Today’s guest is Amanda Montalvo, an Integrative Dietitian and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. You may know her from her website yournontoxiclife.com, which has a TON of resources. I was introduced to Amanda’s work by Autumn Smith, who we had on the podcast last month. She recommended Amanda and said “You’ve got to get her on the show!” I just loved Autumn and as I was browsing Amanda’s website and preparing for this interview I said to myself “I think I found a new best friend!” She is passionate about helping frustrating women balance their hormones, and boost their energy through detox. I am just so excited and honored to have her on the show today! Welcome, Amanda!

Video Version - https://youtu.be/tRR8taY_0k4

Amanda's Website - https://yournontoxiclife.com/

 STARTER QUESTIONS:

Walk us through your health journey- I know the past 5 years have been really transformational for you. What have you learned about your body?

Most of our listeners are women, and I hear from so many of them who are so frustrated with “the pill” and how it makes them feel. But they also don’t want to get pregnant, or maybe they’ve been told by their gynecologist that they need the pill in order to keep a regular period. What do you tell these women, and where should they start?

Another key piece that you talk about in your health journey is liver health and detox. This has been something I have been really interested in lately because so much ties back to our livers! How did you begin to heal your liver?

Do you believe that everyone needs a liver detox? I know a lot of people associate their liver with alcohol and might be thinking “well, I am not a heavy drinker, so my liver is probably good”. What are some hidden signs of liver issues that people may be overlooking just because they assume their liver is fine?

 What if someone was a heavy drinker, I know a lot of people drink heavily in their 20’s or in college, is it possible to reverse some of this damage with detox?

 For a lot of women, we start going all natural with our food, and then maybe our house hold products…make up is usually the last thing we transition. You have an awesome line of skin and beauty products on your site. Can you talk about the importance of using these natural products? What ingredients should our listeners be looking for in a product that is “bad”?

 Let’s talk about your website, your blog is a wealth of information, and we just talked about the beauty products, but I know that you have a lot of other things going on. You offer coaching, cosmetic consults, and help with detox! Give us a run down on everything you have going on and where we can follow you?

Listener Questions:

Q1 - 23:53

I feel like I am a podcast junkie and every time I turn around someone talks about this symptom or that symptom and I am like “OMG I have that!” And then I hear about a new supplement that’s out there and I say “Oh I need to take that” so I add a new supplement to my repertoire. Now I am starting to wonder if I am overloading my liver with all of these supplements. Do you think I am overloading it? I am wondering if I should stop all my supplements for a little while and detox, maybe just take some CBD oil? If you think this is a good idea, to take a little break or a detox, how long should I do it?

* Jenna in Hampton

Q2 - 26:54

I love this podcast! I feel like you answer so many of my questions that I haven’t even asked! Lately I have been really listening to my body and I feel like my thyroid is somehow connected to my digestion. I can’t figure out quite how, but say I do a three day smoothie detox, I will feel like my thyroid is just in overload, but working really well. Another time, I may eat a big meal, with starches, my body just doesn’t digest the food and I feel like my thyroid is off. Something like a simple meat and veggies is usually fine! Is this all in my mind, or do you think my thyroid is somehow tied to my digestion?

* Laura in Minnesota

Q3 - 29:02

I am all about the detox, and I know you are too! Lately I have been looking at gallbladder flushes, which is something new. I am not aware of gall bladder issues, but I know it is tied to so many different things. Same with the liver. Should I flush my gall bladder and liver? And if so, what do you recommend? Dr Google told me about a liver flush, but it had mixed reviews, some really bad and some good. What do you recommend?

* Danielle in Redmond

Q4 - 33:54

Literally every podcast that I listen to and everyone that I follow on Instagram has been talking about dry brushing so I ordered it on Amazon, and I am in LOVE! I’ve only been using it a week, but I just love the way it feels, it is so revitalizing! But the main reasons I got it are because I heard it helps with cellulite, and of course for my lymphatic system. Do you believe that this is true and proven, or do you think it’s all in my head? How does brushing your skin work to benefit your lymphatic system and cellulite?

* Ally in Virginia Beach

Q5 - 36:04

I really enjoy your podcast! You always bring the best guests, and I can’t wait to hear from Amanda Montalvo because my skin really needs some help. I do intermittent fasting and eat in a 6 hour window on most days, but sometimes I will do longer fasts, from 24 hours to 3 days. When I do these long fasts, my skin is EXCELLENT! It is so perfect. But as soon as I start eating again, I notice everything from my psoriasis, to my exczema and acne, coming back with a vengeance. I eat really clean for the most part, I would say about 90/10 Paleo, but it’s still not good enough, nothing compares to fasting. Unfortunately, I can’t fast forever! Do you think my skin issues are tied to digestion? And if I am already eating clean, what can I do to improve my skin besides never eating again?

* Pat in Florida

Q6 - 38:11

I am 28 years old, and my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for the past two years. We have tried everything (NATURAL) under the sun, it seems. One of my friends told me about Seed Cycling, saying that it can help, she has a friend of a friend that did it and got pregnant. I have never heard of it before, and I am always a little hesitant of trying something just because it worked for a friend of a friend. Is this something that you recommend? And can you talk about how it works?

* Anonymous

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