MORGAN: What Happened When This Mom Ditched Diet Culture for a Clean Lifestyle

Summary

Podcast Summary: MORGAN: What Happened When This Mom Ditched Diet Culture for a Clean Lifestyle

Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Bobby Bones Show, hosted by Tasha Rosales, listener Morgan Huelsman shares her transformative journey from grappling with gestational diabetes to embracing a clean, toxin-free lifestyle. Released on July 27, 2025, the episode delves deep into the personal challenges, family dynamics, and insightful revelations that marked Morgan's path away from diet culture towards holistic wellness.

Personal Story: Diagnosis and Initial Changes

Morgan begins by recounting her unexpected diagnosis of gestational diabetes early in her first pregnancy.

"So it all started with my first pregnancy with my now 17-year-old. Just about 18 years ago, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 6 weeks gestation." [03:01]

This diagnosis forced her to scrutinize food labels, focusing on carbohydrate intake to manage her blood sugar levels. Her determination to overcome the condition without solely relying on insulin led her to educate herself extensively about nutrition and the broader food system.

Family Impact and Adoption of Clean Living

The impact of Morgan's lifestyle changes extended beyond her own health, influencing her entire family. Initially resistant, her husband eventually adopted the new eating habits after witnessing significant health improvements.

"After a few weeks... he was like, I think this is working. I feel a lot better. I feel lighter." [12:59]

Morgan emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that supports healthy choices without being overly restrictive, allowing family members to make informed decisions about their diets.

Overcoming Challenges and Finding Balance

Morgan candidly discusses the challenges of maintaining a clean lifestyle, especially when faced with social events and temptations. An illustrative moment occurs at a family party where strict dietary restrictions led to an overwhelming urge to overindulge.

"We went to a birthday party... they had two cupcakes and three or four cups of Hawaiian Punch. I wanted to die." [22:14]

This experience taught her the importance of balance and flexibility, leading to a more sustainable approach where occasional indulgences are permitted without guilt, ensuring long-term adherence to healthy habits.

Educational Insights: Reading Labels and Greenwashing

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the deceptive nature of "healthy" food products, often laden with hidden sugars and artificial ingredients. Morgan highlights the necessity of reading ingredient labels beyond the enticing front packaging.

"What I realized... this actually isn't healthy at all." [16:23]

She criticizes brands for "greenwashing," where products are marketed as healthy through superficial changes while maintaining their unhealthy core. Morgan encourages listeners to become vigilant consumers, understanding that not all labeled "organic" or "healthy" products are genuinely beneficial.

The Role of Spices and Ingredient Awareness

Morgan surprises many by bringing up the hidden toxins in everyday spices, urging the shift towards organic varieties to avoid harmful additives.

"Spices... have some ingredients in them that you might not want. So, buy organic." [43:17]

She stresses that while spices can enhance flavor, they often contain artificial flavors and preservatives that contribute to overall toxin intake. By choosing high-quality, organic spices, families can enjoy flavorful meals without compromising their health.

Practical Advice for Listeners

Towards the end of the episode, Morgan offers actionable advice for listeners who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of overhauling their diets. She advocates for incremental changes, such as introducing one to three new healthy ingredients or recipes each week.

"Start with one to three small things... it's not about getting on that diet and then just magically fixing you." [40:34]

This approach emphasizes sustainability, encouraging individuals to gradually build healthier habits without the pressure of drastic, immediate changes.

Creation of Elderberry Boost

Morgan also shares her entrepreneurial venture, the creation of "Elderberry Boost," a product designed to support immune health with clean, natural ingredients. This product reflects her commitment to providing alternatives that align with her clean living principles.

"Elderberry Boost... provides freedom from having to make elderberry syrup every week... it tastes good and adds flavor to your water." [33:12]

Conclusion and Takeaways

Morgan's journey underscores the profound impact that informed dietary choices can have on personal and family health. By moving away from restrictive diet culture and embracing a holistic, clean lifestyle, she not only managed her gestational diabetes but also fostered a healthier environment for her entire family. Her story serves as an inspiring testament to the benefits of mindful eating and the importance of making informed health decisions.

"Our overall diet and lifestyle, 85 to 90% of it is food made at home that we actually enjoy." [20:33]

Morgan concludes with a powerful message about leading with intent and making conscious choices that prioritize long-term wellness over temporary fixes.

"I lead a healthy lifestyle because I love it. I lead a healthy lifestyle because I want to feel good." [47:32]

Key Quotes:

• "Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets, and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about messes again." [00:05] (Ad skipped in summary)

• "I lead a healthy lifestyle because I love it. I lead a healthy lifestyle because I want to feel good." [47:32]

• "Start with one to three small things... it's not about getting on that diet and then just magically fixing you." [40:34]

• "Spices... have some ingredients in them that you might not want. So, buy organic." [43:17]

Final Thoughts

Morgan Huelsman's narrative is a powerful illustration of the journey from diet culture to embracing a clean, informed lifestyle. Her experiences highlight the significance of education, family support, and gradual implementation of healthy habits. For listeners looking to embark on a similar path, Morgan's story offers valuable insights and encouragement to take the first step towards lasting wellness.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Morgan Huelsman]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Morgan Huelsman]

Take this personally with Morgan Huelsman.

[Tasha Rosales]

Tasha Rosales joins the podcast this week for the series on things we consider healthy. But maybe not so much. Stephanie had broke down how this all looks in root cause practice, but Tasha is someone who not only experienced the consequences of her unhealthier choices, but actively made a decision to change for her and her whole family. Her Instagram Elness Homemade has changed many people's lives, helping simplify nutrition and cut out the greenwashing with products deemed healthy. With me today is Tasha Rosales. You are so awesome because you're living a talks free life and you're preaching about it to people online and really trying to get people to understand. So I'm excited to chat with you today. How are you? Thanks for being here.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm good. I'm doing well. How are you I'm good.

[Tasha Rosales]

I just cannot wait to talk about all these things because this is so interesting. I think more people are really trying to adapt this new way of living and understanding all the things that are within products and the things that we are using in and on our bodies. So I'm just so excited. What brought you into this line of work and doing this posting on Instagram, like, where did this all begin for you?

[Ryan Seacrest]

So it all started with my first pregnancy with my now 17 year old. So 18 years ago, just about 18 years ago, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 6, 6 weeks gestation. So most people test much further along in their pregnancy. But I had gone to the doctor and I had presented in my first appointment with some issues that he was like, I think we need to do some blood work. And so we did some blood work. On the way home, I got a call saying, you need to come back, you're blood sugars out of control. So I was told that I would never get through my pregnancy without insulin and I did. So that really triggered for me that there's more going on because I started having to read food labels based on carbs. That's all you basically learn when you go learn about diabetes or gestational diabetes. And then I started reading ingredient labels and just learning more about our food system and what I was putting on and inside my body. And to add to it, it was really hard for us to get pregnant in the first place. So it took years to get pregnant. And I had gotten pregnant once I had a miscarriage and then it had been another year and we actually were using Clomid to try to conceive. And with my second, our youngest, I didn't need anything and I didn't have gestational diabetes and that's like unheard of.

[Tasha Rosales]

So you went back to those doctors, were you like, so this happened? And they're like, how?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, they were shocked that I didn't get gestational diabetes with the second one. They were like, I don't understand. It wasn't until three days before I had my now 17 year old that I actually messaged the doctor and the dietitian that I was working with. And I was like, hey, my blood sugars are out of control. And they were like, listen, you made it this far, you have a doctor's appointment in three days. We're not going to do anything. So then I had gone to the doctors and they ended up inducing me to due to like other health issues. So it was like a three strikes you're out type thing. But overall they were like shocked that I was able to get through essentially nine months of pregnancy with gestational diabetes without any help. And then on top of that, you're at a high risk of type 2 diabetes within 10 years of having that child. And I had the best A1C I've ever had at my 10 year checkup. It was just eye opening to me how just simply learning how to read food labels, learning how to nourish your body and reducing the toxin load in our home really helped us myself live a healthier life.

[Tasha Rosales]

So when you first got that appointment that said, hey, you have gestational diabetes, we need insulin, was it that moment forward where you started to read everything and pay attention to what was happening you at home and you just started deep diving into what you could do differently.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So when you first find out that you, well, this is how it was then, I don't know how it is now. But when I first found out, I had to go to an appointment with others that had just been diagnosed with some sort of diabetes, right? So whether it was type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, like everybody was there for their own purpose, but it was essentially the same information. And so you just watch a video and they give you papers and you're like left on your own. And I was like, this isn't enough for me. I've always been the type of person like, don't tell me I can't do something because I will do it, so don't test me. And I. The Internet wasn't as like broad back then, right? We're talking, we didn't walk around with iPhones or anything. Nothing was on our phone. We didn't have time to do that. I worked in the medical field at the time, so we were really not supposed to be on the Internet at the time. But I was doing my research as much as I could on the Internet at that time. And I just started learning that like balancing certain things like protein really helped. And I back then, I still drink Starbucks, I don't drink Starbucks anymore. But it was like, oh, I can have this tall caramel macchiato, but I can't have that Grant Grande. I think it was a white chocolate mocha I used to get or something like that. So I started learning how to manipulate my blood sugars but to benefit my overall health. Really. I wasn't actually manipulating. It was just, that's what I thought back then. It's, oh, I'll manipulate this so that I have better blood Sugar levels. But I was really improving my health.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah, that's so interesting too, that you say that and you were like just trying kind of these different ways. And you were working in the medical field. So what were you doing in the medical field? Which is also taboo.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right.

[Tasha Rosales]

Because you go into a medical field or a doctor and they say, here's some antibiotic and stuff. And a lot of them are becoming so much better about, okay, let's change the diet, let's figure out what's actually happening. But most of them, here's a band aid fix and this is what we're gonna have to do. So where were you working in the medical field at this time?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, back then I was working for the head of dermatology. I used to keep all the Mohs schedules and do the checking up on the patients after they left and things, which I don't know if you know what Moses, but it's like a skin cancer surgery. So I was like, hustle and bustle type thing. She wasn't going to tell me anything nutrition wise. Right. Like, she does deals with something completely different. Over the years, I worked in different fields in the medical field, but overall, like, it was never. I wasn't a nurse or an MA or anything like that. But yeah, I mean, I still was in it. I've worked in a lot of different departments, so I wasn't hearing a lot of, hey, nutrition, hey, this, that or the other. It's very much, I need this medication prescribed for this person and I need this, that or the other. So you're right, there's a lot of doctors that aren't doing it. But you are right again, that it is changing. I do believe that it is changing, yes.

[Tasha Rosales]

We are starting to find some middle ground which seems to take just more time than not. So this happens in your first pregnancy and then the second pregnancy happens. You don't have any issues. Then are you starting to be like, okay, more people may need this information?

[Ryan Seacrest]

So not quite yet. So at this point, my oldest, the one that's 17 now, she was having some gut issues and my husband was having some gut issues. Like, we had gotten to a certain point where I felt comfortable. I had balanced blood sugars, I didn't have type 2 diabetes. I was more focused on my daughter at the time. And if I'm being really honest, I was really focused on my husband not being in the bathroom all the time. Like, I feel like that's such a thing for women to be like, my husband's in the bathroom all the Time. I was sick of it. I was like, every time we have to go somewhere, you're in the bathroom, or every time I need you, you're in the bathroom. And I just couldn't take it anymore. So I started taking things to another level. We started adding more gut nourishing foods. We started adding kombucha. My daughter was prescribed Mirac, and I kindly declined the doctor. I was like, this kid is starting kindergarten. I'm not putting her on Miralax for her to start kindergarten. Absolutely not. So from that point forward, we really started to eliminate some of the more processed foods because, yes, we were doing better. And I was focusing on balanced blood sugars, but we still had some of those snacky items. And so I started diving more into, okay, what are things that are affecting our gut? Okay, so we're eating these high carbohydrate snacks perhaps, Right? Even like the Trader Joe's bars. Right? It's still high in sugar. Yeah, They're a better option than what might be at the regular grocery store, but they're still high in sugars. They have gums, they have all these things. So we just started reducing those things and then adding in a significant, like, amount of fruits and vegetables. We were eating them, but we were eating more. And then the fermented foods. And the only fermented foods that I could really get my kids to eat at that time or drink was kombucha. For my youngest, I was noticing that all the kids in the preschool were getting sick, and I had already gone back to school. I was learning more about nutrition, and I knew that I needed to cut down on sugars for her and add in these fermented foods. She kept not getting sick, and everybody else, all the other kids were getting sick. So she wasn't getting sent home, but all these other kids were getting sent home. Cadence, my older daughter, was noticing better gut issues. She was going to the bathroom. I'm telling you, from the time she was born until the time she was 5, that kid would go to the bathroom once a week. And the doctor was like, oh, it's fine. She's totally fine. And I'm like, this can't be normal. Like you should be. I would imagine kids should be pooping every day. So because I was living this lifestyle or creating this lifestyle for my kids and myself, my husband wasn't really on board. And I was like, this is what we're making, this is what we're having. And if you don't like it, then I don't know I'm not a short order cook, basically. So he started leading the lifestyle, but he was not happy about it. Yeah. And after a few weeks, or maybe six to eight weeks, maybe two months, he. I'll never forget, he was in the hallway and he was like, I think this is working. Like I'm not having the same issues. And I had already noticed he was spending less time in the bathroom and stuff. And he was like, I think this is something's going on because I feel a lot better. I feel lighter. He had lost weight at this point, I want to say he lost like 10, 15 pounds. He really dropped some weight. He wasn't in the bathroom as much. He had more energy. We both had more energy, to be honest with you. And that's where it started where he just latched on and was like, okay, this is working, let's move on. So that's how that all transpired. It's a long story, but it's so.

[Tasha Rosales]

Interesting because it's wild to see where someone comes from because you don't just wake up one day and just flip a switch and you're like, I'm gonna do this. Typically something happens or there's a moment in your life or somebody has health issues and you just wanna look into some alternative options. So I think that's a really cool background to your story because it's human. Like you just had a very real human family experience. And it was like a mom that just said, I've had enough died. That your husband being in the bathroom too much is what kind of kickstarted some of this. Hilarious.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, I. And you see it all the time. Like there's all kinds of reels and things on social media about making fun of husbands for being in the bathroom. And I don't complain about that anymore. It was a very short period of our time because our kids were so young. I don't complain about that anymore because I'm like, we don't have that problem because we've worked through it.

[Tasha Rosales]

I love that though. That's a very real thing for so many people, right?

[Morgan Huelsman]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Tasha Rosales]

Is it in you so easy for a year to go by and you're in the same place because there's so much going on in the world today.

[Tony Robbins]

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[Tasha Rosales]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Tasha Rosales]

This journey where you're like, dang, I thought that was so good for us. And it's really not. And maybe there's, I shouldn't say maybe. I know there are multiple things, but some that just startled you maybe in the beginning of this process.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think it's just some of the foods that, you know, like for instance, like nature's valley or naked juice drinks or things like that. Like they're so high in sugar or like I said, the nature valley oat bars or whatever, they're delicious. I'm not, I'll give you that. But they're basically just sugar packed in some granola. And these are things that I would feed my kids because and myself because I'm like, oh, these are healthy according to the grocery store and what the foods say on the front. But it wasn't until I started to really pay attention to what's on the back and, like, also how foods made me feel that I realized, like, this actually isn't healthy at all. And we've gotten so far away from processed foods in our home at this point, we're way ahead of the average person. Like, we don't have as many. And it's just because I. A lot of those things just aren't that great. Most of them are. Like, I don't really think you can really call many of them out because most of them aren't as great. Annie's right? Yeah, they're a better option. I guess this is probably a better point to your question. Like, Annie's crackers are a better option, or is it Annie's that makes the macaroni and cheese? Annie's macaroni and cheese, yeah.

[Tasha Rosales]

Annie's Common.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It's a better option. But if you look at the back and okay, the ingredients are better, but it's the same nutritional makeup as macaroni and cheese. There might be like a slight difference in, like, calories or fat. And I'm. But nothing that would be, like, mind boggling. It's not healthier. It has better ingredients in it, but it's still macaroni and cheese. Right. I think that's another part of, like, your question, like, of what is something that surprised you that wasn't as healthy. And I think that a lot of people don't think of things like that. They just think, oh, this is healthier because it has better ingredients. I'm eating the healthy ice cream. You're still eating ice cream. It just has better ingredients. That's it. Like, it's still. Which is fine. You could totally eat ice cream. But it's not healthy because it's got less ingredients and it still has. It's still protein, fat, all of the things, sugar. So that's more where I sit at this point in my journey of me.

[Tasha Rosales]

And that kind of reminds me too, of that term that people use, green washing, where they. It really looks like something's organic or healthy, but they're just changing the label and making it look prettier in your. To think that you're getting a healthy swap. And this is very common. Right. There's so many places that are doing this. I'm not like, crazy that I'm seeing this.

[Ryan Seacrest]

No, everybody's doing it. Right? There's chips, right? Like, I love siete chips. If I'm gonna buy chips, it's gonna be Siete chips, Right? But there's still chips. Like, they have better oils in them. And if you buy the flavored kind, they have real ingredients flavoring them as opposed to a Dorito or a lay's chip or whatever. But it's still going to affect your body very similarly. Like, it's still just carbs.

[Tasha Rosales]

I needed to be reminded of this because I have had enough healthy swaps where I'm like, okay, this feels better. But truthfully, if I'm being so honest with myself, when I really feel good, it's when I'm cooking my own food that's from produce and I'm making stuff that's just like from nature genuinely. And that's when I feel the best, not when I'm even utilizing like these healthy organic swaps, if you will.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. And I think that it convinces people that they can eat more. Right. I'm eating the healthy crackers, so instead of a serving, I'm eating the whole box. Right. Or because they're healthy. And then people come to me to work with me and they're like, but I eat healthy and I just can't lose weight. And I'm like, okay, let's see what you're eating. You're eating an entire box of crackers every day because they're healthy. And really, that's not actually serving you.

[Tasha Rosales]

So when you are doing, like, truly, no substitutes, no swaps or anything, is your house mostly filled with produce and things that you guys are physically cooking and putting together yourselves?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I would say 85 to 90% of our diet is like whole, real food. So it's like chicken, salmon, ground beef, ground turkey. We do eat things like cottage cheese, yogurt, you know, so obviously those are like mildly processed. Right. Lots of fruits, lots of vegetables, herbs, things like that. We have really in our snack cabinet, it's mostly like pistachios, maybe some granola. We have a lot of dried fruit. My girls love dried, like the freeze dried. But for older kids, I'm like, this is like puffs, like when you were kids. But anyways, stuff like that, they like stuff like that. That's not to say that we don't have CF chips or things like that, but we've really reduced the amount that we're buying. Just if they're in there, they're just gonna eat them where. But if there's strawberries in there, they'll just eat the strawberries. So I'm like, yeah, whatever. But we have them. I. You just have to be prepared in the. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah. And that's so much of what it is, not having it around. Because once you have it around, it makes it really easy just to grab for it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. You don't want to create a negative relationship either for your kids.

[Tasha Rosales]

And that's what I was just about to ask you with your kids, because you're doing all of this. You have kids, which adds an entirely different layer of. I was talking to somebody about this on social media, and I was like, I'm so proud of myself. Like, I do this, but then I look at you and you have kids and you're doing this, and I know how hard it is just for me to be doing these things. I cannot imagine an entire family. And you're someone who is an entire family that made this swap. So what has that process been like? Was there hard moments where you're like, this is never gonna work?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, I have a pretty good story about this. So I, at one point, was extremely restrictive with them. Like, very restrictive. We went to a birthday party, and I cannot till this day tell you which one of them it was. I just can tell you. They were both there. My husband and I were both there. The kids were across the. There was a long table, and they were like, across on the other side. And one of them had a couple slices of pizza, which, whatever. We hadn't 100 given up pizza, but they had, I want to say, two cupcakes and three or four cups of Hawaiian Punch. And I wanted to die. I was like, what have I done? That's when the light went on, and I realized you cannot be overly restrictive with your kids because they are going to go out and they were going to go ham, and it's not going to be a good situation. And so that's where I came up with becoming a more informed eater. So we're making choices that are informed. Does that mean that sometimes on our way to Disneyland, we pick up In N Out Burger? Yeah. Does it mean that sometimes we run through Chick Fil a or maybe have pizza for dinner? Absolutely. We're making an informed choice. But our overall diet and lifestyle, 85 to 90% of it is food made at home that we actually enjoy. My kids know when they need vegetables, they go with my dad for a week every summer. And when they. My dad's just eat whatever you want here with Grandpa. Right. And he always says, he's like, they're so good. Like, they know when they need vegetables. They know, like, when they need fruit or whatever. But they come home and they're Like, I need like home cooked meals for the week because my dad always takes them. Like they're eating out a lot. Like they went down. They went river rafting last year for a week, so they were living in the wild. Basically. I have just helped them become really aware of their body. I started talking to them about, hey, for instance, after that situation, I'm like, hey, though, you ate a lot of cupcakes and juice and now you're in the bathroom a lot. Do you think it has anything to do with this? And so I helped them make this connection between how food is making them feel so that they can make the most informed choice wherever they are. And it's really served myself and them really well. Because at 17 and 14, my girls, they're not perfect, but they make really good choices.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah. You're teaching them healthy options and healthy.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Tasha Rosales]

And to your point, allowing them not to be restrictive where if this happens, like, you'll be okay and you'll get back on track and it'll be fine, but you're allowing that space for both of those things to happen. One, to have the information to do better, and two, for the grace to be like, you're also living in a world that this is what it is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, exactly. And to step into something. And know my youngest doesn't do dairy like 90% of the time, but sometimes she wants ice cream or sometimes she does want a pizza when she's with her friends, she knows I'm gonna eat this and I'm gonna be in the bathroom later. That's her informed choice. And she's fully aware, she's not walking around aimlessly, not aware of the fact that this really does bother her. And I think that a lot of people don't realize, like, our job is to create human beings, raise human beings that are able to go out into the world and contribute to society and take ownership for themselves. And that's really all I've ever wanted to do for them, is just help them take ownership for themselves. So they have to understand how food affects their body. If you know they're gonna go out into the world and be able to do that.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah, absolutely. You're a great mom. I hope you know that. You probably do. And I'm just telling you, but that's really cool. That's great information for them as kids. I hope that for a lot of people that they can start to have that. I'm so curious now that you're on this other side of this entire journey and you feel like you're in a really good place. You've gone the extreme end. You found your balance. You found what works. If you hadn't gone this route, like, how do you feel like your life would have been impacted. Why do you feel like this was so important that this switch happened?

[Ryan Seacrest]

If I hadn't made this choice, it makes me emotional because when we had. So we also. I have a 25 year old stepdaughter as well, so my husband's got a 25 year old. We're very close, but had we not. We had two kids at home when I had our oldest, the 17 year old. And I'll never forget, like our joints ached. His stomach had issues. She wasn't pooping. I think I would be somebody who was probably, I wouldn't say morbidly obese. I'd probably be obese. Number one, living with type 2 diabetes. 100%. At 110%, I'd be living with type 2 diabetes. I think that our 17 year old would have had some serious gut crops. I don't know. Something, maybe, whatever, could. There's so many things. There's diverticulitis, there's colitis, there's Crohn's disease. There's all kinds of different gut issues. I definitely think that her gut would have been compromised. I think that she might have type 2 diabetes had not. Because. Because I had type 2 diabetes. It also runs. She runs the chance of having it as well. Plus it's genetics. There's some genetic. A lot of genetics for us. I don't know about Kendall just because I've always seen her. She's always. Her pregnancy was the easiest. She's only ever eaten this way, so I'm not really sure. But I do believe my husband would probably be like morbidly obese. Definitely. He would probably have some sort of health issues. Our moods again. Our joints were super achy. I remember we used to say, is this what it's like to be 80? Because this is awful. We could barely step up. We had one step in our house and stepping on that just seemed so exhausting. And we were only 25 and 26.

[Tasha Rosales]

Wow.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think we would be in our 40s. We would be just tired, heavy, unmotivated. We both have a lot of energy. I can't imagine not having that.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah. And I'm sure it's hard to look back too, on your life and be like, we could have gone a drastically different direction with this. And it's so important because as you're talking about that and you're talking about your kids and them having kids. And you want to be around for all of it. You want to be part of it, not just hanging out in the background. You want to be there and be active and be part of that experience. And so often a lot of people can't because of the choices that they made 20 years prior and you guys took the choice and made the right one. And I think that's something that a lot of people hope and wish to do for themselves.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think so. I think a lot of people just don't know where to start. Or they're so sick and tired that they don't know how to get out of being sick and tired. It's just like they'll try a diet or they'll try the latest trend or some sort of supplement and that's not what works. It's really a step by step journey that never ends. There's not an end goal. It's not about getting on that diet and that just magically fixing you. You have to be committed to a lifelong journey. It's not.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Tony Robbins]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Tasha Rosales]

And was that the hardest part for you guys? You feel that it was a lifestyle change. Like when you started it, you're like, oh, I can't just do this now because I'm pregnant or because I'm going to be pregnant again or, okay, the gut health problems are gone. We can go back to normal. When you're realizing as each thing is happening, you're like, oh, yeah, this is a lifestyle. This is for, not just for right now. Was that ever daunting at moments?

[Ryan Seacrest]

No. And the reason why it wasn't daunting is because my husband and I felt so good that we were scared to feel like crap, if that makes sense.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yep.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like we already knew what it felt like to feel like crap. And then we suddenly started feeling better and it was like, now I'm scared to eat that way because I don't want to eat. I don't want to feel like crap. And that doesn't mean that we don't ever feel terrible. If I'm being honest, last weekend I felt absolutely terrible. I think it was probably the weather. I'm very like, sensitive to the weather, but I was so tired and exhausted and I remember thinking like, I hope I'm not going to feel like this for the rest of my life. Like, where did I go? What is going on? And then I woke up this morning, I'm like, I feel like a million bucks. It's study out. Like, I did everything I would normally do. I ate normal. I just kept going and pushing and we just. You're. It's not that you're never gonna have a moment again. It's just you have to realize that feeling. Feeling good is way better than feeling like crap. And let that lead you. Yeah.

[Tasha Rosales]

You also created an elder boost, if I'm correct.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes. Yeah. Okay.

[Tasha Rosales]

And why did you create this product? What does it help with? We're a part of this journey where you're like, oh, okay, this needs to happen.

[Ryan Seacrest]

First of all, was starting to create electrolytes, and there was an issue last summer with creating the electrolytes. And so I told the manufacturer. I'm like, listen, the next product that I wanted to try is more seasonal right now. So let's, you know, let's actually just create that for now. So we created the elderberry boost because I make elderberry syrup every year, and it has been life changing for us. Like, my kids start getting sick or my husband starts getting sick, and I'm like, here you go. Here you go. But this was going to provide so many different things. So not only was it going to provide freedom from having to make elderberry syrup every week, which is time consuming, it also is helpful in not just being a syrup. Like, I can take it with me. It's in, like, a small package. I would be able to take it with me. Other people would be able to take it with them. But also I was able to add things like chicory root fiber, which is really good for gut health, which you need to foster when you're not feeling well or when you're taking something to boost your immune system. We didn't have any added sugars in there. There was also some herbs like cloves and garlic, not garlic, ginger, which all help with our gut health. And so it's really interesting. So I created this. It did really well in the fall and winter. And I feel like right now people think, oh, this is like an immunity booster. I don't need it. And I'm like, no, you're going to be traveling. You want to keep your immunity. You really want to work on your immunity in spring and summer so that when you hit fall, winter, and early spring, your immunity has been fostered all summer instead of just letting it go down the dumps in the summertime. And then come fall, you're trying to, like, ramp up your immunity because you don't want to get sick, but instead just keep it as a consistent thing. So it was something that we could do year round, because I didn't really make elderberry syrup in the winter time. I'm sorry, in the summertime. And so it's just. It tastes good. It's like adding flavor to your Water. So a lot of different benefits for it. It helps with allergies, which my daughter's taking it for right now. So it's just got a wide range of benefits.

[Tasha Rosales]

And when you were creating this, I know you mentioned, like, the no added sugars and stuff like that. Were you very careful and curated in how you created this product because of how you live your life?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, I wanted clean ingredients. It's really hard to find a manufacturer also that will accept the fact that you don't want to use natural flavors, gums, certain artificial sweeteners. I was like, absolutely not. So that's why we ended up on chicory root as a sweetener, which one of my favorite drinks used to be at Pete's Coffee, and it was the black tie, and they use chicory root to sweeten it. So I. It just came to me one day. I'm like, we're gonna have to use chicory root because it adds fiber and 2 grams of fiber for a serving. And I just wanted. I wanted to make sure that it was, like, clean and tasty.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah, it's crazy to hear you say that about the manufacturers. And it's hard to find that that right there alone is so much part of the problem. People have to just because I bet there's so many companies and products that start out and have really good intentions, and then you just fall into this trap because of the way things have been done and created, that it just ends up back to another product on the shelf that isn't good for you. And that's crazy. I bet it's been a wild experience for you being on the other side of that to see, oh, yeah, this is a very deep down problem. This is beyond just what you're seeing on the store shelves.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It really is like getting the other side of it has been wild. I'm like, no wonder. Also, there's some things that I've learned too that like, maybe people don't need to necessarily worry about. For instance, when I was talking about electrolytes, with them having a lemon electrolyte, it has to be dried with a certain agent. Like, it's absolutely impossible to not do it with a gum agent, but they use, like, one of the best gums that you can use. But people have also been able to get away with not putting it on their packaging, which is false labeling. And because I was like, how do these companies get away with it? And he was like, they're just not putting it on there. Or they're putting an asterisk at the bottom so people don't notice. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so eye opening. Because there's some things you just can't get away from and it's legitimate, but you can get away from natural flavors or using artificial sweeteners and things like that.

[Tasha Rosales]

Is that the things too that. Because you see it across the board online, like the, these flavor profiles, these, the sweeteners, the oils, are those just. They're just so bad.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They're horrible. I don't like to demonize just because everybody's in a different place in their journey, but I would say especially so, like the sweeteners. Yes. So AC Sulfane, potassium sucrose. Terrible for your gut. Absolutely terrible. Like, I. Those are a hard no for me. I'm like, I'm not going to consume those. Now the oils, do I try to avoid them? Yes. But am I terrified of them and not ever? Like, I still eat out. So obviously whatever I'm eating is probably. The salad dressing is probably one of those oils. If you go to most restaurants, they're going to cook in some of those oils. So do I avoid them in my everyday life? Yes. But should we be running for the hills from them? We don't need to. There was also a really huge study recently done that actually nobody's really talking about. I think in this space because it's so opposite of what we have been saying. But like 200,000 people were followed for over 30 years. And it came back that those who consumed small amounts of like canola oil actually had healthier outcomes than those who were consistently eating butter. Now, do I think there's nuance to this? Yes. But I think that it does prove the point that a lot of people are like, oh, stay away from the Omega 6s. And it's, wait a minute, we do need those. We just are consuming too many because we. There was a study done in like the 70s, or I think it was the 70s or early 80s, I can't remember where it said canola oil is really good for you. What happened? We put it in every processed food possible. And so now we're over consuming these oils when the study said a tablespoon a day.

[Tasha Rosales]

And it's in everything.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's everything. So now we're consuming like 12 tablespoons a day instead of one tablespoon. So that's why our inflammation is off. And we do need omega sixes. Like you actually need some. It's just that we are thrown so off balance because we are over consuming ultra processed Processed foods, if that makes sense.

[Tasha Rosales]

So, yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So do I avoid those oils? Yes. But am I like, oh, my gosh, I can't even eat out like some people do? No. Like, I will eat a French fry. Like, I will absolutely enjoy that, but I'm gonna go home and eat my normal food then.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah. Yeah. It's all about balance. And you guys have found that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Tasha Rosales]

I'm so curious for someone who is listening to this and they're like, dang, I really want to do this, but I am so overwhelmed and this sounds scary, and there's no way that I can do this. What would you say to that person who's sitting here, I want to do this. I want to consider it. But also, I'm gonna probably go to the grocery store and still buy my same stuff because it's just easier.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I would just say start with one to three small things, whether that's one to three ingredients that you're like, I really wanna get familiar with these three ingredients. And it does take time in the beginning. Like, typically in the beginning of doing this, you're spending a lot of time at the grocery store reading the ingredient labels and, like, getting more familiar. But over time, if you think about it and you read this ingredient label and you're like, this is a hard no for me. You put it back, you never pick up that package again. You're not ever going to be. So you just saved yourself. The next time you go, you're not going to be doing it. Now, that doesn't mean that, you know, if something's good, you shouldn't read it every time. If I consistently buy this product, I still read it every time, just as I'm putting it in the cart, just to make sure nothing's changed. So, one, I would start with like one to three and ingredients. If that's your. Like it where you want to start. If it's more of I just want to start cooking better at home or I want to start cooking more at home, then I would say choose one. No more than three new recipes for each week. Three is a lot. Typically I say one to two, but one to three, depending on how ambitious you are. New recipes for the week that are simple and easy. Under 30 minutes, it's like chicken, broccoli, rice. And if you need something with more flavor or more substance or something like that, find some recipes on Pinterest or something. But start with one or two new meals each week and start getting comfortable with those. Because really, a lot of it has to do with the fact that you're nervous about cooking these meals because it's going to take time and it's exhausting. And oh, this, that or the other. When your brain learns that it wasn't actually that hard, your brain's more likely to say, hey, let's make that again. It tasted good. It didn't take that long. We feel better. Let's do that. So just start with one or two things. No matter what avenue you want to take, don't try to go all or nothing. Don't do the 30 day challenge where you just rid everything. And then. Because what happens after 30 days, you revert back. Yeah. You're like, oh, now I have freedom. Just start a journey, don't start a destination type.

[Tasha Rosales]

Something that shocked me when I was on your social media pages was spices. I didn't know we had to pay attention to the stinking spices. I was so shocked. Like, I was paying attention to everything else. And I was looking on your page, I was like, cinnamon? Are you kidding me? I like, my whole body was just like defeated in a way because I was just like. Because spices and things like that are how you make some of these bland foods taste a little bit better. So you enjoy healthier foods than the things that you're cooking. So what is the deal with spices? Because that just blew my mind.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I feel like spices are something that you think about, like when you're further in your journey. If you're just starting out, I would say don't stress on the spices quite yet. Let's take a step back. But spices a, they have some ingredients in them that you might not want. Right. So that's another hidden source of the oils, the industrial oils. It's a hidden source of ingredients that might affect your thyroid. It's also a hidden source of a lot of toxins. So like McCormick, a, as a society, this was probably longer than you wanted, but as a society, we are consuming like 150% more spice than we were a hundred years ago or something like that. So we're consuming a lot of spices now because we just are obsessed with flavor. And that's a lot of times because of artificial flavors and natural flavors. And so we're adding a lot more into our diet. And so the reason it come becomes important is because a lot of these spices do have high, certain toxins. They're all different just depending. But we're also eating, like consuming cinnamon because we think it's good for us. Right. Or like, good for our blood sugar. Regular, like Saigon cinnamon or cinnamon. That's in the store actually doesn't have any health benefits for your blood sugar. It's actually Salon Cinnamon that has the health benefits. But for all these years we've been told like, oh, it's cinnamon. Nobody was ever specific about it. It's actually Ceylon Cinnamon is the one that, you know has the benefits. And it's also lower in toxins and things like that. But also when you're dealing with plants and things like that, they're growing in soil and things like that. And so there are some things that are just going to be in fruits, vegetables, herbs, things like that. And our body is able to excrete those because we are consuming fiber. So when you consume herbs, fruits, vegetables, and we are excreting those. So, yeah, spices are extremely important. I would definitely buy organic. I would definitely make sure that you're buying organic if you can. And then the best quality Consumer Reports has done it, I think twice now. I could be wrong, but they've done it twice now and I trust them. Simply Organic has been like number one every single time. And they are expensive. But Whole Foods has really good sales sometimes and they're pretty darn cheap when they do the sales.

[Tasha Rosales]

Okay, pro tip right there. I'm so glad I remembered to ask you that because I. It just blew my mind and it should have. At this point where I'm at in my journey of changing everything over, nothing really shocks me anymore. But somehow I still find moments where I'm like, dang it, I didn't think of that part.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, yeah. But again, like, if you're not gonna go out to a restaurant, be like, oh, you don't use those, right? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, depending on where. If this is like the last, like when you had asked me about where to start or whatever, I definitely wouldn't start with spices. I think they have bigger problems than spices. Like, I would start somewhere else first.

[Tasha Rosales]

Yeah. And again, all about balance, for sure. But yeah, also it's really important to have these conversations because it allows us to be a little bit more open minded and just, just more informed and question a little bit more about what's going on with our bodies and what's going inside of them.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yep, exactly.

[Tasha Rosales]

This is how I end my podcast, but a piece of advice thought, or just a topic that maybe we didn't get to, but something that you really hope for people that they take away at the end of the day, if it's only this is what they take away.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think just to lead with intent you want to create a healthier lifestyle, lead in that way. Start leading your life in that way. Even if that's just one step. Even if that's just eating one salad a day, Even if that's just starting to eat breakfast, even if that's just starting to drink more water. Just start leading that way and start telling yourself like I am. I lead a healthy lifestyle. I lead a healthy lifestyle because I love it. I lead a healthy lifestyle because I want to feel good. Instead of putting yourself through something that's riddled with guilt or riddled with rules and expectations, find what's important to you and start leading your life that way.

[Tasha Rosales]

I love that. And that's the perfect way for us to end on Tasha, thank you so much for joining me, sharing your story and being here and all the expertise and knowledge you've learned over the years. It's really great to see talk with you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, thanks for having me. This has been fun.

[Tasha Rosales]

Whether it was the topic of spices or the healthy but not so healthy swaps, or how to detoxify your life in so many different ways. I hope you were able to take something from this episode that can help you on your own healing and health and wellness journey, because I know I'm currently on it. And as always, thank you for being here. Make sure you subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast because we have some fun episodes coming up. And go follow the Instagram page and takethispersonally. I'll talk to you guys next week.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Bye. Gatorade zero the number one proven electrolyte blend made with zero sugar, designed to hydrate better than water so you can lose more sweat and push more limits. Gatorade Zero is it in you? Every business has an ambition. PayPal Open is the platform designed to help you grow into yours with business loans so you can expand and access to hundreds of millions of PayPal customers worldwide. And your customers can pay all the ways they want with PayPal, Venmo, pay later and all major cards so you can focus on scaling up when it's time to get growing.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Open grow today at paypalopen.com loans subject to approval in available locations. Untold Stories Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition, a production from Ruby Studio in partnership with Argenics is back with Season four. Join me Martine Hackett, as we explore the realities of life with myasthenia gravis or MG and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy or cidp. We'll uncover the stories of resilience and self advocacy in the face of uncertainty. From overcoming misdiagnosis to finding empowerment in small victories, these are moments that change us. Here's a glimpse of what's in store. Whenever I go to my specialist, he.

[Tasha Rosales]

Mentions the R word.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Remission. Is it possible?

[Tasha Rosales]

Like, is it over?

[Ryan Seacrest]

But also knowing it's never really over, but just being able to say, hey, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Stay the course. Don't give up on yourself. Every single person living with the autoimmune.

[Tasha Rosales]

Illness has a life worth living, and.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It'S up to you to define that, to capture that, and to go guns blazing. Follow and listen to untold Stories on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.