352 Autumn Smith: How To Heal Your Brain With Food

Jul 7, 2020

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We used to think that our brain and gut connection were sending each other a single message from one to the other but now we know that they are actually sending four messages for every single one. The gut and the brain are constantly communicating with each other. So, when our gut is unhealthy, where 95% of our serotonin and 50% of our dopamine is made, then our brain becomes unhealthy too. We're eating three times a day and if we're eating inflammatory foods we are creating an inflammatory environment three times a day not only in our gut but also in our brain. - Autumn Smith

What simple dietary changes can create positive health results for your body's unique needs?

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Wellness Force Radio Episode 352

Co-founder of Paleovalley, Co-Founder of Wild Pastures, and co-host of the top-ranked Optimize Paleo Podcast, Autumn Smith, returns to Wellness Force to explore how we can heal the brain with food, common gut-brain issues, the three foundational steps to a healthier you, and why we should nourish ourselves seasonally.

Discover why so many of us are experiencing poor mental health during this enforced lockdown and what nutrients can help you heal mentally, physically, and emotionally. Listen To Episode 352 As Autumn Smith Uncovers:

[1:30] Getting To The Root Of Gut-Brain Issues

Autumn Smith
WFR 135 Autumn Smith
Paleovalley
Wild Pastures
‎Optimize Paleo Podcast by Paleovalley
The incredible personal story of Autumn's background and her life before Paleovalley and becoming a certified eating psychology coach.
Digestive problems that started during her teenage years and the struggles she faced as doctors couldn't really help her heal which led to a snowball effect.
Diving into the gut-brain connection and how food impacts it.
Why she always hid what she was actually feeling to put on a happy face and be positive all the time.
How her husband helped her heal from her gut issues and why diet is a common root cause for some people such as herself.
Why her and her husband, Chas, decided to create their company, Paleovalley, especially for busy people looking for healthier eating options.
The other company they founded, Wild Pastures, and how it was inspired by their son, Maverick.
How meditation and breathwork such as 4 -7- 8 have been such key pieces for her daily wellness practice.
What she wants people to know about mental health right now during COVID-19.

[8:00] The Predicted Mental Health Epidemic After COVID-19

Why the next big issue after the COVID-19 pandemic will be a mental health epidemic.
Her message to those with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues: you don't have to be ashamed of them if they are your reality.
Her own mental health issues including anxiety and feeling less than her worth.
Mental health struggles that Josh's family members including his mother have faced for years.
The #1 Nutrient to Boost Your Mental Health
345 Dr. Zach Bush
Unpacking the direct correlation between our gut and brain plus how food can help it heal.
Why we used to think that mental health was caused by a chemical imbalance that could only be treated with pills.
The fact that there has been no human study to show that depression is caused by a serotonin deficiency.
How eating inflammatory foods will create an inflammatory environment in both our gut and brain.

[12:00] 3 Foundational Steps To Healing Your Brain With Food

What first steps you can take to find out what specifically is causing inflammation for you.
Why gluten can be strictly neurological yet there are other factors causing gut problems that are often overlooked.
Mild to extreme cases of what happens when people eat vs remove gluten from their diet.
Gluten Triggers Strange Delusions in Woman with Celiac Disease
Nutrient deficiencies that impact our brain's health and what foods from proteins and healthy fats to specific minerals and vitamins we need.
What health issues vegetarians and vegans have faced when they lack the vital nutrients that their bodies need.
The Baffling Connection Between Vegetarianism and Depression
Why it can take as little as 3 days of an elimination diet to uncover what nutrition gaps you might have.
Breaking down what nutrients are the most vital for our mental health: iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and Vitamin C.
Myths and facts about eating meat, healthy fats, and lifting heavy weights for women.
Julia Ross' Cures

[17:30] Seasons Of Nourishment

The benefits of eating foods in season for a cyclical connection with the earth rather in imported foods all year round.
What she has noticed about eating in season in Colorado compared to in southern California especially becoming more in tune with her body wisdom.
The quality in taste and nutrients she has noticed in her locally grown seasonal foods compared to imported products.
What vital nutrients can be found in turkey and beef products that help us stay healthy.
Unpacking the nutrient, tryptophan, that's found in turkey and it's incredible benefits for keeping us mentally healthy and balance our blood sugar.
Why she and her husband specifically decided to create fermented beef and turkey sticks for their customers to aid their health journey.
Felice Jacka

[23:00] Combating Food Addiction

Her background as a certified eating psychology coach and the personal mission she and her family have behind Paleovalley.
Emotional eating patterns we sometimes find ourselves in and how to break that negative cycle.
The processed and artificial food combinations that food engineers are paid to create to hijack our brain chemistry and literally keep us from being able to stop eating junk food.
How to keep food from being your only source of pleasure by keeping a list of 10 things that light you up and have nothing to do with food and have 2-3 of them in your life every week.
Breaking down the most mental health-protective foods out there to add to your next shopping list including high-quality animal products and greens. (30:00)
Junk Food May Increase Depression Risk
Healthy Eating for Growing Bodies & Minds
Her favorite fermented foods she adds to her meals regularly.
How to help your children adjust to eating healthier foods with her top hack.
EP211: Getting Kids to Care About Healthy Food (& Eat It Too) with Katie Kimball
Greens Every Day Keeps Your Brain 11 Years Younger

[32:30] Change Your Food, Change Your Life

Why breakfast is the biggest part of keeping your blood sugar stable for the rest of the day.
How fasting can help dampen the inflammation associated with anxiety but you should check in with your doctor about it first.
341 Josh Clemente
The importance of measuring your HRV for understanding how healthy your current mindset and wellbeing are in real-time.
Why sleep, music, nature, and making time for social connections that you really cherish is so important for your wellbeing.
How to begin to heal your relationship with food with tools like intuitive eating and truly listening to your body's needs.
Facing the fact that what is working for you today in terms of diet and health practices may not work for you in the future and it's okay to change how you approach your lifestyle.
103 Robb Wolf
275 Paul Chek
What someone with strong mood disorders can do to begin to heal by finding the inflammation, making sure their nutrient bases are covered and stabilizing their blood sugar.
The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale Bredesen

[40:30] The Healthy Benefits Of Tryptophan

The differences between getting tryptophan from a turkey or beef stick and taking a supplement.
Why we always want to begin with food to heal and nourish the body if supplements are not necessary.
The importance of measuring our health especially with blood tests.
Cronometer
252 Harpreet Rai
Her favorite methods to track her health from nutrition to sleep and everything in between.
Why she's begun to track her mineral and microbiome levels more than ever before in 2020.
Trace Elements
Morley Robbins aka Magnesium Man
Her experience helping a little boy with ticks heal his candida.
Other important health tests you should take including hormone and thyroid.

[47:30] The Next Step In Your Wellness Journey

Exploring what's the next best step for your unique wellness journey.
Why there's nothing else out there quite like breathwork to help you build a healthier life right after food and movement.
Michael Pollan
Breaking down the difference between knowing and doing when it comes to your personal wellness decisions.
311 Mark Wolynn
Unpacking generational thoughts, feelings, and pain that are passed down to us through our lineage that don't actually belong to us.
Why family is everything to her at the end of the day.
Get 15% off Paleovalley's tryptophan-rich Turkey Stick and Grass Fed Beef Stick with the code JOSH.
BREATHE
M21 Wellness Guide
Wellness Force Community

Power Quotes From The Show Autumn's Three Foundational Health Steps "There are three foundational steps that I like to teach people to help heal their gut and brain when inflammation is present. Find the inflammation, make sure that your nutrient bases are covered, stabilize your blood sugar, and on top of all of that, get some tests done. It's about finding your specific imbalances and then getting the assistance to make some real positive life changes." - Autumn Smith Creating Discussions Around Nutrient Deficiencies

"Many of us are facing nutrient deficiencies and we're not talking enough about what we should be eating. We're all talking about eliminating gluten, soy, dairy, and whatever else and that is great and can be very empowering for a lot of people. However, the bigger picture that we all miss is, 'What are we eating?' and 'Is this enough to sustain us?' because we need to think about how to aid our brain chemicals. That protein you eat is becoming your neurotransmitters. So, if we're not getting enough protein or if the body is unable to digest it, then it will manifest into nutrient deficiencies." - Autumn Smith

The Golden Ticket To Your Perfect Diet "What it all comes down to in creating the perfect diet for you is listening to your intuition and your body because you are the only person who can design it. Don't eat something just because an expert tells you to if you don't like that food. Also if something is working for you today it might not necessarily work for you tomorrow or in the next season. We have to eat in tune with our environment and our life circumstances. There will be times where you experience seasons of nourishment that you need to move through, question, stay aware, and know that your body is going to give you the feedback that you need unless your metabolism has been hijacked with really, really processed foods. Once you tune in and heal what needs your attention, that's going to be your golden ticket to the perfect diet." - Autumn Smith Links From Today's Show

About Autumn Smith

Autumn Smith has been a health enthusiast her entire life. She began her academic career with a Bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in dance from the University of Montana. Upon graduation, Autumn danced professionally while becoming a certified yoga instructor. Hoping to combine her love of dance with her passion for health, Autumn became a celebrity fitness trainer with Tracy Anderson, most notably completing a world tour with Jennifer Lopez.

Autumn & Paleyvalley's Mission

While working as a fitness trainer, Autumn could see that exercise alone was not enough for many of her clients to achieve the radiant health they worked so hard to achieve. Meanwhile, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and anxiety continued to plague her personal health, starting in adolescence. These frustrations further ignited her passion and interest in the study of holistic nutrition. Through self-guided research, she and her husband, Chas, healed her IBS with the paleo diet. She then studied with the Institute for the Psychology of Eating to become a Certified Eating Psychology Coach and Hawthorn University where she obtained a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. In 2013, she founded Paleo valley with her husband and brother-in-law. Paleo valley’s mission is to disseminate excellent nutritional information and organic food products with 100 million people worldwide.

Try Paleovalley's Turkey & Grass Fed Beef Sticks

Get 15% off Paleovalley's tryptophan-rich Pasture-Raised Turkey Stick and Grass Fed Beef Stick with the code JOSH

Paleovalley's Pasture-Raised Turkey Stick

Our Pasture-Raised Turkey Sticks are made with happy, healthy turkeys – none of this "cage free" or "free range" trickery here. Pasture-raised animals living a natural life are, not surprisingly, much healthier and contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals. They also have a much more favorable omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio which is important because when omega-6 levels are too high inflammation is often the result.

With such high quality ingredients we didn't want to degrade the product in the processing. While most snack stick products contain a health-damaging ingredient called encapsulated citric acid, we naturally ferment our sticks which results in a delicious, shelf stable product with the presence of gut-friendly probiotics.

Paleovalley's Grass Fed Beef Sticks

Our 100% Grass Fed Beef Sticks are made beef from happy, healthy cows. They are NEVER fed grains. Unlike most companies using the term "grass fed" even though their products are NOT grass finished - we actually care about the quality of life the animals enjoy. Truly pasture-raised cows are, not surprisingly, much healthier than grain fed cows and contain higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They also have a much more favorable omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio which is important because when omega-6 levels are too high inflammation is often the result.

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