Inspired Living with Autoimmunity

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Bradley Shepherd about the intricate connections between nutrition, hormones, and chronic pain. We explore how dietary choices and nutrient deficiencies impact hormone balance and overall health.

Dr. Shepherd shares his top foods for hormone health and explains the importance of dietary variety.

We also discuss the role of gut health in nutrient absorption and how addressing hormone imbalances can be crucial in managing chronic pain conditions.

For the complete show notes and links visit inspiredliving.show/175

Creators and Guests

Host

Julie Howton

What is Inspired Living with Autoimmunity?

The podcast for high achievers who want to stay sharp, focused and full of energy despite their diagnoses. Those who know there has got to be something better than simply accepting decline.

Hosted by Julie Howton, a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach who used to suffer from crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis until she learned the tools and strategies to take her power back from autoimmunity.

In this podcast, Julie brings you interviews with thought leaders in the Functional Health and Wellness space. You will get actionable recommendations to Take Your Power Back and catapult your health. No fluff, just concrete, useful steps to improve your health!

It's all about, hormone imbalances that
cause inflammation, and inflammation

is a guaranteed source of pain.

Now, we make inflammation a bad
guy, and I don't want to do that,

because it's really important.

Without inflammation, we wouldn't survive.

But we need to keep it in
balance and keeping the hormones

balanced keeps the inflammation
balanced and There are studies.

Welcome back to the inspired
living with autoimmunity podcast.

I'm your host, Julie Michaelson.

And today we're joined by Bradley Shepard.

Bradley is a doctor of chiropractic
with over 15 years of experience.

And he's also a certified
functional medicine practitioner.

His main focus is on identifying
hormone and nutritional imbalances that

cause and Amplify or perpetuate pain.

He uses whole food nutrition to help
others get their life back naturally.

In today's conversation, we're talking
about this connection between nutrition,

hormones, and pain, and Bradley gives
us his top foods to incorporate to

help balance hormones and reduce pain.

And they are probably not
what you might expect.

Bradley, welcome to the podcast.

Thanks, Julie.

It's great to be here.

I'm really excited to be here
and I'm looking forward to

a great conversation today.

I am as well.

And I, I love, I, I know audiences
are going to get so much value out

of wherever this conversation leads.

Cause I never really know ahead of time.

Um, I hope so, but, but just,
I know our topic alone is, is

really, um, important for listeners
to understand and, and to hear.

So I look forward to it.

I was cheating.

I was asking you a little bit ahead
of time, but I would love for you to

share a little bit with listeners,
um, about, you know, whether it's

what took you into to drive you to
become a doctor of chiropractic or,

and, or, especially because this is
my Personal favorite part is okay.

And then how to functional medicine.

So how does a gentleman, um, become
this expert on nutrition and hormones?

And, um, cause I I'm always
fascinated about that.

A gentleman.

Wow.

I might be assuming.

No, it's, it's a, it's a great, um,
it's, it's a journey, like you said,

and, you know, believe it or not,
I was set out to be a math teacher.

And yeah, I've always enjoyed teaching.

And so and that's why I love these
podcasts, you know, because I feel like

I can enjoy that passion without all of
the legal, right, you know, hoops and

yeah, or C and everything like that.

And that's what turned me off
to teaching is I can't teach the

way I wanted to teach, but I've
always liked to help people.

And so, okay, what can
I do to help people?

The medical profession is great, except
I don't like the idea of, okay, you've

got this symptom, take this pill.

Right.

That's, that's, that's, That
didn't make a lot of sense to me.

I know I can, I can help in the short
term and long term, but what about,

you know, what about, you know,
identifying, you know, why you're having

these problems in the first place?

Yes,

it's every, every child's favorite
question is the most important

question in medicine, right?

Why?

That doesn't typically get asked
in that standard Western model.

Exactly.

That's, that's what I found.

And so when I discovered chiropractic,
that's kind of what they, what they

talked about is get to the, you know,
get to the underlying root of the

problem, get to the cause of the problem.

And that really resonated with me.

So after I decided, okay, this
math teacher, not going to do it.

Chiropractic, this sounds great.

Um, I, you know, I had been
to a chiropractor once for low

back pain when I was 23 and it
one treatment and I was better.

I was good to go.

Obviously I know now that that's not
really typical, but it worked for me.

It was great.

And so I knew it had helped me,
but I didn't realize at the time

that they were actually doctors.

And so I thought, well,
okay, let's do this.

Let's be a doctor and get to
the underlying root of the

problem, which was great.

Now, once I got into chiropractic
school and started learning the stuff,

we took a lot of nutrition, which
was always kind of interesting to me.

But with chiropractic, and I, I
don't want to, you know, diss on

my, my chiropractic colleagues or
the schools or anything like that.

But they taught that the spine
and the nervous system is the

cause of all of the problems.

And to be honest with you, for
a long time I bought into it.

I thought that all of the world's
problems could be fixed with a

great chiropractic adjustment.

And if everyone got chiropractic,
there would be world peace.

If only.

Right.

Uh, but, but as I learned, you
know, there was, it wasn't helping

everybody, like I thought it could,
like I was taught that it should.

And so I'm, so I, I learned
that, you know what, chiropractic

is great for a lot of things.

But there's more to it.

And when I discovered functional medicine,
I thought, okay, this sounds more like

what I was looking for the whole time.

Right.

Because we're looking at the spine and
the nervous system, but we're looking at

the blood, we're looking at the hormones,
we're looking at lifestyle, we're

looking at mental, emotional aspects,
we're looking at toxicity, we're looking

at gut health, and all of this stuff.

And I'm like, yes!

The whole person.

Yay.

So it's not, you know, and I, and
I, people weren't just a spine,

right?

Yeah.

A box.

I mean, the, the lens is, we always
have the favorite saying, um,

and I, I have fractured my spine.

I have, I'm very grateful for orthopedic
surgeons, but whenever somebody is

having an issue that they, think they
may need an orthopedic surgeon for

a non emergency, non broken bone.

It's like, let's do some other things
first because, you know, if your only tool

is a hammer, everything's a nail, right?

Like, so I love that, you know,
the, I knew we were going to

have a great conversation.

I love the idea of it's, and
it's not this narrow focus.

Here's my body part.

I focus on the spine, right?

Like when I was sick, I don't
even know I should count that how

many specialists I had, right?

For each system or body part
that was having a problem.

When, if I had just had somebody years
ago say, Why let's go after that.

You know, I wouldn't have needed all those
compartmentalized treatments, so yay.

Kudos to you,

and you know, I'll be honest
with you, it's not for everybody.

Not everybody needs it, but for those
of us that do, it's, it's a lifesaver.

And I can't tell you how many patients
have said, you know, you've saved my life.

Sure.

Not in some dramatic way, but just.

But yes, I mean, when, when, for those
of anybody listening who either is

chronically ill right now or has been
or is afraid they're on that path.

I mean, did that and that's what you do.

You see what's ahead of you.

Right.

I didn't think I would live to see 50.

Because that was the trajectory
I was on until I changed course.

So it is really life changing,
whatever that means to the person

whose life is changing, you know,
it's huge for, for so many of us, it

means I get to enjoy my family, right?

Life can get bigger again, or at
the very least stop getting smaller.

And that is life changing.

That's how, that's how
we create world peace.

Right.

When then we can make a
contribution and be part of

community and heal it societally.

So I love the, yes, you're very modest,
but, but, you know, every there's

a ripple effect with every impact.

So, um, yeah, I don't think
you're, I don't think your

patients are exaggerating.

Thank you.

I don't,

it's, it's, it's not one of those,
you know, life and death situations,

emergency situations, but it is,
but it, but I have seen the changes.

Yeah.

It's, it's a beautiful thing.

And that's, that's really why
I like doing what I do too, is

to see those changes and sure.

I'm trying to make the
world a little bit better.

I love it.

So I would love to and always
feel free to redirect me because

I know you have so much to share.

Um, but I want to talk about,
you know, the audience knows

that I, I will scream it from the
rooftops this connection between.

Hormones and autoimmunity and all of the
things you just mentioned, the, you know,

the lifestyle, the toxins, the gut health,
that there's so many things and they're

all intertwined and integrated, right?

There, we can't separate stress,
toxins, lifestyle from gut health and

all of those things from hormones.

And, you know, it's this chicken
and egg, it's all connected.

Um, but this.

Impact, and I've personally
experienced this, um, of hormones on

pain, even if you have a diagnosis
that explains your pain, right?

Hormones really can impact the experience
of pain and inflammation and therefore

an autoimmunity, um, And nutrition can
impact those hormones and pain as well.

And so I want to, I want to talk
about that because we've done a lot

of episodes on different ways of
supporting hormones and listeners.

Now, I am a huge fan of bioidentical
hormone replacement when appropriate,

um, as somebody who doesn't
have ovaries or uterus anymore.

You know, the reason why I am well and
vibrant and all the things is because I

have wonderful care in that department.

Um, but there's this range also of, I
was going to start with perimenopause,

but really I see so many, even young
women who don't have balanced hormones.

They have rough cycles.

They have PCOS, they have mood,
you know, anxiety, depression,

mood, stuff, all these things.

And again, we can't separate the layers
out, but I want to dig in a little

bit with that impact of nutrition.

I know you have, um, I'm going to
throwing it all at you right now.

And then you, you, you drive.

Um, I do want to, I know you have like.

10 foods, um, that everybody, you
know, can be incorporating, should

be incorporating to help balance
hormones and help with pain.

Um, but let's start, start me in the
beginning of what is this connection

between nutrition and hormone wellness?

You know, I love that question, um,
because it's not one that we always ask

because we, you know, why do we have a
hormone imbalance in the first place?

Right.

And, and again, we're
asking that question, why?

And a lot of times, it's not all
of the case, but I mean, in your

case, you don't have the, you
know, you don't have your ovary.

So that's why, you know, that's, that's
a really easy, but before that, I,

well, and I lost, honestly, I
was already Well, by the time

I, I got rid of my ovaries.

Um, so before that I was that the,
which I, I think is probably almost

more common these days than somebody
with beautifully balanced hormones.

I mean, I was estrogen dominant,
of course, had never heard those

words and didn't know what that was.

But my experience of my hormones
was definitely, you know, at least.

In my adult life, I was estrogen dominant.

And so even back then, balancing hormones
when I had my parts was a game changer.

Totally a game changer.

Right?

So, sorry, I interrupted, but I, you
know, there because it's, it's this

big range of Yeah, you're right.

It's,

it's not, it's, it's complicated.

It can be complicated.

Yeah.

We want to try to simplify
it as much as possible.

But, you know, we're, you know, since
we're talking about estrogen and

progesterone, which are, you know,
the primary female hormones of the

ovaries, you actually need certain
nutrients in order to detoxify or to,

you know, help with the metabolism
of estrogens and progesterone.

So you need You know, a glutathione,
for example, I don't know how technical

your audience is going to get, but you
know, vitamin D, uh, vitamin B, um, uh,

lignans, if you know what lignans are.

What are lignans for the audience?

So, so lignans are, um, they are chemicals
that it's, it's a whole webinar in itself.

I know.

They're chemicals that help, yeah, they're
chemicals that help produce hormones.

And

where do we, where would we find them?

Like, so

A lot of things they work really
well with a lot of the antioxidants,

actually, and so you're going to find
them in like things like, you know,

blueberries and and flaxseed and
broccoli and and and things like that.

So, uh, those are.

Um, where was I?

I got off track.

But anyway, both, I'm sorry.

We need these

essential nutrients for
metabolizing these and detoxing to

make

them

and

to make them, yeah.

To make

them to detox.

And, and we need, you know,
we need the antioxidants for

any metabolic activity, right.

Which the making and regulating of
hormones is hugely, you know, that,

that's a lot of chemistry going on and
those are a lot of chemical reactions.

And so we need those
antioxidants to help as well.

Yeah.

Well, and

just even.

Those things, as you're listing off,
like these are things that are essential.

I'm thinking, wow, I've always
been glutathione deficient.

I have, you know, MTHFR SNPs.

So I don't methylate my Bs well.

My D, which I see in most, uh, most
of my people who haven't tested and

aren't supplementing their Ds are
In the toilet, um, you know, like,

like, um, you know, the, the, it's
all the, so no wonder so many of us

have this struggle like biologically
have the struggle of regulating

hormones, keeping them balanced.

Um, I want to ask you, and then I'm
going to set you free again, because

use the word use metabolize and detox.

And I think this is a really important
piece that I certainly didn't

know as a woman who had all those
hormones naturally occurring, right?

I never knew that you had to,
you know, detox estrogen, right?

Like it, no, it's not a toxin, but
we need to be able to excrete it.

And therefore, if you're like me
and you're a collector of every

environmental toxin, mold, heavy metal
that you've met, of course, you want

to also keep your estrogen recycling.

And, and so talk to us
a little bit about that.

And because this is one little
area where I'm like, Ooh, I

know, I'm, I know, I know one.

Correct thing that Bradley is going
to talk about, um, because you already

mentioned, you know, the veggies and
the broccoli and I'm thinking dim

or, you know, um, so how is it that
somebody could have what's considered

normal estrogen, you know, but maybe
they're recycling and that's driving

inflammation or causing an imbalance.

Okay, so it's really, really
complicated because so, for example,

testosterone and estrogen can be
converted back and forth, right?

There's not just one estrogen,
there's three to make things a

little bit more complicated, right?

Estrone, estradiol, and estreon, you know,
and they all kind of play into a pattern.

And your nutrition, if you're deficient
in one of, in a certain nutrient, like

B6 for example, you're not going to
be able to convert back and forth.

Okay.

And so you're going to have a buildup
of one and a deficiency of the other.

Did that help?

Yes, it does.

Well, and I think even
just, yeah, absolutely does.

Um, so I, sorry, I know
I shifted you off track.

We'll let you go back on track
with, we need, so we need

nutrients to build these hormones.

We need certain nutrients.

To metabolize them and
convert them back and forth.

And then we need certain nutrients
to be able to detox and excrete.

And metabolism, I know I kind of
got stuck on that word, but maybe

some of your audience doesn't
really, you know, we heard the

word, we hear the word metabolism.

What is that?

Thank you.

Yeah.

Good question.

And so metabolism really is just the
word that we use to take the, and

there's two types of, of bolisms if you
want, there's animalism and catabolism.

And it basically, what it is, is when
we take your food, we have to break that

food down and then we have to use those
little parts to build other things.

That's metabolism.

Right.

It's like, it's like Legos.

Yes.

Ideally.

We take in a nice, you know,
steak or whatever, whatever

chicken sandwich, I don't know.

All that stuff has to be broken down
in your gut, you know, and then it

all has to be on all those little
proteins have to be reassembled so

that our bodies can do what it does.

And then part of that is making hormones.

So that's basically what metabolism is.

So now we know.

Okay.

Well, and I love that because now you
just answered the, you know, when I said

that interconnection between gut health
and all the things that impact gut health

and metabolism, hormones, all the things.

If your gut

isn't healthy, it can't do
what it do, what it does.

It can't break everything down.

So,

yeah, I know.

I, I think like, Maybe seven
years ago, I was like, Oh, I'm so

tired of hearing about gut health.

I feel like it's like the new fad.

And now I'm like, Oh, yep.

It's the thing.

It really is.

And when I was studying medicine,
it all goes back to the gut.

Everything's like, okay, depression.

Okay.

That's a good issue.

Yes.

Hormone imbalances.

Okay.

That's a good issue.

Um, and so, you know, and I do want to
make this, you know, um, it, it really is

important once you get that gut health.

taking care of.

And then we can work on
the hormone balancing.

So, so that's what I do.

So I'm kind of like, okay, you know, if
someone doesn't have a really good gut

health, I kind of have to start with that.

And ideally someone's already kind of.

Gone through that.

And there's other people that work
on just digestion and gut health.

Right.

There.

And then when we're ready to
go, That's where I step in,

what is the connection between
hormone imbalance and pain?

Like if we know, okay, foundationally,
we're gut health, that's, we got to

address that, or we can't balance
everything, you know, long term.

Anyway, you can feel better for a
little while, but eventually you're

going to have to address your gut.

Um, but, but why can you talk a little
bit about, about the connection?

Because you'll speak, I can only speak
to it from experience and you'll speak

about it intelligently, I'm guessing.

Well, we're gonna, we're gonna try.

Um, but it's, it's all about, there's,
there's a lot of, uh, hormone imbalances

that cause inflammation, and inflammation
is a guaranteed pain, source of pain.

Now, we, we make inflammation a bad
guy, and I don't want to do that,

because it's really important.

Without inflammation, we wouldn't survive.

But we need to keep it in
balance and keeping the hormones

balanced keeps the inflammation
balanced and There are studies.

This is this is an interesting study
It's just kind of coming to mind

is there was a study done in rats.

It wasn't on humans, but it was done
in rats We're estrogen deficiencies

made exacerbated or made worse
Disc degeneration, which I thought

was interesting as a chiropractor
and so If you know our hormones

keep our tissues healthy, too.

Yeah.

And so if you don't have

everything.

Yeah.

And so, you know, we have this imbalance
and we have this tissue breakdown

which leads to inflammation which
if there's inflammation somewhere.

There's inflammation
somewhere else, right?

Right.

And I always tell people like, again,
there's not ever just one thing.

So if, if you know, if you have auto
immunity or you have chronic pain,

you know, any kind of chronic illness
is, is chronic inflammation driven.

Hormones might not be
the only thing, right?

But every piece that we can
get back in balance, that's no

longer contributing to that.

chronic inflammation.

And I love that you did highlight.

We do need info.

We also need stress.

Stress causes growth, right?

But chronic stress causes inflammation.

So I love that you like just tied that
in a nice little bow for everybody.

Cause I always, I do, I think of it
as, as layers and, and every piece.

That, that we're, we're, we're
reducing the inflammation.

Eventually we get to below that point
of, Oh my gosh, the pain's gone.

And there's a big
question in the research.

Does the, does the inflammation
cause the disease or does the

disease cause the inflammation?

Yeah.

I personally, the first

one.

I think it's

ball.

Well, sure.

I think it's a cycle.

Yeah.

But I, we know that if you
address the inflammation, the

disease expression may resolve.

Yes.

That's the, that's why we have
these conversations, right?

Not to be like, well, too bad.

Um, no, we're changing the conversation
because we, we can heal that.

Um, are there certain pain
conditions that you think of that

are specifically like you immediately
you're like, Ooh, hormones.

Um, believe it or not, um, unresolved
back pain that doesn't, That's not

affected by the chiropractic adjustments.

Interesting.

And, um, maybe that's not necessarily
as much hormone as it is B vitamins.

Okay.

But there's, but there's that.

But if there's a B vitamin
deficiency, there's going to be

a hormone challenge at least.

Right.

And

another condition that I see
a lot is frozen shoulder.

I don't know if you've ever heard of
frozen shoulder, but there's primary

frozen shoulder, which is actually
a musculoskeletal condition, but

there's secondary, uh, secondary,
uh, frozen shoulder, which is

actually caused by thyroid problems.

Interesting.

Or diabetes and thyroid problems
and diabetes are both independent

risk factors for frozen shoulder.

Interesting.

So that's just another example there.

Yeah.

Of things.

Wow.

You wouldn't think that
those were related at all.

Right.

I know.

Now I want to ask, which
isn't fair, cause I'm guessing

there's not a clear answer yet.

Why?

And you're right.

Yeah.

I mean, sometimes we don't know
why we just see these real life.

Interesting.

Expressions and correlations
and, and, you know, that's life

can be messy.

Yeah.

Wow.

Okay.

Interesting.

I love the, I say this
to people all the time.

You mentioned chronic back pain, right?

I already just said, you know,
I've fractured my back in the past.

Um, I have At least two, well, the
two of my offspring that have had

scans of their back, both as children
had degeneration of the certain,

you know, they had compressions
at the same disc, um, genetic.

I don't know.

Was that where their back pain,
you know, it's one of those things,

like if you take somebody, I tell,
I tell clients this all the time.

Um, you know, it's almost like, yeah,
we want data, but also be careful

because, you know, you can, you
know, you can get films on a hundred

people with and without back pain.

And you can find reasons for
back pain on almost everybody's.

scan, right?

Like, so even if there's a thing people
can point to that they've been told,

well, this is what's causing your
back pain and, you know, deal with it.

Um, you're saying if there's chronic
back pain, that's not responding to

chiropractic that you would be looking at.

Yeah.

Amen.

Really?

Like, yeah.

Thank you.

And I see so many things on him.

You know, I see some MRIs on, on patients.

I'm like, how are you even walking?

Exactly.

And those people may
not even have back pain.

Like that's the, that's
exactly what I'm saying.

Yeah.

But once people see that, or
they're told, you know, by an

orthopedist or by somebody like, Oh,
well look here, here's the thing.

That's why you're in pain.

Well, not, not necessarily.

Maybe.

Yeah.

Could be.

And that's what I, that's
what I always, that's, that's

always in the back of my mind.

Maybe.

Yeah.

I love that.

Yeah.

That's the, to me, the
sign of, of somebody good.

If you think you know too much,
you know, if you're certain all the

time, I am not going to trust you.

Yeah, the Dunning Kruger effect,
if you've ever heard of that, yes.

It's a real thing, and I've learned,
but the opposite of that is also true.

The more you learn, the more
you realize how little you know.

Right.

Well, because then the more we
ask why, and then there's more

to investigate and figure out.

That's the beautiful, that's, that's life.

It's, it's good stuff.

I don't know.

So, so I want to dig into specifically
a little bit diet because I know you,

you gave us some of the nutrients
that, that are essential that a lot of

us, I, I feel like in today's world.

world are deficient in,
whether it's because of genetic

predisposition or toxins or gut
health or all the things, right?

Because that's one, another
thing that I want to highlight.

We, because we're not going to go deep
into gut health, but you mentioned

it with the Also, even if you're
supplementing, if you're, you know,

listening and taking notes, like I'm
going to supplement with those things.

Um, if you're not absorbing,
you're not absorbing, right?

So if you're taking all these wonderful
supplements and you haven't worked on your

gut health, you just have expensive urine.

That's all.

I mean, you may feel a little better.

It may help.

You may be absorbing more than, than,
you know, cause if you're not absorbing

the nutrients from the food either.

Um, but, but what, so that being
said, what are, you don't have to list

out your top 10, but like even your
top three, like what are some things

listeners Should be definitely including
in their diet, assuming they're not

allergic or sensitive in the moment.

Well let's go with the top three then.

Yeah.

Number three would be tuna.

What?!

It's a fatty fish.

That's my number three.

But

what about mercury?

Yes, that is a legitimate concern.

Uh, let me clarify this.

If you can get wild caught.

Alaska tuna.

Not the factory farmed stuff.

Right.

Okay.

And I should probably not assume
this, but you should always

source your food if you can.

Right.

Uh, no, thank you for

saying it and not assuming.

Yeah.

Especially well, not even, but yes,
like protein quality and sourcing is

it's makes it the, you know, you can
take, I'll use, and it's the same

with tuna, but, but I know a little
more about the stats with beef, right?

Factory farm beef, industrial beef is not
the same as grass fed and finished beef.

It's not.

Grass fed and finish is high in omega 3s.

The other is high in omega 6s.

Like, they're just, literally, when
we're breaking apart the legos, we've

got different legos, even though it may
be two steaks, right, or two burgers.

And I will even go one step further
and say, even the crops, Yes,

eating or that we're feeding.

Yes, because if they're not grown
in in good soil, right, where

are the nutrients coming from?

And so, right, even even the vegetables
and the fruits that we eat, if

they're factory farmed, you know,
or right on a cash farm or whatever,

I'm not, I'm not an organic farm
that does all those good things.

principles, you're not going
to get those nutrients.

Even, uh, I'm going to go even further
as to the supplements that we take in.

If they're not good, high quality
supplements, you know, I, I like

food supplements, like standard
process, um, because they are grown

on an organic farm and it's food.

That's where we should be getting
our nutrition in the first place.

Um, But I've been to their farm and I've
looked at their stats and their soil is

actually getting better from year to year.

Yeah.

So I trust that stuff.

You know, if you can source all of your
food, that's, that's the way to go.

And, and soil qual, I mean, that
that's a whole nother podcast.

Maybe we'll have another conversation
about that because I do hear there

are people who are eating what
should be a nutrient dense diet.

But it's not, and, and I really do believe
in, yeah, some of it is, you know, are

you absorbing well and all of that, but a
lot of it is just in general, unless where

your food is grown, which is, I would say,
even where I am, hard to find across the

board, you know, like the soil needs to
be amended, we need regenerative farming,

we need So across the board, I feel like,
correct me if you disagree, the nutrient

density available in our food for the
most part is not what it was, you know.

Long time ago, even,

even 50 years

ago,

which I don't think that's 50
years is an awful long time.

I'm 55.

So, you know, it's, it's not.

Um, but, but yeah, you're right.

And that's, that's, I think that's
why we're seeing such a surge in

the supplement industry is because
we're not getting it from our

food and we need to supplement.

Well, and I hear people saying
all the time, you know, no, you

know, don't supplement, you should
be getting it from your food.

And it's like, well, that's.

That's not always possible.

Um, and I know as somebody who tries
to do both, I feel better when I take

my supplements and my body works better
when I take myself, mine are targeted

for me, you know, it's not an across the
board thing, although it is all really

key to, I do want to interject with that.

It's got to be personalized.

You can't be like, Oh,
my friend tried this.

I'm going to.

Yeah.

I'll be personalized.

Yeah.

I know.

I see that all the time.

Especially I think people that are into
functional medicine, biohacking, um,

listening to podcasts, we tend to, I
I've had clients say, you know, while

I'm on, on, you know, I feel like I'm
taking too many supplements and then,

and these are the targeted ones that,
that, you know, have been prescribed.

intentionally, specifically,
personally, um, and then come to find

out, well, they're taking 20 other
things that they read about, heard

about, listened to, you know, and it's
like, okay, how, how about we take

the things we know your body needs.

We just slow the, you know, like
sometimes if you're taking too many

things, it's because you've added

your money.

Yeah.

Like you're taking all this
stuff that I'm not saying don't

play right.

Cause I'm experimental and I
love, you know, I love playing.

We had a rep come yesterday to the clinic,
um, from a company I actually have always

been a big fan of and happens to be local
here, Quicksilver Scientific, and they,

they, their whole thing is, um, you know,
the liposomal delivery of things we need,

some of the things we've just mentioned
even, and I, I just, you know, she brought

a bunch of stuff I hadn't tried before.

I, I kind of have had my head down
and haven't been as like, Oh, what's

new out there, what's going on?

You know, and I, I'm
that person I was there.

I mean, I, everything she, she did.

I, I took a swing.

I'll try that.

You know, that's fine, but also
like you have to start with

what does your body and realize.

That may change over time.

Yes.

So, yeah.

Yes.

Yeah.

Um, and I'll do that too.

When I recommend supplements, you
know, I'll, you know, I do a lot of

blood work, you know, so I, I like
to look at that and monitor, make

sure that we're making those changes.

Right.

Yeah.

And then if someone, okay, we
don't need this anymore, let's

switch it up for something else,
you know, start fine tuning.

That's, that's where the fun comes in.

Question.

This may be too personal.

Um, Yeah.

Why tuna and not salmon
when you say fatty fish?

Salmon's number four actually.

Ah, okay.

Thank you.

I was just so curious.

So what, how does tuna beat out salmon?

Well, it just provides a couple
of different nuanced ingredients.

Okay.

The nutrients.

Yeah.

So, um, so, you know, we need both.

I love salmon.

I like all of the.

If you know what smash fish are, I do not.

You told me I was going to learn.

Yes.

Yeah.

It's, it's an acronym.

S M A S H.

So it stands for salmon, anchovies.

Oh, sorry.

Salmon, mackerel, anchovies,
sardines, herring.

And then I just throw on the tuna.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Those are the best fatty
fish that you can get.

So all of those, any of those will
be really, really beneficial for you.

They just didn't interesting.

Well, and I'm thinking of like
the only person I know are

people I'm my brother to my older
brother, but my dad loved herring.

You know that I am thinking of
the, the way we used to eat.

Right.

So, you know, I never took to it
as a kid, but my dad used to eat.

Pickled herring all the time.

Um, because probably at some point
they realized that was a healthy

thing to be including, right.

Um, and I will say too, if you're like
me, um, one of my toxicities is, has

been mercury and it's something that,
you know, compared to other people,

I would still probably be considered
mercury toxic, but it's, it's better.

It's always better.

Um, And we do sometimes tend to, I didn't
eat tuna for years because of that.

Um, and even if that's an issue,
like there, you can have some

chlorella when you eat your tuna or
like there, there are ways if you're

concerned about that, um, it doesn't
always mean we have to avoid a void.

And so I just wanted to throw
that out there because I'm sure

there are other listeners like
me who are like, wait, what?

Tina.

Um,

yeah.

Yeah.

And if there is a concern, you
know, there are, um, um, supplements

out there that are adsorbent.

Right.

And, and, you know, yeah,
take, take those too.

You know,

I love it if

you have that problem.

Okay.

So number

two,

number two, I'm going to get
a lot of flack for this one.

Oh, but number two

is actually beef.

Yes.

Not factory farm beef, though.

No, no.

Organic beef.

Yes.

Grass fed.

Like a cow's supposed to live.

It's bad that we even have
to say that, isn't it?

Right.

Well, but I know.

But I need to clarify.

Grass fed.

Yes.

Organic.

Yes.

I knew I was going to like you.

Yeah.

Because, you know, they're grain fed.

It's just Where are your
nutrients coming from?

Yeah.

Well, and

I mean, growing up, my family
was in the dairy business.

So I know a little bit about the
biology of a cow and I know that

they are not supposed to eat corn.

They don't eat corn in nature.

They cannot digest corn.

It will make them sick.

If you feed them corn, which is
why they then give them antibiotic,

like there's just so many, anyway,
if you eat an animal, that's been

eating what it's supposed to eat,

then you're doing it right.

Yeah.

And it's the same, even with the fish.

I couldn't believe it
when I found out that.

Farm fish is fed corn.

Where in nature is a fish
going to encounter corn?

Where?

just doesn't ever make

sense.

And

it goes, it goes with,
you know, turkey, chicken.

Yeah.

Everything.

All of this, all of, any
factory farmed animal.

Yeah, or I'm going to say any
factory farm plant, right?

Because again, it goes back
to the soil, you know, right.

All the, the good bacteria
in your, it's funny.

I know this is really off topic, but
the, all of the, the microbiome of

your gut and the microbiome of the soil
should be pretty similar to be healthy.

Right.

Yeah.

A lot of diversity in our soil.

We need a lot of diversity in our gut.

We do.

It just, it made, what popped
into my head was gotta eat a pound

of dirt before you die, which I,
yeah, I grew up as an equestrian.

So I still am.

Um, but I, I am like
patting myself on the back.

So we have outside my window
over here, we've got 15 chickens.

Um, who are new to us this year, we're
probably about two weeks away from eggs.

We built their coop by hand on top of
a flatbed trailer and it moves around

the pastures behind the horses because
that's the only way I wanted to do it.

And we, so we put it off for
a couple of years and then

we figured out how to do it.

And I'm like, Oh, you know, I, I
was really, my number one thing

was egg quality, quality of life
for the chickens and egg quality.

Um, these are eggers.

These are not meat chickens.

I, I'm not that hardcore.

Um, but.

Also, I'm, we're trying to amend
the soil on the property as well.

And, and so we need
animals for that process.

We, you don't have to have animals on your
land, like you could, you know, there are

other ways to amend your soil to be clear.

Um, but animals are integral to that
process, even the horses, even cows.

Um, and so I love that you, you
know, yes, there is this connection

and, and we know that when.

You know, we stopped touching soil.

Our, our microbiome depletes, you
know, let your kids play in the dirt.

Like, you know, please, maybe you
go play in the dirt, you know, too.

So, okay.

Number one.

Number

one.

Oh, number one is broccoli.

Yes.

I love broccoli.

I think I've always thought that
broccoli was just a superfood.

And the more I learn about broccoli,
the more I realize it really is.

A superfood.

It is.

So broccoli's number one.

I love it.

Tell us, I'm nodding and cheering
because I know, and it ties to

things we've already touched on, but
how, why is broccoli a superfood?

Well, because of all the nutrients.

For example, it's got vitamin C,
which is an antioxidant, but it also

helps, um, uh, it's an antioxidant for
cortisol, which is your stress hormone.

Right.

It's got ALA, if you know
what alpha lipoic acid is.

That helps improve insulin sensitivity.

You've got chromium in there,
which is a mineral that you

need for blood sugar metabolism.

You've got vitamin B complexes, which
help with estrogen and, uh, testosterone.

It's got lignans like, um, phytoestrogens
that help, it can help reduce

menopause symptoms, for example.

And also, The lignans help
lower the risk of heart disease,

osteoporosis, and breast cancer.

It's got something called,
um, sulforaphane, which is

coming.

Yeah.

Helps detox the hormones.

It's got glutathione, which is an
antioxidant and a, and a hormone detox.

I mean, it's packed.

And

this is just regular broccoli.

It doesn't, it doesn't like what, let's
talk about some of the differences.

Forms, we would get just a regular

American.

Regular

broccoli, broccoli.

Yeah.

Broccoli

sprouts.

Sure.

Okay.

Any, any form of broccoli, form of

broccoli?

Yeah.

Do you, is it something, you
know, this and I'm trying to not

trying to throw you under the bus.

I'm genuinely curious.

Are you like, we should
all eat broccoli every day.

Like it should just always be,
you know, included in your diet?

Like what's What do you think?

Do you eat broccoli every day?

Well, you're not a woman either.

don't, I don't, I'm a huge, I'm a huge,
you know, everything in moderation.

Don't do

anything

every day.

Yeah.

Right.

Um, and in fact, and this is a good
rule of thumb is just to make sure

that you're, you're eating a lot
of different colors in your diet.

Yes.

You've got to have all of the, I hate that
Skittles have taken the eat the rainbow.

I know.

Skittles.

But if we apply that to our food.

Yeah.

I love it.

So it sounds, uh, what I, what
my favorite thing about your

list, this is definitely bias.

I said already, my
favorite thing is the beef.

I love that your list, cause
we do, we need the rainbow,

not the Skittles or the M& Ms.

We need the actual genuine rainbow.

So I think we need.

The biggest variety, especially, you
know, focusing with the autoimmune

audience, you know, so many of us and
I do it and with my clients we do an

elimination and combined with blood work
and all the things while we're healing.

And I always say to people, the
goal is, ideal is you're eating the

most varied diet that supports you.

So people tend to, as they're, you
know, identifying food triggers, It's

really common for people to stay stuck
in what I would consider what should be

considered an elimination phase because
they're, you know, afraid, they feel good

and they don't want to rock the boat.

And it's like, no, we need to
be including, I mean, I still,

I'm nightshade sensitive.

You better believe that every year that
we grow tomatoes, I'm trying, I'm saying

like, is this year, you know, the year
I'm going to bring tomatoes back in.

Um, Because they're nutrient
dense and they're delicious.

I grew up in New Jersey, but you
know, I joke like processed sugar

never needs to come back in.

That's not a food group, but we, we
don't want to be excluding nutrient

dense foods just because we read they
could be inflammatory or, but I love the

often when we have this eat the rainbow
to when we talk about nutrient density.

Most people aren't including
your really healthy and important

protein sources on the list.

So like major applause to you because
we are whole humans and we were created

to be consuming a variety of foods.

humans are omnivores.

Yes.

Tell people

what, you know, I just realized.

I'm sorry vegetarians, I'm sorry

vegans, I'm sorry those that
follow the carnivore diet.

You know, maybe they are
beneficial, maybe those diets are

beneficial for the short term.

They can be.

I think any major real whole food switch
can cause some relief of inflammation

and a shift and, and that's why
people are like, Oh, I feel so good.

You know, I went vegan
and I found sorry begins.

I went vegan and I felt great and then
five years later they're hiring me

because they've got five autoimmune
diagnoses because they're still vegan.

I'm like, okay.

And it's like, and same with
car, I have used carnivore with

particular clients, um, as a reset
as a reset, but we, I love it.

We are omnivores.

We are.

Yeah.

We're supposed to be.

Yeah.

That's, that's how, you know,
that's how our ancestors

lived.

You know, they ate what they could

find.

Right.

And they weren't in one place.

They weren't farming.

They weren't, you know, so, um, yeah,
they, that's a whole nother, you

know, That's another another episode.

Yes.

I love it.

And I'd be interested in your,
uh, to be on, just to throw

this out there, your, your, your
process for the, for your farming.

That sounded really interesting.

I think,

yeah,

we'll chat about it when

we're done.

I'll, I'll shift the laptop and I'll
show you, I'll show you who's outside.

We'll, we'll see.

And of course eat the rainbow.

And I, and no, there is no
difference in nutrient density.

Um, but we, if all goes well.

Um, we're going to have blue eggs
and green eggs and brown eggs and

orange eggs and chocolate color.

And just because it's
fun, why not, you know,

lots of, lots of fun.

So I'm learning, you know, as I,
as I grow, I grew up in suburbia,

but now I, I'm like, you know,
we're living on this farm.

We might as well really embrace it.

And, and I am so.

interested and focused on
nutrient density and quality.

Um, the, that was the whole
thing until we figured out how

to build the coop ourselves.

Um, I only wanted to do it if
they'd be pastured and, oh my gosh,

if you go online and try to find
a mobile coop, they're a fortune.

So now I know I can build stuff.

I can amend my soil.

I can eat a healthy breakfast.

Um, and I can have some fun.

So it's, it's good stuff.

I am going to break your
heart on the eggs though.

I recently read a study that
it could be linked to diabetes.

If you're eating too many eggs with that.

With the caveat, though, I don't know
what type of eggs they used in that study.

And what else were they eating?

That they weren't organic.

Well, I bet you they were
not pastured for sure.

Right.

So if you're eating, I mean, that
was the, um, these chickens, I've had

them since they were three days old.

Um, they have been on a soy free,
corn free feed and then nature, right?

Bugs and the things
they're finding and are.

Um, and so it's going to be another
one of those, like, what were

those chickens eating and what
else are the people eating too?

Yeah.

So talk to me again when we've got like
10 studies and we'll see in the meantime,

I'm going to eat my healthy eggs.

Enjoy those healthy eggs.

will.

That's actually number
nine on my list, too.

Is it?

Awesome.

Eggs is also what I consider a superfood.

Awesome.

I agree.

I absolutely, it's another one of
those, you know, it was demonized.

Oh, when people say to me, you
know, what do you, what do you eat?

Oh, egg white.

Whatever.

I'm like, no, stop it.

Stop

it.

Eat the whole egg organic if you can.

Yes.

Love it.

Bradley, this is the point in the
podcast where I ask you a trick question.

You're not going to
have a problem with it.

Um, but listeners are leaning in
cause they know this is coming.

What you already gave us so many,
um, and it, this could be something

totally different, or you can repeat
what's one step listeners can take

today to start to improve their health.

I know.

That's a great question.

And, and I, I should have known
this was coming because I looked

at some of your past podcasts.

One person said increase
their water intake, which I

think is very, very important.

So do that.

But I'm going to say if you are drinking
any sort of sugary drink, you know,

whether it's a juice, whether it's a
soda, even the diet sodas, Stop it.

Especially.

Especially the diet sodas.

Yeah.

I know.

It's just, it's pretty, pretty
interesting that people think

that, Oh, it's a diet soda.

Yeah.

I'm okay to drink it.

Uh, they don't realize that it's, it's
fake chemical sugar and that, that people

that do drink diet sodas actually tend
to gain weight and not in a healthy way.

Right.

Yeah.

Not muscle.

Yeah.

I would say cut down on the sugary drinks.

I love

it.

Cause that's going to lead to
more and more and more goodness.

So yay.

Good job.

Decrease that inflammation because
the sugar, those simple sugars

create so much inflammation

as do the chemicals in
the, in the diet drinks.

Yup.

Yeah.

So that's, that's

the one thing that I would recommend.

Amazing.

I so, so appreciate you taking the time
to, to join me and give us so much value.

Julie, it's been my pleasure.

It's been, this has been really fun.

Yay.

It's supposed to be.

Thank you so much for everyone listening.

Remember, you can get those transcripts
and show notes by visiting inspiredliving.

show.

Hope you had a great time and enjoyed
this episode as much as I did.

I'll see you next week.

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