MRP Living Light Q & A [Dec 8, 2023]

Foreign.

Hello. Hello, everyone. Happy Friday. Welcome, Ed. Welcome, Beverly. Welcome, Julie. Welcome, Liz. Lovely to see you all. Happy Friday. I hope it's as sunny as mine is. I'm getting a little bit of light feedback here. So I apologize if my face is drifting in and out and my voice. I've somehow woken up without a voice today. So I apologize if it sounds like I'm on a musical roller coaster, but I am. Okay. It is just my voice that is taking a hiatus. But welcome, everyone. Hi, Annalisa. Lovely to see you all. And as per usual, I would love to start with some gratitude. So whether you want to share it in your voice, whether you want to type it all out, I am grateful for the raspiness of my voice because, hey, it's a difference. At least I get to appreciate my true voice now because I know what it's like to be without for a little bit and also to. For our wonderful bodies, for always knowing what to do, for always, you know, having our best interest at heart. Regardless of what it is that we're typically doing with our bodies, they always are set to heal. So I'm super grateful for that and hopefully an opportunity this weekend to heal my voice wherever or find it wherever it left. So, yeah, that is my gratitude for today. Welcome, Nadia. And I would love to hear any gratitude coming up for anybody else, whether that be through your voice or through the chat. Hopefully everybody has had a good week and, you know, sometimes weeks are hard, too. But it's okay to, you know, be grateful for those lessons in life as well. I know it's difficult in the moment sometimes, but they end up being, you know, such a blessing in disguise that we don't sometimes realize as we're going through something. So I just want to say that those are also welcome, you know, thoughts and opinions and shares as well. So Liz is saying grateful for the sunshine after a snowy week. Likewise. I'm so excited to go outdoors today. It is so beautiful, so shiny, and hopefully you get to enjoy some of that lovely warmth from either indoors or outdoors. I know my. The right side of my face is definitely feeling it right now. Ed is saying grateful for vast network of friends and colorful career. Beautiful, Beautiful. Well, that's a community that you had full control of creating. So kudos to you for having such a colorful life and for beautiful different variety that you include. So that's awesome. Annalisa is saying grateful for taking the time to put up the Christmas decorations with Christmas music. It always is such a. Like, it feels like a Hallmark movie. Anytime you're setting up the tree or, you know, the music's in the background, there's wafts of cinnamon, and it just feels so cozy. That's awesome. That's awesome. I'm glad you had a chance to do that. Liz is saying, not warm, just sunny. Well, we'll take what we can get at this point in time in Canada. I'll take the sunshine over the gloom any day. So if you're sitting in near a window, sometimes it can get a little bit toasty around there too. At least that's what cats typically like to do. So I follow their lead and kind of sit in the warm nooks of the house. So enjoy. Enjoy the sunshine. Beverly is saying, I'm thankful for the storm that is coming. We really need precipitation here. Yes, definitely. I was just actually using this analogy. It doesn't really fit as we're speaking right now, but I found it to be very, very helpful in understanding our bodies and maybe giving ourselves a little bit more grace sometimes. So you know that I'm here.

Okay, so needed.

When it comes to your body being able to heal itself and, you know, if. If at yourself or look at somebody that you love, that is, let's say, you know, not feeling their best or going through something, when it comes to their health, you don't judge that person. You don't look at that person and say, you know, hey, get your act together. Get it. You know, get yourself back to health again. Similarly, as you wouldn't look at a plant and say, you know, why aren't you growing? Why aren't you doing what you're supposed to be doing? Why aren't you planting? Because instead, when we come to a plant and we see that it's not thriving, we go, oh, let's check the soil. You know, is the soil still rich? Is the soil dry? Does it still have nutrients inside of it? Where is this plant placed? Inside of the house or inside of the office? Is it near some sunshine? When was the last time we even watered this plant? And in this analogy, you are very much the plant. You are that that thing that needs tending to you. Are that that living organism that needs nurturing. You don't, you know, you don't look at a plant and judge it for not growing or judge it for being sick. We look at environment that it's surrounding itself in, that it's placed in. And I really, really love that analogy when it comes to you viewing your own health, you know, take a. Take a stock of what the environment is around you, how fertile is your soil? How much do you water yourself? You know, do you get outside and get that beautiful sunshine and resources that your body is craving for? So to anybody that is experiencing maybe a roller coaster because I know that that tends to happen, you know, it's not a line, it tends to be more of that wave, more of that flow. So to give yourself some grace and to really assess the environment it is that you are surrounding yourself in. It's a little bit off on that tangent, but in regards to Beverly's comment, precipitation, super important. So I hope that it's hydrating the community around you. Beverly, Julie is saying grateful for sunshine on Friday and looking forward to the weekend. Thankful for your help with me on this week, Alice. It's my pleasure, Julie, truly. So thank, thank you for, for just making it easy to support. In all honesty, that goes such a long way and, and I'm grateful to be along this journey with you and if there's anything, you know, questions wise, we can do that one on one, we can do that in the group calls. So I'm always happy to help. Nadia is saying grateful for the weekend to relax.

Yes.

Enjoy some much needed relaxation. I know those days come far and few in between, especially going up to the holidays tends to get a little bit crazier, so. And take all the time you can when it comes to relaxing. Draw yourself a nice bath. I know, you know, a lot of people really feel amazing after a spa day, but the cool thing is you can mimic a lot of that at home. So anytime you don't have the time, you know, or the funds, let's say to go to a spa and do that, that experience for yourself, know that you can really create an atmosphere at home. And it's like, it's actually something I like to do on a weekly basis because why not? We all feel better after a sp. And it really just takes, you know, maybe making yourself a tea, having some bath salts, maybe diffusing essential oils as you are soaking, grabbing a good book, you know, doing it, whatever it is that you typically can do laying down, you can do it in a bathtub. So just a little helpful tip to, you know, maybe elevate this weekend's relaxation. Beverly is saying, I'm from California. It's hard for me not to be thankful for rain. Yes, exactly. So it's one of those things where, you know, perspective, like there's, you know, England, for example, that gets rained 24 7. So they're probably like, okay, we, we could use a break every now and then from this dreary weather, but somebody from California or maybe Arizona, they're just waiting for those rainy days. So it's funny how we view resources depending on, you know, what is around us. So amazing, amazing shares. Thank you everybod for those wonderful gratitude statements. And for today I wanted to talk a little bit about of course, the upcoming holidays because that is fast approaching. That is a time that, you know, can get, I mean we've talked a lot in the past, in recent past about how to navigate it. But this is more so towards, you know, maybe gift giving or maybe noticing new things coming into your space because there is a lot of exchange that does happen and I just want to start paying attention or bring awareness to the things that we are typically consuming or the things that we buy and the things that we receive. And so that's, you know, kind of an aside topic. My first priority of course is answering any questions is doing anything metabolic reset related prior, during, after whatever phase you want to chat about or if anybody had any questions, questions on best practices, I would love to address those first. So feel free to use your reactions at the very bottom where you see kind of your different zoom options. So if you wanted to raise your hand, if you physically wanted to raise your hand, go old school, I am so fine with that too. Or you can type your questions into the chat. I'm just going to take a quick sip of water. No questions coming up for anybody so far. So I'm just going to roll into my tangent because why not? So as we kind of go into this holiday season, you know, gifting is something that is still very much a part of some people's traditions but doesn't necessarily mean it's part of everybody's. Everybody can handle it the way that they want to. If are into gift giving, I say to really start paying attention to the materials it is that you're consuming. Of course you want to pay attention to where you're purchasing those products from as well. You want it to be as local as possible because of course you're supporting your local community and then you're also not kind of contributing to the travel that different things have to go through. So there is that one huge benefit. But the other thing is, is of course we want to make sure that we're purchasing things that are in with our health goals and that can stream into so many different aspects. So I really say take it one step at a time. I know we've mentioned a lot of personal care in the past and really watching out for the different ingredients, using resources such as ewg. So I'm going to type that in here again. So there's ewg, there's also skin or sorry, not skin, skin Deep Think Dirty. That's another app that you can have on your phone to really quickly filter through things. So I know, know we've covered that quite a few different times, so I'm not going to get too much into it at the minute, but when it comes to actual items. So, you know, let's say you're in the market for a new set of pants or, you know, new set of health tools or utensils or whatever have you. I say to start paying attention to the materials that those things are made out of. Staying definitely away from non stick. Nonstick is coated heavily with different chemicals that actually can disrupt our hormones quite aggressively, depending on the amount that we're accumulating over the span of the day, over the span of X amount of years and weeks. So when you see things like Teflon, when you see things that are labeled non stick, I say to start bringing your awareness and to start to notice how you feel. Let's say if that's something that you've had in your kitchen or if that's something that you've been using for a period of time, the materials that you want to focus on that are actually going to help heat your food without denaturing it, without kind of spoiling the nutrients inside of it and not adding any sort of toxic overload, is something like stainless steel. So stainless steel is an amazing type of cookware. You can also do something like cast iron. Cast iron is amazing at also ironizing your food, so it's able to actually give your food a little bit of extra iron. For anybody that is iron deficient, which is a lot of us, you know, particularly women, tend to suffer with this a little bit more. And if you don't have a cast iron, you can also get like an iron fish. So I know some people like to cook their soup or their broths or, you know, maybe some chilies or whatever have you with an iron fish inside the pot. And so that helps to kind of give your food that natural iron as well. We want to stay away from, of course, stuff like plastics, stuff like silicones as much as possible, because they are plastic derivatives. And plastic. Plastic isn't terrible in its entirety, of course. It served a massive purpose. But at the same time, plastic can also leech. And there's a lot of endocrine disruptors or hormone Disruptors that can mimic our hormones in our body when we are exposed to a lot of plastic, especially when it comes to our food, especially when it comes to anything that it is that we're ingesting. So again, this could be such a huge rabbit hole that you fall into, you know, when it comes to care products and what they're stored in, when it comes to your cleaning products and what they're stored in. So that's why I really say take one thing at a time, you know, and, and that kind of extends to your clothes as well. So, you know, there's a big movement when it comes to slow living. You know, choosing something like slow fashion versus something like fast fashion. And there's so many different reasons for it. One of them being, of course, fast fashion tends to be materials that are not natur natural to your body. So again, using the polyesters, which is a plastic derivative, using the nylons, using the acrylics, using, you know, things that we typically wouldn't put on our body. So when you're out shopping, you know, this gift giving season or you know, even in general moving forward, I really say to start paying attention to the materials and to the actual ingredients that things are comprised of. When it comes to clothing and this, you know, it's going to take time. I've been on this journey, journey for maybe a year or two now where I've started kind of picking up different pieces. And you know, it takes a little while to invest in those quality pieces, but they do really last and they keep you very warm and they don't just tatter after a season is done or after the year is done. So a couple of different materials to look out for is something like organic cotton. So if you are purchasing anything that is cotton based, try your best to do organic cotton. Cotton. The reason being is that cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed because it's heavily produced crops in the entire world. And so there's so many different things that are created from cotton. And because cotton itself of course is not bad, but what we do to it sometimes can be quite toxic, especially if we're wearing it for, you know, 18 hours of the day or even sometimes 24 hours of the day, we never give our body that, that breathing room, that breathing space. So making sure organic cotton as best as possible is something you start looking out for. You can also do something like linen. Linen is amazing at breathability for your skin as well. It actually also matches the frequency of your body and of your skin. So it works in Tandem with you. And that's kind of another aside, but it's very good in terms of just giving your skin that chance to breathe. It also has the natural, excuse me, cooling and heating system to it, which is amazing. There is also, of course, wool. So wool is going to be, you know, a Canadian favorite. I actually just picked up some wool yesterday, and I found some at Winners. I don't know if anybody is familiar with the brand. Icebreaker. So Icebreaker is, I believe, Canadian, if I'm not mistaken. I could be wrong. It's a Canadian brand. Annalisa. Yeah.

Yeah.

So it's this amazing brand that makes 100% merino wool items, and they're really great when it comes to, you know, thermal layers or if you live in a cold environment or if you do a lot of outdoor activities, let's say, in the winter or not. They're just amazing under layers. And sweaters and T shirts that have a lot of amazing breathability and that are actually odor resistant. So you never actually need to wash wool. It. It recycles and refresh. You know, the air has a lot of great circulation in the fabric, so you don't even technically need to wash it, which is kind of cool. A little bit strange from what we're used to, but that used to be the norm at the same time as well. So it's again, going back to those basics. So Icebreaker for who? Anybody. Any. For anybody else who is a fan of any one of their clothings or the brand in general. Winners sometimes may have those under layers. So I just wanted to announce that because I was very excited about it. But even something like cashmere, you know, that's getting into, obviously, you know, the nicer and sort of materials, but cashmere is an amazing, amazing soft material. It's very warming at the same time, too. And it's going to, again, be something that your skin is going to work in tandem with. It's not going to be. Oh, is that an icebreaker shirt? Oh, I was at a outlet in the States and.

And got. This is 100% cashmere for $6.

Oh. Oh, my deal.

Oh, it is amazing.

It looks beautiful. I actually, I just got this sweater here as well that is 100% cashmere, and I think I got it for like, $7 as well. And it's the softest. Like, I never want to take it off a little bear the whole time. So really makes a difference when it comes to, you know, what we interact with daily basis. So I don't say this to you, Know, have you overhaul, you know, all your personal care items, all of your clothes, let's say all of your, you know, cooking materials and utensils. But this is a gentle reminder to start seeding in what it is that aligns with you. And now in this place that you are in, you know, if kind of paying attention to who it is that we're supporting, the communities that we are supporting, are we supporting our health goals with the things that we buy, or is this something that we would even want to gift to our family and friends that we love? So it's keeping those things subtly in mind. I just saw Helen's comment here. Cashmere would make me melt. Yes. So for some it's can be definitely a little bit too warming, but I've definitely run on the colder side, so it, it definitely works for me. But something like linen could be really amazing for you. That gives you that breathability, that allows you to kind of ventilate your. There's so many different options depending on if you run hot, if you run cold, that do end up being more of that natural, you know, materials. So I just wanted to share a little bit about that. And we also have this really cool healthy home checklist that goes into all of the different recommendations, all the different areas that you can start taking a little bit of a sneak peek or a closer look at. And of course there's so many different areas that this doesn't include too. But the, the goal is, is to be that aware consumer, not only for yourself, for your family, for your loved ones, and then also for your community. So keeping things simple, but then also keeping things high quality because you deserve it and your, your health deserves it, your life deserves it. So I'm going to go ahead and just quickly share my screen here and I'm going to also share this PDF too, for anybody that does not have it. So we go into this healthy home checklist. So there's a bunch of different cool kitchen tools that you can invest in. Le Creuset is a really amazing brand. So of course they are a little bit more of an investment. But you can sometimes find it at let's say something like a Winners or a Marshalls or I think the state's equivalent is like a TJ Maxx. So looking out for certain brands also that you can trust so that when you do go out, you, you know that if see something of this brand that is a clean brand that you can go ahead with. I love personally the R place pan. So I think it consolidates either seven or eight different tools or different, you know, pan needs, let's say, all into one. So there's a little steamer insert, there's a spout, there's a little bamboo spatula that comes with it. It all fits in its nice little set and it just makes things super convenient and easy. So at least it has for me for just quick and EAS cooking. So that's a really amazing pan. The hot logic has saved me in the office many times from enjoying a bland cold meal. Instead, I've been able to heat it up perfectly for my lunchtime period in the hot logic, which is an alternative to a microwave. So it doesn't, you know, zap your food, let's say, or it doesn't heat it in a flash. It takes a little bit longer because it is a hot plate, but it retains a lot more, more of the food's nutrition and it's a lot more natural when it comes to kind of like mimics like a fire almost heating up your food. So there's so many different options in here. You know, of course, the bedroom we've talked about so many times and many of you have received some of the things that are mentioned inside of here when it comes to an essential oil or the red light bulb or even like the sleep mask. So, you know, making sure that, that you really, if there's any place to begin, I always say the bedroom is the best place to start. Because we spend a third of our lives sleeping. It's a quite a big chunk to devote to our lives in one setting in one place. That's something that's going to stay consistent throughout the rest of our lives. We're always going to need sleep. So when it comes to optimizing that area, I always say that's going to be the biggest needle mover for your health to optimize first. So, you know, of course the pillows and the, the sheets and, you know, the blackout curtains and all of that, it takes a lot of time, but start where you can, you know, start putting things on your radar and, and start with the bedroom. In, in my personal opinion, you can start wherever it is that you want, but because we spend so much time there, that's what I would suggest, of course. Bathroom. When it comes to personal care products, a squatty potty is never a bad idea. Try one and then, and then talk to me and then we'll see if you enjoy it or makes such a different, you know, it's such a game changer when it comes to just being able to fully Eliminate, especially on this program, because constipation can happen for a lot of people, you know, in the program and outside of the program. And what this does is it really helps for you to fully eliminate, helps you to unkink your colon, and it allows, or I guess it stops the backflow of bacteria going back up into your intestines. So especially if you're somebody, you find, excuse me, that your bowel rhythm is a little bit off, or sometimes, you know, you feel that gurgling or stomach upset or bloating or, you know, when indigestion, whatever, whatever comes down to the stomach. I think the squatty potty would make a really great addition to that health arsenal so that you can make sure you're fully eliminating and make sure that you're spending less time in the bathroom as well as well. And tongue scraper. I'm a huge fan of this always until I'm blue in the face. Making sure you're using natural makeup or natural care products, you know, using, you know, some of the resources that I listed, or if you have another resource, you're welcome to do that as well. There is, of course, laundry alternatives. You can also make your. Your own laundry. You can also make a lot of your own products. So, you know, with a couple of essential oils. And there's a amazing book by Dr. Eric Zielinski, who goes into a ton of different recipes when it comes to using your essential oils and creating your own solutions at home. Whether it's cleaning, whether it's personal care, whether it's, you know, immune boosting, there's. There's just endless possibilities when it comes to that. So referencing something like a book and actually, you know, making your own products is always an option too, and it ends up being a lot more cost effective in the long run, not only for your wallet, but then also for your health, because you're using all natural products that your body is very familiar with. And then the additional kind of, let's say, indulgences. You can do something like an infrared sauna or something like an air doctor that's going to help purify your air because of course, we're exposed to toxins that we put on and we put in our bodies. But then we're also kind of amidst sometimes toxins as well, depending on how quickly or how long ago we bought new furniture. When did we paint the house? You know, is there maybe construction happening close by where some of that air is, you know, drifting into our homes? How is the cleanliness? Have we dusted recently do we suffer with allergies. So an air doctor is really, really helpful for that. I found a huge difference in terms of my allergies once I got my air doctor and started running it on a more daily basis. But it's something that household plants can do too. So a lot of plants have a natural filtration system. So if an air doctor not where you can start doing something like maybe a snake plant, so something that helps to filter the air in the environment and also bring a new little life to, to your space as well some greenery, some of that outdoors, indoors, so which has multiple benefits. So all to say there is so many things out there that exist nowadays but I, I challenge everybody and I encourage everybody to, to really focus on what your goals are when it comes to, you know, consuming, you know what it is something in line with you. Is this going to allow you to further travel down that path of health or it couldn't knock you back maybe a step or two. Now it's never an irreversible thing so it's nothing you know, bad that you're doing to your body per se but now it's, it's going more towards the side of nature, it's keeping things more natural where you're both body is already familiar with it, it's adapted to it over time so it's going to be a lot more conducive. So that was my little bit on the holidays and, and kind of how to navigate them. I know that that was a little bit off topic but a little on topic at the same time too because it's all things we interact with. So any and all questions are welcome. It does not need to be anything healthy home related but I'm happy to answer those too. I just wanted, I'm just checking in with the chat right now to see if, if any questions came in. I see Beverly's comment here about wool, the theory about wool and its itchiness. So I'm so on board and that's why I haven't owned wool in a very long time because of the itchiness because you do have to wear so many things underneath. But the one saving grace about icebreaker is they somehow how I don't know what they've done to this wool but it's so soft and you don't feel like you're willing wearing wool whatsoever. It, it's such a different consistency. It's not that scratchiness that, that everybody is is bracing for. Hence why my excitement at finding it yesterday at Winners. So super, super pumped about that. But, yeah, the scratchy wool, you run in the. In the other direction. You don't look back. You just run. Because that is serving me. Nobody. O sage green R R place pan. That's the same color I have. You are going to love it. It's going to game change. Your. Your cooking experience. Like, it's. It's so wonderful. Enjoy. It's going to be such a treat. Love that you got that Primal Organics for tooth care. Amazing. Primal Organics is really good. There's a few different really great toothpastes. Now, I have not tried the Primal Organics, but I've heard good things. There is also a brand that I know Depot really loves, and it's called, well, Knees. I know we've mentioned it in our. In our newsletters every so often. So maybe some of you have tried it out or have come in contact with it already. But if not, I'm gonna go ahead and post the link to it.

It.

And, Annalise, I don't know if you've used the, well, KN Toothpaste. No, you have it, right? Let me see where it is. So I remember it has some sort of nanoparticle technology that I'm not 100% familiar on, so I don't want to misspeak, but it has a certain, like, patent technology in it where it's extra cleaning and it's able to not disrupt, like, your natural oral microbiome by still really being effective at kind of fighting off the bacteria and, you know, the different food particles that could be left in your teeth. So for anybody who is interested, this is the toothpaste as well? Yes, Liz, it was Dr. Eric Zielinski. I'm going to get the name of his book right now.

Okay, I got it. It's the Healing Power of Essential Oils. Oh, okay.

Perfect. Thank you, Alice.

Lisa.

And you can find that on something like Amazon. You can find it at something like Chapters or a bookstore. So if you are in the area, those options work, too. And I think. I don't know if I've seen it at a health food store. I know some health food stores have books. I think it would be. It would take a lot longer to search through there. So I'd probably say something like chapter. Yes, of course. I will go ahead and share that right now. Awesome. Oh, yeah, Cheryl, I see you have your hand up. Let's hear your question.

There. I keep pressing the wrong button, and then I end up out of the program for some reason. Yes, I was using A natural toothpaste and my teeth went worse. And the dentist says as you get older you just need the fluoride and stuff to, to keep your teeth better. And since I've gone back to a regular toothpaste, I've had amazing checkups. So I don't know what to do in that regard. I don't have the fluoride. I don't think they even offer it to me. Maybe it's on my chart. I don't want it. I don't have the fluoride from the dentist anymore. But I do use the toothpaste and I put a question up, way up somewhere. I thought silicone was good. So I've got those two questions and I have another one.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So when it comes to your oral microbiome health, there's so many different things. I'm definitely not a dentist, so I don't know them all, but I know that a lot of it can be lifestyle based as well. So let's say you were getting, you know, I, I'm not too sure, but let's say you were getting a lot of cavities previously. So the number one reason actually for cavities is mouth breathing. It's not actually anything going on with your oral microbiome or the foods that you're eating, like sugar definitely makes a close second. But the number one reason is mouth breathing. So I don't know if you were paying attention.

Mine was mostly gum. Gum health and stuff.

Yeah, more than.

Yeah, yeah.

Which still impacts. So it all, it's all bacteria that sits either on your teeth or on your gums. And so, you know, when it comes to your gums, there's so many different things that come into play with it too. But it's that daily consistent habit. And it's also including things like a mouthwash or, you know, flossing and, and, or a water pick or something along that.

Yeah, yeah. Do you have all of that? Yeah, maybe what I'll do is go to one brush a day with a natural toothbrush and one brush a day or natural toothpaste and one brush a day with a regular. So I'm at least, you know, cutting back my usage. Maybe I'll go back to trying that again. I tried, you know, one point in time. Yeah.

See if it works. See if, you know, obviously I don't want your, your tooth health in your oral microbiome to go by the wayside and for it to have negative effects. But I think that's a great plan to start to see if that can help balance it out so that you're doing kind of that. That in between, which I think is great.

Is the oil pulling still good as a, like a mouthwash alternative or.

Yeah, yeah, you can definitely go ahead and do oil pulling of course without swallowing the oil because uh, it's pulling out all the debris and all the bacteria that you don't want in your body. But yes, you can definitely go ahead and oil pull. And something else that I would recommend too is including like, like I. It's a homemade mouthwash recipe actually I got from Deepa, but I really love and I can share the recipe for it in this chat in case you wanted to try. It actually uses essential oils or one essential oil inside of it. And it doesn't have to be this one per se just has a lot of benefits to um. And it helps to kind of clear out that bacteria a little bit more effectively too. And if you do have something like a water flosser irrigator, you can pour a little bit in on in, in there so that it kind of flushes through all of your teeth too.

Yeah, just have floss, regular floss.

Okay, well that works great, you know, as just a mouthwash as a standalone too.

And my husband, my husband really likes the nonstick pans for certain things. I use stainless steel. He's not as careful a cooker so he prefers the nonstick so he doesn't have to pay attention. So I use stainless and I've gotten him the Heritage the Rock, which they say say is supposed to be good. So I don't know if you know anything about that. We definitely don't have any Teflon in our house anymore. Haven't had for. Since I started here. Not here, here with living Proof many years ago. So Teflon has been out of our life for quite a while. So I went with Heritage the Rock. So I'm hoping that's a half decent alternative.

I'm gonna check it out right now. You said Heritage the Rock.

The Rock, yeah. Being older, I'm 68, my husband just turned 70. I'm trying not to spend so much money on re outfitting everything. Like how much longer am I going to be cooking? Am I, you know, to go out and spend a couple hundred dollars on a pan or whatever? So I'm trying to make, make the best and most cost effective options that I can without outfitting everything.

Yeah, and I hear you when you say that. I think you are worth every penny of something that is going to get you closer to your health goals. Just as an aside, but an alternate way to still have those high quality pieces without that, you know, high end ticket, let's say is doing something like thrifting, you know, especially when it comes to. I always see cast iron pans in thrift stores or even stainless steel as well. And it might need a little bit of repair every so often or, or at that moment in time. But it's nothing that it takes a little bit more effort for sure. But it's something that you can then keep for, you know, X amount of years that's still going to serve you. So there is that method or that around it as well.

They say I, I went to pick up some cast iron pans at Superstore the other day. They were really reasonable price but they say not to be used on the flat top cooks, cook top whatever those things are, you know, the, the glass I guess in case you like go and smash it down. But I assume if you're care. I assume if you're careful.

Yeah, like if you're careful.

Only reason that you couldn't use it because they don't want people going smush and breaking their stove top. I assume that's the only reason. I didn't know if there was another reason not to use cast iron.

No, not that I'm aware of personally but I've used a cast iron on a glass induction stove for many years without any issues. So in terms of like breakage on either end. So I think it should be fine.

I do find some of them very heavy so I would.

Yeah, it's just a pain to clean. Yeah, it's definitely a pain to clean. And then also it's something that needs to be seasoned as well. So there is that.

Yeah.

Yeah. To make sure that it's still optimized and it's still working at its best. But I view it as, you know, kind of like us, you know, we need a little bit of fine tuning sometimes too. We need a little bit of self care and our high quality pieces might need that too. And because of it we accumulate less of them because we, we take the time to do. Take care.

Yeah. I bought a, a secondhand cast iron pot at a garage sale back in the summer mainly to use for camping. But I'd like to use it at home. But still sitting somewhere waiting to be fixed up.

Yes, I know it can definitely rack up on the to do list and it doesn't. It's not one of those things that takes the highest priority but it's something that, you know, on a Sunday or on a relaxing weekend, let's say if we do have a. The time, kind of compressing it all into one window. So, you know, making your formulas for, like, you know, your yoga mat cleaners or your air spray or, you know, your. Your relaxation mist at night or whatever, you know, re. Seasoning your cast iron pan, you know, hand washing your clothes. It's. It all can be compressed into that one time frame. It's just finding the time to do it, which is definitely hard. And as we come into the holiday season. So by no means does it need to be done now, but as just an alternative means to get there. And as Ed said, ceramic is also nonstick, and it's also a really great option too. So ceramic I forgot to include in that is also great. And it tends to have a little bit lesser of a price point.

Okay, that's a good idea. Thank you.

I actually misspoke. They call it enamel, not ceramic. Good.

So. Okay, I put.

I put that in. I just put a picture of two of those because I just bought them. I'm surprised this came up in the conversation, but I just bought them at Costco for 70 bucks. You get two. A big one and a little one because my old one was damaged, so we had to replace it. And they just happened to have them on sale. Normally these things go for, like, 250 bucks.

Yeah.

And they have two of them for 70 bucks at Costco.

That's awesome. Well, thanks, Ed. Thanks.

Cast iron. Cast iron coated with enamel, which is.

I'm looking for more frying pans.

Yeah, I've got.

I've got good things to go in the oven, but it's frying pans that I struggle with. Do they. Do they make frying pans?

No, they. They had a. Something similar to the rock. They had a griddle that was reversible and it was stone. It was a stone surface, non stick. But it's because of that stone technology. And it was like a griddle on one side and a. A what. What I would call, you know, like a outdoor, where you would fry foods on the other side, where it's ribbed, but it. You put it over two burners on your stove. But it was that same stone technology, and I discovered I could use that. Oh, that's as a pizza stone for my own.

Yeah. I. Especially for frying it. Frying it. My husband. My husband likes a nonstick pan for frying eggs because. Yeah, we haven't perfected the art using stainless steel. Our Eggs just stick all over the place.

I can tell you what the secret is. You have it on a low to medium low heat and let the pan warm up first. And I'm going to use butter as the example because it's easiest to see the butter. This is Julia Child's butter, by the way, Recommendation. You put the butter in the pan, and when the butter stops being excited and bubbling up and it sort of calms down, then you're ready to put the eggs in. So you could do the same concept with oil, but you have to wait for the coating to be ready. You just can't jump right in.

Yeah. My husband struggles with patience.

Yeah. And I would. If you like them sunny side up, I.

No, I recommend.

Okay. Because you can cover it and put a little water in there and it'll steam it. So it's well done. But still sunny side up.

Yeah. You know, I'm a flipper with my eggs. Well, thanks for that. I will try that. Give that a try. And a stainless steel pan.

Get. I actually saw that on Julia Child's show from way back when, you know, from the 60s or whatever.

Sorry. Did you have a chance, Alice, to check out the rock?

I did. There's a lot of different options, so it's hard to know which set it is that is like the one that you're working with, because there's the coin set, there's the other sets that there's just a lot of options on there. So it's hard to say entirely. But I would just say moving forward to keep that in mind, because you do already own it. So I would say, you know, use it until you feel like you're ready to move on to something else. Or it could be that they are very clean. I would just need to know the exact series because there's so many different collections of it. But I'm happy to check it out if you do find it, so you can send it my way. Cheryl.

Okay, Sorry. I didn't realize there was more than one set of that. Yeah. But I'll maybe look for. For ceramic. Some of the ceramic I've seen say they're aluminum with a ceramic coating. I always thought aluminum was bad.

Yeah, Alumin aluminum tends to be. It can accumulate in the body, and there's a big correlation. I. I'm not too sure. Again, I'm not a product expert. I try to keep things as minimally crafted. So I don't have so many of these questions because we will truly never know in complete honesty, because we're not the ones doing the testing, so we don't see what it produces. But I know that there is a huge link between aluminum and breast cancer. That is something that's heavily researched. So for those reasons in particular, I don't chance it because it's not worth it to me. But at the same time, you know, it's not to say that there is this dire risk associated with it by any stretch. I, that's just the, the mindset that I have approaching new things coming into my space. I really need to feel confident about them and do the research ahead of time. And when it comes to silicone, it's kind of the same thing, you know, and it's not necessarily inherently bad. But I say to move away from things that have been processed or that have been, you know, made with things that were not, that are not natural, let's say to the earth. So something like plastics, something like silicones, while they're not creating an intense risk, I like to limit them as much as possible and that's what I encourage. And, but there is also a lot of amazing, like Helen posted, you know, food grade reusable Ziploc bags or an alternative to the one one time off. And to those, I say, you know, they're making a huge difference environment mentally using them. They're much safer when it comes to, you know, using that versus plastic. So I say go for it. You know, I have those actually myself as well. I have stasher bags, which I really love. But I don't test it when it comes to like the heating and the cooling side of things because that's where I find the leaching can happen. Even if things say they're, they're food safe or food grade. I just say to practice caution when it comes to that.

Yeah. Yes, Let Hel go because I've talked a lot.

Sure thing.

Sorry, I just. Hi. I just want to clarify though. Did I miss something? Is silicone not considered a safe?

Like I.

You didn't miss anything. So it's.

It.

There is no danger when it comes to silicone. It's just more so the movement or migration, like let's say to something more of a natural, let's say like a stainless steel container or maybe something like a glass container or bamboo or whatever. Have you just focusing more so on including more natural derivatives.

Okay, so. So you're okay with the silicone replacing plastic Ziploc with silicone Ziplocs and then same for baking and all that. You're good with those?

Yes, that's correct.

Thank you.

You're welcome. Yes, Cheryl.

I have been struggling with because there's only my husband and I and we each cook separately because he likes different things than I do. We have pans that are about 6 or 7 inches by 4 or 5 inches. They nicely hold a piece of chicken breast or a pork chop or whatever. That's what we use for baking our food food. But I can't find a cover to go in the oven. We use foil, which I'm not happy with. But I have looked and on Amazon and I don't know if anybody has any ideas what I could put over top when we're baking. Stuff in those particular pans. I do have from Norwex. Norwex is another company that does all sorts of healthful stuff. I've got a square 9 inch big square one that I can use. I don't have anything for my big 9x13 pans which I use for company and for these little pans that my husband and I use all the time. I can't seem to find anything to put over top when I'm baking.

Yeah, great question, Cheryl. I, I, I don't have any tips myself. I'm so sorry. Nothing comes to mind because my first thing is I feel like Ed has something to add to that. Ed, do you have any insights?

Yeah, I've used the cooking sheet like, you know, you're making cookies, you just put the sheet on top. It's for the oven anyway. You just put it on top of your pan and that. Yeah, your cover.

That's a great idea. Yeah, because it's, you know, it's already a piece of metal and it's something that already goes into your oven. It just obviously the size might need to be adjusted for whatever, you know, pan or whatever ceramic you're putting in there. But I think that's a great idea. Yeah. Hopefully it works out. Try it out. If not, we can go back to the drawing board. Awesome. I know we haven't really, you know, chatted about too many program related questions, but please know they are always welcome. You know, I hope that goes without saying, but just in case they are always welcome, please feel free to, you know, mention anything that you're experiencing in terms of the metabolic reset. You know, we're almost at the top of the hour here, but I would love to answer any questions that are coming up. There's no small question, there are no stupid questions. It's just important to ask the questions that you're curious about. And I'm definitely here for It. So please let me know if any questions are coming up for. For anybody at any point in time in the journey. I hear you thinking hard over there, Ed.

Well, all I'm. I haven't eaten yet today, so all I'm thinking about is tasty recipes. But I shouldn't be asking about tasty recipes.

Yeah, well, it'll definitely help kickstart the digestive process, so it'll get the saliva running, it'll get your juices flowing, which is all a part of the process, and it helps with breaking down your food. So I hope that you enjoy a tasty meal that satisfies your taste buds. Helen, I see you have your hand up here.

Hi.

So I'm still in the release phase, I think, Alice, you reminded me I'm at day 30 something and I've sort of plateaued. But I just want to acknowledge out loud, for accountability here, that I have been bending the rules a bit. I haven't cheated, but I have been bending the rules. Like I'm not having salads with every meal and I'm saving my fruit from the daytime, putting it in the evening and things like that. So I just want to acknowledge that I know it's a program and that there's a process and that my progress is probably reflecting the fact that I'm bending those rules. So for those of you that have been through it, I'm still plugging away and I was. I had such amazing momentum and I'm not really plateaued. I'm just sort of stuck in the same pound for three days. Anyway, I'm really optimistic and so grateful for the daily support, Alice. Honestly, it's amazing. And I'm back on board. I promise for the rest of the release, I won't bend the rules and see how I do.

I believe you. I totally believe you, and thank you for those kind words. And it's a process, you know, you get to know yourself, you get to know your body, you get to know your habits. And I'm grateful that you're always, you know, devoted in that pursuit because that's the main thing that matters. That's the most important thing. And what's cool about. About this process as well, and it comes up, you know, for everyone, nearly. It definitely came up for me, is that you learn how your body releases weight uniquely. We think it's going to be this linear line. We think it's supposed to look like the most beautiful textbook graph we've ever seen, but it's not the case. Our body needs that recalibration time. Our body needs that adjustment time. It, it's letting go of resources, it needs to work, reorganize. So through this process, you know, it really teaches you that there is that buffer period that some people need before you continue to release. And so for myself and, and so I see for a lot of people as well, they release, they release and then they plateau for a little bit and their body reorganizes, reshifts things and then it continues to release. For myself, I even saw a bit of a weight, weight increase. So, you know, every. I was doing everything textbook. So I'm like, how the heck is this not working? Or how is my body not responding to it? And then I over time realized this is just the way my body interacts. This is just the way it is for me. And I'm okay with that because I can see that I'm doing the work. I can see that my body's doing the work too. And that's the most important thing. So I say that to, to give yourself grace, to know that it's not always what you are doing right or wrong. It's sometimes your body just needing a bit of a period of time where it rests, where it pauses. And so you look at that weight release now so differently because you understand that cycle that it goes through. So just as an aside for everybody to bring awareness as to how your body uniquely releases weight because it might surprise you for from what you assume it to look like kind of in your mind. So yeah, allow this process to be that learning experience too. Cheryl, I see you have your hand raised.

Helen. I wasn't always super strict with the program either. So it's okay and 1% does it. Yeah. When I do it next time, I think I'll be better, better able to cope. I was just so was such a shock to my body that it didn't know what to do. I am now in the maintenance phase. I'm going to continue this way until January. I'm not going to start again before Christmas, but I will be careful, watch my portions and whatever. But I've become since I started right from starting, adding food back in. I. I've got gassy back and my heartburn has come back. The last couple of days I felt amazing on the release phase. I was hungry, very hungry, but I felt amazing. I had no gas, no heartburn. I felt amazing. I have never felt that good ever. So I'm not sure what I'm doing or what the best way for me to eat going forward is going to be?

Well, the cool thing is, is that you can take the meals from the release phase and add fats or add, you know, certain foods to it to still enjoy the bulk of what that meal was, because it was from the foods that made you feel so amazing, and also the lifestyle, but mainly the food that took away, like, the gassiness and the bloating. And you can add fats to those meals. And then now they're perfectly amazing meals to enjoy even outside of the program, but then still receive the benefits that you were getting in the release phase. So if there was any recipes that you really liked, I would say definitely bring them back, even just to have that. That surge of vegetables, that surge of fiber.

It was when I started adding the fat in, that's when the gas started back, back again.

Okay. Was it all the fats? Like, all the different fats that you included? Have you ever played with, like, supplemental or supplementary support to help you break down those fats?

I did at one point in time when I was seeing Dr. Brar. I'm not good at swallowing pills anymore. I seem to have lost that ability.