🎶Hey Shawty it’s my birthday - my podcast birthday that is! I can’t believe a whole year of podcasting has gone by. Bless all of you sweet sweet listeners. To celebrate I’m giving away daily prizes to my podcasters reviewers! Leave a review in ITunes any day this week, or all days this week, for your name to be put in a hat. If I draw it, I’m mailing you a fun blessing prize.  
In this week’s episode I’m taking all the best tips and inspiration from the year and power-packing them into one place. Listen in for the best of Spirit, Mind and Body!

EPISODE 52: Best of Podcast Tips and Inspiration

SHOW NOTES

(0:00) Intro

Welcome back to the club!

• Go podcast, it yo birthday!

• Lightening round of the best from the past year.

• To celebrate, we are doing a GIVEAWAY!

  • For every person that leaves a review, they are entering to win.

1. The Holy Grail of Fat Burning:

   • Fasting 12-16 hours - this is the ancient rhythm of our bodies. Sometimes we feast and sometimes we fast. This rhythm promotes metabolic flexibility. If you are not regularly fasting yet - por que no? It’s time, my sister!
     
     

2. My Metabolic Strategy:

   • We talked about 5 really good tips here but one of my favorites is sprinting. Y’all know I feel about running like I do about math - not my thing, not my gift. But for whatever reason I love doing sprints. And I only do them once a week and without any sort of perfect timing mechanism. I run from mailbox to mailbox, dumpster to dumpster, I do about 5 or 6 rounds of that until my legs feel like jelly and I can’t do it anymore. The change-up is really good for metabolic flexibility just like the change up of feasting and fasting is really good for metabolic flexibility. Plus I’m always sore in my nether regions like inner thighs and abs and sprints are one of the quickest easiest ways for that to happen.
     
     

3. Orthodox Christian Fasting:

   • This was a fascinating episode about the Orthodox fasting practices. They fast in some way for over half the year. This does not mean they don’t eat at all, they have a pretty precise calendar of how to fast throughout the year. A lot of those days involve abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, fish, alcohol, and oils.

   • They regularly fast on Wednesdays because that is the day Judas betrayed Christ and on Fridays because that is the day He died on the Cross. When done well, I think this type of fasting plan can be really good for the body. And it’s something I touched on with another podcast guest, Jay W. Richards who wrote Eat Fast Feast, about this idea of fasting with the liturgical calendar  - which is essentially our church calendar full of the Holy Days, feasts and fasts and the seasonal changes.
     
     

4. Ancient Oils of Scripture:

   • When in doubt, use Frankincense. Frankincense was not only used as a holy anointing oil, it was known as a cure-all. There’s an Old Egyptian saying that said Frankincense was good for everything from a broken head to gout - which to us could translate good from head to toe. In modern times it is considered helpful for cuts, bruises, colds, skin, focus and mental clarity, headaches, depression, cancer, allergies, bronchitis and so much more. And, of course, it spiritually connects us to Jesus as frankincense was one of the gifts given by one of the wise men at His birth.
     
     

5. The Truth About Cholesterol:

   • The truth is - you need cholesterol, your body will die without it. Not enough will lead to dementia. The truth is that the acceptable cholesterol number keeps going down by the influence of pharmaceutical companies who make statins. The truth is that a high LDL does not always mean doom and gloom, you need to get a particle test to see if the LDLs are Type A which are not problematic, or Type B which are problematic.

   • The truth is statins are being prescribed way more than necessary and not only do they forcefully lower the number without addressing the root cause, they also have many side effects which can be the cause of your health problems. The truth is, for most people, lowering your carbs and eating healthy fats like olive oil and butter instead of unhealthy fats like canola and soybean oil will bring your cholesterol into better balance.
     
     

6. Flatter Belly, Clearer Skin, More Energy:

   • Biggest initial game changers in my health: stay hydrated (get ½ body weight in ounces of water),  remove inflammatory oils, get off wheat.
     
     

7. Another Clear Sign from God:

   • If you want a sign from God you have to ask.Matthew 7:7  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

   • When it came to doing this podcast I asked for a sign from God which He delivered to me in the form of a person - a former client of mine Melissa. But before that, the first major sign I ever asked for was whether or not to work with a business coach. It was a gut-wrenching decision because the cost was $5000 and I had never spent anything like that - not even on my training to become a nutritionist! I asked God to clearly and unmistakably bring the name Amanda into my presence within a 48 hour time period. And He did - twice because I doubted the first time. It was amazing and a major turning point in my relationship with God - we done stepped things up a notch!

     
     

8. Macros, Protein, Powder and Collagen:

   • I use collagen in my coffee regularly. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body but we start losing it as we age. A lot of people use it for the beauty benefits - it’s good for strong bones, hair and nails and can help reduce wrinkles and cellulite by promoting skin repair. I had one client go off of her arthritis medication because it helped her joints so much. It can help mend a leaky gut and it can also help prevent fatty deposits from building on your arterial walls. So, yes, girl, you need some collagen!
     
     

9. Self-Help Secrets from Women in the Bible:

   • Sarah: Trust God’s timing and don’t take matters into your own hands. God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child. Didn’t happen right away, Sarah got impatient and arranged for Abraham to sleep with her servant Hagar. They had Ishmael, which ultimately became the branch of Muslim. Sarah took matters into her own hands with lasting consequences that impact us today.
     
     

10. Why You Need a Probiotic:

    • This episode with special guest Tina Anderson was power-packed with information. We really dug into the need for a probiotic and why a spore-based probiotic is key. I think my favorite mythbuster from this show was that refrigerated probiotics are not better, in fact, they’re probably not accomplishing much. Tina explained that if a probiotic can’t even survive at room temp, how is going to survive your 98.6 body and stomach acid? There’s a survivability factor at play here and that’s where a spore-based probiotic shines. The nice people at Just Thrive always give my listeners a discount so if you want this superior probiotic you can go to use CHELSEA15 at checkout for 15% off.
      
      

11. Brain Juice for Women:

    • This was the episode with one of my favorite colleagues Leslie Bumpas. We talked about brain health and how to nurture your brain to prevent age related conditions like dementia and Alzheimers. One of the most popular things to come out of that episode her detox lemonade recipe, which she served to me when I stayed with her and I loved. Good for your liver, hydration and overall health which is good for your brain. Leslie’s Detox Lemonade

      
      

12. Food Sensitivities - A Hidden Reason for Your Health Problems:

    • MRT which is my food sensitivity test of choice. It stands for Mediator Release Test and it measures your immune response to 170 different foods and chemicals. If you remember I had things like beef, spinach, blueberries and squash on mine. I would  never have known that these were creating inflammation in my body and dragging down my immune system. I had to take those out for three months while I worked on my gut healing which is the reason you get food sensitivities in the first place. But your gut and immune system can’t heal if you keep putting foods in there that are creating problems.

    • And there’s no way to know except to test - test don’t guess. I haven’t had a test on a client come back without some kind of food that was systemically problematic. Some people definitely have more foods that are a problem and for others it’s just a few, but  it is a huge piece of the puzzle toward healing from the inside out. If you are interested in testing you can email me and I’ll get you set up.
      
      

13. Setting Your Carb Boundaries:

    • A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. -Proverbs 25:28

    • Carbs are where we find ourselves with the least self-control and so unless we set our boundary walls it’s a total free for all and that leads to obesity, diabetes, hormonal chaos, heart disease and overall poor health. This is one of the major foundations of Feast 2 Fast. You have to decide what is worth your carb load. I want you to think about your top 10 Heck Yeah carbs - the carbs that aren’t good for you but that you want to be able to work into your real life. Some of mine are gluten free bread, pizza, cookies, tortilla chips and wine.
      
      

14. Tummy Troubles - IBS:

    • Practical tips for IBS: Have a GI stool analysis done to see what’s the heart of the problem. If that’s out of your budget right now, at least do an assessment to get guidance on digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid to help your body handle your food well.Have an MRT test done to identify foods problematic to gut and immune system. If the test is out of your price range  - remove the top 5 food allergens/sensitivities: gluten, eggs, dairy, soy and corn. Eat mindfully so that your body can process your food - that means sitting down, chewing well and taking your time. Be proactive and take a probiotic.
      
      

15. Macronutrient Variation - More Carbs in Summer:

    • Did you know we are actually biologically designed to eat more carbs in the summer and less in the winter. When the light is longer and the growing season is more abundant, we are meant to “stock up”  for the winter season when food was historically less abundant. It very much goes along with that feasting and fasting rhythm. So if you find yourself drawn to more carbs in the summer - have some grace for yourself - don’t go nuts  - but try to work with your body in a healthy way and not against it.
      
      

16. Cardio vs Strength:

    • How the body responds to strength training:Burns more calories throughout the day without doing anything, the higher the muscle mass the higher the metabolism, changes your aesthetic look - toned and muscle), increases bone density. 

17. Being Spirit Led:

    • Use your “Holy Edge.” Involve the Lord in your decisions and your schedule. We have so many “obligations” as Christian women- how many of those are self-imposed? God is trying to tell you- you’re making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to determine what is truly essential and what you can let go. Remember the concept of Grace over Grind. When you’re being Spirit led, you don’t have to grind because you are connected to the all-knowing God.
      
      

18. Why Hidden Mold is Wrecking Your Health:

    • Carly and I take a deep dive into how mold can be an underlying root cause of your health problems. If you are chronically suffering with a health issue and just cannot figure it out, consider that mold can be the problem, especially if you live in hot, humid, flooding type regions. But remember that you won’t necessarily have to see or smell mold for it to be present. If you at all suspect mold could be a problem for you, check out this episode to learn how to investigate, eradicate and support your body through it.
      
      

19. The Holy Trinity of Macronutrients:

    • Don’t put all your eggs in one macronutrient basket. When it comes to carbs, proteins and fats - the body does best and diets are most sustainable when there is a good balance. There are times for a therapeutic approach when a high fat or higher protein diet are helpful, but the extreme should not be the norm. When you go extreme, it usually comes back to bite you in the butt.
      
      

20. Iodine Deficiency in Thyroid and Breast Cancer:

    • If you have thyroid or breast cancer conditions, I’d be looking at iodine deficiency. Iodine is used by the body to create thyroid hormone and to create something called S-Iodolactone which is used by the body to remove abnormal cells, especially from the endocrine system. Cystic conditions, goiters and fibrocystic breast disease (flagged as an abnormal condition that can eventually lead to breast cancer) have all been correlated with an iodine deficiency. Iodine is a super important mineral for your body.

    • There’s a test you can do called the Iodine Loading Test but you’d want to do it under the guidance of a practitioner.  Do not get your iodine from highly processed iodized salt. You can get it through foods like pastured egg yolks, grass fed meats, wild caught fish and if you use Redmond Real Salt which is an American mined inland salt it has trace minerals which includes iodine.

      
      

21. Clear Sign from God #3:

    • God moved quickly and directly when I asked Him if I should create a coaches program for Feast 2 Fast. I gave Him a week and He answered in an hour. It was unbelievable. Again, ask and you shall receive my friends!
      
      

22. Fat Burning Training:

    • My top two tips for training your body to burn fat is to fast for 12-16 hours and then make your first meal of the day fat and protein so your body doesn’t switch into sugar burning mode. Once you eat carbs, it switches, so if you can delay that til later in the day, you give your body the opportunity to become better relying on fat for energy.
      
      

23. The Busy Mom Reset:

    • Mamas reevaluate your priorities, your picture of perfection and your mountain of expectation. Luke 10 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

    • Moral of the story: If you are stressed out over all the things, you are missing the most important things: The people in front of you, and the Lord of the Universe. Don’t put them on the back burner mama!

      
      

24. Strategies for Feeding Kids:

    • My #1 strategy for feeding kids is to prioritize protein and have lots and lots of it on hand. Proteins are the building blocks of their bodies, it’s what forms their muscle and tissue and neurotransmitters.
      
      

25. Behind the Scenes Weight Loss Story:

    • My client Rebecca shares how she went from eating ice cream on the couch every night to losing several sizes. The key was not chasing the weight, but chasing her health and then allowing her body the time to heal. I had her take a Nutritional Assessment and we identified her body’s top needs to address. She talks about her changing mind shifts and body composition along the way and is a great testament to how to succeed at changing your health and your weight.
      
      

26. Hearing from the Holy Spirit:

    • Hearing from the Holy Spirit is the gift we’ve ALL  been given from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I share these episodes to remind you of that, to remind you to tune in and listen to what the Lord is trying to impart to you. So much of how the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through a feeling or intuition. Before I fully understood that it was God speaking to me, I had several occasions with overwhelming senses of guidance or  certainty in my future.

    • One of my favorites that I share in this episode is the first time I saw my husband I immediately had this other wordly sense that it was who I would marry even though it was the first time I’d ever laid eyes on him and it made absolutely no sense at the time. God was speaking to me before I was even really listening, so be encouraged and tune into that.
      
      

27. Do You Need a Functional Medicine Doctor:

    • I went to a functional medicine doctor when I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. He changed my diet, gave me some supplements and that played an enormous role in me getting pregnant six weeks later. That experience played a huge part in me becoming a nutritionist and sharing this ability to heal with people. When to possibly seek out a Function Medicine doctor:

      • Not seeing relief of symptoms after covering nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle basics.

      • Chronic conditions

      • Prescriptions, dosage adjustments

      • Autoimmune disease
        
        

28. Why You Can’t Stop Overeating:

    • There are physical and emotional reasons. Physical are:

      • Nutritional deficiencies

      • Overgrowth of bad gut bacteria

      • Not being metabolically flexible

      • Not digesting well

      • Metabolic hormones: Lectin and Ghrelin can be off.

      • Dysregulated Dopamine response: Emotional is that we use food to avoid feeling discomfort: whether that’s sadness, boredom, frustration.

    • Two favorite tips:

      • “Results are on the over side of discomfort”

      • Mind, Throat, Belly test  - in your mind it’s a craving; in your throat it’s a thirst;  in your belly it’s hunger
        
        

29. Lessons from my Life Coach:

    • Your life is a result of your thoughts. We think it’s a result of our actions or non-action - which is true BUT the way that we take action or not first comes from a thought. If my thought is - I’ll never really be able to lose weight - if that’s the thought circulating through your mind regularly - it produces a feeling of doubt - which, if your mind is convinced you’ll never really lose weight then, why the heck not eat those cookies and at least enjoy yourself. The thought ultimately drives us to our actions and so you absolutely must examine what thoughts are floating through your mind. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7

    • The way that you think is the way that you will be. “More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

      
      

30. Calcium, K2, Bones:

    • Bone health is not just about calcium - you must have the proper co-factors for your body to be able to use calcium.  And if you don’t, calcium can end up in the wrong place (like your arteries). Vitamin D is important but so is K2 which helps calcium get to your bones. I regularly use K2 and you can get that from Just Thrive and use the code CHELSEA15 to get a 15% discount.
      
      

31. How Thoughts Affect Cancer:

    • Here we are again with how thoughts affect our health. Megan shared how the myth is that cancer is a genetic disease.

    • Only 5-10% of cancer diagnosis’ have a direct genetic influence.Biggest influences are nutrition (or lack thereof), toxic exposure and your mind. Living in fear and stress changes the biochemistry of your body  - like all of the cortisol that gets released - which creates ripe conditions for cancer to proliferate. Your thoughts play a huge role in whether your body takes on illness and disease and it’s why we will always talk about how to keep your mind in check here on The Christian Health Club podcast.
      
      

32. The Secret to NOT Counting Calories:

    • Bible women didn’t count calories and here are two major takeaways from this podcast: - Stop when you’re full. We call that Getting our Ruth on in The Christian Health Club.

    • Ruth 2:14: she ate all she wanted and had some leftover. - Calorie variation is normal, meaning, Bible women wouldn’t have eaten the same amount of calories every single day. The would have eat more or less based on hunger and food availability. Sometimes we feast and sometimes we fast.
      
      

33. A Lesson from Ecclesiastes 11:4:

    • He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

    • If you wait for the perfect conditions - for your schedule to calm down or for the holidays to pass, you’ll never start or sustain your healthy lifestyle. This is what I told my client who kept telling me things were so crazy and it dawned on me that we all feel this way, that life is the crazy and we have to learn to operate our healthy lifestyle within the crazy. We have the same choice of what we put in our mouths whether it’s crazy or calm.
      
      

34. Skipping Breakfast: Good or Bad?:

    • Nobody skips breakfast, the first meal of the day is break fast. What’s more important than the time is the food. Your first meal sets the tone for your blood sugar regulation and energy pattern throughout the day. And as I mentioned earlier, starting the day with mostly protein and fat is going to help keep both of those things stable plus help train your body to be a fat burner.
      
      

35. Diet Denomination:

    • Should we be vegetarians or meat eaters? God gave us both. Genesis 1:29 - Eat PlantsGenesis 9:3 - Eat MeatSome people do well on mostly plants, some do well on mostly meat, the majority of people to best on a mix of both. As Christians we’re not meant to be known by our love, not our food rules.
      
      

36. Think Zinc:

    • Zinc is a critical trace mineral  - a deficiency is often a root contributor to acne, poor digestion, poor alcohol detoxification, low libido and to kids being so picky with their food. There’s an at home self test you can do to test your zinc levels and if you go to the website and search zinc you can find how to do that.
      
      

37. Don’t Bargain Shop Your Body:

    • I have been in bargain shopping recovery for years. Instead of letting bargains define your food, clothes or home good choices - which is never choosing what best serves your body or your space, apply the Heck Yeah Principle to your choices. If it’s not a Heck Yeah, it’s a Heck No. If you wouldn’t buy it at full price, don’t buy it all. Helps us to be better stewards of what we allow into our kitchens, bodies and homes.
      
      

38. Expecting Signs from God:

    • If we want to hear from God we have to live in the posture of expectation and belief. When we order something from Amazon we expect it to arrive, we look for the package, we don’t doubt that it’s coming. What if we gave God the same credit as we give Amazon? Look for His guidance, listen, expect it. He delivers.
      
      

39. Fuel vs Entertainment Food:

    • Think of your food in the context of what is fuel for your body and what is a party-in-your-mouth. Overly stimulating flavors in processed foods interfere with your body’s normal taste and brain receptors - it’s wants a party-in-your-mouth all the time and will drive you to eat more processed food like Doritos and cookies. To fuel the body you want to have for optimal weight and health, you’ve got to reset these receptors by eating for fuel.

      
      

40. Tighten Your Tinkler:

    • I learned a lot from these ladies at Tighten Your Tinkler, they have a non invasive approach to pelvic floor recovery - meaning you don’t HAVE to go to extremes of surgery if you’ve got bladder issues or pain in your pelvic area. They have a solution you can do right in your own home and they have lots of success with it. One interesting thing I learned is that Kegels are not the answer as they can over tighten the muscles and actually create the problem instead of helping it. So stop your stoplight kegels ladies!
      
      

41. Your Body Must Believe You:

    • Your body will not release weight or overcome a health issue without consistency of nutrition, sleep and exercise. Yo-yo dieting and poor lifestyle choices make your body hold onto weight as a protective measure - it doesn’t know what you’re going to do. Your body is so smart and always on your side - when you give it what in needs with consistency it feels safe enough to release and start healing. Find a lifestyle of eating you can live with so that your body can believe you.
      
      

42. How Many Meals a Day?:

    • Eat when you’re hungry whether that’s four times a day or two or even one. I don’t recommend eating 6 times a day as that constantly taxes your digestive system, keeps you in sugar burning mode and doesn’t allow your body enough time to detox and burn fat in between meals. Each person will be a little different in how many meals works for them. Instead of trying to hit a certain number of meals, go by eating when you are truly hungry (you may need to use the head, throat, belly test!)
      
      

43. The Best That Can Happen:

    • Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… Ephesians 3:20

    • As Christians we have the ability to do more than we will ever realize. We are not honoring God by thinking about the worst that can happen instead of the best that happen. The enemy loves to you keep you in worst-case-scenario mode, but that is not how God wants us to operate. 

    • Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
      
      

44. My Clean Routine:

    • Here are some of my favorite things I use in my clean routine - organic coffee (Cafe Altura), Dr Bronner’s bar soap for the shower, Beautycounter as my skincare and makeup, Native deodorant, Young Living oils and Thieves cleaner, Branch Basics home cleaning products and my Boll & Branch organic cotton sheets. 
      
      

45. Faith and Fitness:

    • I love Alisa Keaton’s message of not using fear as a motivator  - or punisher - for your diet and health choices. Do it from a place of love and honoring your body as a Holy Temple, created and loved by God.

      
      

46. The Secret to Syncing Your Cortisol:

    • Our bodies are designed to sync with the earth and light plays a huge role in this. Getting sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning and using blue blocker glasses at night helps set your circadian rhythm for better energy and sleep.
      
      

47. Increasing Oxytocin Flow:

    • Love the idea of grounding - getting hands and feet in the earth but my favorite tip from this episode is regularly getting together with your girlfriends.
      
      

48. Eat Fast Feast:

    • Fasting has always been a part of our Christian history, it’s only in modern times that we’ve become disconnected. We are meant to model our lives after Jesus and He fasted regularly. It’s an amazing Spirit, Mind, Body discipline that benefits us in all areas of life. Again, I encourage you to incorporate this beautiful discipline as part of your healthy lifestyle.
      
      

49. Insider Secrets to Eating Grains and Legumes:

    • Choose White Indian Basmati Rice  - lower in lectins, higher in resistant starch
      
      

50. Dialing in Decrease:

    • John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

    • Remember that the more stuff in our heads, our bellies, our homes, our schedules and on our  credit card bill, the less room we have for guidance and peace from the Lord. How you can you decrease in these areas of your life to make more room for Him?

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(1:20:00) Outro & Disclaimer

Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!

XOXO,

Chelsea