← Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Working Out While Pregnant & Preparing Body For Baby | Nurse Kate Johnson
01:09:25
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- [00:00]
A
What is your response to the mom that says it's hard to get a workout in?
- [00:03]
B
Everything is hard. Life is hard. You're not special because you think it's hard. Everybody has it hard. You have to decide your health and the health of your family is more important and make it happen.
- [00:13]
A
Do moms need to be putting more pressure on themselves to get healthier?
- [00:18]
B
Moms should feel an urgency to prioritize their health. There is this idea that moms come last, and that is very true. Being a mom is very sacrificial. But if you let your health come last, your family's health will suffer.
- [00:56]
A
You probably follow her on Instagram. Nurse Kate Johnson is a registered nurse who spent the first seven years of her career as a bedside nurse specializing in critical care. After seeing firsthand the impact of preventable illnesses, Kate made it her mission to empower people to take control of their health before they find themselves in a crisis. Through her social media platforms, she educates on all things health, wellness, and motherhood. On today's episode, we dive into the basics of getting started with regular exercise, why pregnant women should work out, and how and why. Nurse Kate believes that post baby weight is absolutely preventable and that it's a ch choice, not a fate. Very spicy right there. A lot of people just went, oh, you can watch this full interview on the real Alex Clark YouTube channel or on Culture Apothecary Spotify, where we now have video and of course, anywhere you listen to podcasts. Twice a week, we bring you new guests with unique remedies to heal our sick culture, physically, mentally or spiritually. If you believe in our mission, consider supporting the show with a tax deductible donation. And if you love what you're hearing, pause. Leave a five star review. That really helps. Now let's get into the show. Please welcome Nurse Kate Johnson to Culture Apothecary. We have to start off giving Nurse Kate credit because six years ago, you were the only person in my life saying, alex, you have to start getting off the Dr. Pepper. Stop eating the Chick Fil A chicken nuggets. You were the only person. And poor Nurse Kate. I mean, I just berated her. I was like, never. You'll never. You'll never get me off this, Nurse Kate. Get it out of your head. It'll never happen. So justice for Nurse Kate. This is basically your joker era. Because now, I mean, if I were you, I would hate me or be so annoyed because now it's like, are you kidding me? Now this girl that, like, refused to get off this food is now interviewing me on a health and wellness podcast. Is this a joke? So this is your villain arc.
- [02:50]
B
This is the most beautiful of arcs, actually, because you can't kill an idea. So like, you plant the seeds and then you wait for God to let them grow.
- [02:58]
A
Oh, and you were so patient and so kind to you. And I'd be like, I'm never doing that. It's never going to happen.
- [03:03]
B
You were like the chicken nugget princess. Yeah.
- [03:06]
A
So ye. You were the, you were the constant. And you know, sometimes I think that's important for, for all of us. We have that person in, in our lives where it's like we get totally red pilled on all this and we're like ready to make all the changes. And then you have a loved one who is just not there yet, not ready. And so it's like being an example, which you've always been a good example for me. And then, you know, speaking truth but saying it in love. And you did that. And then, you know, during the pandemic, I came around and now I get to have you on, which my audience has been so excited for.
- [03:36]
B
I have loved watching your journ, watching you go from somebody who had no idea how to even cook to like, figuring out that you could learn how to cook by ordering like those boxes that you used to get.
- [03:49]
A
That's so funny that, you know that that's how I learned to cook.
- [03:52]
B
I. Because I watched you and I was like, during the pandemic, that was the first cheering you on. Yeah.
- [03:56]
A
I had never ever cooked before. And I was like, well, maybe the easiest way for me to learn is by doing those hello, fresh kits or something. And this is not sponsored, they're not a sponsor. But that's just what I happened to do.
- [04:06]
B
Yeah.
- [04:06]
A
And because they had pictures with the recipe, so it was easy for me to kind of lear. And so, yeah, that started me like, understanding, oh, I'm capable. It gave me confidence.
- [04:15]
B
Yes.
- [04:16]
A
You know, that's so funny. Nobody's ever brought that up. I don't think I've ever talked about that. But that is when I learned how to cook.
- [04:21]
B
Everybody has to start somewhere. And that is like my passion is like giving people a starting place because it's very overwhelming. And unfortunately, we have not had a culture that's very supportive of, of passing this information on from generation to generation. Like, moms are out of the home, they're working, they don't have time. It's very difficult for young women now to have even like the knowledge of where to start. So really realizing that there are tools and resources and ways that you can, can learn this and bring it into your life in a very easy and accessible way. I am all about that. That is like the entire mission of what I have set out to do. I love having high end conversations. I love getting into the nitty gritty and the data and the science. But really at the end of the day, what most people need is just like, please tell me what to do. Show me a picture.
- [05:14]
A
Yes.
- [05:14]
B
Like, give me, give me like a recipe list. Send me, send me the basics like, and it from there, once you get that and you build confidence, then you can grow. And like, then you go to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. But you have to start somewhere. And if it's all overwhelming and it's all too big and it's all too loud, then you're never going to get started. So like starting with HelloFresh is amazing. There you can poke holes in it. There's a million reasons why it's not the best choice or whatever, but it doesn't matter. It gave you a starting place and that's what's really important.
- [05:45]
A
It was an important step for me. Would I eat that now? No, you know, they've, they're using seed oils or whatever and stuff that I wouldn't use. But it was important for me to gain that confidence to learn how to follow a recipe. And so that was the right thing for me in that time. And sometimes, you know, you have things that are for life and seasons or whatever. And that was like a quick, you know, like year long thing. And then I was like, okay, I can buy a real recipe book now, a cookbook for the first time and follow some stuff. And so yeah, you're the best person to have on to talk about this. Did you ever think that health would become a leading conversation within the conservative movement?
- [06:20]
B
Never. Never. So in 2021 I did a breakout session at Turning Points Young Women's Conference. And I was like, people didn't understand why I was there. Like people came, my room was packed. But people were like, what is like you're talking about health at a political conference. Like, how does this make sense? And then I went on and did like SaaS and then America Fest. And the whole premise of what I was talking about is like, if you, if you think that socialism sucks, then you need to own your health. Like if you don't have your health, you don't have anything. We spend $4.5 trillion a year on our health care system. This is a humongous, like, millstone around our neck. And if we don't get a handle on this on an individual level, then we're going to be lost as a, as a country, as a nation. And if we don't have our health, we don't have anything. So I started, like, weaving this into the kind of political conversation, and then, oh, my gosh, watching it blow up over the last year has been, like, incredible to me. And I am about to have my fourth baby. So, like, I'm a little bit on the sidelines right now. Like, I wish I could be more in the middle of the fight. No, you're doing. You're awesome.
- [07:33]
A
Your content's phenomenal. You are totally a part of this.
- [07:36]
B
My focus is at home right now, but it's amazing to watch, like, people like you coming up and being the standard bearers and, like, really taking it to the next level.
- [07:46]
A
Why is the national conversation around health switching from disease to prevention such a game changer?
- [07:54]
B
Modern medicine doesn't treat disease. They treat symptoms. So if you think that you're going to go to your doctor and you're going to present with these chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and that they're going to cure you, they are not. They are going to give you medications to manage your symptoms, manage your numbers, and that doesn't improve anybody's health. That creates a lifelong customer, that creates a lifelong tether to the healthcare system. It doesn't actually liberate you from the burden of your disease and switching to prevention and, and shifting the focus from disease to health, which is why everybody's freaking out online right now, because nobody really wants to do that in the traditional, what is Western medicine model. But that switch is going to prevent people from needing to become lifelong customers of the healthcare system, winning the election.
- [08:53]
A
We're seeing all of this propaganda start of how all of these ideas that RFK wants to bring to the table, these are going to be dangerous. This is going to hold America back. It's just interesting. The, the people you know coming out saying this, they're these nutritionists, they're these dietitians, certain doctors or whatever. Why are they apprehensive or vehemently against the types of things that RFK is wanting to bring to the table to this administration?
- [09:19]
B
So I think for the most part, that most of these people actually have really good intentions. I think most of these people have very good hearts. I know that because I used to be one of them. I used to really believe in the Western medicine model, like, and what you are taught is that that diet doesn't really matter, that genetics are our destiny, that, you know, we just sort of have to accept that we're going to get to a place where we all develop these chronic illnesses and what is going to be waiting for us is this miracle of Western medicine. I used to really believe that and I really believe that a lot of these people do as well. I don't think that most people have bad intentions. I think they are very deeply misinformed. And when you start to dive into, like, why do I think that? Like, where did this idea come from? What was I taught that made me believe this? You realize that the, the entire system is funded by pharmaceutical companies. Most of the, the funding for medical schools come from pharmaceutical companies. You cannot separate the education that you receive from the propaganda that they're pushing.
- [10:28]
A
And you are an RN with everything that you're talking about and have been talking about, posting about. Now, obviously your views, you must have had some sort of a shift or your eyes were open to a different way of doing things because the way you would have been taught in school and nursing school must be different than what you believe now, right?
- [10:48]
B
Oh my gosh. And if any, like, for people who followed me since the beginning, they know that I have shifted so much because the public information that I shared was very focused on like, how to treat your numbers. It was all about like getting that blood pressure number under control, getting your weight to a certain number. And now what I talk about is creating a lifestyle that will lead to those changes naturally occurring. We are a very sick country. We have a big burden of illness. And so some people do need to use those medications while they are improving their health. But the goal shouldn't be that you live on these. The goal should be that you are implementing lifestyle changes that get you to a place where you no longer need to be dependent on this.
- [11:34]
A
When was this change for you?
- [11:36]
B
I went from working critical care in Washington D.C. at the Level 1 trauma hospital there. I did trauma critical care and I did cardiac critical care. And it initially started with me looking at all of these very young people who were having these really intense, significant health complications. They were dying of kidney failure, they were having heart attacks, they had strokes. I mean, we're talking like 35, 40 year olds who are like having these end stage organ failures. And so that started me on this path of like, okay, what I do here is cool, but this is not it. Like, I would love to get to a Place where people don't need my care. So how do I. How do I do that? Like, what does that look like? So I went from that to working for Blue Cross Blue Shield in their primary prevention program. And I was like, this is it. We're going to get people into primary care. We're going to help them understand, like, early intervention. Like, that's where it's at. And I was sitting in a meeting and a pharmaceutical executive is showing a slide where she's bragging that 90 cents of every medical dollar spent goes to pharmaceuticals.
- [12:54]
A
Oh, my gosh.
- [12:55]
B
For me, it was like a glass house shattered around me. I was like, wait a minute. That's what we're excited about. We're, like, proud of the fact that we are medicating people, that we're spent, like, $4.5 trillion on the healthcare system, and 90 of that is going to pharmaceuticals. And, like, I'm not seeing anybody get better. That was, like the. The really big change point for me where I started to. To, like, look outside of this system and say, what else is there? Like, where do we actually impact people's lives and actually make change? Because it's not in making sure that they take their. Their cholesterol medication every day.
- [13:35]
A
So was there a certain book or. Or person that you started listening to in, like, the functional medicine space or something where you're like, oh, my gosh, this is like, everything I've ever wanted to hear that I have never heard before. Was there any, like, cool, aha moments.
- [13:49]
B
You'Re going to know? Of course. Dr. Mark Hyman, I read one of his books, and one of the aha moments for me from that book was like, he was talking about food, and he's like, you know, you eat for calories, but you also eat for micronutrients. So if all of the food that you're eating is completely void of micronutrients, you're going to eat a ton of calories because your body's like, okay, well, I still need magnesium. I still need vitamin D. Like, I still need vitamin A. So you're going to keep eating these foods, trying to satiate those requirements, and.
- [14:22]
A
This is causing the obesity crisis?
- [14:23]
B
Yes, it's very deeply connected to the obesity crisis. And so, like, that was like, wait a minute, duh. Obviously. But nobody had ever said that. I had never heard that. And the idea that that's like, a novel concept that I had to. To find for myself in a book.
- [14:42]
A
But that's what I think people don't understand. So, like, you Went to nursing school and were not told that the micronutrients of your food matters.
- [14:51]
B
Never.
- [14:52]
A
What other things were you told in nursing school? That looking back now you're like, that's fake news.
- [14:57]
B
Nutrition is a huge one. I think the other part that is always missing is like the focus on exercise that people that we've really messed up the concept of like what exercise is just in general in nursing school there's like very little focus just put on lifestyle sleep. Nobody really talks about sleep unless you're having a problem where you are. So your sleep schedule is so messed up that you can't sleep at all. I think you've had some struggles with this in the past. Like nobody cares until you're in crisis. And actually this should be something that we are doing like early interventions on. I have a 4 to 1 year old and I'm 30 weeks pregnant. Believe me, I know that sleep is not always like an easy thing. But there are sleep habits that we can establish that really make it possible for, for your family to thrive. And that should be something that we're working on from a very early age.
- [15:52]
A
Oh, tell us some.
- [15:53]
B
First of all, if like taking care of babies is the expert on this and I learned what I needed to know to take care of my kids from her account and her courses not connected to her. Just think she's amazing.
- [16:06]
A
Yeah.
- [16:07]
B
Things like you need to get outside and you need to move, you need to get sunlight into your eyes, especially in the morning if you can in the evening that's great too. You need to be eating a nutrient dense diet. Kids have a hard time sleeping when they don't have the nutrition that they need. When they're having like big blood sugar swings that will wake them up in the middle of the night, they need to be actively engaged, like intellectually. So when they have more intellectual stimulation, they're going to be better sleepers. You need to create a really dark environment for your kids and also yourself. Also things that apply to kids sleep apply to adult sleep, which we sometimes forget.
- [16:40]
A
Like no devices on and all that.
- [16:42]
B
Yeah, like creating a quiet like dark environment. These things really matter for your overall like sleep hygiene and sleep health. And we just don't do them right. And so people are like horrendously sleep deprived.
- [17:00]
A
One of my non negotiables, red light therapy, morning and evening right before bed. And for that I use Joovv. I have the Joov Solo 3.0 which is about waist high and I use it every single day to support healthy cellular function. And overall wellness. But let's talk about some of the physical benefits of red light therapy. The red and near infrared WA wavelengths and JUV's devices don't just help with energy, they're also amazing for skin repair, reducing wrinkles and improving skin texture. I have seen improvements in skin tone and elasticity. It helps me recover faster from any inflammation or muscle soreness. It helps me recover faster from little wounds if I've hurt myself, if I have a little cut or scar. Plus it helps promote hair growth if you're dealing with thinning hair or hair loss. Red light therapy has been shown to stimulate the follicles and encourage regrowth. Why Juve? Well, okay, let's talk science then. Joov's devices use clinically proven wavelengths of red and near infrared light. You cannot get those effects with just any red light, red chicken lights or bulbs. It will not cut it for real cellular level results. You need the exact dosage of red in near infrared to help with recovery, reduce inflammation and support your skin. And Joovv doesn't just talk the talk. Their devices are FDA registered, independently, tested for safety and made to industry standards. Unlike some other brands that focus on misleading claims like well, we're the most powerful red light or we have multiple wavelengths. It's just hogwash. Juve prioritizes transparency, clinical research in your safety. It's all over their website. You could spend hours reading all of the stuff if you're serious about your health, trust me, Juve is a game changer. I have been using Juve for, geez, it might be four years now. I was going to a membership in a gym and the device I was using was Juve and then now I just have it in my home. So head to juve.com Alex that's J O O V V.com Alex to check out their products and grab yours today. You know how we all try to eat healthier but then you hit that 3pm slump in the snack aisle at the store or the drive thru is just calling your name. If you're struggling with this, let me introduce you to Paleo Valley. Paleo Valley is a small company with a big heart and an even bigger mission helping people reclaim vibrant health. And listen, they walk the walk when it comes to clean nutrient dense snacks that actually fuel your body the right way. So I'm talking 100% grass fed beef sticks. Their new pasture raised chicken sticks which the these are nothing like your typical gas station jerky. Okay. Their beef sticks are made from grass fed cows raised on natural Grass pastures, no hormones, no antibiotics, no weird chemicals. They're even naturally fermented, nothing artificial. And get this, no sugar, just pure healthy protein. The chicken ones are. I have been eating them every day. I like cannot get enough of them. Paleo magazine even voted them one of the top snacks of the year. And trust me, they taste amazing. And then crafted from truly pasture raised chicken, seasoned with organic spices and fermented naturally with 7 grams of protein per stick, they're the perfect on the go snack. Whether it's fueling your morning or giving you that mid afternoon energy boost, Paleo Valley has you covered. Plus their superfood bars are a game changer. My producer Dom is obsessed with Those packed with eight organic superfoods, 100 grass fed bone broth, protein. They're a great way to get nutrient dense food in a little convenient bar. And they're free from gluten, soy and added sugar. So if you want snacks that actually love your body back, check out Paleo Valley. Head to paleovalley.com and use my code Alex for a special discount. That's paleovalley.com and code Alex. Eat well, live vibrant and snack smarter with Paleo Valley. Does better health for America start with politicians in dc?
- [20:36]
B
Absolutely no. Better health for America starts in your home. It starts with what you do with the choices that you make day in and day out. And the policies that are put in place absolutely impact that. They absolutely can make it easier or harder to make those choices. But even if those policies never come, you still need to make those choices for you and your family in your home. That is where good health starts.
- [21:01]
A
We're so excited about Maha and RFK Jr and all these different things and Trump giving him the opportunity to be able to do that. But it really does still come down to those little everyday decisions that usually it is the wife and the mom making, right?
- [21:17]
B
Well, women make 85% of food purchasing decisions for their families.
- [21:23]
A
Can you explain why health care is so corrupt on like a fifth grade level? Like you've worked in this, you have a lifetime career in this field, your husband works in politics. I mean, you know better, better than anybody, like what the problem is with health care and you know, why it's so expensive to get certain care in America versus other places. What would be your best attempt at explaining this to like an elementary school level?
- [21:47]
B
Money is the thing that drives so much of everything that happens in the healthcare system. Okay. And we have had this idea that like what we need to do is throw more money at it if we put more money into these systems, then we will create more access, and with more access, we will create better health. That entire concept is completely wrong. And based on that idea, we have allowed these. These institutions to develop that are. Then have. Have these perverse incentives. So, like, organizations that should be trusted, organizations like the American Diabetes association, that take money from companies like Coca Cola, at the end of the day, like, it's all. It does, just kind of follow the track of. Follow the money. And from an institutional level, like a government policy level, we have created this quagmire of studies of, like, denying your intuition and relying on experts and studies to take the place of what we intuitively know to be true.
- [22:54]
A
Yeah, like, we know that ground beef is healthier than Lucky Charms, but the study says lucky charms are healthier.
- [22:59]
B
Exactly.
- [23:00]
A
That's something where you look, you. You go. And you look at your. You feel your gut instinct. You're like, okay, I know that is not right.
- [23:06]
B
There used to be this thing about eggs, like, how eggs were terribly unhealthy for you and they were going to, like, kill you.
- [23:13]
A
Yeah, you're right.
- [23:14]
B
I forgot about cholesterol. And now it's like, oh, actually, just getting. Eggs are totally fine.
- [23:19]
A
Yeah, butter. We were told butter is terrible. That's why, you know, we said everybody started eating margarine. All this fake butter. Oh, my gosh. Disgusting. And, you know, that's because certain industries had money that they wanted to make.
- [23:29]
B
So here's what happens in D.C. though. You go to. You have lobbyists who go to the Hill, and they sit down with politicians or their staff. They rarely meet with politicians. They meet with staff, and they present them with a Harvard study or a Stanford study. And they say, look, here's what the study shows. It shows that kids need to be eating Lucky Charms. Like, it shows that we got to get the eggs out of here. We got to give them Lucky Charms. And so the politicians are like, oh, my gosh, okay. Like, we want. We don't want to harm anybody. We want to make people healthy. Well, and they're also saying things like.
- [24:06]
A
Well, my expertise is in foreign policy. I don't know anything about nutrition. I mean, if you're telling me this. This Tufts Nutrition School, you know, survey study says this, and I guess it must be true. They don't even. And that's what they say. They're like, well, I'm going to trust you guys.
- [24:21]
B
Most nutrition studies are actually recall surveys. So they will give you a survey and say, over the last six weeks, how many servings of vegetables. Have you eaten? Do you know? Do you know that? Like, no, I have no idea.
- [24:36]
A
So they're going by the average and then they're just telling Americans like, so this is how much you should eat.
- [24:40]
B
This is where they base a lot of this research on, is, is recall studies, which is a very poor form of research, but that is what most nutritional studies are, is recall studies. So there is very little depth to the actual, like science that we claim that we have on anything when it comes to nutrition.
- [25:02]
A
One, one thing that you're super passionate about, that I don't talk a lot about on this show because I am slowly trying to warm up to the idea is exercise, finding a good workout routine. And I know you think that's definitely not talked about enough in the health and wellness space. So why should exercise in particular be a primary focus of fundamental health?
- [25:27]
B
Daily exercise improves all five measures of metabolic health. So if you care about metabolic health, you need to be exercising.
- [25:36]
A
The conviction is coming.
- [25:38]
B
So I'm sorry to tell you, exercise impacts everything about our daily life. And most Americans move somewhere around a total of 15 minutes a day. That's how much total activity time they have. It's a burden of disease mitigation factor that we can very easily tackle. And by adding more activity into your life, you will improve your overall health if, even if you change nothing else.
- [26:09]
A
How many steps on average should we be getting a day?
- [26:11]
B
So the research shows around 7,000 steps a day is kind of like a magic number for where you start to see improvement in overall health. If you can do more, the more the better. So what a step count? Why I love step counts is because that is an indicator that you have been moving throughout the day that you are, you are not just doing like one burst of exercise, which is great, and I love that and I'm all for that. But that you are active throughout the day, that you're getting up, you're walking around, you're doing, you're lifting your kids, you're doing whatever. And that is how we have optimistic optimal metabolic health is when we are moving throughout the day.
- [26:49]
A
What is your average step count?
- [26:51]
B
Between like 13 and 15,000.
- [26:53]
A
Okay, okay.
- [26:54]
B
So not, not super, not super crazy.
- [26:56]
A
Why do you think incline walking is such a game changer?
- [26:59]
B
I love running. I'm a, I, I'm a jogger by, like, by preference. But when I'm pregnant, it's very, like, I can't jog very well, so I don't want to tax my pelvic floor. So I Do incline walking. But incline walking just creates more resistance so you're able to get a higher level cardiovascular workout even if you're not, you know, jogging or, or doing. I hate peloton. I hate spinning.
- [27:26]
A
Why do you hate peloton?
- [27:27]
B
Like, it's just not a form of movement that I like.
- [27:30]
A
Have you ever noticed that the, the women who are obsessed with the cycle exercise, the stationary bike classes are all fat? Because I have noticed that. I don't think that is really working. Do you feel like that's like a good workout for women?
- [27:45]
B
Spinning can be a great choice if that's how you like to move. Now one, one thing that I think is challenging about spinning is that I think it, a lot of these high intensity workouts. So whether it's spin classes, it's Barry's boot camp, it's. I don't, I don't even know what's in vogue right now.
- [28:05]
A
Orange theory.
- [28:05]
B
Orange theory. Like any of these, like high intensity, high drain workout are really not great for women in general. So if that you cannot sustain that day in and day out. We are not designed to do high intensity work in that capacity for extended periods of time. We are designed to be active. But doing high intensity work should be a once a week thing at the most.
- [28:32]
A
Oh, once a week.
- [28:33]
B
And most women use that like they think, think that that's the barrier to entry for exercise is doing these high intensity workouts. And so when they are completely gassed and totally depleted at the end of that, well, yeah, no wonder, like you were never meant to. So we should be really focusing so much more on like just moving, just move more.
- [28:56]
A
You know, when President Trump said, I've never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke. I've never seen somebody at like peak physical fitness doing, doing those cycle classes.
- [29:06]
B
I know a couple girls who are really fit who do, who are really into cycling.
- [29:11]
A
So see, she, she'll be the good, she'll be for the people around it. Like I do it, I love.
- [29:15]
B
It can happen. It does happen. But again, if, if you think that that's the barrier to entry for exercise. No, like walking, just walk. You don't have to do this high intensity, you know, like falling off your bike, exhausted. Spin class.
- [29:33]
A
For somebody who isn't regularly moving at all on a day to day basis, I mean, how much time should I, like what should my first goal be that I set like how much time spent walking?
- [29:43]
B
So I do, I do these movement challenges where I have people sign up to like commit to do daily movement and I, I personally actually started with 15 minutes a day that I was going to commit 15 minutes to some form of movement, walking, jogging, whatever. And from there you start to realize like, gosh, I feel better, I'm gonna do another five minutes. Or you start to find opportunities in your day to add more in. So I think, and not just me, I'm not just an n of 1. I've had hundreds of women of all ages participate in these challenges, starting with 15 minutes. And now they're walking 10,000 steps a day. Now they're getting, they'll do a 90 minute walk. Now it's like a non negotiable that their husband, that they go out for a walk after dinner with their husband or they take their kids. Because once you start to integrate it into your life, it becomes something that is accessible to you. And again, like, like having hellofresh, like you have to start somewhere. And having something that is accessible and doable, that you can actually maintain is so much of the challenge. And so like, don't make it too complicated after the walking.
- [30:53]
A
Okay, so now I've implemented, I'm walking 15 minutes a day where. What would be the next step that you would suggest for somebody like me?
- [31:00]
B
A little bit of resistance training.
- [31:02]
A
And what is that?
- [31:03]
B
So weight training of some form. There's a bunch of ways you can do it. Some women really love doing like band workouts. I'm like traditional weights. I love, I love being in the gym, my little garage gym at home now. But I love being in the gym, you know, with my kettlebells and dumbbells. But you can also do body weight work. We need to be creating as much muscle mass as possible. Muscle is the organ of longevity. Muscle also is the organ of sopping up blood sugar. Right. And blood sugar is a huge issue in this country. We eat far more carbohydrates than we tend to need and we're very sedentary. So we have this excess in blood sugars. So even if you're thin, people will have issues with blood sugar. And muscle soaks up blood sugar. So the more muscle you can build, the better your blood sugar regulation is going to be. So building muscle is really, really important. And this used to be sort of like a man's game, but now we understand that it's really important for women too.
- [32:05]
A
Is the phrase eat less, move more a scam?
- [32:08]
B
I think it's the most insulting thing you can say to somebody.
- [32:10]
A
Why is that insulting?
- [32:12]
B
Because like, what does that mean? Just eat less, move more. Okay. Like if if it was that easy, then everybody would do that. It's not just that easy. When you're eating foods that are hyper palatable, ultra processed. It's so easy to eat like an entire bag of chips. It is very hard to eat an entire bag of avocados, like good luck. It's very easy to have like four bowls of lucky charms, but try eating a pound of ground beef. Eating less of these foods is extremely difficult.
- [32:45]
A
And that's why, because when we talked about earlier, you're not getting those micronutrients.
- [32:49]
B
Yes.
- [32:49]
A
So now your body already with as much as you were eating the ultra processed food, it's like, oh my gosh, I'm craving these micronutrients. And then you're eating even less. So then your body is like, I am starving and I'm not getting any micronutrients. And you're just like setting yourself up to fail. So that's why my whole thing is like, like, oh my gosh, with the movement. And this is why, like, Michelle Obama is so frustrating. And now you've got the left, like, wielding this over our heads, the conservatives that are now on board and being like, isn't this great? Like, RFK is going to be doing all of this. And like, well, you know what? Michelle Obama tried to do this. You know what? Michelle Obama at first did have it right. Let's start changing the ingredients that we're putting in our food that we're serving in our schools. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. She had it correct. The problem is the big food lobbyist came in and said, guess what? No, you don't. We are not going to allow you to call us out. You are going to be pivoting to exercise. And so what you had was Michelle Obama promoting Subway in one hand and then the other hand saying, but also, you need to make sure you're exercising. Just make sure you're exercising. So you had this, you had this generation of fat, sick children out running laps around their cul de sac, crying, saying, why can't I lose weight? I'm. I'm doing all the things everybody's telling me. I just need to move. I need to move. I need to move. I need to jump rope. I need to run. And then they had no energy because they were still. Then they were going home and their mom was sitting them down and saying, like, okay, we're having ultra processed microwave bacon macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets for dinner. And they, and then everybody was like, well, I don't understand. I'm moving, I'm doing all the movement stuff. Why isn't anything happening for me? And this is this whole cycle that's so messed up and evil that we're doing to people. And especially giving kids this misinformation. We're struggling with self confidence.
- [34:25]
B
These things are not either or. And, and so very often this is my issue actually with the wellness space. Is that it? There is very much this like either or. So either you are a fitness person and you lift weights and you don't care about your diet very much and you'll eat whatever, but as long as you're like lifting weights and you're moving, then okay. Or you're like the crunchy mom who's like, you know, really careful about what food you're selecting and making sure that, you know, you're paying attention to the sourcing and all of that stuff. And like it's, they're like two different camps and I'm like, like, no, they're the same thing. They're both important. They both matter. So creating this like dichotomy of like one or the other, that's not right. And we have to begin to like bring these things into the middle where we say we need to be outside. I mean, just getting out. Your kid outside in the sunshine, creating higher vitamin D levels will help prevent them from getting sick. Just get them outside and once they're outside, they'll move, move. You don't have to have this like structured workout thing. That's another issue I have is like not everything is this structured workout. It can be just walking, just go, move. Just get outside. Like when you take your kids to the playground, I'm like the crazy mom who's up like, like doing pull ups and doing the monkey bars and like, you know, sliding with my kids and all the other moms are kind of like you doing like, why are, go play with your kids. Like, go move with them.
- [35:50]
A
When you are at the park with your children, what are most of the other American moms doing? I don't know.
- [35:57]
B
They sit and they are on their phones or they're snacking. You know, like they're, they're, they're sitting most of the time. The other parents are at the playground sitting and like, they think I'm crazy. Like, they look at me like I'm crazy. But I think it's so important that your, your kids see you moving too, that your kids like are watching you be active. It's not about like structured workouts. It's about creating a lifestyle where the expectation is we're going to be active and we're going to be active together.
- [36:27]
A
How often when you're at the park and you start playing with your kids, do the other kids come around you and they want to you to play with them as well?
- [36:34]
B
All the time. Every day.
- [36:35]
A
Does that make you sad? A little bit.
- [36:37]
B
I don't know how to have the conversation like with a mom. You're like, you know, they want to play with you. Like they want you to be interacting with them. It's not just about you being here, it's about you being with them. Yeah, so it does. I mean, it makes me sad that they don't. That I don't think that they get that. Because I think moms, moms are. It's not a criticism. They're exhausted. Like a lot of these moms have worked all day. They're coming off of, you know, an eight hour day in an office. And I don't have that. Right. Like, I was able to make the choice to stay home with my kids. Right. I do have that extra energy to give to them that I think a lot of moms are really struggling to find. But that's another reason why they should be exercising. Because exercise actually creates more energy within your cells. So the more you move, the more energy you have.
- [37:25]
A
Okay. Because I struggle with that. The low energy. I mean, part of that is it depends on the type of workout I'm doing. But I have to be, I do have to be careful with this autoimmune thing, is that sometimes if you work out like you can feel worse after. So that's this balance that I'm struggling with. It's like I want to be moving so bad. But I also know, like, sometimes I feel like I, I am depleted more than refueled. So it's kind of like figuring that.
- [37:49]
B
Out because do you feel like you have to do like a high intensity exercise?
- [37:53]
A
So the only types of workouts that I've been willing to do are pure bar or Pilates. Which do you like? Either of those.
- [38:00]
B
I like any movement. It depends on what your goals are.
- [38:03]
A
But you want me to be weightlifting.
- [38:05]
B
I think women need to be weightlifting. I don't have anything against pure bar or Pilates. I have an issue with women thinking that they're getting a good workout because they're burning. Because muscles are burning.
- [38:17]
A
That's bad.
- [38:18]
B
Your muscles burning is not an indication that you are getting a good workout.
- [38:22]
A
What does it mean?
- [38:23]
B
It means that you are creating a chemical reaction inside of your muscle that is creating acid that is making your muscle burn. It doesn't mean that you're building muscle.
- [38:31]
A
So is that an indicator that the workout you're doing is not right for you or it's actually hurting your, harming your body?
- [38:36]
B
Not exactly. It's just that I think a lot of women associate like the burn with a good workout. And that's not the same thing. Like the burn that you get from Pilates from like holding a position and doing like, little movements, tiny little movements. There is a, there's a place for that, but that's not going to build muscle.
- [38:55]
A
How do you know that you have gotten a good workout?
- [38:58]
B
You know by looking at where you've started and then over the course of a set period of time where you've progressed to. So it's called progressive overload as far as like building muscle. So when I first started lifting weights, I could not lift like a 20 pound dumbbell to do a curl. Now I do curls with 30 pounds, right? So like I started doing like seven pound curls, right? And now I can do like 30 pound curls. So that's how you know over the course of time that you have created not just strength, but you're adding muscle.
- [39:33]
A
Have you ever tried to plan a vacation but ended up spending more time figuring out how to pay for it than actually booking your dream getaway? Yeah, we've all been there. Or maybe you've been looking at a new car and you thought, okay, that sounds great, but how am I going to finance this? Well, that's where America's Christian Credit Union comes in. They're not just a credit union, they're a community focused on helping you with life's big moments. Whether it's buying a house, getting that car you've had your eye on, or, let's be real, finally taking that dream vacation without the stress of debt. They've got your back. And here's the kicker. America's Christian Credit Union offers personalized service and competitive rates, but they also give back your financial choices, help support Christian ministries that make a difference in people's lives. So every dollar you spend or save helps make a bigger impact for the kingdom. So whether you're financing a new car, you're buying a new house, or you want that next adventure, America's Christian Credit Union is the one to trust. Head to AmericasChristiancu.com to learn more. That's AmericasChristiancu.com to learn More and start your journey today. So the other day I had one of those days. You know, the ones where you just, you wake up, you're already behind, then you spill your drink, then you get stuck in traffic for what feels like forever. And then you get to work and meetings are stacking up, emails are piling in, and of course, and then you have got this other unexpected issue that needs your immediate attention. Well, this happened to me. And by the time the afternoon rolled around, I was completely frazzled. My head was spinning. I felt like I couldn't catch a breath. That is when I reached for my Mushmore Co Organic super mushroom gummies. I have been using them for a while now. They have really helped me stay grounded during moments like these. So you just pop a couple, you take a deep breath, and honestly, it's like the mental fog just lifts. The stress, of course, was still there, but you can think through it and you can focus. No jitters, no crash, just a sense of calm and clarity. What I love about the Mushmore Co Organic super Mushroom gummies is that they're made with 100 organic mushroom fruiting bodies. So you're getting the real potent stuff, no weird fillers or additives. And mushrooms are the wellness hack right now. So many of you are like, Alex, mushrooms, mushrooms, mushroom supplements. Dude, these little gummies taste amazing and that's a great way to get your little mushroom on. Plus, they're low in sugar and the flavor is supernatural. It's not like some of those gummies that taste taste just off. And the fact that they're plastic free, definitely a win in my book. If you're dealing with stress like I was or do, check out Mushmore Co. Trust me, they make a difference. They also have organic mushroom gummies for things like energy and immunity. If you're around sick people a lot, head to eat mushies.com and use my code ALEX for 20 off your order. That's eat mushies.com use code ALEX for 20 off YOUR order. Why is it a misconception that the words healthy and expensive are synonymous?
- [42:24]
B
Because of things like workout classes. Because Barry's boot camp costs like 27 to. To go to one class. And again, like, there aren't a lot of average American families who are trying to like, take care of their kids. Who can afford to spend, I don't know, if you went four days a week, a hundred dollars a week, $400 a month, like just on a workout class. There's this, you know, kind of online world that makes you think that you have to have the latest, the hottest workout clothes. Lululemon leggings are I don't know, $150 a pair. You have to have the newest shoes. You have to have, like, the fancy bottles and equipment. Like, I work out in no makeup, in an old T shirt, in, like, literally, thrift store shorts are my favorite ones that I own right now. And it doesn't need to be expensive. It just needs to be accessible. I think, you know, food choices are also kind of a thing that people associate with being more expensive. And while it can be true, there are ways around that.
- [43:31]
A
You were in a pinch or something, and we're like, okay, we're gonna have to go through Chick Fil a drive through or something like that. And you, like, like, wrote down the number, the cost of, like, the total, which for your three kids or whatever it was at the time. And then you. That night, you went to the store and you did, like, a whole roast chicken and all of this. And compared the cost. Your dinner that you made from scratch was way cheaper than the Chick Fil a for your entire family.
- [43:56]
B
And I bought an organic chicken.
- [43:58]
A
So this is where, like, when people are like, you know what you don't understand? This is so unrelatable. This is unattainable for average American family to cook at home. I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about.
- [44:09]
B
Out.
- [44:09]
A
It costs a fortune to eat. Out.
- [44:11]
B
It costs a fortune to eat out.
- [44:12]
A
Even fast food costs a fortune.
- [44:13]
B
Now, the thing that most people don't understand until they do it is my kids ate that Chick Fil A and they were hungry. They didn't get their nutrient needs met. So I fed them at Chick Fil A, and then I brought them home, and I had to feed them again.
- [44:31]
A
So when the parents are like, I am so sick of the words I'm hungry. I swear I just fed you. We just got home from dinner. As soon as you get in the house, I'm hungry, mom. I'm hungry, Mom. But what they think is, like, this annoying, and they're just. They. I don't know. They're just like, can't stop snacking or whatever. But it actually might be their body is truly hungry because they're craving real food.
- [44:51]
B
Yes, probably. Especially protein, because their bodies need a lot of protein. They're building their body right now. And a lot of foods that kids get are straight carbohydrates.
- [45:04]
A
What does that do to a body just having straight carbohydrates? Carbohydrates.
- [45:07]
B
Carbohydrates are not bad, but they are a quick form of energy that your Body takes in, it breaks down really easily, especially if it's already sort of pre broken down. I give my kids applesauce packets so nobody freak out. But like, like things like applesauce packets, like, they're already, the apple's already mushed. You burn through that really quickly. It's really quick, easy energy. Your body's.
- [45:29]
A
So it actually, it does matter. Chewing an apple, having apple slices versus applesauce pouch.
- [45:35]
B
Yes. As far as satiety. Yeah. A lot of kids foods think about, like, you know, any walk down any aisle of kids foods, it's all carbohydrates. It's all like sort of pre rolled down in pouches, pre broken down carbohydrates. So it doesn't stick with you. It doesn't.
- [45:51]
A
Why do people think that kids who have teeth can't chew things? Why when your kid starts having teeth come in, are they saying you have to do rice cereal and stuff?
- [45:59]
B
I have no idea.
- [45:59]
A
Isn't that weird?
- [46:00]
B
It goes against my intuitions as a mom.
- [46:02]
A
Is it preying on mom's fears of choking or why are we all being told this, that your kids have to eat like that?
- [46:08]
B
I think that there's an industry around it. Right. Like she's, I think that there's like an industry that has kind of cropped up around baby food. Like, in general, kids foods are just mushy carbohydrates. So they're, they're starving for protein. Like, they need more protein, they need more nutrition. So, like, give your kid an avocado versus giving your kid an applesauce pouch and like, just see what happens as far as how many times they complain about being hungry.
- [46:34]
A
Do you ever get comments on social media of people accusing you of giving your kids eating disorders because you talk about healthy eating?
- [46:41]
B
I've never had that. One thing I do try to be really intentional about, though, is like, I take my kids to get pizza and ice cream every Friday. That's like a standing family date. And I, I, I am very open about that and I show that and that it's probably full of seed oils and I don't care. I don't know. Like, most of the time the choices we make are nutrient dense. Like, healthy choices that are based on fueling them in the best way I possibly can. But my kids look forward to pizza Friday. And that is like a special, like, sacred time for us as a family. And I'm very happy to put that out there. And I think the reality is that most people do things like that, but there's other moms who are not going to be as willing to share about it. Um, and I think it's really important that we like, we live in reality and we show reality.
- [47:32]
A
What are some free ways to improve your health?
- [47:34]
B
Walking. Walking is like the number one most accessible, easiest, fastest way to improve your health. Like today. If you were to get 10,000 steps in today, you would have health benefits that could be measured, measured scientifically tomorrow.
- [47:51]
A
You are pregnant at the time we're recording this with your fourth baby.
- [47:54]
B
Yes.
- [47:55]
A
You're a nurse who has worked out throughout all nine months of all of your pregnancies.
- [48:02]
B
Yes.
- [48:02]
A
Should we be encouraging pregnant women to work out all nine months?
- [48:06]
B
The best thing you can do for you and your baby, outside of making sure you get your nutrition needs met, is move for you and your baby. That is even supported now by acog and that's very mainstream in the western medical space. The research on this is overwhelming. Being sedentary is terrible for you and your baby's health. Your ability to have intensity, how much you can do, all of this is going to change. You also need to be, you know, mindful of like protecting your core and your pelvic floor, floor through pregnancy. But moving, lifting weights, being active is the best thing you can do for the health of you and your baby.
- [48:47]
A
You think that telling women that having kids will ruin your body. You just need to accept it is a lie and that actually peeing your pants, having weight that you can't lose, all of these different body changes that actually, that, that doesn't have to be somebody's outcome if they don't want it to be.
- [49:04]
B
I think one of the most destructive things that we tell women is, is that having kids ruins your body. And there's this passive thing where moms blame their health problems on their kids.
- [49:15]
A
Oh, get spicy.
- [49:17]
B
I hear this all the time, just in regular conversation, like, oh, well, you know, I had two babies, so now I pee myself. Well, that's blaming your children for something that is happening to you, right? Oh, you know, oh, this baby weight. They call it baby weight, right. They have a 10 year old like, oh, my baby weight. Your body changes during pregnancy. There's. That's absolutely true. Your children are not responsible for you having poor health on the other side of pregnancy.
- [49:46]
A
I love that everybody was like, you need to have Nurse Kate on. She's nicer to us.
- [49:50]
B
She's.
- [49:50]
A
She's not gonna say things like this that hurt my feelings or convict me. And then I bring you on, you're like, I'm gonna burn it down.
- [49:57]
B
No, I talk about this. So, like, again, I had core dysfunction after I had my. My third baby, my son and I went out to do some deadlifts with, like a baby weight and I couldn't do it. Like, I could not connect back to my core. So that isn't a sign to say, like, oh, well, I'm ruined. No, that was my sign to say, like, go get help. Go fix this.
- [50:20]
A
Yeah. So what did you end up doing?
- [50:21]
B
So I went to a pelvic floor physical therapist. I happen to have a great one who lives in Tampa. But there's amazing online resources like you can find help, help remotely. There are options you have to put in the work, though. I like, work on this every day because it does change your body. It does create dysfunction. The passiveness of just accepting it, of accepting that I'm going to feel like this forever. That doesn't work for me. Look, the. The first thing my mom said to me when she found out I was pregnant with my oldest and I'm one of 11, so she's had 11 kids, she said, oh, well, you can kiss that beautiful body goodbye. It was like just her instant instinct because I had, you know, really gotten into peak physical condition before I got pregnant, was my first.
- [51:12]
A
Do you think that that is one of the crucial steps to this, that we should not be starting our fitness journey after kids? Because now I've had a baby, I have weight to lose. We should be starting this process before ever getting pregnant.
- [51:24]
B
Yes. I think that you will be set up in a way that will make it so much easier for you to be successful with being as healthy as possible on the other side of pregnancy, if that becomes part of your life before you have kids.
- [51:38]
A
So there's a lot of people post pregnancy body changes, struggling to lose weight. Whatever you're saying, this is totally a you thing. You have the power to change it.
- [51:50]
B
Yes.
- [51:50]
A
You're not in the right mindset and you just don't want to do it.
- [51:53]
B
I don't think most women don't want to do it. I think most women don't know how to do it. We have neglected women's health. We have neglected passing on wisdom of the ages for how to care for your body during pregnancy and postpartum. And we expect women to just accept when things are dysfunctional and instead of helping them and creating like a generational impact where we teach women how to care for themselves through all phases of life, we just say, you're fine.
- [52:26]
A
So we should be working out all nine months of pregnancy. And then how soon after having kids did you start working out?
- [52:31]
B
This is going to really depend on, like, what kind of delivery you had. You know, did you have to have a C section? Did you have a vaginal delivery?
- [52:40]
A
Have you had all vaginal deliveries?
- [52:42]
B
I have.
- [52:42]
A
Okay.
- [52:42]
B
I've had precipitous delivery with all of mine. They've all been two hours or less from start to finish.
- [52:48]
A
Does that have to do with working out?
- [52:49]
B
Probably. It also is probably just the way I'm put together.
- [52:53]
A
Okay.
- [52:54]
B
My labor with my son was 40 minutes from start to finish. But working out certainly makes it easier to have easier delivery. And no matter what kind of delivery you have, it makes it a better recovery. On the other side, every woman is going to be a little bit different in how and, like, what they feel like getting back to and how quickly that is. But there. There is no actual guideline anymore for, like, you need to wait this amount of time. It's when you feel ready. And women need to stop judging on this, by the way. Like somebody who's very active and feels like getting back to some gentle movement. At two weeks postpartum, you will get shamed online, and that's something that needs to stop.
- [53:35]
A
Oh, well, let's talk about ballerina farms. Just doing her little. Her pageant, her beauty pageant or whatever. People were furious.
- [53:43]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [53:44]
A
But she was like, I feel fine and I'm capable of doing this. And I've had, you know, 29 kids or what, however many she has. And I think I would know my body and how I am after pregnancy more than some stranger on the Internet.
- [53:55]
B
I really believe that for. For her and women like her, if she didn't feel good, she wouldn't have done it.
- [54:01]
A
Of course not.
- [54:02]
B
She would have been like, my family, my children, my husband. My life is more important than this pageant.
- [54:07]
A
Okay, top three pieces of advice for pregnant women.
- [54:09]
B
Eat your protein. Get at least 100 grams of protein in every day. Move every day, and make sure that you are hydrating not just with water, but you. You probably need to add electrolytes when you're pregnant.
- [54:23]
A
What is the average pregnant woman in America worried about, and what should she actually be worried about?
- [54:29]
B
The average pregnant woman in America is worried about their nursery and their. The name of their baby, which is a struggle. But what you should actually be worried about is what kind of provider you're going to take your kids to, because you want somebody who's going to partner with you in their health, not berate you over the Decisions that you make and making sure that you set them up to be as healthy as possible by taking care of your body during pregnancy.
- [54:57]
A
Someone told me recently that you should be looking at who your child's pediatrician should be before you ever even start having kids.
- [55:05]
B
I think that's good advice.
- [55:06]
A
I loved that advice. Like I should know now who my pediatrician would be. If I'm, you know, living and having a family in the place that I'm currently at, who would that person be? And get that stuff figured out, out of the way. At least mentally you don't have to reach out to them, but mentally, you know, keeping that in mind, you know, when that time.
- [55:20]
B
Yeah, I think collecting information from like other like minded moms or you know, like minded people in general. Because you don't have to see a pediatrician, just so you know, you can see a family doctor. We see a family doctor. I love him. He is an md. He is like trained in western medicine. But he is very much aligned with me and not only supports the decisions that I make, but he empowers me to make decisions by providing me like actual education, like providing me statistics, providing me like, like presenting me with the pros and cons so that I'm able to actually make informed decisions and have informed consent. He's amazing. And a lot of people like would automatically wipe it, you know, say, I'm not seeing a western medicine md. There are ones out there who are amazing who will support you.
- [56:10]
A
Is calorie counting like the only thing you need to worry about if you are on a mission to lose weight? Like, is that the, the end all be all, like the only factor you really need to worry about? Yeah.
- [56:18]
B
I think we should separate two things. There is improving your health.
- [56:22]
A
Okay.
- [56:22]
B
And there is losing weight. So these things can overlap but don't necessarily. You don't need to lose weight, but you might have room to improve your health.
- [56:30]
A
Right.
- [56:30]
B
So these conversations often become like overlapped. And we think the only way to get healthier is to lose weight. Right. And that if you don't need to lose weight, then you must be healthy. That's not true. We should be focusing on what we are eating and making sure that we are getting enough protein. Women need to eat more protein. We need to be getting enough fiber from our diet and we need to be getting enough healthy fats. If we get those three things, then most other things are going to fall into place and you won't need to worry about counting calories. However, most people are very disconnected from how Many calories they actually need, what serving sizes actually look like where they should be, like what ingredients are in food.
- [57:18]
A
The reason I brought this up is because on Tick Tock all the time I see these like teenage girls and in, in college age kids and stuff, and they're like, well, I'm on this weight loss journey, so I need to have only this much, you know, this many calories a day. And then they're like, well, so now I'm gonna opt for the small fry at McDonald's as, you know, opposed to the large, like stuff like that. They're like, but it's less calories or whatever. I just, I'm just like, this, this can't be right.
- [57:39]
B
Yeah, that. And that's com. Completely. I totally agree with that. Like learning how to read labels. Learning what, like what calories look like, what calories are in things. Learning to flip the box over and say like, oh, look at these, look at this calorie count. Like my gosh, I only get three Oreos for, you know, 300 calories. Like that's not a good use of my calories. So. Right, let me eat. I can eat 15 apples for the same number of calories, you know, or whatever. Again, everybody needs a starting place. And if somebody's starting places to say, I'm just gonna start reading labels so that I under, like I can get a calorie count, then that, that can be a helpful place to start. I don't think that we should like limit the conversation to weight loss equals healthy because.
- [58:21]
A
And you could have a super, super thin person that's struggling. I mean, I've been thin my entire life, but obviously we know that I was not and still am on a journey of getting to better health. I'm not even close. So it's like that. Yeah. Your weight isn't always necessarily. I mean, now morbid obesity, yes, but sometimes just a thin person also doesn't mean any that they're healthy.
- [58:43]
B
Yeah, yeah, exactly. But I mean, obviously we struggle in this country with like having people who are obese and over overweight and obese. For those people learning what calories are in foods and how they can better allot the calories that they need in a day to better choices that can be a really helpful thing for their health. But like switching from like large fries to small fries, like that's not it.
- [59:03]
A
Does anything actually help?
- [59:05]
B
Morning sickness, vitamin B6, magnesium, like sometimes you're just gonna have it.
- [59:11]
A
Okay.
- [59:12]
B
Like I had what's called hyperemesis with my second where I threw up five times a day for seven months. I did it all, I tried it all and I. It still happened. But with my sec. My third and fourth pregnancies, I haven't had any of that.
- [59:28]
A
So with three little kids, what are some realistic healthy lunches that they actually will eat?
- [59:33]
B
A lot of times what we do is we do leftovers, we do easy things. I prep proteins so I'll have like a thing of chicken breasts or I'll roast a whole chicken. And you know, they just get some chicken and vegetables. But. But honestly, my kids eat a huge breakfast, so most of the time they're pretty peckish at lunch. They don't tend to eat a big lunch. So sometimes it's like a piece of cheese and some grapes.
- [59:59]
A
What is your response to the mom that says it's hard to get a workout in? It's hard to get enough fiber and it's impossible for me to get more sleep.
- [60:08]
B
Everything is hard. Life is hard. You're not special because you think it's hard. It's not easier for me. It's not easier for anybody. Everybody has it hard. You have to decide that it your health and the health of your family is more important and make it happen. But pick one thing and get that right and once you get that down, then move on to the next thing.
- [60:31]
A
How do you structure your day so that you get those workout times in? Do you wake up earlier than your kids? Are you doing your workouts after they go to bed? Are you working out with them? Like, what's the strategy here to be able to do it?
- [60:41]
B
My workout time is sacred to me and I don't want them around. Some people, like, work out with their kids. I wake up at 5:15 so I can get my workout. I do it by myself.
- [60:53]
A
Empty stomach.
- [60:54]
B
When I'm not pregnant? Yes. When I'm pregnant, I. I do a scoop of protein in a coffee. So I'll either do Taylor Duke's bone broth protein or just ingredients protein. Get about 20 grams of protein in. These are like nuances that people get really hung up on. But a lot of times it's just do what makes you feel your best. So during pregnancy I need that extra support. But then, yeah, I work out before they wake up. I prep breakfast for them and then they get up at like 7:38.
- [61:29]
A
This is kind of controversial. Do moms need to be putting more pressure on themselves to get healthier?
- [61:36]
B
Moms should feel an urgency to prioritize their health. There is this idea that moms come last that everything about mom, like, mom is always last. And that is very true. Being a mom is very sacrificial. I gave up a career that I loved so that I could be home with my kids. Being a mom means sacrifice. But if you let your health come last, your family's health will suffer. You must make your health a priority if you want to have a healthy family. There's so much data, there's so much research to support that. The choices that you make day in and day out will make your husband healthier, it will make your kids healthier, it will make your family happier. It will make your experience as a mother significantly better. So, yes, you should put pressure on yourself to improve your health. That is not about looks. That's not about having abs. That's not about bouncing back. That's not about any of these, like, pop culture catchy things. It's about thriving as an individual and as a family unit.
- [62:52]
A
What is the best way to get a reluctant husband on board with a health transformation in the family?
- [62:57]
B
Lead by example. I mean, you've known my husband when he was very overweight, like, when he was a chubster.
- [63:03]
A
I mean, looking at him now, I mean, I can totally tell, like, oh, he lost weight in the moment. I wasn't ever thinking, knowing him, I never was like, oh, you know, he's like, got weight to lose or something. I mean, he just looked normal, average to me. But now, I mean, yeah, he. It's very obvious. He is totally lost weight and had a transformation in the moment. I guess I didn't realize.
- [63:23]
B
He's so handsome. Like, he carries it. He, like, carries it really well. But yeah, he's. I mean, he's gone through a complete transformation of his health. And I never once, like, preached to him. I never.
- [63:34]
A
Oh, so you weren't nagging? You weren't like, you need to be doing this?
- [63:37]
B
Wives should never nag their husbands. That's like a. The fastest way to get them not to do something is to nag them. Like, just lead by example. And when my husband watched me, like, have baby after baby after baby and feel great for the most part, like, thrive through that, he was like, oh, my gosh, like, okay, yes, let's do that. Like, how do I. I want to do that, too. But also, like, I, you know, I cook for my family. I set the baseline of, like, what our nutrition looks like. I pack his lunch every day. I make it as easy as possible for him to make good choices.
- [64:14]
A
So was there something that happened? Like, did he come to you and say, okay, I'm all in. You've convinced me. Or was there any moment like that or it was just a sl. Slow, you know, transformation.
- [64:24]
B
It's been a slow transformation. I mean, and he's really intense. So he tends to like be all in with what. Wherever he is. And he's had to learn over the years that this is a long game. Like this is not about doing something like high intensity for a short amount of time. This isn't. The goal isn't to like, over the next six months I'm gonna lose 30 pounds and I'm gonna build a bunch of like, this is about forever. This is your health for your entire life. And so you have to learn how to like pace that out and build habits that you can keep forever. He's getting there. He's like really changed a lot in this. On this.
- [65:00]
A
What health emphasis would you like to see the new MAHA committee in the Trump administration focus on?
- [65:08]
B
The number one thing I want to see on a policy level does have to do with food and nutrition. We really need to make sure that where we are spending money is promoting, actually promoting health. So you know, like the WIC programs, the SNAP programs.
- [65:26]
A
Yeah. Get the ultra processed food soda off there.
- [65:29]
B
When I lived in D.C. i used to take moms who lived in my community grocery shopping and they would have food stamps. They're not allowed to buy any food that's pre made. So like they can't buy a roasted chicken. Well, and a lot of these women don't know how to roast a chicken. So you're not allowed to buy roasted chicken, but you're allowed to buy Coca Cola. Creating policies that support making healthy choices is going to be paramount. Now that gets really complicated in how that application works and that's why we have really smart people who are going to be in place to, to help with that. I really want to see them do some deep dives into medication safety, which includes like everything that children are getting. You know, you're supposed to inject your child with a hep B injection when they are hours old.
- [66:23]
A
Okay. So looking into the, to the childhood schedule.
- [66:25]
B
Yeah. Like and, and just safety around medications in general.
- [66:29]
A
Maybe just revamping, you know, the schedule or maybe making it more of an option. Transparency on like pros and cons of each one. Right. Type of things that kind of what.
- [66:39]
B
You'Re thinking and take away, take away the mandates that are associated with like kids going to school and that kind of thing. I'd also love to see like the dollars that we spend on health care better utilized in the preventative space. So the IRS recently came out and said that they don't believe your doctor's note and that your doctor's note for healthy food or exercise doesn't count that those dollars are to be used on disease. So being able to use tax advantaged funds on health promotion and prevention.
- [67:13]
A
Where can people follow you and what types of content do you post?
- [67:17]
B
I post a little bit of everything in the like health and wellness and mom space. So you'll see a lot of my kids. Most of the time I have no hair and makeup done. I like I'm very raw look beautiful either way. I'm very raw in my posting because that's where I am in and like that's just the reality. So you can follow me on Instagram at Nurse Kate Johnson and then I have just started getting into posting on X and like perfect have been building a little following over there. So I'm a little spicier on X.
- [67:49]
A
Oh we like that spicy. Nurse Kate. Okay, if you could provide one remedy to heal a sick culture, physically, mentally or spiritually, what would it be?
- [67:57]
B
I really truly believe this all begins with understanding that you are a child of God and that your body you are made in his image and that we should be honoring our bodies because in honoring our bodies that honors God's creation and nurturing and nourishing his creation is what he put into women specifically to do. Not denying that part of you as a woman really leaning into that.
- [68:24]
A
Nurse Kate it's been a long time coming.
- [68:26]
B
Well, this is really fun. Thanks for having me.
- [68:29]
A
Absolutely. If you like this interview, you'll also love my interview with another nurse, Lauren Johnson from Red Pill, your health cast. That was in July of 2024. Please leave a five star review. Tell others why they should listen to Culture Apothecary. We're on a mission to heal a sick culture. Twice a week new guests are bringing a unique remedy. That's Mondays and Thursdays at 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern. Subscribe to Real Alex Clark on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram at Real Alex Clark. Also go to RealAlexClark.com to sign up for my once a week newsletter. I go way in detail with my personal life. All the tea. If you know, you know you can find show merch@tpusamerch.com and use code ALEXCLARK to get 10% off gorgeous culture Apothecary Merch. The best materials, designs and quality. I'm Alex Clark and this is Culture Apothecary.