Olivia Adriance: How To Make Healthy Food Fun, Pregnancy & Unsolicited Advice

Summary

Pursuit of Wellness Podcast: Olivia Adriance – Making Healthy Food Fun, Navigating Pregnancy, and Handling Unsolicited Advice

Released on June 16, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, host Mari Llewellyn welcomes Olivia Adriance, a renowned food content creator with over 1.6 million followers. Olivia shares her journey through pregnancy, the challenges of maintaining a healthy and fun food content platform, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with unsolicited advice during this transformative period.

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1. Olivia’s Pregnancy Journey and Routine Adjustments

Olivia begins the conversation by revealing that she is two days away from giving birth, highlighting her remarkable ability to participate in the podcast despite her advanced pregnancy ([00:00]-[01:27]). She discusses how her routine has shifted dramatically from a rigid, systematized schedule to a more flexible approach, emphasizing the importance of rest and adaptability during pregnancy.

Olivia Adriance ([01:06]): "I just committed to... you need to sleep as much as you can now before this baby comes out and completely wrecks your schedule."

Mari resonates with Olivia’s experience, reflecting on her own transformation after going through IVF and pregnancy, shifting from a "fight or flight" mode to embracing a more balanced perspective ([02:03]-[02:25]).

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2. Content Creation: Balancing Health and Creativity

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Olivia’s passion for creating healthy, visually appealing food content. She explains the origins of her gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free food pages, driven by her personal battle with acne and the need to reduce inflammatory foods without sacrificing enjoyment in eating ([03:35]-[05:26]).

Olivia Adriance ([04:38]): "It started because... I have very acne-prone skin and I battled it from the time I was 10 years old... Switching to a gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free diet really helped."

Despite the success, Olivia candidly shares the difficulties of producing recipe content, including the extensive process of recipe testing, food styling, and photography. She mentions hiring assistance to manage the demanding aspects of content creation, highlighting the dedication required to maintain a high-quality food platform ([06:50]-[10:47]).

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3. Navigating Social Media During Pregnancy

Olivia discusses the mixed reactions to her pregnancy announcement, including both supportive messages and the unfortunate loss of 7,000 followers. She emphasizes the challenge of balancing personal revelations with audience expectations, particularly when her platform is predominantly food-focused ([19:36]-[24:46]).

Olivia Adriance ([23:35]): "I held it in for a long time... It felt so sacred to me that I wanted to keep it just close to my heart for a while."

Mari and Olivia explore the impact of social media algorithms on audience engagement, noting how pregnancy-related posts can sometimes lead to negative or unexpected feedback. Olivia shares her strategy of limiting interactions with unsolicited advice and negative comments to protect her emotional well-being ([28:51]-[31:23]).

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4. Emotional Well-being and Handling Unsolicited Advice

The conversation delves into the emotional challenges Olivia faces during pregnancy, including heightened sensitivity and moments of "pregnancy rage." She describes the emotional toll of unsolicited advice and mom-shaming comments, which led her to become more intentional about managing her social media interactions ([28:51]-[32:24]).

Olivia Adriance ([31:35]): "I was like... sometimes that gets me too."

Mari relates to Olivia's experiences, sharing her own emotional fluctuations and the difficulty of navigating changing dynamics within a partnership during pregnancy ([32:24]-[33:35]).

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5. Workouts and Physical Activity During Pregnancy

Olivia provides an insightful account of adjusting her fitness routine in response to pregnancy-related physical changes. She transitioned from running to Legree and eventually to Shannon Richie’s Evlo prenatal program after developing Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), which made walking painful ([33:54]-[39:28]).

Olivia Adriance ([36:07]): "Basically, the relaxin that's flooding your system makes your pelvic area very loose... I was so incredibly sore in that area."

Olivia highlights the empowering benefits of staying active during pregnancy, emphasizing strength training as a means to feel strong and prepared for childbirth. Mari expresses interest in prenatal programs to safely maintain her fitness routine ([38:19]-[40:44]).

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6. Pregnancy and Postpartum Nutrition

Cravings and nutritional adjustments are a key topic, with Olivia sharing her intense desire for herb salads, citrus fruits, and later, sardines. She discusses the myths surrounding certain foods during pregnancy and postpartum, such as the misconception that butterfly pea powder can induce labor or that specific herbs might affect milk supply ([44:08]-[55:07]).

Olivia Adriance ([49:31]): "Cravings are always, like, such a fun one to talk about... I made that literally every day."

Olivia introduces her audience to lactation support cookies and shares strategies for maintaining a balanced diet that supports both pregnancy and breastfeeding needs.

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7. Future Plans and Support Systems

As Olivia approaches motherhood, she outlines her plans to take a break from content creation to focus on bonding with her newborn. She expresses gratitude for the support systems in place, including her husband Kyle and her assistant Chelsea, who help manage the demands of her platform ([16:16]-[17:46]). Olivia also mentions her upcoming cookbook, set to release on March 27, and the collaboration with her friend Taylor for postpartum meal preparations ([48:15]-[56:05]).

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Olivia expressing excitement for the next phases of her journey, both as a new mother and as a content creator with a forthcoming cookbook. Mari and Olivia share heartfelt goodbyes, emphasizing the importance of community and support during such transformative times.

Olivia Adriance ([55:40]): "I can't wait to see what you feed your child."

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Key Takeaways

• Flexibility Over Rigidity: Pregnancy necessitates a more adaptable routine, prioritizing rest and well-being over strict schedules.

• Balancing Content Creation and Personal Life: Olivia's experience highlights the challenges of maintaining high-quality content while navigating significant life changes.

• Emotional Resilience: Handling unsolicited advice and negative feedback requires intentional strategies to protect mental health.

• Empowering Fitness: Staying active through tailored prenatal programs can enhance physical strength and emotional well-being during pregnancy.

• Informed Nutrition Choices: Understanding the myths and facts about pregnancy and postpartum nutrition empowers women to make healthier decisions.

Notable Quotes

• Olivia Adriance ([01:06]): "You need to sleep as much as you can now before this baby comes out and completely wrecks your schedule."

• Olivia Adriance ([04:38]): "Switching to a gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free diet really helped."

• Olivia Adriance ([23:35]): "I held it in for a long time... It felt so sacred to me that I wanted to keep it just close to my heart for a while."

• Olivia Adriance ([36:07]): "Basically, the relaxin that's flooding your system makes your pelvic area very loose... I was so incredibly sore in that area."

• Olivia Adriance ([49:31]): "Cravings are always, like, such a fun one to talk about... I made that literally every day."

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For more insights and updates, follow Olivia Adriance on Instagram @oliviaadrians and subscribe to her Substack newsletter, Extra Scoop.

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Note: This summary is intended for informational purposes and reflects the discussions held in the podcast episode. For personalized medical advice, please consult a healthcare professional.

Transcript

[Olivia Adrian]

You cannot trust anything that's coming out of, like, my taste buds during pregnancy, which has been really interesting in developing a cookbook.

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Olivia, welcome to the Pursuit of Wellness.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's amazing to be here. Thank you so much. I am a pow girl, which I actually don't even know if I've told you this.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I had no idea.

[Olivia Adrian]

So it's fun to be, you know, on the other side of the camera.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's so sweet. And, guys, just if you're not watching on camera, Olivia is literally about to give birth. Like, we talked about doing this episode, and you were like, yeah, if. Unless I'm giving birth that day. And, like, literally, you were like, I might be cramping. So I can't believe you're here right now. And you look amazing. And congratulations, and we're all so happy for you.

[Olivia Adrian]

Thank you. Yes. For context, I'm due in two days.

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is crazy that you're here right now.

[Olivia Adrian]

Kind of the most pregnant that you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Can be, which is insane because you literally have heels on and you look good. Like, this is insane. Insane. Like, you look amazing.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm glad that we're recording in the morning, because by the end of the day, I'm not sure if the heels were. Yeah, it's. It's like a downward spiral.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What time are you in bed nowadays?

[Olivia Adrian]

Last night, 9:30, and I've been letting myself sleep until 7:30.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Olivia Adrian]

As you should. It's been amazing. Like, the last week, I just committed to. You are not going to be an early riser. You need to, like, sleep as much as you can now before this baby comes out and, like, completely wrecks your schedule. Like, rest up, honey.

[Mari Llewellyn]

How much has your routine changed from before you were pregnant to now?

[Olivia Adrian]

I was definitely a lot more rigid in my habits and routines, and everything was, like, super systematized. And I think one of the main takeaways from pregnancy is I'm building a lot more flexibility and less rigidity into my schedule. It's like, okay, I need to give myself some margin. I can't run at the same pace that I was running. And I'm sure you can relate so well to this, where you're, like, in the zone in work mode for so many years that you start to operate like a machine. And pregnancy does not really allow for that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's like that masculine, feminine vibe that everyone talks about, and some people don't like that word, but I feel like, yeah, I was in fight or flight for so long. And this like going through IVF and pregnancy completely shifted the way that I approach my life for the first time. And it's kind of nice cuz it really does force you to change your perspective on how you do things.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like such a release of control. Yes. And realizing that part of that release is actually very liberating.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

At first I held tightly to like. No, I want to maintain like the same level of putting out content like I was. And I want to be working out like I was before, eating like I was before and realizing that I could release some of that rigidity and nothing would really change.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

All that much. Like work kept going on at a normal pace and I felt really good. I felt really strong. It's just, it's helped me be more flexible in my mindset about everything.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Which is a great learning lesson to bring into the rest of your life as well. And I can't wait to talk about like workouts and pregnancy nutrition before we hop in. You have 1.6 million followers. You have an amazing food page. Honestly, I think your page is my favorite to follow. It really is. Cuz you post, you make food fun and I feel like you focus on gluten free, free, dairy free, refined, sugar free most of the time, but the food is still so delicious and fun looking. Where did your love of food begin?

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm so glad that that is what comes through on my page. First of all, yeah, it's been very intentional for me to create a space where like food is fun, it's joyful, it's healthy and it happens to be gluten free, dairy free, refined, sugar free. It's not like, all right, we're starting with the rules and now we're trying to force it to be interesting. I really want food to just be an enjoyable part of everyday life. It started because very similar to your story, I have very acne prone skin and I battled it from the time that I was 10 years old until like my mid-20s when I was getting deep cystic acne that I just like could not figure out how to fix. So I really made a lot of diet and lifestyle modifications and one of those was switching to a gluten free, dairy free, refined, sugar free diet. Really trying to limit inflammatory foods and but still eat joyfully. Like I, I felt like a lot of the content that I was consuming at the time was okay. If you're going to eat quote unquote healthy, it has to look a certain way.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Chicken and rice.

[Olivia Adrian]

Chicken and Rice?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, you're boiling things, you're steaming things. Like, that is the extent of the excitement that we're getting into. And I was like, that is not enough for me. So I started to share content around the time of, like, my mid-20s. Started to get really into cooking, started sharing content, and realized that there is this whole community of people who wanted to eat this way and experience joy and, like, eat healthy. And maybe they were dealing with the same skin issues as me, or maybe it was just a desire to feel good or other health issues. But it started to reach so many people and it was really exciting. And the last four years of really devoting myself to, like, building a business in the food content space has been incredible and very exciting.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think that is how I found your page. I think it was because I was struggling so badly with acne and I tried some crazy diets. Like, I've spoken about it on the podcast. Like, if you even go back and look at my podcast videos from a year ago, my acne was so, so, so bad. And I went through phases of like, full keto only eating meat, like, crazy, honestly. And now I. I'm like, what was I doing? Like, none of. But it was like this control factor of, like, if only I eat like this, then maybe my skin will get better. And it ended up being some gut bacteria that I needed to do antibiotics for, which was crazy.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So none of the diet things actually ended up helping, but eating gluten free, dairy free, refined, sugar free made me feel better and it definitely helped with the inflammation of my skin. So I feel like that is how I ended up on your page. And I'm sure how so many people find your recipes, but, like, when I think of your recipes, I think of the brownies, the nachos. Like, it is really fun and colorful, which is so cool. And I love that because I went through a phase on my page of doing a lot of recipes, like, maybe for like six months. And that was the hardest content that I've ever had to produce. It would take me the entire day. I would have tripods here, tripods there. Like, like, I'm running around making sure my angles are good. I ended up, like, hiring someone to help me. And I was like, I don't think I can keep doing this. Like, what is the actual process of creating a new recipe and then shooting it?

[Olivia Adrian]

Someone actually recently asked me if they, like, they were trying a bunch of different things with their content and they were saying, like, some of my lifestyle stuff does well, but, like, My random recipes that I'll share do like, really well. Do you think I should dedicate more time to recipes? And I was like, well, I am biased because that's just my preferred creative art form. Like, I love to cook. That's a unique differentiator for me. But. But that is by far the hardest type of content that I do. And if I'm gonna whip out every now and then, I'll put like a day in the life or what I eat in a day or that type of content. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so easy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So much easier.

[Olivia Adrian]

So great. Yeah, like a collage. I'm like, oh my. I should really start incorporating more of this. So it is definitely a heavier lift. But it has just happened to be the thing that I feel like is what I can offer uniquely to my platform. But in terms of process, my process has gotten much more expansive as I feel like there's more pressure and more eyeballs on my page. Like, in the beginning it was easy to just, this is what I'm having for dinner tonight. I'm just kind of throwing things together, pulling things out of my pantry. It's delicious, it's fun. But now I do feel this pressure that everything needs to be tested.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

So it's like I'm. I'm going through the process, making the recipe multiple times. And then I have a recipe tester who tests the recipes before you film. Before I film to make sure it's actually good. Make sure it's good and like, poke at it a little. Ask me questions like, okay, if someone is going to substitute this type of flour, what's going to be the outcome? Like, you need to be specific about.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, does it fall apart if you use almond flour? Exactly. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And those were things that were very much a learn as I went. Because I am a home cook. I'm self taught. I didn't go to culinary school, I didn't learn about the chemistry of different flowers. And it's been a really good learning process as people have given me feedback that I tried this and it was terrible. And I'm like, oh, well, what did you change about it? And they're like, roughly, everything.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay, sounds like a you probably.

[Olivia Adrian]

Okay. It's a little bit of user error here, but it's good for me because now when I have my blog post written, I can be a lot more specific about like, okay, if you're gonna make this substitution, it's going to be cakeier or it's not going to have the Same rise or whatever it is.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

So, yeah, it's a lot of, like, me personally making the recipes, getting them tested, and then shooting them. And it's like a whole process.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It just seems so detail oriented. And then even the aesthetics of it, like, for Bloom, when I used to, like, do the props for the shoots, like, I used to be behind the camera, and I would help have the lettuce and whatever fruits we were. Food styling is really, really difficult.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's so hard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

Because the food looks good for about two minutes. You're like, okay. It has to have the perfect sheen on it. And I have so much respect for food photographers.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

And for projects that I work on, like my ebooks and a future cookbook. There is no way I am shooting those photos because it is an art form. It's so hard to make food look good for, like, a long period of time.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. They're, like, spraying things and putting, like, nail varnish on fruits. Like, there's all these tricks to so tricks better.

[Olivia Adrian]

My last ebook shoot, we had, like, a basic matcha latte in it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And I'm holding the matcha, and the food stylist is like, don't accidentally drink it because we put Windex on the glass.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, God. Oh, God.

[Olivia Adrian]

To make it, like, really, really vibrant and clean. Okay, thank you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Please don't drink Windex.

[Olivia Adrian]

Do not drink Windex.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's my worst nightmare, actually, drinking Windex.

[Olivia Adrian]

That day was the day that I found out that I was pregnant. God, Like, I can't even imagine. I'm, like, sipping on Windex and, like.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, no, no, no, no. Oh, God. But yeah, like, that's what it takes, because food looks good in real life, but when you put it on camera, you almost need to, like, zhuzh it up.

[Olivia Adrian]

And that has been one of the biggest learnings, I feel like, in my content creation, because I am not someone who is naturally driven by the aesthetic. I don't really have, like, a great eye for food styling. I always say, like, if you come over to our house and you think it looks nice, it's because of Kyle. Like, Kyle has much more of, like, an interior design eye.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Does he? He does.

[Olivia Adrian]

He's, like, very much into the aesthetic, and I'm so grateful for that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm not either.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, these.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I see these girls with, like, gorgeously curated feeds. I mean, honestly, I would think that you are. Because your feed is so gorgeous, but that is not the way that I lean. Honestly.

[Olivia Adrian]

No. I love having help in that regard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Even, like, Kyle will Help with like what I'm gonna wear. He loves having a little bit of a say and like my out. It's really cute.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Where is he from originally?

[Olivia Adrian]

Pennsylvania.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Where in Pennsylvania?

[Olivia Adrian]

Montrose.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's this little town in northeast Pennsylvania.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I went to school in Philly, so I kind of know some of the areas.

[Olivia Adrian]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Where are you from originally?

[Olivia Adrian]

Eugene, Oregon.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. Yes, I read that. Did you grow up around horses?

[Olivia Adrian]

I grew up not really around horses, but like out in the country.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Okay.

[Olivia Adrian]

So some of our neighbors had horses, but it was like a lot of cows, chickens, sheep.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, it was very beautiful. Gorgeous.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's gorgeous. We're actually going to go this summer after baby's.

[Mari Llewellyn]

With the baby.

[Olivia Adrian]

With the baby. Have her meet the family and spend a little time away from the Texas heat, which will be nice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I was kind of like thinking about having a baby in this heat and I feel like it would be really tough because it's not like you're going outside at 3pm it's insane.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm a little bit worried about being like freshly postpartum in the 100 degree weather.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Because yeah, I, I think you want to be taking them outside. You want them to get vitamin D and that light in their eyes in the morning. But like my gosh, I'm going to be a hormonal mess and just like sweating.

[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Olivia Adrian]

I've been talking to a lot of women who I who have businesses I'm trying to educate myself on, like what they're doing, what they wish they would have done differently with their babies in the beginning. And overwhelmingly what it sounds like is it's really hard to go back to work no Matter, like, how late into it you phase back in. It's just really hard. And I do feel grateful that I work from home.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

So, like, going back to work is going to look very different. That is such a privilege. It's been a balance of, like, baking in that flexibility like we talked about. Like, I'm not giving myself a super rigid. Okay. After eight weeks or after three months, I'm, like, gonna be fully back in the swing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I've prepped enough content to give myself, like, a couple months of time off. Yeah. So I'm planning on at least two months of, like, stepping away.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Amazing.

[Olivia Adrian]

Which will be really nice and just bonding and soaking in cuddles and us learning each other and how to breastfeed and all of that stuff.

[Mari Llewellyn]

All the things.

[Olivia Adrian]

All the things that you have to start learning. So I'm definitely looking forward to taking my first ever break from content in four years. I was thinking over the weekend, I haven't not posted. Like, the most I've ever gone without posting is four days.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

So what is that gonna look like?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are you gonna, like, delete social or just not go on?

[Olivia Adrian]

I think I'll still have it. I will still be posting, like, all the content that I prepped, and then every week, my sub stack is gonna go out. So I will be, like, promoting my sub stack. But that's one of those things that, like, I have assets that I have built so that I can put posts out on my story and I don't have to be, like, recording something live.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You're prepped?

[Olivia Adrian]

I feel really prepped. And it's been a lot of work to, like. My assistant Chelsea is here, and she has been so helpful, like, editing videos and making sure I have time to review them before.

[Mari Llewellyn]

The editing is a lot.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's a lot.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's honestly actually one of my favorite parts of everything. I love editing, but it's. I mean, even with recipes, especially, it's tough.

[Olivia Adrian]

Do you still edit your own videos?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Well, depends what it is. If it's a podcast clip, my producer, Darby, helps. But if it's, like a vlog or something I'm making, I will edit it for sure.

[Olivia Adrian]

I do love the editing, and that was hard for me to turn over because I felt like, yeah. Oh, this is where, like, part of my creativity comes in.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

But in the first trimester, when I was a horizontal person, it was hard for me to, like, keep my head up, and I was, like, sitting down in between filming different recipe clips. Like, I was so tired.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I finally Released that I was, like, holding so tightly to it before I finally released it and had Chelsea start helping with editing. And she's, like, such a whiz at it. She's so good. I'm like, why did I hold on to this for so long?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wait, I. Okay. I want to talk about the beginning of your pregnancy. So when did you first get pregnant?

[Olivia Adrian]

September. It was like a. Like a wedding weekend from one of our friends, which was really cute.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, that is cute. And were you guys trying.

[Olivia Adrian]

We were. Yeah. We had decided, like, okay, I think that we're ready to do this.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. Tell us about the moment you found out you were pregnant. And then I want to hear about your first trimester.

[Olivia Adrian]

I had just come from an ebook photo shoot, and I was like, gosh, I'm so tired. I don't. Maybe it was just because being on camera all day, you're not. It's a lot. So you're tired. And I was kind of poo pooing this idea that maybe I was pregnant and I was supposed to get my period that day, and I was like, oh, maybe, like, the stress of building up to this photo shoot and launching this ebook, like, I'm just, you know, maybe I won't start today. I should have been clued in by the fact that my boobs were insanely sore, like, way more than normal PMS symptoms. But I was having all of those normal PMS symptoms. I was, like, a little crampy. It was like a little in my soft girl era. A little crying.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I got home from the shoot, and I told Kyle, oh, I was supposed to start my period today, but I didn't. And he was like, I think you should take a test. Just so we feel like. Like, I don't know. Just so we know for sure. I had these little flimsy paper Amazon.

[Mari Llewellyn]

The pregnancies.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, I don't know. I forget what they were.

[Mari Llewellyn]

They pink? It was the packaging pink.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've used those.

[Olivia Adrian]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think I've used every single test on the market.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, I am a pro at this test. I love that you know the brand name.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, I know all the brands. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I took that little flimsy guy peed on it. And only, like, one line developed, which was negative.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And so I was like, okay, well, now I have this flimsy little stick that's covered in pee. What do I do with it? So I just, like, set it in my sink and then popped in the shower.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Got out of the shower. And a second small line had developed, and it was, like, not enough for me to be fully convinced.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Those tests take a minute.

[Olivia Adrian]

Okay. I didn't. I didn't know that. So I was like, oh, negative. Like, moving on with my life. But I sent a photo to my sister because she. For context, she gave birth three months ago. So we're three months apart in our pregnancy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, my God. That's so special.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's really cute. So every trimester that she was just popping out of, I was just entering into.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's awesome. To have someone to talk to.

[Olivia Adrian]

It was really nice. It's, like, such a good resource. But I texted her and I was like, is this positive? And she goes, very positive. Oh, my gosh. Very positive. So I ran into the laundry room where Kyle was, and I was like, babe, it was positive. And he goes, take another. Like, so just. We need to prove this. Like, we need to take another. So I took another one of, like, the flimsy little paper ones. It was also positive. And so I was like, okay, now it's time to bring out the big guns.

[Mari Llewellyn]

The clear blue.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's time for the clear blue.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, time for the clear blue, like. Cause you want to see that. Pregnant, like, the word.

[Olivia Adrian]

I need to, like, make sure that this is solid. So I had one clear blue test that had been in my drawer for, like, five years from right after Kyle and I got married. I had a little. Little. Oh, am I pregnant? And, like, bought a pack of two.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And so literally, it was, like, so old, and it was positive. I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, this is insane. It was kind of a full body experience, as I'm sure you know. It's like, yeah, well, what now?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

This is crazy. Because you don't feel pregnant yet.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No.

[Olivia Adrian]

You certainly don't look it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You're just, like, the first thing for me too, though, Like. But I wasn't sure if it was hormones or not.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, I was like, is it just from my IVF meds? Or, like, I didn't know. But I do think that's, like, a telltale sign for a lot of people.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. I really should have been, like, more in tune with, like, obviously this is.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because I wanted to believe. It's very hard to believe thing that you dream about. And then it happens and you're like, how is this real?

[Olivia Adrian]

And then you, like, keep taking tests.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh.

[Olivia Adrian]

To like, prove to yourself that you're still pregnant.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I took one every day, I think.

[Olivia Adrian]

For three weeks, I'm sure. Yeah. Because it's like. And Then you schedule, like, your first appointment.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And you really want to be pregnant at this appointment. So I was like, okay, I'm just gonna keep taking tests.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And how long did you keep it secret? Because I feel like you didn't talk about it publicly until, like, for a while.

[Olivia Adrian]

Right. I think I was 22 weeks pregnant when I finally announced.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, my God. So you really held that.

[Olivia Adrian]

I held it in for a long time. And I just. I was so used to having a platform that was, like, very focused on food and less focused on my lifestyle.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

That I didn't really know how to talk about something this big and personal. And it, like, it felt so sacred to me that I wanted to keep it just close to my heart for a while. Kyle and I got married before I ever had a platform. So it was just like, I had never had any sort of big moment happen personally, publicly, and I wasn't sure how I was going to react to that and also how my audience would react to it because, like, they're very much here for recipes. And I think that was reflected in, you know, it was obviously, like, a moment when I finally did announce where there was a lot of support, and it was so sweet. But I also lost 7,000 followers that day.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No.

[Olivia Adrian]

So it's like, clearly there's an audience that was very much 7,000 with a lot. And it's, like, odd that I even know that, but I was very curious.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

How my audience was going to react.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That is really interesting.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because I guess. Yeah. Your. Your page is very food focused. I feel like since being pregnant, maybe it's shifted a little bit.

[Olivia Adrian]

I definitely talk more in my stories about lifestyle.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I had always woven those elements in, but it was like, what we're eating on date night. It was still, like, food adjacent.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

And then now I'm much more open about talking about pregnancy and things that are definitely more personal. And the response has been incredible in stories. I just think once things hit my feed, people are a little bit resistant.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Well, also because you don't know, like, what algorithm it's landing on. And if you hit men or some other group of people, it could just go downhill so quick. I can always tell when one of my videos isn't going to my followers and it's going to like the for you page.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because then I'm like, getting comments. Rogue, crazy comments. I'm like, okay, this has gone too far.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's like the cons of anything going viral. I stopped reading comments on viral videos so long ago because they were the most heinous.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

And like the least reflective of my audience or of myself. So I was like, you know what? Yeah, viral videos. I don't look at them.

[Mari Llewellyn]

They're almost like not meant for us to see.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I feel like I've had a few podcast clips go viral and people have. I mean, obviously people come on this show and have strong opinions about things and talk about certain topics that are kind of controversial and that comment section is so scary that I just wouldn't even go there.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And I think that's like a healthy method. Honestly. I have always had a bit of beef with push up bras. I've never really had a successful experience until I got my Skims ultimate push up bra. I actually wore it for Greg's birthday party I hosted at my house and I got so many compliments on my boobs from my girlfriends and the rumors are true. The push up bras are back and better than ever. I've been seeing the viral Skims ultimate bra all over my feed and trying it out. I was obsessed. Other push up bras are bulky, heavy, uncomfortable, but this Skims bra lifts and supports me like no other bra I've ever tried. It looks like I got a boob job. Especially now that I'm pregnant. I think it's so difficult to find bras that are comfortable, flattering and look good under clothes and Skims does just that. Honestly, while being pregnant, it's been really hard for me to find bras that feel good and my Skims bras are what I keep reaching for. So I highly recommend you guys try Shop the Skims Ultimate Bra Collection and [e-mail] after you place your order be sure to let them know I sent you select podcast in the survey and be sure to select my show in the drop down menu that follows. Summer is approaching and it is the perfect time to start that side hustle you've been dreaming about. With Shopify. You can easily set up your online store and start selling your products in no time. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that you don't have to dive in head first right away. They have easy to use tools and an app that you can manage your business on the go and sell anywhere. That is how I started my business when I was selling my five dollar PDF workout guides. Shopify was the first place I went and we fully scaled my business from there to where it is now, which is absolutely insane. Shopify has been there for us every step of the way. It's a powerful set of tools that helps you start and manage your business, whether online or in person. It's designed to make life easier for entrepreneurs, from beginners to big brands. By providing tools that simplify selling, you can easily sell on social media, manage your operations, and even collaborate with other brands. It's an all in one hub for managing and growing your business, whether you're selling online or in person. With how shopping works now and how prevalent social media is, Shopify is such an easy tool to link to and get your followers to go buy your products. Personal growth starts with stepping outside of your comfort zone and Shopify is here to help. Head to shopify.com mari and see how easy it is to go get started. Okay, so I talked about this on my last episode. Getting unsolicited advice while pregnant is a crazy, wild thing that I just didn't really anticipate. How has that been for you?

[Olivia Adrian]

I guess I expected it a little, only because I have a friend who, she was doing fashion content and then she got pregnant and she was like the meanest comments you will ever get are like mom shaming type comments. And. And just a lot of unsolicited advice on what to do with yourself, with your body, with your baby, with what you're eating. Yeah. And like everything becomes a moral decision suddenly when you're pregnant. And so the unsolicited advice has been interesting. I was definitely very particular a couple months after I got pregnant. Like, I started to notice that everything was affecting me so much more. I was like, really soft.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I feel that way now.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh my gosh. Everything was making me cry. Every, like, piece of advice that felt triggering was like, really upsetting me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

So I've been very intentional about stepping away from my DMs, which has felt really strange because for the longest time I. I loved being like, so connected with my audience and I still definitely pop in there pretty frequently. But I'm not like, looking at that request folder as much.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, if someone has moved out of the request folder and like they've, you know, they're contributing to conversation in a positive way, then I'll engage with that. But yeah, the request folder is like a little bit scary.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So scary. And I think that's the best thing you can do to protect your peace. Especially like when your hormones are all over the place and you're emotional. Like, I think I looked in my request folder this morning and I had a crazy message.

[Olivia Adrian]

Crazy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like it's always about my dogs.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Which. Yeah, they're the love of my life.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, it's what does it even possibly say about your dog?

[Mari Llewellyn]

So we have a bigger older dog named Lulu, an angel. We've had her for 11 years and she's older and it's tough for her in the heat here. So we always have her go to our Greg's parents house on Long island because it's cool, she can swim. She grew up there, she loves it. And she also hates traveling and we travel a ton in the summer. And my small dog Arnold loves traveling, like he'll go anywhere. But people think I'm like abandoning Lulu even though she like lives the best life. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

She's obsessed with her having like the ideal summer she's having.

[Mari Llewellyn]

She's summering on in the Hamptons like she's fine. But I get these heinous dms about how I'm horrible to my dogs and I shouldn't be a mum anyway. Gosh, that's so I know about it. I'm like, this is a crazy message to send someone. But in real life I feel like I've been so much more emotional lately and like a little bit irritable.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh my gosh. I went through and this was around like 16, 17 weeks. I got pregnancy rage. And I can't imagine you with pregnancy. Everyone I tell, they're like, no.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like you're so sweet.

[Olivia Adrian]

That sounds funny. I was like so easily irked by everything. And I remember one day I told Kyle, you are not doing anything. But I am so mad at you. Like you are being so wonderful. Everything about you is making me angry right now. The way you're breathing, the way like you're walking. When you put your hand on my back that one time, like sometimes that gets me too.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm like, don't touch me, don't go near my hair, whatever it is.

[Olivia Adrian]

Other times I'm like, like, please touch me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, I just want cuddles.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I feel like truly you were honest about it. Like at least you were up front. But it is a really crazy like out of control feeling. Yes, I've noticed it come in and out and like.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah, it just feels.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Also it's tough with your partner because I don't know if you felt this way, but I feel like everything about me is changing. Like the way I look, the way I feel, my life, the what I think about everything. And Greg's life is exactly the same.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. And it can be a little hard to not like let resentment like bloom a little bit. But I've tried to be very aware at least of like where I'M feeling annoyed that, you know, he's able to carry on his normal life and he doesn't have these, like, oppressive emotions sometimes where I will. I'll be in church and I'll literally just start, like, sobbing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Out of nowhere. And I mean, I guess it's emotional. You know, they're like, are you okay? And then after one service, we were leaving and I was still crying and he was like, so where do you want to go for lunch? And I'm like, I'm not even hungry. I can't believe that you're not sad.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You should be sad.

[Olivia Adrian]

You should be sad too. And he's like, about what?

[Mari Llewellyn]

When I was going through IVF and we actually go to the same church and I would go to those services, I would be crying like, like low key by myself. Because it just, it is really moving sometimes.

[Olivia Adrian]

The waterworks. Were you there on Mother's Day?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I don't think so.

[Olivia Adrian]

That was, it was like last month. But. Oh, I knew that Mother's Day was going to be like, very. Yeah, sobby for me. So it was, it was very much a no makeup day. I was like, we're going in bare tissues.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Seriously, what kind of workouts have you done during your pregnancy? And then we'll talk about nutrition.

[Olivia Adrian]

So I had just taken up running right around the time when I got pregnant. That quickly fell off.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No more running.

[Olivia Adrian]

No more running. And it wasn't like doctor prescribed, like, I don't want you running anymore. I just quite physically could not run.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I was gonna say, I see a lot of pregnant girls still running and I'm like, how? Because my boobs hurt too much.

[Olivia Adrian]

I was so fatigued that I could hardly go on our normal walks. So I'm like, very impressed by pregnant women who continue to run. And I think that's, that's. It's very empowering. It's very cool to watch. It just wasn't my journey. So in the beginning, I was walking, doing legree and doing strength training. So legree I was doing like twice a week strength training twice a week, and then like daily walks. And I would say things started to change for me with Legree. Around 13 weeks, I started to feel like, oh, I'm not able to engage my abs in the same way. Which was so much earlier than I expected to kind of lose that control. So 13 weeks I. I was still going, but I started meeting with the instructor before every class and like, she was telling me all the modifications that I needed to make that day. It was funny because by the end of pregnancy, I was modifying the whole freaking class. Like, you're like.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I was just laying there.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm, like, taking my own class. Like, why am I even here?

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's a lot of abs. That's what scares me because I was doing former.

[Olivia Adrian]

Right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And that's, like, so intense, and it's so much abs that I'm. I don't even think I could do it right now.

[Olivia Adrian]

I ended up stopping at third around, like, 33, 34 weeks because I was so heavily modifying the AB series, and it was like I was doing the same three moves. You know, they're moving everyone through, like, this series of nine moves, and I'm like, I'm just gonna be over here doing, like, bare.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

The whole time and, like, barely lifting my knees off of the platform. So around 20 weeks, I had to stop walking. And that was so hard on me because I love walks. It was, like, the way I was getting outside, the way I was clearing my head, it was really good for my mental health. But I developed SPD Symphysis pubis dysfunction.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, I haven't heard of that.

[Olivia Adrian]

That one's a fun one.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What is that?

[Olivia Adrian]

Basically, the relaxin that's flooding your system, makes your pelvic area very loose, so the muscles are under constant stress. And I was just so incredibly sore in that area. And when I describe the pain, it feels like a strained hip flexor, but, like, across your whole pelvis.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow. Okay.

[Olivia Adrian]

So that was really hard. And I started seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist, and she was like, unfortunately, walking is one of those exercises where it's, like, very passive shearing of that area. So it's kind of one of those things that pregnant women have to give up if they develop this.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That sucks.

[Olivia Adrian]

So that was, like, a little bit heartbreaking, but I was like, okay, how can I figure out another way to move that's going to be compatible with this change in my body? So Kyle and I bought bikes, and that was so fun. We started, like, biking around the neighborhood at night in exchange for walking.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Just regular bikes. Just regular, like, beach cruisers, you know, I've kind of been dying to go on a bike ride, actually now they should say that.

[Olivia Adrian]

Well, you do have bikes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, we have bikes. We have, like, the blue J E bikes.

[Olivia Adrian]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We're going to Aspen for a month soon, and I want a bike there. So you just reminded me that I should do that.

[Olivia Adrian]

Do it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And that didn't affect your pelvis area?

[Olivia Adrian]

No, that was, like, totally fine for me. Around 26 weeks I started doing Evlo. Shannon Richie's program. Yeah. So she, she has a prenatal specific part of the her Evlo program. And so I started like really getting more into strength training. And I love, love. I was, I like overnight became an Evlo girl. Like, oh my gosh, this is the best thing. It made me feel really strong. But it was like movements that felt so safe for my current season, which I started to lose that feeling about legree. I was like, I gotta modify so much of this. Whereas evely wasn't modifying anything. It was specifically for like that week of pregnancy that I was in.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've been weight training too. It feels really good. Does like, because you can focus on different parts of your body without like targeting this area too much. You feel strong, you feel empowered. I haven't tried evlo. I should.

[Olivia Adrian]

That's awesome.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I was, yeah, I was thinking of looking into some kind of prenatal program because I'm doing things that feel safe, but sometimes I'm like chat gpting like, is it okay if I do this? Is it okay if I do that?

[Olivia Adrian]

You know, as part of Shannon's program, she is currently pregnant when she's doing it. And she's recording the class in the week of, you know, gestation that she's teaching for. And she's a doctor of physical therapy. So there's so much information given about like how to safely do the exercises. And I feel like I learned so much about my body, not just my pregnant body, but how to operate in like a strength training setting through her program. And you come with so much more knowledge about strength training.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I mean, I'm self taught, so, you.

[Olivia Adrian]

Know, whatever, whatever you're doing is clearly working.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah, it was very empowering to just be like, oh, I'm like actually getting stronger.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

Throughout pregnancy. Which is not really the rhetoric of working out during pregnancy. You kind of feel like, all right, I'm just going to progressively lose muscle. I'm going to progressively feel like less strong, less empowered to move my body. But that hasn't been the case for me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, it kind of flips the narrative. Like, I feel like when I first got pregnant I was so nervous of doing something wrong because my IVF clinic was like, don't lift too heavy. You know, at first they're very conservative, obviously, because they want to make sure it worked. But now that I'm in this sort of like normal era of being pregnant, I'm just noticing how good it makes me feel and I'm not thinking about the same things anymore. Like previously maybe I wanted my abs to show or you know what, I wanted muscle to show. And now I think about being strong for childbirth. I think about having a kid and being strong. I've even heard science that your actual fetus will be stronger if you're stronger.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Which is amazing. Like wild, crazy. So like the baby's kind of weightlifting too. I don't know, whatever. But it is kind of amazing and I think it's. Think it's cool that we're talking about it because it. I was a little bit nervous to post that I was weightlifting because I.

[Olivia Adrian]

Was worried about the feedback because people.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are so sensitive about everything.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes. There's a lot of opinions about how you should be moving or. Or not moving.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

During pregnancy. And I think this has helped me tap into intuition. It's like a balance of being informed and intuitive about the movement.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like okay, where can I go to get good, solid resources around how to safely move and also like what feels good for me?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

How do I just like listen to. Oh, you know what? This one. This doesn't feel good anymore. This feels awesome.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Gotta listen to your body 100. I'm so excited to share that this podcast is Sponsored by the RealReal. The best place to shop authenticated luxury bags, clothing, watches and so much more. I have personally used the RealReal for many, many years. I've sold a lot of my luxury items on there and made a lot of money back from it, which is amazing. I feel like when I stop using something frequently, I'm like, okay, it's probably time to sell. And I've also bought some amazing items. I have some Hermes sandals, a goyard bag. I found some really unique fun pieces on there and for a discounted price. I was just in New York and I actually stopped by their location and it's always so fun to go snoop around. The RealReal is attainable luxury that upgrades your personal style. With up to 90 off retail, you can free finally have the pieces you've been dreaming of from brands like Gucci, Fendi and Prada. Unlike other resale sites, everything the RealReal sells is authenticated in person by luxury and fashion experts. Even with selling my pieces, I have someone come over who will look and authenticate everything. It's a super legit process. The RealReal is great for the planet and your wardrobe. They found new homes for over 37 million authenticated luxury items so they know firsthand the impact resale has on the planet. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. With thousands of new arrivals daily, no one does resell like the real real. And now get 25 off your first purchase when you go to therealreal.com pow. That's therealreal.com pal to get 25 off. Start shopping now at therealreal.com powder. You guys know that lab testing is a really big part of my health journey, whether it's been for my skin or my fertility journey. And I chose function because it's the best in the world for testing. It's an all in one health platform with over a hundred advanced lab tests covering your entire body, five times more than the average physical. Comprehensive and focused on critical biomarkers, it offers testing twice a year, available across the US and super easy to use. It's recommended by Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Casey Means and hundreds of health experts. Kicking off the summer function is sharing their Long Live campaign. It's a celebration of the everyday moments that make life worth staying healthy for. For me, this means long live, spending time with family, being able to walk with my dogs, have fun with my husband, be a healthy mum for my future baby. I think testing and getting ahead of things is the best thing you can do for your health and it really is the best investment you can make no matter what journey you're on. Whether you're struggling with something health wise or you just want to be proactive, I think function Health is the perfect place to start. They are so thorough, they have so many amazing tests. If I could make everyone in my life do this, I would. In the spirit of long live and taking control of your health, get a 100 credit towards your annual [e-mail] this 100 credit is only for the first time. Thousand listeners, so sign [e-mail] pow. Did you read Expecting Better?

[Olivia Adrian]

No, but I've heard you talk about it and I'm like, is it too late to read it? Well, you're about two days.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So I was curious because it's a lot about food and it's about the statistics of. So obviously at the beginning they're like, don't eat deli meat, don't eat sushi, whatever, all the things they say. And this author, Emily Oster, I think her name is, breaks down the statistics of these actual foods, deli meat and why, why doctors tell us not to eat them and the actual likelihood of getting sick or whatever it is. And that was really interesting to read because it kind of, like, busted a lot of the myths that I had in my head. And it's not that I, like, ran and ate sushi. I still haven't eaten sushi, even though I miss it a lot, actually. But it helps you get. Make your own decisions about what you're eating and what you feel safe eating. Have you, like, with your recipes and things like that. Are people like, oh, you shouldn't be eating that, or do people say things like that?

[Olivia Adrian]

There's this morning tonic that I am obsessed with from Alchemy Juice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, yes. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

I love that place. And it has butterfly pea powder in it. And someone was like, that can send you into labor. Like, it. It made me have contractions. And I'm thinking, oh, gosh, maybe I shouldn't be drinking this. But it's also, like the smallest amount. It's literally for color blue. Yeah, exactly. So I'm like, okay, let's. Let's be realistic. I'm drinking it like two days a week, and I've been drinking it throughout my whole pregnancy. Clearly, baby's still in there.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We're doing fine.

[Olivia Adrian]

We're doing fine. She's nice and snugged. I will occasionally get comments like that or. And these ones I find really helpful. I'm doing this postpartum series of. This is what I'm prepping. This is what I'm filling my freezer with.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, love that.

[Olivia Adrian]

That's been really. There are certain things like parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme that you're not supposed to be introducing during breastfeeding. And like, I made this really delicious, like, Tuscan chicken bake, and I put thyme in it. And so it is helpful every now and then when people are like, you know, maybe you don't actually want to be eating that in postpartum. And again, it's like such small. It's like a teaspoon.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What's the reasoning behind that?

[Olivia Adrian]

It can reduce. Reduce your milk. Milk supply.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Got it.

[Olivia Adrian]

So it has. There's something in those herbs that, like, can possibly negatively. No, I don't want to be like, fear mongering anyone. Like, this is. This is just the feedback that I'm getting in my dance.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I didn't know that.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And is there certain things you can eat to increase milk supply? I'm sure, yes.

[Olivia Adrian]

So I actually recently made some, like, lactation support cookies. And this was another thing that people were like, literally anything you post about pregnancy, and I'm sure we'll find this about motherhood. As well. People are like, that's ridiculous. Like, you're clearly anti science or something. I don't know. I'm like, I just posted a lactation cookie. It's literally an excuse for me to eat cookies during postpartum.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've heard of lactation cookies. They sell them at, like, Erewhon and whatever.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah, exactly. And it has, like, oats, flax, coconut oil, and brewer's yeast. And all of those are supposed to help, like, with milk production. Great. And I'm like, make it a cookie. Make it a cookie. Exactly like, oh, sounds delicious.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That is a really cool series, though. I love that idea, like, having food prepped and ready.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because they say the best thing you could give a new mum is food that's ready to go.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm, like, kind of looking forward to that. Like, definitely having some options available. But recently I had a friend ask, like, what's something that I can do for you in postpartum? And he has always been, like, a very generous gift giver. And one of the ideas from my assistant actually was, why don't you have, like, a chef prepare her a few days worth of meals? So I actually reached out to Taylor, your friend, and I was like, I know that you were doing this last year. I don't know if that's still an offering of yours to do, like, mommy meals.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Did she say? Yes, she did.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, I hope she.

[Mari Llewellyn]

By the way, she loves you and she's 100 listening to this episode right now. We love you, Taylor.

[Olivia Adrian]

I love her so much. She has been part of my cookbook recipe testing team.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So cool.

[Olivia Adrian]

And I'm like, I am one of those people that falls in love with everyone that I work with. It's like, I should probably be the.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Best possible person for you to reach out to for that. By the way, she's so thorough and she loves cooking and she, like, gives the best feedback.

[Olivia Adrian]

I feel like such good feedback. My writer, and he's, like, helping edit some recipes too. He said that the two testers we have, he was like, this is the dream team of testers. Like, I'm so impressed by them. He's been so, so impressed by Taylor.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm like, oh, I was following along on the journey. And amazing. All the recipes she was making. So excited for your cookbook. Wait, when does the cookbook come out?

[Olivia Adrian]

Not until March of 27, which feels like a million years.

[Mari Llewellyn]

27.

[Olivia Adrian]

I know traditional publishing like it. It is a long haul, but I've.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Heard we talked about that a little bit because I'VE always wanted to write a book, and I was kind of, like, asking you some questions. That's so interesting.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So not even next. You have to get through all of next year.

[Olivia Adrian]

All of next year. Which I'm kind of grateful for, because I will have by that point, like, an almost two year old.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Olivia Adrian]

I know. It's crazy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's crazy to think about.

[Olivia Adrian]

So we'll have, like, maybe a little bit terrible twos on the cookbook tour.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Yeah. That's gonna be a journey for you. And with pregnancy nutrition, was there anything that you were hyper fixated on throughout at the beginning? Cravings.

[Olivia Adrian]

Cravings are always, like, such a fun one to talk about. I feel like I had kind of boring cravings in the beginning. Yeah, I really craved herb salads.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No way.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, so random.

[Mari Llewellyn]

God, your body probably, like, wanted the nutrients so bad.

[Olivia Adrian]

So I. There's this salad that I have on my blog. It's like an herby quinoa salad. I made that literally every day.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No way.

[Olivia Adrian]

My poor assistant was probably so tired of eating this salad, but I was like, like, chelsea, we're having the salad again tonight.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But that's funny, because I'm, like, kind of turned off by salads right now.

[Olivia Adrian]

I am now, too. Third trimester, I don't want a vegetable. It's very annoying.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

But, like, first trimester, I wanted herb salads, berries and citrus. Healthy queens obsessed with oranges.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Citrus is a big one for me.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, my gosh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Lemon anything. Obsessed.

[Olivia Adrian]

I was going through bags of oranges. Like, I was so obsessed with oranges and orange juice. And one of my things I didn't want was, like, a flavored beverage, except for if it was orange juice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, I wasn't drinking electrolytes anymore because I just.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's the orange juice, too, actually. And I never used to drink it.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's got to be the vitamin C because. Yeah, I wasn't, like, a big juice drinker before.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, maybe on vacation, Cabo would have, like, orange juice at brunch.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You know what's funny about orange juice? I feel like it had really bad PR for a while, and everyone's like, oh, my God, it's full of sugar. Why are we drinking it? And now it's having a resurgence.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because people are mixing, like, creatine with their orange juice, and it's, like, considered ancestral now.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, we love a rebrand.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Orange juice. Got a new PR team, and it's going great.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm so happy for them.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know, I know.

[Olivia Adrian]

They deserve Better pr.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We hopped on the bandwagon.

[Olivia Adrian]

We did.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Also, apple juice sounds really good to me right now.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, yeah. Like, in the fall, like, I wanted, like, like, crisp apple juice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Just, like, something taut is really, really good.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. But other, like, food fixations. I read the book Real Food for Pregnancy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, I should look at that.

[Olivia Adrian]

That was a good book. It very much just solidified that the way that I was already eating was very healthy for pregnancy. So I didn't really feel like I had to change much. You know, I've always been, like, very conscientious of protein intake and trying to eat variety and trying to have a lot of, like, micronutrients from herbs and vegetables and fruits and so in a way, it was like, oh, the things I have been doing are, like, good for building a little baby inside of you. So that was good. There were some specific things. Like, I tried to incorporate some liver once a week into, like, a ground beef taco bowl or something like that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So that you would mix it in the ground beef. Okay. My husband's dying for me to do the liver thing, and I used to swallow a chunk of frozen liver every day.

[Olivia Adrian]

Impressive.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Disgust. No, disgusting. So disgusting. And I can still picture the taste of it. And I just. I don't know how to go about it.

[Olivia Adrian]

I was buying Force of Nature. Ancestral blend.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, that helps.

[Olivia Adrian]

And then mixing it with ground beef.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Olivia Adrian]

So it's like, I don't really know how much liver I'm getting. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Just thinking about it, you know?

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. The. I. If I had come off of years of eating raw liver, then I would feel the same way. I never got into that thing. Like, Kyle got into it, and I was like, babe, it's really hard for me to watch you choke this down. Like, it's clearly so unenjoyable.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I really get upset when Greg does disgusting things because I'm like, you're really grossing me out and making my life really hard.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, it's seriously disgusting.

[Mari Llewellyn]

He was eating sardines last night just out of a cat tin, and I was like, please, like, do something different with the sardines. Like, he was just eating them whole with the head, you know, I did.

[Olivia Adrian]

That in, like, the second trimester. Suddenly, sardines sounded really good to me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Good for you. How were you eating the sardines, Shannon.

[Olivia Adrian]

Richie actually turned me on to? They're like, boneless, skinless sardines, which. Boneless was, like, a huge priority for me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What's the brand?

[Olivia Adrian]

I want to say it's like Crown Prince and they sell it at Costco.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. I think I know what you mean. I just ordered a ton of boneless whatever sardines from Europe or something. And I'm supposed to be eating those.

[Olivia Adrian]

Well, they're. I actually found them to be very palatable, especially if we're comparing it to liver.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Like, so much better.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I guess you could, like, mash it up and like.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. And like, kind of make like a little tuna salad esque.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Olivia Adrian]

Vibe. I was just eating them straight out of the can because I was like, these are actually kind of good.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Your body must have been like, I need a sardine.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah. You cannot trust anything that's coming out of, like, my taste buds during pregnancy. Which has been really interesting in developing a cookbook because I'm like, okay, thank God I have recipe testers because, like, this tastes really good to me. And people are like, cut down on the herbs. My gosh, no worries.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Sardines, they have such good omegas in them. They're apparently amazing. Have you seen the videos of little babies in their high chairs just downing sardines?

[Olivia Adrian]

No. I'm inspired, though.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I want to give my baby. I mean, someone's gonna give me for this. I don't care. At some point when the baby can eat solids, I want to put sardines because apparently it's really good for them.

[Olivia Adrian]

I know my friend Rachel has been doing, like, liver, and I'm not sure if she's been doing sardines, but her kid eats so well. I'm like, rachel, you're doing a great job.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I gotta go check that out because I actually love watching, like, like, baby nutrition.

[Olivia Adrian]

Oh, you're gonna, like. She has, I think, a whole highlight on, like, what she's been feeding her baby ever since she introduced solids at six months. And I'm like, oh, thank you for doing the Lord's work.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's so interesting.

[Olivia Adrian]

It's so interesting.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Have you heard of Dr. Rhonda Patrick?

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay. Obsessed with her.

[Olivia Adrian]

She's amazing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think she is a two year old, maybe a three year old now. And she's the one who inspired me to eat fish eggs. I've been eating fish eggs.

[Olivia Adrian]

That's right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

When I can. When I can. Some days I'm like, it's not the day I can't.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I think she feeds her child really well. I would see that menu.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And I'm sure you're going, I mean, I can't wait to see what you feed your child.

[Olivia Adrian]

I'm really excited for that phase of motherhood, like starting to do solids and introduce little foods and so excited to think about Olivia.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you so much for coming on the show. This was such a pleasure. I'm so glad I caught you before you gave birth and her water didn't break on the show.

[Olivia Adrian]

I know. Unfortunately, I thought we were going to have like a really fun moment.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like a really dramatic like, like I'm going for social. I was laying in bed last night, I was like, oh my God, what if Olivia gives birth on the show?

[Olivia Adrian]

Would be iconic.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So honored to have you here. Can you tell everyone where they can find you online? Where can they get the ebooks, all the things substack?

[Olivia Adrian]

I am Olivia Adrian's on Instagram and then just Olivia Adrian's everywhere else. Hardest to get an Instagram name and then my substack is called Extra Scoop. You can also just search Olivia Adrian's on substack and it is surprisingly devoid of food content on substack. I talk a lot about like the behind the scenes of building a content business and transitioning out of corporate America into working for myself. So a little bit of a different taste. Everything is linked in my bio on Instagram. That's where you can find me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I love that. And good luck. Thank you.

[Olivia Adrian]

Yes. So soon. Hopefully. Bye Bye.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast to support this show. Please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my [e-mail] it will be linked in the show Notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Marie Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartes, Daviel Waldner, Jen Lauren and Mackenzie Meisel. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Love you po girls and po boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.