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Functional Nutrition Radio

Functional Nutrition Radio brings evidence-based information to help you and your family live happier and healthier. Lahana Vigliano, CEO of Nuvitru Wellness, wants to arm women with the knowledge to change future generations + put back hope in health issues where all hope was lost. Lahana is functional medicine trained and looks at health diving deep into the root cause and figuring out how we can get to OPTIMAL health!
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Now displaying: December, 2018
Dec 25, 2018

Connect with Lahana over on FacebookInstagram, + her blog

Book your FREE phone call with me to get started on taking back your health and feeling the best you've ever felt! 

Grab the Thrival Nutrition Multivitamin from Amazon today!

Welcome to the Thrival Nutrition Podcast with me as your host, Lahana Vigliano, owner of Thrival Nutrition + board certified clinical nutritionist. We’re on episode 145 talking about lessening your stress in the New Year. Stress is a heath issue often overlooked, but it’s JUST as important as eating healthy and exercising. I want you to leave stress behind this year. Well, as much as possible. I understand sometimes life throws us into crazy situations, scenarios, and things we can’t always control, BUT for the most part, stress from our every day hustle and problems are something that we CAN control.

Before we get started, I wanted to thank ya’ll from the bottom of my heart for waiting patiently for our multivitamin to come back in stock. Hopefully, that is the LAST time we will ever be out of stock and we’ll reorder on time. We’re still getting used to this whole supplement gig. But seriously, thank you for bearing with us + it’s NOW available on Amazon again! If you follow me around social media, you probably already know that, but for people that strictly follow me here on the podcast. IT’S HERE! Finally! Just in time for the New Year! Go into the show notes + order yourself a bottle over on Amazon to start your New Year nourished up!

This podcast is also a hint on what’s to come in the New Year with expanding our supplement line! We’re so excited about it + I’ll let you know more when we start the production process of product #2, but it’s going to be a good one to take if you find your stress levels hard to handle.

What does stress do to our body?

Let’s get a little science-y for a second for all my science nerds out there! I know for me that learning more about the body and what it’s doing helps me understand things better + motivate me to make this a priority! Stress comes in many different ways – emotionally, physically, mentally. It all triggers the basic same stress response. It puts our body into fight or flight and you’ll find that we never really get into rest + digest. Legit, our body thinks it’s running from a tiger 90% of the time. Eventually, this totally wears down on the body leaving us susceptible for health issues.

Why would our body focus on reproducing if it’s in fight or flight? How can the body fight off an illness if it’s run down? Why would it focus on digesting foods if you’re about to run?

You might be feeling extra adrenaline – which increases your heart rate, increases blood sugar due to the body getting ready to have you have access to fuel to “run” if needed, and stimulates that blood flow to areas like your muscles. These are all AMAZING effects for when you really need to “run” and legit fight or flight, BUT most of the time,  our day to day stress doesn’t need extra blood sugar/fuel or our heart rate to increase.

The second hormone that is increased during stressful periods of time is cortisol. Cortisol does the same thing that adrenaline does with increasing blood sugar. Taking glycogen (which is stored blood sugar) from our muscles and turning that into readily available sugar/fuel to again…”run”. 

When we’re chronically stressed, these levels are high ALL THE TIME. This increases cardiovascular disease, cancer, common colds and flus, adrenal issues, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, diabetes, you name it! Stress is the ultimate factor that can make or break your body.

Gut + Stress

I want to dive into the the gut + stress connection really quick because if you’re not new around here, you guys know I’m CONSTANTLY talking about gut health. It’s the foundation to every other organ and system in the body because this is one of the first place where we interact with the outside environment. If our gut doesn’t work, we aren’t able to break down the foods and nutrients we need and aren’t able to absorb them leaving a devastating domino effect with everything else.

When we are in high stress, this slows down the digestive system in the motility, how it digests, the “gates” in the gut barrier being opened leading to permeability, and how our microbiome is. High stress leads to our immune system (which is mostly in our gut) to be downregulated, which helps bad bacteria and yeast to thrive and overgrow leading to dysbiosis. Dysbiosis and gut health is ALSO linked to anxiety and depression, so if you’re struggling with those that can lead you down a rabbit hole rather quickly.

Stress + Thyroid

Another delicate balance that needs to be considered is your adrenals (which produces the cortisol) and your thyroid. I see thyroid issues popping all over the place and women suffering from them, which is TERRIBLE. When we’re in this fight or flight, high cortisol producing mode, our body tells our thyroid – “Hey! Slow your roll for a second!” This is why whenever you hear someone tell you that stress is the reason for your weight gain or stubborn weight loss – your thyroid is a major player in your metabolism. Remember, your body shifts to a state where it’s saving all the energy it needs in order to “run” – it’s not going to sit there and say “this is the perfect time to shed pounds!”.

High stress also triggers hypothalamus + pituitary dysfunction, which these two parts of your brain are the key communicators to your thyroid to produce thyroid hormone. Stress also blocks the conversion between T4 (inactive thyroid hormone that the thyroid makes) to T3 (active thyroid hormone). This causes hypothyroid symptoms!

See, how stress plays a role in our metabolism, thyroid, and weight?

Stress + Blood Sugar

I want to hit this point again because I think this is something SO important that isn’t talked about with diabetes + insulin resistance. So, we now know that stress releases stored glycogen to increase our blood sugar. This ALSO increases the pancreas to release more insulin. If you’re chronically stressed, you’re constantly going to have higher blood sugars + higher insulin levels. Higher insulin levels increase your overall body inflammation too! Our cells can slowly become insulin resistant leading to a more chronic issue called diabetes.

When many people are stressed, they also turn to not the healthiest foods. This can further compound the issue because we’re turning towards more carb heavy + sweetened foods versus the vegetable + proteins.

Now that we understand some really important factors about how stress can affect our health, let’s dive into what we can do.

Stress Relief Recommendations

There are obvious stress relief recommendations that I won’t really go over, but are just as important, like removing yourself from situations or people that cause you stress. Some relationships are just not worth it to have those negative health effects. 

  • Adaptogens. This is one of my favorite ways to keep cortisol levels + my stress levels good – create your body to be come adaptable to stress. My favorite herbs are ashwaganda, rhodiola, holy basil, gingseng, reishi, chaga, maca root, and astragalus. These herbs help our body adapts to stress + reduce the negative side effects that come from stress. I’m going to give ya’ll a big HINT HINT right here about product #2 coming into the Thrival Nutrition Supplement line!!! Keep an eye out because we’re formulating our own blend of adaptogens, so we can help you keep your stress levels ROCKING (in a good way!)!
  • Meditation. Hands down one of the most popular recommendations to help with mental health and stress is meditation. Even if it’s a couple minutes a day morning or evening and working up your something longer – any little bit helps. Even a mid-day break after you eat lunch. A lot of people (myself included) use the excuse “I don’t have time”, honestly you don’t have time NOT to do it. In the Journal of Clinical Psychology, it showed that meditation could help people who struggle with anxiety + stress. It’s not going to be the end all be all solution, but for something free, easy, and you can do it whenever – why NOT do it?! If you’re a new beginner to meditation, start with using an app like Headspace or Insight Timer to use guided meditations.
  • Bible Study. While I have people that follow me from all different religions, reconnecting with your roots + God can help you think about the much bigger picture in the world and it makes things that you might be stressing about seem so small. It’s a great perspective shift + personally, knowing that I only have so much control + there is a higher power out there guiding me and people I love to what we’re called to do keeps me at peace. Doing this consistently has been a GAME CHANGER for how I view and handle stress.
  • Do Something Fun. Yes, I’m giving your permission to get out of your daily to-do list + stressors and get out in the world and do something you LOVE! How simple this sounds, but as humans we were never meant to just work, work, stress, and run around doing errands. We are meant to enjoy the time we have here on this Earth + connect with our loved ones. This can be just hanging out and talking at home or going out and doing an activity – hiking, boating, exercising, going out to eat, playing games (ya’ll we’re really just big kids!), you name it.
  • Nature. In our society, we’re SO bombarded with electronics (and yes I’m guilty here!) and being indoors. I think we forget that our roots is that we’re meant to be out THERE. In the fresh air. In nature. In the water. With the trees. Ya’ll I know that sounds a little hippy, but it’s who we are. There was actually a study that was done by the Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine Journal that showed how “forest bathing” lowered cortisol in the participants of the study!
  • Exercise. One of the stressors that you could be having is simply overexercising. Cut back if you’re overexercising and also be aware of when you are stressed, dial it back on exercise because you’re body doesn’t need that extra stressor during certain periods of intense stress! Aim to get your stress down first + resume to working out.
  • Journaling. Oh man, I refused to do this for the longest time because I swore it wouldn’t have helped my stress, but it totally did! It was like venting to a friend and getting things off my mind and my heart and I felt so much better and less anxious after I journaled my thoughts and feelings. Plus, it’s a great way to organize what you’re thinking. When I’m organized, I’m just a less stressed person in general. I also love journaling things that I’m grateful for. Creating that gratitude list makes you focus on more of the positive things going on versus the things that aren’t going right that you’re fixating on.
  • Take A Break From Caffeine. Since levels of cortisol are higher during stress, you don’t want to drink something that can make this problem worse. Take a break from caffeine, which is a natural stimulant to our body.

If you need help with getting this wheel turning and functioning, I would love to help you and talk with you about figuring out what will work for you, so you don’t have to go into the New Year being stressed out. Use the show notes to book a free call with me to go over how I can help you!

Dec 18, 2018

Connect with Lahana over on FacebookInstagram, and the blog!

Affiliate links are used in this episode/blog!


Welcome to the Thrival Nutrition Podcast with me as your host, Lahana Vigliano, owner of Thrival Nutrition and board certified clinical nutritionist! We’re on episode 144 today talking about herbals teas that you should have for the winter! I’ve been on such an herbal tea kick this month. The comfort of a hot cup of herbs before bed can really comfort your soul and your body! 

Multivitamin?

Don’t forget to book your free 15 minute phone call with me to see how I can help you start your New Years off right and healthy, so 2019 is the start of you living your best life! I know that sounds super cheesy, but I do love helping people really understand their body and live a balanced life all around with nutrition, exercise, their sleep, stress…I’m telling ya’ll that you need all your wheels turning and functioning to have that ultimate health balance.

Okay, so let’s talk teas! I want to start off with one of my favorite teas for relaxation and destressing because let’s the real, this time of the year can be STRESSFUL – holidays, winter illnesses that can keep a mama tired and stressed out taking care of the kiddos, traveling, you name it!

Chamomile

Chamomile tea should be in your cupboard at ALL times. Chamomile is known for it’s sleep inducing properties, but also since it’s a calming herb it can also quell inflammation that you may have going on with winter illnesses, like in the respiratory tract or the stomach. With its relaxation properties, chamomile is also recommended for anxiety. If you’re feeling real anxious with all the holiday parties and responsibilities coming up, this is the perfect tea to calm you down! Chamomile has been studied to inhibit tumor growth and take cancer cells through apoptosis (which is cell death). This herb can truly relax and keep you healthy throughout the winter.

Peppermint

Peppermint tea is another favorite for the winter. I’m sure you’re used to peppermint everything by now! Pumpkin spice is last season (literally) and peppermint is the new cool flavor – every winter! Outside of it’s holiday flare, peppermint tea is SUPER amazing for the digestive system. Peppermint helps diminish stomach cramps and nausea if you find yourself dealing with a stomach virus this winter. It also helps with other GI symptoms like gas, heartburn, and indigestion. This is actually a PERFECT tea to drink after your meals to help aid in digestion.

I’m sure you’ve heard of me talking about peppermint essential oils for headaches, but peppermint tea can also help if you’re struggling with headaches and migraines. Make a cup, inhale allll the smell, and drink. I do still recommend peppermint essential oils on the temple too! Those common colds during the winter are pesky and can really bring our respiratory system into chaos. Peppermint tea can help fight the inflammation, as well as open up those airways. To make a festive drink for the holidays, brew peppermint tea and then blend it with some almond milk and sweeten it with a little maple syrup and tada! A real peppermint latte for you (caffeine free!)

Yogi Tulsi Spiced Berry Immune Support

I’m DIGGING the Yogi Tulsi Spiced Berry Immune Support tea in my cupboard this winter! Preschool hasn’t been that kind to us like all the other years + we’ve got our share of stomach bugs + colds. Trust me when I say, the kids usually don’t pick up the viruses that go around – this year it’s been more than usual! Throughout the bugs that they’ve had, I’ve been sipping on some of this Yogi tea and it’s nipped these viruses in the butt when I feel something coming on. I’ve been drinking a cup before bed + results have been pretty amazing!

The flavors in it reminds me of winter, like clove, nutmeg, elderberry, licorice, ginger, etc. We see a lot of these spices during baking + now I have them in tea form and LOVING THEM! I highly recommend getting this tea to help your immune system going this winter!

Marshmallow Root 

No, it doesn’t taste like marshmallows, but marshmallow root tea is next up! I love this tea for the mucilaginous properties, which means it’s very soothing to the GI tract. It’s actually a tea that is a part of my gut protocol for healing leaky gut. I also love marshmallow root tea for those occasional sore throats that you might come across in the cold weather. You can think of it doing the same thing it’ll do in the GI system, it will help coat the throat! If you’ve heard of Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat, you’ll see that marshmallow root is in that blend!

It honestly doesn’t taste like much – sorry to burst your bubble if you were excited about a tea that might taste like marshmallows, but I love it + I find it’s easier to get the kids to drink because the taste isn’t strong!

Dandelion Root

Ya’ll definitely have heard me talk about dandelion root tea before because of its supporting the liver properties! After alcoholic drinks (maybe one too many) with all the holiday parties that you are going to, loving your liver extra hard this winter is vital! Don’t abuse your major detox organ! I buy the roasted dandelion root to make some dandelion lattes, which are on the blog, for some caffeine free drinks in the morning.

This is seriously one of my favorite teas and I refuse to run out of it because I love it SO much!

Don’t forget that with any of these teas that you brew – you are more than welcome to turn it into latte form, add some vanilla extract, or extra cinnamon spice to make fun twists on these teas. I see alot of holiday blend teas throughout coffee and tea shops and the grocery store, but I just want ya’ll to still be label readers and make sure that your tea is made with organic herbs when possible and doesn’t any extra artificial sweeteners or flavors. I buy organic because teas can easily be a place where you might not think of pesticides leaching into your drink from the herb itself and the bag that the tea is in. 

Loose leaf herbs will be your safest bet with a ceramic tea cup with infuser. I also use an electric tea kettle to help heat up the water to avoid using the microwave.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at lahana@thrivalnutrition.com.

Dec 11, 2018

Connect with Lahana on FacebookInstagram, and her blog!

Don’t forget to book your free 15 minute phone call to let us know what health issues you’re looking to improve with food as medicine + we’ll share how we can help you start feeling better!


Welcome to the Thrival Nutrition Podcast with me as your host, Lahana Vigliano – the owner of Thrival Nutrition and a board certified clinical nutritionist! We’re on episode 143 talking about eating healthy on a budget! This is a very popular topic that I got to talk about requested by YOU, tribe! Thankful for all your suggestions all the time + know that whatever you recommend – I’ll put into queue, so I can serve you!

Before we start, I wanted to make sure that I mentioned that we have gift cards now available for stocking stuffers! You can purchase them in any increments of $25. They are actually a legit physical card that after you purchase one – I mail it to you, so you can put it in a Christmas Card, Birthday Card, etc. you name it and gift someone the gift of health. They can use this towards any appointment or package with me that they want to. Email me over at lahana@thrivalnutrition.com or go to our contact page and send us a message there! 

I’ve actually talked about this I think when I first started podcasting and even did made a little freebie on it that I gave away via your email. One thing that I will start with before going into our budget-saving tips is to be REALISTIC about the amount of food your family consumes (including restaurants!) and putting buying healthy food as a top priority. This is something that my husband struggles with sometimes to this day, because he sees food coming in and then coming out in a stool. His thinking is “why are we paying so much again?” It’s a constant reminder to tell him WHY we put more of our budget towards quality food. Pay now or pay later. So, I want to let you know I UNDERSTAND, we’ve been there with a small budget and worked our way up to where we are now.

We were that typical standard American eating family buying mostly processed foods and toiletries and skidding by on $100-150 per week. Granted, it was only three of us back then and Isaiah was a BABY, so really it was only Doug + I eating. Now, we buy all organic, grass-fed pasture raised foods that are wholesome and even some of the healthy packaged foods. Our budget is about $1200 a month to be completely transparent. (Trust me when I tell you that we HAD many many fights about the food budget, as I became more aware of how bad we were eating during my degree program). We’re a family of four and we all are HUGE eaters (even my almost five year old).

Now if you’ve made healthy eating a top priority + you’ve sacrificed in other areas to bring more money into the food budget if you need to + you still need to cut costs somewhere – let’s begin!

Buy Bulk!

This is the MOST common budget saving tips you’ll find online, because bulk is best. Let’s be real! Granted you may be short on space if you live in an apartment, so you might have to get creative with where you’ll put things, but bulk is definitely where you’ll save the most money! This can mean shopping at Costco or it could mean just shopping at your local grocery store in the bulk section – which is the aisle with all the bins. You can find grains, legumes, dried fruit, etc.

This also is the same mindset for buying meat in bulk. If you can connect with a local farmer who raises grass-fed beef, this can save you money per lb because a grass-fed steak at Whole Foods is like $20 a lb. You can get it at a local farmer for half the cost. Buying ground beef is usually cheaper too than buying steaks if you really need to cut cost. And buying chicken thighs or even a whole chicken is a better and cheaper option/bang for your buck than chicken breasts. 

I buy my grass-fed whey in bulk and it’s about $60 for a 5 lb container. BUT, you guys, that is only .78 cents per serving. This is a great way to add good quality protein to a plant-based lunch (like a salad) versus a chicken breast.

Organic or No?

This leads me into answering the question “organic or no?” or “grass-Fed or no?” I recommend to only buy organic animal products that are grass-fed or wild caught. Since animal products can easily become tainted and conventional animal products can be more inflammatory than organic ones, I find this area is really hard for me to recommend that this is an area you can cut corners. So again, finding a local farmer or staying up to date with deals at your local store or shopping at places like Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Costco. These are the places that I’ve found good quality at a good price!

With produce on a budget, you can easily follow the dirty dozen list at EWG.org. 

Buying Frozen And/Or In Season

I HIGHLY recommend buying in season produce. When you try to buy out of season, like berries in the winter, you’re most likely going to be paying double and the taste stinks and the nutrition actually isn’t as high as it is when a fruit is in season! If you do want to buy a fruit or vegetable out of season, check out the frozen section! 

You can find berries year around in the frozen section, for example and pay half the price. Frozen produce is *usually* inexpensive. 

You can also even plan for your meals to be based on local sales. If you know ahead of time the sales that your store is going to have with produce and meats, you can work around those savings!

Only Buy Necessary Items

What I mean by this is buying produce, quality meats, grains, legumes, your basics. What that doesn’t mean is the “organic” processed foods – crackers, chips, etc. You’ll never hear me recommend buying regular processed food regardless – budget or not. But the organic packaged foods is where you’ll spend the most money with the least amount of nutrition in return. So, does that mean that you’ll have to be a little cooking more? Most likely – because for example, you won’t have ready made granola bars to snack on, you’d have to make them if you really like them.

I do want to say – there is always a sacrifice on some end. You’ll either pay for the convenience of having something ready (that’s the whole restaurant industry right?!)or you’ll “pay” in your time. I do find that when you only buy the NECESSARY items – like the produce, meats, grains, etc. you’ll be eating a more nutrient dense diet that will save your health + money in the long run.

Incorporate Plant Based Meals

Don’t get me wrong – I think meat has 100000% has a place in our diet as humans. I actually don’t recommend a vegan diet, but if you’re on a strict budget, make sure you make some meals without meat because meat will probably be the most expensive part of your bill. If you do okay with rice with soaked legumes or quinoa, use that to create veggie bowls! I personally still recommend for the majority of people to avoid wheat because of inflammation and what it triggers in the gut. 

Eggs aren’t plant-based, but they are a wholesome non-meat protein source that you can whip up easily and add to dishes – think hard boiled on top of salads, frittatas for brinner, etc. If you can find a local farmer, you can usually find good quality eggs for an amazing price! I remember I used to get mine for $4 a dozen! If you have to buy the cheapest eggs to afford them, do it. It’s better than Cheetos or hamburger helper.

Other

I definitely wanted to cover some of those shopping tips because that’s where you’ll be saving the most money! Some other tips I have for you are to meal plan – this is ESSENTIAL in making sure that you aren’t running out to grab a bite to eat because you have no idea what you were making for dinner and you don’t have anything thawed. FUTURE THINKING YA’LL! Don’t ever shop hungry. You will 10000% be buying foods that you really don’t need, but sound good. Personal experience here. 

I know you might already be used to this if you shop at Aldi or Trader Joe’s, but buying a generic label will also save some dollars in your wallet! Like with any other product, a “name brand” will usually always cost more and that doesn’t mean that it tastes better either. And the worst thing you can do is waste food – so make sure you are only buying enough for what you can eat in a week. Since you’ll be eating more wholesome real foods, you’ll have to shop a little* bit more frequently to make sure you’re sticking with fresh produce! Wasted food = wasted money.

I hope I gave you some useful tips on how to save some money in grocery shopping and your budget. BUT, I seriously want to encourage you to re-look at your budget if you haven’t in a while and see if there is any way you can sacrifice in other areas to get good quality food in that body. Your health is EVERYTHING – we truly don’t understand the importance of it until we lose it and it’s too late. OR we end up spending that money we’re trying to save on doctor bills because we’re sick all the time. You might be really surprised how that coffee here and there or those meals out to eat could put some extra dough in bringing home the good stuff for you and your family.

I’m glad I could touch on this topic again before the new year! I’ll catch you guys next week! 

Dec 4, 2018

On this week’s podcast, we’re talking SEX! Are you looking to improve your sex life with your partner? This is what we’re diving into….

  • Benefits of an active sexual relationship
  • Top reasons your sex life may be going downhill
  • Men vs Women
  • Lifestyle tips improving your sex life
  • Sex Toys
  • Porn

About Jessa

Jessa Zimmerman is a certified sex therapist and couples’ counselor. She specializes in helping couples who have a good relationship but who are avoiding sex because it’s become stressful, negative, disappointing, or pressured. She educates, coaches, and supports people as they go through her 9-phase experiential process that allows them real world practice in changing their relationship and their sex life.She is the author of Sex Without Stress, the host of the Better Sex Podcast, and is a regularly featured expert in the media, including Refinery29, Business Insider, Mind Body Green, and Marriage.com.

Connect with Jessa over on her website + her podcast!

Connect with Lahana over on Facebook, Instagram, and her website!

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