Podcast Drop Date: 7/11/2024
In this episode of the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast, host Amber Warren PA-C has an enlightening conversation with Registered Dietitian Marianne Green. Together, they tackle the pressing issue of forever chemicals in our food supply, exploring their health implications and offering practical strategies for reducing exposure. They also emphasize the importance of fostering healthy food relationships among children and families, providing expert insights on promoting positive attitudes towards nutrition. Additionally, the episode covers actionable steps individuals can take to support their bodies' healing processes through dietary and lifestyle changes. This conversation is a comprehensive guide to creating a safer and more nourishing environment for overall well-being.
Transcript:
Amber Warren, PA-C: Welcome to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast, where we explore root cause medicine, engage in conversation with functional and integrative medicine experts, and build community with like minded health seekers. I'm your host, Amber Warren. Let's dig deeper. Hi, everyone. Welcome back. We're here at our Eagle location and I'm here with Marianne Green. And I'm so excited about this discussion and interview and all the things coming. So Marianne Green is a registered dietitian nutritionist and also a board Certified Integrative Functional Nutrition Certified practitioner. She provides one on one and group nutrition education education utilizing a root cause and food as medicine approach. She believes in sustainable changes in building a true partnership between her and her clients. Marianne has been with functional medicine for four years and truly cannot imagine herself practicing any other way besides functional nutrition. Amen. Marianne is also a mom of two young, adorable children and spends her time cooking and being a homemaker when she's not working. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you. And you see patients out of our Meridian location, both in person and virtually.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Just in person.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Just in person. Okay. And you do some really, really cool programs, um, that we can always, if there's time to talk about later. Um, so I kind of reached out to you a little bit ago, and I'm like, this is so on my heart to want to discuss that. The idea and the topic of what we're feeding and not feeding our children and the chemicals that were, I mean, were, as adults, overwhelmed with. But specifically, I feel like some of these big industries are targeting our children with some of these chemicals and inflammatory foods. And you are a mom. You get it. You understand the burden that we face every day trying to just get through life, raise children, but also not poison them. Let's be honest, right. I'm just going to say it like it is. Yeah. So I was so excited when you were like, oh my gosh, let's do it. Let's have this discussion and talk about it, because I know it's such a passion of yours as well.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. And I'm like right in the middle of it. So it's it's like when I'm connecting with clients, it's not foreign. It's like, hey, like, I get it. Yeah, I'm a mom, working mom, you know, two kids, and.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We have to live in this world, too. We can't just, like, completely banish ourself from the world and from birthday parties and from school events and social settings.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yes, there's such a piece to like. Wanting your kids to have a healthy relationship with food, too.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: And you can't live in a hole you can't like, you know, stiff arm, everything you come in contact with.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, so, yeah, trying to figure out, you know, some healthy ways to keep your kids safe and protected from some of these foods, but also live in this society. It's it's tricky. It's kind of like a dance, for sure.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. So we know I mean, yours and I's training and all the practitioners that we get to work with, it's nutrition is foundational. Um, and such a core of what we do. And we kind of call it like a non-negotiable, right? When you're trying to get people healthy and really get to the root of, of issues. So what are you seeing? Um, in our kiddos diets nowadays that is most concerning to you?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, it's kind of a loaded question. I think there's a lot, um, I think the first thing that I see is we've lost the art of actually spending time to, like, make our food and cook it and garden. We're so disconnected with our food. Um, we're so busy. Like our standard culture, you know, American culture. It's. So do this right after this, you have this appointment with this, you know, sports team or, you know, um, so, like, just incredible stress, incredible schedules that people aren't carving out time to prepare meals. And so, in turn, what are they doing? They're grabbing quick things, you know, eating out, ordering DoorDash, grabbing a lot of quick and processed things. And it's not intentional, but because all these processed foods have emulsifiers, emulsifiers, binders, um, stabilizers that they're not educated about and turn they're feeding their kids this process stuff that has so many health, um, concerns. So really like a lot of times I'm just educating parents on what is in this processed food. Let's actually look at a label together. Um, so I'd say the first concerning thing is, is people aren't spending, they're not, um, valuing whole food enough or they're willing to spend time making it. Yeah. Um, they want the quick and easy, you know, processing. And then the second thing is the lack of fiber, the lack of vegetables and kiddos diets. Um, I'll talk about that a little bit later. You know, I think it stems from like, um, the little process, you know, squeezy pouches that are like higher sugar than, like a stick of broccoli or something. So I think it's a lack of fiber. And then in turn, it's all connected. But then this overall pickiness I won't do this. I won't do veggies. I'm only doing chicken nuggets. I'm.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You hear that a lot, don't you?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So those are probably the top three like most concerning things.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay. So what are let's just start with some names of these chemicals that we should be aware of. Like we know sugar. And I'm so thankful because I think in today's society tell me if you agree I think and again, maybe it's the people I do life with and the people I'm around like you and everyone we get to work with. But I think there's more recognition about things like sugar and activity and screens. But I think there's still a huge lack of education on the chemicals in our foods.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, I think well, there's actually a site that I actually use and I'll share here in a minute because things are ever changing. So I have to refer to like a lot of research and what's, what's what's changing really. Um, and chemicals are, you know, changing all the time and what, what's working right for food stabilizers, things like that. So, um, actually the website I'll share, um, it's called CSPI, and it's a chemical database where they rate foods, um, from safe to completely avoid, um, um, kind of give you, like, a green, you know, yellow, dark orange to absolutely red. So I wanted to kind of share with the audience, what are the red? What are the red? Chemicals like are directly linked. Not like an association, but like, um, I'll just give you a couple examples here. Um, so titanium dioxide, that's used as like a coloring agent, um, directly linked to DNA damage, um, caramel coloring. That one was in a lot of foods that I was eating, to be honest.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, it is in a lot of food.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Caramel coloring. I just it never thought, um, until, you know, the, the recent, um, that one linked to cancer. Mhm. Mhm. Um, another one aspartame. People are probably more familiar with. Right. That's linked to cancer. That's obviously a sweetener. TBHQ. That's a preservative also linked to cancer. That one's in a lot of kids foods. Mhm. Um, so that's just a few, a couple other ones. Um, brominated vegetable oil. Uh, potassium bromate. Titanium dioxide that's linked to like the whitening making foods just like pure really, really white. Um, trans fat carrageenan, I think is maybe more well known than some of the other ones. So yeah, there's a lot out there. Those are kind of the the ones that I really caution patients with.
Amber Warren, PA-C: How about food dyes?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Food dyes are another whole category. Um, they directly disrupt that gut lining. So, um, you know, functional medicine. We're asking the question why? So, um, I mean, if the patient, you know, why does my skin. Why does my kiddo have eczema? Getting to the root instead of putting a topical thing on. Right. Like, our whole mission is like, why root cause? So I'm always using this kind of illustration illustration for patients and saying, hey, we got to lift up the rug and say, hey, why is this eczema present? Why is your why are you still having acne at whatever age? Um, so those food dyes disrupt that gut lining. Um, you know, create creating leaky gut. Uh, I think, um, food dyes. I think a lot of people aren't educated, but it usually has like a number associated with it. So like red, um, red 40, yellow five. Um, and actually one of them, I don't know if you're familiar. You might have this might be new to you. Um, I was just looking. Um, where is it? Red three was banned in 1990 for, um, any cosmetic use. 1990. Okay. Now, last year, California, they're kind of, you know, heading some of this stuff up.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Nuff said. Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, 2023, um, they banned red food. Red three in any foods they, they're giving people four years to actually put it into practice? They have until 2027. It cannot be in any product sold.
Amber Warren, PA-C: They need four years to remove this from their sources. That's insane. Yeah, yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: And hopefully this will it's.
Amber Warren, PA-C: A good start. Let's be encouraged by this for sure. Yeah, yeah. California's making a good move in that regard. Um, I'm, I want to touch on also. How about the things that we know are sprayed on these foods that aren't listed on the label? I think it's amazing and beautiful to educate parents on labels, but like, how do we avoid the herbicides and pesticides that we know most? Even the organic foods are just so doused in?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, I think the biggest, you know, one I think most people know is glyphosate. Yeah, I heard a stat in, in anybody's diet in the United States, at any point, um, 80% of us have glyphosate in our urine. Yep. So I think, again, we can't live in a hole. So supporting our detox pathways. Absolutely. Um, eating organic, um, you know, watching some of those, one of the websites I use, um.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Environmental working group, EWG.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: They're always. They're always testing things. And like recently they had one with oats and it was like organic oats versus a non-organic 700 times. Um, so when I get those little tidbits, like I always those stick in my brain, I always share with patients. Um, and I have little things on my wall. Um, it's just, you know, those little stats like, oh, maybe I should pay attention to this.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Talking about the the food colorings, it's a really it really is a double edged sword because we know what it does to our gut lining. And then on the flip side of that, our gut is such an important detoxification organ. So then we also can't detox because of this load of food dyes because our gut is damaged. So we can't pour out the glyphosate herbicides, heavy metals that we're getting in our food, in the air, you know, the parabens and phthalates and different cosmetic ingredients and the formaldehyde and the furniture in our homes. So it's they not only disrupt the gut, which has its own issues with autoimmune disease and just the immune system in general, but then it's not allowing us to detox. So it's like these kids in glyphosate didn't even come on board until the 90s. So thankfully, you and I had some of our life where glyphosate wasn't a thing, but like our children. Yeah, I mean, it's it's been poured into their food since they were newborns.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, yeah. And even in baby food, which I'm going to talk here in a minute. Yes. Yeah. That gets me really passionate. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I was reading not too long ago that today's infant microbiomes that are completely breastfed, their microbiome as far as distribution of bacteria in the gut, is the same as formula fed babies from like 30 years ago. I'm not talking 300 years ago. I'm talking like 30 years ago. So there's been.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: In our.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Lifetime. In our lifetime, there's been this dramatic shift in the gut microbiome that we're seeing in children. Yeah, it's pretty wild. So let's start giving our listeners some application, because as moms, we know I mean, even our very, very educated moms are really overwhelmed with this topic. So let's just start diving into some of the things that we can start doing to avoid some of these toxins and chemicals that we're seeing in our food.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, I think and before I even go into that, Amber, I, I'm not sure people know that, like, we were born intuitive eaters. Mhm. Um, and these chemicals, um, are disrupting like that. So people are having a really hard time managing weight. Really hard time. Like with autoimmune issues. Um, so babies are born intuitive eaters. They don't overfeed or under feed themselves. It's when we, the processed food came on the market or they were introduced to it that totally disrupted, you know, this endocrine system and the leptin and all that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, what's leptin? Can you tell us what leptin is?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, leptin is a hormone that helps regulate, um, hunger. Ghrelin is the fullness one and leptin is the hunger. A lot of people have leptin resistance, so they have a hard time because of all these food chemicals regulating hunger and fullness. Yeah. And it starts, you know, with the introduction of this processed food of these chemicals.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right, right. Yeah. It's so true. Um, forever chemicals, uh, Prime, this crazy drink that was introduced, not just the energy drink. I'm even talking just like the electrolyte drink that was brought on the market last year. Right? I've heard of it. You've never heard of prime time? Oh, God bless you. Well, it's also because you don't have children my age. You don't have boys that are going to sports camps and, you know, talking about that stuff at school, but I don't know what it was. I think there were some famous YouTuber that made Prime really famous. And my boys, I think it was last summer, started just saying, mom, we want prime, we want prime. And you look at the label and you're like, okay, it does have a little bit of sucralose, which is terrible, right? But other than that you're like, not the worst thing in the world. And my boys have maybe had 2 or 3 bottles of Prime in their life in the last year. Right? Yeah. And then a couple weeks ago it comes out that prime, even though you would never know it from necessarily. The ingredient label has these forever chemicals, these pufas in them. Right, that literally stay in the body for 35 years. You can't pee them out. You can't sweat them out. You can't poop them out. You can't get them to you can't put your kids in a sauna like my kids get in a sauna. I put them on binders. We do ups and salt baths. There's no getting rid of these forever chemicals. You're kidding. And it's becoming. So there's a lawsuit about this sports drink.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It was a sports drink.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It's a it's just like a sports drink. I mean, you knew it was bad, but they were marketing. They were trying to make it famous by marketing to children. Wow. And it's got these forever chemicals in it.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Wow. The marketing to kids is a whole nother topic too. Yeah, and you.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Don't have to get on YouTube or get on the world wide scary internet to see this. You you have to go to the store. Yeah. And you see the colorful marketing, the words they.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Use, even the Gatorade. Totally. You know, all of that has food dyes, which are excitable hormone, you know, literally lead to behavioral issues. Yeah. Adhd. Um, yeah. I actually saw a patient, um, a couple of weeks ago. She came in maybe late 30s, uh, had three boys and just wanted to get some of the weight off. Um, and one of the main things that we were working on was just getting these chemicals out and in turn, Amber. She had seen some some progress in weight. Three boys, all ADHD. She's like my kids behavior has totally improved. When I when I'm not, you know, keep a pretty regimented schedule. And normally when they're off schedule, their behavior is completely out of control. They can't emotionally regulate. Just huge turnaround. And that wasn't even what we were focusing on.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, so cool, I love that. That's pretty neat.
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Amber Warren, PA-C: I did a little experiment, not intentional this last weekend. It was my little guy's eighth birthday and I make cakes like I. That's just I refuse to buy the store bought crap food dye stuff like I and I actually really enjoy it because I get to personalize it and they get to say what theme they want. Yeah. So I had my cake mix that I was going to make, and I just needed some like white frosting. And I thought, and we had to get a bunch of other stuff for his little party. And I thought, Fred Meyer is my one stop shop. I don't want to go to multiple stores today because you know what? That's like. You have to go to multiple different stores to get what you need. I'm sure I can find, because I actually think they have. Maybe I shouldn't mention specific chains, but whatever. I think they actually have a pretty good Whole Foods natural foods selection, right? Yeah, I could not find they must have had 9 or 10 different brands of white frosting. I could not find a white frosting without food dye. And I'm not talking just red 40. I'm talking multiple food dyes. You're kidding. And I'm like, why? This is white frosting. I have my own food colors at home that I add to make white.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: But like frosting.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It all had 3 or 4 different food dyes in it, and no one would know that unless you turned it around and spent oodles of time at the store just to get your grocery shopping done because you have to read every label. Wow. Wow. It was just so discouraging and disheartening. Like so then I had to, of course, stop by the co-op. You know, my way home.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Vonnie. Harvey. Harvey. She's the owner of Chobani. She has a book called The Food Babe.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, she's a great she's been a great resource for years. Yes.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: She's a food advocate. Yes, advocate. So she goes and, you know, um, yeah, she will look at the ingredients and advocate to get some of this stuff out of big companies, you know, Gerber and all this stuff. And her book, um, she did give one example of a frosting. Simple, simple.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Mills. Simple mills. That's what I use. Did you co-op has another brand I can't think of. It's like a girl's name that I also found that has wonderful no food dye. Of course, it's like $12 for a small container and you probably need two for any cake. I mean, I'm spending a lot of money making my annual, but it's worth it. Like for not my only my own children too. But if I'm going to preach this, I'm not going to have it in my home. Yeah, I'm gonna not serve my friends, kids, that kind of stuff either. So yeah, it's it's definitely an uphill battle. How do you cancel on sugar? That's one that's also just really, really difficult. Yeah. To avoid. But I mean I met with our, my kids school intendant and I said, hey, I'm not the sugar police, I'm the chemical police in my home. And I want to talk to you because I noticed, you know, the sign up genius is for parties and events, and there's just such a lack of awareness.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, if kids if if a kid has ADHD, autism, one of the things I first recommend is like, hey, let's do a trial and error. Um, I, I like to practice from, like a very individualized, like, patient. So I'm a lot of times I'll say, hey, let's try sugar free completely no sugar. Let's try a dairy free gluten free for 4 to 6 weeks. Let's let's come back. And I want you, the parent, to tell me what you noticed changed in the kiddo. Um, so I start with that, um, some sort of elimination. Right. Um, and that's a.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Gold standard, really, for figuring out some of these food sensitivities.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. So I start with that, and then I let the parent report and say, hey, here's what I noticed. Then we try a small bit of reintroduction and then they get a directly link food, chemical, sugar, whatever it is, and connect it to a symptom that their kiddos having or themselves, depending on who the patient is. Right. Um, and I let that do the talking, and then there's no convincing my job's done. Then they they understand. Then they will take the time to prepare food. They'll take the time to go to two different grocery stores to find the frosting. Yeah. Um, instead of me trying to convince your kid, your kid will feel better. They'll sleep better. Their mood will be better. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: They have to see themselves. Their own personal testimony. Yeah. So there's probably inevitably, because you and I talked to him all the time, but parents listening or grandparents listening or aunts listening that are thinking, how can I start implementing these things with a child that's been eating this way for 8 to 9 years, or in a home where this thing hasn't been recognized, or God bless you parents that are like, I'm ready to do this, let's tackle this. Especially those with picky eaters, because we all know there's a lot of children out there that just refuse or it's a texture thing, or they won't try new foods. I know you've got some great advice for those families.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, my first piece of advice is one step at a time. I'm still on my journey figuring out different foods, replacing, you know, switching out alternatives. So to step back and realize this is not what you're feeding your kids tomorrow, this is what you're feeding your kids in a year, five years, ten years. So take your time one step at a time. Even if it starts with just food dyes. Yeah, then move the next one. Maybe we're starting to introduce some organic then, you know, just slowly depending on your capacity as a mom. Right. Like I think that's a big part of like one step at a time. I think the other thing is I always tell people, you don't have to announce from the stage to your kids, depending on the age, the change you're making. Yeah. You don't need to say we're buying a different bread. You know, we're no longer doing sugar, sugar, yogurt. We're doing plain yogurt. Yeah. You don't have to announce it. Um, and then my third one is show. Don't tell the kids, the teens, the adults that I've worked with who have healthy eating habits have been shown, not told. Yeah. Um, and I worked with a lot of eating disorder patients as well in young teens. And, um, you know, we're shown that, um, and not just like this bug in our ear. Um, typically, you know, kids, teens make better choices if they're if they're shown.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely. Yeah. Because they're going to be out of the home. And even now, like my kids go on play dates or they're at school and I have to trust them to make healthy decisions, right? Because they're not under my roof all the time.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. And actually, that's a really good point. Um, you know, there's another piece to this and I think a big part of it, yeah, is like doing what we can as parents to keep this out as much as we can. But since I have worked with some eating disorders, um, worked at a practice for about a year, a couple years back, and I still want my kids to have a healthy relationship with food. Absolutely. I don't want them to even be overcome with fear or overcome with shame if I eat something. So my daughter is three and she went to her first birthday party at a neighbor's house, literally next door. So I was there. And she doesn't eat gluten or dairy. A couple different reasons why. For her specifically. And one of the moms was dishing her up a cupcake and I was not about to fly across the table and like, she can't eat that. Yeah, yeah. I just thought, you know, um, in that moment as a parent, right. Everybody's everybody parents a little bit different. But it was more detrimental in that setting. So what I do, you know, um, is 90, 95% of the time keeping these food dyes out, whole food, you know, making my kids, uh, treats. That's a big part of it. Um, you know, dates and maple sirup and all that. Yeah. Um, but allowing that 5 to 10%, um, for us, I think each parent has to come up with their own system. Right. Like you were saying earlier, you know, you allow your kids one when they're going somewhere. It also depends on the symptom, right? Like if my daughter, it was a huge, huge like if she had a huge symptom, I might step in and say, hey.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: You know not this time. She's not going to have it. But with the symptoms, you know, in our family that she have agreed that, you know, in those settings we're not going to cause a scene and.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, I was talking with Anna Penick, Doctor Penick's wife, who's a nutritionist as well, and we were just chatting the other week just on the same topic. We always talk about this, and we my kids joke because whenever we hang out with them, they're like, all right, here we go. Hanging out with the only family nights cleaner than us, like, but it's awesome. I love hanging out with them, cause I don't ever have to stress, but, um. Yeah, she was giving me really good advice. I don't remember the topic exactly, but, um, you know, at some point and my boys are now eight and nine, I have to start again. They're not under my roof. I don't have control. And I really want to empower them to make decisions. And so explaining the why and not just saying you can't have that again, the forbidden fruit. Right. But explaining the why behind it. And I'm so thankful because my nine year old, he just loves sports. He loves playing football and running and wrestling. And like, we talk a lot about performance, right? And he wants to perform well. And so not only is it treating your body like a temple like God wants us to, but it's also making sure that he can perform and run fast and grow strong. And so he's starting to it's so cool because I start to see him really notice these things and say these things And, um, oh, she was sharing a story with me where she took all my kids, my kids, all my kids.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I have two. She took all the kids one day to Whole Foods and let them pick out, like, a special drink. And she was saying how my nine year old turned some drink around and read the label and was like, oh, probably has a little bit too much sugar for me. And I was like, oh my gosh, there's some really momental monumental times as a parent. But I was like, for me, that's one of them, because it is like educating your kid so that he wants to know what he's putting into his body. Um, but explaining the why, like, well, this is why. It's not just because it has too much sugar, buddy. But look at the food dye. And this is what? Food digest your brain. Yeah. And you know how we talked about how we're praying for that one family whose kiddo has a cancer? Yeah. God willing that that will never, ever be you. Yeah. And we'll never be praying for you to heal from cancer. Yeah, but these chemicals actually cause cancer and just making it relatable when you're ready as a child to hear those things and understand those things. Because I think up until a certain point, the kids just think you're mean and you just don't want them to have fun. And that's the other thing I think parents need to realize, too. Like, there's really good food. That's good food, you know what I mean? Like healthy, clean food that tastes.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Amazing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right? Yes. It is it more expensive? That's a whole nother topic that we can get into the subsidized subsidization of, of corn and wheat and these chemicals and why foods are so expensive. Yeah, but it's just it's putting forth a little more effort and making a little bit more sacrifice in your in your budget to make sure you can make these clean foods for your families.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So I don't think I fully answered your question as far as like picky eaters. Yeah. Um, you know, I was saying like show, don't tell. Um, I think one thing, um, is as a parent realizing they're being marketed to, um, you know, and, and understanding how to read labels. So I'd love to like, just share from just like a parent standpoint, like what you should be looking at. I don't think that people understand the grams conversion. Right. Like what is 13g? Is that a lot like of sugar?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Like nobody has a most of us don't have a scale, right. Kitchen scale I mean I do, but what's that perspective. Yeah, yeah. So, um, one thing that might be helpful is like four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar. Okay. Right.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So like helpful. Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: You know, if you're having breakfast and you have in your yogurt 16g of sugar and then you have a granola with another 13g and you're having two servings of that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That all of a sudden becomes very significant. Yeah. And what do you think as far as kiddos say throw out age 4 to 12, how much sugar should they have in a day?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: I think no more than like 5 to 6 teaspoons. Okay, so you convert that times four six times 424.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Of added that wouldn't be included like a real you know I love giving my kids fruit and you know that type of thing. But that would be like an added. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, yeah. That's. No I totally agree with you. I was going to say like 15 to 20g of sugar. Yeah. Um, you touched on something earlier that I think is really important, and especially when it comes to like, what are the practical tips of living in this world and how can we allow our kids to still be healthy and have good immune systems and good microbiomes? And I think that concept is, um, making sure that we're we're serving their little bodies in detoxification and allow them to detox these chemicals and additives and emulsifiers from food. And that's where I think, um, hydration. Talk about an easy thing to do. Kind of annoying because kids sometimes, at least my kids, it's hard to get them to drink enough water, but keeping them hydrated, that's really amazing. And how it can help the body process some of these toxins, um, getting them to sweat every day, keeping them active. Yeah, right. Yeah. Um, being in out in nature, that just kind of puts the body in a state of parasympathetic nervous system, where we know their bodies can heal and detox like they need to. Right? These little, these little beautiful bodies are so well designed to do what they need to do. It's just they're burdened. And so nowadays they just need extra help and support. Epsom salt baths. Yeah. It you know Epsom salt increases glutathione and antioxidant in the body. It helps to get some of these toxins out of their system. I think that what I also remind my parents about. Um, is that when we look at the total toxic burden that, like we see as adults, their tiny little bodies have such a more significant surface area to their organs. And so they're just they're so much more burdened with these toxins. Yeah. Um, making sure their gut they're, they're having I mean, talk to your kids about poop.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: If they're not having a daily bowel movement at least one a day, then that's a problem. Yeah. Get their gut figured out.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: A lot of kids are not having that. It's not uncommon.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Or they're having very abnormal bowel movements. Maybe there's a malabsorption issue or. Yeah. Um, something like that. I think, um, fiber again, a practical thing. You can give their gut microbiome to help their bodies detoxify. So what are some great fiber rich foods we can have parents feed their children?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: I think one of my favorites is chia seed of a tablespoon ten grams. You know, um, and for adults we need like 30 to 35.
Amber Warren, PA-C: What do you put chia seeds in to get your kids to?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Chia seed pudding is incredible. Yeah. You know a milk or a dairy free milk? Coconut. Sometimes they do. Coconut cream. Yep. Great. Um, it's like a cacao powder. Incredible tasting. Great. Um, a little bit of maple sirup, a little bit of sea salt. Um, that's one goes great in smoothies. I've got a got a one year old right now. So I'm like packing in like ghee or, you know, these nutrient dense like hemp seed or chia seed wherever I can. And, you know, mix in with something. Yeah. They don't even know it's there. Love it. Um, smoothies. Um. Vegetables. It just goes without saying, right? Like the harder the veggie, like that's that fiber. Right. So like, as parents, like, think about that crunch. Like, that's that's a ton of fiber.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You know what I've been putting in my kiddo's smoothies? Um, broccoli seed.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Oh, seed sprouted broccoli seeds.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay. Um, because they're so rich in sulforaphane. So, so, like, so much richer than even broccoli. Even supporting detox from the liver. Yeah. So, like sprouting your own broccoli seeds at home.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Wellness mama has a great.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um.
Amber Warren, PA-C: On her website. If you go wellness mom and just search her, like, recipe for broccoli seeds, sprouted broccoli seeds. And it's so easy to do and so affordable to just do at home, okay. And that's something that you throw in a smoothie, throw in some stir fry or in like, you know, bowls. Yeah. Yeah. Again, they kind of don't even know it's there. And it doesn't take a lot.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Because it cooks out. Sulforaphane can cook out. Yep.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Exactly.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Cooking like you know cooking a broccoli or something.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So exactly. So it's pretty incredible. So yeah I think these these just like practical everyday tips are so helpful.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: And it doesn't have to be a lot like just sneaking in here or there. You know, if you're making, you know, homemade granola bars or something. Just sneaking in some of that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So what are some of your favorite snacks that you make your kids?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, I'm always just trying new things.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You're experimenting all the time? Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yes, um, I do, um, let me think. I do a ton of homemade granola bars. I just throw the kitchen sink at it. Yeah. You know, dates, um, Chia, hemp protein powder. Great. Um, really, just whatever I have, you know, almond butter. Just smash it down in a pan, cut it up super quick and easy. Um, hummus and veggies. So easy. I think kids like to dip.
Amber Warren, PA-C: They do like to dip. They like to use their fingers.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, I would agree.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: I'll do, um, sweet potato fries, and they'll dip it in hummus as well. Um, also do like a little protein balls, you know, just quick little fat balls.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And you know.
Amber Warren, PA-C: What's so key about, honestly, every food you just said, the biggest thing that you're avoiding when you're making those foods, besides everything we've talked about seed oils, ranch dressing, hummus, granola bars, protein bars, balls, whatever I hydrogenated inflammatory vegetable oils are everywhere.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, everywhere. And on the ingredients number. Like with the marketing that we are all, you know, it's all in our face. It's so tricky. So parents don't know like a cracker I came across the other day kind of geared towards kid, like a little cracker, you know, it said, um, I'd have been tostadas. Tostadas made in olive oil. You look at the back of the ingredient label. And because ingredients are high to low, right. The highest mass. The lowest mass olive oil is like one of the last ingredients. First was soy and and canola oil.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh dang it. Which are like.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: The most.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Inflammatory. Totally.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And I'm sure the box said all natural somewhere on it.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Oh I'm sure.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Or gluten free.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So yeah, I.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Think educating even parents on like how to read a label. Yes. You know, so first thing is like the front means nothing to me. It's so deceptive. It means absolutely nothing. So unfortunately means a lot to a lot of people who aren't aware. So just educating people on turning around. Yeah, look at the ingredients first. I don't care about the calories at all. That's the last thing we're looking at.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So true.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: We're looking at the ingredients high to low right. So you're looking for whole food. You're looking if you can pronounce it you're looking for some of these chemicals. You're looking for food dyes. And then what about, like, the percentages on the back of, like, vitamin A, vitamin E, and things like that? You know, a label might say on the front, Cheerios or, you know, high source of this, unless it's 20% or more, it's not a high source of that. It's all marketing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Minuscule. Right? Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, and I actually this is probably something I feel really passionate about because it's deceptive. Um, my father in law, um, right before Christmas the last year, had a heart attack, and, um, almost didn't make it. And afterward, you know, he was a guy who ate out a lot, um, kind of quick and easy things. And so he was trying to make a huge shift. Um, and what they educated him at the hospital was, you know, no more butter, no more dairy. Um, more vegetable oil, more canola oil. Um. And I was so angry. Um.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh, he was probably eating her roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes as they were educating him upon discharge. I mean, we can't even talk about the food they serve in hospitals in our what are supposed to be wellness facilities, like, oh my goodness. Anyways, I'm so sorry, I digress. Keep going.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So he, you know, he was really trying to make changes in his diet. And so he was looking for things like that, set heart healthy and um, you know, good for cholesterol. And these slogans are so deceptive. Cheerios heart healthy. You look at the back, high, high sugar, the worst seed oils that are inflammatory, the worst things for cardiovascular disease.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You could grains loaded.
Amber Warren, PA-C: With pesticides.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Processed.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Grains. Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, literally shown to increase your cholesterol. You know, sugar is more related to cholesterol than.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: A lot.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Of other things that people think.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Totally.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, and so when it hits home, things like that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, makes you all fired up.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, I get fired up.
Amber Warren, PA-C: How do you eat out as a family when you take your kids to eat out? Yeah, that's a big struggle for me. Like, it honestly zaps my joy of, like, enjoying a date with my family.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Um, you know, my kids are little 1 in 3. So at this stage, it's not a it's not super enjoyable. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So you probably don't do it a lot.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: We get a.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Dog sitter and you go.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Out. Yeah, that's But.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Even for you and your husband, like, how do you make choices of where you eat?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, we eat at the same couple places. Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Just places you trust. Yep.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That don't use seed oils and, you know, use locally sourced like better ingredients. Yeah. Yeah.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: And I think part of this too conversation is, um, like Tom Alter's book. He used to work here.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yes.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Awesome. So educated. Like incredible guy. He used to teach at Institute of Functional Medicine. I have his book. So my office and he said one of his quotes says the elimination diet is the number one thing I've seen make the most the single most thing that's made the most difference for patients. Mhm. In all of his experience working with, you know, providers, dietitians, things like that, and I think it's connecting how you feel with a food. Yeah. That's how you move forward with this advice. Because unless you feel the difference in your body, like, let's just say we go to Matador and something like that, I may not want to put that in.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes, you're fine, you're fine.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I said Fred.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Meyer.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So let's just say we go to Matador. My husband loves chips and salsa.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Who doesn't throw.
Amber Warren, PA-C: In some guac? Maybe a spicy margarita?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: My goodness, he loves the free chips and salsa.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, and I don't feel good after eating those chips. I know, because it's the oily. It's the inflammatory.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oils, GMOs, I'm sure.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah, yeah. So it's and we don't do it very often because I don't feel good.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So it's not worth it to me.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It's the connection between how food makes you feel is going to be the driving factor. More than I'm trying to eat out less, or I'm trying to not feed my kids less. Let the food do the communicating.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, I took my kiddos to. I won't say this on a local donut shop that I felt like had pretty decent quality donuts. Like on their second day of school. Like I again, I have to I you have to. You can't make it so taboo. These treats and like real food like donuts. And again we do make donuts at home. But we wanted to go to donut shop and then went like for a mount bike ride. And literally my boys had diarrhea like all day. And it was actually a really good experience because they're like, I'm like, see guys like as good as that was, is that worth it? Like, we couldn't even really do our bike ride because their tummy started to hurt right away. Right. And and I'm good because there's again, like you were saying earlier, there's the proof in the pudding. Like, let that speak on why we can't eat that kind of processed food. Yeah. Um, I think I'm so glad you mentioned Tom's book. Um, can you tell our audience what it's called? Because for those of those patients, you know, or listeners that we have around the country, around the world that don't have the ability to come see us in person or see you in person, that's a great book. If someone wants to just start to implement that kind of elimination diet at home, isn't it called the elimination diet?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It's called the elimination diet.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Tom Alter.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Tom Alter incredible. He talks about the 12 or 13 foods to remove and how to do it for, you know, 4 to 6 weeks and then reintroducing them. And he tells you specifically why each food Yeah. Um, and to be honest, like, I could go on about the elimination diet for a whole nother podcast. I'll just say one snippet. Um, we have patients fill out medical symptom questionnaire before they're patients with us, and then I have them do a repeat one after they've done four weeks of elimination. On average. Amber 70% decrease in symptoms from head to toe.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It's amazing after a four week.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Four week and I asked them, did you buy did you change any medication? Did you have any other life shifts? What else? Was there anything else?
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: No.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah I this was years ago, but I was on call one weekend and, um, it's when you guys were running your group, the group elimination diet, which we now call the Renew and Reset. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Um, and I took this call from this patient who wasn't mine, and she's like, I don't know what's going on, but I can't get out of bed. I'm so dizzy, I feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm overwhelmingly fatigued. I'm like, tell me, tell me. More like, what meds are you on? And sure enough, she was on a blood pressure med and like a statin. And I started asking more. I'm like, well, what do you what have you been doing? She's like, well, I'm doing this, this elimination diet through through your office. Um, and I'm like, okay, what? She's like, I'm on week four, so I'm almost ready to start reintroducing. And I'm feeling, you know, I was feeling amazing. But all of a sudden the last week I've just started to deteriorate and I'm like, can you go run to Walgreens and check your blood pressure for me? And it was like 90 over 54 because she was on this 40 milligram beta blocker, blood pressure med. Right. And I'm like, you need to we're gonna have you cut that in half, and then you're going to cut it in half, and then you're gonna call us Monday and let me know. And she got off of it within three days because her just just by changing her diet and eliminating these inflammatory foods, she no longer needed her blood pressure medication. Um, and she was just she gave us the best testimony because she, I think she honestly came off her statin and like, two other meds as well. Wow. Yeah. After doing a four week elimination, it was just so cool. Like, that was the best on call call on a Saturday night I got, I received. It was awesome.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: That's amazing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Anything else that you feel like we didn't touch on that you really think our community would benefit from? Especially these overwhelmed moms and dads? Dads? We know we don't leave you out. We know you guys do a lot of really wonderful work in the home and, um, really care about your children's bodies as well.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Um, I think I don't know if I have just one, but maybe a couple things that I really feel just with my experience with patients, um, eating as a family together.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um. So good.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It's a lost. It's a lost art. People are busy. Um, they're they're not prioritizing that, and I, I really, really think when we are connected with food, we're connected with each other. Yeah. So much happens there. Yep. Um. And it's not. You heat up that Mac, that macaroni. You do this, you're running there. Let's grab Taco Bell on our way home. But you're you're moving up that, um, and make it a priority in your family. Families who do that just seem to have. Just be honest. Like less symptoms, healthier relationship with food, less of these food chemicals.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, well, and the beauty of that too, is like, my boys love to help me in the kitchen. And I think like that, like teaching them to be involved. And then they also feel very empowered when they have a choice. What should we make for dinner tonight? Would you like that on our dinner? Would you could you jump in the fridge and help me get that or that? And that's I mean, that's that's a lifelong education that they're learning in the kitchen right there.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Right.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. And getting them I love that you said getting them involved, Amber, because um, like I said my daughter's three, but she's up there, you know, helping me make.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Sourdough and everything.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Mom, make dough and, um. But one thing recently we've gotten her involved in. I don't know if you've heard of Treasure Valley barter market. No incredible resource for parents. Um, because I think, like, especially as, like a working mom, I would love to make every single thing they, they eat. But right time is like restriction. And so, um, it's this cool, um, community where you bring anything you make homemade and you go and you trade.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh my goodness. It's like the old days, like bring us back.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes. That's so cool.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: So I've been I've been loving that last.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Like, so is it like a Facebook.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Page or just.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Like an online page.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Treasure Valley Barter market. And you have to be like vetted in whether you like, you know, whether you hunt or whether you can contribute something like organic from your garden or you make, um, like gluten free, dairy free, you know, muffins or whatever it is. And so we've been loving that as a family. So my daughter loves it. She gets all.
Amber Warren, PA-C: These things, loves it.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: And then we've been hosting our own. Oh. So it's just cool. Like, if maybe that's not in somebody's area like you. Maybe you make something that I really want and just like you using your resources.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Using your resources.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yeah. Not thinking like. Right. We have to, like, do this all by ourself. Sharing our knowledge. Sharing like, hey, like you make sourdough bread. I make, you know, chia seed pudding. Let's just trade or whatever bone broth. Like I make my friends bone broth. And they my friend has a bunch of cows. We just like.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Trade. So cool.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And isn't that what we're designed to do, though? Like living community together? Like doing things like that? Yes. And we're so far from that, most of us that that's. Oh, that's I love it. Treasure Valley barter market.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: Yes.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It might be a resource for parents and kids. Come absolutely. Bring things. They make.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Sure they.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Love it. Oh so cool.
Marianne Green, RD, IFNCP: It's so cute.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, it's like a little market.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Little mini market. Yeah. Um, yes. So many good tidbits. Oh my goodness. We could just go on and on some of these, these practical tips that parents can do in their home and outside their home just to help, help fuel and feed our bodies. And on this journey to wellness that we're kind of all on with our families. So good. Um, thank you, Marianne, for your wisdom, for your time. We just love that you get to kind of do medicine with us. And you're such a great resource. We're so thankful we get to partner with you year after year and helping our patients. Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast. For more information on topics covered today, programs offered at the FMI Center for Optimal Health, and the highest quality of supplements and more. Go to funmedfoundations.com.
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