Clean Eating for Women with Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition

Cheryl Malik is the creator of the 40 Aprons website. She is an amazing recipe developer and food photographer. Today, we are going to talk about healthy clean eating and her new book The Paleo Instant Pot Cookbook.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:

• Cheryl’s health journey
• Healthy clean eating
• The Instant Pot Cookbook

Some highlights of this episode on how to make veggies taste delicious:

1. 40 Aprons is actually the fourth name of Cheryl's blog. She finally decided on this name, because she didn't want a blog that wasn't tied down to a specific type of eating. Plus, whenever her friends traveled they would bring her a new apron, and she had at least 40. [02:01]
2. Cheryl tells her story of how being vegan stopped working for her. Cheryl and her husband were thinking about having children, and she got a blood test and found out that she had hypothyroidism. She also noticed that healthy fat might be a solution and started eating coconut oil. She finally discovered she was missing nutrients from not eating animal products. She switched to non vegetarian clean eating and started getting healthy right away. [15:26]
3. Carrie shares how when she was vegan, and she was eating a lot of soy she eventually developed Hashimoto's and had to have her thyroid removed. She also talks about the Weston A. Price foundation and the importance of eating a more rounded diet. [23:41]
4. Transitioning from vegan to Paleo. Cheryl had no problem eating meat again. Even when she was vegan she craved steak. The hardest part for her was the ethics. She decided that eating meat wasn't the hard part it was the factory farming that she wanted to avoid. She spends her money at very deliberate places. [25:31]
5. Cheryl explains how she got involved with The Whole30 diet. Some friends of hers tried it, and they lost weight and felt amazing and we're even sleeping better. Cheryl and her husband also tried it and they ended up feeling a lot better. It also made her TMJ go away and she lost all of her baby weight. [29:49]
6. Then they transitioned into a Paleo diet and it was very doable. After time, they transitioned into more of a primal diet. They had already spent a lot of time healing the gut and eating nutritious food, so now they just eat what works for them. [34:36]
7. The Instant Pot changed Cheryl's life forever. Her first recipes were horrible, but then she decided to start thinking like a pressure cooker. When you're on the Paleo diet or the whole30 diet, you spend so much time in the kitchen that having something like an Instant Pot makes things a lot easier. [38:09]
8. All of the recipes in her book are whole30 compliant. She also tries to optimize the Instant Pot cooking to cut down on the time spent in the kitchen. Everyone should have an Instant Pot. One of her favorite recipes is Zuppa Toscana - an Instant Pot take on her super popular Whole30 Zuppa Toscana recipe. [39:59]

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 40 Aprons
• 40 Aprons on Facebook
• 40 Aprons on Instagram
• 40 Aprons on Pinterest
• The Paleo Instant Pot Cookbook
• [email protected]
• Podcast #16: Traditional Diets & Health with Hilda Labrada Gore
• Weston A. Price Foundation
• Whole30 Zuppa Toscana (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)

Join the Clean Eating for Women Community!

• Clean Eating for Women episode index
• Clean Eating Challenge
• Clean Eating for Women Podcast private Facebook Group (great for asking questions and connecting with me personally)

Don’t miss new blog posts! Join my weekly newsletter list to get all the latest news and recipe links delivered directly to your inbox.

Erica Winn of Real Simple Good a wonderful website for inspired paleo cooking and living is here today. Erica offers all kinds of healthy tips and tricks for cooking and eating including paleo and whole30 meal prepping.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:

• Erica’s health story and starting Real Simple Good
• Eating paleo and cooking at home with real ingredients
• Meal prepping to make healthy eating easier

Some highlights of this episode on paleo & whole30 meal prepping with erica winn of real simple good:

1. Erica and her husband started Real Simple Good a couple of years ago. It stemmed from making lifestyle changes and Erica having MS. It was time to take her health story into her own hands. She began researching diets and lifestyles that reduce inflammation. Which led her to the paleo lifestyle. [02:25]
2. Erica's recipes are mostly paleo. She doesn't use any processed foods. They don't use grains, gluten, dairy, or soy. They also leave out the legumes and refined sugar. This is the template that all of the recipes stem from. They may have an occasional white rice or pastured cheese. [09:29]
3. Erica and Justin wanted to live on their own terms. They decided to make paleo cooking and living a lifestyle. They also decided to make the blog a full-time job. [13:02]
4. Before they quit their accountant jobs they were really stressed for time, so they started meal planning out of a necessity. There is no way to get through a busy work week without doing some sort of meal prep over the weekend. [14:06]
5. Erica and Justin sell meal plans to help people who aren't sure what recipes to make and what to shop for. These are for people who really like to cook and just need a little extra help. They also offer simple recipes with minimal ingredients for people who don't like to cook but need help with eating healthier. [17:50]
6. They currently offer seasonal meal plans that are bundled together. There is 13 weeks in each bundle. They are also doing challenges like the whole 30 challenge. People sign up for the challenge on their website. Then everything was delivered through email which included helpful tips and meal plans. They also posted on their Facebook group. They were also available to answer questions. [22:23]
7. A whole30 diet is like a Paleo diet but more strict. There's no Paleo baking and no sugars and alcohol of any kind. [25:11]
8. One of Erica's favorite recipes and also one of their most popular recipes is the crock pot chicken enchiladas. Another popular recipe is their creamy spaghetti squash casserole. [27:35]
9. An instapot is like a pressure cooker with pre programmed functions. The pressure cooker cooks faster and the instapot has more functions. You can brown ground beef and then cook it and make a one pot meal. [31:58]

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Real Simple Good
• Erica on Instagram
• @realsimplegood for all social media
• @realsimplegood on Twitter
• Terry Wahls
• Minding your mitochondria | Dr. Terry Wahls | TEDxIowaCity
• Paleo Enchilada Casserole With Cornbread Topping (gf + Dairy-free)
• Creamy Garlic Spaghetti Squash Casserole (paleo, Whole30, Gf + Dairy-free)
• Instant Pot

Show sponsors (affiliate link included):

• Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour (use code CLEANEATING for 10% discount + free shipping over $35 during checkout)

Join the Clean Eating for Women Community!

• Clean Eating Challenge
• Clean Eating for Women episode index
• Clean Eating for Women Podcast private Facebook Group (great for asking questions and connecting with me personally)

Don’t miss new blog posts! Join my weekly newsletter list to get all the latest news and recipe links delivered directly to your inbox.

Marek from Marek Fitness is here today to talk about meal prepping. Eating healthy can take extra work and meal prepping can solve the temptation to cheat for convenience. Marek is a single parent and shares some of his great meal prepping tips.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:

• Marek’s fitness story
• How Marek’s son is involved in the kitchen
• The basics of meal prepping

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Marek is from Slovakia, but he has been in the states for 12 years. Meal prepping has been part of his life for a long time. Getting a divorced and becoming a single-parent gave Marek a chance to start fresh and prepare his own food. It also brought him back to his Slovakian roots and nutritious homemade meals. [01:55]
2. Marek is an electrical engineer with a demanding job and a single-parent. He also competes in men's physique competitions and plays competitive volleyball. At first, cooking seemed almost impossible. Meal prepping for Marek was the missing piece of the puzzle. [04:14]
3. Meal prepping means prepping food for 4 to 5 days at one time. Meal prepping Sunday means prepping dishes for 4 to 5 meals and measuring them up and storing them for the week. [04:56]
4. He Googled and watched YouTube videos and watched people cooked ten pounds of chicken at once and really tried to figure out how to incorporate this into having a healthy diet. He started small just making his lunches. Then he started figuring out ways to make it easier, more efficient, cheaper, and better. [07:37]
5. Budget is a huge benefit of meal prepping. Time is the number one benefit, but saving money is the number two benefit. Cooking in bulk saves time, and time equals money eventually. Buying in bulk and in season also makes the food better. It also costs less. [09:27]
6. He uses vegetarian chocolate protein powder and organic cocoa and oat flour to make healthy muffins. He also uses fruit like bananas. Then he lets his son cook with him and add dark chocolate. This is one way to keep his son involved and encourage him to eat healthy also. [14:18]
7. Meal prepping for beginners. Start small you can't change your whole life that wants. It's a marathon not a sprint. Prepare foods and ingredients you enjoy. Get proper containers. The air around your food affects how long it can keep. Eliminate as much air as possible. Try getting glass or plastic containers from Rubbermaid or Pyrex. [17:10]
8. Utilize your oven for multiple items at a time. Also start with the item that takes the longest. While the potatoes are baking you can get your chicken and veggies cooked at the same time. Also jazz up your meal with spices. Split your chicken into three different groups and use three different types of spices. This will give you variety. Know what you like and always have your staples on hand. [26:54]
9. Make avocado ice cream with organic chocolate, frozen banana, and frozen avocado. This is going to be Marek's new ice cream recipe. Once he finds the ratios, he is going to make it in the food processor. [32:15]

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Marek Fitness on Instagram
• Marek Fitness on YouTube
• Marek Fitness on Facebook

Show sponsor (affiliate link included):

• Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour (use code CLEANEATING for 10% discount + free shipping over $35 during checkout)

Join the Clean Eating for Women Community!

• Clean Eating for Women episode index
• Clean Eating for Women Podcast private Facebook Group (great for asking questions and connecting with me personally)

Don’t miss new blog posts! Join my weekly newsletter list to get all the latest news and recipe links delivered directly to your inbox.

Carol Lourie is a Naturopath, Licensed Acupuncturist, Functional Medicine expert and Homeopath, with over 30 years of experience in providing integrative health care. Carol joins me today to talk about women’s health and polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:

• What PCOS is and Carol’s full spectrum approach to treatment.
• How PCOS symptoms are different for everyone and it is difficult to get a diagnosis.
• Increased environmental toxins can increase PCOS symptoms.

Some highlights of this episode on how to make veggies taste delicious:

1. I am a survivor of PCOS. This is not a condition that is easily resolved or easily tolerated. It impacted my life for two decades, and I've only had it under control for three years. [01:11]
2. Carol always wanted to be a medical doctor. In the 70s, She lived in New York in a spiritual community. She knew a chiropractor who did detox diets. Carol ended up working in his office and saw all the people that he has helped. Carol ran across a flyer for a College of Naturopathic Medicine, and she decided to go, and she graduated in the 80s. [01:48]
3. The more Carol has practiced, the more she has noticed the connection between the mind and the body. She has also noticed that all chronic disease has a foundation of a history of trauma. There are multiple factors and multiple symptoms in PCOS. Everyone's symptoms are a little different. This can be confusing for medical doctors, and it makes getting a diagnosis difficult. [03:38]
4. Carol has been treating PCOS for the last 25 years. She has seen symptoms become more severe and more hormonal disruption as toxins in our environment increase. [07:36]
5. People with PCOS have elevated sugar levels and increased cholesterol and cysts on their ovaries. Carol includes an underlying inflammatory process and the emotional component that she feels is very important too. As well as a hormonal imbalance. [08:24]
6. Metabolic syndrome or blood sugar disproportion is one of the spokes. Having extra sugar swimming around in your bloodstream has a direct impact on the formation of cysts in your ovaries. Targeted nutritional changes and supplements can make a big difference in blood sugar. Carol begins by getting a proper breakfast in place like a healing protein smoothie with milk thistle, probiotics, and vitamin C. [11:47]
7. The basics of Carol's approach is to work nutritionally to lay the foundation for cells and decrease inflammation. Stabilize your blood sugar and support your liver and your triglycerides will go down. Your body likes to be healthy and will respond in a positive way if you give it what it needs. [17:23]
8. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis. The hypothalamus and pituitary are connected. There is a clear system of hormonal feedback loops. When one hormone is released it goes to the thyroid gland and then the thyroid gland releases thyroid hormone. When we are stressed, the body releases cortisol and this clogs up the messaging system. Everything we do relates to our health. [23:30]
9. Environmental chemicals that get in our body can be estrogen disruptors. This can also lead to excessive estrogen and other hormonal imbalances. Start with the toxin free home. Laundry detergent has estrogen disruptors. The sheets you sleep on and the towel you dry your body with are coated with estrogen disruptors. [30:38]

• Links mentioned in this episode:
  • Carol Lourie website
  • Carol's free Healthy Hormone Guide
  • Clean Eating Challenge
  Show sponsor (affiliate link included):
  • Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour (use code CLEANEATING for 10% discount + free shipping over $35 during checkout)
• Join the Clean Eating for Women Community!
  • Clean Eating for Women episode index
  • Clean Eating for Women Podcast private Facebook Group (great for asking questions and connecting with me personally)

Audrey Johns is a blogger and cookbook author with an amazing story. She lost 150 pounds by eating real food and cooking at home. She is here today to talk about her new book Lose Weight by Eating Detox Week. In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, We talk about:

• Audrey’s eating and weight loss story
• How clean eating has changed Audrey's life
• Thinking about the long game when making food choices

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Audrey had been heavy her entire life. She tried many different diets, and she would lose a little and then gain it back. Then she came across a clean eating cookbook and thought she would give it a try. A light went on she found something easy that made sense to her. She lost 150 pounds in 11 months by just replacing processed foods with whole foods. [02:17]
2. People kept asking her what she had done to lose so much weight, and she had trouble articulating that, so she decided to start a blog and share her recipes. Her blood turned viral, and she now has two cookbooks and has been on the Rachael Ray Show three times. [03:33]
3. A baby step to beginning your health journey can be giving up diet soda. It makes you hungrier at mealtime and you are also hyped up on caffeine. [04:14]
4. Audrey is always looking for the good in things. This is why she called her book Lose By Through Eating. We need calories for fuel, so they shouldn't be considered a bad thing. Filling our body with fake foods is worse for us even if they are low calorie. [05:38]
5. The convenience trap and thinking about the long game. Think about how a convenience foods make you feel afterwards. Think about the long game and your life as you're getting older. Think about how the food is going to affect you in the long run. Our food should taste good and make us feel good. [07:31]
6. Anyone can learn to cook. It's as simple as following directions and having a little bit of kitchen confidence. If ruining dinner is the worst thing that happened today, you're doing pretty good. [10:41]
7. The equation of how to make a perfect salad. You need protein and healthy fats. Audrey loves using things like walnuts and goat cheese. Healthy fats tell your body that it's okay to release the fat in the body. Audrey’s salads are supposed to be big. She wants you to be so full and satisfied that you aren't reaching for chips or processed food. [13:01]
8. When Audrey refers to detox she means removing chemicals and processed foods from our diets and replacing those things with healthy whole foods. Replacing laboratory foods that confuse your body with whole foods that your body already knows how to digest. She shares an equation for our plates where it should be 50% vegetables, 25% lean protein, and 25% Healthy carbohydrates. [15:35]
9. Tips for kids who are picky eaters include using baby spinach in your smoothie. You can also put your smoothie in a cup so the kids won't even know it's green. Baby kale is also more mild than regular kale. You can also use half kale and half spinach. [20:06]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Lose Weight by Eating: Detox Week: Twice the Weight Loss in Half the Time with 130 recipes for a Crave-Worthy Cleanse
• Books by Audrey Johns
• Lose Weight By Eating
• Lose Weight By Eating on Facebook
• Audrey on Rachael Ray with Bob Harper
• Mammoth Bars (use code CLEANEATING for 20% discount during checkout)
• Otto’s Cassava Flour (use code CLEANEATING for 10% discount + free shipping over $35 during checkout)