Podcast Summary
Joining The Reset Academy for Fasting Support and Personalized Guidance: Investing in oneself by joining supportive communities and following personalized guidance can help unlock full potential and reduce anxiety through addressing neurochemical imbalances, such as incorporating organ meats into your diet.
The Reset Academy, led by Dr. Mindy Pelz, offers a supportive community for those looking to adopt a fasting lifestyle and customize it for their individual health goals. Members gain access to exclusive calls with experts, guidance towards health goals, and a community of like-minded individuals. Dr. Pelz emphasizes the importance of investing in oneself to unlock full potential and make this year an incredible one. Additionally, Ali Miller's "The Anti-Anxiety Diet" book was discussed, with a focus on the importance of nutrients like organ meats for brain function and reducing anxiety. The takeaway is that addressing neurochemical imbalances in the brain can help reduce anxiety, and incorporating organ meats into one's diet is one way to do so. However, it's not necessary to only consume organ meats; they can be blended with other ground meats for those who find it difficult to eat them on their own.
Understanding Food as Medicine for Anxiety: Dietitian Ali Miller advocates for viewing food as medicine, emphasizing its impact on hormones and microbiomes. He encourages flexibility and individualized approaches to managing anxiety through specific nutrients and amino acids.
Dietitian Ali Miller emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of food as medicine in managing anxiety. She shares her unique background in naturopathic medicine, which led her to view food not just as calories but as compounds that can impact hormone pathways and microbiomes. Miller advocates against dietary dogma and encourages flexibility based on individual needs and circumstances. Her personal experience with Hashimoto's and her transition from vegetarianism to a paleo, keto, ancestral diet demonstrates the power of critical thought and adaptability in addressing health challenges. Anxiety, she explains, can stem from internal imbalances, and specific nutrients and amino acids can help promote calmness. For those seeking to manage anxiety, Miller suggests exploring her Anti Anxiety Diet and following her on Instagram for valuable insights.
Considering Nutrition and Sustainability in Food Choices: Becoming sick as a vegetarian led the speaker to explore different food styles and understand the importance of various nutrients and sustainable farming practices for overall health and the environment.
While some people choose to be vegetarian for ethical reasons or health concerns, it's important to consider the environmental impact and nutritional aspects of different food sources. The speaker shares her personal experience of becoming sick as a vegetarian and how she learned to incorporate various food styles, including animal products, to heal her body. She emphasizes the importance of sustainable farming practices and the role of certain nutrients, like glycine, which are more readily available from animal sources. While vegetarianism can be a valid choice, it's crucial to consider the full picture of nutrition and sustainability.
Manage anxiety through diet: Focus on low glycemic foods and nutrients for stress response: Focus on low glycemic foods to regulate blood sugar and reduce anxiety symptoms. A ketogenic diet can also aid in reducing excitatory signals and increasing calming neurotransmitter GABA.
Managing anxiety through diet involves focusing on both reducing inflammatory, gut-disrupting foods and increasing nutrients that aid in stress response and neurotransmitter production. The most effective way to do this is by regulating blood sugar levels through a low glycemic diet, which can help reduce symptoms of anxiety such as shakiness, palpitations, racing thoughts, and fatigue. Additionally, a ketogenic diet, which increases the production of ketones, can further aid in reducing excitatory signals to the nervous system and increasing the expression of the calming neurotransmitter GABA. For teens, it's important to address the concern of dopamine depletion and imbalance caused by blue light exposure, which can contribute to anxiety and make it difficult for them to adopt dietary changes. Overall, the food we eat has a significant impact on our brain health and anxiety levels, and making conscious dietary choices can be an effective way to manage anxiety.
Screens and Social Media Impact on Brain Chemistry: Heavy screen use during adolescence can negatively impact brain chemistry, leading to unhealthy rewards seeking and negative self-talk. Blue light from screens worsens dopamine depletion. Healthy ways to boost dopamine include nutrient-dense foods and supplements. Consider 'dopamine fasting' to reduce reliance on unhealthy rewards.
Our heavy use of screens and social media, particularly during adolescence, can negatively impact our brain chemistry and lead us to seek unhealthy rewards, such as sugar, to boost our dopamine levels. The blue light emitted by screens exacerbates dopamine depletion and contributes to negative self-talk, which can further lower our mood and lead to unhealthy eating habits. To counteract this, it's important to find healthy ways to boost dopamine levels, such as through nutrient-dense foods or supplements. Additionally, the concept of "dopamine fasting," which involves limiting exposure to sources of dopamine stimulation like social media, may be helpful for some individuals in reducing their reliance on unhealthy rewards and improving their overall well-being.
Resetting dopamine receptors with a tech break: Taking a break from tech for 24-48 hours can help reset dopamine receptors, while simple practices like grounding and adjusting phone settings can also make a difference. Prioritizing self-care and focusing on what we can control, like our diet, can improve overall well-being.
In today's world, with the constant bombardment of screens, poor food, and stressors, our dopamine receptors are becoming less sensitive. To counteract this, taking a break from technology for 24 to 48 hours can help reset these receptors. Additionally, simple practices like grounding and adjusting phone settings can make a difference. Amidst the anxiety-inducing events of the current global situation, focusing on what we can control, such as our diet, can be beneficial for mental and physical health. It's essential to remember that we all navigate this new terrain differently, and taking care of ourselves is crucial, especially for those in healthcare and education sectors who are under immense pressure. In summary, by prioritizing self-care and making small changes, we can improve our overall well-being and better handle the challenges of the present.
Anxiety is the Achilles heel of wellness: Anxiety negatively impacts health, remove inflammatory foods for better wellbeing, and try PowerSync 60 program for stress management.
According to the speaker, anxiety is the Achilles heel of wellness. No matter how clean your diet is or how perfect your supplement strategy is, if you're in a constant state of stress or anxiety, your body will not feel safe and you will not be well. The speaker's approach to addressing this issue is through an anti-anxiety diet, which has six functional medicine layers. The first layer is removing inflammation, and the five foods that are inflammatory and should be avoided are corn, soy, gluten, dairy, and sugar. The speaker has teamed up with Tony Horton to create a 60-day fitness program called PowerSync 60, which is designed to help individuals manage stress and anxiety through exercise and diet. The program is suitable for men and women of all fitness levels. The speaker's hypothesis is that anxiety destroys the body and prevents it from thriving, and bringing the body back into a regulatory parasympathetic state is essential for overall health and wellness.
Hormones and Diet Impact Our Well-Being: Small changes to our hormonal health and diet can significantly improve our overall well-being, especially during uncertain times. Consider a customized workout and meal plan, including fasting, for optimal health. Advocate for education about low glycemic diets and policies to improve access to healthy food options.
Our hormonal health and diet play a significant role in our overall well-being, and small changes can make a big impact, especially during times of uncertainty like the COVID-19 pandemic. The speaker, Dr. Mindy, emphasized the importance of considering hormones when working out and introduced a passion project offering a customized workout and meal plan, including fasting, with a discount using the code "ps 60pels" at doctormindy.org. She also discussed the need for education about the importance of a low glycemic diet and the impact of food subsidies on the availability and quality of healthy food options, particularly for lower-income communities. The speaker expressed hope for a "great awakening" to address these issues and improve overall health. In essence, the focus should be on promoting healthy habits and policies, rather than solely avoiding the virus.
The importance of a balanced microbiome: Avoiding all bacteria in the name of health can disrupt the delicate balance of our microbiome, making it difficult to rebuild a robust one. Consume probiotics and cultured foods, but be mindful of excessive sanitization's potential negative effects on gut bacteria.
Focusing solely on sterility and avoiding all bacteria in the name of health is a disservice to our overall wellbeing. Our bodies are home to a vast array of microorganisms that play crucial roles in our immune system, and disrupting this delicate balance can make it difficult to rebuild a robust microbiome. The speaker emphasizes the importance of resetting the microbiome as a priority, especially now, and encourages the consumption of probiotics and cultured foods. However, it's also essential to be mindful of the hygiene hypothesis and the potential negative effects of excessive sanitization on our gut bacteria. Ultimately, a balanced approach to health that considers the role of our innate and acquired immune system and the importance of a diverse microbiome is key.
Rebuilding the gut and adrenals for optimal health: Rebuild gut health with soil-based organisms, reduce antimicrobial use, and access outdoors. Support adrenals with nutrients like pantothenic acid and vitamin C from whole foods.
Rebuilding the gut and supporting the adrenals go hand in hand for optimal health. Some effective ways to rebuild the gut include incorporating soil-based organisms through gardening or consuming fermented foods, reducing the use of antimicrobial products, and accessing the outdoors. The gut and adrenals are closely connected, and when the gut is in a dysbiotic state, it can negatively impact the adrenals and lead to increased stress. Nutrients such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and vitamin C are particularly beneficial for supporting the adrenals and can be found in a variety of whole foods. By focusing on gut health and adrenal support through diet, we can improve our overall well-being and better equip our bodies to handle stressors.
Incorporating Organ Meats for Nutrient Density During Flu Season: Focus on vitamin C and D during flu season, but also include organ meats for their high bioavailability of B vitamins, choline, zinc, and vitamin B12, which support cortisol metabolism, mood enhancement, and immune system function. Opt for clean, grass-fed, pasture-raised organ meats and wild-caught, sustainably sourced shellfish.
During flu season, focusing on vitamin C and ensuring adequate vitamin D levels is crucial. However, another important aspect is incorporating organ meats into your diet for their high bioavailability of B vitamins and other essential nutrients like choline, zinc, and vitamin B12. These nutrients play significant roles in cortisol metabolism, mood enhancement, and immune system support. Shellfish, such as oysters, mussels, and clams, are excellent sources of these nutrients, especially when consuming the organelles. If you prefer ground organ meats, aim for a 1:4 ratio with your ground protein, like grass-fed beef or bison. You can process the organ meats in a food processor to make taco meat, meatballs, or other dishes, masking their unique flavor with fresh herbs and umami ingredients. It's essential to ensure the cleanliness and quality of your organ meats and shellfish sources to minimize potential toxins. Opt for grass-fed, pasture-raised organ meats and wild-caught, sustainably sourced shellfish. This approach to nutrition is inspired by ancestral practices, where organ meats were highly valued for their nutrient density and were often consumed by tribal leaders and women to maintain fertility. In my book, I provide various recipes and techniques for incorporating organ meats into your diet, making it an enjoyable and delicious experience. So, give it a try and reap the numerous health benefits!
Applying Nutritional Knowledge for Mental and Physical Health Improvement: The 'Anti Anxiety Diet' books provide practical solutions, assessments, and recipes to help readers identify and address potential issues related to adrenals, hormones, gut health, and inflammation, empowering them to believe in their bodies' capabilities and improve overall well-being through whole, real foods and connection to nature.
The "Anti Anxiety Diet" books offer practical solutions for applying nutritional knowledge to improve mental and physical health. The books include quizzes, functional assessments, and recipes to help readers identify and address potential issues related to their adrenals, sexual hormones, gut health, and inflammation. The combination of research and actionable steps aims to prevent information from becoming "sexy paper that collects dust." The books took about a year to write and the cookbook can stand alone as an introduction to the functional r's. The author's mission is to empower people to believe in their bodies' capabilities to prevent chronic illness, feel amazing, and improve overall well-being through whole, real foods and connection to nature.
Maximizing the Miracle of Life through Whole Foods and Lifestyle Practices: Nourish your body with whole, organic foods, optimize health through practices, remove empty foods, incorporate organ meats, use supplements, track food intake with apps, focus on fasting periods, and support natural detoxification and microbiome optimization.
Key takeaway from this conversation with Ali Miller is the importance of nourishing our bodies with whole, organic foods and optimizing our health through various practices. Ali emphasized the miraculous nature of our birth and encouraged us to maximize this miracle by making positive lifestyle choices. She emphasized the importance of removing empty foods and incorporating whole foods, such as organ meats, into our diets. She also recommended the use of supplements and resources like her websites and podcast to help individuals reset their health. Ali encouraged the use of tools like the Carb Manager app to help track food intake and focus on fasting periods. Ultimately, the goal is to support the body's natural ability to detoxify and optimize the microbiome through good nutrition and lifestyle practices.
