Inspired with Nika Lawrie

Discovering the Secrets to Balanced Nutrition with Amanda Neighbert

June 25, 2024 • Nika Lawrie • Season 2024 • Episode 80

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Join me for a transformative conversation with Amanda Neighbert, a registered dietitian who has shifted from a clinical career to making waves in the online health and wellness industry. Amanda's journey is fueled by her passion for simplifying nutrition to help people achieve weight loss and maintain long-term health. In this episode, you'll learn why being overweight doesn't necessarily equate to being unhealthy and uncover the hidden dangers of the "skinny fat" phenomenon. Amanda shares her strategies for creating sustainable habits and offers practical tips to improve both energy levels and overall well-being.

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Nika Lawrie:

Welcome to the Inspired with Nika Laurie podcast. Amanda Nyberg, welcome to the show. I'm so grateful to have you here today.

Amanda Neighbert:

I'm so excited to be here. I can't wait to chat.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. So we're going to get into a conversation on a topic that I think is really important to so many of us. We're going to talk about kind of weight loss and a wellness journey and what that looks like today. Before we get into that, I want to ask you can you share a little about yourself, about your story and really what led you to where you are today?

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, so I am a registered dietitian by trade. I worked in a clinical kind of hospital setting for about 20 years and about five years ago I kind of jumped into this online space of health and wellness and, you know, really helping to. I mean, my, my passion is about simplifying nutrition for weight loss Love that, yeah, I mean. As a dietician in the clinical setting, I felt like people were just overwhelmed. You know they would come to me trying to be successful. They were, you know, reading about the latest and greatest and, you know, trying to implement. You know I call them unsustainable changes in their life and just not seeing long term progress. And that really kind of led me to creating my signature program called Lean Living, energized and Nourished, because I just wanted to, like you know, clear the space and I wanted to teach people the foundation of being healthy which ultimately will lead to weight loss, because I think so many people are looking for quick fixes, they're trying to implement, you know, upper level nutritional strategies before they create a solid foundation.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. I think you know I really relate to you in the sense of I see so many people coming in just overwhelmed with there's so many different diets and you know the latest fad and it's constantly you know, and one day you know this food is good for you and the next day it's bad for you, and then the next day it's good for you again, and so there's so much confusion that comes with it. So I love that you're really taking a simplified approach to how to address this issue that so many people are running into. What did you, what really motivated you to get into I mean, other than kind of seeing the clients and seeing the struggle what really motivated you specifically to think about weight loss as kind of your signature focus, I guess, if that makes sense, I mean, I do feel like, you know, obesity itself does not mean you're unhealthy.

Amanda Neighbert:

Being overweight does not automatically mean you're unhealthy. There are, you know, people that are, you know, 50 to a hundred pounds overweight, that are metabolically perfect, you know, in terms of diabetes and hypertension and all of that stuff. And then there's people that are, you know, in terms of diabetes and hypertension and all of that stuff. And then there's people that are, you know, um, underweight or at weight that are, um, you know, an internal mess. So I, but I do feel like that most people can find resolution with their health problems by improving the way they eat and typically, when we focus on nutrition, first and foremost in order to feel our best and be our best, typically weight loss is the you know, kind of the secondary outcome.

Nika Lawrie:

Right, yeah, I love that you talk about. You know that there's kind of the the skinny, unhealthy people, because I think, you know, so often we see so much judgment towards people that may be a larger build than others, right, and, and you know, there's instantly assumption that these people are unhealthy, that they have cardiovascular issues, that they probably have diabetes. You know all these metabolic, metabolical diseases that you mentioned. But I worry so often because, um, one, those people are being judged sometimes, you mentioned, but I worry so often because, one, those people are being judged sometimes. You know, well, nobody should be judged, but you know there are a lot of people that are just built bigger, that are very healthy, and I think that's really under addressed.

Nika Lawrie:

But I think that the even scarier factor to me is those who look healthy quote, unquote healthy. I'm doing air quotes here for those on the podcast. Right, you know they they look what society thinks of healthy, yet they are metabolically a disaster and it's so often from the simple carbs or eating the high processed foods we're eating, the sugars we're eating. So I love that you bring that up. I think it's both sides are really under addressed and and I think the general society doesn't really have an understanding of of how that can play out.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, you know, we call it um skinny on the outside, fat on the inside.

Amanda Neighbert:

I think it's like a tofu or tofu or something and something like that Tophie. But um, and and I agree with you, you know, because I think a lot of, especially like younger women you know it's really easy to be lean when you're, you know, 16, 20, 25 years old, and those are the years in which we really establish those. You know habits and if you feel like, oh well, I can live on junk food and processed food and sugary beverages and it doesn't affect me because I don't gain weight, then you're definitely setting yourself up for potential issues in the long run, because weight alone does not dictate your ability to become diabetic and your ability to have hypertension and sleep apnea and things like that. So it is an important message to kind of put out.

Nika Lawrie:

What are some? So for someone who may be quote unquote, skinny or look healthy, what are some of the symptoms that you might think about if you may be metabolically unhealthy? What are the things that you might be looking for?

Amanda Neighbert:

I think, first and foremost is just your energy production. You know your energy level, how you feel. You know in terms of maybe you feel really bloated, maybe you're constipated, you know you get tired very easily. I think that those are really big signs that you know something internally is not running efficient.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely yeah. Yeah. On the other side of that, when we think about people who are overweight or maybe struggling with their weight and they're really looking to lose some of the weight, what are some of the factors that you see? I mean, I I'm a functional nutrition counselor, so I love nutrition. Right, I'm all about the food. But for those who are maybe just kind of getting into it or really starting to learn how food plays that role, I think people are still so associated with just counting the calories as opposed to looking at the nutritional value of the types of food they're eating. What are some of the ways that you see food kind of play a role in weight management or weight loss? I know that's kind of a broad question, but are there two or three things that you can think of that really, you see a change when you start to change the type of food or nutrition that you're eating.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean. I talk a lot to my clients about the fact that, as Americans, we are overfed and undernourished.

Amanda Neighbert:

Very much so, yeah, and we realize that a lot of the issues that we're dealing with for example, thyroid dysfunction Very much so, yeah, you know from your, your food supply, that just puts a lot of pressure and stress on your iodine to the point where it doesn't work.

Amanda Neighbert:

So you know, from a nutritional standpoint, I think, simply looking at you know your focus of whole food nutrition. You know, um, I'm all about, I love your bookcase, um, you know, for those watching on the YouTube, but it's full of color and one of the easiest ways to make sure that you're getting a ton of micronutrients so micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals versus macronutrients, which are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, alcohol is to supplement your diet with as much color as possible, and that's a really easy thing to kind of assess. You know, if you take a day of eating or a week of eating, think about how many different colors are you eating. You know, I think most people eat white and green. You know, and we'll seen a lot of the reds and the blues and the purples and the oranges in there. And again, that's just a way to kind of level up your internal functioning, how your cells work, your mitochondria. You know your thyroid is to just ensure that whole food nutrition is supplementing those micronutrients.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. I always I joke with my husband when I see like a KFC commercial or something like that I'm like, oh, the golden food, right, like the golden food looks so good but there's no like once you eat it you just feel not great, but too Brown and beige, it's all brown and beige. There's no value to that at all. Right, and oftentimes there's kind of a negative value. It's causing your body to actually pull out vitamins and minerals that you may have had stored to actually process those kinds of foods.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, absolutely.

Nika Lawrie:

So when you start sorry, were you going to say something.

Amanda Neighbert:

Well, I was just going to add a couple of more caveats. Yeah, absolutely, you know. I think hydration is another one. You know, just simply keeping your body well hydrated with water. I'm also a big proponent of electrolyte water. I think most people are lacking in electrolytes, sodium, potassium and magnesium, and so, a lot of times, just making sure that you're getting that good hydration, it has what I call a trickle down effect. You know, you feel better, you have more energy, you poop better. I'm really passionate about pooping. You know everyone should be pooping every single day.

Amanda Neighbert:

Constipation is a chronic issue, especially for women, and what we don't realize is that, you know, when we're not getting rid of that waste on a daily basis, it's just recirculating in our body, especially when we talk about hormones and things like that Cravings. A lot of times, people are like I'm hungry all day and I'm like well, are you hungry, are you thirsty? Because the signal for hunger is the same signal for thirst and most of the time, people are not walking around hungry all day, they're walking around thirsty. So, you know, reducing fluids that create dehydration. You know caffeinated products, things like that. Increasing fluids that improve hydration. Adding electrolytes. You know sodium, potassium and magnesium, which make you more hydrated on the inside, can be another really powerful strategy. That, I think, is super simple.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, absolutely. I think we've kind of been set up on a societal level to have a double negative right. We've all been driven towards these really sugary, really caffeinated drinks that not only are bad for our health but they're also dehydrating us and they're they're filling that gap of where we would normally just be drinking regular water to hydrate us or some type of fluid that is much more healthy with us. And I think it's such a it's such a double whammy that people don't realize when we are drinking those kind of caffeinated, sugary drinks.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean, if you're, if you're running on caffeine all day, that's a huge red flag. Yeah, you know, you should not feel like you have to drink caffeine all day to function. Um, I mean, that is your body saying help.

Nika Lawrie:

Same goes for just the sugar drinks. Right, like we need that, that three o'clock pick me up kind of drink. The same exact thing. We shouldn't we? We don't need those kind of um. We don't need the the sugar calories and we don't need all the chemicals that come in those drinks as well, on top of the caffeine?

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, and then I would say, just the last thing that I would add to that question would be meal spacing. I think one of the biggest disservices we've done to the American population is to promote six small meals a day. It has wreaked havoc on our number one fat-swearing hormone, which is insulin. It's gotten people in this mindset of eating these kind of like small, unsatiating meals that leave you wanting more, you know, an hour or two later, um, and I think it's hard to curate six healthy things to eat throughout the day, you know. And so those traditional kind of like small meals, we tend to rely on a handful of pretzels or, you know, a couple of crackers, and those things are, again, not going to provide you the micronutrients you need and they're not going to keep people unsatisfied. So I think getting back to the structure of three, you know, adequate meals a day is another really just simple, powerful strategy that people can implement to improve their overall health.

Amanda Neighbert:

I'm always shocked I'm very active on social media Instagram, and I will post my lunch, which typically has somewhere between five to 600 calories and people are like oh my gosh, I can't believe you eat that much at a meal and I'm like well, if I eat 500 calories three times a day, that's only 1500 calories. That's not a lot of food. If I eat 600 calories three times a day, again, that's under 2000 calories. People are just again. They're warped in terms of what meal size should be. You know what our, our content should look like? Um, because of this kind of whole, six small meals a day.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, I think I love that you brought up the what the content should look like. So that was what I was thinking while you were talking about was people don't understand that. Um, you know, the things that are really going to fill us up are going long-term right, Are going to be really good quality proteins and then really good quality complex carbohydrates, right. So those vegetables, the leafy greens, even the fruits, right. And the fiber yeah, Right, High fiber. And so thinking about that's the priority that should be on the plate. And and then, if you choose to, you can add in maybe the starch like a potato or something like that, Right, but we so often heavily lie on these simple carbohydrates. We'll have this massive bowl of pasta or we'll have a gigantic sandwich with a, you know, half of it is bread kind of thing, and and those are the things that may fill us up really quickly while we're eating, but it doesn't give us that long term, um energy support that we need while we're digesting and going through our days.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean, definitely, you know, meal composition. It matters, um, it matters for, you know again, blood sugar regulation, it matters for your ability to get full and stay full and it matters for, like, energy. I mean, you know, when you eat a bowl of pasta and a breadstick, what do you want to do afterwards? You want to go take a nap? Yeah, so you know, if you eat a big thing of like meaty marinara sauce with a big side of sauteed broccoli, with a, you know, an appropriate serving of spaghetti pasta, you're going to feel so much better.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, absolutely so. When you are working with your, your patients and your clients and they're starting out the early stages, you know they're just starting to figure out how to make these shifts in their lifestyle, their eating habits. What are the first couple of things that you really addressed with them? How do you start to kind of get the cogs working right To make them think about how to make these shifts?

Amanda Neighbert:

You know, one of the first things that I like to teach is about macronutrients. You know carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You mentioned earlier about calories, and what we recognize now, that we didn't recognize in 1977 with the first set of nutritional guidelines, is that it is not as simple as calories in versus calories out. It is a lot more complex than that. You know what your calories are made up of, matter matter Now, I'm not going to argue against the whole caloric deficit and you need that for weight loss, Cause I agree with that but the makeup of your calories is probably more important than just total calorie intake. So, um, I really teach a macro approach. Um, and I'll tell you where I start, the most important macronutrient for weight loss is protein, and we talked a little bit about in the beginning. You know, in terms of simplified nutrition, my theory because I've been doing this for now 25 years is that there's so much misinformation and mixed messaging around protein. You know, should you eat plants? Should you eat animals? Where should it come from? How much? Too much is bad, Too little is bad that people are just polarized or paralyzed, I should say, and they just do nothing. You know, I don't know what to do so I'm just going to eat a little protein, and it's the biggest mistake that you can make. So we really start out with the importance of protein. You know, I always kind of explained it like this you have two pathways in the body. Okay, you can burn fat or you can find protein. You cannot do both, All right. So if you want to burn fat, you have to eat adequate amounts of protein. If you don't eat adequate amounts of protein, that pathway shut down and your body's focused on finding the protein that you need, and it will. You know, protein is that one macronutrient that you must consume on a daily basis. We do not have adequate stores of protein in our body. Now, we do have protein stores in our muscle and tissue, but that's where, a lot of times, when you see people go on these crash diets, they do see, maybe rapid, you know significant weight loss, but most of them end up gaining it back because it wasn't that they lost, they broke down muscle and tissue. That's the volume they lost because they weren't consuming enough protein. So that's usually where I start out with you know, educating what's an adequate protein goal for most people? Well, let me tell you, your bare minimum protein needs are half your body weight. So if you weigh 200 pounds, you need bare minimum 100 grams of protein. And for so many people, if I tell them you're 200 pounds, you need 100 grams of protein, they're like oh my gosh, that is a high protein diet. And I'm like, no, it's not, it's a protein adequate diet. And I'm like, no, it's not, it's a protein adequate diet. So, giving them, allowing them to understand what are my actual protein needs, I always say optimal protein levels are 50 to 75% of your weight. So if you weigh 200 pounds, you'd probably benefit from up to 150 grams of protein.

Amanda Neighbert:

And here's the deal as we age, our protein needs get greater because our protein utilization rate is reduced. You know, um, that's why it's so easy to lose weight. When you're 20 years old, you know your body's utilizing all the protein. You know you've probably got a lot of muscle mass cause you're, you know, young and active. As we get older, the biggest thing that reduces our metabolism is sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass. Yeah, and this protein kind of malabsorption. I mean it's not malabsorption but the lack of optimization. So you know again, as you age 40, 50, 60, 70 years old your protein needs are even higher because your body just doesn't utilize all that protein like it did when you were young.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, I think, I think it's so important and I wish I mean I wish when there was like health classes in high school or something, or we have like a life 101 class that we have to go through, where we can just teach these basic, you know, approaches to health like just give the basic understanding so people know how these kind of decisions that they're making every day with the food they're eating impact their overall health, their physical health, even their mental health too. I think it's so powerful and just such a missed opportunity.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean, I think about the crazy things I did in high school and college to lose weight. You know and I and I think now I'm like man had I known just these simple strategies like optimizing your protein, balancing out your carbs and fats. You know, staying within an adequate caloric balance, water. You know whole food nutrition, it would have been effortless to get lean and stay lean versus. You know the stupid things that we do that ultimately, in the long run, ruin your metabolism. You know from a very young age where you can get away with all that. You know stupid stuff when you're young but it comes back to really backfire as you age.

Nika Lawrie:

And it's. It's almost even harder because those, those habits, those routines have been so ingrained in you, so established. And the hardest part about any of this any lifestyle changes really that behavior change, changing that habit and getting over that initial hump that can for some people even take up to a year or two to really change, but especially a couple of weeks in the beginning. That's really really difficult for people to navigate.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, absolutely. I always say, whatever you do to lose weight, you better be prepared to do to keep it off. And that's why I really teach you know more of a balanced approach to nutrition, because, hey, I mean, I love margaritas, I love chips and salsa, I love beer and pizza and, yeah, maybe I could go, you know, for eight weeks without it and get super lean. But I really want to know how to find that balance in my life, you know, and not feel guilty like that.

Amanda Neighbert:

That's a bad food versus a good food. You know, because in my perspective, all foods fit. It's just a matter of the foods we eat 80% of the time versus the foods we eat 20% of the time. And you know what you're talking about in terms of habits. That's really what it comes down to is the habits that you do over and over are really what dictate where you're gonna be in terms of your health and wellness goals. And it is the small things that matter the most, like drinking 60 to 80 ounces of water a day and you know I'm getting in an extra thousand steps a day, adding more vegetables a day. It's those little things that, in the long run, have the biggest impact.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. Yeah, I love that. I kind of teach the same thing, kind of that 80-20 principle, you know, where 80% of what we're eating is really high quality, really good for our body, and we were really conscious of what we're doing and putting intention into that kind of food. And then I think there is a place for sometimes you just have fun and I'm not a big fan of kind of the cheat day. I think it should just kind of be, you know, mixed in, but just kind of being really aware of what you're eating, opposed to just kind of that mindless picking out food that's just there because you're probably thirsty, opposed to hungry, right, you're just doing those random things.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, we call those flex meals because you know we're just we're flexing. You know our habits and our lifestyle just a little bit Because, again, I think, anytime that you like cheat, like that's, that sounds bad to me, Like you're cheating on something. You're, you know, doing something wrong.

Nika Lawrie:

That negative yeah.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, so it's like reframing our thoughts. You know, um, and here's a really applicable way to look at the 80, 20 approach. You know, obviously I love three meals a day. So if you eat three meals a day, seven days a week, that's 21 meals. 80% of 21 is 17. So, 17 meals a week you're dialed in on track with your health and wellness goals. You are eating the foods that make you feel your best and are going to get you to the results you aim to achieve.

Amanda Neighbert:

Three to four meals a week you're a little bit more flexible. You know you have zero remorse or guilt around the foods that you're eating and you recognize your ability to reset at kind of like the next meal, because three to four meals a week are not going to make or break your progress. You know it's when you see a morning of you go into work there's a box of donuts. Donuts don't align with your current health and wellness goals, but you end up having a few For so many.

Amanda Neighbert:

An event like that triggers what I call the might as well thinking. Well, might as well have nachos for lunch and pizza and beer for dinner because I've already blown it. But when you see that it's like okay, I've had, you know, two or three donuts. Now I'm going to eat my you know salad with my big piece of chicken and my oil and vinegar for lunch, and I'm going to go home and I'm going to cook my salmon and my steamed vegetables. You know, it's like you just keep going on with the things that you do consistently and not allow that flex that you do 20% of the time dictate your next action.

Nika Lawrie:

I love that. I think that's so powerful and so important because I see that so often too. You know you have one slip up quote unquote slip up right when you've had the donut or whatever, and then people just give up after that and it's not a signal of your failure, it's not a signal of your weakness or anything like that. It's like you flexed, you had something sweet or whatever, and then move on and eat better at the next meal. It's rebuilding that thought process that's so powerful. At the next meal, it's rebuilding that thought process that's so powerful. I think the mental game that goes along with changing your lifestyle is almost more powerful than the actual foods that you're eating Not necessarily more powerful, but it's really shifting that mindset around it.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean your ability, after listening to this podcast, to hear and feel yourself saying might as well and seeing that as the true you know test in terms of your ability to create consistency in your life. What are you going to do about this might as well moment? Are you going to say no, no, no, I'm not going to turn this into a might as well day, weekend, week. You know that's, that's how it goes. You know um, I'm going to reset immediately and, like you mentioned, it doesn't always happen. You know um, we all find ourselves spiraling um a day, a weekend, a week. But um, again, recognizing yourself doing that and then recognizing the power of resetting and what that will do to you long term is like exactly what you said. It's reframing your mindset for long term success.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. I think the other thing that really plays into that too is, so often we set these dates of, like, january 1st, we're going to, you know, reset everything, or like my birthday, or whatever we we pick these. You know, the first of the month we pick these special dates and that gives us, like, the freedom to just like eat whatever leading up to that point, which almost makes it harder to make that shift on that special day that we've picked. And I think so often I try to drive home well, why not right now, like, why not just today's the day, this moment? So the next meal, just make the next meal, the healthy meal, and then you can make those, you know those flex meals added in. But instead of giving yourself that, you know, leeway to eat garbage food for the next month or however long it is, I think it's a difficult transition for people.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, and again, the mindset is, you know, when you're in that mindset, you are viewing food as good and bad, and so your thought process is oh, I just had three donuts. Well, I might as well eat the box of Oreos, the bag of chips. You know, I might as well get every one of my favorite foods in that I never get to eat, you know, in today or this weekend or this week, and then I'll start fresh. You know, on Monday I call it eating like an asshole. You know, we're just going to eat like an ass. You know, and and again. And I think that when you view, when you stop viewing food as good versus bad, and you recognize that all foods fit in some balance, and again you don't get into that kind of last meal syndrome. That's what you're talking about. You know, absolutely. Yeah, like getting all those discretionary foods in at once, and then you know, starting fresh. That's the mindset you have to break.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, definitely Can you. So we talked a lot about protein, but I want to because I think there's a lot of questions or controversy around fats and for me I think there's a ton of really healthy fats, and really healthy fats are, you know, kind of make or break for your brain and your mental health and so many other factors in your body. Can you maybe kind of debunk some of the myths around? All fat is bad.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, protein, fat and fiber is what's going to fill you up and keep you full. You know, protein, fats and fibers. They take four to five hours to digest, whereas carbohydrates take, you know, one hour to digest. That's why when you get up in the morning you eat a bagel. You're starving an hour later. But if you get up in the morning you eat bacon and eggs, omelets, avocado, toast, you know things like that. You're full for the, you know, for the next four hours. And it just has to do with how rapidly or not those different foods are digested.

Amanda Neighbert:

Fat does not make you fat. You know, that was the big issue with the first set of nutritional guidelines in 1977. And the reason why fat got such a bad rap is because every gram of fat has nine calories. So when we were talking about calories in versus calories out, you know, obviously it was like oh oh well, to keep low calorie, you have to eat as little fats as possible. Now I do think that there there are good fats and there are bad fats, and it's very simple Manmade fats are bad, you know.

Amanda Neighbert:

Fats found in nature are good. So, um, you know, um, avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, um, salmon, eggs, you know those are all healthy fats. You know processed fats like seed oils, nola oil, vegetable oil, you know hydrogenated oils. Those are bad fats, like those are the fats that you want to stay away from and those are the fats that you want to stay away from. And those are the fats that you're going to find, you know, when you eat out. You know fast food. Those are the fats you're going to find in, like pastries and desserts, and you know Cheetos and you know all those foods that you know you shouldn't be eating. So it's pretty easy to you know differentiate between good versus bad the other thing.

Amanda Neighbert:

There's two other things I want to mention about fats. Number one I work with so many people that are like I hate vegetables, and the reason why you hate vegetables is because your mom steamed your vegetable and she didn't put any butter or salt on it, and so it tastes like crap. And guess what? Fat, butter, salt it flavors our food. I promise you broccoli tastes a lot better with some butter and salt on it. So, just like fat's got a bad rap, so is sodium and adequate salt so important to our health. I always say low sodium diets do more harm than high sodium diets. So 100% agree with that.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, incorporating adequate amounts of sodium is a good thing. Agree with that, yeah.

Amanda Neighbert:

Incorporating, you know, adequate amounts of sodium is a good thing, um, the other thing I like to say is you know, a lot of people don't mention the issue with um, um, fat soluble vitamins. Okay, so we are significantly deficient in that area. A, d, e and K. I mean, yes, we talk a lot about D, but people don't talk about E, d and K, or A, e, d and K, and those vitamins are so important and guess what? You cannot unlock A, d, e and K and broccoli without the Okay. So there's a reason why we incorporate fat in our diet. Another, again, a powerful reason is to unlock those fat soluble vitamins. They have to have a fat with them in order to be absorbed and utilized in the body. So don't villainize fat, that's for sure. Absolutely, I totally agree.

Nika Lawrie:

I'm so glad you brought up the sodium too. I think, absolutely. I totally agree. I'm so glad you brought up the sodium too. I think there's such a misnomer around is this healthy? Is this not, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health? There's a lot of debate around that, and so often you see issues where people are deficient in salt because they have just avoided it completely in all of their meals and they're not getting enough electrolytes and that kind of aspect too, and so, yeah, it can be a huge issue that I think there's a lot of confusion around too.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, and let me tell you, you know I feel like the whole fat thing has been hard, you know, getting people over the dogma of the fat free generation. You know I'm 45. I grew up on snack wells and you know fat free cookies and you know so I get it and I think people are coming around to that. But let me tell you, salt, lordy, it is really hard for people to believe that. You know, salt restriction potentially is making them feel like crap, more so than than adding the sodium.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely yeah. So the the last big one that you mentioned was fiber, and I think you know fiber is. I mean, it is kind of the holy grail, right, when it comes to our digestive system and how our microbiome runs and how we're really processing the foods. Can you deep dive a little bit into fiber and where it really comes from, why it's so important and how we can incorporate more of it into our daily intake?

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean fiber is hard. You know, even when you eat a large amounts of fruit and vegetables, getting that 20, 30, 35 grams of fiber a day. It's a challenge, it's not easy to do. But obviously fiber creates a lot of bulk roughage in our intestines. It helps again, to move our stool through our body. It helps again to move our stool through our body.

Amanda Neighbert:

Sometimes when you shift from a processed diet and you add a ton of fiber, it has the opposite effect because your gut is lazy. It hasn't had to do anything to push that processed food through your body because it just basically runs right through it. Then you add all this roughage. You might be lacking some of the digestive enzymes to break down protein and fiber. You know, your body's very sluggish and I see that a lot in people who transition from eating more processed foods to whole food nutrition. They're like I felt pretty good, you know, eating like an asshole. And now I'm eating, you know, all this clean, healthy food and I feel horrible. I'm bloated, I'm have discomfort and that's just again. It takes time for your body to adapt to that extra fiber.

Amanda Neighbert:

You know, one of my favorite ways to get fiber is through berries. You know, I think that anything Aries. So strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries they're definitely at the top of my fruit list because they are loaded with fiber. They're also, you'll notice, they're very colorful, very deep in color, meaning they have a lot of phytochemicals, a lot of nutrients, and avocados are a great source of fiber. So that's another great option, you know, to get healthy fats and fiber. So you just kind of have to play with the mixture of you know, the different types of foods that you're eating in order to, you know, kind of up that fiber. But and again I just like to mention that, you know, sometimes you don't feel great initially adding those fibrous foods. You've got to get your, you know, your body up to kind of digesting them and breaking them down.

Nika Lawrie:

I always kind of link it towards or use it as an example. It's kind of like a body tune-up right, like we take our car into the shop and it takes a while for them to do the tune-up right. They have to clean out the whole systems, they have to flush all the fluids, replace the oils, those kinds of things, and it takes some time and the body's the exact same way. We've really got to flush out all the stuff that's kind of backed up and built up in our gut and throughout our body, and so it takes time and we use the fiber and the nutritious foods to clean out the system and push everything out so that we can have a finer running motor inside our body in a sense.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, and you know, with what you're doing, you know a lot. I think a lot of people are so focused on weight loss Okay, like that's always the end goal. Okay, that one was weight. But a lot of times people's internal functions are so dysfunctional that it doesn't matter how much of a floor deficit you go into, it doesn't matter how much you exercise, it doesn't matter how much protein you eat, your body's not going to shed that fat because you're so malnourished, you know, your systems are just not running um in optimal levels that it's kind of like holding onto it for safety measures.

Amanda Neighbert:

So, you know, sometimes if I have a client that you know is really zealous about weight loss but they're not seeing results, it is the shift to okay, well, let's focus on, you know, fixing you from the inside out. You know, let's give you that tune up. Let's focus less on weight loss initially and let's focus more on feeling your gut, nourishing your body, getting adequate sleep, managing your stress, and then, once we get your body just feeling better, guess what? The pounds just melt away.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. The other factor that I focus a lot on is the environmental health factor too. So looking at obesogens and different types of toxins that people may be exposed to and how that can hinder their ability to lose the weight. Or maybe they've lost a good chunk of weight but the toxins that were stored, or previously stored, in the fat in their body have kind of gone haywire inside the body and they haven't been able to process that. That can cause the person to plateau again, and so you know they get stuck at these other weight levels and their body's not going to lose that weight until they've been able to clear the systems and really detox in a healthy manner the chemical toxins that are found inside their bodies.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I call that the unsexy stuff, yeah definitely.

Amanda Neighbert:

Because you don't. You know I mean at the end of the day where you ate great and you got to work out like you feel good. You know you like patting yourself on the back, but you know, the day that you change your lotion from you know one that has perfumes and all the crappy endocrines and all the stuff in it to a more natural version, you don't feel that. You know sense of accomplishment because the response is not immediate but the long-term effect is what is powerful and that just comes down to the consistency aspect. You know doing and looking at all aspects of your life and looking for the small areas that you can make tiny tweaks and do them consistently to then, in six to 12 months, you know, get the reward.

Nika Lawrie:

I think it goes back to the mental game that we were talking about. Right, we're looking at this as a lifestyle change. This is who I am now opposed to. This is the diet that I'm on Right, making that different approach.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, absolutely yes, because and I even hate to use the word diet, I mean, you know, because it isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle, and I do feel like also, people throw around the word lifestyle. You know a lot and but the lifestyle is you. Yeah, I'm a busy mom. I've got children in baseball and theater, you know. So, like my lifestyle and how I manage my food and what I eat, it's going to look different than you know someone who's young and single and you know prepping all their food at home and their schedule. So it's not to say that one way is the right way. It's really about again understanding what's that foundation and what's important in that foundation, and then how are you going to make those strategies actually work in your life?

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. Yeah, I think lifestyle is that kind of generic term, but yeah, it really is. It's your lifestyle is that kind of generic term, but yeah, it really is. It's your lifestyle. Like, how are you approaching this to take all of those foundational rules and meld them to your own personality and things going on in your life and your structure? In that sense, definitely that's right. Yeah, well, amanda, this has been wonderful. So much great information. I'm super grateful for the opportunity to connect with you. I want to commend you for the work that you're doing with your clients and for just sharing this information out, because it's such a powerful thing. Even if people aren't looking to lose weight. It's you know, it's. It's a general, it's information for everyone to take care of their bodies and heal their bodies. So I commend you for that work that you're doing, thank you.

Amanda Neighbert:

So excited to be here.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah. So I have three real quick, quick fire questions for you. But before we get to that, where can listeners find you? How can they connect with you online?

Amanda Neighbert:

Well, I am super active on Instagram, so follow me there, amandanybertrd, and I mean my website. I'm everywhere. I'm on TikTok, pinterest, youtube. I leverage them all so you'll find me. But you know I try very similar to you just to put out relevant, simple, you know content every day. That's helpful. Um so, I've had so many people reach out and say I've never worked with you, but your tips and advice have been so helpful for me, so follow along.

Nika Lawrie:

Isn't that amazing. It's so powerful. You never know what you're going to share. That's going to change somebody's life. It's so cool Right.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah.

Nika Lawrie:

Were you ready for the quick fire questions? Oh gosh, okay, here we go, I promise. So I don't know what they are. I've got to put you on the spot. It's the best part. So, uh, what is your favorite or most impactful podcast, book or documentary, and why?

Amanda Neighbert:

That's hard, that's a hard one Because I have so many, but I will say that if you have not read the Salt Fix, read it. It is a game changer, definitely. So I love the salt fix. I'm also currently reading Metabolical by Dr Lustig I think it's his name.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, that is my favorite book.

Amanda Neighbert:

That one also is an absolute game changer. So those would be my two recommended audios. Levels put out an amazing podcast with him on cholesterol. I'm also very passionate about talking about cholesterol, so I love those two doctors. Great resources.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely yeah, robert Lustig, I can't remember his last name, but Metabook Call is amazing. His other book, the Hacking of the American Mind, is phenomenal too.

Amanda Neighbert:

I have not read that, but I've oh, it's so good.

Nika Lawrie:

Definitely. It's all about dopamine and serotonin and how powerful it is in the way we feel and the decisions we make and our health overall. So it's really really great. Can I ask you?

Amanda Neighbert:

a question. Yeah, have you ever read a good book on sleep? Because that's my next one.

Nika Lawrie:

No, well, there's one by, oh what's his name? Um Sean model Sean.

Amanda Neighbert:

Oh, yeah, okay.

Nika Lawrie:

I can't think of his last name.

Amanda Neighbert:

I knew you were talking about.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, model, uh, the model health show. Sean, his sleep book is very good. Yeah, okay.

Amanda Neighbert:

All right, I'm going to check that out.

Nika Lawrie:

And then, uh, the Huberman lab. Uh, I can't remember his first name, but Huberman. He does podcasts and he puts them on YouTube as well. He is God. What is he? He is some type of researcher, but he understands sleep better than almost anyone and he's phenomenal. So, huberman Lab, okay.

Amanda Neighbert:

I'm going to check that out, because sleep is also a crisis in the United States.

Nika Lawrie:

So yeah, so big, so I'm going to link to all of these in the show notes too.

Amanda Neighbert:

Perfect, just to make it easier for the listeners.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, my next question for you what is your favorite? Either eco-friendly or non-toxic living tip.

Amanda Neighbert:

Oh goodness, vinegar and water. Yeah, you know, I mean you can clean anything with that combination and it's. I have a big guy by the big, you know gallon of vinegar, and it's as simple as that.

Nika Lawrie:

I love that. Yeah, it's so easy. We don't have to buy all these. You know super chemical, toxic cleaners. It's what your grandma used. Yeah, right, yeah, for generations, yeah.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yes, I was like if your grandma ate it, you know, if your grandma used it, you know it's probably something good.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely, Definitely so. Amanda, my last question for you today what does living consciously mean to you?

Amanda Neighbert:

You know, I think it's, it aligns with living authentically. You know, I think living consciously means loving yourself as you are right now and then working to make your current version of yourself better. But I think that you know, a lot of people are living with hate for themselves. Think that you know a lot of people are living with hate for themselves, and I don't think that you can ever make quality progress when you currently hate where you are. So, um yeah, I love it.

Nika Lawrie:

I think it's so powerful. I think we all just have to give ourself a little bit more space and grace and just be really appreciative of, you know, the opportunity that we have to just be alive and to be here and experience life.

Amanda Neighbert:

Yeah, I mean working with thousands of clients. I'm always amazed at how much they focus on the one or two bad things that happen throughout their day and forget the 20 to 30 good things that they did. And it's just really allowed me to see exactly what you said that we, especially as women, we are so hard on ourselves. I always say I have lots of slogans, so another slogan of mine is perfection leads to failure, but consistency leads to results, and if you can focus on consistency over perfection, it makes a big difference.

Nika Lawrie:

Yeah, I also add to that. I really think perfection's a myth because, right, you know, because my perfection is different than your perfection and you know, vice versa, right, and so I there's. There isn't this ultimate image that we all need to work towards. The ultimate is feeling happy and feeling content, right?

Amanda Neighbert:

So yeah, and the reason why I said authentically is because I feel like when I more authentically show up to my clients and followers, it helps them to kind of break that mindset that they have to be perfect, because nobody's perfect. You know, it would be very easy for me to depict my life and my food choices and my health journey as perfect, like just be perfect, but in reality it just does a disservice because, you know again, perfection is never the goal.

Nika Lawrie:

Absolutely. I totally agree. Well, amanda, this has been amazing. Thank you so so much again for coming on the show. I'm super grateful to have you here today.

Amanda Neighbert:

Loved it. So good to be here. Awesome, thank you.

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Nika Lawrie

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