Today’s episode #58 -- Awe Heals & You've Gotta be Weird to be Well, was inspired by a gentleman who asked me for some parting words of advice. It truly touched me — his vulnerability and desire to heal, and I wrote to him the following (which is not mentioned in the audio portion of the podcast):If there is one thing I can leave you with, it's intention. Some would call it discipline. Diet culture/mentality tells us we can be on/off "track" or the "wagon," but the real, genuine truth is that we shouldn't and can't if we want to be truly vital. Each day is an opportunity to nourish, and the choices we make directly affect every single cell in our body. This doesn't mean perfection is required; after all, we're human and sometimes we just want pleasure. But we must be honest about the nutrient richness (or lack thereof), as well as the fact that most of what Americans eat is not in my opinion actual food. We live in a drive thru/drive by culture of carbs and sugar and snacks and products that deliver no nutrition or worse in the form of preservatives, dyes, emulsifiers, conditioners, etc. Which means the darned truth is that you have to be ok with being "weird" to be healthy, at least in this food environment. So at the end of the day, it's making a decision to put your health first. To choose real whole food single ingredients and spend the time necessary to purchase/prepare/enjoy. ("I don't have time" to me means that the person talking has not chosen his/her health first.") Before the temptations. Before the default setting to worry about it tomorrow. Before anything else really. Kind of like putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others. Might even seem "selfish" to others, but then again a lot of people don't value their health.

The above inspired my message in today’s pod: that you gotta be a little weird to be well in today’s food environment. It might get ya called “picky,” “anal,” or even worse, but I dare to ask, what does this say about the person name calling? Does he value his health? Does she comprehend the value of a healthspan versus a lifespan?In a culture where nutrient deficiencies and metabolic disease are RAMPANT, there’s one thing that is crystal clear to me: much of the advice we’ve been given for decades is REALLY BAD. In fact, this realization circa 2016 is what inspired me to go back to grad school, wind out of my marketing and management consulting agency, and forge a new path forward with The Nourishment Mindset and my work as a health coach via Favor Fat. I went through a stages of grief in a way — first denial, then anger/bargaining/depression and acceptance plus a desire to help our culture cultivate vitality.In order to do so, prioritizing at least five things is critical: nutrition; Nature and natural light; sleep; movement; and your personal environment. I discuss each of these with examples and offer a look back at previous episodes such as #2 Get Your Fats Right, #35 Let’s Talk Zzzzs, #28 The Real Benefits of Exercise, and #14 Simplify & Detox Your Life. And end with a quote from one of my favorite sites, Grateful Living: "When suffering constricts the heart, awe stretches it back out, making us more compassionate, loving and present.” Getting out in Nature is one of the best ways to cultivate vitality AND you get a free boost of natural light with Vitamin D included!

-FINE READ-When I found out Dr. Cate Shanahan, one of my three nutrition super duper heroes, was writing a new book I jumped at the opportunity to pre-order it. After all, it was on Vinnie Tortorich’s podcast in 2015(ish) that I learned about her work and one of the two books that changed the course of my life personally and professionally, Deep Nutrition. Her latest work of art, Dark Calories, is a phenomenal read and provides a deep dive into the ills of her aptly named Hateful Eight, the vegetable and seed oils that wreak havoc upon our health. In today’s episode, I discuss some of my key takeaways — one of which brings me back to my two decades in the wine industry: oxidation. Y’all, it ain’t good for (the vast majority of wines) and it ain’t good for YOU. To get the others, you’ll need to listen to the episode and seriously consider getting your own copy of Dark Calories. Mine is at least 20% dog-eared, which is an indication of concepts that are either new to me — a metabolic dork, or need to be rendered unforgettable. Imagine my utter amazement when I read through the Acknowledgements and saw my own name there! This is like having your favorite rock star or celebrity mention you. (I don’t care about rock stars or celebrities.) And I’m in some pretty good company. #GraciousGratitude!!!

-FINE RECIPE-So this one is admittedly a little different; one of my son’s creations. He loves the idea of orange soda and I will admit has tasted Fanta, but when he asked me to buy a pack at the store, I (shockingly) refused. And yes, he already knows why: colorants, citric acid, etc. Instead, I asked him how he might recreate Fanta at home. And he came up with an organic orange soda recipe (available on FavorFat.Substack.com).

-FINE FIND-I’m repeating here as a continued show of love to Chef James Barry, creator of Pluck, a delish salty spice that helps you micro-dose mega nutrients in organs! Nourishment Mindset listeners get a special 15% Eat Pluck discount: simply use the code NourishmentMindset when shopping on the company’s website, EatPluck.com!

-PRETTY PLEASE-If you haven’t purchased my book and you’ve made it all the way to the end of this monthly newsletter, let’s get movin’: you may do so on Amazon or my website for a signed copy shipped free of charge. Be sure to check out Dr. Cate’s quote on the back cover!If you’re a sweetheart and have already purchased, please consider spreading the love by recommending it to a friend and/or writing me a review on Amazon! More important than supporting my work, you’re spreading our metabolic mission to help people achieve vitality through real whole foods, straight talk and the pleasures of the table!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit favorfat.substack.com