The BS We Feed Ourselves — Gut/Brain healing for overachievers – Details, episodes & analysis

Here’s what I’ve learned over these last 32 episodes. There isn’t any one smoking gun as to why we’re sick. Why we’re in the middle of a disease epidemic in this country. It’s multi-layered and fraught with nuance. The culmination of parts and allowances we feed ourselves daily, hourly, just to cope in a world that is too fast, diverse, polluted, and expansive for our brains to keep up with. This is why we’re here. 

Summary: Mark McTavish is the founder and CEO of 101 Cider House as well as a devoted cider fan, lover of artistic beverages, and a true health nut.  Mark is a former bodybuilder and native of Toronto, Canada.  After helping to pioneer the craft beer industry in Canada, Mark began to give up the suds in favor of cider. His goal to make "the world’s healthiest alcoholic beverage.” 

What We Learn: 

2:29 What If I make the world’s healthiest alcoholic beverages 

5:51 I think we're giving alcohol a bad name when it's our behavior that's actually the problem. 

8:53 Cider is paleo-friendly…

14:52 Can I cook with cider? 

16:00 “Healthiest alcohols” according to Mark 

17:30 Rich People and Wine (Mark’s Thoughts)

23:24 Ask questions. Support natural winemakers ... Sonoma

25:14 Tequila is the healthiest hard liquor? 

31:37 That's why I love the ethos of your podcast. it's not just the physical stuff we're munching on.

Quotes: 

"You have a responsibility to investigate what you're putting into your own body.” - Mark McTavish

“We’re not eating things that are good for our gut typically until our late 20s when we start to learn about our diet. When we take a more mindful approach and we start to discover these things, we cling to diets like keto, paleo, fodmap, and all these things to be more symptomatically driven. We’re not really getting ahead of anything, we’re thinking about how we fix ourselves. And one of the things that have messed us up the most in our 20s is drinking alcohol. More systematically driven. “ - Mark McTavish

SUBSCRIBE TO SHAWNA’S NEWSLETTER FOR A 25% DISCOUNT ON 101 CIDER HOUSE OR PULP CULTURE. 

Helpful Links:

101 Cider House Website: 101cider.com.

Pulp Culture Website: pulpculture.la

Shawna's Website: https://www.shawnabigbydavis.com/

The BS We Feed Ourselves Website: TheBSWeFeedOurselves.com

The BS We Feed Ourselves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebswefeedourselves/

Shawna’s personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnabigbydavis/

Summary: Emily Fletcher, a leading expert in meditation, author and founder of The Ziva Technique is helping thousands of people to uplevel their health, sleep and sex life, kick-ass at work and at home through meditation.  The New York Times, The Today Show, Vogue, and ABC News have all featured Emily's work. She has taught The Ziva Technique to more than 15,000 students around the world. Find her book Stress Less, Accomplish More on Amazon now. 

What We Learn: 

05:25 - The Ziva Technique: Trifecta of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Manifesting

06:01 - Definition of Meditation: A tool to relieve stress-- simplest version. 

08:19 - If we ask terrible questions, we're going to get terrible answers. 

09:06 - "there is no manifesting without clearing the trauma" 

09:35 - Stress makes us stupid, sick and slow. And, my type a's don't like hearing that. They're like "no, I need my stress." 

09:48 - IE: There's a reason you can't find your key's when you're rushing to get out the door. (stress makes us stupid, sick and slow). 

12:38 - stress is wreaking havoc on our bodies. According to Harvard Medical School, Stress is responsible for 90 % of all doctor's visits. 

14:16 - People are doing Ziva because they know Stress is costing them time. They're not getting sleep... etc

15:38 - you do a few mins a twice a day

17:30 - Mark Hyman says for the 3 mins invest in Ziva, I get 3 hours of productivity back, a day. 

21:17 - 2x breath for those super busy people  who don't want to meditate

22:42 - listener questions: like" Is meditation boring?"  (is showering boring?) 

25:34 - Is it best to meditate first thing in the morning... according to Emily: yes

25:49 - Don't have coffee until you've done your morning meditation

28:14 - Explanation of how we're seeking fullfillment

28:50 - People are terrified of feelings

34:11 - How to manifest: ask yourself "What would I love right now?"

35:55 - Make sure your dreams are still your dreams (not the ones you made up as a child.) 

37:04 - What's the most pressing need of the time, which of my skills best serve teh need of the time, which of these skills would I like to use? which of these skills would I like to use righ tnow?

40:25 - It is terrifying how your body will break down if you're not sleeping.

45:28 - "I preach what I need to hear because I am a recovering control freak." - Emily Fletcher

48:30 - How to "meditate" on your own

49:48 - What's in Shawna's bag? Segment 

Links Mentioned 

Emily's Book: Stress Less, Accomplish More: https://www.amazon.com/Stress-Less-Accomplish-More-Extraordinary/dp/0062747509

Emily Fletcher's website: https://zivameditation.com

The BS We Feed Ourselves website: http://thebswefeedourselves.com/

The BS We Feed Ourselves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebswefeedourselves/

Shawna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnabigbydavis/

Summary: Britt Reuter, a certified nutrition specialist, business owner and author of eBook “Girl’s Guide to Reversing Hair Loss.”   She shares what hair loss and being a feminist have in common.  Britt’s personal experience with chronic inflammation as well as her formal training in nutrition and functional medicine led her to empower women. Her goal is to help women overcome symptoms they feel stuck with so they can get back to living their best life.

What We Learn: 

02:27 Britt’s Story 

03:32 Explanation of Hashimotos and Graves Disease

04:54 Non-experts on social media

07:53 How do you look for a hidden infection? 

10:57 What's your hair loss type QUIZ info? 

11:12 Ebook: Girls Guide to Reversing Hair Loss

18:20 Britt's thoughts on patriarchal standards of beauty

19:17 Overtraining and undereating is a classified issue. 

19:46 I've been on a diet since I was 14-years-old. - Shawna 

19:59 “So much of our economy is making women feel like crap about themselves.” 

27:39 Can people regrow their hair or make it thicker again? 

30:19 Grace McCalmon mention

30:54 Keto and hair loss

31:55 personality types and autoimmune issues

35:20 Britt's struggles

36:22 Childhood trauma and how it influences autoimmune

39:46 When your values are clear your decisions are easy. 

41:50 “PTSD doesn't always happen because you saw something violent happen one time, sometimes it's a series of things that make you feel traumatized over time. And, that's more my story.” - Britt  

45:19 “Something I have to tell myself constantly as a female entrepreneur is that my worth is not directly linked to my productivity.” - Britt 

47:03 The BS Britt was feeding herself: Self-loathing because of what her body had done to her.

47:39 “Having a fear motivated protocol isn't really going to allow you to achieve the level of wellness you want.” - Britt

54:57 Be Your Own Advocate - Shawna

Links Mentioned: 

URL: www.brittreuter.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutritionbritt

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nutritionbritt

Free Gift Options: 

“What’s Your Hair Loss Type?” Healthy hair starts here! Learn Your Hair Loss Type by Taking This Free Quiz ->  https://mailchi.mp/brittreuter/hair_loss_type

“Girl’s Guide to Dry Shampoo”. Learn how many of the commercial brands are damaging to your hair and get my top clean-beauty picks for what to use instead. https://mailchi.mp/brittreuter/dry_shampoo

Shawna’s Website: https://www.thebswefeedourselves.com/

Shawna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnabigbydavis/

BSWFO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebswefeedourselves/

Summary:  Karden Rabin is an author,  health and wellness expert, and teacher.  In this episode, Karden shares how so many of us are “addicted to stress” and what we can do overcome our appetite for stress and live truly healthier and more sustainable lives.  One tip, Type A personalities can make sure to prioritize their health as well as their clients with some simple phrases like, "let me get back to you" before saying "yes!" 

What We Learn: 

07:20 - How saying "let me get back to you" before saying "yes!" will make you happier and healthier. How type a's can make sure to prioritize their health as well as their clients

07:50 - "I’m tired of being tired."

08:00 - There is an equal and opposite resentment inside of us for everyone and everything we take care of.

08:40 - This is my life’s work, I feel like I need to be a representative of it, not a perfect example of it.

9:26 - Why Karden is Paranoid about "guru-isms'

11:15 - Hospitalized approx 20 times for near-death asthma

12:49 - Benefits of acupuncture

13:15 - I find a little piece of me in each person - love this line by Shawna

15:01 - Karden's emotional correlations with Asthma

15:12 - "Stressed The F*ck Out" - Karden's book.  being addicted to feeling stressed. Shawna loved stress

22:01 - if you've ever had a boss that has made you feel "unsafe at work.”  There's a good chance your body/mind reacted in a way that caused you to feel ill.

24:58 - Stress school - integrated stress management

25:10 - Could meditation be holistic Xanax for your 'bad marriage?"

33:28 - The BS Karden was feeding himself.

35:33 -The ONE thing Karden strives for every day. I think that's a good reality check about what life is about AND the importance of gratitude.

40:59 - What's in Shawna’s bag mention.  - Dandelion Root Tea

42:13 - What's in Karden's Bag? A backup pair of underwear, tissues and a checkbook! 

Links Mentioned: 

Karden Rabin's Stress School at www.kardenrabin.com

Be part of the first-ever Stress School class!

Summary:  Michelle and Keith Norris are the founders of Paleo f(x), the world’s best holistic healing and wellness event. In this episode, they talk about how you can optimize your health. They also share tools you need to manage burnout, and advice on how to maintain a loving relationship while building a business.

What We Learn: 

06:28 - From Corporate America to Entrepreneurs Transition

07:04 - I was really angry that in order to be healthy I had to give up these foods I loved so much.

09:31 - 10.5 years ago their daughter Brittany was killed in a car accident. Killed 3-days before her 23rd birthday and a week before her college graduation.

11:06 - "We were rocked. Our close family, our friends thought we had lost our minds when we said, in the middle of this recession... teetering on bankruptcy… this is the time you picked to be entrepreneurs?"

11:54 - We needed to do something to continue Brittany’s legacy of changing people's lives." -Michelle

15:17 -  The “go big or go home” conversation

15:32 - In 2011, October Michelle and Keith made the decision to launch a small version of Paleo f(x); in November they decided to make it EVEN BIGGER for it’s March 2012 launch.  

21:38 - Michelle's Autoimmune Issues

24:41 - How do you stay in business and married for 20 years?  Plant Medicine.

25:21 - Human Design: Your Underlying Operating System

31:34 - The "Sh*tty Roommate" who lives in your mind...

44:01 - The Importance of trauma release

45:41 - Plant Medicines - the Specifics of Ayahuasca?

59:04 - Michelle’s Daily Affirmations

01:01:38 - Control is an allusion. Lessons in hiring a team.

01:08:42 - The BS Keith is feeding himself

01:10:39 - The BS Michelle is feeding herself

About Paleo f(x) 2020:  

This year’s event: spans 3-days and features multiple stages and a massive vendor fair. There’s an array of keynote presentations, mastermind panels, cooking demos, and workshops, all led by cutting ­edge health practitioners, scientists in a variety of fields, coaches and gym owners, New York Times best­selling authors, popular bloggers, community and sustainability activists, biohackers, chefs, and more. This April 24-26th in Austin, Texas. 

Links Mentioned: 

Paleo f(x) Website: https://www.paleofx.com/

Register for 2020 Conference: paleofx.com/paleo-fx-event/

Coupon Code: BSPFX35 

The BS We Feed Ourselves Website: TheBSWeFeedOurselves.com

The BS We Feed Ourselves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebswefeedourselves/

Shawna’s personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnabigbydavis/

Summary: Gary Ware, a TEDx Talk Speaker, and Play Consultant works with top executives and Fortune 500 companies, like Google. He runs workshops about how incorporating  “play” into your day can help you be more productive. He has a 99.9% success rate and has a lot to say about how PLAY helped him and how it can help you overcome burnout, improve your mindset, business, and relationships. 

What We Learn: 

03:46 How to play with your kids without panicking about getting back to work

05:49 What is a play consultant?

14:26 The improv class that changed Gary’s life; and the importance of psychological safety at work. 

20:19 Gary’s startup failure

24:57 Example of a game you can play now to improve your productivity

28:44 Warning signs of burnout 

31:06 How to play if it’s hard for you to move; not all play is physical 

32:56 Gary’s 5 Tips to Activate Your PLAY drive

41:52 Play it forward Fridays

42:13 Legos!!!

43:26 The cool thing about play, is play can change your perception. 

43:39 Schedule play, see how it will make you feel and the mindset will come after

45:30 That’s the cool thing about play, you can get wins very fast. 

47:41 What makes a high performing team? Aristotle research

51:04 Gary’s thoughts on failure

52:13 When everyone starts connecting and lighting up and having fun, they end up being the most...

58:10 Dad guilt, it's a thing

01:07:00 The BS Gary’s feeding himself: in order to be an exceptional dad, I need to know everything

01:11:52 What’s in Shawna’s bag, what’s in Gary’s bag?

Links Mentioned: 

Gary’s Website: http://www.breakthroughplay.com/

Gary’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garyware/

Gary’s Linkedin Show: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyware/

The BS We Feed Ourselves Website: TheBSWeFeedOurselves.com

The BS We Feed Ourselves Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebswefeedourselves/

Shawna’s personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnabigbydavis/

Book Mentioned: Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul   By, Dr. Stuart Brown

Summary: Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, entrepreneur, and founder of Emily McDowell and Friends - a company specializing in greeting cards and other products that speak to the human condition. Their mission is to help people connect when they’re not sure what to say. McDowell, 43, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24. In this episode, she opens up about what her diagnosis taught her about the human condition. She also shares the trials and triumphs of launching her now successful greeting card company and how it continued to affect her health. 

What We Learn: 

“I used humor as a coping mechanism. That was my primary coping mechanism. I would rather be living a life where I don't have to cope with, so I don't have to use humor to get through my day. I would rather be living that version of my life, than the version where I'm funny but miserable.” - Emily McDowell 

02:30 - Was Emily Running Away?

02:52 - Running away doesn't work, because wherever you go, there you are. Like it says on the bumper sticker. 

07:16 - How Emily has separated her identity from her productiveness

09:01 - Feel like you're on a hamster wheel?? So did Emily. Then she realized it was in her head.

11:09 - Realizing what makes you tick and why you react a certain way is instrumental in the healing process-- Shawna explains

11:40 - What is it about me that is so upset by this thing?

14:16 - What if "healing" means losing the thing that makes us interesting? (Or funny?)

17:33 - Humor as a coping mechanism

22:43 - Dealing with “copy cats”

23:01- The BS I’m feeding myself is that sharing my story is attention-seeking.  -Emily McDowell

26:33 - Emily gets real about her “management style”  and "dealing with conflict"

27:50 - Reveals she "sucks" at THIS thing

30:05 - “It's not often that we get to create something that really MAKES A DIFFERENCE for people, and the feedback that we've gotten over the years from thousands and thousands of people is about how THIS THING has changed relationships and given them an opportunity to reconnect and apologize, support… etc.” - Emily McDowell 

30:46 - THIS makes me feel seen, and all the other stuff makes me feel even worse

Links Mentioned 

Emily McDowell and Friends:  Website

Emily McDowell business: Instagram

Emily McDowell personal: Instagram

Shawna’s: Instagram

BSWFO: Instagram

The BS We Feed Ourselves: Website 

Coupon Code: Use the Code NOMOREBS anytime before March 1st, 2020 for 20-Percent off any order at emilymcdowell.com.

Summary: Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, entrepreneur, and founder of Emily McDowell and Friends - a company specializing in greeting cards and other products that speak to the human condition. Their mission is to help people connect when they’re not sure what to say. McDowell, 43, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24. In this episode, she opens up about what her diagnosis taught her about the human condition. She also shares the trials and triumphs launching her now successful greeting card company and how it continues to affect her health. 

What We Learn: 

00:48 - 24-years-old and learning of stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer diagnosis nightmare

03:04 - She's 43-years-old now.

04:45 - Most people don't know what to do, what to say, how to deal when someone close to them gets sick. 

05:52 - "If I was better at having cancer, people would step up and bring me casseroles and take me to chemo."

06:55 - Why it’s good to be awkward. 

08:23 - What we can do for each other is just bare witness to the pain and be there.

11:48 - "I did what I loved as a kid which was writing and drawing."  

12:34 - I really had always wanted to make greeting cards because greeting cards, for me, felt like the perfect intersection of everything I like to do, which was writing, illustration and also human psychology.

12:45 - This was 2012 and I put it in my Etsy shop... and I was like, “Ya know what? If 5 people buy this, great. I'll make $40, but those five people are going to be so psyched than this is just worth it. I'll take a dive into this because I just really want this to be in the world.”

13:53 - Her first card - viral story

18:23 - Her failed business attempt

26:03 - Burnout discuss

32:48 - Harsh business lesson for growing solopreneuer

41:31 - Transformative trip to Bali

45:36 -  Did Emily run away?

52:35 - “If I don’t get right with myself, I’m going to spend the rest of my life chasing some high that I’ll feel for 3 mins and then it will be just replaced with anxiety about where I get the next one.” 

Links Mentioned 

Emily McDowell and Friends:  Website

Emily McDowell business: Instagram

Emily McDowell personal: Instagram

Shawna’s: Instagram

BSWFO: Instagram

The BS We Feed Ourselves: Website 

Coupon Code: Use the Code NOMOREBS anytime before March 1st, 2020… for 20-Percent off any order at emilymcdowell.com.

Summary: Max Mentzer found a way to balance his hormones easily, lose weight and maintain it, all while managing his Type 1 Diabetes. His lifestyle change helped him gain incredible amounts of focus and energy and is now helping others do the same. In this New Year’s episode Shawna and “Keto Chef Max” dive into actionable tips on how you can “go Keto on a budget,” “make time to cook for yourself,” and provide some Keto hacks! 

What We Learn: 

01:12 "Born with Type 1 Diabetes" learning how to manage

04:11 What culinary school taught Max about nutritious cooking

06:00 Signs of diabetes in babies

10:36 The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

11:49 “My food is geared toward the lifestyle I want to live” - Keto Chef Max

11:58 “Keto not only works for managing my diabetes, but it also helps me live the lifestyle I want to live.”

12:59 Keto cooking hacks: The hardest thing about keto is COOKING! 

14:05 Staple Fats in the Keto Diet 

1. Avocado
2. Eggs  
3. Bacon

14:13 Keto isn't cheap: How to meal prep

• Max says “find the cheapest piece of meat you can possibly make, then it can either be braised, roasted or smoked.”

14:59 On why farmers markets are budget-friendly

17:17 Keto Cereal Recipe

• Erythritol, Almond Flour, and… 

22:39 “Keto and fasting for women is a lot harder”

22:43 Shawna shares how ketosis made her hair fall out

25:07 “For a Type 1 diabetic, it's kind of scary to think about it, but the fact that my levels are so good, my A1C is phenomenal, all this other stuff that has to do with diabetes, just being on this diet improved my life drastically! - What Max would tell his younger self. 

26:26 “Kale 🥬 has carbs?!”

27:27 Why heavy cream may be better than your whey protein powder...

27:45 Max Gen Labs: How to EAT For Your Genetics 

30:58 "First of all, get educated on what you're trying to do. Don't just assume that the stuff you see on Instagram is how you should be eating because there are so many different ways you can be eating and abusing the Keto Diet actually, for instance, there's a thing called Dirty Keto." -- Keto Chef Max. 

31:39 Braising vs Roasting (Max's go-to skill)

41:45 “Cured egg yolk recipe”

43:07 "Cooking is a craft, but it doesn't have to be. You don't have to look at it like, I don't have time to be doing this kinda stuff. It’s like, where do I get my time? I put my idea together and I look at it like, "okay, I have 30 minutes where I can make this. I just need the ingredients. Maybe the day before, you get all of your ingredients and supplies before you start cooking. Then, the next day you go through and get all the plating setups and everything you're trying to do. It just depends. You prep that stuff according to your schedule. Have the time to make yourself good food." 

43:59 The BS Max tells himself: “am I worth what I’m doing right now?” 

45:32 surround yourself with things you love to do and people who want to encourage you and love you. 

48:50 fat bombs: aka "the candy of keto"

Resources / Links Mentioned: 

Dr. Eric Berg - insight on everything you need if you want to do Keto https://www.drberg.com/

Dr. Ken Berry -  insight for regarding Keto and Type 2 Diabetes https://www.kendberrymd.com/

Max’s Website

Max’s Instagram 

Max’s Book The Incredible Edible Egg

• Egg25 - for discount 

The BS We Feed Ourselves  Website; Instagram

Shawna’s Instagram