Carley Smith ~ Yoga & Healthy Eating with the Fairy Gutmother

I had an amazing conversation with Carley Smith about gut health during this podcast. 
Carley Smith, aka Fairy Gutmother, is a Nutritional Therapist, Certified GAPS Practitioner, and Registered Yoga Teacher. Carley became interested in health and nutrition after being diagnosed with Lyme disease and using food as medicine emphasizing gut health to help heal. 

Visit Carley's website at fairygutmother.com You can also follow here on IG here.

During our conversation she spoke about:

• How she was able to heal herself from Lyme disease through 
• how she was able to learn what foods are best for her
• how yoga has played an integral part in her healing process
• why she is passionate about helping others
• and so much more!

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Transcript

Todd McLaughlin: 0:33

Welcome to Native yoga, Todd qcast. So happy you are here. My goal with this channel is to bring inspirational speakers to the mic in the field of yoga, massage bodywork and beyond. Follow us native yoga, and check us out at Native yoga center.com. All right, let's begin. Well, how are you, I just want to make you aware of a few things that we have going on here at Native yoga center. All of these links are in the description below to make it really easy for you to find them and click and join. We have a two weeks free live stream unlimited special where you can come and practice with us every day at home, join us on computer two weeks free, no credit card required, try it out. I'm also really excited that our teacher training is coming up in January of 2023. There's a link down below where you can click if you want any more info, and we will send you some more info for that. Also, I have on our live stream class schedule, gentle, strong yoga, yin yoga, and you'll see a link that says for class schedule, which will show you all that. Also we have the conscious aging workshop coming up with Kelly hos in October. And I have a link there for you if you want to check that out. All of these are available via live stream. So no matter where you're listening, you can join us. And lastly, on our online classes platform, I record our live stream classes every day, I upload them and they are available on native yoga online.com. And you can try it out for a month for free with the code all caps no space first month free. That about covers that. Thank you for listening. Let's go for it. I'm so excited to have car lease Smith here with me in studio today. And Carly is a nutritional therapist, a certified gapps practitioner and a registered yoga teacher. And she will explain what the gaps practitioner is here in a moment. But Carly, thank you so much for coming in.

Carley Smith: 2:50

Thank you so much for having me. Well, it's

Todd McLaughlin: 2:52

a pleasure. I've gotten a chance to meet you from taking classes here. And then I learned that what your career is, and you have a website called very, very gut mother.com. Correct. And also, we can find you at the same handle on Instagram. And I'm guessing the other social media channels under the same name very gut mother. Correct. So on that note, can you tell me what your specialty is what what you focus on in helping people?

Carley Smith: 3:24

Sure. So I work with people to help them restore their health through the gut. And that's diet and lifestyle changes. I truly believe gut health is the foundation for our health. It's where nearly the entire immune system is located. So basically helping people to optimize the health of the microbiome, putting, you know, bringing in different foods that help do that. And then supplements as well.

Todd McLaughlin: 3:49

Nice. And you're also a registered yoga teacher. So are you currently teaching classes?

Carley Smith: 3:55

I'm not currently teaching but I do weave yoga into my protocols with my clients, I think it goes blends very nicely in with gut health, because it's kind of that lifestyle aspect. I tell people gut health is not just a diet, it's a lifestyle. Stress is just as damaging on the gut as junk food. And that's clinical research actually says that. So I love the way that yoga brings in that way to mitigate our stress levels, but also kind of gives the gut a little internal massage, helping to kind of increase that motility and just overall health of the gut.

Todd McLaughlin: 4:31

Nice. Have you always been air quote, health nut? Or did you have something happened to you in life that kind of pushed you in the direction of paying extra attention to your health?

Carley Smith: 4:42

Yes. So I've always been interested in health and nutrition and I always thought I was healthy but I ended up getting Lyme disease in 2014. Will I back up I was probably sick for a year or two before that finally found out and diagnosed in 2014. But it The, you know, my whole experience with wine completely shifted the way that I view health and wellness. And like I said, I thought I was healthy. But after learning about gut health where nearly your entire immune system is located, and you know, implementing a gut healing protocol, completely reversing my symptoms from Lyme, based on just focusing on gut health completely changed my perspective on health and wellness, and what's important and what actually is healthy as it relates to the gut.

Todd McLaughlin: 5:30

Wow, when you were diagnosed with Lyme disease, what was the treatment that was prescribed to you via the Western field.

Carley Smith: 5:39

So at that time, it was mainly just antibiotics. So you go on a heavy dose of antibiotics for a prolonged period of time. And that's basically the route I took at that time, I really wasn't aware of any alternative therapies that are out there. So now I'm so much more aware of different modalities and treatments that are available for Lyme. But at that time, it was just straight antibiotics. And then that felt like it was doing more harm on my body than good. Because you're obviously you're killing the good and the bad bacteria with that. So I went off of all that medicine. And that's when I started doing research and learning about gut health.

Todd McLaughlin: 6:21

Nice. What did you start implementing? What were some of the first things that you began to implement implement in your research and study.

Carley Smith: 6:31

So the first thing I did was the GAPS diet, which stands for gut and psychology syndrome. And so that's really all about healing the gut. It's an elimination and reintroduction diet. So you're eating a lot of nourishing foods that help to heal the gut lining, and then obviously, eventually repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria. So you're cutting out a lot of, obviously, any processed foods and sugar, things like that. But you're really just focusing on bone broth, which was a huge part of my healing journey, animal meats and proteins and cooked vegetables, foods that are going to be very easy to digest. And then as time goes on, you can slowly start incorporating more foods and more raw foods.

Todd McLaughlin: 7:15

What were the main symptoms that you felt when you Well, it sounds like you had Lyme disease for over a year before diagnosed? What were the symptoms you were feeling? When that was happening before you even knew what was going on?

Carley Smith: 7:29

Yeah, I mean, it honestly felt like my body was abducted by an alien. Like I had absolutely no control over my emotions. I forgot where I lived, driving home from work. And that's really when I do that I kind of just was confined to my apartment. I couldn't really leave I was scared.

Todd McLaughlin: 7:47

Like a brain fraught fog. They just

Carley Smith: 7:50

like completely disoriented, had no clue recollection of where I lived, like, where to turn where I was. There was a whole my neurological, you know, just cognitive function was just completely

Todd McLaughlin: 8:04

affected. Yeah. Is that a common symptom that most people that have Lyme disease experienced? Yes,

Carley Smith: 8:09

a lot of brain fog, mental illness, you know, mental illness and cognitive function. That's a very big part of Lyme disease. And that's I think one of the hardest things about Lyme is so difficult to diagnose and why it's so misdiagnosed is because there are so many symptoms of Lyme, I in connection with that I was also had a lot of issues with my hormones. So I was menstrual bleeding for about four months straight, and no one could figure out what was going on. The doctor just eventually told me to go lay at home in bed with my feet up. And that's not a very common symptom. So I think it's hard to, for people to get diagnosed, because there's so many different things that people experience. I never noticed a tick bite, or anything like that. The thought is that perhaps I had that several years ago, and then a long period of stress weakened my immune system. And that's when the disease flourished.

Todd McLaughlin: 9:06

When he started taking the antibiotics, did you feel a little better? Did that work just on some level?

Carley Smith: 9:12

It might have a little bit, initially, but it really was so sick that I couldn't tell. And then there were so many other issues that kept popping up from the side effects of the antibiotics, that it felt like they were doing more harm than good. So it was hard to kind of pinpoint and truly, that dietary change of shifting more towards a gut healing protocol was where I felt the biggest shift in my health. My memory was one of the first things to come back. I started to think more clearly I felt like I had a better control over my emotions. I was able to recall more information and just just felt better overall better.

Todd McLaughlin: 9:58

And I just I'm trying to replay what you said. So he started like with bone broth and what eliminate almost everything and start off with bone broth as the basis for the diet. And then you said slowly implementing easily digestible foods like animal protein? And what greens as well and vegetables, fruits, or no are you trying to eliminate carbs, the sugar from the carbs and that type of thing? Yeah,

Carley Smith: 10:24

so it's basically on the veggie side, it was a lot of winter squashes, and everything is cooked. I know nothing wrong, it's a little bit harder to digest those foods, and the cooked meats and vegetables, that was a big thing, the animal proteins to like, what you're what you're looking to do with the proteins in the bone broth is really extract all those nutrients that help to support and heal the gut lining. So with those animal fats, and proteins are one of the most important things that you can do to help with that.

Todd McLaughlin: 10:57

So being a yogi, and and yoga culture, were pressed in the direction of a Ahimsa, non violence and vegetarian diet. And what are your thoughts regarding implementing animal proteins? In relation to that theory and approach?

Carley Smith: 11:19

Yes, so you can absolutely still focus on gut health, with a more vegetarian approach. And I have a recipe for a vegetarian broth on my website. And basically, what you're thinking, what you want to think about is pulling those nutrients from those vegetables that are helpful in healing the gut lining, and one of those is L glutamine. You can even just buy l glutamine in a powder form. And that's very helpful in maintaining the integrity of the gut lining. So you can make a broth with lots of those vegetables like carrots, and beets, very high and l glutamine thinking again, about extracting those nutrients. One of the biggest proponents for gut health or components of gut health is fiber. So fiber feeds the good bacteria in the gut. So once the gut is healed, and a way to maintain that optimal gut health is just by, you know, adding in more fiber into your diet, in fact, the entire plate really should be plant based, lots of fiber, and then you can fill in, you know, the remaining parts of that. But as far as the animal base, I mean, for me that really helped those animal fats and proteins were one of the biggest things, I think that helped my cognitive function and repair the gut lining. But if that's not something that fits in, and I will note that it's important to make sure that you're, you're sourcing those sustainably that their pasture raised grass fed, working with a local farmer, and Rancher is super important on that. But if that's not something that works for you, that doesn't mean that you still can't heal the gut. There are other ways to get those nutrients.

Todd McLaughlin: 13:01

Nice. And timeline, timeline wise, at this point, when you start experimenting with this cleansing diet, how long would you say it took before, you felt like you weren't scared to go out of the house and you could drive and you knew how to get home again? And like, you know, resume normal activity? Was it like a one month or a year? How long did that take? Yeah,

Carley Smith: 13:27

it was about a year of the diet. But that didn't mean that I didn't feel better within that year. I mean, I felt better. Within the first week or two on the elimination diet, I noticed improvements in my health. But it really took an entire year of the dedication to that to start really feeling like I was getting my health back. And then, you know, it's always kind of like peeling back to the Lair. I did the diet, but then it was you know, learning about other things that help you know, with obviously yoga and integrating that into it. Acupuncture was a really big thing for me, infrared sauna, so it was just learning more and peeling back the layers of other ways to help heal that also made a huge impact.

Todd McLaughlin: 14:14

Nice. And at what point did you side decide to study to become a nutritionist, or nutritional therapist? Yeah. Is there a difference between a certified nutritionist and a nutritional therapist? And can you clarify what that terminology how it differs?

Carley Smith: 14:33

You bet. So it was a certification that I received it was a nine month program through the nutritional therapy association. So it was that was the program so it's a certification versus necessarily like a degree. But it was it was immediately that once I started noticing improvements in my health, I knew that this information had to get out to more people. I was working in finance at the time so totally unrelated And but I just knew I wouldn't feel right with myself if I didn't do something about this and spread this information. Because so much relates back to the Gottman line was my experience, but I it doesn't matter whatever you have going on, I read some research that even said nearly 70 to 80% of diseases can now be traced back to the gut. So it really is that foundation piece, it doesn't matter, whatever it is, if you're just looking to maintain optimal health or try to heal from anything that you have going on the gut is the place to start

Todd McLaughlin: 15:34

nice. When did you decide to professionalize your spreading of this information in terms of start the fairy godmother website and or was there a leap of faith in the process of you going from working in, say corporate finance into being your having your own business and, and teaching in these sort of ideas and topics?

Carley Smith: 16:01

Yes, I mean, I definitely did just have to take a leap of faith and trust that, you know, if I'm following my heart, that everything will kind of work itself out. I, this was my passion. I loved doing this. And I just knew that this was what I wanted to do. So I just kind of had to trust and close my eyes and jump and go for it. And just, you know, pray that things worked out. And it has. So I've been very fortunate. But I think if you're following your heart and your passion, other things just even will work themselves out.

Todd McLaughlin: 16:37

Yeah. What's one of the biggest hurdles, you've had to jump? In that process of going from a career where you knew where your paycheck was coming to being your own boss? What is something that you found is like been a big challenge for you?

Carley Smith: 16:55

Yeah, I think just the uncertainty that, you know, you're not just going to collect a paycheck that you always have to have that forward thinking of, you know, what's, what's next? What happens, if, you know, 2020 was a big thing that a lot of, you know, brands stopped doing a lot of collaborations and people kind of just shut down for a minute. So that was hard. So you something you're, you know, your your brain is always kind of thinking about the next thing. And just in case, things don't work out. But I think that again, that's where it comes back to just knowing that you have a strong message, that you're helping people, you're coming from a really good place in your heart. And then just trusting that that will take care.

Todd McLaughlin: 17:47

Nice. That's cool. How have you wove in your studies with yoga and or yoga practice in with your existing practice? Actually, let me back up when you how do people interact with you like if someone needs? Do you coach them? Are you doing that via in person meetings and or via zoom? Or online? What is your what are the methods that you use to interact with people?

Carley Smith: 18:16

Yep, so it's all online, and I have my services available on my website. Generally, I will put together protocols for people for about three months or so. And that includes diet and supplement changes. And I just go through them with the process. I've never recommended the same protocol twice. Although I might have some similar supplements that I recommend for people how we go about integrating that what's right for you, and your body is completely different. And I tell people that to the gut is unique. It's like a thumbprint. So it's completely unique to you. So your body might react differently to some of the dietary changes or supplement changes. So it's, it's different for everyone. But generally, it's about three months of working together. And then I'll work with you along that, you know, process to see how the integration is going. You know, if you have questions, if you need help on recipes, or you know, anything that that individual might need that I can be helpful with along the way.

Todd McLaughlin: 19:16

Nice. What are some other things that you've had people come to with that you've been able to offer these plans to and that they've had benefit from following this sort of gut cleansing protocol,

Carley Smith: 19:31

a lot of autoimmune issues. hormone issues are really big for a lot of women, PCOS. And skin issues. Eczema, that's a really big one. And skin is definitely a giant red flag for gut issues, which most people don't know that. And that's even another thing about the gut is that doesn't have to have dysfunction of the gut to indicate that you have gut issues. And that's one of the Things that people will come to me and say like, my gut feels fine, you know, and they're just thinking about how they digest your foods or maybe how frequently they go to the bathroom. Those are kind of blood to start things like if my gut doesn't hurt, then it's not a gut issue. But skin issues are definitely I've worked with a lot of people on that that's underlying with gut problems, weight loss, that's also related back to the gut, a certain species of bacteria are linked to weight gain and inflammation. So if we can help to optimize the microbiome, then generally that helps with weight gain and weight loss.

Todd McLaughlin: 20:35

In relation to inflammation. What are your thoughts about ingesting like bread and pasta, and carbs and refined carbs in relation to inflammation? What do you what have you noticed? And or what is the research point out? And what do you recommend?

Carley Smith: 20:55

That's a great question. So I'm actually a fan of grains and dairy, and I, but I think it's important to, to dive into that and talk about the kinds the types and as far as if you have any underlying health conditions, because our bodies are designed to, I mean, grains are a great source of fiber for the gut. Plus, they're full of lots of minerals, and nutrients and proteins that our body needs. The problem isn't necessarily in the grain is how we are consuming the grains. So most of our grains here in the US are full of toxins and chemicals. And that's what really is damaging on the gut. So it's not necessarily the grain, it's how we've been consuming them. Now, if you have an underlying health condition, or a compromised gut consuming foods, like grains, and dairy, can be very difficult to digest. So can be one of those things where you eliminate those foods, and then work on a gut healing protocol. And then you eventually start reintroducing some of those foods, but in their properly prepared forms. So you know, maybe you buy sourdough bread from a local bakery that's naturally leavened, sourdough is fermented. So that's also great for the gut health, a little bit easier to digest better quality grains, versus something like a wonder bread or a process bread that you might find on the shelf. And then moderation is key, no, just you wouldn't go overboard on that. But in little bits and amounts that you can tend to tolerate a little bit better. And this is why a lot of people have trouble digesting grains, and then they go to Italy. And they did all the pasta and the bread and they don't have any issues. So we just don't have as high of quality standards that we use for some of those foods. So it's not always those foods, tell people it could just be your body's inability to digest it. So work on healing the gut, and then making sure you're incorporating those grains in a proper, proper form.

Todd McLaughlin: 23:06

Nice. Do you find sometimes when we talk about diet, that it's like, we almost have to tiptoe a little bit like Do you ever feel like sometimes from like the perspective of teaching yoga, and being a yoga studio, people will often, you know, ask, Well, what do you eat? And are asking, you know, what, what should I eat? And or? And there's preconceived notions about what healthy is and what healthy isn't right. And it sounds to me, I like your approach. I like that you're saying that, you know, obviously, it's gonna be different for every single person, that there's not like one, one set thing to follow, like completely eliminate grains, right, completely eliminate milk or completely, but that maybe you need to completely eliminate it. But there's a chance that if your body restores its health and our ability to digest that, then you could reassimilate these things back in into won't be such a big deal. So on that note, how do you find and I thought was interesting. When you said gaps, you said, Gosh, DRO and where was that gut in psychology, in psychology? So the psychology part, how do you implement and I know we're not both not we're not licensed psychologist and or doctors in psychiatry or anything. But how do you implement incurred get helping to get people to feel like it's okay to shift and change their dietary choices? And they're not bad because of it? Or he? Does that make sense? Absolutely.

Carley Smith: 24:38

That's such a great point. I think it's was John Mayer that made a joke that you could rob a bank in LA with a bagel. And it's like people were so afraid of grains and all of these foods. And that just made me laugh because it's so true. Like you don't want to put yourself in a bubble and be afraid of All of these things, then, you know, there's a few things one, the cool thing about the gut is that it's super resilient. So the microbiome can change within 24 hours. So you can have that moderation in your diet, as long as a majority time that you're eating a little bit healthier, you can have that flexibility in your diet, you can celebrate the birthday, go on vacation, have that moderation, it's when it's chronic, it's when you are hitting up McDonald's every single day, that there's an overgrowth of pathogens, that's when it becomes problematic, because the pathogens will team up together, they create a biofilm, which basically protects them, and then they start taking over the body. So that's when it becomes problematic when you have the moderation. And majority of time, you're eating healthier. That's all you have to worry about. So that should allow people a little bit of relief that, you know, you're not going to throw off everything if you have a little moderation in the diet. And you know, if if you are sensitive to some of those foods, and that's another thing that there's difference between food allergies and food sensitivities. So you know, if you have an EpiPen for peanuts, well, then you have a food allergy. But you know, if you eat something and your stomach is bloated, that's more of a food, food intolerance. And that can generally stem from a dysfunctional gut. So again, it goes back to really working on healing the gut, and then going on how it works best for you and your body. Like you said earlier, it's unique, the gut is unique, it's completely up to you on what works best with you, maybe you did heal your gut, and you still have issues digesting dairy. You know, that's what works for you, then you do what works best for you. The one thing I do mention to a lot of my clients is just to be mindful about when you are consuming more of those alternative food items. Replacement dairy replacement meats, gluten free is that you have to check the labels, just because it says something on it doesn't you know that it says dairy free or gluten free does not automatically make it healthy. And that's something called the health halo effect. So it kind of has this halo over it meaning even if it says organic on it doesn't necessarily mean so really get in the habit of looking at the food labels. You know, if if there's a laundry list of ingredients in there that you aren't really sure where this food is coming from? Chances are it's probably not the healthiest items. So it's okay if you you know, have little bits, you know, an alternative dairy here and there. But as long as it's not alternative dairy here, you know, gluten free this replacement meat this and you're basically at the end of the day just eating all processed foods. So something to be mindful about.

Todd McLaughlin: 27:51

That's really interesting. I remember when I was 17 I read diet for a new America, which I think was by one of the Robins. Am I right? Does that even ring a bell? Did you ever read that? I know, but I know. It is. Yeah. And so I was you know, definitely in that phase in my life where I wanted to save the world. And this book, you know, pointed out how bad the meat and dairy industry was in terms of how they treated animals and gave a whole bunch of facts about that. So at that point, I was like, I'm gonna be vegan, like it was just, you know, just made up my mind. So that pretty much equaled me eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. I wasn't really like seeking out like healthy. But interestingly enough, I'm finding what I'm thinking what I'm really finding fascinating what you're saying is that that then caused me at the time and this is like a 1991 So like health food stores were interesting. They were like well they had a lot of supplements and then at that point is like the the industry around like faux cheese and or vegan cheese and or vegan butters and all that stuff. So I was thinking, you know, I just thought well, this is so great. I'm just gonna that's all I'm going to eat is that stuff and I kind of got sick a bunch, you know, I kind of wasn't I was always like, still I didn't thrive off that my No, I don't think I did it well, so I I can't blame right the I think the vegan diet is amazing if it's done well and people really take the time to get the nutrients and do the really healthy food items to make that work. But I find that fascinating what you're saying like the health halo, that's really interesting, because it's true. Like I'll see something that just I mean, I just say gluten free but it's like I'm buying a bottle water says gluten free on it. It's like they're gonna even have gluten in it to begin with. So like, you know, but these this idea that oh, because now I'm associating everything gluten free as that's the healthy option. Yeah, that just maybe I buy that then. So that's a fascinating element right now in our food culture. What else do you see in that arena happening? I am curious to know what your thoughts are use the I'm use the word which haven't heard yet replacement meats because like, so it could be to have to be careful about saying product names. I mean, no, I'm only allowed to say, can we, I mean, like, no one's going to chase after us if we use our product names.

Carley Smith: 30:14

No, I think to your point of that, beyond me, it's really the only one that I'm aware of. That's the big name brand for alternative meats and everything. And again, it's just one of those things that you have to just be mindful of that. And I'm, I'm I'm not saying to not do that. It's just be mindful of the amount that you are consuming. Especially with a lot of these things, even though it might say natural flavors on the label, there can be some 300 ingredients listed under just natural flavors. So that's something to to just kind of be mindful when you're shopping when you're eating these foods. And it's not to say that you can't be healthy and incorporating them, it's just the amounts that you're consuming.

Todd McLaughlin: 31:02

What are your thoughts on using supplements versus supplements from Whole Foods?

Carley Smith: 31:09

That's a great question too. So our foods are so nutritionally depleted, unfortunately, that's why it's so important to be shopping directly from your farmer and local local produce, it's going to be the most nutrient dense, it's also going to have some of that soil on it. And that's where you get a lot of your microbiome from is from the soil. So that's going to be one of your biggest, you know, your your best bets for most nutrient dense foods. But because of farming techniques over farming, and just, you know, the chemicals and pesticides that we're using, it's just really robbed most of our foods have their nutrients. So it's really important to, you know, be making sure you're sourcing from a good quality. But sometimes adding in those supplements helps a lot, especially like a probiotic. If you're not getting enough fermented foods in your diet or fiber in your diet, to help populate the gut with good bacteria. And you know, other nutrients that our foods might be lacking. It's always good to supplement. But that's, you know, another thing though, you can't just rely on the supplements either. So again, you can't just be hitting up McDonald's drive thru, but taking a probiotic every day and thinking you're offsetting the damage, because it doesn't work like that. So kind of goes both ways. It's good to have supplements, but that's what they are supplement, they're you know, they're supplemental, they're meant to just kind of help you it's not going to do or it's not going to replace still eating good quality foods and Shopping from Your Farmer.

Todd McLaughlin: 32:50

This is a tough question. And I'm not trying to. I'm ready for it. All right. So a friend of mine who doesn't live around here. And so where around here, there's a ton of options. There's a ton of different grocery stores where there are more options for what seems like healthy food choices, then, you know, to do with, but where this particular person lives, he made mentioned that there's just fast food. And because of the way the economics work, you know, where there's more wealth, there's going to be these more expensive food options and communities perhaps where that same level of wealth isn't the same, that there's options aren't there? What do you think, a solution? I know this is really tough, because like, where do you start? Right? But if somebody is saying, Well, gosh, that sounds great. But I'm already squeezed on my grocery bill, and I'm just trying to get by, I'm having these health issues, what would be something that you could recommend to somebody that could help them maybe find a solution to that particular challenge?

Carley Smith: 34:09

Yeah. You know, there's a few different options. Obviously, just trying to do though, like incorporating little bits of things can make really big changes. You don't have to eat absolutely everything organic and everything from a farm and like you said, I mean, a lot of us don't really have access to that and with prices being where they are at. It really affects what are what we're able to buy. So there's a few different options. For good quality meats. I always recommend people shopping the sales, and also shopping directly from your farmer and your rancher can be a lot less expensive than buying from the store. seeking them out at a farmers market is a good way to find them. Sometimes that's not always the most cost effective way to shop because they have to increase their prices to you know set what the market is charging, but it's a great way to meet them. And then from there, you can build a relationship and then just shop directly from them. So that's one. With meats, you can freeze for a long periods of time. So a lot of times too, if they're offering sales or online retailers, for our sustainable meats are offering sales, it's a good time to kind of stock up. And then you can have that in your freezer. Or if you see a freeze a sale at your store, buying things in bulk, dry items, stocking up on those, again, if they're on sale, that's something that you can purchase in large amounts, and then just have available. But again, not trying to completely overwhelm yourself, do the best that you can, especially when it relates to shopping organic versus conventional, there's something called the by the embarr, Environmental Working Group, the clean 15 versus the Dirty Dozen. So those are ones that clean 15 that you might use the least amount of trace pesticides use versus the Dirty Dozen, which ones on the Dirty Dozen list, you would likely want to shop those organic if possible. But ones that might not use as much of the pesticides, it's okay to buy more conventional. And again, that's kind of just seeing what fits into your budget. And working from there buying frozen if you can, stocking up on the dry goods, shopping directly from a farmer there. So there are ways also online now you can buy so much available versus different from different retailers. So that's a good way to kind of shop the prices from different areas.

Todd McLaughlin: 36:38

Great answer, thank you. That's a lot of good options, actually. Where there's a will there's a way, but maybe it takes a little more maybe it takes some research and like you said and developing relationships with, yeah, with people that can, it seems like one will lead to the other, like if I find somebody that has eggs, and then maybe one guy that has honey or this woman that has honey

Carley Smith: 36:58

Exactly. And there's one thing note will not there's a website, local harvest, and there's a couple other ones where you can go on there, and you can actually find farmers around you, which is a really great resource, you might not be aware that there are farmers, you might never even think you have a farmers market. So you might not realize that there are people even just in small plots of land that they might be growing for themselves and, and have that availability to give out to others or, you know, so there's there

Todd McLaughlin: 37:31

our website again, it's called Local

Carley Smith: 37:33

harvest. I'm pretty sure that's the name of it. And it's a good way to kind of find local farmers in the area. And just like you said it just to start putting it out there and asking other people like if you find out source for your eggs, they might have a another source that you might find for, you know, some types of produce or something like that. Yeah,

Todd McLaughlin: 37:57

cool. So I'll put that link for that website in the notes if anyone wants to check that out. i A couple years ago had heard about, like juicing seem to be really, really popular. Like there's juice bars everywhere. And then, so I thought cool, I got a juicer. And so I just started making carrot juice, like just crazy amounts of carrot juice. And then someone said, Well, you better not drink too much carriages, your eyes are going to turn orange. And then I then someone said, Well, no, the really good juice is the cold pressed juice or you know, and then so I was like, Ooh, but that juice was really expensive. And it's really it takes a long time to make the juice. So maybe I don't want that. So I get like a decent juicer and then I found someone that likes here do like a seven day juice cleanse where you just drink juice for seven days. And I did that and I dropped a couple pounds. Without a doubt I felt it's weird. It's like I felt amazing. But it also felt kind of spacey. You know, like, I mean, you feel really good when you clean out your system and you're not weighted down by this. One thing that seems really apparent to me is like, I probably consume too much. You know, like if I go out to dinner, and they give us huge play. Like I'd love to eat everything on the plate. But then like you're so like, Oh yeah, you know, it's like heavy as heck. So like, you know, when I do stuff I find that I like realize, man, I really don't need to consume that much food than I normally do. So then recently someone to come in and this is coming from your when you mentioned fiber. She said I've been drinking juice all the time. But um, then I just learned that you need the fiber. Had I'd actually eaten the celery Yeah. eaten the apple that, you know, maybe she was having ill effects from too much green juices. What are your thoughts about that and what have you come across in relation to that world?

Carley Smith: 39:50

Yeah, and I think it serves its purpose, you know, so depends on what you're looking to do. There's obviously a lot of health benefits around juicing So I think that it does serve a purpose. But again, it's not going to replace a lot of those nutrients that you need like you are going to not get those fibers that are really important from those fruits and vegetables, and that actually helps to absorb a lot of those nutrients as well. So it's just important to kind of be mindful about what you're doing. If you're looking to do a cleanse, I mean, honestly, sometimes the best cleanse that you can do is just eating healthy, clean eating for a set amount of days, you know, limiting your processed foods and sugar, incorporating a lot more fiber into your diet, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, clean meats, and lots of water, making sure that you're drinking at least half your body weight and number of ounces of water per day is kind of that recommended dose. And it's amazing what a difference just clean eating has on the body. So I think we all think that we have to go through these crazy cleanse diets and fads when really, if you just eat well, that in itself is one of the most satiating ways to nourish the body and effective.

Todd McLaughlin: 41:15

So you're not torturing yourself?

Carley Smith: 41:17

No, and you shouldn't. I mean, it's crazy what we go through, when it it's totally unnecessary. And I get a lot of questions about fasting too. And, you know, it serves its purpose. I mean, there's definitely research that suggests or supports that fasting helps to optimize the microbiome. So one of those things that if it works for you, and you know what you're doing, that's great, but there's a downside of that, that's nutrient deprivation. And especially if you have underlying health conditions, it can be very compromising, especially for women and cortisol and hormones. So just really to be mindful that you know, you don't want to be taking these nutrients out, especially with the going back to the gluten free and the health halo effect. You know, when you start cutting all these things, and fasting and juicing and going to the replacement foods, your lat your, you're looking to eventually line up with nutrient deficiencies, and then that's, you know, going to help throw off the gut and all that. So sometimes just incorporating more food, good quality food, makes the world of difference.

Todd McLaughlin: 42:27

Nice. I really enjoy hearing all this, you have a great way of conveying it and, and just a nice, easy, gentle style. So I really appreciate that. Um, I Is there something because I feel like I have more and more questions, but also need to be mindful of your time. I keep you here all day.

Carley Smith: 42:51

It's important stuff,

Todd McLaughlin: 42:53

I didn't really start talking about like Richeson a be using your heel bone into your into your gut. Right, right, or D for that matter. But is there anything that we missed or didn't touch upon that you think is important to add to this conversation?

Carley Smith: 43:13

I think you know, we talked a little bit about stress and its impact on the gut. But I do want to just mention that I can't stress that enough that how important that is to be mindful about your stress levels. Because I think we live in this overstimulated life when we're constantly tied to our phones. And on the go, we're eating on the go, we're just everything is so fast paced, and we forget to take time to slow down. And that absolutely impacts digestion, you have to rest to digest. If your body isn't in that parasympathetic state, you're not going to be secreting the right enzymes needed to digest your food. And you know, that can lead to a whole lot of other issues. And more often than not, I see this with my clients, it's stress is the biggest issue with throwing off their gut. Either they're currently stressed or they went through a crazy period of high stress levels. And then it just weakened the gut. And now they have all these other health complications. So it's just really important to be making sure that you are taking time out for self care. That's why I love yoga so much. It's just a great way to get out of your mind and into your body. But you know, whatever that means for you spending time in nature. You know, reading just finding having a bedtime routine, turning off your phone, just little tiny things can make really big differences. And I will just say that's one of the biggest things that people can think that they're eating healthy all day long, but if their stress levels are through the roof, the food can only do so much.

Todd McLaughlin: 44:54

Great point. Good point. Do you sometimes feel feel like you don't even know you're stressed out.

Carley Smith: 45:03

I think that's how most people operate. I don't think we realize this stress that we're under until it's too late until we're sick, and then it's makes us really take that time to stop and reflect and think, oh, wow, you know, I was burning both ends of the candle and, you know, I didn't realize it, the body just can't, you know, sustain that amount for so long it the body can handle intermittent periods of stress. Like if you have to meet a deadline for work or you know, something like that. But it's that chronic, everyday stress sitting in traffic for you know, two hours every day on your way to a job that you hate with, you know, a boss that you hate or coworker, you know, just that chronic every day. That's not healthy for you. So it's really just finding ways to help mitigate and offset those stress levels.

Todd McLaughlin: 45:56

Good point, Carly. Well, I am so thankful for you to drive all the way here. There's probably a little more traffic here in the afternoon than it is in the early morning when you're when you're coming here now

Carley Smith: 46:08

I'm happy to be here. I love your studio. You're awesome. So I just had the opportunity

Todd McLaughlin: 46:13

of course I'm so excited to have you here and so everyone listening again you'll see all in the links in the show notes of Carly your website fairy godmother.com And I've been really enjoying for those of you that like social media and subscribe to it on IG I've been watching the videos that you make just showing food preparation and making smoothies and I I'm I like to geek out on how like you're I'm wondering like how is she putting this together like all these little clips and like they're just kind of fun to watch. They're super entertaining. It's relaxing. You get to watch like the almond butter land and there and the berries squash in there. Yeah, it's easy

Carley Smith: 46:54

stuff too. That's the biggest thing is that you know, you don't have to overcomplicate things. You don't have to overcomplicate gut health. You know, I don't have a lot of time either. I'm busy, but you can make it work. My recipes are super simple. Anybody could do it. I don't have any crazy, you know, background and culinary expertise, you know, so I just heal myself through food and lifestyle changes. So if I can do it, you know, anybody can do it.

Todd McLaughlin: 47:21

Nice. Thank you, Carly. Thank you. Native yoga podcast is produced by myself. The theme music is dreamed up by Bryce Allen. If you liked this show, let me know if there's room for improvement. I want to hear that too. We are curious to know what you think and what you want more of what I can improve. And if you have ideas for future guests or topics, please send us your thoughts to info at Native yoga center. You can find us at Native yoga center.com. And hey, if you did like this episode, share it with your friends, rate it and review and join us next time