28 August 2025 Diet Plans- Your BluePrint and DNA

Welcome to the Balanced Body Podcast, where Sherri Griggs, owner of Balanced Body Health and Wellness in Omaha, talks to us about health, wellness, and balancing hormones.

Welcome to the Balanced Body Health and Wellness Podcast, here with Sherri Griggs, owner, operator, MacGyver of hormones of Balanced Body Medical here in Omaha.

Hi.

I'm great. And of course, now every time you say that, I'm gonna think about Marty at our meeting yesterday going, and Sherri's gonna fix it with a paperclip.

Well, yeah, because wasn't MacGyver always really famous for like not having the right tools but then getting—

He could fix anything. He could figure any problem out with whatever he had, whatever tools he had with him, and he could figure it out.

And the cool thing is, is we have lots of tools at our fingertips because there's just so much data to run through when you're looking at the tests that you can do and the information that we're looking at. And in my case in particular, you know, when we're looking at what diet might fit my profile because of my circumstance, DNA, you know, what I'm dealing with currently is rebalancing and looking at hormones and supplementing, it becomes— I don't want to say easy, but it becomes a very easy path forward of what's good and what's not when it comes to eating.

Right.

And in my example, me, as we brought up before, but Atkins is a big old no. And why is that?

Right? And that was specifically for you. Now, you brought up a good point when you said there's so much information out there. There's so much. And what people don't understand is that just because your friend said, oh my gosh, I lost so much weight on this, it was amazing, it was so, you know, it was maybe a little hard, but it was easy, right? Doesn't mean you will. And that was looking at your DNA when we did the Balanced Body Blueprint, where we actually checked your DNA to find out what you needed, right? What your body needed. We found that your body said stay away from saturated fats.

Mm-hmm.

Okay? And Atkins, very similar. I always joke what's old is new again. It's just now called keto. Um, but Atkins, the thing with Atkins was it— the same idea of getting into ketogenesis, eating fat, not eating carbohydrates so that your body breaks down the fat that you have for energy, right? Because if you eat the carbohydrates, then the carbohydrates get— are the energy and the sugar and all that. And so, but Atkins said any fat, right? You know, I was around in those days and people were like, I'm living on bacon and I'm living on meat and I'm eating every fatty thing I can and, oh, I'm losing weight. That might be fine for them. I do also know that it was in those years I was doing insurance physicals and I was finding It was men in amazing shape to have kidney damage.

Because of the keto slash Atkins?

Because of the pro— so much protein, it was hard for their kidneys to break all that protein down. They were living on meat only, right? Um, and so, you know, um, saturated fats can be very inflammatory. And so then them with so much protein, it's the kidneys that have to work through all of That, and it was causing kidney damage. So, um, I think keto is a little more healthier in that it does recommend vegetables and things like that. It's just having you stay away from the, um, the carbohydrates like the, the breads and the pastas and some of those things.

Um, for some reason when I think of keto and Atkins, I think of 2 different Like, I think of 2 different types of diets for some reason, and keto in my mind seems a little bit more like nut-heavy or something, whereas like Atkins, like you said, seems more like burgers and bacon. So it's interesting that they're kind of the same or similar, right?

Keto's gonna say lean meats, right? Um, you know, and as I'm looking at this information I have from when I did my health coaching With IIN, and you know it even talks about saturated fats, good or evil, right? And this is within the Atkins. It's less than seven percent of energy. So people missed that note, right? They missed that memo. They just said, "I can eat whatever I want." Okay. So I can eat all the bacon. Yep. So, you know, and it keeps saying it throughout here, limit, limit, limit, limit. But again, this was the training. This is the studies that talked about saturated fat, saturated fatty acid, and— or yes, saturated fats and, um, what it can do to the body with inflammation, heart disease. We know the beginning of heart disease is inflammation. Okay, so anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean diet, where you're not eating a lot of inflammatory stuff, um, mainly fatty foods, right? Saturated fat. Now, fat— all fat is not created equally, and fat is not all evil.

Yeah, no, we need, we need fat, right?

Like, we need that for our hormones. We need For our brain, for metabolism, but good fats. Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado and avocado oil, some nut oils like pecan oil. I've seen sesame oil. And, you know, there I frequently see, don't cook high temperatures with olive oil. Olive oil is not meant to be a high temperature oil. It's more for your dressings and low temperature stuff. And so I will use an avocado or a coconut oil for like if I make my turkey burgers, right? My very, very, very lean turkey burgers, they need something. So I will put a little coconut oil in there in the pan so that we can cook those.

Oh, so then you're adding in the fats on there. But then they're like a specific type of fat, right?

They're, they're, and they're not a saturated fat, right? They're a, they're a good fat.

Yeah.

That our body, that actually helps fight inflammation, like coconut oil, olive oil, um, the avocado again. And so sometimes there are people— ghee, ghee is another one. And that is clarified butter.

That's a good one. It tastes good too.

It does, right? I have a patient that makes her own. She brought me some and it tasted just like butter. It didn't taste any different. Now, the stuff I buy tastes different, but I'm good with that flavor. Some people aren't. So it's not that hard to do, you know, but it takes the bad fat out. And that's why it can sit on the counter. It doesn't have to be refrigerated because the bad fat, the stuff that would turn rancid, is taken out of it. It's clarified. Okay.

Okay. So now, so, so, okay. So Atkins, a big no for me, but could be right for somebody else. And then your advice is really just like, make sure you're watching which types of fats.

Yes. Important to stay away from the saturated. And Atkins is— I've not really heard of anybody bring it up or talk about it anymore these days because it's all keto.

Oh, keto.

You know, you used to see, um, processed food like keto-friendly. Now it's keto this, keto that.

So it's the buzzy, like you said, something old new again.

Yes, we know it works. It works better for some people than others. And, um, That's DNA, right? That's, that's looking like your DNA. We know that you needed to stay away from saturated fats. Your DNA showed you had a genetic SNP that would mean saturated fats were not good for you. They would put you at risk.

I have that somewhere. I could look exactly up what that SNP is.

The exact wording?

Yeah.

But, but what was so cool, if I can bring it Back to, uh, the DNA. Like, what was so cool about DNA and the tests and the results was that it would, it would almost be like— do you know that symptom where if you have a name for something, then it's easier to define and it's easier for you to, like, tackle? It's like, you know, Like, even though I know these things about me because I'm living my own life and I'm—

Right.

You know, I'm living with this, my own DNA and things that I tend to like or tend to avoid or tend to need to avoid or whatever. It was almost like digging in on a much granular level about, you know, you're likely to have issues with this, or you're likely to be better at dealing with this kind of a symptom, or This type of medicine might help you a little bit more. Avoid this kind of diet. Like, yeah, genetic snips made it to where I could look into my past at something that I was dealing with, something that was happening to me, or just historically. I was like, we found out that I'm likely lactose intolerant through my DNA. And then it's like, oh my gosh, so maybe I'm not like the most Aggressive lactose intolerance, but that's why I have problems eating a boatload of cheese or something, which you think like is a no-brainer. Or like, you're dealing with your own life and you see it put in front of you in writing, it's a much different way to react to that information. Yeah. Yeah.

But like you said, it makes it easy to understand.

Yeah.

You have a name for it or a reason for it, right?

Yeah.

And I have a question for you because it's going to lead into the other type of diet, which I find very, very interesting. Do you crave meat? Do you feel like you need to eat meat?

I do, but it's not like an always thing. There'll be times when all of a sudden all I'm thinking about is I need to get a steak. Like, I need—

Right, but you don't need it every day, multiple times a day. So there is something called the blood type diet.

Blood type diet? That sounds like crazy.

It does. That's like, why would your blood type matter? But we do know that DNA, right, genetics has to do with blood type. If I had a prediction, I would say type A. Now, I don't know positive or negative, right? Yeah, but I would say blood type A, and here's why. I'm also blood type A. And some people may find this very interesting, so I will go through this. Um, oh my gosh, I've just— that's all the change. Changes in diet and environments, right? Little need for animal foods, meaning meats. Weakness, a sensitive digestive tract, vulnerable immune system, and open to microbial invasion. Okay, here's the health risks: heart disease, cancer, anemia, liver and gallbladder disorders, and type 1 diabetes. Okay, so your genetic SNPs saying you needed to stay away from saturated fats Would make me wonder if that heart disease health risk is the potential. And I am a type 1 diabetic. Isn't that weird?

Okay.

And we know that's autoimmunity. Why would your blood type have anything to do with autoimmunity?

Very interesting.

It is interesting. If you want to lose weight, you reduce your amount of meat, dairy, Kidney beans, lima beans, and wheat. Well, I'm gluten-free. I don't really care if I eat meat. You shouldn't have dairy.

Yes.

You want to increase— and so weight loss— increase vegetable oil, soy foods, vegetables, and pineapple. I love pineapple. So interesting.

So do I. It's so good.

I'm thinking you're type A. Calming and centering exercises, yoga or tai chi, not high intensity. Now, I have a friend and she's an O, and this girl will almost be fanatical if she doesn't have her meat. I have to have meat. I have to have more meat. And she just craves it, right? Type O's have a hearty digestive tract, natural defenses against infections, and efficient metabolism. Shorter small intestines and less chance for cancer. Oh, and by the way, the Type A, higher chance of cancer. Um, I have had melanoma. I've had cancer.

Oh.

I mean, I'm so Type A. Um, low tolerance for new diets and new environments. She's not good with change. Um, baked goods can make them cause— be tired. Their health risks are low thyroid, inflammation, arthritis, blood clotting disorders, and ulcers. Their diet profile is red meat. They have strong enzymes to digest meat, high protein for your, for your O's, um, and intense physical exercise such as running. She loves to run. She literally just got into running about 3 years ago, maybe 4 years ago. Was never a runner before then. So, um, and then not to leave everybody out, the B's. These have a strong immune system, versatile adaptation to changes in diet and environment, strong nervous system. They tolerate chaos, no natural weaknesses, although they have a tendency towards autoimmune breakdowns and rare viruses. They also have health risks of type 1 diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune disorders. They are Omnivore, meat, no chicken, dairy, grains, beans. They need to reduce corn, peanuts, lentils, sesame, inflammatory foods, and increase greens. They like moderate physical activity with mental balance. And then our rare Type AB. They adopt well to modern life. They have a rugged immune system. They have the combined benefits of Type A and Type B. A sensitive digestion tract, digestive tract, over-tolerant immune system that allows for microbial invasion and has trouble feeling understood by society. I wish we'd have some ADs out there that would tell us, do you feel not understood? Their health risks are heart disease, cancer, and anemia. Their diet profile is a mixed diet in moderation. Meat, seafood, dairy, tofu, beans, legumes— they can eat it all. But if they want to lose weight, they need to reduce their red meat, increase their tofu and seafood, pineapple also, because that was the A's, and their calming and centering exercises combined with moderate physical.

So, um, I—

when I read that, I thought that these things— blood type diet, how crazy. But yet then when I would look at who I was and who my friend was, I'm like, oh my gosh, it's so true.

Yeah, these similarities that cross over, you know, to like not just blood type but other similarities that you look at, you know, and deal with. I'm thinking like position of the stars and, you know, star signs and stuff. Like, yes, it's a broad brush, it doesn't affect everybody the exact same way, but, you know, lots of people dealing with the same sort of symptoms and having similar, you know, dietary needs because they have a certain blood type— that to me sounds right.

Yeah.

Probably figure out what my blood type is so I can try the test.

I think you're— I think you're an A. If I had to bet money, I'd say you're an A. I mean, you could be maybe be a B, an AB, but I'd say you're definitely not an O.

I'm definitely not?

Not an O blood type. Definitely not.

We should, we should gamble on this and then test my blood type.

I'll find out from the lab what that's going to cost, blood typing.

We'll put them in on the, on the gamble. They would be like, here, we're putting money on it, one of you can win.

Yeah, yeah. So, um, so yeah, it's just kind of interesting. And there's, um, I think on yours it also talked about the DASH diet, right?

Yes. Yeah, the printoffs that you gave me had all sorts of different diets to like look and try, including Mediterranean, which I think everybody knows about.

Mediterranean is a good— Mediterranean is a very anti-inflammatory diet, which is good, right? We recommend that a lot because it's not a hard diet, because it's— it's— we're not cutting anything out per se, but we are— it's everything in moderation. Um, as far as that goes, um, the Cleveland Clinic, which is a functional clinic that Dr. Mark uh, Hyman started, one of the first functional medicine doctors out there. Um, and, you know, they have like charts and things to look at.

Okay.

And the Mediterranean will say, you know, now they'll say eat it every meal— fruits, veggies, whole grains, and some extra virgin olive oil. And, um, there is a— I do have recipes for gluten-free Mediterranean diet.

Right.

Because whole grains, you'll be looking at whole wheats, things like that. Um, 3 servings at least a week of some fish and seafood, nuts and legumes, and 1 serving— limit to 1 serving a day of poultry, low-fat dairy, or eggs. Okay, not 1 of each, but 1, 1 animal product. A day, and then a week is red meat and sweets. So you can have everything. Somebody said they were supposed to have 5 different colors of fruits and vegetables a day. I don't think that's Mediterranean, but I think that was something that— a way they were trying to eat. Hmm.

I could see that, having like 5 different color vegetables and stuff. And you brought up DASH, but real quick, DASH would be like trying to avoid salt, right?

Well, salt and it's a heart-healthy diet. So the DASH diet being heart-healthy, it is going to look at reducing sodium. So if you're somebody that has an issue with blood pressure, right, and they want you, you know, they're saying that your blood pressure is caused that you need to reduce your sodium intake. But it's also heart healthy in that, you know, you're not eating a lot of animal fats. You're limiting the animal fats. You're limiting dairy, sugar, sweets, and sodium. Sounds very much like the Mediterranean diet, except for the sodium. Mediterranean doesn't have sodium.

Oh.

But it's fruits, vegetables. DASH is fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Legumes, nuts, seeds. And it says vegetable oils. But we know we need to avoid corn oils. Okay, DASH is an old diet. It's been around a long time. Corn is inflammatory. So it used to be, you know, you thought that you were, you know, no longer was the lard, right? Beef and lard and all that was now bad. So now everybody was doing vegetable oils.

Right.

Corn oil. And now we even know that those things are inflammatory. So now again, eating the DASH diet would be— could be very similar, the DASH and Mediterranean, except for taking the sodium out. With the DASH, you go low sodium. The Mediterranean is a heart-healthy diet as well.

It's interesting. I just, it's just, I think it's great how there's all sorts of different ways, you know, different strokes for different folks in a way, right? So like, not only are there multiple different ways for us to look at like how one can go through the Blueprint, But, you know, if something just doesn't seem to be working appropriately, you can always change and modify and go for a route. So it, it makes it to where it's easy to modify and make your own, which I think is important for life-changing. Because, like, you know, a lot of times you say diet and it's gonna crash and burn because it's like, now I just have to limit everything. And one of the things that you and I had talked about for my, my journey was we're not just limiting. Yes, there is things that you're avoiding, but what are we adding into the mix to supplement?

Right.

To make it into a lifestyle change.

There were a full 2 pages of all the foods you could eat. And the, you know, what's nice about the DNA, doing the Balanced Body Blueprint, is you don't have to guess. So maybe you go, oh, you know, I'm going to try and do— I'm going to try to do keto, right? Maybe to find out that keto isn't what you need if you're type A, right? Haha. But maybe keto doesn't necessarily what you need. You need something else. But that's what the DNA tells us, right? The DNA tells us you needed to avoid dairy. You need to avoid saturated fats. So, in all reality, that's most red meats. Um, you know, so obviously chicken, fish, turkey, you know, lean meats are going to be good for you. And now we start talking Mediterranean. Now we're talking fruits, vegetables. You need to avoid gluten. Well, there's your whole grain. So, you need a gluten-free Mediterranean. So, Right there, that DNA tells us what's best for your body. And obviously, if you're fueling your body efficiently, you're not giving it a bunch of— I don't count calories, but let's say calories or inflammatory foods that it doesn't need, then the weight loss will just be natural. So your body gets to where it feels good.

Well, and then also in particular with me, we found There was going to be a couple, um, landmines in that, you know, like my DNA was— I was likely to not feel satiated when I'm eating, right? So like, I have to avoid snacking because I can over-snack because I may be full but not feel it. So like, it just gave you, or gives us, an opportunity to like look ahead and be like, if you're going this route with this Just make sure when you're snacking, you're snacking on more vegetables so that you can eat more. So even if you don't feel full, you're eating something that's not necessarily terrible.

Well, and I always— and I've done this for years and still, you know, I always say 100 calories of ice cream, 100 calories of broccoli, which one's going to make you feel full? Right. And then you've got the dairy, which is inflammatory. You've got the sugar, which is inflammatory in this little ice cream. You've got, depending on if it's homemade, you've got a lot of preservatives. preservatives and, and artificial flavors and things in it. Or you get broccoli, which has none of that stuff, none of the artificial preservatives or flavorings or food colorings or sugar, inflammatory sugar, or dairy, or maybe even a saturated type of fat. It's got none of that in it, but yet you'll be full. I know we've been getting tons of cucumbers out of our garden, and I'll just sit and eat a whole bunch of cucumbers and I'll be stuffed.

Yeah.

And all I've eaten is cucumbers.

Prepared the right way, cucumbers, and especially lately, oh, we're not growing them, but like we've been eating squash like it's our job.

Oh yeah.

Like, yeah, like just, you know, different plants.

Yeah.

Oh my God, it's like unique.

Squash is just genius. You cook it right and put it in casserole type stuff, and half the time people don't even realize. If you don't cook it enough, like my husband likes it more al dente, and I'm like, no, I want it to be like spaghetti. That's the whole point, it's spaghetti squash. But I've also had it served in restaurants where they, um, seasoned it and put stuff on it, and it's just good on its own. Alone, right? So, so yeah, but the cucumbers, I like to just do the infused balsamic. And there's a local store here actually right in the area I'm at, Old World Vinegar, and they have— it's a cucumber melon flavored infused balsamic.

Oh my gosh.

So if there's a little sweetness to it, but it's a— but it's from fruit. It's still going to add a little bit of sugar, but it's still natural, right? It's not like they put sugar in it. It's going to come from the melon because it's a melon—

Oh.

Melon cucumber balsamic, and it's not bitter. Um, it's got a little bite because it's balsamic, but, you know, I just put that on my cucumbers, a little salt, um, and that's it. And I just eat them like that. It takes so little to give it just a little bit of flavor.

Yeah.

Oh man. And they, they tell people, if you're gonna eat ice cream, put this strawberry balsamic on it. Don't get strawberries.

I'll have to keep an eye out because I, I see some of those things in Costco and then I don't necessarily get them because I figure—

Yeah, you got to read the label on that because a lot of the dried fruits are all sugared.

Yeah.

Yeah. So, wow. I hope for those of you listening, you've Hopefully learned something interesting or intriguing to you. If you're interested in the Balanced Body Blueprint, my specialized weight loss program that's for your body, it's not for everybody, uh, go to my website balancedbodymedical.com and you can sign up for a free 15-minute discovery call. We can do this telehealth, so there is the ability to do that. We can also do— you can also call in And it's 402-807-5333. You can get signed up for a consultation or discovery call. The discovery call is free and we do charge for consultations, but we can talk to you if you'd like to learn more.

And I highly recommend it. So if you're thinking about it, just jump right in.

All right. Sounds good. Thanks, John.

This has been the Balanced Body Medical Podcast with Sherri Griggs, owner Of Balanced Body Health and Wellness. If you're looking to find Sherri, go ahead and look for the website balancedbodymedical.com. If you're looking for the business and you want to find Sherri at her office, you can find her at 10815 Elm Street in Rockbrook Plaza. Thank you.