Solo 2.0

Michelle Bauman joins the SOLO 2.0 Podcast to discuss her experience living with Lyme Disease and what YOU should know about the #1 fastest growing infectious disease in the country!

Michelle is a busy mom of two boys who has spent the last 12 years working in healthcare operations and management. She has always been passionate about health, wellness, nutrition and fitness, but that was taken to a new level after she came down with a case of pneumonia towards the end of 2019. In early 2020 her world was turned upside down when she became incredibly sick with a wide variety of bizarre symptoms that seemed to appear out of nowhere...

During this conversation we cover:

• How Michelle got sick with Lyme and other co-infections including Pots syndrome and black mold.

• Facts to know about Lyme disease, top symptoms, medication / treatment options & testing

• Problems with the traditional medical model for those with Lyme & other chronic health conditions

• The difficulty of living with “invisible” illness that is misunderstood, not recognized universally (w/ little to no insurance coverage)

• The financial strain / impact on career for those struggling with chronic health conditions

• Navigating relationships with friends & family when you're chronically sick

• The need for better HR practices for those with chronic illness

• How people can support individuals in their lives struggling with chronic health conditions

TICK PREVENTION:

This week Rye & Jess chat with Brie Wieselman, licensed primary care provider and medical director of Brie Wieselman Integrative Health. Besides being an expert in hormone balance, fertility, and perimenopause, Brie specializes in helping people heal digestive problems such as IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, parasitic infections, Candida overgrowth, and SIBO to rebuild a bulletproof microbiome.

During this conversation, Brie shares her experience getting diagnosed with PCOS as a teen, and how she was able to relieve severe symptoms through lifestyle and nutrition adjustments. Brie explains how PCOS is diagnosed, the connection to insulin resistance, and actionable steps to become more insulin sensitive. Brie shares her honest opinion on herbs and supplements for PCOS and insulin resistance, and when it’s necessary to use medication like metformin and spironolactone, as well as thoughts on hormonal birth control.

Brie also gets vulnerable about the ups and downs she experienced in perimenopause – including being pregnant with gestational diabetes, having a baby at 40 during covid then experiencing back to back life-changing circumstances in her personal life. 

We are so grateful to Brie for being so honest with us, as well as for the incredible work she does helping women every day!

CONNECT WITH BRIE

This week Rye shares some updates from Jess & Rye's recent trip to Europe and introduces this week's special mother/daughter interview!

In this solo episode, Rye & Jess are getting honest about some of their imperfect habits lately including discussions around: 

-Morning routines: how they’ve shifted the last few months and what’s been working instead

-Prescriptions Rye & Jess have used and some of the guilt they’ve felt around it

-How to strike a balance between incorporating in western medicine helpers (like an RX) and getting to the root via holistic and natural practices 

-Why perfection shouldn’t be the end goal when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle!

&& more!

In this episode, Jess sits down with fellow nutrition coach and "Mind Over Macros" podcast host, Mike Miller to have an open and vulnerable conversation around restrictive dieting, orthorexia and body image.

In this episode, they discuss:

-Mike's upbringing and experience going from being an athlete his entire life to putting on a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time

-His experience standing in front of a mirror and not recognizing himself and the extreme measures he took to try to lose the weight as quickly as possible

-The "quick fix" diets Mike tried in his pursuit of fat loss and the toll they took on his mental, physical and hormonal health

-Mike's obsession with eating "perfectly" aka orthorexia and how this behavior put a strain on his relationships and marriage with his ex-wife

-The turning point in which he made a change and decided to seek out a healthier, more sustainable way to reach his goals (physically, mentally and emotionally)

-Foundational habits and why they are the most important piece of any health and fitness journey

-Going from an obsession with calorie and macro tracking to finding a way to use it as a tool in a flexible and freeing way and how Mike now helps his clients do the same!

-Why pursuing fat loss is not always the best move, especially when dealing with hormonal imbalances and when to know if it's time to increase calories and work on metabolic priming and hormone health first

-The concept of "mentally dieting and physically not"- why you might feel like you're dieting all the time but not seeing results

-Thoughts on fad diets & so much more!

CONNECT WITH MIKE

In this week’s mini episode, Rye shares some work/life updates, plus some MAJOR podcast news!

As Rye explains in this episode, we are considering switching to 4 new episode styles and would LOVE  to hear from YOU (and in exchange for providing your feedback, you'll be entered to win a 20 count Ultima Electrolyte variety pouch, 30 lemonade canister + water bottle!). Tune into the episode for more details!

To recap, these are the 4 episode concepts we're considering switching to (alternating between them every other week) 

#1: Coaching style episodes w/ @bodyblissbyjess. Think: 45min episodes, 1 hot topic at a time,pulling from what she’s learned helping hundreds of clients over the past 7 years...to help YOU achieve your health goals. (@ryeburch will interview Jess in some of these interviews)

#2- Stories from women who’ve overcome difficult life experiences that impacted their health/self/relationships, etc…including taboo topics like miscarriage, infidelity, drug / alcohol addiction, postpartum, plastic surgery, grief, divorce, etc. We want to reduce the shame associated with many of these topics and provide helpful advice for anyone going through these experiences! 

#3- Monthly solo sister chats, such as our best + worst habits or daily rituals that are working or not working for us! 

#4- Conversations with our mom, Hormone Health Educator, Candace Burch (MA), either in a roundtable format, or 1:1 with either Rye or Jess. We will review hormone health related trends and controversial news stories – giving our two cents – to help reduce the confusion and overwhelm in the hormone health world!

In today’s episode (and podcast swap!), Jess is having a super fun conversation on fad diets with fellow hormone health practitioner and friend, Maddie Miles! 

In this episode the ladies discuss: 

-Breaking down common fad diets and our thoughts on using them as a tool to reach certain health goals 

-Intermittent fasting: what is it, what are its health claims and the pros and cons 

-The keto diet: what is it, what are its health claims and the pros and cons 

-The carnivore diet: what is it, what are its health claims and the pros and cons 

-A few of Jess & Maddie’s favorite health hacks and habits RN and how they practice living a balanced lifestyle 

Spoiler alert: Jess and Maddie are both HUGE advocates of bio-individuality and don't believe in the use of fad diets as a way of living a sustainable, hormone healthy lifestyle!

RESOURCES:

In this week’s guest interview, Jess & Rye are having an enlightening conversation with Microdosing and Plant Medicine Mentor, Tiffany Hurd! 

In this episode, we discuss: 

-Microdosing 101: what is it, who it might be for and transformations one may experience

-Difference between psilocybin “magic” and functional mushrooms 

-Legalities around psilocybin and how to safely find the right dosage and medicine for you

-How Tiffany supports her clients in weaning off depression and anxiety medication and replacing it with microdosing + her own story using plant medicine to heal past trauma and depression and come off pharmaceuticals

-Microdosing as a skill that can be improved and refined for use in personal growth and healing, anxiety, depression and PTSD

-The difference between recreational and therapeutic use and how to figure how what’s best for you 

-Ways to work with Tiffany 1:1 as your guide + learn more about mushroom ceremonies 

-&& more!!

RESOURCES: 

In this long overdue episode, Jess is diving into cycle syncing and how to do it in a way that's realistic without adding stress and overwhelm!

In this episode, you will learn:

- What is cycle syncing and the benefits

- The 4 phases of the menstrual cycle and how to know when you are in each phase

- Why you should NOT use your tracking app to tell you when you've ovulated and how to track your cycle and ovulation accurately

- Simple shifts to make to your nutrition and caloric intake during each phase to better support your body and reduce hormonal symptoms

-How to align your exercise with the 4 phases and myth busting around this topic

-What is normal vs. not normal when it comes to your cycle and symptoms (especially the premenstrual week)

-Signs of an underlying hormonal imbalance and how to get to the root via testing

-Simple tips for getting started with cycle syncing today!

RESOURCES:

TRACKING APPS

In this episode, Jess & Rye sit down with Anna Rahe, founder of GST Body! She teaches us all about the "secret organ" called fascia and how you can actually work with it to heal chronic pain and discomfort!

Jess kicks off the episode with a solo intro sharing some of her top tips for maintaining balance during the summer months and how to still make progress towards your health and fitness goals.. without fomo!

In this episode, we discuss

-Anna's story with chronic pain in her early 20's and how it severely impacted her dancing career and quality of life

-How she found out about the fascial system and started working with her fascia to heal her own chronic pain

-What the fascia is and how to contract and move fascia to help heal pain and discomfort 

-How to know if your fascia needs attention (common symptoms and root causes) 

-What a GST session with Anna looks like and exercises anyone can do from home to support their fascia and improve how they look and feel

-Common mistakes people make in their workouts that perpetuate pain and corrections you can make to improve your results and prevent injury

&& more!

CONNECT WITH ANNA

This week, Rye + Jess sit down with Lahana Vigliano, CEO + Founder of Nuvitru Wellness and a board certified Clinical Nutritionist. Lahana holds a Bachelor of Nutrition Science degree and Masters of Human Nutrition + Functional Medicine degree.  She is currently a doctorate student in clinical nutrition.

Lahana has so much passion in helping women realize that there is a root cause for their symptoms, even if they have been dismissed by healthcare before. Lahana is obsessed with creating natural remedies, researching, reading romance books, lifting heavy, and cooking meals for her family. Outside of work, she is a mother of two and wife. Her family is the inspiration behind Nuvitru and continues to encourage her through everything.

In this episode we discuss:

-Lahana's experience being a young mom & getting into the healthcare field

-Examples of doctors dismissing her client's hormonal concerns

-Foods & lifestyle changes to reduce inflammation and support healthier periods as well as foods for optimal health 

-The gut connection to hormone imbalance 

-Daily protein goals, benefits of animal protein & thoughts on the paleo diet

-Unhealthy “healthy” habits that can contribute to health issues 

-Reducing stress with simple practices / not over complicating things

-Approaching gut health issues holistically 

This week Rye + Jess bring back their very first podcast guest, Deja Riley, who shares the ups and downs of her years-long "infertility" journey, as well as her advocacy work within the health and fitness industry! In this episode we discuss:

• How her life evolved post-pandemic
• Finding her voice / using her platform for good
• DEI work w/ lululemon
• The issues w/representation in fitness/wellness 
• Her experience trying to get pregnant (from IUI to IVF to a natural pregnancy)
• Importance of community when TTC (+ resources)
• How to support friends going through infertility 

ABOUT DEJA:

It’s been a minute since we’ve had a sister catch up so Rye & Jess are sitting down with a mocktail to discuss: 

• Rye’s egg freezing updates and lessons she’s learned in the process so far 
• How we've reframed our relationship with alcohol + how to have a better balance with alcohol as we head into the social summer months 
• Jess’s life updates, coaching pivot and how she’s been handling ups & downs with her chronic migraines 
• Rye’s gut health journey and the functional lab testing she’s doing to finally get answers  
• Why we recommend testing hormones in saliva and how you can work with our family business, Your Hormone Balance to get to the root of symptoms and rebalance naturally!

RESOURCES:

In this episode, you'll hear a unique perspective about the cattle industry and conventional "Factory Farming," from Tara Vander Dussen (dairy farmer / environmental scientist ) and Natalie Kovarik (cattle rancher / pharmacist).

Natalie and Tara are passionate about helping consumers understand how their food is actually made and spreading word about the far-reaching benefits of cattle! In this conversation we cover:

• A day in the life as a dairy farmer + cattle rancher
• The mental challenges facing individuals in agriculture
• Misconceptions about conventional “factory farms” and the REAL practices behind these farms and ranches, which are 97% family run
• Thoughts on the anti-cattle movement
• The environmental & nutritional benefits of cattle

• The difference between grass fed, grass finished and corn fed cattle
• Thoughts on raw milk vs. pasteurized
• The confusion around food labels and what to actually look for at the grocery store
• The USDA standards for beef – touching on use of antibiotics and hormones in meat
• Tips on eating dairy for those who are lactose intolerant
• Advice for finding meat that’s best suited for you
• What it means to be PRO food choice!

CONNECT WITH NATALIE + TARA

Tune into the "Discover AG" Podcast:

It's time for part 2 with Dr. Nathan Riley, the "Holistic OB/GYN," who helps us explore alternative or "unconventional" approaches to fertility, pregnancy and birth that provide greater autonomy AND support for women, their partners and (future) children.

We are excited to welcome Katie Dunlop of Love Sweat Fitness back on the podcast..only this time she is a new mama and has a whole nutrition line!

Katie created Love Sweat Fitness after her own 45lbs weight loss journey and total lifestyle makeover. Living with hypothyroidism, she struggled to find a healthy routine and eventually developed her own personal nutrition plan and fitness method, lost 45lbs, and fell in love with health and fitness. She became a certified personal trainer and used her own method to help countless women transform their lives and build their confidence! She runs LSF alongside her husband Ryan, building a community around women coming together to support each other in reaching their health and fitness goals through healthy recipe plans, "Move" app, a full nutrition line and successful Instagram page and YouTube channel!

In this episode the ladies chat: 

• All that has changed in Katie’s life since our last interview in 2022 and what she’s excited about! 

• Her pregnancy journey and prepping and priming her fertility with hypothyroidism 

• How her rituals and routines have changed since becoming a new mom

• Tips for a healthy pregnancy and approaching health and fitness pre, during and postpartum to feel your best

• The backlash Katie has received on social media from other mom’s and why changing the narrative and building a community of support is KEY

• Tips for developing a healthy and sustainable routine postpartum 

• Katie's current morning and evening rituals and non-negotiable's

&& more!

CONNECT WITH KATIE

This week Rye chats with Linda and Charlie Bloom, who have been married since 1972! Trained as psychotherapists and relationship counselors, they have worked with individuals, couples, groups, and organizations since 1975 and have lectured and taught at learning institutes throughout the USA and internationally, including the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Northern California Mindfulness Institute, The California Institute for Integral Studies, and the World Health Organization.

They have authored five books, including the best seller, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last (over 100,000 sold), Secrets of Great Marriages, Happily Ever After... and their newest book is called "An End to Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons for All Relationships."

In this conversation we discuss:

• The difference between an argument and a productive or passionate conversation
• How to find your voice as well as the courage and vulnerability to be able to have tough conversations
• What NOT to say in an argument
• Red flags in a relationship
• Ways to reignite the spark in your relationship
• The secret to the happiest long term relationships
• Thoughts on co-dependancy
• Suggestions for improving intimacy

CONNECT WITH CHARLIE + LINDA BLOOM

This week Rye + Jess chat with Wendie Trubow (MD, MBA, IFM certified practitioner), who is passionate about helping women optimize their health and lives as a functional medicine gynecologist. Through her struggles with mold and metal toxicity, Celiac disease, and other health issues, Trubow has developed a deep sense of compassion and expertise for what her patients are facing. She is the co-author of "Dirty Girl: Ditch the Toxins, Look Great, and Feel Freaking Amazing" and has been regularly featured in MindBodyGreen and Huffington Post.

THIS CONVERSATION COVERS:

• Wendie's experience being exposed to a high level of toxins during a trip to Paris, France and her years-long journey detoxifying from environmental toxins
• The 3 main types of toxins to watch out for: heavy metals; myco-toxins (produced by fungi/mold), "other" environmental toxins (food, home, products)
• How she helps people get to the root of toxin exposure as a functional medicine doctor (+ how it differs from traditional western medicine)

• Tips for reducing toxin exposure to "level up" (supplements / food / lifestyle adjustments - sleep, air/water quality, stress, exercise)

• The #1 change to make to reduce your toxin exposure

CONNECT WITH WENDIE:

Let's talk GUT health!

Our guest, Bethany Ugarte-Cameron is a Cookbook Author, Recipe Developer founder of the popular gut health focused Instagram page @lilsipper and host of the "Digest This" podcast! Bethany focuses on gut health, nutrition, issues within the food industry and highlights specific ingredients to avoid (or incorporate) for your health.

After years of severe struggles with IBS and gut dysfunction and finding no relief from the conventional methods of treating IBS, Bethany Ugarte took matters into her own hands. She changed her diet with the help of a holistic doctor, and her painful, debilitating symptoms disappeared.

In this episode we talk about:

• symptoms to flag as a sign of gut dysfunction
• the top factors that contributed to her severe gut health issues
• understanding SIBO
• the problem w/ Tums and acid blockers
• POOP whats normal, whats not!
• SOLUBLE VS. insoluble fiber
• the protocol she followed to heal her gut 
• mindset tips when going through a health struggle
• best probiotic strains to consider
• ingredients to avoid

PLUS, Rye shares her own struggles with gut health issues and some of what's helped, in the intro to this episode.

This week, Jess sits down with power couple and YouTube sensation, Julius and LaToya White (aka Juice & Toya) to chat all things:

- Their upbringing and love for fitness PLUS how they met, started dating and eventually grew their YouTube channel to hit 1 million followers this week! 

- The benefits of strength training and how to get an effective workout from home! 

- Why progressive overload style training is the best ways to see physical results and how to implement it 

- The importance of macro tracking to understand what you're consuming optimize calories and protein to support your aesthetic goals (weight loss, muscle building, maintenance etc) and overall health

- Why macro tracking can be a great tool when used correctly and how it can actually help you tune into your body and become a more intuitive eater 

- How to handle setbacks in life like injury and illness and tips for continuing to make progress mentally and physically 

& SO MUCH MORE!

CONNECT WITH JUICE & TOYA 

 In this long overdue sister chat, Rye and Jess sit down (in person for once!) to discuss some of their favorite new health and fitness habits! The sisters chat all things: 

- The impact of coffee on an empty stomach and what Rye is doing instead that's been a game changer for her adrenals 

- Food tracking (macro tracking) and how Rye & Jess are implementing it in a balanced, non restrictive way!

- The benefits of "progressive overload" style weight lifting and the importance of protein 

- Conversations around money mindset and financial goals and how it impacts our wellness 

- Jess's new 1:1 private hormone coaching and how she can support you in reaching your goals in a sustainable way! 

&& more! 

RESOURCES

In this episode, Jess sits down with Dr. Jono Taves, founder of Novera Headache Center to talk about the lesser known root cause of headaches and migraines: neck and shoulder pain! In this episode, you'll learn: 

-A snippet of Jess's history with migraine headaches and why she reached out to Dr. Taves for support

-How to Western model of care treats headaches and migraines and why it is so hard to get real answers and longterm support (besides just a prescription!) 

-Dr. Taves journey from traditionally trained physical therapist to specializing in headache and migraine patients 

-How and why a large percentage of headache and migraines stem from neck and shoulder pain 

-Understanding the migraine "threshold" and how certain triggers (diet, lifestyle, stress, hormones) play a role 

-Practical tips & tools for treating neck and shoulder immobility and pain to improve headaches and migraines naturally 

-What it's like to be a patient at Novera Headache Center vs. a traditional doctor or physical therapist office 

-Jess's experience as a patient at Novera and why she decided to make the trip out to Colorado Springs 

&& so much more! 

RESOURCES

This week Rye and Jess chat with Brittany Fuisz, founder of the flax based (non dairy) milk brand "Malibu Mylk." Brittany not only shares tips and tricks from her impressive entrepreneurial journey, but she talks candidly about her past fertility challenges and her experience freezing her eggs! We also cover:

• The pros and cons of the anti-inflammatory diet (which Brittany was put on while struggling to get pregnant)
• Nutrition tips to support fertility, satiety and overall wellness
• The benefits of dairy free milk VS. cows milk
• The benefits of a plant based, allergen free milk VS. plant based milks with synthetic ingredients
• The problem with nut based milk products 
• Benefits of flaxseed (fiber) for your daily diet 
• Daily non negotiable habits to support health and mindset (especially as a mom!)

CONNECT WITH BRITTANY + MALIBU MYLK

This week, Jess + Rye are joined by Dr. Nathan Riley (OB/GYN). Despite completing extensive training within the traditional (western) medical model, Nathan's sense of self and independence was destroyed in the process, leading him to explore holistic approaches to patient treatment and care. In this episode, Nathan helps us understand WHY appts with your OB/GYN may leave you feeling disappointed or neglected, including: the gaps that exist in their training, why they push prescriptions and procedures and why they aren't educated about fertility awareness / cycle tracking.

WE ALSO DISCUSS:

• What it means to be a holistic OB/GYN
• How incentive structures work at hospitals 
• How to communicate with your doctor and advocate for your hormone health
• How the traditional western model of medicine came into existence
• Examining the medical system's focus on treating only the "physical"
• Taking radical responsibility over your health, exercising autonomy with your decisions

ENJOY THIS EPISODE, let us know your feedback + listen to part 2 (May, 2023).

MORE ABOUT NATHAN:

Nathan Riley, OB/GYN- Nathan is the founder of Beloved Holistics, PCA, medical practice offering truly holistic care. His practice is one of the rarest in the United States, providing truly holistic care to individuals across the entire human journey from birth to death. As a medical doctor and Fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Nathan has assisted with the birth of thousands of newborns into the realm of life. And as a hospice doctor, he has passionately supported hundreds of families and individuals as their loved ones returned across the veil. In addition to Nathan’s training as a medical doctor he is a CHEK professional and yoni steaming facilitator.

Nathan is currently working on his third board certification, anthroposphical medicine, derived from body of wisdom brought forth by Rudolf Steiner, and he is a trained practitioner of Biogeometry, a design science which aims to harmonize the built and natural environments we live in to the benefit of all biological systems within those environments. His aim as a medical provider is to connect each of his clients with their own innate Nature, a discovery which lays the foundation for sustaining excellent health across the entire arc of one’s life.

CONNECT WITH DR RILEY

In this solo episode, Jess and Rye sit down for a sister catch up on a HOT TOPIC: hormonal birth control! In this episode they discuss:

-Their individual experiences using hormonal birth control in their teens and twenties

-What symptoms they experienced while on hormonal birth control (The pill, Nuva Ring and IUD)

-Why they ultimately decided to transition off hormonal birth control

-What they each use now to track their cycle and prevent pregnancy without hormones (fertility awareness method)

-The importance of understanding your options when it comes to birth control and how to advocate for yourself

In part 2 (coming in the new year), Jess and Rye will be back to share a breakdown of the different types of hormonal birth control (including the IUD) and how they impact your hormone levels, common symptoms, steps for making a smooth transition off birth control and non hormonal options for preventing pregnancy naturally!

RESOURCES

In this episode, Jess sits down with Natural Fertility Expert, Hethir Rodriguez to get our questions answered around fertility and trying to conceive in our mid to late 30’s!

The ladies discuss:

- The pressure women feel to “be ready” to start trying for kids by a certain age

- Why it’s not TOO late to conceive once you hit your mid to upper 30’s

- The importance of male fertility and the myth that it all comes down to the woman

- Hormone imbalances that can manifest in fertility struggles 

- Why ovulation is SO key (even if not ready to conceive) and factors that ca disrupt it

- How to support your fertility through nutrition and herbs

-Why fad diets like keto aren’t “the thing” for fertility

-How stress and xeon-estrogens impacts ovulation and ways to support your adrenals 

& so much more! 

CONNECT WITH HETHIR