Kate Pope is revolutionizing how parents think about introducing solid foods to their babies. As founder of Regenerative Cooking School and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, she's created the Baby Biome First Foods Plan—a program that's helped thousands of families naturally reverse symptoms like eczema, allergies, and digestive issues through strategic food introduction.
What makes Kate's approach so powerful? While most experts focus merely on what foods to introduce and when, Kate dives deeper into how food choices impact gut health, which serves as the foundation for immune function, brain development, and overall wellness. Her course teaches parents how to start solids "the gut health way," countering mainstream advice that often leads to the very symptoms parents are trying to avoid.
The results speak for themselves. Kate's streamlined, affordable course tripled her business income almost immediately after launching, highlighting just how desperately parents need this information. She addresses everything from common concerns to specialized conditions like FPIES (a severe allergic reaction that severely limits what babies can eat). By explaining the "why" behind allergies and digestive issues—connecting them directly to gut health and microbiome development—she empowers parents with knowledge that can change their child's health trajectory for life.
Kate shares fascinating insights throughout our conversation, including why she recommends starting with meat-based foods rather than fibrous vegetables, why she advises against all processed baby foods (even organic options), and how she helps parents reimagine celebrations without sugar-laden treats. Her passionate belief that early food choices shape lifelong health is backed by both ancestral wisdom and emerging science about the microbiome's profound impact on everything from immune function to mental health.
Ready to transform how you think about your baby's nutrition? Follow Kate on Instagram @WildNutritionist or visit her website to learn how proper food introduction can set your child up for lifelong health.
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Kate (00:00):
nobody skips starting solids, like everybody has to
start, and so it just makessense that, like it fits a niche
where moms are ready to,they're ready to help their
babies heal, and they're also ata time where they're ready to
invest in their baby's life.
Alyssa (00:17):
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, the podcast that takes
you behind the scenes of some ofthe most inspiring digital
products created by solopreneursjust like you.
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
(00:39):
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
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.
Hey everyone, welcome back toBrilliant Ideas.
(01:00):
If you're new here, I'm Alyssa,and on this podcast, you're
getting simple, actionable ideasand strategies to help you grow
your business with digitalproducts.
Today's guest is Kate Pope, thefounder of Regenerative Cooking
School and Nutritional TherapyPractitioner, where she educates
families and communities on theimportance of local food
systems and cooking meals athome for physical, mental and
emotional health.
(01:20):
On today's episode, we'rediving into her story and
successful program, the BabyBiome First Foods Plan.
If you're curious about how tobuild a program that makes a
real impact, today's episode isa must listen.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the show, kate.
Thanks so much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
It's great to have you here and, from what I've gathered from
(01:43):
reading your story, you'vehelped families embrace this
idea of starting solids the guthealth way, and so you've taught
thousands of moms how to usefood as medicine to reverse
symptoms like eczema, allergiesand digestive issues for their
babies.
So I want to walk backwards alittle bit and I want you to
tell me what inspired you todevelop the Baby Biome First
(02:04):
Foods plan and what market gapsdid you find in order to fulfill
this need that you needed tocreate this self-paced course?
Kate (02:14):
Thank you for asking that's a great question.
So I first created a biggercourse when I first had my baby,
augie, when he was nine monthsold.
I created a course that was likefor mothers and babies and it
was about healing together and Iloved that course and I just
was like basically surveying myInstagram and because I was
(02:34):
actually going on maternityleave for another baby and I was
categorizing all the posts thatI had made and like, by and far
, I was talking about startingsolids way more than anything
else and I was so passionateabout this.
Naturally, and I part of thereason why I was talking about
(02:55):
it was because I felt like therewas a real gap in the knowledge
for moms in terms of how tostart solids that really
supported baby's gut.
And when we support the gut,we're also supporting the brain
and immune system and everybodywants a healthy brain, a healthy
immune system for their babies.
And so after creating Mama BabyBiome, I was like I really
think I need a first foodscourse because Mama Baby Biome,
(03:21):
we have a lot more topics thatwe cover and in first foods, it
can just be about solid foodintroduction.
So I decided to make thiscourse, I made it and launched
it four months before my secondbaby was born, and it tripled my
income in my business wow,that's amazing and so what were
(03:43):
some of the reactions you gotfrom it?
People.
I mean, we were so surprisedbecause we put it on sale the
first night and we launched itand we, I think we made like
over a hundred sales in thefirst like day of it.
Like people were just so readyfor this course and that was a
(04:03):
sign for me that it was theright course at the right price
point.
And you know, mom Movie Vinewas a higher price point and I
really wanted to make somethingthat was more accessible for a
lot of moms and I think it'sjust like very targeted, you
know, because nobody, nobodyskips starting solids, like
everybody has to start.
(04:23):
And so it just makes sense thatlike it fits a niche where moms
are ready to um, they're readyto help their babies heal, and
they're also at a time wherethey're ready to invest in their
baby's life, you know, becauseit's so tender and they just
really want to do what's best.
And so I'm offering thiseducation at a really affordable
(04:43):
price which can give reallylife-changing results.
I mean, if your baby has foodallergies, if you had to
eliminate a ton of stuff whilebreastfeeding, if your baby's
covered in eczema, and I'moffering a solution that's
worked for a lot of moms, it'sreally, it's a really good offer
and they take it because theywant to.
They want to have their babythemselves.
Alyssa (05:03):
Yeah, that's really interesting.
I mean, I know when I firststarted solids with my daughter,
like I was terrified because Ididn't know where to start, and
it was overwhelming, like whenyou go to Google, like there's
like a ton of information,contradicting information,
conflicting information, and soyou're left feeling really
confused.
And you know, thankfully mydaughter didn't have like
(05:23):
allergies.
But I've been reading online ofthings of people who have like
their't have like allergies.
But I've been reading online ofthings of people who have, like
their babies have severeallergies and they're very
limited in terms of what canwhat they can eat, and it's like
what do you make?
And then it has to be separatefrom what you eat and so, um, so
can you tell us a little bitabout, like what's inside of the
course, and do you find that itis like, for example, if some
(05:48):
moms come to you and they say,well, I have this unique
challenge at home and they'retrying to say you know what can
I?
Is this specific allergycovered in your course?
I'm sure that you get a ton ofquestions from parents that are
dealing with all sorts ofchallenges.
So how do you manage to addresssuch a wide range of issues
(06:11):
while still making it feel likeit's tailored just for them.
Kate (06:15):
Yeah, that's a really great question and it's a hard
challenge.
But the main idea that I try tohelp parents understand is
where the allergy comes from,because I think that when
parents know how the immunesystem and the gut digestion
interact, they can better grasphow they're going to heal it.
So I'm basically reverseengineering their problem by
(06:37):
explaining why their problem gotthere in the first place.
So all allergies are related tothe state of our gut health and
the state of our microbiome,and so everyone in the course
whether you come to the coursewith an allergy or you just want
to set your baby up for thebest life possible you're
working on that strongfoundation.
We essentially eliminate theallergenic food and then rebuild
the gut lining, rebuild supportdigestion in the immune system.
(07:01):
We bring the inflammation waydown and then we small, we
really reintroduce the food in avery small amount.
Alyssa (07:08):
Okay, oh, I get that Okay.
And do you find that?
Do parents come to you with alot of questions and do you have
like a one-to-one that'sseparate from my self-paced
course, or do you directeveryone there first and then
you kind of decide, if they needmore help, that they would
reach out to you directly.
Kate (07:28):
Exactly so.
The course is like thefoundational information.
So if you're working one-on-onewith someone, it's really great
if they come to the one-on-onesession kind of having the
basics covered, and so that'swhat the course would provide,
and for most people, this isgoing to be what's going to get
them through starting solids,reversing allergens, helping
with constipation.
And then there's some peoplewho just want, like that, more
(07:54):
tailored support.
They have a more, maybe a moreunique situation or they just
really want someone to talk to.
And I provide one-to-onesessions with a team that I work
with who are experts in babynutrition and helping babies
heal.
Alyssa (08:02):
Okay, that, yeah, that makes sense.
And so when you are coveringall these different topics like
I'm sure there's different, likea wide range of topics in your
course Do you have a process ofkind of what to of what you
figure out, like what do youfigure out what they're asking
for?
So do you like can you sharekind of how you gather that
feedback from what the parentsare asking you or what they're
(08:25):
telling you in conversations,maybe in your one-to-one or just
in general?
And then how do you decide,like, what topics to include in
your course versus what you talkabout on social media, and like
how does it all come togetherin that course?
Kate (08:40):
Totally, so I get a ton of DMs and I basically make my
courses based off of my DMquestions and really I've shaped
my practice around that Because, like I said, when I made that
bigger course Mama Baby Biome Iwas mostly making it off of my
own experience of having acesarean and getting sent home
from the hospital with laxativesand really no advice on how to
(09:03):
rebuild my body and I knew itwas going to affect my son's gut
health with the antibiotics,and so I was just like this is
crazy, like there's other momshaving this experience that
don't have the knowledge and thespecialized information that I
have about eating, healing andthe microbiome.
So I need to make this course.
And then, when it came to thestarting solids topic and just
generally starting to speakabout these ideas on my
(09:23):
Instagram, people startedsharing their experiences with
me and they would tell mestories of things that I could
have never even imagined orthought of, because, like
they're having their experienceat the doctor's office or
something you know, anexperience that I didn't have.
And so then I was able to likecollect these stories and kind
of understand the overall voiceof the mother.
These, you know, the modernmother, the millennial mother
(09:44):
who is struggling with these setof symptoms and wants to do
what's best but doesn't have thetools.
And so then I start to organizethe tools and I put all those
tools in my courses and on myInstagram.
I talk, I also get those tools.
It's just not organized because, you know, the Instagram is
(10:06):
like this little story and thislittle story, this piece of
information and this piece ofinformation which gathers more
people into my audience.
But if they want to take thedeep, organized dive to really
set up the healing forthemselves, they need to join my
courses Now.
Then I have like specializedsituations like someone like F
pies, which is a really extremeallergic reaction to a lot of
different types of foods.
They're very limited foods.
(10:27):
It's a very scary situation formothers.
A lot of different types offoods, they're very limited
foods.
It's a very scary situation formothers, and I feel that I
teach a solution to this in mycourse and in this line of work,
and so I will then do a bonusmodule or a bonus lesson or a
free masterclass on this topicspecifically so that those moms
can know hey, this is for you,you really need to know about it
(10:48):
, and other moms who also areexperiencing this, have been
able to find some resolve andresolution, and I want you to
have that too.
So I do really feel like it'sfor a general audience and it's
for, like, very specific casesthat are hard to figure out and
fall through the cracks and thatkind of thing.
Alyssa (11:08):
Okay, so that's interesting.
So then you would.
So, based on feedback from whatyou hear from moms, if there is
something that is in demand,like the F pies, like something
that is you that they would wantyou to cover, you can just
update the course with, like abonus module.
That makes sense.
Kate (11:24):
Exactly.
And then I can just market it,saying like, hey, I have all
this foundational content is foryou and I have a specialized
module which is going to frameit for you so that you can apply
it.
Alyssa (11:52):
Okay, and then there I'm sure there's some moms, because
I know, like when I was you,and say things like well, there
are apps out there that you know, you can download or that you
can buy, that will show you whatwhat to eat or what to serve
your just you know, having yourfoundational course, would you
say that you specialize in likethe allergies, versus just
(12:15):
general knowledge that they canfind on Google?
Kate (12:23):
Yeah, so everything that I teach in my course is kind of
counter to, like all themainstream advice about starting
solids.
So I'm teaching specializedinformation and my kind of like
catchphrase about it is the guthealth way.
So I'm going to teach mothershow to build their baby's
foundation, starting with theirgut health and using very
specific foods and a veryspecific timeline to heal their
symptoms.
(12:43):
I mean, the majority of peoplethat I'm working with are coming
to me with some symptoms orthey've tried baby led, weaning
large chunks of food, fed a lotof fruits and grains, and
they've seen their baby'ssymptoms come up Like they
didn't have any symptoms beforestarting solids and suddenly
they start introducing fruitsand grains and the baby has an
(13:04):
eczema rash or the baby'sdeveloped allergies or the
constant runny nose or the mucusin the stools, right.
So that's another scenariowhere I'm able to say, okay,
this is why that happened andhere's how you correct it.
So, yeah, I would say that Ihave like a specialized method
and a subset of knowledge thatis actually ancestral cultural
(13:24):
knowledge that we've lost in howour food has really changed
over the past 75 years.
Alyssa (13:34):
That's right, the apps or just the general information
online.
They don't go into the detailsof allergies and the symptoms
and the tools to overcome thosethings.
It's just straight, like thefood how do you prepare it, and
that's it which you go into suchmuch more detail, which is
(13:55):
great.
And so now thinking bigger.
So just like big picture here,visionary type, where do you see
the Baby Biome First Foods planheaded?
So what would you say yourvision is for evolving the
program to keep up with the paceof what families really need
for their babies?
Kate (14:14):
Honestly, I feel like I'm just trying to reach more
numbers, because I think that Ihave hit a really sweet spot in
terms of results that people getfrom the course, in terms of
the price point that it'soffered, in terms of the like
ripple effect that it can havefor the entire family.
Um, I would love to see 10,000moms go through the program.
(14:35):
Um, I, like I said, I makeupdates to it as much as I feel
is needed.
I'm not I never hold myselfback from altering or changing
the course based on um clientfeedback.
And, yeah, I'm just like superexcited because this is changing
the way that babies start theirlife of eating and it actually
(14:56):
can shape their path for therest of their life.
It sounds a little dramatic,but it's really true, because
the microbiome decides how wellour immune system works, it
decides how our body caneliminate toxins, it helps us to
digest food, it creates all ofour cravings, and so this is
(15:16):
actually a prevention path aswell.
It's preventing picky eating,it's preventing chronic immune
system issues, it's preventingthese rising chronic diseases in
our children, like diabetes,and so for me, it's all about
just getting the message outthere and helping more parents
reclaim food as something thatmaintains and improves our
health.
Alyssa (15:38):
I agree, I think it's so important.
I mean, I was, I made sure thatyou know we did the whole
vegetables first and before thefruit, but I don't know if
that's, even, if that is even athing, you debunk that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, do you wantme to touch on that a little bit
?
Yeah, if you want.
Kate (15:54):
Yeah, for sure you know you mentioned the allergen thing
and like there's a big talkabout like introducing common
allergens before one years oldand that's like supposed to.
That's like the main argumentwe have for preventing allergies
in our children, and I have adifferent approach.
Like I'm all about maintainingthe gut health and building the
(16:15):
immune system before introducingany food that would be
inflammatory to the body, andI'm also really taking into
consideration what type of foodwe're wanting to introduce.
So, for example, egg is a verydifferent food nutritionally
than bread, and bread isconsidered a common allergen and
they're suggesting introduce itbefore one years old.
But in my perspective, we don'tneed to introduce bread before
(16:37):
one year old.
If the baby's gut is healthy andthe immune system is healthy,
you can have wheat at threeyears old and not have an
allergic reaction to it ordevelop celiacs, anything like
that, because your gut's healthy.
That's why allergens won't exist, you know, and and something
like an egg is verynutritionally dense, very
important, and I would want thatto be included in my baby's
(16:59):
diet from, you know, six monthsold for the rest of their life,
and so that is one that I wouldincorporate very slowly,
starting methodically with justthe yolk and building up to two
to three egg yolks a day, andthat's not what you're hearing
in the mainstream about allergenadvice.
Now, when it comes to theveggies, veggies are fine but
they're fibrous and the fiber isactually more difficult for
(17:20):
humans to break down.
So we start with meat-basedfoods and then we slowly add in
vegetables local and seasonaland we puree them and as your
baby matures, you know, you cangive them pieces, larger pieces,
to gnaw on, to suck onto too,to explore.
All that's fine, but we reallywant to make sure that the gut
is filled and sealed, themicrobiome is healthy, before we
(17:40):
start introducing tons ofvegetables and fermented
vegetables.
Alyssa (17:44):
That's really where the magic happens um, okay, that
that's interesting and then okay, so what do you now?
I just like, what's your yourtake on processed foods like on
in the baby aisle?
What's your take on processedfoods like in the baby aisle?
What's your take on that?
Nutritionally, something toavoid or to be careful of?
(18:08):
What brands Do you have that inyour course where you list any
of those brands and you knowwhich ones are safe versus which
ones you should be cautious of?
Kate (18:19):
Yeah, this is probably going to blow your mind, but I
don't recommend any of thosefoods.
Yeah, so I recommend cookingall of your baby's food yourself
and I teach you how to do thatin a really easy way.
Like it takes a little bit oftime, but they eat so little at
the beginning that you can justmake it all at one time and
(18:40):
freeze it and then thaw it outinto portions or put it into
little bags if they have to.
You know are on the go, but Irecommend making all of your
baby food yourself, never buyingyour baby's food, especially in
plastic, and I don't recommendgiving your baby any industrial
food until much later.
Like our toddler eats a littlebit of seaweed snacks, sometimes
a little bit of, you know,grass-fed and finished beef
(19:02):
sticks with no sugar.
We eat pork rinds, butgenerally, like we keep it all
food made at home.
Alyssa (19:10):
No, that's great, Like not those like puffs that you
see.
I mean I have to say thosepuffs that are in the baby are
like no calories.
There's nothing in them, it'sjust air.
Kate (19:21):
Yeah, in the baby are like no calories.
There's nothing in them, it'sjust air.
Yeah Well, it's worse than justair because it's like a gateway
.
So that's like a.
It's usually made from rice orcassava, a root vegetable, even
like the nicer, higher qualityorganic brands we're just giving
our kids, we're starting snackculture with them.
We're giving them like abasically a baby potato chip.
Why would we want to put them onthat pipeline?
It doesn't make sense from ablood sugar standpoint.
(19:44):
It doesn't make sense from anutrient dense standpoint.
They're supposed to be teethers, right, like?
My mom sent me a package oflike organic baby rice teethers
and she was like I don't know ifyou'll use them, but they are
organic.
And I was like, yeah, mom,we're not using that, we're not
using anything in a package,because my son doesn't need that
.
I don't want to give him thatcarb.
Those grains are not properlyprepared.
They will go undigested in hisdigestive system and become the
(20:05):
perfect food for pathogenicmicrobes, and feeding those bad
gut bugs is how we get thingslike allergies, that's how we
get eczema, that's how we getall this messed up poop.
So we don't want any of that.
Alyssa (20:17):
Yep, I agree with that.
Every know, every time mydaughter touches like chocolate
cake and I'm just like no,because the digestion afterwards
is like awful.
And I was like no, no, we likeyou know, for birthday it's like
I'll have, I'll give her a fewbites, but then I regret it
later.
Kate (20:35):
Yeah, that's a really interesting dilemma and I
actually get a ton of DMquestions about what to do at
birthday parties.
I cover that in my picky eatingcourse because that's, like you
know, a little bit of an olderage group, and I also get a ton
of questions about what to dofor the first birthday and I
always recommend making a liverpate.
And the moms in my courses areso creative.
(20:55):
They make these like beautifulbeef cakes with bone marrow
icing and they serve big steaksfor their child's first birthday
and they put a candle in it andthey celebrate because it's not
about the sugar.
We need to really separate thesweet and the celebration from
each other, because it's aboutliving life with vitality and
those foods are not what makesus happy.
(21:16):
Those foods give us a temporarydopamine hit, but the joy and
the long lasting life comes fromyour health, your vitality and
your connection with yourchildren.
Alyssa (21:25):
You know, it's so true.
I've seen, you know, I've seenthe differences Like once she
got introduced to a little bitmore sugar, like the, the mood
changes, the.
You know the behavior it wasand so I knew I had to like,
nope, cut it off.
Kate (21:40):
it was done so I'm so glad you were able to recognize that
and hold that boundary becauseit's so helpful for her too.
Actually, people think you know, like there's a temporary
tantrum or whatever it's like,you can get through the tantrum.
You don't want anxiety,depressed teenager or autoimmune
condition like or trouble withpuberty.
You don't want any of that likedeal with the tantrum as a
three-year-old or four-year-old.
Alyssa (22:02):
Yeah, and you know, I, I have a friend of mine who had
his, her son, and did notintroduce like processed crap or
anything, and as an adult hedoesn't go towards those foods.
And I was like, looking at her,I was like that is genius, you
know, because then you'resetting them on the right path
(22:22):
and so, um, that's, that'sexactly what you're trying to do
here.
Kate (22:26):
Yep, and that's exactly what you learned in the first
foods plan.
That is how I teach people tojust transition from formula or
breast milk to solid foods thegut health way.
Alyssa (22:35):
That's great, and so I so at the.
So, as we're coming to the endof the show, where can my
listeners connect?
Kate (22:43):
with you.
Yeah, the best place to find meis on Instagram.
I am the most active there andI have the longest history of
videos there.
So that's at Wild Nutritionist.
But you can also find me onTikTok and YouTube and Facebook.
Alyssa (22:59):
Awesome, okay, and you can find the links to the Baby
Biome First Foods Plan course inthe show notes of this episode,
as well as her three cookbooks,and make sure to follow her on
Instagram and visit her websitetoo.
All the links that you'll everneed to connect with Kate will
be in the show notes, so makesure to check that out.
So I want to thank you fortuning in today and thank you,
(23:20):
kate, for being a guest today.
I loved it.
Thank you so much.
If you're looking for resourceson how to grow your digital
product business, head over toAlyssaBelsariocom, and I hope
you found this episode ashelpful as I did.
I've learned a lot myself, andwe'll implement a little bit of
your advice because you knowImplement a little bit of your
advice because you know, ofcourse, the priority is the
(23:41):
health of our kids.
So you know this is going to bereally helpful for all of my
listeners today.
So I will catch you next timeon another brilliant idea, and
thank you so much for coming.
Thank you, thanks for tuninginto this episode of Brilliant
Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
(24:01):
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration,
ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
nobody skips starting solids, like everybody has to
start, and so it just makessense that, like it fits a niche
where moms are ready to,they're ready to help their
babies heal, and they're also ata time where they're ready to
invest in their baby's life.
Alyssa (00:17):
Welcome to Brilliant Ideas, the podcast that takes
you behind the scenes of some ofthe most inspiring digital
products created by solopreneursjust like you.
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
(00:39):
the podcast for you.
Expect honest conversations ofhow they started, the obstacles
they overcame, lessons learnedthe hard way and who face the
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.
Hey everyone, welcome back toBrilliant Ideas.
(01:00):
If you're new here, I'm Alyssa,and on this podcast, you're
getting simple, actionable ideasand strategies to help you grow
your business with digitalproducts.
Today's guest is Kate Pope, thefounder of Regenerative Cooking
School and Nutritional TherapyPractitioner, where she educates
families and communities on theimportance of local food
systems and cooking meals athome for physical, mental and
emotional health.
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On today's episode, we'rediving into her story and
successful program, the BabyBiome First Foods Plan.
If you're curious about how tobuild a program that makes a
real impact, today's episode isa must listen.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the show, kate.
Thanks so much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
It's great to have you here and, from what I've gathered from
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reading your story, you'vehelped families embrace this
idea of starting solids the guthealth way, and so you've taught
thousands of moms how to usefood as medicine to reverse
symptoms like eczema, allergiesand digestive issues for their
babies.
So I want to walk backwards alittle bit and I want you to
tell me what inspired you todevelop the Baby Biome First
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Foods plan and what market gapsdid you find in order to fulfill
this need that you needed tocreate this self-paced course?
Kate (02:14):
Thank you for asking that's a great question.
So I first created a biggercourse when I first had my baby,
augie, when he was nine monthsold.
I created a course that was likefor mothers and babies and it
was about healing together and Iloved that course and I just
was like basically surveying myInstagram and because I was
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actually going on maternityleave for another baby and I was
categorizing all the posts thatI had made and like, by and far
, I was talking about startingsolids way more than anything
else and I was so passionateabout this.
Naturally, and I part of thereason why I was talking about
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it was because I felt like therewas a real gap in the knowledge
for moms in terms of how tostart solids that really
supported baby's gut.
And when we support the gut,we're also supporting the brain
and immune system and everybodywants a healthy brain, a healthy
immune system for their babies.
And so after creating Mama BabyBiome, I was like I really
think I need a first foodscourse because Mama Baby Biome,
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we have a lot more topics thatwe cover and in first foods, it
can just be about solid foodintroduction.
So I decided to make thiscourse, I made it and launched
it four months before my secondbaby was born, and it tripled my
income in my business wow,that's amazing and so what were
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some of the reactions you gotfrom it?
People.
I mean, we were so surprisedbecause we put it on sale the
first night and we launched itand we, I think we made like
over a hundred sales in thefirst like day of it.
Like people were just so readyfor this course and that was a
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sign for me that it was theright course at the right price
point.
And you know, mom Movie Vinewas a higher price point and I
really wanted to make somethingthat was more accessible for a
lot of moms and I think it'sjust like very targeted, you
know, because nobody, nobodyskips starting solids, like
everybody has to start.
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And so it just makes sense thatlike it fits a niche where moms
are ready to um, they're readyto help their babies heal, and
they're also at a time wherethey're ready to invest in their
baby's life, you know, becauseit's so tender and they just
really want to do what's best.
And so I'm offering thiseducation at a really affordable
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price which can give reallylife-changing results.
I mean, if your baby has foodallergies, if you had to
eliminate a ton of stuff whilebreastfeeding, if your baby's
covered in eczema, and I'moffering a solution that's
worked for a lot of moms, it'sreally, it's a really good offer
and they take it because theywant to.
They want to have their babythemselves.
Alyssa (05:03):
Yeah, that's really interesting.
I mean, I know when I firststarted solids with my daughter,
like I was terrified because Ididn't know where to start, and
it was overwhelming, like whenyou go to Google, like there's
like a ton of information,contradicting information,
conflicting information, and soyou're left feeling really
confused.
And you know, thankfully mydaughter didn't have like
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allergies.
But I've been reading online ofthings of people who have like
their't have like allergies.
But I've been reading online ofthings of people who have, like
their babies have severeallergies and they're very
limited in terms of what canwhat they can eat, and it's like
what do you make?
And then it has to be separatefrom what you eat and so, um, so
can you tell us a little bitabout, like what's inside of the
course, and do you find that itis like, for example, if some
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moms come to you and they say,well, I have this unique
challenge at home and they'retrying to say you know what can
I?
Is this specific allergycovered in your course?
I'm sure that you get a ton ofquestions from parents that are
dealing with all sorts ofchallenges.
So how do you manage to addresssuch a wide range of issues
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while still making it feel likeit's tailored just for them.
Kate (06:15):
Yeah, that's a really great question and it's a hard
challenge.
But the main idea that I try tohelp parents understand is
where the allergy comes from,because I think that when
parents know how the immunesystem and the gut digestion
interact, they can better grasphow they're going to heal it.
So I'm basically reverseengineering their problem by
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explaining why their problem gotthere in the first place.
So all allergies are related tothe state of our gut health and
the state of our microbiome,and so everyone in the course
whether you come to the coursewith an allergy or you just want
to set your baby up for thebest life possible you're
working on that strongfoundation.
We essentially eliminate theallergenic food and then rebuild
the gut lining, rebuild supportdigestion in the immune system.
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We bring the inflammation waydown and then we small, we
really reintroduce the food in avery small amount.
Alyssa (07:08):
Okay, oh, I get that Okay.
And do you find that?
Do parents come to you with alot of questions and do you have
like a one-to-one that'sseparate from my self-paced
course, or do you directeveryone there first and then
you kind of decide, if they needmore help, that they would
reach out to you directly.
Kate (07:28):
Exactly so.
The course is like thefoundational information.
So if you're working one-on-onewith someone, it's really great
if they come to the one-on-onesession kind of having the
basics covered, and so that'swhat the course would provide,
and for most people, this isgoing to be what's going to get
them through starting solids,reversing allergens, helping
with constipation.
And then there's some peoplewho just want, like that, more
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tailored support.
They have a more, maybe a moreunique situation or they just
really want someone to talk to.
And I provide one-to-onesessions with a team that I work
with who are experts in babynutrition and helping babies
heal.
Alyssa (08:02):
Okay, that, yeah, that makes sense.
And so when you are coveringall these different topics like
I'm sure there's different, likea wide range of topics in your
course Do you have a process ofkind of what to of what you
figure out, like what do youfigure out what they're asking
for?
So do you like can you sharekind of how you gather that
feedback from what the parentsare asking you or what they're
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telling you in conversations,maybe in your one-to-one or just
in general?
And then how do you decide,like, what topics to include in
your course versus what you talkabout on social media, and like
how does it all come togetherin that course?
Kate (08:40):
Totally, so I get a ton of DMs and I basically make my
courses based off of my DMquestions and really I've shaped
my practice around that Because, like I said, when I made that
bigger course Mama Baby Biome Iwas mostly making it off of my
own experience of having acesarean and getting sent home
from the hospital with laxativesand really no advice on how to
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rebuild my body and I knew itwas going to affect my son's gut
health with the antibiotics,and so I was just like this is
crazy, like there's other momshaving this experience that
don't have the knowledge and thespecialized information that I
have about eating, healing andthe microbiome.
So I need to make this course.
And then, when it came to thestarting solids topic and just
generally starting to speakabout these ideas on my
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Instagram, people startedsharing their experiences with
me and they would tell mestories of things that I could
have never even imagined orthought of, because, like
they're having their experienceat the doctor's office or
something you know, anexperience that I didn't have.
And so then I was able to likecollect these stories and kind
of understand the overall voiceof the mother.
These, you know, the modernmother, the millennial mother
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who is struggling with these setof symptoms and wants to do
what's best but doesn't have thetools.
And so then I start to organizethe tools and I put all those
tools in my courses and on myInstagram.
I talk, I also get those tools.
It's just not organized because, you know, the Instagram is
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like this little story and thislittle story, this piece of
information and this piece ofinformation which gathers more
people into my audience.
But if they want to take thedeep, organized dive to really
set up the healing forthemselves, they need to join my
courses Now.
Then I have like specializedsituations like someone like F
pies, which is a really extremeallergic reaction to a lot of
different types of foods.
They're very limited foods.
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It's a very scary situation formothers.
A lot of different types offoods, they're very limited
foods.
It's a very scary situation formothers, and I feel that I
teach a solution to this in mycourse and in this line of work,
and so I will then do a bonusmodule or a bonus lesson or a
free masterclass on this topicspecifically so that those moms
can know hey, this is for you,you really need to know about it
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, and other moms who also areexperiencing this, have been
able to find some resolve andresolution, and I want you to
have that too.
So I do really feel like it'sfor a general audience and it's
for, like, very specific casesthat are hard to figure out and
fall through the cracks and thatkind of thing.
Alyssa (11:08):
Okay, so that's interesting.
So then you would.
So, based on feedback from whatyou hear from moms, if there is
something that is in demand,like the F pies, like something
that is you that they would wantyou to cover, you can just
update the course with, like abonus module.
That makes sense.
Kate (11:24):
Exactly.
And then I can just market it,saying like, hey, I have all
this foundational content is foryou and I have a specialized
module which is going to frameit for you so that you can apply
it.
Alyssa (11:52):
Okay, and then there I'm sure there's some moms, because
I know, like when I was you,and say things like well, there
are apps out there that you know, you can download or that you
can buy, that will show you whatwhat to eat or what to serve
your just you know, having yourfoundational course, would you
say that you specialize in likethe allergies, versus just
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general knowledge that they canfind on Google?
Kate (12:23):
Yeah, so everything that I teach in my course is kind of
counter to, like all themainstream advice about starting
solids.
So I'm teaching specializedinformation and my kind of like
catchphrase about it is the guthealth way.
So I'm going to teach mothershow to build their baby's
foundation, starting with theirgut health and using very
specific foods and a veryspecific timeline to heal their
symptoms.
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I mean, the majority of peoplethat I'm working with are coming
to me with some symptoms orthey've tried baby led, weaning
large chunks of food, fed a lotof fruits and grains, and
they've seen their baby'ssymptoms come up Like they
didn't have any symptoms beforestarting solids and suddenly
they start introducing fruitsand grains and the baby has an
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eczema rash or the baby'sdeveloped allergies or the
constant runny nose or the mucusin the stools, right.
So that's another scenariowhere I'm able to say, okay,
this is why that happened andhere's how you correct it.
So, yeah, I would say that Ihave like a specialized method
and a subset of knowledge thatis actually ancestral cultural
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knowledge that we've lost in howour food has really changed
over the past 75 years.
Alyssa (13:34):
That's right, the apps or just the general information
online.
They don't go into the detailsof allergies and the symptoms
and the tools to overcome thosethings.
It's just straight, like thefood how do you prepare it, and
that's it which you go into suchmuch more detail, which is
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great.
And so now thinking bigger.
So just like big picture here,visionary type, where do you see
the Baby Biome First Foods planheaded?
So what would you say yourvision is for evolving the
program to keep up with the paceof what families really need
for their babies?
Kate (14:14):
Honestly, I feel like I'm just trying to reach more
numbers, because I think that Ihave hit a really sweet spot in
terms of results that people getfrom the course, in terms of
the price point that it'soffered, in terms of the like
ripple effect that it can havefor the entire family.
Um, I would love to see 10,000moms go through the program.
(14:35):
Um, I, like I said, I makeupdates to it as much as I feel
is needed.
I'm not I never hold myselfback from altering or changing
the course based on um clientfeedback.
And, yeah, I'm just like superexcited because this is changing
the way that babies start theirlife of eating and it actually
(14:56):
can shape their path for therest of their life.
It sounds a little dramatic,but it's really true, because
the microbiome decides how wellour immune system works, it
decides how our body caneliminate toxins, it helps us to
digest food, it creates all ofour cravings, and so this is
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actually a prevention path aswell.
It's preventing picky eating,it's preventing chronic immune
system issues, it's preventingthese rising chronic diseases in
our children, like diabetes,and so for me, it's all about
just getting the message outthere and helping more parents
reclaim food as something thatmaintains and improves our
health.
Alyssa (15:38):
I agree, I think it's so important.
I mean, I was, I made sure thatyou know we did the whole
vegetables first and before thefruit, but I don't know if
that's, even, if that is even athing, you debunk that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, do you wantme to touch on that a little bit
?
Yeah, if you want.
Kate (15:54):
Yeah, for sure you know you mentioned the allergen thing
and like there's a big talkabout like introducing common
allergens before one years oldand that's like supposed to.
That's like the main argumentwe have for preventing allergies
in our children, and I have adifferent approach.
Like I'm all about maintainingthe gut health and building the
(16:15):
immune system before introducingany food that would be
inflammatory to the body, andI'm also really taking into
consideration what type of foodwe're wanting to introduce.
So, for example, egg is a verydifferent food nutritionally
than bread, and bread isconsidered a common allergen and
they're suggesting introduce itbefore one years old.
But in my perspective, we don'tneed to introduce bread before
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one year old.
If the baby's gut is healthy andthe immune system is healthy,
you can have wheat at threeyears old and not have an
allergic reaction to it ordevelop celiacs, anything like
that, because your gut's healthy.
That's why allergens won't exist, you know, and and something
like an egg is verynutritionally dense, very
important, and I would want thatto be included in my baby's
(16:59):
diet from, you know, six monthsold for the rest of their life,
and so that is one that I wouldincorporate very slowly,
starting methodically with justthe yolk and building up to two
to three egg yolks a day, andthat's not what you're hearing
in the mainstream about allergenadvice.
Now, when it comes to theveggies, veggies are fine but
they're fibrous and the fiber isactually more difficult for
(17:20):
humans to break down.
So we start with meat-basedfoods and then we slowly add in
vegetables local and seasonaland we puree them and as your
baby matures, you know, you cangive them pieces, larger pieces,
to gnaw on, to suck onto too,to explore.
All that's fine, but we reallywant to make sure that the gut
is filled and sealed, themicrobiome is healthy, before we
(17:40):
start introducing tons ofvegetables and fermented
vegetables.
Alyssa (17:44):
That's really where the magic happens um, okay, that
that's interesting and then okay, so what do you now?
I just like, what's your yourtake on processed foods like on
in the baby aisle?
What's your take on processedfoods like in the baby aisle?
What's your take on that?
Nutritionally, something toavoid or to be careful of?
(18:08):
What brands Do you have that inyour course where you list any
of those brands and you knowwhich ones are safe versus which
ones you should be cautious of?
Kate (18:19):
Yeah, this is probably going to blow your mind, but I
don't recommend any of thosefoods.
Yeah, so I recommend cookingall of your baby's food yourself
and I teach you how to do thatin a really easy way.
Like it takes a little bit oftime, but they eat so little at
the beginning that you can justmake it all at one time and
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freeze it and then thaw it outinto portions or put it into
little bags if they have to.
You know are on the go, but Irecommend making all of your
baby food yourself, never buyingyour baby's food, especially in
plastic, and I don't recommendgiving your baby any industrial
food until much later.
Like our toddler eats a littlebit of seaweed snacks, sometimes
a little bit of, you know,grass-fed and finished beef
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sticks with no sugar.
We eat pork rinds, butgenerally, like we keep it all
food made at home.
Alyssa (19:10):
No, that's great, Like not those like puffs that you
see.
I mean I have to say thosepuffs that are in the baby are
like no calories.
There's nothing in them, it'sjust air.
Kate (19:21):
Yeah, in the baby are like no calories.
There's nothing in them, it'sjust air.
Yeah Well, it's worse than justair because it's like a gateway
.
So that's like a.
It's usually made from rice orcassava, a root vegetable, even
like the nicer, higher qualityorganic brands we're just giving
our kids, we're starting snackculture with them.
We're giving them like abasically a baby potato chip.
Why would we want to put them onthat pipeline?
It doesn't make sense from ablood sugar standpoint.
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It doesn't make sense from anutrient dense standpoint.
They're supposed to be teethers, right, like?
My mom sent me a package oflike organic baby rice teethers
and she was like I don't know ifyou'll use them, but they are
organic.
And I was like, yeah, mom,we're not using that, we're not
using anything in a package,because my son doesn't need that
.
I don't want to give him thatcarb.
Those grains are not properlyprepared.
They will go undigested in hisdigestive system and become the
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perfect food for pathogenicmicrobes, and feeding those bad
gut bugs is how we get thingslike allergies, that's how we
get eczema, that's how we getall this messed up poop.
So we don't want any of that.
Alyssa (20:17):
Yep, I agree with that.
Every know, every time mydaughter touches like chocolate
cake and I'm just like no,because the digestion afterwards
is like awful.
And I was like no, no, we likeyou know, for birthday it's like
I'll have, I'll give her a fewbites, but then I regret it
later.
Kate (20:35):
Yeah, that's a really interesting dilemma and I
actually get a ton of DMquestions about what to do at
birthday parties.
I cover that in my picky eatingcourse because that's, like you
know, a little bit of an olderage group, and I also get a ton
of questions about what to dofor the first birthday and I
always recommend making a liverpate.
And the moms in my courses areso creative.
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They make these like beautifulbeef cakes with bone marrow
icing and they serve big steaksfor their child's first birthday
and they put a candle in it andthey celebrate because it's not
about the sugar.
We need to really separate thesweet and the celebration from
each other, because it's aboutliving life with vitality and
those foods are not what makesus happy.
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Those foods give us a temporarydopamine hit, but the joy and
the long lasting life comes fromyour health, your vitality and
your connection with yourchildren.
Alyssa (21:25):
You know, it's so true.
I've seen, you know, I've seenthe differences Like once she
got introduced to a little bitmore sugar, like the, the mood
changes, the.
You know the behavior it wasand so I knew I had to like,
nope, cut it off.
Kate (21:40):
it was done so I'm so glad you were able to recognize that
and hold that boundary becauseit's so helpful for her too.
Actually, people think you know, like there's a temporary
tantrum or whatever it's like,you can get through the tantrum.
You don't want anxiety,depressed teenager or autoimmune
condition like or trouble withpuberty.
You don't want any of that likedeal with the tantrum as a
three-year-old or four-year-old.
Alyssa (22:02):
Yeah, and you know, I, I have a friend of mine who had
his, her son, and did notintroduce like processed crap or
anything, and as an adult hedoesn't go towards those foods.
And I was like, looking at her,I was like that is genius, you
know, because then you'resetting them on the right path
(22:22):
and so, um, that's, that'sexactly what you're trying to do
here.
Kate (22:26):
Yep, and that's exactly what you learned in the first
foods plan.
That is how I teach people tojust transition from formula or
breast milk to solid foods thegut health way.
Alyssa (22:35):
That's great, and so I so at the.
So, as we're coming to the endof the show, where can my
listeners connect?
Kate (22:43):
with you.
Yeah, the best place to find meis on Instagram.
I am the most active there andI have the longest history of
videos there.
So that's at Wild Nutritionist.
But you can also find me onTikTok and YouTube and Facebook.
Alyssa (22:59):
Awesome, okay, and you can find the links to the Baby
Biome First Foods Plan course inthe show notes of this episode,
as well as her three cookbooks,and make sure to follow her on
Instagram and visit her websitetoo.
All the links that you'll everneed to connect with Kate will
be in the show notes, so makesure to check that out.
So I want to thank you fortuning in today and thank you,
(23:20):
kate, for being a guest today.
I loved it.
Thank you so much.
If you're looking for resourceson how to grow your digital
product business, head over toAlyssaBelsariocom, and I hope
you found this episode ashelpful as I did.
I've learned a lot myself, andwe'll implement a little bit of
your advice because you knowImplement a little bit of your
advice because you know, ofcourse, the priority is the
(23:41):
health of our kids.
So you know this is going to bereally helpful for all of my
listeners today.
So I will catch you next timeon another brilliant idea, and
thank you so much for coming.
Thank you, thanks for tuninginto this episode of Brilliant
Ideas.
If you love the show, be sureto leave a review and follow me
(24:01):
on Instagram for even moreinsider tips and inspiration,
ready to bring your next big,brilliant idea to life?
Visit AlyssaVelsercom forresources, guidance and
everything you need to startcreating something amazing.
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