Real Talk, Whole Life

Ep. 306: Can Collagen Affect My Digestion for Good or Ill? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk collagen and digestion! Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 306: Can Collagen Affect My Digestion for Good or Ill? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah has had her nose to the grindstone, wrapping up her new book draft. It is a microbiome book! She has had to learn a lot of new things and expand her knowledge base. We're doing something new! We're going to be working with and sharing with you more brands here that we use and love. To kick off, we have our favorite products from Vital Proteins, available in bundles with a discount. Sarah and Stacy have both been using Vital Proteins Collagen for 4-5+ years. Stacy doesn't go a single day without collagen and liver pills. She can tell a difference if she misses even one day. Sarah goes through a big tub of collagen every month. She can feel the difference it makes in her joints. Sarah also loves Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's Veggie Blend, for obvious reasons! Sarah also loves the Cartilage Collagen and Gelatin. Question from a listener about Collagen. Cindy asks, "Hi ladies: Thank you for your amazing podcast and all of the wonderful information the both of you share. You both have inspired and motivated me to focus on real foods and look at healing through lifestyle and nutrient density. Here's the question- with Sarah's new Vital Proteins product (Collagen Veggie Blend), I'm curious about reactions to collagen. I have noticed that I can have 1/2-1 scoop of VP collagen in my coffee or smoothie or water and feel fine. However, if I go over 1 scoop, I find that I get bloated, gassy, and sometimes "everybody out" moments. Everyone talks about all the benefits to adding collagen to their diet, but I can't seem to find a good explanation for those of us who seem to react to it. Can you discuss why some of us may be reacting to collagen? Is bone broth enough to get all the benefits of added collagen? Thanks so much for all you do!" What is Collagen and why is it important? Collagen is the main structural protein in our bodies. It is found in the space between our cells, the glue that holds our cells together. Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of protein in our bodies. Supplementing with collagen is helpful because it provides us with the raw materials to make collagen in our bodies. Collagen is made up of amino acids that we can be deficient in if our main source of protein is muscle meat. Collagen has a unique balance of amino acids compared to protein from muscle meat. Collagen Peptides versus Gelatin. Both are considered hydrolyzed versions of collagen. It is broken apart more and easier for us to digest. Gelatin will make something "gummy" or gelatin. Collagen peptides are broken down even further and will dissolve easily, and won't solidify or gel. The amino acid profile is the same in gelatin and collagen peptides. They just react differently in food preparation. Collagen is considered almost a complete protein. 20% of the protein in collagen is glycine. It is phenomenally important! Needed for sleep quality, memory, synthesis of bile acids, synthesis of several extremely important proteins, immune regulation, etc. Glutamic acid is important for neurotransmitters and cellular metabolism. It also may add an umami quality to food. Collagen is high in Proline and Hydroxyproline, at 11% each. It is essential for skin, joints, tendons, and cardiac muscle. Alanine is 8% of collagen. It increase exercise capacity, help build lean muscle mass, and improve immunity. Arginine is also found at 8% in collagen. Important cell division, wound healing, hormone release, and immune function. Aspartic Acid is 6% of collagen. Involved in the citric acid and urea cycles in the body and plays a role in gluconeogenesis. All of the other amino acids make up about 24% of collagen. Bone broth is not as concentrated with amino acids typically. Broth is still an amazing super food, but collagen peptides is more concentrated in collagen. There are 20 amino acids that our bodies use to make the proteins in our body. There are 9 amino acids called "essential," because we can't make them ourselves. We must get these from food. Collagen has 8 out of 9 of these essential amino acids. It contains little tryptophan and is not very high in isoleucine, threonine, and methionine. This is why collagen isn't a "complete protein." Studies show that collagen peptides are highly bioavailable. 90% of amino acids are absorbed within 6 hours. It is extremely useful protein! We're not consuming traditional foods like our ancestors used to, like organ meats and slow boiled soup. Stacy and Sarah don't tend to make a lot of soups during the summer. What can cause a negative reaction to collagen? An allergy: a triggered immune response to beef. Some people with beef allergies don't react to collagen, some do. An allergic reaction usually happens within 2 hours. Hives, rash, nausea, stomach symptoms, sneezing, running nose, anaphylaxis, etc. Food intolerance: slower build and typically occur 4 hours to 4 days after consumption. Stomach symptoms, fatigue, headache, skin problems, mood changes. Antibody driven immune reaction without the release of histamine. Eliminating the food, and working on the immune system can help. Gut bacteria love to eat Amino Acids. Gut bacteria eat more than just fiber! Gut bacteria love to eat glycine. Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus group, and Proteobacteria When they metabolize glycine they produce important beneficial things. Consumption of glycine by gut bacteria may be required for glutathione production. If there is an imbalance of bacteria or dysbiosis, they can change the acidity of the environment. This can cause GI symptoms. Don't eliminate collagen completely, just keep the dose low enough to not get symptoms. Address other factors that are important for gut health. If you know someone in your life who could benefit from collagen, please share this podcast with them. Don't forget our special Vital Proteins page here! We really appreciate your support over the years- shopping through our links and buying our books. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350494/ http://msb.embopress.org/content/11/10/834 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425181/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151106062708.htm Learn more about your ad choices. 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Ep. 305: Why Insulin is Important & Awesome! In this episode, Stacy and Sarah tell you about how awesome insulin is and why you shouldn't be trying to go very low carb. Click here to listen in iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 305: Why Insulin is Important & Awesome! Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah is on single-parent duty this week and is feeling the effects! Kudos to all you single parents out there who do it all. Stacy is in her busy season at work. Stacy wants to mention something that has been on her mind this week: it is easy to get wrapped up in wanting what someone else has- which is partly human nature. If this looks like jealous, anger, and frustration... those are not good feelings. Have patience and compassion, and consider reaching out and giving a compliment or asking for mentorship if you're having these feelings. Sarah has become a regular contributor for Paleo Magazine. She wrote an article coming in the Aug/Sept issue about the case for more carbohydrates. This was spurred by the editor of the magazine noticing Sarah isn't a supporter of very low carb diets. Insulin as a Super Hormone: Thyroid There are insulin receptors in just about every cell type. It isn't always about shuttling glucose into the cells. Insulin is important for thyroid function. There are 3 different variations of the same enzyme that convert "inactive" T4 to "active" T3. This can happen in the thyroid or all over the body. The Type 2 Deiodase is the most active form. It is stimulated by insulin. This is how insulin feeds into thyroid function. With insulin resistance and diabetes there is a higher risk of hypothyroidism. A recent paper looked at ketogenic diets in epileptics. 120 participants followed a mediterranean style ketogenic diet. 1 in 6 participants developed hypothyroidism requiring medication within the first 6 months. 8 of these participants developed hypothyroidism within the first month. The ketogenic community counter-argues that any weight loss diet causes suppression of the thyroid. The difference is the magnitude, and their hypothyroidism requiring medication. We want to maintain proper insulin signaling because insulin is important! You do want some insulin. Don't eat all the sugar. Slow burning carbs like root vegetables and fruits are generally low glycemic load. It's not about ditching all carbohydrates at all costs. Stacy knows the low carb does not work for her- it caused her to have major health crash. Sarah has been a loud voice of decent for the ketogenic diet. Most people who are recommending this diet are not presenting a balanced look at what science tells us. Ketogenic diet can be therapeutic in people with neurologic and neurodegenerative disease. Ketogenic diet is not a healthy way to lose weight. The cost/benefit for this vs. someone with a neurological disease is very different. When you take out large amounts of vegetables from your diet, as keto or very low carb does, it is hard to be healthy. It would be difficult to eat the recommended amount of vegetables and still be very low carb. Insulin as a Super Hormone: Other roles not related to blood glucose. Insulin is important for muscle growth and repair. It helps bring amino acids into muscle tissue, including BCAA. It stimulates muscle protein synthesis. It suppresses protein break down. We see this reflected in insulin resistance, diabetes, and ketogenic diets. A side effect of diabetes is poor muscle strength and function with age compared to healthy individuals. One study compared weight loss in a balanced macronutrient diet vs. ketogenic. It showed there was no metabolic advantage to a ketogenic diet. Ketogenic diet group lost more muscles mass than the balanced macronutrient group. 2 things important for maintaining lean muscle mass during weight loss. 1. High protein intake: 20-30% of calories. 2. Physical activity helps stimulate muscle growth and repair. Insulin is important for bone mineralization. Bone is constantly turning over- breaking down and rebuilding itself. This is driven by osteoclasts (break down bone) and osteoblast (build bone). As we age, osteoclast activity remains more constant and osteoblast activity slows. Insulin is important for signaling osteoblasts and drives its activity. Bone cells are signaling to the pancreas, helping to control insulin sensitivity. There is growing research suggesting that osteoporosis is like "bone diabetes." This might be driven by insulin resistance in our bones. Similarly, Alzheimers disease is thought to be driven by insulin resistance in our brain. Type 2 Diabetics have 69% increase bone fracture rate. The Case for More Carbs can be found here. There is a lot more detail in this article that Sarah wrote, but here are some highlights: Insulin is important for cognitive health, promoting learning and memory. Insulin has an impact on neuro-inflamation. Insulin is important for turning off these inflammatory cells. This could be why insulin resistance in the brain is linked with other neurological diseases. There is impact on cognitive performance in diabetics and ketogenic diets. Mood problems, psychological adjustment in kids. Ketogenic diet caused adults to be less motivated to exercise in one study. A study in young, healthy men showed short-term ketogenic diets caused reduced concentration, slower memory retrieval, and slower processing of visual information. Insulin is a happy medium hormone. If it gets too high or low, the wheels fall off the cart. Every single thing in human health is designed around a happy-medium range in which it functions. Yes, you can see physical results short-term from a very low carb diet, but that doesn't mean it's supporting your health. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 304: What's Better: Raw or Cooked Vegetables? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss the prevailing debate about whether it is better to eat veggies raw or to cook them first. Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 304: What's Better: Raw or Cooked Vegetables? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah is on summer break mode and the girls have been entertaining themselves! Brace yourself: Cole turns 13 this summer! Stacy and family will be transitioning into summer mode in the coming weeks. Stacy is really excited about this week's show. Afterall, her original hashtag is #morevegetablesthanavegetarian. Even with all the veggie-related shows we've done, there are still topics we haven't covered. Question from a Listener (7:40) Marin asks, "This podcast and you have truly changed my life for he better. I’ve been a listener for 3 years and totally binged listened before that! I Have cured so many things from acne to being able to live life like a boss with RA. Really appreciated you opening up about depression and it was helpful listening to you coming off meds and it wasn’t something you had to just add to this list of meds you’d take forever. I wish I have the time to list all the health things you’ve helped me through! Really appreciate the cool books too and you guys sharing all the recommendations. My question is can you break down or talk about raw vs cooked foods. This came up in looking at adding more veggies and some of the reading I found (vegan based) said it was better to eat more raw than cooked veggies. Is this really true? I just kinda figured veggies were veggies. Is it really that beneficial to consume more raw than cooked? One of the “rules “ was raw till 4. Thoughts? Thank you for all you and your teams do." The bottom line is that there are benefits to both raw and cooked, so mix it up! There were two main drivers of us evolving our large brains. 1. Fire and Cooking 1.5 million years ago. Increases the energy that can be digested out of food. It costs us less energy to get the energy out of our food. More time in the day for socializing and communicating. Our brains use 20-25% of the calories we burn every day. 2. Eating starchy roots and tubers. A study in 2011 looked at mice fed meat and sweet potatoes prepared in different ways. Cooked food delivered more energy than raw, both meat and sweet potato. Cooked food gave more energy than pounded foods, pounded foods gave more than raw foods. Mice showed a preference for cooked foods. Micronutrient content in foods. Sarah strongly believes that micronutrient sufficiency is the primary criteria for a healthy diet. Some micronutrients are volatile in heat. Vitamin C degrades with heat. For example, steamed broccoli may have a 10% drop in vitamin C versus raw. Polyphenols are partially destroyed with cooking. Myrosinase, whose activity forms sulforaphane, known to prevent cancer, is found in raw broccoli but destroyed in cooking. The allicin in garlic (the compound responsible for its antibiotic and antimicrobial effects) is less stable in heat. In general, boiling and blanching can cause phytochemicals to leach out into the water. Some nutrients are formed during cooking. Heat breaks down cell walls and can liberate nutrients that would otherwise be locked up. Carotenoids increase in bioavailability when cooked. Lycopene increases when tomatoes are cooked or sun-dried. Indol (in cruciferous veggies) is only formed when those veggies are cooked. What about the fiber content in raw versus cooked vegetables? Cooking partially breaks down some of the fiber. Does this alter how the fiber feeds the microbiome? There are only a handful of studies that have looked at this. The diversity of fibers types from different vegetables feeds a diversity of microbes. A study that looked at carrots showed faster fermentation of cooked versus raw. It also produced more short-chained fatty acid. One study looked at raw and toasted wheat fiber on common gut microbes. Bifidobacterium growth didn't show preference for raw or toasted. Lactobacillus only grew with raw wheat fiber, not the toasted. A study that looked at brown seaweed found similar results. They concluded that raw fiber supported more lactic acid producing bacteria. Heat treated fiber supported more butyric acid producing bacteria. You can see that it's hard to make a statement of if cooked fiber or raw fiber is better. They both act differently on the microbiome. Cooked fiber: Is more readily fermentable = increase in short-chain fatty acids. Lowers the acidity of the colon, which supports growth of probiotic bacteria. This is why cooked veggies and soups is great for your intestinal health. Raw fiber: Certain good bacteria species prefer this raw fiber. Both children and adults can benefit from mixing up raw and cooked veggies. Collagen Veggie Blend It's been reformulated to taste better. Tastes more like carrot juice and less like green vegetables. The vegetables in this product are raw. Sarah co-created this supplement with Vital Proteins. This is a great way to get veggies in your diet. One scoop = one serving of vegetables. It stirs easily into a glass of water or blends into other things as well. Get Veggie Blend bundled with our favorite collagen peptides and liver pills for a discount here. Previous Veggie-Loaded Podcasts: All About Vegetables. How Many Vegetables?! How Many Vegetables Part 2: Lectins and Oxalates. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 303: Are Certain Foods Causing My Anxiety? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss the possible link between food and anxiety and other psychological issues. Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 303: Are Certain Foods Causing My Anxiety? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Welcome back, listeners- thanks for making through our super science-y sun-related podcasts. Thank you all for your great feedback on our last two shows! Stacy is offering a free sunblock in the month of June to anyone who places an order with her. Details on the sidebar of her blog, here! Sarah got a (minor) sunburn last week- oh the irony!! Today's topic hits home for both Stacy and Sarah. Matt had crippling anxiety before going Paleo. Sarah used to have panic attacks but hasn't since going Paleo. Listener Questions (7:15) Lauren asks, "I recently went from strict paleo to trying dairy here and there in my diet. While strict paleo my anxiety and OCD practically disappeared. I no longer had panic attacks and the intrusive thoughts practically disappeared. Well.. upon adding dairy back into my diet I noticed within hours my anxiety and intrusive thoughts were at an all time high. I was extremely irritable with my husband (angry for absolutely no reason) and depression was the only way I could describe my mood. I cut out dairy and within 24 hours was back to feel almost myself again. So I'm curious what y'all have to say about the correlation between dairy and depression, anxiety, and other postpartum mood disorders. I've only found minimal research linking dairy and mood disorders, so I'm second guessing this huge link of my diet and my mood. With both kids births I was more lax with paleo after and looking back now notice that when I went more strict paleo my mood disorders got better. Is it really as easy as diet (in some cases)?" Disclaimer: we are not medical professionals, so please seek medical advice if you need it. It is extremely important to not make changes to your medications without first consulting with your doctor. Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders are extremely complex. There is growing recognition that inflammation is part of the pathology for mood disorders. Insulin Resistance has also been linked to neurological conditions. When you look at the mechanisms that drive Insulin Resistance and inflammation, you can make the connection that changing diet may have an impact. There is definitely a link between food allergies and anxiety and depression, especially in adolescents. Food allergies have been linked to general anxiety, ADHD, and anorexia. Allergies are very potent drivers of inflammation. There is a robust collection of studies looking into non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity often looks like: GI symptoms, abdominal pain, bloating, bowel movement abnormalities. Foggy brain, fatigue, headache, joint pain, carpal tunnel, skin symptoms like eczema, anemia, depression, and anxiety. Studies have found a link between consumption of gluten-containing foods and onset of neurological symptoms like anxiety, depression, gluten psychosis. There is also a possible link with Schizophrenia and Autism. There are some researchers who suggest psychiatric patients should be screen for gluten sensitivity. There is limited research looking at foods other than gluten. Some researchers are suggesting mood disorders go back to a leaky gut. Zonulin release in people with Celiac disease or Celiac risk genes. High stress can cause leaky gut. Being sedentary or over-exercising can impact gut health. Not getting enough sleep can negatively impact gut health. Not eating enough fiber can impact gut health. Environmental toxics can contribute to poor gut health. They suggest that leaky gut can lead to increase in IgG food sensitivity. IgG food sensitivities increases inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines stimulate inflammation throughout the entire body, including in the brain. This inflammation in the brain is causing depression. This opens up the possibility of managing mood disorders through food. Identifying food culprits. Having a metric for evaluating which foods are health or unhealthy. Paleo Principles and The Paleo Approach both walk you through this. A vegetable-rich, anti-inflammatory diet. Microglial cells (inflammatory cells in the brain) are harder to turn of once they turn on. Getting enough sleep. Getting exercise. Stress management and mindfulness. We're not super-human when we adopt a Paleo diet, as stress can trigger inflammation and inflammation in the brain as well. This is why it isn't as simple as just diet. Combination of diet and lifestyle can be so powerful when it comes to managing mood disorders. Unfortunately there aren't any studies that combine looking at all these diet and lifestyle factors with mental health. Stacy suffered with post-partum and post-nursing depression. It took a lot of focus on sleep and nutrient-density to help her out of it. It can feel lonely and dark and frustrating. We're here with you and supporting you if you're going through this. A good support system and/or therapist can be very helpful. Thank you all for your reviews of the podcast- keep them coming, we love it! Sarah has a large collection of articles on leaky gut, including a video-based course, find them here! If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 302: Is Blue Light Harmful and What Should I Do? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss the latest thing people are becoming concerned about: blue light Click here to listen in iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 302: Is Blue Light Harmful and What Should I Do? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) We're back with part 2 of sunscreen science bonanza! We love it when you leave us reviews- send us an email, leave a comment on social media or our blogs! Thanks to Mary for her wonderful review of our How Many Vegetables?! podcast. Admittedly, sunscreen was one of the last things Stacy switched over for a healthier version. Sarah switch years ago when her kids were very little. She never liked the feel of chemical sunscreen on her skin. Stacy was afraid of switching away from the chemical sunscreens she knew she could count on. She was genuinely surprised that the mineral sunscreen worked! Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide These are the two minerals used in mineral or physical sunscreen. They reflect UV radiation back. Sarah loved the idea of zinc-oxide based sunscreen because of her history using diaper cream as a "cure all." Question from a listener: Jordan asks, "Hi! I absolutely love The Paleo View and love listening to you guys every week! I’ve learned so many awesome new things and really look forward to it every week. I just saw your post on the Facebook group about the new Beautycounter sunscreen and have a question about the blue light blocking. I've heard that it's actually important to get blue light during the day to help with your circadian rhythm (and help sleep) and would love if you and Sarah could go into that more, especially regarding this new sunscreen. I've always used conventional sunscreens and was about to buy new Beautycounter sunscreen to use a better product, but now I'm curious about this new line." "Zeitgeber," is a German word for "clock setter," referring to something in the external environment that helps set our internal clock. Our clocks will run without external stimulus for up to three weeks, studies have shown. Blue light from the sun during the day, dim red light in the evenings, and darkness at night are the most important zeitgebers, giving the cues to our circadian rhythms. The photoreceptors detecting these are way more sensitive in our eyes than in our skin. It is much more important for our eyes to detect sunlight and blue light than our skin. It is unlikely that wearing a sunscreen that blocks blue light will wreck circadian rhythms. Screen time and indoor lighting. It is not enough blue light to hit the sunlight signal to our internal clocks. Using blue light blocking glasses to protect your eyes from strain is not likely to hinder your internal clock as long as you see the sunlight at some point during the day. LED screens have more blue light and can interfere with melatonin, especially in the evening. Blue Light: Good or Bad? Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide naturally block blue light! Other compounds that will block blue light: Lutein (this is what is in the Beautycounter sunscreen Jordan was asking about). Synthetic melanin. Blue light is now recognized to accelerate skin aging. This is from increasing the formation of oxidants in the skin. This happens at about a quarter of the level that UV radiation does. It degrades carotenoids, the natural antioxidants, in our skin. These carotenoids recover very quickly after being degraded by blue light. It is being used in the medical fields for treating various skin disorders. Wearing a blue light blocking sunscreen may also have some anti-aging benefits. Stacy noted that just as the sun has both benefits and harm, blue light also seems to have the same nuances. Blue light doesn't cause DNA damage and is not linked to skin cancer. One study showed blue light induced apoptosis in melanoma cells. Another paper showed blue light stimulated the production of melanin. What about Zinc Oxide? Very well known for 80+ years to be beneficial for skin health. Used in diaper creams, skin protectant creams for elderly, etc. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Stacy feels that the zinc oxide in the face products and sunscreen she uses has helped her adult acne. Zinc is part of the molecular structure of the vitamin D receptor. What about Nano Particles? Stacy always looks for "non-nano zinc oxide." Nano particles go on more transparent and sunscreen looks less white/chalky. There isn't a definition for nano particle versus micro particles. Changing the particle size changes the wavelengths they reflect. Nano particles reflect UVB better, and are worse at reflecting UVA. There is a small amount of research showing nano particles can be absorbed into the skin and can cause cellular damage- more research is needed in this area. There is definitely research showing that nano particles can be problematic if inhaled. Stacy is concerned over using a spray or powder with nano particles for this reason. Some spray sunscreens don't differentiate if the particles are non-nano or nano. The overall take aways from both shows: Burning = bad. Non-burning sun exposure = good. Sunscreen use when burns might happen = good. Chemical sunscreens = bad. Physical sunscreens that are non-nano and non-aerosol with added phytochemicals = good. Stacy recommends that if you don't want to age your face, wear SPF on it every day. Sarah uses Araza cream foundation and powder, which has zinc-oxide. Stacy uses a Dew Skin tinted moisturizer with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 301: Sunscreen, Sun Exposure & Sunburns In this episode, Stacy and Sarah are talking all about the pros and cons of the very sun in the sky! Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 301: Sunscreen, Sun Exposure & Sunburns Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) This week's podcast breaks the record for most research done on a topic for a podcast! We're hoping to give you well-rounded, consensus, and nuanced information. There is a lot of science on this information, and it doesn't always agree. Shoutout to our listeners for sending wonderful supportive feedback after we asked last week! Sun & Skin (12:25) The background: Stacy's family is very fair-skinned, and she is very aggressive with sunscreen use. She has looked into the safety of sunscreen- what kind of sun is good and not good, plus not adding harmful chemicals to our bodies. What are risk factors for skin cancer? This is the dominant motivator for wanting to protect our skin. Sun exposure is a risk for skin cancer, but is different for different forms of skin cancer. Melanoma: most dangerous, highest mortality rate. More related to sporadic intense exposure with burns. Interestingly, people tend to get this on parts of body not most-exposed to sun. This probably indicated that contributing factors are more complex. Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma are much milder and typically easier to treat. The highest risk is total UV exposure, cumulative to date. The more sun exposure, especially burning, the higher your chance. There are other risk factors for skin cancers (and other cancers) as well: Vitamin D deficiency. Exposure to chemicals. Having a weakened immune system. Smoking. Family history. Fair complexion or being a red-headed. Having moles increases risk of Melanoma. Men are at higher risk of skin cancer than women. Is it true that childhood sunburns increase your risk of skin cancer later on in life? One study showed that overall there was no increase risk for melanoma. There was a slight increased risk for melanoma in your 20s, but not overall in life. There is a group of studies showing that sun exposure is a risk factor for skin cancer. It is likely a collection of factors. For example, sun exposure in the context of not getting enough antioxidants in the diet. In the context of increased inflammation from chronic disease. In the context of vitamin D deficiency. In the context of more chemical exposure. Sun Tan vs. Sun Burn These are two different things, caused by two different mechanisms. A sun tan is caused from melanocytes in the skin producing melanin (a dark pigment). Having a lot of melanin in your skin protects from damage from the sun. This is why people with darker complexions have lower risk of skin cancer. Burning is really just cellular damage. When you have a lot of cells dying from sun exposure, it triggers an inflammation response- which is what causes the heat/inflammation and and makes the skin so red. How intense the sunlight is, and how long you were out in it versus how fair you are is the formula for a sunburn. Sunscreen use related to skin cancer risk. Prior to 1980 this was true, which is probably because there were a lot of chemicals used in sunscreen that have since been removed. These chemicals were inert by themselves, but when exposed to the sun turned carcinogenic. Currently no form of skin cancer is associated with sunscreen use. There is a collection of studies that looked at prevention of skin cancer with sunscreen use. These studies didn't show a strong effect. This may be because people are using sunscreens to stay out in the sun longer. It may have to do with the type of sunscreen they are using. Benefits of non-burning sun exposure. Could people be going so overboard with sunscreen use that they are missing out on some of the benefits of sun non-burning exposure? Vitamin D deficiency: 75% of Westerners are vitamin D deficient. Stress relieving and circadian rhythm benefit to being out in the sun. A recent article compared life expectancy of people with different sun exposure times. High sun people did have an increase risk of skin cancer but lower risk of other health problems. There may be benefits of sun exposure that we don't completely understand. Overview of sun exposure. It is important to not get sunburned, as this increases risk of skin cancer. It is better to use a sunscreen and still get sun exposure if you would otherwise burn. Moderating sun exposure is important- some sun exposure is beneficial. Is an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet related to reduced sunburn? Our skin has natural antioxidants and protective mechanisms. It is chronically being assaulted by everything in the environment. It is constantly regenerating to maintain a barrier between the inside and outside of our bodies. A higher plant phytochemical diet can reduce the chance of getting sun burned. Astaxanthin is one of the stronger antioxidants that helps with this. This is in red and purple type vegetables. It is also found in seafood. There are photolyase enzymes in our skin that exist to repair DNA damage. These are activated by visible light, and different ones are activated by different wavelengths. Our bodies are amazing and they do have ways of repairing and protecting ourselves against sun damage. Sunscreen and what to look for. We will get into this in greater detail next week, though we don't want to leave you hanging right now! There are two different types: chemical and physical. Physical sunscreens are mineral based and reflect UV radiation. Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing radiation and dissipating it as heat. These are a class of chemicals that have high skin irritant and allergic reaction rates. Many of these chemicals have been identified as endocrine disruptors. Many of these chemicals have been associated with damaging the coral reef. Hawaii recently banned chemical sunscreens for this reason. We look forward to continuing this conversation next week, as well as the science of the different types of sunscreens! Stacy personally looks for mineral sunscreen that is non-nano and non-aerosol. Stacy uses Beautycounter, but there are a lot of great safer options available now. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do You Handle Sugar and Salt Cravings? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah tackle cravings and how to fight back against them! Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 300: How Do You Handle Sugar and Salt Cravings? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) It's our 300th episode!! It's Stacy's 8 year Paleo-versary this week! And also her youngest, Wesley's 8th birthday. Stacy went Paleo two days after he was born to eliminate dairy and try to help his colic. Sarah's first couple months on Paleo were strict and she didn't find "treats" until months after she started. Stacy remembers first going Paleo and thinking she didn't have a problem with gluten- ha! Stacy didn't do a lot of "treats" at first either, but found a dairy-free ice cream recipe a couple months in. Elana's Pantry and The Spunky Coconut were the first two grain-free blogs that they found. Sarah remembers an almond coconut bar with chocolate as the first Paleo treat she made. It completely changed her world and helped make Paleo sustainable. Stacy tries to ask herself, "is this nutrient-densee and is it reducing or not contributing to inflammation." When they have treats, they try to be very mindful of them. Using dates as sweetener if they bake. Buying just a couple cupcakes as a treat and not a whole cake that sits in the house for days. Listener Email, from Tom (whom Sarah met in person at Paleof(x) a couple weeks ago): Tom write, "Sarah, I just wanted to tell you how great it was meeting you in person and chatting after hours and hours of 1 way listening via the podcast. (Congrats on the 5 million downloads by the way, the other 5 listeners must have been super busy on itunes!) You are as amazing and awesome in real life as you seem to be online. A thought for the podcast that I didn't get a chance to say when we were talking. I would love to hear you guys read some more fan mail / reviews on the show (you can include this one!). It's a great way for us listeners to kind of connect with others who love you two so much." Great idea Tom, thank!! Stacy and Sarah would love to hear more from all of YOU! We love getting questions and comments, especially if something we've talked about has helped you in your life. There are lots of ways to connect with us- commenting our blog posts, or on social media when we share podcasts posts, or even emailing us! Listener Question from Amanda (21:40): Amanda asks, "I'm already trying to figure out a plan for family visits. My husband's family comes in to town and stays at the oldest brothers house on the other side of the neighborhood for 2-3 days which means the leftovers and treats stay until they're gone. I can't just not go over there to visit while they're here, but I can't handle that kind of temptation either. Last year we gave in and I'm still caving to sugar and salt cravings. Any advice is truly appreciated! One thing that makes it easier for Stacy is that she can not have gluten, so many treats are not even an option. Stacy always makes a conscious choice to eat or not to eat the treat. Think about how you're going to talk to yourself so that there isn't a negative voice. Be practical and plan ahead. If you know there's going to be cookies there, bring your own and have those instead. There are certain nutrients that we know can drive cravings when we're not getting enough of them: Calcium, chromium, vitamin C, and magnesium. These are all nutrients required for processing things like refined sugars. We end up in a vicious cycle: sugar depletes Magnesium, Magnesium plays a role in stabilizing blood sugar, and when Magnesium levels are too low we don't regulate our blood sugar level very well, and then we go on this high and low with drives sugar cravings. When we're stressed we tend to crave energy-dense foods. Eating energy-dense foods when under stress is shown to be neuro-protective in mice. Focusing on chronic-stress reducing activities can be helpful. Not getting enough sleep can cause cravings for energy-dense foods. It increases hunger and messes with our hunger hormones. It interferes with dopamine response, reducing the reward from eating, which makes us want to eat more. If you can dial in the lifestyle factors that can influence cravings, your ability to choose not to do something is higher. Stacy has found that eating an orange helps her with certain cravings. Stacy had to have a real conversation with her family in the beginning when they would pressure her at get-togethers, reminding them that they wanted her to be health and happy, and that her not eating the treat didn't mean that they couldn't. It felt difficult at the time, but made a huge impact. If you choose to indulge, you need to accept it and move on. It's fine, Paleo is about making better choices more often. It's also about sustainability. Don't let a treat drive you into a guilt cycle. These types of event can be an opportunity to show people that what you're doing isn't weird. Paleo does include an occasional treat! Sarah will bring a treat or baked good to share- which shows people how good Paleo food is. The discovery that Paleo foods are delicious can be what helps someone make a decision to try it. Thanks for helping make this our 300th episode! If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 299: Does the Moon Affect Stacy's Mood? In this episode, Stacy is convinced that her body and hormones are affected by the moon. What will Sarah say? Click here to listen in iTunes If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 299: Does the Moon Affect Stacy's Mood? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Stacy was at a Beautycounter conference this past weekend. While the conference itself was great, the part that was amazing was meeting some incredible women in person that she's been working with for over a year. Stacy minored in women's studies, so helping a team of women to succeed an achieve their goals has been a long-time dream come true for her. While she is successful at her day job and enjoys it, it never directly empowered women for a greater cause, which is what her work with Beautycounter has helped her to do. Stacy was bawling all weekend, realizing she was part of something bigger, and had helped other women find their power and their voice, and was part of a mission that matters. Stacy's Burning Question for Sarah (8:01) Stacy has been feeling very connected and effected by lunar cycles, which is a weird thing for her to say out loud. After some research, she found information supporting a link to mood and hormones. Lunar cycles are known to affect bodies of water (ie: the tides) and humans are made up of mostly water- so Stacy wants to know, what does the science say related to how the moon affects humans? There has been a lot of interest in the circalunar cycle, especially in the last 5-10 years. We have a circadian rhythm, which keeps track of our 24 hours in the day. It syncs our brain with the "clock" that is in every one of our cells. There is seasonal variation as well- changes in physiology based on the season. We don't really fully understand circalunar rhythms. These cycles are much stronger in marine animals. There are observations based on rhythm on a 29.5 day cycle. Spawning, gonad growth, reproductive cycles, etc. Research is starting to identify some genetic components to these circalunar cycles. It is analogous to our circadian rhythms- outside stimulus that influences internal factors. There is a good scientific foundation of mechanism and molecular mechanics of the circalunar rhythms. There are behaviors and physiology changes in humans that have been linked to the moon. The old saying, "must be a full moon." There have been some rigorous studies looking at things like birth rate and fertility and phases of the moon. These two things have not been found to be correlated in the science. There are studies in schizophrenia showing a small increase of violence or aggressive episodes during a full moon. There is also a possible correlation between seizures when thy sky is brighter, not necessarily when the moon is full though. A study done in 2013 looked at lunar cycle and sleep quality. It showed more deep sleep during the full moon. A study that tried to replicate the data didn't get the same results. It is not tidal effects on humans, as we are an incredibly small amount of water. Tides in the ocean, versus tides in some of the largest lakes in the world. Lake Superior's tide change due to the moon is about 3cm. Humans are a ridiculously small amount of water compared to this. It could have to do with the amount of light at night being greater during a full moon. We tend not to evolve useless things. Our photoreceptors could be good multi-taskers as well. We have completely messed up how our body detects moon light, and messed up our circadian rhythms by having lights on at night, spending too much time inside, screen time, etc. Indoor lights is a large disruptor of sleep. The bright sun is between 400-130,000 lux. The full moon is 0.25 lux, and half moon is 0.025 lux, starlight is 0.0001 lux. We're supposed to have a very dim light signal in the evenings. Indoor lighting is between 200-300 lux. Street lights or heavy traffic is about 75 lux. Smartphone and tablet screens are 30-50 lux. There are so many sources of light that we are never in a nighttime environment. We don't have the ability to sync with the moon anymore. We've probably destroyed our ability to study circalunar rhythms in humans. When we do learn more about circalunar cycles, it is unclear how that would inform what we can do in our modern lives to make up for it. Right now we can eat a nutrient-focuses diet, have a rigid bedtime, spend time outside, take activity breaks during the day, use a treadmill desk, nurture in-person relationships, etc. It is challenging to get rid of nighttime light, and is unclear what impact it would have on our health. Ultimately, Sarah is saying that there is evidence that circalunar cycles are a real thing, but they are driven by nighttime light, not tidal forces. Stacy still believes that the moon makes her super emotional! We as a population have a strong cultural bond to the full moon, which can be a driving force. The moon is actually getting farther away from us- the light at night and tidal forces used to be stronger. It could have had a bigger impact back in this time. The most hope for understanding a link between human physiology and human behavior and the lunar cycle is not in big population studies, but in a basic understanding the mechanism of circalunar cycles in sea urchins and corals, and then trying to identifying if those pathways were preserved in mammals. Stacy is not putting this to rest yet- she's going to be on lunar-watch! Listeners, Stacy needs your emotional support! Please comment and share your particular superstitions with us! We love when you leave us comments, or reviews if you'd enjoyed the show. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 298: Paleo f(x) Recap!In this episode, Sarah talks about her trip to Austin for PaleoFX!Click here to listen in iTunesor download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player belowIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 298: Paleo f(x) Recap! Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Welcome back to The Paleo View! Sarah's croaky voice proves she had a great time at Paleo f(x) this weekend! She talked and talked for 4 days straight! On stage and to everyone in person! Sarah met so many listeners- thanks so much for visiting with her! Our podcast listeners are the best fans to meet. Thanks for sharing your stories, and how much our podcast has helped you. Sarah got to do some mentoring through the Health Entrepreneurs satellite event. Her talk was called "The Myth of Work Life Balance." She talked about the trend of people working the same amount, but trying to find "balance" by adding in more hobbies and time spent with family, which ends up spreading them too thin. The focus should shift from "work life balance" to "self-care." There is some interesting science on cognitive and physical decline when you don't get enough sleep. Even a 30 minute sleep deficit can impact your cognition and productivity. Regular exercise improves cognition and is worthwhile to make time for. Acute stress can actually clarifies the brain, but chronic stress dulls decision making, inhibits memory, and makes you a bad multi-tasker. The message was to practice self-care with your lifestyle. There can be some lag time between when you change lifestyle factors to when you see improvement. Unfortunately her talks at Paleo f(x) were not filmed. Sarah's talks went wonderfully and she got great feedback! She loved every minute of Paleo f(x) and got to meet so many new people and vendors! Sarah is exhausted because she did not practice good self-care while she was there. Not enough sleep, long periods without eating, not resting, and consuming alcohol. Stacy has learned her body doesn't do well with flying and consuming alcohol. She likes to bring organ meats when flying, usually in the form of Epic Liver Bites. Dry Farm Wines catered the events, which was awesome! They curate wines are lower carb, lower sulfate, lower alcohol and won't leave you feeling yucky afterwards. Stress: there are different forms of stressors: Psychological: traffic, deadlines, snotty teenagers. Chemical: tobacco, alcohol, environmental. Physical: sitting all day, exercise, non-ergonomic things, bright lights. Stress is additive and all of these things are compounded. Traveling can raise your stress response. This is why it is common to get sick after a day of traveling. Sarah has to pull back on exercise when she is under deadlines. Stacy intuitively learned to not drink alcohol while traveling. Sarah will be taking it easy this week and focusing on self-care. If you've been thinking about attending Paleo f(x), it's a wonderful event! Sarah always gets so much out of it- there is a wealth of health information there! Stacy loved going to the vendor floor- so many awesome new products! Sarah says this was the year of the bio-hack, with lots of new health products introduced. Probiotic foods also had a strong presence this year. If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 297: Is There a Connection Between Allergies & Baby Wipes? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah have read an article that baby wipes are not safe! Oh no! Click here to listen in iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 297: Is There a Connection Between Allergies & Baby Wipes? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah is excited about Paleo f(x) and got her presentation done early (unlike last year!). She has been digging into a lot of new information and material. Her presentation will be live streamed for FREE Sunday afternoon! Speaking of interesting science articles... Stacy tipped Sarah off to a new journal article, which is the basis of today's show! Science with Sarah (6:57) An exciting study was published a couple weeks ago in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. In this study they developed a new animal model of childhood allergy development. A child's immune system is quite different than an older person's. Children have more allergies than adults, and can also grow out of them. Children have immune tolerance- where the immune system has learned something is bad, but has decided not to react to it. This study will help researchers to look at what is going on at a molecular level. It may help to know which foods to introduce at which age. An aside: this study was an animal study performed on mice. Sarah was a researcher who used to perform studies on animals. She wants to assure you that the utmost care is taken of these animals in regard to their welfare. In the US and Canada and in higher education settings the standards are very high. Animal welfare is very important to Stacy. It is worthwhile when talking about science and the benefit of human health. There has been a giant increase in childhood allergies in the last 20-25 years. Many chronic disease rates have gone up. Our lifestyles have completely changed over time, and even since just the 1950s. We're eating lower quality food, more sedentary, getting less sleep, working more, etc. Incidence of childhood allergies really spiked in the 1990s. Other chronic disease has been a slow rise, where allergies was a sharper increase. Could it be... baby wipes?! The health of her children is one of the things that brought Stacy to Paleo. She was the ultimate crunchy mom! Cloth diapers and everything! It's crazy to think of all the major food and lifestyle changes they made over the 8+ years of being Paleo, and that something like baby wipes was correlated to such major health issues. The study used mice with the same genetic mutations that predisposes humans to eczema. Many people have these genetic variants, they are quite common. Mice were exposed to an allergen on the skin, and then their skin was wiped with some of the same chemicals that are often found in baby wipes, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. These chemicals make the skin more leaky. What is different with baby wipes vs. using soap is the rinsing factor. Bacteria and viruses get washed away with the water. The baby wipe is relying on the chemicals for the antimicrobial action. And those chemicals are sitting on the skin where they can erode the integrity of the skin barrier. In the study, mice developed eczema and also anaphylaxis to the allergen they were also exposed to. In the last 20-25 years disposable wipes have become the standard, even among people who use cloth diapers. All the peanut allergy studies and recommendations on when to introduce them have been done without the context of this other environmental factor that is influencing the immune system. Recommendations that came out of this paper were things like: If you're going to use baby wipes, rinse the skin afterwards. Think about allergens on your own skin as you are handling your baby. For example, if you make a peanut butter sandwich for your older child, make sure you wash your hands, and the older child washes their face and hands before handling the baby. Rinsing is key: think of it as you are putting soap on the skin with a cloth. You wouldn't put a pump of hand soap on your skin and just leave it there. Check the ingredients in your baby wipes and soap on the EWG website. Sensitive skin wipes tend to have less chemicals in them. More "natural" brands also tend to have less chemicals, but always check the label. If allergies, eczema, or autoimmune disease is in your family, it is worthwhile to go the extra step and seek out wipes and products without those ingredients in them. Also consider the earth and seek out something compostable or more earth-friendly. If you're using baby wipes to take your makeup off, you might want to find an alternative. Stacy uses the makeup remover wipes from Beautycounter. Stacy and the boys all have very sensitive skin. Consider keeping a spray bottle and cloths at the diaper changing station, and once the bum is clean, rinse and wipe with cloth- you don't have to take the baby to the bath every time. Take a deep breath and let go of your mommy guilt. Nobody knew, and having guilt doesn't produce different results. Work on a change going forward and share the information. Sarah hopes to see you all at Paleo F(x)! If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! Real Everything The Paleo Mom Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices