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00:00:04.959If you're listening to the Functional Aesthetician Podcast, I'm your host, Dr.
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00:00:10.240Samantha Denton, a functional medicine practitioner and licensed aesthetician.
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00:00:18.399I've spent over two decades asking the question why do so many women do everything right and still feel off?
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00:00:25.359Each week we're going deep on gut health, the hormones, and the whole body approach that actually works.
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00:00:29.039No more band-aid fixes, but just real answers.
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00:00:32.320Welcome to the Functional Esthetician Podcast.
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00:00:33.679I'm your host, Dr.
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00:00:34.960Samantha Dunch.
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00:00:37.840Today's special guest is Amber Cottrell.
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00:00:48.079We are going to talk about Amber's health journey and why she decided to eat only beef and salt, also known as the Lion Diet, for 20 days.
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00:00:52.399Before we get to today's interview, let me introduce Amber.
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00:01:06.719Amber Cottrell is a stay-at-home mom to two little boys, ages one and three, and the creator behind Amber's Meal Prep, where she shares her love of meal prep, nutrition, and healthy eating.
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00:01:16.319Over the past eight months, she's lost 50 pounds using calories, macros, and principles from Robert Sykes' ketogenic bodybuilding book.
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00:01:21.760She loves experimenting with nutrition and sharing what she learns along the way.
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00:01:33.760Currently, she's taking on a 20-day challenge of eating only beef and salt while documenting how it affects her weight, energy, hunger, and gym performance.
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00:01:37.519Hi Amber, welcome to the Functional Esthetician Podcast.
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00:01:38.719Thank you so much.
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00:01:40.000It's so nice to be here.
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00:01:42.640I'm excited for our conversation today.
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00:01:48.400I'm gonna have you start by sharing your story, how you got started and how you got to where you are today.
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00:01:49.120Yeah.
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00:01:51.840I've just always loved health and nutrition.
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00:01:56.640I'm kind of a foodie, which is interesting since I'm only eating meat right now.
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00:02:01.599But I've always loved learning about food and how it affects the body.
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00:02:04.000Um, and it was almost 10 years ago.
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00:02:06.079I had some stomach issues.
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00:02:14.159I had lived in Armenia actually outside the US for about a year and a half, and I had some stomach problems when I got home.
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00:02:17.280Just eating anything kind of hurt my stomach.
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00:02:28.960And that's when my mom introduced me to the keto diet, and I did that for eight months and ended up healing my gut, so I just started eating um all my favorite foods again.
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00:02:33.599I still really enjoyed exercising and looking at calories and macros.
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00:02:46.400And then just recently, this year, after having my two babies, my youngest is one, my oldest is three, I decided I really wanted to lose some weight and did the keto diet again.
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00:02:51.360I lost about 50 pounds in eight months and have just been feeling really great.
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00:03:00.960Weight loss kind of stalled, and I I decided I wanted to try and experiment and eat only beef and salt for 20 days and see how that went for me.
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00:03:06.319I am on day 12 right now, and I've been posting about my journey every day.
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00:03:08.560So I'm having a lot of fun with it.
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00:03:10.479And that's how I found you actually.
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00:03:13.520Somehow your video popped up and I was like, oh, this is cool.
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00:03:14.800I'm like, she's super cute.
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00:03:24.240And I was watching your journey, and I'm like, we gotta talk about this because I do functional medicine, and I feel like a lot of the patients that I work with, they're like, Oh, I can't just eat meat.
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00:03:26.000I can't just restrict my diet.
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00:03:34.879And I feel like the mindset piece, that's what made me want to have you on when you talked about I know it's hard, but I want to see if I can actually challenge myself and do this.
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00:03:40.000So I love that you dove in and mindset is I think it's a big deal.
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00:03:45.599I think we limit ourselves a lot on what we can and can't do based on what we tell ourselves.
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00:03:49.199I think the easiest way to see that is through exercise.
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00:03:53.919If you tell yourself in your mind, I I can do four pull-ups.
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00:03:56.560Obviously, if you can't do it, you can't do it.
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00:03:57.599But you know what I mean?
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00:04:00.319Like I reach that number and then I'm done.
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00:04:02.639Even though I think I probably could do one more.
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00:04:09.919My body, if I pushed myself, the mind is so powerful in what you tell yourself you can and cannot do.
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00:04:12.719Let's talk about that beef and salt journey.
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00:04:21.040I started out thinking I would only do ground beef and salt, and I lasted 10 days eating only ground beef and salt.
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00:04:28.079I just really wanted to keep the fat to protein ratio as consistent as I could for the experiment.
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00:04:33.519I just got really tired of it and decided, nope, we're gonna do all beef.
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00:04:44.240I I am very good at listening to my body, and I'm not going to do something or stick to something if my body is telling you, no, please let's do something else.
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00:04:49.120I believe that we can get all the nutrition our body needs from beef.
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00:04:54.720And on top of that, I want to clarify that everybody's body is different.
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00:05:03.680So, for example, I actually got my blood work done before starting this, and I learned that my body has a hard time absorbing iron.
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00:05:07.680My iron was low, even though I was eating so much beef every day.
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00:05:12.639I I want to make sure that everybody understands you you've got to figure out how your body works.
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00:05:17.839But my body can get all the nutrition it needs just from beef, and I felt safe doing this experiment.
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00:05:24.720I really wanted to see what eliminating all of the other noise would do, and it's been really great so far.
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00:05:31.519And for those listening, what Amber's doing, it's called the Lion Diet, and it's a very healing diet.
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00:05:37.120If you're wanting to heal inflammation or get to the root of any problems, it's very, very good for that.
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00:05:52.480In my case, it's a little bit unique because I did not have any health reasons for wanting to do this, other than I'm really interested in learning the science behind weight loss while keeping your muscle on.
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00:05:53.839I go to the gym every day.
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00:05:55.519I want to be like a muscle mommy.
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00:05:58.639I want people to see me in the street and be like, whoa, look at her muscles.
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00:06:05.839But I also want to be cute and petite and all those things, but maybe that's a little bit vain, but it's fun for me.
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00:06:09.199I bought Ketogenic Bodybuilding by Robert Sykes.
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00:06:10.560It's a really great book.
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00:06:19.199And I just wanted to learn more the science behind if I wanted to lower my body fat percentage, like when I pinch my skin, when I get that like really thin.
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00:06:23.439How do you do that in a healthy way while also keeping muscle?
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00:06:30.959Because I know when you get into weight loss, it can be really easy to just start losing muscle, which is not what I want to do.
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00:06:34.160I want to be strong and healthy, especially for my two boys.
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00:06:38.240I want to take them on hikes and be able to carry them up mountains.
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00:06:39.920I want to be superwoman.
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00:06:41.680I love that.
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00:06:42.399That's awesome.
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00:06:43.600And I love what you just said.
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00:06:46.720You read the book, you studied it, you understood keto.
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00:06:50.959And I feel like most people think, oh, keto's a fad, carnivore's a fad.
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00:06:56.079People are just doing these like fad diets, but there really truly is a science to both of those diets.
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00:07:05.360I started keto back in 2018, and then December will be three years that I'm carnivore, and I researched everything before I dove in as well.
00:07:05.519 -->
00:07:13.680And that's what I love about both of those diets is there's so many doctors that are talking about it and that talk about the science of it.
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00:07:22.480So I love that you read a book, understood what it's about, how to actually do it the correct way, and now you're feeling really good.
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00:07:25.279Yes, it's just such a fun thing to do.
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00:07:28.560Like at night when I'm folding laundry, I've got it all dumped on the bed.
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00:07:39.279I'll turn on YouTube and turn on the videos of all the different doctors explaining gluconeogenesis and all of the different cool things that I I'm just learning about.
00:07:39.439 -->
00:07:45.600And I also want to make sure that everybody understands I am not an expert in this at all.
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00:07:47.120I am your average consumer.
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00:08:05.279I am just like the person listening to this podcast to learn just because I love learning, and somehow this 20-day social media challenge I've done kind of went viral, and I'm being asked to be on podcasts, but I am just a little stay-at-home mom that loves exercising and nutrition.
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00:08:08.959I am I am the average consumer and not an expert.
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00:08:12.240But I think that's what makes you so relatable.
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00:08:13.839You're just an average mom.
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00:08:18.639You're not like trying to be this expert or doctor or tell people what to do.
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00:08:21.120You're just like, this is what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
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00:08:23.920And I think people can really resonate with that.
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00:08:26.240Yeah, which I I really appreciate.
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00:08:37.919It's it's very nice to find like-minded people because I do know that it is very out of the norm to avoid sugar and processed foods.
00:08:38.240 -->
00:08:43.279And I'm the only one in my family that chooses to eat in this way, and that's okay too.
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00:08:52.159My husband loves pizza and quesadillas, and I make them for him because I I'll be supportive of whatever he wants and his choices.
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00:08:57.200But my mindset is we're very supportive of each other, and I really appreciate that.
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00:09:02.799That's so huge because I'm divorced now, but my ex-husband was like, Oh, here you go on another diet thing.
00:09:02.960 -->
00:09:03.600Oh, here you go.
00:09:03.679 -->
00:09:05.840It was like, you know, I always had to make two meals.
00:09:05.919 -->
00:09:07.440It always was a chore for me.
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00:09:13.679Now that I'm eating this way, it's easy for me because I'm a single mom and I really don't have to think too much about what I make.
00:09:14.000 -->
00:09:26.720It it really does make such a difference to have a supportive partner, but also to be a supportive partner yourself and knowing that you are the one in charge of how you eat or what you want to do.
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00:09:35.440And I I just love that my husband and I are very good at at treating life as a partnership and just loving and supporting whatever the other wants to do.
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00:09:35.840Yeah.
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00:09:41.120I want to shift gears a little bit because I know you mentioned that you had some postpartum issues.
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00:09:43.759So let's talk a little bit about that.
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00:09:49.120We had a really tough year as a family with jobs.
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00:09:52.639Uh, so my husband works and I am a stay-at-home mom currently.
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00:09:57.840He works very hard, so I can do that and we budget because this is what I've wanted to do.
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00:10:00.320And uh, we had a really hard year.
00:10:00.399 -->
00:10:14.399We moved six times in a single year, and I was pregnant for two of the moves, had my baby, and then had my tiny little baby and a two-year-old for the other four moves.
00:10:14.639 -->
00:10:17.440It was just a really stressful year for us.
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00:10:27.279My hypothesis, based on my research, and I'd love to hear your take on this, is that my cortisol levels were so high, my milk dried up.
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00:10:30.879I I tried to nurse and it it disappeared because of stress.
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00:10:39.440And I think that cortisol as a survival hormone kind of took over, and my progesterone was tanked.
00:10:39.519 -->
00:10:45.759I got my blood work done, my hormones tested, and my progesterone was 0.1, and I was feeling it.
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00:10:51.759I am normally an incredibly happy and energetic, excited for life.
00:10:51.919 -->
00:10:55.919I'm go, go, go, you know, and it's sometimes it's too much for people, and that's okay.
00:10:56.080 -->
00:10:59.120I have three sisters, and they've told me, you need to calm down.
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00:11:01.200I don't want to go on a hike hike right now.
00:11:01.279 -->
00:11:04.159I don't want to go to brunch, I don't want to do all these things, I want to rest.
00:11:04.399 -->
00:11:06.720I've always been very go, go, go, happy, excited.
00:11:06.879 -->
00:11:10.320The world is our oyster, the world is magical, let's explore it.
00:11:10.559 -->
00:11:15.440And I was not feeling those things postpartum with my second.
00:11:15.679 -->
00:11:19.919This didn't happen with my first, so I was confused about what was happening.
00:11:20.080 -->
00:11:26.639After getting my hormones tested, I saw a doctor that prescribed me 200 milligrams of progesterone.
00:11:27.279 -->
00:11:31.840And since the day I started taking it, I was so much better.
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00:11:33.679I felt myself again.
00:11:33.759 -->
00:11:35.200I'm energetic and happy.
00:11:35.279 -->
00:11:38.720I've been taking it for about a month and a half now.
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00:11:49.200Uh, but a month and a half ago, I would lay on the floor while my kids were playing around me and just not even be able to speak sometimes.
00:11:49.279 -->
00:11:53.840And it was so disheartening because I knew this was not me.
00:11:54.159 -->
00:11:55.360Hormones are no joke.
00:11:55.519 -->
00:12:02.320Like when stressful situations take over, your body does prioritize its stress response because you're in that fight or flight.
00:12:02.559 -->
00:12:05.840I know you're young, but for women in general, we tend to push through.
00:12:05.919 -->
00:12:06.879We're like, I got this.
00:12:07.039 -->
00:12:08.240I'm just gonna push through.
00:12:08.320 -->
00:12:11.120I'm just gonna make this work and I'll figure it out later.
00:12:11.200 -->
00:12:14.000And sometimes our body's like, nope, you're done.
00:12:14.159 -->
00:12:19.120And it like shuts you down so that way you have to stop and take a look at what your situation is.
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00:12:20.399Yes, definitely.
00:12:20.559 -->
00:12:22.080I know my body very well.
00:12:22.240 -->
00:12:23.600I I'm very in tune.
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00:12:33.039I try to journal, I pray, I meditate, I want to live in my body as a beautiful human being who knows the world around them and knows themselves.
00:12:33.279 -->
00:12:36.080And I knew it was a chemical imbalance.
00:12:36.159 -->
00:12:41.600I had started seeing a therapist because my husband thought, well, maybe you should try this, maybe that will help you.
00:12:41.759 -->
00:12:46.960And even the therapist said, You've got all of the tools you need mentally.
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00:12:56.399This sounds like a chemical imbalance because I never got to the point where I would even talk down in my mind about myself in in the most humble way possible.
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00:12:57.840I love who I am.
00:12:58.080 -->
00:13:04.159I'm pretty good at treating myself kindly and just know that I'm doing my best.
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00:13:07.200So I definitely realized this was a chemical imbalance.
00:13:07.279 -->
00:13:11.360There is something wrong, probably hormones, and it was.
00:13:12.159 -->
00:13:17.039So is that when you started your eating journey, or were you in the process of that before?
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00:13:26.080So I started eating more keto last December, less than a year ago, and my son was born in April.
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00:13:30.320He was eight, nine months postpartum that I started doing keto.
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00:13:32.480And this is another tough thing.
00:13:32.639 -->
00:13:43.039A lot of friends and family were concerned that maybe the diet was causing my sadness, and and and I was like, really, no, like I it has helped me so much.
00:13:43.200 -->
00:13:46.639I lost the 50 pounds and was feeling so good.
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00:13:57.279Not having the weight, I felt really good in my body, but chemically something was off, and I really didn't believe that it was caused by the weight loss.
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00:14:18.000I I hypothesized maybe there were toxins in the fat that was stored in my body that when it melted off, the toxins leached out and made me sad or something, and I had no way of figuring out because the first doctor I saw gave me a brochure on veganism and like books that I should read about eating more plants.
00:14:18.240 -->
00:14:20.080I don't think that plants are bad.
00:14:20.159 -->
00:14:22.159I know that they have different things in them.
00:14:22.320 -->
00:14:26.000I think there are so many beautiful foods in this world.
00:14:26.240 -->
00:14:31.279I just had a hard time finding a doctor that understood uh where I was coming from.
00:14:31.600 -->
00:14:32.960And that's interesting what you said.
00:14:33.120 -->
00:14:34.240Most people do blame diet.
00:14:34.320 -->
00:14:35.679They're like, oh, it's the diet.
00:14:35.840 -->
00:14:43.519And you brought up a good point too, how you thought at first it was your body releasing toxins, which that is something that really does happen.
00:14:43.759 -->
00:14:46.559Our body stores toxins in our fat cells.
00:14:46.639 -->
00:14:49.840And when we do lose weight, that's why people get the quote unquote keto flu.
00:14:50.240 -->
00:14:57.279Because their body's releasing fat cells and they're releasing toxins, and not everybody can detoxify or get rid of those toxins.
00:14:57.360 -->
00:14:59.279So that's what causes some of those symptoms.
00:14:59.600 -->
00:15:01.039Yeah, so that's what I thought.
00:15:01.200 -->
00:15:14.080But when the weight was off and it had stalled and I was still just sad, I thought, oh, maybe I need to eat more calories because I had decreased my calories from about 2,500 to 1700, and I thought I just I just need to eat more.
00:15:14.159 -->
00:15:16.879So I ate 2,700 calories.
00:15:17.039 -->
00:15:19.840I only gained about two pounds because it was still healthy food.
00:15:19.919 -->
00:15:21.679I was just feeding my metabolism again.
00:15:21.759 -->
00:15:25.039I read about how to reverse diet, which I highly recommend.
00:15:25.360 -->
00:15:28.399And I still was just not great.
00:15:28.480 -->
00:15:30.960And I and I was like, no, I've done all the things.
00:15:31.039 -->
00:15:34.559This is definitely a chemical imbalance.
00:15:35.120 -->
00:15:36.080Glad you found a doctor.
00:15:36.159 -->
00:15:36.720And you said it.
00:15:36.879 -->
00:15:38.799Your doctor's like, here, fix it with this.
00:15:38.960 -->
00:15:47.919Or they'll be like, here's an antidepressant, not actually look at the whole picture and try to really understand what's causing it and how they can support your body.
00:15:48.240 -->
00:15:53.600The therapist was was really great and very kind when when she was like, This sounds hormonal.
00:15:53.840 -->
00:15:58.960She said, I'm happy to prescribe you an antidepressant if that's what you feel like you want to do.
00:15:59.200 -->
00:16:01.759I don't think that it's depression.
00:16:02.000 -->
00:16:03.120And I agreed.
00:16:03.279 -->
00:16:08.240So it was it was really nice to have somebody say, Yeah, you you should figure out your hormones.
00:16:08.480 -->
00:16:10.480And you being young, that's not common.
00:16:10.639 -->
00:16:13.759So you know it was triggered by something completely different, too.
00:16:14.159 -->
00:16:15.919Yes, I'm 29 years old.
00:16:16.080 -->
00:16:17.679In December, I will be 30.
00:16:18.000 -->
00:16:19.840You mentioned the reverse diet.
00:16:20.159 -->
00:16:21.679Let's talk a little bit about that.
00:16:22.000 -->
00:16:24.559There are many different ways to reverse diet.
00:16:24.799 -->
00:16:31.919You can do it slowly by adding in a hundred calories per week or an extra egg if you're tracking everything.
00:16:32.159 -->
00:16:36.159The way that I decided to do it, I just like to go off of my hunger cues.
00:16:36.240 -->
00:16:38.159So I had been really low.
00:16:38.399 -->
00:16:45.360I was training for a triathlon as well at the time, so I completed the triathlon in July, was just a goal of mine.
00:16:45.519 -->
00:16:49.759I I tend to get really excited when I can work towards goals.
00:16:49.840 -->
00:16:51.840So I thought, oh, I'm gonna do a triathlon.
00:16:51.919 -->
00:16:54.639It's gonna pull me out of this funk and I'm gonna be happy.
00:16:54.960 -->
00:16:57.120And it was a nice goal to work towards.
00:16:57.200 -->
00:17:11.920But the day of the triathlon, if any of you have done a triathlon before or any like hard exercise, I thought I was gonna be ready to go to a Brazilian steakhouse and eat all the steak in the world, but I could barely consume any food that day.
00:17:12.079 -->
00:17:16.240My body was just like, no, I don't want to eat anything, which is so interesting.
00:17:16.480 -->
00:17:26.880So I hardly ate anything for a few days after the triathlon, and then suddenly my appetite was there and I was eating 2,500, 2700 calories.
00:17:27.039 -->
00:17:31.119And I know calories are just a very interesting perspective.
00:17:31.279 -->
00:18:05.920It's a unit of energy to be able to understand food consumption, what goes in versus what energy goes out, and that's something I'm actually finding so fascinating right now while eating only beef and salt, because I am not eating very many calories, but my body is able to utilize the nutrition of the beef so well that I am not hungry and I'm satiated and I'm energized, and I can just tell that the fuel I'm giving my body is working really well for me.
00:18:06.160 -->
00:18:07.440It feels really good.
00:18:07.839 -->
00:18:11.359Well, what most people don't realize is red meat is a complete protein.
00:18:11.519 -->
00:18:21.599It gives you every single amino acid, vitamin, mineral, nutrient that your body needs, and it actually knows what to do with it, how to process it, and how to convert it into energy.
00:18:22.000 -->
00:18:26.160Why is it not taught to everybody?
00:18:26.960 -->
00:18:36.480Okay, so for example, when I saw the hormone doctor to get more progesterone, she was so worried that I was only eating beef and salt.
00:18:36.640 -->
00:18:41.359And I want to respect people who know more than me, if that makes sense.
00:18:41.440 -->
00:18:46.720I want to say, yes, I I understand you've been to school, you understand it, how the body works.
00:18:46.880 -->
00:18:49.440I've never even taken an anatomy class, to be honest.
00:18:49.599 -->
00:18:51.759I studied global supply chain management.
00:18:51.839 -->
00:18:53.279I studied business in college.
00:18:53.599 -->
00:19:07.279I don't know medicine, and so I want to respect the knowledge, but I also really struggle that it's not taught that that beef is a complete protein, that beef has all of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs.
00:19:07.519 -->
00:19:13.279She was saying, I I highly recommend that you have some carbohydrates, at least some fruits and vegetables.
00:19:13.599 -->
00:19:15.279And yes, those are good.
00:19:15.440 -->
00:19:19.519Yes, the body can use them, but I feel like I only need beef right now.
00:19:19.759 -->
00:19:21.119And your body will crave it.
00:19:21.200 -->
00:19:23.279I've been carnivore almost three years.
00:19:23.440 -->
00:19:26.319And it's funny because sometimes I'm like, I'm gonna try this food.
00:19:26.480 -->
00:19:28.720Every time I try it, I'm like bloated, gassy.
00:19:28.880 -->
00:19:29.599I burp.
00:19:29.680 -->
00:19:31.119I'm like, oh, this is awful.
00:19:31.440 -->
00:19:33.920Even once in a while, my boyfriend and I all make taco meat.
00:19:34.000 -->
00:19:35.279We're like, we need something different.
00:19:35.359 -->
00:19:38.880And we use cumin because normally I just do beef and salt.
00:19:39.119 -->
00:19:44.559And we use cumin powder, which isn't much, but afterwards I'm like, I'm not doing that again.
00:19:44.880 -->
00:19:49.680And I'm I'm really curious to see how the introduction of other foods affects me.
00:19:49.839 -->
00:19:57.200I'll I'll be documenting it because everybody wants to learn, and I'm so excited to share how reintroducing different foods comes in.
00:19:57.359 -->
00:20:03.279I would like to continue um eating a low-carb keto type diet because I feel so good.
00:20:03.519 -->
00:20:07.920I like not feeling hungry and thinking about food all the time.
00:20:08.480 -->
00:20:10.240And that's what works for me.
00:20:10.559 -->
00:20:14.880After I did the keto diet for it, it was around eight months this year.
00:20:15.039 -->
00:20:16.559I started to reintroduce carbs.
00:20:16.720 -->
00:20:18.240I wanted an apple and peanut butter.
00:20:18.400 -->
00:20:22.960I wanted to try my different things that I love again, and it felt fine for me.
00:20:23.119 -->
00:20:30.480I personally don't really have very many gastric or health issues that come up when I eat different foods.
00:20:30.720 -->
00:20:33.759I I got the peanut butter that didn't have seed oils in it.
00:20:33.920 -->
00:20:40.079I enjoy those foods, and I'm really lucky that I don't really have any negative effects when I do that.
00:20:40.400 -->
00:20:43.359My problem is that it makes me even more hungry.
00:20:43.519 -->
00:20:47.359When I eat apples, which are delicious, and and I think they're totally fine.
00:20:47.519 -->
00:20:51.599It makes me more hungry, and I don't like feeling hungry all the time.
00:20:51.920 -->
00:21:09.759So I do prefer more keto, but before starting this lion diet, in this window, so after I had done at the beginning of this year, I did um keto, and then before doing the lion diet, I was eating dates and apples and sweet potatoes and all the delicious foods that I love.
00:21:10.000 -->
00:21:13.519But I found that I was having a really hard time.
00:21:13.839 -->
00:21:17.759I'd say, I'm just gonna have one of these date brownies that I made.
00:21:18.000 -->
00:21:19.519And they're with healthy ingredients.
00:21:19.680 -->
00:21:22.000I'm just gonna have one and I would have ten.
00:21:22.319 -->
00:21:30.640And I was like, wait, why am I having such a hard time resisting this when normally I do a really good job at just eating till I'm full?
00:21:30.799 -->
00:21:36.000I I feel like the hunger cues just kind of totally disappear when I bring carbs into the mix.
00:21:36.079 -->
00:21:39.119So I just prefer low carb or no carb.
00:21:39.680 -->
00:21:43.680And you brought up a good point because everyone's like, oh, eat fruits, eat vegetables.
00:21:43.839 -->
00:21:46.640But what it does is it triggers insulin production.
00:21:46.799 -->
00:21:53.440And so when you have excess insulin, it's gonna make your body crave more sugar because then it's gonna make your body hungrier.
00:21:53.519 -->
00:21:59.039And so that's why you were having some of those blood sugar spikes and you were getting hungry in between meals.
00:21:59.200 -->
00:22:12.160Whereas when You're eating more protein and fat based, that keeps your body satiated and full, and it's a slower insulin process because protein does raise your insulin slightly, but it keeps it more stable throughout the day.
00:22:12.480 -->
00:22:13.440So fascinating.
00:22:13.680 -->
00:22:21.039I think someday I would love to get one of those ketone and glucose monitors to learn more about what my body is producing.
00:22:21.119 -->
00:22:23.759It's not on the budget right now, but it would be fun someday.
00:22:24.000 -->
00:22:24.319Yeah.
00:22:24.559 -->
00:22:28.720The continuous glucose monitor, the one you put on the back of your arm, those are fun to do.
00:22:28.799 -->
00:22:30.720And those aren't super expensive online.
00:22:31.200 -->
00:22:36.000And I will have my patients do that, especially if they have a lot of insulin resistance going on.
00:22:36.160 -->
00:22:37.839And it's really fascinating to watch.
00:22:38.000 -->
00:22:43.359I'm in my late 40s, and overnight my blood sugar will drop a little bit lower.
00:22:43.440 -->
00:22:45.680So I will actually take a spoonful of butter.
00:22:45.839 -->
00:22:50.480I make brown butter, and that fat actually stabilizes my blood sugar overnight.
00:22:50.559 -->
00:22:54.240So it's really fun to track how your blood sugar fluctuates throughout the day.
00:22:54.559 -->
00:22:55.599That's so cool.
00:22:55.839 -->
00:23:02.960I just saw the other day somebody made like a brown butter, like a broth, but it was just brown butter and hot water.
00:23:03.279 -->
00:23:05.519And I was like, that looks delicious.
00:23:05.680 -->
00:23:07.920I but I'm also just eating beef and salt.
00:23:08.000 -->
00:23:09.680So a lot of things look delicious, right?
00:23:10.079 -->
00:23:10.319Right.
00:23:10.480 -->
00:23:10.799Yeah.
00:23:11.359 -->
00:23:13.359But that's something fun to do when you're done.
00:23:13.680 -->
00:23:14.799Yeah, definitely.
00:23:14.960 -->
00:23:15.839I want to try it.
00:23:16.079 -->
00:23:16.960It's really easy.
00:23:17.119 -->
00:23:19.279I saw someone put bacon bits in there.
00:23:19.359 -->
00:23:22.960They like fried bacon, crumbled it up, and stuck it in there and froze it.
00:23:23.039 -->
00:23:24.640I was like, ooh, that looks delicious.
00:23:24.799 -->
00:23:25.920Oh, that does look good.
00:23:26.079 -->
00:23:27.200Kind of like a sweet treat.
00:23:27.359 -->
00:23:30.640Like I said, I go off of hunger cues with what I'm going to eat.
00:23:30.799 -->
00:23:38.319And this morning before the gym, I just grabbed my container of smoked roast and it had a layer of fat on the top of it.
00:23:38.400 -->
00:23:40.880And it was kind of snappy, but it was delicious.
00:23:40.960 -->
00:23:46.480I just kind of grabbed a little bit of it before heading to the gym because I felt like I wanted a little something before I left.
00:23:46.559 -->
00:23:48.720Sometimes I eat before I go, sometimes I don't.
00:23:48.799 -->
00:23:50.960I'm just testing how I feel.
00:23:51.200 -->
00:23:52.720And it was it was really good.
00:23:52.880 -->
00:23:54.559Just smoked roast fat.
00:23:54.640 -->
00:23:54.880I know.
00:23:54.960 -->
00:23:57.279It sounds so it's like a candy bite.
00:23:57.519 -->
00:23:59.279Yeah, it was so good.
00:23:59.519 -->
00:24:13.119That's something, honestly, I highly recommend everybody, whether you're eating in this way or not, to start a health journal and just write down what different foods make you feel.
00:24:13.359 -->
00:24:19.839Whether you're a little bit foggy or you have more energy one day and you are having such a good day.
00:24:20.000 -->
00:24:21.519Like, what did you eat that day?
00:24:21.599 -->
00:24:27.200And just just testing it because I think getting to know our bodies is is a gift.
00:24:27.519 -->
00:24:28.079I love that.
00:24:28.160 -->
00:24:31.279And women, oh, we eat it and then we run, or we eat on the go.
00:24:31.440 -->
00:24:36.640It's really good to learn how to be in tune with your body and understand, okay, if I eat this, I feel this.
00:24:36.880 -->
00:24:39.599Yeah, it's definitely a journey that I'm learning right now.
00:24:39.680 -->
00:24:44.799And I'm so honored that so many people want to follow along in the journey.
00:24:44.960 -->
00:24:48.319I'm so grateful and also a little bit intimidated.
00:24:48.559 -->
00:24:58.240Cause I mean, just what was it, four days ago, my Facebook follower account was like 20 people and now it's at 7,000.
00:24:58.480 -->
00:24:58.799Wow.
00:24:59.039 -->
00:25:01.440And I'm like, ah, hello.
00:25:01.920 -->
00:25:02.480That's awesome.
00:25:02.799 -->
00:25:03.839Thank you for being here.
00:25:04.160 -->
00:25:05.839Yes, it's really fun.
00:25:06.000 -->
00:25:11.599But I like I said, I am just the average consumer of this fun content.
00:25:11.759 -->
00:25:16.319I love learning, and I'm just having a lot of fun sharing my journey with it.
00:25:16.720 -->
00:25:17.599I think that's awesome.
00:25:17.680 -->
00:25:19.839And like I said earlier, I think it's because you're relatable.
00:25:20.000 -->
00:25:23.680You're just, I'm a mom, and this is what I'm doing, and this is how I'm feeling.
00:25:23.839 -->
00:25:26.240And if you want to follow along, great.
00:25:26.720 -->
00:25:27.039Thank you.
00:25:27.200 -->
00:25:28.720I hope I can be relatable.
00:25:29.039 -->
00:25:33.839Let's talk a little bit about working out because you said that you've been breaking some personal records.
00:25:34.240 -->
00:25:38.319I go to Burn Boot Camp and they hold classes six times a week.
00:25:38.400 -->
00:25:44.559I go five times a week, just Monday through Friday, then Saturday and Sunday are family days when my husband's not at work.
00:25:44.799 -->
00:25:47.200So I love their child watch.
00:25:47.359 -->
00:25:54.960They do three or four strength training days a week and two more high-intensity interval cardio type training days.
00:25:55.119 -->
00:25:56.480I love the strength days.
00:25:56.640 -->
00:25:57.599Cardio is great too.
00:25:57.759 -->
00:26:00.079My heart rate tends to get really high, and I don't like that.
00:26:00.160 -->
00:26:03.039When it goes above 180, I'm like, I gotta stop.
00:26:04.240 -->
00:26:07.279So I I like the strength days more.
00:26:07.759 -->
00:26:11.759And I've been going for three years now.
00:26:12.079 -->
00:26:19.920And through having my kids and everything, it has been so nice mentally for me to just exercise and have a class that I go to.
00:26:20.160 -->
00:26:27.279But physically, the changes, like seeing my muscles, have not happened until I really focused on my nutrition.
00:26:27.440 -->
00:26:30.880And I was strong and I was doing things, but I just wanted to feel better.
00:26:31.039 -->
00:26:35.359I wanted my feet not to hurt because I knew that there was too much weight on my body for my feet.
00:26:35.519 -->
00:26:37.039My feet weren't weren't liking that.
00:26:37.359 -->
00:26:39.839I'd get out of bed in the morning and my feet hurt when I stood up.
00:26:39.920 -->
00:26:42.000And I was like, oh, I don't think that's supposed to happen.
00:26:42.160 -->
00:26:44.000Losing the weight has fixed that.
00:26:44.319 -->
00:26:56.640But in the gym lately, just having my body fat percentage down and focusing really hard on lifting heavy weights has been really wonderful for mental health.
00:26:56.799 -->
00:26:58.799And it's fun to be like, I did it.
00:26:58.960 -->
00:27:02.079I wanted to try and see if I could do this, and I did it.
00:27:02.400 -->
00:27:03.440It feels really good.
00:27:03.519 -->
00:27:09.759And then everybody gives you a high five, and you ring the bell saying, I had a personal record, and it's just so much fun.
00:27:10.160 -->
00:27:16.160And you even mentioned that not only are have you lost weight, but your body's changing in the way like your clothes are fitting.
00:27:16.400 -->
00:27:21.119Oh, I can't tell you how many new bras I've had to buy this year.
00:27:21.839 -->
00:27:23.359Which is not a bad problem, right?
00:27:23.680 -->
00:27:24.799It's so expensive.
00:27:25.039 -->
00:27:25.759I know it is.
00:27:26.000 -->
00:27:29.359Yes, not a problem though, because I I'm really excited about that.
00:27:29.440 -->
00:27:31.279Yes, my clothes are fitting differently.
00:27:31.440 -->
00:27:34.559I just feel so much better in my body.
00:27:34.720 -->
00:27:36.240I'm chasing my kids around.
00:27:36.319 -->
00:27:40.799I can roll on the ground and I'm not like, oh, the aches and pains, they're all gone.
00:27:40.880 -->
00:27:43.039Like it feels so good.
00:27:43.359 -->
00:27:46.799And I'm doing this for myself, but I'm also doing this for my kids.
00:27:46.880 -->
00:27:52.480Like, I want them to have a mom that's like, yeah, let's go roll in the mud together and not, oh, I can't.
00:27:52.559 -->
00:27:54.240It's gonna hurt my knees.
00:27:54.480 -->
00:27:56.720Like I said, I want to be super, super mom.
00:27:57.279 -->
00:27:58.720And you brought up a good point too.
00:27:58.880 -->
00:28:03.039A lot of women, especially in their 20s and 30s, they're like, oh, I have joint pain, or I'm getting old.
00:28:03.200 -->
00:28:04.640That's more from inflammation.
00:28:04.799 -->
00:28:06.240That's not from getting old.
00:28:06.319 -->
00:28:09.119So I feel like we have this wrong idea about joint pain.
00:28:09.200 -->
00:28:11.039So I love that you're like, I have no more pain.
00:28:11.119 -->
00:28:12.319I have all this energy.
00:28:12.480 -->
00:28:23.759And it's crazy how just shifting how you eat gave you your energy back, took all your pain away, and just it basically gave you your life back so you can play with your kids and be a young, fun mom.
00:28:24.079 -->
00:28:24.960Yes, it did.
00:28:25.119 -->
00:28:38.319And one interesting thing that I actually tested today, so I chest press usually 25 pounds, and my shoulder had been hurting before I started just eating beef and salt.
00:28:38.480 -->
00:28:40.160This was like a month ago.
00:28:40.319 -->
00:28:42.240My shoulder was hurting during my chest press.
00:28:42.319 -->
00:28:43.680It was like the muscle was popping.
00:28:43.759 -->
00:28:44.880I was like, what is happening?
00:28:44.960 -->
00:28:46.480This has never happened before.
00:28:46.720 -->
00:28:48.480And so I had to go down in weight.
00:28:48.799 -->
00:28:53.119Today I did chest press again, and I chest pressed 30s.
00:28:53.359 -->
00:28:53.680Wow.
00:28:54.400 -->
00:28:57.519I know, and it didn't pop at all, it didn't hurt at all.
00:28:57.680 -->
00:28:58.880I felt so strong.
00:28:59.039 -->
00:29:05.440So it was upper body arms and upper body day, and it was really good.
00:29:05.599 -->
00:29:06.720I felt so strong.
00:29:06.880 -->
00:29:09.279I was just so amazed that nothing hurt.
00:29:09.359 -->
00:29:14.079And things before that, I was like, oh, I gotta be careful with that, felt so much better.
00:29:14.240 -->
00:29:15.279I didn't feel it at all.
00:29:15.440 -->
00:29:18.799There was no pop in the muscle like it had been a month ago.
00:29:18.960 -->
00:29:24.160My body, I can tell I'm using the nutrition from the beef to do what it needs to do.
00:29:24.319 -->
00:29:32.240And when I work those muscles to failure and break them down, they build themselves back up even stronger than before to meet the need.
00:29:32.400 -->
00:29:39.119It's like the the primal for survival, you have to push a rock up the hill, then your body is going to adapt for that survival.
00:29:39.200 -->
00:29:46.400And that's why I try to lift heavy weights because I want my muscles to adapt to that so I can be even stronger.
00:29:46.720 -->
00:29:50.880And that's good that you're doing that because when we hit our 30s, we do start losing muscle mass.
00:29:51.039 -->
00:29:54.400So it's important to build that up and keep your body strong.
00:29:54.960 -->
00:29:56.000I want to be strong.
00:29:56.160 -->
00:30:02.400I I understand the feminine urge to just want to be like little and and everything.
00:30:02.720 -->
00:30:07.599But it's like I said, I want to be strong and I want to also be feminine.
00:30:07.759 -->
00:30:12.240What I'm learning is that it is really hard to look bulky.
00:30:12.559 -->
00:30:13.279You know what I mean?
00:30:13.599 -->
00:30:25.279If you're if you're eating correctly, even if you're training in the gym and and using really heavy weights, it's really hard to to build your muscles really big because the body just adapts.
00:30:25.839 -->
00:30:28.319And we don't have the testosterone like men do.
00:30:28.559 -->
00:30:28.960Yes.
00:30:29.359 -->
00:30:31.359So we're not gonna bulk up like them.
00:30:31.759 -->
00:30:32.319Yeah.
00:30:32.559 -->
00:30:34.640And if we do, then there's a problem.
00:30:34.960 -->
00:30:35.359Yeah.
00:30:35.519 -->
00:30:37.759Then you probably have a lot of testosterone.
00:30:37.920 -->
00:30:38.400It's fun.
00:30:38.559 -->
00:30:40.240I love learning about all of this.
00:30:40.640 -->
00:30:43.359And then you even mentioned that your skin cleared up.
00:30:43.440 -->
00:30:44.720So let's talk about that.
00:30:45.039 -->
00:30:46.079Yes, definitely.
00:30:46.240 -->
00:30:54.480So if you look at pictures from before starting this only beef and salt diet, it's been 12 days that we said.
00:30:54.640 -->
00:30:59.119You can see a difference in my skin from before versus today.
00:30:59.279 -->
00:31:02.640I I used to have these little red dots kind of right here in the middle.
00:31:02.720 -->
00:31:03.839I don't know what it was from.
00:31:04.000 -->
00:31:07.039I don't tend to use a whole lot of skincare or skin products.
00:31:07.200 -->
00:31:08.160Makeup is so fun.
00:31:08.319 -->
00:31:08.799I love it.
00:31:08.960 -->
00:31:09.519I have it.
00:31:09.680 -->
00:31:11.440I usually do it once a week.
00:31:11.599 -->
00:31:16.799At night, I use this face oil that my mom makes, and I've used it for years.
00:31:16.880 -->
00:31:17.680That's just all I do.
00:31:17.759 -->
00:31:18.640It's what I like.
00:31:18.880 -->
00:31:22.000And so just using the same products consistently through this.
00:31:22.079 -->
00:31:25.519I haven't changed anything else except the diet, just eating beef and salt.
00:31:25.680 -->
00:31:31.039My skin has cleared up and gotten so silky smooth, and it's so interesting.
00:31:31.200 -->
00:31:32.960I don't know if you can see on this video.
00:31:34.160 -->
00:31:35.920Um you're definitely glowing.
00:31:36.319 -->
00:31:36.880Thank you.
00:31:37.039 -->
00:31:50.240It's fascinating how it happens, but I think my body is utilizing the nutrition from the beef so efficiently that I'm not hungry all the time and my skin is glowing and I'm happy.
00:31:50.480 -->
00:31:54.480I don't think I look ill from just eating beef and salt.
00:31:54.640 -->
00:31:55.759So you don't.
00:31:56.000 -->
00:32:01.599And it's cool that you brought the skin piece into it because I've been an esthetician for 23 years.
00:32:01.839 -->
00:32:08.240And when I cleared up my own adult acne back in 2013, it was when I healed my gut.
00:32:08.319 -->
00:32:11.519And most people don't realize that skin issues come from the gut.
00:32:11.680 -->
00:32:16.079A lot of our acne, rosacea, like you were saying, oh, I have these little bumps on my cheek.
00:32:16.319 -->
00:32:17.599A lot of that comes from the gut.
00:32:17.680 -->
00:32:25.119So when you get rid of all the inflammation and you eat healthier, your gut microbiome adjusts and it reflects through your skin.
00:32:25.279 -->
00:32:27.599So that's awesome that your skin's clearing up.
00:32:27.759 -->
00:32:32.880And I'm 47, I don't do injections, and I'm very minimal with my skincare too.
00:32:33.039 -->
00:32:38.240And I I truly believe that it's because of the way I've eaten for so many years.
00:32:38.480 -->
00:32:40.559Yes, you are also glowing.
00:32:40.880 -->
00:32:41.279Thank you.
00:32:41.440 -->
00:32:41.839Thank you.
00:32:42.079 -->
00:32:42.799You're welcome.
00:32:43.119 -->
00:32:44.960Amber, how can everybody find you?
00:32:45.119 -->
00:32:46.960Where are you on social media?
00:32:47.279 -->
00:32:51.200I am on all the platforms, and it's just Amber's Meal Prep.
00:32:51.519 -->
00:32:56.960I will put your links in the show notes so that way they can click and connect with you and follow along on your journey.
00:32:57.279 -->
00:32:58.240Thank you so much.
00:32:58.319 -->
00:32:59.519I really appreciate it.
00:32:59.839 -->
00:33:01.920Thank you so much for being here today.
00:33:02.240 -->
00:33:03.519Thank you for listening.
00:33:03.680 -->
00:33:07.039Today we had on our special guest, Amber Cotrell.
00:33:07.200 -->
00:33:22.240We talked about the different diets, how eating meat is so healing, postpartum, hormone imbalances, and what this healthy eating journey has done for Amber's health, mood, and life as a young mom.
00:33:22.559 -->
00:33:25.359Please check the show notes to connect with Amber.
00:33:25.599 -->
00:33:29.119Be sure to tune in next Tuesday to episode 53.
00:33:29.279 -->
00:33:34.960We are talking about perimenopause, menopause, and how to do your 40s differently.
00:33:35.279 -->
00:33:37.200You don't want to miss this one.
00:33:37.440 -->
00:33:41.279And always remember, you deserve to love the skin you're in.
00:33:43.680 -->
00:33:45.359Thank you for spending time with me.
00:33:45.680 -->
00:33:52.960If today's conversation helped you see things a little differently, do me a favor, hit subscribe and leave us a review.
00:33:53.200 -->
00:34:00.000It helps the show reach more women who need to hear that they're not alone and that there are answers out there.
00:34:00.400 -->
00:34:02.000One last thought before you go.
00:34:05.440 -->
00:34:08.480You just need to take the next right step for you.
00:34:08.719 -->
00:34:10.960And I'll see you next week.
