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Hosted by Dr. Val Civelli, White Coat Black Sheep explores physiology, functional medicine, and the medical questions most people are told not to ask.
This is where evidence meets curiosity, where dogma gets uncomfortable, and where real world medicine takes priority over headlines.
From understanding your lab work to debunking hormone myths, medication misconceptions, and optimization strategies, this podcast helps you understand what is actually happening inside your body.
If you care about health and think there might be a better way to practice medicine, you’re in the right place.
Okay. White Coat, Black Sheep, where science gets curious and dogma gets
uncomfortable.
I'm Dr. Valerie Civelli. We talk physiology, evidence, and real-world
medicine, plus the questions you're not supposed to ask but probably
should. If you care about health and think there's a better way, welcome to our
show.
Hmm.
Hi, Kristin.
Hi. I like that.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Thank you for having me.
Kristin Saban, as... Although I know you as Renee
forever.
I'm in so many phones and so many different ways, so I'll take it.
Oh. I don't think I've updated.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's okay.
How was your day like today?
Oh, it was good. Catching up on, you know, got a couple escrows going,
so just, like, making sure everything's on track and everything's, like,
dated the way it should. So yeah, everything's good.
I love hearing just about different industries and different
day structures that people have and, like, how they manage it all, do it
all.
Mm-hmm.
The stressors, the, the wins, the losses of every
day.
Mm-hmm.
Um, managing health within those spaces is always of
interest to me.
Absolutely.
So you were in real estate.
Mm-hmm.
Finance.
Yeah, finance and insurance.
Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. Mom of two.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's insane. I just still pictured one.
I know. It all... It just happened so quickly.
I didn't mean to cancel the second.
It's okay. They took my memory upon exit, so.
How old are they?
Two and four. Two and a half and four. Yeah.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Well, you look fantastic.
Oh, thank you.
I don't know what you're doing, but...
Girl, it's... Like, when you talk about working in health and fitness, you have to
make the time for it.
Yep.
Yeah, absolutely. Um, I get up at 5:30 every morning.
I do a little Bible study. I do a workout from, like, 20 to 30 minutes, you
know, whether that's running or heavy weights or-
At home, or do you go somewhere?
Um, I have the Peloton app.
Okay.
So I do it at home. We have a bike. We have weights.
Um, or I go running in the neighborhood.
Okay.
Um, we have a sauna at home.
Oh, I love that. I envy you.
And then this time of year, I cold plunge in the pool.
I love it.
So, you know, you just gotta make time for it.
Yeah.
You know? And then I make sure I'm ready by the time the kids get up, so that-
Mm-hmm
... when they get ready, I can, you know, help them get ready and get their l-
meals together, get them off to school, you know?
My husband's amazing, and he helps out so much, so.
He's a good guy.
Yeah, he is. Yeah.
When you wake up, do you feel, like, rested?
Do you feel like, "Oh, yes, I get to go work out now.
I get to..." Or are you ki- Is it kinda like...
I just learned the term is internal resistance.
Do you kind of face that internal resistance?
It depends on the night before, to be quite honest with you.
Mm-hmm.
Did I get to go to sleep the time I know I should have?
Did I actually get a good night's sleep-
Mm
... or was my brain constantly going, you know?
Mm-hmm.
I try to do my best to not, like, l- get revved up too late in the evening so I
can have enough time to relax, but-
Yeah
... it all just depends on that, to be honest. Sometimes I'm really forcing it.
Yeah.
And sometimes I wake up before my alarm 'cause I'm like, "Whoo, let's go."
Yeah. I've been probably dragging lately.
Just, I feel like there's so much change around me, so I'm just, like, grasping
for, like, something that's consistent.
Yeah.
Just with work, with, you know, even projects such as this.
It's just, there's a lot.
Yeah.
It's exciting, but it's, like, so exciting that I'm just like, "Okay, like,
I just need to shut off."
So I actually just saw this on Instagram the other day, and it was, like, the four
burner method. Have you ever heard of that?
No.
So you have health, wealth, family, and fitness. Or no.
Yeah, health, wealth, family... No, that...
And friends.
Okay.
Not all four burners can burn at the same time.
Ooh, that's good.
So when you have so many things going on, one category has to
lower on that burner, or else you're gonna burn out.
Yeah, I don't wanna burn out.
No.
I've felt that before.
And so I... It kind of made me look at that and
go, "What doesn't have to be at full force right now?" You know?
Yeah. Are they, like, dials, like, up and down?
Well, you gotta think of, like, a stove top.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
Like, what needs to be turned down right now?
Mm-hmm.
You know, what doesn't need the focus right now?
Yeah.
So I had to have that conversation with my husband about like, you know, "I think I
need to stop prioritizing this over here-
Mm-hmm
... and start focusing on this. And then once this gets going, I can turn that
burner down-
Mm-hmm
... and then turn this one up."
Okay. What's your top burners right now?
Top burners is family, health, and wealth.
Okay.
I... That's the discussion that we kinda...
'Cause I was trying so hard to still be socially present and be
out and, like, have-
I struggle with that
... girl time. Y- We've... How long have we been trying to get together?
Yeah. And it's not because we don't just love each other.
No.
It's because it's genuinely, like, there's so much
going on.
Well, and you have all your burners going, right?
Yes. They're all going.
And I was burning myself out trying to always just make it out to
all the things.
Yeah.
And I was like, "I think I need to step back from this."
And to look for doing it.
It's fun.
Can I just show up with a messy bun like this?
You're always adorable.
Subjective.
Oh, I love it.
Yeah. But no, that's just so true. Like, to do it all, yes, you can,
but not all at once.
Mm-hmm.
And I hate that truth. I want it to not be real.
Well, and for me, like, personally, if I'm focusing so much on
going out, you know, and, like, doing the social aspect, then my kids don't see
me. That's not what I want.
That's sad.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's always like, you know, moms get... moms going, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And thankfully, my husband is like, "You... Like, I'm so proud of you. Go out.
Go do this." But-
Oh, there you go
... I needed to take a step back-
Yeah
... and be like, "I don't need to go to everything," you know?
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
'Cause I wanna be here with my kids.
Mm-hmm.
So I had to, I guess, turn that burner up and then the other burner
down a little bit.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
But it also brings you joy to be present.
You know, some people don't actually get that.
Mm-hmm.
They don't experience that dopamine.
They don't experience that pleasure, rewarding aspect, and
it's just chaos at their house. They don't have support like you have love and
support.
Yes.
There's... It's like, "Hey, we're good over here." But a lot of people don't have
that soft landing, so that's really cool.
Yeah. That actually makes me sad hearing that, 'cause you're right.
They don't and-
They go home to chaos.
Yeah.
They'd rather be out.
N- and that's unfortunate. Like, we knew when we had our
kids that we knew that putting in the work with, with discipline,
obedience, and establishing who's the dominant in the
family, you know? 'Cause if you let your kids run you, they'll run you.
Like good cop, bad cop?
No, not necessarily. With my husband, I...
We were always, we always knew we had to be, like, a solid team.
Mm-hmm.
We always kne- knew that they're gonna play us against each other.
Mm-hmm.
And so if one comes up to us when we're alone-
That's very smart.
Yeah. When one comes up to us and is, "Hey, can I go do this?" And it's like,
"Well, what'd Mommy say?" "Well..." "Okay, whatever she
said, that's your answer." Like, there's no playing us against each other.
Yeah.
So the first two years are, like, seem to be the hardest with both of them.
Mm-hmm.
But now it's, like, just routine and cycle. Like, they know what we expect.
Mm-hmm.
They behave a certain way.
Mm-hmm.
There's times when you can be absolutely feral-
Mm-hmm
... and we will let you be that . But there's a time and a, and a place when we
need you to sit down and be quiet and mind your b- and mind your manners.
Yeah.
You know? And I feel like that's helped us, like, not have such chaos at home.
I love that term.
Yeah.
Do you have any feral moments?
Oh, dear God. How many moments do I not have that are feral?
It's hard to be, like, well-behaved at all times.
I mean, there has to be, like, a space for you too where you're just like, "I just
am gonna be on bad behavior for a moment."
Absolutely.
Like, five minutes.
Well, and I, like, you know, when my kids are, like, in bad moods, it's like, I get
in bad moods.
Mm-hmm.
Okay, you're gonna be p***y?
Mm-hmm.
Then you can go sit over there for a little bit, ride that out-
Mm-hmm
... and let's talk in a couple minutes-
Yeah
... and let's, like, talk about our feelings.
And then wrap it up.
Yeah. Yeah. Wrap it up quick. 'Cause I don't have as much patience for you as
I do for myself.
Oh my gosh. That's probably men too sometimes.
Like-
Yeah
... wrap it up. You get five minutes.
Yep. We have a little box. Like, we tape off a little, like, like, box in our
house, like, in the floor. That's where the kids go sit to be alone.
Oh, wow.
Mm-hmm. So you can talk to them-
Is this applied to everybody in the house, or...?
Bryce, go over there.
He can't even defend himself.
Go to the box.
He's nine years... Yeah. He bo- He got boxed.
I'd probably be in the box more than him.
That's funny. Oh my gosh. From, like, probably working too much.
From him, or...?
Um, I think... Well, I'm just... I, I don't know your fights, but I would
imagine
maybe it's just, like, who's gonna... I don't know.
What, what do you guys fight about, if ever?
You know, obviously we have our fights.
I have to say-
It's come up, right?
... like, it's so funny because, like, in the beginning we had, like,
stupid fights.
Mm-hmm.
Like, it's just stupid fights. What are we fighting for?
Like, what'd you say... Why'd you say it that way?
Well, and then, like-
Like, tone
... sometime- And, like, I remember one time just being like, "God,
he needs to change. I need this, I need that," and then I just remember hearing
Clara's day, like, "Turn that finger around.
You need to change yourself."
She's like this.
And I was like, "Dang. Okay." So I, like, literally had
to, like-
Mm
... 'cause I was always talking in defense.
Mm-hmm.
Why was I talking in defense constantly? I don't know.
Yeah.
And I had to change the way I spoke to him.
How did you identify that you were defensive?
Because-
Because everything he said, I was like, "Well, why do you say it like that?
What do you... What, what does that mean?"
So interesting. I wonder if that's me.
It-
Did some- But he had to tell you, or you just had to arrive there?
No, I just kind of arrived there.
Gotcha.
And then, like, it was kinda funny because, like, I stopped defending
myself and I was like, instead of defending, I was like, "You know, I'm really
sorry that you feel that way, and I'm sorry I made you feel that way."
I could start there. I'm sorry that you feel that way.
Yeah. And then, like, literally after two fights, he's like, "I don't know what
you're doing, but you're making me really realize that I'm an a*****e." I was
like, "That's not what, my intention was."
He just arrived there on his own?
And he was just like, "Wow, I'm, I'm getting angry for no reason." It, and
it's like you, once... It's like you have to keep only yourself accountable.
Yeah.
You're not responsible for other people's actions.
You're only responsible for yourself-
I didn't know that
... and how you react to other people.
Mm-hmm.
You can't change the way other people do things.
No.
So I think once we both realized that, it made life so much
easier.
Oh my gosh. I love this. I mean, I try to
self-reflect, and I mean, I'm happy in my relationship and I feel
like... But there's still moments where I do feel, like, triggered, you
know?
Mm-hmm.
Like, you get lost into this circuit, this
cycle.
Yeah.
And then I'm like,
"I really think it's not me."
Yeah.
You're like, "Actually, I know I'm innocent."
I don't... I feel like it's never me.
Yeah. Yeah.
Maybe that's the problem.
It, I'll tell you that it probably is.
We're gonna move on-
Okay
... to the next topic.
Yeah.
So let's talk about peptides.
'Cause we're not the problem.
We're, I think we're perfect.
Exactly.
Actually.
Yeah. No, I agree.
Yeah, and your kids are perfect.
Yeah. Everything.
So yeah.
Yeah, peptides. I'm all about them.
Yeah. Okay. So you've always been kind of forward-thinking, and, like, the ones
that you're on, like y- like, you knew retatrutide before
anybody else around here was saying that word.
Yeah.
Like, I just, I love that you knew about it, and I know that there were some, like,
side effects that you experienced.
I don't know if you wanna share any of that, but-
Mm-hmm
... it's just, it is very, very good-
Yeah
... and new, option that exists, and I think it's,
it has a lot of pros and cons.
Mm-hmm.
But it's one of my favorites for people who maybe don't have anxiety
or who don't have the, like, a, too much activation
of-
Oh, that's interesting.
Yeah.
Okay. I'd wanna know, like, so why, why not too much anxiety
or too much ac- activation?
So if you think of it this way, like with, Ozempic semaglutide, for example-
Mm-hmm
... so that one, tirzepatide, and retatrutide. So retatrutide is at the top.
It has the most sites of action.
Okay.
So you're gonna lose weight. It's going to make your metabolic system
more efficient.
Mm-hmm.
So, the way that you rest and digest, the way that, you know,
the, when your sugar is cleared from your blood-
Mm-hmm
... it just makes you more optimized.
Got it.
And it tells the brain that you have energy, and it gives you energy.
So it's, it's called activating. So whereas
Ozempic, for example, you feel the slump.
Mm-hmm.
And, and w- okay, my sugar's out. Like, I'm, I'm depleted.
I'm like, I'm dead.
Yeah.
So this retatrutide, like, is more-I
guess it covers you from that slump.
Okay. I guess that makes sense.
Without being too science-y about it, like it just covers the slump.
So the reason why I got on it in the first place is because after having my
daughter, I gained so much weight, and I got with a, a health,
and fitness coach, and she got me on a macro plan.
And I lost almost 50 pounds on my own just doing macros.
50 pounds?
Yeah, just doing macro counting.
I can't see the picture.
Girl, I've lost since I ha- after having my daughter, I've lost 90
pounds. You're gonna die when you see this photo, 'cause I was not posting back
in the day because I was so mortified.
I can't even believe it.
Yeah, it's insane. So I lost, like, almost 50
pounds, and I moved back to Bakersfield, and I got
with a girlfriend, and I was like, "I've hit a plateau, like, the
macros, like I've, I've, I've messed with my numbers. I've talked to my coach.
I've just kind of hit a plateau."
Mm-hmm.
And she knew I had Hashimoto's, and she goes, "You have
inflammation."
Mm-hmm.
"You... It's not necessarily weight that you need to lose.
It's just inflammation. Just like I can see it in your face."
Mm-hmm.
"I can see it in your arms. I can see it, like, all over you."
Mm-hmm.
And so she's like, "Try this." And so I tried the Retta, and it
immediately I was feeling so much better.
Like, I noticed immediate-
That's awesome
... my face just lost all that inflammation, like-
Mm-hmm
... my chest. Like, I just didn't feel so blah and so
heavy.
Wow.
You know? And then of course I became obsessed with peptides.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, they work.
Yeah, absolutely.
They, they literally work.
And then even, like, I r- told a, a client of mine who has
Hashimoto's as well, and she also has psoriasis.
Mm-hmm.
And within two months, her psoriasis has still, to this day, like a
year and a half later-
That's amazing
... never come back.
I'll have to read on how it impacts inflammation.
I haven't looked at that direct correlation.
Okay.
I know there are not any studies right now that
directly correlate. But I mean-
Okay
... there's a lot you can deduce. Like, how's the cortisol relate to it, you know?
There's just, there's so much.
Got it. Okay.
Yeah. Initially, whenever you were working on your thyroid,
did you... There were some issues though, right?
Like transitioning.
So
I... Transitioning to the Retta?
Like, like, yeah, to the Retta.
Um,
I don't re- I remember when I started seeing you, like...
So I think I actually kinda figured out what happened.
Yeah, what was it?
So when I was living up north,
I don't react well to thyroid medication.
Synthroid made me nuts. Um,
NP, NP actually, uh-
Dang.
No, you're okay. The NP my body doesn't react to at all.
Mm-hmm.
It's as if it's receiving nothing.
Yeah.
So my only form of medication I can take is the Armour.
Mm-hmm.
So I didn't realize this, but when I was living up north, they were giving
me, like,
80, I can't remember what it was, it was an 80 or 90 milligrams of,
NP-
Mm-hmm
... and 15 of Armour.
Mm-hmm.
So when I moved back to Bakersfield, I got all of
that in Armour alone.
Mm-hmm.
So it was like my body went into full-blown mode getting all this
Armour when I thought the whole time I was getting that.
Mm-hmm.
When I was only surviving off of 15.
Oh my gosh.
So no, like, that also I think kinda helped some weight loss too, because-
Yeah
... I actually got finalized on my dosage.
Thyroid is like, definitely you can't fix anything unless you fix the thyroid,
so.
No, and it c- it's so many side effects that come along with, like a-
Mm-hmm
... an, a malfunctioning thyroid.
Yeah.
You know? My hormones as I went to you for, like-
Classic
... were all over the place, you know?
Yeah.
They're finally normalized.
Yeah.
Yeah, I like, it's just insane.
Yeah.
And-
And, and like, it changed your face.
It really did.
It's crazy.
It really did. Like, I haven't, like, I used to be all about the Botox and all
that kinda stuff. I haven't had Botox in like two years.
Isn't that insane?
Yeah. I'm like, "I don't want it." Like, I, I feel like I feel better.
I almost on, I'm also on the Glow peptide, on the stack of Glow. I love that.
Oh, I can't tolerate Glow. I love it-
Really?
... but I just, I can't tolerate it, 'cause it's too, like, inflammatory for me.
Does it sting, like-
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Locally.
Mm-hmm.
Get like a hive.
Yeah.
So.
Um, someone told me to take zinc every day, and it's has helped, but I still get a
little bruise there.
Zinc helps. So does KPV, but then, that's like another
injection. I take plenty, I don't do-
Yeah. Like I don't wanna have another needle.
And then the nasal sprays, okay, so I just started Selank and
Semax nasal spray.
Okay.
Love it. It's a cognitive enhancer.
Oh.
So mental-
Intriguingly
... clarity, and it also takes you down a level so you feel
like calm. And then so I like to take it at night, so it helps me to like go
to sleep and just chill, because I have like the rat race
just playing.
Absolutely.
It just tastes bad. That's the only thing.
Like as like post-nasal drip type of deal?
Yes.
Okay, got it.
Yeah. So if you can get past the taste-
Okay
... then it's, I mean, j- just don't think about it.
Just swallow it down.
You just swallow it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You don't wanna leave it at that, but that's-
Yeah.
Just swallow it.
Oh my gosh. I'm so my mom.
Ah.
She makes these comments and doesn't even notice how they can be used out of
context.
Yeah.
Anyway. I caught that one.
Yeah, I'll have to try that because I definitely have noticed that, like, I'm
having more and more struggles to relax at night, just 'cause the busier
work gets-
Yeah
... you know, the more clients I get, the more, like, my head just cannot shut off.
You don't wanna forget anything.
Mm-mm. No.
I get it.
And if you miss anything, it can mess everything up.
Mm-hmm.
You know? So-
Mm-hmm
... mm-mm.
I know. I don't know the solution completely except, you know, you're doing all the
right things.
Mm-hmm.
Um, the cold plunge is awesome. What do you notice most about
that?
Cold plunge, I wish, I n- I, I need to do it more often, but what I notice
about it is I like how tight my skin feels.
Mm-hmm.
And like, 'cause I actually did it, I don't know if I should admit this, but I
actually did it-
Admit it all.
I know. I did it throughout my whole pregnancy with my second-...
born with my son. And-
It probably gave you energy, right?
It gave me so much energy.
Yeah.
And, like, the circulation I felt-
Mm-hmm
... like, I just felt so much better.
And, like, I got mixed reviews, like, "Don't do it," or, "There's nothing showing
it causes any harm." Like, my hu- my son is healthy, you know?
But, I loved it while I cold plunged.
I can't even imagine if you post it, "I'm cold plunging," 'cause people are like,
"Don't hot yoga. Don't lift anything.
Like, just be a blob and just sit there."
No.
Like sorry now.
My son was born in July. I was happy to c- cold plunge in
July.
Oh my God.
I am a hot sauna as it is.
That's so funny. Well, I, I think it's so good.
I actually did my first official cold plunge.
I've never been able to tolerate it, so-
Okay
... being able to tolerate the extreme cold is actually a sign of your
mitochondrial health. Did you know that?
No, I didn't.
Yeah. So the state of my mitochondria are much healthier
now, and I know that because I was able to tolerate one minute, whereas
before I, I... You know, you go up into your knees into the, the cold
plunge-
Uh-huh
... you know, whatever is the tub. I, I couldn't go past that
before. But this time I went all the way up to my neck.
Good for you.
So-
Got your breath taken away?
Oh, I couldn't even think.
Yeah.
I c- and my mind was like, "What's happening?"
Yep.
And the guy that ha- has the, he owns the place.
I think it's called, like, Recover and Co.
Oh, you know, I think it's Tr- Travis Kenner.
Travis.
Yeah, Travis Kenner. So he was, like, telling, he's like, "Box breathe." And I was
like, "I can't even hear you. Like, I hear you, but, like, I don't even know what
that is right now."
Yeah.
I couldn't even count.
Yeah.
He's like, "In four, out four." I'm like, "What?" I couldn't count.
Yeah.
It was just, it-
You're, like, back in Lamaze class.
Yeah. But it was powerful. Once I got out-
Yeah
... it was like wow.
Oh, you feel-
Wow
... everything moving through your body, and like-
Yeah
... you feel lighter, and your muscles feel t- like, tight.
Like-
Yes
... it's the best feeling. Like, I, I want...
I'm trying to get in as many as I can before it gets hot-
Mm-hmm
... in my pool.
Yeah.
'Cause we'll do... We, like, we have, we have, like, ice bags that we'll just throw
in the tub if we wanna, like, do something in the tub, you know?
Yeah.
I don't know how cold plunge-y that is, but it's-
Yeah
... good enough for us.
Yeah.
But, no, I wanna get as much as I can before it gets hot, 'cause, like,
I'm, like, it's, does just so much for me.
Yeah. It's a dopamine dump. And, I mean, you can, if you did it
too much, then that would, you know, you could theoretically
have too much
a- and then you're, like, adrenal insufficient.
Got it. So you could burn out. So what would-
You could burn out
... be the ideal amount of time, like, times to cold plunge throughout the week?
I think, you know, daily. Some people do it twice a day.
Oh, gosh.
Yeah. And if it, if you find that it's affecting your sleep, then that's your
answer, too. Like, if you're-
Okay
... if you're sleeping well at first and you're, like, calm and you're
comfortable and able to sit in silence without any issues,
'cause some people struggle with that, you know, then you're good.
Got it.
But if you find that those areas are affected and you're, like,
racey and you can't just lay there or sit still-
Mm-hmm
... that's, that's your sign you probably should back off.
I try to do, like, the cold plunge in the morning and the steam at night 'cause the
steam helps to, like, relieve the toxins and-
Yeah
... to relax me a little bit, and I just hop in the shower, and then I just feel so
clean and light. And-
Yeah
... so I try to do, that's the kinda system I try to do.
I love that.
Yeah.
Well, I think it's definitely working for you.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah. And, like, sweating out the toxins, that is a real thing.
So I, you know, there's part of this that, like, the medicine side of
me, I was just like, "Okay, yeah, put some flowers on that.
It's good." But, like-
Mm-hmm
... now that I'm here and I've studied it intensely for several years and,
like, you know, in Europe and Asia, what are they doing, and, like, just training
with different scientists and seeing how do you give certain therapies
and why and when and why not and what happens and what are the different delivery
systems.
Mm.
And, like, the size of every molecule makes the difference of how
you take it. So whether you're ingesting it, you know,
intranasal, subQ, intramuscular, all of that, it depends on
the size of the molecule and, like, where you want it to go.
So, yeah, I just, ugh, there's just so much to say about
it.
It's, it's so cool, though, 'cause ever since I met you, you were always that
forward thinker. You know?
Mm-hmm.
You were in, I think, at school.
Yeah.
And I remember you being like, "Well, this doesn't make sense," and, you know, and
you were trying to explain certain things, and, "I'm gonna look into that." And I
just remember thinking like, "Wow, she's gonna be such a great doctor."
Oh, that means a lot.
Because, like, you don't just look at the paper and say, "Well, your levels are
fine. Nothing's showing wrong."
Because this reference range by somebody in, like, the 1900s
decided-
That this was the normal.
This is normal.
But every body is so different.
Yeah.
And you actually dive into, like, well, okay, this is showing normal, but you still
feel like this, so why?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. Which is the most best.
No, I've always loved that about you.
Oh, thank you. And I think I, I also fall into that
category. Like, you know, if I look in my labs, I'm mostly
fine, mostly normal, like, nobody would think anything.
But then I felt so terrible at some point-
Mm-hmm
... where I'm just like, "I don't know what's wrong with me." So-
Yeah
... really that just also kind of, like, fed that part of me that's like, no,
let's figure out, like, the spaces in between.
The, it's really, you know... The reference ranges are enough to keep you
alive.
Well, and I feel like-
That's the goal
... you just, like, start to, like, just accept that that's how you feel.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
So many people are just like, "Well, this is how I feel," and it, they just take
that as the new norm. And oh my Go- I, I, I can't say that
Redda did everything for me, but ever since getting on it, just
the mental clarity and just, like, I don't have pain in my
joints. Like-
That's awesome
... it's crazy, like, what it did for me.
So I'm like-
And metabolic, me- like, metabolically, metabolically.
Oh my gosh, humans said the word. That adjusted you.
Yes. What's funny, though, is that it does nothing for my appetite whatsoever.
I eat so much.
Interesting.
I still am getting in my 2,600 calories a day with my macro
counting.
Mm-hmm.
Um, it does make me actually, like, feel full s-
quicker.
Mm-hmm.
So my meals have gotten a little smaller.
Mm-hmm.
And, but I'm still eating six to eight times a day.
Interesting. I mean, it slows your gastric emptying, so maybe
that's where you're able to eat smaller portions.
I haven't noticed that part. I'll tell you that right now.
You just burn it.
Oh, man.
Yeah.
Oh, it's, like, made me more regular than anything.
I love this.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, it's a just, it's such a powerful drug.
Eli Lilly owns it.
Okay.
And I think that's gonna be their next big hit.
Which I'm nervous about, 'cause I like being able to get access to it.
Oh, you'll still get it.
Okay, good.
Don't you worry.
Good.
Don't you guys worry. We can still get anything.
Okay, good.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, 'cause I see how they're, like, seeing the movement of the peptides, and
I just, every time there's, like, a BOGO sale, I always, like, get on there 'cause
I'm, like, trying to just, like, stockpile it.
A little squirrel behavior.
Yeah, no. I didn't say that on air.
Oh.
Don't come to me if you want it.
It's okay.
Come to Valerie.
Come to me.
Not that I have everything, but I mean, I have, I have a lot of it.
Mm-hmm.
And I try it.
Why not?
Yeah.
Yeah. I did one for memory one time.
It was, like, N, um-
NAD?
Nope. I did that one. That did the opposite of what...
So that one-
Nauseous?
I was na- yeah, I was nauseous. I had headaches.
I was-
Dose was too high
... angry.
Mm-hmm.
Very angry. But what's funny is I went too high on the dose, I went
higher on the dosage because I felt nothing on the lower dosage.
So with NAD, you won't really feel, like, anything powerful.
It's more of those, like, anti-aging, longevity, mitochondrial
boosters. So every single cell has mitochondria.
The more mitochondria you have and the healthier they are, the more energy output
that you have.
Okay.
Uh, the more NAD that it makes. That's, like, the money of your body.
Mm-hmm.
So it buys and sells, right? So, so the more NAD you have, the better
that you feel theoretically.
Got it.
Um, so performance wise, you could lift stronger and run
farther. You could think faster, all of those things. That's theoretically.
Mm-hmm.
The reality is, does it always get where it needs to go, or is NAD always
the problem? Because there's only, there is a T-max of everything.
Mm-hmm.
So if you reach your T-max and your body is still, like, not
performing, then it's something else.
That makes a lot of sense, 'cause I even wondered, I'm like, "Am I even lacking in
this?"
You probably weren't.
Okay. Yeah.
Yeah.
But it was fun to try.
Yeah.
My husband had a fun time-
Yeah, well, maybe next time
... with that one. It made me angry.
Like, I don't know what's happening.
I tried, this NAD patch with glutathione.
Oh.
I like glutathione. It's good liver detox.
Mm.
It's good just for, like, turning over your cells, autophagy
efficiency, but it, the, the dose was wrong.
Got it.
I mean, I got it online, and there's, like, a doctor that's supposed to be, like,
you know-
Regulating?
... regulating. But I always like to just, like, walk through these entire
processes and just, like, see how do I feel.
Mm-hmm.
Like, if I'm just a patient and I'm offering this also, what is it like?
Man, no.
Now, it was a patch. Did you put, like, over your belly button or something like
that?
Yeah. Well, you can put it anywhere on your body.
Okay.
So I put it on my glute actually, 'cause it's, like, a large surface area.
So-
Let me see that surface area.
Yeah. So like, and there's a lot of good fat cells there, so that's really good for
absorption.
Got it.
So it was too much. It was like, I was fine for 10 hours.
No, probably, like, 14, honestly.
So you're, you can wear it for, like, 14 to 20 hours.
So I, I think it just reached that, like, maximum point and I was
just, like, suddenly nauseous. I was vomiting.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
Yeah. So you can really go wrong with those-
Yeah
... if the dose is not right.
Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Be under medical supervision-
Yeah
... by Dr. Valerie Sirmali.
By me. Yeah, by me. Okay, 'cause I would not let that happen.
Yeah. No, absolutely.
And I should know better, 'cause really the, the NAD dose, I wanna say it was
500, and I haven't been microdosing that.
Oh, wow.
Some things you can build up to.
Mm-hmm.
NAD's one of those.
Yeah.
But, I now actually just got NMN, which is, like, the
precursor, so I'll see how that goes.
So what do you mean precursor?
Precursor means, like, you start with NMN-
Okay
... and then you can use that to make NAD.
I see. So instead of taking NAD, hopefully-
Mm-hmm
... this will help you produce more NAD naturally.
Yes. Yes.
Interesting. Okay.
Yeah. It's like fueling gas to, like, the machine.
Okay.
So-
I like that.
Yeah.
You'll tell, tell me how that goes.
Yeah, I will.
Maybe that's what I'm missing.
Maybe. So, like, your mitochondria matter, the integrity of, like, the
structures, if it's, like, a good, healthy,
functioning organelle. Like, all of that stuff matters, so I always try to
think, like, if I'm supplementing, am I, which, am I adding to build the
wall? Am I adding to make more output?
Am I giving it more fuel? I'm always thinking, like, how am I feeding them?
Got it.
Or supporting my mitochondria.
Okay. That's a good way to look at it.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Okay.
Yeah. And there's lab tests that I do every three months to just
kind of prove that what I'm doing does work.
Okay.
Because these are measurable.
Yeah.
Um, the mitochondria make different enzymes, and so I ch- I check those
levels, and you can just see the impact, you know.
And sometimes, you know, I do take it too far with some things.
Like vitamin D, I was overdoing it, and then-
Mm-hmm
... I stopped, and then I was too low, so, like, I need something in the middle.
Yeah. I was taking vi- I realized I needed vitamin D because
remember we were just having, like, rain and clouds and, like-
Yes
... we had, like, this crazy winter that we're not used to here.
Yeah.
And I'm like, "God, what is wrong with me?" Like, my energy levels are bad.
Like, I'm so tired.
Really sensitive to it.
Yeah. So I started supplementing with vitamin D, and it made a huge difference.
I was sleeping better.
Wow.
I think I actually, now that I think about, like, that's probably what I'm missing
in my diet right now is vitamin D.
I think same. It's, um... Do you take it with
K2?
No, I don't.
Okay.
Should I?
It's a hormone. You should.
Okay.
Yeah. And that has to do with your calcium and maintaining your bones.
Okay.
'Cause it's, like, vitamin D mobilizes the calcium, and then K2
helps to move it where you want it to go.
Oh, okay.
So they need both, like a little marriage.
I love it.
Yeah.
Till death do us part. Now, you said, is, is that a supplement, or
is that-
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah. So yeah, D3 with
K2.Perfect.
Perfect.
Yeah
Testimony.
Okay.
Yeah.
I like it. So how's work stuff?
Work stuff is good. Uh, it's been busy.
Um, I know like a lot of my social media shows like the real estate stuff, but-
They're so cute
... they're f- it's-
I love your... Yeah, they're adorable.
I try to be that quirky realtor.
Yeah
... you know? Like, we're gonna have some fun.
Yeah.
I'm good at negotiations too, so I'm like-
Oh my God
... let's have some fun, but we're gonna have fun doing this, you know?
You know what, like how to break up.
Yeah, how to break up. Go put your ex's name on a sign-in sheet at an open
house that you're ready to sell. Yeah, it's a true story.
Yeah.
I'm following up on all those sign-in sheets every time they leave, but um-
That's so good
... no, one of the fun things about, um...
It's been nice 'cause I've been able to have a little bit more flexibility with the
schedule, but I got into selling life insurance.
And kind of like related with like health and medical, and I
know that you see this all the time, so one of what our,
policies carry is a living benefit rider.
So you don't have to die to get your policy.
Wow.
So if you get critical chronic or fatal, you can cash
in on your policy up to 90% of your policy.
You can pay out of pocket to the doctors you wanna see.
You can pay for the medication that maybe your insurance doesn't cover.
You can cover your mortgage. You can cover-
Peptides?
... missing... You can cover peptides.
Wow.
You can cover, you know, the work that you're missing.
Like, it's so crucial. Like, how many GoFundMes do you
see when someone like hits a catastrophe 'cause no one has savings these days?
Yeah.
Like, you have a life insurance policy now that you can pull forward.
Mm-hmm.
My business partner and I, the reason why she got into it is 'cause her and her
husband had recently gotten insurance policies through this company that I work,
now I work for, and about three months later, her
husband found, they found like a five-pound mass wrapped around his lungs
and-
Oh my gosh
... of course, like, you know-
Does he smoke?
No, he-
No
... but it was, stage four cancer.
It's okay. Dead.
I could be getting it wrong. It could be, could've been his heart, but I'm pretty
sure it was his lungs. They f- yeah-
Oh
... 'cause they thought he had pneumonia.
So they go in, they find the cancer, and they're like, "I don't
know that this is treatable." So their agent called them and
said, "You have living benefits. You guys just got million-dollar policies." They
were able to cash in on $900,000-
Oh my gosh
... and pay for the specialty doctors that they needed to see.
Mm-hmm.
They didn't have to stay with the network, and he is now healed, alive and well,
working today, and they had money left over that then they then
reinvested, and now they're set for life.
That's incredible.
It's, it's-
Like how often do you have like good stories with insurance?
You don't, and so that's why I kind of fell in love with it, because
living benefits, you don't realize how desperately you need them until you need
them.
Hmm.
You know? And then even if like, say, for instance, like you do end up passing
after ca- cashing in, at least you still probably will have money left over, or
at least you had money to fight to be here longer.
Mm-hmm.
You know?
Yeah.
It's just so important, so, that's been a really fun
thing, 'cause like I get to like help families get that set up.
Yeah.
So that's really-
I think I need to talk to you. I don't have...
Okay, so I have insurance, but not like, it doesn't sound like any fun ones like
that. I have -
Let's get fun.
... health practice, I have car insurance-
Yeah
... then workers' comp insurance, general liability.
I don't enjoy paying those, but if there's something-
You have to, especially in California though.
I know. I know. It's funny, I didn't realize like how expensive it
was, and, 'cause I bought this business, in assisted
livings, and now it's like just such a joke in the
industry. Like they're like, "Oh, yeah, of course, that's the worst part." And I'm
like, "No one told me the worst part."
Yes. No one prepared me for this.
No, they didn't.
No.
So it's just wildly expensive, and it's just for no reason.
And doesn't it go up like every year or something like that?
It does go up every year.
Yeah.
And even worse, in this situation, there was a gap, because the
person prior to me like canceled it, so there was a gap in coverage,
so then yay me.
You got to pick up that bill.
I got to pick that bill up.
Oh, no.
And I was like, "Can I just get sued instead and just see what happens?" And
like so-
Don't sue me.
Yeah, and the rep didn't think I, I was serious, and she's like, "No, it's
illegal." And I'm like, "Oh, God." I just would rather almost get sued for a
million dollars, and then we deal with it.
That is insane, but then you, you go really up.
Yeah.
I'm kind of relating it to, 'cause like my mom had her business like growing up,
and like workman's comp insurance was insane.
It's insane.
And anytime there's a claim filed, your insurance goes up.
Yes.
And eventually you can't even afford it.
Whether it's your fault or not.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Like I remember it sh- her having to send out investigators to like, to
invest- to see if like it was actually true if they got hurt.
Mm-hmm.
And I remember one person who walked into the courtroom on crutches,
neck brace, and they had him on camera playing
soccer.
Like classic Hollywood.
Like what?
It's like classic.
It's like, and these people get away with it.
It's crazy.
It's insanity. And then you're the one to foot the bill.
Oh my gosh.
It's so sad.
It's so sad.
'Cause then it like hurts good, like hardworking businesswomen like yourself or
business-
Yep
... people-
Yep
... that actually are trying to help others.
Yeah.
You know? And then you get this claim put on yourself, and it's like- ...
you didn't even do anything for it.
Yeah. No, and there's... You know, mostly they just want a payout, so it's like, I
don't know.
Yeah. Mm-mm.
Oh.
That does not sound fun.
Yay. But you have something that is not any of those things.
No.
So this is definitely like a, a brighter side of
insurance, and-
Absolutely
... I mean, and this would be something that I could go to, like as a single, like
working professional, like and it would still be good for someone like me.
Absolutely. And like not only for you as a single working professional and
like because you're self-employed, we actually have policies that you can,
pay into tax-free retirement.
Ooh.
All at-
Tax-free. You had me there
... all caps, tax-free.
I love that so much.
So it's in like an index account.
Okay.
And so, so yeah, we can talk about that. But it, uh...
So it's cool because, you know, when we look at our 401s, we're like, "Oh, sweet, I
have-"$5 million when I retire, but then how much of that is
taxed?
Oh, how much of it?
We don't even know how much is taxed.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
And so on this, it's tax-free.
I just threw half out. I actually don't know.
It's about right. You never know 'cause it depends on what the fed rate's at.
Yeah.
Right? So it could be, you know, who knows?
Yeah.
But, with this, it's tax-free retirement, it's living benefits, it's death
benefits. It's just the sa- I always tell people, like don't just ...
If you choose to go this route, don't just have this.
Mm-hmm.
But have this to protect your retirement.
Mm-hmm.
And then save some money for fun money to like play in the market,
because what's nice with the, with this policy with that we provide is that
when the market dips, you don't lose any money.
Oh my gosh.
It's a no money loss guarantee.
That's ... Okay, that's like a game changer.
Yes.
That's a game changer.
So when the market-
I hadn't think of that
... drops, there's like a lock that happens on your account.
Oh.
And so your money doesn't drop, but when the market goes back up-
Mm-hmm
... then the lock is released and your mon- and then your account goes back up.
Wow.
So it's pretty incredible.
That's wonderful.
It, it almost sounds too good to be true, but it really isn't.
Yeah.
Um, it's not suitable for everybody.
Mm-hmm.
It depends on age, because it is life insurance, so it depends on your health, it
depends on your age, what your rate is.
Right.
Um-
Like if you're not healthy, then you would have a, a much higher rate.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, so it, it's, like I said, it's not for everybody, but that's why we have like
term policies, whole life pols. There's other things-
Yeah
... that we can do. Um, but definitely for like your situation, I
would-
Definitely
... definitely do an IUL.
Okay.
Yeah.
IUL me.
Let's do it.
I don't know all the things with it, but I think I, I would definitely do ...
Yeah, I need that.
It's just like a-
Need this.
It's like, so you don't go to Vegas with all your money, right?
You go with a, with an amount that you know you're okay with losing.
I'm the one that shows up with like 50 bucks. Like, I played.
Yeah.
And I didn't win.
And I lost it in one hand 'cause it was $50.
But you don't go to, like you don't wanna do that with your retirement, right?
Yeah.
Like, that's why I say like save some fun money for the market, like, 'cause I'm
not the person that's like, "You should only have these policies." No.
Yeah.
Because your, your growth is capped-
Yeah
... with an IUL. So, there's a ceiling on it.
So-
Oh, okay.
But it is safe because you'll never lose money.
Yeah.
Now, with a 401, you can lose a lot.
Yeah.
You can gain a lot.
Yeah.
That's why, I always suggest to people, like have a little
b- your hands in a little bit of both.
Mm-hmm.
Do some smart investing. You know-
Okay
... have a safety net, but then also have like a little bit of money that you can
play with, and like, and if you lose it, it's not gonna k**l y*u.
Yeah, definitely.
Mm-hmm.
Did you have somebody to like guide you through all this or did you have to do a
course? How did you get, how did you dip a toe and then dive in?
Oh, gosh. Yeah, I have a broker.
Okay.
Him and I are always fighting.
I bet. Are you more like ambitious or-
It's not that. It's just that I'm so-
Like, "Drive faster"
... I'm so busy that I'm like, "You're not laying this out, like, as plainly as
I need it." Like, and-
Yes
... so I'm always like-
There's a learning curve with it, right?
There's def- it ... Well, and there's so much to learn.
Yeah.
And you really only get it with hands-on experience.
Yeah.
And so, yeah, if he ever hears this podcast, he's definitely gonna be like, "Yeah,
I always put her on mute."
Did you call often? Like too much?
No, it's not that. I just like, on the insurance
side, they don't make it very user friendly.
Yeah.
And then when you get appointed to different insurance, like,
providers-
Mm-hmm
... you have to like, I am appointed-
I didn't understand that
... to like eight separate companies.
Oh.
And they all required the same documentation-
Yeah
... but in different forms. So you have to fill it
out e- eight different times, the same piece of information.
Like-
Oh my God
... it's just-
I hate that.
And now-
I'm an anti-form person.
Oh.
I'm not good with... I'm like-
It's awful
... you send it to me, I'm, I lost it.
Well, and like I even tried this, 'cause like one company required the exact same
doc- exact same documents.
Yeah.
It just had their logo on it.
Uh-huh.
I submitted what I did for the another company, and they're like, "This isn't the
proper documents." And I was like, "You're, you're h- you're...
Okay. I'm okay." So-
You had to like self-manage
... I'm just gonna copy and paste-
Self-manage
... the logo on this so that I don't have to re-fill out these freaking
forms.
Oh my gosh.
So that's more when I get frustrated, 'cause I, like I am always yelling at him
like, "You didn't prepare me for this," like-
It feels not efficient.
It's not. It's such a waste of time.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
It's like they need to have a system. Maybe that's what we'll do.
We'll create a new system to like make all these forms.
Ooh, a central form database. Ooh, that's really
good.
Oh, my ... It needs it.
And we'll force them to use it.
Yes. Sell it to them. Sell it to National Life.
To the government.
Sell it to FNG.
Yeah.
Like sell it to all of them because it's ridiculous.
I know what you're talking about. I mean, just in walking through different
insurance options for workers' comp, general
liability-
Mm-hmm
... malpractice, I am melt- like I was melting down.
I had to like just circle back and like just table it.
I'm gonna come back to this-
Yeah
... tomorrow 'cause I just don't have any left.
Well, and it's unfortunate 'cause like that's normally a time when it's like I'm
gonna hand this off to an assistant, because I don't do well if I'm being-
Can you?
... bogged down by this. But then-
I know.
But then-
Can they get it done?
Can they get it done? Is it proper?
Is it right?
Yes.
Am I vulnerable now?
I thought this was signed off on. Now I'm getting sued, and apparently she didn't
fill out my LNO or whatever.
And guess what? Nobody cares about that story.
Oh, your assistant filled it out wrong? Okay.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Poor little thing.
Exactly.
Oh.
I know. That's where I fall too. Like I'm such a control freak that like I need to
make sure everything's done, but I do.
When you throw a document-
Don't get me started
... in front of me, I go blank, and it feels like you just put the weight of the
world on me.
That's the ADD kicking in.
Oh, my. I can't.
I just, I have one million things to do but this?
Yeah. Like I want my feet moving, not my fingers.
Like
sorry, just doesn't work that way.
Oh my gosh. And like it's funny 'cause I mean, I'm that way with like all
forms, so like insurance, yes, definitely.
Mm-hmm.
It's like the most like not sexy thing to do ever.
No.
And, but it has to be done.
Absolutely.
It has to be done. And it's so worthwhile to do.
Mm-hmm.
But I just don't ... It's ... I wanna do one other thing.
Well, and it's one of those things that like, you know, I have so many people that
like I've chatted with, they're like, "Okay, we are gonna sign up," and then it's
like you check in with them a month later.
"Okay, we're, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna do it." And then you check in
with them a month later.
That's gonna be me. But I will do it.
But it's one of those things that it's like if you put it off for too long, then
you're gonna hit a day where you wish you had it and you don't have it.
Oh, I don't want that day.
Exactly.
Is that the rainy day?
That's the rainy day, 'cause eventually it does dump.
So don't wait for the rainy day. Just get it done.
So Kristin, I would do the paperwork. I would.
Oh, I'd do it for you, mostly.
Oh.
You're welcome.
Hearts.
I send you the 10 pages, and then I fill out the 100.
Oh my gosh, that's like, that's everything.
Yeah.
So I'm sure you're killing it because, I mean, most people just send you the form.
No, I try to... Like, everyone's busy, so there's like 10 pages in our
documents that, like, give me all the general information that I need, and if I
need anything else, then I just text you.
Okay.
Um, and then it, and then even, I even submit it for you.
Oh my gosh.
I'll FedEx it in next day-
Thank you
... so that you don't even have to stress about that.
Signing into portals, ugh.
I know.
I'm the worst. I just, I die.
Well, that's part of what's an issue too.
It's like I have all these companies that now I'm affiliated with-
Yeah
... and now I have all these different portals and it's so dumb.
Can't we all just be in the same little box?
Right. It just seems like it would make the most sense, but then nobody, like,
wants to play in the same box.
No.
They're like, "This is my box."
They're like, "This is my box. Get out of it."
Yeah.
No, it's a whole language. I mean, I feel bad for, like, the reps that had to
onboard me with, like, workers comp and all that stuff.
Oh, gosh.
'Cause I just didn't even understand.
Like, policy number, there's, like, a lot of numbers on here.
Which number do you want?
You're like, and then you call in, and they're like, "Give me pol- this accident.
Which one is that? Is that the 10 number one?
Is that the five number one?"
Yeah. Yes, and then if you have, you know, more than a few businesses at
this point, which I do-
Yeah
... then it's like, oh my God, which address? I don't even know.
And then if someone else, like, like an assistant does the paperwork-
Yes
... then it's like, I don't even know what they thought, which was the right
address. Like, I'm-
Yeah
... I'm screwed.
That's why, like, I am so grateful for my husband 'cause he is, like, the most
organized human being I've ever met.
Bless him.
And I am not.
No.
Like, he is all about-
I admit that
... document- Yeah, and I openly admit that.
Mm-hmm.
Like, but
f- his help, he has got me significant...
Like, he has binders in my car for me.
Oh, I love a good binder.
I j- who'd ever think-
Who hates-
... you'd get hot and bothered by a binder?
I love tabs. I love stickers.
Oh, yeah.
Color-coded, alphabetical.
Color-coded, yep.
Stop.
Yes. Now you're-
Don't
... talking dirty.
Yeah.
Yes. I know. He came home with, like, a binder from it, 'cause I'm like, "I need
a..." Like, I, I show all these homes, and I have these documents from this
insurance client. Like, I need to have it organized 'cause I'm in my car a lot.
He comes home with, like, a, a labeled doc- or a labeled binder for me, and I'll-
Oh my gosh
... he's like, "Here you go, honey." And I'm like, "Oh"-
All done
... "You are the sexiest man alive."
Oh my gosh. I just... Oh.
Yeah, it's the best.
I know.
But being organized, ugh, I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting
better.
What does your car look like right now?
Uh, we don't need to talk about that.
Okay. No, we can move it on. My-
I blame it on my kids.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. I've been on a wait list for a car that I'm waiting to come, so I feel like
that's also why I'm kind of lazy.
Sounds like a Tesla truck.
Yeah, I'm kinda letting my car really g* t* h**l because I know it's
not gonna be in my possession for much longer, and so I need to stop using that
excuse 'cause I don't know how long this wait list is gonna be.
Oh my gosh. I heard it's, like, a year.
Oh, don't tell me that.
Okay. I mean, maybe it's not true. Maybe it's not true. I think it's tomorrow.
I want that car.
Yeah, I can't wait, but I need to, like... Yeah. I even got, like, a Mr.
Clean, like, membership, so I can go into the cruise
through. Like-
Just the act of the driving through part, I just don't do.
No?
I can't. I won't, I won't do it.
Now that I have an unlimited membership, shoot, I go in there, like, every other
day.
That's fantastic.
Is it raining today? Oh, that's okay. I can go in the dryer.
No, I love it now.
Oh my gosh.
Now it's just fun. It's, like, my daughter's favorite thing to do is go through the
car wash.
Oh my gosh, joy.
She loves the car wash. Forget the $30 toy at
Walmart. Like, go get the $30 membership at Mr.
Clean-
Oh my gosh
... and go through the car wash with your kids.
You gotta bring back simple joys then.
No kidding. They like the box more than the toy, I'll tell you that.
Uh, lately my bad habit, I've been, so, like, I have this mushroom
coffee or a protein shake, either one-
Mm-hmm
... but both of them have, like, a milk
component. And so I like to just spill it, you know?
Like, I just spill it in the car, and I'm like, "Oh my God, that
smell."
Yeah.
The smell to get it out is just, like, tremendous.
Which mushroom coffee do you like using?
Daily Dose.
I don't think I've tried that one. I've tried the Layered.
I haven't tried Layered. But I've tried a lot of different f- brand
names, and I feel like this one doesn't have a weird dirt taste.
Okay.
So I think that's definitely my favorite.
Okay. I'll have to try it.
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm always, like... I'm not a huge coffee drinker just because
I only generally need, like, three sips.
Yeah.
'Cause then, like, I'm really buzzing.
I like that it's three.
It really... Like, it's so funny 'cause, like, my husband will make coffee, and
he's like, "Are you gonna have any?" I'm like, "Why do you even ask?" Because it's
like it doesn't even matter if I'm gonna have any 'cause I literally fill it up
with, like, I... It's, like, the size of an espresso shot.
That's literally how much coffee I will have if I have coffee.
Like a mouse.
And oh my gosh. And then I am zinging.
Like, go, like, that's why it's dangerous for me.
Like, I am so sensitive to caffeine.
Oh my gosh. Well, you're little, so it makes sense.
Oh, God. I need, like, need to calm down, especially with those espresso
martinis. Oh, man.
Oh my gosh. Oh, espresso martinis, that's another level.
Yes.
You just leveled up right now.
Oh.
Did I miss that? How'd I miss the martini part?
Oh my gosh, yeah. No, I think I threw that in at the last minute.
Okay.
No, but, like-
What starts your day?
Bruncheon. Bruncheon all day.
Oh my gosh. I haven't brunched like that in so long.
Neither have I. I'm like-
I can't even picture it
... I feel like I'm creating a story in my head-
Mm
... 'cause, like, I haven't.
Like, this is brunch. Us talking about brunch, we just brunched.
Yeah. So then, like, you create the scenario in your head.
Yeah.
So here we are. We're sitting at Luigi's.
We're having our espresso martinis, right?
And it's perfect weather.
Oh my God, we're sitting outside.
Yeah.
Remember that day? Oh, my, I'm just picturing it.
It's... Oh, yeah. And that martini is just everything.
Oh, yeah. No. I know, but then, like, I hate myself.
Like, that's something else that the Reda did for me.
It, it, it showed me what my body hated.
It's very interesting. Like, even, like, fruits and vegetables that, like-
I love that description.
Huh?
I like that you just described it that way.
Yeah, like, it, it identified that for me.
It takes away the reward.
Yeah. Well, because, like, you think, like, because I'm consuming this amount of
fruits and veggies during the day, like, why do I still feel like c**p?
Mm-hmm.
But I had that test done with you, that microbiome test.
Oh, yeah.
And I remember that, like, in that it told me that, like, bell peppers didn't like
me. And I was like, screw you.
Asparagus doesn't like me.
Really?
Yeah.
It d- I don't remember if it was asparagus, but I remember bell peppers 'cause I
remember we do fajitas all the time for meal prep.
Uh-huh.
And now every time I have fajitas, I get sick.
It's so interesting. What about onions?
Onions don't bother me, just bell peppers
Okay. Yeah, I can't do onions. And I, I mean, I love them. I like the flavor.
Mm-hmm.
But yeah.
Like, your body just doesn't-
Mm-mm.
Oh, man, but if I have a d- a dri- couple drinks, I am
paying for it the next day, like, as if-
Yeah
... I was like all-nighter back in high school.
Like, it does not agree with me.
It's not worth it.
It's not. It-
Yeah
... I, like, literally when I ran into the other night, I had two, and I'm like,
"Why? W- My husband wasn't even drinking.
Why?" Like, and the next day, I was just, like, miserable.
So, like, that's part of what I think-
Old habits die hard.
It is. And, like, I feel like that's part of what's helped with my inflammation,
too, 'cause I, like, I very rarely drink.
Yeah.
Like, I really am so focused on, like, health and fitness and mind that, like,
I don't even have time to drink 'cause I'm so busy.
That's such a healthier way to live. Like, alcohol is just ...
The, all the scientists and doctors that
I know and just admire, like, they don't touch it.
Yeah. It's not good for you. It really isn't.
I'm in the transition phase.
So I have a question about that. So, like, I remember a friend of mine wh-
she did pass from cancer, but I remember the doctor telling her she was okay
to consume alcohol, wine, while she was going through chemo.
That sounds so counterproductive to me because you have all, like, the
alcohol, the sugars, like, it attacks the body.
Like, I'm no doctor by any means, but when she, we were all having
after work, like, some wine, I'm like, "Why are you drinking?
Like, doesn't that weaken your system?" She goes, "No, my doctor told me I
could." So-
Yeah. It, I mean, does it weaken your system? It does.
Does it make it so that you're less equipped to
fight against any illness or overcome
anything? Yes, it does.
Okay.
Uh, especially for chemo. I mean, everything is processed in your liver,
so if you're doing something that requires your liver's
energy, it's just like a attention span.
Like, your, your liver only has so much bandwidth to a- address so
many things. So, but there's also, like, the quality of life
that is always weighed against any
bad, alternative.
Right.
So if you're like, this person loves a cigar
so much. They love it so much. They have it once per
day. Is that the worst thing in the whole world if they
love it so much?
Y- exactly.
I just ... Ugh. I wouldn't want to take that.
Yeah.
Because it, that's their, like, regulation
time. That's, like, their calm down-
Decompression
... yeah, decompression.
Yeah.
So it's, it's just, it's complicated.
I get, I ... Now seeing that side of it, I totally understand that.
'Cause I remember when my grandma was diagnosed with dementia, they told her she
couldn't have sugar 'cause it, like, would hurt her brain even more or something
like that. I can't remember. And but she was
ultimately dying. Like, are we really gonna take away those brownies that she loves
so much?
I would give her the brownies.
She, we let her eat on 'em. Like-
Yeah
... I'm sorry. Like, you're, that brings-
She's like, "I don't know my name. I don't know your name."
Exactly.
"These brownies are okay."
But she loved her brownies. She didn't remember even ever having a cheeseburger
when she lived at In-N-Out the last, like, 10 years of her life.
Like, it's like, am I really gonna take away this brownie from her? No.
I wouldn't.
Yeah. So I see that point of view.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Quality of life, for sure.
Yeah, 'cause I, 'cause that makes it more, like, if your mind is
happy, if you're happy, then y- that's almost, like, the fighter for you, too,
right?
Yeah. Inflammation is such, like, the center of so many illnesses,
diseases, dementia, heart attack, stroke. Like, it's just such the problem.
Cancer.
Mm-hmm.
D- you know, so managing the inflammation means managing stress.
Okay, stress could be from external, emotional,
physical. Like, there's just so many different ways that you could have an
incoming stress. So it's really, I think it's, we're not
great at it yet.
Yeah.
And it's definitely still in that complex space where I wish, like, we could just
simplify it already.
Mm-hmm.
So anything that takes down the inflammation, in my opinion, is the
answer.
Yes, absolutely.
Yeah.
Okay, that makes sense.
Yeah.
Okay.
Oh, well, thank you so much, Kristen, for coming on today and catching
up. I absolutely enjoyed it. I always do.
Yes, same.
Um, you're, you know, always, like, just so fun and refreshing.
I'm glad, even though it was on your podcast, I'm glad we got to catch up and-
I know
... you know, get together. We'll brunch one day.
Yeah, without the martinis probably.
Yes. That's okay. We're gonna go watch you-
Or a mushroom cocktail
... instead.
I love that. All right. Well, thank you so much.
Thank you.