March 4, 2025 • 26 mins
Imagine walking into your kitchen with a plan that doesn’t just simplify your cooking, but transforms it. This week, we’re diving into the world of gut-friendly foods with the Where to Buy It? eBook that’s shaking up how we think about sourcing ingredients. Whether you’re a seasoned health enthusiast or just dipping your toes into scratch cooking, this episode promises to intrigue and inspire fellow nutritionists and health coaches.
Introducing the Where to Buy It? eBook
Today, I sit down with Jennifer Scribner, a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Founder of Body Wisdom Nutrition. She helps people restore their microbiome in mid-life to address complex digestive, skin, and autoimmune conditions. She is also the author of several books, a gut-centered food buying guide and from mac and cheese to veggies, please which helps children eat new foods and end picky eating forever.
We dive into how her Where to Buy It? eBook not only simplifies the sourcing process but also encourages cooking from scratch, promoting better health and greater control over ingredients. Whether you’re navigating specialty grocery stores or farmers' markets, this Where to Buy It? eBook is designed to be the ultimate resource for gut-friendly eating.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How the Where to Buy It? eBook addressed gaps in the market
- The biggest challenges or frustrations her clients were facing when it came to sourcing ingredients
- How her clients' experiences influenced the creation of her eBook
- The vetted list of brands Jennifer trusts to source high-quality ingredients
- The dangers of misleading marketing in the health food industry
- How to find a balance between affordability and providing a high-value digital product
Links Mentioned:
Connect with Jennifer on Instagram
Body Wisdom Nutrition
Send me a text if you loved this episode!
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
Your feedback helps me reach more solopreneurs like you.
It’s super easy—just click here, scroll to the bottom, tap those five stars, and hit “Write a Review.” I’d love to know what resonated most with you in this episode!
And don’t forget to hit that follow button if you haven’t already! There’s plenty more coming your way—practical tips, inspiring stories, and tools to help you grow a business that makes a real difference. You won’t want to miss out!
Let's Connect on Instagram
yeslab.ca
Search your favorite episodes HERE
This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more
For information about how to start your podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co
Or e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alyssa (00:00):
nutritionists, health coaches or even just listeners,
who are listening to this,thinking that they need the when
Can I Buy it ebook, and they'reinspired by what you've created
.
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, thepodcast that takes you behind
the scenes of some of the mostinspiring digital products
created by solopreneurs justlike you.
(00:20):
I'm your host, alyssa, adigital product strategist who
helps subject matter expertsgrow their business with online
courses, memberships, coachingprograms and eBooks.
If you're a solopreneur withdreams of packaging your
expertise into a profitabledigital product, then this is
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
(00:42):
same fears, doubts andchallenges you're experiencing,
from unexpected surprises tobreakthrough moments and
everything in between.
Tune in, get inspired and let'sspark your next big, brilliant
idea.
On this episode of BrilliantIdeas, jennifer is joining me
today as a guest.
She is a functional nutritionaltherapy practitioner and
founder of Body Wisdom Nutrition.
(01:03):
She helps people restore theirmicrobiome in midlife to address
complex digestive, skin andautoimmune conditions.
She is also the author ofseveral books a gut-centered
food buying guide, and From Macand Cheese to Veggies Please,
which helps children eat newfoods and end picky eating
forever.
I'm so excited to have her onthe show today.
Welcome, jennifer, I'm so happyyou're here.
Jennifer (01:25):
Thanks.
I'm so happy to be here too.
Thanks for asking.
Alyssa (01:27):
Of course, and the reason I wanted you on the show
today is because you've createdso many incredible resources
that help people make realchanges to their health, and one
of the tools that really stoodout to me is your where can I
buy an ebook or the guide?
Because anyone who's going to agrocery store or a meat market
finding clean, gut, healthy,friendly foods can feel so
(01:49):
overwhelming, and you've reallymanaged to simplify that process
so that's really convenient tojust grab and go.
So I'd love to start there andask you what inspired you to
create this guide which, whichis amazing and what gaps in the
market you were trying toaddress for those trying to look
at or just to make thosehealthier food choices.
Jennifer (02:12):
You know, it was really the title kind of says it
all.
Like every time I wouldrecommend something to a client
or on social people would alwaysask or message me where can I
buy it?
People would always ask ormessage me where can I buy it,
and so I wanted to really justfinally put that out there and
say here's your allcomprehensive answer for all of
(02:32):
the types of things that youmight be looking for that are
gut friendly or traditionallyprepared in a way that maintains
nutrient density, and I justdidn't see any one source.
There are many companies thatare specializing in one type of
thing.
You know, maybe they do asourdough bread or maybe they do
kimchi or something, but therewasn't any place where I could
(02:54):
say, okay, here's the catch-allwhere you can find all of these
type of products in one place.
Alyssa (03:00):
I know, and when I went through it I found it extremely
detailed and very comprehensive,included like every food you
can possibly think of, and for alot of people, picking out that
food is it's not really thehard part.
It's finding and sourcing thattype of food and knowing that
where you live and what you'relooking for may not really be
available in your state orregion.
(03:22):
Like, for an example, I can'treally go to a grocery store and
buy raw milk in Canada, sowe're kind of limited to like
what foods we can buy here.
So I feel like this where tobuy it guide can feel it can
make your search so much easier,and so my question to you is
what were some of the biggestchallenges or frustrations that
(03:44):
you noticed when you were firstcreating this guide?
What people were having, youknow when they couldn't source,
they couldn't find the rightingredients, they were trying to
eat healthier, and you knowwhat kind of frustrations were
they facing and how did thoseexperiences influence the way
you created your ebook?
Jennifer (04:01):
The US can be a patchwork of stuff like that too
, especially when it comes toraw milk, and so it's not always
available in stores there, butthere are places that you might
be able to order online or atleast higher quality.
So some of it was that, justthat availability.
I mean you can be in a certainarea, but if you're in the city
you might have access to a lotof stuff, but you could live 25
(04:23):
minutes out in the suburbs andhave a very limited selection,
especially when it comes to someof the more you know,
convenience package foods thatyou might have on occasion.
So that's what I was reallywanting to address, and the
there's so much marketing aboutcertain foods and that really
confuses people.
Like what are the differencesbetween something that's natural
(04:45):
or hormone free, or, you know,gluten free?
Like what do all these thingsmean?
And you know gluten free isn'tnecessarily really good for your
gut because it can be verystarchy and that can still be
filled with sugar.
And so from my perspective andmy experience, I'm looking at
what are the traditional type ofsweeteners, even that were used
.
So in my guide you'll findthings that only include honey
(05:07):
or maple syrup or coconut sugaror maybe some organic cane sugar
, but even that I'm prettyparticular about.
So I want things to be Lessprocessed, more traditional, the
way that people were makingfood for themselves before there
was industry.
What companies are mimickingthat, and many of them might not
be selling really locally andso finding them online and maybe
(05:32):
for me I don't buy a ton ofthat stuff, but when I do, I
want it to be that nice quality,quality, and so I will have a
little bit of that kind of in mypantry, because I know that I
can't just run to the storewhere I'm living in the suburbs
and find a really good cracker,for example, that doesn't have
seed oils in it, or evensomething like chips.
You know that I don't need a lotof, but when I do I don't want
(05:54):
it to just be totally crummy formy health, because we all get a
hankering for that, and thenthere are folks even looking for
some.
You know a lot.
The foundation of my guide,really the first section, is
where can we get meat andpoultry and fish that's
sustainably sourced, that's notcorn fed, that's not filled with
antibiotics?
And so here are the places thatI have vetted that are really
(06:17):
following these practices andthat you might find something
locally and I talk about that ineach section Like here's what I
look for when I'm lookinglocally at the grocery store and
here are some brands you mightfind, but here are things that
you could order online as well.
Alyssa (06:32):
I love that perspective.
I love how you took what yourclients were telling you and
then you created a solution fromthings that they were trying to
find or source and theycouldn't find specific.
You know things that they weretrying to find or source and
they couldn't find.
You know specific ingredientsand things that they were trying
to.
You know they're on a specificdiet.
They, you know you're kind ofstuck to just you don't.
You know you had to.
You had no other um guide orinstructions on where to find
(06:58):
these ingredients, and so I findI really love that you have
this detailed list of curatedcompanies that you mentioned.
I actually don't see any otherperson doing that where they
have a list of companies thatyou have vetted that you know
are reputable brands.
I just find that people are justsuper weird about which
(07:20):
companies are reputable, whichpeople you know, what companies
they can trust, even withprepared foods or you know just
in general, and so I find thatwhat I like about your ebook is
it takes away the guesswork,because it takes so long for
someone.
If you're looking for specificingredients for a diet, you know
(07:42):
you're going on google, you'redoing your research.
That could be hundreds andhundreds of hours like just, and
you can just spend your wholeday doing that, and so I like
that.
You took the guesswork out ofthat equation and now you have
this curated list of companiesthat people can just go to the
ebook and click and it goesstraight to the company.
How did you compile such adetailed list of companies Like,
(08:04):
were these companies you'veknown for a really long time, or
were these companies thatyou're connected with personally
, that you've used yourself inthe past?
Tell me more about that.
Jennifer (08:13):
Some of them are.
It really started from my ownlist and that would be what I
would share with clients like,oh well, here's the place where
I would order a beet kvass, forexample you know fermented drink
and so here's this place, orhere's three places that you can
get that, and so it really juststarted out as my own research.
And I am a very detailed personand a researcher, so it does
(08:34):
kind of come natural for me toproduce something like this,
which I think is why Ioverlooked it for a long time.
Because it's like this which Ithink is why I overlooked it for
a long time, because it's likeoh, obviously you just do your
research and you just find theseplaces.
And so it grew from my personallist to oh, here's some things
that might be regional to yourarea in the U S that you know I
haven't had, but these wouldmeet my criteria.
(08:57):
And people do get kind of funnyabout brands, and part of it is
when you're in, especially, youknow, the marketing space.
A lot of people promote thingsthat they're affiliates of and I
do that too, but I don't onlydo that and so you know,
especially smaller brands, theymay not have affiliates or
they're really great things,that that just might not be how
they're marketing, and I, if I'man affiliate of something, I'm
(09:19):
definitely going to use theaffiliate link and, you know,
get a little thank you cash forthat.
But that's not my only criteriafor promoting something like
this.
So there was my kind of corelist and then, as this idea
developed, I sat down and I didthe research and I looked
through the brands and I got onthe web and all of that and
(09:40):
found additional brands thatwould meet my criteria, and my
team and I will actually updatethis every six months we go back
and we look through okay, doall these products links still
work?
Are these brands still in theintegrity that we're looking at?
Because things get sold to toother brands and they may
(10:02):
actually change theirformulations or things could go
out of business, and so can welocate those things?
And then, as I come across newadditions, you know I was at the
Weston Price Conference inOctober in Orlando and I came
across a different brand ofsprouted nuts that I was like,
oh my gosh, these are amazing.
I absolutely want to includethese in the guide, and so I'll
(10:23):
add little additions like thatas I find things on my own or as
my clients and customers mightshare something really amazing
that they've found.
So it's just kind of that now.
It's a bit of a collaborativeeffort where there may be a
handful of new things that getadded and there might be things
that drop out as well, as itcontinues to evolve.
Alyssa (10:43):
That's amazing and so interesting and there's so many.
I know, as you've mentioned,there's so many conflicting
standards of what's consideredhigh quality because of the
marketing out there and I lovethat your team updates every six
months.
So do they get access?
So the people who purchase theguide, do they they just get an
update of the book, or how doesthat work?
Jennifer (11:03):
Yeah.
So I send out an email and I'llsay hey, there's been some
updates or some new additions.
Would you like the updated copy?
So right now we're just kind ofdoing that manually and as
people respond we're replyingback.
I don't know a way to likequite do a download link on that
, but I think we'll figure thatout as it grows.
But so far it hasn't beenunmanageable to just kind of
(11:24):
reattach the PDF when we get areply.
And then I feel like that's anice, just bonus for people,
because how often does thathappen, where you get a digital
product and they're like oh hey,we added more to it and here's
another you know, updatedversion and it's free for you.
So to me that just feels like alittle nice added touch.
It is, yeah, connection topeople too.
Alyssa (11:45):
It is, and I don't like that when you buy this product
and then it gets outdated andthen they forget to update or
they don't update at all and itjust it devalues the whole point
of having you know somethingthat's so valuable that people
can use on an ongoing basis andnot just at a one time they
purchase something and then theynever use again.
This is something that they cancontinue to use for months and
(12:09):
months, so that's so good, andwhen you're thinking I think
that people will also kind offorget about some of this.
Jennifer (12:16):
You know, it's really common you buy the thing and you
use the thing right away andthen you're like what was that
thing thing?
Oh, where did I put it?
Oh, now I'm looking forsomething else.
So it kind of brings it back totheir radar as well.
So they're like oh yes, thankyou for reminding.
Maybe I misplaced my copy andnow I have a new one and I can
look for the latest thing that'son my mind.
So that's, that's one of thethings I don't know, maybe
(12:37):
that's just my own brain andlike wanting to kind of have
that extra layer of service andconnection with people and just
be like hey, hope you're stillon this path.
Here's another reminder.
Alyssa (12:46):
Yeah, no, I think people love that.
They want to purchase somethingand then also just hear from
you as well.
So you know everything that youknow about sourcing food,
everything that you haveresearched about these companies
and these foods you know.
Are there any things?
Is there anything that someoneshould know?
Jennifer (13:04):
if you know any kind of surprising trends that you're
seeing right now, challengesand finding foods either online
or in stores that you thinkpeople should be aware of when
they're at the grocery store orat the meat market or, you know,
trying to find thoseingredients, yeah, and I
actually volunteered at ourlocal food co-op for 10 years
too, so I really saw this evolve, because I was a grocery
(13:26):
stocker for three hours a weekand there's this big trend where
people will put the highlightedbest ingredients on the front
of the package and they'll saycontains these three wonderful
things, or you know this handfulof things that make it sound
really great.
And when you actually flip itover and read the ingredient
label, there are additionalingredients, and so it's very
(13:49):
clever and it's highlightinglike oh, this just is, you know,
these wonderful, it just hasalmonds and it just has dates,
for example.
And then you flip it over andthere's actually three other
kinds of sugar and other typesof things, and so it's very
misleading because it's not theingredient label but the way
that it's printed makes youthink that it is very, very
(14:09):
slick.
So that's one thing I alwayscaution people about.
And then, when it comes to theins and outs, especially of
purchasing things like meats andeggs and dairy, there's a lot
of confusing terms, and so thatwas actually an appendix that I
added into the guide aboutsourcing your own food, because
ultimately, I want people to buythose things locally if
(14:32):
possible, so they can supporttheir local farmers and their
regional agriculture.
And so I break down here's whatit means when something's grass
fed.
Here's what it means whensomething is organic.
Here's what natural means.
Here is what you would look foras the diet that a chicken
naturally eats, and so whenthese animals are fed certain
(14:54):
things, they can be healthierfor you than when they are on an
unnatural diet.
So I also wanted to break downthe nitty gritty of that so
people really can read through.
Because, just like the bigbrands, the farmer's market and
the smaller producers alsohighlight their best features,
(15:16):
and that's and most of them are,you know, head and shoulders
above the major brands and allthe traditional, you know, kind
of conventional foods that we'reeating.
But if you're on a particulardiet, if you have real
sensitivities, real foodallergies, really more intense
health needs, you have to bemore particular about sourcing
(15:36):
and about what all these detailscan mean to your own body.
So I want people to be armedwith that information as well,
so they can just make the bestchoices and actually have
questions to ask these producersLike here are the questions
that I lay out when I'minterviewing somebody that I
want to buy milk or meat from.
Alyssa (15:54):
I hand that to people as well, that is such a good point
and it's clear so many factorsthat people have to consider.
It's like and you, I love howthis breaks it down, because
there is a lot of misleadinginformation out there.
You don't know who to trust,you don't know, you know what
brands are actually beingtruthful in their marketing, and
(16:14):
I'm just so.
It's unbelievable how somepeople get away with this kind
of stuff.
I mean that's shocking.
And then you know, at the sametime, people are trying to just
get wholesome, wholesome foodingredients that they need, you
know, for a specific diet, andthey, you know it can be very,
(16:35):
very overwhelming for someonewho is new to this, who is
trying to find and source localingredients without the
additives that are, you know,into our food and things like
that, and so you know justfiguring out what's available to
them in their region.
And then you know another bigpiece of the whole puzzle.
You know, as you know,everything that we've talked
(16:56):
about so far.
But another big piece isaccessibility, and not everyone
has access to specialty stores.
I know here, like in Canada weare, we have, like, the big box
stores.
I actually do like the smallermarkets, but, again, like, not
everyone has access to specialtystores or the budget for
high-end products.
(17:17):
I know, like I find, thehealthier you are, the more the
products cost, especially likein Canada.
Things are very, very expensive, are very, very expensive, and
you know, in saying that, itmakes it so that if they are
high-end products that we'reusing a lot of, it can be out of
reach for a lot of people.
And so how did you approachthis challenge in your ebook to
(17:39):
make sure that it's helpful andthen also realistic for people
with different needs andcircumstances, budget
circumstances.
Jennifer (17:47):
Yeah, I tried to list the brands that you would kind
of find commonly locally,because that does tend to be
more affordable or things willgo on sale.
So if it is a milk brand, forexample, the ones that are
actually pasture raised, thatare pasteurized but they're low
temperature pasteurized, likethat's a huge problem when it
(18:07):
comes to organic milk, at leastin the US.
I'm not sure what it's like inCanada, but in the US the
majority of organic milk isultra pasteurized and that food
is really a dead food.
That food is very inflammatoryand so raw milk is the ideal.
That may not be accessible topeople or that may not be
affordable or the choice thatthey want to make, but can they
(18:31):
find something that is thatpasteurized or low temperature
pasteurized, for example?
Like that's something thatthere are actually more brands
becoming available that arenational or at least regional
that people can find.
I will say the biggest placethat you're going to spend a lot
of money when you want organicfood or you want high quality
(18:53):
food, it's the processed kind ofjunky food.
You know when I want to buy abag of chips or even a chocolate
bar and it's $4 and I can buy,you know a massive, you know big
brand, not organic, full of youknow additive type of thing for
(19:13):
a dollar.
That's painful, you know.
It's like that seems reallyunfair.
But I'll also say, when I walkthrough the supermarket and I
was living in a inner city areawith a ton of organic food, just
as the norm, and I've moved andnow I live in the suburbs where
that is not the norm it'sreally interesting to me
actually how I mean it ischeaper to buy mainstream
(19:37):
processed food.
But the fact that you're notgetting any nutritional density
in all those middle aisles whereyou're getting boxes of stuff
and bottles of dressing andstuff like that, the price
you're paying for the completelack of nutritional value, is
astonishing to me.
So I really encourage people tofocus on basic ingredients and
(19:58):
to cook from scratch.
It's so much easier than mostof us were led to believe.
I did not grow up knowing how tocook.
I didn't learn until my earlyto mid thirties, and so I was
using the packaged foods and thebottles of this and that and
when I really was able to switchto making even something like
plain rice from scratch that youcan buy in bulk at a good price
(20:21):
and pairing that with somethinglike eggs and you know a couple
of eggs as a serving, and sothat's always going to be more
of a bargain than buyingsomething like steak.
And so part of what I'm layingout in the guide is like here's
where you can get ingredients,not just packaged foods, but
here's where you can get a highquality flour, here's where you
can get a high quality rice Inaddition to buying things that
(20:44):
are.
You know, a whole chicken.
Buy a whole chicken and learnhow to cut it up.
It's easier than you think.
So that's the things that Iencourage people when it comes
to saving money make your owndressing out of just some olive
oil and some lemon or somemustard shaken together in a jar
Like the.
If you look at not just thebottom line on the receipt, but
(21:05):
what you're gettingnutritionally for that, that's
where I find so many people feellike, oh, when I switched to a
gut friendly diet or a specificprotocol, it's going to cost me
so much more.
But if those people are doing alot of eating out or they're
buying a lot of pre-made foods,it honestly isn't really that
much more expensive.
So it's a matter of justshifting where you're purchasing
(21:27):
.
But I will say it is say thereis a gap between especially if
you're going cut by cut for meatat the grocery store and you're
wanting to buy organic versusstandard that can be a lot more
expensive.
So some of it is.
Can we buy from local producers?
Can we buy in bulk?
Can we develop relationships,especially maybe with someone at
the farmer's market, where yougo at the end of the day and
(21:48):
you're like I'll buy whateveryou haven't sold today and
they'll give it to you at adiscount, like those are some of
the strategies that we can alsoutilize to eat the healthiest
possible, but find a way to makeit work for our budget.
Alyssa (22:00):
That's such an important perspective I love.
I love that your ebook justreally bridges the gap between
accessibility and finding thosehigh quality options that we
might not even know that reallyexists.
And cooking, yeah, cooking fromscratch, I mean I can relate.
I didn't start cooking and likeI was doing packaged meals
right up until like mid 20s andthen I realized, wait a second,
(22:22):
I can't get away with this, likeI need to be start cooking
because it was expensive to eatout and doing all of those
things, and so I was like therewas no way that I could keep up
with that lifestyle.
And so, um, like you now I Imean I cook from scratch now and
I use only high source, youknow, high, highly non-processed
ingredients.
Everything's organic and um,and a lot.
(22:44):
I feel so much better just ingeneral, and so I don't think I
could ever go back.
You know, once you start seeingthose, those, those quality
ingredients that you're using,it's like you can't go back to
the pre-packaged stuff that's.
You know that's just, that'sjust garbage, um, and so I love
(23:05):
that your, I love that yourebook just really breaks that
down and just gives you so manydifferent things that you could
purchase Prepared foods alsoagain, but very healthy, not the
other stuff.
So it clearly makes adifference there.
And now we've come to myfavorite parts of the show.
This is the brilliant bite ofthe week and this is where we
(23:27):
leave our listeners with someactionable takeaway, a mantra or
a piece of wisdom to sparktheir own brilliant ideas.
So, jennifer, what is one pieceof advice that you can share
with other nutritionists, healthcoaches or even just listeners
who are listening to this,thinking that they need the
where can I buy it?
Ebook and they're inspired bywhat you've created and want to
(23:50):
make you know, want to dosomething.
Um, if they're nutritionists,they want to make an impact with
their own clients, but ifthey're reading this, they're
like, wow, I want this too.
Is there any actionabletakeaway that you can share?
Jennifer (24:03):
yeah, I would say start with the simplest question
.
So if you're a practitioner andyou're wanting to create a
product I've been practicing.
I changed my diet 15 years ago,I changed my or I started my
business 13 years ago and I justmade this guide in the past
year.
So it took me forever to answerthis most basic question
because I overlooked it.
(24:24):
And so what are people askingyou that you think is too basic
or that is so obvious to you?
Like that's really where somany people need to be met.
It's just with the very firststep and similarly with people
you know, just the consumer,what is the most basic thing
that you can buy that you use alot?
(24:45):
Maybe you don't overhauleverything all at once, but can
you start including a fermentedfood, for example?
Or can you start making a meatstock and sourcing just one type
of animal in a higher qualityway and stair step your way
there?
It doesn't need to be all ornothing.
Both nutrition and business areall additive.
So what can you do?
(25:06):
That's just one step in thatdirection and know that you can
take another step later.
Like that's how both health andbusiness are built.
Alyssa (25:14):
That's amazing.
That's so helpful.
Thank you so much for sharingyour brilliant bite of the week.
I know our listeners are goingto find, or want to want to find
, you online, and especiallythis work, and I buy ebooks so
what is the best place for themto connect with you?
Jennifer (25:29):
My website is bodywisdomnutritioncom and I
would love to.
If people want to buy the wherecan I buy a guide?
I would love to offer adiscount to your audience as
well.
I will make a discount codethat will be brilliant just all
one word brilliant for $5 off,and you can find the guide on
bodywisdomnutritioncom slashresources.
(25:51):
That lists all of my differentofferings and you'll find a
direct link there.
Alyssa (25:56):
Amazing and I will make sure to put that in the show
notes for anyone who wants toaccess the where to buy a guide
to use the code as well.
So thank you so much forjoining me today and sharing
your where to buy a guide withus.
I'm confident our listenerslearned a lot from this
conversation and while you'relooking at Body Wisdom Nutrition
on Instagram, you'll also findme on Instagram where I help you
(26:17):
create courses, memberships andebooks that don't just look
pretty.
They're digital products thatcreate real transformation.
Thank you for listening andI'll catch you next time on
another brilliant idea.
Thanks for tuning into thisepisode of Brilliant Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration.
Ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
(26:39):
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
nutritionists, health coaches or even just listeners,
who are listening to this,thinking that they need the when
Can I Buy it ebook, and they'reinspired by what you've created
.
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, thepodcast that takes you behind
the scenes of some of the mostinspiring digital products
created by solopreneurs justlike you.
(00:20):
I'm your host, alyssa, adigital product strategist who
helps subject matter expertsgrow their business with online
courses, memberships, coachingprograms and eBooks.
If you're a solopreneur withdreams of packaging your
expertise into a profitabledigital product, then this is
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
(00:42):
same fears, doubts andchallenges you're experiencing,
from unexpected surprises tobreakthrough moments and
everything in between.
Tune in, get inspired and let'sspark your next big, brilliant
idea.
On this episode of BrilliantIdeas, jennifer is joining me
today as a guest.
She is a functional nutritionaltherapy practitioner and
founder of Body Wisdom Nutrition.
(01:03):
She helps people restore theirmicrobiome in midlife to address
complex digestive, skin andautoimmune conditions.
She is also the author ofseveral books a gut-centered
food buying guide, and From Macand Cheese to Veggies Please,
which helps children eat newfoods and end picky eating
forever.
I'm so excited to have her onthe show today.
Welcome, jennifer, I'm so happyyou're here.
Jennifer (01:25):
Thanks.
I'm so happy to be here too.
Thanks for asking.
Alyssa (01:27):
Of course, and the reason I wanted you on the show
today is because you've createdso many incredible resources
that help people make realchanges to their health, and one
of the tools that really stoodout to me is your where can I
buy an ebook or the guide?
Because anyone who's going to agrocery store or a meat market
finding clean, gut, healthy,friendly foods can feel so
(01:49):
overwhelming, and you've reallymanaged to simplify that process
so that's really convenient tojust grab and go.
So I'd love to start there andask you what inspired you to
create this guide which, whichis amazing and what gaps in the
market you were trying toaddress for those trying to look
at or just to make thosehealthier food choices.
Jennifer (02:12):
You know, it was really the title kind of says it
all.
Like every time I wouldrecommend something to a client
or on social people would alwaysask or message me where can I
buy it?
People would always ask ormessage me where can I buy it,
and so I wanted to really justfinally put that out there and
say here's your allcomprehensive answer for all of
(02:32):
the types of things that youmight be looking for that are
gut friendly or traditionallyprepared in a way that maintains
nutrient density, and I justdidn't see any one source.
There are many companies thatare specializing in one type of
thing.
You know, maybe they do asourdough bread or maybe they do
kimchi or something, but therewasn't any place where I could
(02:54):
say, okay, here's the catch-allwhere you can find all of these
type of products in one place.
Alyssa (03:00):
I know, and when I went through it I found it extremely
detailed and very comprehensive,included like every food you
can possibly think of, and for alot of people, picking out that
food is it's not really thehard part.
It's finding and sourcing thattype of food and knowing that
where you live and what you'relooking for may not really be
available in your state orregion.
(03:22):
Like, for an example, I can'treally go to a grocery store and
buy raw milk in Canada, sowe're kind of limited to like
what foods we can buy here.
So I feel like this where tobuy it guide can feel it can
make your search so much easier,and so my question to you is
what were some of the biggestchallenges or frustrations that
(03:44):
you noticed when you were firstcreating this guide?
What people were having, youknow when they couldn't source,
they couldn't find the rightingredients, they were trying to
eat healthier, and you knowwhat kind of frustrations were
they facing and how did thoseexperiences influence the way
you created your ebook?
Jennifer (04:01):
The US can be a patchwork of stuff like that too
, especially when it comes toraw milk, and so it's not always
available in stores there, butthere are places that you might
be able to order online or atleast higher quality.
So some of it was that, justthat availability.
I mean you can be in a certainarea, but if you're in the city
you might have access to a lotof stuff, but you could live 25
(04:23):
minutes out in the suburbs andhave a very limited selection,
especially when it comes to someof the more you know,
convenience package foods thatyou might have on occasion.
So that's what I was reallywanting to address, and the
there's so much marketing aboutcertain foods and that really
confuses people.
Like what are the differencesbetween something that's natural
(04:45):
or hormone free, or, you know,gluten free?
Like what do all these thingsmean?
And you know gluten free isn'tnecessarily really good for your
gut because it can be verystarchy and that can still be
filled with sugar.
And so from my perspective andmy experience, I'm looking at
what are the traditional type ofsweeteners, even that were used
.
So in my guide you'll findthings that only include honey
(05:07):
or maple syrup or coconut sugaror maybe some organic cane sugar
, but even that I'm prettyparticular about.
So I want things to be Lessprocessed, more traditional, the
way that people were makingfood for themselves before there
was industry.
What companies are mimickingthat, and many of them might not
be selling really locally andso finding them online and maybe
(05:32):
for me I don't buy a ton ofthat stuff, but when I do, I
want it to be that nice quality,quality, and so I will have a
little bit of that kind of in mypantry, because I know that I
can't just run to the storewhere I'm living in the suburbs
and find a really good cracker,for example, that doesn't have
seed oils in it, or evensomething like chips.
You know that I don't need a lotof, but when I do I don't want
(05:54):
it to just be totally crummy formy health, because we all get a
hankering for that, and thenthere are folks even looking for
some.
You know a lot.
The foundation of my guide,really the first section, is
where can we get meat andpoultry and fish that's
sustainably sourced, that's notcorn fed, that's not filled with
antibiotics?
And so here are the places thatI have vetted that are really
(06:17):
following these practices andthat you might find something
locally and I talk about that ineach section Like here's what I
look for when I'm lookinglocally at the grocery store and
here are some brands you mightfind, but here are things that
you could order online as well.
Alyssa (06:32):
I love that perspective.
I love how you took what yourclients were telling you and
then you created a solution fromthings that they were trying to
find or source and theycouldn't find specific.
You know things that they weretrying to find or source and
they couldn't find.
You know specific ingredientsand things that they were trying
to.
You know they're on a specificdiet.
They, you know you're kind ofstuck to just you don't.
You know you had to.
You had no other um guide orinstructions on where to find
(06:58):
these ingredients, and so I findI really love that you have
this detailed list of curatedcompanies that you mentioned.
I actually don't see any otherperson doing that where they
have a list of companies thatyou have vetted that you know
are reputable brands.
I just find that people are justsuper weird about which
(07:20):
companies are reputable, whichpeople you know, what companies
they can trust, even withprepared foods or you know just
in general, and so I find thatwhat I like about your ebook is
it takes away the guesswork,because it takes so long for
someone.
If you're looking for specificingredients for a diet, you know
(07:42):
you're going on google, you'redoing your research.
That could be hundreds andhundreds of hours like just, and
you can just spend your wholeday doing that, and so I like
that.
You took the guesswork out ofthat equation and now you have
this curated list of companiesthat people can just go to the
ebook and click and it goesstraight to the company.
How did you compile such adetailed list of companies Like,
(08:04):
were these companies you'veknown for a really long time, or
were these companies thatyou're connected with personally
, that you've used yourself inthe past?
Tell me more about that.
Jennifer (08:13):
Some of them are.
It really started from my ownlist and that would be what I
would share with clients like,oh well, here's the place where
I would order a beet kvass, forexample you know fermented drink
and so here's this place, orhere's three places that you can
get that, and so it really juststarted out as my own research.
And I am a very detailed personand a researcher, so it does
(08:34):
kind of come natural for me toproduce something like this,
which I think is why Ioverlooked it for a long time.
Because it's like this which Ithink is why I overlooked it for
a long time, because it's likeoh, obviously you just do your
research and you just find theseplaces.
And so it grew from my personallist to oh, here's some things
that might be regional to yourarea in the U S that you know I
haven't had, but these wouldmeet my criteria.
(08:57):
And people do get kind of funnyabout brands, and part of it is
when you're in, especially, youknow, the marketing space.
A lot of people promote thingsthat they're affiliates of and I
do that too, but I don't onlydo that and so you know,
especially smaller brands, theymay not have affiliates or
they're really great things,that that just might not be how
they're marketing, and I, if I'man affiliate of something, I'm
(09:19):
definitely going to use theaffiliate link and, you know,
get a little thank you cash forthat.
But that's not my only criteriafor promoting something like
this.
So there was my kind of corelist and then, as this idea
developed, I sat down and I didthe research and I looked
through the brands and I got onthe web and all of that and
(09:40):
found additional brands thatwould meet my criteria, and my
team and I will actually updatethis every six months we go back
and we look through okay, doall these products links still
work?
Are these brands still in theintegrity that we're looking at?
Because things get sold to toother brands and they may
(10:02):
actually change theirformulations or things could go
out of business, and so can welocate those things?
And then, as I come across newadditions, you know I was at the
Weston Price Conference inOctober in Orlando and I came
across a different brand ofsprouted nuts that I was like,
oh my gosh, these are amazing.
I absolutely want to includethese in the guide, and so I'll
(10:23):
add little additions like thatas I find things on my own or as
my clients and customers mightshare something really amazing
that they've found.
So it's just kind of that now.
It's a bit of a collaborativeeffort where there may be a
handful of new things that getadded and there might be things
that drop out as well, as itcontinues to evolve.
Alyssa (10:43):
That's amazing and so interesting and there's so many.
I know, as you've mentioned,there's so many conflicting
standards of what's consideredhigh quality because of the
marketing out there and I lovethat your team updates every six
months.
So do they get access?
So the people who purchase theguide, do they they just get an
update of the book, or how doesthat work?
Jennifer (11:03):
Yeah.
So I send out an email and I'llsay hey, there's been some
updates or some new additions.
Would you like the updated copy?
So right now we're just kind ofdoing that manually and as
people respond we're replyingback.
I don't know a way to likequite do a download link on that
, but I think we'll figure thatout as it grows.
But so far it hasn't beenunmanageable to just kind of
(11:24):
reattach the PDF when we get areply.
And then I feel like that's anice, just bonus for people,
because how often does thathappen, where you get a digital
product and they're like oh hey,we added more to it and here's
another you know, updatedversion and it's free for you.
So to me that just feels like alittle nice added touch.
It is, yeah, connection topeople too.
Alyssa (11:45):
It is, and I don't like that when you buy this product
and then it gets outdated andthen they forget to update or
they don't update at all and itjust it devalues the whole point
of having you know somethingthat's so valuable that people
can use on an ongoing basis andnot just at a one time they
purchase something and then theynever use again.
This is something that they cancontinue to use for months and
(12:09):
months, so that's so good, andwhen you're thinking I think
that people will also kind offorget about some of this.
Jennifer (12:16):
You know, it's really common you buy the thing and you
use the thing right away andthen you're like what was that
thing thing?
Oh, where did I put it?
Oh, now I'm looking forsomething else.
So it kind of brings it back totheir radar as well.
So they're like oh yes, thankyou for reminding.
Maybe I misplaced my copy andnow I have a new one and I can
look for the latest thing that'son my mind.
So that's, that's one of thethings I don't know, maybe
(12:37):
that's just my own brain andlike wanting to kind of have
that extra layer of service andconnection with people and just
be like hey, hope you're stillon this path.
Here's another reminder.
Alyssa (12:46):
Yeah, no, I think people love that.
They want to purchase somethingand then also just hear from
you as well.
So you know everything that youknow about sourcing food,
everything that you haveresearched about these companies
and these foods you know.
Are there any things?
Is there anything that someoneshould know?
Jennifer (13:04):
if you know any kind of surprising trends that you're
seeing right now, challengesand finding foods either online
or in stores that you thinkpeople should be aware of when
they're at the grocery store orat the meat market or, you know,
trying to find thoseingredients, yeah, and I
actually volunteered at ourlocal food co-op for 10 years
too, so I really saw this evolve, because I was a grocery
(13:26):
stocker for three hours a weekand there's this big trend where
people will put the highlightedbest ingredients on the front
of the package and they'll saycontains these three wonderful
things, or you know this handfulof things that make it sound
really great.
And when you actually flip itover and read the ingredient
label, there are additionalingredients, and so it's very
(13:49):
clever and it's highlightinglike oh, this just is, you know,
these wonderful, it just hasalmonds and it just has dates,
for example.
And then you flip it over andthere's actually three other
kinds of sugar and other typesof things, and so it's very
misleading because it's not theingredient label but the way
that it's printed makes youthink that it is very, very
(14:09):
slick.
So that's one thing I alwayscaution people about.
And then, when it comes to theins and outs, especially of
purchasing things like meats andeggs and dairy, there's a lot
of confusing terms, and so thatwas actually an appendix that I
added into the guide aboutsourcing your own food, because
ultimately, I want people to buythose things locally if
(14:32):
possible, so they can supporttheir local farmers and their
regional agriculture.
And so I break down here's whatit means when something's grass
fed.
Here's what it means whensomething is organic.
Here's what natural means.
Here is what you would look foras the diet that a chicken
naturally eats, and so whenthese animals are fed certain
(14:54):
things, they can be healthierfor you than when they are on an
unnatural diet.
So I also wanted to break downthe nitty gritty of that so
people really can read through.
Because, just like the bigbrands, the farmer's market and
the smaller producers alsohighlight their best features,
(15:16):
and that's and most of them are,you know, head and shoulders
above the major brands and allthe traditional, you know, kind
of conventional foods that we'reeating.
But if you're on a particulardiet, if you have real
sensitivities, real foodallergies, really more intense
health needs, you have to bemore particular about sourcing
(15:36):
and about what all these detailscan mean to your own body.
So I want people to be armedwith that information as well,
so they can just make the bestchoices and actually have
questions to ask these producersLike here are the questions
that I lay out when I'minterviewing somebody that I
want to buy milk or meat from.
Alyssa (15:54):
I hand that to people as well, that is such a good point
and it's clear so many factorsthat people have to consider.
It's like and you, I love howthis breaks it down, because
there is a lot of misleadinginformation out there.
You don't know who to trust,you don't know, you know what
brands are actually beingtruthful in their marketing, and
(16:14):
I'm just so.
It's unbelievable how somepeople get away with this kind
of stuff.
I mean that's shocking.
And then you know, at the sametime, people are trying to just
get wholesome, wholesome foodingredients that they need, you
know, for a specific diet, andthey, you know it can be very,
(16:35):
very overwhelming for someonewho is new to this, who is
trying to find and source localingredients without the
additives that are, you know,into our food and things like
that, and so you know justfiguring out what's available to
them in their region.
And then you know another bigpiece of the whole puzzle.
You know, as you know,everything that we've talked
(16:56):
about so far.
But another big piece isaccessibility, and not everyone
has access to specialty stores.
I know here, like in Canada weare, we have, like, the big box
stores.
I actually do like the smallermarkets, but, again, like, not
everyone has access to specialtystores or the budget for
high-end products.
(17:17):
I know, like I find, thehealthier you are, the more the
products cost, especially likein Canada.
Things are very, very expensive, are very, very expensive, and
you know, in saying that, itmakes it so that if they are
high-end products that we'reusing a lot of, it can be out of
reach for a lot of people.
And so how did you approachthis challenge in your ebook to
(17:39):
make sure that it's helpful andthen also realistic for people
with different needs andcircumstances, budget
circumstances.
Jennifer (17:47):
Yeah, I tried to list the brands that you would kind
of find commonly locally,because that does tend to be
more affordable or things willgo on sale.
So if it is a milk brand, forexample, the ones that are
actually pasture raised, thatare pasteurized but they're low
temperature pasteurized, likethat's a huge problem when it
(18:07):
comes to organic milk, at leastin the US.
I'm not sure what it's like inCanada, but in the US the
majority of organic milk isultra pasteurized and that food
is really a dead food.
That food is very inflammatoryand so raw milk is the ideal.
That may not be accessible topeople or that may not be
affordable or the choice thatthey want to make, but can they
(18:31):
find something that is thatpasteurized or low temperature
pasteurized, for example?
Like that's something thatthere are actually more brands
becoming available that arenational or at least regional
that people can find.
I will say the biggest placethat you're going to spend a lot
of money when you want organicfood or you want high quality
(18:53):
food, it's the processed kind ofjunky food.
You know when I want to buy abag of chips or even a chocolate
bar and it's $4 and I can buy,you know a massive, you know big
brand, not organic, full of youknow additive type of thing for
(19:13):
a dollar.
That's painful, you know.
It's like that seems reallyunfair.
But I'll also say, when I walkthrough the supermarket and I
was living in a inner city areawith a ton of organic food, just
as the norm, and I've moved andnow I live in the suburbs where
that is not the norm it'sreally interesting to me
actually how I mean it ischeaper to buy mainstream
(19:37):
processed food.
But the fact that you're notgetting any nutritional density
in all those middle aisles whereyou're getting boxes of stuff
and bottles of dressing andstuff like that, the price
you're paying for the completelack of nutritional value, is
astonishing to me.
So I really encourage people tofocus on basic ingredients and
(19:58):
to cook from scratch.
It's so much easier than mostof us were led to believe.
I did not grow up knowing how tocook.
I didn't learn until my earlyto mid thirties, and so I was
using the packaged foods and thebottles of this and that and
when I really was able to switchto making even something like
plain rice from scratch that youcan buy in bulk at a good price
(20:21):
and pairing that with somethinglike eggs and you know a couple
of eggs as a serving, and sothat's always going to be more
of a bargain than buyingsomething like steak.
And so part of what I'm layingout in the guide is like here's
where you can get ingredients,not just packaged foods, but
here's where you can get a highquality flour, here's where you
can get a high quality rice Inaddition to buying things that
(20:44):
are.
You know, a whole chicken.
Buy a whole chicken and learnhow to cut it up.
It's easier than you think.
So that's the things that Iencourage people when it comes
to saving money make your owndressing out of just some olive
oil and some lemon or somemustard shaken together in a jar
Like the.
If you look at not just thebottom line on the receipt, but
(21:05):
what you're gettingnutritionally for that, that's
where I find so many people feellike, oh, when I switched to a
gut friendly diet or a specificprotocol, it's going to cost me
so much more.
But if those people are doing alot of eating out or they're
buying a lot of pre-made foods,it honestly isn't really that
much more expensive.
So it's a matter of justshifting where you're purchasing
(21:27):
.
But I will say it is say thereis a gap between especially if
you're going cut by cut for meatat the grocery store and you're
wanting to buy organic versusstandard that can be a lot more
expensive.
So some of it is.
Can we buy from local producers?
Can we buy in bulk?
Can we develop relationships,especially maybe with someone at
the farmer's market, where yougo at the end of the day and
(21:48):
you're like I'll buy whateveryou haven't sold today and
they'll give it to you at adiscount, like those are some of
the strategies that we can alsoutilize to eat the healthiest
possible, but find a way to makeit work for our budget.
Alyssa (22:00):
That's such an important perspective I love.
I love that your ebook justreally bridges the gap between
accessibility and finding thosehigh quality options that we
might not even know that reallyexists.
And cooking, yeah, cooking fromscratch, I mean I can relate.
I didn't start cooking and likeI was doing packaged meals
right up until like mid 20s andthen I realized, wait a second,
(22:22):
I can't get away with this, likeI need to be start cooking
because it was expensive to eatout and doing all of those
things, and so I was like therewas no way that I could keep up
with that lifestyle.
And so, um, like you now I Imean I cook from scratch now and
I use only high source, youknow, high, highly non-processed
ingredients.
Everything's organic and um,and a lot.
(22:44):
I feel so much better just ingeneral, and so I don't think I
could ever go back.
You know, once you start seeingthose, those, those quality
ingredients that you're using,it's like you can't go back to
the pre-packaged stuff that's.
You know that's just, that'sjust garbage, um, and so I love
(23:05):
that your, I love that yourebook just really breaks that
down and just gives you so manydifferent things that you could
purchase Prepared foods alsoagain, but very healthy, not the
other stuff.
So it clearly makes adifference there.
And now we've come to myfavorite parts of the show.
This is the brilliant bite ofthe week and this is where we
(23:27):
leave our listeners with someactionable takeaway, a mantra or
a piece of wisdom to sparktheir own brilliant ideas.
So, jennifer, what is one pieceof advice that you can share
with other nutritionists, healthcoaches or even just listeners
who are listening to this,thinking that they need the
where can I buy it?
Ebook and they're inspired bywhat you've created and want to
(23:50):
make you know, want to dosomething.
Um, if they're nutritionists,they want to make an impact with
their own clients, but ifthey're reading this, they're
like, wow, I want this too.
Is there any actionabletakeaway that you can share?
Jennifer (24:03):
yeah, I would say start with the simplest question
.
So if you're a practitioner andyou're wanting to create a
product I've been practicing.
I changed my diet 15 years ago,I changed my or I started my
business 13 years ago and I justmade this guide in the past
year.
So it took me forever to answerthis most basic question
because I overlooked it.
(24:24):
And so what are people askingyou that you think is too basic
or that is so obvious to you?
Like that's really where somany people need to be met.
It's just with the very firststep and similarly with people
you know, just the consumer,what is the most basic thing
that you can buy that you use alot?
(24:45):
Maybe you don't overhauleverything all at once, but can
you start including a fermentedfood, for example?
Or can you start making a meatstock and sourcing just one type
of animal in a higher qualityway and stair step your way
there?
It doesn't need to be all ornothing.
Both nutrition and business areall additive.
So what can you do?
(25:06):
That's just one step in thatdirection and know that you can
take another step later.
Like that's how both health andbusiness are built.
Alyssa (25:14):
That's amazing.
That's so helpful.
Thank you so much for sharingyour brilliant bite of the week.
I know our listeners are goingto find, or want to want to find
, you online, and especiallythis work, and I buy ebooks so
what is the best place for themto connect with you?
Jennifer (25:29):
My website is bodywisdomnutritioncom and I
would love to.
If people want to buy the wherecan I buy a guide?
I would love to offer adiscount to your audience as
well.
I will make a discount codethat will be brilliant just all
one word brilliant for $5 off,and you can find the guide on
bodywisdomnutritioncom slashresources.
(25:51):
That lists all of my differentofferings and you'll find a
direct link there.
Alyssa (25:56):
Amazing and I will make sure to put that in the show
notes for anyone who wants toaccess the where to buy a guide
to use the code as well.
So thank you so much forjoining me today and sharing
your where to buy a guide withus.
I'm confident our listenerslearned a lot from this
conversation and while you'relooking at Body Wisdom Nutrition
on Instagram, you'll also findme on Instagram where I help you
(26:17):
create courses, memberships andebooks that don't just look
pretty.
They're digital products thatcreate real transformation.
Thank you for listening andI'll catch you next time on
another brilliant idea.
Thanks for tuning into thisepisode of Brilliant Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration.
Ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
(26:39):
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
Popular Podcasts
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.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.