mission accomplished here.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
What's next for you?
Speaker 6 (25:24):
Well, gosh, you know, I am just so thankful for
every single day and be able to tell this message.
I mean, I've forgotten a million years I would be
the crusader of what it's like to live sugar free
or slinging cookies. So right now, believe it or not.
We are in the knee aps of it. So we
are talking to I think they're the second largest retailer
in the United States currently. For the last year we've
been and talks with them about developing completely sugar free products.
I'm hoping maybe Scott can have me back on in
(25:47):
about four weeks. Yeah, I think between now and four
weeks we're going to be launching our very first pies.
This is kind of a fun story. So they told
my husband, Jay's ready to go home. She's ready to
get diagnosed. He's like, they're like, we have one problem.
My husband's like, she's been through hell. What's the problem.
They're like, she doesn't eat And he's like, well, funny
should ask that because the little menu they give you
in the morning to circle like what you want to eat? Right,
(26:07):
They're like, on one hand, it's full of sugar. On
the other hand, you're telling her she can't have sugar.
Sused to end up here, so my mom was there.
They had to run to the grocery store to get
berries to make me a little heavy whipping cream. Parfe
I got released the next day with a seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars hospital bill. Six months after I
got released, I got the all clear side and I
was sitting at this desk right here, and I asked
(26:29):
my husband, I'm like, hey, why isn't there any such
thing as a sugar free cinnamon roll or sugar free cookie?
At the hospital. They wanted me to have a hot
fudge Sunday for breakfast.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Oh my god, I'm like, think.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
About that for a second. Why isn't that an option?
Speaker 7 (26:41):
Right?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
Like sad Like, if somebody would have cared enough about me,
that would have done a hack a lot more healing
than the ivy in my arm. M think about that
for a second.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
So you know we've done for the last year, we've
developed that sugar free cinnamon roll using my recipes with
the cream cheese frosty, and that tastes asked like fan plastic.
We've been to d C talking to your wonderful senators,
actually your senators in particular, talking to your wonderful senators
about you know what that Medicare and Medicaid should be
offering higher reimbursement levels to those hospitals that do offer
(27:12):
Anderson homes that do offer especialty dietary items to reduce
chronic disease.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Mm hm A one to have a product.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
On your shelf very very very very very soon, knock
on wood, because we've gotten so close to that ninety
yard line. We're ready to still go and I can't
wait for it to happen because it's almost a dream
come true for me because it's sure, you know what,
it's that purpose in life, right you. Everybody has that
purpose and God's given you a talent some reasons why,
so maybe it's that purpose of you know, I never
thought I'd be slinging cookies my entire life, but.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Hey, hey, there's worse things you could do. Let me
be honest with She's a cookie addict. And this has
been a real treat for me, pun intended. This has
been great. It's been great to talk to you. I
definitely want to talk to you down the road when
you get this product released, because any any chance we
can to promote this for folks is an absolutely wonderful thing.
And last, but certainly not least, Jane, where in the wild,
wild world of the internet can people go and find
(28:02):
your stuff?
Speaker 6 (28:02):
No, sugar Baker dot com, go there find me in
all the socials. I'm a social princess. If I'm in
all the socials, go to sugar baker dot com. Send
me a message, let me know your story. I respond
back to everybody.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Hey, listen, Jane Jones, it's been amazing to talk to you.
I really appreciate you making time. Lets you and I
keep in touch and we'll go look for those recipes
and I'll talk to you about four weeks beautiful. Wow,
what incredible show today, Doctor Pat Carroll reminding us that
taking care of our teeth is more than a smile,
could impact our mental health. And of course, Jane Jones
showed us that even after a life altering health challenge,
(28:35):
it's possible to enjoy the holidays and make the things
you like sugar free, guilt free, and almost importantly, full
of flavor. If you're planning your holiday meals, remember there's
always a way to make them healthier without sacrificing that
great taste.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Hey, thanks for joining us. I know I speak for
all of us at the.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Kentucky News Network and Kentucky Focus when I remind you
to be happy, stay healthy, and most importantly, join us
next week, I'm Scott Fitzgeral.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
We'll talk to you on Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
Snakes, zombies, public speaking.
Speaker 7 (29:20):
The list of fears is endless, but the real danger
is in your hand when you're behind the wheel. Distracted
driving is what's really scary and even deadly.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
Eyes Forward, Don't Drive Distracted Brought to you by Nitze
and the AD Council
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.