February 4, 2025 • 55 mins
Gut health significantly impacts overall well-being, from mood regulation to cognitive function. I sit down with wellness expert Colette Brown to discuss the gut-brain connection, dietary choices for improving gut health, and actionable steps to achieve a healthier lifestyle. In this episode, we cover:
• Understanding the gut-brain connection
• Impact of diet on mood and cognitive function
• Importance of reducing sugar intake
• Role of a diverse microbiome for health
• Recommendations for supplements and vitamins
• Actionable steps for improving gut function and health
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode
of the Live your ExtraordinaryLife podcast.
I'm your host, Michelle Rios,and today we're diving into a
topic that is central to youroverall health, your energy,
your vitality, and that is guthealth.
You may have heard the phrasethat your gut is your second
(00:22):
brain, but what does that evenmean, and how does your gut
impact everything from mood toyour immune system, to your
energy levels and even yourability to focus?
Well, we're about to find outfrom today's expert guest, who's
going to help us understand thepowerful connection between gut
(00:43):
health and living yourextraordinary life.
So, without further ado, I amso pleased to welcome back to
the show my dear friend andwellness advocate, Colette Brown
.
Welcome to the show, Colette.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Thank you, michelle.
It's so good to be here.
I'm really happy and it's myfavorite thing is talking about
gut health and livingextraordinary, so I'm excited
about today.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, we've known each other now gosh, for almost
two years, but it feels like twolifetimes I know it really does
and we have been through a lottogether in that short period of
time we have.
So we want to delve right inColette, and I'm going to start
with a foundational question foryou, for our listeners, and
(01:29):
that is can you help explainwhat gut health really is and
why it's so critical to ourwellbeing?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Gut health is everything.
There's the gut brainconnection and people think, oh,
sometimes maybe it's, my moodis off.
But what they don't realize isit could actually be the reverse
, where the gut is off and thenit communicates up through the
vagus nerve to the brain and itcreates symptoms that we know as
(02:02):
depression, which is called thecytokine model of depression.
When bad things get in, itleaches out from the gut, the
gut lining, into the bloodstream, and in the bloodstream it
travels up past the blood-brainbarrier into the prefrontal
cortex and it can createsymptoms that we know as
depression.
(02:23):
And so I think what people oftendon't know is that the gut is
so critical and they wonder whydo I have eczema?
Why am I feeling off?
Why is my body feeling the wayit is?
I just, you know my digestivesystem, but I'm eating healthy.
I'm holding up little quotesand they are, and they're
(02:44):
actually not, and it's lifestyleand there's so much of it that
we can control.
98% of all autoimmune diseaseis from the gut, which means 2%
is genetic.
And when you can wrap your headaround that and understand that
this is a scientific fact, whatcan we do in order to do our
(03:06):
best, to live our best?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Okay, well, I'm going to just come clean with
everyone here Selfishly.
I really wanted to do thisepisode because, gosh, I've been
friends with Colette for areally long time.
It took me a while, but Iacquiesced and gave up my Diet
Coke because I was finding thatas I edited my diet, I still
(03:30):
wasn't feeling the vitality andenergy that I wanted to, and
that was sort of my last legionof something chemical that I was
really putting in my body,because I, for the most part,
eat whole foods.
And so I'm about six weeks offDiet Coke, and it was not an
easy feat by any stretch of theimagination, but I've felt so
(03:54):
much different.
I've gone through the detoxprocess.
I felt really crummy in thebeginning, but I'm now starting
to feel a lot clearer and a lotless brain fog, which I had been
attributing completely to itmust be perimenopause.
It must be what's happening andnow I'm not entirely sure that's
(04:16):
what it was.
So we often hear about thisgut-brain connection and, as
high achievers and folks thatreally want to get things done,
it is something I think about alot.
How can I get the clearest Ican be?
Can you break down exactly howthe gut impacts our mental
(04:36):
health and our mood andcognitive function?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, so there is the vagus nerve which communicates
between the brain and the gut.
So there is that the vagusnerve which communicates between
the brain and the gut.
And when we understand that theprocessed foods that we eat,
all the chemicals that we eat,the sweeteners, erythritol is
something that is in everythingand it's linked with heart
(05:02):
disease and there's so muchfindings that we know are fact.
So how do we break that down?
And it's really simple in mybook, but to some people it's
really hard.
But eating whole foods and notgrabbing something that is in a
(05:23):
wrapper sometimes you can dothat and when you do that you
should make sure that it's verywell sourced.
Not grabbing something that isin a wrapper Sometimes you can
do that and when you do that youshould make sure that it's very
well sourced.
And when you have a lot ofsugars, because in processed
foods you're going to get thefillers, you're going to get the
sugars, and if you know thatyou're only women are supposed
to have 25 grams of sugar a dayand men 35 grams of sugar a day,
(05:48):
and one of your quote powerbars has 25, 35 grams of sugar
in it, Just in that one.
What about the rest of the day,when you're eating your fruit,
when you're eating otherprocessed foods, what about all
of that sugar?
So most Americans are eatingover a hundred grams of sugar a
(06:09):
day.
If you just break it down andlook at your, if you're having a
Starbucks coffee, if you'rehaving your fruit, a banana has
about 12 to 15 grams, just togive you a reference.
So it all adds up and thensugar creates inflammation in
the body and that throws us offand inflammation is the root of
(06:30):
all disease.
So when you're inflamed, yeah,it's easy to say, oh, it's my
perimenopause, it's my, you know, it's genetic, my family,
everybody had this disease.
And when you, when you strip itdown and you look at how did
this develop, it really willpoint back to your diet.
(06:55):
And just with my story alonebeing unwell for over 20 years
and all the doctors telling methat I would just have to live
with it and I just didn't wantto accept that.
And when I got down to thefundamentals, it was all around
food and I thought that I atevery clean prior to eating clean
quote clean.
And when I started eating rightand supplementing, that is when
(07:20):
my whole world turned upsidedown and it was just such a new
perspective on how I could feelhealthy.
So I think it's understanding.
Inflammation is the root ofdisease.
What causes inflammation?
How can we prevent inflammation?
Very simply, and one of thoseis just eating more whole foods
(07:42):
in our diet, and less sugar.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I mean ultimately Less sugar.
Sugar is really causing morewhole foods in our diet and less
sugar.
I mean ultimately less sugar isreally causing us to be more
inflamed, and so let's walk thatthrough a little bit, because
when our bodies are inflamed,that's going to impact our mood,
it's going to suppress ourimmune system and it's going to
make us more foggy, less clearheaded.
Is that?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
correct.
More foggy, less clear headed.
Is that correct?
Yeah, and it, uh, sugar feedscancer, right, and there are
certain microbes in our, our gutthat feed on sugar.
So when you go without sugarand you say, oh, I have to have
sugar craving right now, needsugar, it's actually these
(08:23):
little microbes.
The microbiome is bigger innumber than we are as humans.
It has its own brain and itdemands, through the vagus nerve
to our brain we need sugar now.
So when you cut it off, it'sgoing to throw a tantrum.
So understanding, oh, this isvery smart organisms that we're
(08:45):
dealing with and we've got to bevery vigilant and we have to be
the boss of our bodies and wecontrol what goes in, we control
the outcomes of our own healthand we can do that.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
You know, this is fascinating to me because it's
not that it's new information,but it is an aha moment for me,
particularly as a CEO of my ownbusiness and really expecting
myself to be able to do bigthings, make quick decisions,
have strong executive functionand thinking that some of the
(09:22):
shortcuts I was taking likemaybe skipping a meal or
drinking a Diet Coke instead ofeating because there's zero
calories in that, or grabbing apower bar of some sort or
protein bar or even a processedprotein shake that actually not
only was I not taking a shortcut, that I was actually making
(09:43):
life harder for myself becauseit was slowing down my executive
function.
And gosh, I can only imaginewhat my gut biome looked like at
the height of corporate living,when I was running down airport
strips to make a plane, to getto a meeting and my cortisol is
running and I'm grabbingwhatever is in the conference
(10:04):
room and it's usually a crappysandwich, a bag of chips and a
cookie and downing it with dietCoke or coffee nonstop.
And that was sort of like mygo-to, because that was what was
in every conference room.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Talk to me about the gut biome itself.
So we know that the gut biome,in order to operate effectively,
has certain healthy gutbacteria that need to thrive,
that require certain nutrients,but also, if we don't feed it
properly, unhealthy bacteriawill grow and take over.
(10:46):
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat, because I know for
someone who, like me, issomewhat new to really focusing
in on gut health, that wassomething I had heard but not
really familiar with in depth.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah.
So our microbiome, in short,short, is billions of bacteria
and in order for them tofunction properly and in harmony
and it's been we say good andbad bacteria, they're all.
They're not good and bad,really right, they're just they
live in harmony with each other.
When everything is operatingproperly, when one side gets
(11:24):
more than the other, like ourscales shift and they get off.
So when you're feeding thatsugar microbe, then it gets off,
for example.
So in order to feed themicrobiome, they need digestible
fiber.
They need fiber in there.
That is their food.
So fermented food is reallygood.
(11:47):
I love coconut because coconutis very dense fiber and it has
all kinds of nutrients.
So that's really good for thegut.
These are, we know, a lot ofthings that are great for the
gut.
Your probiotics, yourmicrobiome create vitamins for
the body.
That is one of their functions.
They digest food that's anotherone of their functions.
So when we eat the fiber andthe fermented foods, it feeds
(12:14):
those microbes and it enablesthem to produce the vitamins.
So we have to understand, likethe essentials.
So it's a whole world in ourgut going on that we don't even
have to think about, but what wedo need to think about is what
feeds them.
So, obviously, giving them theproper nutrition, the whole
(12:37):
foods.
We do need the fruit, we needthe polyphenols, so berries are
wonderful for this.
Um, there's other foods, toothat are high in polyphenols,
but those are great.
And but everything in balancetoo.
And you just mentioned thestress when you're off.
It throws your entire body off.
(12:57):
So even if you're eating right,that stress can affect the
microbiome, because what ourbody is producing and just the
demand we're putting on it andhealthy relationships, exercise.
If we don't exercise, we canmentally be off, and that again
is correlated with themicrobiome and the ability to
(13:21):
flush toxins out of our body andour lymphatic system and our
lymphs don't drain on their own.
We have to manually drain themthrough a lot of different
modalities.
But when we can understand thatwe yeah, we're the CEO of our
bodies and we just need toeducate ourselves on what is it
that we need to put in here tothe microbiome to allow them to
(13:43):
effectively produce what theyneed to in order to keep us
functioning?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Okay.
So I'm probably going to regretthis.
But here we go.
We're going to talk a littlebit about my diet right now,
because I suspect that even inmy journey to better gut health,
I'm probably getting more fruitthan I need to, given the 25
grams of sugar a day.
But let's talk a little bitabout what I'm eating and I
(14:10):
would love for you then to kindof maybe evaluate what tweaks
that I need to make.
So, for example, I'm somebodywho wakes up in the morning.
Now my new routine is I drinkwater with lemon, warm water and
lemon the first half hour of myday.
There is no caffeine.
I wait at least one hour tohave that cup of coffee, if not
(14:33):
sometimes two.
I'm also somebody who now waits.
I don't feed my body right away.
I tend to stop eating around7.30 at night and I don't start
eating until around 11 in themorning.
And that first meal for me.
I'll tell you what goes in itsomewhat, because I listen to
your podcast so I know whatyou're eating.
(14:53):
But it starts with eithercoconut water or regular water
celery.
So I'm getting my celery inthere.
I'm getting my baby spinach.
I sometimes put in freshraspberries.
I sometimes put in fresh orfrozen pineapple, which I now
(15:16):
realize is probably too muchsugar, but I am conscientious of
how much I put in.
I'm putting in clean protein.
I have a clean source protein.
And then I have now become abig advocate of turmeric,
cinnamon, black pepper for theturmeric.
What else is in there Cardamom.
(15:38):
What else is in there.
I think that's it.
It's like those three, okay,and that's typically my morning.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Okay, all right.
So you start with lemon water,then you don't have coffee until
one to two hours later.
And what are you putting inyour coffee?
I'm a black coffee drinker soI'm pretty lucky I like the
bitter taste of coffee.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I don't put sugar and I don't enjoy milk, so milk for
me has to be in the form of icecream.
So I'm not.
I don't put sugar and I don't.
I don't enjoy milk, so milk forme has to be in the form of ice
cream.
So I'm okay in the winter.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Perfect, okay, and so for the people listening, if
you have problem with caffeineand you feel a little jittery
normally if if you, we do like abulletproof coffee.
So if you add a little fat intoyour coffee and blend it, then
it will be more the nutrientslike the polyphenols actually in
coffee, a well-sourced coffee.
(16:35):
So that's the other thingmaking sure where it's sourced
from, to make sure that it's notwith mold and it's organic and
not processed.
So a real well-sourced coffeeis worth your investment and not
processed.
So real well-sourced coffee isworth your investment.
And if you mix a little bit ofcoconut oil or grass-fed butter
into it, it makes it morebioavailable for the body.
(16:56):
So that's one step for peoplethat have a problem with
drinking just black coffee.
So the other thing is you saidyou do your green drink right.
Am I taking that right?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
next it is my green drink, but it does have a little
bit of fruit in it.
Now I'm wondering if maybe it'stoo much fruit.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So I recommend if you can go without fruit, it's
better.
Don't start your day with sugar.
We should push that off as longas possible, because once we
get sugar introduced into thebody, the the levels of you know
can spike depending on who youare.
(17:35):
And just to keep that at amoderation and have your sugar
later would be my recommendation.
And I also recommend I don'tknow how it is over there in the
winter, but going to thefarmer's market and getting
diversity.
So you named a lot of differentvegetables that you're putting
in and I would love to see youadd a little bit more into your
(18:00):
greens.
For mine, I do cilantro,parsley, I'll do fennel, I put
all kinds of you know, like amixed green.
I was at the farmer's marketthis weekend and there is four
or five different types oflettuce that I got just to add
in, because what our goal shouldbe is 30 to 40 different plants
(18:22):
per week.
That's what we need to do.
So the diversity and mixing itup is essential for the
microbiome.
So, um, so when you're eatingthe same thing every week, um,
it's not so good, right?
We need to mix that up and makesure that we have diversity
there.
(18:42):
To to feed, to feed the gut.
So that's one thing.
People you know.
If they're eating broccoli andcauliflower and carrots every
week, week after week after weekafter week, your body is like
blah.
It knows that.
So really try to mix it up.
Go to your farmer's market.
If you've never seen somethingbefore there's always something
(19:05):
new that I find and ask about it.
Ask them how do you cook thisat home?
Or do a Google search and findout how you can make something
different.
But our bodies need that.
And when I say 30 to 40 plants,you can also include herbs and
spices into your cooking, andthat also counts.
(19:25):
I love turmeric.
Turmeric is amazing.
I would recommend also, if youcan tolerate them, powdered
mushrooms, and those are reallygood for their adaptogens, so
they're great for the brain, forfunction, for eyesight.
There's so many differentproperties in the mushrooms,
(19:51):
different properties in themushrooms, and the one thing
I'll add to that, just tostretch it a little bit more, is
that you don't want themushroom mycelium.
Mycelium are the roots, theroot system of the mushroom, and
so there's a very big name thatyou will see at every store
that I'm not going to say, andone day I looked at it and I
said how do they supply theentire nation with bags and bags
(20:13):
and bags and bags of mushroompowder?
Because I just didn't get it.
I thought like this is kind ofodd and I started researching.
And so what they do is theygrow their mushrooms on a log of
oats and the mycelium, which isthe root system, goes into the
oats.
They basically cut off the topsand I believe those get resold
(20:37):
somewhere else.
They take that mushroom grown inthe oats, which it's probably
mostly oats, to be quite frank,you know how they mass produce,
blend it up, bag it and youthink you're getting the
property of the mushroom tops,but you're not.
It's the mycelium, and they'reclaiming medicinal properties on
(20:57):
the roots that are actually inthe top the plant, the top of
the mushroom part.
So so there's a lot we can diveinto, but I wanted to put that
out there because I believe inmushrooms and I believe that
they need to be very wellsourced and that needs to be the
fruiting body, not the mycelium.
So look at your mushroom powderif you're at home.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
So could you I mean conceivably just buy whole
mushrooms, cut the mycelium offand just use the caps and do it
yourself in a blender or a Nutrilike?
I'm using a Nutribullet to doall mine, so I keep the
properties and the fiber of thefood that I'm eating in the
drink.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Absolutely yes, and there are a lot of vendors that
have whole mushrooms that youcould just buy, and usually it
doesn't come with the mycelium,it's.
It's usually just the wholefruiting body of the mushroom.
So, yes, absolutely, you coulddo that.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Okay, excellent, all right.
Well, we're going to keep goingbecause I want to get some
feedback on the rest of this aday in the life of Michelle now
on her quest to get better guthealth.
Okay, second, typically I eatanother shake.
I tend to try to drink a lot ofthese nutrients because I find
it easier to do in the course ofmy day and then I eat a dinner.
(22:12):
So my second one is a greendrink that probably still has
too much fruit in it andprobably not enough variety, but
I am, I will say I kind of moveon to like lettuces and
arugulas and spring mixes, so Ido get that mix.
I tend to add something creamy,so like a quarter of an avocado
(22:33):
to get some healthy fat inthere.
Or I might use some I can'teven think right now off the top
of my head coconut oil.
Use like a teaspoon of coconutoil.
This is where I get intocinnamon.
I was just educated earlier inthis week.
I've got the wrong cinnamon.
I didn't know there was a rightcinnamon, but-.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
The Ceylon cinnamon instead of Saigon right.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Ceylon cinnamon is the way to go.
I personally still have Saigoncinnamon.
I didn't know there was adifference.
I sort of sat there dumbfounded, going really, and they're like
, yeah, you're not getting thestuff you really need out of
that one.
So I will be going and lookingfor something of looking for the
Ceylon.
And then I tend to go back andhave more fruit.
(23:18):
So I found this might be toosweet too.
Just a few dark, but they'resweet.
Pitted cherries changeeverything for me.
They're probably too sweet andnot tart enough because they do
make it so yummy to drink.
But I'm a big celery fan, sothere's more celery in there and
(23:42):
that's usually my second one.
I usually do my vital proteins,which have collagen, but not a
full thing of protein as I wouldnormally do.
I know they're missing some ofthe amino acids to be a full
protein mix.
I feel like okay with thatbecause my hair is growing
longer and I'm okay.
And then dinner hasn't been asadventurous as it probably needs
(24:04):
to be because we are big fansof grilled chicken and not a lot
of other things.
So I'm eating a lot of grilledchicken these days, folks, but
that is when I'm baking on acookie sheet, just a lot of
vegetables.
So I'm a big fan of those minisweet peppers, the red, yellow
(24:25):
and orange.
I just buy the organic ones, Itake the seeds out, I cut them
in half, I brush a little bit ofextra virgin olive oil on them,
and then I'm big on pepper anda tiny bit of salt and I bake
those in the oven for about 15minutes and they're delicious.
(24:46):
Typically a little bit.
If I haven't had avocado, I'lldo a quarter of avocado.
Then, um, what else do I have?
My boys love broccoli.
So I'm lucky cause we do thesame thing.
My husband, even in these Eastcoast cold temperatures, will go
grill chicken for us.
Or if they're eating, um,eating ground beef, they'll do
(25:09):
that, and so they usually dotheir broccoli outside.
I'm happily receiving that, butprobably not enough variety.
And then I will say I'mdrinking a lot of water.
So I've replaced all of my dietCoke and fizziness with just
water, with probably a littlebit of lemon.
(25:30):
And then, at the end of the day, I've become a big fan of
magnesium, because I have hadsleeping issues.
So I have been taking magnesiumpowder, magnesium and warm
water, and that tends to be theway I cut the end of the dinner
cycle for me, so not terrible,but clean up from where.
(25:52):
I was for sure, but would loveto have some ideas on how to
tweak it and what I might bemissing.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, so it sounds good.
I like that you're doing yourtwo self-made shakes every day
that's wonderful.
Or your green drinks, whateveryou want to call them drinks
shakes every day, that'swonderful.
Or your drink, green drinks,whatever you want to call them.
I would just analyze becauseI'm not there but how, how much
sugar is going in, and I wouldsay for your second drink of the
day yeah, put some in there.
(26:19):
You can put cherries If youreally like that.
You shouldn't deprive yourself.
I mean, that's something thatthat you love.
And even unsweetened darkchocolate is is actually really
good because it doesn't have allthe sugar in it.
So if you want a chocolateflavor, you could put that in
there.
Um, so I think that's that'sgood.
(26:40):
I would like to see your proteinintake up a little bit more,
because collagen is definitelynot the same as a whole protein.
Um, even though collagen is isessential, and I believe I I
also love bone broth, like everyday that's one of my things
like, and when I'm traveling andI don't have my green drink and
(27:02):
my bone broth, I notice that myskin, my hair, like I start
filling it in my body.
Um, so I like to add that in.
Some people don't eat meat andthey don't want to do that.
But if you eat meat and youfind well-sourced meat and grass
fed bones and, um, I putchicken feet in my bone broth Um
(27:24):
, that's one of the best sourcesof collagen that you can have
Chicken neck, chicken back, andthen I probably put 12 different
herbs when I'm cooking it.
So all those herbs are goinginto my body as I'm consuming it
.
Even though they're just littleparticles, it's still going
into my gut microbiome andgiving it diversity my gut
(27:52):
microbiome and giving itdiversity.
So I'd like to see you try toup your intake of protein
somehow, whether it's gettingsome more eggs or another kind
of protein during the day.
So I'd like to see that.
The other question I have foryou is when you're cooking your
vegetables, two things are youusing parchment paper under your
vegetables?
Speaker 1 (28:09):
you're cooking your vegetables two things.
Are you using parchment paperunder your vegetables?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Now, I'm afraid to tell you I'm actually using
aluminum foil, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I kind of knew that parchment paper is the way to go
right.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Metals in the brain, we know are linked to
Alzheimer's and dementia,amongst other health diseases,
and that's one of the thingsthat is always so I I'm still in
shock.
I've been doing it for yearsand years and years.
I've been using parchment, butum, this is great that whoever
listens that still usingaluminum foil, do not use it.
(28:44):
If you need aluminum foil,cover it first with parchment.
Like if you're touching aTurkey, just parchment, put
aluminum over it.
Or a pie if you're baking a pie, cover it with parchment and
then aluminum around it.
If you want to put on yourcookie sheet, make sure that
there's parchment over it, butparchment paper.
Number one rule make sure thatyou're starting to do that,
(29:06):
because aluminum foil is notgood for us.
Okay, make sure that you'restarting to do that, because
aluminum foil is not good for us.
The other thing I would changeis, instead of olive oil in your
baking, I would use avocado oilor algae oil, because it has a
higher burn point.
Avocado is a lower burn point,which can create oxidative
damage, so by switching out thatoil, you can improve your
(29:31):
health like a little bit moretoo.
Excellent, okay, and peoplethat are out and they just have
like, oh, I just want fries,just this once.
Okay, go ahead, but know thatthat oil that it's cooked in it
stays in the body.
It can stay in for six monthsor so and just the other, I
don't know.
A couple of weeks ago I wastrying.
We got out of LA with the firesand my daughter ordered some
(29:55):
and I had some of her fries andI just felt off.
It was horrible and I and I andI know better.
But there's this sometimesfactor.
Sometimes I will do this, butmost of the time I won't.
But just so people know thatthat little cheat, if you're
doing it all the time, you'renot going to get the maximized
(30:15):
health benefits that younormally could.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Oh my gosh, Absolutely All right.
Let's talk supplements.
So I recently, as in like 10days ago, added a pre and
probiotic which is very new forme and I won't mention brand
names because I don't want tolike, belittle or, you know,
(30:39):
promote anyone but that was abig difference.
I don't know that I've noticeda whole lot of change yet, but
that's new for me because Idon't typically take any
supplements.
I was taking vitamin D for alittle while until my vitamin D
levels sort of got higher.
They were pretty low inDecember and they're doing
(31:00):
better now.
But what else should we bethinking about?
What other things should we betaking in order to help support
our body and our gut health?
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Yeah.
So if you're taking D3, and theother side of that that you
must be taking or you could gettoxicity from your D3 is vitamin
K2.
And K2 is found in ruminant,the fat of ruminant animals.
So the ruminant animals havefour different compartments that
(31:32):
they ferment.
So they're eating grass for acow and that goes into the first
chamber and then they spit uptheir cud right, they chew their
cud, they spit up their foods,chew their cud, goes back into a
third compartment and back.
So this back and forth createsthis fermentation and in the
fermentation is created avitamin K2 that's stored in the
(31:53):
fat.
If you're eating an animal thathas been fed corn and soy and
grains, it does not ferment andhave the same benefit as a
grass-fed, truly grass-fed andfinished cow.
So when this is grass-fed, youwant to make sure that it's
(32:14):
raised with grass and finishedwith grass, because a lot of
these companies will raise itwith grass or they'll raise it
with grain and finish it withgrass, or vice versa, and then
you're not getting the truebenefit of grass fed, so that I
can't iterate that point enough.
So make sure that you havereally well-sourced meat.
So the K2 vitamin isresponsible for calcifying our
(32:37):
bones, so the K2 vitamin isresponsible for calcifying our
bones.
They found that calcium isactually linked to heart disease
and there's been multiplestudies on this and the Mayo
Clinic, and so you'll see a lotless calcium on the shelf today,
and so K2 is the new calciumand it decalcifies the veins, so
it keeps our bodies healthy andthe blood and fluids flowing
(33:00):
properly.
So when you're taking the D3, itneeds to be complemented by the
K2 vitamin.
So make sure that if you aredoing your D3, have the K2 with
it.
So that's another essential onethat I've been trying to
promote and let people know thatthey need to be taking that
together, one that I've beentrying to promote and let people
know that they need to betaking that together.
And functional medicine levelsneed to be a lot higher in the
(33:25):
D3 range than traditionalWestern medicine.
So I would also say comparethose levels with functional
medicine and make sure thatthose levels are high enough,
because Western medicine putsyou way lower than what you need
to be.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Ooh, good to know.
I was happy that I was indouble digits.
So I'm going to go take a lookat the functional medicine
levels and, yeah, okay.
Um, what else?
I have recently been introducedI'm not entirely sure how I
feel about it yet recently beenintroduced.
I'm not entirely sure how I feelabout it yet, so the jury's
(34:04):
still out.
But to dandelion root tea as animportant part of detoxing, and
I'm not entirely sure how Ifeel about it, but I'm willing
to try it for a while.
So I'm in the trial phase oftrying my dandelion root raw
dandelion root tea but I've beentold that that's good to be
using.
Are there other things that youjust think?
(34:27):
Look, these are basics everyoneshould be having.
I feel like I'm getting enoughfiber in all the vegetables I'm
consuming, so I'm not tooworried about a fiber supplement
.
But the pre and probiotic thatI wasn't taking before seems to
be a good addition.
So I'm going to stick to thatand see how I feel in 90 days
(34:48):
and reevaluate if I go then to,like you know, six months and
keep reevaluating.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Yeah.
So I mean, I'm sure thedandelion route is fine.
Um, I would just say, workclose with the practitioner.
If you're doing it something,you're doing it ongoing.
Um, and I would say, dependingon your levels, like your energy
level I love CoQ10, like thatdecreases as we get older and
(35:18):
anybody that has heart diseaseis told by the doctor get on
this.
So if you have a verywell-sourced CoQ10, it's great.
There's, there's berberine andwhich is which is really good.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Which I've heard, that berberine is like the craze
, like it's been around foreverand all the folks that have been
in gut health have known aboutit for years and years and years
.
But now a lot of folks thathave like weight issues are now
starting to realize the benefits.
Can you talk a little bit aboutberberine and why we need it in
(35:55):
our diet?
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Yeah, so that, and I want to also mention another one
called NAD.
This is more of a newer onethat people are talking about,
but the cell, the cell center,the mitochondria there, it
produces ATP production, right.
So if we can up that ATPproduction, then our cells can
(36:17):
be more effective and they canwork proper.
And so having all of these likeif you were just to take that,
I would say you know it's, it'sa standing alone without doing
anything else.
But I would say, if you'rehaving that good diet and you're
really being cautious aboutoils that are coming into your
(36:40):
body, these supplements thatwe're talking about, in addition
to working out, that should bea non-negotiable.
Every day, have some kind of aworkout, have a mindfulness
meditation practice.
That's so important.
Make sure that your stresslevels might've been out of
(37:01):
whack lately and I feel it in mybody because the fires here in
Los Angeles it's been verystressful but all these together
, collectively, if you're goingto add them in, will actually
help your body function just alittle bit better.
Um, and then if you wereperimenopause like, like we are
(37:25):
then looking at a supplementlike dim um, it's, it's one
that's very simple, natural, andI would also say that ladies,
if you're in that perimenopausestate, don't be shy of looking
at some bioidentical hormones.
There's been a lot of reversereversing on research that has
(37:50):
been done in the past andthey're kind of poked holes in
things that they found and Ifeel like, do your own research
so you understand where we're aton that.
But also in the supplementcategory, don't be afraid to
speak with a doctor and get onsomething if you need to.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
A hundred percent, all right.
Let's talk about actionablesteps, because everybody wants
to know, all right.
So, starting today, what aremaybe three to five simple
things that everyone can do toreally improve gut function and
gut health?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
So number one is this is what Ialways start when I work with
people know your why.
If you don't know your why, youhave no teeth to grab onto when
you're frustrated about a daythat went sideways or whatever
(38:52):
it is in your life.
If you don't understand what isthe bigger picture, what am I
aiming for, what is my why, thenyou're not going to have a
foundation to stand on.
So please do that exercisewhere you sit down with yourself
and write seven lines, onethrough seven, and say what is
(39:12):
my why in life.
Write that down, drill into thefirst one.
Drill in seven times.
By the seventh time you shouldbe crying, because that should
be your passion and what reallyfuels you.
So when you're thinking aboutoh, I can drink that diet Coke,
that's fine.
Then you think of your why andyou say you know what?
(39:33):
My why is bigger than this DietCoke and I'm bigger than it.
So I'm going to be the CEO andcall an executive decision and
say no.
So, number one, know your why?
Number two, something that I'vebeen pushing a lot, because
there's so much confusion aroundwhat is good food, what is bad
(39:54):
food, what kind of protein isbest.
I like to look at it like thisyou look at your omega-3 to 6
balance.
Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory,omega-6 is inflammatory.
We need both.
However, americans are eating a26 to 1 ratio on average, when
(40:14):
it should be a 1 toto-one or athree-to-one ratio.
So educate yourself what hashigh omega-3s and try to eat
more of that, because you'regetting plenty of omega-6.
Two pieces of bread containsall the omega-6 that you need in
a day.
The American diet we're havingmuffin in the morning or waffles
(40:37):
or pancakes, having a power barfor a snack and then having a
sandwich for lunch and havingsomething else Glutinous is a
snack or something.
Yeah, and then dinner is pasta,lasagna, the dinner roll.
So all day long it's constantdrip Right and almonds 2000 to
(40:59):
one, 2000 omega-6 to one omega-3.
People are eating replacementalmond milk, almond flour, and
they're gluten-free.
So they think, oh, I'm goinggluten-free, so I'm going to be
great because I'm eliminatinggluten, but you've replaced your
flour with one that's higher inomega-6 than the gluten.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
So when you're oh my God, my almond milk, my
unsweetened almond milk.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Okay, that's it Again in small Black seed wins and my
almond milk is gonna.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
We gotta curtail the unsweetened almond milk as a
base for my drinks occasionally.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Just look at your ratios.
So if your ratios are even,then half your almond milk, but
it's just something for peopleto consider.
So look at your foods likeeducate yourself.
What is high omega-3, likeseeds, salmon, those are all
high omega-3.
What is high omega-6 and how doI balance that?
(41:58):
So when you educate yourself,you can say, oh, you know, I'm
eating out tonight and I'vealready had, you know, my
omega-6s.
So I think I'm going to try togear what I'm eating tonight
towards getting my omega-3 ratioup.
So educate yourself on that.
Three is, I would say, your listof non-negotiables, because
(42:25):
this list could go on for 10things deep, right, but your
non-negotiables.
So have an exercise routine,because exercise is so important
for keeping your lymphs,because exercise is so important
for keeping your lymphsemptying and for your brain
health, your body function.
(42:50):
As we age, we lose muscle and Iwant to go.
I'm thinking I could live to120.
Like that's the new age we'resupposed to live to.
So if I'm going to do that,what do I need to do today in
order to keep this bodyfunctioning and this brain
functioning into the future?
And I think that's doable.
I don't know.
That's what I'm putting in myhead it's doable.
So what are yournon-negotiables?
And then have a routine withyour non-negotiables, because
(43:15):
when you don't, you're nottaking your supplements, you're
not doing your supplements,you're not doing your green
drink, you're not exercising,you're creating the stress and
all these things that workcollectively together then all
the other good things thatyou're doing are just for not.
So I would say those, know your, why?
Know your omega three to sixratio very simple and have a
(43:37):
list of non-negotiables to keepyou on track.
And then really just educateyourself, listen to podcasts and
really evaluate information,evaluate everything I'm saying.
I always tell people don't takemy word, take it as a landing
page that you can say okay, shetalked about a three to six
ratio.
What does that even mean andhow can I apply it to my life
(44:00):
and go out and investigate moreand really educate yourself?
And um, and the other thingthat's really been I guess not
in my heart, but that I noticedmore and more is that there's
this, this analogy of um if wewere born, we were given one car
to drive for the rest of ourlives, what would you do with
(44:23):
that car?
And one of the things that Iwould do is I would go to those
people that have had their carsfor 100 years and I would say
what did you do to get there?
How did you keep your carfunctioning for a hundred years?
And let's really embrace theolder generation, those that are
(44:43):
older than us.
Let's draw from their wisdom,because the older I get, the
more I know that I don't knowand I want to be around.
People who have lived and whohave experienced and are doing
are my heroes and like where Iwant to be when I'm their age.
So embrace community and thosethat have gone before us and
(45:10):
have more experience than we do,and really just stay true to
you and don't compromise on that.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
I think that's so well said.
I think you know, for me one ofthe things that I wasn't
diligent about I thought I couldkind of ebb and weave on it was
sleep.
And I've actually become know.
A younger version of me not somuch younger version would have
been like, oh, but you'remissing out on this, like show
(45:41):
or going out or doing this ordoing that.
But I just realized that I havea difficult enough time getting
quality sleep through the entirenight, Like I fall asleep very
easily but I wake up in themiddle of the night, I think,
like so many, particularly women, at around 3 am and I'm awake,
(46:02):
I can have full-on conversationsand I want to have less of that
so that when I wake up for theday in the morning I'm ready to
go.
And I find increasingly it'sbeen a bit of a journey.
I am getting longer amounts ofsleep, of quality sleep, than I
(46:22):
was even six weeks ago.
So certainly trying differentthings and looking at what is it
that's going to keep me asleeplonger, get back to sleep as
quickly as possible and then getsome more quality sleep before
it's time to start the day again.
I think that's probably beenone of the biggest revelations
(46:45):
is.
I was incredibly sleep deprivedwith going like maybe an hour
stretch or an hour and a halfstretch and then waking up an
hour and a half stretch and thenwaking up, and I would do that
three or four times a night andnot really making the connection
to what I was eating.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
And stress is in life .
Stress can wake you up at night,and caffeine if you're drinking
it too late, and there'sdifferent tests.
I actually had a I've beentalking a lot about that on my
professional page on waking upat 3 am.
What does it mean?
And usually it's your livercleaning itself out, because
(47:23):
that's kind of the order processin the night that it gets to
the liver to process.
So you might need to do somesort of a liver cleanse in order
to help you sleep better too.
So, yeah, so sleep.
I would say, as a mom, thatwould be one of the first things
, that an exercise would be oneof the first things that used to
be so easy for me to compromiseon.
(47:45):
And as I've gotten older, I'vesaid you know, I, I just have to
have my sleep and it's, it's apriority and it's not worth it.
Sleep depriving your body inthe long run, it's just not
healthy.
So I love to be aware of that.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
Yeah, and don't grab for your phone, because, as
Colette will attest to, when shehad to share a bed with me last
summer, I was grabbing my phoneat 3 am and punching out a text
message or returning a message.
She's like Michelle, stop,please, get off your phone.
And I didn't even think aboutit.
(48:24):
It was one of those automaticextensions.
Right, you reach for the phonewhen you can't sleep and instead
I've actually tried to startusing an eye mask.
I'm just in perpetual darknessand I don't know.
The phone is far enough away,plugged in charging somewhere,
that I can't reach it anymore.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
Yeah, no, it's, it's so true, and for me, um, and for
for everybody, we need to sleepin dark environments, and so I
am super sensitive.
If the light comes on when I'msleeping, I wake up, um, so I
and I'm an early riser, so whenthe sun just peaks, I'm up and
I'm ready to go, and so, yeah,that's.
(49:04):
It's really important to createa very pleasant sleep
environment, keep difficultconversations out of the bedroom
and make it dark.
If you need some kind of anoise canceling device, um, for
those that are menopausal,perimenopausal, there's bed
(49:25):
mattresses that you can sleep onthat cool you off and helps you
sleep deeper.
Not having too warm of a roomkeeping it like 68, uh is better
than having something that's 80degrees.
To sleep in colder sleepenvironment is better.
Not having blue light in youreyes a couple of hours prior to
going to bed is really importantto you.
(49:48):
So there's all these littletricks around sleep, but that's,
that's such a great point thatyou brought up.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
All right.
So going back to the gut healthconnection here for a minute
and living our extraordinarylives and making sure that we
are not leaving the easy thingsoff the table, I'm curious,
particularly now.
I don't know how it is inCalifornia, but this is, I guess
(50:16):
it's nationwide.
We're in the depths of fluseason, California, but this is
well, I guess it's nationwide.
We're in the depths of fluseason.
I had a kid that came down witha stomach bug.
I know a lot of folks that haverespiratory issues.
As you know, my dad is actuallyrecovering from double
pneumonia.
There's a lot going on outthere.
Talk to me about the connectionwith the gut health, because I
(50:41):
think people think, oh, but it'sjust that time of year, so
everyone's more susceptible.
But if we are improving our guthealth, one would be able to
say we're less susceptible thanthose who aren't doing that.
Correct?
Speaker 2 (50:58):
Yes, yes, it's so true.
It's funny.
Years ago I was in a cab going.
I was in, I think, connecticut,and somebody picked me up at
the airport and was driving meto where I needed to go and it
was cold.
And I said, oh wow, it's fluseason.
(51:18):
The the cold weather betterbuckle up and stay warm.
And the driver basicallystopped the car and like looked
at me and he said the weatherdoesn't make you sick, it's the
germs.
And so I said, oh, okay, yeah,I guess that's true, but with
his point, it's the germs.
(51:38):
How do those get in your body?
Right?
So if you're eating right, thatmakes your skin healthy and
resilient, right?
So when you get cracks in yourskin, whether it's your, your
hands or your nose or otherother parts, and it can get in
(52:00):
easily, like when there's thefirst area, the first line of
defense, which is your skin, iscompromised, it's easier for
germs to get in.
So if you're eating right andyou're keeping that sugar down
and not dehydrating your bodyand depriving it, and you're
getting your nutrients in and,by the way, I also recommend
(52:22):
doing some type of C vegetablein your green drinks, because
the C contains the entireperiodic table of elements, and
when your body doesn't haveaccess to all those elements, it
stills from one to give to theother.
So osteoporosis, for example,is taking that calcium to give
somewhere else and donate itwhere it needs it.
(52:43):
So, um, so, making sure thatyou're you're eating right so
that your skin is supple andyou're really taking care of the
body.
And and good skin isn't justlooking good, it's actually a
reflection of what's going oninside too, and it's one of the
signs.
I had a lady the other day thatshe looked incredible but her
(53:06):
body was falling apart insideand she said everybody tells me
I look so good but I'm a mess onthe inside.
So usually that's what you know.
It's usually an indication ofhealth, which is why people want
great skin and they're usingmakeup to make it look shiny and
healthy, but yet inside it'snot like that.
(53:28):
So, really taking care ofyourself, upping, obviously,
your vitamin C, your zinc thoseare important things to um, to
increase during the winter sothat your body has more of an
ability to fight, and if you cansleep, sleep is the best
medicine and it will help you.
(53:50):
The elixir?
Yes, it is, it is yeah, so, um,those are great liquids.
Obviously, you got to keep yourbody hydrated, even in the
winter, when you don't feel likedrinking.
If you're in cold weather,drink, make sure that you're
getting.
I love lemon water first thingin the morning.
That's great.
And so if we can, if we cantake care of all these things,
(54:14):
then chances of getting sicklesson, and if you do get sick,
your body is resilient enough tofight it and get better, as
opposed to the sickness justovercomes you and you end up in
the hospital and other thingsstart happening.
And so if we can just keep ourlevel up there by day-to-day
(54:36):
non-negotiables, then we can alllive healthier longer.
Speaker 1 (54:41):
I love that, colette.
As usual, you are full ofwisdom and I so appreciate you
sharing all your knowledge andyour experience with us and
helping us get our gut biome ontrack so that we can live
stronger, better, more energeticand have more vitality in our
(55:02):
everyday, so that we can go onto live our extraordinary lives.
So thank you again for comingon and spending this time with
us today.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
It's been great and we'll have to do more because
we're just kind of scratchingthe surface, trying to go high
level and but I just encourageeveryone do your research and
and know what makes your bodytick, what's good for you, and
we're all different, so somebodymight be drinking kombucha and
(55:34):
loving it for their fermentedfood.
I can't do that.
So know your body.
My favorite quote, socratesknow thyself, so understand what
it is for you that makes youtick and not everybody's thing
works for you and know thatthat's okay.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (55:51):
All right, where can people?
Speaker 2 (55:53):
find you, colette.
You can find me on Instagram atwellness by Colette and I.
Also, because of this omega-3,6 ratio, I've started a
non-inflammatory snack linecalled Love Colette, so you can
find that at love-colettecom.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
And we'll make sure we have all the links in the
show notes.
Yeah, and my podcast LimitlessHealing with Colette, which is a
wonderful show, and I've hadthe pleasure of being on it as a
guest myself.
Speaker 2 (56:24):
Yes, you have All right.
We need to have you back on.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (56:29):
All right, Colette, thank you again.
Really appreciate everythingyou're doing to help keep us
healthy and be an advocate forour wellness.
So until next time, everyone,go and live your extraordinary
lives.
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode
of the Live your ExtraordinaryLife podcast.
I'm your host, Michelle Rios,and today we're diving into a
topic that is central to youroverall health, your energy,
your vitality, and that is guthealth.
You may have heard the phrasethat your gut is your second
(00:22):
brain, but what does that evenmean, and how does your gut
impact everything from mood toyour immune system, to your
energy levels and even yourability to focus?
Well, we're about to find outfrom today's expert guest, who's
going to help us understand thepowerful connection between gut
(00:43):
health and living yourextraordinary life.
So, without further ado, I amso pleased to welcome back to
the show my dear friend andwellness advocate, Colette Brown
.
Welcome to the show, Colette.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Thank you, michelle.
It's so good to be here.
I'm really happy and it's myfavorite thing is talking about
gut health and livingextraordinary, so I'm excited
about today.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, we've known each other now gosh, for almost
two years, but it feels like twolifetimes I know it really does
and we have been through a lottogether in that short period of
time we have.
So we want to delve right inColette, and I'm going to start
with a foundational question foryou, for our listeners, and
(01:29):
that is can you help explainwhat gut health really is and
why it's so critical to ourwellbeing?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Gut health is everything.
There's the gut brainconnection and people think, oh,
sometimes maybe it's, my moodis off.
But what they don't realize isit could actually be the reverse
, where the gut is off and thenit communicates up through the
vagus nerve to the brain and itcreates symptoms that we know as
(02:02):
depression, which is called thecytokine model of depression.
When bad things get in, itleaches out from the gut, the
gut lining, into the bloodstream, and in the bloodstream it
travels up past the blood-brainbarrier into the prefrontal
cortex and it can createsymptoms that we know as
depression.
(02:23):
And so I think what people oftendon't know is that the gut is
so critical and they wonder whydo I have eczema?
Why am I feeling off?
Why is my body feeling the wayit is?
I just, you know my digestivesystem, but I'm eating healthy.
I'm holding up little quotesand they are, and they're
(02:44):
actually not, and it's lifestyleand there's so much of it that
we can control.
98% of all autoimmune diseaseis from the gut, which means 2%
is genetic.
And when you can wrap your headaround that and understand that
this is a scientific fact, whatcan we do in order to do our
(03:06):
best, to live our best?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Okay, well, I'm going to just come clean with
everyone here Selfishly.
I really wanted to do thisepisode because, gosh, I've been
friends with Colette for areally long time.
It took me a while, but Iacquiesced and gave up my Diet
Coke because I was finding thatas I edited my diet, I still
(03:30):
wasn't feeling the vitality andenergy that I wanted to, and
that was sort of my last legionof something chemical that I was
really putting in my body,because I, for the most part,
eat whole foods.
And so I'm about six weeks offDiet Coke, and it was not an
easy feat by any stretch of theimagination, but I've felt so
(03:54):
much different.
I've gone through the detoxprocess.
I felt really crummy in thebeginning, but I'm now starting
to feel a lot clearer and a lotless brain fog, which I had been
attributing completely to itmust be perimenopause.
It must be what's happening andnow I'm not entirely sure that's
(04:16):
what it was.
So we often hear about thisgut-brain connection and, as
high achievers and folks thatreally want to get things done,
it is something I think about alot.
How can I get the clearest Ican be?
Can you break down exactly howthe gut impacts our mental
(04:36):
health and our mood andcognitive function?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, so there is the vagus nerve which communicates
between the brain and the gut.
So there is that the vagusnerve which communicates between
the brain and the gut.
And when we understand that theprocessed foods that we eat,
all the chemicals that we eat,the sweeteners, erythritol is
something that is in everythingand it's linked with heart
(05:02):
disease and there's so muchfindings that we know are fact.
So how do we break that down?
And it's really simple in mybook, but to some people it's
really hard.
But eating whole foods and notgrabbing something that is in a
(05:23):
wrapper sometimes you can dothat and when you do that you
should make sure that it's verywell sourced.
Not grabbing something that isin a wrapper Sometimes you can
do that and when you do that youshould make sure that it's very
well sourced.
And when you have a lot ofsugars, because in processed
foods you're going to get thefillers, you're going to get the
sugars, and if you know thatyou're only women are supposed
to have 25 grams of sugar a dayand men 35 grams of sugar a day,
(05:48):
and one of your quote powerbars has 25, 35 grams of sugar
in it, Just in that one.
What about the rest of the day,when you're eating your fruit,
when you're eating otherprocessed foods, what about all
of that sugar?
So most Americans are eatingover a hundred grams of sugar a
(06:09):
day.
If you just break it down andlook at your, if you're having a
Starbucks coffee, if you'rehaving your fruit, a banana has
about 12 to 15 grams, just togive you a reference.
So it all adds up and thensugar creates inflammation in
the body and that throws us offand inflammation is the root of
(06:30):
all disease.
So when you're inflamed, yeah,it's easy to say, oh, it's my
perimenopause, it's my, you know, it's genetic, my family,
everybody had this disease.
And when you, when you strip itdown and you look at how did
this develop, it really willpoint back to your diet.
(06:55):
And just with my story alonebeing unwell for over 20 years
and all the doctors telling methat I would just have to live
with it and I just didn't wantto accept that.
And when I got down to thefundamentals, it was all around
food and I thought that I atevery clean prior to eating clean
quote clean.
And when I started eating rightand supplementing, that is when
(07:20):
my whole world turned upsidedown and it was just such a new
perspective on how I could feelhealthy.
So I think it's understanding.
Inflammation is the root ofdisease.
What causes inflammation?
How can we prevent inflammation?
Very simply, and one of thoseis just eating more whole foods
(07:42):
in our diet, and less sugar.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I mean ultimately Less sugar.
Sugar is really causing morewhole foods in our diet and less
sugar.
I mean ultimately less sugar isreally causing us to be more
inflamed, and so let's walk thatthrough a little bit, because
when our bodies are inflamed,that's going to impact our mood,
it's going to suppress ourimmune system and it's going to
make us more foggy, less clearheaded.
Is that?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
correct.
More foggy, less clear headed.
Is that correct?
Yeah, and it, uh, sugar feedscancer, right, and there are
certain microbes in our, our gutthat feed on sugar.
So when you go without sugarand you say, oh, I have to have
sugar craving right now, needsugar, it's actually these
(08:23):
little microbes.
The microbiome is bigger innumber than we are as humans.
It has its own brain and itdemands, through the vagus nerve
to our brain we need sugar now.
So when you cut it off, it'sgoing to throw a tantrum.
So understanding, oh, this isvery smart organisms that we're
(08:45):
dealing with and we've got to bevery vigilant and we have to be
the boss of our bodies and wecontrol what goes in, we control
the outcomes of our own healthand we can do that.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
You know, this is fascinating to me because it's
not that it's new information,but it is an aha moment for me,
particularly as a CEO of my ownbusiness and really expecting
myself to be able to do bigthings, make quick decisions,
have strong executive functionand thinking that some of the
(09:22):
shortcuts I was taking likemaybe skipping a meal or
drinking a Diet Coke instead ofeating because there's zero
calories in that, or grabbing apower bar of some sort or
protein bar or even a processedprotein shake that actually not
only was I not taking a shortcut, that I was actually making
(09:43):
life harder for myself becauseit was slowing down my executive
function.
And gosh, I can only imaginewhat my gut biome looked like at
the height of corporate living,when I was running down airport
strips to make a plane, to getto a meeting and my cortisol is
running and I'm grabbingwhatever is in the conference
(10:04):
room and it's usually a crappysandwich, a bag of chips and a
cookie and downing it with dietCoke or coffee nonstop.
And that was sort of like mygo-to, because that was what was
in every conference room.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Talk to me about the gut biome itself.
So we know that the gut biome,in order to operate effectively,
has certain healthy gutbacteria that need to thrive,
that require certain nutrients,but also, if we don't feed it
properly, unhealthy bacteriawill grow and take over.
(10:46):
Can you talk a little bit aboutthat, because I know for
someone who, like me, issomewhat new to really focusing
in on gut health, that wassomething I had heard but not
really familiar with in depth.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah.
So our microbiome, in short,short, is billions of bacteria
and in order for them tofunction properly and in harmony
and it's been we say good andbad bacteria, they're all.
They're not good and bad,really right, they're just they
live in harmony with each other.
When everything is operatingproperly, when one side gets
(11:24):
more than the other, like ourscales shift and they get off.
So when you're feeding thatsugar microbe, then it gets off,
for example.
So in order to feed themicrobiome, they need digestible
fiber.
They need fiber in there.
That is their food.
So fermented food is reallygood.
(11:47):
I love coconut because coconutis very dense fiber and it has
all kinds of nutrients.
So that's really good for thegut.
These are, we know, a lot ofthings that are great for the
gut.
Your probiotics, yourmicrobiome create vitamins for
the body.
That is one of their functions.
They digest food that's anotherone of their functions.
So when we eat the fiber andthe fermented foods, it feeds
(12:14):
those microbes and it enablesthem to produce the vitamins.
So we have to understand, likethe essentials.
So it's a whole world in ourgut going on that we don't even
have to think about, but what wedo need to think about is what
feeds them.
So, obviously, giving them theproper nutrition, the whole
(12:37):
foods.
We do need the fruit, we needthe polyphenols, so berries are
wonderful for this.
Um, there's other foods, toothat are high in polyphenols,
but those are great.
And but everything in balancetoo.
And you just mentioned thestress when you're off.
It throws your entire body off.
(12:57):
So even if you're eating right,that stress can affect the
microbiome, because what ourbody is producing and just the
demand we're putting on it andhealthy relationships, exercise.
If we don't exercise, we canmentally be off, and that again
is correlated with themicrobiome and the ability to
(13:21):
flush toxins out of our body andour lymphatic system and our
lymphs don't drain on their own.
We have to manually drain themthrough a lot of different
modalities.
But when we can understand thatwe yeah, we're the CEO of our
bodies and we just need toeducate ourselves on what is it
that we need to put in here tothe microbiome to allow them to
(13:43):
effectively produce what theyneed to in order to keep us
functioning?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Okay.
So I'm probably going to regretthis.
But here we go.
We're going to talk a littlebit about my diet right now,
because I suspect that even inmy journey to better gut health,
I'm probably getting more fruitthan I need to, given the 25
grams of sugar a day.
But let's talk a little bitabout what I'm eating and I
(14:10):
would love for you then to kindof maybe evaluate what tweaks
that I need to make.
So, for example, I'm somebodywho wakes up in the morning.
Now my new routine is I drinkwater with lemon, warm water and
lemon the first half hour of myday.
There is no caffeine.
I wait at least one hour tohave that cup of coffee, if not
(14:33):
sometimes two.
I'm also somebody who now waits.
I don't feed my body right away.
I tend to stop eating around7.30 at night and I don't start
eating until around 11 in themorning.
And that first meal for me.
I'll tell you what goes in itsomewhat, because I listen to
your podcast so I know whatyou're eating.
(14:53):
But it starts with eithercoconut water or regular water
celery.
So I'm getting my celery inthere.
I'm getting my baby spinach.
I sometimes put in freshraspberries.
I sometimes put in fresh orfrozen pineapple, which I now
(15:16):
realize is probably too muchsugar, but I am conscientious of
how much I put in.
I'm putting in clean protein.
I have a clean source protein.
And then I have now become abig advocate of turmeric,
cinnamon, black pepper for theturmeric.
What else is in there Cardamom.
(15:38):
What else is in there.
I think that's it.
It's like those three, okay,and that's typically my morning.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Okay, all right.
So you start with lemon water,then you don't have coffee until
one to two hours later.
And what are you putting inyour coffee?
I'm a black coffee drinker soI'm pretty lucky I like the
bitter taste of coffee.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I don't put sugar and I don't enjoy milk, so milk for
me has to be in the form of icecream.
So I'm not.
I don't put sugar and I don't.
I don't enjoy milk, so milk forme has to be in the form of ice
cream.
So I'm okay in the winter.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Perfect, okay, and so for the people listening, if
you have problem with caffeineand you feel a little jittery
normally if if you, we do like abulletproof coffee.
So if you add a little fat intoyour coffee and blend it, then
it will be more the nutrientslike the polyphenols actually in
coffee, a well-sourced coffee.
(16:35):
So that's the other thingmaking sure where it's sourced
from, to make sure that it's notwith mold and it's organic and
not processed.
So a real well-sourced coffeeis worth your investment and not
processed.
So real well-sourced coffee isworth your investment.
And if you mix a little bit ofcoconut oil or grass-fed butter
into it, it makes it morebioavailable for the body.
(16:56):
So that's one step for peoplethat have a problem with
drinking just black coffee.
So the other thing is you saidyou do your green drink right.
Am I taking that right?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
next it is my green drink, but it does have a little
bit of fruit in it.
Now I'm wondering if maybe it'stoo much fruit.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
So I recommend if you can go without fruit, it's
better.
Don't start your day with sugar.
We should push that off as longas possible, because once we
get sugar introduced into thebody, the the levels of you know
can spike depending on who youare.
(17:35):
And just to keep that at amoderation and have your sugar
later would be my recommendation.
And I also recommend I don'tknow how it is over there in the
winter, but going to thefarmer's market and getting
diversity.
So you named a lot of differentvegetables that you're putting
in and I would love to see youadd a little bit more into your
(18:00):
greens.
For mine, I do cilantro,parsley, I'll do fennel, I put
all kinds of you know, like amixed green.
I was at the farmer's marketthis weekend and there is four
or five different types oflettuce that I got just to add
in, because what our goal shouldbe is 30 to 40 different plants
(18:22):
per week.
That's what we need to do.
So the diversity and mixing itup is essential for the
microbiome.
So, um, so when you're eatingthe same thing every week, um,
it's not so good, right?
We need to mix that up and makesure that we have diversity
there.
(18:42):
To to feed, to feed the gut.
So that's one thing.
People you know.
If they're eating broccoli andcauliflower and carrots every
week, week after week after weekafter week, your body is like
blah.
It knows that.
So really try to mix it up.
Go to your farmer's market.
If you've never seen somethingbefore there's always something
(19:05):
new that I find and ask about it.
Ask them how do you cook thisat home?
Or do a Google search and findout how you can make something
different.
But our bodies need that.
And when I say 30 to 40 plants,you can also include herbs and
spices into your cooking, andthat also counts.
(19:25):
I love turmeric.
Turmeric is amazing.
I would recommend also, if youcan tolerate them, powdered
mushrooms, and those are reallygood for their adaptogens, so
they're great for the brain, forfunction, for eyesight.
There's so many differentproperties in the mushrooms,
(19:51):
different properties in themushrooms, and the one thing
I'll add to that, just tostretch it a little bit more, is
that you don't want themushroom mycelium.
Mycelium are the roots, theroot system of the mushroom, and
so there's a very big name thatyou will see at every store
that I'm not going to say, andone day I looked at it and I
said how do they supply theentire nation with bags and bags
(20:13):
and bags and bags of mushroompowder?
Because I just didn't get it.
I thought like this is kind ofodd and I started researching.
And so what they do is theygrow their mushrooms on a log of
oats and the mycelium, which isthe root system, goes into the
oats.
They basically cut off the topsand I believe those get resold
(20:37):
somewhere else.
They take that mushroom grown inthe oats, which it's probably
mostly oats, to be quite frank,you know how they mass produce,
blend it up, bag it and youthink you're getting the
property of the mushroom tops,but you're not.
It's the mycelium, and they'reclaiming medicinal properties on
(20:57):
the roots that are actually inthe top the plant, the top of
the mushroom part.
So so there's a lot we can diveinto, but I wanted to put that
out there because I believe inmushrooms and I believe that
they need to be very wellsourced and that needs to be the
fruiting body, not the mycelium.
So look at your mushroom powderif you're at home.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
So could you I mean conceivably just buy whole
mushrooms, cut the mycelium offand just use the caps and do it
yourself in a blender or a Nutrilike?
I'm using a Nutribullet to doall mine, so I keep the
properties and the fiber of thefood that I'm eating in the
drink.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Absolutely yes, and there are a lot of vendors that
have whole mushrooms that youcould just buy, and usually it
doesn't come with the mycelium,it's.
It's usually just the wholefruiting body of the mushroom.
So, yes, absolutely, you coulddo that.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Okay, excellent, all right.
Well, we're going to keep goingbecause I want to get some
feedback on the rest of this aday in the life of Michelle now
on her quest to get better guthealth.
Okay, second, typically I eatanother shake.
I tend to try to drink a lot ofthese nutrients because I find
it easier to do in the course ofmy day and then I eat a dinner.
(22:12):
So my second one is a greendrink that probably still has
too much fruit in it andprobably not enough variety, but
I am, I will say I kind of moveon to like lettuces and
arugulas and spring mixes, so Ido get that mix.
I tend to add something creamy,so like a quarter of an avocado
(22:33):
to get some healthy fat inthere.
Or I might use some I can'teven think right now off the top
of my head coconut oil.
Use like a teaspoon of coconutoil.
This is where I get intocinnamon.
I was just educated earlier inthis week.
I've got the wrong cinnamon.
I didn't know there was a rightcinnamon, but-.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
The Ceylon cinnamon instead of Saigon right.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Ceylon cinnamon is the way to go.
I personally still have Saigoncinnamon.
I didn't know there was adifference.
I sort of sat there dumbfounded, going really, and they're like
, yeah, you're not getting thestuff you really need out of
that one.
So I will be going and lookingfor something of looking for the
Ceylon.
And then I tend to go back andhave more fruit.
(23:18):
So I found this might be toosweet too.
Just a few dark, but they'resweet.
Pitted cherries changeeverything for me.
They're probably too sweet andnot tart enough because they do
make it so yummy to drink.
But I'm a big celery fan, sothere's more celery in there and
(23:42):
that's usually my second one.
I usually do my vital proteins,which have collagen, but not a
full thing of protein as I wouldnormally do.
I know they're missing some ofthe amino acids to be a full
protein mix.
I feel like okay with thatbecause my hair is growing
longer and I'm okay.
And then dinner hasn't been asadventurous as it probably needs
(24:04):
to be because we are big fansof grilled chicken and not a lot
of other things.
So I'm eating a lot of grilledchicken these days, folks, but
that is when I'm baking on acookie sheet, just a lot of
vegetables.
So I'm a big fan of those minisweet peppers, the red, yellow
(24:25):
and orange.
I just buy the organic ones, Itake the seeds out, I cut them
in half, I brush a little bit ofextra virgin olive oil on them,
and then I'm big on pepper anda tiny bit of salt and I bake
those in the oven for about 15minutes and they're delicious.
(24:46):
Typically a little bit.
If I haven't had avocado, I'lldo a quarter of avocado.
Then, um, what else do I have?
My boys love broccoli.
So I'm lucky cause we do thesame thing.
My husband, even in these Eastcoast cold temperatures, will go
grill chicken for us.
Or if they're eating, um,eating ground beef, they'll do
(25:09):
that, and so they usually dotheir broccoli outside.
I'm happily receiving that, butprobably not enough variety.
And then I will say I'mdrinking a lot of water.
So I've replaced all of my dietCoke and fizziness with just
water, with probably a littlebit of lemon.
(25:30):
And then, at the end of the day, I've become a big fan of
magnesium, because I have hadsleeping issues.
So I have been taking magnesiumpowder, magnesium and warm
water, and that tends to be theway I cut the end of the dinner
cycle for me, so not terrible,but clean up from where.
(25:52):
I was for sure, but would loveto have some ideas on how to
tweak it and what I might bemissing.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, so it sounds good.
I like that you're doing yourtwo self-made shakes every day
that's wonderful.
Or your green drinks, whateveryou want to call them drinks
shakes every day, that'swonderful.
Or your drink, green drinks,whatever you want to call them.
I would just analyze becauseI'm not there but how, how much
sugar is going in, and I wouldsay for your second drink of the
day yeah, put some in there.
(26:19):
You can put cherries If youreally like that.
You shouldn't deprive yourself.
I mean, that's something thatthat you love.
And even unsweetened darkchocolate is is actually really
good because it doesn't have allthe sugar in it.
So if you want a chocolateflavor, you could put that in
there.
Um, so I think that's that'sgood.
(26:40):
I would like to see your proteinintake up a little bit more,
because collagen is definitelynot the same as a whole protein.
Um, even though collagen is isessential, and I believe I I
also love bone broth, like everyday that's one of my things
like, and when I'm traveling andI don't have my green drink and
(27:02):
my bone broth, I notice that myskin, my hair, like I start
filling it in my body.
Um, so I like to add that in.
Some people don't eat meat andthey don't want to do that.
But if you eat meat and youfind well-sourced meat and grass
fed bones and, um, I putchicken feet in my bone broth Um
(27:24):
, that's one of the best sourcesof collagen that you can have
Chicken neck, chicken back, andthen I probably put 12 different
herbs when I'm cooking it.
So all those herbs are goinginto my body as I'm consuming it
.
Even though they're just littleparticles, it's still going
into my gut microbiome andgiving it diversity my gut
(27:52):
microbiome and giving itdiversity.
So I'd like to see you try toup your intake of protein
somehow, whether it's gettingsome more eggs or another kind
of protein during the day.
So I'd like to see that.
The other question I have foryou is when you're cooking your
vegetables, two things are youusing parchment paper under your
vegetables?
Speaker 1 (28:09):
you're cooking your vegetables two things.
Are you using parchment paperunder your vegetables?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Now, I'm afraid to tell you I'm actually using
aluminum foil, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I kind of knew that parchment paper is the way to go
right.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Metals in the brain, we know are linked to
Alzheimer's and dementia,amongst other health diseases,
and that's one of the thingsthat is always so I I'm still in
shock.
I've been doing it for yearsand years and years.
I've been using parchment, butum, this is great that whoever
listens that still usingaluminum foil, do not use it.
(28:44):
If you need aluminum foil,cover it first with parchment.
Like if you're touching aTurkey, just parchment, put
aluminum over it.
Or a pie if you're baking a pie, cover it with parchment and
then aluminum around it.
If you want to put on yourcookie sheet, make sure that
there's parchment over it, butparchment paper.
Number one rule make sure thatyou're starting to do that,
(29:06):
because aluminum foil is notgood for us.
Okay, make sure that you'restarting to do that, because
aluminum foil is not good for us.
The other thing I would changeis, instead of olive oil in your
baking, I would use avocado oilor algae oil, because it has a
higher burn point.
Avocado is a lower burn point,which can create oxidative
damage, so by switching out thatoil, you can improve your
(29:31):
health like a little bit moretoo.
Excellent, okay, and peoplethat are out and they just have
like, oh, I just want fries,just this once.
Okay, go ahead, but know thatthat oil that it's cooked in it
stays in the body.
It can stay in for six monthsor so and just the other, I
don't know.
A couple of weeks ago I wastrying.
We got out of LA with the firesand my daughter ordered some
(29:55):
and I had some of her fries andI just felt off.
It was horrible and I and I andI know better.
But there's this sometimesfactor.
Sometimes I will do this, butmost of the time I won't.
But just so people know thatthat little cheat, if you're
doing it all the time, you'renot going to get the maximized
(30:15):
health benefits that younormally could.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Oh my gosh, Absolutely All right.
Let's talk supplements.
So I recently, as in like 10days ago, added a pre and
probiotic which is very new forme and I won't mention brand
names because I don't want tolike, belittle or, you know,
(30:39):
promote anyone but that was abig difference.
I don't know that I've noticeda whole lot of change yet, but
that's new for me because Idon't typically take any
supplements.
I was taking vitamin D for alittle while until my vitamin D
levels sort of got higher.
They were pretty low inDecember and they're doing
(31:00):
better now.
But what else should we bethinking about?
What other things should we betaking in order to help support
our body and our gut health?
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Yeah.
So if you're taking D3, and theother side of that that you
must be taking or you could gettoxicity from your D3 is vitamin
K2.
And K2 is found in ruminant,the fat of ruminant animals.
So the ruminant animals havefour different compartments that
(31:32):
they ferment.
So they're eating grass for acow and that goes into the first
chamber and then they spit uptheir cud right, they chew their
cud, they spit up their foods,chew their cud, goes back into a
third compartment and back.
So this back and forth createsthis fermentation and in the
fermentation is created avitamin K2 that's stored in the
(31:53):
fat.
If you're eating an animal thathas been fed corn and soy and
grains, it does not ferment andhave the same benefit as a
grass-fed, truly grass-fed andfinished cow.
So when this is grass-fed, youwant to make sure that it's
(32:14):
raised with grass and finishedwith grass, because a lot of
these companies will raise itwith grass or they'll raise it
with grain and finish it withgrass, or vice versa, and then
you're not getting the truebenefit of grass fed, so that I
can't iterate that point enough.
So make sure that you havereally well-sourced meat.
So the K2 vitamin isresponsible for calcifying our
(32:37):
bones, so the K2 vitamin isresponsible for calcifying our
bones.
They found that calcium isactually linked to heart disease
and there's been multiplestudies on this and the Mayo
Clinic, and so you'll see a lotless calcium on the shelf today,
and so K2 is the new calciumand it decalcifies the veins, so
it keeps our bodies healthy andthe blood and fluids flowing
(33:00):
properly.
So when you're taking the D3, itneeds to be complemented by the
K2 vitamin.
So make sure that if you aredoing your D3, have the K2 with
it.
So that's another essential onethat I've been trying to
promote and let people know thatthey need to be taking that
together, one that I've beentrying to promote and let people
know that they need to betaking that together.
And functional medicine levelsneed to be a lot higher in the
(33:25):
D3 range than traditionalWestern medicine.
So I would also say comparethose levels with functional
medicine and make sure thatthose levels are high enough,
because Western medicine putsyou way lower than what you need
to be.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Ooh, good to know.
I was happy that I was indouble digits.
So I'm going to go take a lookat the functional medicine
levels and, yeah, okay.
Um, what else?
I have recently been introducedI'm not entirely sure how I
feel about it yet recently beenintroduced.
I'm not entirely sure how I feelabout it yet, so the jury's
(34:04):
still out.
But to dandelion root tea as animportant part of detoxing, and
I'm not entirely sure how Ifeel about it, but I'm willing
to try it for a while.
So I'm in the trial phase oftrying my dandelion root raw
dandelion root tea but I've beentold that that's good to be
using.
Are there other things that youjust think?
(34:27):
Look, these are basics everyoneshould be having.
I feel like I'm getting enoughfiber in all the vegetables I'm
consuming, so I'm not tooworried about a fiber supplement
.
But the pre and probiotic thatI wasn't taking before seems to
be a good addition.
So I'm going to stick to thatand see how I feel in 90 days
(34:48):
and reevaluate if I go then to,like you know, six months and
keep reevaluating.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Yeah.
So I mean, I'm sure thedandelion route is fine.
Um, I would just say, workclose with the practitioner.
If you're doing it something,you're doing it ongoing.
Um, and I would say, dependingon your levels, like your energy
level I love CoQ10, like thatdecreases as we get older and
(35:18):
anybody that has heart diseaseis told by the doctor get on
this.
So if you have a verywell-sourced CoQ10, it's great.
There's, there's berberine andwhich is which is really good.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Which I've heard, that berberine is like the craze
, like it's been around foreverand all the folks that have been
in gut health have known aboutit for years and years and years
.
But now a lot of folks thathave like weight issues are now
starting to realize the benefits.
Can you talk a little bit aboutberberine and why we need it in
(35:55):
our diet?
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Yeah, so that, and I want to also mention another one
called NAD.
This is more of a newer onethat people are talking about,
but the cell, the cell center,the mitochondria there, it
produces ATP production, right.
So if we can up that ATPproduction, then our cells can
(36:17):
be more effective and they canwork proper.
And so having all of these likeif you were just to take that,
I would say you know it's, it'sa standing alone without doing
anything else.
But I would say, if you'rehaving that good diet and you're
really being cautious aboutoils that are coming into your
(36:40):
body, these supplements thatwe're talking about, in addition
to working out, that should bea non-negotiable.
Every day, have some kind of aworkout, have a mindfulness
meditation practice.
That's so important.
Make sure that your stresslevels might've been out of
(37:01):
whack lately and I feel it in mybody because the fires here in
Los Angeles it's been verystressful but all these together
, collectively, if you're goingto add them in, will actually
help your body function just alittle bit better.
Um, and then if you wereperimenopause like, like we are
(37:25):
then looking at a supplementlike dim um, it's, it's one
that's very simple, natural, andI would also say that ladies,
if you're in that perimenopausestate, don't be shy of looking
at some bioidentical hormones.
There's been a lot of reversereversing on research that has
(37:50):
been done in the past andthey're kind of poked holes in
things that they found and Ifeel like, do your own research
so you understand where we're aton that.
But also in the supplementcategory, don't be afraid to
speak with a doctor and get onsomething if you need to.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
A hundred percent, all right.
Let's talk about actionablesteps, because everybody wants
to know, all right.
So, starting today, what aremaybe three to five simple
things that everyone can do toreally improve gut function and
gut health?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
So number one is this is what Ialways start when I work with
people know your why.
If you don't know your why, youhave no teeth to grab onto when
you're frustrated about a daythat went sideways or whatever
(38:52):
it is in your life.
If you don't understand what isthe bigger picture, what am I
aiming for, what is my why, thenyou're not going to have a
foundation to stand on.
So please do that exercisewhere you sit down with yourself
and write seven lines, onethrough seven, and say what is
(39:12):
my why in life.
Write that down, drill into thefirst one.
Drill in seven times.
By the seventh time you shouldbe crying, because that should
be your passion and what reallyfuels you.
So when you're thinking aboutoh, I can drink that diet Coke,
that's fine.
Then you think of your why andyou say you know what?
(39:33):
My why is bigger than this DietCoke and I'm bigger than it.
So I'm going to be the CEO andcall an executive decision and
say no.
So, number one, know your why?
Number two, something that I'vebeen pushing a lot, because
there's so much confusion aroundwhat is good food, what is bad
(39:54):
food, what kind of protein isbest.
I like to look at it like thisyou look at your omega-3 to 6
balance.
Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory,omega-6 is inflammatory.
We need both.
However, americans are eating a26 to 1 ratio on average, when
(40:14):
it should be a 1 toto-one or athree-to-one ratio.
So educate yourself what hashigh omega-3s and try to eat
more of that, because you'regetting plenty of omega-6.
Two pieces of bread containsall the omega-6 that you need in
a day.
The American diet we're havingmuffin in the morning or waffles
(40:37):
or pancakes, having a power barfor a snack and then having a
sandwich for lunch and havingsomething else Glutinous is a
snack or something.
Yeah, and then dinner is pasta,lasagna, the dinner roll.
So all day long it's constantdrip Right and almonds 2000 to
(40:59):
one, 2000 omega-6 to one omega-3.
People are eating replacementalmond milk, almond flour, and
they're gluten-free.
So they think, oh, I'm goinggluten-free, so I'm going to be
great because I'm eliminatinggluten, but you've replaced your
flour with one that's higher inomega-6 than the gluten.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
So when you're oh my God, my almond milk, my
unsweetened almond milk.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Okay, that's it Again in small Black seed wins and my
almond milk is gonna.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
We gotta curtail the unsweetened almond milk as a
base for my drinks occasionally.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Just look at your ratios.
So if your ratios are even,then half your almond milk, but
it's just something for peopleto consider.
So look at your foods likeeducate yourself.
What is high omega-3, likeseeds, salmon, those are all
high omega-3.
What is high omega-6 and how doI balance that?
(41:58):
So when you educate yourself,you can say, oh, you know, I'm
eating out tonight and I'vealready had, you know, my
omega-6s.
So I think I'm going to try togear what I'm eating tonight
towards getting my omega-3 ratioup.
So educate yourself on that.
Three is, I would say, your listof non-negotiables, because
(42:25):
this list could go on for 10things deep, right, but your
non-negotiables.
So have an exercise routine,because exercise is so important
for keeping your lymphs,because exercise is so important
for keeping your lymphsemptying and for your brain
health, your body function.
(42:50):
As we age, we lose muscle and Iwant to go.
I'm thinking I could live to120.
Like that's the new age we'resupposed to live to.
So if I'm going to do that,what do I need to do today in
order to keep this bodyfunctioning and this brain
functioning into the future?
And I think that's doable.
I don't know.
That's what I'm putting in myhead it's doable.
So what are yournon-negotiables?
And then have a routine withyour non-negotiables, because
(43:15):
when you don't, you're nottaking your supplements, you're
not doing your supplements,you're not doing your green
drink, you're not exercising,you're creating the stress and
all these things that workcollectively together then all
the other good things thatyou're doing are just for not.
So I would say those, know your, why?
Know your omega three to sixratio very simple and have a
(43:37):
list of non-negotiables to keepyou on track.
And then really just educateyourself, listen to podcasts and
really evaluate information,evaluate everything I'm saying.
I always tell people don't takemy word, take it as a landing
page that you can say okay, shetalked about a three to six
ratio.
What does that even mean andhow can I apply it to my life
(44:00):
and go out and investigate moreand really educate yourself?
And um, and the other thingthat's really been I guess not
in my heart, but that I noticedmore and more is that there's
this, this analogy of um if wewere born, we were given one car
to drive for the rest of ourlives, what would you do with
(44:23):
that car?
And one of the things that Iwould do is I would go to those
people that have had their carsfor 100 years and I would say
what did you do to get there?
How did you keep your carfunctioning for a hundred years?
And let's really embrace theolder generation, those that are
(44:43):
older than us.
Let's draw from their wisdom,because the older I get, the
more I know that I don't knowand I want to be around.
People who have lived and whohave experienced and are doing
are my heroes and like where Iwant to be when I'm their age.
So embrace community and thosethat have gone before us and
(45:10):
have more experience than we do,and really just stay true to
you and don't compromise on that.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
I think that's so well said.
I think you know, for me one ofthe things that I wasn't
diligent about I thought I couldkind of ebb and weave on it was
sleep.
And I've actually become know.
A younger version of me not somuch younger version would have
been like, oh, but you'remissing out on this, like show
(45:41):
or going out or doing this ordoing that.
But I just realized that I havea difficult enough time getting
quality sleep through the entirenight, Like I fall asleep very
easily but I wake up in themiddle of the night, I think,
like so many, particularly women, at around 3 am and I'm awake,
(46:02):
I can have full-on conversationsand I want to have less of that
so that when I wake up for theday in the morning I'm ready to
go.
And I find increasingly it'sbeen a bit of a journey.
I am getting longer amounts ofsleep, of quality sleep, than I
(46:22):
was even six weeks ago.
So certainly trying differentthings and looking at what is it
that's going to keep me asleeplonger, get back to sleep as
quickly as possible and then getsome more quality sleep before
it's time to start the day again.
I think that's probably beenone of the biggest revelations
(46:45):
is.
I was incredibly sleep deprivedwith going like maybe an hour
stretch or an hour and a halfstretch and then waking up an
hour and a half stretch and thenwaking up, and I would do that
three or four times a night andnot really making the connection
to what I was eating.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
And stress is in life .
Stress can wake you up at night,and caffeine if you're drinking
it too late, and there'sdifferent tests.
I actually had a I've beentalking a lot about that on my
professional page on waking upat 3 am.
What does it mean?
And usually it's your livercleaning itself out, because
(47:23):
that's kind of the order processin the night that it gets to
the liver to process.
So you might need to do somesort of a liver cleanse in order
to help you sleep better too.
So, yeah, so sleep.
I would say, as a mom, thatwould be one of the first things
, that an exercise would be oneof the first things that used to
be so easy for me to compromiseon.
(47:45):
And as I've gotten older, I'vesaid you know, I, I just have to
have my sleep and it's, it's apriority and it's not worth it.
Sleep depriving your body inthe long run, it's just not
healthy.
So I love to be aware of that.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
Yeah, and don't grab for your phone, because, as
Colette will attest to, when shehad to share a bed with me last
summer, I was grabbing my phoneat 3 am and punching out a text
message or returning a message.
She's like Michelle, stop,please, get off your phone.
And I didn't even think aboutit.
(48:24):
It was one of those automaticextensions.
Right, you reach for the phonewhen you can't sleep and instead
I've actually tried to startusing an eye mask.
I'm just in perpetual darknessand I don't know.
The phone is far enough away,plugged in charging somewhere,
that I can't reach it anymore.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
Yeah, no, it's, it's so true, and for me, um, and for
for everybody, we need to sleepin dark environments, and so I
am super sensitive.
If the light comes on when I'msleeping, I wake up, um, so I
and I'm an early riser, so whenthe sun just peaks, I'm up and
I'm ready to go, and so, yeah,that's.
(49:04):
It's really important to createa very pleasant sleep
environment, keep difficultconversations out of the bedroom
and make it dark.
If you need some kind of anoise canceling device, um, for
those that are menopausal,perimenopausal, there's bed
(49:25):
mattresses that you can sleep onthat cool you off and helps you
sleep deeper.
Not having too warm of a roomkeeping it like 68, uh is better
than having something that's 80degrees.
To sleep in colder sleepenvironment is better.
Not having blue light in youreyes a couple of hours prior to
going to bed is really importantto you.
(49:48):
So there's all these littletricks around sleep, but that's,
that's such a great point thatyou brought up.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
All right.
So going back to the gut healthconnection here for a minute
and living our extraordinarylives and making sure that we
are not leaving the easy thingsoff the table, I'm curious,
particularly now.
I don't know how it is inCalifornia, but this is, I guess
(50:16):
it's nationwide.
We're in the depths of fluseason, California, but this is
well, I guess it's nationwide.
We're in the depths of fluseason.
I had a kid that came down witha stomach bug.
I know a lot of folks that haverespiratory issues.
As you know, my dad is actuallyrecovering from double
pneumonia.
There's a lot going on outthere.
Talk to me about the connectionwith the gut health, because I
(50:41):
think people think, oh, but it'sjust that time of year, so
everyone's more susceptible.
But if we are improving our guthealth, one would be able to
say we're less susceptible thanthose who aren't doing that.
Correct?
Speaker 2 (50:58):
Yes, yes, it's so true.
It's funny.
Years ago I was in a cab going.
I was in, I think, connecticut,and somebody picked me up at
the airport and was driving meto where I needed to go and it
was cold.
And I said, oh wow, it's fluseason.
(51:18):
The the cold weather betterbuckle up and stay warm.
And the driver basicallystopped the car and like looked
at me and he said the weatherdoesn't make you sick, it's the
germs.
And so I said, oh, okay, yeah,I guess that's true, but with
his point, it's the germs.
(51:38):
How do those get in your body?
Right?
So if you're eating right, thatmakes your skin healthy and
resilient, right?
So when you get cracks in yourskin, whether it's your, your
hands or your nose or otherother parts, and it can get in
(52:00):
easily, like when there's thefirst area, the first line of
defense, which is your skin, iscompromised, it's easier for
germs to get in.
So if you're eating right andyou're keeping that sugar down
and not dehydrating your bodyand depriving it, and you're
getting your nutrients in and,by the way, I also recommend
(52:22):
doing some type of C vegetablein your green drinks, because
the C contains the entireperiodic table of elements, and
when your body doesn't haveaccess to all those elements, it
stills from one to give to theother.
So osteoporosis, for example,is taking that calcium to give
somewhere else and donate itwhere it needs it.
(52:43):
So, um, so, making sure thatyou're you're eating right so
that your skin is supple andyou're really taking care of the
body.
And and good skin isn't justlooking good, it's actually a
reflection of what's going oninside too, and it's one of the
signs.
I had a lady the other day thatshe looked incredible but her
(53:06):
body was falling apart insideand she said everybody tells me
I look so good but I'm a mess onthe inside.
So usually that's what you know.
It's usually an indication ofhealth, which is why people want
great skin and they're usingmakeup to make it look shiny and
healthy, but yet inside it'snot like that.
(53:28):
So, really taking care ofyourself, upping, obviously,
your vitamin C, your zinc thoseare important things to um, to
increase during the winter sothat your body has more of an
ability to fight, and if you cansleep, sleep is the best
medicine and it will help you.
(53:50):
The elixir?
Yes, it is, it is yeah, so, um,those are great liquids.
Obviously, you got to keep yourbody hydrated, even in the
winter, when you don't feel likedrinking.
If you're in cold weather,drink, make sure that you're
getting.
I love lemon water first thingin the morning.
That's great.
And so if we can, if we cantake care of all these things,
(54:14):
then chances of getting sicklesson, and if you do get sick,
your body is resilient enough tofight it and get better, as
opposed to the sickness justovercomes you and you end up in
the hospital and other thingsstart happening.
And so if we can just keep ourlevel up there by day-to-day
(54:36):
non-negotiables, then we can alllive healthier longer.
Speaker 1 (54:41):
I love that, colette.
As usual, you are full ofwisdom and I so appreciate you
sharing all your knowledge andyour experience with us and
helping us get our gut biome ontrack so that we can live
stronger, better, more energeticand have more vitality in our
(55:02):
everyday, so that we can go onto live our extraordinary lives.
So thank you again for comingon and spending this time with
us today.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
It's been great and we'll have to do more because
we're just kind of scratchingthe surface, trying to go high
level and but I just encourageeveryone do your research and
and know what makes your bodytick, what's good for you, and
we're all different, so somebodymight be drinking kombucha and
(55:34):
loving it for their fermentedfood.
I can't do that.
So know your body.
My favorite quote, socratesknow thyself, so understand what
it is for you that makes youtick and not everybody's thing
works for you and know thatthat's okay.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (55:51):
All right, where can people?
Speaker 2 (55:53):
find you, colette.
You can find me on Instagram atwellness by Colette and I.
Also, because of this omega-3,6 ratio, I've started a
non-inflammatory snack linecalled Love Colette, so you can
find that at love-colettecom.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
And we'll make sure we have all the links in the
show notes.
Yeah, and my podcast LimitlessHealing with Colette, which is a
wonderful show, and I've hadthe pleasure of being on it as a
guest myself.
Speaker 2 (56:24):
Yes, you have All right.
We need to have you back on.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (56:29):
All right, Colette, thank you again.
Really appreciate everythingyou're doing to help keep us
healthy and be an advocate forour wellness.
So until next time, everyone,go and live your extraordinary
lives.
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