Cynthia's Podcast

Ep. 219 Breaking Down Calorie Restriction, Protein Intake and The Ketogenic Diet with Chris Irvin

I had the honor of reconnecting with Chris Irvin today! (He was with me once before, on Episode 175.)
Chris is a nutrition researcher, writer, and educator specializing in low-carb dieting for metabolic health and human performance. He is the author of Keto Answers, The Carnivore Diet for Beginners, and Mommy, Do I Have to Eat This? He is also the Chief Marketing Officer at BioCoach, a company dedicated to taking down prediabetes and diabetes.

Chris is an incredible resource on the value of keto and low-carb diets! His book, Keto Answers, is one of my favorite keto resources to recommend to clients! In this episode, Chris and I get into the differences between micro and macronutrients. We talk about the therapeutic uses of keto, low-carb, hormesis, and carnivore diets, the role of metabolic health, the value of protein, balancing longevity and sarcopenia, and the results of over-fasting, over-restricting, and creating too much stress on the body. We also dive into questions from listeners about the impact of low-carb and ketogenic diets on cholesterol panels and endurance, how to troubleshoot digestive distress, protein excess, and Chris’s favorite gadgets and supplements.

I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as I did recording it! Stay tuned for more!

Read More »

Ep. 218 Achieving Sustainable Metabolic Flexibility with Mark Sisson

Today I feel privileged to connect with the legendary Mark Sisson, the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet and bestselling book, The Primal Blueprint! Mark has been integral in turbo-charging the growth of the Primal Paleo movement. He is a prolific writer, blogger, and founder of Primal Kitchen and Primal Nutrition.

Our body’s ability to supply the cells with energy is critical to our lives. In all his work, which spans decades, Mark emphasizes the importance of metabolic health, which means that every cell in the body gets supplied with enough energy to function optimally. Metabolic flexibility is the body’s ability to extract energy from multiple sources, including fat stored in the body, and access energy from ketones to fuel the brain.

In this episode, Mark and I dive into metabolic health and flexibility, nutritional dogmatism, disordered eating and extremes, and the misguidedness of the “calories in, calories out” approach. We discuss food scarcity, intermittent fasting, impulse control, and mindset, and Mark also shares how he has managed to have a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted family despite his success.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and gain a lot from listening to it! Stay tuned for more!

Read More »

Ep. 217 The Shocking Truth about Mold Exposure and Mycotoxin Illness with Dr. Aaron Hartman

Today, I am excited to have my friend and colleague, Dr. Aaron Hartman, joining me! Dr. Hartman is a triple board-certified physician in functional and integrative medicine. 

Our immune systems can go into overdrive in response to many different environmental factors, including some of the things we get exposed to in our food and personal care products. Today, for the first time on the podcast, we will be talking about mold and micro-toxins and their resultant systemic inflammatory side effects.

Be sure to tune in to this conversation to learn more!

Read More »

Ep. 216 The Science Behind Stress and How to Create Sustainable Change with Dr. Doni Wilson

I am excited to have Dr. Doni Wilson back on the show today! She was with me once before in episode 142. Dr. Doni is a naturopathic doctor, certified professional midwife, and the bestselling author of Master Your Stress Reset Your Health. She has been in practice for the last twenty-two years.

Most people think that stress is all bad. However, it only becomes an issue when chronic, long-term, or debilitating. There are many benefits to having the right amount of stress at the right time. 
In this episode, Dr. Doni and I take a deep dive into the role of stress and the impact of the stress response, including heart rate variability, the autonomic nervous system, and the role of the vagus nerve. We talk about what happens to our bodies with chronic exposure to stress- specifically around digestion, hormonal imbalances, neurotransmitter changes, and immune response.

We discuss the impact of adverse childhood events and trauma, different types of stress, and recovery protocols. We also discuss measuring neurotransmitters and urine and speak about self-compassion and love- especially when dealing with stressful events.

I hope you enjoy today’s conversation! Stay tuned for more!

Read More »

Ep. 215 How to Use Nutrigenomics to Optimize Health with Kristina Hess

I am delighted to have the opportunity to converse with Kristina Hess today! Kristina is a premier health coach, licensed dietician, and nutritionist with a functional and integrative approach.

Everyone should feel free to experiment with different types of nutritional dogma. However, we should always stay open-minded and lean into whatever our bodies need. I love that Kristina has married the trajectory of her life with genetics and nutrition. So I asked her to join me on the podcast to discuss nutrigenomics.

In this episode, Kristina shares her backstory and talks about growing up and living all over the world, her history of veganism, and healing her body with a nutrient-dense, whole food, primal/paleo diet. She gives some examples of genetic tendencies and low penetrants. She and I dive into gene variants, nutritional choices that include the use of ethanol or alcohol, seed oils, lifestyle choices, and testing. Kristina also provides recommendations for working with individuals trained in the unique form of genetics and study of nutrition and gene expression, known as nutrigenomics.

I hope you will gain a lot from today’s fascinating conversation with Kristina Hess! Stay tuned for more!

Special announcement: I will be an honored guest at the Keto Symposium, a one-and-a-half-day event in New York City on the 23rd and 24th of September, to speak, along with others like the amazing Ben Azadi!

Read More »

Ep. 214 Breaking Down Insulin Resistance and Ketones with Dr. Latt Mansor

I am delighted to have the opportunity to connect with Dr. Latt Mansor today! Dr. Mansor is the Research Lead at HVMN. He oversees all the company’s research efforts and collaborations with universities and research institutions. He has a Master’s degree in sarcopenia and a P.h.D. from Oxford University. His background is predominantly in metabolism and physiology.

Dr. Mansor is a delightful individual who makes science and physiology accessible to everyone! In this episode, he and I discuss the role of ketones. We dive into how ketones are the fourth macronutrient, the role of energy and ATP, and using CGMs and glucometers to empower and motivate patients. We define endogenous versus exogenous ketones and explain how to utilize them in our daily lives. We also get into how ketones can improve cognition and performance, the cause of keto flu, fatty coffees, and the ongoing research that HVMN is doing.

We hope you enjoy learning from today’s fascinating conversation with Dr. Latt Mansor! Stay tuned for more!

Read More »