← Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
UTIs, Pap Smears, Ear Infections, Natural Teething Remedies & More! | Taylor Dukes
01:24:15
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- [00:00]
A
Why should women convince their husbands to ditch air fresheners in their car?
- [00:04]
B
Oh my gosh. They're so toxic. Are you kidding? They are neurotoxic. That's why you usually get headaches around them. They can cause asthma, allergies. Do people still do this?
- [00:12]
A
What would you share with my audience about me that they may not know about me?
- [00:17]
B
I think what I'm most surprised by.
- [00:19]
A
Is I could start crying.
- [00:21]
B
You're sweet foreign.
- [00:46]
A
What is really going on with mammograms and pap smears? What about more than one ultrasound while pregnant? The hype on creatine? What condoms are non toxic? How about lube? Or why you should be walking around barefoot after a flight? And this was a big one. Should we be getting rid of baby monitors? She's back again because her episode was one of your all's all time favorites. My friend Taylor Dukes, the functional nurse practitioner and founder of Taylor Dukes Wellness, who makes my favorite protein powder and electrolytes, who by the grace of God and integrative medicine was able to heal her brain tumor and is now completely cancer free. We get into all sorts of random tips and tricks that are working for Taylor in this new season of her life. Moving to a farm with her husband and two boys. This is a great episode to watch on the real Alex Clark YouTube channel or culture Apothecary on Spotify, which also has video. Taylor is an all star guest so please leave an all star five star review for us before we get going. Just write pickle, I will know you were here. Thanks to Wiri letting us film once again in their studio because there's a cotton candy farm festival in mine. Join the cute servitus Facebook group and follow the show on Instagram at Culture Apothecary. I'm also there at Real Alex Clark. Please welcome back my first Culture Apothecary guest to come on twice. Taylor Dukes, founder of Taylor Dukes Wellness. The last time you were on the show, Taylor, you shared like your entire story, you know, front to finish of your wellness journey and really why holistic health became near and dear to your heart. We have brand new listeners on this show, you know, monthly, so there are some people who have not listened to our first interview yet. For those people, what is like the brief summary of your background, your credentials and who you are.
- [02:27]
B
Yeah, so I'm a functional medicine nurse practitioner and I always say people get into the integrative functional world because they're sick or they're smart. And so with my story, I was sick and so back in 2012, I had all these mysterious symptoms. I had joint pain, I had rashes, I was super inflamed, my hair was falling out, I had gut issues. So anyway, I just had all these mysterious symptoms and I ended up going to a functional medicine provider that saved my life, changed my life. So that was part one of my healing story. And then, you know, I went on to become a nurse practitioner and saw patients and had a wellness center. And then in 2022, I was gifted a full body preventative scan that found a brain tumor. So total curve ball. But the last couple years I've been walking through an integrative oncology journey and I'm good, I'm healed, praise God, I'm cancer free. But it's been a journey, you know, and I didn't have symptoms. That's one thing I have to share. I didn't have symptoms. So I was gifted this full body preventative scan and that's when they found the brain tumor, which led me down this whole integrative oncology journey.
- [03:22]
A
What is functional medicine?
- [03:24]
B
I think in our medical system we just cover up symptoms or we say, hey, you have this symptom, here's a medication, it's a pill for ill typ model. And functional medicine really asks the why question. Why is this person having gut issues? Why are they having allergies? Why is their hair falling out? You know, it's really getting to the root cause and doing a lot more testing and in depth assessments to figure out, you know, how we can improve this person's life and their quality of life and times and places for medications. You know, I'm not anti, I'm a nurse practitioner, I can prescribe, but I think that we over medicate and don't really look at lifestyle interventions and factors that can improve people's health.
- [03:57]
A
So was it your own sickness that really kind of led you out of the matrix of conventional medicine into functional?
- [04:03]
B
Totally. And I was like, not into it. I was like, this is woo woo. I didn't learn this. This is ev. Not evidence based. You know, I was not on board. I was desperate and sick and that's how I got into it. But once I changed my life and you know, my lifestyle and I changed my diet and got on supplements and did targeted protocols for me to heal with this functional medicine doctor in 2012, that's when I was like, I'm all in. You know, it changed my life. You can't negate something that, you know, gives you your life back and that's When I was like, okay, this works. There is evidence behind, when it comes.
- [04:30]
A
To living a more holistic lifestyle, people automatically assume that that means you have to buy more things. Why is that assumption dead wrong? And it's really more about what you remove from your life.
- [04:42]
B
Honestly, I think social media has shown all these biohackers having all these fancy devices now. I totally have some of the devices and I love them and I've invested in them over time. But I think we overcomplicate it. We just have to get back to eating real food, you know, spending time in nature, getting off of technology, and a lot of times, you know, just removing a lot of toxins. It's more about removal than it is adding things in. I mean, sure, you might have to replace certain snacks that you're eating and food to just eat real food, you know, that doesn't have ingredient labels. It's not hard. But I think people over complicate it. And I think there's a lot of noise in the world, especially with social media, well, what diet's best and what this and what thing do I buy? And so it just, it causes a lot of consumer confusion. But I'm like, we just have to get back to eating real food, sleeping, spending time outdoors, moving our bodies. You know, it's not complicated.
- [05:24]
A
Have you heard talk about this biblio diet that Jordan Rubin is talking about? Just eating, like by the Bible?
- [05:30]
B
Yes. And I think there's so much to it. I think God knows our needs, you know, and I think we honestly have gotten so far from how we were created to live. And a lot of stuff is man made, you know, and so it is. Let's go back to the Bible and look at what God says is healing for us. And even Sue Becker's episode, you know, like, that radicalized my mind about.
- [05:48]
A
Really?
- [05:48]
B
I thought sourdough was amazing. I already bought my own mill. I'm like, all in.
- [05:52]
A
You know what? I still don't have my mill because they still have been sold out.
- [05:56]
B
I just got one like last week. Okay.
- [05:58]
A
It's been a whole thing. So I'm still gonna be on that. That I do wanna try it. Why is one of the most important PR of getting your health in order to realize that what works for one person's journey may not work for yours?
- [06:10]
B
I think we're all bio individuals, you know, we all have different genetics, and genetics are not. We're not doomed because of our genetics. So many people are like, well, my mom had this, my grandmother, so I'll Just have this and that. The reality is, is we have the ability to affect the expression of our genes through epigenetics, but we also are just bio individuals. You know, we have different lifestyles, different schedules, different needs, body types. And so I think, you know, some people will be like, oh, I'm just going to do hit training and tons of cardio and intermittent fasting when it could the worst thing for her hormones, you know, but say it worked for an influencer. And so I really think people need to get back to listen to their bodies. Like, how do I feel good? You know, there are basic principles like sleeping, eating enough protein, getting time outdoors. I think that apply to everyone. But I think we also have to listen to our bodies and crowd out the noise. Like, what makes us feel good? How do we feel when we eat that food or when we do that certain workout?
- [06:58]
A
My dad died of brain cancer. So somebody asked me an interesting question this week on a Instagram Q and A. They were like, you know, do you have a lot of fear because your dad had brain cancer that you're going to get it? You also had brain cancer. Do you have fear that your kids will get it? Why or why not?
- [07:14]
B
Not at all. Because I look back and I'm looking at how we live our lives. I have no fear for my children. You know, I really don't. And I think that God's used my story, but this is not how my story ends, and this is not their story. You know, I don't want to project that on my children. And I think I look at the way we're living and how we're setting them up for success. And I look at how I grew up, even though I, like, grew up with a healthy mom and healthy homemade meals, a lot of the choices that I made over time and birth control and doing medical mission trips and getting a lot of shots, there were a lot of things that I look back, that drops in the bucket. And I always say, when you know better, you do better. And so I feel like we know better now. And so we're making better choices for our kids. And there's really not a huge genetic component with brain cancer. I remember when doctors, when your dad was still alive, because that was our last interview in November, and they were saying, like, you and your brother need to get tested. And I was like, I really don't think it's genetic. There can be environmental triggers, you know, like, did you grow up near a cell tower or are you exposed to radiation? So there can be environmental factors that can influence it. But no, I don't think that my kids are doomed and I don't fear that they're gonna get cancer. I mean, it definitely is a toxic world we grow up in, so you have to do more to stay healthy. But we're doing that same.
- [08:16]
A
I have no fear at all whatsoever. And that really has to do with just understanding what epigenetics are. So how would you explain that to somebody smart?
- [08:27]
B
So really we have the ability to affect the expression of our genes. We're given what we're given from mom and dad, but our lifestyle choices, the food we eat, the, you know, lifestyle modification factors that we do, we can affect the expression of our genes. So just cuz mom had a certain disease, that there might be a genetic component doesn't mean that you're going to get it. You might be more susceptible in some ways, but I think that should empower people. Like we're not doomed. Genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger. And it's like we have the ability and the power to affect the expression of our genes. And that should be encouraging and empowering for people.
- [08:56]
A
Now, since the last time you were on this show, you have sold all of your earthly possessions and you and your family have moved into a hole like Saddam Hussein.
- [09:05]
B
What are you talking about?
- [09:08]
A
Okay, maybe that's not exactly the whole story.
- [09:11]
B
I love how you said it. There's been quite a change, right?
- [09:15]
A
There's been a big change. Okay, so what is going on in your world?
- [09:18]
B
Because we are always keeping us on our toes. You know, when I got diagnosed, one of the biggest things is like, I feel like, you know, God uses everything for our good and his glory. And one of the things that he's used that I've already seen in a short couple years is like, we're reprioritizing our life. You know, I had so much going on. I owned a wellness center, a private practice. I was doing online stuff. I've simplified. I don't own the wellness center. I closed down my private practice and when it came to simplifying, I was like, what really matters? And to me it was time with my family, time outdoors. I have two little boys. They're rough, tough, they love getting dirty. They're boys, you know, and they're wild and so fun. And so for us, I was like, I really want to raise my boys on land. And so for the last year and a half, we've been looking, but we didn't want to leave our community. We have a great church, great friends, good Baseball team. You know, we. We have a lot of life that we love in Fort Worth. And so we kept looking and looking, and we finally found an off market. It was a total God thing, a farm. So we moved to a farm.
- [10:10]
A
Wow. And how many animals do you have?
- [10:12]
B
Oh, my gosh. I'm a mom of, like, 23 animals. It's crazy. I went from two kids to 23. Most are furry.
- [10:17]
A
Do you have any farm experience?
- [10:18]
B
No, we have none.
- [10:19]
A
What are you gonna do when you have to travel?
- [10:21]
B
We have to hire help.
- [10:22]
A
That's the part that really.
- [10:24]
B
That is hard. I'm not gonna lie. Like, I'm away, and I'm like, calling my husband, which my husband is totally capable. He's amazing. So handy. And that's one thing. I'm like, well, how are we gonna feed the cows every night? And he's like, we're gonna figure out how to use the tractor. You know, we inherited a tractor. We inherited these cows. We're gonna figure it out. And it's been so fun. And that's what I. It was like an unexpected gift of all the family time that we get, Whether it's like, getting our hands dirty, you know, filling in holes, closing the chicken coop. Like, every day is farm chores, and it's just family activities outside. And so my husband, God love him, he's like. I'm like, how are the chickens? Did you do the water? Did you do the food? Because I'm normally doing it because we have baby chicks, but we're just figuring it out. And that's the best adventure ever. And I honestly, I'm not saying everyone needs to move to land to live this amazing life, but I didn't know what we were missing out on. It is incredible.
- [11:06]
A
Is it fair to say that the way you and your family were living before this move was really taking a toll negatively on your nervous systems?
- [11:16]
B
Yeah, I would say so. You know, I think I know this is crazy because I don't want people to feel like, oh, the only way I can heal my nervous system is to move to land. But I feel like you're just caught up in the rat race of life, you know? And for us, like, we're only 15 minutes from our old house. I'm 50 minutes from Whole Foods, 15 minutes from natural groceries. So we're not in, like, you know, like, the total country bumpkin area.
- [11:35]
A
By the way, this is my dream.
- [11:37]
B
Yes.
- [11:37]
A
This is what I say. I want to have a yard, but I better be pretty close to a Sephora. Yes, I better Be pretty close to Pilates.
- [11:45]
B
And so that's where I. I do look at it, and I'm like, honestly, we've prioritized more family meals around the table. We're starting a garden install next week.
- [11:52]
A
Ooh.
- [11:53]
B
I don't think that people have to live on land, but I will say I have been more at peace. It's led to just more time outside. You know, in the morning, we got to go check the animals. Like, in the evenings at my old house, you know, it's like, oh, do we want to take the kids to the park? I got to get dinner ready. And it's like, you know what? The kids can just run free while I'm making dinner, and then I can go out there with them. And so I feel like we have slowed down, in a sense, and definitely getting away from EMFs. You know, with my brain cancer history, that's one thing that I'm like, I love when I don't get service at the farm. You know, it's like, perfect. I'm off the grid.
- [12:19]
A
So when you are shopping for a house, what sorts of things when it comes emfs are you looking for?
- [12:24]
B
So, I mean, you don't want to be near power lines and, like, a 5G tower. You know, those are obviously things. We can't control everything in the city. And so I think the biggest thing is whatever home you choose, make it safe inside. And that's really what we did. You know, we hardwired our house. We do have WI fi when guests are over, and sometimes it's convenient. You know, you don't want to, like, hardwire and plug in. But we are thoughtful about choices and making it a healthy home, and we did that with our renovation.
- [12:46]
A
We hear the phrase chronic stress all the time. What is that? How do you know if you have it? And how can it manifest itself physically?
- [12:54]
B
Yeah, that's a great question. And I think we've so normalized stress in our society. You know, like, oh, that's so normal to feel anxious. That's so normal to have sleeping issues. And really, it's like, we have to talk about the nervous system. And that's. People that are not in the medical world are like, well, what is that? And it's our body's control system and command center. And so symptoms of it being dysregulated is anxious, on edge, snapping. You know, a lot of moms are like, I'm just so stressed. And it's like, yes, because your nervous system is dysregulated. You know, we're constantly inundated with text messages. Everyone has access to us at our fingertips. So, yeah, practically speaking, insomnia, heart palpitations, gut issues, like lack of digestion, sleep issues.
- [13:34]
A
Do adrenals have to do with your nervous system?
- [13:36]
B
Yes, totally. So the adrenals, they basically are stress. They like control the cortisol output. I always tell people and I, we used to work with patients in a practice and I would say temporary periods of stress are good. You want, like, you're about to have an interview, you're about to speak, you get that little rush. It's adrenaline, it's good. What happens is when we're in that fight orf flight, that sympathetic dominant state for too long, that's when we start having symptoms and our body's like, whoa.
- [13:56]
A
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- [13:57]
B
And so our adrenals, they're meant to sustain temporary periods of stress, but when it's prolonged, that's when they go into reserve mode. And that's when you kind of see people have low cortisol and they're exhausted and they're burnout because their body's like, I can't keep up with the cortisol surge anymore.
- [14:10]
A
What do you like to do to support adrenals?
- [14:12]
B
Here's the hard thing. It's, it's, it's not hard because it's free, but it's all the free medicine that people are like, I would rather take a pill, which you can take things like B vitamins, magnesium, ashwagandha. Those are really helpful for adrenal health. But it's all the free medicine stuff, you know, like sunshine, fresh air, grounding. I know that sounds woo woo, but just five minutes with your feet in the ground can literally shift you into a parasympathetic state.
- [14:33]
A
How?
- [14:33]
B
It's the way the negative ions work and our body was created. And so it's one of those things, like, you know, when you stand on the beach or you put your feet in the beach of the sand, people are like, oh yeah, that feels really good. And it's like that literally shifts your nervous system from that fight or flight to that rest and digest. And so it's the free medicine. It's the getting, you know, eight to nine hours of sleep every night. It's slowing down for meals, eating your meals, it's sunshine, fresh air, especially in the morning, deep breathing, you know, gratitude, journals, prayer. It's the stuff that like, everyone's like, oh, I don't have time for that. And it's like, well, if you made time for that or just micro moments throughout the day. And if you're a busy mom, I get it, you're juggling, you know, school schedules, after school activities, packing lunches. Like maybe when you sit in your car to go pick your kids up at carpool, or maybe when you're packing a lunch, you stop and you do your deep breathing. You know, you can implement little micro moments of it or Epsom salt bath at night. Those are great ways to help regulate your nervous system and reduce cortisol.
- [15:22]
A
Well, you know, I'm not married with kids yet, so I'm like a fly on the wall for all my friends like you and you know all these people that do have kids and like different things that they do or don't do. And one of my best friends has six kids and she just started recently only making Tuesdays her social media day.
- [15:41]
B
Which sounds like terrifying posting both.
- [15:44]
A
So she like deletes Instagram and stuff off her phone, doesn't get on it except on Tuesdays. We know when it's Instagram day because all of a sudden our little group chat on Instagram is just blown up. But she's just sending every reel that like she's missed out on the last week. We're like, we saw that seven days ago.
- [15:58]
B
So five days ago.
- [15:59]
A
But like it's very cute. But she's like, guys, this has changed my ability to mother. Like I have seen ample like positive things from doing this of just not sitting there doom scrolling or constantly checking. Now that is so hard for me and you.
- [16:14]
B
Yes. But our life and our work is on the Internet. Our life and our work.
- [16:17]
A
Like if I go that long, I'm like, you know, how am I connecting with my audience? How am I posting all my sponsored deals? How am I knowing what's going on in the news? Like that's so tough. But for those that are able, man, if I was able to do that, that would be.
- [16:31]
B
Oh and every now and then it's so funny. We've gone on family vacations and I'm like, I'm totally disconnect. I have so much content I can share from my non toxic snacks that I travel on the plane with. What do we do instead of screen time?
- [16:39]
A
What do we.
- [16:40]
B
And it's like, you know what, just shut it off, just forget about it. And I always come back so recharged from that and then I always feel convicted cuz I'm like I don't need a vacation, I can implement this in daily. So I'm just as guilty too. A lot of moms. You know, it's like you get your kid down for a nap and it's like, oh, I'll just go scroll. And it's like, hey, go pour a glass of tea and just sit not scrolling at a phone, turn on a song and literally just lay there and stretch. That's so foreign, you know, cuz we're so quick to jump to our phones. But I think those micro moments of like almost micro moments of Sabbath really be a game changer. And it doesn't have to be this extreme vacation where you turn off your phone. Like I've done that. Where I literally turn off my phone for four days and I'm like, tell me if the house burns down.
- [17:19]
A
Let me ask you something. When was the last time your doctor gave a single crap about you? Be honest. They're googling your symptoms in the exam room while eating a tuna sandwich. If it doesn't involve writing a prescription or injecting you with something, they really don't know. And they also don't care. I love introducing people to Jevy for this reason. It's like a healthcare SWAT team. They send a lobotomist to your house. That's right. Someone shows up to take your blood like a concierge vampire. And no joke, under five minutes and then boom. They're able to look into over 90 biomarkers. They customize supplement plans based on your specific blood work and they'll see if you're a candidate for any peptides, hormone therapies, all delivered straight to your door. No guesswork? No. Try this. Call me in six months if you're not dead. This is data driven, personalized real optimization, not your local doc telling you to just drink more water while their eyeball twitches from burnout. Amount Being a member of jevity is just 129amonth. That includes a health concierge team that you can contact whenever you need to about your progress and health. Go to gojevity.com and use code Alex to get 20 off your first month and skip the wait list. That's gojevity.com code Alex for 20 off your first month and skipping the wait list. Stop playing Russian roulette with your body. You're not just getting older, you're getting optimized. Last July, I woke up at 3am Drenched in sweat, clutching a body pillow like it was a life preserver. I was fused to my mattress. This is like my 600 pound life. Okay? I had become one with the bed. I needed help and that help arrived. In the form of Cozy Earth's temperature regulating sheets. Made from viscose from bamboo. These things wick away heat and moisture like it's their full time job. And now I sleep several degrees cooler and I'm not fusing to my mattress from sweat anymore. Like I can finally breathe cooler. My mom came to visit. She tried them once. She left with a set. Okay, my best friend, same thing. It's like the betting version of a cult, but with better sleep and less Kool aid. And look, Cozy Earth backs it all with a 100 night sleep trial and a 10 year warranty. So if you're not in love, if your husband's not in love, return them. You won't though, trust me. Upgrade your Indian summer. Go to cozyearth.com wait, are we allowed to say that anymore? I don't know. Cozyearth.com use code Alex for 40 off best selling sheets, loungewear and more. That's cozier. Earth.com code Alex for 40% off sleep cooler, lounge lighter, stay cozy. What are some simple ways that your family tries to reset their nervous system every day?
- [19:52]
B
Speaking to the moms, like, involve your kids in it because they're going to model what you do. And parents, really, especially moms, they set the pace of the tone. So if you're stressed, your kid's going to be stressed. If you're disregulated, your kid's going to be disregulated. You know, they feed off of you. It's real. And so I bring my kids in it with me. I take my morning minerals, you know, that's great for your health. We get off.
- [20:10]
A
What are morning minerals?
- [20:11]
B
Minerals, like Quinton, you know, the little.
- [20:14]
A
Yes, yes.
- [20:15]
B
It's like a shot of seawater, you know.
- [20:16]
A
Yes.
- [20:16]
B
That's great for your nervous system too.
- [20:18]
A
I take those.
- [20:19]
B
Yes. And then, you know, just getting the kids outside, that's so fun for us. They have their little power wheels. Obviously, if you're gonna ground now, I'm not gonna lie. People are like, are you worried about the grass being sprayed? I'm like, no, I'm worried about copperheads in the country is what I'm worried about, the snakes. But it's one of those things like just involve your kids. So I wouldn't say I go barefoot every morning now that we're in the country. But we'll like go check on the animals together and just getting that morning sunshine and fresh air, you know, doing an Epsom salt bath. Those are really practical things you can do for your kids that help Calm them down as well.
- [20:48]
A
Now that you're living on a farm, are you worried about tetanus?
- [20:50]
B
My husband, we had a situation where he was like getting the hay out on the tractor and he had to pull this thing down because you want to moderate the cows from grazing, not just like going ham on the hay. And there was this metal thing and he cut himself. And I was like, oh man. I was like, you need to start wearing gloves. But no, I'm really, I'm really not. I don't live life in fear. And, you know, there's a lot of fear mongering about all that stuff that I just don't really read into and fall into.
- [21:11]
A
Would you say that every single cancer patient you've talked to has suffered from significant trauma in their life previous to getting cancer? Yes.
- [21:21]
B
How did you know? So that is one thing that I feel like is not talked about enough in the cancer community, Especially any chronic disease in general, but especially cancer. I find that every single person that I've at least gotten close to, and I've gotten close to a lot of people going to hope for cancer. And Dr. Connealy and all the clinics I've gone to, someone has some, you know, part of trauma. And including myself, you know, I'm this very positive, optimistic person. I have a lot of really hard trauma that people don't know about, you know, and it's like, it definitely played a picture. And trauma and stress suppress the immune system. We know that, you know, when people have cancer, the immune system went rogue. Now, do I think it's the only cause? No, but I think it's one of the most overlooked things to treatment, you know, and especially these people that do conventional treatment, no one's talking about, you know, suppressed trauma. And so that's that whole body approach to that integrative oncology. You know, we're looking at your immune system. Do you have parasites, heavy metals, mold, Lyme disease? Do you have trauma? I think that's so important to resolve.
- [22:14]
A
When you were looking into your brain cancer, were you doing things like even going back in your dental history, stuff like that?
- [22:20]
B
Yeah. I have an update for you. I haven't even told you this, so I. In my private practice, you know, I've always known about how the mouth is correlated to so many things. So I would say, I say I have an update because we talk all the time and I haven't told you this, but we always knew that there was a root canal component and a heavy metal component. Well, I have neither. So I've always kind of of been like, dental is not my issue. Well, I recently advocated for a cone beam scan. You're familiar with that? Yeah, there's like, a certain scan you can do at a biological dentist. And so I asked my dentist, and she was like, really? You've been in this health world for so long, I figured you would have had one. And I was like, no. But I want to rule that out as any sort of infection, which is how close the mouth and the brain are. I have my wisdom teeth removed. Four of my wisdom teeth removed, and three out of the four sockets have cavitation infections. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm getting surgery in October in Utah, bro. What?
- [23:05]
A
Yes. Wait, okay.
- [23:07]
B
No one talks about that.
- [23:08]
A
I went to go see my friend, Dr. Kelly Blodgett in Portland. He's also a. A biological dentist. And so he did all this fancy stuff on me that, you know, normal dentists do not do. And that is something. So I have something going on under where I had wisdom teeth removed, where I have no feeling. It's like nerve damage in my face. I cannot. It's like extremely dull sensations in this corner, the left bottom corner of my mouth and chin. And it's been like that since 18 years old when I got my wisdom teeth removed. My wisdom teeth removal was an absolute nightmare. Got severely infected, had to go in for a second surgery, and then they closed that up. And so ever since, I have not had total feeling in my face. So I was curious about that spot because I also am like, I wonder if down the road there could be, you know, some gunk in there or something that could be, you know, on some meridian or whatever it's called. Towards another organ in my body. Exactly, exactly. So they all also want me to go and do a surgery, which I was supposed to do it this summer, but I was, like, moving and all this. I was like, I can't do it because, you know, it's. Surgery is expensive. So I was like, I gotta wait. So I'm wanting to do that hopefully in the next year just to get in there and clean out just in case. But that is crazy.
- [24:21]
B
Yeah.
- [24:22]
A
That they found some stuff for you.
- [24:23]
B
Three out of four. And I'm like, I never thought dental was a thing, you know, but anyway, so I was like. She was like, it's significant. The radiologist called me. So I had a consult with another second opinion, and he was like, yeah, absolutely.
- [24:34]
A
So what does that look like on an X ray or whatever they.
- [24:38]
B
It's inflammation at the site, and it's basically like it's dead tissue that can impact the bone and different things like that. And so they go in, they open it up and they kind of do some ozone, some plasma. I'm not exactly sure. But yeah, I'm doing it in Utah with a great doctor that comes highly recommended. So I'll be your guinea pig.
- [24:54]
A
Oh my gosh.
- [24:55]
B
Yeah.
- [24:55]
A
I want to hear all about this. That is nuts. You didn't build the new house that you're living in. So before moving in, what changes did you make to it so that it could be the most non toxic house possible for your family?
- [25:07]
B
Yeah. So again, you know, you can't control everything. We're not building ground up. We were so blessed. I'm telling you, this house, it was such a God thing. It was made for us. It had a saltwater pool. She didn't use chemicals, she didn't use like toxic fumes. It is crazy. So we were really blessed in that regard. Like shouldn't use like fertilizers and things like that. We're so grateful. But we did choose to repaint the whole house and so we chose non toxic paint with no VOCs.
- [25:29]
A
Water based ECOs paints, right?
- [25:31]
B
Yes. So, so good.
- [25:32]
A
I had not heard of them till you and then I called them and now I'm going to be using that paint for my apartment. And I told the painting contractor person, I said hey, tell the painters that I want their full assessment. After using this paint, did it seem like it was easier to breathe? You know, not breathing as many chemicals while they're painting and stuff? Because it's like the best of the best, right?
- [25:51]
B
No, it's unbelievable. You can't even smell. And I'm super sensitive after brain surgery and I just can sniff something out from a mile away. They were painting like we recently did our windows in our kitchen. You cannot even smell them. It's water based. No voc. It doesn't off gas. Gas. It is amazing. And it's beautiful too. You can color match any brand. So we did that. We did hardwire our house. Would we put in little ethernet old school ports, you know, to minimize WI fi. Trying to think, what else do we do? Floors can be super toxic in a new home. So we did restain the floors because they were just worn in. It's 10 year old house obviously test for mold, no mold, praise the Lord. But we did do like a clean stain through ecos too for the floors. Trying to think what else, you know, we didn't, we didn't move any walls or Anything. Oh, wallpaper. Most people don't know wallpaper can be super problematic in a bathroom where there's moist spaces because the adhesive mold can grow underneath there. So we didn't do as much as like, wallpaper's cutesy in, like a bathroom. We didn't do that.
- [26:43]
A
A bathroom with a shower or tub.
- [26:45]
B
Our powder bath has wallpaper.
- [26:47]
A
Yeah.
- [26:47]
B
And I love a brand. I'm not affiliated with them. Sandberg. They have like, no VOCs, no smells, because a lot of them can off gas for a long time. So people that are really sensitive or people that have asthma or at least allergies, it can be problematic.
- [26:58]
A
But wallpaper is back.
- [27:00]
B
Yeah. Oh, my gosh. And it adds such a fun pop. So I have it in my office. We have in our powder bath. We have it in a hallway room.
- [27:05]
A
Yeah.
- [27:06]
B
It's so great. But we just don't put it anywhere that has a shower.
- [27:08]
A
I'm doing a mix of paper and paint. I love it in my place.
- [27:12]
B
So we love filtering our air. You know, I feel like clean air, clean water. That's another thing we did. We added a whole. Well, we have a whole house filtration because we're on a well. But we added another reverse osmosis, like an extra step because I'm bougie about my water. But I mean, think about how much water you drink on a daily basis. I work from home. Our kids, our guests.
- [27:26]
A
Bathing, showering.
- [27:27]
B
Yes, absolutely. So who house water? And then we use air purifiers in every room. So we love Austin Airs. They're the big, bulky ones. They're not the prettiest, but I find that they're the best at filtering out so much.
- [27:38]
A
How much of a priority is it to you as a mom that every mattress in your home is organic and bedding is made of natural organic fibers.
- [27:45]
B
Important. I mean, the amount of time. I read a statistic the other day. If you're spending eight hours a night sleeping, on average, that's a third of your life that you spend in bed. Like, that is significant. And so I'm really passionate about, like, all of our furniture. People are like, I want to know what furniture you got. I'm like, guess what? It's not all non toxic. I don't stre everything. But our bedrooms are where we spend the money. And so having a good, clean mattress is so important just because our kids are breathing that every single night. And even bedding, you know, you don't have to buy expensive bedding brands you can find, you know, Organic cotton or just 100 cotton at Target or online on Amazon. But that is really important.
- [28:17]
A
Yeah, I did a mix of non toxic and regular furniture. I did splurge on my first totally non toxic couch.
- [28:28]
B
Oh, that's big.
- [28:29]
A
Which was big. And my, even my interior designer was like, Alex, this is so unnecessary. Like you can get totally just a cute couch for like a third of the cost of this. And I was like, I know, especially.
- [28:39]
B
If you're in an apartment, it off gases.
- [28:41]
A
Yeah.
- [28:41]
B
And so when you're in a space where it's not breathable and you can't always open your windows, like that is actually important.
- [28:45]
A
It was so important to me and I was like, I want to, this is something so important to me. I want to switch, like I want to spend the money on it. So now you have to like, you know, put your order in and all these customizable things online and then you get it. I hope it's comfortable.
- [28:59]
B
I'm sure it will be.
- [28:59]
A
So I'm like praying for this price that it's going to be comfortable, not just non toxic, that I'll actually want to sit on it and everything. But yeah, I spend a lot of time you, that's another place you spend a lot of time on. And so I, and I didn't want those chemicals off, gassing on such a big piece of furniture. So I did splurge on that.
- [29:14]
B
Yeah. Good for you. I'm like, we can't control everything, but we can control our home environments. And that's what I always tell people. Like you may not be able to control your office or certain things or if you send your kids to school, but your home is your safe place and that should be a place where you can heal, restore, detox. It's super important.
- [29:28]
A
What mattresses do you like for your family?
- [29:30]
B
So we love avocado and we also love savvy rest. We have two of each, so. Okay, 50. 50. They're both so great. Yes.
- [29:37]
A
A lot of moms think that using non toxic cleaners in like your tub, shower, toilet, they're not going to work as well. Has that been the case for you?
- [29:46]
B
No way. I'm like, have you tried branch basics? I mean, I'm telling you, you don't have to buy branch basics. You can try water and vinegar, you know, but like you don't have to contact, compromise and settle for a dirty home. Like you do not have to use chemicals and even we have a housekeeper that comes a couple times a month and she uses the clean stuff and she's like, this works just as good.
- [30:02]
A
Yeah, I mean, same. My, my cleaner is using the same. And you know, when I'm using it, I'm experiencing it. Like there's nothing that it cannot claim.
- [30:09]
B
No, seriously, everything.
- [30:12]
A
And living on the farm, we.
- [30:13]
B
We track in dirt like my dog tracks in. You know, we have a dog, we have a black lab and it cleans everything.
- [30:18]
A
Yeah, well, I mean, Mochi was like very confused about where to go to the bathroom in this new place. There was one accident he had on carp. And I use the branch basics for the first time. Cleaning carpet work like a charm.
- [30:29]
B
Yeah.
- [30:29]
A
So I have had nothing that it has not been able to clean. Why should women convince their husbands to ditch air fresheners in their car?
- [30:36]
B
Oh my gosh, they're so toxic. Are you kidding? If people are still doing air refresheners, like, what's wrong with you? Don't you know they are neurotoxic. That's why you usually get headaches around them. They can cause asthma, allergies. Do people still do this? Yes.
- [30:49]
A
This is thing I was mega viral on the Internet because I said that they're making your men more feminine. And I'm being dramatic. I'm being a little hyperbole.
- [30:57]
B
No, no, no.
- [30:58]
A
Because they're lowering testosterone and it has.
- [31:01]
B
Fragrance, which is an endocrine disruptor. So not like talking about the symptoms. It can cause headaches, allergies, asthma. It can disrupt your hormones and it can mimic estrogen in the body. So yes, it is a huge issue. I'm like, I kind of forget that I'm in this healthy world that people still do that besides like Uber drivers.
- [31:15]
A
Oh my gosh.
- [31:16]
B
But they've got to get rid of it. And it's such a simple thing. Just throw it away, you know. And if they care about essential oils, I know they're. You smell. You can get like essential oil diffusers. I'm sure there's natural ones, but they are so disruptive to your health. And that's another time. If you spend a lot time in your car, like, get rid of the fragrance. Ditch it.
- [31:30]
A
Our friend Illy, who runs Healthily the store that is like one website that carries like tons of different brands that she's vetted is clean, including yours. Yeah, she has. I cannot remember the brand, but she does sell air freshener that is totally non toxic. That if you are obsessed or your husband's like, I have to have it or whatever, then you should get them that. But I don't know that you just have to type in air freshener or whatever. It'll pop up.
- [31:53]
B
That's amazing. Yeah, you got to ditch the air refresheners. That is like, how old are your kids? Five and three.
- [31:57]
A
Okay, so they're still really young for like school.
- [32:00]
B
School, yes.
- [32:01]
A
But you are a full time working mom, your husband works full time, you've got these two kids. You're planning on homeschooling. How are you going to do all this?
- [32:08]
B
So I'm no expert yet. We're diving in and everyone, it's so funny, you know where we are, Everyone, all of our friends go to private schools and everyone says like, where is he going? He's turning six in a couple weeks. And you know, where did you guys tour and where'd you interview? And I'm like, no, nowhere. And I honestly, like, even last year when everyone was in the thick of it, we just, we didn't have peace about it. I didn't exactly know what we were going to do. But I feel like the Lord always, whenever we have peace and confidence and the Lord's giving that to us, he just directs our steps. And so we are doing, I'm not an expert. Like I said, we're year to year, but what we're doing this year is we have a little homeschool co op where they have like a little teacher two days a week. She's taught for 30 years, she's a Christian, she loves Jesus, she's conservative, she believes in everything we believe in. And so she's gonna be the one influencing and teaching our children, which is super important. And we have like minded people doing it with us. So we teach, take them to Michelle's house twice a week for four hours. She lives on land, she has chickens, goats, ducks. And she's going to be teaching our kids. And it's a lot of play based, you know, like a lot of, especially for my, my 4 year old, you know what I mean? He's young. Did I say three? He's four. About to be four. He'll be four when school starts. And so it's a lot of play based learning. They do farm science. They go find something cool outside, share it with the class, you know. And I think a lot of kids this day and age, they need to play. I think we said all these rigorous things like they need to be reading by this age. And especially for boys, they're just, they're different. My sister has boy, girl, twins and they're about to be eight and the little girl will sit at the Desk and light a candle and do her cursive. She wants to do that.
- [33:29]
A
And the little boy is, like, so real.
- [33:31]
B
Yes. And she'll just sit there and she's so fun, practicing her letters. And the little boy's just like, ra, I want to break stuff and get dirty and get outside. And so for us, having two boys, traditional school was just not even a thought for us. Didn't even tour a single school in Fort Worth, which is probably ludicrous to a lot of people, but I don't.
- [33:45]
A
Think it's ludicrous here. I just saw, you know, at the time we're filming this this week, it just came out that Illinois public school are now requiring. I can't remember if it's third or fourth grade, but by third or fourth grade, your child has to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Now, I'm telling you right now, over my dead body would you be doing that to my child. Because that is. That is right there. Big pharma infiltrating schools.
- [34:08]
B
Totally.
- [34:08]
A
That is an absolute like tactic to make sure that they're getting your kid on that pharmaceutical treadmill for life. If it's not oic, because the school's making your kid fat. So then they could recommend oic, which they're doing. They've approved that for kids as young as six. Then they're going to get them on antidepressants or medication or whatever. Absolutely not. And this is controversial, Taylor, and you may not share this sentiment. I will say I will take the heat. Taylor's not saying it.
- [34:33]
B
I am.
- [34:34]
A
I do not see one redeeming quality or reason why any Christian conservative family should send their kids to public school at this point. None. You can make an argument for private maybe. I know, and I'm not l lumping in special, severe, special needs kids here.
- [34:51]
B
Yeah.
- [34:52]
A
Your average learning kid. Totally Christian conservative family. There's no redeemable reason to put your kids in public school. And, you know, there's the argument of, well, they need to be the. The light and all this. I disagree with that. I know Ali Stuckey disagrees with that.
- [35:06]
B
Well, these kids are so young, and you have to think about what they're being influenced with at a young age. Like Proverbs talks about, like, you know, company and character and who you surround yourself. That's who you become. And so when you can't control that setting, and I'm not saying we can protect and shield our children, but when they're young, they're susceptible, you know, and so I think just teachers and different Beliefs, indoctrinating our children. It's a really big deal when they're young and questioning. And, you know, these schools that have, like, people identifying as cats and litter boxes in the classroom, I'm like, what? Talk about confusion at a young age. You know, it's just so. Yeah. Public or private school? Just. And I also think even just the school model, I'm not knocking on everything. There are great schools in Fort Worth. Most of our friends do that. I'm going against the grain. I have a lot of friends at homeschool, like, mom friends, but no one really in Fort Worth. Like, this is. We're blazing our own trail.
- [35:49]
A
Dallas area is very much about, like, the schools there. Private Christian schools, cultural thing.
- [35:56]
B
Yes. But we're the Duke's family. We've always done things different, and school's no different.
- [35:59]
A
You know, I love that you say that because you said that. I think on the last episode that we did together is that's your. Your motto. Like, as your kids are getting older and they're asking questions, well, how come this family can do this and we can't?
- [36:08]
B
Whatever.
- [36:09]
A
Well, we're the Duke's family. We do things differently.
- [36:11]
B
Yeah.
- [36:11]
A
And. And just that it is. That does a couple things. One, it gives your kids a reason, but it also sets your family apart. That we are set apart. And as Christians, we're supposed to be living our lives set apart. But it also creates a mission mentality of, like, we are a team as a family for your kids. And I think that that will bode well over time as they get older.
- [36:32]
B
I'm really excited. And I also think, too, like, even just having kids sit in a classroom, the amount of time that's wasted. So we actually have a really good friend. My husband used to be an Air Force pilot, and we were stationed in Abilene at the time, and we became great friends with someone who owned a Sylvan Learning center. It's like a tutoring service. And during COVID he was like, y' all gotta pray. Like, we might be out of business because, you know, if we have no kids to tutor, like, and they're like, one of the top 10 Sylvan Learning Centers in the country. And we, you know, we checked in, like, how are you doing? We've been praying for you. You know, this is their family. Like, multiple generations have done this, and they're like, Covid was the best thing that happened to us, because parents got to see how kids, when they learned in a concentrated setting with their learning style, they didn't need to go to school for eight hours a day. They needed two hours of. I have chills right now. Which is like so God, just confirming like what we're supposed to be. It's concentrated work it. I'm not saying everything caters to your child, but like kinetic learners, like my boys, my second, I'm like, he is busy and jumping and my bow, he's gonna be jumping on a trampoline learning math. And that's what Michelle says. She's like, they obtain math when they're moving. And so I just, I can't imagine like. And all these parents. What kills me is I see like they're bawling and sending their kid to school and I'm like, you don't have to do it, you know, and we don't have to do what's normal. We can go against the norm and it might be different and uncomfortable, but I think the reward that comes from that is so rich. And also the freedom, like we get to travel as a family. Memories. School is so much bigger than what happens in a four wall classroom.
- [37:54]
A
All right, let's face it, life's a mess, you're stressed, the world's on fire and you're just trying to survive. So what do you do? You get a candle, right? But not just any candle. No, I'm Alex Clark. We don't just light regular candles willy nilly. You get a natural sloth beeswax candle. Why? Because it's like a personal assistant for your brain. Everyone needs an adeline. That's my personal assistant's and you can have that basically in a candle from natural sloth. Look, here's what happens. You light a natural sloth beeswax candle, okay? Immediately your entire mood shifts because beeswax candles release negative ions. And those negative ions, they're like tiny little air purifiers that chase out the junk in your house, the dust, the mold, the bad vibes that you've been carrying around like an emotional support animal. These ions are like your own personal squad, fighting off the chaos and leaving you with cleaner air. And get this, a more relaxed body and mind. Here's what's really wild. So I had an old leftover candle that was not totally non toxic, but it was pretty close. Like it was probably like a level below my natural sloth beeswax candle. Okay? In my kitchen living room area, I had lit that the other day. And then in my bedroom I had a natural sloth candle lit. I have a air purifier in each room. And anytime there's anything bad in the air, you'll see that baby like kick on and it'll turn red, red and it's like sucking up anything bad in the air. The room that the candle that was not natural sloth was lit. All of a sudden that air purifier kicked on and it was going crazy for hours. My natural sloth room, it was on green, golden, smooth sailing the entire time that that baby was lit. It was like, there's nothing bad in the air here. Because the beeswax candle from natural sloth was purifying the air just like my air purifier. It's to going crazy. Natural sloth is made safe, certified non toxic and scented with only pure essential oils. No weird hormone disrupting chemicals in there. And guess what? Those candles are handmade in Texas. It's a veteran owned company and made with love by people who understand that relaxation should be as American as apple pie. Go to naturalsloth.com use code Alex for 15% off naturalsloth.com code Alex for 15% off it's a good time to start stocking up on Christmas, by the way. Get a little early advance. Let's talk tampons because apparently some of y' all are still putting arsenic and chlorine bleach in your hoo ha. Every month like it's 1847 and we're curing things with leeches. Garneu said nope. They make tampons, pads and menstrual cups that are 100% organic cotton, no forever chemicals, no heavy metals, and absolutely no mystery ingredients that you can't pronounce. If it sounds like something that you'd find on a periodic table next to plutonium, it's not in garnish. Tampons. They even use sugar cane for the applicator, which means yes, your vagine gets a sweet tweet. And listen, this isn't just about clean period products. When you use Garnu, you're also supporting feminine health education and female entrepreneurship for girls in Nepal and Brazil who are vulnerable to sex exploitation. So not only are you buying something actually good for your body, you're fighting human trafficking while you do it. Join the girls only club. Get 15% off your one time or subscription purchase. I recommend subscription because our period comes once a freaking month. Okay, so. So why wouldn't you do that? Use code alex at checkout garnu.com G-A-N u.com Code Alex because you deserve better than bleach in your Vagine girl. What vitamins do you give your kids?
- [41:14]
B
My kids are super healthy. We're not, like, every single day, you have to have this. You know, I definitely make sure they're hydrated, especially in the summer or doing sports. So that looks like Quinton or my electrolytes, my kids love. You know, we don't do Gatorades. I think we talked about that before. We don't do food dyes. We try not to do a lot of refined sugar. And so we do electrolytes. That's one thing. Hydration. We do Epsom salt baths. That's a great way to get magnesium in. Oh, we'll take multivitamins. And, like, not every day, but my kids love it.
- [41:39]
A
You know, multivitamins.
- [41:40]
B
We take Haya. They're like, the little chewable ones. Okay, we do that. We have a lot of Mary Ruth stuff that, like, I find liquid tinctures are super easy to give to kids, you know, because they're. They just like. Mike. I always joke. I'm like, come here, little birdies. They open their mouth and I love Omegas for kids, especially for their brain grain. Like, we don't eat enough fish in our house. I feel like. I mean, fish is amazing. We just, like, I'm not cooking fish multiple times a week. I'm the same.
- [42:02]
A
So we do fish oil in seafood is my favorite type of food, but even I struggle to eat that as much as I should. I think it has to totally do with the. Where you live.
- [42:10]
B
Totally.
- [42:10]
A
I mean, if we were living in Boston or something, it'd probably be like, we would eat that more than red meat.
- [42:14]
B
Yeah. We'd be going to the fish market to, like, fetch our fish for the night.
- [42:17]
A
Seattle fish market. Oh, I'm so jealous of them. So it's like, I think different areas of the country, you know, and that has to do with eating regionally, seasonally, all these things. And I love. I just interviewed Dr. Bill Schindler, who owns Modern Stone Age Kitchen Restaurant in.
- [42:33]
B
Was that the Potato Interview, Maryland.
- [42:34]
A
Was that.
- [42:35]
B
That came out this week? Yes.
- [42:36]
A
He said. Which I was like, that is such good advice. He's like, yeah, there are definitely foods that are more toxic than others you should avoid and all these things. And everybody gets bent out of shape, and they're overwhelmed. And he said, the key is if we are eating the way we were supposed to. You, which is seasonally.
- [42:50]
B
Yes.
- [42:50]
A
And you are bringing in a variety of food. So, like, this month, potatoes are in season.
- [42:54]
B
Yes. Go to the farmers market this month.
- [42:56]
A
They're not. If you are eating that way, which is actually how human beings are designed to eat regionally and seasonally, you're never going to be overloaded on one certain toxic food.
- [43:05]
B
Totally.
- [43:06]
A
That right there is your. Is your safe, you know, your catch all to avoid those problems. And I was like, man, that is such a. Like a really so good.
- [43:13]
B
And people think immune system. Like, it's like, it's the things that you do. Getting your kids sleep, them not being stressed, getting sunshine, fresh air. You know, it's inevitable kids are going to get sick. It's part of building their immune system. God gave us that, you know, sickness. Like, I really think people get sick to build their immune system and have that God given innate immunity. Like, it's not a bad thing. I don't fear the fever, but when our kids do get sick, we'll do more vitamin C and colloidal silver and elderberry and things like that. But honestly, our kids, like, they'll go a day or multiple days without taking vitamins, you know, but. And then if. If my kid had to be. Which we haven't had to, but if my kid had to be on antibiotics, I would give him a probiotic, you know. But other than that, I'm like, they're kids, they're healthy. But that's one thing I'm excited about, a garden. You know, I'm like getting the kids involved and appreciating food and the source and learning. Like, this comes from a root.
- [43:52]
A
And now I have no knowledge on. I don't either, but I'm learning. What are you. Where are you learning? How are you doing it? Because if you're like me, starting from zero, then what are you doing?
- [44:00]
B
Okay, so I've shadowed a few people that do have gardens because I'm like, I just love learning. I'm a visual learner. That's been really helpful. I just went and visited my friend in Iowa. She has a beautiful garden. Shout out to Paula. She's like my hero. She's who I want to be when I grow up, Paula. And she has the most beautiful garden. And she just made it so simple. You know, you can get stuff online and plant it and the beds and the soil. But I actually have a girl in DFW that was a teacher and she stopped teaching during COVID And she does garden consulting. So she's consulting us like, here's the best place with shade, sunlight. And then she's going to help me plant and learn how to like, harvest. And then she's like, once you get the hang of it. And just trimming and doing things, you'll know what to do. So I have no idea. But I'm going to learn.
- [44:37]
A
You know. I'm in an apartment so I have like a big balcony but I want to put some sort of like hedge plant or something or gross something, probably container to let it grow up on the balcony. And so I was asking Chad gbt, I'm like, this is where my apartment faces like, you know, what plants would do well in my climate. Where do I live all these things. And it was like it planned the whole thing out for me.
- [45:00]
B
I do Chad GPT a lot for farm chores. I'm like, at what age can I put the chick outside? It stinks really bad. But yeah, no, I mean I think, I think you can learn so much and you can do like a little tower garden. As long as it's getting appropriate sunlight and water, you, you know, like you can, you can do that.
- [45:14]
A
Why should everybody be taking creatine?
- [45:16]
B
So many people think that it's not good for women because they're like, oh, it's going to bulk you up. It is so good for your brain of course building muscles. When you have strength, it helps so much. So brain benefits, mood benefits, strength benefits. But it gets a bad, you know, it gets a stigma cuz women are like oh, I don't want to bulk up. And creatine's for men.
- [45:33]
A
No, it helps with muscle recovery, brain health and everything. I'm taking two scoops a day.
- [45:38]
B
I'm so proud of you.
- [45:40]
A
I've been taking creatine especially cuz I, I'm, I'm on this like workout journey and everything. So I'm, I'm doing that for sure. Best clean iced drink recipes you're loving right now.
- [45:49]
B
I'm loving our electrolytes in the summer. They're super, super clean. They're made with organic fruit juice powder. There's no natural flavors so that on ice is so refreshing. Especially after farm chores. But I'm also loving an iced coffee. You know, I'm obsessed with protein coffee. I know you're not a coffee girly, but if you were, you would be obsessed. And so having coffee with a scoop of protein and on ice mix mixed up with some raw milk, it is like the best.
- [46:13]
A
What protein flavor?
- [46:14]
B
I like vanilla. It's a good go to.
- [46:16]
A
How do you get your protein powder to not clump up?
- [46:18]
B
You got to mix it up like how though? Just with like a frother. Is that what you're saying? Oh, okay. So I first I do milk, and then I do the coffee, and then I mix it with the frother, and then I add ice. You don't want to ice it first because then it just. It kind of gets. It retains that.
- [46:31]
A
Yeah. Congeals or whatever. Yeah. If somebody is getting constant UTIs, what are the first things they should be looking at in their environment? And what are some natural ways to heal it?
- [46:41]
B
That's a great question. So if someone's getting recurrent UTIs, they have to look at the immune system. It's an immune system issue that it cannot take care of that infection. So there are underlying things, whether it's mold or Lyme or CO infections, but sometimes it's just rooted in gut issues. People have to heal their gut and fix their gut, which ultimately in turn fixes their immune system to take care of the UTIs. Now, there are some supplements and things like say that someone feels a UTI coming on, whether it's recurrent or if it's just a fluke. Uti. I love doing D? Monos. I love cranberry extract extract. Flushing with enough water, people don't hydrate enough. Those are really helpful things.
- [47:15]
A
D? Monos is a supplement. You can get it like a natural food store.
- [47:19]
B
Sorry, I forget I need to expand. Yes. So D? Monos is super helpful. It's a supplement, and I'm not affiliated with this brand at all, but Designs for Health has an awesome UT intensive chewable that is D? Monos. And then they also have a UT synergy. And so anytime patients that I would work with in my practice that would have recurrent UTIs, or they'd feel one coming on, I'd say try this first. You know, I think there are times and places for antibiotics. If it gets complicated and it gets to your kidneys and then you start having a fever, that can be problematic.
- [47:45]
A
But what about if you're pregnant and you get a uti?
- [47:47]
B
I would still try the natural stuff and the cranberry extract and water and hydration. And obviously, urinating after intercourse is so big because one of the most number one causes of UTIs is E. Coli, and so you have to urinate after intercourse.
- [48:00]
A
Something else I want to say is when it comes to, like, chronic yeast infections over and over or UTIs, whatever. When I. When I'm thinking of, like, stuff in your environment. So this happened me a couple several years ago before I knew any of this. This is way before my health journey. Okay. I was getting chronic yeast infections, like, over and over and over again. I was like, what is going on? I don't understand. You know what I had done? I had splurged on this fancy schmancy laundry detergent. Super fragranced, super fragrance. And I splurged. I was like, I'm going to get the most expensive fancy laundry detergent that fancy hotels use, and I'm going to splurge on beautiful, gorgeous underwear.
- [48:35]
B
Lacy, lacy.
- [48:36]
A
So what I was doing, I was like, well, because I just spent so much money on this really fancy underwear, I have to hand wash all my underwear with the fancy detergent. So I'm just hand washing and trying to rinse, thinking I'm getting it good enough with this laundry detergent and then putting that on there. And that's what. That's what was going on. I finally realized it after trial and error of like a whole summer of just yeast infection after yeast infection. I'm like, I'm literally miserable and about antibiotics over and over.
- [49:00]
B
And cotton underwear too.
- [49:01]
A
Yep.
- [49:02]
B
Yes.
- [49:02]
A
And so it was terrible. And that's what it was. And as soon as I stopped doing that, it went away. So sometimes I think too look at the laundry environment.
- [49:12]
B
Oh, laundry detergent for sure. And looking at underwear, you know, like, if you're prone to that, you might not. You might want to wear granny panties. You might want cotton underwear.
- [49:19]
A
I want you to tell everybody what you do about bras.
- [49:21]
B
Oh, bras. I like, love not wearing a bra. Actually, like, now that I'm here on set, I. I'm wearing a real bra. But I love bras that I honestly prefer sports bras that are not super tight around the lymphatic area because so many women, it clogs our detox pathways. And if you're wearing underwires and it's tight, it's just horrible. It's a recipe for disaster for women.
- [49:40]
A
And I had said to you because again, the not married girl, like, getting tips and tricks from her friends, I was like, well, how's your husband feel about like, that you don't have like a hot lacy bra on all the time and or like one that as has like support and stuff. That it's mostly usually none or just sports bra. And what was your answer?
- [49:57]
B
The laundry doesn't last long anyway. And I think husbands will be the first to say that. So it's like if you think you have to have that, I mean, sure, maybe every now and then, a fancy anniversary, your wedding night, I get it. But it's like it lasts for two seconds. You don't need to Be wearing like fancy lacy bras around every single day with underwire. That's obstructing your lymphatic system.
- [50:13]
A
See us unmarried girlies, like this is why like you have to have like good relationships with your married friends even in your single seasons. Because. Because you take the time to learn all these different things.
- [50:22]
B
Yes. And I've had women go before me too. And I'm like, hey, is this normal yo? You busting out your lingerie? They're like, I don't even know where my lingerie is. You know, I'm not saying it's not important to show up for your husband. That's important and that's part of marriage. And intimacy is a God given gift and it brings you together. But I think people have this idea in their head of what it has to be.
- [50:38]
A
You know, I've never asked anybody this on the show. What are non toxic lube options?
- [50:43]
B
Ooh, coconut oil. Just plain coconut oil. Literally from your kitchen. Maybe have a separate cooking coconut oil. You're getting into the spicy sexy.
- [50:50]
A
God, I didn't tell you. It just is coming up in my head.
- [50:54]
B
Let's talk about it. Coconut. Are you ovulating? I'm kidding, actually. I knew it. I knew it. This is just coming at.
- [51:04]
A
Wait, I'm dying.
- [51:05]
B
I'm a nurse practitioner. You know how to know how to diagnose and assess. So yeah, having coconut oil is amazing. Maybe having one separate from your kitchen than your bedroom.
- [51:13]
A
No. Double dipping. No.
- [51:15]
B
But there are so many great brands brands out there like Woo. The brand. W o o.
- [51:18]
A
Have you seen that Lauren Bostick always talks about?
- [51:20]
B
Yes.
- [51:21]
A
Wait, so that's a clean brand? Yes. I didn't know that.
- [51:23]
B
Yes, it's an awesome brand.
- [51:24]
A
Why didn't you tell me about Will you sponsor the show?
- [51:28]
B
Hey, maybe they should throwing it out.
- [51:29]
A
There because I don't have any sex.
- [51:31]
B
I'm going to get all kinds of sponsoring inquiries about sexy brands after this. I know.
- [51:34]
A
Okay, so. So coconut oil. Woo. And then what about condoms?
- [51:39]
B
Condoms. Sustain is a really clean brand. There are several out there but you want to go for like non irritated. Definitely ones that don't have like special special oils and all the fancy stuff like Sustain is what one that we've used before. Okay, cool.
- [51:50]
A
Is there any other sex things that are important to know?
- [51:52]
B
Non toxic know about your hormone cycle. Especially when you're married. You know like when you ovulate like as a girl, that's when you're gonna initiate. That's important for your sex life. You Know, like, I think so many women do not track their cycles. You know, it's like if they're in their luteal phase, they may not want to have sex. So take advantage of when you're ovulation phase or, you know, when you learn your cycle and you're not on birth control and it's not being suppressed. You should live your life around that. Like you batch recording during ovulation. Genius idea. You're creative. You're on.
- [52:18]
A
So freaking true.
- [52:19]
B
Yes. And you're in your period. The last thing you wanted to be doing is getting glammed up and doing. Doing strong strength workouts. That's the time for baths and maybe. And when you're ovulating, that's also when you have great ideas for content.
- [52:29]
A
Oh, my gosh. You know what has happened to me?
- [52:31]
B
What?
- [52:32]
A
So my main core, I've. I have a lot of people on my team, some men or whatever doing video and camera. But the main core people that are around me 247 are two girls, one girl do my social media, my assistant. And we're all synced up.
- [52:45]
B
Yeah, cycle synced. That's the thing. Like, I used to work in a doctor's office and all of us would be like, it's the week. We'd all give each other grace during the luteal phase. Because we're like, we know it's coming. Okay, just be kind. Just be kind. But seriously, women have gotten so out of touch with their cycles and if you can. Not that we can plan everything around our cycle, but if you know where you're at in your cycle and can honor that, like, I'm not going to push myself in a hard workout when I'm on my period, but heck yeah, when I'm ovulating or when I'm in the follicular phase, like, you better bet I'm going to up some appointments with my trainer or do harder workouts or cold plunge. You know, it just, it really depends on where you are in your cycle for everything. And I feel like knowing and being intuitive with that is a game changer.
- [53:23]
A
I'm going to do a whole episode. Coming up soon. I'm bringing back little Ray of Health. This is a spoiler. I don't ever spoil who guests are coming on. But she's been on my show previously, twice. This will be her third time coming on. But now it's culture apothecary and she is like, this is. Her whole thing is going through the phases of your cycle. But can you briefly say what the four phases are and like, just key traits of what you should know about each.
- [53:42]
B
Yes. Okay. So if people have severe issues, you can look into seed cycling where you eat like certain pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, to help like with pcos. That can help completely rebalance your cycle. So your menstrual phase, everyone knows what that is. It's your period. That's when you slow down, you're bloated, you're tired. You kind of just want to like crawl in bed in a blanket. And so maybe you clear your social calendar of that. Maybe you're taking more Epsom salt baths. Maybe you're just resting more, not doing all the social commitments. Then you have your follicular phase. The follicular phase is hormones are starting to adjust. You're off your period. Maybe you're starting to have more energy, energy doing more workouts. Maybe that's when you do some strength training. And then you get into your ovulation, which is like cream de la cream. That's like the peak phase for a woman. That's when your sex drive is higher. Super helpful in marriage. It's also when you feel creative. So for me, I will batch think of content with my team or like schedule more meetings during that ovulation phase. That's also when you're super social. So maybe schedule a girls trip. You know, we cannot control all of this. But if I like, see that I'm going to be on a trip and I'm ovulating, I'm like, yes, like amazing. But you're just more social. And then you have to honor your luteal phase. That's when you're like, things are winding down. You're about to start your period. That's when you have more cravings. Not doing a ton of like high intensity interval training, not doing a ton of workouts, like just, you know, eating more. Oh, and fasting. Like some women fast. The best thing to do is to fast at the beginning of your cycle. You know, when you're like on your period and maybe having bone broth. If you do intermittent fasting, but you don't want to fast during your ludal phase because that's when you crave stuff and when you're just kind of grouchy.
- [55:07]
A
So I've started making sure that I am doubling up on magnesium throughout my ludal phase. You're zero.
- [55:14]
B
Good.
- [55:14]
A
Zero.
- [55:14]
B
It's a game changer, right?
- [55:15]
A
During my. Than during my menstrual.
- [55:18]
B
Yes.
- [55:18]
A
Yeah.
- [55:19]
B
So many women have normalized period cramps. They think it's just normal or oh, I've always been this way. And I'm like, no, you likely have estrogen dominance or a magnesium deficiency. And yes, some people can struggle with progesterone's low with insomnia. Insomnia and things like that. But magnesium can help with that too.
- [55:32]
A
I think everybody basically for the most part needs to be taking magnesium and vitamin D. That's like a catch. All would work for anybody. D3K2.
- [55:40]
B
Yeah, you know, girl.
- [55:41]
A
As a functional medicine nurse practitioner, what is your opinion on colonics?
- [55:44]
B
I think they can be super helpful. Do I think people can overdo it? Yeah, but I think it can be really helpful, especially for people that are constipated. I did it at the beginning of my healing journey, but I don't think people need to rely on it. But I think it could be great.
- [55:54]
A
What is the deal with coffee enemas? Is putting stuff up our butts really one of the healthiest things that we could be doing.
- [55:59]
B
It actually is great for you. It really is. Again, I think people can totally overdo it, but it's one of the greatest detox practices that you can do. It upregulates and stimulates the body's natural production of glutathione and it's been around for forever and it's cheap. It's so intimidating. If you're intimidated, I have a whole blog post walking you through exactly how to do it, what you can buy. And it's so effective.
- [56:18]
A
I have like a gorgeous non toxic coffee enema kit that if you want, you can DM me and I'll give it to you the link for that. It's really cheap. It's like, I don't know, $25 or something. And then your coffee, oh yeah, you can use it. Perfect coffee to use for coffee enemas. Can you tell them about that and why?
- [56:33]
B
I see a clean coffee you, you want actually fully caffeinated coffee. You don't want to do decaf. Even if you're sensitive to coffee. Do the real thing, like do real caffeinated coffee. But you want to make sure it's clean, organic, you know, free of heavy metals, free of mold. Because if you're going to do a health practice detox, the last thing you want to be doing is using toxic coffee up your bum.
- [56:51]
A
My best friend is in her 30s. She has something in her breast that she found that she just wants to get looked at. Every single single practitioner is pushing a mammogram on her. She keeps on saying, no, I want to do an ultrasound. I want to do thermography. Like, is there any other options? I have never heard of this. She is people calling her all day long. Different offices, different institutions, different organizations in medicine being like, hello, is this so and so? We heard that you had refusal mammogram. You really need to reconsider this. And also, like, we're not going to be able to see you, to give you an ultrasound if you don't get the mammogram first. All these different things, just pressuring her pressure. I'm like, holy crap. This is like what they do to.
- [57:30]
B
Kids, you know, in doctor's offices.
- [57:32]
A
This is what pediatric visits. When parents say they don't want the vaccine for their kid, they're like, pushing this on my friend who's in her mid-30s for a mammogram. What is going on with mammograms? As a nurse practitioner, do you think that mammograms are really the safest option now for women?
- [57:48]
B
I really don't. They expose you to unnecessary radiation. And when I say unnecessary, there are other options that are even FDA approved. So, you know, your friend is young, so she could have just fibroids in her breast. There is an increasing rate of breast cancer in young people. So do I think screening is important? Yes. But there's so many other things you can do. You can do mri, you can do ultrasound, you can do QT imaging, thermogram. You usually have to follow up. But if it's a red spot, you can tell there's blood flow to an area. You'll want to follow it up with something that is. Can give you a better look at it. But I love QT imaging. That's like my go to. It's 3D imaging. And even for me, mammograms, they don't work for people with dense breast tissue. And those are what brings people in a lot of times with a scare. They feel something. And usually it's just a fibroid or dense breast tissue, which the mammogram doesn't even pick. Like, it cannot identify and discern between that. So that's where even you need to do something like an ultrasound, an MRI, or QT imaging. But I think people starting even routine screening, starting at age 45, like, you are exposing yourself every single year to unnecessary radiation.
- [58:44]
A
I'm 32. When do I need to start doing stuff?
- [58:46]
B
So especially if you're not a high risk or you don't have a family history, or you don't have a huge, you know, medical history 45 is usually when most people start doing it. Okay, but I would do QT imaging. That's what I would do. Or thermogram.
- [58:56]
A
Well, and QT imaging is what Dr. Jen Simmons does. Right.
- [58:59]
B
A lot of people do. Dr. Kelly has one now and they're popping up and they're even FDA approved in some cases. And again, mammograms are not going to be helpful for the people with dense breasts. And that's what's bringing a lot of women in because they feel something, they're scared. And it's a fibroid.
- [59:10]
A
Now I don't remember what it was she said, you have to go back and listen to the interview. But I did an entire interview last October with Dr. Jen Simmons, who is a breast cancer surgeon doctor. And she is like very anti mammogram. And she explains the science, why she explains the science behind how a lot of these women go in for mammogram, then they end up getting breast cancer. But it's the mammogram, it's the radiation exposure. It's causing the, the.
- [59:34]
B
I'm not saying don't do screening. I'm not saying just like sit on the farm and don't do anything. But I also think even with all these interventions and screenings, why aren't we talking more about prevention? We're talking about diagnosing. By the time you diagnose, it's too late. It's already there.
- [59:45]
A
You know when a protein powder says 100% grass fed bone broth, would that make it taste weird? And why would a bone broth component be good for a protein powder?
- [59:56]
B
So many people think that bone broth protein tastes like soup in a package and that's not the case.
- [60:00]
A
Yeah, like my strawberries cream, bone broth protein powder of yours. Like people are like, well, what does that taste like? I'm like, strawberries and cream.
- [60:07]
B
Yes, it's just the form, the cleanest form of protein that is dairy free for the those that do not tolerate whey. It's a very, very clean, has great amino acid profile, but it does not taste like soup. It's just a clean form of protein. And then you get the flavor from like organic fruit juice powder or you get coconut milk to make it creamy.
- [60:22]
A
And you have a collagen component.
- [60:25]
B
Yes. Because it is 100, a great source of collagen.
- [60:27]
A
Grass fed bone broth. You've got collagen in there with your protein powder. So I kind of like it because it's like two for one.
- [60:32]
B
Yeah. Most People are like, oh, I do my collagen and I do this. And I'm like, guess what? You don't have to do the collagen. Save yourself some money. It's is a source of collagen.
- [60:37]
A
Now I do because I'm psycho. You guys know how I am with my million dollar smoothie or whatever that Fox news called it. So I do extra scoop of collagen and all this. But you don't have to with yours. And that's what I really like about it. When I was a young warthog, lunch at school was basically prison economics. You'd be trading dunkaroos for fruit rollups, negotiating Hostess cupcakes like they were diamonds. One kid named Ricky used to swap Vienna sausages in wet pretzels for gushers. And he got away with it. That is how broken the food system was. And guess what? It's still broken. You're out there eating healthy. Quote unquote chips cooked in seed oils, which are basically industrial lubricants rebranded as food. That is where masa chips comes in. Tortilla chips, made the way God and your grandfather intended. Just three ingredients. Organic nixtamalized corn, sea salt, 100 grass fed beef tallow. Not that engine degreaser they call canola oil. They're crunchy, they're sturdy. They don't leave you bloated and ashamed like you just made out with a bag of msg. Masa chips are endorsed by Ben Greenfield and Gary Breca. People who read blood work for fun, go to masachips.com use code real Alex Clark for 25 off your first order. That's masachips.com code real Alex Clark for 25% off your first order. Get the chips. Let's talk facts. You're full of plastic and it's not fantastic and it's not in the I got a little Botox to feel something again way. I mean, you are full of real microplastics in your blood, your organs, your dreams, your semen. Okay, I know you're like, whoa, Alex, tone it down. But I'm serious. We've got the infertility crisis rising 1% every year. What do you think is fueling this? It is stuff in our environment is stuff in our food. It is affecting your man as well as you. You have basically turned into your own Tupperware kit. And no drinking kombucha. And amazing jar is not going to fix it. Although it is delicious. The Average person eats 200,000 plastic particles a year, which explains why your Hormones are shot, your gut is in therapy and you feel like you're aging in dog years. That is why I'm taking UTSY Naturals Microplastic Daily Detox. Because I'm tired of being an unwilling Barbie doll. This is the first supplement of its kind packed with real clinically backed ingredients like Italian black kale extract. She legit? Yeah. The black goo that actually does something. And green tea to support your body's natural detox pathways like your liver, which is this close to quitting. I take it every morning and I swear I feel less toxic.
- [63:07]
B
Okay.
- [63:08]
A
Physically and emotionally. Tell my comment section that go to utsy utzy.com use code LOTOX to save on their microplastic daily detox. The best herbs, best that work. That's utzy.com code lotox on the Microplastic Daily Detox supplement. You're going to get a free detox guide from Dr. Peter Kozlowski, who's basically the Jason born of toxins. Details in the show notes. What is a ladybug steamer? And why does every mom need to ask for this for Christmas?
- [63:44]
B
Okay. They're amazing. I just got one myself moving in this new house and it uses a vapor technology. It's basically just hot steam and it can clean grout tile toilets, bathroom showers. And it's one of those things that, you know, we use just our non toxic cleaners, but sometimes you need just a little bit more. And that is such a game changer. Like if a kid threw up or something on the floor, that is what I would be using to clean it up.
- [64:05]
A
What? Okay, like a steamer. How does a steamer clean? Throw up?
- [64:09]
B
Super hot high. I mean I would clean it up, but that's what I would use. I would never use disinfectants in my house, you know, so that, that high heat is almost like a flash to disinfect.
- [64:17]
A
Okay. But when you are googling for this product, is it literally called Ladybug Steamer? Like that's the brand?
- [64:22]
B
Yeah, Ladybug Steamer.
- [64:23]
A
Okay. Because I hear you talk about this, I hear Allison from Branch Basics talk about it and I'm like, what is this thing?
- [64:28]
B
So Branch Basics is really big about it. When you move. They're really big on doing like a whole cleaning method as if it's almost like a mold abatement protocol, like just super deep cleaning. And so we did that with a lot of our house when we moved in, especially post construction. There's a lot of dust, things like that. And I really, I love it. A girl in my team had it. She was like, you're going to love it. And I'm in, I'm all in.
- [64:47]
A
How much is it?
- [64:47]
B
Couple thousand. It's a lot. I know.
- [64:50]
A
This is your, this is going to be your Christmas, birthday, anniversary and Mother's day gift all in one. Just everything, all in one.
- [64:55]
B
But also you don't have to have it to do non toxic life.
- [64:57]
A
You don't have it. This is extra fun.
- [64:59]
B
Okay, yes, yes. This is a funsies. This is like stuff that you save.
- [65:02]
A
Up for if your child is diagnosed with an ear infection. What are you doing?
- [65:05]
B
My kid, actually we did go to the doctor once. In my 11 years of combined parenting with both my boys ages, which will be next month. Eleven years, they've never had an ear infection, never needed antibiotics for one. And so most of the time ear infections are viral in nature and it just takes time. Now kids ears drain more like this until they're older, they drain down. And so it's one of those things that you do have to do symptom support to relieve their symptoms. But things that we do is we do steamy showers. You know, if you have a little baby, you can do saline suction in their nose. You do red light therapy topically, we're trying to reduce the symptoms to make them comfortable. So red light therapy, garlic and mullion oil ear drops. It has antibacterial properties and has some calendula in there if you use the herb farm brand. So it helps calm and soothe the ear. But we've never had to use them. And even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a watchful waiting approach. So when parents go and they're like, oh yeah, your kid has fluid in their ear. Which that's happened to us. They've had a virus and they're like, yeah, they definitely have fluid. My kid's complaining of it. Most people will just jump to antibiotics when reality it just needs a couple days. And so your kid's unnecessarily getting ant antibiotics. Now if your kid has tubes or something like that, then they shouldn't be putting garlic in their ear. You know, this is not medical advice, but this is just what we do. And we've never had to take antibiotics for them.
- [66:12]
A
What are you doing for teething pain?
- [66:14]
B
Teething. Okay. We do like ice. We let them gnaw on something, you know, whether it's like a silicone toy, we use some boron homeopathic chamomile drops, I think that's what it's called, and just really support symptoms. You know, we make them comfortable like, like they're, they have tension in their jaw so when they chew on something, you know, and the chamomile drops helps calm the pain. But we've never used Tylen ibuprofen, none of that.
- [66:37]
A
What's going on with Ora gel or a gel?
- [66:39]
B
I would never use that.
- [66:40]
A
Why? I used to love the taste of.
- [66:42]
B
That, of toxins and chemicals and especially these little babies mouths, like really, they just need something cold to non to help support that. And honestly. And then there's also those like amber necklaces. People swear by those. We personally never had an issue with teething. I know people are like, oh it's the worst thing ever. And I think kids are different with how many teeth they're cutting. But we've never had an issue and we've, we're all. I'm not. Just because we don't do a lot of medicine unless it's absolutely necessary doesn't mean we let our kids suffer. We do symptom support.
- [67:06]
A
How crucial is it for women to use 100 organic cotton period products?
- [67:10]
B
Oh, I think it's so important. I think for. If you're cycling once a month, think about how much overtime that accumulates, especially the fragrance products, like whether you're using tampons, pads, Diva cup, that silicone. I think it's so, so, so important.
- [67:22]
A
I just don't understand. I have never, even as a teenager I didn't understand why would you put like a perfume tampon up there? Yeah, like who's, who's smelling?
- [67:31]
B
Even before you were in the health world, yet no one's smelling it.
- [67:33]
A
What is the purpose of that?
- [67:35]
B
I mean thinking about how absorbable that tissue is and how close you are to reproduction, productive organ organs. The last thing you want is fragrance up there.
- [67:41]
A
And I learned your vagina is actually more absorbent than your mouth. So what you are putting there, it's, it matters unbelievably important that it is totally 100 organic cotton. Because think about what those cotton crops are sprayed with.
- [67:57]
B
Yeah.
- [67:57]
A
Why are you seeking out the nearest patch of grass or sand after a flight?
- [68:03]
B
Oh my gosh. Because it completely resets my nervous system. And I know that sounds woo woo, but anytime we travel, we'll go find a park for the kids or for at the oce we'll get our feet in the sand. It's a game changer. And I can testify to this because after brain surgery, when they cut a hole in your brain, you're super sensitive. I used to have to wear sunglasses. I used to wear headphones, like truly like traveling. And I'll never forget going to hope for cancer three weeks after brain surgery and I was so dizzy, I was so disoriented. Everything was light and bright and I, I'll never forget. I put my feet in the sand. Within five minutes, I felt like I had taken a nap. I was a new person. And I can, I can testify to that from a brain cancer person perspective. Like nothing resets the nervous system like getting your feet in the ground.
- [68:40]
A
What are some other holistic airport hacks you're doing?
- [68:43]
B
Hydrating before. So I always take my electrolytes with me. I always travel healthy. I never opt for that 3D scanner, so I'm lucky. I get, I have TSA. Most people do these days, but you have TSA, they're going to send you through the medical metal detector versus the, you know, radiation scan. The 3D where you stand there and put your hands up. So I always would opt out of that. If they tried to do that, you can opt for a pat down. It'll be annoying. They're going to be like, they're going to roll their eyes and be like, I have to call someone. And I'm like, perfect, no problem, I'll wait. I'm always bringing healthy travel snacks. Try to get sunshine, fresh air before travel and after travel. And then I bring my magnesium. That's my one supplement that like anytime I travel, I have to bring it.
- [69:19]
A
Why?
- [69:19]
B
Because it's such a game changer. It helps with sleep, relaxation, you know, when you're traveling like you're not in your sleep environment. That's the one thing that I swear by.
- [69:27]
A
Is it actually imperative for pregnant women to avoid, avoid raw fish, deli meat and shellfish.
- [69:32]
B
I personally didn't do that. I would have sandwiches pregnant and some days that's like all I wanted was just like a sandwich, you know, So I don't know. Don't ask me. I'm a medical provider, but I do.
- [69:40]
A
Things differently as a functional nurse practitioner. I need to know your opinion on pap smears. Do women need them as often as we're being told?
- [69:51]
B
I think it's overkill. I really do. I think getting a PAP smear every two years is totally overkill. Especially for someone, say a 35 year old female that's in a monogamous relationship. She's married, she has the same partner, she's never had an abnormal pap. Why does she need to do it every two years? I think that's Personally, overkill. Now she's going to be super low risk. And why do we do pap smears? Because you want to check for hpv, which can put you at risk for cervical cancer. But rather than focusing on this routine screening for people that are very low risk, why don't we focus more on immune support and the vaginal microbiome and like what products you're putting down there and nutrient deficiencies? That's what I would focus on. But I do think it's totally overkill and I do think screening can be important. We know that HPV creates a higher risk for cervical cancer, but people just routinely do things. They don't consider the patient, they just look at the guidelines.
- [70:36]
A
Also, isn't there a bunch of chemicals on that swab?
- [70:38]
B
Oh, yeah. Formaldehyde, all sorts of things, yeah.
- [70:41]
A
Do women who are not having sex need to be getting pap smears?
- [70:44]
B
I don't think so, but I, you know, I'm not the vaginal expert, but.
- [70:48]
A
Then once you're a certain age, do you need to get it no matter if you're married or not?
- [70:52]
B
I mean, they say the older you get, your risk for cervical cancer increases. But honestly, I would be more concerned if I was someone that had hpv. That's when you.
- [70:59]
A
I'm trying to figure out, because I haven't gone in probably six years, so I'm like, do I need to be doing this?
- [71:04]
B
You could go if you wanted to before you got married or after you got married. But I do think it's overkill to just do it every couple years. I really do. And intuitively like, what feels right? Do you have concerns? You know, are you having symptoms?
- [71:14]
A
No. Would a typical OB tell a woman that kombucha while pregnant is dangerous but soda is safe?
- [71:19]
B
Yes, they would, because there are raw materials in a kombucha and they would say stay away from that. Which is ridiculous because we know that gestational diabetes has so many complications, not just for mom and baby, but sodas, FDA approved.
- [71:31]
A
If you were building a non toxic baby nursery, what items would be?
- [71:35]
B
Must have mattress for sure. Definitely an air filter. Just because it's so important. Baby is spending so much time in there. So clean air, clean mattress, clean sheets and organic pjs. I try to focus on what's touching their skin, you know, so if it's a cutesy pillow that you have in there for babysitters or you know, when people come to see your house and you want to show them the crib, fine. No one really has pillows in their cribs. But I say, like, what is on the skin matter? So the pjs, their lotion that you' their sleep sacks, if you're swaddling them, the mattress sheets, those are all super important.
- [72:05]
A
Do you have a hot take about popular strollers and car seats?
- [72:09]
B
I do. I really like the ones that don't have flame retardants and that are sprayed. Especially with how much time these kids are spending in car seats. Whether it's like your driving carpool or, you know, the fancy little strollers that are like, portable, they have flame retardants, and they can be really toxic for your kids, who are so small and these little tiny accumulations matter. So I would definitely go for a clean brand like. Like Nuna has a lot of great options that are super safe.
- [72:30]
A
Do you use baby monitors?
- [72:32]
B
No, I don't.
- [72:33]
A
Why?
- [72:34]
B
Take that back. We are in our old house. We did hardwire a monitor because we couldn't hear the kids upstairs. So when our kids were at the age where they were old enough, we would, you know, they can come down and get us if they need to. They're not locked in their rooms. But no, we didn't use them because you can hear your kid. You know, like, back in the day, I always what I go to and I again, we always do things differently. But I'm like, what do they have in Africa? They're still raising kids in Africa. What did they do back in the day? And so if I feel like, oh, my gosh, all my friends have this fancy baby monitor and they're wearing the breathing, you know, they wear these breathing bands. I'm like, oh, my God, that would make me more anxious. So when I'm like, I don't feel the need to do that. But is something wrong with me? Am I not considering something? I'm like, what do people do back in the day? So we did have one hardwired just so we could hear our kids in the middle of the night, if they were coughing or, you know, screaming, having a bad dream, something like that.
- [73:18]
A
These men that are hijacking your WI fi, talking to your children, so scary.
- [73:24]
B
Especially when it's WI fi based.
- [73:26]
A
Yeah, the WI fi is a hard no for me. And people are like, well, I need to be able to walk around my house and see them on my phone.
- [73:31]
B
I'm like, no, you don't put a sound. You can get little sound cheap ones on Amazon where you can hear them, you know, if they're up or screaming or if they threw up or Something like that happened. But I feel like we've become such an anxious generation and again, it's constantly being connected.
- [73:43]
A
Are American women being propagandized to get too many ultrasound sounds while pregnant?
- [73:47]
B
Yes, I really believe so. I think so. Again, I come from the medical field, so I have a reverence and appreciation for interventions and imaging when needed. I think the anatomy ultrasound is super helpful and can be really informative and also life saving. Like when you're in that 18 to 22 week window is when most people do it. Especially if you're doing a home birth, you know, or you're doing a birthing center birth. Like if there's something wrong, like a cardiac condition, a kidney condition, diaphragmatic hernia, you want to know that because you want to be able to have the resources at birth to save their life. So I think that anatomy ultrasound is helpful, but other than that, I think it's so overkill. And I cannot tell you how many people I've had that have had false positives due to just all this screening. Like, oh, we think their nose is smaller. I had a friend that was told their kid was going to have down syndrome because their nose was small. I had another friend told that their kid was going to have a kidney issue. And it's like we just can't see. And it's the over screening that leads to anxiety.
- [74:37]
A
When you tell people to get baseline labs done, what does that mean?
- [74:41]
B
So I'm pretty extensive when it comes to baseline labs, so I'm looking at blood counts. I like cbc, cmp, which is liver, kidney enzymes, electrolytes. I also love vitamin D. I think it's a super important immune marker. I like homocysteine. It shows how someone's methylating. I think full thyroid panels are super important. I think especially for women. They have so many thyroid symptoms that are going undiagnosed. So when I say full thyroid, I mean TSH, free T4, free T3, and then antibodies if they have a history of autoimmune.
- [75:08]
A
I just got my labs done again. Again, my blood work with jevity and they tested over 90 biomarkers. I sent them to you just to get your opinion. What did you notice about my lab work?
- [75:18]
B
Your lab picture shows someone that has been under chronic long term stress. It's the classic picture. Alex is like, shoot, I know it's the classic picture. You have low cortisol. So we always think of stress and high cortisol because again, our body's made to put out cortisol. But when You've been prolonged stress. That's when your body's like, I'm tired. I don't have enough cortisol. And left in my reserve tank. And your body goes into reserve mode. So you had low cortisol, which is not ideal waking up in the morning, because you want to have that cortisol surge. You want to feel that energy in the morning. You want me to just go into what you mean? Okay, you were low in vitamin D, which is definitely important to get that out going into the immune season, which.
- [75:52]
A
Is weird because in spring, you guys know, I went to the dentist and they tested my vitamin D at Dr. Blodgett's dentist office, and they said it was phenomenal, and it was phenomenal before that. So then I have plummeted between then and now. I think it's because I've barely been outside. I've been traveling, I've been working. I've been recording. This summer has been so busy. I haven't been, like, laying out at the pool and stuff, which I was doing early spring here in Phoenix. So I wonder if that's contributing to my low levels.
- [76:20]
B
Sure. Vitamin D was low. Your B vitamins were low, your B6, and your B12. So I would definitely be supplementing with methylated B vitamins. And then your homocysteine was elevated, which also just shows a really strong need for B vitamins. And then, of course, your thyroid was suboptimal. It wasn't where I would like to see it, but I think when you change the stress pattern and all of that, think your thyroid will correct. And there were antibodies, too.
- [76:41]
A
Wasn't my DHEA low or something?
- [76:43]
B
Oh, yeah, your DHEA was low. And that's a precursor for testosterone, so it's a hormone marker. And so when you focus on the stress and the nervous system, that's going to all improve with that. And some people do supplement with dhea, like low doses, if they're really struggling with symptoms like low energy.
- [76:58]
A
How do you improve the stress?
- [77:00]
B
The free medicine. Remember what I talked about? The hard, easy stuff.
- [77:03]
A
Yeah, I know.
- [77:04]
B
It's lifestyle. It's hard. Alex is like, I can't quit my job. It is. It's hard, but it's those micro moments of setting yourself up for success to. And again, someone like you and me, like, I learned this the hard way with brain surgery. Like, my nervous system was a wreck, so I was forced. I mean, I would have to go lay in a dark room when I was overstimulated. I was dizzy. I couldn't have lights in my eyes.
- [77:24]
A
Well, I always. That's, like, my number one little thing I tell my audience of. I've told them this story before. My recommendation. Recommendation since I. I Learned this in seventh grade when I was 13. Lay in a dark room, pitch black, dark room, and put on Counting Crows. Colorblind, loud. And it is, like, it'll take you to another world.
- [77:43]
B
It's therapy. It's therapy. No, but it really is, I think, for someone like you and I, like, living this high, you know, we're not going to quit our jobs. Like, I'm still mom, you know, I still want to live my life and be social and, you know, have plans and dreams and all of that. I'm not just gonna, like, go sit in my house and be like, I'm resetting my nervous system. But we have to create intentions, rest.
- [78:01]
A
What would you share with my audience about me that they may not know about me?
- [78:10]
B
I think what I'm most surprised by is, like, how much I feel like you would be a good wife and how much you knew about marriage. Like, even just talking about dating. Like, I remember sitting with you and three other girlfriends in Phoenix in April and just being like, how do you know all of this? Like, the inventory that you're doing, the personal inventory that you're doing, how you know about how your family operates, your past, like, what you're looking for in someone. I'm like, dang, this girl. You'd think she'd been married, you know, like, you just. And I think it's because you've surrounded yourself with such godly people that have given you such sound wisdom. But I remember even telling my husband, like, I can't believe how much Alex knows and how much personal inventory she's done and how she's, like, prepared herself to meet someone. I mean, I know you've had time, too, but I'm also like, I think that, like, really encouraged me.
- [78:51]
A
I was like, wow, that means a lot hearing you say that. You know, that. That, like, fills my heart up because I was told that I was not ready for marriage.
- [79:00]
B
I disagree. I think you'd be an amazing wife. And I really think so much that you've learned and books you've read or people, you've surrounded yourself like, godly marriages. Like, God's shown you what that looks like, and you've gotten a glimpse of that. And I think your desire for that and also your, like, just what you know about that is so impressive. I'm like, I've been married for eight years, and I'm still learning these things, and I feel like I'm learning from you. And you've never been married.
- [79:19]
A
Oh. Oh, my gosh. I'm serious. Well, what I think you should know about Taylor that you may not know. Taylor is one of. I can't believe you're not Italian. You are one of the most talkative, extroverted people I've ever met. Like, non stop talking, non stop. And in the most fun way. Like, you are such a good conversationalist, funny. You are absolutely hysterical and love pranking people.
- [79:42]
B
I love pranks.
- [79:43]
A
You have to watch out for her because she will prank you hardcore.
- [79:47]
B
I love pranks.
- [79:48]
A
You're always, like, very mischievous. You're cooking stuff up all the time, which is fun for you, being a boy mom.
- [79:55]
B
Oh, totally. But now my boys are scaring me and I'm like, dang it, that's so annoying. And my husband's like, see what it's like? They're like throwing fake snakes at me, jumping out of corners. I'm like, stop. You're just regulating my nervous system.
- [80:06]
A
That's cute. What are the newest additions at Taylor Duke's Wellness that you're super hype about? I will go first. The lemon tea electrolytes.
- [80:14]
B
So good.
- [80:15]
A
Holy crap, that is amazing. Summer by the pool, isn't it?
- [80:19]
B
So good?
- [80:20]
A
Yeah. So that's like one of my favorites. And then the chai.
- [80:22]
B
I would say the chai. Those are my two favorites. Those are absolutely my two favorites. The chai is so good with just raw milk or if you do an almond milk, do that. And it doesn't have sugar and it's so good iced or hot. And then I also love pumpkin spice. I'm like, we're already in the fall season, so adding it to muffins, the protein, the pumpkin spice protein. I love adding it to muffins, smoothies, any baked goods. It's so delicious.
- [80:42]
A
What makes Taylor Duke's Wellness? Protein powder, lemonade mix. Electrolytes, coffee creamer. Better than the rest.
- [80:50]
B
We just use real food ingredients. And honestly, I. I created these out of a desire of, like, I want this, and I don't see this in brands doing it. Now there are more brands doing it, and it's just clean and it's simple ingredients. It's real food ingredients. We're not doing sugar, we're not doing food dyes, but you're still getting that yummy food flavor of that Arnold Palmer with the lemon tea electrolytes. And you're still getting that creamy protein powder. Without the dairy. For those that can't do dairy, I.
- [81:13]
A
Have gotten a lot of messages about your pancake mix. My audience really loves the pancake mix, and that's totally organic.
- [81:21]
B
Yes. And it's protein packed. That's the thing. People that don't start their day with protein, you're going to be on a blood sugar roller coaster the whole day, and you're going to be grouchy and hungry and craving stuff and have energy dips. And so it's like that came from a recipe of what my husband would make on Saturday mornings in the fall watching cold college game day. And I was like, what if we can just turn this into a pancake mix? It's so fun. But you're also getting your protein. You can have your pancakes and eat them, too.
- [81:43]
A
Or waffles or whatever.
- [81:44]
B
Oh, yeah. So many people make it with waffles. I've never tried that.
- [81:47]
A
Alex Clark is the code to use on taylordukeswellness.com for 10 off. And where can people follow you on social media?
- [81:53]
B
Taylor Duke's Wellness.
- [81:54]
A
I know you've been on before, so now I hope you have a new one to share. If you could offer one remedy to heal a sick culture, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, what would it be?
- [82:02]
B
All right. It's in the season, the era that I'm in. I'm not going to tell everyone to move to a farm, but I do think we have to reclaim rest. I mean, seriously, I feel like we are a culture that glorifies the hustle. Do more, sleep less. And I cannot tell y' all what's slowing down. And for us, that looked like moving to land. Just connecting with nature. It's how the way that God intended us to live. And so resting, you know, not to get too cliche, but like the son of man, Jesus had to retreat. He had to go away to rest. And so for us to think, we have to live these hustle, hustle, bustle lifes, and we'll do more and be more and show up. It's. It's a lie. And we end up crashing. At the end of the day, Taylor.
- [82:32]
A
You'Ve been such a consistent blessing in my life, I could start crying.
- [82:36]
B
You're sweet.
- [82:37]
A
I love you so much. Your friendship has meant so much to me. You've, like, known me for, like, I don't know, a year, and you've already become one of my closest, dearest friends. And then through you, I've become friends with Bethany from Primally Pure and Allison from Branch Basics. And I just like adore all of you so much. You guys pour into my life in so many ways that I just like can't even express or share. And it's also means a lot to me that in my single season I have friends like you. That even though you have kids in your own careers and you're married, that.
- [83:07]
B
You still take time for me, for.
- [83:08]
A
Me to pour my heart out about my dating woes and being there for me and showing up for me. And I just can't tell you how much that means to women like us in our single seasons to have married friends like you.
- [83:19]
B
So thank you. Well, I've learned so much from you through that. And also it makes me like, just like I said, even the thing that people don't know about you is like the way you've prepared yourself to be a wife is in the way you've advocated for moms and the way you talk about homeschool. I learned so much from you. Oh my gosh, it's so mutual. I'm not kidding. It's such an honor. And it's like we, we're fast friends and forever friends.
- [83:37]
A
I love you.
- [83:38]
B
Thank you so much. Love you.
- [83:43]
A
Please leave a five star review for my friend Taylor. Tell others why they must be listening to Culture Apothecary. We're on a mission to heal a sick culture. Twice a week, new guests are bringing their own unique remedy or expertise to do just that. Subscribe to us on YouTube at Real Alex Clark. I also vlogs and all kinds of extra content. There you can get merch tpusamerch.com with code Alex Clark for 10% off new episodes every Monday and Thursday, 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern. I'm Alex Clark and this is Culture Apothecary.