No More Food Fear: Reclaiming the Joy of Eating with IBD

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Welcome to another episode of The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD! Today, we are deep diving into a powerful topic that resonates with many of us who live with Crohn’s and colitis: food-induced fear—the anxiety, stress, confusion, and chaos that surrounds us when we try to figure out what to eat.

We’ve all experienced those moments where we literally freeze, instead of eating because we are scared of what the outcome will be. It happens at home, at restaurants, at social gatherings… basically anywhere you find food ~ and that’s a whole lot of places! In this episode, we’re dishing about how our fear of food has the power to rob us of the joy of eating, turning what should be a pleasurable experience into a source of stress.

Throughout this episode, we’re exploring the roots of food-induced fear, including the associations with past pain, the confusion stemming from misinformation, and the unrealistic expectations of quick fixes. Together, we’ll unpack these challenges and work towards breaking the cycle of food based fears.

Tune in As We Talk About:

✅ [00:08] Setting the scene for understanding food-induced fear in our lives.

✅ [01:52] The stark contrast of emotions at a holiday dinner table.

✅ [06:39] How past experiences with pain can shape our relationship with food.

✅ [09:29] The role of misinformation in creating dietary anxiety.

✅ [31:54] Practical mindful eating techniques to reduce anxiety.

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Mentioned in the Episode:

>> No More Food Fear: 10 Anxiety Busting Rockstar Mom Tips

>> The Ultimate IBD Diet Decoder Quiz

>> Join The Gut Love Community for Moms with IBD

>> Book Your FREE IBD Consultation with Karyn Today

Connect With Karyn:

Karyn on YouTube

Karyn on Instagram

Karyn on Facebook

Episode Transcript:

Karyn Haley [00:00:08]:

Hey there, mama. Welcome to season two of the Cheeky podcast for moms with IBD. I’m Karyn Haley, functional IBD nutrition and wellness coach and Crohn’s warrior. This podcast is all about us moms because our IBD plays by different rules. Season two is juicy, full of unconventional wisdom, real talk, new ways to tackle our illness, and a whole lot of community empowerment, and all of us advocating the hell out of our illness. We’re in this together, and I’m here to help you find healing on your terms. Let’s do this. Oh, hello, my friend Karyn Haley with you again in our little IBD corner of the universe.

Karyn Haley [00:00:55]:

I’m really looking forward to diving into our topic for today’s episode because it’s one that impacts all of us with IBD at one point or even at several points throughout our lives. And I think the best way to start this conversation today is with just a little bit of imagery. Let me set the scene for you. It’s a big holiday dinner, lots of family and friends sitting down at the table. Everyone is oohing and eyeing over how good the food looks. You can practically see their mouths watering in anticipation of eating this fabulous cooked with love meal. Now, let’s go ahead and cut to your part of the table and what’s going on inside your brain and what’s manifesting in your mind. You’re not going to be surprised that it’s very different from your dinner companions.

Karyn Haley [00:01:52]:

You’re thinking things like Aunt Jan. She said that stuffing was gluten free, but do I trust her? And those brussels sprouts over there that my brother made? They look pretty al dente. Should I risk eating something that’s so raw and so fibrous and oh my God, get those yeast rolls away from me. I know I can’t have them, but if I sniff them one more time, I’m going to lose all self control. Everyone around you is laughing and enjoying the feast before them. And you, by contrast, you end up taking tiny bites of a plethora of mystery foods, hoping, fingers crossed, hoping upon hope that it will be okay, while simultaneously feeling afraid. Afraid about what the next 24 hours or more of your life is going to look like after consuming just one meal. Sound familiar? It’s meals like this that are anxiety provoking and stressful, frustrating, overwhelming, even confusing.

Karyn Haley [00:03:01]:

And unless someone else at your holiday table has IBD, you’re all alone. You’re all alone with your thoughts, because others just will never truly feel the same way as you. They’re never going to get what it feels like. Are they in all these negative feelings that this one meal causes? It often leads to emotions of helplessness, feeling out of control in your own body. It’s food induced fear. And if gold medals were given for these kinds of emotions, you’d have as many medals as Simone Biles. And of course, feeling like this, it doesn’t just come up in those big family holiday occasions when you’ve got Crohn’s or colitis, food induced fear. It follows you around.

Karyn Haley [00:03:57]:

It follows you around like a little lost puppy, never leaving your side. It lurks, it pleads with you. And most importantly, it’s the stops you from doing what should be one of the most pleasurable activities on the planet, experiencing the joy of eating. Now, my goal for us today is to break this cycle together, because the Lord knows that I have had my share of food induced fear in my years with Crohn’s, I’ve had it, too. But it’s time. It is time for a little insight. It’s time for a big pep talk and a whole lot of support as we gain the tools to put food induced fear where it belongs, in the rear-view mirror. Now, let’s start here.

Karyn Haley [00:04:45]:

When I have a problem, when I have a problem I’m trying to solve, I always try my best. I don’t always succeed. But I have to say, I always try my best to lose any judgment that’s attached to it, any positive or negative judgment, because it helps me look impartially at an issue from all angles. And seeing problems in this manner, it’s very valuable. It’s a great skill to cultivate because it helps you gain the insight and the perspective that you need to tackle issues head on without that baggage. You know what I’m talking about? That baggage that often comes with it when you have all that emotion attached to it. So instead of feeling those negative emotions like guilt, shame, helplessness, and hopelessness over your fears surrounding eating, you can just skip the judgment and you can think to yourself, what would I tell my best friend? What would I tell my best friend who was in the midst of this challenge? Would I berate her? Would I shame her? Would I tell her to just get over it already? Of course you wouldn’t. Of course you wouldn’t.

Karyn Haley [00:05:53]:

So let’s just start today by promising ourselves that when it comes to our food induced fears, we’re going to check that negative baggage at the door. Just keep it there just for now. And instead, we are going to adopt a stance of just pure curiosity instead. Pure curiosity. Curiosity about what’s behind this food fear. A genuine, just thought provoking stance that can help us get to the bottom of this deeply challenging issue. And the best place to start with challenges like this is always to dive in to get to the root of the problem. You know, like dive in really deep and get to that root cause.

Karyn Haley [00:06:39]:

So then the question becomes, what are some of the most common roots behind our eating being so disordered that we are literally afraid to eat? Let’s talk about the most common reasons, and we’re going to take them one by one because I want you to see if you can relate. I want you to see if you can relate to any of these reasons behind your fears that come up surrounding eating. So let’s go ahead and start with the first one. The first route is an association with pain. I bet you can relate to this. 199 percent of us with IBD, we have experienced pain or discomfort after eating. And oftentimes it’s hard to know what the culprit is. It’s not uncommon in my coaching practice to have a client say to me, I have no idea what foods bother me.

Karyn Haley [00:07:30]:

It seems like everything I eat. I just feel awful now as a result of these intense negative reactions after eating, there’s this natural tendency for us to associate all food with painful outcomes. This root cause of knowing the feeling of pain and discomfort after eating, it leads to anxiety and stress and avoidance of a certain food, or even all foods, even all foods that you could possibly eat, all eating together, just avoiding it. Does that root sound familiar to you? Okay. Something else that is at the heart of many of our food induced fears. It comes from these feelings of confusion and overwhelm. And we’re all too acquainted with those feelings, aren’t we? We’re in this state so often that we don’t even know how to not feel these negative emotions. So with so much conflicting information out there about IBD diets, it’s everywhere you look.

Karyn Haley [00:08:39]:

It’s really challenging to know which is the diet for you. It’s really challenging to avoid the confusion and the overwhelm, uncertainties about what actually works and what’s worth trying. It can contribute to a generalized fear of food and eating. And these feelings can be quite debilitating. So much so that it can begin to impact the quality of your daily life. So confusion and overwhelm of what your best food choices are. That’s a really big root cause for food induced fear. We also can’t have a root cause conversation about food induced fear without discussing the role of misinformation.

Karyn Haley [00:09:29]:

Misinformation is a big issue and a lot of us get this issue from the Internet, from social media. Our feeds are just filled with these self-proclaimed experts promoting their own dietary approaches as the best solution for IBD. So as an example, in just one scroll, you might click on a person’s post touting an IBD healing diet that’s vegan or vegetarian. And they swear. They swear that going meat free is what cured them. And then a few posts later, you will see someone else talking about an IBD cure that they found by eating lots and lots of meat. The carnivore diet, the paleo diet, you name it, it’s meat. It’s a meat-based diet that cured them.

Karyn Haley [00:10:20]:

It’s absolutely conflicting advice, and this can leave us feeling confused and afraid to deviate from what we perceive as the correct way to eat. And it all stems from that word misinformation. Misinformation that there is a one size fits all diet approach to healing Crohn’s and colitis. There isn’t, by the way, which is another thing that contributes to our fear of eating. Now, sometimes, sometimes at the root of our food induced fear are thoughts and emotions that we ourselves, that we self-impose. One of those is expectations of a quick fix in our society. So often we are conditioned to seek quick solutions to our problems. Give me a pill.

Karyn Haley [00:11:13]:

Give me a band aid, cover up so I can just get on with my life. Sound familiar? It’s no wonder that we then internalize this message to include IBD as well. Give me that quick IBD fix. Are you guilty of this? We all are to a certain extent, aren’t we? When we put all our efforts into researching and then we put efforts into gearing up for treating our IBD. But then when we actually get started and we don’t see immediate positive results from maybe that new diet or that new treatment approach, we tend to become discouraged. And that often leads to us giving up too soon, which then perpetuates the cycle of fear and frustration. Because nothing you try seems to work. Your actual problem may lie in not giving your new plan enough time to make a difference in your life, but we move on.

Karyn Haley [00:12:12]:

We move on to the supposed next big quick fix, only to have the same response over and over. And the one thing I can say, the one thing that I want to say about this is obviously squirrel syndrome, right? It’s like, what? Shiny object? Shiny object. Squirrel. Squirrel. The one thing that I can say about that is that I absolutely get it because I’ve been there myself. It took a really long time for your illness to bring you to this place, this place where you’re in right now. This place where you have to make a change because things are so bad. So the potential is there for it to take a long time to heal as well.

Karyn Haley [00:12:53]:

And although I know it’s so much easier said than done, those key words, patience and time, they are our friends. And the sooner that we embrace that mindset, the better our healing journey will be. Nonetheless, this is a big root cause of food induced fear. That self-imposed belief that if it doesn’t work right away, it’s never going to work. It’s squirrel syndrome, right? Is that a factor in your life? Does this root cause sound familiar to you? Let me talk about the last root cause that I see over and over. The last root cause of food induced fear. And that is a lack of a clear action plan. And the way that this tends to show up for us is when we hear about the latest, greatest gut healing diet fad out there, the one that people are raving about.

Karyn Haley [00:13:51]:

Instead of doing our due diligence, instead of taking the time to plan for a successful endeavor, we leap. We leap without thinking it through. We leap without thinking it through to decide if this is the best option for our individual needs and we have no step-by-step path forward. We’ve got determination. Oh, yeah, we have determination because all IBD gals have that in spades. But without a plan, right? Without pairing determination with a sustainable action plan, we set ourselves up for failure. And most of the time, this lack of direction, it then inflates the way that food related anxiety and uncertainty shows up in our lives. So what do you think? Where do your root causes to food induced fear lie? Did you relate to these as I was going through them? It might be one of these root causes.

Karyn Haley [00:14:52]:

It might be two that I mentioned, or it might be all of them you’ve just taken. Though I have to say, the first, most significant step, dear one, you set aside putting those negative labels on these roots and you just objectively, you let them wash over you. I like to say you let them marinate. That’s kind of my thing. You let them marinate over you to help you decide which ones fit for you. So your biggest hurdle, insight, you’ve tackled that today. You tackled that right now. You tackled it head on.

Karyn Haley [00:15:29]:

So I have to say, way to go, because that’s absolutely awesome. So once we’ve gotten to the root of what’s really at play, causing these fears, these fears of eating in your life. It’s time to take these thoughts one step further. So we just talked about insight, and insight is key, but it’s only going to get you so far. If the goal of getting over food induced fear is to break the cycle of fear, and can we agree on that premise, that the goal is to break the cycle of fear, then the next logical step is to figure out, in what ways is this challenge showing up in my life? How does it show up in my everyday life? And as you already know, food induced fear, it can have a profound impact on the quality of your daily life, and it will then extend beyond. It extends beyond mealtime, beyond other parts of your life. It affects everything from grocery shopping to social interactions with people, to how comfortable you are traveling away from home, as well as how much you are able to then participate in everyday activities, those everyday activities that so many people take for granted. So here are some common ways where food induced fear might manifest in your life.

Karyn Haley [00:16:50]:

And again, I want you to just let it marinate, let it wash over you. Think about which of these fits best for you. Food fears that show up at the grocery store. Let’s talk about that first. For those with Crohn’s and colitis. Grocery shopping. Oh my goodness. It can be a whole different experience than anything that our friends or our family go through at the market going up and down the aisles.

Karyn Haley [00:17:18]:

We might start to feel overwhelmed. We might start to feel anxious, maybe even just unsure about what products are safe to buy and which products will ultimately be for us. You know, which products do we actually ultimately end up putting in our shopping cart? And this can lead to longer trips than normal at the grocery store, which is, of course, not something that moms with littles have any time for. Or it might even lead to avoidance of a certain food or even categories of food altogether. Even though this is really interesting, even though you’re not even sure if they bother you, you might be avoiding them when you don’t even know if they bother you. Our food induced fears, they also show up when we try to plan our meals, don’t they? Both planning meals and then even just meal prep itself, it can become a source of stress as you then worry about finding dishes that won’t trigger your symptoms. It’s really common for my clients to say that they end up resorting to repetitive or even overly restrictive meal plans in an attempt to just minimize the risk of a bad reaction. It’s totally, completely understandable.

Karyn Haley [00:18:39]:

I totally get why this would happen. And if you are the meal planner in your household, this way of reacting to food, it can impact your whole family as well, because you’re cooking for them too. Now, so far, we have talked about food fears showing up while we are at the grocery store shopping for groceries. We’ve talked about food fears showing up while we try to plan and prepare our meals with food. And we don’t even know if we tolerate or not. We’re not sure if they’re even a problem. And if you stop and you think about it, I bet you’ll agree that tasks like these, they take up a really big part of our day. Shopping for food, making food, prepping food.

Karyn Haley [00:19:20]:

So we are living in a state of constant anxiety and emotional strain. Okay, let’s continue on this path of figuring out how food induced fears show up in our lives. What other situations come up that bring up food fears? Well, how about social events? This is a big one. Remember that holiday dinner that I mentioned at the beginning? That’s one type of social event that can cause us to stress out about food. But also, what about dining out or attending a casual gathering? Both can be fraught with anxiety. For those of us with food induced fears in a social setting, you might feel self-conscious about your dietary restrictions. And I have to say that I can absolutely relate to this one, because when I first made major changes to my diet, let’s just say gluten free, it was not a well-known phrase. This is a long time ago, early two thousands.

Karyn Haley [00:20:18]:

And I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed to eat my different food around anyone other than my family. And so I always would get red in the face during social situations. When anybody asked me anything about my diet, I would just get really, really embarrassed. So social anxieties related to food, it’s a big factor in anyone’s life. With IBD, we fear of being judged by others from our eating habits, the way that we eat. And thank goodness, I have to say, in my case, I finally overcame this fear and I gradually became proud of my food choices. But it took a lot of time.

Karyn Haley [00:20:58]:

It took a lot of time, it took a lot of effort. And while I was living in this fearful world, I did. I lived in a constant state of anxiety and panic. And that’s not good. That’s not good for anybody. That’s not good for your mind. It’s definitely not good for your gut. Our food related anxiety, it can also impact the dynamics of our families, particularly for those of us that are moms with IBD.

Karyn Haley [00:21:27]:

And you might be struggling as a mom with IBD, you might be struggling to balance your own dietary needs with the needs of your children or the needs of your spouse. If you’ve ever made separate meals for everyone in the house, you’ve certainly felt the stress and overwhelm of what that’s like. When we can’t keep up with these demands, and let’s face it, who could possibly keep up with that? Nobody can. We tend to then take on the guilt. We take that guilt on, we get a guilty conscience. We feel inadequate as a mom, and we all want to be the best mom that we can be to our kids. When our IBD diet, when it affects our ability to then properly feed everyone in our family, or it affects how we feel after we eat, that really threatens our ability to be a good mother. And for us, that is emotionally crushing, because that just means everything to us.

Karyn Haley [00:22:26]:

And then over time, over periods of time, these kinds of situations, they will come up over and over in our everyday lives. And what happens is they begin to take a toll. They take a longer term, more chronic toll on our emotional well-being. This constant fear of food related symptoms that can creep up at any given moment, it takes a toll on our mental health. It leads to feelings of isolation, frustration, and depression. And when this happens, it’s really common for us to then withdraw. We do. Right? We withdraw from those social activities, or we even find it a struggle to find joy in our everyday life.

Karyn Haley [00:23:12]:

Sucks for us when this happens, doesn’t it? It really sucks that there’s just no easier way to put it. It sucks. It’s this downward spiral. And I know what it’s like because I’ve been there myself. I have been there many times over. I know that you get it, too, because I know this is an issue. This is an issue that comes up over and over in my coaching practice. So I know you can relate, and I hope that it helps to know that you’re not alone in this.

Karyn Haley [00:23:42]:

We all go through some form of food induced fears along the way, and no matter how it manifests for you, I do know. And if you’re multitasking, come back to me, because this is the really important part. I do know. I know without a shadow of a doubt, I know that it’s possible to overcome these fears. I know that it’s possible to develop a better relationship with food. I know this to be true. And I am here. I’m here today to help you begin to just thaw that icy exterior, that wall that you’ve built up around yourself for self-protection.

Karyn Haley [00:24:22]:

It’s understandable that you built that wall, but it’s just not serving you anymore. And while we can’t fix every fear in this one episode, with insight though, into your root causes, with knowledge about your food, fear triggers. With a powerful resource I’m going to tell you about, one that’s going to be coming your way. I’ll tell you about that in just a moment. And the next part that we’re going to talk about, that next part is basically, where do we go from here, right, with this information now, what do we do with all of that? It is my hope that slowly you will find the peace that you deserve. So, yes, yes, I do have a resource. I’ve got a wonderful resource for you that is going to help you take this conversation to the next level, if that’s what you want. It’s called no more food induced fear.

Karyn Haley [00:25:19]:

Ten anxiety busting rock star mom tips, and I’m going to show you how you can get your hands on it absolutely for free. I’m going to tell you that in just a moment. But first, let’s go ahead and talk about where to go from here. What are your next steps? With everything we’ve talked about so far, what do you do now? Okay. Everything that you’ve learned today, let’s go ahead and move on so that you can go from fearful eater to fearless eater, because that’s what I want for you. So the first step. The first step that we should all do, all of us, it doesn’t matter who you are, this is the first step when we’re feeling lost and we’re feeling hopeless, the first step that’s going to bring some centeredness, that’s going to bring some balance back to your life. That first step is to educate yourself, because the more you know, the better positioned you are to gain control and to gain power over a situation that makes you feel powerless.

Karyn Haley [00:26:20]:

And when we take the time to educate ourselves about IBD, about our personal dietary triggers, about how this disease shows up in our body, we put the power back in our hands. Educating yourself, it can mean several things. So it could mean going to books, it could mean doing research. But in this particular case, in this particular case, I’m talking more about educating yourself about you, the big y o u. Because the more you understand about how your specific Crohn’s or colitis affects you, the better equipped you’ll be to make informed decisions about your diet and about your lifestyle, not through fear, but through clarity and confidence. And this is one of the main tenets in my coaching practice, helping clients educate themselves on how IBD shows up for them. Because there is no more important step in your healing transformation. Trust me on that, my friend.

Karyn Haley [00:27:27]:

Okay, so that’s your first step. You begin with the education of you. It’s never wasted time to get to know yourself, what makes you tick inside and out. Now, the next step in tackling food induced fear is to start the process of experimenting. Experimenting in a safe environment, and that’s key there. Experimenting, yes, but experimenting in a safe environment. So instead of avoiding all foods out of fear because you’re afraid of what might happen, you can try experimenting. Experimenting with different ingredients and cooking methods in a controlled manner.

Karyn Haley [00:28:06]:

Now, I want to say that one more time, because this step, it’s a part of, it’s a part of this step that I see. Well, I was trying to think of a nice way to say it, but it’s just done wrong. It’s done wrong so often. So I’m going to say it again. Experiment with different ingredients and different cooking methods. Food feeders, they are not just based on what you are eating. It’s also about how we prepare our foods. Remember, if you are reacting poorly to a food you’re eating, always think about how you are making that food, not just the food itself that you might think you’re reacting to.

Karyn Haley [00:28:49]:

Because how you make it matters just as much. Getting a different reaction to the food you eat. It might be as simple as pureeing it into a soup with the same ingredients you thought you couldn’t eat, because pureeing it might make it easier for your body to digest. Or maybe you think raw greens are something that give you terrible gas and bloating, but if you put those greens into a smoothie now, they’re already broken down before they enter your body and you can actually tolerate them. Now, these are just a couple examples just to get your gears turning. They may not be the best ones for you in your life, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what I’m talking about here. When I say it’s not always about the food itself that makes it intolerable, sometimes it’s about the way you prepare it. Now, the best way to implement this trial and error step, it’s figuring out what foods and cooking methods work best for you with slow, deliberate changes.

Karyn Haley [00:29:53]:

And I want you to always keep moving forward. I do. I want you to keep moving forward with your gut healing transformation. But if you want it to work, if you want to really learn about you going at a slow pace. It’s crucial channel that inner tortoise when you are committing to figuring out these important decisions. And you’re going to do that by keeping a food diary, like a food mood poop journal, to track your symptoms and identify patterns in the food you’re eating and also how you’re making it. Now, this, this is big. If you’re multitasking, come back to me, because this is massive.

Karyn Haley [00:30:35]:

This is a massive way to get rid of food induced fear. I cannot stress this enough. To help you figure out the food your body loves and the cooking methods you thrive on. We slowly and steadily make progress by tracking it all. And when you do this, you will slowly but surely diminish the fear around those questionable foods because you’re going to know without a shadow of a doubt what works and what doesn’t work for you. Now, like I said, it’s slow. So this is not a quick fix, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor, and it has the potential to provide you with lifelong. Really, if you do this right from the start, it will give you the potential to have a lifelong food peace.

Karyn Haley [00:31:24]:

Not like peace like a piece of food, but peace. Like peace, man. Right? Like peace. P e a c e. So can I get an amen for food peace? Because that’s what it brings to your life. Now, next up, in unpacking your food fears, we practice mindful eating techniques. Okay? So this is another thing that you can do. And I promise you, for all of you practical IBD gals out there, and I’m practical myself, this is not as woo woo as it sounds.

Karyn Haley [00:31:54]:

This is actually scientific mindful eating techniques. They can help you tune in to your body’s hunger, to its pain cues, and it can help allow you to eat more intuitively and with less fear. So, mindful eating, it includes eating in a way that is in a very calm environment, away from the tv, away from driving in the car, to then maximize. And I say that kind of funny because I’ve been there, I can just relate. But in a way that maximizes your ability to tune in with yourself while you eat. And we all know that we should hold to this rule, but as a mom, we just don’t take the time for it, do we? We don’t take the time to put this mindful eating into practice. Like I said, I can. Absolutely.

Karyn Haley [00:32:45]:

I’m raising my hand over here because I can relate to this one. I constantly ate while I was driving to school to pick up my kids, and I didn’t make time to sit down for that midday meal for the longest time. And along with those distracted, very rushed meals came heartburn and came my upset belly. And it took me a long time to realize just how connected my pain was to eating while I was driving, right? You would think I would put that together first and right away. But no, it took me a while. But when I finally, then stopped, when I stopped that behavior, I realized it and I stopped that behavior. My health challenges, they calmed down. And trust me, when you tune inward to what’s going on when you eat, when you slow down your eating and chewing thoroughly before you’re swallowing, it helps you tune into what’s happening inside your body.

Karyn Haley [00:33:46]:

And that’s a powerful, powerful tool to help you negate food fear. It seems simple, but it’s really powerful. And it’s a tool that’s right here. It’s right at your fingertips. Mindful eating. Okay, so what else can we do? What else can we do to combat our all too common food induced fears? We can consciously enact a mindset shift. A mindset shift. Instead of focusing on the negative, what we are not able to eat, we can celebrate.

Karyn Haley [00:34:19]:

We can celebrate what we are able to eat. This again, this is a small, but a very mighty mental shift, and it can make a big difference in how you see the world around you. When you shift your focus from the foods that you’re avoiding to those ones that you can eat, you’re able to focus on the foods that support your health, the foods that support your well being, foods that fill you up and make your belly say thank you, not just in that moment, but 30 minutes later, 24 hours later. And then when we focus on those positive foods, we can then celebrate our victories. We can celebrate the foods that work for our body. We can pat ourselves on the back, and we can tell our family and friends about this so that they can celebrate with us. It’s a small mindset shift, but it can go a long way to alleviating some of your fears surrounding food in general. Now, lastly, but definitely not least, I want to say that if you are in the midst of this, if you are experiencing a struggle with fear around food, it’s really important to find support.

Karyn Haley [00:35:41]:

Find support when you need it. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone like a health psychologist, a dietitian, a health coach like me, someone who specializes in disordered eating, someone who has experience with IBD and digestive disorders. They are best positioned to serve you. They can provide you with the personalized guidance and support that you need. To help navigate your food related fears. And seriously, if this episode, if you’re saying to yourself, you’re listening in, you’re listening along, resonates with you, you feel like, oh, wow, this was tailor made for me. It’s time to seek out support from somebody who can help you get past these struggles. The tips and the strategies that I’ve given you today, it’s going to help you get started.

Karyn Haley [00:36:32]:

But if food induced fears and anxieties are disrupting your life, and that’s really the key here, if these thoughts about eating are disruptive your life, then it’s time to get some help. Now, as we wrap up today, as we wrap this up in a nice, neat little bow, I just want to quickly recap all of the ideas that we’ve batted around today. If you’ve got a pen and paper, if you’ve got the notes app on your phone, it’s time to get that out because here’s the cliff notes version that I’ve got for you. So you, you’ll want to go ahead and jot this down. If this all resonates with you, despite the challenges that can be put upon you by food induced fear, it’s possible to regain control. It’s possible to move forward with confidence and clarity. So let’s go ahead and sum up everything that we have discussed today. Number one.

Karyn Haley [00:37:27]:

Number one, put education first. That’s the education of you. That’s what I’m talking about. The education of you. Put that first. Take the time to learn what makes you tick. How does IBD show up in your individual body? It’s different for everyone. And knowing what I call your food-gasms.

Karyn Haley [00:37:46]:

And those are the foods that make your body sing and your food enemies, the foods that your body hates. Plus how to make those foods in a way that supports your digestive health. That’s going to earn you a PhD in. And that is the best darn degree that you are ever going to earn. Okay, point number two today that I want you to take away from this conversation. Eat mindfully. Eat mindfully. Put yourself in a state of peace and joy when you eat.

Karyn Haley [00:38:19]:

Can you imagine that? This starts with focus on savoring each bite, paying attention to how different foods make you feel, and then most importantly, honoring what your body tells you in that moment and in the later moments as well. The 30 minutes later, the 24 hours later. And to do that, to help you with this mindful eating, use a food mood poop journal. It’s going to help you track how the food you’re eating is impacting you both in positive and negative ways. I have to say, I feel like I have the best, the best food mood poop journal because it’s specifically tailored for those with IBD. So if you’re looking for a little bit of direction here, if you are watching this on YouTube, I want you to leave the letters FMP in the comments, FMP in the comments and I will be in touch to give you my free food mood poop Journal resource. FMP is food mood poop journal. So FMP food mood poop.

Karyn Haley [00:39:26]:

If you are listening to this on any podcast platform, you can dm me. On Instagram. You can dm me. @IBDhealthcoach. I will be happy to send it your way. It’s one of my free resources. I’ll be happy to send it your way. Just dm me.

Karyn Haley [00:39:44]:

We all really need to do this from time to time. We really do. Does it take a few minutes to journal every day? Yes. I’m not going to lie, it does. But it is so worth it. It is so much more worth it than you can even imagine. Okay, the third takeaway from today is don’t forget to embrace the tortoise goddess in you. Tortoises are actually beautiful.

Karyn Haley [00:40:10]:

And so are you. When disordered eating takes the shape of being afraid to eat, your best approach is the slow, gradual approach, that slow, gradual exposure to new foods. You don’t want to break free of food fear. Those shackles of that are keeping you bound into food fear. You don’t want to do that at a holiday dinner or at like, an office celebratory gathering that’s just going to put you ten steps behind where you are right now. Instead, you want to go day by day. You want to go meal by meal. Sometimes it’s ingredient by ingredient.

Karyn Haley [00:40:50]:

And watch yourself slowly. Watch yourself as you slowly begin, as you gather this information to blossom and to grow, as that knowledge that you gain, it melts those fears away. Okay, number four, the fourth takeaway from today. I didn’t specifically mention this earlier, but it is so important. It is so important here to give yourself grace. Self-compassion, my friend. Self-compassion is the key to gentle, kind healing. Remember, it’s normal, of course it’s normal to experience setbacks or moments of self-doubt.

Karyn Haley [00:41:27]:

But you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. We have been there. What matters isn’t the negative experience you’re having, it’s how you respond to it. So practice self-compassion and celebrate your progress. No matter how small those steps forward are remember those small steps, they lead to big leaps, and big leaps leads to big, life affirming transformation. And lastly, lastly, definitely not least-ly, if that’s a word. It’s not, but I just made it up.

Karyn Haley [00:42:02]:

Number five. Number five takeaway. Reach out for support if your fears about eating are disrupting your daily life, it’s time. It’s time to reach out and get some help with this. Reach out to me. Reach out to another healthcare professional. Join a support group, maybe a positive online community. And I have to preface it with positive because they’re not all positive.

Karyn Haley [00:42:24]:

But join one that lifts you up, not one that makes you feel like crap or judges you for your actions, connecting with others who share similar experiences, or even a trained professional who knows what it’s like or is at least trained in that type of challenge, it can give you the support that you need to finally tackle this issue head on. Now, if you’ve made it this far if you’ve made it this far in today’s episode, I am so stinking proud of you. I know this is a tough topic. I know it’s tough to sit there and assess yourself without judgment, guilt or shame. And you are a rock star. You’re a rock star, my friend. You are committed. You’re committed to beating this.

Karyn Haley [00:43:12]:

And I hope this information. I hope that it’s just the catalyst, the catalyst to get you thinking differently about your food induced fears. If you’re ready to take action on this conversation, if you’re ready to take this information to the next level, I highly recommend you check out my free resource. That’s really your next best step here. No more food induced fear. Ten anxiety busting rockstar mom tips. It’s a great place to start to move the needle forward. After this conversation, you can get your free resource by going to karynhaley.com/foodfear.

Karyn Haley [00:43:54]:

That’s karynhaley.com/foodfear. So karynhaley.com/ foodfear. And again, this information today and my free resource, no more food induced fear. Ten anxiety busting rockstar mom tips. Those are really your best starting points. But to truly step into your power and move beyond your fears, your stress, your anxiety over this, you may want to then get more individualized support. I’m here to help you find the best team to embrace and help you with your challenges. So don’t hesitate.

Karyn Haley [00:44:36]:

If you’re looking for help on where to go from here, reach out. You can reach out. If you’re watching this on YouTube, you can reach out in the comments. @IBDhealthcoachformoms that’s on YouTube. Or you can get in touch with me on Instagram. You can dm me @ibdhealthcoach and together we’re going to figure this out. I promise you. We’re going to figure out where the best resources for you to go next.

Karyn Haley [00:45:01]:

Remember, my friend, I’ve been there. I have been there too. I have been a friend of to put anything in my body out of fear, how it was going to make me feel. It’s an absolutely normal reaction to food induced pain that IBD causes, it causes in our life. And I have so much compassion and hugs for that younger me who went through all of that emotional turmoil. With some solid support I was able to overcome. And I know that you can too. Until we meet again, I’m wishing you a cheeky and healthy gut healing journey.

Karyn Haley [00:45:40]:

Stay cheeky, my friend. Chat soon. If this podcast is meaningful for you, if it’s been helpful in your IBD bomb life, I’d love it if you would do a couple things. First, follow the pod. You’ll never miss an episode. And those moms who are searching for podcasts about Crohn’s and colitis, they’ll find us easier. There’s probably a plus sign or a follow sign where you’re listening in right now. It’s at the top of your screen.

Karyn Haley [00:46:16]:

Go ahead and give that a tap. And then also give the cheeky podcast a five star rating and review and share it with your friends who are also struggling with IBD. The more we are open about talking about our illness and bringing awareness around it, the more we’re able to connect and build a safe community around each other. I love being in community with you and I appreciate you, my friend. One last thing before we wrap up today. You know, I think you’re a rock star for taking time out of your busy life to listen in and invest in your healing. It is capital h huge. And the reason I know how huge this is for you is because I am right there with you in all of this, working my wheel of wellness, keeping my crohn’s at bay.

Karyn Haley [00:47:03]:

It’s something that I invest in every day, and I’d love it if we could continue our gut healing journey together. If you’re like me and you’re ready to soak up even more amazing gut healing information, it’s time to join the gut love community@karenheathy.com. community the GLC is my free and fabulous space, dedicated to dishing out even more IBD resources, recipes, healing hacks, lots of bts, secrets on how I manage my life with IBD, all wrapped up in a weekly newsletter to help you keep your momentum going strong. This IBD dish is gut healing insights that I only share within our tight knit community. Basically, it’s your one stop shop for a more diversified approach to true and lasting gut healing. Amen to that, my friend. Let’s walk this gut healing journey together. Join me in the GLC at karynhaley.com/community.

Karyn Haley [00:48:02]:

That’s k-a-r-y-n-h-a-l-e-y.com community I can’t wait to meet you.

Jill Howell On… The Power of Healing with Somatic Coaching

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In this episode of The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD, I’m joined by Jill Howell, an emotional regulation coach and somatic healing practitioner. Jill shares her incredible journey from overcoming chronic health issues, including Complex-PTSD, chronic pain, and anxiety to helping women transform their relationships with themselves.

Jill’s somatic methods focus on the vital mind-body connection, empowering individuals with chronic conditions to cultivate awareness of their bodily sensations, emotions, and stress responses. Rather than relying on a single technique, somatic practitioners utilize a diverse range of tools, including gentle movement, breathwork, EFT, EMDR, and inner child work, and other modalities all designed to help release stored trauma and tension within the body.

If you’ve ever thought about integrating a transformative mind-body approach into your gut healing journey, this episode is the perfect place to start!

Tune in As We Talk About:

✅ [00:06:38] Jill’s personal story of stacked trauma and how it led her to somatic coaching.

✅ [00:12:31] The difference between traditional talk therapy and somatic coaching, and why somatic approaches can be more effective for chronic issues.

✅ [00:20:10] How chronic symptoms manifest in the body and the importance of listening to these signals.

✅ [00:23:43] The five steps to healing: rewire, regulate, release, reconnect, and reclaim.

✅ [00:41:24] Practical strategies for developing self-compassion and emotional awareness, even amidst the chaos of motherhood.

Rate, Review and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Mentioned in the Episode:

>> The Ultimate IBD Diet Decoder Quiz

>> Join The Gut Love Community for Moms with IBD

>> Book Your FREE IBD Consultation with Karyn Today

Connect With Karyn:

Karyn on YouTube

Karyn on Instagram

Karyn on Facebook

Connect With Jill:

Dancing in the Mess Website

Jill on Instagram

The Book Jill Mentions: The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook

Episode Transcript:

Karyn Haley [00:00:08]:

Hey there, mama. Welcome to season two of The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD. I’m Karyn Haley, functional IBD nutrition and wellness coach and Crohn’s warrior. This podcast is all about us moms because our IBD plays by different rules. Season two is juicy, full of unconventional wisdom, real talk, new ways to tackle our illness, and a whole lot of community empowerment, and all of us advocating the hell out of our illness. We’re in this together. And I’m here to help you find healing on your terms. Let’s do this.

Karyn Haley [00:00:49]:

Well, hey there, my friend Karyn here, and I am so happy to be back with you for another powerful interview episode of the Tiki podcast. The topic today that we’re going to be involved in, it falls under what I lovingly call unconventional treatment. So it’s the unconventional realm of managing Crohn’s and colitis. But I’ve got to say, I’ve got to say I wish it was more mainstream. And I guarantee that you’re going to feel the same way after listening in. You know, even though I think it’s especially hard for us moms with IBD to delve into this mind body side of healing, I think it’s that way because, well, because of so many things, because we don’t have time, because we put our kids first, because we’re already managing so many other healing modalities. And so there’s many, many solid reasons why we don’t put it at the top of our list. So to us IBD moms mind bodywork, it’s just another item on our to do list.

Karyn Haley [00:01:54]:

And it’s an item that we never get to. We want to get to it, but it just doesn’t happen. And having ignored this crucial pillar of healing on my healing journey, I know I’ve talked about this before on other podcast episodes. Having ignored that for way too long, having gone through the consequences of my inaction, I now I make it my mission. Because I know how powerful it is. I make it my mission to shout it from the rooftops. Every promising unconventional IBD healing modality that I hear about, I have to shout it from the rooftops. And I have to say that right now.

Karyn Haley [00:02:32]:

Right now, at this point in my life, I don’t think there’s a non traditional healing avenue that I’m more passionate about than somatic healing. And I can’t think of anyone better to walk us through the ins and the outs of this healing technique than Jill Howell. Jill is an emotional regulation coach and a somatic healing practitioner. Having had her own experiences with chronic health issues, she even has had some gut challenges she’s going to tell us about. She’s personally triumphed over PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, and she now dedicates her life to helping women transform their relationship with themselves through her somatic practice. In today’s episode, I asked Jill to tell us all about her own transformative journey, from facing her own stacked up traumas to discovering the profound benefits of a somatic practice. And even though her story, it may be different than yours, you might be thinking, that’s really different than mine. I think you’re going to resonate with it, and maybe.

Karyn Haley [00:03:41]:

Maybe you’re going to actually even see some of those similarities between her story and your story. In Jill and I, we also explore the types of techniques that she uses with her clients. And she. She talks about how these methods are able to empower you to reconnect with your body, to regulate your emotions, and then ultimately find peace amidst the chaos and the craziness that is our life. Find peace. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Can I get an amen for that? We all want that right now. I do have to say, before we dive in, I do have to say that Jill and I, we pretty much just dive in and we start talking about somatic coaching. So before we get there, in case this is a new treat modality for you, I just want to highlight what a somatic practice entails, kind of at a high level.

Karyn Haley [00:04:32]:

So at a high level, it’s an approach to healing. It focuses on a mind body connection. It helps anyone that’s dealing with anything chronic. So any chronic conditions, it could be a physical chronic condition or a mental health chronic condition. But when you’re dealing with a chronic condition, and it really helps you in that state become more aware of your bodily sensations, your emotions, your responses to stress. And there isn’t just one method that’s used by all somatic practitioners. It’s more like there’s a variety of treatment tools, like things like gentle movement and breath work and EFT and EMDR, inner child work, among other techniques as well. I’m just naming a few.

Karyn Haley [00:05:18]:

And these types of techniques, they help to release stored trauma or tension that you might have in your body. So if you’re curious about how somatic practices can help you reclaim your health, then I got to say, this is the episode for you, my friend. Okay, I think that’s all I need to mention before we dive in. I think I have the table perfectly set for this conversation.

Karyn Haley [00:05:40]:

And grab a cup of tea and let’s hear this conversation with Jill Howell. Jill, welcome to the podcast. I’m so excited to talk with you today.

Jill Howell [00:05:50]:

Thank you. Thanks so much for having me.

Karyn Haley [00:05:53]:

Yeah. So I want to dig into emotional regulation, somatic coaching, nervous system, dysregulation. I know all of that is part of what you do, and I really want to get to the heart of how all of that relates to digestive disorders because that’s what my community is dealing with. And I have to tell you that lately I have gotten so into this topic. Like, I would say I’m obsessed because it’s not something that was part of my journey or my practice a while back. But I found that somatic coaching has been so powerful for me that I just, I had to start sharing it. I was sharing it with my clients and they’re seeing amazing results. And I know when that happens, it’s time to bring it to the podcast.

Karyn Haley [00:06:38]:

So that’s why I’m talking with you today. And I would really like to start, like, we’re going to dive into all of it, but I want to start with your journey because I know that it’s your journey that actually brought you to somatic coaching. So can we start there? Let’s start with what happened in your life to lead you to this line of work that you’re in.

Jill Howell [00:06:58]:

Oh, girl, we could be here all day talking about. I’ve had a lot of stacked trauma. Honestly, I would say there have been two seasons of my life, distinctively where I would call them kind of dark nights of the soul, meaning I was really stuck in a lot of anxiety and depression and. And I had a lot of chronic symptoms. So the first time that that was happening was back in like 2010, 2011. That is actually when I first started noticing a lot of my digestive issues. Okay. So that was when I was going through just a really difficult first marriage that I was in, and I was contemplating leaving, and it was really, really toxic to me to stay, but it was also very scary to leave because I had a daughter and I was not working full time.

Jill Howell [00:07:58]:

So it was just a really scary place. So my body, I feel like at that season of time, held a lot of my distress in my stomach. So I really didn’t even know about somatics at that point. I was still doing traditional talk therapy, and I continued all the way through my, really, my twenties and my thirties. So for about two decades, that was the basic thing that I tried to help heal me and help me move through anxiety and depression differently, and it still wasn’t enough because then another trauma stacked on top of it, and in about 2020 is when my nervous system, I feel, like, collapsed even more. At that time, interestingly, I wasn’t having digestive issues as much. However, I was still having some of the symptoms of, like, back when that first season happened. I ended up going gluten free, dairy free, doing all these things to help with inflammation and just digestive issues.

Jill Howell [00:09:06]:

And that was still kind of there, but it wasn’t like, interestingly, it started moving to my shoulders, my neck, and my shoulder pain was debilitating.

Karyn Haley [00:09:16]:

Wow.

Jill Howell [00:09:17]:

That was my catalyst for saying talk therapy is not enough for my sensitive nervous system. The amount of trauma I’ve had from childhood through adulthood and the ways that it was stacking and the ways that that one in particular in 2019, 2020 is around when a lot of my childhood trauma was reactivated, basically, those wounds of the past had come back up in a really big way. A lot of these same emotions that I had felt as a child, I was feeling based on circumstances that were happening. And what really made me look into something different was the fact that I spent thousands of dollars trying to help get rid of, and I say get rid of, intentionally get rid of my neck pain that I was having. It was debilitating on days. I did physical therapy, I did chiropractors, I did acupuncture, I did cupping, I did massage therapy. I tried everything to help alleviate and get rid of the pain, and it wouldn’t leave.

Karyn Haley [00:10:24]:

Wow.

Jill Howell [00:10:26]:

It was like just this constant ache that even if I did something, it would alleviate it just temporarily for short term, you know, moment. But it was never. It never, like, got rid of it. And so finally, I was. I went to a doctor, and they diagnosed me with PTSD.

Karyn Haley [00:10:49]:

And really, a medical doctor or a psychologist. A medical doctor, no.

Jill Howell [00:10:53]:

Medical doctor. Wow. She was like, tell me what’s going. Because she asked me more questions. She was a little more holistic, and she was like, what’s going on in your life? And then she diagnosed me with PTSD, and she said, you’re holding a lot of emotional pain. Your body’s holding it. And at that point, she didn’t tell me what to do to help it, but she created the awareness for me, and I was like, okay, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Karyn Haley [00:11:24]:

That’s right.

Jill Howell [00:11:25]:

So I was like, I’m done with traditional talk therapy. I’m opening the door full and wide to any other healing modalities to see what I can do to help myself feel more at peace inside of my body. And I discovered nervous system regulation, and specifically for me, somatics, meaning anything that’s body based, recognizing my body would not come back into a state of ease and at peace because it was holding so much alarm. I couldn’t think my way to peace. I could try. I did go to a mindset coach who was, you know, she had a little bit of somatic background, and she opened up the door to eft tapping. For me, that was my starting point, exploring somatics and an integration of mind and body healing. And in going at something from an approach of, like, really honoring the body, too, that’s where I started.

Jill Howell [00:12:31]:

And then I just kept pursuing and I kept the snowball rolling, and I just kept looking and kept seeking and kept trying things and exploring. And I realized the more that I actually did gentle movements, the more that I allowed myself to connect to my body and honor the alarm that my body was holding. With anxiety and with depression, the more I learn to communicate with the emotional parts of me. I’m certified, actually, in somatic parts work, which means, oh, that’s interesting.

Karyn Haley [00:13:05]:

What is that?

Jill Howell [00:13:06]:

Yeah, so it’s really an inner child healing modality, but it’s recognizing the fact that we have no bad parts within us. We have a part of us that feels anxious, a part of us that feels sad, a part of us that’s, you know, experiencing the world. It’s not the totality of who we are. And then what I’ve started recognizing is that there are parts of me from age six to eight that when I’m triggered by something that’s happened in an emotional way, that emotional connection to back when I was six to seven, eight years old, activated. And that’s actually, it’s more often than not, the actual thing that’s happening in the present moment. It’s the trigger of the emotional connection of how I felt as a kid.

Karyn Haley [00:14:00]:

Yes.

Jill Howell [00:14:01]:

So I communicate now with that part of me, and I do that from a body level. So when I’m working with my clients, what I’m doing is I’m actually helping them find sensations in their body. And what we do is we connect to the sensations that are there. And then we ask the body, how long has it been holding this energy, this emotion? And the body always answers in response, I haven’t met somebody.

Karyn Haley [00:14:29]:

The body knows.

Jill Howell [00:14:31]:

Yeah, the body knows. I haven’t met somebody who can’t answer that question once I truly get them grounded. And in a space of connection to their body into the sensations that once they ask the body, and I’m like, don’t think about it. I just want you to ask that part of your body, if you’re holding it in your chest, ask your chest, how long have you been holding this?

Karyn Haley [00:14:55]:

I’m hearing all of these words that I know that people who are listening can relate to, like the fact that you were talking about digestive problems in relation to a trauma that you were having. And I like that you call that first marriage and all that went on there trauma, because oftentimes we think of trauma as somebody who went to war or somebody that has endured an assault of some kind. But there are, I guess I don’t know if you would call them microscopic traumas or small traumas that are happening to us throughout our lives. And so I’m hearing that. I’m hearing anxiety, depression. These are all things that people who are listening can relate to. So you started to touch on it a little bit about some of the things that you do in a session with somebody, but let’s actually talk about that because I bet there are people listening that are like, what is she talking about? What is this somatic coaching? I have no idea. I wanted to hear about your journey to start, but let’s just take it back a little bit and tell us how is what you do different than traditional coaching? What is somatic coaching, and how is it different from just a traditional coaching or even traditional therapy? That’s another thing that I really honed in on, that you were talking about how talk therapy isn’t for everybody.

Karyn Haley [00:16:11]:

So clearly it wasn’t the thing for you. And I think for a lot of people I work with, it’s not the thing for them either. So what, like, you know, just on a global scale, what is this that you do? What kind of things are you doing in a session? What is it?

Jill Howell [00:16:26]:

Yeah, so one of the biggest differences that I’ve noticed in what I’m doing versus a lot of talk therapists. So I would say I’ve been through several because I would always try to find the right one. That’s going to have the magic bullet to heal me. Yeah, but I, you know, it’s more of a cognitive processing. That’s what takes place in a traditional talk therapy. The strategies are not bad. I want to make that very clear. And they are helpful and they can be useful.

Jill Howell [00:16:58]:

But for me, it was always, like, short term. And sometimes, honestly, the talking kept me, like, what I felt like, because I like to use this imagery of dancing in the mess. I feel like I just, like, vomited the mess onto the table. And then sometimes I was sitting there in my vomit, and by the end of the session, it was like, 60 minutes is done. Time to go. And I’m like, wait, this still smells. And it’s really icky, and I don’t know what to do with it.

Karyn Haley [00:17:26]:

And they’re like, okay, 15 minutes are up. Goodbye. Right.

Jill Howell [00:17:30]:

And so. And all I did was spin my wheels in my head. And so it just created more, like, chaos for me at times. Sometimes I would leave feeling more distraught than when I started.

Karyn Haley [00:17:42]:

Right, right.

Jill Howell [00:17:44]:

What makes it different for me is I never allow a client to leave more distraught. It’s my commitment. And part of how I do that is because I’m always bookending everything that I do with this really compassionate response to whatever comes up, and we go to the body first. So what it looks like is, you know, my clients might tell me something that’s gone on or what, you know, give me a high level view of the wins and the struggles of the week. If they’re a repeat client, you know, they. They inform me of that stuff. But then we move to the body, and I genuinely am taking my clients through a guided. You could even call it meditative.

Jill Howell [00:18:32]:

Meditative experience. To slow down, to connect with their breath, to come back to a place where they feel safe and connected to themselves, and to me, feel resourced and regulated so that we can move and be in, you know, be more aware of what’s happening in the body. Until we take that sacred pause, we’re just all up in the head. So I’m like, let’s drop into the body. Let’s feel the sensations. Where are we feeling things? Where are we holding it today? And I let the body lead through a lot of my sessions. I don’t come in with a master plan. I come in open handed, ready to intuitively respond and gently guide my clients to whatever comes up.

Karyn Haley [00:19:21]:

I love that. See how different it is from talk therapy. I have so many people where I know that therapy would be something that would be valuable for them. In fact, that’s my background. My master’s is in counseling. But I never learned somatic therapy. It wasn’t part of my curriculum at all. It was a three year curriculum, nothing.

Karyn Haley [00:19:40]:

But so often people will say to me, you know, I’ve tried it. I went to five therapists. I went to ten therapists. It was never helpful for me. And I think people, especially with digestive disorders or probably any type of chronic physical, where there’s a big physical component to what you’re feeling, this would be really valuable. 100%. Yeah. So tell me, what are some of the, besides digestive issues? There’s people listening that may have other issues as well.

Karyn Haley [00:20:10]:

What are some of the major challenges that you see could be benefited from finding a somatic coach or a therapist.

Jill Howell [00:20:18]:

Anyone who is having any sort of chronic symptoms repeatedly in their body.

Karyn Haley [00:20:24]:

I love that.

Jill Howell [00:20:24]:

Okay, so any chronic illness, autoimmune disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, digestive issues, sleep issues, any chronic experiences I actually like to call anxiety and depression symptoms as well. Those are just chronic symptoms that are just showing up in the body. It’s the body’s way of alarming you and getting your attention. I feel like the body is a smoke detector. It’s always trying to get your attention, and it will get your. When it really needs your attention, it will do it through chronic symptoms of some kind.

Karyn Haley [00:21:02]:

Yeah, that’s so true, isn’t it? So I love that. So anything chronic that’s going on that can be helped with this type of.

Jill Howell [00:21:11]:

Therapy, I believe it’s a piece of it, for sure. Right.

Karyn Haley [00:21:14]:

And you probably see people with multiple issues. Right. They’re not typically coming with one thing.

Jill Howell [00:21:21]:

Yes. Usually by the time they finally have gotten to a place where they open themselves up to the work that I do, they have chronic things that have stacked.

Karyn Haley [00:21:32]:

Yeah. Yes. Why is that? Why did. There’s so many things you have to go through before you will seek help. And I work specifically with moms, and we’re notorious for this because everything comes first before us.

Jill Howell [00:21:47]:

Exactly. That’s exactly it. There’s that element of it I believe is key because I work mostly with women too, a lot of moms. And I also believe that part of it is just the lack of emotional intelligence in the generations prior, meaning they didn’t really have the skills to move through emotions. They didn’t know how to. It wasn’t talked about. There’s, you know, most of the. Most of anybody in their thirties, forties or higher were not really parented in a way that allowed for emotional expression.

Jill Howell [00:22:28]:

And so if somebody is not able to express themselves, the body holds it for them. And that’s where we come out, you know, with chronic symptoms, the body is just really holding too much for too long of a period of time, and it doesn’t know what to do with it, and it needs our help. We have to learn how to become the guide of our bodies to really. I empower women to coach themselves back to peace?

Karyn Haley [00:23:01]:

Well, let’s actually get into that, because I know that you talk about these different words as a pathway to healing, and I want to actually say them because I love these words. Okay, so the words that I want to say are rewire, regulate, release, reconnect, and reclaim. So how walk us through the steps. Explain specifically, how do we walk this journey of these. They’re just words right now, right. How do we make them an experience? But especially for digestive disorders, how do we walk this journey of going through that process and to find healing on the other side?

Jill Howell [00:23:43]:

You know, I think it starts with really opening ourselves. And I had this visual in my head as I was thinking about how to respond to this, and it’s open hands. This is the vision that I had in my hand, like, in my head as you were talking. It’s like it starts with opening our hands to exploration, to really coming into the body with new approaches that feel uncomfortable at first. Everything we do feels uncomfortable and unfamiliar to the nervous system. And when I say nervous system, we’re just talking body and brain interconnectively. The communication highway between the body and the brain. And so, for me, a lot of this journey, of those five words that you just spoke are all kind of interconnected.

Jill Howell [00:24:36]:

And sometimes the journey looks different for each person. But I do believe the thing that is similar, that is needed for I would vouch all people, because we live so protected and we live so uptight and stressed, like, in a lot of our culture, is operating from that stance. And I believe that to rewire the brain and the body in the nervous system, we have to reconnect with ourselves. We have to help guide the body in the brain to reconnect again. Because trauma and trauma, meaning anything that has happened that has been either too much or not enough for somebody, can actually, you know, impede that journey and cause us to not be able to have this brain and body connection. We disassociate, we disconnect. We really are struggling to be present, even with ourselves, let alone other people. So.

Karyn Haley [00:25:44]:

Right. It just gets worse and worse with every generation.

Jill Howell [00:25:50]:

Yes.

Karyn Haley [00:25:50]:

You know? Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Jill Howell [00:25:53]:

So, for me, I like to teach clients how to hold space for pain and pleasure in tandem.

Karyn Haley [00:26:05]:

In tandem. Okay.

Jill Howell [00:26:08]:

I believe that we need both. This is what I needed. I needed to connect with myself in a really loving, compassionate way. And for me, even as I’m talking, I’m putting my hands on my heart, because that’s what it means. This is home for me, my home base. After all of the trauma and after so much nervous system dysregulation that I was stuck in, and I. When I say that I was stuck in those. Those two timeframes of life, and it was.

Jill Howell [00:26:37]:

There were dark times. I mean, I wanted to die.

Karyn Haley [00:26:40]:

Yeah.

Jill Howell [00:26:42]:

Mean that to be dramatic, but it’s genuine. I was like, I’d even pray, God, if you could strike me dead, I’d be grateful. I’m not scared of a tornado. Bring it. I’m not scared because I want to go.

Karyn Haley [00:26:58]:

Yeah, yeah.

Jill Howell [00:26:59]:

But it was very real for me. And so for me now, like, even as I’m talking, it’s like I put my hand back on my heart and my body. I’m like, this is my home base now. And so my journey of this, like, helping women to rewire and reclaim and restore and release what’s stuck in the body is all about coming back home to ourselves with love and compassion. So much gentleness, so much tenderness. Really learning skills. It’s skills based to know how to respond to ourselves when we experience emotions, giving ourselves that ability to have, you know, the space to process and use our words and not just repress everything. Right? Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:27:53]:

When you do this, you know, and for those who can’t see what I’m doing, when you’re putting your hand to your heart there and you’re talking about coming home, it makes me feel. And the way that I’m hearing it from you is that you have this in you. It’s there. And it wasn’t.

Jill Howell [00:28:12]:

It wasn’t for the first 40 years of my life.

Karyn Haley [00:28:15]:

Gotcha. So.

Jill Howell [00:28:16]:

Know what I mean?

Karyn Haley [00:28:17]:

Like, do you feel like it’s inside people? It’s about tapping into it, or are you saying it’s not there? We have to figure out how to bring it, how to bring this place of home to our heart? Or do you think we all have it in us, but somehow, through all of these little chinks and micro traumas that happened, we lose the connection with it.

Jill Howell [00:28:37]:

I think it’s always there. I think it’s there. And when. When I’m helping my clients move through this transformation journey, it’s all about getting them into a flow state. You know, the parts of us that hold the flow state are younger versions of us.

Karyn Haley [00:28:54]:

Of course they are. That makes complete sense, right? Talk about flow. When you’re young and innocent and you don’t know about all kinds of world problems. That flow. I love that word that you used, flow. It’s a flow.

Jill Howell [00:29:09]:

It is a flow. And so I’m all about helping women to access that with tangible skills. Because if you tell a woman, okay, go into a flow state, okay, access a flow, okay, act like a kid. We’ll look at you like with deer in the headlights, like, okay, crazy lady, I don’t know what you’re doing.

Karyn Haley [00:29:28]:

It does sound good, I have to tell you. It sounds good. But you’re like, well, how do I do? What do I do now? What? That’s great, but what do I do to get there? So I guess that’s where the skills that you’re teaching, that’s where you’re tapping into the actual skillset of it, the learning part of all of this. Yeah, just a quick interruption. We will get back to the podcast in a second. I’m wondering, are you, like many of us, with Crohn’s and colitis, you’re turning to food to help heal your gut, but you’re just feeling really overwhelmed by the myriad of gut healing diets out there. There’s gluten free and dairy free and paleo gaps, and it can be really confusing and frustrating and leave you feeling disheartened about which diet is the right one for you. And I’ve been there myself.

Karyn Haley [00:30:15]:

That’s why I created the ultimate IBD diet decoder quiz to help you find your best diet for your unique needs. Now, maybe you’ve tried one of these diets, but you gave up quickly because they were just too strict or they didn’t fit with your lifestyle. Here’s the truth. There is no one size fits all diet. But there is one best diet for you. And the best diet for you isn’t just about your symptoms. It’s about your lifestyle and your personality, too. Are you ready to find the gut healing diet that fits you like a glove? Head on over to karenhaley.com quiz to take my ultimate IBD diet decoder quiz.

Karyn Haley [00:31:01]:

It’s free, and it only takes three minutes. Discover what you’ve been meant to be eating to put your IBD in its place. That’s karenhaley.com quiz. And now back to the show.

Jill Howell [00:31:16]:

I believe that this is what I needed, and I believe that there are women who need the integrative healing approach. So for me, everything I do is integrating multimodalities. I don’t believe one modality is the one size fits all for everybody. I’m intertwining meditation, breath work, NLP and cognitive processing strategies, eft tapping, which I’m a certified practitioner in the the somatic parts work. I’m creating experiences that are hands on that allow for somebody to embody. I would say I’m an embodiment coach too. Really? I’m an embodiment somatic healing coach that really allows for the body to receive the information because with the brain, we can try to mantra our way to thinking a certain way. But if the body is working against us because it’s holding a protective alarm of, no, that doesn’t feel good.

Jill Howell [00:32:19]:

That doesn’t feel safe. Like, that’s literally what my body was saying, ah, no, this is too much. And I really felt like it was saying there, it didn’t feel safe in the world. Ever?

Karyn Haley [00:32:32]:

Yeah, yeah.

Jill Howell [00:32:32]:

Really? Yeah, ever. In my 40 years of living, when.

Karyn Haley [00:32:36]:

You have a chronic issue, I think it’s really common to feel that way because you’re so often feeling deflated, defeated, disheartened, hopeless. That, yeah, that just, yeah, just, it just takes up so much space. It becomes part of your psyche, it becomes part of who you are.

Jill Howell [00:32:59]:

Yeah. Your subconscious programming is what I like to call it.

Karyn Haley [00:33:03]:

Right, right. And so I guess it’s about reprogramming that.

Jill Howell [00:33:07]:

It is. That’s exactly what I do, is I help women move through their subconscious blocks and help to reprogram their brain and their body for peace, for ease, for joy, for confidence, for all of the things that they’re lacking. The void. We’re really going into these spaces where the void is within us, where it’s held, and it’s always held on a body level, and we’re allowing the body to begin to feel safe enough to let it go, too soften. But the goal and the objective is never to make it let it go. We’re never, like, in the somatic parts, work that I do with clients. I’m not like, I never want a client to try and get rid of a partner. And we have to make sure that part of us feels loved, cared for, cherished, supported, like a best friend or like a little kid.

Jill Howell [00:34:09]:

Like, I become the new parent for these parts of me that maybe didn’t get core needs met as a child.

Karyn Haley [00:34:16]:

Because it is part of us. Even. Even if we don’t like that part, it is a part of us. And so it’s like, it goes back to when you were talking about your back and your neck pain earlier, how you were trying to get rid of it. That’s never the way. That’s never the answer. Yeah, never. So I want to get rid of it, you know?

Jill Howell [00:34:35]:

Yeah. And let’s be real here. I, back then, in those dark days, for me, I was disgusted with myself, I did not like very much of who I was in those moments because I didn’t like how I felt. And I felt so much shame and guilt for being stuck there and not knowing how to get out that I really turned against myself. So the journey of healing for me is all about turning towards ourself and all of these parts of us that really have core needs that still need met. And instead of relying on other humans to meet those needs, we begin to meet those needs, those emotional needs.

Karyn Haley [00:35:17]:

Yeah. Yeah. It’s so empowering, right?

Jill Howell [00:35:20]:

Yeah. Then the body softens and eases on its own. We don’t have to try and get rid of whatever’s there. It just softens and it lets go through a gentle.

Karyn Haley [00:35:35]:

The wisdom of the body. It what it wants to do that. Can you take us through? Maybe there’s a scenario or an example that you can think of where you worked with somebody that had a digestive disorder, any kind. It could be IBS, it could be IBD. Like, you know, what is, what was that journey like for them? What are some. You mentioned several different modalities. What kinds of things are you doing with someone who’s coming to you with where digestive challenges are their main symptom?

Jill Howell [00:36:02]:

So can I be honest? Every diagnosis, every diagnoses that somebody comes to me with, I don’t treat it any differently.

Karyn Haley [00:36:12]:

Okay. It doesn’t matter what they’re coming with. So it could be anything?

Jill Howell [00:36:16]:

Yeah. Really? It’s. Any chronic symptoms that are repeatedly showing up in the body, it’s showing a lack of safety inside of the body. It’s showing there’s voids inside of us, there’s emotions suppressed inside of us that need to be seen and heard and validated and really held with so much love and compassion. And what happens in the journey of doing that? The body symptoms start easing because same.

Karyn Haley [00:36:50]:

Approach, it does whatever it is, it’s the same approach. And how there’s so many different modalities, and I love that you talk about the different ones because I have seen some somatic coaches and therapists that maybe specialize in one thing and that’s what they do. But it sounds to me like you’re picking from a wide range of, you have experience with a wide range of modalities. So how do you then go about figuring out which one are you going to use in which moment? Is it client centered or is it more through the presentation and your experience? How do you. Are you just using them all with everybody?

Jill Howell [00:37:31]:

Every session I ever do looks completely different.

Karyn Haley [00:37:36]:

Okay.

Jill Howell [00:37:36]:

I would say I’m an intuitive healer. And so I really go to, I’ve always been ultra sensitive to the extreme. I’ve always carried emotion in a big way. And I think that part of that was I was dysregulated. Even in my mom’s womb. I really believe I came into the world with a dysregulated nervous system because my mom was dysregulated.

Karyn Haley [00:38:06]:

Okay. That’s what I was gonna ask you. Is that a generational trauma thing or.

Jill Howell [00:38:10]:

She was, she was going through separation and divorce. I was not planned. It was a very stressful time and season of life for her.

Karyn Haley [00:38:21]:

And that energy you took on, that, doesn’t that just make complete sense? Right?

Jill Howell [00:38:26]:

And here’s the thing. You know, we talk about the body keeping the score on a cellular level. Our body is holding a lot of information, and we don’t realize to the extent that that’s true. But when you look at the markers of generational trauma, you can see that, you know, it takes one. One cycle breaker, though, just to break the cycle, like one person to start actually doing this emotional healing work to change the generational cycles so that your DNA, like the cells are, they shift. They change within us. They really literally do. And that’s what’s passed on.

Karyn Haley [00:39:14]:

So that’s what I think is really interesting about any kind of work like this, is that we aren’t the product of everything that’s happened generationally. We actually have the power change at the cellular level.

Jill Howell [00:39:30]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:39:31]:

Right. So, yeah, I find that really interesting. It just takes one person to say, I’m gonna break the cycle for the next generation. For me and for the next generation.

Jill Howell [00:39:40]:

Yeah, exactly. Because as moms, you work with a lot of moms. I work with a lot of moms. You know, we can get so dysregulated by our kids when they’re dysregulated. Right. If we don’t have the skills and the capacity to come back home to a place of peace and safety and ease and connection with ourself, if we don’t know how to do that, if somebody’s sitting here listening to this and they’re like, I don’t even know what that means. It means you need this work. It means that if you don’t know how to, there’s skills to learn.

Jill Howell [00:40:17]:

I like to keep it in that language because I think women feel a lot of shame for not knowing how to respond to their kids or respond to their own dysregulation. When we’re feeling something in a big way, and we don’t know what to do with it. I feel like there’s a lot of shame and guilt that keeps us stuck. Stuck in the mud.

Karyn Haley [00:40:36]:

Yeah. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Next, actually, is because, especially with the moms that I work with, shame, self criticism, it all goes along with having these chronic digestive disorders. It goes along with motherhood, whether you have that. And so how do you work with your clients to help them develop the self compassion, the self acceptance that they need? Like, if you could give me one or two key takeaways that somebody who maybe they don’t have access to this or they’ve never tried it before, what’s something that would be helpful for them to just start to bring the acceptance around, bring the self compassion around?

Jill Howell [00:41:24]:

So one of my really basic processes that I tried to get women to start doing immediately on their own, outside of my session times is to have an awareness of the activation that’s in their body. On a scale of one to ten, how activated am I? Ten would be. I’m extremely anxious, I’m extremely alarmed, I’m extremely overwhelmed, stressed, whatever words you want to put to it. I’m feeling something in an extreme way, but, like, gauging one to ten, where’s my activation right now? Dropping into the body and seeing, okay, is my body. Am I feeling panicked? Am I feeling, like I’m tense? Like, just noticing that and then putting a name to the emotions, what am I feeling? Right, once we label it and name it, and it’s just like, it’s not who I am. I am not depressed, but I may feel depressed, or I may feel anxious, or I may feel stomach issues happening right now. But this is where I say, I throw the diagnosis stuff kind of out for me. It’s like I’m not operating from a medical standpoint, but I’m like, okay, those things, we’re not defined by them anymore.

Jill Howell [00:42:44]:

A doctor might have put that label on you, and you may have these symptoms, but we’re not defined by them. So let’s just call out whatever is authentically happening in our body in this moment. I’m feeling really anxious, I’m feeling really scared, whatever the words are, putting words to it. And then this is where it’s more of a meditative practice, because I think we can get so caught up in our headspace that when our eyes are open, I feel like we’re very distracted people. So for me, it looks like teaching my clients to close their eyes, to connect with their body in some way, whether that’s a hand on their heart, two hands, hand on the heart and the stomach, and just connecting with, okay, what’s here, what am I feeling? What am I experiencing right in this moment? This is all that matters. This moment. Where am I at?

Karyn Haley [00:43:36]:

Yeah, yeah.

Jill Howell [00:43:37]:

And then we learn through practice how to compassionately respond to that. If somebody else was feeling that, what would you say to them? Right. It’s like. But I go from the somatic parts, work perspective. So how I function is very specific to, okay, like, how long has this energy been stuck here? How long has this emotion been here? When do you remember first feeling that way? Have you felt that way most of your life? Almost always. There’s an emotional chain link from what’s experienced in the present moment to something of the past.

Karyn Haley [00:44:17]:

And what you’re doing is by not coming at it through diagnoses and labels, I think that removes this ownership piece that we have. Like, I am celiac disease, I am chromosome, I have even I have anxiety, whatever. When you say those things to yourself, there’s such an ownership of it. That’s where I think that the shame and the self criticism comes in. But I like how you’re talking about it. They just are. And they just are part of you. And I’m feeling.

Karyn Haley [00:44:55]:

Feeling these things or thinking these things, but without label or judgment, I’m going to add that in because I’m sure it’s true. Right. And just inherent in that small shift, I really feel like that takes the shame and the self criticism part, the self ownership of it away.

Jill Howell [00:45:17]:

It does. And you know what? The next level of it is, because. Yes, you’re exactly right. This is. I am all about letting, like, let’s just turn off the shame alarm, right? Like, let’s just stop shaming yourselves. Because I shamed myself to the point where I didn’t want to live anymore. Like, I’m just gonna be honest. I created a lot more suffering for myself, and that.

Jill Howell [00:45:41]:

That is something that I’ve had to own. I had to face up to the reality of, okay, I was capable of doing that. I’m capable of doing the opposite, and I want to be doing the opposite. And so what I love about parts work, though, is that we’re connecting with these younger versions of us, and it’s so much easier to have compassion when I look at. And I have right here in my office, like, a picture of me when I was a little girl. Like, and I look at it regularly, oh, wow.

Karyn Haley [00:46:14]:

You know what? People listening that’s something you could do right now.

Jill Howell [00:46:17]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:46:17]:

You could go to your parents, you could go through your stack of photos, you could find that picture of your younger self.

Jill Howell [00:46:24]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:46:24]:

And put it somewhere. That’s something that people could do right now. Right today. Something that starts connecting with that. Yeah. Start connecting with that person you used to be. Tough person, like you say, right?

Jill Howell [00:46:38]:

Yeah. For me, she holds all the alarm, every bit of fear that was held in my stomach, she was holding that. So when I actually teach my clients to connect with her, and we are closed eyes because it’s just easier to see. We see to go in. Yeah, yeah. We see her and it’s like she was worthy of more than what she experienced in those moments. She was worthy of having somebody hold her and rock her. So let’s do that.

Jill Howell [00:47:11]:

Let’s just stop and let’s just hold and we rock her. And I take them through guided visualizations. Visualization is one of the number one ways that I help my clients rewire their brain and their body is through guided reconciliation with these younger parts.

Karyn Haley [00:47:30]:

Okay.

Jill Howell [00:47:31]:

I mean, the adult version, I just guided somebody recently who was stuck on this. She didn’t really even realize it until we went to the body and I asked her to connect. How old was this version of her? You know, what was this part? How long has her body been holding it? And she connected. And I said, where did you see her? And she saw her in an abandoned house, took her back to a trauma in a visual she couldn’t get rid of. And what we did was we actually connected with her. And the adult version of her came into the scene, gave this beautiful little girl everything she needed and removed her from the house.

Karyn Haley [00:48:12]:

Oh, wow.

Jill Howell [00:48:13]:

And took her to a place where she wanted to go. We actually communicate with these younger parts. And when you do it, it’s awkward at first to do it on your own. I always recommend doing it with somebody who’s guided, you know, like is trained and certified in that because it’s awkward and uncomfortable. We don’t really know how to start doing that. But once you learn it, it’s so simple and beautiful and rich. And I can offer this little girl, this little jill, you know, more compassion than I can the adult version of me. It’s so much simpler, right? To her first.

Karyn Haley [00:48:50]:

Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like from what you’re saying, that you feel like it’s best to find a trained practitioner first. It’s like, don’t try this at home. Like, try to find it because, you know, you might open a window to your soul or a door that you really just would have trouble on your own closing, it might be too much. So it sounds like what you’re saying is really try to find somebody who’s trained in this and work with them. And then probably in your sessions, you’re giving them things to do at home once they have the knowledge, the, the language, the experience in session. Does that sound about right?

Jill Howell [00:49:26]:

Yeah, except for I would say, you know, I know how to pull those out and lead my clients to those really heavier places. And I do think you’re right sometimes. I think the key is sometimes. Sometimes it could be too much. But more often than nothing, if something comes up when you’re not really skilled to go that deep with yourself, it’s something that’s come up multiple times before for you. I think that the key to all of it with parts work is just trying to respond with love and care and compassion, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. This is where the black and white trauma thinking happens of, like, so, for me, I don’t want people to feel like they couldn’t ever do it on their own unless they were guided. I think a guide can take it much deeper and can really dig into those places and help you go to those really, really deep places.

Jill Howell [00:50:35]:

But I think even on a. I hesitate to say superficial level, but on a more simpler. That’s the better word, a simpler level. If we’re, like, connecting with our body, the sensations, the emotions, expressing whatever’s really here, and then simply responding to them with compassion and kindness or just saying, oh, yeah, you know, I’ve felt that way since I was a kid. Like, even if we just have that simple of an understanding, it’s like, okay, well, like, just talk to that part, ask that part questions, well, what do you need from me today? That’s as simple as if we can keep it even. As simple as that. What do you need? Whatever part comes up, if it’s an angry part, if it’s an anxious part, if it’s a scared part, if it’s a sad part, just asking that part of you, like, what do you need from me right now? To feel safe, to feel supported, to feel cared for, to feel loved. If we can go back to those basic principles, like we are as moms to our own kids, of, like, what we’re trying to give to them, but actually give it to ourselves and say, and just ask this childlike part of us, what do you need, sweet girl? What do you need? Yeah, how can I help you? If we are truly embodied in that moment of, like, closing our eyes and connecting with ourselves and that part of us, that part will let us know all I need.

Karyn Haley [00:52:03]:

I love that.

Jill Howell [00:52:04]:

I just need you to affirm me. I just need to know that you’re not going to leave me. I just need you to listen. I just need patience. Like, a lot of times it’s very simple, actually.

Karyn Haley [00:52:20]:

Yeah, it sounds like. Really? Then anybody could do this by just finding a quiet place, getting quiet in your mind, closing your eyes, maybe putting your hand on your heart to connect to that home base and just asking your body, like, what do I need right now?

Jill Howell [00:52:37]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:52:38]:

Having that picture would be like the bonus to all of this, but they could start. That would be a beautiful starting place. Because even in the moment of doing that, you are calming the nervous system just by asking the question. You’re calming the nervous system just by pausing and breathing.

Jill Howell [00:52:57]:

Let’s stop there. Pausing and breathing. We are calming the nervous system already.

Karyn Haley [00:53:04]:

So that’s something you could really do anywhere. Even when you’re a busy mom. You’re in the carpool line, you’re washing dishes, you’re in the shower, you’re nursing. You can. I love that you could do that anywhere. Anywhere that you are in your busy life. You could do it even at that. I think you said simple level.

Karyn Haley [00:53:22]:

Even at that simple level. So you could even do it there.

Jill Howell [00:53:25]:

And the more we do that on micro levels, repeatedly, the more we start building a new relationship with ourselves. One where we’re not ignoring, bypassing, suppressing emotion. Where we’re actually being present with ourselves. What am I even feeling? A lot of us moms, we just meet, meet all the needs around us, and we don’t even stop and ask, where am I at? How am I? How am I even feeling?

Karyn Haley [00:53:54]:

We don’t.

Jill Howell [00:53:55]:

At all.

Karyn Haley [00:53:56]:

Yes. We don’t have needs where we don’t have needs. Right. It’s just. It’s just always on the back burner. I’ll get to that later. It’s not that we don’t know that we need to. It’s.

Karyn Haley [00:54:07]:

I will get to it later. I’ll get to it later. Because something is always more important.

Jill Howell [00:54:10]:

I will be honest. Both times when my nervous system was struggling the most and I had the most chronic symptoms of it was when I was focused, hyper focused on meeting other people’s needs and I was ignoring mine.

Karyn Haley [00:54:27]:

Yep, yep, yep. Yes. If you’re listening to this and feeling that way, and you have been ignoring it, ignoring it, ignoring it. This is your wake up call. This is the time. Now is the time. And just start really simple. You can just start really, really simple.

Jill Howell [00:54:42]:

And let’s add in the fact that this actually is good for the kids and your marriages.

Karyn Haley [00:54:48]:

Oh, I’m so glad you said that, Jen.

Jill Howell [00:54:49]:

Every relationship, this is my motivating force. When I’m working with a woman, I’m like, when you live from a regulated state within your nervous system, when you know how to emotionally regulate, when you feel big emotions and come back down to a state of ease, if you can guide yourself through the wave of being a human, then you can help guide your little ones through their own waves. You feel more resource and equipped with skills and tools and resources to help yourself. Well, guess what? Once you know that you get to teach that to your kids, break the cycles, then your grandkids could benefit from that. It’s like this beautiful gift of life. It’s a life transformational gift.

Karyn Haley [00:55:34]:

Yeah. And sometimes we have to sell it that way because moms don’t want to take the time for them. But look, if you do this for yourself, it is going to benefit your kids. And so often when I talk about food or a lifestyle or anything I talk about with my clients mind body, I always have to frame it that way. This is actually going to benefit your kids. When you take the time to do this for you, it will benefit your kids. And when it’s framed that way, then there’s nothing a mom isn’t going to do for her kids. So I love that you mentioned that.

Karyn Haley [00:56:05]:

Because sometimes we need that extra motivation to say it’s not just going to benefit me, it’s going to benefit my spouse, my father, my mother, my, you know, my brother, sisters. It’s, it’s like it’s going to benefit everybody. Because you can pass it on.

Jill Howell [00:56:18]:

Every single relationship. Every single relationship.

Karyn Haley [00:56:20]:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jill Howell [00:56:22]:

Because the.

Karyn Haley [00:56:23]:

Oh, go ahead.

Jill Howell [00:56:24]:

I was gonna say, because we are modeling it. We’re showing in through modeling by doing for ourselves and that, and they were energetic beings. Our energy is felt. So we can, we have this opportunity to help our kids either co regulate with us or co dysregulate with us.

Karyn Haley [00:56:44]:

Oh, amen. Yes, exactly. So whether we know it or not.

Jill Howell [00:56:49]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [00:56:50]:

When we don’t deal with this, we’re passing it on.

Jill Howell [00:56:53]:

Yes.

Karyn Haley [00:56:53]:

We’re passing it on. Whether it’s in utero or by action, we’re passing it on. So we really owe it to not just ourselves, but to our kids.

Jill Howell [00:57:04]:

Yes.

Karyn Haley [00:57:05]:

Yeah, yeah. To just keep this positivity going. Hey, there. It’s Karyn popping into the episode. I want to thank you so much for tuning into the cheeky podcast for moms with IBD today. You know, the great information that we’re dishing out on this pod is exactly the same type of conversations I get to have with my clients every day. And if you’re ready to take your IBD healing journey to the next level and move into being the mom you always dreamed you’d be, then hop on over to karenhaley.com consult and book your free IBD consultation with me today. Remember, my mom had to be a little bit different and spell my name with a y.

Karyn Haley [00:57:47]:

So that’s karynhaley.com forward slash consult. Now, on our call, we will dive into what you’re struggling with most right now and make a plan for how we can work together to help you achieve your big, bold, beautiful, life transforming goals. No more sitting on the sidelines waiting for that miracle cure to magically happen. You’ve got what it takes to do this, mama. You just need a little nudge in the right direction, and I’ve got your back. Karynhaley.com consult and now back to the show. You know, so often on the podcast, we talk about really deep, difficult, complicated topics that when I like to wrap up an episode, I like to do a quick lightning round, if that’s okay with you. Sure.

Karyn Haley [00:58:42]:

Because it just kind of brings a little bit of levity, a little bit of joy to the end of it, and it will help people get to know you a little bit better, too. And I promise it’s not, it’s not a big quiz. It’s just simple questions, but it’ll be fun. Are you ready?

Jill Howell [00:58:55]:

Ready.

Karyn Haley [00:58:56]:

Okay, so ten questions. Okay. What is the supplement that you can’t live without?

Jill Howell [00:59:02]:

Probiotic.

Karyn Haley [00:59:04]:

Oh, yes. I love that one.

Jill Howell [00:59:07]:

But I do believe that it’s helped transform my inflammation issues and my ability to even have little cheat moments of gluten and dairy and. Yeah, yeah, probiotic, huge.

Karyn Haley [00:59:22]:

Yep. That microbiome, we have to keep that healthy.

Jill Howell [00:59:25]:

Yep.

Karyn Haley [00:59:25]:

Okay, so, so many people that I talk with have complicated issues, and they’re in doctor’s offices and things like that. And so there’s no better advocator than people who have chronic illnesses. So when you go to the doctor’s office, what’s the one thing that you do to make sure that you’re advocating for yourself?

Jill Howell [00:59:44]:

I’m very aware of my body. I’m very aware of the signals of my body, the sensations if I don’t feel at ease. I just recently had this, actually, and I switched doctors. I did not feel at ease in my body.

Karyn Haley [00:59:59]:

And, yeah, it’s just that intuition that so often I think women have, but they don’t listen to. So, yes, yes. When we’re uncomfortable in a situation, we have to listen to that.

Jill Howell [01:00:10]:

Yes.

Karyn Haley [01:00:10]:

That inner voice. Yes. I love that. What is your favorite type of mind body exercise? Something that anybody could even just do at home?

Jill Howell [01:00:19]:

My very favorite. It’s probably eft tapping, and that is something that anybody can learn. Google it. There is.

Karyn Haley [01:00:27]:

I was gonna say, what’s your favorite resource? Just google it.

Jill Howell [01:00:30]:

Yeah. EFT tapping is my very favorite.

Karyn Haley [01:00:34]:

Okay. Yep, yep. And that’s something you can do at home.

Jill Howell [01:00:37]:

It’s a power punch of physiological tapping on the body while also processing cognitively. And it gives me permission to just state wherever I’m at, what am I feeling? All the raw expressions that are within me. It gives me permission to just let it out.

Karyn Haley [01:00:53]:

Okay, cool.

Jill Howell [01:00:54]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [01:00:55]:

And what’s one thing that you do on a. It might be the same thing, but what’s one thing you do on a regular basis to connect with yourself? You know, like a self care hack that you do on a regular basis?

Jill Howell [01:01:06]:

You know, I would say that, but also, in the mornings, before I even get out of bed, I use that precious subconscious reprogramming time when my brain is in more of a theta state. And I actually try to envision how I want to show up for the day, how I want to feel, and I start to see it in my mind, and then I talk to myself and I encourage myself, and the parts of me that are showing up that kind of feel maybe hesitant or scared or, you know, something going into the day, I genuinely will just speak life over myself as I’m.

Karyn Haley [01:01:48]:

There’s that visualization that you mentioned earlier, that visualizing. I love that you do it in the morning, because that’s the time to do that.

Jill Howell [01:01:55]:

Right.

Karyn Haley [01:01:55]:

So really just set you up to have a positive day.

Jill Howell [01:01:58]:

I do it before I touch my phone. I do it before I get out of bed, actually, because that’s when my brain is still in that state where the cognitive processing hasn’t gone. Whoa.

Karyn Haley [01:02:09]:

Yeah. Right, right. All cylinders are not firing like this. Yeah. Okay, so what is one thing that you think most everybody gets wrong about somatic coaching?

Jill Howell [01:02:22]:

I just think that people are so caught up in their head overthinking things that feel like. Some people think that just by doing, say, yoga practices or the somatics, even though those somatic type practices and movements are part of what I’m doing, too, is that doing that is not, like, enough. You have to have the emotional connection piece, the self connection piece with yourself in doing any kind of movement practices in a really mindful way in order for them to be healing and restorative, longer term.

Karyn Haley [01:03:00]:

Gotcha. Gotcha. Okay, good to know. And when somebody says to you, do you have a good book recommendation? What is that one book that you go back to time and time again? That book that you just cannot get out of your head? And it could be self help in nature or it could be totally fluffy.

Jill Howell [01:03:16]:

What book? Oh, I’m going to grab it, so make sure I say, okay, cool. It’s right here it is. It’s a workbook that I started off with. It’s called the mindful self compassion workbook, and it’s by Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer.

Karyn Haley [01:03:35]:

We will put that in the show notes. Tell me about it. What’s in it?

Jill Howell [01:03:39]:

You know, the subtitle says it all. A proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thrive. And for me, it was. It was kind of just a good. I think it’s so meaningful to me because it was a hands on tool when I didn’t know how to connect to myself, to start this journey of offering myself kindness and compassion and being really empathetic and gentle towards myself. And it gives hands on practices and guides you through.

Karyn Haley [01:04:15]:

And so I love a good workbook because if you say, I want to do this, but I don’t know how to start, get a workbook, that’s the place to start, because it will give you the prompts. You don’t have to figure out what to do on your own. So I love that. Okay, we’ll put that in the show notes. Do you have a favorite travel destination?

Jill Howell [01:04:32]:

Destin, Florida.

Karyn Haley [01:04:35]:

Okay. Is it just because you love Destin, or do you have family there?

Jill Howell [01:04:38]:

Just because it’s the closest thing that we can drive to that’s not overwhelming. And the water there is like, the Caribbean sand is white. It’s just this place that, honestly, I’m more adventurous, and I like to go lots of different places, but it’s something I’ve begun to appreciate because my husband loves it there so much. And after we went there once, he wanted to go back again, and then he always wants to go there. That’s like. And he’s like, why would I want to go anywhere else when I feel so at peace when I’m here?

Karyn Haley [01:05:15]:

And you can’t argue with that.

Jill Howell [01:05:16]:

I know. Right. And so for me, it’s interesting because there’s this part of me that I’m like, well, why don’t we try somewhere new? And then I’m like, but I agree. Like, my soul feels at rest there. And I think probably because his does, too. So when the two of us go together, it’s a space of rest for us on a soul level.

Karyn Haley [01:05:36]:

I love that your favorite travel destination is all about relaxing and feeling wonderful at a soul level.

Jill Howell [01:05:42]:

And it’s hilarious, though, because we’re adventurers, too. We like to go to Colorado and hike mountains and stuff, too, but there’s just something special about that place.

Karyn Haley [01:05:50]:

Yeah. It sounds like you’ll probably always go back there. No matter where life takes you, you’ll go back there.

Jill Howell [01:05:55]:

And illegally. Illegally. We want our ashes thrown there.

Karyn Haley [01:05:59]:

Really?

Jill Howell [01:06:00]:

Not much.

Karyn Haley [01:06:02]:

Yeah. Wow. You know what? You are not the first person to say that. I bet. Because it’s so beautiful. I’ve been there. I have a good friend who lives there, and it’s so beautiful there. I bet you other people have that same wish.

Jill Howell [01:06:12]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [01:06:12]:

Yeah. Put their ashes there. Okay. Coffee, tea, and how do you take it? Coffee or tea? And how do you take it?

Jill Howell [01:06:18]:

So I alternate.

Karyn Haley [01:06:22]:

Okay.

Jill Howell [01:06:22]:

And so not always in a systematic way, but green tea with honey.

Karyn Haley [01:06:28]:

Love it.

Jill Howell [01:06:29]:

Or cold. And then coffee. If I honestly like half calf coffee, because I’m trying to just be really careful of the dysregulation that caffeine causes for my body. So. Yeah, yeah. And I usually do have creamer. I can’t do coffee black.

Karyn Haley [01:06:50]:

Yeah.

Jill Howell [01:06:50]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [01:06:51]:

Gotcha. Okay. What is your, what’s your favorite way to. You talked about what you like to do in the morning. So what do you like to do at night? What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?

Jill Howell [01:07:03]:

I do legs up the wall, so I literally lay on my back with my legs up the wall. And I like to pair it with either some meditative music, sound bath, or a meditation. And that’s my favorite.

Karyn Haley [01:07:21]:

I love that you take time for these things you’re giving by just talking about the things that you do, your morning routine, your evening routine. You’re giving permission to our listeners to say, yes, I can do that, too. Someone else is taking the time for it. I can do that, too. And I love that you just unapologetically say, this is what I do. I love it.

Jill Howell [01:07:43]:

And it can be three minutes, ladies. It doesn’t have to be a lot. It can be micro moments of just allowing ourselves to go, oh, yes.

Karyn Haley [01:07:54]:

And that’s the starting place. And then try and get longer and longer. But that would be your starting place. I love it. Okay, last question. So, the name of this podcast is the Cheeky podcast. And so to me, that means I being a little bit sassy, a little bit quirky, and a lot badass. So, how are you cheeky in your life?

Jill Howell [01:08:12]:

Oh, goodness. Honestly, I feel like even starting this coaching business for me was incredibly cheeky. For me, it’s badass in the sense that for a girl who’s felt like she had to hide all of her life and stay quiet and stay small, every time I show up and use my voice, even in this platform of, like, having a podcast with you, I am freaking doing it.

Karyn Haley [01:08:44]:

Yes. I wouldn’t see that in you at all. Like, I don’t know you, but you just showing up, like, you’re just, you know, like, I’m owning it. This is me. I love it.

Jill Howell [01:08:55]:

But I’ve had to come into that place. This is my part of my transformation, healing journey that, you know, even from the outside, though people might have seen the lively energy that there was, that piece was still part of me. However, there was always a part of me that was dying inside secretly and always fighting, like, to be seen and to share. I mean, really, sharing about healing work is not. It’s not easy. It is.

Karyn Haley [01:09:25]:

Yeah.

Jill Howell [01:09:27]:

I feel like I have to go to very vulnerable places oftentimes. To just even share the work that I’m doing on social media or with people. To use my voice in that way is probably the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done. Yeah.

Karyn Haley [01:09:43]:

Yeah.

Jill Howell [01:09:43]:

Telling bits and pieces of my story. I think it’s badass that I do it because I cried so many tears in the journey of even a. Giving myself permission to follow this pursuit of knowing that what I discovered from my own healing journey is what I’m called to share with the world. And even if that means being misunderstood by my own family members.

Karyn Haley [01:10:10]:

Sucky, but often true, right?

Jill Howell [01:10:12]:

Yeah.

Karyn Haley [01:10:13]:

Yeah. Yes. But you’re helping so many people, and you’ve helped so many people today by joining us on the podcast. I want to thank you for that. So, if people want to find out more about you, if they’re interested in delving into your world, tell us, Jill, how can we connect with you?

Jill Howell [01:10:29]:

Yeah. So follow me on dancing in the mess on Instagram. That’s, like, my platform. My platform is all. It’s dancing in the mess. Everything I do is about dancing in the mess. Trying to find and seek joy and light in the messiness of our humanity. We are all humans and we’re all experiencing the mess of being human.

Jill Howell [01:10:52]:

So there’s that. Or my website, dancinginthemess.com.

Karyn Haley [01:10:56]:

Oh wonderful. Brilliant. Thank you so much for joining us today, Jill. It was such an honor to get to know you.

Jill Howell [01:11:02]:

Oh, you too. Thank you so much for having me. I so appreciate it.

Karyn Haley [01:11:13]:

If this podcast is meaningful for you, if it’s been helpful in your iPad CBD bomb life, I’d love it if you would do a couple things. First, follow the pod. You’ll never miss an episode. And those moms who are searching for podcasts about Crohn’s and colitis, they’ll find us easier. There’s probably a plus sign or a follow sign where you’re listening in right now. It’s at the top of your screen. Go ahead and give that a tap. And then also give the cheeky podcast a five star rating and review and share it with your friends who are also struggling with IBD.

Karyn Haley [01:11:47]:

The more we are open about talking about our illness and bringing awareness around it, the more we’re able to connect and build a safe community around each other. I love being in community with you and I appreciate you, my friend. One last thing before we wrap up today. You know, I think you’re a rock star for taking time out of your busy life to listen in and invest in your healing. It is capital h huge. And the reason I know how huge this is for you is because I am right there with you in all of this, working my wheel of wellness, keeping my crohn’s at bay. It’s something that I invest in every day and I’d love it if we could continue our gut healing journey together. If you’re like me and you’re ready to soak up even more amazing gut healing information, it’s time to join the gut love community karynhaley.com/

Karyn Haley [01:12:40]:

Community. The GLC is my free and fabulous space, dedicated to dishing out even more IBD resources, recipes, healing hacks, lots of bts, secrets on how I manage my life with IBD, all wrapped up in a weekly newsletter to help you keep your momentum going strong. This IBD dish is gut healing insights that I only share within our tight knit community. Basically, it’s your one stop shop for a more diversified approach to true and lasting gut healing. Amen to that, my friend. Let’s walk this gut healing journey together. Join me in the GLC at karynhaley.com. I can’t wait to meet you.

The Low FODMAP Diet Decoded

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this week’s episode of The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD, I’m unraveling the mysteries and myths of the Low FODMAP diet. If you’re struggling with IBD symptoms that you can’t get control of and are curious about whether this diet could be a key part of your healing strategy, this episode is a must-listen.

It’s time to cut through the confusion, debunk widespread, blatant lies about the FODMAP diet, and provide you with the your best resources to make informed, educated choices to finally incorporate a Low FODMAPs into your diet on your terms, with success and ease.

Let’s do this!

Tune in As We Talk About:

✅ [01:18] What Exactly Are FODMAPs? An easy-to-understand breakdown.

✅ [06:09] FODMAPs for IBS vs IBD: Why this diet isn’t just for IBS sufferers and how it impacts those with IBD.

✅ [08:15] High and Low FODMAP Foods: Practical examples that illuminate the tricky navigation of the diet.

✅ [13:48] Who Benefits from Low FODMAPs: Exploring the effectiveness of the diet for IBD and unexplained digestive symptoms.

✅ [16:39] Blatant FODMAP Misinformation: Clearing up the most pervasive myths surrounding the low FODMAP diet.

✅ [33:04] My Favorite Low FODMAP Resources: My list of trusted, reputable sources to help you make informed dietary decisions.

This episode is not just about diet tips—it’s a deep dive into how the low FODMAP diet can be a transformative part of living with IBD. Tune in to gain valuable insights and perhaps discover a new path to managing your symptoms.

Rate, Review and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Mentioned in the Episode:

>> Your FREE Low FODMAP 101 Resource

>> The Ultimate IBD Diet Decoder Quiz

>> Join The Gut Love Community for Moms with IBD

>> Book Your FREE IBD Consultation with Karyn Today

Connect With Karyn:

Karyn on YouTube

Karyn on Instagram

Karyn on Facebook

Episode Transcript:

Karyn Haley [00:00:08]:

Hey there, mama.

Karyn Haley [00:00:09]:

Welcome to season two of the Cheeky podcast for moms with IBD. I’m Karyn Haley, functional IBD nutrition and wellness coach and Crohn’s warrior. This podcast is all about us moms because our IBD plays by different rules. Season two is juicy, full of unconventional wisdom, real talk, new ways to tackle our illness, and a whole lot of community empowerment, and all of us advocating the hell out of our illness. We’re in this together, and I’m here to help you find healing on your terms.

Karyn Haley [00:00:42]:

Let’s do this. Well, hey there, my friend. Welcome back. Or just welcome, if this is your first time tuning in. As always, I am honored to be sharing this space with you. It’s our little IBD mom connected corner of the universe. Now, today is all about demystifying, debunking, decoding the low fodmaps diet. And chances are that you have heard of it before.

Karyn Haley [00:01:18]:

You may have even dabbled in it. But beyond that, there’s just so much we don’t understand about this diet. Who is it really for? Does it heal IBD? Where is there actual information that you can trust, accurate information that you can trust about this way of eating? With so many questions and frankly, so much misinformation out there about fodmaps, I thought it was time that we got real about how the low FODMAP diet works so that you can once and for all decide if this diet is even one that you should pay attention to, and most importantly, help you make up your mind if it’s worth your time and effort. So the truth is that a low FODMAP diet, it only recently made it into the conversation in IBD circles. Technically, it’s a diet for those with IB’s irritable bowel syndrome. But because so many people outside of our circle, they don’t actually know the difference between IB’s and IBD, you know I’m right. It’s been thrown into the mix as well. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its place within the IBD community.

Karyn Haley [00:02:39]:

It’s just important for us to get clear right off the bat that this diet, it’s not a cure for IBD, no matter what you’ve heard. So with that in mind, you might be thinking, then why are we even talking about this? Why are we talking about this diet if it can’t help my IBD? Hold up just a second, dear one. Because although it can’t cure IBD, a low FODMAP diet, it does have tremendous potential to have an impact on how IBD shows up in your body. And I don’t know if you have seen this, but in the last couple of years, our doctors, they seem to be jumping on the low FODMAP train as well. More gastroenterologists that specialize in IBD, they’re starting to talk about it as they start to learn more about the impact of fodmaps on our digestive health. So now that your ears may be perked up a little bit, because, hey, maybe there’s actually something worthwhile in this FODMAP thing for you, let’s begin by getting really clear on what we’re talking about here. What exactly are these fodmaps and why are they potentially harmful for you? So the term FODMAP, it stands for, and we’re going to get technical for just a second here, it stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polysaccharides. So that’s the technical definition.

Karyn Haley [00:04:13]:

And you’re probably saying, great, but what the heck does that mean? So let’s break it down and get really simple. In simple terms, fodmaps are short chain carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion. That’s it. They’re carbs that are hard to digest. Simple as that. So instead of being absorbed into our bloodstream, where normally fat, proteins, and carbs are supposed to end up to give us the nutrients that we need for energy and vitality and just day to day healthy living, these types of carbohydrates, they end up setting up camp in your intestine. And then unless you do something to get rid of them, they live pretty much this fairly cushy life there. Basically, the bacteria from the carbohydrates, they’re just bark a lounging, netflixing, and chilling.

Karyn Haley [00:05:01]:

And I mean that in the most PG sense of the word, they’re just chilling in your intestines. Yay. Right? That’s a pleasant thought. Well, it gets even better. I said that sarcastically, of course. But it gets even better because your gut bacteria partiers like they are like a good wine. They then ferment these special types of carbohydrates. These fodmaps, they ferment inside your intestines.

Karyn Haley [00:05:31]:

And these bacterial critters, they are not good drunks. They’re not good winos. They go wild all over your intestines, wreaking havoc. They create gas and bloating and abdominal pain and other uncomfortable GI along with non GI symptoms for those of us with sensitive bellies. So these fodmaps, they have the potential to be kind of sucky. That’s the medical term for it, kind of sucky. And who wants a fermented wino gut critter inviting all of his friends into your intestines for a fart party?

Karyn Haley [00:06:09]:

Not fun.

Karyn Haley [00:06:11]:

Oh no, not fun. So while scientists and practitioners have known for a while that fodmaps are a common trigger for those of us with IBS, and let me just digress for a second, because we’re going to get into my feelings on what IBD actually is in just a bit. But for now we’re going to call it IB’s. So hold on to that thought there. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, the FODMAP role in Crohn’s and Colitis, it isn’t widely recognized by science, but I have to call foul on this stance. And many doctors are joining with me because the reality is that many of us with IBD also experience IB’s like symptoms, or what a lot of doctors will refer to as the overlap of IB’s and IBD. It’s this link, this IB’s symptom IBD diagnosis link. That’s the reason why it’s critical for us to understand fodmaps so well.

Karyn Haley [00:07:10]:

So what do we know for sure so far? We now know exactly what fodmaps are, hopefully in their most simplest of terms, and we know why even though they typically, typically they are related to problems for those with IB’s, we know why we should care about fodmaps, too. In today’s episode, we’re going to take this a bit deeper. We’re going to take this conversation a little bit deeper. We’re going to explore what exactly low FODMAP diet tends to look like. We’re going to do a bunch of debunking. We’re going to debunk a bunch of low FODMAP diet myths, and then hopefully in the process you’ll begin to gain insight on if fodmaps are something that you should be thinking about. Are they something that should be on your radar? Okay, let’s go ahead and dive in. Okay, so I mentioned exactly what thought maps are in a general sense, but that still doesn’t get to the heart of what foods are high in fodmaps and what foods are low.

Karyn Haley [00:08:15]:

So let’s go ahead and get some actual examples of what kinds of foods we’re talking about here. Now remember, fodmaps, those are specific carbohydrates that due to their poor absorption in the small intestine, they end up in the colon, where they start this fermenting party that I talked about leading to too much bad bacteria. And then that leads to those lovely symptoms, gas, bloating, pain, etcetera, etcetera. So what types of foods are causing all this mischief? And which ones are the well behaved children of the FODMAP world? It would be nice if all high fodmaps were in like one category. Maybe something like all red foods are high in fodmaps. Fodmaps, or all processed foods are high in fodmaps. But nope, it’s not that easy. And this is why knowing what’s high and what’s low is so stinking tricky.

Karyn Haley [00:09:17]:

You really need a reference guide next to you at all times until you get used to it. By looking a particular food up over and over. It’s the repetition of it that finally helps you learn what’s what. But there’s some notoriously high fodmap foods you should absolutely be aware of. Foods like apples, garlic, onions, and wheat. Those are all high fodmap foods. And if you’re thinking, huh, I tend to have reactions in some way when I eat those foods, then maybe this is something for you to think about. Now that’s just a few high FODMAP foods, and I promise you I’m going to make sure you have access to a much more complete list before our time together is over.

Karyn Haley [00:10:07]:

But seriously, it would take the whole episode to go through each and every high fodmap food that’s just a starter list. But now, what foods are low in fodmaps? And again, just a sampling, but we’re talking about foods like carrots, cucumbers, grapes, and oranges. These are all lower in. And since we’re talking about specifics here, let’s take this what foods have high fodmaps in? What foods don’t? Let’s just take that thought to the next level. What’s really fascinating about low about using a low FODMAP diet, is that parts of the same food can differ in FODMAP content. Let’s take a leak, for example. So for instance, the white part of a leak is high in fodmaps, while the green part is low in fodmaps. As you can imagine, this insanely complicated FODMAP maze can make navigating the diet without a good resource quite challenging.

Karyn Haley [00:11:13]:

And again, I’ve got what you need for that, and I promise you I’m going to be sharing it with you soon.

Karyn Haley [00:11:19]:

Just a quick interruption. We will get back to the podcast in a second.

Karyn Haley [00:11:23]:

I’m wondering, are you?

Karyn Haley [00:11:24]:

Like many of us, with Crohn’s and colitis, you’re turning to food to help heal your gut, but you’re just feeling really overwhelmed by the myriad of gut healing diets out there. There’s gluten free and dairy free and.

Karyn Haley [00:11:38]:

Paleo gaps, and it can be really.

Karyn Haley [00:11:40]:

Confusing and frustrating and leave you feeling disheartened about which diet is the right one for you. And I’ve been there myself. That’s why I created the ultimate IBD diet decoder quiz to help you find your best diet for your unique needs. Now, maybe you’ve tried one of these diets, but you gave up quickly because they were just too strict or they didn’t fit with your lifestyle.

Karyn Haley [00:12:07]:

Here’s the truth.

Karyn Haley [00:12:09]:

There is no one size fits all diet. But there is one best diet for you. And the best diet for you isn’t just about your symptoms, it’s about your lifestyle and your personality too. Are you ready to find the gut healing diet that fits you like a glove? Head on over to karenhaley.com quiz to take my ultimate IBD diet decoder quiz. It’s free and it only takes three minutes. Discover what you’ve been meant to be eating to put your IBD in its place. That’s karenhaley.com quiz. And now back to the show.

Karyn Haley [00:12:50]:

So now what I want you to do is just start thinking. I want you to just start thinking about the few foods that I mentioned just to start putting some FODMAP puzzle pieces together in your mind. Let me also help you get your gears turning to help you with just the insight of all of this. To just be able to just insightfully bowl this over by telling you who a low FODMAP diet tends to help, I think that will help you as well. See if this picture fits for you. This diet is particularly beneficial for those with chronic digestive symptoms that can’t be easily explained or resolved through standard medical approaches. This is where that IB’s term comes into play. The doctors, they know you’re having symptoms, but they can’t have pinpoint where they’re coming from.

Karyn Haley [00:13:48]:

Now, if this sounds a lot like you, a low FODMAP diet may be the missing piece that you have been waiting for, but it isn’t just those with IB’s like symptoms, that should think about FODMAPs. No, I mentioned earlier that those of us with IBD should think about this diet as well. And that’s because IBDers, they’re also prone to additional gut challenges like SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or candida, a fungal overgrowth in the intestine. And both have the potential to show up inside the gut, but also outside the gut as well, with symptoms like skin rashes and brain fog, mood irregularity, poor concentration, anxiety, and the list goes on and on. So even if you haven’t been given an official combination IB’s IBD diagnosis, you may still want to think about the role a low FODMAP diet could play in your life. Now, as we well know, doctors might not routinely test for these conditions like SIBO and Candida. Even when they do test, they might not use the most effective testing, which can lead to false negatives, which often leads then, of course, as the patient, to confusion and overwhelm and feelings of just being alone, isolated, because you are continuing to struggle without a clear path forward. So, again, this absolutely bears repeating.

Karyn Haley [00:15:25]:

While the low FODMAP diet isn’t designed to treat IBD directly, understanding what’s going on at the root level of your illness and then understanding the diet’s potential benefits, it can be really crucial for really anybody that has Crohn’s or colitis. When you have knowledge like this, it can then empower you to manage your symptoms, and it can help you advocate for more comprehensive care from your healthcare provider.

Karyn Haley [00:15:56]:

And I have to say, at its.

Karyn Haley [00:15:57]:

Heart, at its heart, a low FODMAP diet, it offers a structured approach to help you just identify your dietary triggers. It can help you reduce symptoms and improve the quality of your life. That is positive news. And it’s, I gotta say, capital h, huge, because it can lead to massive transformation. But this diet is not without its downsides. It’s not without its pitfalls. And it’s important, I think, that we talk about those as well. Imagine that you’ve just discovered through a series of trials that a low FODMAP diet can benefit you.

Karyn Haley [00:16:39]:

So you’re feeling hopeful, maybe a bit excited even, to finally have a path forward. But then you hit a wall. You hit a wall of overwhelming and contradictory information. One source claims a food is low in fodmaps. Another source says it’s high. And in the world of fodmaps, this happens way too often. It really does. Who do you trust navigating the low Fodmap diet.

Karyn Haley [00:17:08]:

It can be like walking through a minefield of misfortune and misinformation, especially if you are a thorough researcher like me and you look at multiple sources. So this is why so many find themselves stuck. So many find themselves unsure of what they can safely eat and without it triggering their symptoms. And the confusion is real. It stems from a lack of standardized FODMAP information. It really does. But for argument’s sake, let’s just say, let’s just say for argument’s sake that you finally find a great list. You have a great list of high and low FODMAP foods.

Karyn Haley [00:17:52]:

You’re all set, right? Well, navigating all the rules of this particular diet, it can definitely have a learning curve. I have clients that come to me all the time saying, what is up with this diet? Why does it have to be so complicated? It’s almost as challenging as getting a PhD. Plus, if the diet itself wasn’t challenging enough, let’s talk about the myths that are floating out there surrounding fodmaps in general. Some of these myths that are circulating around the Internet can seriously derail you and definitely misguide and discourage those who might benefit from the diet most. Oh, that really frustrates me. So what I want to do next is let’s just go ahead and bust the top seven FODMAP myths that I hear over and over in my practice, in my community, and just around the gut health Google space. So let’s set the record straight. So again, so that you can have the right information to help you decide if a low FODMAP diet is the right diet for you, we’ll start with myth number one.

Karyn Haley [00:19:02]:

Myth number one is a low FODMAP diet is a cure for bacterial imbalance. A low FODMAP diet is a cure for bacterial imbalance. Let’s go ahead and debunk this myth. So the answer is no. Although it does help when you have bacterial balance in imbalance in your gut, it doesn’t cure or even treat the actual dysbiosis. A low FODMAP diet is a symptom reliever. Let me repeat that, because this is a big myth that I hear over and over again. It’s a symptom reliever.

Karyn Haley [00:19:42]:

It will give you enough relief that you then have the energy and the stamina to put towards getting to the root of your ultimate gut issues. But it is not a cure or even a treatment. It is a symptom reliever. It’s more of a stop gap if you will, and if you stop this diet and you haven’t done the work to get your guts back on track, balancing your bacterial imbalances along the way, everything will go back to the way it was before. So that this is really a huge myth. Busted. This is a huge point. I cannot stress that one enough.

Karyn Haley [00:20:21]:

Alright, let’s move on to talk about myth number two. And myth number two goes like this. If it works, I need to stay on it forever. If it works, I need to stay on it forever. Okay, let’s debunk this one too. No way. It is absolutely not meant to be your forever diet. Can you imagine being on this diet forever if you’ve tried this diet? You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Karyn Haley [00:20:46]:

It is not something you want to stay on forever. That’s not the goal. That would be some really serious over dedication. The goal of a low FODMAP diet is to give yourself some time, some symptom relief, while you are working on the root causes of your digestive issues. Now, once enough healing has taken place, the goal is to then move on to a more sustainable, gut healthy, the whole body healthy diet. That’s the goal. All right, so myth busted. Let’s talk about myth number three.

Karyn Haley [00:21:24]:

Myth number three goes like this. The low Fodmap diet is for everyone with IBD. The low Fodmap diet is for everyone with IBd. Let’s debunk this myth because this ain’t true either. The low FODMAP diet is specifically designed for those with irritable bowel syndrome. IB’s, that’s what it was designed for. Which, in my opinion, is a diagnosis of convenience for our medical system. It’s a diagnosis of convenience that doesn’t have this medical system, that doesn’t have the tools to probe deeper to find out what’s really behind your IB’s like symptoms.

Karyn Haley [00:22:05]:

And it’s not necessarily effective for everyone with IBD. So while it may help alleviate symptoms like bloating or gas or abdominal pain or bowel challenges like constipation or diarrhea, it’s not a universal solution for all digestive symptoms related to Crohn’s or colitis. Despite what so many Internet gut gurus want you to believe, there is no one size fits all IBD diet. So as the patient saying to you, well, I don’t really know if it works, but it works for some. So why don’t you try it? It’s largely unhelpful. Instead, providers need to probe deeper to see if this diet is actually warranted and worth trying based on science, not based on throwing spaghetti at a wall. Okay, so that’s myth number three. Busted.

Karyn Haley [00:23:00]:

Let’s talk about myth number four. Myth number four is all high FODMAP foods are bad for your gut. All high FODMAP foods are bad for your gut. This is not true either. So let’s go ahead and debunk this myth. High FODMAP foods are not inherently bad for everyone. In fact, many of them contain prebiotics that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. The low FODMAP diet, it’s about symptom relief.

Karyn Haley [00:23:32]:

It’s about symptom management, not demonizing otherwise healthy foods. And especially because many of the high FODMAP foods are actually, in fact, healthy. The goal is to get you back to this, to get you healed, to get your gut healed so that you can get back to those foods as soon as possible. So myth number four, debunked.

Karyn Haley [00:23:57]:

Hey, there. It’s Karyn popping into the episode. I want to thank you so much for tuning into the cheeky podcast for moms with IBD today. You know, the great information that we’re dishing out on this pod is exactly, exactly the same type of conversations I get to have with my clients every day. And if you’re ready to take your IBD healing journey to the next level and move into being the mom you always dreamed you’d be, then hop on over to karenhaley.com consult and book your free IBD consultation with me today. Remember, my mom had to be a little bit different and spell my name with a y.

Karyn Haley [00:24:35]:

So that’s k a rhino.

Karyn Haley [00:24:36]:

Ynhaley.com consult. Now, on our call, we will dive into what you’re struggling with most right now and make a plan for how we can work together to help you achieve your big, bold, beautiful, life transforming goals. No more sitting on the sidelines waiting for that miracle cure to magically happen. You’ve got what it takes to do this, mama.

Karyn Haley [00:25:03]:

You just need a little nudge in.

Karyn Haley [00:25:05]:

The right direction, and I’ve got your back. Karynhaley.com consult. And now back to the show.

Karyn Haley [00:25:15]:

Okay, let’s talk about myth number five. Now, myth number five goes like this. The low fodmap diet is all or nothing. The low fodmap diet is all or nothing. Not true. So let’s go ahead and debunk this myth as well. The low FODMAP diet, when it’s done right, is highly individualized and does not have to be all or nothing. Once you’ve identified your triggers through the elimination and then the reintroduction phase, you can then reintroduce many higher FODMAP foods that your body tolerates.

Karyn Haley [00:25:55]:

Plus, I really like to just call a low FODMAP diet. I like to call it a diet of insight. It’s not about depriving yourself of everything. It’s about getting solid, reliable information to help you determine if a particular food is low, moderate, or high in fodmaps. So then you can determine for yourself if it’s something that you want to eat. And it’s not about complete deprivation. It’s about insight. Insight into what works for your body and what doesn’t.

Karyn Haley [00:26:30]:

So, myth number five is busted. Okay. Myth number six surrounding the low FODMAP diet. The diet is complicated and impossible to follow. The diet is complicated and impossible to follow. Not true. So let’s go ahead and debunk this myth as well. So, yes, you might remember earlier, I did say that for some, it can be challenging.

Karyn Haley [00:26:55]:

It can be challenging for various reasons, but it doesn’t have to be. So while the low FODMAP diet can initially seem a little bit overwhelming, if you have reputable resources or you’re working with someone that’s very familiar with the ins and outs of this diet, you will be set up for low FODMAP diet success. I have my favorite reputable FODMAP resources that I’m going to share with you. Plus, if you’re stuck on this diet, I want you to reach out. Definitely reach out to me or another practitioner who can help guide you, who can hold your hand, who can take you step by step through the diet. It is so much easier with a buddy by your side. It is worth it to give you the peace of mind that if you are putting all this enormous work in, you know that what you’re doing, you’re doing right. Okay, so that’s myth number six.

Karyn Haley [00:27:54]:

And that one we busted as well. Okay, let’s talk about the last myth. And that’s myth number seven. Myth number seven goes like this. Once I’ve had my low fodmap time, I’m good to go. Once I’ve had my low fodmap time, I am good to go. GTG, baby. Let’s go ahead and debunk this myth as well.

Karyn Haley [00:28:13]:

So, following a low FODMAP diet, it’s just the first step in healing. Remember, it’s not a cure diet. It’s about giving your body the time and the space that it needs so you can probe deeper to get to the root of your digestive challenges. And once you’ve done that, it’s time to begin reintroducing some of the higher fodmap foods. Slowly, slowly. And this is called the reintroduction phase, and it’s just as important as the diet itself. So during reintroduction, hopefully, hopefully, you’ll be able to then find foods that you can now eat, foods that were problematic for you in the past, but you’ll likely also find foods that are just never going to work for you. No matter what.

Karyn Haley [00:29:01]:

IBD is still a factor in your life, a cautiously optimistic, albeit sensitive, belly. It’s still something you’re going to want to be careful with. I have got those foods myself. I’ve got those foods myself in my life that are just never going to work for me, no matter how healed I am. We all have them. And reintroducing foods slowly back into your diet, that is the key. That’s the key to knowing which foods work for you and which ones don’t have. It’s all good, it’s all insight, and it’s all information to help you know your body as well as you possibly can.

Karyn Haley [00:29:39]:

One last thing that I want to mention with this particular myth is that with types of conditions that with the kind of types of conditions that we’re talking about that are at the root of you needing to follow a low FODMAP diet, those conditions I’ve mentioned earlier, things like SIBO, things like candida root cause treatment, during this time where you’re on the diet, it might need to be repeated a couple times or even a few times. Those gut bug critters, the ones that have set up that constant party in your gut, they are skilled. They are absolutely skilled. They are skilled at evading the anti party police. They have this cozy, warm place to proliferate in your belly, and they will fight tooth and nail to survive. It’s like that annoying houseguest that won’t take the hint when the party’s over. And they linger longer than every guest in your house. We’ve all had experiences with that friend or that family member before.

Karyn Haley [00:30:51]:

It takes a delicate dance to finally eradicate bacterial imbalance. And sometimes we need more time than we thought to truly get to the heart of the issue. So if you are currently in the trenches with this, healing your gut from these root cause IBD triggers, and maybe you’re on your second or your third round of antimicrobial herbals while you’re also on a low FODMAP diet, I just want to say, take heart and know that you can beat this. Healing sometimes just takes a little bit longer than we want it to. Okay, so that’s the big seven. That’s the big seven. The seven biggest myths about the low FODMAP diet. All of them busted.

Karyn Haley [00:31:41]:

So now how are you feeling? How are you feeling about this diet? Are you feeling maybe a little less confused, a little more clear on if it’s worth your time? These myths, they can create unnecessary barriers for you. They really can, making what actually can be a potentially helpful tool seem daunting or just not worth the effort. So that’s why understanding what the diet really entails as well as what it can do and what it cannot do is so crucial, so crucial to help you decide if this is the right path for you. So as we wrap up today, we wrap this all up in a nice, neat little bow. Everything we talked about today with your head maybe just still swimming with FODMAPS information, now is the best time for me to share my favorite FODMAP resources with you. If this information has intrigued you, if you are just wondering if a low FODMAP diet might be just what you’re looking for, I’ve got a great resource to share with you. It goes further in depth about what fodmaps are who should avoid them, and it also gives you a trusted list of known high FODMAP foods that you might want to look out for. It also has a section for further trusted resources.

Karyn Haley [00:33:04]:

If you really want to dive into this if you want to dive into the deep end on what’s high, what’s moderate, what’s low in fodmaps to help give you the best chance of success on this diet. Like I mentioned previously, there’s a lot of FODMAP disinformation out there, and I want you to have access to the most reliable sources available. You can get your hands on my brand new low FODMAPs resource guide by going to karenhavey.com fodmap. That’s karynhaley.com fodmap. And remember, my mom had to be a little bit different and spell my name with a y, so it’s karynhaley.com/fodmap. I’m here for you, my friend. If you have any fodmap related cues, message me on Instagram. I’m happy to guide you through this confusing and often misunderstood diet.

Karyn Haley [00:34:10]:

Oh boy, it can be a doozy. Let’s just get that clarity. Let’s get you set up for success together. No more fodmap myths, my friend. No more fodmap disinformation. You’ve got this. You’ve got this. And I am here to help if you need me.

Karyn Haley [00:34:29]:

Until we meet again, I’m wishing you a cheeky and healthy gut healing journey. Chat soon.

Karyn Haley [00:34:44]:

If this podcast is meaningful for you, if it’s been helpful in your IBD mom life, I’d love it if you.

Karyn Haley [00:34:51]:

Would do a couple things. First, follow the pod.

Karyn Haley [00:34:54]:

You’ll never miss an episode.

Karyn Haley [00:34:55]:

And those moms who are searching for.

Karyn Haley [00:34:58]:

Podcasts about Crohn’s and colitis, they’ll find us easier. There’s probably a plus sign or a.

Karyn Haley [00:35:04]:

Follow sign where you’re listening in right now.

Karyn Haley [00:35:06]:

It’s at the top of your screen. Go ahead and give that a tap.

Karyn Haley [00:35:10]:

And then also give the cheeky podcast.

Karyn Haley [00:35:12]:

A five star rating and review and share it with your friends who are also struggling with IBD. The more we are open about talking about our illness and bringing awareness around it, the more we’re able to connect.

Karyn Haley [00:35:26]:

And build a safe community around each other.

Karyn Haley [00:35:29]:

I love being in community with you.

Karyn Haley [00:35:32]:

And I appreciate you, my friend.

Karyn Haley [00:35:35]:

One last thing before we wrap up today.

Karyn Haley [00:35:37]:

You know, I think you’re a rock.

Karyn Haley [00:35:39]:

Star for taking time out of your busy life to listen in and invest in your healing. It is capital h huge. And the reason I know how huge this is for you is because I am right there with you in all of this, working my wheel of wellness, keeping my crohn’s at bay. It’s something that I invest in every day and I’d love it if we could continue our gut healing journey together. If you’re like me and you’re ready to soak up even more amazing gut healing information, it’s time to join the gut level community@karenheathy.com. community the GLC is my free and fabulous space, dedicated to dishing out even more IBD resources, recipes, healing hacks, lots of bts, secrets on how I manage my life with IBD, all wrapped up in a weekly newsletter to help you keep your momentum going strong. This IBD dish is gut healing insights that I only share within our tight knit community. Basically, it’s your one stop shop for a more diversified approach to true and lasting gut healing.

Karyn Haley [00:36:45]:

Amen to that, my friend. Let’s walk this gut healing journey together. Join me in the GLC at karynhaley.com. community. That’s karynhaley.com community. I can’t wait to meet you.

Chronic Illness: Overcoming Loneliness & Isolation

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In this week’s episode of The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD, we’re diving deep into chronic illness management, the isolation that often comes with these conditions, and exciting new treatment options on the horizon. I’m thrilled to be sharing this conversation, which originally aired on The Loneliness Project, where my friend Pam and I explore topics that are relevant to all women, especially as we age.

Pam, a dear friend of mine for over 20 years, brings her unique insight to the table. We discuss groundbreaking treatments like precision medicine, regenerative therapy, and digital health solutions that are shaping the future of care for chronic illness. We also explore the personal impact of these conditions on our mental health, as well as prevention strategies and the importance of maintaining balance in our daily lives.

Pam and I share our own experiences managing osteopenia, cardiovascular issues, and arthritis, and how we each take steps to prevent these conditions from worsening.

Tune in As We Talk About:

✅ [00:08:33] The top 5 chronic illnesses that impact women over 50.

✅ [00:16:12] Why we often wait for a health crisis to take action.

✅ [00:25:06] The baby-step approach to sustainable lifestyle changes.

✅ [00:36:22] What is precision medicine, and how can it change the way we get treated for the better in the chronic illness space.

✅ [00:40:43] Regenerative medicine and its potential for healing damaged organs and tissues.

✅ [00:50:17] Herbal supplements to support health at any age, but especially after 50.

✅ [00:57:08] The connection between chronic illness and loneliness—and how to combat isolation.

Rate, Review and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Mentioned in the Episode:

>> The Ultimate IBD Diet Decoder Quiz

>> Join The Gut Love Community for Moms with IBD

>> Book Your FREE IBD Consultation with Karyn Today

Connect With Karyn:

Karyn on YouTube

Karyn on Instagram

Karyn on Facebook

Check Out The Loneliness Project Podcast:

On Apple

On YouTube

Episode Transcript:

Karyn [00:00:23]:

Hey there, mama.

Karyn [00:00:24]:

Welcome to season two of the Cheeky Modcast for moms with IBD. I’m Karyn Haley, functional IBD nutrition and wellness coach and Crohn’s warrior. This podcast is all about us moms because our IBD plays by different rules. Season two is juicy, full of unconventional wisdom, real talk, new ways to tackle.

Karyn [00:00:45]:

Our illness, and a whole lot of.

Karyn [00:00:47]:

Community empowerment, and all of us advocating.

Karyn [00:00:50]:

The hell out of our illness.

Karyn [00:00:52]:

We’re in this together, and I’m here to help you find healing on your terms.

Karyn [00:00:57]:

Let’s do this. Well, hey there, dear one. Today’s episode is a little different, but I know you’re gonna love it. I am sharing a conversation that originally aired on my other podcast, the Loneliness Project, where my friend Pam and I, we dive deep into a topic that’s powerful and incredibly relevant to all of us, especially those navigating life with IBD and other chronic illnesses. Now, let me tell you a little bit about Pam since you’re going to.

Karyn [00:01:35]:

Hear from her in this episode.

Karyn [00:01:36]:

Pam and I go way back, over 20 years, when our husbands were stationed in England together. We bonded immediately. It was like two kindred spirits who were just destined to meet. Have you ever had a friendship like that? That was like us. It was just like, immediate connection. And we were part of this really close-knit group of ladies when we lived overseas. We were basically each other’s family when we lived over there. And then that friend group has continued to flourish in times of celebration, girls only trips, times of immense sadness, of course.

Karyn [00:02:13]:

Kids moving out and then kids moving back in. Marriages and now grandchildren, for some in our clan. And Pam, she’s such a marvel. She always brings her a game of knowledge to the loneliness project. The sum total of her experiences, from getting her master’s in counseling to teaching elementary school to growing the next generation as a stay-at-home mom, and then finally managing a medical practice. It’s all given her this, dare I say, worldly insight that just never disappoints. When Pam asked if I would join her as a partner in crime on the Loneliness project, I leapt in. I just leapt with both feet because I love her.

Karyn [00:03:01]:

I love podcasting. What’s not to love? And now, now our little engine that could, as I like to call it, it’s rapidly growing with over 25 episodes in the can. And we continue to put out new episodes regularly. So in this episode, the reason why I thought it was so perfect for the Cheeky podcast is because we’re talking about some groundbreaking treatments for chronic illnesses that are all too common as we age. And we dive deep into little talked about treatments for chronic illnesses in general. We discussed the emotional challenges these conditions can bring, how they can make us feel alone, and then we round out the conversation, talking about ways that we can work to prevent that isolation that so often accompanies these kinds of health challenges. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this conversation, it’s going to resonate with you whether you are managing IBD or IBD on top of other health conditions. Like so many of us in the world, we explore strategies for self care prevention and then, of course, staying connected through it all.

Karyn [00:04:20]:

Plus, we talk about some really interesting new approaches to chronic illness treatment that are shaping the future of medicine. I love talking about that. So go ahead, just grab your earbuds, grab your cup of tea, and tune in to hear Pam and I discuss chronic illness, especially how it impacts you as you age. Hear us talk about the loneliness and isolation at the center of it all, and then, of course, everything, everything in between. I know you’re going to love getting to know my bubbly, genuine, down to earth sweetheart of a friend, Pam. And if you end up curious to hear more of what we cover in the Loneliness project podcast, you can find us anywhere. You get your podcasts as well as on YouTube. I will put links to all of that in the show notes.

Karyn [00:05:11]:

Okay, let’s dive in. Well, I think we have a topic today that’s pretty universal, and it is going to probably apply to everybody who listens, and they’re going to find their own way to help it in their own life because it’s kind of a broad topic. But I feel like everybody comes into this with their own environmental history and their own genetic makeup, and so it will hit everybody differently. So that’s going to be interesting. But we’re going to talk about the biggest chronic illnesses, the biggest health challenges that impact women over 50. And of course, we’re going to relate that back to how that can then serve as an isolator and a thing that makes you feel a little bit lonely in the process, because that’s what our show is all about and about how when you feel that way, you can come back to connection. And so what I did was thinking about this episode, and I wanted it to be helpful for everybody listening. I just did a quick little research on what are the top five chronic illnesses that impact women over 50 the most.

Karyn [00:06:31]:

So I thought we would start there and then because I like to just go to the different and unusual, we can talk really briefly about the more traditional ways that you can combat things like that or even prevent them. But then I like to go off the beaten path, because we all know about those things. So I did some more digging, which I always find fascinating, into, like, novel and innovative research and treatments for these particular illnesses and health challenges, and then looked at a more holistic way of managing them. Cause these are the things that we’re not all thinking about. These are the things that go beyond diet and lifestyle, you know? So I thought we would have this conversation. Those are my thoughts on where we’ll go today. But as always, in a conversation with you, Pam, I like to just go where the conversation takes us. So that’s kind of the headline version, but we’ll just see where we go to.

Karyn [00:07:33]:

How does that sound for you?

Pam [00:07:34]:

Yeah, I like that. I like how that sounds.

Karyn [00:07:37]:

Okay, so let’s start by me just telling you and our audience, what are those top five, five chronic illnesses, those health issues that plague women over 50? And these, to me, were not a surprise at all. So number one is cardiovascular disease, and that’s something that most people do not really think about at all unless you have a congenital heart defect or a family history, where it’s something you have to think about earlier in your life. Most people are not thinking about it, but it’s actually the leading cause of death for women that are 65 and older. And it’s something that I have no doubt will impact somebody in our friend group. It will impact somebody in our family. It’ll either be us or it’ll be somebody that we know, because that’s something that is. That is the number one. That’s the number one cause of death for women over 65.

Karyn [00:08:33]:

So it’s something that, being younger than 65, being 50 now, it’s something that, even though I eat healthy, I don’t take for granted. I don’t take heart health for granted, and I want to just keep my heart healthy. So I’m sure that’s not a surprise to you at all. That one.

Pam [00:08:49]:

Yeah. It’s not.

Karyn [00:08:51]:

Yeah. And then another one is osteoporosis, which, again, a big one for us, and that’s a lot because of menopause. And so as we get older and we go through menopause, we have hormone fluctuations, and then our bone density accelerates. And so all of these things put us at risk for osteopenia, osteoporosis. So that’s a big one that we should be thinking about as we get a little bit older. Type two diabetes again, no surprise. As we get older and then all of these things are happening, like with the hormone fluctuations, we become less active. We maybe put on weight.

Karyn [00:09:33]:

You know, that’s really common for people of all ages. But as you get older, it seems to be harder because the body is distributing fat. It’s shifting it more to the abdomen, and that’s the critical zone for that type two diabetes. So we’re at more risk for that. Breast cancer is another one. And again, hormones seems to always go back to hormones. That’s a big hormone factor in your estrogen, not having that estrogen in your later life. And then the last one that I found, the last, the fifth biggest factor impacting women’s health when you’re over 50 was arthritis, which is, you know, your joints get stiff, pain, decreased mobility, and a lot of that can have to do with your diet, because arthritis is a disease of inflammation.

Karyn [00:10:28]:

And so if you’re eating a diet that isn’t anti-inflammatory, that can be really challenging. And I know a lot of people when they get older, I remember my mother used to have really sore fingers, joints, toes. My dad has bursitis or something like that in his shoulder. As well as arthritis, it’s common in men and women. Those are the five that I found in my research to be the most common ones. Have you dealt with any of these yet?

Pam [00:11:00]:

Yes, I dealt with the cardiovascular one when I landed in the ER thinking I had a stroke, but it was actually high troponin levels. And they admitted me because they say that women, when they’re having heart problems, don’t have the same type of symptoms as men. Like, you know, how they talk about men could have, like, chest pain and things like that. So it manifests itself differently in me. And in me, it manifested as a, like, I couldn’t move for more than, like 5 seconds without having to take a rest or whatever. So that one. And then I dealt with a lot of the wondering if I had arthritis because I felt like my joints and my muscles were always sore. But that was, looking back on it, that was a really, really, really horrible diet I had.

Pam [00:11:54]:

And I.

Karyn [00:11:54]:

There you go. There’s that inflammation.

Pam [00:11:56]:

Yeah, yeah, the inflammation. Anti-inflammatory diet. I tried all kinds of the fodmap, the low fodmap, and I know you gave me a lot of advice back then, too. Ultimately, it came out to be my cervical spine, my myelopathy, but those were the things that we explored, so they could have been part of it as well. What about you?

Karyn [00:12:16]:

Yeah, a couple of them so I don’t have osteoporosis yet, but I do have osteopenia. So that’s the start of it. And so I really am very in tune with it. I am very careful about my calcium and vitamin D intake. And I, yeah, so I supplement to help with that and I exercise to help with that. And so, yeah, that’s something that’s genetic. It runs in families. And the other problem that I have is that earlier in my life, I took a lot of steroids having Crohn’s disease.

Karyn [00:12:51]:

That was the standard of care back then. And they don’t give them long term now, but back then they did give them long term. And so there are bone density issues. So I always have to get my bone density taken every couple years. So, yeah, that one I’ve dealt with. And then I have had arthritis in the past and I don’t right now because I do try to keep my inflammation down and I do follow a diet that’s pretty anti-inflammatory. So I’m not dealing with that right now. But I have had arthritis before in various places.

Karyn [00:13:21]:

And I would say actually it does come up every once in a while. You know, sometimes when I vigorously exercise, I’ll get a little sore in my shoulder or something like that. But I try to. Yeah, I try to keep it down as much as possible. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah. So I have no doubt that our listeners are saying, yes, me, I’m dealing with at least one of these because they’re the most common ones that happen after you’re 50. And if you do a little bit, if you delve a little bit deeper and you do some research into, well, what should we actually do about this? Then it gets into the, what I call the more traditional things.

Karyn [00:14:01]:

But, and I’m going to mention them. And the reason I want to mention them, even though I think everybody knows about them, is because I think the problem is we don’t do them. So I do think it’s valuable to mention it because it might just be the trigger that says, oh, yes, I’m not doing that and I should be doing that. So I do want to just briefly just say what those more traditional things are because I think that it still is helpful to mention it. And so those are your things, like lifestyle modification. So if weight is an issue for you in terms of being overweight, that’s going to be a critical factor for all five of these. And really any health issue you could have as you are older. So keeping your weight in mind, having physical activity for the health of it, not even for the weight, but for the health, you know, just to have, just to feel good.

Karyn [00:14:53]:

People who are physically active feel good. Making sure as you get older, you know, when you’re younger, you can skip the screenings here and there, but as you get older, making sure that you go to your mammogram. And I like to rotate, actually, mammogram and thermography, but everybody has whatever works for you. So mammograms, getting your blood sugar levels checked, getting your cholesterol checked, and then like I have to do every couple of years, getting those bone density scans, have you had any, I mean, I’m sure you’ve had mammograms. Have you had bone density, cholesterol? Do you do any of that?

Pam [00:15:25]:

Yeah, I just had my annual appointment. Actually, it was two years late, but I had my annual.

Karyn [00:15:31]:

I can hear the. See? Oh, Pam, you just proved my point because. Yes, I was too. I just had my annual exam and I was at least two years late. I think it was pre Covid. So that’s got to be more than two years because we know we’re supposed to do these things, but we don’t make time for them. I don’t know why that is.

Pam [00:15:50]:

I don’t know. I think it’s because unless we’re like feeling like crud, maybe we think we’re fine. I don’t know.

Karyn [00:15:59]:

Yes, that is what, that’s exactly what it is. We don’t pay attention unless we’re feeling like crud. And as women, we better feel really bad before we’re going to do something about it because everything else is more important than taking care of ourselves.

Pam [00:16:12]:

Well, I hate to mention it, but this is something that’s come up in the past couple of years with the way insurance has changed, is the high deductible insurance plan. You kind of organize your health visits around your deductibles. I think, like, it’s like the year before when I was going through the myelopathy and my surgeries for my ACDF, I just, it was so incredibly expensive. I felt so guilty about the amount of money that was spent on my health that the next year I was like, I’m not going to the doctor unless I’m like really sick. I’m not going to do anything about it. I’m fine now, you know? And then this year it was January and we were talking about the deductible again. So it’s terrible. But a lot of people now are scheduling their health based off of their deductible they’re like, go in January, get everything taken care of.

Pam [00:17:05]:

And then that way, you know, you meet your deductible and then if you have anything serious. It’s really kind of sad that we do that. And I’m thinking to myself, okay, if I spend a lot of money this year, then next year I won’t have to. It’s terrible. It’s a terrible. It is.

Karyn [00:17:17]:

But that’s so true the way insurance is. And I was, I was actually just talking to our friend Sheridan and she was talking, I was saying, well, we were having a whole separate conversation about Canada. And I was saying, well, you know, in a different life, maybe I would have moved to Canada and I think I would have liked it for the healthcare. And as you know, she’s married to a Canadian and she said, I’m not sure. I don’t know, it’s bad everywhere. And of course, just in case you’re listening, Sheridan, to be really fair to what you did say, you said it’s probably different for everybody. But she did say that, you know, it isn’t perfect like people think in Canada as well as around the whole country. I do think that we’re in a health care crisis in the whole world.

Karyn [00:18:05]:

It’s not just America that’s in a crisis. So. Yeah, for sure.

Pam [00:18:10]:

Yeah. I like to think of being in the healthcare field myself and working a lot with insurances. I like to think of maybe Medicare, for example, or maybe socialized medicine as the public education of healthcare. It’s a right that everybody has, everybody gets it, but it’s very bare bones basic and you might feel like you want to spend a lot more money for something higher quality. And I think that’s what’s happened with these high deductible plans is people feel like we’re spending all this money on our insurance. Now, it’s not the public education of health because you really, it’s more like the private, very expensive private health insurance of a private school of health insurance. You understand what I mean by that analogy? So, yeah, it just definitely has become something that I am so aware of now with regard to health insurance. And I think Medicare is definitely going to be even more scary.

Pam [00:19:10]:

I just see so many options with it. So.

Karyn [00:19:14]:

Yeah, and I don’t think these days you can just have Medicare. I know a lot of people will have private insurance. I know my parents did do. Yeah, because you. It’s really ridiculous. It’s, it is. It’s crazy. I don’t know what a better system is because we like to think that the grass is greener on the other side.

Karyn [00:19:35]:

But I. It’s just. Yeah, well, preventative.

Pam [00:19:38]:

Is it?

Karyn [00:19:39]:

Oh, my goodness. Thank you, Pam. That’s what I was just gonna say. That is the problem.

Pam [00:19:43]:

That’s where you were going anyway, I think.

Karyn [00:19:44]:

Yeah, that is the problem, is that we don’t live in a world of prevention. Now. I think America is one of the worst countries in the world on this. We don’t do anything until it’s you’re at death’s door. Nobody’s going to do anything. No. Your insurance is certainly not going to pay for it. When actually, if we reversed the way our healthcare system was set up, it would actually cost them less money if we focused on prevention instead of on finding a cure when we’re at death’s door.

Karyn [00:20:16]:

It’s so ridiculous.

Pam [00:20:17]:

But then you have to get into personal responsibility, and there’s always going to be that percentage of people who just, no matter what, they’re going to spend their money eating potato chips and soda pop and alcohol. And then there’s going to be the other part, you know, the normal curve in a way.

Karyn [00:20:33]:

Yeah.

Pam [00:20:34]:

Where the 1%, 1% of the population percentage is probably like you with your diet just so clean and amazing spending. You have to spend a lot of money on your good diet, too.

Karyn [00:20:45]:

Oh, my gosh.

Karyn [00:20:46]:

It costs a fortune.

Karyn [00:20:47]:

That’s what I spend the most on, is staying healthy. I spend my money on preventive medicine. But I think that. I’m not sure that you’re right. I think that there’s actually more people. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re saying there’s that small amount of people that eat the potato chips and the soda and then want the pill. Like, I think actually that’s more people.

Pam [00:21:10]:

No, I think it’s. I think. I’m thinking it’s like 20% to 30%. Maybe it’s not the bell curve, but I think it’s probably maybe up to even 40%. And then on your end, to people like you, maybe a smaller percentage of, like, maybe 10%. So, yeah, it’s not a bell curve at all. Yeah, I got what you way more leaning towards that way.

Karyn [00:21:30]:

Everybody wants a pill. Well, there’s something wrong with me. Okay, let me just cover it up with a pill. What can I take? But I think that’s because they are brainwashed into that system because they didn’t grow up in a system of prevention. It just takes. Well, for me, I don’t really know if I would live in a preventive world, if I didn’t have a health issue, would I be that forward thinking? Would I be so health aligned? I don’t. I really don’t know. Probably nothing, because I wasn’t before I got sick, so probably not.

Pam [00:22:04]:

I go round and round with my husband about this. I’ve had a couple close friends who were, like, incredibly good with their diet, and they passed away early as something completely different.

Karyn [00:22:15]:

So, you know, it’s not a guarantee.

Pam [00:22:17]:

For sure, but it sure is worth trying. I mean, I personally felt so much better once I started cleaning up my diet. I read labels. I cook everything myself at home. I took that page from your book on that one. I know when I eat crappie. I do wonder when I eat crappy, though, sometimes. Today, my boss brought in Dunkin donuts, and I was going to fast until 02:00 like I usually do.

Pam [00:22:43]:

But those donuts, I was stressed out. I wasn’t feeling well. Those donuts were sitting on that table, and I was just. I got weak and I ate one. And not only did I feel put something bad into my body, but then I, like, beat myself up about it, you know? So then there’s that, like, psychological component to. Sure, it’s probably okay that I ate a donut today, Karyn.

Karyn [00:23:06]:

Yes, I agree.

Pam [00:23:08]:

But we sometimes we beat ourselves up so much that we, like, not only add on, like, okay, we’re putting trans fats and too much sugar in our body, but we’re also putting our psychological, you know, beating up on ourselves, too.

Karyn [00:23:22]:

Which we cannot discount. It’s so important, maybe even more important, because when you do that to yourself and you beat yourself up about that little donut, now you’re adding stress and guilt and shame, which is terrible, because that just sticks in your organs, too, unless you find a way to release it. So it’s just as bad for you. So I think you have to have balance. There has to be balance. Like, I’m going to have that doughnut, and I’m going to feel okay with it.

Pam [00:23:49]:

What I did was I ate a donut and I said to myself, okay, it’s probably about 300 calories. I think I’ll just wait about four more hours to eat again, just to let that, like, all that sugar, you know? Ideally, I would have waited five to 6 hours, but I don’t know, you know, sometimes I think I got to get some protein and fruits in me, you know?

Karyn [00:24:09]:

Of course.

Pam [00:24:10]:

But I did try to wait, and I felt less guilty about it. But anyway, how did we go off on this? Tangent?

Karyn [00:24:17]:

Oh, I don’t know. But it’s because it’s you and I. But this is a perfect segue back actually, because that’s one of those lifestyle modifications that we’re talking about when we’re talking about prevention. One of those lifestyle modifications should be to not feel guilty, to find a balance. You don’t want to be eating roots and berries all day long and kale chips and eat nothing. That just sounds awful. I don’t even like kale chips. So you don’t want to go that far.

Karyn [00:24:48]:

And then you don’t want to go to the I eat McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So you have to find the balance somewhere in between so that you don’t let the stress and the negativity impact you. So I think that’s a good area of prevention that everybody knows but they maybe don’t do.

Karyn [00:25:06]:

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Karyn [00:25:54]:

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Karyn [00:26:46]:

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Karyn [00:27:03]:

And so a couple other ideas along those same more traditional lines of preventing chronic illness as we get older is the stress that we just talked about and then nutrition, which we already talked about. So I’m just reiterating those few things. So it’s lifestyle modification, making sure you’re going to the doctor for your regular checkups, looking into stress and how that’s impacting you and guilt and shame and balance all goes along with that. And then your nutrition as well. And for me, I always like to point out that the nutrition plan that works for me is not the nutrition plan that works for you. Pam, I talk about this all the time. Nutrition doesn’t mean that all we eat is salads all day long. It, some people should never eat a salad and it just doesn’t work for their body.

Karyn [00:27:51]:

It’s about finding the right eating plan. I don’t even like to call it a diet because that kind of means you’re depriving yourself. But finding the right eating plan that works for your body and that will change, overdose over time, and you have to kind of ride the wave and change with it. But as long as it’s anti inflammatory, that’s like at the heart of, I think every good eating plan is that it’s anti inflammatory.

Pam [00:28:16]:

Yeah. And it does take time to, to learn what’s anti-inflammatory, you know? Yeah. Nowadays you can google anything. And so a quick way to figure it out is to look it up. I don’t know about you, but, and my kids are, they’re like, what do you call the seed oil Nazis?

Karyn [00:28:41]:

Are they?

Pam [00:28:41]:

Yeah. Oh, they are. You know, to the point where one time we were making belgian frites with peanut oil and Samuel literally took the jugs of peanut oil and we had to chase him around the house for it. He was so on top of us about that. But I like, my point being is that I started, that was the first thing I started cutting out Washington, reading labels to make sure I wasn’t eating any seed oils. I was just trying to either make my own thing in my house with you one time advised me, you said, was it walnut oil? I think you told me about.

Karyn [00:29:16]:

Oh, I do love, I like baking with walnut oil. Yeah.

Pam [00:29:19]:

And then, you know, there’s the coconut oil. But anyway, I advise our listeners to start like something small like that, for example. And because you could kill yourself with distress if you just give up everything at once. But I started with giving up seed oils, thanks to my kids. They were actually pretty good about that for me. Actually. No, I started before that. I stopped all sugars except for maple syrup and sugar in the raw.

Pam [00:29:45]:

Those are the only sugars I allow myself. And then I started giving up trans, or, sorry, seed, fat, fat seed. But that’s what worked for me. Right. That’s what makes me feel better. But back to your point, maybe other people don’t have issues with those things. Although I think they’re both inflammatory, though, right?

Karyn [00:30:02]:

Right. Yeah, but still, I mean, yeah, I think there’s those general anti-inflammatory foods or inflammatory foods you want to stay away from. But then you kind of get into the weeds, like, should I eat grains? Should I do low carb, should I do high carb? Should I eat a lot of meat? Should I eat a lot of vegetables? You get into, like, the nuances of it. Should I eat dairy? Should gluten be a part of my diet? It all gets so nuanced that it really depends on the body. And I know you and I digestively are so different that what works for me is not going to be what works for you. So it’s about figuring out what that diet is for you. But yeah, I do think that there are a few rules, like the things you already mentioned. You mentioned getting rid of sugars, most like refined sugar, things like that.

Karyn [00:30:47]:

I think that those are just really global things that anybody can do. But I love what you’re saying about starting small, because if there’s somebody listening to this right now who feels like, you know, I’m on the standard American diet and I’m living a highly stressful life and I’m not going for my checkups regularly, and I love what they’re saying, but it’s all just too overwhelming. Your path that you took that just baby step is the right way to go. You don’t need to make all of these changes all at once. There’s absolutely no reason why you have to just flip a switch, snap your fingers, flip a coin and change everything right away. It’s just, it’s way too hard and it will never last. It’s about making small, impactful baby step changes that over time turn into big leaps.

Pam [00:31:43]:

Very true. Very true.

Karyn [00:31:46]:

So I love that. And I think that’s why you’ve been able to sustain it because you started small and then you just, it kind of, it kind of grows. It’s like when I got into all of this, like, healthy eating for my illness and trying to have the best digestive system I could. I learned about it slowly. It’s like, you know, I learned about one thing and then something else would pop up. Oh, well, now I learned about that, and now I learned about this. Just, you know, kind of did it a little bit at a time. And eventually I had all of this knowledge.

Karyn [00:32:20]:

And the interesting thing about this, about health is that it’ll change all the time. Like, right now, everybody’s saying coconut oil is healthy, but, you know, ten years from now, they might say it’s not healthy. So you have to kind of keep up with the changes and what they’re saying. You know, what scientists are saying right now in this given moment?

Pam [00:32:39]:

Well, yeah. And even, like, it’s. It’s very complicated because even olive oil, which no one can ever deny, is bad for you, number one, is super expensive to cook with that. Trust me. I watch my kids, you know, use it when they’re cooking a lot. But my point is that even olive oil has not true. Like, you have to be real careful about that. Even you have to research.

Pam [00:33:05]:

This is something my husband is very good at. He researches authentic olive oils. Like, is it truly olive oil or is it a mixture? What percentage? Sometimes olive oil could be a percentage of olive oil and a percentage of canola.

Karyn [00:33:18]:

Canola oil, yes, exactly.

Pam [00:33:20]:

But then you got, you know, then it’s super expensive and it will say.

Karyn [00:33:22]:

Olive oil on the bottle. It does not say canola oil anywhere. So you have to really know your source.

Pam [00:33:27]:

Right.

Karyn [00:33:28]:

The, the advertising is very sketchy, and even with olive oil, you don’t want to heat olive oil. So up to maybe medium, but above that, it’s going to turn rancid. You don’t want to do that with olive oil either. So it’s a, it’s not just about knowing the oil. You have to know how it’s sourced. You have to know how you should prepare it. It’s a lot. So giving yourself grace to go slow.

Pam [00:33:52]:

Yeah.

Karyn [00:33:53]:

And here’s one more way to go.

Pam [00:33:55]:

Here’s one more quick, really simple trick to your point about olive oil and the heating point on it. One of the things we started doing, and, Karyn, this is not a new idea. This is a very old idea. I remember it happening years and years ago, is the jar by the, your stove that you pour off your fat into, you know, from either your bacon or your ground beef or whatever. And you use that when you’re cooking. Right. Because how can you get any more natural than the fat that’s coming right off of your meat?

Karyn [00:34:28]:

Yes.

Pam [00:34:28]:

So that actually is something that I think is going to make a comeback. I don’t know. What do you think?

Karyn [00:34:34]:

I think so, too. I know my husband talks about it all the time. Growing up in the south. They had the. I don’t know what he calls it. The lard container or the fat, the pork fat. I don’t know what it was, but they used to keep it just. I don’t know where they kept it.

Karyn [00:34:49]:

Maybe under the sink or on the side, or maybe they kept it in the refrigerator. I’m not sure, but that’s what they would use for everything. And, you know, he’s well into his fifties, so that was a long time ago. But I think that there are people going back to those kinds of animal fats to cook with because it’s healthier.

Pam [00:35:08]:

Mm hmm. It is. It really is. And that. That’s a very simple little thing to do, too. I like little, simple things that I can set up for myself and work towards, you know.

Karyn [00:35:19]:

Yes.

Pam [00:35:20]:

So is it perfect? No, but it’s. There’s always a start.

Karyn [00:35:24]:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you just have to start. Those things are nothing that is gonna be earth shattering to anybody. But I. It’s really, again, just to reiterate, it’s about making it a habit in your daily life. And I love that we’re just emphasizing taking baby steps. It’s just about taking one step. Now, I was doing some research because I’m me, I don’t like the normal.

Karyn [00:35:51]:

I don’t like anybody telling me this is the standard, and I’m using that in quotes. I have to be different. So I did some more research on, like, what are the cutting edge things happening right now when it comes to the elderly population or the middle aged population and health challenges, what is being used? And I found some really cool new innovations. Innovations and novel ideas. Like, this one is precision medicine. Have you heard about this?

Pam [00:36:20]:

I have not. Tell me about it.

Karyn [00:36:22]:

Yeah. So I practiced this in my practice, and I didn’t really put together that I was doing this. I call it person centered or, like, tailored to the individual, but I didn’t realize that it is an actual. There is an actual name for it. It’s called precision medicine. So it’s where we now are tailoring. Doctors are tailoring their care to the individual person’s needs. So taking into account their genetic makeup, taking into account their environment and their lifestyle, they take this into account for each person when they’re deciding on what the treatment is.

Karyn [00:36:59]:

So instead of saying, this is our standard of care. And this is what we do for everybody, and we treat everybody the same. Doctors are taking into account the person’s lifestyle, their personal variables when they decide on what’s best to, how it’s best to treat them. And so some of the areas they’re using this in, one of them is cancer. And so they’re starting to use, they’re getting away from this one size fits all treatment for cancer. And they’re actually looking into the cancer tumor, looking at the genetic makeup of it, looking at the person’s genetic makeup, and then deciding on the treatment plan that’s best for them based on their genetics, the tumor, like, putting all of that together, and they’re not just doing it for cancer, they’re doing it for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and macular degeneration and chronic heart failure and osteoarthritis. I mean, so it’s a really big up and coming way that illnesses are going to be treated. And I think it really is beneficial.

Karyn [00:38:03]:

It goes right along with the preventive medicine because it’s tailored to the person. It’s not the one size fits all approach, which I’m duh. I mean, you could get me on my soapbox and we could talk for 5 hours about how against that kind of medicine I am because everybody is different. So I love this idea of precision medicine.

Pam [00:38:23]:

So are those, does that fall under the functional doctor umbrella or is that completely different?

Karyn [00:38:30]:

You know, it’s actually the western side of medicine that’s moving into this area. So it isn’t even functional doctors. Now, functional doctors have been taking that approach for a long time, but this is more of a scientifically based approach where they’re really looking at your genes, your makeup, your heredity, things like that, what the tumor is actually made up of. So it’s more of a science based, research based practice, not so much holistic or eastern based, but it’s scientific and it’s pretty much the wave of the future for western medicine.

Pam [00:39:09]:

So will these fall under the medical doctor? Like, would my son Samuel when he’s in medical school, is he going to be able to like, fall in love with that type of study? I mean, is because.

Karyn [00:39:20]:

I hope so. I really, I don’t have to ask. Is it like, is it on the horizon that he’s learning about it in medical school right now? I don’t know. But I do know that I’m hearing about it. It’s cropping up. I don’t know when you are on YouTube or you’re watching a tv commercial like, if you’re, I’m hearing about practices where they’ll say, we practice precision medicine. So I’m hearing about it here and there. So it would be interesting to ask Samuel, are they talking about it in medical school yet? Has it made its way to those places? But, yeah, this is the future of medicine, or so they say.

Karyn [00:39:56]:

This is new on the horizon.

Pam [00:39:58]:

And will it be covered by Medicare?

Karyn [00:40:00]:

Yeah. Now that’s an interesting question. I don’t think we know yet, but, yeah, but I find that fascinating. Another area that what medicine is going into is this whole idea of regenerative medicine. And so we’re talking about stem cell therapy. This is new emerging, and they’re using it for all of these same type of illnesses. And so this is where they’re able to use stem cells to repair damaged tissue or organs. And so it’s helping all kinds of neurological, gastrointestinal, any kind of organ you could possibly imagine.

Karyn [00:40:43]:

The stem cell therapy. And this is the kind of medicine I’m sure that Samuel and Pierre have heard of already because they are doing it at the big clinics. Like the Cleveland clinic has a stem cell program. Johns Hopkins has a stem cell program. The Mayo clinic has one. These are things that are actually being used. They’re just not being used for everybody just yet because I think they’re still in research trials and testing and things like that.

Pam [00:41:10]:

It seems like, given the way medicine is set up, where you doctors are being told that they have to see four patients in 1 hour in order for, you know, the business to make its money that it needs to make. It almost seems like what you’re describing is so amazing. But how realistic would it be?

Karyn [00:41:33]:

You know what I mean? Yes, I totally.

Pam [00:41:35]:

That’s such a curious to hear about that.

Karyn [00:41:37]:

It’s really insightful, because that is the question. Is this the kind of medicine that you can practice in the 15 minutes per patient timeframe that’s allowed? I don’t know, because you would have to get more information. You know what I mean? When you have a one size fits all approach, you can easily apply it to everybody who comes to you. But if you’re moving away from that, yeah, I think it’s very specialized. So I think there’s probably still the doctor that’s doing the 15 minutes appointment. But then if you want or need this other type of medicine, like regenerative medicine or precision medicine, you probably have to go to a different provider. And I don’t know that insurance is covering these kinds of things right now. So there may be a disparity in who can afford these right now.

Pam [00:42:25]:

That’s very true. That’s a very good point to make. I was just thinking the same thing.

Karyn [00:42:29]:

Yeah.

Pam [00:42:30]:

Wow. I’m going to keep my eye out for that.

Karyn [00:42:33]:

I have a client who is doing stem cell therapy for colitis, and it’s been really successful for her, and she’s getting it done through the colorectal surgery department at the Cleveland clinic in Ohio. And I’m trying to think. But I think they did do a little bit through insurance, but I think she did have to pay a pretty penny for it. So, yeah, maybe these are things that insurances are just not covering yet.

Pam [00:43:02]:

Yeah, yeah.

Karyn [00:43:04]:

And then lastly, just a new and emerging, and I think it’s because of COVID is the whole idea of digital health telemedicine, where you’re getting access to care via virtual means instead of having to go to the doctor’s office. And this is becoming more and more popular. And this is something we are seeing creep up. We’re seeing insurance companies pay for this, and I’m seeing more of my clients make appointments with their doctors because they feel more comfortable. There’s something about that distance that they have that you’re not actually in the office where they’re feeling less anxiety about their appointment and they’re feeling better about talking to their doctors. It’s almost empowering, and I don’t know why that is, but it does seem like it’s helping at least the people that I know. It’s helping them have appointments.

Pam [00:43:56]:

Yeah.

Karyn [00:43:57]:

Have you taken advantage of that at all?

Pam [00:43:59]:

What’s that?

Karyn [00:44:00]:

Have you taken advantage of that at all? Do you do that at your practice.

Pam [00:44:02]:

During COVID I did. I talked to my neurologist. But it was one of these appointments. There are certain appointments that you. I mean, I think the first appointment is probably fine, and then you have to get in there for, like, a physical examined. A lot of our patients are requesting the telehealth appointments in the wintertime and things like that, but I don’t think they can truly take the place of a good physical exam type of appointment. But I certainly think that they have their place. As far as.

Pam [00:44:32]:

Especially when you mention the anxiety part. Every time I go to the doctor, I get super anxious about it. I don’t know why. I have no idea. But I do think that that’s a really great start for anyone who is a little concerned about. Well, I know why it is because you always have to go figure out where the place is. Allow yourself enough time, make sure you’re filling out all the paperwork. You know, it’s just, it can be like a holiday ordeal for somebody who’s not used to it.

Pam [00:44:56]:

So I do think the telehealth is a great way to just like, get into the shallow end, you know?

Karyn [00:45:02]:

That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. That’s such a good point. Number one, you can’t do everything via telehealth. You sometimes you just need to be seen and you need to have a doctor look you over. So it’s never going to replace the care, especially physical care. But I do see it really big in the mental health space and maybe it will replace in person therapy, I don’t know.

Karyn [00:45:25]:

But definitely for physical health, you have to find that balance. But I know for me and for my clients, it’s all of those things you mentioned that are anxiety provoking. Plus, every time you go to the doctor when you have a chronic illness like we’re talking about today, you get bad news. So of course it’s anxiety provoking. You’re going and you know it’s going to be bad news. Otherwise you wouldn’t be going to the doctor. If you felt good, you wouldn’t be going. So it’s that as well.

Karyn [00:45:53]:

So it just kind of gives you maybe some more balance. Maybe you can have half of your appointments where you’re not so anxious.

Pam [00:46:00]:

Yeah.

Karyn [00:46:01]:

Yeah. So these are the directions that we’re moving into in the future. And so I’m always just loving, just, you know, I’m a research nerd, so I love to hear about the way that medicine is moving. So those are just a few ideas about the direction of care and treatment.

Karyn [00:46:22]:

Thanks so much for tuning into the cheeky podcast for moms with IBD today. The great information we’re dishing out on this pod is exactly the same type of conversations I get to have with my clients every day. If you’re ready to take your IBD healing journey to the next level and move into being the mom you always dreamed you’d be, hop on over to karenhaley.com consult and book your free IBD consultation with me. Remember, my mom had to be a little bit different and spell my name with a y. So it’s karynhaley.com consult on our call. We’ll dive into what you’re struggling with most right now and make a plan for how we can work together to help you achieve your big, bold, beautiful, life transforming goals. No more sitting on the sidelines waiting for that miracle cure to magically happen. You’ve got what it takes to do this right now, mama.

Karyn [00:47:18]:

You just need a little nudge in that right direction, and I’ve got your back. Karynhaley.com consult. And now back to the show.

Karyn [00:47:26]:

But then, in terms of some more off the beaten path things that we can do personally, right. That’s like the global picture, where the, where the doctor is coming from and where science is taking medicine. But then there’s the whole idea of holistically for your whole body to keep in terms of prevention, what can you do? And so I did a little bit of digging into that as well. And so some of the things that I found out, of course, were the anti inflammatory diet, which we’ve already talked about, so I won’t spend too much time talking about it. But we do know that a diet based on the mediterranean diet, something like that, where you’re eating lots of leafy green vegetables and you’re having your omega three s from fish and things like that, you’re eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, good fat, right. Those kinds of things, that’s a good anti inflammatory diet. So anything that’s based in that, and if you can somehow include some turmeric and ginger and especially berries in your diet, if you’re gonna eat fruit, make it berries, because they have the most antioxidants in them. So something like that is really helpful for your diet.

Karyn [00:48:40]:

And again, it’s about balance. It’s not about eating like that 100% of the time. It’s about eating like that as much as you can.

Pam [00:48:47]:

Okay.

Karyn [00:48:48]:

Yeah. And then another thing would be supplementing with herbs. And this is something that I think is a little bit novel because not everybody is doing this, but there’s some cool herbs, especially as we’re talking about women and we’re talking about menopause. Black cohosh, that’s an herb. Red clover leaf, that’s another herb that’s supposed to be good for menopausal, or what do you call it? Menopausal, yeah, menopausal, perimenopause, that kind of thing. Cinnamon, actually turns out, is actually great for blood sugar regulation. An herb called stinging nettle. And we lived in England, and so I bet you know what I’m talking about.

Karyn [00:49:30]:

Stinging nettle is actually really good for you. Isn’t that interesting? If you get it on your hands, it will burn, it will sting, it will give you welts, and it will be really hard to get rid of. But if you take the root of it and you put it in a tea, it’s actually really medicinal. So stinging nettle, willow bark, those are wonderful for joint pain. So, you know, in terms of herbals, I think that it’s important to talk to your doctor first because they can interact with medications. So you want to make sure it’s not going to interact with what you’re taking. But I would always turn to herbals before I would turn to medication because they seem to have less side effects. So if I could possibly do an herb first, I would do an herb that’s just me.

Pam [00:50:17]:

Is it echinaia or.

Karyn [00:50:18]:

Echinaia or echinacea?

Pam [00:50:21]:

Echinacea. Is that an herb? Yes, because I know that there’s. Sophie has a friend, a nursing student friend, who takes echinacea for her anxiety instead of, oh, that’s interesting. And Sophie was going through something like that, and we ordered her some echinacea. And so sometimes I see it sitting in my medicine cabinet, and I think, would that be good for me? But I’m a little nervous about it because I don’t want it to interact. Well, I don’t really take anything anyway, but I don’t know, like, I’m kind of afraid of what it’ll do to me.

Karyn [00:50:54]:

Yeah, well, everybody’s different. Everybody’s different. So it’s about trying it in a very small quantity first. They typically don’t have really disastrous, unless it’s, like a drug interaction, they typically don’t have disastrous effects. They may not work. They may make you a little bit jittery. But typically, you’ll know pretty quickly whether you react badly to an herbal. The way that I see echinacea is for immune system support.

Karyn [00:51:22]:

That’s the. Just for that one specifically. It’s used a lot for immune system support, and most people tolerate it. Most people tolerate it just fine. It’s in a tea that I love called throat coat tea, which I like the other day. Yeah, there’s. You can buy it with echinacea in it if you’re looking for more immune boosting properties. So I think it’s worth a try.

Karyn [00:51:44]:

Again, if you are taking a lot of medications, you should definitely check with your doctor, because the thing about herbals is they’re not regulated, so you just want to be really careful. So I always want to just preface it with that. But they really can be very powerful. Really powerful. So some other ideas. This one is a new one to me. I just read about this. It’s called forest bathing.

Karyn [00:52:06]:

Have you heard about this?

Pam [00:52:08]:

Never.

Karyn [00:52:08]:

Okay. The technical word for it is shinrin. Yoku Shinran. Yoku forest bathing. And it’s kind of exactly what it sounds like. It’s a practice that involves spending time in nature, spending time in the forest to help you balance hormones, to improve mood, to enhance your mental clarity. And so that’s something that can just give you that mental and physical balance. And we talked about earlier in this episode about just getting outside and how that makes us feel good.

Karyn [00:52:43]:

It’s basically that principle, except they do it in the forest.

Pam [00:52:47]:

Okay. Oh, my goodness.

Karyn [00:52:49]:

Interesting, right?

Pam [00:52:50]:

There’s probably a YouTube video out there on that, huh?

Karyn [00:52:52]:

Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure. That’s. That’s actually where I saw it, but I thought that was really cool because there’s something in the summer, I like to take my shoes and socks off and just go barefoot. They call that earthing. And so you just, like, feel the energy of the earth underneath your feet. And for me, it’s very grounding. So I think this forest bathing could be a cool thing.

Pam [00:53:15]:

Yeah, I would love to see that. That’s neat.

Karyn [00:53:17]:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you mentioned this a few minutes ago, you talked about, is that part of functional medicine? I feel like everybody over 50 should find a functional medicine provider to go to see even just once a year, because they’re the person that’s looking at the preventive side of medicine. We need our western doctors for when we’re ill, and we need that pill, and we need a checkup, but to keep us, like, maintaining healthy status quo, that’s what a functional medicine doctor’s job is. They look at preventing things from happening, and if something does happen, they never do the COVID up. It’s all about finding a root cause and then creating a systems approach to healing. They use things like integrative medicine. They use alternative treatments. So if they’re a good functional medicine doctor, they might use both eastern and western type of medicine.

Karyn [00:54:14]:

But I think it’s a good idea, if you’re over 50, to find somebody like this who can just follow your care and you don’t have to see them that often if you’re healthy, but just to touch base with them every once in a while to say, you know, hey, this is, you know, something minor, and I don’t want it to become something pathological. What could I do now so that I keep healthy?

Pam [00:54:34]:

Okay. Wow, that’s a super idea.

Karyn [00:54:37]:

Yeah, yeah. So those are just a few of the more, I would say, the less traditional realm of keeping healthy. This is the on the prevention and even the management side, actually, not just prevention, but even on the management side, if you find that you’re susceptible to some of these chronic illnesses that are happening when you’re overd 50. I just wanted to mention one last thing. Did you anything that you were thinking when I was just talking about that? Anything come to your mind that you.

Pam [00:55:06]:

Wanted to share about the functional medicine.

Karyn [00:55:09]:

And the in general, just about those, like, different kinds of ways to manage or even prevent some of these chronic illnesses, things like diet, herbs, mind body therapy, forest bathing, functional medicine. Anything you want to add?

Pam [00:55:29]:

I have to admit that I am very curious to learn more about each of them, and I think what I’ll do for our listeners is list those names that you went through in the summary part of our podcast. So if there’s anything that they want to specifically ask their doctor about or look up, they can look that up. So that’s how I feel right now, too. It’s like, it’s a lot of information, and it’s very new and different to me because, as you know, I’m married to a medical doctor who doesn’t necessarily think other things exist. So. But anyway, I think that that was great, too, for you to share all of that. And I want to learn more about it myself, for sure.

Karyn [00:56:15]:

Yeah. Cool. Okay. So then the one last thing before we hop off that I just wanted to mention, and that’s how all of this ties into the heart of our podcast, which is this isolation and loneliness that these type of illnesses can create, especially if they keep you from living your life fully. So if it impacts your. And sorry, my dog’s barking, if you’re hearing that, if it impacts how you show up in the world, if it impacts the quality of your daily life, then that can create a sense of isolation and loneliness. And that’s what we are all about trying to prevent here through our podcast. And so I just wanted to mention a few again, these are kind of outside the box types of things that I’d like to just mention, because these are the things that maybe we’re not thinking of.

Karyn [00:57:08]:

So something that you can do to help with those feelings of the isolation and the loneliness, besides things like, you know, find a friend who’s going through it, talk to your family about it, find a support group, you know, all of those things. So a community garden, or even just, you know what, gardening in general, there’s something about gardening, or even if you have a little herb garden inside, it doesn’t even have to be outside. A community garden is great because it gets you outside around other people. You have a connection with these people, because you all like gardening. Maybe you’re a novice at it, and you see somebody to the plot to your right, and you might say, hey, how do you grow your tomatoes? Right? So it’s bringing you connected with other people. So community gardening is a beautiful thing. I live in a really rural area, and we still have community gardens. I know, in my neighborhood, so I always think that’s kind of fun.

Pam [00:58:05]:

Oh, that’s so cool. I love that.

Karyn [00:58:08]:

Yeah. Yeah. So it’s kind of a little bit different. And then something that’s really near and dear to my heart is animal assisted therapy, which is basically having an emotional support pet. And I don’t, on paper or by a doctor note, have emotional support pets. But let me tell you, I have emotional support pets. Every single one of my pets is emotionally supportive in some way. When I’m having a bad day, when I feel down or sad or depressed or lonely or anxious or isolated, just giving them a little snuggle is the best.

Karyn [00:58:42]:

It just makes me feel better all over.

Pam [00:58:47]:

You have said that before. And I have told my children that when they ask about Oliver, that that’s how you see Oliver. And it just, they just get a big smile and think that that’s wonderful.

Karyn [00:58:57]:

He’s my biggest emotional support because he sleeps with me every night. So. Yeah, so definitely, yeah. And then just two more things. Number one is creative expression and so finding creative outlets, even if we’ve talked about this before, even if you suck at it. So painting, writing, music, dancing, singing, I don’t, whatever. It is something creative. And it doesn’t have to be those traditional types of creative things.

Karyn [00:59:27]:

You know, there’s so many ways that you can be creative in your life. Just find the one that speaks to you. Being creative gets you kind of outside of yourself, of saying, I’m anxious, I’m lonely, I’m depressed, I’m alone. To kind of feeling like you’re outside of yourself. I don’t know what it is about being creative that does that. But being creative makes you feel less isolated.

Pam [00:59:54]:

Well, you know what it is? You’re using a higher level of brain activity for creativity.

Karyn [01:00:02]:

You’re absolutely right. That’s it.

Pam [01:00:05]:

It’s so much more than memorizing and just, you know, reading is great, too, but it’s, you really are exercising your brain more. So, yeah.

Karyn [01:00:14]:

And for most people that don’t work in a creative field, and that’s most people, it’s different. So, yes, you’re using, you’re tapping into a part of your brain that’s different than what you do in your normal life. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then just lastly, is finding that spiritual practice that speaks to you, whether it’s. It’s religion or meditation or remembering your spirit, God, like, whatever you want to call it, whatever a higher power is to you, finding connection through that can be really powerful and help you feel less isolated, less alone.

Pam [01:00:54]:

And I think one of the biggest changes for me is when I started getting, I’ve always been prayer. I’m very much into my religion and things like that. But one of the things that I think is universal, no matter what religion you are, even if you aren’t into religion, is to practice gratitude, you know, to, like, really go through the things in your life that you are thankful for. I find that to be mood lifting for myself.

Karyn [01:01:23]:

Me, too.

Pam [01:01:24]:

But I have to force myself to do that sometimes because I get too busy and too caught up. But, yeah. So that definitely, I think, fits into everything that you’re. That you’re listing for sure.

Karyn [01:01:38]:

Yeah. I think there’s never a more important time to find gratitude than when things are not going well. And so if a chronic illness has hit you, it’s really important to find those small things. And when life has given you a lot of lemons, not one lemon, but more like a truckload of lemons, finding gratitude in the sun shining or in a smile or in a cat snuggle, I mean, those things are powerful when you’re going through hard times and you’re feeling all alone. Finding gratitude. I really love that, Pam. Yeah. It goes hand in hand with any kind of spiritual practice, no matter what spiritual practice you have.

Pam [01:02:22]:

Right, right.

Karyn [01:02:23]:

Yeah. Wow. So that’s a lot of information. We started at the top, talking about the top five chronic illnesses that impact women over 50 today. And then we just kind of went through all of the different. We just kind of unpacked it. Right. We unpacked it, and we went through prevention strategies, treatment strategies, the more holistic approach, what’s on the horizon for medicine? And then lastly, we talked about wrapping this up in a nice, neat little bow.

Karyn [01:02:55]:

How does loneliness and isolation come into this? And if you’re feeling that way because of some sort of chronic illness, what can you do about it? So this was such a powerful conversation, and I hope that just, like, a little tidbit, a little nugget, a little gem or something, I hope that it spoke to you, dear listener, and I hope that it is going to just be the seed of that. Then grows a beautiful plant that blossoms into a flower for you. Remember, it’s all about those baby steps that Pam was talking about earlier, because.

Pam [01:03:30]:

I definitely can’t do more than baby steps.

Karyn [01:03:33]:

Amen.

Pam [01:03:35]:

Thank you, Karyn. That was fabulous and wonderful. And I’m going to listen to it again and take notes.

Karyn [01:03:40]:

Oh, I love that. Yes, for sure. And I might. I don’t typically like to listen to myself after I do a podcast, but I’m going to try to listen to this one. And because I did the research on all of this, too, so I might need to take some notes as well.

Pam [01:03:54]:

Well, you did a really great job with it, and I think that our listeners are very much going to enjoy it and appreciate it.

Karyn [01:04:01]:

Have you done any thinking about what you want to talk about next?

Pam [01:04:04]:

Well, I know we talked about how I would love to have sheridan on our. What do we call. What do we. She’s our. She’s our. What do you call it? Our ghost listener or our ghost host. Let’s call her the coast because we talk about her a lot.

Karyn [01:04:19]:

Yeah, me too.

Pam [01:04:20]:

But, yeah, we’re gonna have her on to talk about something that happened with her mother who recently passed away in the financial category. Something that.

Karyn [01:04:29]:

Yeah, let’s just leave it with at that. That’s a lovely tease. Like, what could it be? I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see. Yeah, good tease. I like that. Yeah. So, yeah, you guys will get to meet sheridan, who we talk about about quite often on the podcast.

Karyn [01:04:42]:

That’s exciting.

Pam [01:04:44]:

Yes.

Karyn [01:04:45]:

Yeah.

Pam [01:04:45]:

And we’ll have to think of other people to bring on, too. Other experts. I know you’ve mentioned that before, so.

Karyn [01:04:50]:

Yeah, definitely.

Pam [01:04:50]:

Or maybe if any of our listeners have something that they feel like they want to share and they want to come on as a host because they’ve got something kind of neat to add, then, you know, I’d be up for that, too. So I love it.

Karyn [01:05:00]:

So if you want to do that, email us. Pamcarenpodmail.com. i’m now second guessing myself. Did I say that right?

Pam [01:05:09]:

You said Pam, Karyn. Yep. You left the and out.

Karyn [01:05:12]:

Okay, good.

Pam [01:05:14]:

Her mom had to be different. She called her k. Not k a r e n, but k a R Y n. That’s right.

Karyn [01:05:24]:

So, yeah, when you type it in, definitely put the y in or it just won’t get to us. So, yes, pamcarenpodmail.com. we would love to hear your thoughts and insights. And heck, yeah, we’ll have you on the. I love that idea. Fabulous. So have a wonderful rest of the week, Pam. And listeners yeah.

Karyn [01:05:44]:

Thank you so much and we will chat with you soon. Bye bye for now.

Pam [01:05:48]:

Thank you for being our faithful listeners.

Karyn [01:05:58]:

If this podcast is meaningful for you.

Karyn [01:06:01]:

If it’s been helpful in your IBD.

Karyn [01:06:03]:

Mom life, I’d love it if you would do a couple things. First, follow the pod.

Karyn [01:06:08]:

You’ll never miss an episode.

Karyn [01:06:09]:

And those moms who are searching for podcasts about Crohn’s and colitis, they’ll find us easier. There’s probably a plus sign or a follow sign where you’re listening in right now. It’s at the top of your screen. Go ahead and give that a tap. And then also give the cheeky podcast a five star rating, reading and review, and share it with your friends who are also struggling with IBD. The more we are open about talking about our illness and bringing awareness around it, the more we’re able to connect and build a safe community around each other. I love being in community with you and I appreciate you, my friend. One last thing before we wrap up today.

Karyn [01:06:51]:

You know, I think you’re a rock for taking time out of your busy life to listen in and invest in your healing. It is capital h huge. And the reason I know how huge this is for you is because I am right there with you in all of this, working my wheel of wellness.

Karyn [01:07:07]:

Keeping my crohn’s at bay.

Karyn [01:07:09]:

It’s something that I invest in every day and I’d love it if we could continue our gut healing journey together. If you’re like me and you’re ready to soak up even more amazing gut healing information, it’s time to join the gut love community@karenheatley.com. community the GLC is my free and fabulous space, dedicated to dishing out even more IBD resources, recipes, healing hacks, lots of bts secrets on how I manage my life with IBD, all wrapped up.

Karyn [01:07:42]:

In a weekly newsletter to help you.

Karyn [01:07:44]: Keep your momentum going strong, this IBD dish is gut healing insights that I only share within our tight knit community. Basically, it’s your one stop shop for a more diversified approach to true and lasting gut healing. Amen to that, my friend. Let’s walk this gut healing journey together. Join me in the glc@karenhaley.com. community. That’s karynhaley.com community. I can’t wait to meet you.