Welcome back to the Inspired
Living with Autoimmunity podcast.
I'm your host, Julie Michelson, and
today we are joined by Diana Lane, and
we're talking about the foundational
components of whole body healing.
Diana is a self care specialist,
integrative medicine practitioner,
and holistic health expert
specializing in women's wellness,
practicing in Austin, Texas.
In today's conversation, we
are talking about the perfect
blend of science and woo.
Diana gives us tips on essential
steps for wellness, as well as
how to avoid the common roadblocks
that are detrimental to health.
Diana, welcome to the podcast.
Great.
Thanks so much, Julie.
I'm excited to be here.
I am so excited to, to learn about
your transition into this beautiful
world you've created with integration
and acupuncture and science and Wu as
somebody that I believe your story shifted
as you were pre med cardiac surgeon.
Is that where you were originally headed?
You know, it started with
that journey of self and soul.
I wanted to help the
world by healing hearts.
I had been a ballerina when I was young
and was 16 with multiple eating disorders.
super unhealthy, hating my body
and my life and was wondering
how I could do it different.
I got into nutrition, which was
the low hanging fruit, right?
The segue into like, okay,
what else is possible?
And then when I got into pre med,
it was so apparent that I just
wanted to really help people heal.
And I was.
Yeah.
In undergrad, you know, we
specialize pretty early.
Like obviously I wasn't like a
heart surgeon, but I was in that
specialization field getting ready to
drop into U Dub's program, which is
a really extensive pre med program.
I was in my cardiothoracic
rehab internship up at St.
David's and I could just see
how broken the system was.
I saw people getting worse and not better.
I saw them coming in, throwing
out McDonald's cups, like two
weeks after a heart attack.
Oh, gosh.
booze and cigarettes.
And I'm just like, is this the way?
And as per my nature, I
asked a lot of questions.
Well, like, can I talk to them about this?
Like, what about encouraging water?
What about lifestyle
changes and modifications?
And more or less, they were kind of
like, look, that's not your job here.
You want to get them on the machines, take
their vitals, make sure they're taking
their prescriptions and That led me to ask
even more questions in this internship.
I know.
I'm like, well, how often
are they coming back?
you.
Not.
man.
I was that troublemaker.
Sorry for asking too many good questions.
Doctors love me now too.
Huh.
Well, we need that.
I
Yeah.
I mean, I just had to wonder like, are
people, how, what's the return rate?
What is life expectancy?
And It just hurt my heart, no pun
intended, to feel so helpless in a system
that's more or less end of life care.
And so I've called my mom on the
way home like, this is not it.
How can I create change?
How can I help people?
Before they get to this point.
And so I said, wait, I said, I jumped ship
to the east side, ditched my application
to the University of Washington.
Great school would have
been an amazing program.
And I went to evergreen for a couple
semesters and started taking these really
interesting integrative courses that
were like intro to holistic studies and.
I looked into everything.
I mean, I'm telling you, Ayurveda,
naturopathy, chiropractic, physical
therapy, OT, trying to figure out
what was the Tao, what was the path.
And Chinese medicine fell into
my lap and it was so obvious.
It was like everything
just clicked in my system.
The more I learned,
the more it made sense.
So comprehensive.
But I'm still a science nerd at heart.
I love running labs.
I love working with the medical field
in the western world and empowering
my patients to ask the right questions
to get those labs so we can look at
functional levels and to really be
that path to the future of medicine
where integration is the key.
love it.
And this is, this is the change, right?
You are the change.
And I know the work you're doing is.
Is just amazing.
And you still, I love that balance.
I'm, I'm such a geek as well.
I'm a data geek.
And I, I'm always when I'm
working with somebody, it's
always about feeling better.
Like that's the target, right?
Life is big and full and
wonderful as it can be.
But I love seeing markers change on
those functional panels so that we
know it's like, yeah, yeah, actually
the, you know, it all ties together
and they all show the same things.
So I, I just think that that's incredible.
I'm always blown away.
And especially for you, so many
people it's because they got sick in
medical school or residency, whatever.
You know, Western medicine wasn't helping.
And so they searched.
So, but you just had this brilliance
of like, Nope, you knew you needed
better answers to those good questions,
I couldn't even imagine, you know,
going through COVID and everything
we've been through the past couple
of years, like, you know, that ghost
of Christmas past, like, what if,
what if I had to take in that route?
At what point would I have woken up and
been like, Oh, I can't do this anymore?
right?
Right.
Well, and thank, and it probably
would have ended up in some kind of
manifestation for you personally, if
you weren't living your true calling.
So I'm just excited that you're doing
what you're doing and you do it with.
Such love in your heart.
No, no, I've, it's, I always enjoy
learning from you and listening
to you and, and for people that
are able to watch this on video.
I mean, it just, you just radiate.
So, so thank you for sharing that.
With everybody.
So I want to dive into your what
I would consider and the word is
so overused and misunderstood but
truly holistic whole being approach.
I want to talk about healing
because that's what listeners
are wanting to listen to.
You know, and I know that you have,
you're very intentional about.
The, the foundational components
to whole body healing to true,
which is just true healing, right?
If we just fix one
thing, we're not healing.
So what are those components?
You know, there's the basics.
I think you'll hear this time and
time again, you've probably heard it
throughout this series and we'll hear
it on many, many others that there are
foundational things that everybody can
and would benefit from doing moving
your body, getting time in nature,
drinking high quality, non fluoridated
spring water, eating nutritious,
whole foods that are organic and high
quality grass fed free range meats.
Right.
Getting sleep and mindfulness.
These are all the foundational things that
everybody could, should, and hopefully
will be practicing in their lives.
I was super impressed.
I recently went to a new primary care
doctor and she even had five foundations
that included movement and nutrition
and water and sleep and breath.
Right.
These are the things that
are the most comprehensive.
And...
There's no one right
way or only way to heal.
So I am a big fan of having a
healing team as an acupuncturist and
functional medicine practitioner.
There's so much that I can support on.
And I'm like, have a therapist, have a
massage therapist, go and see a Western
medical doctor, get your pap smears.
Maybe don't get as many mammograms,
but there are so many things that
we need to incorporate into this
holistic and whole body healing.
So I think.
fusion here is really the key.
Like you said, it's about people
feeling well and sometimes Sometimes
that could even mean pharmaceuticals.
Now, obviously you want to be
mindful of bite effects, right?
The over prescriptions are a big thing.
Not everybody needs everything because
there are interventions, right?
There are things that we could do ahead
of time to avoid needing the statins
and the blood pressure medications and
all the things that can be modified.
If we talk about those foundations, if
we bring in herbs and supplements, I'm
If we utilize multi modality healing,
and I think that really is the key is
like, what can we do to healthcare stack
and self care stack and what can we do
to really avoid the detrimental things
that are pills for side effects of
side effects and surgeries that may or
may not actually do the trick or these
experimental, you know, neuromodulators
that aren't really always helping
and most the time make things worse.
So let's get to the core, right?
Let's get to the foundation
and really help people heal
both from the inside out and.
The outside in, right?
Because there's a lot of stuff around
us that we're drinking, putting
on our bodies, smelling, that are
really toxic and can be attributing
to these long term diseases.
Other things like metals.
Are there metals in your mouth?
That's like the number one source of
disease right now is these old school
mercury fillings and these things that
are really, really toxic for us long term.
Wow, you've hit on so many things
that drove my 11 years of decline.
And I wanted, you know,
the ideal and I am excited.
I don't know that it will be in
my lifetime, but for a time when
true prevention, all of those
things that you just said, right.
Creating that change or just create
having that lifestyle and preventing
the need for statins and all the
things but also the beautiful thing
because the body is amazing and can
heal is we can get off of those things.
We can still get to that root core
and have that great foundation.
And so I just love.
That's what's so exciting to me.
I joke, people ask, you know, who
do you really love to work with?
And I'm like, I really love helping
people who've, you know, maybe got
five autoimmune diagnoses, you know,
heal, truly heal and get better, but
I also really love the That kind of,
and I know the word is overused, but
biohacker mindset, or, you know, the
people that are like, no, I'm good.
And I want to be better.
And I want to stay better.
And those are really, those are
my two, like, yes, let's do this.
So that's it's just amazing that.
But you know, I look at you
and I, and I know you're an
adult, but you look so young,
So you need
so wise, so early.
And, and I, I do, I love that you
bring up this idea of team especially
as somebody who loves, you know,
I, I know results, the best results
happen the quickest when people have
a team and, and, and you pointed out
everybody's team may look different.
Yeah.
So and we're not throwing, we're not
excluding anybody from the team and
we're not throwing anybody under the bus.
And so I just, I think we're, we're so
aligned in approach that, that I, I just,
just really that, and your blend of the
Chinese and the science and, and, and
to me, like, and I get it, people, I
think Chinese medicine is, I mean, it is.
That's where it all started, right?
And I think there's, there's more
and more and more science, you know,
because we like to see that data.
It's like, Oh, we're just
figuring this stuff out.
And it's like, yeah, but they've
been doing it for thousands of years.
And now, and now, and now, you know,
we're like, Oh, this is a great idea.
It's like quantum physics,
what I love is that science is
really starting to catch up to this
ancient medicine, you know, like
cheat and ATP are the same thing.
Anemia and blood
deficiency, the same thing.
And now that we can actually prove
the existence of meridians and
acupuncture points, and even the VA
is doing some really high level peer
reviewed double blind research studies
on acupuncture, it's like Welcome.
I'm glad everybody's catching
up in the modern world.
You know, this medicine withstood the
fall of the Chinese empire for a reason.
And now when you go to China, like you go
straight, like you have a stroke, you get
through the stroke, you're stabilized.
They send you directly to the
acupuncture ward for the rest of your
healing because it's so effective.
When you go down to the pharmacy to
pick up your prescriptions, you pick
up your herbs right at the next window.
So this I think will be
the future of medicine.
Hopefully sooner rather than later.
I love that.
And like, essential to highlight that
that's where that team that care team
that really know, you know, an integrated
care team comes into play because like,
you don't want to be on prescriptions
and herbs and without somebody know what
you're on and how they play together and.
I think we're in that time where people,
you know, read stuff, and I want to
try this, and I want to try that, and
oh, this worked for her, I'll try that.
And that's where having somebody
like Diana is essential, so to
really make sure that, that sometimes
we're trying to help ourselves, and
we end up doing the wrong things.
You know, fortunately, we're
also taught western pharmacology.
Like when I went to Eastern Medical
School, it was still medical school.
There was a biomed component.
There is a pharmacology component.
And we learn about herb drug interactions.
Fortunately, there's not a ton of them
unless you're using something like
futsa, which is aconite, which is a
very precious and cautiously used herb.
But you know, taking them apart from
each other, there's actually a lot
of herbs and supplements you can take
that can help the side effects of
some of these western pharmaceuticals.
But it is important to be aware
of the rare but potential for
herb drug interactions for sure,
Yeah.
Which is again, just where I'm like,
you know, like you are trained,
you know, Google is not a teacher.
So don't like really, cause I just
see so, so much of or another thing,
you know, we use a lot of supplements.
People ask me all the time, you know,
what supplement should everybody be on?
I'm like, I don't know.
Let me see their labs.
There is that we're all different
and and at different times and
so it's like well, let's see what
you know What do you really need?
And I've had so many people
like oh, I I don't know.
I'm just I don't that seems like a
lot of stuff I don't want to take
that and and then I find out it's
because they're taking 20 other things
that they Read about over the past
two years that might be helpful.
And I'm like, okay, what if we pause
the stuff that isn't showing you have
a need for right now and actually
support your body where it needs it.
So I, I just, I love that.
You had that again.
Just full spectrum of science and woo
and, and the more I learn about what I
used to think is woo is again, again, just
goes back to, no, that's just science.
We just don't have the
double blind studies yet.
right?
You know, and that's changing.
I really love, you know, like I said, I'm
a research nerd seeing the way they're
starting to utilize these techniques
and, and really getting precise, right?
Like there were a bunch of
studies where they were comparing
acupuncture to sham acupuncture.
Now, what sham acupuncture was,
was them still like using a
toothpick to stimulate the point.
But maybe not inserting
the needle all the way.
And guess what?
You're still stimulating the point.
So now studies are starting to
utilize like no intervention sham
acupuncture and acupuncture and or other
controls that make it really precise.
And you'll see more and
more of this in the future.
which is exciting.
And I think, you know, we're
talking specifically acupuncture
and Chinese medicine, but, but even
just functional medicine in general,
I mean, that is, there, there is
not a lot of data, even things that
we're like, we not like we know.
And there are studies you can pull
together, but, you know, we know you
need to move and you need sunlight
and clean water and good, you know,
real good food and all the things.
And I want to dig in a little more
to those foundations, because I
think there's almost 2 sides of the
spectrum of, like, Oh, I roll again.
It's the same.
It's movement and sleep and toxic.
You know, everybody's always saying that.
And that's a lot, right?
It's like either so boring because
I've heard it so many times
or like, that's overwhelming.
So of the, the, and they are
all essential and they all work
together, just like our body systems.
Like there's not any isolated body system.
Where, where do you think is essential
for people to start like maybe they are
eating McDonald's and I mean, I don't
know, I would love to pull my listeners
and see, or do I even have listeners
that are still eating McDonald's?
Gosh, I hope not.
Please stop.
But aside from that, like, of, of them,
you know, where do you see Start because
I always feel like, you know, we need
to create a little momentum, right?
Nobody's gonna go from zero to a
hundred overnight and sustain it.
So like, is there, is there a hierarchy
in your book or, or a starting place?
that's a great question.
One of the things I teach a
lot of my patients is about
self care stacking, right?
There's ways to make these things joyful.
I definitely think if you're not getting
adequate nutrition, Sleep and hydration
like those above everything else
because it's going to be much harder
to go out and move or feel inclined and
motivated to do those things if your
brain is inflamed from eating a bunch
of gluten or McDonald's or whatever
that is or if you're Exhausted and
dehydrated because you haven't been
sleeping and drinking enough water.
So I would say those are like the
trifecta FECTA foundation for the
rest of the things and then everything
else kind of comes together, right?
Getting time outside in nature, breathing,
listening to binaural beats is one
thing you can do in 20 minutes, right?
And if you have adequate sleep and
hydration and enough fuel, it's
going to be a lot easier to self care
stack some of these other things.
With sleep.
You know, there are things that
need to be moderated and modified
in order to get deep sleep.
That includes a dark, quiet, safe place
to be sleeping, where maybe your animals
also are trained to sleep well with
you or things like that, because these
little cofactors can really disrupt
the rest of the human ecosystem, right?
Sleep is a foundation for everything else,
but so is nutrition and Adequate spring
water that's not housed in plastic bottles
that does not have fluoride in it, right?
Those things are all
inflammatory for the brain.
And if your system as a foundation is
rocked and not getting what it needs,
of course, you're not going to want
to go and find joyful movement or
do things that are going to further
nourish the rest of your longevity.
I love that.
And I love your, your self care stacking.
I know we've spoken in a, in a different
location about you know, the whole, like
doing, doing the things outside, right?
So once you're getting outside and you're
maybe using binaural beats and you're
doing your breathing, well, then, you
know, go for a little hike or a walk
or, you know, add in that movement.
And you're just, you're
just getting this hit or.
Don't even do that.
Maybe take your shoes off and stand.
There's just so many ways.
And I love that you
keep touching on joyful.
Because I, I think that,
that it is essential.
It's I think a missing piece of wellness.
Is joyfulness and if you're
going to, to try to improve your
foundation and you're thinking of
it as a chore, it's not serving you.
I mean, you're not
going to do it for long.
And so I love the, the idea of
joyful movement because I am
somebody, I just sent an email
out this week, like confessing, I
don't like working out in a gym.
I don't, that's, you are not going
to find me working out in a gym.
I move hay bales.
I hand pump, you know I was, I
was paddleboarding yesterday.
So the night before I was hand pumping,
it was kind of, it was like, my friend
was like, you don't have a pump.
And I'm like, it never even occurred.
This is a great workout.
It was like 96 degrees.
And we were like, you know,
and I live at altitude.
So but whatever that joyful movement
is like, that's the way like it's.
The, the stuff you want to do.
And yes, I have equipment.
I work out at home.
I'm not saying don't ever work.
I'm saying find, I have friends
that love going to the gym.
My daughter loves going to the gym.
My son, one of my sons love it.
Like great, do it fine.
Find the thing and just keep changing
it up to, till you find the things.
So I love that
it a lot easier to implement
if you do it that way.
You know, I don't call
things routines anymore.
I call them rituals because
who wants a routine?
I mean people might like the structure
of routine, but ritual makes it
feel really cohesive with my body.
I'm like, Ooh, yes.
It's a ritual,
and I could feel that word when you
said it and I what I was thinking was
some and I do, you know, kids thrive
on routine like I think as humans,
in a sense, yes, we need routine,
but often routines are important.
Thank you.
Not supportive, right?
Like, you know, I know a lot of
people that will have a drink
when they get home from work.
That's their routine.
It doesn't mean like I don't think their
body would find that a ritual, right?
So I love my heart.
Could I just had this like
expansion when you said ritual.
So I'm I'm going to be
would be stealing that one.
I will credit you.
Love it.
So we, we touched on the, these essential
foundations and they are, and it's
so funny because back to kind of that
biohacking mentality, you know, everybody
wants the quick hit or the cool thing
or the fancy workout equipment or the,
and to start with, are you sleeping?
Are you drinking?
Are you, you know, like we tend
to overlook that sometimes.
And so I, I, I think it can't be.
Talked about enough.
So these are the things
we need for healing.
What are some of the most detrimental
things that are negatively
impacting health and wellness?
Like, what are you, what's,
what's showing up at your door?
What are you seeing as
these kind of drivers?
And you mentioned some,
Yeah.
You know, we live in a society where
we're definitely quick fix motivated.
And the other big thing
that's happening is.
Slowly transitioning out of but over
the last decade or so is this mindset
of hustle culture, you know, people
working themselves to the bone,
stressing themselves out, not taking
enough time for self care and vacation.
I think that is probably the number
one driver of imbalances and illness
and disease is just Overworking and
overstressing ourselves, you know,
like overdoing cardio, burning the
midnight oil and working all night long.
And then we have to talk
about the obvious, these
endocrine disruptors, right?
These PUFAs, which everyone's talking
about right now, these forever
chemicals, the microplastics, the
toxic fragrances, and the things
that are actually inundating,
attacking, and assaulting our body.
Because just like well care, this
illness is accumulative, right?
And we are constantly using Glade
plug ins and Febreze and Downy
dryer sheets and stuff like that.
You are literally poisoning
yourself day in, day out.
Like, I'm that person that takes the
Uber and when I get in and it's over
scented, I'm like, Windows down, please!
why can't there, Oh my gosh, this is one
of my biggest pet peeves in the world.
Why can't that be a request?
Uber.
Uber.
I hope you're listening.
Fragrance free.
Some of us really need
a fragrance free ride.
That is a, just a migraine waiting to jump
into my brain with the way I actually was
with a friend at a conference a couple
of years ago, we got out of the car.
We, we just, we did windows down.
It's still, he had.
Five air fresheners in his car, and
we were just like, you know what?
We changed our mind.
We're getting out.
It was horrible.
And I just look for, and the same
with like Airbnb, like, please, I, I
have like the best guy in the world.
And whenever we travel, he will
go in first and look for us.
For he's like, wait,
wait, don't go in yet.
Let me check because he knows I can't,
I am more resilient than I used to be.
I'm still working on it.
But it's, I love it.
It's toxic.
It is poison.
You use the word poison.
I love that word.
It's it's poison.
And maybe we need to go back to using
poison instead of toxin, because that's
another, you know, I think people.
Tune out.
Cause they're like, Oh gosh, what now?
What are you saying?
And it's like, if you do that
one things like start there,
it's, it's life changing.
It really is.
this could be a whole side biz, right?
Like a no talk, super no talks at Airbnb.
So anybody out there listening, like,
seriously.
you've got multiple consumers
I, I travel with, I travel
with my own dish soap.
Cause I don't want to use the blue stuff.
I don't just don't even
want it on my hands.
Like, come on.
Yeah.
Well, and that's the thing is we're
really inundated with this stuff.
I mean, not just in the
air, but look at the foods.
I mean, we know the WHO sucralose and
how carcinogenic it is again, a poison.
And it's still.
Everywhere.
There are so many things that are banned
in other countries and we're wondering
why the rates of autism, ADHD, and cancer
are on the rise, especially in America.
And autoimmunity.
food guys, these additives, the
glyphosate and They're all okay,
like they're all right and accepted
by our, you know, powers that be and
we have to vote with our dollars.
That is so essential.
Buy the organic products
and buy the organic
Gross
gross.
Seriously, you haven't
heard of the yucca app.
That's Y U K A the yucca app.
It's got a little carrot for its favicon.
Please download this app,
get the upgraded version.
It's like nine bucks for a year.
You can literally.
scan any product and get a rating
based on its poison or toxicity level.
Now, the food section, I will
soap box a little bit about this.
I'm not fully 100% in
on their food ratings.
Like there are things where they're
like, well, this is too salty
or like I have a really natural
organic coconut based protein drink.
That's like 20 grams of
protein in this beverage.
And they're like, Oh, it kind
of has a lot of calories.
So, you know, pick and
choose with the food
Yeah.
but the products, the
products ratings are amazing.
And they tell you what and why they
tell you how to get alternatives.
I even ordered a new product
that was not in there.
I took a picture of the product
face and the side of the product.
They rated it within like three
hours and they went every single
item and were like, this one's good.
These ones are bad.
And it was like a great product.
So I love, love, love the Yucca app.
I, this is a new one to me.
This is, this could be life changing.
I use a variety of other
apps and then my brain.
Right.
Because yeah, it's.
I think all of them are
better than nothing.
And then I think we also need to, to,
again, there's this lack of personal
responsibility that we all need to
start stepping up and taking, because
what's in those boxes in the grocery
store, isn't food and it is toxic.
I, I was the paddle board.
I said, I was paddle boarding yesterday
with a friend who was visiting and she was
so excited and she's like, I never go in
a lake and I'm like, what do you, what?
What do you mean you never go in a lake?
And then she chuckled.
She's like, I live in Iowa.
I will not get in a lake in Iowa.
It's like taking a bath in glyphosate.
Why would I do that?
And I'm like, yep.
So smart.
So smart.
We were in a pristine mountain lake
filled by, you know, ice ice melt runoff.
So
God,
a little different than
jumping in a lake in Iowa.
So, you know, people think, yes, do it.
People think like, oh, I live in,
you know, farmland and and where I
live, there are a lot of farms too.
And so it's not always, you know,
even like local people say, Oh, I,
you know, I get eggs from my neighbor.
And I'm like, How does your neighbor's
chickens live and what are they eating?
Because, just because they're home
chickens doesn't mean, although I will
say the one advantage is I'm guessing
they're not, you know, dipped in chlorine
before you buy them, but other than
that, like, doesn't mean they're better.
So it's just becoming educated and
just like going back to roots of
medicine, which is Chinese medicine.
We need to go back to roots of, you
know, how did humans eat and live?
And we were moving, we were sleeping,
we were breathing, we were getting
sunlight, we were eating real food.
So, yeah, that is, it's so essential.
Are there any like, I don't know when
it comes to food, you, you named all the
ones I name and again that's a, that's
another big, big thing if somebody
is eating processed food and factory
meat and I was just picking on eggs
and maybe some people are like what's
the matter with next door eggs like
hopefully they're great, but Like,
where do you have your patients start?
Like, because it is a lot to say,
like, okay, here's the goal, right?
This is what we need to be looking for.
What, is there something
that's more important than
something else in your book?
Yeah.
I mean, it can be really challenging to
get completely away from every single
processed food under the sun, right?
Like I love me some chicken salad
with these delicious Mary's gone
crackers that I get sometimes.
Right.
Figuring out healthier alternatives is
one of the things you can still enjoy
the things that you like, like ice
cream or something, for example, by
getting a coconut milk version of it
and watching out for erythritol, which
is not a good substitute for sugars.
So for anything that you really enjoy,
that's maybe a treat or helps you
feel good, or that's like, you know,
a little bit of a splurge, there
are healthier alternatives to those.
Besides that, I will say it and scream
it and shout it from the rooftops.
We need to keep eating high quality,
grass fed, free range meats.
You can get these at the grocery
stores, but better yet, order it online
because there are a lot of really great
resources that have regenerative farming
practices that are much more reasonably
priced than something like Whole Foods.
Sorry, Whole Foods.
But Places like Wild Pastures or
Piedmontese, right, you can get these
like boxes of organic, grass fed, free
range, high quality chicken, high quality
beef, and you know that you're supporting
farmers who are out there doing the work,
loving on these animals, taking care of
them, ensuring that they're not getting,
you know, all these other toxins and
hormones and poisons and things like that.
So I would definitely say that in
organic fruits and vegetables, you
know, try to ditch the bread and things
like that, at least get the gluten
free alternatives of these and try
to make sure that those gluten free
alternatives aren't full of soy and.
Seed oils.
I know it ends up being a lot when
we start getting all the way down
to the nitty gritty, but start
with the basics, kick out the
gluten, you know, be very mindful
of what kind of dairy you're using.
I'm not a no dairy person because I
do think that Greek yogurt and get
unpasteurized milk where you live.
Those can be helpful as well.
But I tend to lean towards this kind
of like organic meat and organic
fruit and vegetable oriented diet
and start with just a couple things.
What you'll find is the gluten free brown
rice pasta if you cook al dente is just
as delicious as the barilla crap that
they're selling in the stores anyway.
So you might as well make the shift.
You have to ask yourself, is your life
longevity and health worth it to you?
Because to me it's worth everything.
I spend so much money on eating high
quality food that made this worth
every single, any inconvenience and
sidebar that I do to make sure that I'm
nourishing my body in a healthy way.
I love that.
And if you live somewhere like I do,
you know, go meet your regenerative
farmer or rancher and get a freezer
and have a side of beef in the garage.
It's so essential.
And if you're grain free.
The cassava pasta is just as
good as the brown rice pasta.
I actually, we like it better but
it is, and I, but I love that you to
start with quality protein because
I didn't have guidance in my journey
and everything was kind of, you know,
I was self educating and, and it was
this long road of adjusting and, you
know, people always have so we were so
misguided when it came to what is healthy.
What is real food?
What is good for you?
And so, you know, beef has been vilified.
And, and so anybody who's looking at
studies about B, you know, that's.
That's, that's, you know,
commercial feedlot beef.
It's, it's terrible.
Like it's, it's not the same.
Like grass fed, pastured
beef is higher in omega 3s.
It's, it's good for you.
And so I love the, the, you're
starting there because our
proteins, I mean, we need protein.
That's our building blocks, right?
So that makes so much
sense to start there.
It really does.
And.
I will add this.
I don't go out to eat much
because I love to cook.
My partner loves to cook.
We're very intentional about
the quality of food we eat.
And so we do spend a lot on groceries,
but I bet you people that are grabbing
coffee at Starbucks and eating out
several times a week are spending just
as much money on food, but they're
not getting what we're getting.
So.
And I know that's like a barrier.
A lot of people immediately
are like, Oh, my God.
Well, the gluten free
pasta is more expensive.
Well, yeah, but your doctor
bills are going to be expensive.
So let's, let's, you know, again,
that's where that proactive and,
and, you know, thinking longterm.
I'm going to your farmer's markets, right?
Like there are ways that
you can eat healthy without
it being overtly expensive.
Like I even mentioned, finding
at your farmer's markets or
some of these online resources.
Like when I buy meat at the grocery
store, yes, I'm paying extra.
But when I order these boxes, it's
like 150 bucks for an un reasonable
amount of food from wild pastures.
It's like a whole chicken,
chicken breast, chicken thighs,
chicken wings, ground beef.
There's so much in there and there are
ways that you can find these healthier
alternatives and still be mindful of
your budget along with thinking about
how much your doctor bills will cost
and the things that are detrimental,
long term medication and so forth.
Yeah.
I love it.
It's such just priceless advice.
So I, I really, if you're
listening to this, please listen
to Diana, take her advice.
It's, it's just so important.
And the, the one thing
leads to the next, right?
It's just about taking that first step.
Which leads me to, because we did cover
a lot, if you had to, and I know this
is so hard, if you had to give listeners
one thing they could start doing
today to move that needle and start to
improve their health, what would it be?
It could be anything.
Listen.
I love it.
I got the download immediately.
Listen to your body.
Listen.
You are getting signals
and messages every day.
You eat something crappy.
You feel like crap.
You wake up anxious.
Maybe you didn't drink enough water.
Your body is giving you little
whispers that will become
wails if you do not listen.
So just pay attention to the
things that you're eating.
Oh, I have a midday
slump every single day.
What is it before or after food?
Oh, okay.
You
Oh, right after an hour after lunch.
or you just say it's something heavy and
dense and currently listen to your body.
It is telling you every single
day, what you are doing to
move the needle in your life.
And then when you start implementing the
many, many pieces of advice that we've
shared in this summer are in the segment.
You'll start to listen to those two and
you'll be like, Whoa, I woke up and went
for a walk and I feel amazing today.
I'm going to do that again tomorrow.
I love it.
Oh, yay.
For people that listen on the
go, which is pretty much the only
time I will listen to podcasts.
Where is the best place to find you?
Yeah, you can find me in a
couple different avenues.
So my primary website
is moonmedicinemagic.
com.
That is consistent across the board.
You can find me on Instagram and
Facebook at the same moon medicine magic.
My email also moon
medicine, magic at gmail.
com.
You're welcome to reach out
if you'd like to chat further.
I love sharing health
and wellness information.
And when I have created this new
project that I'm so excited to
feature do on as well, Julie, we'll
be able to find that information
through those same avenues as well.
Amazing.
And it'll all be in the show notes.
I just wanted, like I, like I said, for
those that are, aren't going to pause
and go look in the show notes, sometimes
it's nice just to get that auditory hit.
So Diana, thank you for sharing
so many amazing tips and sharing a
bit of your journey with us today.
It has been such a pleasure to have you.
Likewise, honored to share,
always fun to chat with you.
For everyone listening, remember you
can get those show notes and transcripts
by visiting inspiredliving.show.
I hope you had a great time and
enjoyed this episode as much as I did.
I'll see you next week.