The Funk'tional Nutrition Podcast

Today Erin is sitting down with Lara Adler, who is an environmental toxin expert and educator. Every time the “environmental toxicity” conversation comes up there is potential for overwhelm, but Lara presents this really complex (and important!) information in such a way that you can walk away with low-cost action steps that don’t feel overwhelming.This episode is filled with practical, budget-friendly strategies that you will feel confident implementing. Whether you're someone looking to better their health OR to support others in their health journey, this is a convo you don’t want to miss.Lara Adler is an Environmental Toxins Expert & Educator who teaches health coaches, nutritionists, and other health professionals how to eliminate the #1 thing holding their clients back from the results they are seeking – the unaddressed link between chemicals and chronic health problems. In this episode:-The downstream effects of environmental toxicity exposure. [7:01]-The most effective approach to get someone to care about environmental toxicity. [8:02]-The heart attack & air pollution link. [10:52]-Why reducing exposure can be a “quick fix” for some. [15:43]-The invisible threat that can lead to microbiome issues, leaky gut, autoimmune flares & hormone problems. [17:27]-When you feel like you’ve “done all the things” for your health, but you’re still not better. [18:22]-The connections between leaky gut, cascading symptoms & toxin exposure. [18:52]-Fetal origins of adult disease: how early life exposures can lead to adult disease. [21:44]-Why there’s rarely ONE chemical to blame when toxicants are so ubiquitous in commerce. [23:29]-The difference between persistent & non-persistent chemicals - and why you should care. [26:49]-The cheapest and MOST effective solutions to start implementing TODAY. [28:36]-A powerful intervention study on child asthma. [38:29]-Top priorities for non-toxic eating. [44:47]-Lara’s thoughts on non-stick pots/pans. [45:29]-Cookware to avoid & to use. [52:20]-Lara’s favorite safe cookware brands (with multiple price points.) [1:03:07]FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/12/3/episode-185-practical-strategies-to-reduce-chemical-exposure-lara-adler

For the first time ever, Erin’s husband (and web designer, and home reno wrangler) Scott is joining her on the mic to talk about their home reno project. Erin received so many questions about how they navigated this project with health in mind, so they sat down together to bring you all the answers in this episode!Because these questions aren’t normally asked when people are building or renovating homes, Erin and Scott had to navigate through much of this on their own—and are bringing their experience and newfound knowledge to you! They are by no means experts, but they surely learned a lot along the way! Tune in to hear the products and techniques they used, and advice to help make your next home project a safe and toxic-free one. (Plus, a bonus segment from Scott on advice he would give to someone who may be resistant to prioritizing a healthy eating, non-toxic lifestyle.)In this episode:-Rigby Home Giveaway Announcement [1:40]-Getting partners onboard with a healthy eating, non-toxic lifestyle [2:29]-What to avoid with autoimmunity or chemical sensitivities [3:43]-Sustainable cookware & dinnerware [5:27]-Our budgetary and investment decisions [8:43]-Getting started: Design, Building and Installation [13:45]-Floor materials and coatings [16:35]-Paint that prioritizes air quality [22:18]-Using an air filter for off-gassing & steps to reinforce detox pathways [23:25]-Sustainable, non-porous and low-maintenance counters [24:00]-Cabinets & an awesome resource of questions to ask for a toxic-free home [25:30]-Furniture & how to check for added chemicals like flame retardants [27:26]-Venting about the process & things to be mindful of [29:32]-Bonus segment from Scott on resistance to prioritizing a healthy eating, non-toxic lifestyle [36:16]FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/12/3/episode-184-our-non-toxic-home-renovation-all-your-questions-answered

Today’s episode is for you if you are interested in getting started with a functional approach for your health, but not really sure where to start. Erin recognizes that the cost of functional medicine can be a limiter for some, so she makes a case for starting with ONE budget-friendly intervention. This is the ONE PLACE Erin recommends everyone start before jumping into her 1:1 practice!Listen in as Erin discusses the difference between functional medicine/nutrition & the conventional/allopathic approach, and uses real world case examples of clients as it relates to all of this - where conventional medicine can fall short, where to start with the functional approach, and why you should start there.In this episode:-The chief differences between the functional and conventional approach [3:58]-Specific blood markers you should be aware of [10:19]-Where the functional approach should always start [12:00]-How to know if your blood sugar is a problem (without lab testing!) [14:20]-The body-wide impact of poor blood sugar regulation [17:47]-Real world case studies that showcases the power of food & how it can move the needle on [23:16]-When your healthcare providers have no options for you [24:29]-Why weight should not be used as the primary health marker [25:20]-Hormonal issues, fatigue, anxiety & how blood sugar strategies & changing diet made a huge impact for one client [28:34]-Common finding in hormone labs [29:07]-Food’s impact on metabolic health [31:59] [31:59]-The positive impact of investing in your health & how it can change the rest of your life [33:02]Mentioned in this episode: https://www.erinholthealth.com/carb-compatibility-project - The Carb Compatibility Project™ (next round starts on January 10th & enrollment officially opens on Monday, December 27thFOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/11/24/episode-183-looking-for-a-functional-approach-where-to-get-started

If you have skin issues, immune issues, autoimmunity, allergies, asthma, food sensitivities, or get sick often - you’ll want to listen in, because Vitamin A is crucial for all of these things!In today’s episode Erin explains the Beta Carotene/Vitamin A connection and differences, and why a vegetarian or vegan diet may not give everyone the Vitamin A their body needs. To break down the importance of Vitamin A, Erin dives into the conditions often associated with low Vitamin A, the benefits of having healthy Vitamin A levels, and what you can do to increase your Vitamin A if you have secured the data that you’re low (hint - the first step is to find the reason why!)In this episode:-The Nutrition Scoring System episode & Erin’s concerns with the villainization of meat [5:09]-The difference between Vitamin A / Beta Carotene & why you might not be able to get Vitamin -A from vegetables [10:51]-Why should we care about low Vitamin A? How it affects skin, immunity, inflammation & more [16:40]-How to test your Vitamin A status [20:08]-Reasons your Vitamin A might be low & One way you can support your nutrition [23:52]-Supplementation for Vitamin A [26:55] FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/11/19/episode-182-the-risks-of-low-vitamin-a-amp-how-to-increase-your-levels

Dr. Mark Pimentel, renowned gastroenterology expert and researcher, discusses the latest research on IBS and SIBO, including new testing options. Topics include leading causes of IBS, the overlap between IBS and SIBO, diagnosing these conditions with blood and breath tests, debunking widely accepted concepts about SIBO, and the limitations of the low-FODMAP diet. A must-listen for clinicians, practitioners, and anyone interested in gut health and research.

Today Erin sits down with her own esthetician and friend, Lee Zavorskas. With a lot of overlap and instant clicks on similar outlooks, this episode is full of energy and passion when it comes to the beauty industry and skin care. Tune in as Lee and Erin discuss how skin is often an inside job with a gut/skin connection (for example, start by paying attention to your diet!) but sometimes you need to approach the skin outside-in. Listen to Lee take the mic and jump right into what is broken in the beauty industry, what to avoid when it comes to skin care, how important it is to embrace aging - and natural and safe ways to give you and your skin the love and care they deserve.Rollinsford, New Hampshire-based Holistic Skin & Tonics focuses on whole skin health and the direct connection between nutrition and our skin. Combining specialized massage techniques and plant based skincare, wellness is not just one treatment; it’s a lifestyle and commitment that Owner and Licensed Esthetician, Lee Zavorskas, is devoted to instill in each client. As a Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner, who is also certified in Gua Sha, Face Cupping, and Facial Reflexology, Lee’s priority is to teach clients how to properly care for their skin—not just from the outside, but from the inside as well.In this episode:-Introduction to Lee and an overview of this episode [2:28]-Lee’s Rage with the beauty industry [6:44]-The acid mantle, how to keep it safe, & the dangers of over-exfoliation [9:46]-Deprogramming the “Beauty Industry Brainwashing” [15:26]-The three-way between your face, gut, and brain [18:08]-Rosacea, the many causes/triggers and an outside-in approach [20:22]-Why your friend’s skin solution might not be yours, internal factors that may be affecting your skin, & the holistic approach [23:40]-The normalization & long term risks of the Botox industry [30:15]-Facial massage, the lymph system, and lymphatic drainage [42:32]-The difference between Gua Sha & lymphatic drainage [48:57]-Resources, causes and natural techniques to help scarring, hyper-pigmentation, dull skin, puffiness and wrinkles [52:59]FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/11/7/beauty-industry-brainwashing-and-holistic-skin-care-with-lee-zavorskas

Dealing with period problems is common for so many women, and today Erin sits down with menstrual health educator Berrion Berry to discuss why this is the case. Listen in as Berrion and Erin get back to basics on common culprits behind period pain (spoiler alert: stress is a big one!) and talk strategies to help relieve problematic periods in a natural way. Tune in to hear how anything that can influence your overall body can influence your cycle, and how implementing certain strategies and principles can not only change your health, but also change your life. Hint: these things don’t have to be hard, overwhelming, or scary! Berrion helps break this all down for us!Berrion Berry is a Menstrual Health Educator, Practitioner & the Founder of Optimize Your Flo. She teaches modern women to transform their periods and life through menstrual mastery. From hormone balancing to cycle syncing, to mood enhancing and self healing, Berrion covers it all and is excited to help you have your best period yet.In this episode:-Premise of today + related past episodes for deep dives [3:07]-Berrion explains a normal vs abnormal period [8:31]-How to figure out what’s “normal” for us [11:57]-Natural options to support painful periods [16:07]-Why do we collectively struggle with periods so much? [21:06]-The things that can influence your cycle [26:12]-Cooking based on your cycle [29:17]-What’s the deal with seed cycling? [31:51]-Menstrual cups, period underwear, & other alternatives to pads & tampons [36:39]-The importance of using fragrance-free, organic cotton menstrual products [40:52]FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/10/29/natural-options-to-support-your-period-with-berrion-berry

We’ve been fed a lot of wack nutrition advice over the years⁣.When I saw the new Tufts Food Compass scoring system claiming that Lucky Charms is healthier than eggs I nearly pooped my pants - like the time I ate too many Fat Free Lay’s chips (remember Olestra? Remember in the 90s when they told us that fat was bad but poop-your-pants fake fat was good?!)⁣Today on the podcast I am giving you my thoughts on the “new tool” developed by Tufts to help consumers, food companies, restaurants, and cafeterias choose and produce healthier(?) foods and officials to make public nutrition policy.TL;DL (too long; didn’t listen)These scores aren’t perfect and they continue to vilify certain nutrients & foods (like fats & meats), which can have negative health consequences.In this episode: -The new “food compass” and why we need to talk about this [1:04]-What is the new Food Compass, who it’s for, and potential uses for it [8:41]-How these food scores are created [11:42]-Looking at sugar and fiber levels within the scoring system [14:34]-Foods that score high vs low on the scoring system and why this is a problem [19:13]-The perplexing scoring behind Lucky Charms [25:27]-Why is meat being vilified in this scoring system? [28:57]-Spotlighting the connection between mental health and meat consumption [31:58]-The nutrition benefits found in meat versus veggies [38:44]-Health benefits of cholesterol, including brain and hormone health [41:28]-Problems linked with low hormone levels [43:09]-The health importance of minerals [44:19]Resources mentioned:FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/10/25/episode-178-my-thoughts-on-the-new-nutrition-scoring-system

Awareness is always the first step to change. When it comes to our diet and our health, we have to become aware of our consumption before we can change it. This episode helps shed awareness on the omnipresence of low quality ingredients in our packaged foods - even the ones coming from stores we think of as “health food” stores - and gives you actionable steps you can take to get them out of your diet.While moving away from eating the majority of food out of a bag or box and starting to eat more whole foods is a really big shift for some, Erin helps reduce the overwhelm by breaking down confusing food ingredients and offers up swaps to help you start taking action and make big improvements quickly.In this episode:-Low quality ingredients in snack foods [1:07]-Awareness precipitates change [2:49]-The various names for sugar and vegetable oils [3:26]-A pep talk for making change [8:57]-Answering listener questions about importance of quality oils & fats [17:30]-Why “heart healthy” vegetable oils are problematic [19:40]-Sun butter vs sunflower oil [20:26]-Why opinions on “the right diet” differ so much [29:01]-Are saturated fats the scapegoat for refined sugar? [32:06]-Why quitting refined sugar is difficult + associated health problems [33:30]-Sweeteners & oils Erin uses in her home [35:37]-Let’s talk about quality snacks [40:00]Resources mentioned:FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/10/19/episode-177-alternatives-to-refined-sugars-and-seed-oils

A lot of us are aware that eating a more whole foods-based diet is something we should be doing, but we often get tripped up in implementing this by common roadblocks that get in our way: namely time and general kitchen/cooking overwhelm. It may be doable to cook ONE healthy meal, but what about the rest of the week? What about work or kid commitments, dietary restrictions, or picky eaters?The truth is cooking dinner is something that a lot of people struggle with. In this episode, Erin sits down with bestselling author Cassy Joy Garcia to discuss ways to cut down on cooking time and overwhelm. Listen in to hear more about meal planning versus meal prepping, how your partner can actually help, and navigating cooking for picky eaters. Cassy Joy doles out real, actionable steps to simplify healthy eating so we can create meals for our families that we feel good about.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of cooking, planning out your weekly dinners, or creating more whole foods-based meals, this is definitely the episode to tune into!Cassy Joy Garcia is the bestselling author of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed + Fit. Eager to share her healthy living secrets with the world, she started Fed + Fit in 2011. Since then, she became a holistic nutrition consultant and transitioned her personal blog into a tremendously supportive and nimble online wellness editorial, backed by a small but mighty team of writers, researchers, and editors. After realizing that her own struggles to get a healthy homemade dinner on the table overlapped with the same struggles experienced by her readers, she decided that there must be a better way. The Cook Once method was born and it has revolutionized how people cook. She lives in San Antonio, TX with her husband and two children.In this episode:-Building on the importance of a whole foods diet with actionable steps [2:00]-Cassy Joy’s attitude check that helped her reach her goals [5:57]-The evolution in Cassy Joy’s business [10:28]-Where to start when approaching dinner making overwhelm [16:54]-The difference between meal planning and meal prepping [19:09]-How the Cook Once method gives you more kitchen confidence & know-how [27:03]-Cutting down on mental load and decision fatigue [29:32]-If your partner is asking how they can help [30:56]-Animal protein: pre/post cooking storage + defrosting tips [33:12]-Gluten free + special dietary needs adaptations [35:47]-Navigating cooking for picky eaters [38:08]-A simple way to take the overwhelm out of cooking dinner [41:25]FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/10/12/episode-176-reducing-dinner-overwhelm-with-cassy-joy-garcia