The Wise Consumer

As a first time mom and - let's be honest - an over thinker, I wanted a step-by-step guide to help me understand how to introduce solid foods to my baby. What foods should I start with, how many servings, could I add spices, what about allergens, should I spoon feed, etc.? 

Anyone else? 

Well, if you’re raising your hand yes, you’re in luck! Today on the podcast I have the honor of chatting with one of the nation’s premier childhood nutrition experts, Jill Castle, MS, RDN, CDN. 

Jill is the founder and CEO of The Nourished Child®, a parent nutrition education website and podcast. She also serves as an expert reviewer for Parents.com, and has been featured as a guest expert in CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, Time, and many other outlets. She is also the author of numerous books, including, “The Smart Mom’s Guide To starting Solids – How to introduce, advance, and nourish your baby with first foods (and avoid the most common mistakes)," amongst others. 

In this episode we cover a lot of ground – best practices when it comes to introducing solids, baby led weaning vs spoon feeding, when and how to expose your child to allergens, the pros and cons of baby pouches, the importance of flavor, and so much more!

If you’re a parent, new or seasoned (no pun intended), this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/introduce-solid-foods-to-your-baby/ 

Ok, I know what you're thinking: "Ugh! Balance...Here we go again." Me too friend, me too! I've never believed in this idea of finding 'balance.' What does it even mean? The idea that we can and must "find balance" makes no sense to me. First of all, it implies that we ‘lost’ balance and second, it sets us up for failure, especially as women. For many of us, this concept of "finding balance" amidst the chaos of motherhood, is often inconceivable.

So, why are we talking about balance? Because, as parents, especially as mothers, I think it's about high time we reclaim the word 'balance,' redefine what balance actually means to us.

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Amber Thorton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Motherhood Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama. Dr. Amber is on a mission to redefine balance in motherhood, to redefine this notion that burnout and overwhelm go hand in hand with motherhood. She's on a mission to change the narrative of what is possible for working mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness.

In this episode Dr. Amber shares why she initially hesitated to become a mother herself, why redefining balance in motherhood is so important to her, how she defines balance in her own mothering journey, the importance of setting boundaries (i.e. learning to say "No!") and how to set them, why self care isn’t selfish, how to ask for help, and the power of community.

Mama, if you are seeking to find more peace and less overwhelm in your life, then press play now! 

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/redefining-balance-in-motherhood/

Are you peeing your pants when you sneeze? Is intercourse painful? Do you suffer from constipation? If you've answered yes to any or all of these symptoms, you could be suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction.

To be completely transparent, I knew close to nothing about my pelvic floor till after having a baby. Like most, I’d heard about kegels but...that was about it! I had no real concept of how our pelvic floor muscles functioned, the benefits of pelvic floor therapy, or how to strengthen or release muscles deep within the pelvic floor, let alone that you could strengthen or release tension in that part of your body. 

If you're someone who struggles with pelvic floor issues or you're just looking to gain a better awareness of how your pelvic floor muscles function, you're in the right place!

Today on the podcast I have the honor of chatting with Dr. Amanda Olson, a pelvic floor specialist and president and chief clinical officer of Intimate Rose.

In this episode we talk about the importance of our pelvic floor muscles and how they function, how pelvic floor therapy can help with incontinence and constipation as well as improve your sex life, the difference between hypertonic and hypotonic pelvic floor muscles, what a dilator is and how to use it, how she went about designing the pelvic wand and how to use it, why going to the bathroom “just in case” can be problematic, and so much more!

Trust me, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Happy listening!

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/pelvic-floor-therapy/

How do you get a "picky" eater to try and explore new foods?  What is food neophobia? Why is structured eating so beneficial? And is it OK to use food as a parenting tool?

Here to help explore and answer some of these questions with us today is Maryann Jacobsen, MS RD.

Maryann is a registered dietician and family nutrition expert who empowers families to create a healthy relationship with food for optimal health and well being. She is the author of multiple books including, "How to Raise a Mindful Eater," "The Family Dinner Solution," and the co-author of "Fearless Feeding: how to raise healthy eaters from high chair to High School."

 In this conversation we explore:

• The difference between picky eating and problem feeding
• What food neophobia is and how it can impact children
• The difference between grazing and structured eating
• How to introduce new foods to your toddler
• How to end meal time battles
• Why we shouldn't be using food as a parenting tool
• And so much more!

Connect with Maryann online, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/tips-to-help-you-raise-a-healthy-eater/ 

After her mother and sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer, Gabriela Navejas, the co-founder of Madame Gabriela lipsticks, made the commitment to reduce her exposure to potentially harmful chemicals — including those that might be lurking in her cosmetic products.

While she was able to relatively easily replace her skincare products, finding a “clean” luxury lipstick brand that effectively performed was, unfortunately, not as simple.

Frustrated by the lack of options for "clean" luxury lip care that exceeded her standards of quality, efficacy, and sustainability, Gabriela, along with her co-founder Geoffrey Christiansen, decided to create her own brand of eco-friendly, luxury lipsticks.

After two challenging years of trial and error the team’s female chemist finally achieved a "clean" beauty coup d'etat: Mānuka honey rich goodness synthesized with a tsunami of non-toxic and sustainably-sourced ingredients.

Today, Madame Gabriela is an award-winning, fully transparent, "clean" luxury lipstick brand that is both high performing and planet-friendly.

In this episode, Gabriela and I chat about:

• The journey that led her to launching a low-waste, "clean" luxury lipstick brand
• Why using non-toxic ingredients was, and still is, so important to her
• The health benefits of Mānuka Honey, one of the key ingredients in Madame Gabriela’s lipsticks
• The entrepreneurial challenges she faced while launching a new brand during a global pandemic
• How she defines beauty, and so much more!

I am so eager for Gabriela to share her journey, mission, and story with you today. Press play to tune-in now!

Connect with Madame Gabriela online, Instagram, and Facebook. 

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/madame-gabriela-luxury-lipstick/

Do you ever look at your trash at the end of the week and feel a bit guilty because of all the plastic packaging and food waste you created (if you do, please don't!)? Looking for simple tricks, tips, and ideas on how you might be able to reduce your food waste and single-use packaging without feeling overwhelmed or like a total failure?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you'll absolutely want to tune-in to my conversation with cookbook author, blogger, fermenter and sourdough baker Anne-Marie Bonneau, The Zero-Waste Chef.

Anne-Marie went plastic-free in 2011 after learning about plastic's devastating impacts on our oceans and their inhabitants. But, as can be expected, this new lifestyle change wasn’t an easy one and certainly didn’t happen overnight. In fact, Anne-Marie shares, in the beginning, it felt nearly impossible! But, “step-by-step, swap-by-swap, we implemented the necessary changes to eliminate the plastic waste.” 

I’ve been a fan of Anne-Marie’s work since the beginning of my "zero-waste" journey. And, seeing that I am extremely passionate about all things nutrition and reducing food waste, I thought chatting with the Zero-Waste Chef would be a great way to explore new and alternative ways to help us all reduce food waste.

In our conversation today, Anne-Marie and I chat about:

• The challenges she faced at the beginning of her “zero-waste” living journey 
• Why zero-waste living isn’t an all or nothing proposition + how she defines the term “zero-waste”
• Simple tips on how reduce food waste in the kitchen (which believe it or not is not all about bulk food shopping)
• How to cook à la “zero-waste”
• The benefits of cutting down on food and packaging waste in the kitchen
• The importance of supporting your local farmers
• Her thoughts on the climate crisis and how we can all get involved to make a positive difference
• Her new cookbook
• And so much more!

This is such a fun and insightful conversation packed with simple tips, tricks, and encouragement for anyone looking to reduce food waste from their lives and to live, as Anne-Marie puts it, “a little bit zero-waste.”

Connect with Anne-Marie Bonneau on Instagram, Facebook, and online.

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/5-simple-ways-to-reduce-food-waste/

Here’s a question for you -- How often do you stop to think about your brain? I mean really stop to think about it!?

I know over the years I’ve, unfortunately, taken my brain for granted. Rarely, do I ever think about how amazing this 3lb organ actually is or how much I depend on it. But, your brain controls everything -- your thoughts, memories, emotions, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger…basically, every process that regulates your body and helps to keep you alive!

If you’re curious about how best to nourish, fuel, and support your brain and/or want to better understand why it really matters then you’re absolutely going to love this conversation with Dr. Annie Fenn, the founder of The Brain Health Kitchen.

Dr. Annie Fenn is a physician, chef, and founder of the Brain Health Kitchen, the only culinary school of its kind focused specifically on fending off age-related cognitive decline.

Her mission? To help you take better care of your brain all whilst eating delicious food.

• why brain health matters
• the importance and benefits of sleep and exercise for your brain
• how what we eat can help protect and delay our brains from developing Alzheimers
• which foods are most neuroprotective and why
• the pros and cons of drinking alcohol
• brain-friendly cooking techniques, and
• why it’s never too early to start making lifestyle and nutrition changes to support our brains.

It was such an honor and pleasure chatting with Annie and I am really eager for you to tune in as this is a conversation that I know you'll not only enjoy but also benefit from!

Connect with Annie on Instagram, Facebook, and online.

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/brain-health-101/ 

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the calories that children and adolescents consumed from ultra processed foods, i.e. foods the study defines as ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat dishes which often contain more sugar and salt, and less fiber than unprocessed and minimally processed foods, jumped from 61% to 67% of total caloric intake from 1999 to 2018. In other words, two-thirds of calories consumed by children and adolescents today are coming from ultra-processed foods!

Why is this?

As I started exploring this complex issue in more depth — because yes, this is a very complex, multi-layered issue with no simple solution — I came across a fascinating book by children’s food advocate and nationally recognized writer, Bettina Siegel, called Kid Food: The Challenges of Feeding Children in a Highly Processed World. You guys…I was hooked!

This book, for me, was a page turner and opened my eyes to just how broken and, I hate saying this, but manipulative the food industry is when it comes to advertising to our children.

If you’re a parent or soon-to-be parent looking for tools, insight, and tips on how to feed your kids more healthfully in this highly processed world or simply interested in food policy and nutrition, then you’re going to love this conversation with Bettina Siegel.

We’re digging into the difference between highly processed vs. minimally processed foods and why this matters, the history of kid food, the complexities of the food advertising industry, how immersive and aggressive kid food marketing is impacting our children’s nutritional choices (and, ultimately, their health), how brands depend on the “pester power” of children to wear down their parents, greenwashing, food insecurity, and so much more!

I have been following Bettina’s work for quite some time now and am so eager to dive into all of this with you today.

Connect with Bettina on Instagram, Facebook, and online.

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/bettina-siegel-kid-food/ 

Jenn Harper woke up in the middle of the night in 2015 after having, as she shares, a “crazy dream.” A dream where Native girls were playing with lip gloss, making a mess but, above all else, filled with JOY!

She jumped out of bed, reached for pen and paper and proceeded to write down everything she had witnessed throughout her dream.

Little did she know that this vision, this dream, this calling, however you want to define it, would be the beginnings of a healing journey that would change not only Jenn’s life but countless others as well. 

Meet Jenn Harper, an Anishinaabe-Canadian and the founder of Cheekbone Beauty, a socially conscious cosmetic brand that empowers and brings hope to Indigenous youth. 

In this episode Jenn and I chat about:

• Jenn’s battle with alcoholism and how learning about her family's past helped her overcome her addiction
• Her grandmother's traumatic experience in the Residential School System and the impact this trauma has had on her family throughout generations
• The importance of healing and creating new pathways
• Jenn's mission to use Cheekbone Beauty as a tool to help empower and bring hope to the next generation of Indigenous youth
• How Jenn overcame the entrepreneurial challenges of launching a business with only $500 in her bank account
• Why creating an eco-friendly and socially conscious brand is so important to Jenn
• The importance of showing up and never giving up 
• Shannen’s Dream + other organizations Cheekbone Beauty donates to in order to support Indigenous youth
• And more!

I am honored to share Jenn's personal and entrepreneurial journey with all of you today. She truly is a beacon of light for so many and leading a movement that we can all fully support and get behind.

Connect with Cheekbone Beauty on Instagram, Facebook, and online at www.cheekbonebeauy.com

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/cheekbone_beauty/ 

My journey into conscious living began due to a misdiagnosed auto-immune condition that affected my skin. One, that if not resolved I was told, could lead to cancer—words no one ever wants to hear their doctor repeat!

But, it was this diagnosis (which is primarily attributed to endocrine disrupting chemicals, etc.) that led me to explore, research, and want to gain a better understanding of the ingredients and chemicals being used in my products.

One of the class of chemicals I kept coming across were per-and polyfluoro-alkyl substances, aka PFAS.

I was curious: what are PFAS? Are they actually harmful? And, if so, how and what actions can we take to reduce our exposure to theses “forever” chemicals?

Here to answer some of these questions is Mike Schade, the Campaign Director for Mind the Store.

Mind the store, a program of Toxic-Free Future, challenges the nation's leading retailers to transform the marketplace away from hazardous chemicals, such as PFAS, toxic flame retardants, phthalates, and others, towards safer alternatives.

In this episode we’re also chatting about Mind The Store’s “Retailer Report Card,” a report that recently evaluated more than fifty major companies on how well they were reducing toxic chemicals or plastics or improving their chemical policies. And, good news! It’s not all doom and gloom!

Curious to find out which brands are failing the ‘Retailer Report Card’, how brands are evaluated, and how to reduce your exposure to PFAS? Click the play button now! Happy listening!

Connect with Mind The Store on Instagram, Facebook, and online. 

The Wise Consumer Shownotes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/what-are-pfas/