Audrey Johns is a blogger and cookbook author with an amazing story. She lost 150 pounds by eating real food and cooking at home. She is here today to talk about her new book Lose Weight by Eating Detox Week. In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, We talk about:  

• Audrey’s eating and weight loss story
• How clean eating has changed Audrey's life
• Thinking about the long game when making food choices

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Audrey had been heavy her entire life. She tried many different diets, and she would lose a little and then gain it back. Then she came across a clean eating cookbook and thought she would give it a try.  A light went on she found something easy that made sense to her. She lost 150 pounds in 11 months by just replacing processed foods with whole foods. [02:17]
2. People kept asking her what she had done to lose so much weight, and she had trouble articulating that, so she decided to start a blog and share her recipes.  Her blood turned viral, and she now has two cookbooks and has been on the Rachael Ray Show three times. [03:33]
3. A baby step to beginning your health journey can be giving up diet soda. It makes you hungrier at mealtime and you are also hyped up on caffeine. [04:14]
4. Audrey is always looking for the good in things. This is why she called her book Lose By Through Eating. We need calories for fuel, so they shouldn't be considered a bad thing. Filling our body with fake foods is worse for us even if they are low calorie. [05:38]
5. The convenience trap and thinking about the long game. Think about how a convenience foods make you feel afterwards. Think about the long game and your life as you're getting older.  Think about how the food is going to affect you in the long run. Our food should taste good and make us feel good. [07:31]
6. Anyone can learn to cook. It's as simple as following directions and having a little bit of kitchen confidence. If ruining dinner is the worst thing that happened today, you're doing pretty good. [10:41]
7. The equation of how to make a perfect salad. You need protein and healthy fats. Audrey loves using things like walnuts and goat cheese. Healthy fats tell your body that it's okay to release the fat in the body. Audrey’s salads are supposed to be big. She wants you to be so full and satisfied that you aren't reaching for chips or processed food. [13:01]
8. When Audrey refers to detox she means removing chemicals and processed foods from our diets and replacing those things with healthy whole foods. Replacing laboratory foods that confuse your body with whole foods that your body already knows how to digest. She shares an equation for our plates where it should be 50% vegetables, 25% lean protein, and 25% Healthy carbohydrates.  [15:35]  
9. Tips for kids who are picky eaters include using baby spinach in your smoothie.  You can also put your smoothie in a cup so the kids won't even know it's green. Baby kale is also more mild than regular kale. You can also use half kale and half spinach. [20:06]  

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Lose Weight by Eating: Detox Week: Twice the Weight Loss in Half the Time with 130 recipes for a Crave-Worthy Cleanse
• Books by Audrey Johns
• Lose Weight By Eating
• Lose Weight By Eating on Facebook
• Audrey on Rachael Ray with Bob Harper
• Mammoth Bars (use code CLEANEATING for 20% discount during checkout)
• Otto’s Cassava Flour (use code CLEANEATING for 10% discount + free shipping over $35 during checkout)

Health and fitness is a huge part of wellness. I am thrilled to have Anna and Elisha the creators of Flex it Pink here to talk about Using Community to inspire women to get fit.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, I talk about:  

• It’s OK to take time for yourself and take care of your body
• Making a difference for your family starts with you
• The importance of reinforcement through community

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Elisha is a mother who grew up overweight. When she hit 225 she knew it was time to make a change. She wanted her kids to follow a healthy path. She started working out and eating right and lost 82 pounds. [01:15]
2. Anna & Elisha were childhood friends and their Facebook page blew up when they started talking about fitness and support. This is what inspired them to start Flex it Pink. Their Flex it Pink page has about 95,000 followers and their Instagram has about 40,000. [03:29]
3. Anna is also a mom who loves fitness classes and empowering women. She never struggled with weight until after she had kids. One day she realized she was unhappy with her weight and fitness level, she signed up for the gym and hasn't looked back. Her message for other moms is that it is OK to put yourself first. [04:32]
4. Flex it Pink encourages women by supporting them. Women need to know that it is OK to take time for yourself and workout. Even if it means getting up at 4:00 AM. It also sets a good example for the family and their children. [05:56]
5. Flex it Pink empowers and supports women to live a healthy and active lifestyle by cheering them on. They also have virtual 5K runs where participants earn their medal at their own pace. It's a comfortable way to complete that 3 miles. Many go on to half marathons. [09:39]
6. They also partner with charities and the virtual runs are themed around that charities purpose. They have custom medals, shirts and race bibs. Participants register online. Then everyone runs on a certain week. They encourage all types of movement. After completing the 3 or 6 miles they send in a photo. There is extra support on the Facebook group. [12:26]
7. Challenges and setbacks that women encounter include roller coaster weight gain. Don't pay attention to the scale. Weight will fluctuate. Log what you eat, and you will understand why your weight is going up. Make changes based on how you are feeling. Be patient and keep making positive changes. Don't give up. Take measurements and pictures monthly. You will be surprised by the results. [16:46]
8. How exercising can be life changing and put you in a good mood. It just makes your life better. Starting a fitness journey can be easy once you fall in love with exercise, but dieting or eating for weight loss can always be a struggle. Cutting calories does not equal health. Have higher calories, but workout. [23:10]
9. How women have a fear of food. Eating disorders and not eating enough. Don't be afraid to eat. The old diet culture of the 90's, and how there are so many barriers that we have to overcome. [27:20]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Flex it Pink
• Flex it Pink on Facebook
• 6 Week Stronger You Challenge Group 1
• Flex it Pink on Instagram
• @flexitpink on Twitter
• Get Clean Eating 101 Free by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Email [email protected] with your review name.

Cara Ansis of Fork & Beans is here today to talk about postpartum depression, grief, and growing out of labels. Fork & Beans is a healthy eating blog, and Cara makes the most amazing recipes and her fun presentations are adorable. In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about: 

• Cara’s creative side and turning food into fun
• Challenges Cara faced and the real story behind the pictures
• Four things that keep Cara balanced

Some highlights of this episode:

1. The reason Cara makes fun animal shapes and creatures out of her food is because she loves art, painting, and cartoons. Plus, making healthy food fun also makes it more palatable. [01:48]
2. Challenges Cara has recently faced from losing her mother to becoming a new mom. Cara's mother had a brain aneurysm on Valentine's day two years ago. The grief really affected her. Then she got pregnant and hormones and giving birth was difficult, and she had to battle postpartum depression. [03:29]
3. The beauty of blogging is connecting with human nature and sharing with others. It's also about letting others into your life and finding healing through them. [08:03]
4. [00:12:26] Postpartum depression and how Cara had mild postpartum depression after giving birth. She didn't have trouble bonding, but she felt sad, hopeless, and had no energy. On her 40th birthday she decided she was done with the sadness. She has also been in therapy since her mother's death.
5. They also moved to Chicago, but it was great because she started walking everywhere in the city and getting out and doing things and being active  made her feel better. [14:40]
6. The four things that keep Cara balanced are regular exercise, daily meditation or yoga (she does her own thing), she reads positive books, and she meal plans and eats at home. She tries to eat as many vegetables as possible, but no restrictions and she eats dessert every night. [15:06]
7. Cara's recipes were allergy free, but now she has no restrictions. She thought she had food allergies, but it turned out she had repressed emotions. Now she copes with her emotions and eats what she wants. [22:30]
8. How she was labeled as a vegan blogger, but she was doing a disservice to herself by trying to live up to expectations. She finally said she was going to live her truth. She isn't vegan, and she is making the recipes she wants. After making the announcement to be true to herself, she was walking around the city feeling so proud and happy. [26:45]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Fork & Beans
• Fork & Beans on Instagram
• Fork & Beans on Facebook
• How to Meal Plan Like a Boss
• Mammoth Bars Code: CleanEating for 20% Off
• Otto's Cassava Flour Code: CleanEating for 10% Off and Free Shipping on orders over $35

Algae may not sound sexy, but hopefully it makes you feel sexy. Catharine Arnston the CEO of ENERGYbits is here today to talk about all of the wonderful health benefits of algae. In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:  

• How Catherine decided to devote her life into making algae a mainstream product
• Algae is the fastest, purest, safest, most nutrient dense way to get your body all of the nutrients it needs in seconds
• Health benefits of algae

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Algae found Catherine when her younger sister developed breast cancer. Catherine's sister's doctor advised her to go on an alkaline based diet to help with the chemo. Phytonutrients and chlorophyll are all very cleansing and healing to the body. Catherine's sister switched her diet and completely healed. [01:34]
2. Catherine read about 10 books on the topic and then went to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and got a certificate as a health coach. She taught green nutrition. She discovered that everybody knows they should eat more greens, but they are too busy or don't like the taste. [02:45]
3. Algae is one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world. It has the highest concentration of chlorophyll of any greens. It also comes pressed into tiny little tablets that you can swallow or chew. Catherine decided to devote the rest of her life into making algae a mainstream product. [03:49]
4. Algae was the first plant life on Earth. Algae releases oxygen and oxygenated the Earth. There are only a couple of edible algaes. Spirulina a blue-green algae.  The very first life form. Technically a bacteria. There is nothing for your body to breakdown. It stops the growth of cancer and has the highest concentration of protein in the world. It’s loaded with B vitamins and EFAs. [08:15]
5. Chlorella has the highest concentration of chlorophyll in the world. It is one of the few fat based antioxidants. It heals the cell walls, so nutrients can get in and toxins can get out. It is cleansing and pulls out toxins. It even pulls out alcohol and radiation. It's hard cell attaches to the toxins. [15:41]
6. RECOVERYbits Chlorella is cracked using sound waves. They make sure they have the cleanest algae ever seen. Chlorella is a health algae that pulls out toxins and helps keep us young. It builds the immune system. It also has a high concentration of tryptophan. [19:28]
7. Have ENERGYbits or SKINNYbits in the morning, afternoon, and before workouts. You can have 30 or whatever suits you. Have the RECOVERYbits at night, so your body goes through a natural detox. It's also good to take RECOVERYbits before eating if you have digestive issues. [26:41]
8. The first large scale algae production for large consumption started in the 1950s, but then it was closed down, and the Japanese spent 10 years trying to grow algae for mass consumption. They focused on Chlorella. This is why the industry is based in Asia. In Japan, they don't buy vitamins, they just take chlorella. The nutrient profile is so powerful it will get noticed. [36:47]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• ENERGYbits Use code CleanEating for 20% off
• Catherine Arnston on LinkedIn
• @ENERGYbits on Twitter
• Mammoth Bar Use code CleanEating for 20% off
• Otto's Cassava Flour Use code CleanEating for 10% off & free shipping

Loretta Breuning, PhD is the author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels. This is a fantastic book, and I wish I could remember how I came across it. I am honored to have Dr. Breuning on the show today, as we talk about easy changes that everyone can make to feel happier.

In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:   

• How Dr. Breuning started learning about animal neurochemistry and what we share with animals
• How happy brain chemicals turn on for specific reasons and then turn off
• The four happy brain chemicals dopamine, oxytocin, endorphin, and serotonin 

Some Highlights of This Episode on happy Brain Habits with Loretta Breuning, PhD: 

1. Dr. Breuning was a college professor for 25 years. She took an early retirement and started a new life. Her experience of being a parent and her childhood didn't fit what was in textbooks. At the time, evolutionary psychology was growing. She started reading about how neurochemistry works in animals and what we share with animals. The connections she saw were so obvious. [01:37]
2. Nature is all good is what is being reported. Animals are not happy all the time. The happy chemicals are turned on to promote a specific survival behavior. Then they turn off. The idea that people can do nothing and always be happy is a misconception. [03:50]
3. Dopamine is chemically the same as cocaine. It's the reward chemical. It makes you feel good and releases the energy to go towards your reward. It motivates and connects neurons that connect the next time you have a reward experience. [08:38]
4. Oxytocin is the warm and cuddly chemical. The love or cuddle hormone. This is triggered by trust and touch. When oxytocin is not stimulated it is a warning signal to be aware. We are looking for opportunities that are similar to our previous experiences of trust. In the state of nature, anyone close enough to touch you is close enough to kill you. The drug is sex addiction and ecstasy. [10:06]
5. Endorphin is complicated. It's the runner's high. It's the first one that was discovered and it is the same as opioids. Endorphins evolve to mask pain. Such as when a gazelle is attacked by a lion. Endorphins mask pain for 15 minutes with a feeling humans perceive as euphoria. Exercise addiction is a popular way to stimulate endorphin, but it is not healthy to exercise to the required point of inflicting pain. [13:17]
6. Serotonin is similar to antidepressants. The simple word for serotonin is pride or social dominance. Animals are constantly stealing food and mating opportunities. The mammal brain evolved to constantly compare with others and seek dominance when in that position. It's how your brain interprets your immediate environment in this minute. [16:05]
7. How we are expected to feel humble and dominant all the time. Our serotonin pathways build from things that have built our serotonin levels in the past. We compare ourselves to everyone and then wonder why we don't have that. That thought process will trigger a down feeling. Our serotonin is also triggered by the people around us. [18:58]
8. How our brains have evolved to protect us. During Little House on the Prairie times it was dangerous to go outside in the winter. Staying in the house was safe. Just staying in the house will make it natural for your brain to have anxiety. Fill your life with things you like. If the only things you like are bad for you, you need to fill your life with new likes gradually. [26:19]
9. Stimulating the happy chemicals. Dopamine is stimulated by reaching a goal and novelty. Oxytocin and thinking thoughts that stimulate social trust. Take small steps towards trust. Human groups rely on common enemies to bond. [27:46] 

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included): 

• Inner Mammal Institute
• Loretta Breuning PhD on Facebook
• Anxiety: What turns it on. What turns it off.
• Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels
• Books by Loretta Breuning PhD
• Enviromedica Magnesium Flakes Code: CleanEating1
• Otto’s Cassava Flour Code: CleanEating
• Qigong
• Reiki

Hilda Labrada Gore from the Wise Traditions Podcast is here today to talk about traditional diets and what they can teach us about health. Wise Traditions is the podcast for the Weston A. Price Foundation.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:  

• The importance of ridding our bodies of toxins before having children.
• The healthiest people in the world all have eating nutrient dense foods in common.
• Making gradual changes to support significant diet change.

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Hilda got into health and wellness because her life began on shaky ground. Her mom had German measles, and she was born with a hole in her heart. After her surgery, she wanted to take care of the body she has. She is an integrative nutrition health coach, a group fitness professional, and a wellness podcaster. [01:09]
2. The importance of cleaning out our bodies before having children, because we are exposed to so many toxins. How preservatives and additives may have made Hilda's mom vitamin A deficient. [03:27]
3. The Weston A. Price Foundation is based on a dentist and researcher who went all around the world looking for the healthiest people. He found people with amazing smiles and wanted to see what they were eating. People in different areas all ate different things, but they all had eating nutrient dense foods in common. [04:27]
4. How being vegan is great as a fast and cleanse, but it is difficult to sustain as a diet and lifestyle because of missing essential nutrients in the diet. [09:06]
5. Hilda was introduced to the Weston A. Price Foundation through a friend who was suffering from chronic fatigue, and she noticed how diet had helped her friend. [11:31]
6. The importance of gradual diet changes. It takes time to make significant lasting change. Spend a year switching to butter, and then find natural snacks. Doing little upgrades to develop wise traditions is what worked for Hilda. Progress not perfection. [12:01]
7. A Maasai Warrior contacted the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Hilda went to talk with him. HIlda encouraged them to eat their natural diet which consists of milk, meat, and blood. They made the decision as a community to go back to their traditional diet. [17:29]
8. The ancestral foods of Peru include a variety of traditional diets. Like seafood on the coast. Things like liver and onions, and fish soup including the head. The jungle areas eat wild boar and vegetables and plants. People in the mountains eat diets rich in carbohydrates like quinoa and wild potatoes. Eating according to your region. [20:27]
9. How having a healthy gut is the key to wellness, because we need a healthy gut to assimilate the nutrients from our food. Drinking bone broth is a great way to start. Also, think about what you put on your body. [26:06]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Weston A. Price Foundation
• @WestonAPrice on Twitter
• Weston A. Price on Instagram
• Holistic Hilda
• @holistichilda on Twitter
• Holistic Hilda on Instagram
• Wise Traditions Podcast
• Body and Soul Fitness
• Laura Schoenfeld
• Laura Schoenfeld on Instagram
• Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
• Mammoth Bar Use Code CleanEating for 20% Discount
• Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour Promo Code: CleanEating
• Kiran Krishnan

Physician Mark R. Engelman MD, FSCM, is here to talk about Autoimmune related conditions, including testing, diet, and lifestyle recommendations.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:  

• We are going to talk about the testing company Cyrex Labs.
• How Dr. Engelman has extensive experience managing autoimmune conditions
• Testing, diet, and lifestyle recommendations from Dr. Engelman

Some highlights of this episode on Fatigue & Autoimmunity with Functional Medicine Physician Mark R. Engelman MD, FSCM:

1. Dr. Engelman came from a medical family in Ohio. He was going to follow in his father's footsteps, but moved to Arizona to get out of the cold weather. He was an emergency medical physician for 23 years. He was the President of the Heart Association,  and he was a mainstream medicine guy. [02:09]
2. He then started a bilingual hospital in Mexico and then worked in China. He learned a lot about Eastern medicine, and then became mesmerized by stem cells. He found a stem cell fellowship. The stem cell medicine got him interested in cellular biology. Integrated medicine is the pathway to how things work. If you know this, then you can figure out what is going wrong when someone gets sick. [03:39]
3. The End of Alzheimer's prior to the 2000s the word was what? Now the new word is why? Why am I sick and how can I do something about it. Integrative medicine is about the why. [06:34]
4. How people see Dr. Engelman after other doctors not being able to diagnose them. How patients have a series of symptoms and sign with a label put on them. Dr. Engelman asks the question of why are they experiencing these symptoms. Autoimmune diseases are always triggered by something. [10:23]
5. The importance of finding a doctor who focuses in on the history of the patient before testing. Regular doctors get a blood panel. Chemistry panel and electrolytes. Get a general idea of how your organs are working. For fatigue, looking at thyroid is an option. These tests can be inaccurate with the spread rates. Functional medicine doctors can hone in better. [13:23]
6. Finding the trigger for autoimmune thyroid problems. First look at the gluten panel on Cyrex. How autoimmune goes after one thing and then goes after your body too. How autoimmune disease is autoimmune activity or a bunch of things happening. [19:18]
7. My immune system has decided to start attacking me. This is about immunology and how we manufacture energy. We have millions of immune cells that feel their way around our bloodstreams and tissue. If our immune system doesn't recognize something from being different from us. Main triggers are hidden allergens, environmental toxins, inflammatory diets, trauma, stress, and pathogens. [22:51]
8. How we have control over our treatments and seeing and finding a functional medicine doctor to manage the disease. Many of these autoimmune diseases are reversible. Finding out what the issues are can help to reverse this stuff. How the barrier gets breached and then our immune systems go after the foreign things and then it makes mistakes. [32:17]
9. The importance of quality sleep and having a healthy gut. Testing for gluten and cross reactivity. Antibodies to new foods introduced to the body. How adding estrogen may balance out the immune system. [37:38]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Cyrex Labs
• Engelman Health Institute
• @MarkEngelmanMD on Twitter
• Mark. R. Engelman M.D. on LinkedIn
• American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Stem Cell Fellowship
• The End of Alzheimer's
• Podcast #12: All About Alcat Food Sensitivity Testing
• FODMAP Diet
• Paleo Diet
• The Plant Paradox
• Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers
• The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases
• The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care
• The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life
• Neuroimmunity and the Brain-Gut Connection (Functional Neurology)
• The Role of the Natural Killer Cell, Apoptosis and Cell Cycle in Health & Diseases

Setting Goals & Making Health a Priority

It’s the beginning of 2018, and I’m talking about New Year's resolutions and making health a priority in this solo episode #14.

  You can listen here or using your favorite podcast app (click through to my site if you don't see the player below): In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, I talk about:

• My New Year’s resolutions
• Focusing on health as opposed to weight loss
• My favorite tips for cleaning up your diet when health is your goal

Some highlights of this episode:

1. The strategy that I have been using to set my big 2018 goal is visualizing my goal and figuring out the roadblocks or limiting beliefs that are preventing me from keeping that goal. This is based on Courtney Violet Bentley's meditation technique. [09:19]
2. My 2018 goal is to write a book. I visualized reaching the goal with the completed book in my hands. Then I had to discover what was preventing me from reaching the goal. My limiting beliefs were that it is a lot of work, I've never done it before, and that I am not good enough. [10:11]
3. Things I came up with to overcome my limiting beliefs included an inspirational podcast with a writing coach, then I reached out to the writing coach who referred me to a different coach, I set up a consultation, we had a nice connection, I sent him some of my work, and I have an appointment with him. I also created a project calendar, and then I started to write. [13:21]
4. How health for me is about managing my symptoms of my autoimmune disease and feeling vibrant and alive. I'm also trying to manage my migraines and make sleep a priority. [17:27]
5. I'm also exercising earlier in the day and not over exercising. I exercise for 20 to 50 minutes and then practice 10 minutes of gentle yoga in the evening. I'm also working on having a normal menstrual cycle and managing my overall inflammation. [20:13]
6. An example of setting goals for weight loss to improve health include visualizing the goal and feeling it. Roadblocks include having time and energy for healthier meals and going to the gym. [24:24]
7. Overcome roadblocks by meal prepping or trying an online program that doesn't require me to go the gym. Little things that can be done include adding another serving of vegetables to my diet, buying bagged spinach, walking 20 minutes a day, finding a walking buddy, and using a pedometer. [26:30]
8. Practical tips for clean eating include using an instant pot and listening to my podcasts on green smoothies, clean cooking techniques and meal planning, and how to make vegetables taste delicious. Other things you can do include increasing your vegetable servings, trying a meal delivery service, batch cooking, meal planning services, CSA boxes, and my Clean Eating Everyday Cookbook. [30:12]

 Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Clean Eating 101 eBook (Please leave a review on iTunes) and email me a screenshot [email protected]
• Enviromedica Agent Minerals Discount Code: Cleaneating1
• Otto’s Cassava Flour Discount Code: Cleaneating
• Podcast #13: Courtney Violet Bentley on Discovering Our Limiting Beliefs
• Fitbit
• Instant Pot
• Podcast #3 Green Smoothie Tips & Tricks
• Podcast #4: Clean Cooking Techniques & Meal Planning
• Podcast #7: How to Make Veggies Taste Delicious
• Pete’s Paleo
• Real Simple Good
• Clean Eating Everyday Discount Code: Cleaneating

Personal trainer, motivational speaker, and host of the Fit Fierce and Fabulous podcast Courtney Violet Bentley is here today to talk about discovering and overcoming our limiting beliefs in Episode #13.In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, I talk about:  

• Courtney’s journey to building self-confidence
• Techniques to identify your limiting beliefs
• The moon and the stars

Some highlights of this episode:

1. Courtney is a personal trainer who would see her clients do well and then fall back into their old habits. She decided to use techniques that she had used on herself for her bulimia to help her clients reach lasting results through things like EFT and the phases of the moon. [02:27]
2. She teaches people how to discover their limiting beliefs and breakthrough them to become a fit fierce and fabulous female. [03:34]
3. How an eating disorder is caused by a lack of something. Learning self-love and intuition is a step of breaking free. [05:09]
4. The importance of trusting and taking the first step and having faith that it will be beneficial for you. Finding your light through your first step. [08:02]
5. EFT emotional freedom technique. Certain meridian points connect with other points. By tapping you release a negative emotion through the energy in your cells. This helps break free from bad behaviors. Using EFT to release negative thought processes. [08:52]
6. Using guided meditation to find limiting beliefs. You could journal and ask what you are fearful about. Once you discover the limiting beliefs you can start to take steps to overcome it. Changing your story to loving to make healthy choices. When you tell yourself this story it becomes so much easier to make the choice. [13:07]
7. Manifesting and taking the steps of forgiving yourself and stepping into the feelings of getting what you want and then taking the action steps. You have to feel what it feels like to have this thing and bring in an opportunity and then take action to get those opportunities. This is when manifestation is the most powerful. [25:33]
8. Moon energy and power. Courtney has always had a unique connection to the moon and stars. Looking at the moon and stars gives her a reminder of unlimited potential. Different patterns of the moon would affect her moods. Full moons are for release of limiting belief. She combines moon cycles to reach goals because it is really powerful. [31:05]
9. During the new moon clear things out and make room for what you are commiting to. This can even be clearing time or clutter. [38:37]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• Star System Z Courtney Bentley
• Fit Fierce and Fabulous Podcast
• Courtney Bentley Fitness
• Courtney Bentley on Facebook
• Courtney Bentley on Instagram
• @CBentleyFit on Twitter
• Natural Remedy for Anxiety by Courtney Bentley
• How to Release Limiting Beliefs and Step Into a Fit Fierce and Fabulous Life
• The 8 Moon Phases & How They Affect Your Body And Mind
• A Full Moon Releasing Workshop

Nutrition Expert Amy Pieczarka, RDN is here to talk about Alcat Food Sensitivity Testing. Welcome to Episode #12 of Clean Eating for Women. In this episode of the Clean Eating for Women podcast, we talk about:  

• How food sensitivities can cause chronic effects including weight gain for no reason
• The difference between food allergies and food sensitivities
• How most people can benefit from the Alcat test and results

Some highlights of this episode:

1. How Amy discovered that testing for food sensitivities would be a great help for her clients and an important tool in finding root causes of problems. [03:44]
2. Cell Science Systems is the laboratory that does the Alcat test and how they put the recommendations into practice. [04:15]
3. How allergies are associated with antibodies and the reaction and symptoms often happen within minutes to an hour later. [06:10]
4. Sensitivities involve the innate immune system and the symptoms are more delayed. They could come up hours or days later and aren't as profound but they can be chronic. [07:06]
5. How food sensitivities cause inflammation which is a major contributing factor to chronic issues. [11:48]
6. Testing is required to pinpoint symptoms that are being experienced on a daily basis. Food sensitivity is a piece of the puzzle, and the Alcat test takes the guesswork out of the process. [14:18]
7. The Alcat test measures white blood cell response. Leukocyte activation is measured as they are introduced to the food extracts. This indicates an inflammatory response. [16:22]
8. How consuming the same food everyday can cause food sensitivities. [22:56]
9. The Alcat test includes colored coded results. Red is reactive and green is all the foods that you can have. To begin, focus on eating the green foods and follow the rotation plan on the second page to not bombard the immune system everyday. [25:36]

Links mentioned in this episode (some affiliate links included):

• PreviMedica
• PreviMedica Facebook Page
• Wellio.co
• Amy Pieczarka LinkedIn
• @AMYPIECZARKA on Twitter
• Podcast #6: Discovering & Managing Food Sensitivities
• Cell Science Systems Alcat Test
• Institute for Functional Medicine