Influenced to Death

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.comIn this episode, Hannah & Victoria discuss Apeel, a company that creates edible treatments for produce to reduce food waste (and is surrounded by a maelstrom of negative press from the natural health community).This episode is for paid subscribers. If you’d like to support our 2-person mission to bring balance back to highly influenced topics, use the b…

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria are joined by the brilliant Dr. Angie Martinez, owner of Root Cause Medicine in Arvada, Colorado.Dr. Angie has a unique and highly informed approach to BHRT, and we can’t wait for you to hear her take. We discuss: * Victoria’s negative bias against BHRT and Dr. Angie’s response* Viewing BHRT through an evolutionary lens* The difference between healthspan and lifespan, and why it’s a crucial distinction for women* What is the Grandmother Hypothesis?* Why the majority of divorces happen when women are in perimenopause and menopause* Should women be afraid of hormone replacement? Dr. Angie discusses research updates* How Dr. Angie uses BHRT as prevention versus as simply a way to address symptoms* The case for using hormones in context as part of a highly individualized health plan* Why some women feel WORSE after they start hormones* The crucial difference between oral hormones and hormones administered via other routes (subdermal, injections, etc.)* Hormone testing options and what Dr. Angie uses with her patients* The difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormones, and where conventional and functional medicine overlap* Are there some people who should avoid hormone therapy?Click here to follow Dr. Angie on Instagram.Learn more: * Information on the controversial history of BHRT* The Grandmother Hypothesis* Refuting the grandmother hypothesis This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Hannah and Victoria discuss their backstories and give a deeper look into who they are and why they started Influenced to Death.They delve into the complexities of wellness influencing, their personal health journeys, and the role of bias in our perceptions.Key Topics:* Fluoride study update (aka fumbling through) from Victoria * Hannah tells us about her badass bicycle-powered juice bar and her journey to nutrition* Hannah taking the juice cart down to the farmers market.* When Hannah and her husband Andy were on the cover of our local outdoor magazine* Hannah at 18 or 19, about 7 years before she went GF, probably cooking grilled cheese sandwiches* Victoria’s experience going from opera singer to hitchhiker to nutrition and her diagnoses of celiac and rosaceaIf you have any questions or want to get to know us more, please let us know! You can email us at influencedtodeath@gmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.comIn this episode, Victoria speaks with guest Jameson Simpson about a (crazy?) raw-food version of Paleo popularized by LA diet “guru” Aajonus Vonderplanitz (yes, that was really his name): The Primal Diet. They cover: * Their shared history of eating Primal and early traveling experiences in Hawai’i* Jameson’s experience of eating Primal and living at a raw-…

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria explore all aspects of the most highly influenced legume…the peanut. Are peanuts as bad as people say?They discuss: * An update on fluoride and big dental companies* The 4 varities of peanuts commercially grown in the United States and some other cool peanut facts (artifact photos here!)* The study Victoria discussed on partial colostrum feeding and increased risk of allergies in kids* How changing when allergenic foods are introduced decreases risk of allergies, the study this article was written about, and earlier reports that hadn’t yet documented the positive change reported in the latest research* The skin barrier hypothesis Hannah discussed* How the use of ANY lotion might increase the risk of allergies (this one was VERY surprising to us)* Peanut reintroduction might be possible for kids who can tolerate 1/2 a peanut (TO BE CLEAR: We are NOT recommending you try this at home! Seek medical assitance if you’re interested in reintroducing peanuts to someone who is allergic.)* The microbiome is different in babies who go on to develop allergies at a later age* Example of peanut hate we found online (here, too)* But…100% of lectins are destroyed when peanuts are roasted* But oxalates, not so much (this paper about antinutrients is really worth reading if you’re curious about the “plants are poisonous” rhetoric)* Some general info on alfatoxin and cancer risk, a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus, a ubiquitous fungus that can infect and grow in peanuts under both pre- and post-harvest conditions* Less than 20 part per billion of aflatoxin is allowed in peanuts according to FDA guidelines* But aflaxtoxin is also found in Brazil nuts, pistachios, cocoa, and some small grains such as rice. Aflatoxin M1 is also found in milk of cows that eat aflatoxin B1 contaminated crops.* It turns out, peanuts are super nutritious* They’re the 2nd highest food in resveratrol!* Soybeans contain more protein, but peanut protein may be more bioavailable (but they’re not a great DIRECT source of protein, to be clear. They’re much higher in fat than protein.)* Peanuts save millions of children’s lives each year via ready-to-use therapeutic foods like PlumpyNut (invented in 1996 by a French pediatrician), and MANA Nutrition (made in Georgia, US)* This Lancet article estimates there will be a staggering amount of deaths, especially children, caused by USAID cuts* PB&J will add 33 min to your life (sorta)Finally, please enjoy the Peanut Butter Jelly Time song. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Victoria is joined by all-time favorite guest Dr. Mike T Nelson to discuss the deep physiology of meathead cardio…don’t resistance exercises like kettlebell swings and front squats get our heart rate high enough?You might remember Dr. Mike from episode #6: KETO-MANIA!We broke the traditional Influenced to Death format in this episode and had an open-format nerd-fest conversation with Dr. Mike (Hannah was on vacation, so no one was here to make Victoria follow the rules 😬).They discuss: * Dr. Mike’s super interesting history, including his work with DARPA (no, we’re not kidding…learn more about him here)* If resistance athletes need cardio outside of resistance exercises that increase their heart rate* Specific recommendations for aerobic and anaerobic exercise for optimal health * The exercise and diet regimens that are actually needed for long-term health* Tabata exercise: Is it legit?* The health benefits of increasing VO2 max and what VO2 max actually is (you can test your VO2 max!)* The million-dollar question: Do women need different training recommendations than men?* What truly moves the needle on health (teaser…it doesn’t come in a pill, lotion, potion, or fancy protocol)If you’d like to learn more from Dr. Mike, we highly recommend his classes! (We don’t make a dime off these recommendations, we just love Dr. Mike.)He’s currently offering Flexible Meathead Cardio: Level 1, Flexible Meathead Cardio: Level 2, and the Flex Diet Online Mentorship.You can learn more by signing up for his newsletter and letting him know you’re interested. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.comIn this episode, Hannah & Victoria discuss AI as the most powerful up-and-coming health influencer and some surprising use cases.If you’d like to listen to the full episode, for just $5/month and up, you can become a paid subscriber:They cover: * “Psychosis Fueled by Generative AI Are Tearing Families Apart As Some Claim Chatbots Represent Spiritual Highe…

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria delve into the highly controversial topic of fluoride, especially its use in public drinking water.This is the most complex and multifaceted topic yet, and lots of ground gets covered in this slightly lengthy but super interesting episode. They discuss: * Some basic fluoride facts—what it is and why it’s currently up in public discourse* Symptoms of fluorosis, aka excess fluoride exposure* The history of fluoride in drinking water (it’s been controversial from the very beginning)* The chemistry of fluoride (big thanks to chemist Kyle Carter!)* Where the fluoride in our drinking water comes from* Some brief discussion of the multitude of compounds intentionally added to municipal water* The full-body impact of fluoride exposure—effects on the pineal gland, sleep, neurological, and cognitive effects* Some popular claims about fluoride…can it be lethal?* The difference between systemic and topical use of fluoride* Other factors that can influence oral health* Hannah’s fabulous recommendation to find a trusted water filterExtra resources:* The NSF chemical search page we shared during the episode* EPA fluoride supply chain chart (where the fluoride in your water comes from)* More on how the optimal levels in drinking water were determined* The reintroduction of fluoride into Calgary, Canada’s water supply* Evidence from archeological digs shows exposure to naturally occurring fluoride in human remains* From one study we read: “The effect of fluoride is mainly achieved when applied topically, which is further enhanced when accompanied by good oral hygiene.”* In this study, fluoride is described as a double-edged sword.* The study Hannah shared on fluoride and the pineal gland* Two studies (here and here) on fluoride and sleep* Click here and here for information on fatalities connected to fluoride, as claimed in the podcast clip we shared: One child died after eating an unknown amount of fluoride-based insecticide. Otherwise…“Children who ingested up to 8.4 mg/kg of elemental fluoride in dental products had mild and self-limited symptoms, mostly gastrointestinal.”* The study Hannah shared on the effectiveness of fluoride varnish* Click here and here for information on fluoride toxicology and IQ: The determination about lower IQs in children was based primarily on epidemiology studies in non-U.S. countries such as Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, where some pregnant women, infants, and children received total fluoride exposure amounts higher than 1.5 mg fluoride/L of drinking water. The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends 0.7 mg/L, and the World Health Organization has set a safe limit for fluoride in drinking water of 1.5 mg/L.* Research on the oral microbiome, second only to the gut in diversity and number of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa.* Vitamins that play a role in the prevention of cavities* Vitamin D seems especially crucial* Perhaps most importantly, what toxicants are more concerning than fluoride? PFAs, heavy metals, etc. * Check your local drinking water here This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

In this bonus episode, Hannah & Victoria hang out with Geoff Futch, a science-loving stats nerd (we say that with love!) who has a remarkably balanced take on research, science, and how we should approach an admittedly faulty process that supplies a huge chunk of the information we use in health sciences and our day-to-day lives.They cover: * Geoff’s bio and our long-term relationship and trust in his thought processes* Why people trust the sources they do * Does “good science” even exist due to outside influences like funding, government manipulation, or other forms of bias?* How unscupulous practices and messy science have undermined our trust* A great example of how the game of “science telephone” happens and can lead to misinformation * The role of nuance and subtlety in our ability to navigate information * Why we distrust experts and how social media and influencer culture have filled that vacuum * Geoff’s recommendation to meet a scientist and become more involved in the way information comes about in your topic of interest* The real-world ways that poor information becomes accepted and intertwined as a trusted belief* Evolutionary reasons why humans are captive to their biases and what we can do to break out of siloed thinking This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria talk with Kelsey Keener about MAHA’s (Make America Healthy Again) impact in the first 100 days of the Trump administration.Kelsey is a 3rd-generation farmer in Southeast Tennessee at Sequatchie Cove Farm (you can read his blog at this link or follow him on Instagram @sequatchiecovefarm). His grandparents started the farm 25 years ago, and he learned from his parents and continues to teach his children about regenerative farming, as well as the community and other farmers.They discuss: * The (brief) history of MAHA * Their personal biases around MAHA and the positive and negative details of what MAHA has promoted and achieved * The reason why MAHA’s ideas and actions are extremely impactful * Skepticism about climate change and what Kelsey understands about climate change as a farmer* Changes MAHA has made in the first 100 days of the Trump administration and how it’s impacted Kelsey’s work as a small farmer* How much food actually costs versus what we pay for it as consumers * Kelsey shares surprising information about the egg shortage and government-funded relief payments* How the government currently subsidizes farming and why that might not align with popularized MAHA speaking points* How Kelsey thinks MAHA’s current policies will affect small farms in the future* Are food dyes and fluoride the most important issues to focus on for most people?Helpful links: * HHS’s list of what has been accomplished in the first 100 days* Food Policy Tracker’s first 100 days of MAHA* $1 billion that was going to help put farm fresh food in schools and food banks was cancelled. This was an amazing program that was getting fresh vegetables and even grass-fed beef into school cafeterias. Kelsey talks more about this in the episode. More info here, here, here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com/subscribe