The Ancestral RDs Podcast

Thanks for joining us for episode 60 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “In an earlier podcast, you said it was very important to have a wide variety of foods in one’s diet. Could you explain why we need variety?” Do you find yourself buying the same foods at the grocery store week after week and eating basically the same foods day after day? Many of us have a tendency to stick the same foods for the sake of convenience or due to a restrictive diet. We often find ourselves in a food rut as a result. You’ve probably heard the phrase "variety is the spice of life." But when it comes to our diet, is variety really that big of a deal?  Join us today as we talk about why food variety is important to health and share how balance and diversity in food choices can cultivate a healthy enjoyment of eating. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: How lack of variety in the diet makes it difficult to get the different types and amounts of micronutrients you need Laura’s work with real food recipes for tube feeds How the microbiome is affected by the diversity, and lack thereof, of foods in your diet The other components of plant foods that feed your gut bacteria besides fiber How often you should diversify the foods in your diet to avoid problematic effects on gut bacteria When lack of variety leads to under eating How to add diversity to your diet even within the context of restricting certain foods due to a health condition How eating too much of the same foods can lead to excess exposure of natural toxins and compounds in foods The effect of our current food system on food diversity and how your choices can influence both your health and the health of the environment How lack of variety in our diet can impact enjoyment in eating and thereby enjoyment in other areas of life as well The importance of balance in eating for health and eating for pure pleasure to cultivate a healthy enjoyment of a variety of foods Links Discussed: KettleAndFire.com - Use the code AncestralRDs for a 15% discount off your first order of Kettle and Fire bone broth! TRANSCRIPT: Kelsey: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode 60 of the Ancestral RDs. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hi everyone. Kelsey: How are you doing today, Laura? Laura: Good. Just had a pretty busy weekend with some work on my new branding that’s going to be hopefully coming up in the next…well I’d like to say soon, but it seems every time I talk about it it’s soon. So hopefully this summer at some point I’ll be making that transition. I did a video shoot with a friend of mine and her husband who they’re like amateur photographer, videographers. They don’t have a business or anything, but they’re pretty good at it. So I paid them to help me create a video for my site. Kelsey: Cool. Laura: Yeah. It was super stressful because I mean you and I have been doing this podcasting thing for I guess like two years at this point? Kelsey: Yeah. Laura: When we first started doing podcasts it was super nerve wracking and we were really awkward, or at least I was super awkward. I don’t know if you felt really awkward. Kelsey: We were both awkward. Laura: There was so much nerves involved. I feel like you just get used to doing stuff and things get easier as you do them more and more. Kelsey: Yeah. Laura: And I’ve done a few video interviews, which I’m usually nervous during those as well, but there’s something about having a specific script that you want to portray and trying to do it in a way that’s very succinct and…. Kelsey: Natural? Laura: Yeah well natural but also like using specific words and not repeating yourself,

Thanks for joining us for episode 59 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are discussing the often overlooked but significant role social relationships play in recovering and maintaining health. Have you ever turned down hanging out with friends or family because of your diet? Or maybe you’ve just used diet as an excuse? You may be thinking the best thing for health is to focus on diet, and besides, that’s what social media is for, right? Today’s podcast is sure to to shed much needed light on these topics. Join us today as we discuss our opinions about how important diet is to health, share our personal stories about the influence social relationships have in our lives, and share research showing the impact social relationships have on health. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: Laura and Kelsey’s opinions about how important diet is to overall health in relation to other lifestyle factors How dietary dogma and taking diet too seriously can be costly to social relationships The significant influence prioritizing social relationships has on recovering health and long term maintenance of health Discussion of a meta-analysis showing the influence of social relationships on mortality risk The effect of social media on relationships and personal well-being How Dallas Hartwig’s new program More Social Less Media can help you evaluate your social practices and how you use social media Laura and Kelsey’s personal stories of the impact their social relationships have had on their health and lives Social isolation caused by dietary restrictions When diet is used as an excuse to not socialize due to fear of forming and maintaining friendships The risk and effort involved in friendships Importance of creating boundaries with work time and personal time Links Discussed: KettleAndFire.com - Use the code AncestralRDs for a 15% discount off your first order of Kettle and Fire bone broth! Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review Dallas Hartwig's More Social Less Media TRANSCRIPT:  Laura: Hey everyone. Welcome to episode 59 of the Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld and with me is the new Kelsey Kinney! Kelsey: Hi guys. Laura: Are we calling you Kelsey Kinney yet? Kelsey: Not yet. Laura: Not yet? Kelsey: I want to have my website up with the new name and branding and everything, and that’s been taking a lot longer than it was supposed to. So for now at least for business stuff I’m holding off on it, but I just switched over my personal email today to my new email address which is kind of exciting. Laura: Yay! Kelsey: Yeah. Laura: Well it’s legally binding now that your last name is Kinney. Kelsey: Right. Exactly. Got to stick with it. Laura: We can still call you Marksteiner as long as you want us to. Kelsey: Yeah. So this weekend was really fun. We kind of did things a little bit differently than probably most people have their wedding. We did small, intimate gathering at a hotel in New York City with just our immediate family. Everybody came and stayed at the hotel with us, and we had the penthouse suite which had this outdoor patio area with a big, rustic, lovely looking table that just barely fit all of us there. There was 11 of us total. We brought food in. There was this place in Astoria where we live called Arepas Café and it’s a Venezuelan type of dish that’s like a corn…it’s almost like a corn pita bread kind of thing. It’s all corn though and you have all these slow cooked meats in there, and plantains, and stuff. So we brought that because it’s like our favorite thing here. Everybody ate dinner and then it actually started raining and we were outside with no cover. But it wasn’t supposed to rain a lot.

Thanks for joining us for episode 58 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following two questions from listeners: “Is kombucha good or bad? I hear so much good about it, but I’m hesitant because of its sugar content. I was told that the bacteria eat the sugar. Is this true?” “My doctor told me to stop eating beef and pork due to estrogen content. I can eat chicken and turkey only, organic and preferably pastured. I’m starting to get really bored of the limitations. I’m also worried that the poultry throws off fatty the acid balance in favor of omega 6 while eliminating a potential source of omega 3s in the grass fed beef.” Most of us have avoided a certain food for one reason or another, either by a health practitioner’s recommendation or of our own accord. Often it’s due to fear surrounding one singular aspect of the food, such as sugar, without regard to the food as a whole. Sometimes the restriction is not necessary or even helpful. Today we address the concerns with sugar in kombucha and hormones in meat, specifically beef and pork. Are these legitimate reasons to avoid this potentially health promoting food and drink? Listen now to also hear about the importance of being confident in your ability to discern which foods work for you. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: Why the sugar content in kombucha should not be a reason to avoid it Reasons to moderate your intake of kombucha How different types of bacteria and yeast in kombucha may not agree with everyone Questions to ask yourself when deciding on any food or drink Consequences of restricting types of meat in your diet How to minimize hormone exposure in the meat you consume How being restrictive and stressing about food choices has an impact on hormone balance Why dietary recommendations from health practicioners may not always be best for your individual needs The importance of critical thinking, questioning, and following intuition when it comes to dietary recommendations Why working with a nutrition practitioner can guide you through a personalized approach to your diet leading to less restriction and more confidence in your decision making about food Links Discussed: KettleAndFire.com - Use the code AncestralRDs for a 15% discount off your first order of Kettle and Fire bone broth! TRANSCRIPT:  Kelsey: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode 58 of the Ancestral RDs. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hey, Kelsey. Kelsey: Hey, how’s it going? Laura: Good. I know you have a lot of things happening in your life right now. I feel like I don’t have as much to update people on as you do. Kelsey: Yes, I know. Well finally found an apartment, which is super exciting. Laura: Yay, keys in hand! Kelsey: I know. I was telling Laura last time before we got on the call that we had signed a lease but until you literally have keys in your hand in New York City, it’s like anything can happen. So didn’t want to update until I actually had keys in my hand. Actually now I am in the apartment. We moved in this past weekend. It was kind of crazy because we had signed the lease, got keys, then we had pretty much less than a week to pack up everything because we hadn’t even started packing since we wanted to really find a place that we were going to move to before we even gave our landlord notice that we were leaving from our current place. Laura: Mm hmm. Kelsey: Yeah, rough week last week. We would finished working, and then just pack all night, go to bed, wake up, and start the whole process over again. Not a lot of downtime unfortunately. Laura: Yeah moving is really hard. I’m so glad I haven’t have to do it in a while. Kelsey: Yeah.

Thanks for joining us for episode 57 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “Hi Laura and Kelsey, thank you for your wonderful podcast. My question is about genetic analysis like 23andMe. Just as someone can become orthorexic, I feel like many of us can become overly obsessive and anxious about our genetic mutations and the potential higher risk for conditions we find out about in the process.Where do you feel like the appropriate line to draw is when it comes to analyzing your genetic testing? How much do you think these SNPs actually determine our likelihood for certain conditions whether it be more immediate concern like miscarriage, blood clotting problems, allergies, or potential concerns down the line like cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc. Thanks.” While the ability to get a picture of your genes is an exciting prospect, the appropriate applications for the data provided by genetic analysis are not completely understood. Along with the information comes knowledge that can be a source of anxiety that outweighs potential benefits. Just how much information do you really get from these tests and to what extent is the data useful? While some see the data as a predictor of disease and a basis for making major diet and lifestyle changes, the evidence to support this practice is questionable. Join us today as we discuss the potential benefits, limitations, and even drawbacks associated with genetic analysis. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: A definition of SNP How most of the genome information is based on correlative evidence The potential uses and limitations of genetic analysis Why having an amount of increased risk of a certain disease does not guarantee that you will get that disease Why the stress caused by anxiety over results can outweigh potential benefit from knowledge uncovered How anxiety of the future is a major contributor of orthorexic behavior The questionable efficacy of using the data to support making major changes to diet and lifestyle in an attempt to prevent a potential disease How being aware of the present and optimizing current state of health is a more beneficial strategy than making modifications with unknown effects in an attempt to prevent a future event The essential question to ask yourself before any lab test Links Discussed: KettleAndFire.com - Use the code AncestralRDs for a 15% discount off your first order of Kettle and Fire bone broth! TRANSCRIPT: Laura: Hey everyone. Welcome to episode 57 of the Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld and with me as always is Kelsey Marksteiner. Kelsey: Hey guys. Laura: How are you doing lately, Kelsey? Kelsey: Oh man. I’ve been stressed out lately with the whole apartment thing. We’re sort of at the end of the road with it now, but that comes with its own stressors. You always think like, oh gosh, if only this one thing will work out, then everything will be fine from there. Then you forgot that it’s like a whole process of moving and all this other stuff. So we’re sort of almost at that point right now. Laura: Sort of almost? Kelsey: Sort of almost, yeah. We’re getting there is the best way I can put it. We just tried to really take it easy on Saturday because we’ve had a lot of stressors come up, that included with some other things. Especially being in a relationship, when there’s a lot of things going on you sort of can get pulled apart fairly easily, or not pulled apart I guess I should say, but like you’re both doing your own thing and you don’t really connect as much if you’re so busy with all this other stuff. So we were like let’s just spend Saturday cuddling on the couch, and just watching TV, and just being together,

Thanks for joining us for episode 56 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are...

Thanks for joining us for episode 55 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “Hi ladies. I’ve been listening to your advice about eating more carbs. For the past few years with Paleo, I’ve definitely been under eating carbs unintentionally. My question is, what is normal to expect with transitioning to a more moderate carb diet? I have a lot more energy and better bowel movements, but I am also having a lot of abdominal pain and bloating. This is a noticeable increase since a lower carb diet. My typical carb intake in a day is white potato or acorn squash with breakfast, chia seed pudding with banana/berries for a snack, potato again with lunch, sweet potato with dinner, and fruit with nuts in the evening, plus lots of non-starchy veggies. I’m a group fitness instructor and quite active. P.S. I’m in Canada and just got accepted to a dietetic internship. Can’t wait to be a real food RD!" Are you experiencing bloating or other digestive discomfort when adding carbs back into your diet after a period of restriction? Don't throw in the towel just yet! Many people experience some degree of gut issues when adding foods back into their diet. Often times these symptoms are not a sign that you need to keep avoiding the food, but rather a common occurrence when reintroducing foods. The good news is that the majority of the time the symptoms are only temporary as your body readjusts to eating a healthy variety of foods again. We have been learning that restrictive diets may not be so good for us after all. Listen today as we discuss the consequences of restrictive dieting, common symptoms when adding foods back in, and how to navigate the adjustment process your body goes through. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: How it’s common to have gut symptoms when adding foods like carbohydrates back into your diet after being on a restrictive diet Common symptoms of changing the amount of carbohydrates and fat in your diet The role enzyme production plays in gut symptoms after being on a restrictive diet The role of your gut bacteria in gut symptoms when reintroducing foods How to tell if your symptoms are those commonly related to reintroduction of foods, or if it’s something requiring further investigation The potential dangers to your gut health when making extreme changes to your diet and being too restrictive The observed link between food sensitivities and a history of restrictive dieting The importance of examining the amount of plant fiber in your diet when having gut symptoms How to adjust the amount of a possible reactive carbohydrate source instead of avoiding it completely The importance of diversity in carbohydrates choices for gut health Links Discussed: KettleAndFire.com - Use the code AncestralRDs for a 15% discount off your first order of Kettle and Fire bone broth! TRANSCRIPT: Laura: Hey everyone. Welcome to episode 55 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld, and with me as always is Kelsey Marksteiner. Kelsey: Hey guys. Laura: So Kelsey, how’s your week going? Kelsey: Just pushing through apartment hunting still, unfortunately, and it’s like we’re really coming down to when we want to be moving very soon. So it’s like looking at two apartments everyday which is very, very tiring unfortunately. Laura: Yeah. Kelsey: I’m pretty exhausted this week. How about you? Laura: Yeah, I’m feeling pretty exhausted myself. I’ve been really busy. I just opened up my practice to new clients and it filled up pretty quickly. I kind of went from not taking new clients at all to all of a sudden having a lot, which is awesome, but it’s also a big change from the last couple of weeks of doing our program.

Thanks for joining us for episode 54 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “My question is about being a role model for kids. I’m 21 and eat mostly Paleo. I used to struggle with body image issues and mildly restrictive eating in my teens, but I’ve overcome this and now I have a healthy relationship to food and my body. I have my fair share of treats, enjoy dining with others, and love my curvier female figure. I spend lots of time with my cousins, 10 and 12 year old girls. I’m wondering how to best be a balanced and good example when it comes to food and appearance. We have a lot of big family dinners. Most of them eat a lot of cakes and ice creams, etc. and sometimes I feel like the odd one since I choose different things, and I feel very responsible to be a good influence. What do you think about special diets and being a role model for kids?” How we approach and talk about food has a large impact on how we and those around us view food. Specifically, the way children and teens think about and choose foods is largely impacted by the adults in their lives and their relationship to food. In a culture that is fixated on weight as being the important factor in food choice, it’s almost ingrained in our psyche that a diet is a means to improve body image. This makes taking the spotlight off of appearance difficult when talking to others about our food choices based on a desire for health and just wanting to feel good. How can we be positive role models to the younger generation concerning food choices and a healthy body image regardless of weight? Listen today as we discuss ways to talk about food and demonstrate positive choices to promote confidence in having a healthy relationship with food. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: How your actions influence and educate the younger generation on how they think about their body and food choices Why it’s importatnt for you to understand the real reasons why you eat a certain way How to effectively communicate the reasons why you make certain food choices Why the way you talk about food in front of children should be the way you talk about food in general How to have confidence in your decisions about food choices regardless of how people are going to react How to respond to negative comments or questions regarding your food choices The importance of focusing on the positive aspects of choosing healthy food versus the negative consequences of choosing not so healthy foods The importance of offering young girls genuine compliments in building their self-confidence Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Kelsey: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode 54 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hey guys. Kelsey: So how are you doing, Laura? Laura: I’m good. I feel like the last couple weeks of my life have been a little crazy, but good crazy. Kelsey: Good. Laura: So just trying to keep everything balanced and focused on some big changes that I have coming with my business, and also still trying to balance that with socialization and relationships. I feel like that’s the story of my life is trying to run a successful business while not losing the important relationships in my life. So just cutting out time in my schedule to talk to people, and to spend time with my friends, and to not work too hard. It can be really tempting to overload my schedule. Kelsey: Right. Laura: So being more clear about my boundaries with working with clients, and taking on projects, and doing things for other people. It’s been an effort in learning to say no, essentially.

Thanks for joining us for episode 53 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “Hello. I love your podcast. I’m an RD with an autoimmune disease living in a place where I have minimal access to high quality foods to heal leaky gut and thus heal my messed up immune system. Plus, I have a hard time with the cost of it all. So I often feel like this conundrum alone leads to disordered eating. I know what to eat but have a hard time getting it all the time. So instead of eating stuff that makes me have symptoms like breakouts, flushing, bloating, fatigue, I don’t eat as much as I should. Can you talk about the fine line between eating to heal disease and disordered eating? I know many people dealing with this situation. Or as dietitians, how you handle patients who can’t financially afford the changes you recommend. Thanks.” Eating to heal is challenging. It requires approaching food in a new way. It’s tough to figure out which foods you don’t react to and find the foods that will support healing, all while maintaining your budget. It's common for this situation to lead to a disordered way of eating. Many times people begin to under eat due to an elimination diet, or simply not having access to “perfect” food. Listen today as we discuss under eating due to stressing over food and the effects this has on trying to heal from autoimmune disease, or any health condition.  We share helpful tips for you to maximize your nutrient intake while on a tight budget without totally sacrificing food quality. You’ll also learn how to de-stress during mealtime to approach food differently. You really can eat to heal! Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: The effect of skipping meals or under eating on your body’s homeostasis How prolonged elimination diets can lead to a viscous cycle of more food sensitivities and under eating Why under eating negatively affects your microbiome and therefore can worsen autoimmune disease What to expect as you reintroduce more foods into your diet How to think about money spent for healthy foods as an investment and future money saver Tips to eating with autoimmune disease when finances are low Why the foods that you add in are as important as the foods you take out when trying to heal from leaky gut Tips to maximizing your nutrient intake while on a tight budget without sacrificing food quality Why your protein needs increase as you lower carbs, and vice versa The effect of stress hormones on the appetite when chronically under eating The negative effect stressing out about your diet has on symptoms and quality of life The mind-body connection on how your thoughts affect your immune system and digestion A relaxation exercise for taking the fear and stress out of reintroducing foods Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift TRANSCRIPT Laura: Hi, everyone. Welcome to episode 53 of the Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld, and back with me today is Kelsey Marksteiner. Kelsey: Hi, everyone. Laura: So Kelsey, why don’t you tell us about how your retreat is going? Kelsey: Oh, it’s really nice. It’s in Calistoga, California, which is like in the Napa Valley area. I’ve never been up here. I’ve been to San Francisco once before in my life when I was pretty young so I don’t really remember a whole lot. So I spent a couple days in San Francisco with some friends and then came up here on Sunday night. It is gorgeous. It’s so green, it’s so warm. I’ve been trying to take pictures to send to my friends and family and make them all jealous. It seriously can’t even capture how beautiful it is. You go to bed and hear all those nature sounds, which is awesome.

Thanks for joining us for episode 52 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are interviewing Sean Bissell whose unique nutrition perspective sheds light on what foods are compatible with human biochemistry from an evolutionary perspective. Sean Bissell is the author of The First Diet. He’s also a dad to two boys, a husband, and a nutrition nut who lives in the Seattle area. At age 20, Sean began having debilitating headaches. Doctors discovered after giving Sean a CAT scan that he had significant plaque buildup in the arteries leading to his brain. But the doctors did not have any solutions to solve this problem. Sean obsessively researched the condition and found that the plaque was a result of specific substances in his diet. He took steps to reverse the damage and after changing his diet, his headaches stopped. That success triggered a lifelong dedication to the study of health to help himself, his boys, his wife, and anyone who’s interested to thrive. Are you confused about what a healthy diet is these days? With the overload of conflicting information about which foods are healthy and which are not, popular strict diets, and confusing studies, the act of eating can turn into a stressful situation. After his own health scare, Sean began researching and cooking his way to health. His book The First Diet provides a refreshing way to approach nutrition offering guidelines to help you determine your individualized approach to eating. Today Sean shares what he learned about nutrition that is biochemically compatible with human physiology and what the first human diet would have looked like. Listen to our discussion of easy to understand explanations about controversial foods such as carbohydrates, fats, and sugar to support metabolism and start peeling back the haze of confusion surrounding eating. Equally as important, you may be surprised to learn that diet is not the most important determinant of health! Here are some of the questions we discussed with Sean: What happened as far as what your diet was, and then what diet you changed to help reverse that damage in your brain? How long were you on the low carb, Paleo diet, and what was your experience with that diet? What’s your opinion about sugar and a high carb diet? Why do you recommend not only people eating a high carb diet, but also not being afraid to have sugar in their diet? One of the things that you mentioned in the book is that people who are anti carbs tend to talk about de novo lipogenesis as being a reason that carbs are bad, that you can turn carbs into fat, and any time you over eat on carbs it’s going to get turned into fat. Is that totally true? Is the problem with sugar just that it’s always combined with fat? Or do you think there’s any problem with eating sugar at all? What kind of problems have you seen in people that are doing an inappropriately low carb diet? Can you tell our audience a little bit about how eating a high carb diet affects the metabolism? How did you come up with the recommended limits for fat, and what’s the reason for keeping fat at those levels? Is there a specific reason that you think avoiding omega 6 and omega 3 fats is a good way to go for the average person? Tell our audience a little bit about your philosophy about diet and how you came to the conclusion that diet is not as important as a lot of people make it out to be? Links Discussed: The First Diet WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Laura: Hey, everyone. Laura Schoenfeld here and unlike usual, Kelsey Marksteiner is not with us today. She’s actually on somewhat a vacation/retreat to California for a health retreat that she’s working at. So today instead of talking with Kelsey to a guest,

Thanks for joining us for episode 51 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are interviewing Patricia Daly who through personal and professional experience with cancer is working to take the fear out of the disease. Patricia Daly is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist (BA Hons, dipNT, mBANT, mNTOI) based in Dublin, Ireland. Following her cancer diagnosis, she left her corporate career and started studying nutrition, specializing in the area of Integrative Cancer Care. Patricia has worked with hundreds of cancer patients across the world. Her network with both complementary and orthodox health professionals allows her to stay up-to-date with current research and best practice. The process of fighting cancer can be filled with confusion and fear. Often there isn’t time to research and consider the multi-faceted approaches that are widely known, let alone the lesser known approaches. In today's episode, Patricia shares evidence based knowledge about the ketogenic diet and it’s promising role as an adjuvant therapy making cancer treatment more effective and even helping the body fight the disease. Listen to our insightful discussion to learn what the ketogenic diet is, who should implement it, and how. Here are some of the question we discussed with Patricia: You’ve dealt with cancer in the past, so would you mind just starting us with you own story? Can you tell us a little bit about what a ketogenic diet is? Why do you think that a ketogenic diet is very helpful for cancer patients? What makes it so special? What’s your opinion on the whether or not cancer is a metabolic disease, and what does that even mean either way? When there is damage to the mitochondria, why do you feel like a ketogenic diet is then useful in that regard? What does a ketogenic doing to the mitochondria itself? Who should be doing a ketogenic diet? What are your thoughts about how glucose intake without cancer would affect the risk of getting cancer? Do you think that a ketogenic diet can be considered a preventative diet for cancer, or do you think it’s just a therapeutic diet once somebody already has cancer? What kind of things are you monitoring to determine how low someone should go with carbohydrates or any other macronutrient for that reason? Where does the stress level have to lie in someone implementing a diet like this for it to become not useful anymore? How can you determine if it’s going to do more harm than good for someone? How does digestion play a role when it comes to the ketogenic diet? Can you tell us a little bit about the resources that you have available for people that are interested in this? Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT: Laura: Hi, everyone. Welcome to episode 51 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld and with me as always Kelsey Marksteiner. Kelsey: Hey guys. Laura: So Kelsey, are you getting excited for your trip to California? Kelsey: Yes. Oh my gosh, I’m so excited. I’m excited to do some talks because I was talking about a couple weeks ago, this will be my first sort of “real” public speaking engagement, which is kind of exciting and it seems like it going to be a really awesome retreat. I’m exited both personally and professionally to go. It should be nice. Laura: Do you have a lot of free time where you can enjoy being outside if you’re going to be in California? Kelsey: Yeah. I think I do have a good amount of free time which should be nice. Although I think because I’m offering sessions while I’m there as well on the days that I’m speaking, so I have a few of those so far which is great. And I’m sure probably once I’m there and people hear me speak, there might be a couple add-on’s at that point. Laura: Yeah.

Thanks for joining us for episode 50 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “Hi Laura and Kelsey. I’m a 26 year old female struggling with infertility as I’ve been amenorrheic since 2011. My cycle was always irregular in college while playing volleyball. But recently I’ve gained a little more weight and stopped running distance, but I still haven’t started my cycle. My thyroid test came back normal but my vitamin D is low at 35. I’m in the full sun at least 20 minutes nearly every day and eat a fairly strict Primal diet. Do you have any supplemental suggestions to increase my vitamin D and possibly help my cycle return? Thanks! Love the show!" Struggling with amenorrhea is troublesome on its own, but it’s a double whammy when becoming pregnant is the goal. Whether you are trying to conceive or just regain a regular cycle, a re-evaluation of your diet can shed light on the mystery. You may follow a Paleo, Primal, or other type of strict diet. But that doesn’t always mean it’s the healthiest approach to achieving a balanced way eating for your body and activity level. What you're not eating is just as important as what you are eating, especially when taking your activity level into consideration. Listen today as we discuss the major dietary factors that contribute to hormonal health. A few tweaks to your diet may be what you need to regain balance! Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: How following a strict Paleo or Primal diet can contribute to macronutrient imbalances The importance of eating according to activity level to maintain coloric balance How appropriate carbohydrate and caloric intake are synergistically crucial for hormone health and fertility The link between thyroid health, diet, and fertility Insulin's involvment in repairing hypothalamic amenorrhea Adjusting the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in your diet Balancing the ratio of vitamin A, D, and K2 for hormonal health Additional nutrients for hormonal health Recommended supplements How to approach making changes to your diet Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Kelsey: Hi, everyone. Welcome to episode 50 of The Ancestral RDs. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Today we are going to skip our little update. Our lives are a little boring this week. We’ll just jump into the question for this week so that we can get right into the meat of the content. But before we do that, here’s a word from our sponsor. Alright. So today our question is from Sarah and she says, “Hi Laura and Kelsey. I’m a 26 year old female struggling with infertility as I’ve been amenorrheic since 2011. My cycle was always irregular in college while playing volleyball. But recently I’ve gained a little more weight and stopped running distance, but I still haven’t started my cycle. My thyroid test came back normal, but my vitamin D is low at 35. I’m in the full sun at least 20 minutes nearly every day and eat a fairly strict Primal diet. Do you have any supplemental suggestions to increase my vitamin D and possibly help my cycle return? Thanks! Love the show!” Laura: Alright. Well, there’s a couple of things that if Sarah was one of our patients that we would defiantly would want to know more about. When she tells us that she has a strict Primal diet, I think we know what that means from a food selection perspective. Generally Paleo plus probably dairy I think is more of the Primal approach. But just because you’re following a specific type of diet as far as the food selection is concerned, that doesn’t really tell us a lot about exactly what she’s eating, how much she’s eating,

Thanks for joining us for episode 49 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we're answering the following question from a listener: “I have a question about ulcerative colitis. My little brother who is 19 was diagnosed with UC about a year ago and he has suffered a lot with the symptoms. He’s on a variety of medications from anti-inflammatory ones to immune suppressants. He’s tired all the time and cannot do much of anything due to difficult symptoms. A few months ago, my mum started making him gluten free, low FODMAP food and using lactose free milk for him avoiding unhealthy foods as much as possible. His symptoms have improved a bit, but they are still severe. I was wondering if you had any recommendations what to do, what to incorporate, and what to avoid. It’s really difficult for me to see him feel so badly all the time, but we don’t have many functional doctors and nutritionists where we live, so help is welcome.” When living with ulcerative colitis, it can be tricky to find the right combination of things that will work for you as an individual. Are your symptoms still not under control despite current treatment methods or dietary changes? First and foremost, don’t be hard on yourself. Be sure to listen today as we share up to date recommendations for nutrient dense foods, key supplements, and tests that may bring the relief you’re looking for. This discussion can be helpful whether current medications and treatments are not enough, or you’re just beginning to address this health condition. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: A general discussion of ulcerative colitis Why a prolonged restrictive diet may not be the answer How an elimination diet can help you discover food sensitivities that may contribute to symptoms Even if gluten free, how all grains can be problematic Which nutrient dense foods are helpful Nutrients important for gut health The role of vitamin A and D in immune system function How addressing gut dysbiosis is key The importance of prebiotics and probiotics, and our recommendations of which to take The effect of HPA axis dysfunction on symptoms Why starting slow with any supplement is crucial Discussion of fecal transplants for ulcerative colitis along with possible benefits and risks How demulcent herbs can provide protection and healing to the gut The anti inflammatory power of curcumin The necessity of testing vitamin D levels regularly Why working with a practitioner when introducing dietary changes and supplements can be helpful Links Discussed: WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Laura: Hi, everyone. Welcome to episode 49 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Laura Schoenfeld and with me as always is Kelsey Marksteiner. Kelsey: Hey, guys. Laura: So Kelsey, how’s your apartment search going? Kelsey: Oh you know, it’s super fun. Apartment hunting in New York City, and I’m sure apartment hunting anywhere is not very fun. It can be fun because you’re like ooh, I get to live in a new place. But for us, it’s like we’ve been in our apartment for a long time at this point. We sort of somewhat made it a home at this point. It’s a little sad to leave, especially because for the most part we’re moving because there’s issues with the apartment. But otherwise, it’s a really good location that we really like and we have a very good deal on our apartment. So it’s really hard to give that up as a rent stabilized apartment and move out into the Wild West it feels like. Yeah, it’s a little tough to find something that really, you feel good about. I feel like you often see a lot of crappy apartments and then finally you find one that’s going to work for you. So were’ still in the process of weeding out the crappy ones,

Thanks for joining us for episode 48 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are sharing our personal stories of our struggles with the stress in our lives as well as ways we combat it. Stress! It comes in many forms. There’s the pressure to fit in, to be financially stable, or to be successful. There’s the effects of events, of dealing with an illness, or simply trying to keep up with a daily jam-packed schedule. Then there’s the feelings of fear, loneliness, or inadequacy associated with the stress. It may seem like an impossible feat to even begin to conquer it. But there’s hope! Everyone has their own methods to combat stress, some healthy and some not so healthy. Today we are sharing methods we have found to be effective in combating stress and its effects on health. While we all experience varying types of stress and effects from it, the strategies we discuss can be of tremendous benefit regardless of those differences.  Today is the day you can begin to step out from the cloud of stress over your life! Relax and enjoy the show. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: Stressors and their effects in Laura and Kelsey's lives Laura’s struggle with the pressure of physical appearance being the value and proof of knowledge of a person both socially and professionally Kelsey’s struggle with the onset of a chronic health condition that changed the appearance and function of her body How Laura and Kelsey changed the thoughts about their bodies to one of acceptance for they way they are Learning to approach health and fitness decisions to benefit health, not aesthetics The importance of eating in a way that supports the individual How prioritizing sleep can greatly affect health and performance The power of creating and maintaining supportive social relationships Expressing gratitude for the supportive people in life gives big benefit to lowering stress levels Changing the focus from the negative to the positive in life The importance of remembering to not take the good in life for granted Links Discussed: Kelsey's blog post: When Chronic Illness Comes Knocking... Laura's blog post: How Adrenal Fatigue Was Ruining My Health, And What I Did About It The Ancestral RDs Community on Facebook WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Kelsey: Hi Everyone. Welcome to episode 48 of the Ancestral RDs podcast. I’m Kelsey Marksteiner and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hey, guys. Kelsey: Hey, Laura. Kelsey: How’s it going? Laura: Oh, just recovering from a pretty intense week, I’d say, that we had. Kelsey: Yes. Laura: It’s earlier in the week that we’re recording this and I was hoping to have a fairly relaxed weekend and it ended up being pretty intense as well. Kelsey: Yeah. Laura: I’m really excited for this upcoming weekend. I’m going to be going to Florida to visit my grandmother. Kelsey: Oh, nice. Laura: I’m like, I think I’m going to try to sleep eighty percent of the time that I’m there. Kelsey: Perfect. Yeah, just go out in the sun and fall asleep. Laura: Yeah, essentially. Kelsey: Awesome. Laura: I was going to tell our audience about something really cool that I did this weekend with my mom who is also a nutritionist. We did an interview with her, it was probably a year ago at this point. I don’t actually remember how long ago it was. But I was contacted by another RD named Steven Smith, who actually I feel like we should see if he would want to be a guest on the podcast to talk about his documentary at some point. But he is creating a documentary about omega 6 fats and how that’s a really big issue in the American diet and causing all these health problems.

Thanks for joining us for episode 47 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we are interviewing Ayla Withee whose expertise and passion for nutrition changes the way issues with fertility are thought about and addressed. Ayla Withee, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, and Certified Leap Therapist, and owner of a successful private practice, Boston Functional Nutrition. She has trained for years with experts in the field of functional medicine and embraces a whole body approach to addressing the root causes of health issues. Her specialties include women's health, gastrointestinal disorders, and nutrigenomics. Often sought after for her passion and expertise for various media and speaking opportunities, Ayla has consulted with a wide range of organizations and health professionals from Fortune 500 companies to Olympic Athletes. She is also a preceptor for several dietetic internship programs. You can find Ayla blogging about real food at EatSimply.org, subscribe to her and cohost Diana Rodgers podcast Real Food Radio, or learn more about her practice at BostonFunctionalNutrition.com. Diet and lifestyle can make all the difference in fertility. But with the array of prenatal vitamins on the shelves and nutrition advice in the media, it can be overwhelming to know how to sift through it all. Because it's not just women's fertility that is affected by nutrition, both women and men should tune in to hear Ayla share valuable insight into what you need to know if you have fertility concerns or are just beginning to think about pregnancy. Here are some of the question we discussed with Ayla: How did you end up getting into the whole world of functional nutrition, and how did you end up with fertility as one of your focuses? For women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and having trouble, the extent of the nutrition aspect of that is focused on them to lose weight. How much of a role do you think weight loss really plays when compared to other factors? In what ways does a stressful lifestyle, or just being under emotional stress, have an impact on someone’s fertility? When we’re talking about stress relief and lowering the stress hormones, do you have any favorite types of mind-body activities? What are your thoughts on the prenatal vitamins that are pretty typical to take? Or do you have any recommendations that you like any better? You recommend antioxidants for women as well as their male partners. Why are antioxidants important, especially in this sort of scenario? If you had to describe the ideal diet to enhance fertility for both men and women, what would that look like? Is there anything that we shouldn’t be eating, or restricting a little bit? Or is there anything that’s especially important to stay away from during this time? Are there any particular things that you like to recommend to promote good gut health? Or for example if someone has some sort of digestive issue, is there a protocol that you tend to put people through to alleviate some of those symptoms? Do you ever deal more specifically with women who have genetic mutations such as MTHFR? If somebody needs a more active version of B12, but they’re having a problem with the methylcobalamin, do you have any alternatives? Is there a better version that they do well with? Is there testing that you typically recommend for your clients if you end up getting them six or more months ahead of pregnancy? What is kind of the screening process that you go through? Is there a biggest misconception you think that people have about fertility and prepping for fertility? Links Discussed: Boston Functional Nutrition EatSimply.org Ayla's blog post on how to choose the right prenatal suppplements

Thanks for joining us for episode 46 of The Ancestral RD podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show! Today we're answering the following questions from listeners: Hi Laura and Kelsey, love the podcasts!  I was wondering what your approach is to helping people with low blood pressure with very poor circulation? I've had both these problems for years and am now becoming aware that it may be affecting my brain function and concentration. I am aware about adequately salting my food but don't want to overdo it either. I haven't tested my adrenal function but I think my cortisol is more likely on the high side than the low side as I don't generally feel tired, more 'over-wired' and unable to calm down, and I easily get stressed out. Because of the potential high cortisol, I don't want to use licorice, which I know can be helpful for low blood pressure. I've tried ginkgo for 3 months + but it hasn't helped my circulation. Thank you!   What can someone do for low blood pressure? My friend struggles with this, especially in summer and tries to stay hydrated and use salt to keep it at bay. Even though she generally eats healthily, when it gets very low the only thing she can do to bring herself out of it is to drink a coke and eat salted peanuts; much to her chagrin. Is there something else she could do to avoid this?  We all know high blood pressure is a major health threat. But low blood pressure can seriously affect your quality of life as well.  You may think a super healthy lifestyle can't possibly be a factor. After all, exercising hard and sticking to a strict diet promotes good health. Right? Surprisingly, that may be part of the problem! Don’t miss this episode where we discuss underlying causes and share techniques to get symptoms of low blood pressure and poor circulation under control! Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: While not as common as high blood pressure, how low blood pressure can be debilitating Symptoms of low blood pressure Importance of examining and modifying lifestyle factors Why adrenal or HPA axis function dysregulation is a key part of the puzzle How certain symptoms are misunderstood as being due to high cortisol Techniques to deal with symptoms of low blood pressure and poor circulation How an intense exercise program may be part of the cause Suggestions of how to safely incorporate cardio and strength training How massage and acupuncture are ways to increase circulation and improve blood pressure The importance of dietary salt How a strict Palo diet can cause a cascading effect leading to low blood pressure The connection between thyroid health and low blood pressure How a program like Paleo Rehab: Adrenal Fatigue program can help uncover underlying causes Links Discussed: Chris Kresser's Overcoming Fatigue Webinar Replay Kelsey's article on Low Blood Pressure including her homemade gatorade recipe Video about overweight man who rescued a dog WildFoods.co - Use the code WILDRD for a free gift! TRANSCRIPT Kelsey: Hi everyone.  Welcome to episode 46 of the Ancestral RDs.  I'm Kelsey Marksteiner, and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hello everybody. Kelsey: How you doing today, Laura? Laura:  Oh not bad. Just super stoked that I think summer is officially on us in North Carolina. We’re having highs in the seventies and even up to eighty this week. Kelsey: Wow. Laura: Just skipped spring, no problem. Kelsey: Eighties, that’s crazy. Laura: Yeah, it's a little it's a little crazy. I don't really know what's going to happen, but we'll see. I can't complain though because I'd rather have eighty than twenty or something, but it's just weird. It's weird being from the northeast and thinking like February and March are still winter.