[00:00:00] Julie Michelson: Welcome back to Inspired living with auto-immunity. I'm your host, Julie Michelson and today's episode. We have something amazing for you. Our guest today is Dr. Carol Laurie. Carol has over three decades of clinical experience as a naturopath acupuncturist and homeopath. She's an expert in complex and chronic disease,[00:01:00] and women's health. 
 [00:01:02] She specifically focuses on breast cancer, fertility for older women, and auto-immunity. Today we dive into the connection between auto-immunity and breast cancer as metabolic disorder. Carol explains what an integrative approach to care is and we discussed the important role mindset plays in healing. 
 [00:01:24] Dr. Lori, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm so excited that you're with us to help everybody connect the dots between inflammation and autoimmunity and how if left on attended that leads to breast cancer. I know you work in all of those areas. So welcome. Thank you for being here. 
 [00:01:43] Carol Lourie: I'm so excited to be here. 
 [00:01:45] Thank you so much for having. 
 [00:01:47] Julie Michelson: My pleasure. So let's dive right into this idea of how does chronic inflammation or autoimmunity contribute to breast cancer? [00:02:00] 
 [00:02:00] Carol Lourie: Well, there is the emotional component. Notice some starting with that, and then there is the biochemical or metabolic component and we can measure really both of them, but they, we measure them a little bit different. 
 [00:02:14] The emotional component. And I'll start out with that first, because I think there is an emotional component to all illness. No matter what it is, all chronic illness has an emotional component. You can't be satisfied and engaged and happy in your life and end up With an illness, unless you've been exposed to radiation in a horrible accident, or it's such as Chernobyl or something. 
 [00:02:37] I mean, so I think what happens with the emotional component is we're like frogs and more. We adjust very gradually to things that don't work and those little things where you think, oh, it's not a big deal. This is, you know, I don't really like this. I don't want to do this, but I'm going to do it anyway. 
 [00:02:57] So we're adjusting and we're adjusting and we're adjusting. And then [00:03:00] all of a sudden it's like, you hit a brick wall and you go, I can't adjust anymore. And then you become physically ill. Now the physical component of it or the metabolic or the functional medicine, part of it is that the good news is we can measure inflammation. 
 [00:03:15] We measure inflammation with blood work. There is with, you know, breast cancer. There's more standard measurements of SED rate and C-reactive protein, a ESR. We have measurements for all of your biochemical inflammation. And when I first start working with someone, I want those baseline measurements. I do do yes, absolutely. 
 [00:03:41] And then the good news is, as we put you on your protocol and we attend to the six steps, what I call my six steps of integrative healing, no matter what your illness is, there always is six steps. We can then retest in three to six months and we can see how these numbers go down. And that that's a very empowering [00:04:00] moment for women because so often. 
 [00:04:03] You know, the person you're working with, whether it's a functional medicine doctor or a health coach or whoever we ask you to change how you're eating jus adopt your lifestyle to a healthier version, begin to have some fun in your life. Cut out certain foods that, you know, as part of that are part of the standard American diet. 
 [00:04:23] And then let's not forget, take a whole bunch of supplements and you're thinking, okay, I'm doing all this it's expensive. Quote, unquote, we'll talk about that in a minute. And is it really working? And then you do this blood work and you see like, oh my goodness, my C-reactive protein was elevated and now it's like within normal limits and my ESR was high. 
 [00:04:42] And now it's. Down and, you know, my , which are contributing cytokines towards inflammatory markers of inflammation with specifically with breast cancer that's down. So that is direct feedback. That one plus one equals you're physically better. [00:05:00] 
 [00:05:00] Julie Michelson: Absolutely. And it is so much fun to see those markers start to correct. 
 [00:05:06] And as you said, so empowering and motivating sometimes. We don't feel the changes and the improvements it's slow. I tell people, you know, it took years to get sick. It's going to take a while to reach full wellness. And so I, I totally agree having those markers is, is really satisfying because it keeps people going and, you know, they know what they're doing is really making a difference. 
 [00:05:30] Carol Lourie: Absolutely. And also you feel better if that was Marcus or. And then you take yourself out of the warm water and stop adjusting as the frogs do and start really being honest. It's a multi-step process about what needs to change in your life. You are going to start feeling better and there's just no way you can't. 
 [00:05:54] And if, if you're not feeling better than we need to do another deep dive into what's underneath. [00:06:00] Not just the markers, but what's underneath more emotionally or maybe there's a toxic environment or mold in your home that you're being exposed to, or you're in a relationship that's not healthy. I mean, we need to do a deeper dive. 
 [00:06:15] Julie Michelson: Absolutely. I love how aligned our approaches are. You know, we, we know what works and, and as you said, it doesn't really matter if it's auto-immunity breast cancer. These surgeons. I call them pillars. Your six steps, you know, these are the things that we know work and I take the very same approach is, you know, if the needle's not moving, like we expect it to it's time to dig deeper 
 [00:06:39] Carol Lourie: right now. 
 [00:06:40] I want to say that auto-immunity and breast cancer are two peas in a pod. You, if you have breast cancer and that's one of the areas I specialize in, you have to have auto-immune. Because you're inflamed, right? Your body is. Not doing well. And with auto-immunity and with [00:07:00] breast cancer, I have a more feminine approach. 
 [00:07:02] It's not a war. You're not attacking your cancer. It's not something to conquer or kill it because those words are inflammatory in themselves. Just saying them creates trauma. And we want a more feminine approach, which is auto-immunity or breast cancer is part of who you are. And we need to become quiet and begin to have a conversation with the part of you. 
 [00:07:30] That's inflamed, your breast, your thyroid, whatever. And begin to find out what the messages are from that part of your body that contributed they notice it's not your fault. There's no shame. It's autoimmunity and cancer are very complex illnesses. And as you said, don't develop overnight and there are multiple factors that have created this moment where you get diagnosed. 
 [00:07:57] So. It takes a while to [00:08:00] get diagnosed for the symptoms to appear that you actually go to the doctor and get diagnosed. And it's going to take awhile to UNCA cover unravel all those messages. 
 [00:08:12] Julie Michelson: And I need to circle back to what you said because you're so speaking my language both with auto-immunity and cancer, there is this tendency at one point or another, to feel like we're being betrayed by our bodies and it creates this separation. 
 [00:08:27] And, and you know, like you said, those negative words, the negative thoughts, and we can't heal until we realize, you know, I am my body. My body is me. We're on the same team. And I love what you said. I say it all the time, you know, our, our it's our body trying to give us information, the symptoms are information. 
 [00:08:48] And, and once we approach it in that feminine, gentle way, even for you men out there you know, that's when true healing really can begin. [00:09:00] So that leads me. I've heard you talk about before. And this is the perfect. Set up ready to go right into, cause you already touched on it, this mindset and how does mindset really impact treatment outcomes? 
 [00:09:19] Carol Lourie: I encourage women to, we, we go down a path and we want to get like, there's the bell curve we want to be outside of the box of the bell curve. Because the bell curve is like this and the studies and the treatments and the results are all within the bell curve. And when you add integrative care and integrative protocols and what I call developed mindset, you're out of that box and you're on a good, you're in a good way out of that box.[00:10:00] 
 [00:10:00] So I want to just go back a little bit and talk about the messaging that we as women. And if men are here, it applies to you to get from American advertised. It's so unconscious, because we've all grown up with television. We all watch TV and we're exposed to this. This is how we think about health. So I have two particular ads that really drive me crazy. 
 [00:10:25] One is a woman. She has bipolar disorder. So there's a open image of the house. The house is a mess dishes in the sink, laundry, the beds aren't made. And I'm like looking at the TV thinking, why is this the woman's problem or responsible? Number one, right. She's sitting there. She's obviously depressed. I'm thinking, where is her partner? 
 [00:10:46] Whether it's a man or a woman, why isn't somebody helping her? And then she takes this medication. And next thing you know, she's folding the laundry and there's no dishes in the sink and I'm like yelling at the TV. Why isn't somebody helping her? Why is she doing this [00:11:00] place? That's ad number one, ad number two is a woman is depressed and I'm thinking why isn't the man depressed? 
 [00:11:06] And then the next thing you know, she takes a pill and she's there outside having a picnic lunch, which she's serving in an army, screaming at the TV. Why is the partner not helping her? And why is she doing the serve and why? Since she's sitting near being helped. So look at the messaging here. There's a problem. 
 [00:11:25] You take a pill, you're going to get better. There's no conversation about process of healing and that's what you and I do in our work. Healing is a process. So we have to, when you develop the right mindset, you have to like go uphill to take those little messagings out of your brain. And that messaging can create a very negative voice inside of your head, for example. 
 [00:11:53] And I've heard this from women, lots of women. Oh, it's taking too long. Oh, [00:12:00] I have to, I, I noticed this phrase I have to, or I can't eat X, Y, Z, or I have to take my pills. So that's a victim approach towards your illness. Yeah. If, if you're doing it because I'm telling you or somebody else is telling you, you're not gonna, you know, somebody's gonna, you're going to be at a party. 
 [00:12:20] There's going to be a pizza or some horrible sugar cake, which nobody should be eating no matter what your illness is. And that doesn't mean you don't have treats. I can talk about that in another moment, but you're going to say, oh, forget it. I'm just going to eat this. It's fine. Well, the reality of it is it's not fine. 
 [00:12:37] Auto immunity and especially cancer and metabolic diseases. And when you eat sugar, you're giving cancer, the cancer, gas tank, food, and energy and gas for it to take off and run away. Cancer's a metabolic disease. The good news is that again, I want the listeners 
 [00:12:55] Julie Michelson: to hear that one more time. 
 [00:12:58] Carol Lourie: Cancer is [00:13:00] a metabolic disease. 
 [00:13:02] That means there are processes in your body which provide the cancer guests tank with fuel. And that also means when on the other side of that, that you have the power to stop feeding that cancer guests. And what you eat and the supplements you take make a huge difference in whether you have a pro cancer environment, a body that supports cancer or a body where the cancer goes, oh, it's horrible here. 
 [00:13:32] I am not able to grow. And I'm just going to die. That is an empowered approach towards cancer or towards any illness. And there's no ads on television for the. 
 [00:13:46] Julie Michelson: Absolutely. And, and it is power. I say to, you know, as, although I specialize in immunity, I also do have clients with cancer and that in the beginning, [00:14:00] when, before they are empowered, when they're learning and trying, you know, that like, I had one client say to me, well, I only ate half the bond. 
 [00:14:08] And I thought, well, you might as well have had the whole bun because you fed the cancer. So, you know, once, once they get it and they, they own it and they again, see those markers come down and realize that I didn't even know I was so fatigued. I didn't know I was in pain. I didn't, you know, all these things I've been ignoring and pushing through. 
 [00:14:29] I oh my gosh. If, if people don't get anything else out of all of the amazing nuggets so far today is that, you know, these illnesses are metabolic and therefore we can 
 [00:14:42] Carol Lourie: change. Absolutely. You have a lot of power and you have a lot of control and cancer are cells that have decided to stop paying attention to the rules of stop and go. 
 [00:14:53] When we get in our car, we see a red light. We all stop. That's what we do as a society, we, we stop at [00:15:00] a stop sign. We merge cancer cells have said. I'm not doing that. I'm just going to keep going. And the other thing about cancer cells is not only do they not pay attention to the rules, but then they think that they, they have the audacity to call the next door neighbors and the call, the neighbors in the other town and say, Hey guys, I stopped paying attention to the rules. 
 [00:15:22] I want you to join me to that's called cell signaling and metastasis and you know, cancer growth. So. You make your body inhospitable to cancer and they don't have the ability to call the neighbors more or less the next town over. I know those are very simplified examples of complicated metabolic processes, but we all need to develop images in our brain so that when you see this button or this cake. 
 [00:15:50] And you realize it's made with white flour and lots of sugar, first of all, what brought you to that moment where you think that it's okay to [00:16:00] eat that for your health and for your optimal self? Are you hungry? Maybe you, you know, like one of the things that I work with people is like, maybe you shouldn't leave the hunt with the home without. 
 [00:16:12] Yeah. Or, you know, a little bit of a smoothie in a, you know, a little con container. I mean, we have so many options of schlepping stuff with us these days that make it really easy. Or. I used to be a pastry chef. I've converted a lot of my regular, you know, recipes into gluten-free and extremely, if not zero sugar, maybe you need to learn how to bake and you bake once a week and you, or once every two weeks, and you put stuff in the freezer. 
 [00:16:38] If you know that you're going to be having gathering with your friends and everybody is eating their XYZ, white flour, sugar thing. Why should you sit there and not eat something? Bring something for yourself. And, you know, what's going to happen. Everybody's got, 
 [00:16:54] Julie Michelson: they want yours. Always. I joke all the time. 
 [00:16:57] That's my test is you know, [00:17:00] if everything that I make, I give to my friends who, you know, really don't, they're still full like standard American diet. If you can even call it that. And they, oh, and that never has anybody said that's too healthy or that's too 
 [00:17:15] Carol Lourie: horrible. I'm not eating this. They don't 
 [00:17:19] Julie Michelson: even know like the first time I, I did like chips and guac and they had no idea that they were eating cassava chips and not like they didn't even know. 
 [00:17:30] Right. So it's, it is true. And it does, it is a big. Challenge in the beginning, it's an opportunity to relearn. And just like with the messaging you were talking about before, right. We have. Most of us decades of messages that we need to get rid of and replace. And it's the same with our food patterns. And they, they, it does, it gets easier and easier and easier over time. 
 [00:17:57] Carol Lourie: I like to say that we, when we have a [00:18:00] habit and we've decided intellectually to change it, like whether it's how you eat or how you talk to yourself it takes energy to pick that habit. Because those, that path is very well-worn and you're creating a new path. So that takes a lot of energy to pick it up, move it over to a new path and start down that path. 
 [00:18:20] It takes a lot of energy and you have to be prepared because if you're not prepared, the next thing you know, you're eating the muffins. But if, if you are prepared, you make your own guac and you bring your cassava chips and you just put that there and then you ask what else, what other food there's going to be? 
 [00:18:38] And if there isn't anything else for you to eat, you bring something for yourself. I'm not into deprivation. Deprivation is not, is not a nice life. I want everyone to have a life full of joy and abundance and love. And. Well, those are 
 [00:18:52] Julie Michelson: important healing factors 
 [00:18:55] Carol Lourie: nobody's going to do well. If they feel deprived and angry and we sent fall.[00:19:00] 
 [00:19:00] Julie Michelson: Absolutely. And it's always short term deprivation never lasts either. Those changes 
 [00:19:06] Carol Lourie: that's 
 [00:19:07] Julie Michelson: that that's that old, you know, quote unquote diet mindset. And that's the difference between diet and lifestyle really? I mean, in a nutshell, I want you to explain to our listeners, you know, you and I could talk for hours and hours and we have similar language and, you know, we, we know what we're saying. 
 [00:19:28] Can you touch on the difference between a straight conventional approach versus an integrative approach? What do you mean when you say 
 [00:19:37] Carol Lourie: an integrative approach? Well, I love that you ask question. Thank you so much. I am an integrative practitioner, which means, I believe in taking the best of both worlds. 
 [00:19:48] And as an integrative practitioner, my recommendations are science-based, it's not like, oh, I think I'll do a little of this. And I'll throw in some that everything is referenced. When I created my path of breast [00:20:00] cancer and my empowered against recurrence course, there's over 400 references from pub med in there. 
 [00:20:06] So. I appreciate the world of medical oncology. How I was introduced to breast cancer is a dear friend of mine was diagnosed. And until then as a natural path, I had studied at the national college of naturopathic medicine. And as a licensed acupuncturist, I knew about cancer. It was, you know, a disease. 
 [00:20:26] But it wasn't up close and personal to me until I went through 18 months of treatment with my dear friend, every oncology visit at UCLA, every infusion, every radiation. And then she had to have her uterus removed because she had a negative response to Tamoxifen, which happens. And I really saw what was working in the medical oncology field and what was lacking. 
 [00:20:50] And here's my first introduction, which is really true. We go up to CCSF infusion center for our very first infusion. We walk in and [00:21:00] we get her checked in. They go, well, you look a little thin. Would you like some. Now the number one ingredient of insure is glucose. And you have to understand she's about to get chemotherapy to kill cancer, but they want to give her sugar to feed the cancer. 
 [00:21:15] It gets worse two hours later. Oh, would you like a lollipop? Here is some Gatorade and, oh, you're finished. Would you like a cupcake or a cookie? So four times during the infusion she's offered. And I'm like, these people don't have a clue. So I like to talk to the head of oncology. I send over all this research about the Warburg effect and talking, which is a German scientist in 1918, won the noble medicine peace prize for. 
 [00:21:47] I keep saying Nobel medicine, Nobel medicine prize and he discovered that cancer given a choice between oxygen and glucose for its gas tank will choose [00:22:00] glucose. Even though it gets much less ATP or gas or energy and the pathway of which it needs to go to get that is more difficult. That's anaerobic glycolysis. 
 [00:22:12] So. That was the beginning all the way in 19, 19 18, but that was lost. Unfortunately, that research was lost for several years, many years. It's just had a recurrence I'd say in the last 15 to 15 years or so it's just, oh yeah. Cancers and metabolic disease. So. I think that we need to take the best of both worlds. 
 [00:22:35] The other thing that I began to do with my friend is use my skillset as a naturopath and a homeopath and acupuncturist. And we're at the her checkup before her infusion, her next infusion. And the doctor looked at her blood work and looked up and said, I don't know what you're doing, but I want all my patients to be doing that too. 
 [00:22:55] She wasn't anemic her white cell count was that of a healthy person. [00:23:00] And he said, really, this is pretty amazing because at this point, you know, your white cell count should be down and you should be heading towards anemia. And she looked great and she had a very positive attitude. So. This continued through her eight rounds of chemotherapy and then into radiation. 
 [00:23:16] And it's 15 years later and she's still cancer-free, which is a big deal because between up to the 13% of women will possibly have a recurrence within the next, within five years after their original diagnosis. And we can get those statistics better. Recurrence does not have to be a random. It's not like a luck of the draw. 
 [00:23:40] You can really work to reduce your risk. And now am I saying it's a hundred percent and I guarantee I'll never have a recurrence. Anybody who says that you should run in the opposite direction, but I'm saying that we can get the statistics better for you. And also. We can have, you know, that you're doing everything possible to keep your [00:24:00] statistics and to keep your risk low. 
 [00:24:02] And that really helps you that's empowered. That makes you feel less anxious because I asked my community of over 10,000 women. What's your prime concern since your diagnosis and 80% said, I don't want it to come back and it's keeping me up at night. I'm wondering, you know, is it going to come back today? 
 [00:24:20] What else is there? Is there something else I can do? And the answer is there's a lot. You can do. Just like with your auto-immunity, you don't have to be a victim to that. 
 [00:24:29] Julie Michelson: Right. And I always say integrative functional medicine. It's it's, it's not an either, or it's an and approach, you know, there's, there is amazing treatment protocols in Western medicine. 
 [00:24:43] And if you're addressing all of the other lifestyle areas, I always say, no people reach out to me and say, well, I want to get off my meds. I've heard your story. I know you got off 10 prescriptions. I want to do the same. Now. I say, when did you want to do one don't you want to feel your best? I think, well, [00:25:00] shouldn't that be the goal? 
 [00:25:01] You know, I know when we're doing it right. Eventually, especially with auto-immunity they don't need those meds or, you know, they, they make 
 [00:25:08] Carol Lourie: last sometimes, you know, we can go down from 10 to three and you can be taking a full dose. 
 [00:25:16] No, and I take 
 [00:25:17] Julie Michelson: thyroid hormone. I don't look at that as a loss. I look at that. You know, I went from being, you know, trying to be convinced to get a handicap placard to you. Just got to see where I live taking care of horses on 10 acres. I never thought I would do. And you're right. If I was on still on three of those prescriptions, if they were working and that's the thing, they will work so much better if we're supporting, you know, getting to that root cause and really allowing healing to happen. 
 [00:25:48] It's amazing. So I thank you for taking the time to, to share that story. And we almost, all of us enter this world through a personal story. And so, you know, your [00:26:00] friend is so lucky to have you okay. Okay. And kudos to the oncologist because I all too often hear doctors see these amazing, you know, inexplicably changes or, you know, somebody labs look way better than they should. 
 [00:26:15] And too often they don't ask, what are you doing? Everyone should be doing so good for good for 
 [00:26:20] Carol Lourie: that doc for, well, I made sure that doctor knew what we were doing too. Believe me, here's what we're doing. So, you know, it was the best of both worlds, the moment she was interested. And I made sure that she knows, so it wasn't like the door 
 [00:26:35] Julie Michelson: was open. 
 [00:26:36] Yeah. Opportunities there. So I know you have a gift for our listeners today. And so I'd love you to talk a little bit about it. And. I'm sure it'll lead you into, you know, why nutrition is so important. So tell them about 
 [00:26:52] Carol Lourie: it. If you have, I have two gifts. If you have auto-immunity or if you have breast cancer and [00:27:00] that I had these eBooks where I've done an enormous amount of research, and of course they're beautiful because I've, it has to be beautiful for you to enjoy it. 
 [00:27:08] If you go to my website, Carol Laurie, and my last name is spelled L O U R I e.com. There's a download section and you scroll down there's healing, nutrition for breast cancer, and there's healing nutrition to live your best life for some similar title to that. And whether you have auto-immunity or if you have breast cancer or, you know, somebody who has breast cancer those are free downloads for you. 
 [00:27:31] And if you want to reach me, I have a contact me option on my website and I respond personally to every email that I get. And I have, I'm launching my empowered against recurrence, online group coaching program and where you get six weeks with me, we meet in a group of women and it's really enjoyable. 
 [00:27:49] And we go through my six steps of nutrition supplements. Emotions, lifestyle monitoring your health, and then [00:28:00] specifically for breast cancer, reducing the side effects of Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. And that's six weeks and that's at a very special price, which it's not going to stay that way past this year. 
 [00:28:13] So if you're interested, I encourage you to go there and, and maybe sign up for one of my free webinars. 
 [00:28:21] Julie Michelson: Amazing. And all of those links will be in the show notes. And I have to say, I, I went through, I'm going to add, you said, you know, for, for breast cancer and for auto immunity, really, for anybody looking at those recipes and, and people ask me all the time about juicing and smoothies. 
 [00:28:40] And, and often I discourage people because it's so difficult to find recipes that taste good, that aren't loaded with sugars. And I cannot wait to make some of the recipes that I found in your eBooks. They are. So I would say they're just for great health for anybody. I mean, [00:29:00] Amazing. Yeah. And I know most, especially based on, you know, to specifically heal the auto-immunity and the breast cancer. 
 [00:29:07] Carol Lourie: Absolutely. It's about as it's auto-immune breast cancer and good health. I mean, the thing about cooking and eating this way is it has to work for you, but you can't. Making one meal for yourself and the rest of your family, that's called how to get exhausted and resentful. I mean, this is a way we all, as Americans should be eating the standard American diet quadruples to cancer rate. 
 [00:29:29] That's a fact say that one again to a standard American diet quadruples, the cancer. Not just breast cancer, cancer, weight patrol support and it increases cardiovascular disease, obesity, and hypertension. And I'll add auto-immunity absolutely. So we all need to move away. Divorce is a better word, the standard American diet, and then people say to me, well, what kind of way should I be eating now? 
 [00:29:59] [00:30:00] For auto-immunity in breast cancer. The research has shown that the modified Mediterranean diet is the healthiest. If you have a brain cancer, you want to be eating the keto diet because that's been also researched, proved proven. So Colon cancer. Also the Mediterranean diet auto-immunity obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean diet, 25 years, thousands and thousands of women. 
 [00:30:28] They have proven this across the board. That Mediterranean diet is vegetable centric is essential. Fatty acids from olive oil, Virgin olive oil, not too many carbs, low sugar, and a little bit of. 
 [00:30:45] Julie Michelson: And I love the she's looking at my dry farm wine t-shirt guys. I love the, that you really explained proportions because it's so important. 
 [00:30:57] If you look at what's [00:31:00] included in a Mediterranean diet. And you're not paying attention to that. It's vegetable centric. I have been keto for about seven years now and my diet is vegetable centric. I eat nine cups of, you know, mixed veggies a day. Any, any approach you take needs to be veggie vegetable centric, and then it's, you're playing with quantities of, for, so for me it would be identical. 
 [00:31:29] I don't do the grains because they don't treat me well. That's the only reason 
 [00:31:32] Carol Lourie: you have to individualize the plan. I noticed that I said modified persona people and also I believe in gluten-free grains. So Kenwood and couscous is not gluten-free. Right. You know, Ken Kemet and keenwah and a little bit of wild rice, but th those are carbs even though they're gluten free and and TEF has a very high protein content, but so you know, like a quarter cup. 
 [00:31:57] And you don't have to eat that every day. The rest is like [00:32:00] beautiful vegetables and we're getting into the fall now. So instead of salads or some salads, but root vegetables that are baked with olive oil and Rosemary and garlic. And then a little bit, I know a little bit of delicious protein. That's been slow cooked and, you know, in the oven, I mean, It's not a difficult way of eating and it doesn't take a long time and you can batch cook and then free stuff in glass. 
 [00:32:26] Absolutely. I that's what I do all the time. And I, I love, you know, taking people who don't cook it or. And again, it sounds overwhelming in the beginning. What do you, what do you mean? I have to cook all the time, but that's it there's tips and tricks. You don't have to cook every day. You don't have to cook all the time and you can have real food. 
 [00:32:47] And, and instead of what is passed for food in the standard American diet. 
 [00:32:53] Yeah. If you're opening up a bag of vegetables and putting them in the microwave, by the time you eat them, there's nothing [00:33:00] you're eating like That's 
 [00:33:01] Julie Michelson: a piece of paper. Paper. Yes, absolutely. Well, we could talk about this forever, but before we say goodbye, can you give our listeners what is one simple tip one action step that they can take today to start to improve their health, 
 [00:33:23] Carol Lourie: opening up your pantry and take everything out in the box. 
 [00:33:29] Read the labels. If there's a red dye number, blah, blah, or a yellow dye or a blue dye or some long word that you don't know what it means, or if it starts with ingredients, cane, sugar, glucose, fruit dose, that's not a healthy item for you. Beautiful. I to the Goodwill pantry passed it on to the pantry. 
 [00:33:52] Julie Michelson: That's a great step of read those labels. I promise if you're not already a label reader, you will be shocked. Oh, it [00:34:00] is much more difficult. My daughter had said to me, this was a huge win as a mom. My daughter was in high school and the kids went to the grocery store at lunch. Yeah. She called me. She said, thanks for ruining my life. 
 [00:34:15] I found, you know, something I really wanted to, to eat. And then I read the label and there was no way I was putting that in my mouth. 
 [00:34:23] I was so proud. So, so for everybody listening, thank you so much. We'll have your website and all your links in the show notes guys take advantage of these gifts. 
 [00:34:35] They are amazing. These recipes are incredible and the, and the it is beautiful. You're right. It is. It is very beautiful. So for everyone listening, remember, you can get the show notes by visiting inspired living.show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I'll see you all next week.