Today on the podcast, I’m answering all your amazing questions you left recently on instagram! Thank you to everyone who asked a question and made this episode so fun to record! You guys are the main reason I keep the podcast going!
[powerpress]
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Big thank you to this week’s sponsor!
Siete is a healthy Mexican-American food brand that makes grain free and paleo-friendly tortillas and tortilla chips, and they are a brand I talk about weekly because I love them so much. Siete has three different kinds of grain-free tortilla chips including sea salt, lime and nacho and the chips are made simply with simple ingredients like cassava flour, avocado oil, coconut flour, ground chia seed, sea salt, and citric acid. And their bags are puffed to perfection so even the last chip you have at the bottom of the bag is still a full chip, instead of a crumbled mess like most chips. And their tortillas are just as delicious. They offer almond flour tortillas, cassava & chia tortillas, and my favorite – cassava and coconut tortillas. And right now, Siete would like to offer PaleOMG Uncensored listeners 10% off at sietefoods.com if they use the promo code PALEOMG. Just go to sietefoods.com and use promo code PALEOMG for 10% off right now!
Support the podcast by clicking the Subscribe button on iTunes and please a review only if you love the podcast! There is enough negativity in this world, don’t spread more. I love hearing about what YOU want me to talk about so feel free to leave on comment here or on social media with topics you’d like me to cover! And don’t forget, some posts have affiliate links which I may be compensated from. This compensation helps with keeping this blog and up and running! Thank you so much for your support, you guys are amazing!
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Episode 76 Transcription!
This week’s podcast is brought to you by Siete. Siete is a healthy Mexican-American food brand that makes grain-free and paleo-friendly tortillas and tortilla chips. They’re a brand I talk about every single week on my blog, and on Instagram, because I love them so freaking much.
The Garza family is made up of; yup, you guessed it. 7 people; siete. I don’t know a whole lot of Spanish, but I know siete from four years of Spanish class in high school. So I’m obviously crushing it.
When Veronica, one of the five kids who I actually interviewed on the podcast back in episode 60. When she was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, she began cooking with new ingredients, and the family came together to support her new diet and lifestyle. The more they loved and enjoyed her creations, the more they knew they needed to share this with the world. And that’s how the Siete brand came to be.
Siete has different kinds of grain-free tortilla chips, including sea salt, lime, and nacho. And the chips are made from cassava flour, avocado oil, coconut flour, ground chia seeds, sea salt, citric acid, and lime oil. That is it. Well, lime oil for the lime ones. And the bags are puffed to perfection. So even the last chip at the bottom of the bag is actually a full chip instead of just a crumbled mess. I hate that in chips, and you never get that with Siete. I think about that every time I eat an entire bag.
Their tortillas are just as delicious. They offer almond flour, cassava and chia, and my favorite, the cassava and coconut flour tortillas. Which I use every week. I place mine on the gas stovetop to heat them through about 10 seconds per side. Then they are soft, and they are ready for loading up.
And it’s honestly not surprising how amazing their products are, because everyone on the Siete team is seriously so fantastic. I’ve been to the office. I know the whole team. I love them all. Follow them on Instagram stories and you’ll quickly see how much fun they have every day at their office. They’re just the best!
Right now, Siete would like to offer PaleOMG Uncensored listeners 10% off at Sietefoods.com if they use the promocode PaleOMG. That means you can take back taco Tuesday, and celebrate all for 10% off. Just go to SieteFoods.com and use the promo code PaleOMG. And don’t forget to follow them on Instagram, because they will simply brighten your day with their Instagram stories, and their beautiful concoctions that their chef and other people create with their tortilla chips and their tortillas. I just love them so much! So go to SieteFoods.com and don’t forget to use promo code PaleOMG for 10% off your order.
This is Juli Bauer from PaleOMG and you are listening to PaleOMG Uncensored.
1. Bachelor finale recap [18:32]
2. Listener Questions: Travel questions [21:17]
3. Listener Questions: Fitness [27:06]
4. Listener Questions: Beauty [42:25]
5. Listener Questions: Food [54:08]
6. Listener Questions: Random [1:08:54]
Juli Bauer: Well hello, darling! Welcome to another episode of PaleOMG Uncensored. I’m sitting on the couch at the moment; dog in tow. I have the TV on mute because the Today show is on with their food segment. And how can I not watch that. I have to get a visual. Except they’re making; I don’t know, Irish food, and it kind of looks gross. It’s just a lot of beef. No offense to the Irish. And I really love beef. So I don’t know why I’m complaining. What a grumpy b*tch.
Ok, I’ve been having f*cked up dreams lately. That’s probably why I’m in a weird mood. Let’s start off with something. The other night, I had a dream; three nights ago I had a dream that John Cena; a John Cena look-alike. First of all, I’m obsessed with John Cena. Not obsessed, but I love that guy. If he’s on the Today show, I’m watching the Today show. If he has a movie; I’m watching the movie. If he’s on Total Divas, I’m watching Total Divas. I haven’t watched that show in a while, by the way.
But, I had this dream that a John Cena look-alike was in a room with; I was with other people. And he was going crazy. And he ate his fingers off. Like, one bite through, type of bite the fingers off. So he bites these f*cking fingers off. Then I’m yelling at him. I’m like; how are you supposed to play any sort of badass in a movie? You can’t shoot a gun! That was what I was worried about. What the f*ck?
But it was really disturbing. And then this John Cena look-alike turns into the alien, or predator. I don’t even know the difference between the two of them, nor care. But that’s what he turned into. And I had to lock myself in the bathroom. Away from this guy. Woke up very frightened, and then I slept on my neck wrong, because I was probably tossing and turning like a real freak-a-leak. Ew, I just said freak-a-leak.
And then last night, I had a dream that one of my friends was pregnant. Sorry if you can hear Jackson in the background slurping. Jesus. So I had a dream that my friend was pregnant, and she was wearing ice cream sandwiches for shoes. So at least it’s not f*cked up. Unless I guess you don’t want to have a baby. But she does. So it was great news for her. But odd that she was wearing ice cream sandwiches. Just an odd choice.
Which, how long has it been since you’ve had an ice cream sandwich? Me; it’s been a long time. Those are the best.
Can we talk about the CrossFit Open for a second? Because thank god it’s almost over. I’ve done three weeks; one, two, three, of prescribed workouts. And if you’ve listened to this podcast for any sort of time, or read my blog, I hate doing workouts prescribed. I would much rather give about 50% to my workout. First of all, because the workouts at our gym are incredibly heavy. And about 3 people in the gym can do them prescribed. So I never do anything RX.
So I’ve done these three workouts prescribed, and then just this past Tuesday I was in class. We were talking about what the open would be, and the owner of our gym was joking around that it would probably be the exact same workout of that day. Which the workout at my CrossFit gym that day was 27/21/59 of deadlifts and handstand pushups. And guess what the workout is this Friday? It’s deadlifts and handstand pushups! What a real piece of crap.
I have been having all sorts of neck issues, having to deal with all the years of trauma from CrossFit. {laughs} And then just did that workout; whatever 70-something reps of handstand pushups and deadlifts. And had to go and get my neck worked on. And then that’s the exact same workout today. Not looking forward to it.
But, the workout, it’s kind of similar to the Diane, which is a named workout. And I did Diane at Regionals when I was competing for my last year. And my husband, now husband, then just acquaintance. That was the first competition he ever came to. And I was doing that workout. And I still remember that. He’s the best.
Speaking of him; we have a date night tonight. Which I’m very pumped about. Because we’re going to our favorite steakhouse, and then we’re going to a craft cocktail bar that we both love. So I’m really pumped because this steakhouse is where we go big. We get steak, and lobster, and we always get dessert there because they have gluten free desserts. And it’s just delightful. And he planned this date night all on his own. I’m usually the one who says; “Hey we should go on a date. Let’s go try this new restaurant.” Because he knows none of the restaurants in town. I’m the one that tells him about all of them. But he loves this steakhouse, so he planned this date night. And I’m very proud of him. And I love him so much!
We’re coming up on our second year of marriage! In April. And it will be our second year of marriage, and it will be my 30th birthday. And I think I talked about it on a podcast recently. But it is official. For my 30th birthday; I’ve been trying to figure out where we’re going to go on a trip. Because I wanted to just go somewhere fun. I wanted to get away. Because obviously I love to travel, and I do it as often as I can.
Last year, in August, I went on a trip with the company Trade Winds. And we are on a catamaran for 7 days, just island hopping. And it was the best trip of my life, hands down. The sad part was my husband could not come, and he fully missed out. So I took his sister instead {laughs}. The second best thing. She’s the best. We had the best trip, but my husband missed out on it. And I told him I wanted him to experience it.
He always has to work, constantly. And I told him; you’re going on my 30th birthday trip. You’re taking time off of work, and you’re going to make it happen. So I booked his flight without telling him. {laughs} And I just booked his flight. Didn’t even ask questions about it. Didn’t ask if it worked with his schedule, because I picked the best dates that would work for his schedule the best way possible. And the flights are booked. And actually, he said that was probably a smart move. Because he would question it, and he would think about it, and prices would go up. Whatever.
So flights are booked. And we are going on a Trade Winds trip to Guadeloupe. It’s a Caribbean island. Which I’d never heard of. A lot of people have. But I had personally never heard of it. And it’s a beautiful Caribbean French island. They take euros there. They speak French there. I do not speak any sort of French. I don’t speak any other language other than English. I’m such a lamo.
Somebody asked that in these listener questions. I don’t speak any other language. Just boring English. I really want to speak Spanish, personally. And if we decide to ever live anywhere else, I will learn Spanish. I feel like I need to be involved in it. School isn’t going to help me out. Actually being involved in the language, talking to people, being part of it every single day is what would help me learn the language best.
Anyway. This trip is coming up in April. I’m going to turn 30. On the water. In crystal clear blue waters. It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait for this trip. If you want to know anything more about Trade Winds, because you’re like; what the hell are you even talking about? I have a blog post about it under my travel section. About the best way to travel the Caribbean. Because it was hands down the best way.
Before we get started with listener questions; because we need to get started because there were a lot of awesome questions this week. I just have to talk about three things that I experienced. I don’t know what the f*ck is in the air. Where these people came from. When this became ok.
I’ve been experiencing lots of poor society etiquette. Number one. I did an Instagram story about this. Number one, this guy at the gym. I was doing these pulls where I have to kind of lean over. Kind of like a deadlift, and you pull the weight through. It’s hard; it’s pull throughs or something. I don’t know what it’s called. But you lean over, so your head is down. And then you stand up. And as I’m trying to do that. This guy shoves his ass in my face.
Like, you see me right here. I had two reps left. You couldn’t wait two more seconds. And he’s old as f*ck. He’s probably in his 70s-80s. Sorry if that’s offensive that I said old as f*ck. I’ll be old as f*ck someday too, ok. But I hope to have a little bit more etiquette for other human beings and kindness. But whatever.
He almost put his ass in my face. And then he saw me put my phone down. Which, I’m annoying because I have to record a lot of my exercises for Instagram. I’m that annoying b*tch, I get it. But then he saw me put my phone down. I watched him saw me put it down. And as soon as I put it down, I was about to start doing my movement, he stood right in front of it. He just doesn’t care. And I get it. That’s annoying. That one was fair.
But when a girl is leaning over, don’t put your ass in her face. Just wait 2 seconds. Go around the other way. Just hold the phone. He’s there for multiple hours, so it’s not like he has a time constraint.
Anyway. Second. That was my first one. Second one, I’m out at a nice restaurant. I was at Izakaya Den. If you’re in Denver, great sushi restaurant. It’s my favorite sushi restaurant in town. By far my favorite. So we sit down, we’re about to eat into our appetizer. And the guy next to me, table next to me. I can see him because he’s on the other side of the table. I can see directly at him. His girlfriend or person he’s dating, whatever. Goes to the bathroom.
Then as she’s walking back, he full on picks his nose. Full finger in there. Not just a thumb; like a scrape of a thumb. No. Full finger. Scrape; what’s he do with that big ol bugg he just had? He put it in his mouth. As his girlfriend is walking up. He ate his buggers. In a nice restaurant. In public view. This isn’t like a dark nook of a corner. No. I hate him so much.
So he did that, and I mentioned it to my husband who is sitting next to me, because my sister-in-law was across the table from me. And then he said he saw him pick it again, and put some of the buggers in his beard. I want you to take that in for a second. This man; he probably was 30 to 35. What the f*ck.
Now, for the all time worst part. I wanted to Instagram this, but it was too f*cked up. So I went to the mall yesterday. The mall I was at has glass doors for the elevator. So you can see out. I’m waiting for the elevator, I look over, and this old guy. He’s so old. Much older than the old as f*ck guy at the gym. This guy is like; he has to be like 95. He’s very old. And I’m like; oh, that’s so sad, he’s all by himself. He’s just by himself at the mall just sitting. Wonder what he’s thinking about.
I get in the elevator, I look over at him, and he is definitely, definitely masturbating. His hand is on the outside. And you see guys scratch themselves all the time. Who knows what kind of sweat irrigation issues you’re having down there. I don’t know. But you see guys scratching themselves. Just a quick scratch, move on from it. Move things around, whatever you need to do.
This guy is full on grabbing scratching, moving, on the outside of his pants. I don’t think he is looking at anything. I don’t think there’s a hot chick around. And this man has sores all over the top of his head. It sounds f*cked up. This is why I couldn’t Instagram it. I’m not sure what’s wrong with this man, but here’s the thing. You can’t jerk off in public. And I’ve seen grown men take dumps in public.
Because we’re in Denver. And there’s a homeless population in Denver. And there are people who are mentally ill in Denver. And people who take dumps right outside of our gym at times. And I’ve seen it. And I’ve walked by it. And I’ve almost stepped in it. But jerking off, at the mall. That was a first. And it was very upsetting. And it was a car accident that I could not take my eyes off of.
So, from what I’ve gathered, men are pigs. Because no where did I see a woman have no gym etiquette, pick her nose and eat it, or jerk off in public. That is my life that I’ve had right now. And it’s very upsetting.
1. Bachelor finale recap [18:32]
Anyway. Let’s get to some listener questions. You guys make this podcast so much more fun talking by myself. Because I’m actually talking to people, with people, kind of. So I appreciate it.
Ok, we’re going to start with some travel. Hold on, I’m going to take a sip of my iced coffee. Oh, I almost forgot. A couple of people; I’m acting like… you know when people are like, “Oh, people are asking.” And they make it sound like everybody is asking you to do something. I just hear that on Instagram all the time; I’m like, no. Literally two people were like; “I can’t wait to hear your recap on the podcast about Ari’s season of the Bachelor.”
I did a recap on my blog. So I don’t need to do a huge recap here. But I just want to say, I totally get why Ari picked the wrong person, because it happens all the time. How often; and you see this all the time. Where you date somebody, and you’re like; ok, this isn’t the right person. And you start dating somebody else. Because you’re like; this person is probably better matched for me. And then you end up going back to the other person. Whatever happens. Love is very messy. It’s very few and far between that someone falls in love, and it’s perfect, and life is great all the way through. If that’s how it is, sh*t’s going to hit the fan at some point.
So, Ari falls in love with two women. He goes with his gut, instead of his heart, or whatever. But knows he’s picking the wrong person. And dumps Bekah on camera. Which is sad. But you know that he had Bachelor producers who were pushing him to dump her, so everyone would fall in love with her. Dump her on camera so everyone would fall in love with her so she’d be the next Bachelorette, and that’s exactly what happened.
So at the end of the day, who cares? Ari is so boring. He’s now with another boring person. We don’t ever have to watch him again, and life is good. Bekah will be much more entertaining, because she knows how to use her words. And just talk. It’s as simple as that. And, hopefully she doesn’t make noises when she makes out. Or just said, “Mm, you did so good today.” Ugh, I can’t stand Ari. He’s the worst. Why did he have to come back?
2. Listener Questions: Travel questions [21:17]
Ok, let’s get to questions. We’re going to start with travel questions. Which I feel like there hasn’t been a ton of travel questions in the past, and there weren’t. So that’s super fun, since I just talked about some upcoming travel. And, I’m going to Vancouver, Canada, soon, in April too! So I have two trips in April. I’m so pumped.
Anyway. Kate. “If you have to stop somewhere on a long road trip, where do you stop for a quick bite of food, and what do you order?” {laughs} Well, that is a big question. Because there are lots of routes on road trips. For me, when we drive to Nebraska, which is 7 hours from where we live to the area in Nebraska, I pack food with us. And so we have either snacks or some sort of meal. And there is; I think there’s a Qdoba on the way there. So we’re able to get Qdoba if we need to. I’ll find either a Qdoba, or a Chipotle, or if there’s not going to be anything on that type of road trip, I will just pack snacks.
7 hours is not that long to go without a meal. Start with a meal, have snacks as you go. Done and done. But that’s a very broad question, since all road trips are different. But I don’t go to fast food. I know Qdoba and Chipotle are fast food. But I don’t go to McDonald’s or Taco Bell or anything like that. I’m going to find a better option, or I’m going to pack better options.
Another Kate; oh, this is Katelyn. “I wanted to ask for tips on traveling with a gluten intolerance. I was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance, and my honeymoon is coming up. We’re going to an all-inclusive resort, so I’m hoping they’ll have gluten free options. But I just want to be prepared and not spend my honeymoon sick. That’s not romantic.”
So when I plan a trip, I look at the restaurants that are in all-inclusive resorts. So I can see what’s on the menu. And I think it’s pretty easy. You just have to keep in mind that some dishes will be made with flour. A short rib recipe, often times the sauce is thickened with a flour. But if you’re keeping with simple things. Fish tacos when you’re using corn tortillas. Or you’re getting salmon with vegetables. Or maybe steak with potatoes. They’re not usually using any sort of flour.
But ask questions, as well. A lot of resorts at this point, depending on where you’re going, they have options for gluten free menus. Because so many people have allergy issues out there. So just ask questions. Don’t feel bad about asking about what’s in the dish, and if it’s gluten free or gluten free friendly. Ask questions. That’s the biggest thing you can do. Don’t feel bad about that.
Jordan. “Where would you recommend to go on a solo trip?” I mean, you can go all over the place. One of my favorite places still that I loved, and I went on a solo trip was Santa Ynez Valley. And I have that on my blog. So you can just go to the travel section. It has a recap there. But I traveled there by myself, and it is the best. Because it’s so safe.
I was with a couple of people when I was in town. People would drive me different areas, because I was working with the tourism board. And I asked, “Should I put my purse in the trunk?” Because of what we were doing. She was like, “no. I don’t even bring my keys with me. I leave my keys in the car.” Nobody locks their doors there. It’s just a very safe, secure area. I felt safe walking around the neighborhoods and walking to dinner by myself and talking to different people on the street. I loved it.
There’s all kinds of different wineries, and wine tasting rooms, and restaurants. I felt so comfortable by myself there. So I recommend that. Then it’s not very far. You’re not traveling crazy far distances; I’m guessing you’re in the US. Then it’s pretty easy to get to.
Lana. “You’re always traveling to new cities and promoting gluten free and paleo restaurants and fun activities. How did you decide this was something you wanted to add to your blog?”
So, I started off with people asking me questions all the time about what to do in Denver. Where to eat, and what to see, and all kinds of different questions when it came to that. So I started adding that to my blog. And then when I would go on book tour, and I’d stop at other places, I would talk about those places. So Kansas City, or Nebraska, or I don’t know; Austin, Arizona. Everywhere that I traveled, I talked about the restaurants that I ate there. Because people would give recommendations, and then I could find different places as I went. So I’d share those on the blog. And those were always super popular.
So I wanted to keep adding to that. And when I met one of my friends, who introduced me to different tourism boards, it was just an easy fit. Why not travel to different places and share those places that I ate and drank and what I did, to help other people out and help tourism boards promote their cities and what they had to offer. It was just an easy fit. And it made it more fun for me, because I had more information for people to see on the blog. So it was just an easy fit.
3. Listener Questions: Fitness [27:06]
Ok, let’s talk about fitness. Fitness. Trobin. “Are you noticing progress given your new glute routine?”
I got a couple of questions about this. And I’ve been sharing all kinds of different glute workouts on my Instagram and on my blog. And I just, starting in December, I decided I wanted to add glute workouts to my routine. In my personal opinion and experience, it is a little bit harder to build a full, round, more taut butt with CrossFit alone. And when you look at CrossFit competition athletes. {laughs} My girlfriend and I were talking about it at our CrossFit gym. How you get more of a block butt. So you get thick legs, and a little bit bigger butt. But it’s not the butt I want. I want a little bit taller butt.
So without Kim Kardashian filler in the butt, how she has that little champagne picture, whatever it was where she was pouring champagne and her butt is like a shelf, you’re creating muscle on that top part. And that’s obviously not what she’s doing by any means. But that’s what I’m talking about. That taller butt. I don’t even know all the words for the butt muscles.
Just working on the top part of the butt to lift it and make it a little bit more round. And that’s what I wanted to do. And not trying to be Kim Kardashian by any means. If I did, I would go get fillers. Anyway.
So I started adding butt routines. I started following people like Bret Contreras on Instagram; glute guru. Just different people who were sharing butt workouts. And Brett is the master of those. And I just started adding different workouts to my routine, and making them up as I went. And seeing stuff that I wanted to try, and adding it in. And I started adding this three times a week on top of CrossFit. So I was doing CrossFit five times a week. And then expanding into these butt workouts three times a week.
And I’ve been having a hard time balancing all of it, because I just don’t have f*cking time for that. I have sh*t to do, sh*t to get done. Work to do. So, getting all those workouts in per week was challenging. And I’m having a hard time figuring out how to balance that I’m not overtraining. Because overtraining for me leads to weight gain and leads to inflammation, and I’ve dealt with that in the past and I want to make sure I don’t go into that. So I’ve definitely seen progress. My butt has changed. But now I’m just trying to find the balancing act.
Like this week, I’ve had one butt workout in, and it’s Friday now. So I’ll probably get one more in on Saturday. But I’m just trying to find the balance of all of it. Getting to CrossFit enough because I love it so much, and I love the people that are there. And still getting the results that I’d like to see personally.
So I’ve seen progress; still it’s going to take a long time. For me, I’m not a person who just builds muscle easily. My fitness goals have taken me; some of my fitness goals have taken me now 8 years to accomplish. And they’re going to take me a little bit longer to accomplish other things. So I don’t think I’m just going to see them right away. But I’ve definitely seen some changes. And I’m excited to see what the next few months hold. I still have to find a balance, for sure.
Jaqueline. “Would you ever consider entering a competition like American Ninja Warrior? I think you’d be amazing at it.”
Well, Jaqueline, I would not be. I would never enter that competition, because number one I’m not fit enough for that. Number two that’s a complete different skill level. And number three, I’m not fit enough for that. So no. And I would never want to do that personally.
Sarah. “What’s your favorite music to listen to when you’re working out?”
So, Sarah, I personally love EDM. That’s the only music I really like to listen to. Even when I’m in the car. But I love top 40, basic b*tch stuff. Taylor Swift, duh. But when I like to workout, I like to listen to EDM. But I don’t even have Spotify on my phone anymore. I updated my phone, and before I had a playlist I made for my gym when I was coaching. But now I don’t even have Spotify. So no, I don’t have any favorite playlists.
Someone, Zimmerman asked, “Do you use headphones when you work out? If so, what kind?”
I don’t use headphones. When I’m at my CrossFit gym, we just have music playing. And then when I’m at a regular gym, I just listen to the music that’s playing. I really don’t care that much about music. I don’t have to have great music to workout. I feel like when you’re having a great workout, you don’t notice the music as much. That’s just me. So I don’t use any headphones. But I’ve heard that the Apple wireless headphones are awesome. So maybe check those ones out.
Next up. Let’s see; Silver Linings. “What stretches or treatments do you use for tight traps and neck? Anything you can do at home to loosen up that area?”
I have been seeing a specialist at Apollo Soft Tissue here in Denver, in Cherry Creek. I’ve been seeing him for that exact same issue. Tight traps and neck, from all my yeas of CrossFit, and then from being on my phone and computer all day long.
So what I use is a Theracane. I love Theracanes. You can just get them on Amazon. They are amazing, and I think they really help a lot. Because I’ll get headaches, and I’ll use the Theracane, and it really cuts off the headache and gives me a lot of relief.
And then I also got a computer stand to raise my computer up to more eyelevel, so I’m not cranking my neck down. Because that just puts some strain on the neck as well. That’s called, I think it’s Rain. Rain Design stand. I got that on Amazon, as well. So check both of those out. Those are the things that I use the most.
Sometimes I’ll roll out on a lacrosse ball, as well. But those are the main things I do at home.
AJ. “How do you keep your hands from getting calloused and ripping?” That honestly is just better gripping over time. You build up some calluses for sure. Right now, as I look at my hands, I have calluses. And I will probably always have calluses, because I will be lifting five days a week. And that doesn’t bother me.
You get better at gripping the bar. So the pullup bar, or the rings, or whatever you’re gripping. You get better so you’re not gripping in the same spot, and just ripping all the time. Making sure you’re not over-chalking. Because over-chalking leads to more moisture underneath the chalk, and then it slides more. So you get the slide of the skin, which leads to ripping.
And then you can also take care of your calluses, so you can shave them down. I don’t give a sh*t enough to do that. But you can do that. And that will help you to keep from ripping as well. I’ve just found that over time, you just get better at gripping the bar. The pullup bar, the barbell, and you just don’t have those issues as much. The only time I really ever have those issues is when it’s a ton of toes to bar, and I’m just trying to hold on a little bit longer. But yeah, I just don’t have that issue very much.
And, I just don’t let it get to that point. If I’m about to rip, I do a different exercise. Because I don’t care that much. And I don’t want to have ripped hands just so I got one extra f*cking toes to bar. No thanks.
Staci. “How did you decide on what was the right weight to do for lifts in order to slim down the bulk that you were unhappy with? I myself have gotten ‘bulky’ and would love to drop size, but my love for heavy lifting has me torn.”
You just have to decide what weight is right for you. For me, I decided to do weights that I knew I could do the lift perfectly. My knees would not be caving in. My shoulders wouldn’t be rounded. My elbows dropping. I’m thinking of a front squat. If I’m doing front squat in a workout before I would have been doing 105 to 125, and now I’ll stick with 85. Because I know I can stay upright the entire time. My elbows can stay high. I can stay in a good, tall, normal squat position without my knees coming in.
And 85 pounds was that perfect weight for me. That I’m still going to get a good response from the workout, but I’m not going to be breaking down. The movement is not going to be breaking down over time. So that’s the weight that I stuck with.
I wish more crossfitters in general would go with that. With CrossFit, we always want people to push themselves, but sometimes they just don’t have the physical strength to be able to hold a correct position, and I wish that would be pushed more often. And that’s what I hate about the Open; people go heavier than they should in all their movement, and everything they’ve learned has broken down in the Open because they’re going heavier than they should.
So yeah, I just went with lighter weights. I’m not a person who has a love for heavy lifting anymore. So that’s what you have to decide. You have to decide what works for you. But you also have to take a look of your diet, too. A lot of times, when people are getting a little bit bigger, it may have to do with their diet. So check that out. It could be that, as well. But you have to decide what weight is best for you, and that you can keep the best movement in and still get the best out of your workout.
Danny. “What are your thoughts on buying lifters for CrossFit, versus regular cross training shoes? A bunch of people at my gym have invested in lifters, but I’m wondering if it’s worth it.”
In my opinion, I don’t see the point of having lifters unless you are competing. If you’re trying to get to a certain level where you are doing weight lifting competitions, or CrossFit competitions. Where maybe those lifters would give you just a little extra oomph at your competition day. But if you’re just a normal person just getting a great workout in every day, you don’t need all these f*cking knee guards, and elbow guards, and tape everywhere. It’s too much. People are too much with CrossFit.
I just use cross training shoes; flat shoes in general. I love my Nike Metcons. I love my Adidas flat running shoes. I just use shoes that are flatter, and that’s been fine for me. If you’re trying to compete, maybe it’s worth the investment. But to me, why not have shoes that can do multiple things? You’re not going to be able to run in your lifters, so why not get cross training shoes where you can lift, and you can run, and you don’t have to be that jackass who is holding up the f*cking class because you have to change your goddamn shoes, because you brought three pairs to class. I can’t. Those people annoy the sh*t out of me. And I tell them.
Grown Mary. “I could be wrong, but it seems like you haven’t been doing much Orange Theory lately.”
You’re not wrong, Mary.
“And focusing more on CrossFit and traditional gym workouts.”
Aka, glute workouts.
“Is it due to the Open? Or are you reassessing your fitness goals, and your body’s responses to Orange Theory style of fitness?”
So, I’ve actually talked about this before, Mary in another Listener Questions, but obviously, people don’t listen to all of those. I did touch upon it; I just didn’t want to do a full podcast about why I quit Orange Theory. Because I’m not trying to put down Orange Theory in any regard.
I stopped doing Orange Theory because; number one, I got bored. Because I kept having sh*tty coach after sh*tty coach who were not inspiring by any means. The coaches that I really liked started coaching at different gyms. And so I just kept hitting these really boring instructors. I wasn’t looking forward to going to class. And then I didn’t really want to work out that day, and that was just not an option for me. So I said, f*ck this. I’m going to do something that I’m excited about.
CrossFit, that has never changed. I go to my CrossFit class, and I’m instantly in a better mood and excited to be there, no matter what the workout is. And then the glute workouts, I just decided to add to that routine.
I also found that Orange Theory was a little bit too much. It’s just, for me, I’m trained in the CrossFit style of going f*cking hard the whole time. And so going that hard for an hour is just; it’s hard on the body. I’m not a huge believer in cardio as weight loss. I’m a big believer in lifting for weight loss. So I just saw my body not reacting to it very well. Not that I was trying to lose weight by doing Orange Theory.
But I know a lot of people reach out and say, “I’m doing CrossFit and I want to lean down. I’m thinking about doing Orange Theory for cardio.” And I just think it’s too hard on the body. That’s just because I go hard the whole time. Because a coach tells me to go all out, I go all out. And then I’m going all out the whole time. And a push pace is pretty hard, in my opinion. And you’re doing a push pace all the time.
It was just too hard on my body. And then I was bored with it. So I just moved on.
Amber. “How do you feel about BeachBody workouts?”
I’ve never tried them, so I have no opinion on them.
Ben RH. “Did you ever do anything outside of CrossFit to get your amazingly toned arms?”
Oh my god, that’s so nice of you to say. No, I don’t do anything outside of CrossFit for arms. CrossFit is incredibly full of upper body. So it is very, very easy to get toned arms with CrossFit, as long as you have your diet in check. And you are lifting heavier weights, and you’re staying away from sugar and alcohol. So I don’t do anything for arms outside of CrossFit. No. But thanks for saying I have amazingly toned arms. That’s very nice of you.
4. Listener Questions: Beauty [42:25]
Bekah Boo. I like your name. Ok, we’ve switched to beauty questions now. We are onto the beauty section. Bekah Boo. “Not very involved question, but how do you sleep with your hair at night? I get torn whether to keep it down to avoid breakage, or put it in a low pony bun to avoid major bedhead.”
So I don’t ever put in a ponytail, because I want to avoid breakage, as well. And my hair is a f*cking sh*t storm in the morning. And a mess. So I just brush it out, and I usually just recurl it. Even if I’m not washing my hair that day, I recurl it to just give it some fluff, and some better look.
But I keep it down, and I think my hair is so much smoother, and less breaks, and looks better altogether from doing that. So I keep it down.
Happy Healthy Fit. “Hey lady! Love your podcast. Can you explain the process of microblading? I’m thinking of investing the money, but I live in a small town about 2 hours south of Denver. What is the upkeep? How often do you have to go back? Do you fill in your brows at all during your morning routine?”
Ok. So, the process of microblading. I have a blog post about that. So if I miss anything, just go to my blog. Go to the beauty tab. I have a full post about that. So for my esthetician, my microblading lady here in Denver, you go in for your first session. You have a few test areas. She gives you a few lines in your eyebrows. And you go back; make sure you don’t have any allergic reaction to it.
I don’t know if it’s like 2 weeks later, you get your first fill of your brows. And then 6 weeks later, you do the second fill. So you have three appointments totally to start. And then about 6 months later, she filled in any spots that didn’t take. And there were a couple of spots where I had scar tissue from where I had a cut from when I was younger that she had to use a thicker needle, I think, to fill in those spots. So that was about 6 months later.
For me; usually most people just need a fill once a year. Just depending on their skin tone and how their body takes to the ink. So you don’t have to go in that often. You have to commit to those; obviously those first three appointments, and then you can go from there.
I fill in my brows. I see my esthetician every three weeks. Because I’m naturally blonde, so my eyebrows are very light in color. So I have to get them dyed regularly to have that dark look of my eyebrows. And I still fill them in every day, but not to the extent that I used to. It’s very minimal and pretty easy. And I know a lot of people who don’t fill them in at all. I just prefer a certain look. I like that darker color. And my eyebrows lighten up really fast. So I have to pull in a darker color by filling them in. So I still do that every day.
Today, I’m not wearing any makeup, and I still filled in my brows. Because I like them looking a certain way, and it feels more put together. So that’s it. But I know plenty of people who don’t have to do that, because their hair matches the strokes in their eyebrows, if that makes sense.
Another person asks, “How much did microblading cost? Did you find someone by word of mouth? How often do you need to go in for touchups?”
Which I just talked about. But microblading cost a total of $500 here. Everybody is different. I know it costs more in like San Francisco, where everything costs way f*cking more. But yeah, it’s going to just depend person to person, state to state.
And I found someone by my skin esthetician. I was just talking about how I wanted to get microblading, and she’s like, “Oh my god, I know the perfect person!” And I completely trust her with my face. I’m going to trust her recommendation. So I found out through that esthetician. And that’s how I booked an appointment. Because that was the only way I was going to really do it, was if I found someone who knew that person. Who had clients who went to that person. Who had recommendations to that person. That’s how I found that person. Word of mouth, I think, is key.
Ok, this next question. I just haven’t said these names. “I just saw your skincare routine on your blog. Why is there such a long list for daytime, but not as much for nighttime?”
I don’t have a great answer for that. There are just more products that are recommended and have been recommended by my esthetician and through other people for morning routine. And I just don’t have as many products that I need to use at night. I cleanse my skin. I get a serum on my skin. And then I hydrate the skin, and that’s kind of all I have to do.
If I have more products that I find later one, I’ll definitely add that to my night time routine. I just don’t have a great answer for that. I don’t have as many products that I want to use at night.
Sam. “What’s your experience with Botox? I’m only 25, and have some wrinkles and damage from tanning beds in high school.”
Me, too, girl!
“I’m getting married in June, and considering getting it done. But I’m absolutely clueless about it. Can you recommend a good wrinkle cream?”
So, I just had Botox on Wednesday. I love Botox, personally. I don’t tell anybody that they should get Botox. I say I love it personally, and it’s been amazing for me. And I would recommend it for anybody who wanted it. Just find a person that you trust, and that you feel comfortable with. And know that not every Botox experience is the same.
I’ve been to four different people for Botox, and the person I go to know, I trust so much more and love her work way more. It feels different, it looks different. So just keep that in mind. Not all Botox places are the same. Get recommendations from people. Just word of mouth, like I did with the microblading.
I don’t think; for me, to get rid of wrinkles and fine lines, I think you have to go deeper than just the surface level, like a wrinkle cream. In my opinion, for wrinkles and for any fine lines, I do lasers and Profractional laser, which I think is f*cking life changing. Those are the ones that I do for deep wrinkles. But I use Tula wrinkle cream every day, as well. Just as an extra layer. But I really do think if you want to really get rid of those wrinkles, you have to start deeper layers down with lasers.
That is just my opinion. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a professional. This is my personal experience. So take it with a grain of salt.
Makala. “I know you use natural deodorant. Wondering how the transition from antiperspirant to natural deodorant was for you. I’m ready to switch to all natural deodorant, but I’ve read some not so great stories about the process online, and I’m a little nervous to make the switch. I don’t want to show up to work smelly, sweaty from switching deodorants. Any advice? Does it make sense to try it on the weekend or a few days before returning to work? Are there any brands besides Primally Pure that you recommend?”
No. I highly recommend Primally Pure. The charcoal deodorant is my favorite. I personally did not have a hard time switching to a natural deodorant. But I’ve seen all kinds of different; my sister-in-law did it, and her armpits broke out from it and got a rash. But then she was able to balance it. It just took a few days of, I don’t know, I forget what that process is called.
You just have to get used to it, and it’s kind of weird. Some people have issues with baking soda, so they have to go with a little lighter, not so intense baking soda deodorant. But, I personally didn’t have a crazy process from switching from an antiperspirant to a natural deodorant. I would have some kind of itchy armpits sometimes when it was hot outside. So when it was summer time, and I was getting sweatier than usual, I had a few breakouts where it just kind of looks like you have razor burn. But with the charcoal deodorant, I haven’t experienced that at all. I’m obsessed with it. Seriously, it’s the best.
This next one. “Everyone is always saying shaving causes hair to grow back thicker; hence why women don’t shave their faces, and do things like thread, or wax, or laser. But, I see dermaplaning everywhere, including your posts. Does that have the same results? Super curious.”
So, I’ve been doing dermaplane for a couple of years now, and love it. I also use Tinkle razors. I know it’s a stupid f*cking name. But it’s in my latest skincare post. I use these Tinkle razors to shave my face completely in between dermaplaning at my esthetician’s office. And it gets rid of the top layer of dead skin on your face. So if I ever have dry skin going on, I’ll also use it for that. And then it takes off all those little baby hairs, or dark hairs. Because as you get older, it’s sad to say, you start to get these dark mustache hairs.
And whenever I see women who are around my age in their 30s or whatever, and they start to get those dark hairs, I want to say, “Hey. You don’t have to have a mustache. You don’t. You can do something about it.” But that’s just rude to say to someone. So I shut my f*cking mouth.
But I have not had; and my esthetician says this as well. Your hair is not going to grow back any thicker. It will grow back the exact same. So the exact same peach fuzz that you had before. I have heard one person tell me that their hair grew back thicker, but I’ve never had that experience myself. And I have many, many friends who do it, and have never had that experience.
Obviously, everybody is different. But I’ve never had that experience. It’s not like your leg hairs or whatever. Does that stuff grow back thicker? I don’t know. I’ve always had a really thick, hairy f*cking body. That’s why I shave it all. So I have not had that experience, and I love it. Highly recommend it.
Lisana. “What’s your favorite facial or treatment for dry skin?”
I think there’s something called a hydrofacial. They do this facial with water. I forget. I don’t know. It’s really hydrating for your skin. But I don’t have a facial treatment for dry skin. My favorite facial treatment in general is Profractional. And I’ve said that time and time and time again. It’s the best. And I have a post about it on my blog.
5. Listener Questions: Food [54:08]
Now, let’s get to food. But. I need a sip of this coffee. It’s a cold brew coffee. A little maple almond milk. It’s delish.
OK. Let’s get into food! I feel like this is the longest topic; per use. No, it’s not. That’s a lie.
Style me Lauren. Hi Lauren. I know Lauren. She’s the best. “Ok. I’ve been listening to your podcast about not giving a sh*t, and stop freaking out about calories, macros, diets, etc. I’m working so hard to stop caring and just eating good food. My biggest problem is guilt on myself. Like, I know I shouldn’t be eating this, but everyone else is at the dinner party, so why can’t I? Looking for motivation for self-control when you know you don’t want to eat something at dinner, and will feel guilt later.”
The thing for me, is that it is very rarely that I eat something I know is going to make me feel guilty. There’s a balance of that. Because before, eating a gluten free cupcake would make me feel really guilty. But nowadays, the main guilt that I would feel is from eating something like a ton of Lays potato chips. That would make me feel guilty, because I know it’s not a product that I need to be eating. I know there are better products out there that I could be eating that wouldn’t make me feel guilty. And it’s going to make me feel like sh*t. So that’s the guilt.
So, I go to dinner parties all the time. I go to different events all the time, where it’s easy to say everybody else is eating this, why can’t I? That’s the comparison game. That is such a slippery slope. It’s just like; when I look at this fitness girl online, why does she look this way and I don’t when I try just as hard. The stupid f*cking comparison game. It’s just not worth it. So at the end of the day, you have to say, “Ok. That’s going to make me feel guilty later. I don’t want to feel guilty. So I’m not going to eat it. And it’s not the end of the world that everybody else is eating this and I’m not.” It’s really not the biggest deal.
If it’s something that you know comes out once a year, and you want to enjoy it, like Thanksgiving. Something like that. Well, then maybe it’s worth a little bit of that feeling of guilt. It’s just a balancing act, at the end of the day. But for me, I just don’t eat those things that are going to make me feel guilty. Because they’re giving me guilt for a reason. I don’t feel guilty about eating whole, delicious, unprocessed foods. But if there’s this dip that is going to make me feel guilty, and I’m eating it with pounds of potato chips, and it’s just not worth it, I just don’t do it.
So you just have to find that balancing act, for sure. It’s hard, and it’s frustrating at times. But don’t compare it to; all these other people get to eat it, why can’t you? Because all those other people aren’t you. It’s just you. You are your own individual, so it doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing. If that makes sense.
Let’s see. This next one. “I feel like you’ve been asked this a million times, but what was the most different thing about starting paleo, and how did you overcome it?”
The hardest thing for sure was saying that I couldn’t have stuff anymore. That I couldn’t have bread. And it’s so funny to me. I was talking to my mom about this earlier this week. And a lot of people go through this. They’re like; there is no way I can’t have f*cking bread anymore. There’s no way I can’t have pasta. There’s no way I can’t have; anything that’s on the paleo diet. There’s no way I can’t do that. But there is a f*cking way.
People say it all the time; there’s no way I could live without my phone. You could; you would just be in a different world. There were people for thousands of years before us who did not have phones. Or did not have computers. Or did not have chips. You can do anything. It’s just, we talk ourselves into thinking we can’t do it.
She was talking about, she has a hard time sticking with it because my dad will make bread at home. And I say, then you need to voice to him why this makes it harder for you. But at the end of the day, you get to make your own decisions. And so we talk ourselves into thinking that something is so f*cking hard, and it’s really not.
For me, I overcame figuring out; ok, I can’t have bread. What can I have instead? I figured out how to make paleo banana bread. And then over time; “OK, I don’t really need this paleo banana bread. I’m fine with having no bread.” And I’ve lived my life with having no bread for a long time at this point. And having lettuce wraps. Or having gluten free bread. Or just having no bread at all and having this burger patty by itself, which I order at restaurants all the time.
We just talk ourselves into thinking something is so hard, and it’s really f*cking not. It’s just you have to change your lifestyle, and that’s so scary. But at the end of the day, it’s not that hard. So that was the hardest thing, thinking I couldn’t have something anymore. But I was able to figure out that I didn’t need a lot of those things. Or I could replace them with something much healthier, and more enjoyable, and it made me feel a lot better.
Next question. Family Food Fitness. “We are trying to eliminate cow’s milk cheese from our house. We were trying to find good hard goat’s milk cheeses to replace it. Any suggestions? Also, what is your opinion on making your own stuff, like mayo from scratch versus buying Primal Kitchen. Is it worth the effort to make it yourself? Or are products like Primal Kitchen so good that it’s just worth it to save time?”
So, starting with goat’s milk cheeses. I don’t have any specific recommendations for that. Just go to your local Whole Foods. A place that has good sources of dairy. Because not all grocery stores have that. But going to a grocery store that actually cares about what food is in their store, like at Natural Grocer’s. Whatever it may be. And talk; there’s always a person in the cheese section. You can ask about goat’s milk cheeses. The best sources, and the best ones out there. Just ask questions.
As far as making mayo from scratch or buying Primal Kitchen, that is so up to you. If you want to make it yourself; f*ck yeah, it’s awesome. To me, it’s not worth it. Because Primal Kitchen makes the best mayo. It’s so freaking good. And it’s so easy. It’s made with avocado oil. You know all the ingredients on the back. So if you’re comfortable with spending that extra money to have a product already made for you, in a large amount, then go for it. I think Primal Kitchen is amazing. I love their products so much. And ever since they started making mayo, I never make it for myself anymore. And I made it for years. But now it’s not worth it. I don’t f*cking care. I don’t want to have to make it. It’s time consuming.
So that is up to you and what you think is best. But there are so many products that make life easier, and paleo much easier at this point, why not take advantage of them if you can?
Kelly Kline. “I have a greens question. How often do you drink green juices? Do you think you need them? Or are green powders the better option as it has none of the sugars?”
So, I think the best option for greens is actual greens. Get vegetables in your diet. As much as you can. Get them with breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Get them all the time.
I really only drink green juices if, say, I’ll do it when I’m traveling and I’m having a harder time getting my hands on greens. Or say I had a really indulgent weekend. And I just want to get a little extra greens in my diet starting on Monday. But to me, I should just be doing greens in my diet. And yes, I think finding a green powder, if you want to go that route and get super extra greens in your diet without any sugars, that is a great route for sure.
But keep that in mind. When you’re purchasing green drinks, look at the sugar content. Because a lot of times, they have apples, and pineapple, and whatever else. Which are pretty high in sugar. And they pack a lot in there, so the green juice doesn’t taste like sh*t. So keep that in mind.
But at the end of the day I just like eating my greens instead of drinking them.
Next question, “How do you approach meal planning? Or do you just know your staples, and stock up on groceries that way?”
I don’t really have any sort of meal planning. My planning has to do with what recipes I need for the blog. And then the rest is just; “Ok, what meal do we want to have that night. Do we want to have beef? Do we want to have seafood? Do we want to have salmon? Do we want to have, whatever we want to eat that night? And then I plan vegetables around that that I like to cook and that I enjoy eating regularly. And I stock up that way.
But, I use Butcher Box, and I get meat delivered. Oh, I’m supposed to get it delivered today, actually. I get meat delivered. And that’s kind of how I plan my meals, is based on what meat came that month. And then I also get Thrive Market. And those are a lot of staples like olive oil, ghee, coconut wraps. And a lot of things that I can save a lot of money on through buying through Thrive Market. Or I can’t always find it at my Whole Foods or Natural Grocers.
And then the rest I just buy at the grocery store. Mostly vegetables and any other staples, like almond milk. Whatever. But I don’t have any sort of specific meal planning. I just like to plan out a couple of days ahead of time. What meat and what vegetable we’re going to eat for dinner. And that’s that.
Fitness and Frenchies. Oh my god, I love your name so much!! “Have you ever thought about coming out with your own food product line? Maybe a paleo dessert treat. I think that would be so cool.”
No. That is such a huge process. I personally don’t want to go down that route. Say a brand came to me, and they wanted to co-brand. Almost like how I’ve done leggings with Four Athletics. And they say; “Hey, you can come up with this design and do this, and we’re going to do the heavy lifting that we’ve been doing for years through our manufacturer. And you just do the promotion.” I would be totally down with that. But I would not be just going into a product line by myself. That’s not in any sort of forefront of my mind whatsoever.
Rachel. “Do you count macros?”
No. And I never have. And I don’t know how to.
Lizzie White. “What do you look for when buying fish? I know there’s a lot of negativity around farm raised versus wild caught. I know how to find good meat, but I’m not sure what to look for when buying fish.”
So, I always look for wild caught. It will say farm-raised; Whole Foods, especially, that’s where I always buy my seafood. It will say farm raised, and I just stay away from farm raised. When you look at the farm raised salmon compared to wild caught salmon, it is quite different in color. It’s kind of creepy. So I just stick with wild caught. And that’s it.
I know there are a few companies out there. I think Vital Choice is one of those companies that sells fish online, and they might have better information about that. But I just stick with wild caught, and that’s my main go-to.
Sam. “Do you ever want to sit down and eat a big ol bowl of cereal and some whole milk?”
Not really. Do I think about it? Like the days when I used to eat honey bunches of oats when I was wasted at 3 in the morning and wake up covered in cereal; sure, I think about those days. But no. I don’t want to do that. But I know what’s in most cereal, and it’s sh*t. And I don’t want to feel like sh*t. And I don’t want to put sh*t in my body. If I’m going to put sh*t in my body, it’s going to be a gluten free cupcake. But just a big ol bowl of cereal; nah man. Staying away.
Let’s see; this next one. “How are you able to not snack a ton when you work from home and you’re constantly around food with your job? I know eating three good square meals with healthy fats helps. I try to do the same, but whenever I’m home, I find myself over snacking. Any tips or advice? I can’t really use a napkin or salt trick on stuff I keep around the house.”
That’s funny. I always put a napkin over my food when I’m done with it. Or I pour soap on it. Like if I need to put it in the trash, like a dessert. I’ll put soap on it. So I don’t go back to it. In the trash. Because that’s so something I have done, just like Sex in the City with Miranda.
I think it’s just gotten easier over time. I think I used to snack a ton back in the day when I just started working from home and I would get bored. But now I just don’t really have time to get bored, because I have so much sh*t to do all the time. Eating the three full meals helps a ton, and really helps me. And then snacking on something that’s high in fat usually helps me.
But things I will over-indulge in, like desserts, I just get out of the house. I’m bound to snack when I’m cooking, and making meals, and decorating stuff on a platter to take photos. And you’re licking your fingers; gross. I think it’s so gross when people lick their fingers. But I’m by myself so it’s ok. And I wash my hands, don’t worry.
I think I’ve just gotten better with it over time. Just being around food, and knowing when I’m just dehydrated; that’s why I feel like I need to snack. Because I know I’m not hungry, but my body is telling me something. I just usually need water. I like to drink sparkling water. I think that helps ease that snacking cue that your body is telling you when you really don’t need snacks. But I’ve just gotten better at it. And I just don’t let myself get bored. That’s it.
6. Listener Questions: Random [1:08:54]
Ok, now this is just random stuff. This is the last section. All this random goody stuff.
This one says two things; “You used to use something that was supposed to help with cellulite. It was some kind of roller thing. What do you think of that? Number two; what are some podcasts you’re loving right now? Now that the Bachelor is over, I’m having Rose Prick withdrawals and need something new.”
Ok. So, let’s see. Number one; I was using, I’m totally forgetting the name of it. Dammit, I forgot what it was called. I was using this thing for cellulite. Here’s the thing; I was using it in the winter, but it bruises you. It’s like this roller that you roll. And it’s great for muscle, and tissue, and helps with soreness. But it bruises you.
Especially me. I bruise incredible easily. Brian will touch me with his foot and my ankle is bruised. My bruising is so excessive. So I would have bruises all over my legs trying to break up this fascia that creates cellulite. And summer came along, and I’m like; I don’t want to have bruises all over. So I stopped using it. And then I just stopped caring altogether. I have cellulite. It’s just not going to change. I should care more, but I just don’t.
I work hard in the gym. I work hard at my healthy eating. That’s the most I can do at this point. I just don’t care. So, I haven’t used it enough to tell you if it works. I still have plenty of cellulite.
And podcasts I’m loving. Ok; I know Rose Pricks is the best; I’m so sad it’s over right now. When is the Bachelor coming on? What the f*ck!?
I love My Favorite Murder. I’m big into true crimes. So keep that in mind. I love Katelin Bristow, Off the Vine. I love My Favorite Murder. I love Wine and Crime. They’re f*cking hilarious. So if you like Rose Pricks; Wine and Crime, if you’re down with murder and stuff, they’re wonderful.
I like How I Built this, is always amazing. Great stories. Gets you excited about f*cking being productive as sh*t. What else? I like listening to Reality Steve, but he has a tone of spoilers, so keep that in mind. That’s all I can think of right now.
But I have; if you go to my blog and search podcasts, I have a list of my favorite podcasts. I need to do an updated version, but those are still some of the same ones I listen to.
Jen, “What is your favorite guilty pleasure?”
Kardashians. Gluten free cupcakes. And Total Divas. How’s that?
Happy, Healthy, Fit. “I hate, hate, hate getting sick. What’s your routine when you’re really down and out? Do you take more rest days? Take vitamins? Go to the doctor?”
Ok, first and foremost, let’s talk about not getting sick. People are gross. And they’re all around us. There’s no getting away from them. Especially if you work in a place where people are sick more often. Like an office, or a doctor’s office, or hospital. The world.
So number one; wash your hands all the time. Do not stick your hands in your eyes; do not stick your hands in your mouth. And I’ve been so aware of this, I don’t know why. Because I just really don’t want to get sick this season. But I’m aware of how many people lick their fingers when they eat. And I said, just a second ago, I do that only when I’m home. My hands are washed. I’m decorating food that I will be eating; not serving to guests.
But people lick their fingers all the time. And they don’t wash their hands after they finish up at the gym, or whatever. Wash your hands all the f*cking time, and don’t stick your goddamn fingers in your mouth or your eyes. You’re not a child. Gross.
Don’t touch other people’s sh*t with your fingers. You’re gross. Stay away from people, because they’re disgusting. Just don’t leave the house.
When I’m down and out, I drink bone broth. I get a lot of bone broth in my diet. Making sure to load that up, work on the gut health. Work on replenishing all those vitamins and minerals that are dying. I like to take vitamin C. So just those Emergen-C with turmeric and ginger. And at the end of the day, what’s going to make you heal faster is resting.
So yes. I take more rest days. Because you know what’s worse than being sick? Being around sick people at the gym. Get the f*ck out of the gym, you nasty ass b*tch. Not you. But dick. Whoever is there. I hate when people are sick at the gym. It’s like; get away from me, you sicko! You’re gross!
Take more rest days. I don’t take any vitamins, personally. But I just like to do bone broth. Lots of liquids. Lots of water. Lots of sleep. Sleep that sh*t off.
Ok. Let’s see. “Can you please speak about your breast augmentation? Pros and cons. How was the recovery? How long did you have to refrain from any lifting? Do you regret anything or wish you would have done anything differently?”
So, I have a podcast about plastic surgery, and about my own experience with breast augmentation. I had a boob job done 10 years ago. This was a long time ago. And I was not lifting like I am now. I was doing mostly cardio. I was on the bike. On the elliptical. On the Stairmaster. Those were my main sources of exercise back then. So it didn’t really change anything for me.
I would not do anything differently. I loved it. I recommend it to anybody who is thinking about it. It was the best decision I ever made. I feel so much more confident than I did before. I had literally nipples; I had no boobs before. It made me feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. And that is no offense to anyone who is smaller chested. I don’t give a sh*t about your chest. I give a sh*t about mine.
Everybody has to find what they’re comfortable with. And I personally wanted breasts. So I would do it 10 times over. I’m sure I’ll have to get it done again someday. But yes. It was the best decision. But you can listen to my podcast all about that. Yeah, I would do it 10 times over. It was the best.
Eat More Paleo. “Does Jackson sleep in bed with you and your hubby?”
No. Brian would not let that happen. He sleeps in his own bed next to our bed. But when Brian is gone, Jackson knows he can get in bed with me. But I f*cking hate it, honestly. I love it, because he’s so damn cute. But I sleep terribly. He’s so hot. He wants to sleep on your face, in your lap. As close as he can get to you. And he doesn’t really sleep well either. But yeah, he sleeps in his own bed.
Hailey. “I love how you’ve branched out into fashion. I have some questions about it. How often do you shop? How often do you purge your closet? How do you keep organized? Do you get outfit inspirations from other people? And so many more questions.”
Ok, so I shop all the time. Because that’s part of my business plan at this point. And I am trying to sell clothes. So you have to purchase clothes that are in stock and that are newly on the rack. So yeah, I shop constantly. I was at the mall yesterday. I have to go back to the mall today. I purchased things online this week. And I often have posts coming up with businesses.
I have one on the blog today with Express. I have one Mod Cloth coming up; one of my favorites, Thread Up, I had just a couple of weeks ago. So I’m constantly shopping online, and going to the mall as well for anything in between. And for coming up with multiple outfits. So on top of the sponsored posts that I have, where I’m posting about maybe office style. Or summer style. Or whatever that season is.
I also have to post outfits throughout the week that I hold myself accountable for. I’m usually trying to find five or six new things to wear. Sometimes I’ll take something from my closet, if it’s still in stock. But depending on the business, depending in the company, a lot of things go out of stock very quickly. So yes. I have to purchase things all the time.
For my own personal closet, I have the closet I share with my husband. And then I have my office space where I take my food photography and keep all my dishes and food styling stuff. And then I have a closet where I keep shoes and clothing as well. I keep clothing that’s still in stock and that I’ll wear coming up, I keep in that office. And that’s kind of how I stay organized.
And then I often take stuff when it’s done; it’s time to purge my closet. I take stuff into our guest bedroom and hang it in the closet there. And then I have my sister-in-law and my friends look through it. I also have some friends who will purchase stuff through it. I had a close friend come over the other day, and she probably bought half of the stuff in that room, if not more.
The other stuff, I will take to, what’s it called? Buffalo Exchange. Or I’ll take it to the thrift store. So that’s how I do it. And I purge probably every season. And yeah, get it out of the house. And I get outfit inspiration; I follow a ton of different fashion bloggers that I love. But I feel like I get some inspiration sometimes on Pinterest. But a lot of times, I just wear what I’m feeling and what I like to look at when I’m shopping online.
Sarah. “Love your blog. Don’t ever stop doing it, you’re the best. Do you plan your social media posts out weekly, monthly, daily? Do you use any sort of post planner to plan or organize your social media? Thanks a mil.”
The only thing I plan out ahead of time for months at a time is my blog. I have the next two months of my blog planned out. And things will kind of change as I go. Or say a recipe doesn’t work out, or I just don’t like it. Or a post comes up with a company, I can change things as I go. But I plan about two months out.
Social-media wise, I do not plan at all. I just look at what I’m sharing, and I try to share a balance of everything else. But I don’t use any sort of planner. I just use the Notes app to plan out my posts ahead of time, and I don’t use any sort of social media planner. I just do it with whatever I have going on that day.
Amy. “You’ve talked a number of times about your to-do list, and productivity. My question is; what do you do if you don’t complete a task? Do you only put on your list what absolutely has to get done, or just reevaluate once the list is done? My problem is, I overestimate what I can get done in a day and end up feeling stressed if I don’t complete it all.”
So, I will put down everything I need to get done. But obviously, things change. Things come up. Whatever. So then I will just move things to the next day. Or something changed in my schedule, I can add this in here. Take this out.
It doesn’t stress me out if I don’t get something done. I always make sure to get the things that need to be done that day done. But if there’s something that’s more flexible and I can interchange it with another day, I just change it that way. There are often times that I have to change it to the next day, and reevaluate that schedule. But don’t let it stress you out. You just figure out what needs to absolutely get done, and then exchange it with another day.
Wellness with Alys. “Where to start when finding your own style? Also your go-to mocktail recipes.”
Let’s see. For finding your own style; I haven’t yawned that much this episode. Are you guys proud? It’s no big deal.
Ok. When I was trying to find my own style, when I first started really wearing things other than workout clothes, I started with Pinterest. I just went and looked up women’s fashion on Pinterest. And I started pinning images that I liked. I like this sweater, I like these shoes. I like how she put together this look. And then I would try to kind of start copying those looks with things I had in my own closet, or I just purchased. And I kind of would put outfits together like that. That was my main way of finding my own style.
And I don’t do mocktails. I just; to me, that seems like a waste of calories. I’d rather have a soda water. {laughs} But I have cocktail recipes on my blog, and you can make any without the alcohol in it. There’s a mocktail. But personally I just do soda water.
Ok this next question. “What time do you go to bed, and wake up?”
I usually go to bed around 9:30 or 10, and I usually wake up around 6 to 6:30.
Shine in and out. “Since Facebook now sucks.”
Preach!
“For getting your content out there with organic search. AKA, it decides two people can see your posts.”
Preach!
“What is the best way to grow your blog and website, and get people to know who you are? I’m also on YouTube. What can a girl do? Facebook ads get so expensive.”
Yes. So at the end of the day, concentrate on your blog. I just did a podcast with my web developer, and he kind of talks about SEO, and getting more traffic to your blog. So I recommend listening to that. But just concentrate on your blog. Get your name out there in other ways. Facebook still, YouTube, Instagram, all the social media platforms I think are important. Pinterest.
But at the end of the day, all you can really do, and all I have really done, is just concentrate on the content that I’m putting out there. I’m putting out stuff that I’m proud of. I’m not concentrating on paying Facebook to let 5 more people see my post. I’ve done one or two paid posts, and nobody f*cking saw it. I’m like; I don’t f*cking get it. And I don’t care.
So I’m just concentrating on putting great content on my website. Because Facebook might not be alive one day. Instagram might not be a thing one day. So concentrate on your blog. And then reach out other ways. But the better quality stuff you have out there, the more word of mouth you’re going to get. And the more traffic you’re going to get at the end of the day. I think word of mouth is huge.
Erin. “How did you decide which brands to partner with? For the ones who reach out to you, do you first try them before committing to a partnership?”
So a lot of brands that I have reached out to me, I know the brand already and I probably use it. Maybe Primal Kitchen, or Express, or Nordstrom, or Thread Up. Whatever. I use those things often. So it’s pretty easy. There are other brands that I’ll say, “Please send me your product. And then we can talk about a partnership if I like the product.”
But a lot of the things that I partner with are brands I already use myself. But yes. I always try those things beforehand. Before committing to any sort of partnership. And then I often say no to brands. I just said no to an amazing company, because it just didn’t align with what I’m trying to put out there, but I still love that brand. And still have worked with them on other things.
So I just do what feels right in my gut. But I also have to make sure I use that product before committing to any sort of partnership, for sure.
Taylor. “What are your thoughts on marijuana and its medicinal properties and health benefits?”
I thought it was such an interesting question. I’m surprised I haven’t had more questions like this, since I live in Colorado. But I am pro-marijuana. I think, and I don’t care what anybody thinks. People freak out about weed; and it’s so funny. It’s this taboo topic, but alcohol isn’t this taboo topic when alcohol kills far more people than marijuana does. I don’t understand why people get so up in arms about weed.
But yeah, I’m pro-marijuana. F*ck yeah. Do you. I think alcohol is way harder and detrimental to the body, and the world, and families. And all that sh*t. But if you don’t do sh*t. You smoke weed all the time and you don’ do sh*t, like many of the people who are asking for money on the side of the street, get your f*cking sh*t together. But that’s anything.
Savannah. “Do you wear hair extensions?”
No. I have worn hair extensions once, for my wedding, to make my hair thicker. But that is it. But they are in my sock drawer. And it’s kind of creepy looking sometimes.
Tammy. “Do you have a specific morning and night routine? You may have this on your blog, but would love a walk through. I’m terrible at keeping a routine, so I think it would be a good place to start.”
I’m not sure what exactly you mean by that; routine. But I feel like I have a pretty decent routine down. We always eat dinner. I always shower because I worked out that day. I do my skin care routine every day and every night. And then at night, I try to stay off my computer, because I’m trying to spend more quality time with my husband. We watch a show, go to bed. Morning I always; oh my god, my dog is so f*cking cute right now. I cannot handle it.
In the morning, I always finish my blog post. I have breakfast. I get ready. I make the bed. I walk the dog. And then I do whatever I need to do that day. But I have a routine for sure, because I am a routine kind of gal.
Two more questions! Oh sh*t, just kidding. One more question. {laughs} Alyssa. “Will you please do some meet ups? I’ve been fan girling for five years now. It needs to happen!”
So this is kind of an announcement. Well, it’s a teaser announcement. Yes. I’ve never done any meetups. But yes, I will be doing a meet up coming up in April. The date is April 15th, on a Sunday. And I am teaming up with Tula, the skin care brand that I talk about and use regularly, every single day. I’m teaming up with them to put on a little meet up. A little awesome, amazing day.
We’re teaming up with other brands to bring the people who come to this event. Because it will be a paid event that you have to buy tickets for. But this event will be coming up in April. So stay tuned on my blog and Instagram. I’ll announce it there. There will be a limited number of tickets. But you’ll have to come. It’s going to be so freaking cool. It’s going to be a really, really fun event.
So if you’re in the Denver area April 15th. That’s a Sunday, I believe. I hope so. Then please come to that event. But don’t worry, I’ll have more information about that soon.
Yeah. So anyways. I have to get out of here. I have the Open to go do. And I’ve got to get that Open workout done, because I have a lovely date night. Thank you guys so much for writing in questions. You make these episodes so fun. I love hearing from you, and this is why I keep doing these episodes, because you guys keep having such amazing questions. It’s so freaking fun.
Whenever I put a post up asking if you have any listener questions, I feel like nobody is ever going to ask a question. And then there was like 150 this time. You guys are f*cking awesome. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast in the first place, and taking the time to ask a question. If I missed your question, please head to the blog, to www.PaleOMG.com and ask a question there. I’d love to hear from you. I’m sorry if I missed it.
And if you didn’t go to the blog this week, just a little recap. I have my weekly workouts, and what I ate in a day post. I’m talking about sticking with your goals this year. I have a bacon and veggie loaded egg casserole, with a cooking video. I have my latest daily skincare and makeup routine. Products that I’m loving. I have a mint chocolate chip collagen shake that I made with the new Primal Kitchen Grass-fed collagen peptides. And a Vitamix that I have a giveaway for on my Instagram right now. And then I’m stepping up your office style with Express on the blog, as well. So I have all kinds of new posts to check out.
So head to the blog. Ask a question there if I missed anything. I can’t wait to hear from you guys. Thank you again so much for listening. And stay tuned for that upcoming event in Denver if you’re in the Denver area. I cannot wait!
I’ll talk to you soon. You’re the best. Bye-bye.
I’m at my office, with my headphones in, listening to the podcast. The part where you kept talking about people putting their fingers in their mouth made me laugh. Also made me reach over for and get some anti bacteria hand gel.
People are gross.
You are hilarious.
so disgusting
Thank you and your podcasts for making my time in the car way more entertaining!
Question: I know that you typically record your podcasts at home, but I recall that you’ve recorded some podcasts while running errands. Do you have any fancy equipment that you use to record podcasts, and how do you record episodes when you’re not at home?
0 equipment lol. i usually record with my normal iPhone headphones on voice memos lol
OMG GIRL!!!! Two nights ago, I had a dream where John Cena was taking my vaginal fluid sample during a gyno appointment. Weirdest shit ever!!!