This article is a continuation of last week’s review of the North Karelia study, which linked reducing saturated fat to a decrease in deaths from heart disease. In the previous note, we explored counterarguments to this claim. This article goes further to provide additional points based on my original research.
First, it’s worth noting that the Seven Countries Study (SCS) featured two cohorts in Finland: west Finland and North Karelia. Both cohorts had similar diets and cholesterol levels, but deaths from coronary heart disease were substantially different. Last week’s note explained that war and displacement likely accounted for this discrepancy, not fat or cholesterol.
Secondly, the North Karelia study replaced butter with rapeseed oil, which contains plant sterols that lower cholesterol. However, plant sterols have been found to worsen heart disease. Therefore, the use of rapeseed oil in the study doesn’t necessarily support the notion that reducing saturated fat intake is beneficial for heart health.
My PhD reviewed evidence from all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that reduced dietary fat or saturated fat in favour of unsaturated fat. The RCTs that successfully lowered cholesterol levels, primarily through the plant sterol mechanism, failed to make any significant impact on mortality, whether from heart disease or other causes.
Finally, both Finland cohorts had the highest recorded average cholesterol levels of all 16 cohorts in the SCS. I suggest that this is because they are located furthest away from the equator – Natural sunlight hitting cholesterol in our skin cell membranes turns the cholesterol into vitamin D. With reduced sunlight, in countries further away from the equator, there is reduced sunlight to turn cholesterol into vitamin D.
The full version of this article can be read below
Which foods have the greatest cavity-causing potential?
Nearly half a century ago at a Senate hearing on nutrition, a Dr. Nizel from Tufts suggested that sugary breakfast cereals “should be banned in the best interest for all concerned, particularly children,” perhaps not surprisingly, since he was a professor of dental medicine.
As I discuss in my videoFlashback Friday: The Worst Food for Tooth Decay, a dozen different foods and beverages were tested in a study and ranked for their “cariogenic potential”—their cavity-causing potential—by implanting electrodes in the mouths of study participants to measure the amount of acid produced in the plaque between their teeth after eating a variety of different foods. The two breakfast cereals tested topped the charts, as you can see in the graph below and at 0:42 in my video.
If you drink sugar water, the pH on your teeth plunges within minutes into the acidic danger zone and stays there for an hour, eating away at your teeth. Caramel is worse. It sticks to your teeth, so it stays longer, and your pH goes down even deeper into the acid zone. However, with the two breakfast cereals (corn flake and wheat flake), it went down and stayed down even two hours later.
We’ve known about the cavity-causing potential of presweetened breakfast cereals for decades. As you can see below and at 1:16 in my video, a dozen such cereals—Cookie Crisp, Cocoa Krispies, Froot Loops, Sugar Corn Pops, Sugar Frosted Flakes, Cap’n Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Powdered Donutz, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Grape-Nuts, Rice Krispies, and Cheerios—were put to the test to measure the level of tooth-dissolving acid produced by the strain of bacteria that causes cavities. As one might expect, the cavity-generating potential was “found to be related directly to the sugar content of each cereal,” though Frosted Mini-Wheats was an exception. Despite having 40 percent less sugar than cereals like Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini-Wheats caused the greatest calcium demineralization, ranking second only to the now defunct “Powdered Donutz” in cavity-causing potential. A study of 28 different cereals concluded, “Unquestionably, the sugar concentrations in these twenty-eight cereals are sufficiently high to qualify them as dentally dangerous from that aspect.”
Wanting to be good corporate citizens, General Mills took its Super Sugar Crisp, which was 44 percent sugar, and reduced the sugar—well, it reduced the font size of the word “sugar” on the product box. Then, since it cares about children’s health so much, it removed sugar altogether—from the product name. Super Sugar Crisp was renamed Super Golden Crisp.
Kellogg’s cares, too. Though Sugar Smacks is where space energy comes from, at least according to a classic box of the product featuring an image of Spock from Star Trek, it doesn’t sound as wholesome as Honey Smacks, which it was later renamed. Same cereal, healthier-sounding name. Kellogg’s did remove sugar from Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes—from the front of the boxes.
And Cookie Crisp? I think the fact that it’s made by a dog food company, says it all.
But General Mills protests. A study it did in which teens were randomized to either receive free cereal delivered to their homes or not found that those who got the cereal didn’t seem to get any more cavities, supposedly proving that breakfast cereal is harmless for your teeth. Care to take a guess at the study’s fatal flaw? The kids in the control group were free to just have their parents buy them sugary cereals from the store, so both the experimental group and the control group may have been eating the same cereal “with the only difference being that the experimental group received its cereal free and the control group children paid for their cereal.”
What did the General Mills researchers have to say for themselves? “Dietary controls so rigid as to exclude the ingestion of cereals by children would be difficult, if not impossible, in a long-term study.” Then that’s not a control group!
This is similar to a certain Kellogg’s-funded paper that maintained if we didn’t feed kids sugar, we could virtually eliminate cavities, but “this ideal is impractical.” So, Kellogg’s took the middle-ground and come up with Froot Loops with marshmallows. At least they’re fruit-shaped or at least “fruity shaped”!
Observational studies have also failed to link breakfast cereal consumption with cavity prevalence or incidence, though. This is presumed to be because eating cereal with milk helps clear food particles from the mouth. Though Frosted Mini-Wheats did lead to the same sugar retention in the saliva ten minutes after intake with or without milk, the other cereals were cleared out faster. However, “sugared cereals are often eaten as snacks by kids without milk, which makes the sugar more likely to stick to the teeth…”
Ten minutes after the ingestion of dry sugary cereals, you’re left with nearly 50 times the sugar residue in your mouth, compared to swishing down the sugar in liquid form. The researchers concluded that “it is inconceivable to contest the fact that frequent between-meal ingestion of high-sugar, physically retentive products, cereal or otherwise, is dentally hazardous. Whether or not meal-time eating of sugared cereals induce caries [cavities] is not the point…because considerable amounts of them are eaten between meals, they have a marked potential for dental danger.”
Studies like the one from General Mills are the reason it’s so important to look beyond the headlines and why I dedicate so much time to pointing out research flaws and red flags. The lesson is to always check the primary source—or just let me do it for you!
Citrus can also have an acidifying effect on teeth, so always rinse after consuming it. See Plant-Based Diets: Dental Health to learn more.
Which foods have the greatest cavity-causing potential?
Nearly half a century ago at a Senate hearing on nutrition, a Dr. Nizel from Tufts suggested that sugary breakfast cereals “should be banned in the best interest for all concerned, particularly children,” perhaps not surprisingly, since he was a professor of dental medicine.
As I discuss in my videoFlashback Friday: The Worst Food for Tooth Decay, a dozen different foods and beverages were tested in a study and ranked for their “cariogenic potential”—their cavity-causing potential—by implanting electrodes in the mouths of study participants to measure the amount of acid produced in the plaque between their teeth after eating a variety of different foods. The two breakfast cereals tested topped the charts, as you can see in the graph below and at 0:42 in my video.
If you drink sugar water, the pH on your teeth plunges within minutes into the acidic danger zone and stays there for an hour, eating away at your teeth. Caramel is worse. It sticks to your teeth, so it stays longer, and your pH goes down even deeper into the acid zone. However, with the two breakfast cereals (corn flake and wheat flake), it went down and stayed down even two hours later.
We’ve known about the cavity-causing potential of presweetened breakfast cereals for decades. As you can see below and at 1:16 in my video, a dozen such cereals—Cookie Crisp, Cocoa Krispies, Froot Loops, Sugar Corn Pops, Sugar Frosted Flakes, Cap’n Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Powdered Donutz, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Grape-Nuts, Rice Krispies, and Cheerios—were put to the test to measure the level of tooth-dissolving acid produced by the strain of bacteria that causes cavities. As one might expect, the cavity-generating potential was “found to be related directly to the sugar content of each cereal,” though Frosted Mini-Wheats was an exception. Despite having 40 percent less sugar than cereals like Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini-Wheats caused the greatest calcium demineralization, ranking second only to the now defunct “Powdered Donutz” in cavity-causing potential. A study of 28 different cereals concluded, “Unquestionably, the sugar concentrations in these twenty-eight cereals are sufficiently high to qualify them as dentally dangerous from that aspect.”
Wanting to be good corporate citizens, General Mills took its Super Sugar Crisp, which was 44 percent sugar, and reduced the sugar—well, it reduced the font size of the word “sugar” on the product box. Then, since it cares about children’s health so much, it removed sugar altogether—from the product name. Super Sugar Crisp was renamed Super Golden Crisp.
Kellogg’s cares, too. Though Sugar Smacks is where space energy comes from, at least according to a classic box of the product featuring an image of Spock from Star Trek, it doesn’t sound as wholesome as Honey Smacks, which it was later renamed. Same cereal, healthier-sounding name. Kellogg’s did remove sugar from Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes—from the front of the boxes.
And Cookie Crisp? I think the fact that it’s made by a dog food company, says it all.
But General Mills protests. A study it did in which teens were randomized to either receive free cereal delivered to their homes or not found that those who got the cereal didn’t seem to get any more cavities, supposedly proving that breakfast cereal is harmless for your teeth. Care to take a guess at the study’s fatal flaw? The kids in the control group were free to just have their parents buy them sugary cereals from the store, so both the experimental group and the control group may have been eating the same cereal “with the only difference being that the experimental group received its cereal free and the control group children paid for their cereal.”
What did the General Mills researchers have to say for themselves? “Dietary controls so rigid as to exclude the ingestion of cereals by children would be difficult, if not impossible, in a long-term study.” Then that’s not a control group!
This is similar to a certain Kellogg’s-funded paper that maintained if we didn’t feed kids sugar, we could virtually eliminate cavities, but “this ideal is impractical.” So, Kellogg’s took the middle-ground and come up with Froot Loops with marshmallows. At least they’re fruit-shaped or at least “fruity shaped”!
Observational studies have also failed to link breakfast cereal consumption with cavity prevalence or incidence, though. This is presumed to be because eating cereal with milk helps clear food particles from the mouth. Though Frosted Mini-Wheats did lead to the same sugar retention in the saliva ten minutes after intake with or without milk, the other cereals were cleared out faster. However, “sugared cereals are often eaten as snacks by kids without milk, which makes the sugar more likely to stick to the teeth…”
Ten minutes after the ingestion of dry sugary cereals, you’re left with nearly 50 times the sugar residue in your mouth, compared to swishing down the sugar in liquid form. The researchers concluded that “it is inconceivable to contest the fact that frequent between-meal ingestion of high-sugar, physically retentive products, cereal or otherwise, is dentally hazardous. Whether or not meal-time eating of sugared cereals induce caries [cavities] is not the point…because considerable amounts of them are eaten between meals, they have a marked potential for dental danger.”
Studies like the one from General Mills are the reason it’s so important to look beyond the headlines and why I dedicate so much time to pointing out research flaws and red flags. The lesson is to always check the primary source—or just let me do it for you!
Citrus can also have an acidifying effect on teeth, so always rinse after consuming it. See Plant-Based Diets: Dental Health to learn more.
[00:00:00] Detective Ev: What is going on, my friends. Welcome back to another episode of the Health Detective Podcast by Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. My name is Evan Transue, aka Detective Ev. I will be your host for today’s show on personal responsibility.
We have with us someone very, very special. His name is Ben Azadi. He is becoming an extremely well-known name in the space. We are fortunate enough to be able to say that he is a graduate of FDN and still stays relatively active in our community. He always comes over to us at the conferences. We always try to sit in his presentations and make sure that people are there to support. Not that he needs us by any means, cause he’ll pack out the room with a few hundred people. But you know, we’re there, we’re clapping and stuff and we’re helping whenever we can.
Ben is an individual who I relate to a lot in one particular sense, well, I guess two. One is that the mental health side for us, of our health issues, was very similar. But the other side is that personal development is something that both of us directly contribute to being the main thing that got us out of our darkness, if you will. Personal development was the main thing that got us out of this.
I just did a whole podcast recently where I titled it Get Serious About Your Life and Biz. It was all about the personal development side, so I hope you guys enjoyed that one.
Personal Responsibility: Daily Personal Development
This is a little different, not quite as serious, not quite as in your face; it’s very conversational. And of course, you get to hear a different perspective from Ben. But I also wanted to do this because it validates what I was saying, it’s not just me saying this. And I listed a bunch of examples of other people, who you might have trusted those examples, but you don’t get to hear from those people.
This is yet another person out there crushing it in the health space, really making a name for himself, becoming a leader, man. People follow this guy. They love this guy. He contributes this to daily personal development. That’s what got him going; that’s what also led to his health getting better. And that’s what our conversation is really focused around today.
Despite him being known for what he has done with his major brand Keto Kamp, it’s not really about just that for him. It’s about this personal development side too, and that’s just who he is as a person. With that said, I think the episode will be very self-explanatory in terms of why we are bringing this up on a health podcast. I think you guys will just totally get that as we get a little farther into it.
FDN Summer Open House
Before we dive in fully, I wanted to let you guys know about our Summer Open House. If you haven’t heard about this yet, it is a one-month long event for the entirety of June. If you’re listening to this, it is already June of 2023. It is not too late to join us because there’s over 18 Live events scheduled. I have the privilege of being able to kind of MC or host for all of them.
You guys get to listen to conversations with people who have done very impressive things with their health and business. So, it’s not just health stuff. In fact, it’s more business stuff than anything. You’re going to leave with an understanding that you can do this work. Also, you’re going to get some insights and tips as to how this would actually work for someone like you, even if you’ve never had experience with this stuff.
We’re not finalized on who the keynote’s going to be yet for finishing this up. But man, if it’s who we think it’s going to be, she’s going to blow your guys’ minds with what she has done in her business in such a short period of time. It is such a good way to build belief in what you can do with this and how many people you can help if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to this.
FDN Summer Open House VIP
Now, the best part is the entire month is free. We do have a VIP version. If you’d like to pay a small sum, you can get involved with that and you’ll get added to the private Facebook group where you can directly access us, talk to us one-on-one, ask questions. Anything that you want to do can be done in that group. Maybe not anything, right? We want to keep it PG. But most things you can do in that group that will be for the VIP.
But for everyone else, you can go to all of the Live events, totally for free. All you have to do is go to fdntraining.com/summer to see the lineup. Again, if you’re listening to this, if it’s the first day it came out, you’re just in time. If it’s a few days after, we’re still just getting started. So, go to fdntraining.com/summer to see the list of events and topics.
Without further ado, let’s get to this amazing interview with the one and only Ben Azadi.
Personal Responsibility: Essential for Health
All right. Hello there, Ben. Welcome back to the Health Detective Podcast. How are you, man?
[00:04:25] Ben Azadi: Evan, I am excited to chat with you, man. I enjoy our conversations, always. Thank you for having me back.
[00:04:31] Detective Ev: Yeah, it’s fun. We are lucky enough to interact at all these conferences, you know what I mean? It seems like a lot of people end up coming to these same big conferences, so it’s fun. You get to meet people and actually develop cool little acquaintanceships and relationships at these things.
Now, one thing, for those that are listening now at episode 244, actually, Ben came on all the way back at episode 18. Reed got him connected with me and he was nice enough to come on.
And then I realized, okay, this guy has a huge podcast. It was more a charity event that he came on and did our podcast for us. But you’ll never know. He’s just a nice guy. So I wanted to bring Ben back on because thankfully now we have a lot more exposure with the podcast and people get to meet really interesting, cool health folks.
I think what’s worth pursuing today is doing a brief of your health story first. If you guys want to hear the full entire thing, you can go back to episode 18; I’ll put it in the show notes. But I think we’ll cover most of the main stuff today. Then we got some cool topics that Ben and I really relate on that aren’t necessarily, obviously, related to health. But when you think about it, they’re essential for getting your health under control.
Personal Responsibility: Lost in Life
So, Ben, let’s just break it down the same way we would’ve last time, actually. When did your first health symptoms start and what did they look like?
[00:05:40] Ben Azadi: Yeah, when I was really young, probably five or six years old, I was a kid that was overweight growing up and rightfully so. My mom worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken, two of them, when I was a kid. My parents were divorced, and my mom would bring me home Kentucky Fried Chicken.
She worked two jobs, actually, three jobs. One of them was also a Walgreens, she was working all the time. She did the best she can with her resources. So, she brought me Kentucky Fried Chicken. I would eat that pretty much most nights.
And I hung out with the wrong crowd. I hung out with people who were having bad lifestyle behaviors as a teenager. They were playing video games, doing drugs, selling drugs, and you become your environment. I became mine and I was very much unhealthy and fell into the same bad behaviors. And I had a lot of addictions growing up. We have a lot in common with our health challenges and struggles, Evan.
I lacked self-confidence; I lacked this self-esteem and was really one of those kids that was bullied and picked on growing up. I was ashamed to take off my t-shirt. I would wear t-shirts to the beach and inside swimming pools, just because I was kind of ashamed of my body. This transferred to my adulthood when I was 23, 24 years old, back in 2008. I was 250 pounds, and I was lost in life.
Personal Responsibility: The Starting Point to Great Change
I was depressed, suicidal, working at a 9 to 5 job that was very uninspiring. Never studied health and nutrition at all. I was just obsessed with video games, and I had addictions to sugar, food addiction, and really bad friends in my life that were bad influences. This was a pivotal moment for me because I was rock bottom.
When we look back at rock bottom, at least when I do, I look at that rock bottom space and I’m thankful for it. I’m like, oh my gosh. Thank God that happened for me. But when it was happening at that time, I thought it was happening to me, and I didn’t know how to get out of that.
I thought the easy solution was, okay, just end your life. You’re crying every day, hurting every day, in pain, have no goals. You’re unhealthy, unhappy, broke; you’re broken. Just end your life. Like, that was the easiest thing for me to do, to end the suffering. And every time I explored that, cause I did several times, I kept thinking about my mom and it stopped me time and time again.
Then this is a point where I started to read books. A friend of mine handed me a book, and you know, one book led to two books. Two books led to 10 books. I fell in love with authors like Dr. Wayne Dyer and Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins and incredible authors out there. The books did so much for me.
But the number one thing the books did for me was help me take ownership and responsibility, which is the starting point to great change – the second you take responsibility.
Personal Responsibility: A Heart-to-Heart with Self
I think most people don’t even understand that word, responsibility. At least I didn’t for most of my life. To me, that means your ability to respond to life is your responsibility. That sounds fairly obvious, but I don’t think most people get that. When we look at how we’re responding to life, responding to our circumstances, it’s our ability to respond to that that’s going to determine our health, our vitality, our longevity, our happiness.
For me, I scored poorly up until that point because I was blaming everyone. I was blaming my circumstances, my genetics, my enabling family members. But when you take responsibility, you own up to that and all that goes out the window. You look at yourself in the mirror and say, okay, this is something that I need to change. It’s my responsibility; I am at fault. It’s not anything outside of me. The books helped me get that.
So, I went through this incredible transformation. I lost 80 pounds in nine months, went from 34% body fat to 6% body fat. I finally achieved the physical six pack. Not that that is synonymous with good health, but for me it was a huge score, huge victory, because I was always that fat kid growing up. So, I was like, yeah, I had six pack abs.
But I soon realized more important than a physical six pack was the mental six pack that I started to develop. I started to connect the pieces that your food directly impacts your mood and what nutrition did to impact my mindset and vice versa, which we’ll get into today. That was 14 years ago, 14, 15 years ago. And of course, I’ve been a student ever since. Like, you, you’re always learning, Evan.
Personal Responsibility: Certified and Confident
I came across FDN in 2016, maybe 2017. I became certified as an FDN practitioner. That was probably one of the most pivotal moments in my health entrepreneur career. Because, yeah, it’s cool to have a certification. I don’t think that’s why somebody should get certified, because honestly, I don’t think one person has asked me what my certification is exactly.
[00:10:01] Detective Ev: Dude, no one knows. Yeah.
[00:10:03] Ben Azadi: Like, hey, what is your exact certification to work with you? I don’t think one person has ever asked you that.
But what’s important about getting certified with FDN, I believe, or the right certification program, is you’re learning root cause, you’re learning upstream, you’re learning how to run labs. It gave me the confidence to start scaling things and start getting myself out there more.
I love FDN. Reed Davis is near and dear to my heart. And it was Sean Croxton that introduced me to Reed Davis cause I used to listen to Sean Croxton’s old podcast called Underground Wellness. One of the first health podcasts out there before Dave Asprey, before Ben Greenfield, he was one of the originals.
I remember Reed was the first guest, Reed was the last guest. That’s what actually got me familiar with FDN and I made that decision to join them. You know, the rest has been history since then.
[00:10:50] Detective Ev: It’s amazing still to this day, how many people I’ve had on that Sean Croxton’s podcast. That guy retired from the health podcast before I even went through FDN. You know what I mean? He was so, and still really is with what he is doing, just so ahead. It’s like he’s five steps ahead of everything, business-wise, mindset-wise; it’s really amazing to watch.
Personal Responsibility: A Life-Changing Experience
And so, if you don’t want to dive into it today, that’s fine. But I also remember, it’s actually the main thing that sticks out in our entire 50-minute podcast last time.
I know that there was a kind of profound moment with the loss of a family member that seemed to really shift things for you in terms of like taking all this stuff seriously and getting the health under control. If we don’t want to go there today, I can edit this out. But if we do, I feel like it’s always an important part of your story, if that’s okay.
[00:11:34] Ben Azadi: No, for sure. It is a very important part. You’re referring to my dad.
My parents immigrated to the United States from Iran in the seventies. I was born in Miami in 1984. You know, I’m always grateful for the fact that they made that decision to come here, and I have the freedom to live the life that I want to live.
My dad had Type II diabetes, which we know is so common, unfortunately. I estimate 60% plus of American adults are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. My dad was one of them. He would drink his sweetened iced teas and eat his white rice and the donuts, standard American diet.
I didn’t understand Type II diabetes though as a kid. I just remember my dad taking his insulin, his medication, getting bigger, getting fatter, losing his vision and getting nerve pain. It progressed to a point where in 2013, he called me because he was having really bad diabetic neuropathy. My dad couldn’t even walk to the restroom. So, he called me, and I picked him up, took him to the hospital, to the emergency room with my mom.
Personal Responsibility: The Worst Point for Dad’s Health
My dad knew, because the conversation with his doctors was really recent, where if the diabetes was going to get worse, amputation was in his near future, which is very common as you know, Evan. If the neuropathy gets really bad and an infection could occur in the foot, could spread to the rest of the body and kill you. So, in order to prevent that infection from spreading, they’ll cut off the limbs. It’s so common. Thousands, tens of thousands of these amputations happen every single year, primarily because of type II diabetics.
So, my dad was in the hospital in the emergency room, and he had the stress of thinking, oh my gosh, am I going to get my feet amputated? The stress caused a massive stroke. My dad suffered a massive stroke in the hospital, which left him paralyzed from the entire right side of his body. He lost the ability to speak. And that was kind of the beginning of the end for my dad’s life.
They transferred him to hospice care, and I visited him every single week. Every week he looked worse and worse and worse. I remember nine months into it, walking into the room and he was just in the worst shape I had seen him in. He was throwing up on himself and convulsing. Of course, I was consoling him and telling him how much I loved him. I was giving him a kiss on the forehead.
And I remember leaving that night and going home and praying. I would say the same prayer that I said every night which was, God please end my father’s suffering. You know, he’s suffered enough. I said that prayer every night.
Personal Responsibility: Angry and Confused
But this particular night that I said it, there was a different energy or a different feeling to that prayer. I felt like I was actually being heard. And I went to bed that same night that I saw my dad like that.
The next day I went about my day, and I received a phone call around noon and it’s the hospice on the caller ID. I knew that something was wrong as soon as I saw that. You know, my hands started to turn sweaty, and my heart started to sink in my chest. I pick up the phone and my father’s nurse let me know that my dad stopped breathing that morning and ended up passing away.
It raised a lot of questions for me, it was a whirlwind of emotions. A part of me was thankful, you know, I was thanking God for relieving his pain and suffering. He’s no longer in pain. His soul is now resting in peace, and I no longer have to see him like that. But that was a small part. The majority of me was angry, was confused, because we listened to his doctors.
And funny, Evan, because, and I use the word funny, but it’s actually sad. Because a few months ago I was at Publix supermarket, and this is relevant to the same story. I was at Publix Supermarket, which is the supermarket in Florida with Dr. Pompa, who’s my mentor as well. I realized that it was the same Publix that we were at, the same exact one that I would take my father to every Tuesday to buy the list of groceries that his doctor had recommended, which was Gatorade Zero, Nature Valley Bars, Fiber One Bars, and all these toxic Crystal Light powdered drinks.
Personal Responsibility: Turning a Hobby into a Passion
You know, back then I didn’t know any better. It’s like, yeah, the doctors know. I gotta listen to them. That’s what they’re telling my dad to consume. I did the best to the ability of my awareness. But it’s obvious now, like, they were telling my dad to eat toxic foods that were actually making his diabetes worse.
They never had the conversation that, let’s try to reverse this. Let’s work on reversing this. It was always about managing it, always about we need to change his medication. So, of course, that really turned a hobby to a passion, meaning health. I wanted to find out, like, why did this happen to my dad? Why is it happening to the world?
Of course, now what we have discovered and what we have learned in FDN and what I teach is also what would have saved my dad’s life, right? But I also get that, you know, sometimes you gotta go through that. Sometimes you gotta go through that mountain, if you will, so you could show others that this mountain can be moved. That’s a big part of my “why” to honor my dad.
It’s really cool because now I’ve helped dozens of dozens of my Keto Kamp Academy students come into the program with Type II diabetes, get themselves off, get themselves reversing it, which can be easily done by the way. You know, Type II diabetes can be easily reversed no matter what your doctor or the American Diabetes Association is telling you.
[00:16:27] Detective Ev: I love it, man. And I thank you for sharing that story. I didn’t want to bring it up to relive some traumatic thing.
Personal Responsibility: Chosing Not to be a Victim
But the point is, we’re about to jump into a different type of topic, with the personal development side. We know that, but the audience doesn’t. The thing that I’m getting at is when you hear the story at first, bullied as a kid, suicidal, parents are first generation immigrants, parents are divorced, one loses their life prematurely. You’re still young now so it was definitely young back then.
Yet when you look at you or talk to you, you would never know any of this stuff because you haven’t allowed yourself to become a victim to these things. You’ve taken the responsibility that you’ve talked about – personal responsibility – and made a life already better than most people will ever experience, even though they could. Who knows what another 5, 10, 15 years will look like for Ben Azadi, right? So, it kind of sets the stage perfectly for people.
Because, Ben, you actually would like this episode. I did an episode about a week ago where it wasn’t about health. It’s literally called like Ev Rant about Getting Serious about Your Life and Biz. Because we have these wonderful practitioners that come through the program. They’ve got 10 different certifications, they add on FDN, and they barely ever had one client. You know what I mean? They have limiting beliefs around the business or the sales or I can’t charge that amount for this.
I realize that the solution to a lot of this is the personal development side. And I think it’ll make sense towards the end why this all connects if it doesn’t already as we go along here.
Personal Responsibility: Fault Versus Responsibility
But I think this is what I want to transition to. First thing that you already mentioned is personal responsibility. Now, when we give examples of personal responsibility, or the things that you listed off, people sometimes get in their heads, they say, wait, wait, that’s not my fault. Ben didn’t say fault. So, can I ask you to get this started? What is the difference between something being someone’s fault and something being someone’s responsibility?
[00:18:14] Ben Azadi: Yeah. Good question to distinguish that. You know, a lot of things aren’t our fault, but everything’s our responsibility. That is the truth, unfortunately or fortunately, whatever way you look at it.
For example, my dad chose to consume those foods, and my dad suffered, we all suffered. We saw him suffer because when somebody gets sick, it’s not just the person who’s sick, who suffers. It’s everybody who knows them, who suffers.
So, is it my fault that my dad consumed that? I don’t think so. Is it my responsibility? Yeah. I believe it is. You know, I could have taught him the things that I know now, and I would’ve made a difference. But am I stuck in that mindset of like, oh my gosh, I failed my dad, you know. No. It was short lived. Now I use that responsibility for the people that come into my Lives that I can serve, and I can help.
So, there’s a difference between reacting to something and responding. I think that’s the difference there with somebody who takes responsibility. Somebody who’s taking full ownership and responsibility takes a second to become aware of what’s happening, to pause, and they choose to respond. Versus the person who’s a victim mindset that everything’s happening to them, they just react, react, react.
Personal Responsibility: How to Master our Lives
That’s the difference right there. When life hands you a stimulus, it’s not the stimulus that’s good or bad, it’s how you perceive it. And it’s a choice.
You know, faith and fear both demand for you to believe in something you cannot see. You choose. Like, do you want to choose the fear? Do you want to live in that mindset, or do you want to choose the faith? You can’t see either one, but you get to choose what you put your energy into. A universal law states, whatever you put your energy into, expands. So, you know, that’s your decision and your choice. But we live in a society that has taught us to be the victim and it’s getting worse by year.
Neville Goddard said, we are only limited by weakness of attention and poverty of imagination. So, weakness of attention is all of the distractions out there on social media, mainstream news, billboards, TV, friends. And then poverty of imagination is our thoughts that we have every single day. If we could master those two things, get focused and change our thoughts, we’re going to master our lives.
[00:20:25] Detective Ev: You talked in the beginning about; you don’t know if people really understand the personal responsibility thing. I hope I do. But I do agree that most people don’t even think about it this way. They can’t even separate the difference between fault and responsibility. If you truly get this today and what we’ll continue to talk about for the next 30 minutes, you can do just about everything you want.
Personal Responsibility: The Middle Ground of Expectation
Now, I’m not being a cheesy, motivational guy. If you’re 40 years old, you’ve never picked up a basketball in your life, and now all of a sudden, you’re a personal responsibility person and think you’re going to get into the NBA, I wish you the best. I won’t stomp on your dreams. I’m not going to put my money on you though. You know that’s probably not going to work out.
But there’s somewhere between that extreme and then not being able to do anything in basketball, there’s a middle ground, right? You could be one of the best announcers ever, even if you started at 40 years old. And you could be hanging out with some of the big dogs in 5 to 10 years. That could happen, right?
So, one of the things that I was sharing with people on the podcast I just did recently, Ben, was the books. Because personal development is a lot of things. Personal responsibility is a lot of things. But the books, there’s something to that. Because you actually just said how one of the first concepts that you got was the responsibility side.
That was the same thing for me. I read The Compound Effect first by Darren Hardy. And I’m 18 years old, I’m on probation still. I was just in juvie six months ago; I spent my 18th birthday on house arrest, drugs, all this stuff’s terrible. And this guy that I trust, still one of my best friends to this day, his name’s Ben, actually, gave me the book, The Compound Effect. So, I read this.
Personal Responsibility: Powerful Beyond Measure
I can’t tell you everything that I read in it. But one of the things had to do with like choices and there’s habits. It’s like personal development 101. If you haven’t read it, definitely just read it. It’s a good reminder. I still review it every now and then. But one of the aspects was personal responsibility and the difference between fault and that.
And I said, oh. Okay. Maybe it’s not my fault that I had mental health issues my entire life. I didn’t ask for that. Right? I didn’t ask for the genetics that would allow that even given what I’m doing in my environment, I didn’t ask for that. But if I don’t stop and say, Ev, what can I do in this situation?
I don’t mean to be dramatic, but it literally would’ve only been a matter of time before I’m either in the hospital or I’m going to jail. Because I would’ve continued on that same path and that victim mentality. But what happens with the personal responsibility side and reading these books and consuming this type of content and thinking this way is it’s empowering.
There’s a whole societal narrative now that wants to make everyone a victim. Everything is someone else’s fault, and you can’t do anything. The reason that’s happening is because it’s disempowering. The second that you take personal responsibility for things that aren’t your fault, bam, you become powerful beyond measure.
Personal Responsibility: It’s Your Choice
No, not my fault that I had mental health issues. I might even be able to make a case it’s not my fault that I got kicked out of school. That’s not to justify it but I might be able to make that case. But if I don’t say, what role did I play in this and what role can I play in stopping in the future, now you’re really putting yourself at risk for some bad things happening.
When you do analyze it in that way, you see, yeah, it wasn’t my fault that I had the mental health issues, but I probably don’t need to be smoking weed every single day on top of it. I think I have a choice in that one. You know what I mean? Probably don’t need to be abusing benzodiazepines. I think I have a choice in that one. Right? It starts with the major stuff. And then you realize, oh, it’s the way I interact with my parents; it’s the way I interact with my friends; it’s the stuff I’m consuming or not consuming on a daily basis.
So, when you were first getting introduced to this personal responsibility thing, how did it affect the other areas of your life and not just health?
[00:23:42] Ben Azadi: Well, you know, you nailed it with what you just shared. I love that. That’s so true. Everything you just said, is a hundred percent true.
And it’s not easy to digest. It’s a tough pill to swallow for some people. If you want to live an easy life, you gotta do the hard things. If you want to live a hard life, you do the easy things. That’s just the way it goes.
Personal Responsibility: It Starts with Your Environment
So, for me, when I started to study personal development and take responsibility, I started to kind of connect the dots a little bit for my journey.
Because, although to your point, a lot of things were not my fault. My mom brought me Kentucky Fried Chicken, and as a kid I would eat it. Like that’s what I did to sustain life essentially. But, you know, eventually it’s my responsibility for what it did to my body and what it did to my health.
When I was a kid, I had eight silver fillings put in my mouth before I even knew what the heck that was. And as an adult I discovered this is not good for you. It was my responsibility to get it out safely and detox the mercury. So, I started to understand this reading these books and making these small little tweaks. That’s essentially what The Compound Effect is all about. Small tweaks lead to giant peaks.
It’s funny that that was the first book you read because the first book I read wasn’t The Compound Effect, but it was a similar book called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, which is the same premise. You know, the small little behaviors you have every day, compound over time to get you your results. Just a different book, but same overall premise. And then Darren Hardy’s came out later, which is also a great book.
But it started with my environment. Because what I believe is this, your environment determines the thoughts that you think. The thoughts that you think determines the actions you take. And the actions you take determine your results in life.
Personal Responsibility: Change Life-Draining Environments
We could talk all about changing your thoughts, and I’m really a believer of that. Dr. Wayne Dyer said, change your thoughts, change your life. A hundred percent. But it’s going to be very difficult to change those thoughts and reprogram your subconscious mind unless you change your environment.
Cause, you know this, Evan. If you have a whole bunch of people who are still saying, oh, just try this drug, or let’s go party here, let’s do that, like, you could have all the willpower power in the world, but it isn’t until you disconnect from that environment or they change their ways that you’re going to be able to change your thoughts and change your actions and change your life. So, it’s very hard to do.
Because these are people that we probably love and grew up with, were familiar with them. And when you change, you become a threat to people in your life who do not change. They’re going to say things to you, either in front of you or not in front of you. And it’s not because they essentially want harm to you, but it’s easier for you to go back to their level of frequency than it is for them to change their ways.
So, it starts with the environment. We gotta do an audit and we gotta remove or limit the people in our lives that are sucking us down and draining us.
Personal Responsibility: Do What You Can
[00:26:19] Detective Ev: Just to be clear, someone might not understand this fully if they’re maybe hearing this for the first time, you never know. Let’s say you are genuinely stuck in a position. So, let’s say there’s a 16-year-old listening right now that, for whatever reason, they’re in an environment with their family. This is not to discredit how much effort we should put into the thoughts, right? You can still, again, personal responsibility, do what you can.
What Ben’s trying to say, I believe, is that if you have the ability to switch the friend group, do that. If you have the ability to get out of the place that you live, do that, assuming that it’s negative in that time period. Right? So, we do whatever we can. That’s the idea of personal responsibility.
It is not to say everyone starts on the same playing field. Of course, they don’t. You and I being born in America, I recognize every single day how big of an advantage that is. I know you do as well because we always talk about the freedom side that’s given here. I mean, my gosh, you probably understand this way more intimately than me, having parents that actually came from another country and then got to be here.
I might not be an expert on international travel in other countries, but I’m going to guess there’s a reason so many people try to come here, even still to this day. You know, there’s gotta be a reason. One of the things is you actually can take personal responsibility here. This is a place that you’re actually able to do that and it be fruitful.
Personal Responsibility: Overnight Success from Years and Years of Work
There are certain places around the world, guys, like China for example, you try to take personal responsibility there, that doesn’t always work out so well, does it? You know, there’s some powers that be that will control that, or North Korea. They come to America because personal responsibility actually can be fruitful here and stuff.
I know we’re talking about health today, but we have so many practitioners that listen, Ben, and I know that they’re interested in the business side too. How can you have the right vision with the business side as you’re starting this stuff? Here’s the thing, you talked about small tweaks lead to the peaks, I love this. I feel like I have a lot of self-help quotes, but you have these so ingrained, you could tell that you’ve done the work.
How do we keep the vision long term? Because they are small tweaks. And just because you started reading some good book doesn’t mean that overnight everything’s fixed. In fact, it usually takes a while and then it seems like, bam, overnight success, even though it was really years and years and years of work.
So, for our entrepreneurial people out there, people starting the FDN businesses, may I ask, like, how long did it take for you? You have this huge brand now, Keto Kamp. How long did it take before you got that to a place where you’re like, this is my income, this is good for me? And how did you maintain that vision up until that point?
Personal Responsibility: Inspired, Consistent, and Frequent
[00:28:32] Ben Azadi: Hmm. Yeah. So, it wasn’t until 2018 that I rebranded to Keto Kamp. Before that the company was called Shred Fat. When I niched down, I grew much faster.
So, I would say, like a year after that would be where things started to roll in, in terms of like, I’m getting members on my online programs and I’m getting my YouTube channel growing, et cetera. So, I was focused on that niche, the keto niche.
I do recommend having a niche. It doesn’t mean you’re always in that niche. I love keto, but it’s not the only thing I teach. And I teach it very different than other people. But it’s a way to get people into your world and then you could actually let them know, hey, keto is just one tool. There are many tools in the shed. We need to do this, this, this, and this, this. And then keto is a part of that as well.
But to your question and to your point, a lot of people have their goals, and they are expecting to be overnight success. There’s really no such thing as an overnight success. It’s really the hours and the discipline and the time behind closed doors where nobody’s watching that’s going to make you successful. And then you see, oh, that person’s an overnight success. Meanwhile, they put in like 20,000 hours into their craft.
For me, I’ve been probably studying every day, three hours every day on average, for the last 14 years. And I still feel like I’m getting started. I feel like I’m just scratching the surface. But I’m so inspired, and so consistent, and so frequent because I know what my goals are, I know what my objectives are.
Personal Responsibility: Goals and Closing Gaps
Like, the overall goal with Keto Kamp is to educate and inspire 1 billion people. And I remember, Evan, when I came up with that goal. That goal was something that just came to me and it was something that inspired me.
I used to share that goal with people when I used to do lectures in front of like five people and three people; people would laugh at me. I had people raise their hand and say, did you mean a million? No, I would say. A billion people is the goal. And they would say, that’s impossible. Like, they would ridicule me in front of other people, like during my talks.
I remember like, it stinging, right? But I was so convicted in the mission and what I have and who I could serve that those comments didn’t last a long time. My conviction was stronger than that person’s conviction. Cause I knew that their comments were saying more about them than it was about me. They believe they can never achieve that; I know I can.
I say all that because it’s important to have a big goal, but you reverse engineer it. And Earl Nightingale said, and this is my favorite definition of success, he said, success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. That means an ideal is this goal that you have fallen in love with, that’s your ideal. So, for me, it’s to educate a billion people.
It could feel overwhelming if like, you’re all the way here and your goal is over here. But you just progressively close the gap between where you are and where that goal is and you’re successful. As long as that gap is continuously closing, you’re a successful person.
Personal Responsibility: Passionate, Worthy Ideals
That goal could be being the best mom for your children in the world, being the best podcaster, whatever that goal is, that’s your personal goal. Nobody else has that vision, as long as you’re closing the gap.
Mike Tyson said, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. When life punches you in the face, you understand, it’s all part of the way. It’s just, you’re just going to pivot. You’re not going to stop because you’re so clear on the objective. And you know that it’s always up and down, up and down; it’s not a straight line. You’re just going to keep pushing forward. At least that’s what I do.
So, I’m not close to my goal, but that gap has closed tremendously in the last few years.
[00:31:58] Detective Ev: And I’ll put the audio, The Strangest Secret, in the show notes for people. I’ll actually make a note to myself.
Ben Azadi: That’s a great audio, huh?
Detective Ev: Yeah. He talks about his definition of success in there, and there’s a lot more goodies in that. It’d be a good follow up listen to this podcast, especially just from a general personal development side. It’s a very powerful thing.
Ben Azadi: Yeah.
Detective Ev: When we talk about a worthy ideal, worthy can be defined in many different ways. It could just be something that’s good for other people; it could be something that motivates us, right? But the bottom line is, I think the thing about your goal that you have, the vision that you have right now and what has kept you on track then even when people were laughing, is that’s actually something you’re passionate about.
Personal Responsibility: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Like, you really get this, this comes from a deep-rooted thing, not only a personal one. Well, not that your dad wouldn’t be personal, but I mean like you’ve experienced it literally. But you’ve seen other people experience it that are very close to you. And so that pushes you.
I think that’s one of the key things here is, again, just because you read the books and change the environment, things will happen faster than you think they can, I’ve learned that, but it’s not overnight either. Like there’s going to be changes that need to be made. It gets messy.
I’ve found it to be a journey of two steps forward, one step back. I still find that to be true to this day. Now, two steps forward, one step back gets you a lot farther than you were eventually, but it can be humbling. Every time that you take that one step back, you’re like, dang, what am I doing?
The point is you’ve gotta figure out something that excites you enough and that you’re in love with enough, that you will push through those things, whatever that goal is for you. It might be a certain amount of money, there’s nothing wrong with that. It might be a certain amount of people served. Or it might be a very specific thing for your family that means nothing else to anyone else except you, that’s okay. But all of a sudden, this stuff starts compounding and it’s beautiful.
I set that goal, Ben, and I didn’t hear the Earl Nightingale stuff at the time, but I was in the books. So, I realized, all right, I might as well.
Personal Responsibility: You Might as Well Try
It was Les Brown, actually. He talked about the time’s going to pass anyway so you might as well at least try to do what you want. That made a lot of sense to me. I’m 18 at the time. Yeah, the time is going to pass anyway. I want to become a public speaker. I don’t know how that’s going to happen cause I can’t even speak to someone one-on-one without blushing right now.
But the time is going to pass anyway, so I might as well try. And for the first five years of attempting that, I never got paid once to speak. A lot of that was working on myself. Then in the subsequent four years, 500 paid speaking gigs. Right? But for those first five years, you could say, this is failing, this isn’t working, this isn’t going well. But then all of a sudden, bam, you cross that barrier, something snaps. It’s just like, woo.
Again, to the outside world, it looks like it’s an overnight thing. And guess what? Five years, in my opinion, and I think you’d agree with this, it’s not even that long in the grand scheme of things, man. For your worthy ideal to realize that in some way, even a fraction, no, five years, that’s a small price to pay. If you want to do something big, you gotta give up something, right?
[00:34:35] Ben Azadi: Oh yeah. Five years is nothing. That’s like a college degree, four or five years. And that’s going to get you backwards in a whole bunch of debt probably.
Dude, that’s awesome. Did you say 500 paid speaking gigs? Is that what you said?
Detective Ev: Yeah, but like 560 now.
Ben Azadi: That’s amazing.
Personal Responsibility: Find What Excites You
Yeah. I don’t know if your audience, anybody listening, has seen Evan speak. Evan’s an incredible speaker. You would never know that you were blushing in front of a person. And I’m very similar. I was also awkward and couldn’t speak in front of people too. But you’re an incredible speaker, it’s a testament to you doing the work.
The frequency creates the genius. You were committed to it. And five years to get to achieve that, that’s a short amount of time. But it’s a testament to your commitment and your frequency of actually putting in the work.
[00:35:18] Detective Ev: Yeah, so find that worthy ideal and that thing that excites you. Cause it still excites me now as much as it did back then. You are clearly still excited about what you do.
And actually, it’s the speaking how we originally, in my opinion at least, how we got connected. It wasn’t even the podcast. Seeing you speak at the Biohacking Congress, I’m like, okay, people aren’t born with that. I think you had three hours of sleep that night or something cause you were coming in from another conference.
Ben Azadi: That’s right.
Detective Ev: I’m like, this dude just threw down. Like, he was the best speaker all weekend. Like, what was that?
Ben Azadi: Thank you man.
Detective Ev: You can’t pull that out of nowhere. That’s not just an accident, that’s someone that’s actually worked on the stuff. You can really do some amazing things when you have this mindset.
Now tying this back into the health side, just so it’s not exclusively about business and vision, it all ties in though. Where do you see the personal development side coming in for someone’s health?
Personal Responsibility: Thank God for Symptoms
Because the way I see it from a just general perspective is, some people get health information, bam. They get better in like six months, they feel amazing. Others get the same health information if not more, and they’re still stuck in the same place. This is not a condemnation of those people. But I feel like the mindset side’s missing. Do you ever see that in some of the people coming through your programs? How can we work through that?
[00:36:21] Ben Azadi: I see that all the time, a hundred percent.
I believe mindset is 95% of the puzzle and strategy is only 5%. It’s a majority of the results, not just with health, but with our results in life in general.
Here’s the thing, here’s the mindset that most people have. I’m generalizing, but this is what I see. I’ve had thousands of people come through my academy and we have conversations, right? Most people view their symptoms as something that is evil, something that they should hate, something that they should mask or whatever, have a surgery to deal with it.
They were conditioned, and look, I was too. We have been conditioned to believe that symptoms are evil, and we should hate them. The mindset is just completely off because symptoms are a beautiful gift from the innate intelligence. Thank God we have symptoms. Thank God there’s a system in place that acts like a check engine light. This is your body communicating with you. Pay attention. And most people are just not aware of this communication. They’re not listening to it. Their check engine light has been flashing for years.
Personal Responsibility: Reprogram the Mindset
Once you develop the mindset, this is actually a beautiful thing that my body is giving me clues helping me find what’s the cause to the symptom. That’s a total paradigm shift, a total mindset reframe to what they’ve been believing about health and nutrition.
Another thing is a lot of people come to me at least because they want to lose weight. They’re obese, have Type II diabetes, insulin resistance, that’s the majority of the people that come into my academy. They’re of the belief that in order for them to achieve that, they have to be in like a calorie deficit. They need to cut their calories, gotta move more, and are looking to lose weight and lose weight and lose weight in order to get healthy.
I said that three times on purpose cause that’s the emphasis that lose weight, lose weight, lose weight in order to get healthy. But the body doesn’t work that way. Nobody has a weight problem. Again, it’s a weight symptom. We don’t lose weight, lose weight, lose weight to get healthy. We get healthy and then the side effect is you lose the weight, right?
But it isn’t until we change that mindset that they understand it and they stop looking at that scale every week to determine whether or not something is working for them or not. Those are just two examples right there. We could peel back and peel back. There are so many more people identifying what their disease and et cetera.
But that’s the thing, once you reprogram that, then you understand everything is designed to harness the innate intelligence and your body’s built to heal itself. A lot of people don’t have that mindset. We’ve gotta kind of wake them up and reprogram their mind.
Personal Responsibility: A Resource to Start With
[00:38:54] Detective Ev: Where would you recommend, whether it’s the business side or the health side? I mean, the personal development thing is very similar, and then it just kind of applies to all these different areas of your life. It applies to your relationship, it applies to your finances, it will go to everything. Where would you recommend people start?
I don’t know if you have a book recommendation, audios, or whatever it might be. Maybe it’s just an action. But I’m curious because now we might be teasing people. They’re like, all right, well, I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to take some personal responsibility even for things that aren’t my fault. How do I do that?
[00:39:22] Ben Azadi: Yeah. We mentioned a lot of people. I love that you mentioned Les Brown. I love Les Brown. He actually grew up in Miami, Florida – Liberty City. I always remember Les, you gotta be hungry, right? I love that guy.
Detective Ev: Yeah. I was hungry.
Ben Azadi: Yeah, you were hungry.
I listened to him all the time. I still listen to him to this day. You know, there’s a lot of great people out there, Les Brown, Tony Robbins, et cetera. But let me give the audience, I think, a good resource to start and then they could get you to other people.
Dr. Wayne Dyer has an audible called The Ultimate Dr. Wayne Dyer Library Collection. I would recommend you listen to that five times. After the fifth time you’ve listened to it, you’re going to completely have a completely different mindset. Your life is going to be better in all different areas.
Personal Responsibility: Things Learned from Wayne Dyer
I mean, Dr. Wayne Dyer’s passed on now, but that is an accumulation of all of his best audios, and it’s so good. I’ve listened to it 20 plus times. It’s on Audible. It’s like 11 hours long.
One of the things that I learned from Wayne Dyer when I was being the victim of my circumstances is that he said, Wayne Dyer said a couple things. Number one, he said if other people are the cause of your problems, you would have to hire a psychiatrist for the rest of the world in order for you to get better. That is true. Cause that’s not going to happen. Right?
Then he also said, what happens when you squeeze an orange? Well, it’s obvious what comes out is orange juice. Why is that? Because that’s what’s inside. What happens when life squeezes you? Whatever’s inside, your thoughts, your feelings, your actions. So, when life squeezes you, it’s your personal responsibility that determines what comes out.
Cause it’s not going to just be a great day every day. That’s the truth, there’s a lot of crazy things happening, there’s ups and downs. But what comes out of you when life squeezes you is what’s inside of you. And I learned that from Dr. Wayne Dyer. So, I would direct your audience to start with him.
[00:41:10] Detective Ev: Yeah. You’ve definitely consumed more of him personally than I have, but I actually found him way later in the journey somehow. I’m not sure how, because he seems to be up there with all the greats, he’s like aligned with them.
Personal Responsibility: Squeeze an Orange
But you know, you get your favorites and then you get the people that you really love. Jim Rohn was always a huge one for me. I could listen to that guy for hours.
But I love that thing about the orange. I hadn’t heard that one. You talked about how life is going to throw bad stuff at you. You know what I mean? Look, there’s going to be circumstances at least, or like the Mike Tyson quote, right? There’s going to be the punch.
This is not to imply that your life or my life, if someone’s assuming that, is all sunshine and rainbows. But the difference is, I think, since we’re not like an orange in the sense that we actually can change. But we are like an orange in the sense of, yeah, if you squeeze it, what’s going to come out is going to come out.
And so, 10-years-ago-Ev, anger, just the worst anger you’ve ever seen. Actually, it was just toxic, man, toxic for me and toxic for everyone around me. Anger, blame, hate, and all this stuff. Now it’s like, okay, I’m not saying I’m happy and thrilled if something terrible happens, but you almost get to a point with the personal development side where you can throw anything at myself, at Ben, or many of these other friends that I have.
Personal Responsibility: The Last Stage of Healing
Most of my friends actually live in Florida now. They’re all pretty smart. They live in like the Fort Lauderdale area, actually, the ones that taught me about these books and all this stuff, they’re all killing it. You could throw them anything and it doesn’t mean it was favorable, but they know how to switch this now.
Okay, loss in the family, all right, I know how to use this. And I know how to get better with this and help other people with it. I think that’s actually kind of one of the biggest points is you can, if nothing else, through your pain, use it to help other people. There’s a quote that says, the last stage of healing is using what happened to you to help others.
So, when all else fails, it’s like, that’s what I go to. Because when there’s certain things you just can’t make sense of, and thankfully I haven’t experienced too many of those in my life, but we’ve all had a few of them, when nothing else can make sense of it, using it to help other peoples about the only thing that will make it worthwhile.
That’s what it is, that orange juice becomes a little less bitter. It’s more of a sweet orange juice, eventually; it’s not the anger and the hate. It’s the, okay, how can I work with this? What is this teaching me? And what can I do here?
You do not need to be a spiritual person to believe everything happened for a reason. I’d recommend looking into it, but you don’t have to believe that. You can just act like everything happens for a reason and watch what happens when you switch your mindset.
Personal Responsibility: Snake Bite
[00:43:26] Ben Azadi: Oh, a hundred percent. I gotta meet your friends in Fort Lauderdale, by the way.
Detective Ev: Oh, you’d love them.
[00:43:30] Ben Azadi: Wayne Dyer used to say as well, that you don’t die from a snake bite. Nobody’s ever died from a snake bite. You die from the venom that pours through your veins after you’ve been bitten. Life, when it bites you, you don’t suffer from the bite. You suffer from dwelling on what happened to you. Right? So, we can make a decision to not let that poisonous venom go through our veins. And it is a decision. As tough as it is, it is a decision.
[00:43:58] Detective Ev: Ben, I want to ask, and then after this question we’ll talk about where people can find you and all this other stuff. Cause you offer a lot of health stuff. He’s not a mindset guru person, but we relate to this too much. It was worth doing this on the podcast today. I’ve enjoyed this. And I’m like, wow, 42 minutes. There you go. Flew by.
But what I want to ask is, what thing or area of your life did something really cool happen as a result of your personal development that you weren’t initially expecting? It could be finances, it could be relationship, it could be whatever. I’m just curious.
Because sometimes we said it connects to everything and we start out with the personal development for a specific reason, normally. Maybe it is finances for some, maybe it is the health for others, and then all of a sudden, all these other great things happen. I’m curious if there’s one that sticks out for you.
Personal Responsibility: Exciting Things Ahead
[00:44:40] Ben Azadi: So the question is, let me get it right, Evan. What is something cool that’s happened in your life from personal development?
[00:44:47] Detective Ev: Unexpected. Because like, let’s say you started this for the health side mostly and then woo, this other completely different area that you weren’t expecting something amazing to happen. That’s kind of what I’m wondering.
[00:44:54] Ben Azadi: Yeah. Okay. Actually, something that I haven’t shared before and I can’t give too many details cause I haven’t announced it yet. But something that I’m creating that is outside of the keto and health space that I think is going to be incredible.
I never expected to do this. It’s just something that I’ve been practicing and weighing on my heart. I’ve been just putting together like my thoughts and organizing it so I can’t give too much details. But it’s super cool because I never would’ve thought that this is something that I would do. It’s outside of the space of health a hundred percent. I mean, mostly cause it is always tied to it. But it’s just a result of doing the work and having the experiences and being so a student of life.
That’s super cool because I’m excited for it. I think it’s going to be really, really cool. And I’m sorry I can’t give too many details cause I haven’t really even put it into fruition yet. But it is something I’m going to create soon that is going to change a lot of lives. And I never would’ve thought I would’ve created this.
[00:45:53] Detective Ev: That works for me, man. It’s exciting to hear your excitement, so I think that’s fair enough.
Personal Responsibility: More Control Than You Think
The bottom line, it wasn’t even the example, it’s just the point that this has huge rewards. It’s the toughest in the beginning because that’s the part where you only have the small tweaks. You don’t have any of the peaks yet, as Ben said. But once those peaks start occurring, the rest is simple, not easy, but simple for the rest of your life. You will never not go back to this.
Cause once you see that it works, you’re like, why would I not do this everywhere? Oh, I’m fighting with my girlfriend a lot. Cool. I can solve this. You know what I mean? Oh, I have finance issues. I can solve that. You know, it’s empowering. That’s the word. It is empowering beyond belief to know that you can have a lot of control over many things in your life. I don’t have control over everything, but we have control of a lot more than we think. And that was kind of the common theme in the podcast I was doing about a week ago now.
So, Ben, where can people find you and what do you actually offer service-wise? Because you speak all over the place, but your whole brand is Keto Kamp as of right now. That’s the thing that we’re focusing on at least. And what do you offer in there?
Personal Responsibility: Where to Find Ben Azadi & Keto Kamp
[00:46:50] Ben Azadi: Yeah. Keto Kamp is my brand. It still will be for the foreseeable future. Camp with the K, by the way, two K’s, Keto Kamp. We have a program called the Keto Kamp Academy, which is an online program. We have members from all across the world. It’s a monthly membership.
I have health coaches on my team, and we teach the system to keto, to fasting, what we teach called keto flexing, meaning we don’t believe in long-term keto. We believe in metabolic flexibility. We spoke a lot about that on the first episode we did. And then we have health coaches to kind of guide you through the videos, et cetera. So, it’s called the Keto Kamp Academy.
And then my book Keto Flex, which is behind me, is the latest book which teaches my four pillar system – keto, fasting, keto flexing. We talk a little bit about gut health and carnivore as well. And all that it’s on my website. It’s benazadi.com. You could find that along with my social media and the the Keto Kamp podcast as well, which Evan has been a guest on, and Reed has as well.
[00:47:46] Detective Ev: Yeah, Keto Kamp Podcast is popping. I mean, I’d love for you guys to stay here, but man, there’s some really cool people that come on there. And you got some great episodes, so definitely please check that out, guys. I’ll have all the links in the notes.
Normally if someone comes on for a second time, I don’t repeat the signature question. But I mean, man, if you’re 200 episodes plus difference, I think it’s only fair.
The Signature Question – Believe
So, Ben, the signature question for you today will be this, if you could get every single person in this world to do one thing for their health (so that is, you could get them to start doing one thing or you could say, hey, you’re never doing that again), what is the one thing that Ben Azadi would get them to do?
[00:48:17] Ben Azadi: I love the question and I already knew what the answer was as soon as you started asking the question. I would get the world to believe. I would get the world to believe in their incredible God-given body that was built to be self-healing.
And we’ve all heard of the placebo effect. I talked about this at KetoCon, the placebo effect. I’m going to keep this short cause I know we’re wrapping up.
What happened is the nurse freaked out. She essentially put saline solutions, saltwater, in the needles, gave it to Dr. Beecher. Dr. Beecher had the belief that he was giving the soldiers morphine. He transferred that belief to the soldiers, letting them know, I’m giving you morphine. You’re going to feel fine in a matter of seconds. We’ll stabilize you, take you to the hospital, save your life. But it was salt water and they survived.
Conclusion
Harvard studied what happened there, and that’s where the placebo effects started. Right? Belief. We are seeing the opposite. Doctors are creating the nocebo effect with individuals. Doctors are telling people they need a medication or a surgery, or even, God forbid, your condition is terminal. They’re doing the complete opposite.
What I would tell the world is the one message to the masses would be belief. Because whatever you believe is going to manifest good or bad. Goes back to what I said in the beginning, faith versus fear. So, I would encourage everybody to have that belief.
And if you don’t have the belief, because sometimes you don’t. I get that. You could borrow the belief of Evan; you could borrow the belief of me. You could borrow the belief of somebody else until you develop that belief for yourself.
[00:50:02] Detective Ev: Awesome. Ben, thank you so much for coming on again, man.
[00:50:04] Ben Azadi: Thank you, bro. I appreciate you Evan.
Choosing a diet for yourself can be fun, but also overwhelming. There are over 100 different dietary theories out there today, and it can be hard for us to choose which one is the ideal diet for us and our families.
When I began The Culinary Nutrition Expert Program, my first assignment was to develop my own written food philosophy. Because I had my own health coaching practice for five years, I already had a fairly solid understanding of my food philosophy or where I stood when it comes to food. But I wanted to dig deeper and really explore what that meant for me and my family.
Finding My Ideal Diet
Over the course of my healing journey, my food philosophy has evolved. I struggled with weight issues, high cholesterol, allergies, autoimmune disease and frequent illnesses. In the beginning, I was focused on losing weight and feeling better – having more energy.
I cut out highly processed and packaged foods containing high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and preservatives. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, I ate a lot of fat-free and low-fat foods. I immediately threw those foods out and replaced them with full-fat versions. I started adding in more vegetables as well.
As I started to lose weight and gain more energy, I found myself in the kitchen more and began to enjoy the process of cooking and developing new recipes for my family. Soon, I started visiting farmer’s markets and began learning about local farming practices. I made new friends with farmers and producers and really began to understand the complexities of sustainable farming practices. This is when I really began to shift my belief system.
I developed relationships with farmers, market vendors, beekeepers, herbalists, kombucha makers, and produce growers. These new friendships deepened my understanding of our food economy, how the government is so involved in our food and how we truly can create change with our purchasing habits. Supporting these folks became a way of life. I knew my food, the people who grew it and how it was being processed.
Currently, all of my meat, eggs, raw honey, herbal medicinal teas and produce come from local farms. I do supplement some fruit, vegetables and snack foods from a local grocery store though. These connections enabled my children to have a better understanding of where our food comes from as well. These see the happy cows, romp around with the piglets, and chase after chickens on the farm near our home. It makes for a fun, family outing.
Why is this important to do?
I personally feel as a society we have moved so far beyond a connection with our food. We’re eating dinner at the drive-thru, snacks that come in packages and boxes instead of whole foods and we turn a blind eye to the atrocities of conventional animal feeding operations.
Some may think that I may be or should be a vegetarian given what I know, but my body craves meat – not a lot, but some. So, I choose to source locally-raised, pastured animals fed their natural diet of grass (and bugs for the chickens). I believe that every person is different and we each have individual biological dietary needs. Therefore, we must each develop an ideal diet that works for our individual bodies. However, I do believe that everyone could benefit from eating whole, unprocessed foods, small amounts of grass-fed meats if necessary, organic produce and support local agriculture while doing so.
How To Design Your Ideal Diet
With all of the dietary theories to choose from, don’t feel compelled to select one and proclaim to the world how you eat. That’s your business and no one else’s. You can decide if you feel good eating meat or fish or if a vegetarian diet is right for you. Or, perhaps you want to mix it up, like I do, and eat vegetarian one day and fish the next – I call that the “flexitarian diet.”
But how do we actually put this into practice? Here are some things to consider when you start to design your ideal diet.
1. Develop your own Food Philosophy
This essential first step guides your decision making when it comes to food. Here’s mine:
My Personal Food Philosophy: Eat S. L. O. W. (Sustainable. Local. Organic. Wild.) My motto for the last five years has been to choose foods that are sourced ethically and sustainably. I try to choose local whenever I can and support my farmer friends who live nearby. I choose Organic as much as possible to avoid the “processed” stuff and often go “Wild” – for example, I will forage for wild herbs and plants and choose wild over farmed seafood. Plus, it’s just a reminder to “eat slowly,” or mindfully, which is great for digestion.
In addition to what I’ve discussed above, some of the things you may want to consider in your philosophy are:
What you like to eat
Where your food comes from
What you’d want someone to cook you for dinner
How you make food decisions at the grocery store or market
What’s your dream meal?
2. Consider what is locally available
We all love avocados and bananas, but for many of us around the world these foods aren’t local. I’m not saying you should never eat them – however, it’s important to also consider what foods are abundant in your area, and also what’s in season. Local foods contain more nutrients than those that were picked weeks ago and shipped across the country.
In an ideal world, your ideal diet would focus on what you have access to. This allows us to support local businesses and farms, reduce our environmental impact and eat food that is freshest – which is going to be great for our health!
3. What are your activity levels?
Consider how active you are. If you’re training every day, your nutrient requirements are going to be higher than someone who has a desk job and isn’t working out several times a week. On days when you’re more active, you may need more protein to fuel your muscles and on days when you’re working at a desk you may need to eat a simpler meal like a salad with a healthy fat to keep your brain functioning optimally. You may need more protein, water and electrolytes if you’re working out consistently.
4. What is your health situation?
If you’re suffering from an autoimmune disease, an inflammatory condition or battling an illness, your diet will need to reflect these concerns. Those with autoimmune disease need to avoid inflammatory foods, like gluten, dairy, sugar and possibly nightshades (you can grab a complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet + Lifestyle Guide here).
Conversely, if you have a family history of illness and want to prevent disease, you need a diet high in superfoods, antioxidants, fermented foods and plant-rich meals.
5. Demographic Factors (age, gender, etc.)
Typically, males need more protein and complex carbohydrates than women. They also have different micronutrient needs. People need specific nutrients at each stage of life, so take into consideration where you are in life and what your micronutrient needs are at this time and as you age.
Children will also need varied nutrients at different stages of development to ensure their bodies and minds are ready to grow and learn.
6. Your Lifestyle
One of the biggest factors is how your ideal diet will fit in with your lifestyle. If you’re balancing a full-time career, family life, religious or school functions and hobbies that keep you busy night and day, then you need to determine how to carry over your food philosophy into your lifestyle.
You may have to shift your priorities to align with your new lifestyle. For example, if I know I have a busy week ahead, I meal plan, shop and batch prep a few meals on the weekend when I have more time.
7. Dietary Preferences
You’ll also want to weigh in your allergies, sensitivities and general foods that you dislike. Some people do well on carbohydrates and others do not. Jot down how you feel and start to make the connection between food, your mood and energy levels after you eat.
8. The Research
Nutrition research is one of those areas that will never, ever be settled. We’re learning more and more about nutrition science every day. But you have to be careful where that science is coming from and who is paying for the studies. Many doctors use bias to make their points – meaning they will cherry-pick statistical data to prove their point.
You’ll find hundreds of studies saying that veganism is best or Paleo is the way to go, or everyone should be eating a raw food diet. Research your diet thoroughly from numerous sources to get a well-rounded point of view.
9. Trial and Error
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. I once tried to eat raw foods for a week and had such tummy troubles that I was miserable. Be open to trying new foods and diets, but remember to be in tune with your body and how you feel.
Choosing an ideal diet is an evolving process, but it’s an enjoyable one too. Remember, if your ideal diet isn’t sustainable – meaning something you can do for the rest of your life – then it won’t work for you. Try to create a plan or way of eating that works for your body and your lifestyle.
Roasted Beets and Carrots with Cumin and Pistachios
1 pound beets, trimmed 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick 2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 1 tbsp grated lemon zest 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 small shallot, minced 1 tsp honey ½ tsp ground cumin ½ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss carrots with 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Arrange carrots in a single layer on baking sheet. Wrap beets in foil and place on the same baking sheet. Roast until carrots are tender ~20min. Beets will take 35-45 min. Open the beet packet and rub off the beet skins. Slice the beets. Whisk lemon juice, shallot, honey, cumin and salt and pepper and oil until combined. Toss with beets and carrots, add pistachios, parsley and lemon and zest to combine.
Chickpeas with Bell Pepper, Scallions and Basil Serves 4
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 (15oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed 1 cup chicken or veggie broth 2 tsp lemon juice 4 garlic cloves, minced Pinch red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 1 chopped red bell pepper 1 onion, chopped small 2 tbsp fresh basil 2 thinly sliced scallions (for serving)
Cook oil, garlic, pepper flakes until garlic is brown ~3 min. Stir in onion and red pepper, cook until soft. Next add chickpeas and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until nearly all liquid has evaporated. Off heat add basil and lemon, salt and pepper. Top with scallions.
Roasted Green Beans with Almonds and Mint Serves 4
1 ½ pound green beans, trimmed 1 tbsp oil ¾ tsp sugar Salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup torn mint leaves 2 tbsp toasted, chopped almonds
Dressing ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp lime zest
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Toss green beans with 1 tbsp oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Transfer to baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and roast until beans are brown ~10 min. Stir after 5 minutes. Mix dressing ingredients and drizzle dressing over beans.
Tomato with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Serves 4 A classic that’s delicious every time.
1 ½ pounds cherry tomatoes, quartered ½ tsp sugar 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, roughly torn 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch pieces and patted dry with paper towels Salt and pepper
Toss tomatoes with sugar and salt in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and liquid have been removed. Add tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella to platter. Combine ½ cup tomato liquid (put through fine mesh strainer to get the seeds out), shallot, vinegar, garlic and oregano to simmer until reduced to 3 tbsp. ~3 min. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Chickpea Salad with Carrots, Arugula and Olives Serves 6
2 (15oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper Pinch cayenne pepper 3 carrots, peeled and shredded 1 cup baby arugula, chopped coarse ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
Microwave chickpeas in a medium bowl until hot ~2 min. Stir in oil, lemon, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, cayenne and let sit for 20 min. Toss in carrots, arugula and olives to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Veggie Kabobs with Lemon Dressing Serves 4-6
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, minced 1 garlic clove, minced Salt and pepper 6 portobello mushroom caps, quartered 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 3/4 inch thick 2 red peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces 2 lemons, quartered
Whisk oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in a large bowl. Measure out and reserve half of mixture for serving. Toss mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers with remaining oil mixture, then thread onto 8 skewers. Heat grill. Cook until veggies are tender and browned ~15 min. Drizzle veggies with dressing and serve with lemons.
4 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 English cucumber (or two small Persian cucumbers), sliced into half moons 1 large green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup kalamata olives 3–4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus extra for serving sea salt 5 ounces feta cheese, thick slices or chunks (optional)
Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and olives in large mixing bowl. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and red wine vinegar, sprinkle with oregano and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Then top with feta cheese (if dairy is tolerated). Finish the salad by drizzling a little extra olive oil and some fresh ground pepper.
Citrus Salad with Radicchio, Dates and Smoked Almonds Serves 4
2 grapefruits 3 oranges 1 tsp sugar Salt and pepper 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small shallot, minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 small head radicchio cored, sliced thin 4 chopped pitted dates ½ cup smoked almonds, chopped course
Peel and slice the fruit. Add sugar and salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the fruit and set aside, reserving 2 tbsp of juice. Arrange fruit on a platter and drizzle with oil. Whisk juice, shallot and mustard together. Toss with radicchio, dates and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the mixture on top of the fruit.
White Bean Salad Serves 6
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 cans (15oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed Salt and pepper 2 tsp sherry vinegar 1 small shallot, minced 1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into ¼ in pieces ¼ cup chopped parsley 2 chives, chopped
Cook 1 tbsp oil and garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic turns golden ~3 min. Add beans, water and salt and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 min. Next, combine vinegar and shallot. Drain beans, remove garlic. Add beans, oil, pepper, parsley, and chives to shallot mixture and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Every month, we publish around eight new videos, four Friday Favorites, eight blogs, and four podcasts on NutritionFacts.org. We are bursting at the seams with all sorts of health and nutrition information, so we wrapped up the juiciest bits into a nice, bite-sized blog as an end-of-month recap in case you missed anything or just want a refresher. What were some highlights from May?
The mosquito is the world’s most dangerous animal. Hundreds of thousands of people die annually from mosquito-borne malaria, billions are at risk of contracting dengue fever, and Zika poses a whole new global public health threat.
DEET, when rubbed onto the skin, is considered to be the most effective mosquito repellant and has been found to be safe for pregnant women and children older than two months.
Electronic repellents have no effect on preventing mosquito bites, but researchers found that 5 (out of 20) essential oils had a lasting effect. Interestingly, citronella was not one of them. Cinnamon oil reduced mosquito attractiveness for 90 minutes, peppermint and lemongrass oil for 30, and spearmint and garlic oil for a shorter duration.
Lemon eucalyptus is the only plant-based repellent recommended by the CDC, though it shouldn’t be used by pregnant women or children under three. When tested, 40 percent lemon eucalyptus prevented bites from aggressive mosquito species for four to seven hours and for longer than 12 hours for less aggressive species, a period of prevention greater than a 10 percent or more DEET repellent.
We’ve long known that vegetarian diets and lifestyles may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, and we now also know they may reduce healthcare costs. Vegetarians were found to have significantly lower inpatient, outpatient, and total medical care expenditures for chronic lifestyle conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, depression, stroke, cancer, and heart disease. It isn’t all or nothing, though. Simply increasing consumption of plant-based foods while reducing intake of animal-based products may confer a survival advantage. Just be sure to get a regular, reliable source of vitamin B12.
Obesity may be the main modifiable risk factor of osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease. It develops when our joints’ cushioning cartilage lining breaks down faster than our body can build it back up, and our knees are most often affected.
Approximately one in two hundred knee replacement patients may die within 90 days of surgery and one in five describe being unsatisfied with the outcome. Thankfully, losing 20 pounds of fat “might be regarded as an alternative to knee replacement” for obese individuals with osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis sufferers not only have higher cholesterol levels in their blood, but within their joints, so it makes sense that a cholesterol-lowering diet may help prevent and treat osteoarthritis. In fact, a healthy enough plant-based diet may drop cholesterol as much as a starting dose of a statin drug and offers only good side effects, including lowering blood pressure and facilitating weight loss.
In a petri dish, increasing exposure to ginger compounds improved blood sugar uptake of muscle cells almost as much as metformin, a popular diabetes drug. And, at 3.0 grams per day for eight weeks, study participants in the ginger group experienced a significant decrease in fasting blood sugars and long-term blood sugar control, “thereby showing the effect of ginger in controlling diabetes,” and similar positive results on blood sugar levels and long-term blood sugar control have been seen with the intake of ginger over time.
And blueberries? A pair of Harvard studies found that intake of blueberries and other anthocyanin-rich foods was associated with lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Individuals eating 35 milligrams of anthocyanins a day (equivalent to a few spoonsful of blueberries, a quarter-cup of blackberries, a half-cup of raspberries, or a cup of strawberries or cherries) had less inflammation and significantly lower insulin resistance—as much as you’d get walking every day for about an hour. With a more typical half-cup serving of berries, participants demonstrated a significant reduction in the creation of free radicals, which can damage our DNA. Even a single portion of blueberries can improve protection against DNA damage, but the effect is transient, so we should eat berries at every meal.
Periodontal disease, a bacterial infection resulting in destruction of the bone and connective tissue supporting our teeth, is one of the leading causes of our teeth falling out. Diets rich in saturated fat increase oxidative stress and inflammation, and there appears to be a link between cholesterol levels and periodontitis: People with high cholesterol have up to double the risk. Comparing vegetarians and non-vegetarians, those eating plant-based had “better periodontal conditions (less inflammation signs, less periodontal damage, and a better dental home care).”
What about halitosis (bad breath)? Researchers found that bad breath levels dropped after participants ate a low-fiber meal and a high-fiber meal, but they dropped significantly more after the higher-fiber meal (which required more chewing) and stayed down even eight hours later. Ingestion of dietary nitrate, such as from greens and beets, may help control chronic gingivitis.
We know plant-based foods are important for physical health, but what about cognitive health? Research has found that, compared to vegetarians, those who consume meat (including poultry and fish) have up to two to three times the risk of developing dementia. And, regarding day-to-day function, greater adherence to a more plant-based eating pattern has been related to better performance on all cognitive tasks measured.
There are multiple links between plant-based eating and better brain function. Plant-based diets can reduce BMI, and lower BMI has been associated with better cognitive function. Increased intake of saturated fat, which is found mostly in meat, dairy, and junk food, has been associated with a 40 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment and nearly 90 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s.
Glycotoxins, aka advanced glycation end products (AGEs), have been implicated in diabetes, aging, and brain injury due to Alzheimer’s and stroke, and evidence suggests they contribute to cognitive decline in general. AGEs aren’t only associated with getting Alzheimer’s in the first place, but also its progression. Meat is the main high-AGE food, and data suggest reducing food-derived AGEs may be an effective treatment strategy for our epidemics of Alzheimer’s and metabolic disease.
Every month, we publish around eight new videos, four Friday Favorites, eight blogs, and four podcasts on NutritionFacts.org. We are bursting at the seams with all sorts of health and nutrition information, so we wrapped up the juiciest bits into a nice, bite-sized blog as an end-of-month recap in case you missed anything or just want a refresher. What were some highlights from May?
The mosquito is the world’s most dangerous animal. Hundreds of thousands of people die annually from mosquito-borne malaria, billions are at risk of contracting dengue fever, and Zika poses a whole new global public health threat.
DEET, when rubbed onto the skin, is considered to be the most effective mosquito repellant and has been found to be safe for pregnant women and children older than two months.
Electronic repellents have no effect on preventing mosquito bites, but researchers found that 5 (out of 20) essential oils had a lasting effect. Interestingly, citronella was not one of them. Cinnamon oil reduced mosquito attractiveness for 90 minutes, peppermint and lemongrass oil for 30, and spearmint and garlic oil for a shorter duration.
Lemon eucalyptus is the only plant-based repellent recommended by the CDC, though it shouldn’t be used by pregnant women or children under three. When tested, 40 percent lemon eucalyptus prevented bites from aggressive mosquito species for four to seven hours and for longer than 12 hours for less aggressive species, a period of prevention greater than a 10 percent or more DEET repellent.
We’ve long known that vegetarian diets and lifestyles may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, and we now also know they may reduce healthcare costs. Vegetarians were found to have significantly lower inpatient, outpatient, and total medical care expenditures for chronic lifestyle conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, depression, stroke, cancer, and heart disease. It isn’t all or nothing, though. Simply increasing consumption of plant-based foods while reducing intake of animal-based products may confer a survival advantage. Just be sure to get a regular, reliable source of vitamin B12.
Obesity may be the main modifiable risk factor of osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease. It develops when our joints’ cushioning cartilage lining breaks down faster than our body can build it back up, and our knees are most often affected.
Approximately one in two hundred knee replacement patients may die within 90 days of surgery and one in five describe being unsatisfied with the outcome. Thankfully, losing 20 pounds of fat “might be regarded as an alternative to knee replacement” for obese individuals with osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis sufferers not only have higher cholesterol levels in their blood, but within their joints, so it makes sense that a cholesterol-lowering diet may help prevent and treat osteoarthritis. In fact, a healthy enough plant-based diet may drop cholesterol as much as a starting dose of a statin drug and offers only good side effects, including lowering blood pressure and facilitating weight loss.
In a petri dish, increasing exposure to ginger compounds improved blood sugar uptake of muscle cells almost as much as metformin, a popular diabetes drug. And, at 3.0 grams per day for eight weeks, study participants in the ginger group experienced a significant decrease in fasting blood sugars and long-term blood sugar control, “thereby showing the effect of ginger in controlling diabetes,” and similar positive results on blood sugar levels and long-term blood sugar control have been seen with the intake of ginger over time.
And blueberries? A pair of Harvard studies found that intake of blueberries and other anthocyanin-rich foods was associated with lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Individuals eating 35 milligrams of anthocyanins a day (equivalent to a few spoonsful of blueberries, a quarter-cup of blackberries, a half-cup of raspberries, or a cup of strawberries or cherries) had less inflammation and significantly lower insulin resistance—as much as you’d get walking every day for about an hour. With a more typical half-cup serving of berries, participants demonstrated a significant reduction in the creation of free radicals, which can damage our DNA. Even a single portion of blueberries can improve protection against DNA damage, but the effect is transient, so we should eat berries at every meal.
Periodontal disease, a bacterial infection resulting in destruction of the bone and connective tissue supporting our teeth, is one of the leading causes of our teeth falling out. Diets rich in saturated fat increase oxidative stress and inflammation, and there appears to be a link between cholesterol levels and periodontitis: People with high cholesterol have up to double the risk. Comparing vegetarians and non-vegetarians, those eating plant-based had “better periodontal conditions (less inflammation signs, less periodontal damage, and a better dental home care).”
What about halitosis (bad breath)? Researchers found that bad breath levels dropped after participants ate a low-fiber meal and a high-fiber meal, but they dropped significantly more after the higher-fiber meal (which required more chewing) and stayed down even eight hours later. Ingestion of dietary nitrate, such as from greens and beets, may help control chronic gingivitis.
We know plant-based foods are important for physical health, but what about cognitive health? Research has found that, compared to vegetarians, those who consume meat (including poultry and fish) have up to two to three times the risk of developing dementia. And, regarding day-to-day function, greater adherence to a more plant-based eating pattern has been related to better performance on all cognitive tasks measured.
There are multiple links between plant-based eating and better brain function. Plant-based diets can reduce BMI, and lower BMI has been associated with better cognitive function. Increased intake of saturated fat, which is found mostly in meat, dairy, and junk food, has been associated with a 40 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment and nearly 90 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s.
Glycotoxins, aka advanced glycation end products (AGEs), have been implicated in diabetes, aging, and brain injury due to Alzheimer’s and stroke, and evidence suggests they contribute to cognitive decline in general. AGEs aren’t only associated with getting Alzheimer’s in the first place, but also its progression. Meat is the main high-AGE food, and data suggest reducing food-derived AGEs may be an effective treatment strategy for our epidemics of Alzheimer’s and metabolic disease.
[00:00:00] Detective Ev: Alright. Hello there, friends. Welcome back to another episode of the Health Detective Podcast. Today we’re discussing our new Mastering Metabolic Chaos mini course.
We have a special rare occurrence today. It’s myself and Reed hanging out with you guys. Which, it’s funny, Reed. Still to this day, it doesn’t matter what the title is. If I just have your name in the podcast, the listener count always goes way higher. People love it.
Today is going to be a bit short and sweet for the podcast side. But we have so many cool things going on in FDN that we need to make sure that we’re always educating you guys properly to let you know what these new programs are. Nothing needs to be confusing. You just need to make sure you’re getting the right information. So, that’s what we’ll do today.
But, Reed, we already had a podcast about the Health Coach Mastery program. That’s a whole separate thing that people can check out. What we’re talking about today is different than that. It’s even a little different than the main FDN course. It’s called MMC or Mastering Metabolic Chaos. And it’s a very unique kind of product.
I don’t want to ask too general of a question. I’d actually like to start a little more specific. Before we mention what Mastering Metabolic Chaos is or what it entails, would you mind introducing that concept of metabolic chaos to people? Because I think those that’ll click on this podcast are probably new to FDN. They might not know what metabolic chaos is yet.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: Mini Course
[00:01:11] Reed Davis: Sure. Metabolic chaos is a state of health that people come to us in. They have complaints.
And everyone talks a lot about the root cause, “I get to the root cause.” I used to say that. I gave up on that expression, and here’s why. People have multiple causal factors in every case. Every single case of chronic, downward spiraling, degenerative health conditions, every case, there’s multiple causal factors.
And here’s the interesting thing that no one talks about. Those causal factors are having an effect upon each other. So, there’s a ripple effect all throughout the body, which is pretty complex. In order to make it easy, we just call it metabolic chaos. That’s what’s going on.
So, over the years we’ve developed a system that sorts out metabolic chaos and people want to know about it. They want to add to their current level of understanding, their ability to help others. Of course, our main program is the FDN certification course, which teaches all the lab work involved. Well, here in this small, kind of a mini course, easy for people to take, they’re going to get a real complete understanding of that using our intake forms, which follow the same investigation.
There are the hormones, there’s the immune system, there’s digestion, detoxification, energy production, nervous system, the hidden causal factors and how they’re interacting with each other, creating metabolic chaos. So, if you want to master that, really the labs would be a really super neat way to go. But if you want to get an idea of, how does it work, and can I apply it in my practice, you don’t need to have all the lab training, which is where the real time and commitment comes in.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: The Philosophy & the Methodology
This is kind of a minimum threshold commitment. It’s five weeks, five lessons, and we go through all the hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy production, nervous system investigation. You’ll love this. We also teach the diet, the rest, the exercise, the stress reduction, the supplementation concept and how to apply those principles to whatever you find. And people just get better.
So, if you’re a health coach or nutritionist or personal trainer, or even if you are a chiropractor or acupuncturist, a professionalism of some sort, we have naturopaths, lots of people who want to help others and work on themselves too, they can come and take this course. Again, it’s a minimum threshold, very low entry barrier as far as the price goes and the time commitment. They’d learn an awful lot.
We give you tools, we give you all of our intake forms that we use in FDN. A lot of the tools too, like diet check record sheets and things, and teach you how to apply those in your practice. We won’t try to sell you anything. But there’s always the opportunity to go to the next level, which would be the full FDN certification course.
So, this is a mini course. It’s to teach you everything you need to know – all the philosophy and methodology of resolving metabolic chaos.
[00:04:33] Detective Ev: One thing that, again, for people that are new to the concept of FDN. They might have just got to our website, they click on the podcast and are like, okay, what’s this? I think it is a perfect introduction. It’s more than that really. But it is a perfect introduction to set the foundation for the FDN course.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: The Root Cause Narrative
What I like about how it’s set up is, maybe you find for whatever reason the FDN course isn’t for you. Okay, well, you already got stuff that you can apply to your own practice. Otherwise, you get a nice test run to see, what are these people about and what are they teaching?
You already challenged a really common narrative, still to this day in functional medicine, about the root cause thing. There are still people, all the time online talking about, oh, I’ll find the root cause. And I couldn’t help but think about the metabolic chaos concept. I mean, I constantly think about this stuff, right? When you’re involved in FDN you can’t get away from it.
But I was talking to a potential client for Maddy last night cause I do the consultation calls for the business but then we give it to them. I was talking to this client last night, Reed, and the naturopath that this woman had worked with, unofficially, I guess, diagnosed her with SIBO.
Now this woman, she’s calling me last night and she’s 32. I start going through her history and it’s so interesting how people just mention this like as if it’s like a small detail. She’s like, oh, I forgot to mention I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 15 years old. I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
And she’s like, and I also had chronic GI issues as a kid. I went to a GI specialist, no one could figure that out. I went to this other doctor; they couldn’t really help. Yeah, I always got sick, all the time, too, as a kid. Then I got really sick and that’s what led to the hypothyroidism diagnosis.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: D.R.E.S.S. for Health Success Program
One of these things that you guys want to think about is, the idea that we could figure out, sometimes, the root cause from someone who’s calling us that has been sick for over 20 years. You know, that’s almost arrogant, right? Like, I might never be able to figure out exactly what started this all for her 20 something years ago. I didn’t even know her.
But what we can figure out is, okay, we now know she has this SIBO thing going on, fine. But that’s not the main problem. That’s where this metabolic chaos thing, it has this bidirectional relationship. Like, maybe something caused the SIBO, sure. But now the SIBO is contributing to the metabolic chaos. You always say, kind of tongue in cheek, metabolic chaos is the one quote/unquote “diagnosis” that we give and it’s the only one. Because that’s what actually matters when it comes to healing these chronic health issues. Right?
[00:06:53] Reed Davis: Exactly. Sometimes the root cause is really hard to find. Sometimes it’s so far removed from where the symptoms might be appearing that it doesn’t even seem logical. But other times you can’t find it because there’s not enough labs on the planet, you know? And there’s no little magic Star Trek device.
So, what we do is identify as many healing opportunities as possible. Again, this is where there’s multiple causal factors and they’re crashing into each other. So, we may not identify the exact root cause, but we get close enough to have an effect upon it with our methodology, our D.R.E.S.S. for Health Success program. It affects every cell, tissue, organ, and system in the body.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: The Sounds-Like Method
Again, root causes can be really far upstream and that doesn’t bother us. They can be undiscoverable, there just isn’t enough left. That doesn’t bother us either, because we can have an effect upon it. Cause when we identify enough healing opportunities around it, we’ll have an effect upon whatever it is.
And those complexities of causal factors can be, that’s kind of a journey that people go on. Like, the example you just took. I guarantee you multiple causal factors having an effect upon each other, creating metabolic chaos. And along comes somebody who’s trained in diagnosis and treatment. Of course, they’re going to say, “well, it sounds like.” You know my famous complaint about the sounds-like method.
It sounds like SIBO, or it sounds like a parasite, or it sounds like IBS or IBD, or it sounds like your hormones are out of balance, you know, whatever it is, whatever it sounds like. Sounds like thyroid. That’s a classic, right? So, they go after that thing, they test, I’m going to find the root cause, and they test it. God forbid they find what they’re looking for. Like, SIBO is not the problem, it’s the result of the problem, which is metabolic chaos, it’s dysbiosis gone real far south. Right? And there’s multiple causal factors for that.
The thing about the SIBO tests I don’t like is it does no speciation whatsoever. You just have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Well, which bacteria? And are they creating a problem? It’s really just a dysbiosis in my humble opinion. If you just go to treat that, you’re going to be sort of forgetting about all the other things that person really needs to do to get well.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: Making Connections
Wellness is not just an absence of symptoms, by the way. It’s vitality, it’s integrity of all the systems, it’s clear thinking and a bright disposition, and all the things. It is not just an absence of symptoms as you know.
[00:09:47] Detective Ev: Yeah, I think this is going to end up being a nice short podcast to also send to people that ask us on the course enrollment calls. Hey, well, how are you guys different than functional medicine? Because this is exactly how we are different than functional medicine.
And we’re not condemning the naturopath. Again, if someone’s listening for the first time, this isn’t a condemnation. Obviously, that naturopath wants to help. But this is kind of what we get with the sounds-like method.
This woman has been working with this naturopath for a year. The current protocol that she’s on, Reed, got her back to square one. So, now she’s calling some random guy that was a referral, me, because she doesn’t even know and is never going to meet in person. Which again, it’s great that I can help. But if you guys actually think about that, that’s kind of sad that this is her option is choosing this guy she doesn’t even know based on a referral because she’s been going to this place for a year and they’re only addressing the SIBO.
I asked a basic question, like, did anyone ever connect for you that the stuff that you had going on at 15 is probably very much in alignment with what’s going on now. And she’s like, well, no, we just focused on the SIBO and stuff. I’m like, I don’t think that’s disconnected at all.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: You Gotta Go Deeper
Now, again, just to reemphasize, we might not figure out what came first. It’s kind of a chicken or the egg situation. But we do look at this holistic picture where I will put pretty good money on the idea that the same things that led to a 15-year-old getting diagnosed with hypothyroidism are probably in the mix of things that are leading to these SIBO symptoms and issues now.
The one other thing I’ll mention is this is not to say that the SIBO part isn’t real, or the thyroid part isn’t real. Reed mentioned the sounds-like method for thyroid. You guys might have caught this, and this is really something to learn from if it is your first time being exposed to FDN.
He said, God forbid, You find what you’re looking for. The reason he said that is because if you say it sounds like SIBO, it sounds like thyroid, you test it and you find it, you do exactly what you always talk about, Reed. You pat yourself on the back, right? You’re like, oh, I figured out your problem. That’s the worst thing that could have happened because now we only address the SIBO.
And here this woman is a year later, thousands of dollars in, still with the same problems that she had a year ago because no one ever thought to go a little deeper. It’s tragic that this is happening to people even in natural medicine.
[00:11:54] Reed Davis: Yeah. I always tell those folks, don’t break your wrist patting yourself on the back. Because until that person comes out really healthy, you have no reason to think that you’ve discovered the one root cause.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: New or Worse Symptoms
The person might actually even feel better with that diagnosis and some treatment. Sometimes some symptoms will abate. But if you don’t really get to the root causes and sort out how they’re interacting with each other, the symptoms usually come back sometimes with a vengeance, or they’ll appear somewhere else as new symptoms.
Then those new symptoms become, oh, well, that sounds like something else. And so, you run that test. Yep. Pat myself on the back. Now it’s your hormones. It was your thyroid or your gut, now it’s your sex hormones. Well, here’s how we’re going to balance those out. So, they’re really taking a diagnosis and treatment methodology.
And by the way, you mentioned functional medicine, which we love and appreciate. In my 25 almost years, we were all just alternative, just straight up alternative, 25 years ago. Well, that became complimentary because it was working. Some of it was getting recognized.
Well, then it became integrative. Well, let’s move that to see if we can’t combine the two things. And then functional medicine became a catchphrase, but it’s still diagnosing and treating because that’s how the world works. That’s how medicine works. You have to. Your licensure requires you to lay down a diagnosis and a treatment plan and proceed.
It hasn’t evolved far enough. Functional medicine is in the evolution, but it hasn’t gotten to where I think we’re at.
[00:13:47] Detective Ev: Yeah, you’ll catch some naturopaths or functional medicine practitioners every now and then that they’re actually thinking similar to how we teach at FDN. It’s not the majority, unfortunately. They just don’t use the same words. We’re moving in the right direction and we’re getting closer, just not fully there yet.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: MMC Tuition Applies to the Main FDN Course
So, to be a little more concise then, and to get back to the questions, we’ll kind of do these as quick as you’d like. Just to be clear as to what people get when they go through MMC, this is not something that someone who is a graduated FDN would go through, right? Or am I incorrect?
[00:14:19] Reed Davis: If you’re already in FDN, you don’t need this. You’ll know all this.
This, by the way, is taught by myself and the course supervisor Elizabeth, who is an amazing teacher. So, this is a combined effort. We go through each lesson, cover the foundations, cover the intake, which includes forms that help us assess, and then of course, what to do, the development of an individualized protocol. That’s all in there. Now that takes five lessons.
There’s a bonus lesson. It kind of wraps it all up and does a case study on top of that. So, at that point, you can just go play around with it, work on yourself, work on some clients, add in some of these new tools in methodology we’re going to teach you, or you might decide you want to really step up and commit to the certification course.
And by the way, whatever you pay for the Mastering Metabolic Chaos course, if you later decide you want to take the FDN certification course, we’ll give the entire tuition off the course. It’s a way for you to see what you’d learn in the course without having to take it.
[00:15:31] Detective Ev: Yeah. I think that’s perfect.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: Weekly Lives
It’s kind of similar to what we did with the 5in5 Workshop. People got to experience something. They also got to learn a ton. It was totally worth it. Some people said, hey, well, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I want to do FDN. Others were like, okay, cool. I got to learn something, I got my value, and they move on to the next thing. And that’s okay too.
But I think MMC is that next step up where you really get to get involved with us. One thing we haven’t even mentioned directly is these are not pre-recorded, right? Aren’t you teaching this Live? Is that correct?
[00:16:00] Reed Davis: Yes. We’ll record them. We’re recording the lessons and they’re released each week. But then every week we also have a Live one-on-one with the group. Elizabeth and I’ll do a Live every week to answer all your questions, to make sure you’re understanding it, make sure you’re getting the concepts and able to implement the tools.
Cause each week we release two new tools. It’s remarkable. I think it’s an amazing value. You won’t find anything like it anywhere else. We’re going to do it this one time. If it works out well and people like us and like it, then we’ll keep doing it. But I would take advantage of the first opportunity.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: Convert Prospects to Paying Clients
I think my final question then, today, Reed. You know, people listen in the kitchen, or they listen while they’re driving and then they start wondering at the end, like, what did I just listen to?
So, let’s say I am a health coach, I have a health coach certification. I haven’t done FDN yet. This is my first time listening. What will I be able to do in my health coaching practice after going through MMC that I wouldn’t have before? And let’s assume these people never go through FDN, let’s just talk about the value of MMC. What will they be able to do differently than they’re probably doing right now?
[00:17:17] Reed Davis: Well, if you’re a health coach, you’re on a never ending, sort of increasing learning experience. We’re all learn freaks, we all love to learn. I think I have 15 certifications myself.
This is one though that you can apply immediately to your existing customers. I, even in the first lesson, teach how we get our customers, how we convert a customer from a prospect into a paying customer. So, it’s really the whole FDN course broken down into five easy. It’s like the 5in5 that you did.
But it’s not just the labs, it’s the entire process of intake and then exploration of the underlying causes, conditions, sorting out that metabolic chaos into the H I D D E N, all those areas using our intake forms. Which are totally hybrid, customized, no one else has them. You get all of that.
So, you’ll add some new tools to your practice and a way of thinking, probably the most important thing, so that you can figure out what’s wrong with people and help them fix it.
Mastering Metabolic Chaos: Have Fun with FDN
[00:18:22] Detective Ev: Okay, cool. The intake forms are probably worth it in and of itself.
Reed, you know this all too well. How many people do we talk to where you ask them about their health history on the phone and they swear they tell you everything? And then you look at the intake form and you’re like, oh, you forgot to mention that 30 courses of antibiotics that you took by the age of 20 years old. Like, you thought that might have been important on the phone.
Yeah, they’re very useful. You get a lot of insight about the person, things that they might not have ever even thought to share with you. The intake forms are cool and then the whole Live component will be great. Then, of course, again, there’s the recorded component that you can keep with you for as long as you’d like to.
[00:18:55] Reed Davis: I’ll just say this, we have fun, we have a good time. We love what we do. You know, your work should be your joy and your passion too, and also the way that you make money. Cause in doing something that you love doing for a living means you don’t have to really work the rest of your life. That’s a famous quote by a great inventor, Thomas Edison. He says, I never worked a day in my life. It was all fun. So, we have a good time doing it.
That’s why FDN is such a strong community, cause we enjoy each other and learning, and the peer support’s amazing. You would not only learn a lot about FDN intake, hidden stressors, D.R.E.S.S for Health Success, all the intake forms, but you get some new friends out of it too.
Conclusion
[00:19:42] Detective Ev: Yeah. Now, it depends on if you want me and Reed as friends, but you will get it. It’s coming one way or another.
That’s a perfect note to end on. Thank you so much for hopping on and answering these questions for us.
In 1970, the Seven Countries Study was published, which aimed to investigate the link between fat consumption and heart disease. The study included two cohorts from Finland – west Finland and east Finland (also known as North Karelia.) The findings showed that there was high mortality from coronary heart disease in North Karelia, but not in west Finland. The study focused solely on men, typical of research at the time, and did not include any women.
It was discovered that North Karelia was experiencing high rates of heart disease and mortality, causing concern among healthcare providers. This led to the implementation of a number of health interventions in North Karelia in 1972, focusing on what were thought to be the major risk factors for heart disease – blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking. It was believed that changing dietary habits would impact blood cholesterol levels, particularly the reduction in saturated fat (the full article explains how reduced saturated fat doesn’t impact cholesterol levels but increased intake of foods containing plant sterols will impact cholesterol).
Professor Pekka Puska’s paper, “Fat and Heart Disease: Yes We Can Make a Change – The Case of North Karelia (Finland)”, published in 2009, examined the impact of these interventions. The paper and subsequent literature have claimed that reducing saturated fat intake has led to an impressive 80% reduction in annual cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates among the working-aged population.
However, the reduction in heart disease mortality cannot be solely attributed to a reduction in fat intake. Other factors, such as the dramatically reduced rate of smoking among men, which more than halved, are likely to have played a more significant role in reducing heart disease in North Karelia. It is crucial to keep in mind that the study didn’t include women, and in-depth research that includes both genders is necessary to understand the links between fat consumption, heart disease, and mortality rates fully.
There is another factor to consider when examining the findings of the Seven Countries Study in North Karelia. The study only looked at men aged 40-59 in 1956, which means they were between the ages of 23-42 when World War II began in 1939. North Karelia was ravaged during the war, resulting in high mortality rates from heart disease and other causes. The dramatic population displacement that occurred during this time, coupled with the war, would have undoubtedly caused elevated heart and all-cause mortality rates. This means that deaths would have fallen following this traumatic period, no matter whether butter or margarine was put on bread.
In conclusion, the North Karelia study provides valuable insight into public health interventions and mortality rates. However, it cannot be claimed that reduced saturated or total fat reduces heart disease. Smoking reduces heart disease and deaths. Time passing since war and displacement reduces heart disease and deaths. The claims for saturated fat do not withstand scrutiny.
The full version of this article can be read below
I’ve been hydrating and nourishing my skin lately with Aloisia Beauty. It feels so good, smells divine and is made with natural ingredients.
The Earth Diet is all about living as naturally as possible in this modern world. This includes our skincare. Always remember if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. You always want to check the ingredients of the skincare before using it.
The ingredients used in Aloisia Beauty include:
– Aloe vera
– Licorice root to brighten and even-out skin tone
– Ginseng to firm and brighten skin
– Sweet almond oil to reduce puffiness and moisturize the skin
– Houttuynia cordata plant to balance and soothe irritation and inflammation
– Green tea
I’m telling you it’s divine and smells so naturally wow divine that I look forward to using it day and night – especially after a long day there is nothing more refreshing than using a few Aloisia products before bed! I do believe skincare is an essential component to overall self-care.
Ever since I met GG (co-founder) she was persistent in explaining the importance of a skincare ritual. I had agreed it made sense but never really stuck to anything. I’ve always been juicing and eating healthy and thought that was enough. I underestimated the importance of a daily ritual. My skin is glowing more than ever and just the gorgeous smells of the natural oils in the skincare make me feel like a princess. Our skin is the largest organ so it makes sense to feed it as well.
– Aluminum sales
– Benzophenone
– BPA
– Formaldehydes
– Lead
– Mineral oil
– Oxybenzone
– Parabens
– Parrafin
– PTFE/PFOA
And so much more
Alloisia Beauty is clean, Cruelty-Free, performance-based skincare. Inspired by Korean beauty for glowing, nurtured, healthy skin. The female founders all represent various ethnicities, they were already well-versed in exploring and appreciating different cultural approaches to skincare. They quickly fell in love with everything about Korean Beauty: The use of clean, proven plant-derived ingredients, cutting-edge innovations, the core mantra of respecting the skin first, and the ritual of self-care. Plus, as moms, they were drawn to the importance of teaching their children about the benefits of a consistent skincare routine; not only for the skin, but also for the soul.
You can try Aloisia Beauty too, use my code LIANA15 for 15% off and for orders over $75 you get a free Deep Hydration Aloe Mist gift. The top-selling product is the GLOW Exfoliation Soft Peel.
I’ve been hydrating and nourishing my skin lately with Aloisia Beauty. It feels so good, smells divine and is made with natural ingredients.
The Earth Diet is all about living as naturally as possible in this modern world. This includes our skincare. Always remember if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. You always want to check the ingredients of the skincare before using it.
The ingredients used in Aloisia Beauty include:
– Aloe vera
– Licorice root to brighten and even-out skin tone
– Ginseng to firm and brighten skin
– Sweet almond oil to reduce puffiness and moisturize the skin
– Houttuynia cordata plant to balance and soothe irritation and inflammation
– Green tea
I’m telling you it’s divine and smells so naturally wow divine that I look forward to using it day and night – especially after a long day there is nothing more refreshing than using a few Aloisia products before bed! I do believe skincare is an essential component to overall self-care.
Ever since I met GG (co-founder) she was persistent in explaining the importance of a skincare ritual. I had agreed it made sense but never really stuck to anything. I’ve always been juicing and eating healthy and thought that was enough. I underestimated the importance of a daily ritual. My skin is glowing more than ever and just the gorgeous smells of the natural oils in the skincare make me feel like a princess. Our skin is the largest organ so it makes sense to feed it as well.
– Aluminum sales
– Benzophenone
– BPA
– Formaldehydes
– Lead
– Mineral oil
– Oxybenzone
– Parabens
– Parrafin
– PTFE/PFOA
And so much more
Alloisia Beauty is clean, Cruelty-Free, performance-based skincare. Inspired by Korean beauty for glowing, nurtured, healthy skin. The female founders all represent various ethnicities, they were already well-versed in exploring and appreciating different cultural approaches to skincare. They quickly fell in love with everything about Korean Beauty: The use of clean, proven plant-derived ingredients, cutting-edge innovations, the core mantra of respecting the skin first, and the ritual of self-care. Plus, as moms, they were drawn to the importance of teaching their children about the benefits of a consistent skincare routine; not only for the skin, but also for the soul.
You can try Aloisia Beauty too, use my code LIANA15 for 15% off and for orders over $75 you get a free Deep Hydration Aloe Mist gift. The top-selling product is the GLOW Exfoliation Soft Peel.
Meet Hannah Che. We had the pleasure of talking with Hannah about food, traditions, stories, and her new cookbook The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. Read the interview, and try her delicious recipe for millet congee.
In your experience, how have you found food to tell a story and shape culture? Coming from an immigrant family, food is the language we use when words don’t suffice. I can learn so much about someone by watching them cook and seeing who they cook for, asking about certain dishes that are special to them, or learning about the people who cooked for them while they were growing up. Food is mundane and ordinary, but eating is something we do three times a day. Just by nature of its universality and frequency, it reveals so much about us. Also, the best conversations I’ve had have been over a meal. Sharing food opens people up like nothing else.
How do you educate people about the intersection of food, history, health, activism, and culture? I always try to include the story behind the recipes I share—either my own personal connection to a specific dish or the origins or traditions that inform my understanding of an ingredient. It’s easy to just present a dish with no context, but having to actually do the work and learn about something you might be unfamiliar with enriches both your knowledge and the experience of the person reading about or eating the food.
What are some plant-based ingredients and vegan dishes you would like to highlight as traditional to your culture? Traditional Chinese home-cooking actually contains very little meat and is centered around vegetables, especially fresh leafy greens. It’s hard to name a single dish because they’re all so delicious, so I want to highlight tofu in particular. Tofu originated in China and served as the main plant-based protein source for the population. It’s considered a common, wholesome ingredient in China, not a vegetarian “meat substitute.” It solved a major food issue: Soybeans were cheap to grow but hard to digest when eaten whole, but soaking and grinding them into soymilk, then curdling the milk into a soft curd produced a supremely digestible and complete protein that could be steamed, boiled, fried, braised, dried, and used in all sorts of delicious ways. Tofu often gets a bad rap in the West, but it’s really an ingenious food and, in my opinion, one of the best inventions in food history.
Do these foods or dishes have any significant meaning or history? There is a whole subset of Chinese cuisine called zhai cai that originated in vegetarian palace cooking and Buddhist temples, where monks fashioned imitation meats using vegetarian ingredients like tofu and tofu skins, mountain yam, gluten or seitan, and grains. It’s an old and highly developed tradition that existed long before modern mock meat brands, and, even today, if you visit Chinese restaurants in the United States or Asia, you’ll find roast duck, pork, and chicken dishes made entirely with vegetarian ingredients.
As a chef, what do you envision as the way forward to encourage people to include more fruits and vegetables into their diets? I’ve found people are really open about trying out new types of food, and the increasing diversity in mainstream food culture is great because every culture cooks vegetables differently and brings its own sets of spices, aromatics, seasonings, and methods you can learn from. In my personal experience, eating plant-based not only hasn’t limited my options, but it’s actually opened up new realms to explore. If you aren’t a fan of a certain vegetable, try it in a different dish, using a different preparation—you’d be surprised with what you end up liking. And hit up the farmers’ markets. Don’t just stick with boring grocery store green cabbage when you can try savoy, napa cabbage, pointed white cabbage, or Taiwanese flat-head. Go for the shallots, that gorgeous purple cauliflower, the heirloom tomatoes, kabocha squash, little shishito peppers, and anything else that gets you excited to cook and eat.
Please tell us a little bit about your work and career. My career as a chef began when I moved to China in 2019 to train at culinary school. Initially, my plan was to do research on the cuisine for my cookbook, but I fell in love with professional cooking and have been working in restaurant kitchens since then. I joke that I’m a musician gone astray. I have two degrees in piano performance, but I’ve always been interested in food, too, and found the way that cooking combines practice and craft with creativity, personal expression, and bringing people together in a tactile, memorable, and communal experience to be very similar to performing music.
Please tell us a little bit about your new book. My debut cookbook,The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, contains stories both from my travels and culinary school experience, as well as growing up in a Chinese-American family. It features more than a hundred recipes from the subset of Chinese cuisine traditionally centered around simple and delicious ways to prepare vegetables, fruits, and grains. I organized the recipes by ingredient types, so each chapter will contain recipes specifically for leafy greens, fruits like peppers and gourds, root vegetables, grains, tofu, yuba, and seitan, for example. I hope it serves as a practical book to cook from and a reference guide, as well as a source of inspiration. I wrote The Vegan Chinese Kitchen while living in China and Taiwan, but I tested and shot all of the recipes in my parents’ home. They live in a rural area of the United States, an hour away from the nearest Asian grocery, so I know all of the dishes are totally doable and accessible for home cooks in the West!
Since millet is coarse and dry, it’s most often cooked into congee in northern China. The hard yellow grains break down into soft and creamy flecks, and the satiny skin-like layer that develops on the surface of the bowl of congee is considered the most nutritious part. In traditional Chinese medicine, millet is said to support digestion, improve appetite, nourish qi, and prevent blood deficiencies. My mom likes to use northeast-style millet, a variety that’s larger and stickier. It can be found in the dried goods section of Asian supermarkets. This can be a plain congee to accompany savory dishes or steamed buns, or you can add some diced sweet potato, kabocha squash, and jujube dates or goji berries for natural sweetness.
½ cup (100 g) millet 4 cups (960 mL) water 1 cup diced and peeled sweet potato, kabocha squash, or pumpkin (optional) Handful of jujube dates or goji berries (optional)
STOVETOP: Place the millet in a sieve and rinse it thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then add the drained millet and sweet potato or squash (if using). Reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The porridge is done when the millet is tender and the grains have “bloomed.” At this point, you can either serve it immediately or cook it for another 10 minutes for a thicker, creamier consistency. Top with jujube dates or goji berries (if using).
PRESSURE COOKER: Place the millet in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Place the drained millet and water in the inner pot. Program to cook on the manual setting on high pressure for 15 minutes, and set the pressure valve to seal. After the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes. (Do not quick release the pressure as the starchy liquid will clog the valve.)
Che, Hannah. The Vegan Chinese Kitchen (p. 291). Clarkson Potter.
Meet Hannah Che. We had the pleasure of talking with Hannah about food, traditions, stories, and her new cookbook The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. Read the interview, and try her delicious recipe for millet congee.
In your experience, how have you found food to tell a story and shape culture? Coming from an immigrant family, food is the language we use when words don’t suffice. I can learn so much about someone by watching them cook and seeing who they cook for, asking about certain dishes that are special to them, or learning about the people who cooked for them while they were growing up. Food is mundane and ordinary, but eating is something we do three times a day. Just by nature of its universality and frequency, it reveals so much about us. Also, the best conversations I’ve had have been over a meal. Sharing food opens people up like nothing else.
How do you educate people about the intersection of food, history, health, activism, and culture? I always try to include the story behind the recipes I share—either my own personal connection to a specific dish or the origins or traditions that inform my understanding of an ingredient. It’s easy to just present a dish with no context, but having to actually do the work and learn about something you might be unfamiliar with enriches both your knowledge and the experience of the person reading about or eating the food.
What are some plant-based ingredients and vegan dishes you would like to highlight as traditional to your culture? Traditional Chinese home-cooking actually contains very little meat and is centered around vegetables, especially fresh leafy greens. It’s hard to name a single dish because they’re all so delicious, so I want to highlight tofu in particular. Tofu originated in China and served as the main plant-based protein source for the population. It’s considered a common, wholesome ingredient in China, not a vegetarian “meat substitute.” It solved a major food issue: Soybeans were cheap to grow but hard to digest when eaten whole, but soaking and grinding them into soymilk, then curdling the milk into a soft curd produced a supremely digestible and complete protein that could be steamed, boiled, fried, braised, dried, and used in all sorts of delicious ways. Tofu often gets a bad rap in the West, but it’s really an ingenious food and, in my opinion, one of the best inventions in food history.
Do these foods or dishes have any significant meaning or history? There is a whole subset of Chinese cuisine called zhai cai that originated in vegetarian palace cooking and Buddhist temples, where monks fashioned imitation meats using vegetarian ingredients like tofu and tofu skins, mountain yam, gluten or seitan, and grains. It’s an old and highly developed tradition that existed long before modern mock meat brands, and, even today, if you visit Chinese restaurants in the United States or Asia, you’ll find roast duck, pork, and chicken dishes made entirely with vegetarian ingredients.
As a chef, what do you envision as the way forward to encourage people to include more fruits and vegetables into their diets? I’ve found people are really open about trying out new types of food, and the increasing diversity in mainstream food culture is great because every culture cooks vegetables differently and brings its own sets of spices, aromatics, seasonings, and methods you can learn from. In my personal experience, eating plant-based not only hasn’t limited my options, but it’s actually opened up new realms to explore. If you aren’t a fan of a certain vegetable, try it in a different dish, using a different preparation—you’d be surprised with what you end up liking. And hit up the farmers’ markets. Don’t just stick with boring grocery store green cabbage when you can try savoy, napa cabbage, pointed white cabbage, or Taiwanese flat-head. Go for the shallots, that gorgeous purple cauliflower, the heirloom tomatoes, kabocha squash, little shishito peppers, and anything else that gets you excited to cook and eat.
Please tell us a little bit about your work and career. My career as a chef began when I moved to China in 2019 to train at culinary school. Initially, my plan was to do research on the cuisine for my cookbook, but I fell in love with professional cooking and have been working in restaurant kitchens since then. I joke that I’m a musician gone astray. I have two degrees in piano performance, but I’ve always been interested in food, too, and found the way that cooking combines practice and craft with creativity, personal expression, and bringing people together in a tactile, memorable, and communal experience to be very similar to performing music.
Please tell us a little bit about your new book. My debut cookbook,The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, contains stories both from my travels and culinary school experience, as well as growing up in a Chinese-American family. It features more than a hundred recipes from the subset of Chinese cuisine traditionally centered around simple and delicious ways to prepare vegetables, fruits, and grains. I organized the recipes by ingredient types, so each chapter will contain recipes specifically for leafy greens, fruits like peppers and gourds, root vegetables, grains, tofu, yuba, and seitan, for example. I hope it serves as a practical book to cook from and a reference guide, as well as a source of inspiration. I wrote The Vegan Chinese Kitchen while living in China and Taiwan, but I tested and shot all of the recipes in my parents’ home. They live in a rural area of the United States, an hour away from the nearest Asian grocery, so I know all of the dishes are totally doable and accessible for home cooks in the West!
Since millet is coarse and dry, it’s most often cooked into congee in northern China. The hard yellow grains break down into soft and creamy flecks, and the satiny skin-like layer that develops on the surface of the bowl of congee is considered the most nutritious part. In traditional Chinese medicine, millet is said to support digestion, improve appetite, nourish qi, and prevent blood deficiencies. My mom likes to use northeast-style millet, a variety that’s larger and stickier. It can be found in the dried goods section of Asian supermarkets. This can be a plain congee to accompany savory dishes or steamed buns, or you can add some diced sweet potato, kabocha squash, and jujube dates or goji berries for natural sweetness.
½ cup (100 g) millet 4 cups (960 mL) water 1 cup diced and peeled sweet potato, kabocha squash, or pumpkin (optional) Handful of jujube dates or goji berries (optional)
STOVETOP: Place the millet in a sieve and rinse it thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then add the drained millet and sweet potato or squash (if using). Reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The porridge is done when the millet is tender and the grains have “bloomed.” At this point, you can either serve it immediately or cook it for another 10 minutes for a thicker, creamier consistency. Top with jujube dates or goji berries (if using).
PRESSURE COOKER: Place the millet in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Place the drained millet and water in the inner pot. Program to cook on the manual setting on high pressure for 15 minutes, and set the pressure valve to seal. After the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes. (Do not quick release the pressure as the starchy liquid will clog the valve.)
Che, Hannah. The Vegan Chinese Kitchen (p. 291). Clarkson Potter.
[00:00:00] Detective Ev: Alright. Hello everyone and welcome to our special announcement about our Health Coach Mastery program. We will explain what that is. If you already saw this on Instagram, I will admit it’s probably going to be a little different than that one, but it’s similar content.
I don’t know how much you would necessarily get out of this unless you happen to be catching it Live and want to ask some questions. You’re more than welcome to do that. But hopefully you haven’t seen this yet and it’s kind of exciting. Because, for the longest time, I think we have marketed ourselves at the FDN program as health coaching, which it can be, but it’s not exclusively that.
We finally have an answer for this. We finally have a way that we can help people that are interested in that side. And with me, I have Dr. Lori Rose who was on with us for the Instagram. I got to meet her for the first time there, like, in person, face-to-face, let’s call it that. Maybe that’s a better way of saying it. We just have energy that bounces off each other really nicely.
This will also be repurposed on our podcast since we have better audio quality here than on Instagram. I’m excited for people to get to hear about this. Welcome to, well, not the podcast, but our show, I guess, today. How are you?
[00:01:02] Dr. Lori Rose: I’m wonderful. Thank you for having me again. I’m so excited to talk about this course, to talk about the difference between FDN consulting and what this new thing is we’re offering and why it’s such an important new tool to add to the toolbox for health practitioners out there.
Dr. Lori’s Background
[00:01:20] Detective Ev: Sure. And the FDN consulting thing, I really like that word. We’ll definitely explain that further as we go along here. Now, Dr. Lori, the one thing we have to do, just because people that are watching this today or especially on our podcast, it’s definitely a different audience than our Instagram. I don’t want to make you repeat everything that we said last time, but I definitely would love to just get an intro on you.
Because I remember when I first got added to the email with you. I said, all right, this is like 13 or 14 letters after this person’s name. She has an extensive background and in the traditional sciences as well. I think that’s very validating for what we’re doing.
Sometimes it’s crazy. It’s less and less, but sometimes people still look at FDN stuff or functional medicine in general as like woo-woo or whatever. I’m like, this is extremely science-based, and I think people like you bring so much credibility to that. So, what is your background before you got into the functional side of things, the natural side?
[00:02:12] Dr. Lori Rose: Absolutely. One thing I like to start off saying is don’t let the letters intimidate you. Because it was really just me following my passions. I’m just a super nerd who has always loved school. I’m in like 15 courses right now. It’s just what I do. It’s like learning is my hobby.
My background was originally, in biology. I have a biology PhD, I’m a published scientist. I did ecological research and then I got more into the nutrition field. So, I pursued nutrition and became a board-certified holistic nutritionist, and that led me into herbalism. So, now I’m a board-certified herbalist.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Definition of Coaching
I’m also a board-certified health coach. And the health coach thing was sort of a serendipitous accident, which we’ll get into. But it’s something you’ve already sort of alluded to, is like the word “coach” means different things to different people. The formal definition is quite different than what people in the health field really think of as a coach.
That was a really exciting part of my journey and my training. It’s one of my favorite things to embed in my educational courses for health practitioners because I just think it’s so important.
[00:03:34] Detective Ev: I’m always super impressed by people like this. I mean, I love learning. I think anyone in FDN does and I spend my time learning something pretty much every day. But there’s people that do it in a very formal way too, where they can actually get some credentials for it. And I’m always fascinated.
I’m like, all right, this person’s young. Like what happens when you’re 80, 90 years old? Like, what would you have accumulated over time? You know, how many letters then? How much knowledge can this person walk around with? I always think that’s cool.
And it is tough, defining the difference between the coach and the consulting thing. The way that I always explain this on the calls with people, if I’m talking to someone interested in the FDN course, is that the traditional definition, like the old definition of coaching, cause we’ve kind of redefined it, was supposedly someone who would more help an individual set and achieve health goals. Right?
You could probably explain that even better. But that’s kind of how I always saw health coaching. Whereas with us, FDN, the original program for FDN, was just health consulting.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Bridge The Want & The Action
Take a business coach and a consultant. I think we’re a little more prepared and productive than this, but a consultant might be someone that you just call up and say, all right, I’m having this specific problem at this specific time. What can I do? And they give their guidance.
Versus a business coach might help you with the mindset side and help you figure out how to organize your business. Right? Again, I think we’re a little more in depth than that type of consulting, but that would be a fair way to say it.
Before we get into the differences of programs, even, I’d love to hear it from your mouth, cause you can probably do it better than me. How would you define the differences between traditional “health coaching” quote/unquote, and then like FDN consulting type of thing.
[00:05:09] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah, absolutely.
And I think you did a great job. Like to my simplified explaining the difference is consulting is essentially, tell me what to do cause I don’t know what to do. Right? Like, fix me. Versus coaching is more, help me do what I want to do, but I don’t know why I’m not doing it.
You can imagine as a health practitioner, well, if any of you have ever had a client, you’ve experienced this, and even you as a person have experienced this. There are goals that our clients have or that we have as people that we’re just not committing to and we’re just not taking action with. What coaching does is help bridge the want and the action. It helps get you over whatever hurdles are preventing you or the lack of motivation to actually get you to commit and take action and achieve your goals.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Utilize Those Coaching Tools
So, you can see how as a practitioner, this is a crucial skill to have if you don’t have it. Because we can tell people what to do all day. Right? But doing it is up to them. When they do it, that’s because of them and their motivation. But we, as practitioners, are like, oh yeah, I helped them so much. Really, it was because those were the clients who did what we told them to do versus the clients who didn’t do that. That also wasn’t our fault, and it wasn’t their fault. It’s just what happens as humans.
But if we as practitioners are like, oh, they say they want to do this. They’re not doing this. Now let me use my coaching tools; now let me coach them over whatever is preventing them from being successful and committing. Well then, all of our clients will eventually succeed with their goals.
[00:06:59] Detective Ev: Absolutely. I love that part that you just talked about where it’s these things that we kind of want to do but we “can’t” quote/unquote do it. This is called being human, right? Each one of us has this in individual areas, cause it’s kind of funny. I was just actually talking with a friend about this yesterday.
My one friend and I went to a gym and the guy behind the desk was a high school friend, literally someone that we hadn’t seen for a while. He just started working there, huge, jacked guy. Now, he shares this publicly. This is a guy who struggled with drug addiction, stuff like that.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Extra Support
But he goes to the gym. You will never stop that guy from doing what he does. It’s his non-negotiable. Doesn’t need a coach, he’s good to go. Where for myself, I’ll eat the healthy food all day long. I can discipline myself like that, not even a question. I can catch sunrise; I can do those things.
But then I started martial arts last year. And I realized, all right, I wanted to do this 10 years ago, I still haven’t done it. And so maybe it’s a good idea to have some one-on-one coaching here to make sure I show up at the times I need to show up, I stay consistent. If I have fear around it, I can keep going. The health coaching space is quite lucrative and quite rewarding, which is what you need in a business. You do need both. You want it to be profitable, but you also want it to be ethical and rewarding.
I think so many human beings, we struggle around the health side because when we’re trying to change that, not only is it just tough in general because foods are addicting and stuff, but we look around at the rest of the world and most people aren’t doing what we’re doing. There’s a lot of barriers and having that extra support can help out.
So, you helped create this new program that we have at FDN, and this is something that FDNs can take. But it’s also something that someone could go through Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and just take this program and never really do the lab side. In a perfect world, they would do both. But it could be a good program for a specific type of person that wants to do a specific thing.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Cutting-Edge Science and Health Strategies
Let’s take the FDN course out of it for just a moment, that’s the consulting side. We’re diving deep, deep into lab work and really helping people with severe chronic health issues and hidden stressors as we always talk about. What will they learn in this Health Coach Mastery program? And then what will it allow them to do? Because I know what it allows them to do is also a huge reason we created this.
[00:09:06] Dr. Lori Rose: Absolutely.
So, the coaching board itself defined certain criteria that every coaching school has to include. It’s a 75-hour coaching program, like in total. You’ll learn coaching skills, you’ll learn the science-backed step by step process of how to help clients who are stuck in sort of lack of commitment, lack of motivation, and you’ll bridge them to action and to commitment.
There are dozens and dozens of steps and there are dozens of tools that you use different times with clients of different needs to help them get to where they want to be. But you also are required to learn certain conventional health-based information – the top five most common diseases and what to do about those, common lab results and what those might look like for the client. Cause the coaching board wants coaches to be educated on health, the general health information.
But what we did in our program is we thought, what’s the most effective way to teach those, both, coaching skills to our students and those health facts to our students. So, we didn’t take the conventional, typical, approach of like the information that you can just Google. We teach you health-based information with cutting edge science and health strategies.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Above & Beyond
You get to take a mitochondria course, which is like the foundation of health that no one’s talking about. You get to take a coaching tools course, but that’s also embedded with these stress reduction strategies in this mental and emotional wellness framework to help our clients reduce stress.
And then because lab work is such a big part of FDN and is such an important way to help clients, we also included a basic blood chemistry training that most coaches don’t get. The blood chemistry isn’t required for coaches, but we use that to teach you the things you do have to know for the coaching board, but you also get like a little cherry on top of getting this additional lab work assessment training.
And then you get to learn some foundational herbal tools, how to use plants to effectively help your clients for every organ system, how to make herbal medicine, et cetera. It’s a really unique coaching program compared to all the dozens of other coaching programs that are going to teach you just the basic, here’s what you need to know for the board and here’s what it is. We went above and beyond to give you information that we thought was crucial to help our clients in every sort of angle of health.
[00:12:17] Detective Ev: Cool. I really love how there’s those aspects. Actually, believe it or not, our conversation last time provoked me, not to do the whole thing yet because I don’t necessarily feel like I want to take that route with NBHWC and stuff personally. But I am going to be going through the coaching one. So, I have that program now, like that one advanced course. I’m excited. I want to learn about that stuff.
Health Coach Mastery Program: NBHWC
I think if you know how to coach well you are learning communication skills just in life, right? You can use this for yourself, you could use this in your intimate relationships. I can’t imagine you getting worse by going through something like that. So, I’m personally excited.
By the way, we actually have a fair amount of Live viewers today. No matter where you’re at watching this, if you drop anything in the chat, it will come to us, and we can actually answer those Live for you. So, feel free to do that at any time. Although we still have plenty to cover for sure on our end.
One of the other things I wanted to say here is, we talked about what you’ll learn, and I’m sure we can go even deeper into that. But it’s also why. Like what are we actually trying to achieve here? What would someone want to do with this? And the big thing that people keep asking about is NBHWC, which is the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches.
You and I had such an objective conversation about this last time on Instagram. We explained for some people this could be a great thing to go through. For others, they might not resonate with this at all, and it could actually restrict them depending on what they’re trying to do.
So, NBHWC, what is that? Why did we even want to create a program that would fit the needs for that? Like why is this becoming a bigger thing?
[00:13:45] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah, that’s an awesome question especially because there are multiple coaching boards.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Open Doors
So, why pick this board to align with and to facilitate our students to be able to pursue if they want to? Why this board?
Well, this particular board is going leaps and bounds and putting forth tons of effort to legitimize the coaching field. They’re working with the conventional medicine side of health; they’re working with Congress; they’re working with the insurance side of health. And because they’ve been so successful legitimizing and defining coaching and explaining and showing the science that proves that coaching is effective and that coaching works, many, many, many, many jobs require their health coaches to have an NBHWC certification.
So, pursuing the certification can open tons of doors. Even if someone’s like, I’m more aligned with consulting. I see how coaching can help me with those stuck clients that I do have, which is going to happen. So, the coaching tools are crucial. Even if the board certification wasn’t something they were completely aligned with, it could open doors, right? Multiple streams of income of like, okay, I’ll go here and do all my coaching stuff, I’ll do my FDN stuff over here, or I’ll combine them. Having those doors open for being board certified is just an amazing additional perk.
[00:15:27] Detective Ev: Right. And there is one thing here, because again, for some people this could be the perfect path. But you even brought up this idea of the possibility of insurance in the future. We’re working on that typo, by the way. So, if you’re watching Live, it says YNBHWC. It is NBHWC, National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Insurance Induced Limitations
I think the best way to relate to this audience, I think we did this last time, is almost thinking about a chiropractor or an acupuncturist. If you’ve ever been to one of those places, some of them might have been insurance-based and some of them might have been cash-based.
We’re getting a little ahead because these things are not covered by insurance yet, but it is looking like that’s what’s going to happen. Certainly that’s their goal. That’s what they’re fighting for and they’ll probably achieve it.
When you go to a chiropractor who you can get covered by insurance. Since Western Medicine doesn’t always fully aligned with what we like to do as natural and functional practitioners, there are only certain manipulations that that chiro can do. It’s actually very limited if you look it up. Now, you’ll pay less, cause your insurance covers it. Maybe you have your copay or nothing at all. You’re like, okay, I’ll go to that person today. But you got that particular service.
Whereas the chiropractor I go to is cash-based. Yes, I do pay a little more, but he’s got every gizmo and gadget you can imagine. I do cash-based for the acupuncturist that I go to right down the road. They are phenomenal, but they couldn’t do these things covered by insurance.
So, FDN consulting, the lab side, is not going to necessarily be anything that’s covered by insurance. And even if it was, I don’t think we’d want that because, again, we’d be limited in some way. This is where we need to think about, one, what is our goal? What resonates with us more? Are you more of a coach at heart or a consultant?
Health Coach Mastery Program: Enormous Benefit
Again, you can be both. That’s not what we’re saying here. But in terms of like, choosing a career path, I know a lot of people call, and I wish it wasn’t this way, but some of them are totally intimidated, Dr. Lori, by the business side. I try to coach them through that. Ironically, coach them. But it’s not for them and that’s okay. That is perfectly fine if that’s not for them.
So, I think this is fair to say that it’s a better path for someone maybe looking for a more secure job, even though they might make a little less overall. Wouldn’t this be a good path for someone that’s actually looking to get hired somewhere since so many places are looking for the NBHWC thing?
[00:17:39] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah. So just to clarify, is what you’re asking is getting the actual board certification more the path if someone wants to get hired out, not taking our course? Because one thing I do want to say is, you can take the course and get all the skills and apply them to whatever practitioner, entrepreneurial job you have, and find enormous benefit.
But yes, then adding the board certification after our training, that’s one benefit, is it would open doors for people to then get hired by some of these other more conventional fields where you can then hopefully accept the insurance. One pro of that is it does open doors for us to be able to help people on a lower income bracket. Right?
Health Coach Mastery Program: A Bit of Freedom
Because let’s not lie and say that we’re cheap and affordable. Like the holistic field requires some cash from our clients and it’s a huge investment. Some people just can’t do that. And so having that be part of what you pursue, I think, is a really important thing that we need in this country.
But another benefit is, it was a great question you brought up last time, yeah, anything that’s going to conflict with conventional medicine will never be able to accept insurance. Anything that’s like, oh, the holistic version of medicine like herbalism or FDN, we will never be able to merge those. It’s going to be holistic or conventional, and you’re going to have to choose.
But with coaching, because it doesn’t conflict with dietician versus holistic nutrition or conventional versus herbalism, there’s no conflicting tools there. There’s nothing that an insurance company would have to restrict because each one of those tools is science backed and isn’t like political or lobbyist game for like, oh, let’s make sure only we can do that.
And so, it does give a bit of freedom for the people who do choose to add the board certification after taking our course and go the sort of work through the conventional insurance route.
[00:20:02] Detective Ev: Well, that’s awesome.
And yeah, thank you for bringing up the idea that you don’t have to necessarily go pursue NBHWC after this because everything that you would learn in there is still very beneficial to a health person or consultant or whatever we want to call it.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Pursue Both
But it is a route to that for the people interested because, again, there’s a percentage. It’s not the majority by any means, but there’s a percentage that call and they are really interested in our program solely because of that. We’re still listed on their website. Rightfully so, cause we have this great new program.
We have some comments and questions here, Dr. Lori. You kind of answered this in some way, but maybe it’s good to have it direct. Someone said, “would I look at this program before or after the certification?” I’m guessing they mean FDN itself.
[00:20:46] Dr. Lori Rose: Okay. I’ll just answer both. So if you’re interested in both FDN practitioner consulting and coaching, the more coaching, motivational interviewing, help bridge the gap between goals kind of thing, it really just depends. You don’t even have to choose one before the other. You can learn them both at the same time and take them both at the same time because they complement each other so well.
In my personal opinion, I think coaching on its own, while it’s wonderful, you are missing so many ways to help your clients without having the consultant stuff. But I also think consulting, just on its own, you are missing so many ways to help your clients without having the coaching stuff. So, there’s not a one before the other thing. It’s like, man, if you’re interested in both, pursue both if you can.
If the question was, should I do this program before or after board certification, the clarification there is that our program would provide the education and training to then get board certified. And the board certification after you finish our course, it’s just a test that you take.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Pre-Recorded & Live Parts
[00:22:05] Detective Ev: That makes total sense. Thank you for answering both. And honestly, from the podcast side, like people listen while they’re in the kitchen, while they’re driving, they may have missed us saying it before anyway. So, I appreciate that.
“Are there any prerequisites to joining this program?” Because people always ask that about the main FDN course with the lab side, the answer for that, just to be clear, is no. But would there be any prereqs for this?
[00:22:27] Dr. Lori Rose: Same answer. No pre-reqs, just interest.
[00:22:31] Detective Ev: Yeah. And a dedication to this stuff. Right? You actually have to want to do it. Because we do put good information, it’s going to require studying. You’re going to have to work, but it’s worth it.
“Sounds like so much to learn.” “Amazing topics.” “How long does it take to get through this program, the Health Coach Mastery One?”
[00:22:47] Dr. Lori Rose: That’s a really great question too.
Something we didn’t touch on is, the courses I mentioned earlier when I was explaining what do you learn in the program, those were the pre-recorded parts of the program. But then there’s also a Live part of the program where you get practice coaching, and you actually get to see clients and coach those clients while getting Live feedback from our mentors and our coaches. Altogether, it’s 75 hours.
There’s going to be two people that hear that. One type of person who says, oh, 75 hours, I can do that in two days. Let’s do it. And then there’s going to be another person who’s like 75 hours, is that going to take me 75 years? Right? I want to address both of those people.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Six Months is the Average
Even though it’s just 75 hours, there are some steps in the process where you have to have some breaks in between. So, the fastest you can complete the course is around three months. On average, we guess it’s going to take people about six months to complete the course, but we give you a year to complete the course.
So, 12 months, 75 hours in 12 months, that’s totally doable. We definitely think like half a year is a good average to estimate.
[00:24:09] Detective Ev: This is so great too. This applies to all FDN courses. I love the self-paced aspect.
We’re not condemning another program, but there are some places that say it’s a year or two years. You’re like, why? That was just because we kind of decided that’s what it is. But everyone learns at a different pace so why should I not have that ability to do it on my own time when I want? Then again, there’s Live aspects and that’s fine, but you can figure that out. So, that applies for both the main FDN course and this Health Coach Mastery one.
I’m thinking if the average person is going to likely finish this in six months, how much more value they’re even getting and knowledge they’re getting than a lot of the ones that take 12. Now you can do that faster, you become more qualified, and you just learn a bunch of great stuff that, again, might not be taught in a lot of these other programs.
“How much is the course overall?” So, this is the Health Coach Mastery course. If I don’t say that again, someone is going to hit me up and be like, oh, you said the FDN main course is this amount.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Discounted by Previously Purchased Included Courses
[00:25:01] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah. Keep in mind there’s an FDN Consultant Practitioner course, and then we are talking about the Health Coach Mastery course – those coaching tools to either learn and implement as a standalone coach or embed in your already practitioner kind of program or future practitioner program if you’re not a practitioner yet.
The Health Coach Mastery Program itself is like a couple dollars under $5,000 and that includes all 75 hours. So, all the recorded hours of the four courses I mentioned and the Live hours and the training with the mentor and all of the practicing with clients and getting feedback from our mentors and our coaches, the whole thing, including a bunch of support, which we may get into in just a minute. That’s all of it.
[00:25:53] Detective Ev: Okay. And what if, like for myself, I had purchased the Advanced Blood Chemistry course, it was the first advanced course I ever got. Let’s say I’m an FDN listening, I already am certified, but I’d like to do this, but I already went through some of the advanced courses that are included. How would that work for me payment wise? Would I get any discount from that, or no?
[00:26:12] Dr. Lori Rose: Absolutely. Yeah, you get the reduction of whatever courses you’ve already had. Like you said, you just signed up for the coaching course, you’ve already had blood chemistry course, so for the recorded courses, you would just pay for the ones you haven’t had. And then the remainder of whatever the Live courses are.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Included Support
[00:26:30] Detective Ev: Cool. I’m going to get myself to the point, eventually, where it’s like, dude, just finish this. Cause you got all this other stuff.
“What support is included while going through HCM?” Which is Health Coach Mastery. I gotta probably say it out loud every time cause people might not know the acronym by heart yet.
[00:26:45] Dr. Lori Rose: Absolutely.
This is another amazing part of our Health Coach Mastery board certification program compared to many, many, many of the others. A lot of the other programs give you just the bare minimum, not very much practice, not very much support, and say, okay, now go forth and figure it out on your own.
So, within the course, we want to make sure you all not only learn the definition tools of coaching and not just the like practice one time on a client kind of coaching. We want you to be confident coaches. So, you get 37 Live hours of coaching practice of you actually coaching clients. That’s something very few other coaching courses include. That’s within the program.
Once you complete the program, you also get one-on-one test training support. You get a Facebook group while you’re in the program and after the program where you can communicate and ask questions and get support. There are all sorts of handouts, both test prep handouts and other handouts that support you within the course.
[00:28:01] Detective Ev: Very cool. Sorry to jump around with the questions. One thing I think I forgot to ask, even with the $5,000 price or the $4,997, if I’m someone that wants to do this, can I do that in payment installments, or does it all have to be upfront?
Health Coach Mastery Program: NBHWC Exam Applications
[00:28:14] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah, we do have payment plans. I can’t remember how many installments there are, but we do offer payment plans.
[00:28:21] Detective Ev: That’s nice.
[00:28:24] Dr. Lori Rose: Someone just let me know. We have 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month payment plan options. That’s really awesome.
[00:28:30] Detective Ev: Yeah. One nice thing about that too is that’s not something typically offered on our advanced courses. It’s kind of a nice way to loop that all in for a really affordable price if you’re looking to do the coaching side too.
Someone just asked, “how long after finishing can you sit for the exam, meaning NBHWC’s exam?” “How long does it take after the exam to get NBHWC certified?”
[00:28:53] Dr. Lori Rose: That’s a really good question.
The coaching board offers tests four times a year. It really depends on when you finish. If you finish the day that they open up applications for the exam, then you can apply that day. But the way it works is they take applications for the exam and then a couple months later you sit for the test. It will be a few months versus if you finish and they just closed an application window, it could be several months.
People can get familiar with when the application windows are and when the testing windows are because they’re the same every single year. Those are posted on the coaching board website. You can time your completion date to be right before an application window. That way you can test as quickly as possible.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Two-Year Degree or Two Years’ Work Experience
Then after you take the board exam, it can take several months for them to grade them and get back with you. One of the virtues I say that the coaching board has taught me is patience. Because you’ve gotta wait to apply, then you’ve gotta wait to test, and you’ve gotta wait for your results. But that’s okay, right? Patience is a virtue.
[00:30:11] Detective Ev: Yes. And one thing that I should mention, it actually hasn’t been asked, but I feel like this might come up, is this idea of like, will I get everything, literally everything that I need if I go through Health Coach Mastery to actually go do this and sit for that board certification.
What’s so funny is, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I learned this last time from you, it’s a very interesting one. You could have an associate’s degree, but you don’t need that. What it could be alternatively is two years of work experience. And you’re like, oh, well, relevant work experience? Right? But it’s like, no. I could have worked in my parents’ restaurant for two years and that’s my two years of work experience. So, we have everything except that. Is that correct?
[00:30:47] Dr. Lori Rose: Yeah. Correct. The coaching board requires either a two-year degree in any field or two years’ work experience in any field. You have to provide proof of that. We don’t provide that.
Health Coach Mastery Program: 50 Coaching Sessions Required
Then the other thing that we may or may not guarantee, I mentioned there are 37 Live coaching hours embedded in the program. Well, the coaching board requires 50 coaching sessions before you can apply for the coaching board. It is very possible to get those 50 coaching sessions within those 37 Live hours.
However, that’s not something we can predict or guarantee because it’s you all bringing in your clients and coaching. And so, anything that you don’t get, let’s say you get like 37 coaching sessions instead of 50, you have to get those before you can apply for the coaching board.
[00:31:45] Detective Ev: Okay, cool. Thank you for that transparency. And what’s nice though, just to be clear, is this still makes it 10 times easier than any other thing out there right now if this is your goal.
Someone said, “that is awesome.” Yes, it is.
I actually think too, this is kind of where we ended up timewise, finalizing things last time. So, one thing I’d like to ask you, just in summary, and especially for people on the podcast. I just almost feel like I know them now and I know what questions they’re going to ask and what’s going to come up.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Coaching is the First Tool Set to Get
For someone like you who has this brilliant mix of left brain and right brain, this real big logic and science side, and then also clearly are really great socially and care about humans and stuff, so you like that coaching side too, how could we, if we could only choose one right now, maybe they can’t make the investment in both and maybe they just want to get into this field as quick as possible, how would you maybe give some advice to the person listening if they know they want to do one of these things but they’re not sure? Is there anything that you could tell them?
[00:32:44] Dr. Lori Rose: Okay, that’s a tough question for me to answer, but I’m going to answer it honestly.
In my full school that I teach where I teach nutrition and herbalism and coaching, like all built into one, I teach coaching the very first semester. And I do that for multiple reasons. One, most people don’t even know what coaching is and so they don’t know they’re missing it.
I said at the beginning that it was a serendipitous accident that I learned about coaching and became a coach. I thought I was taking a nutrition school. It wasn’t, it was a coaching school. At first, I was like, why am I not learning a whole bunch of facts? Come on. But what I was learning was how to help anyone with any problem.
That’s why I think coaching is like the first tool set to get. Because in most health fields, you learn how to help people with food and exercise, right? That’s sort of the skillset that holistic practitioners have – food and exercise, here’s what you eat, here’s what you do in your day.
Health Coach Mastery Program: Coaching Can Help You Do It
Health is so much more than that. It’s everything, right? Health is anything that impacts you on a day-to-day activity. Because that influences your stress and your sleep and everything, your relationships and your finances, all of those things impact your health.
So, if you’re a health coach, you have tools to help someone who comes to you who’s stressed out about their car, even if you don’t know anything about cars. You have the tools to help someone who comes to you who’s stressed out about their restaurant that they own, even if you’ve never owned a restaurant. You can help literally everyone with any problem, with anything, even if you haven’t been trained on those outside things, because that’s what coaching is.
Coaching isn’t telling people what to do. It’s no matter what you want to do that you’re not doing; we can help you do it. That’s what coaching is. And so once you have that skillset, then you can add the nutrition facts and the lab facts and the exercise facts and all those, and the supplement facts, right? You can add that to your tool set to help people who have goals in those areas.
But what about the people who are stressed out about things not in those areas? Well, that’s where coaching can help, and that’s why I think coaching comes first.
[00:35:16] Detective Ev: I love that and it’s such a powerful question to end on, except we got one more in the comment. So, I’m going to throw that at you too. I thank you very much for participating with us today, everyone.
Someone said, “if we are already practicing, can we use our own coaching hours to apply to the 50 hours for NBHWC?”
Health Coach Mastery Program: Pass Three Mentor Sessions
[00:35:34] Dr. Lori Rose: That’s an excellent question and it’s, sort of – that’s the answer.
Within the coaching training there is a point where you practice on your very first coaching client, and you work with a mentor over three different coaching sessions. And for each one of those sessions, the mentor gives you constructive feedback.
We talk about the strengths; we talk about tweaks that you may need. And so, by the third one of those mentor sessions, you get graded. And when you pass that third mentor session (which we coach you to do, like that’s what the mentor sessions are for), when you pass that third mentor session, then any coaching session after that counts towards your 50.
So, as soon as you work with your mentor and you pass that third mentor session, everything after that counts towards your 50.
[00:36:29] Detective Ev: Very cool. Seems fair to me.
Okay. That looks like it’s it for the questions. And I hope this is okay with our team. I have to ask this because technically, again, this is on the podcast, and I haven’t had you on yet. So, we actually have a signature question on the Health Detective Podcast. That question normally is, if I could give you, in this case, a magic wand and you could get every single person in this world to do one thing for their health (you could either get them all to start doing one thing, or you can get all of us to stop doing one thing), what is the one thing that Dr. Lori would get them to do?
[00:36:59] Dr. Lori Rose: That is such a coaching question.
[00:37:04] Detective Ev: See, I’m doing good already.
[00:37:05] Dr. Lori Rose: That’s a coaching question.
Signature Question & Conclusion
Okay. I think mine would be to have more fun, like have fun.
People forget. Like we’re calorie tracking and we’re exercising and we’re doing this and we’re getting enough vitamin D and we’re thinking about all of these things and we’re so rigid and routine. Fun and laughter and smiling are crucial components of health. I think if we all did that, we would have more dopamine and serotonin and be nicer to each other.
[00:37:40] Detective Ev: I love that. It’s always the people that I find with the most credentials that have the seemingly simple answers. I hope people realize there’s actually something profound to that. Not simple, it’s the opposite.
If you guys are interested in this course, you can actually find it the same place you find our main FDN course. It is functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com. And then under our homepage, you’ll see the programs tab. It’s the second one down right there. So you can find it right there. I believe it is in
our comments as well. I can show that for you guys. Okay, cool. Functional Diagnostic Nutrition.com. You could go under programs or this very long link. We also have that for you as well.
Dr. Lori, thank you so much for hopping on with me again. If you don’t mind, I might have to steal you for a more formal podcast thing, just to pick your biology-loving, coaching, having brain.
That’d be awesome.
Absolutely.
[00:38:28] Dr. Lori Rose: I’m down.
[00:38:29] Detective Ev: Cool. Thank you guys so much.
Rhubarb season is short, and that only makes us appreciate this tart vegetable even more. Every spring, we look forward to cooking and baking with rhubarb because it’s fleeting and special! If you think the only things you can make with rhubarb are jam and pie, we have many more ways to use rhubarb that you can enjoy!
Culinary Nutrition Benefits of Rhubarb
Nutritionally speaking, rhubarb is:
Rhubarb is very tart – some may even describe it as bitter – and tastes much better if you add sweetness to it (we like using natural sweeteners), though not so much that you mask its lovely acidity. While you can eat rhubarb stalks raw, as they are extremely fibrous, we prefer to cook them so they soften (this also releases some of its juice). Do not eat the leaves – they are poisonous!
Check out some of our favourite ways to use rhubarb below and let us know yours too!
15 Ways to Use Rhubarb
Photo: Monika Grabkowska on UnSplash
Jam
Yes, rhubarb jam is a classic and that’s why it’s first on our list! With minimal ingredients, jam gives rhubarb the chance to shine. If you don’t have canning experience, you can easily make freezer jam. To help your jam thicken, add a bit of apple for its natural pectin or try a few spoonfuls of omega 3-rich chia seeds.
Pie
You can have apple pie at almost any time of the year – make your springtime special by baking up a delicious rhubarb pie.
Tarts or Galettes
A simple rhubarb filling or chopped rhubarb can take your gluten-free desserts to the next level. If tart crusts are too fussy for you, try making a galette – it’s free-form and rustic, and shows off rhubarb nicely.
Chutney
Rhubarb chutney offers a tart complement to many dishes. We like to use it as a savory sandwich spread, dollop it over meat or tofu, serve it with gluten-free crackers and dairy-free cheese, roll it up in dumplings with vegetables, and dip chickpea flatbread in it.
Muffins or Scones
Instead of dried fruit or chocolate chips, fold in finely chopped rhubarb into your muffin and scone recipes. If you’re puzzled by gluten-free baking, this Gluten-Free Flour Guide and Substitution Reference has you covered.
Fruit Compote
Rhubarb compote is extremely simple – you just stew rhubarb and a sweetener on the stovetop until it breaks down and becomes soft and gooey. It’s one of our favourite ways to use rhubarb! You can make this with rhubarb only, toss in additional fruits like apples, strawberries or raspberries, or enhance it with pantry spices like ginger or cinnamon. It’s amazing to eat on its own, and we love dolloping it on oatmeal, ice cream, dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free cheesecake, or brownies.
We’ll never get tired of new ice cream flavours! Blend cooked or fresh rhubarb into your dairy-free ice cream recipes, or swirl some rhubarb compote throughout.
There aren’t too many vegetables that go well in crumbles, but rhubarb is definitely an exception. Keep your crumble rhubarb-only or try it with a mix of different seasonal fruits.
Soda or Elixir Syrup
Simmer up some rhubarb and a natural sweetener of your choice, then strain the solids. Add splashes of the resulting liquid to soda water, mocktails, iced elixirs, iced teas, or sip a shot glass on its own.
Savory Sauce
Not all ways to use rhubarb are sweet treats! Add aromatics like onions, garlic, and ginger, as well as spices such as cumin, coriander, and allspice, along with apple cider vinegar and you’ve got an amazing savory sauce to complement fish, poultry, pork, meat or tofu. You could also amp up the creaminess with coconut milk or nut or seed milk, if you’d like.
If you’ve ever tried apple and butternut squash soup, paired grilled stone fruits or berries with a salad, or dotted your gluten-free pizza with fresh figs, you’ll know that fruit complements a wide range of savory dishes! Try chopping up some rhubarb for some zing in your next pot of soup or one-pot stew meal.
If you’re looking for an idea to start with, try adding a cup of chopped rhubarb to the pot the next time you make tomato soup. Blend up the mixture with some cashews or thick coconut milk for extra luxuriousness.
Oven Roasted
We adore the caramelization that happens when we roast rhubarb in the oven with the simplest of adornments such as coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon.
If you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and trying new recipes, one of these rhubarb beauties may be the next thing you make!
There is confusion on whether it is OK to cook with heat with olive oil because of the oil’s smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature at which oil starts emitting a bluish smoke. If oil is heated past the smoke point, oil begins to break down, react with the oxygen, and free radicals are produced ruining the flavor, but it is also producing harmful inflammatory pro-oxidants (not good).
According to the North American Olive Oil Association, the extra virgin olive oil smoke point range is 350⁰ to 410⁰ F. 350 degrees is about what your medium burner heat is on. So, it’s OK to heat olive oil using a medium burner with medium heat. Please do not high heat olive oil. NO big stir-fries, YES to a quick sauté.
Again, it is OK to heat olive oil on medium, low-medium and low heat for sautéing your food. DO NOT use olive oil on high heat. In the oven, I would not exceed 350 degrees using olive oil. If you would like to use higher heat, I would choose avocado oil, which has a smoke point of 520 degrees. If you like the flavor of olive oil, drizzle a bit over your food after you take it off the heat.
Breakfast Avocado toast Eggs, potatoes, tomato ‘pancake’ with side greens
Lunch So many Greek salads Grilled fish Chicken gyros Stuffed grape leaves Fresh juices + wine (started out ordering more fresh juices, and as the week progressed, and I slowed down, I ordered wine. It was so so good.)
Dinner More wine More Greek salads More fish Fava bean dip Tomato fritters
It was delightful to live the Greek cuisine/Med diet. I LOVED it, and didn’t come home feeling bloated, heavier or digestively unhappy at all, which is a true testament to its healthful guidelines.
