Kathrin Hamm is the CEO & founder of Bearaby, a sustainable, beautifully crafted  & hyper-functional weighted blanket that’s designed to promote better sleep quality & longer sleep duration. 

We discuss: 

• A personal quest for better rest: How it led her to exploring the world of textiles & consumer products, and how Kathrin’s role at the World Bank influenced her founder’s journey

• The triumphs and challenges of developing a DTC product: What she wished she’d known sooner, and where she found small wins along the way

• Product design & technology vs. brand & marketing: Kathrin’s preference for one vs. the other, and what she’s learned about both in launching Bearaby

• Defining sustainability & functional design for today’s consumer: What she’s learned thus far, and what every/all founders in similar spaces and sectors of the wellness industry  should know about developing and scaling a consumer product in 2023 and beyond

• Trend forecasting: What’s ahead in the wellness industry for 2024+

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**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Today I’m deep-diving on all things GLP-1 agonist medications and forecasting their impact on the CPG food and beverage industry for 2024 and beyond. Specifically, I discuss: 

• How GLP-1’s change individuals’ food preferences, overall intake, and alter taste perception 

• How the rise of GLP-1’s as the pharmaceutical industry’s “blockbuster” might affect the food industry in the short and long-term, and how food companies could start to approach this topic as they prepare their product roadmaps for the future

• What are some specific concerns among individuals taking GLP-1’s as it relates to food and beverage products, and their own personal tolerance to specific foods in light of medication side effects?

• GLP-1’s and early satiety: We discuss how the medications create feelings of early satiety– what this means for practitioners, how this affects individual patients, and how the MNT for GERD and early satiety may be beneficial when considering / seeking to understand this patient population more effectively

• Alcohol, coffee, single-serve convenience foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, tomato-based products, eggs, veggies and fruit, and high saturated fat, high refined carb food products– what do all of these products have in common, and which ones of these will be better tolerated by individuals taking GLP-1’s vs. not

• Side effects of GLP-1’s that affect diet and lifestyle, and how these translate to CPG foo and beverage industries and product roadmaps/financial forecasting 

• My most fascinating finding of all: How tolerance to GLP-1 medications may be promoted through nutrition education & adopting diet & lifestyle shifts BEFORE STARTING the medication vs. referring to a dietitian/receiving nutrition education AFTER starting a GLP-1. I talk about why the lack of nutrition education & counseling may be affecting medication tolerance and ultimately, affecting a patient’s ability to adhere to the medication long-term due to diet-related side effects.

• The foods & beverages NOT AFFECTED by GLP-1’s that still demand attention for the sake of helping individuals achieve better cardiometabolic health. 

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🎙️Krispy Kreme article from Forbes

🎙️Are GLP-1’s the root cause of consumer shopping shifts? WaPo thinks so (but I’m not sold)

Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

I’m running it back this week to one of your all-time favorite episodes from January, 2022 with the brilliant & talented Kate Lemere. Kate is a Chief Instructor and Founding Trainer at Barry's Chicago. She sat down with me for a proper smackdown of all things diet culture (and so much more). 

 We discuss: 

• How to get (and stay) informed from credible sources 

• Fitness questions she's asked the most (and her answers to all of 'em)

• How to approach finding a routine that works for you

• Why Bala Bangles are kinda stupid (!!!)

I also cover a listener q+a in this episode on the topic of Dry January– my thoughts on this phenomenon, what to know if you’re considering trying it in 2024. 

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**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Ali Wing is the CEO of Oobli, a new line of food & beverage products sweetened with sweet proteins in place of sugar and traditional non-nutritive sweeteners that are ubiquitous on the market today. We discuss: 

• Ali’s background in healthcare & CPG: How she became interested in this product/technology, the opportunity at the intersection of biotech and CPG food & beverage, and what makes Oobli a different company to work for vs. others throughout her career. 

• What are sweet proteins? A deep dive on this new biotechnology, commercial/chemical application, and the possibilities for use, including what makes them different vs. other types of sweeteners designed to mimic carbohydrate metabolism.  

• Brand storytelling: The challenges & breakthroughs Ali’s experienced as CEO of Oobli in telling the story of the products and the technology behind them in ways that empower healthcare professionals and consumers to get curious about (and ultimately become brand champions of) Oobli. 

• Trend forecasting 2024: What does Ali think is new & next in food, beverage & biotech? What she’s excited by, and what puts her to sleep when it comes to nutrition & wellness trends. 

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**Advice on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician? 

Martin, Mathias & Mads Klarborg are the sons of Etly Klarborg, founder & designer of Klarborg, a Danish design brand with the primary goal of spreading joy, happiness, and hygge through its whimsical cast of characters. On today’s episode, we discuss: 

• Growing up Klarborg: The trials & triumphs of working for a family owned & operated company– how this helps achieve business objectives, how it (sometimes) gets in the way, and what each Klarborg brother values most about their role within the Klarborg empire. 

• Holiday 365: What it means to work for a company that’s primarily focused around the holiday season; how this impacts business strategy & planning throughout the year, and what the Klarborg brothers see as their primary advantage to working for a company that's rooted in togetherness,  celebration, love & cherishing the  holiday spirit above all else. (I’ll be honest, I’m imagining their work life a bit like Santa’s Workshop…)

• Hygge for Improving Mental Health: What this word really means, what it does NOT mean, and how it’s been commercially applied to-date in the United States. Plus, how the concept has evolved in the U.S. for American brands &  consumers, and what we’re getting right (and wrong) about bringing this concept to life with more authenticity  in our everyday lives.

• Exporting Hygge: How do you export a mindset/vibe/feeling/practice that’s built around community in an increasingly digital world? The Klarborg brothers debunk hygge myths & discuss the concept of exporting Danish wellness for U.S. consumers.

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**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Ben Witte is the founder & CEO of Recess, a better-for-you beverage brand that I can *actually* stand behind as a Registered Dietitian (!!!).  On today’s episode, we discuss: 

• The state of “better-for-you” food & beverage products: How Recess has approached brand positioning differently from other brands in the category by prioritizing & perfecting their product, first and foremost, & focusing on evidence-based claims vs. social media trends & CPG fads. 

• Going to market with Recess: From product ingredient sourcing & supply chain to direct-to-consumer sales & top of funnel marketing, we discuss how the concept for Recess was born & ultimately, how this business grew since inception in 2016. 

• CBD beverages & the non-alcoholic beverage space: What’s happening in each of these sub- sectors? What accounts for the massive rise in consumer  interest for each of these product categories, and how does Recess differentiate itself from others in these increasingly crowded corners of the market? What does Recess do differently from a product development standpoint, and how does Recess’ supply chain play a front-and-center role in determining product marketing & health claims? 

• Trend forecasting for 2024: What are the biggest up & coming food, nutrition & wellness trends for better-for-you brands in the CPG space? Ben & I start scratching the surface & begin  to answer this BIG question  as we near the end of the year.

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🎙️Hire me to consult before you invest in or get to work on that “better-for-you” product  

🎙️Follow me @jaclynlondonrd

**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Julie Alvin is the SVP of content at TheSkimm & a trusted digital media executive, content strategist, and editor with expertise in women’s health & lifestyle media. She’s previously held roles at Bustle Digital Group, Time, Inc., and Refinery29, overseeing coverage of everything from news and politics to health, career, money, style, and entertainment. She is a former adjunct professor at NYU’s Master’s in Publishing program and a founding member of Chief Executive Women’s network. Julie’s appeared on Fox News, CBS, ABC, Cheddar, and other networks discussing topics like the #MeToo movement, the cost of fertility treatments, and the gender wage gap.

On today’s episode of The Business of Wellness, we discuss: 

• Data & highlights from The Skimm’s State of Women survey– what are women concerned about when it comes to health & wellbeing in a post-pandemic world? What are the chief concerns among women of all ages as it relates to their health? 

• Discerning myth vs. fact on social media & across digital content: What does it mean to be an “expert” in 2023? What are TheSkimm’s editorial standards that help champion appropriate subject-matter experts for specific topics, content platforms & distribution channels? 

• The past decade’s media  evolution/revolution: What’s different about media today? Post-pandemic? What are readers looking for from content platforms & channels, and from health professionals? How can media help women feel more empowered when it comes to their personal health, advocating for themselves & their families, and having the right information that helps arm them for any/every interaction with our current healthcare system? 

🎙️Follow The Business of Wellness on Apple Podcasts & leave a 5-star rating & review 

🎙️Hire me to consult before you invest in or get to work on that “better-for-you” product  

🎙️Follow me @jaclynlondonrd

**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Udo Erasmus is a pioneer in food product development, specifically in the development of manufacturing standards of food oils, including flax oil. He’s the founder of Udo's Choice, a supplement brand and global leader in creating cutting edge health products specializing in healthy oils, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and greens. He’s also the author of, Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, & holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. Udo has impacted millions of lives by delivering his fresh message on how to achieve better health & wellbeing in his books & on his social media platforms. We discuss… 

• Udo’s background & humble beginnings as a child during WWII, as well as his experience much later (in the 1980’s) with pesticide poisoning. 

• A deep dive into the chemistry, product development, manufacturing, processing, distribution & storage of seed oils, including: Why Udo believes that seed oils are the least beneficial category of oils for human health, and how this led him to pioneer the technology to create flaxseed oil and a billion-dollar product/industry from nothing but passion, inspiration, & his desire to make a more nutrient dense product for consumers. 

• Udo’s understanding of, “Total Sexy Health,” which considers all of the elements of whole health, including mental health, presence and awareness, and more.

• Udo’s study of psychology and advice for navigating change: He delves into topics such as: Why is change so difficult? How is change rooted in our memories, related to past trauma, connected to unresolved emotions, and more? How can we better direct our attention and cultivate calmness in our life? 

🎙️Follow The Business of Wellness on Apple Podcasts & leave a 5-star rating & review 

🎙️Hire me to consult before you invest in or get to work on that “better-for-you” product  

🎙️Follow me @jaclynlondonrd

**Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Rachel Engelhart, MA, RD, is a Washington, D.C.-based Registered Dietitian, licensed professional counselor and certified intuitive eating counselor who brings a Health At Every Size®-informed approach to eating disorder recovery for patients of all ages. 

Hot topics we discuss on today’s episode:

• The Ozempic of it all (3:00): What to know about GLP-1’s from the perspective of an expert in eating disorder recovery; how to navigate working with patients who are taking/considering these medications, and how a Health At Every Size® approach squares with the rise in obesity medicine in research and practice. 

• THAT Washington Post article (23:30): A thoughtful and nuanced look at all sides of each topic covered in this article, including dietitians’ code of ethics and responsibility to disclose financial relationships; the scientific evidence behind each contested topic, including what the research says about the health impact of including aspartame and sugar in your diet; the bias of the article’s authors (and the premise of the article at large), and how we might consider speaking about controversial topics in nutrition MORE effectively to differentiate between evidence-based nutrition information and personal opinion. 

• Post-pandemic shifts in people’s relationships with food & body (39:30): The power & significance of social connections on public health outcomes & individual health, and how lack of social connection affects us physically and psychologically. 

🎙️Follow The Business of Wellness on Apple Podcasts & leave a 5-star rating & review 

🎙️Hire me to consult before you invest in or get to work on that “better-for-you” product  

🎙️Follow me @jaclynlondonrd

*Advice provided on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician. 

Pro podcast host  Jenny Hutt joins me on the podcast today to chat about grief; our mutual grievances with nutrition & health information on social media (and social media influencers); panic within the dietetics profession (and what’s causing it/what to know about it), and how to navigate working with a health professional when it’s not working for you. 

TW: Grief. Skip to 27:00 to bypass our discussion about navigating loss. 

🎙️ICYMI: Listen to round 1 with Jenny Hutt

🎙️Guide for caregivers we discuss (written by Jess Cording, RD)

🎙️Follow The Business of Wellness on Apple Podcasts & leave a 5-star rating & review 

🎙️Hire me to consult before you invest in or get to work on that “better-for-you” product  

🎙️Follow me @jaclynlondonrd

*Advice on this podcast should not replace medical advice provided by your physician.