Q&A! Liz answers questions about European sunscreens, gathers wisdom for a mama going from 1-2 kids, plus talks her realistic workout routine.
Liz Talks Episode 39
- Updates [3:35]
- Skincare [10:22]
- Future show plans [21:26]
- The Nutritional Therapy Association [24:58]
- Listener Q&A: European sunscreen [27:08]
- Listener Q&A: Early morning workouts [33:18]
- Listener Q&A: Introducing a new baby to an older child [41:19]
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TRANSCRIPT
to Liz Talks. I’m Liz, and I’m a nutritional therapy practitioner and best-selling author; but here, I’m 0% professional and 100% mom, spouse, friend, and over-analyzer. We’re going to talk food, beauty, family, fitness, mental health, friendship, marriage, and everything in between in this season of Liz Talks, and I’m so glad you’re along for the ride.
Remember; this is a podcast about thoughts, feelings, and opinions. And I definitely do not give individual, personal, or medical advice.
This is episode 39, topic: Testing skincare, European sunscreens, the transition from one to two kids, and waking early to workout.
In case you missed it, last weeks’ episode 38, was an interview with Teri Lyn Adams who is my friend, a mom, and the woman behind A Foodie Stays Fit. Super, super successful blogger, influencer, wonderful person all around. And we talked our mutual distaste for the Snoo; seeking treatment for postpartum anxiety, and running. Which is just something I never thought I would be interested in!
And with that said, don’t forget to check out www.RealFoodLiz.com/Bundle. Teri and I decided to bundle our courses together. My course, Athletic Mom, which sells for $99. It has an 8-week training program, nutrition, recipes, all kinds of good stuff. And her course, Rookie Runner, which sells for way more than that normally. We decided to bundle those together at $99 for both. But you have to go to www.RealFoodLiz.com/Bundle, to get that deal.
Before I begin, I want to thank Arrowhead Mills because they sponsor this podcast. Podcasting is a labor of love, and it takes time and sweat equity. And to have a company put their faith in my work, in effect, to support my small business is really life changing for me. Arrowhead Mills was focused on sustainable farming long before it was cool, and their range of products from cereals; yes, cereals, to corn meal to premade gluten free pancake mixes are a choice I feel really good about for my family. So, next time you go to the store, look for Arrowhead Mills products. You can also find them on Vitacost.com.
Now, I also want to remind you about an affiliate that I absolutely love, and FYI, I am their top affiliate. Which means I refer more people to the Vibrant Body Company than almost anybody else. And there’s a reason for that; it is because their bras are so good and people are actually buying them and not returning them. {laughs} So I’m getting so much feedback from folks who have heard me talk about it, and either gone on to do a bra fitting virtually with Heidy (you don’t have to take your clothes off, don’t worry) or just ordered directly and been so happy with the comfort and quality of their new bras, underwear, and tanks.
So, please, as I always say, do not keep wearing a bra that is uncomfortable and restrictive and awful. Go to Www.RealFoodLiz.com/Vibrant, and use cod LIZ15, all caps, for 15% off their amazingly comfortable, no wire, certified clean bra; their buttery soft shelfy tank; and their super comfortable underwear. www.RealFoodLiz.com/Vibrant. Even if you think you’re good with what you’ve got, I am sure what you’ve got is nowhere near as comfortable and functional as this. I actually even wore the Vibrant Body Bra as a sports bra while I was golfing, because I needed something with more of a V-neck. And it was great!
- Updates [3:35]
Ok, some updates and feedback I wanted to share. First of all, I got a note that I really appreciated. And I’d actually like to hear from a few more people if possible, so reach out to me if you can. The feedback was; “Hi! I just wanted to comment on the long form podcast thing that you’ve mentioned a few times. I totally agree; I love long form podcasts; and would be glad to hear you do some. At one point in the Balanced Bites days, you and Diane said you were changing your format to aim for shorter podcasts to respect our time. But I was a little sad because I like long form podcasts; although I totally respected that you might have wanted shorter podcasts to respect your own time, too. I’m a huge fan and glad you’re back to podcasting. I’m enjoying all the skincare topics. Thanks!”
And by the way, tons more skincare stuff to come. It takes a long time. Now, something that I’ve noticed; I want feedback on everything, so give me feedback on this, too, if you can; my listenership. Which is smaller than the Balanced Bites days, but it is still significant, and I’d love to hear from you. You’re my best reservoir of really good ideas. Often times research and lots of good stuff; I’ve actually got some really good; what do you call it; sunscreen stuff. {laughs} Oh my gosh, you guys. It’s actually 5:58 a.m., in the morning. I’ve got my morning voice on. You just record when you can record, right?
But you guys are just an amazing reservoir of ideas and research and thoughts and all kinds of good stuff. So I’d love to hear from you on this, as well. I do a lot of things. I kind of wear a lot of hats. And technically, my categories around the work I put out into the world are food, beauty, family, and fitness. Overall, just life. But what I’ve noticed recently is that accounts on Instagram that are growing; and I have to be honest with you, I love where I’m at. But I also do need to grow to make this financially tenable; the long game where I want to create more stuff that’s useful for people.
So the accounts and the people that are growing are very, very specialized. I think it’s really hard to just be like a lifestyle, whatever you want to call it. Influencer. A lifestyle writer these days. But it’s hard for me to do anything else. There was a time in life where I could really specialize; but now I just don’t have the time or opportunity to; for example, what I did when I was first writing and putting together Baby Making and Beyond with Meg the Midwife; literally rent an Airbnb for a week and do nothing but study folate metabolism. {laughs}
I just don’t have the time or opportunity to do that anymore. And while I do have an amazing researcher on my team who answers all these really important questions for me; it’s still a matter of really understanding and digging deep into something takes even more than that. So right now, I’m jack of all trades, master of none. And I love that, but I also have really big projects in the works for almost every single category.
So food, obviously I have my book. And I’m working food as kind of a theme and a resource through all of my other projects. But there’s also beauty, which I’m working on something huge, huge, huge, huge, huge with beauty. Because my legacy; one of the first things I ever put out, even before I wrote my book Eat the Yolks, my published book. Which was a Wallstreet Journal bestseller. Is that bragging? No. It’s just facts. Before I even did that, I put together a skincare guide that sold tens of thousands of copies in like 6 months. And that’s a big deal.
And it’s always been a passion of mine; safe skincare. Back then, it was all about natural skincare. Like; how to really get rid of all the so-called bad chemicals in your skin care. How to go more natural. I kind of gave three different levels of it. This is not available, anymore, by the way. I took it down because; I shouldn’t have, because I have a terrible business mind. I really shouldn’t have. Because back then, some of the things I was recommending was like skincare oils and oil cleansing. And now there are so many amazing “natural” skincare companies. And even just dozens and dozens and probably more than that of just straight up oil cleansing blends. And oils for the face. And man, I just kick myself sometimes.
If anybody is out there, and you’re like really good at business, do you want to consult with me and tell me what I should be doing now? Because I would really like that. Because I feel like I have had a lot of missed {laughs} opportunities. But that’s ok. That’s me. No “ragrets”. Right?
But this skincare guide was so awesome. And it really made me able to do the next thing, and the next thing. So that’s what I like to do. I like to do something, and leverage that into the next thing and the next thing. So I can keep providing resources and doing things that I think are hopefully useful to people. So, I’ve got a skincare topic coming. I’ve got; so, food, beauty, family. I’ve got Baby Making and Beyond; obviously, which concentrates on fertility, pre-pregnancy, and pregnancy itself. And that’s a really amazing, dense project as well. Of course I always want to improve that; I always want to do more.
And then I’ve also got; obviously, Athletic Mom. Which is a huge passion of mine. And is going through so many amazing iterations right now. You guys; I {singsong} cannot wait! For the app to come out. It’s going to be extraordinary, incredible, amazing. I can’t wait to provide that to you and continue adding to that in a way that is super-duper user friendly. We have an amazing program now, but I know we can continue to improve it, make it super user friendly. Especially just while you’re walking around the gym; you want to have an app, right?
So I’m so excited about that. But, what I’m trying to get to here, is I’m doing so many things and the people that are growing right now have dedicated accounts that specialize in one thing. Whether that’s prometabolic. Or whether that’s natural skin care. Or whatever that might. So I’m trying to figure out the balance, there. Whether there’s a separate account for every single one of those things. And if that was the case, I would have to have a lot more help and a lot of people that really believe in the mission and aren’t doing it for the money {laughs}. Because there’s not a lot of money in running Instagram accounts.
But just wondering; I don’t know. What’s the best way to serve everybody while still remaining and honoring this multi-passionate; which is such a silly term. Maybe it’s not. This multi-passionate person that I am.
So, I don’t know. If anybody has any ideas on that. If anybody is really versed in business. Or if you just want to tell me what you like and what you want. I would love, love, love to hear from you. Because that’s really the feedback I use to guide what I’m doing.
- Skincare [10:22]
Ok. So, speaking of skincare, and how far I’ve come. And I don’t mean that necessarily in a good way. I should say; how far I have moved away from my original values in skin care. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I started out really crunchy. You know; part of my skin care guide was giving people three different levels. If you want to go super duper crunchy, for example, when I was telling people how to wash their hair in a safer way. My base level crunchy was literally baking soda and apple cider vinegar. And I did that for a long time, by the way; and my hair and scalp was as healthy as it has ever been.
So there was one level, and then a midlevel where you kind of want to be safe, but use a little bit more products. A little bit more intentionally formulated type of stuff. And then a top level where you just want to spend money. And now, at this point in life; you know, when I wrote that skincare guide. By the way; the impetus for that was healing some really, really difficult acne on my jawline and neck. And it just sort of snowballed into that entire deal.
But where I am now, at almost 40 years old, is I actually want to use scientifically formulated skincare. Skincare with active ingredients that are known to work well for very specific things. I’m going to say anti-aging. I know people are so worried about using that term. But anti-aging. It is what it is. Right? I want to not; I don’t know; prematurely deteriorate. And that includes my skin. I want to heal damage, which is associated with aging. All that good stuff.
So anyway. Now that it’s been, you know, maybe 15 years. Probably less than that. 12, 13, 14 years since I wrote that skincare guide, it’s like I really do want to continue to explore this safer science. I don’t want to use benzoyl peroxide. I don’t want to use the wrong ingredients that could potentially cause damage when exposed to UV light. I want to be really intentional about the scientific; tested, studied ingredients that I use. But I do want to use them.
So an example would be concentrated EGCG; which is green tea extract. So rather than using green tea. Which actually can be really helpful in balancing oil production for people with acne. I want to use EGCG. And I’m going to mix that active into maybe some of the base ingredients that I already have. Or I want to use vitamin C, but in the most impactful form, at the right times. Or I want to use bakuchiol, which is sort of a retinol alternative. Or I want to use retinol in a way that circumvents any of those concerns or issues around it being potentially damaging to the skin. I don’t use retinol, by the way. I’m just using that as an example.
And at the same time, there are a few compromises I will make that are just straight up vanity products. And one of those is Botox. And I talked about that in an early podcast. That I got Botox again for the first time in a very, very, very long time about 6 months ago. And I just got it again. And one of the things I was thinking about as I was walking out of that appointment, with my overnight frown lines just obliterated. Not really. It takes a couple of days for Botox to work.
But the point of the Botox for me is so that I don’t frown super hard overnight while I’m contemplating the state of the world in my sleep, and wake up with those super deep frown lines in between my eyebrows.
I was thinking to myself; and like I was saying, I could reason myself out of this just as easily as I reason myself into it. But I was thinking; you know what’s interesting about Botox? Botox is not an endocrine disruptor. Botox is not associated with cancer. And a lot of the skin care products that we do use are. We talk all the time about how to avoid endocrine disruptors in skin care. And how to avoid potential carcinogenic ingredients in skin care.
The EWG has an entire rating system for avoiding those things. And I was just kind of chuckling to myself thinking; scientifically, there is no association between Botox and hormone disruption. Or Botox and cancer. And it was so interesting to me. Because I thought to myself; yes, it’s an injectable. But it also has a 30-plus year track record. It has been really well studied. And I reflected a lot of that research in my podcast where I talked about it, way at the beginning. And I even reached out to my researcher, Amanda. And she said; it does have it’s own risks. Which I talked about in that podcast. But they’re not the same as the risks associated with topicals.
I don’t know of any topical products, thought, that have a block box warning, like Botox does. Touché, but a quick look confirms no link to cancer or endocrine disruption. And to me, I just thought; you know, there is a point at which things seem really incongruous. It just doesn’t really make sense. But we can actually make an argument that perhaps intermittent Botox might be an acceptable choice from the perspective of the reasons why we avoid certain types of topicals. Botox done intermittently every now and then; topicals that we put on our skin every single day.
I don’t know; for some reason I actually felt a little bit more positive about Botox in that context. But I will always be very open about the skin care treatment and decisions that I make. Especially now that I’m almost 40 and making a few different ones.
I actually am hoping to have an appointment with a skin care formulator that I have been following and using for years. I’ve been getting my active ingredients from them when I mix my own science-y skincare. And I’m hoping to sit down with them and just talk to them a little bit about the industry. About what they’re working on. About what we should look out for in the future. So I will let you know all about that when that happens.
Also speaking of skincare; I am always testing stuff. Folks will ask me sometimes; hey, what are you using now, Liz? What’s your routine? And it is very hard for me to give a really direct answer to that. There are products that I use very consistently. For example, the Chara Omni stem cell derived cream. I don’t know how else to say it.
I talked about how stem cell creams don’t actually contain stem cells in a couple of previous episodes. But I’ll just call it the stem cell cream, because {laughs} it’s easier. And that’s what they do. So we’ll just do that.
That’s one that I use every single day. That’s something I saw the effects of very, very quickly, and continue to see good effects of. So that is a staple in my routine. Other stuff gets rotated. I love, love, love the lactic acid cleanser from; I’m going to say it wrong, because it’s French. Agent Nateur. Love that, so that’s in my rotation.
There’s a charcoal mask from Beautycounter, which is a company I really love, products I really love. I still use that charcoal mask, and I love it.
So I’m always rotating. And I’m always testing. And it can get a little burdensome. Everyone feel very sorry for me because I have so many products that really you can’t see the long-term effects of unless you really commit to using them for an extended period of time. But at the same time, I just have that squirrel mentality where companies send me stuff and I just want to try it. And, I also think oftentimes if a product is right for you, and really, really right for you. If your skin really, really needed it. You see some of those benefits fairly quickly. So that’s my justification for bouncing around quite a bit, skincare wise.
But I wanted to talk about another product I’m testing right now. And I’m not going to talk a ton about it. But you might have heard of a substance called methylene blue. It’s a really, really interesting substance. And yet, another substance that I first heard about like 10 years ago from the Ray Peat squad; from the people on the fringes of the internet who were talking about Ray Peat, who is a really interesting biologist who; if you know anything about orange juice and carrot salad, you’ll know who I’m talking about.
But I first heard about methylene blue from that community. And I was like; are you people crazy? Now you’re really getting into. These folks are kind of like the original biohackers. But they’re doing this a little bit differently. They were the first to talk about, in my consciousness, anyway, red light. Which I have a full body redlight machine that I love that I’ve had for years. And I found it through the Ray Peat people.
First hearing about methylene blue through them, I thought they were probably crazy. Now it’s really interesting because there are a lot more people talking about it. And there are actually companies producing it. I’m also hearing; I might be entirely cringey right now. But I’ve heard people kind of talk about methylene blue being like; hey, shh, shh. We need to stay quiet about this. The FDA is going to take it away from us. I don’t know. Just that we need to keep it sort of under the table. So we don’t ruin it for everybody else. And if that’s the case, I’m really, really sorry.
But I am going to go ahead and talk about this. I’m testing a skin care product that contains the reduced form of methylene blue. I’m not going to give the name of the product just yet, because I’m still doing some research around whether or not that reduced form actually has the impact that methylene blue does. And methylene blue does have some really, really incredible pluses in it’s plus column. It’s a really, really interesting substance that does some really, really interesting things. But I’m not entirely sure about the reduced form topically.
Methylene blue is; was actually originally created as a garment dye. And dye it does. It will dye your mouth blue. It will dye anything it comes into contact with blue. And I’ll tell you; I don’t use it right now. I do have some on hand. But I don’t use it right now, just because I’m using so many things and do so many different things right now. But I’ve got it on hand for when I’m ready. But it will stain anything extremely, extremely blue.
So the thing about using it in skincare is that obviously it’s a really interesting idea. It’s a really interesting possibility. But in order to make it not blue, so you can actually put it on your skin, it has to be reduced through the action of vitamin C. And I am not entirely sure; or I need to at least do more research on whether or not that actually changes the chemical properties of it and what it can actually do to your skin. I need to find out whether the benefits are due to the vitamin C, or due to something else.
So I won’t name the product right now. But, I’m hopefully going to have some more conversations with the company. With Amanda, my researcher. And learn a little bit more so I can talk about it more in a more educated way. But I am very excited to be testing some methylene blue based skin care.
- Future show plans [21:26]
Ok, so on that note, I should give you a couple of FYIs on some future shows that I’m planning, by request. First of all, a deeper dive into alcohol myths and truths, which I’m excited about. I devoted a third of a podcast recently to mommy wine culture, and I actually had a really, really strong response to it. I feel like folks generally liked what I had to say. I think this might have been episode 37. Maybe 35.
In general, people liked what I had to say. But you all seem to want more. A deeper dive into what alcohol actually does to the body. And the myths around it. Because there have been really intelligent people who have said; actually, a glass of wine when you’re pregnant. Or a glass of wine a night in general is fine. It has antioxidants. And one of the things I said in that podcast was that there’s no strong evidence to support that. It is a myth. And I hold to that. That doesn’t mean I don’t drink. I just bought a shirt, actually, that says something about tequila and limes. And I love it.
But it means that I am realistic and honest about the downsides. Honest with myself. And I’m going to be honest with you. So it is a myth. And I’ll talk about more in the future. And hopefully, like I did with my book. Well, to a smaller scale, actually explain how and why those studies that suggest that wine, for example, is beneficial. Why they are myths. Who they were funded by. And stuff like that. So I’m excited about that.
That will probably come out closer to the holiday season, because I think it’s more relevant around then. And then I’m also going to do; as I’ve said, a deeper dive into skin types, European sunscreens, and the risks of UV exposure. You all know, I’m all about sun exposure. I’m all about natural accumulation of vitamin D and associated photoproducts that we get directly via exposure to the sun. But there is also a lot more; even more to talk about with regards to sun protection, skin types, all that good stuff. And I’m excited to put that together.
Unfortunately, it will probably come out too late for you to do a whole lot of things different in this summer. But hopefully it will be useful. And maybe I’ll republish it next year.
Ok, and then finally I’m going to do a deep dive into kids; and adults, hopefully, and vitamin supplements. Remember, all of this takes a lot of time. I pay a researcher. There’s a lot of money and effort going out the door. So this is why my podcast sponsors and affiliates are so, so, so important. So if you already need something; for example, pancake mix. Or a new bra. Using my sponsors and my affiliates not only gets you what you already needed and wanted and you were already going to spend money on, but it also ends up sending some money my way so I can support these efforts. And I really, really appreciate that.
So always let me know what you want me to tackle more in depth. If I make some comments, or give my opinion on something, and you want to hear more; let me know! Obviously I did a pretty detailed show about sunscreen and sun exposure, but I’m excited to bring even more angles and context to that subject. And again, the alcohol and mommy wine culture. I did a more surface level assessment, and it sounds like based on comments and feedback, you want to hear even more. So keep those suggestions coming, and I will do my best, as always.
So again, a good way to do that. Not again; but a good way to do that is direct message on Instagram. But also the best way is through www.RealFoodLiz.com/AskLiz.
- The Nutritional Therapy Association [24:58]
Ok, finally before I get into a few questions, I want to talk quickly about the nutritional therapy association. More than a decade ago, I joined the NTA to become a nutritional therapy practitioner. And it was the best decision I ever made. I was already really interested in food, and talking about food, and being useful to people around the topic of food. And I decided to make it official by getting an education around it with a certification that I felt like really reflected my values, and what I was already learning to be true around food and the body, and the earth. How we affect sustainability with our food choices.
So, I absolutely love the NTA. And their curriculum has only grown. It has only gotten better. And I’m really excited about that. So if you’ve thought about a nutrition education; whether that’s to better inform your influencing, or whether it’s because you want to work with people one on one, or it’s because you just want to help yourself. I cannot recommend the NTA highly enough. They really are committed and dedicated to their mission, and full steam ahead.
So, they have; this is mid-August I think when this podcast will air. They have a cohort starting in September. And I would love it if you would reach out to me, let me know you’re thinking about it. Not only can I give you my affiliate link to the course, but I can also sort of talk you through some of your questions around what you might be able to do with an NTA education. And how you might want to use that in the future. And how that might evolve.
I also have a few posts about it that I did fairly early on, so some things might have changed. Might look a little bit different now. But I can also refer you to those posts and video that I’ve done around the NTA course, and why it’s so amazing.
So I’ll talk a little bit more about that, hopefully on social media and in upcoming podcasts. But again, they have a cohort starting in September. The program is remote. There are so many different options for the way you want to go through it. And I just can’t recommend it highly enough. So reach out to me if you’re interested in that, and I’ll help you out.
- Listener Q&A: European sunscreen [27:08]
Ok, we’re going to do a couple of questions today. I’ve already talked for like 25 minutes. Let’s talk about question one. “Hi Liz! I’m a longtime listener and follower. Thanks for all your work! Quick question; my husband is traveling to Europe (Germany) for work soon, and I’m going to have him load up on some sunscreen. Do you have a favorite brand from Europe that he should look for? Any other must buy European products that we can’t get here? Thank you!” That one was from Charlie.
So this will be quick; I can confirm for you that the Anthelios invisible fluid facial sunscreen is really, really good. And again, like I said before; when and where I use it. I’m still a zinc girl. But when and where I use this particular European sunscreen is when I cannot better control my exposure.
So the European sunscreens are good because they actually use UV technology that is not available or approved in the United States. The Anthelios invisible fluid facial sunscreen uses UV mune. And I’ve had some really interesting exchanges with someone on Instagram who prefers to remain anonymous, but who has just been a wealth of conversation ideas and info that I’m really excited to fold into my future podcast that addresses sunscreen a little bit more, including the European ones.
But this is the only one that I’ve actually tried. But in Europe, a lot of these filters that have been developed that are in use are not allowed in the United States, and that is flat out because the United States basically is super hostile to UV filter innovation. And that’s why we see a billion different forms of zinc. That’s why every brand, even Coppertone, in the United States all have these zinc options. That’s why people are trying to work with nano zinc. All of that. It’s because we just don’t have the innovation here that we have elsewhere.
So these sunscreen filters are not even allowed to sold in the United States. They can’t be on store shelves. So I’ve had a couple of folks reach out to me that are like; oh, no. The Anthelios is available in the United States. I’ve used it. It’s not. It’s the same packaging; it’s different UV filters, unfortunately.
And it’s a little bit tough to use. And I’m actually going to share some helpful information on application that this person on Instagram sent over to me that I thought was really dorky in the best way, and really, really interesting. So I think folks would probably enjoy that.
But it’s the Anthelios invisible fluid facial sunscreen with UV mune that I like. And you’re probably able to order it in via a couple of places. It can’t be sold in the United States, but you can probably have it shipped in through a couple of different sources. And I’ll share those, as well in a future podcast when I have them all nailed down. But as it is, my husband travels to Europe fairly frequently, so this last time he brought back like 4 or 5 of these for me.
I do not use them frequently. My zinc is still my staple. The Beautycounter sun stick is probably the zinc that I use the most. I actually wrote about how zinc formulations are actually best used as sticks, because the ingredients don’t separate. The zinc doesn’t sort of filter out and you’re not just putting on a bunch of oil that has a little bit of zinc in it. So I use that stick.
But the facial sunscreen is something I would use, for example; and I would probably use it on my shoulders, too, if I was out golfing, for example. So, the other day I golfed 18 holes. And the zinc stuff; it just {laughs} functionally it just doesn’t work as well. Not only because you sweat it off pretty quick, but also because you’re with a bunch of other adults. You’re really hot. And reapplying zinc; dabbing yourself off and reapplying super thick, white zinc sunscreen every hour for the five hours you’re out playing golf. And yes, it takes me 5 hours to play 18 holes. Is just not convenient. It’s not feasible. It’s just not great.
And it’s also really not safe, in my opinion, to put on long sleeves to try and protect yourself from the sun when it’s 97 degrees; or like 100-plus heat index. When you’re getting into the water and cooling yourself off frequently and wearing a rash guard, I think that’s great. But in a scenario like that, sometimes I feel like these more innovative, more effective UV filters are a good thing to have on hand. So for that, I used the Anthelios facial sunscreen with UV mune. And I felt really good about that, and I didn’t burn even though I was out in 107 degree heat index for like 5 hours. Not that heat index is what makes you burn, but you get what I’m saying.
So again. Still a zinc girl. But I think this stuff is really useful. And as far as the science goes, it’s got a decent track record. We don’t have a ton of super long-term data because these are more recent innovations. But I feel really good about integrating this particular one into my routine here and there.
So here’s some helpful information on application. “The Anthelios invisible fluid facial sunscreen with UV mune is super liquidy, so it takes some practice to apply.” This is the helpful information on application from the anonymous gal that I’ve been talking to about this.
“I measure it on a gram scale in a small dish every time, because it’s so difficult to tell how much there is if poured in your hand. Then I take one fingertip and just paint it on. Which takes more time. It’s not as heavy by volume as a lotion, so the teaspoon measurement isn’t the same as lotion formulas. SPF testing is done by weight measurement of a sunscreen.”
So basically the point is, you need a lot less. I hope that’s helpful, and a little more info on European sunscreens. I will cover a lot more around that hopefully in the next few weeks.
- Listener Q&A: Early morning workouts [33:18]
Ok. Question number two. “How, how, how do you manage to wake up before your kids to squeeze in a workout?” Ok. Let’s talk about this. Because I’ve posted on my Instagram a couple of times when I do my Daily Fix. Which, by the way. Go to my Instagram, I believe I have a link to the Daily Fix. The 5 minute Daily Fix in my Instagram bio. It’s totally free. There are 5 different versions of the Daily Fix. And you can have all of them. There is C-section recovery, vaginal birth recovery, repairing your posture, moves to do when you just don’t feel great. When you’re just feeling like, blah. And another one to help you cope with the new demands of life.
So have you ever; you have young kids and one day you pick them up and they just feel heavier? And you’re like; oh wow. I’ve got to step up my game! So we have another one for that, as well. There are 5 mobility, circulation, strength oriented moves you can do in literally 5 to 10 minutes at the beginning of the day. And they are life changing. They are so, so, so good. So you can go to my Instagram bio to find the Daily Fix.
And I’ve put a couple of videos up on my Instagram when I’ve gone downstairs to do the Daily Fix. Or maybe once when I went and worked out downstairs, before the kids woke up. And I’ve got to tell you; don’t be fooled into thinking that just because somebody put something on Instagram once means they do it all the time. {laughs} I don’t do it all the time. Consistency is the attribute that I have the most difficult time with.
But when I do actually manage to get up and do some movement. Whether that’s the 5-minute Daily Fix or an actual workout, guilt certainly has something to do with it. I feel like I’m working a ton right now, just getting things put back together. And I feel like I’m neglecting my kids sometimes. So if I can move something to when they’re sleeping, it makes me feel a lot better and a lot less guilty.
Now I know; mom guilt, mom shame, is not a good thing. But sometimes it does motivate us to be more productive and organize ourselves in a way that is maybe more conducive what we want in life. And what I want is more time with my kids. So I’m not great at that right now. I do feel like I’m missing a lot, honestly. And it really eats me up. So rather than on a day that I’m going to be gone, working, doing projects, stuff like that for a really huge chunk of time. Or even shuttling the older kid around at the expense of time with the younger one, I will try to move stuff to earlier in the morning.
I’m doing that right now with this podcast. Now it’s like 6:30-something. And I’m trying to record this podcast before the kids wake up, so I don’t have to take time away from them in the evening to do something like this.
So, again. I don’t do it all the time. When I do, I harness guilt. I exploit that guilt that I have to motivate me to do it. But it also has to do with; and this is something I talk about in our Athletic Mom materials. How useful it is to know your personality visa vi Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies. There are a ton of personality tests, and to my chagrin, I’m actually really into it. I’m going to have Jess Gaertner on the podcast, to talk about the Enneagram. She’s an Enneagram coach. She’s amazing. So well talk about that.
The Gretchen Rubin framework, it’s a framework that is built around how you respond to expectations. So there are a couple of different ways you might respond to expectations. There’s the Rebel. There’s the Questioner. There’s the Upholder. And there’s me, the Obliger. And understanding that in order for me to show up to do something and do my very best work, I have to feel like I’m doing it for someone besides myself.
So I work really well; like all of you. My listeners. I do this stuff because I feel like I am being useful to you. I have partners in the Athletic Mom project that are so amazing that I want to show up for. I want to show up for my kids. I want to show up for my marriage. Although that probably ends up being put at the bottom of the list. Sorry babe, I love you. But it really helps me to have someone that I am obliging. Or someone that I am tied to in some way around this. And for me, that is a trainer.
So the same trainer that helped me; well, not helped me. The same trainer that developed Athletic Mom. And often times, when I’m doing a workout in the morning, it is a virtual workout with him. So one of the posts that I did recently, that workout; he was right there on the computer coaching me. I couldn’t leave the house because I didn’t have any childcare. So we just patched in via the internet, and he took me through a workout.
Now, I know not everybody has the time or the resources to do that. But I do. And it’s half the reason I like to work. Because I know that to truly be healthy for long haul, I have to figure that out. And being healthy for the long haul for me has been easiest at this stage of life having a trainer. Having somebody that I am showing up for that is waiting for me on the other end of the computer or that is waiting for me at the gym to take me through an efficient, well-planned workout where not a single moment of my time is wasted. Which is the whole reason we put together Athletic Mom.
Working out is one thing. Getting tired, getting sore. But what I need and what I want in this stage of life is for every movement, everything that I do to be intentional. To be purposeful. To not waste a single moment of that time that I have. Because I don’t have a lot of it. So whatever it is that I’m doing. Whether it’s mobility, flexibility work, strength work, agility work. It has got to translate to real life. And it has to be more than just making me tired, sweaty, and sore. So that’s the way I approach things. And sometimes that does involve getting up super early.
And I’ve also put together my environment in a way that’s most conducive to that. And I’ve done that around all of my work stuff, too. So I realize that I was just really putting things together in a way that was so; it was so slapdash. It was so; ok I want to do this, so I’ve got to move this equipment here, and then put this together. And I was really; not phoning it in, but making it more difficult for myself in that way. So I have an entire workout area set aside in our basement. I don’t have a lot of equipment, and that’s sort of an Athletic Mom thing. I use bands, a kettlebell, and a slam ball. We also have a rower, and I use the rower fairly frequently, but we’ve had that for 12, 13 years. And I have a NordicTrack bike that I don’t use at all. Kind of like a Peloton, but cheaper and we were able to get it delivered faster.
And having that area that is just mine for that makes it so much easier to just walk downstairs and do it. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You can make everything happen with minimal space and equipment. but it’s a matter of; what’s going to make it easier for me to just roll out of bed, go downstairs, do the things, and be done. So that’s kind of how I tackle it.
And around work stuff, I have this workstation here. I have my podcast workstation put together. I have my reels workstation put together. I have a light in my bathroom now so I can sort of show folks some of the products that I’m testing in the bathroom without moving the light from place to place. It really is a matter of; have your, what is it called? Mis en place. Have that ready so you don’t have to climb that mountain at 5 o’clock in the morning of; where’s my equipment? Where am I going to do this? How am I going to set it up? Just have it ready. Even if it’s in a spidery corner of your basement. The spiders won’t be there if you’re down there often enough. That’s something that really helps me.
- Listener Q&A: Introducing a new baby to an older child [41:19]
Ok. This next question. And I loved this one! “Your best tips on the transition from one to two kiddos? My son is 3.5 and I’m currently 31 weeks pregnant with number two; starting to get nervous.”
And I actually put this question out to the Instagram community, and got some really great answers back. And one of the things I have to say about it is; it’s probably so different depending on the age gap between your kids. My experience, with a 5-plus year age gap is like; probably very different than, for example, my sister’s who has a 2-year age gap between her kids. She is managing very different stuff than I managed. Maybe at the very least if it’s not different stuff, maybe it’s all emotions. But maybe those emotions around a new sibling are expressed differently when you’re 7 versus when you’re 3.
So my challenge is managing complex and sometimes hidden or buried emotions, versus my sister’s experience with a 2-year age gap is managing physical space and maybe less developed emotions. And I think that changes. There are some folks who had the exact opposite experience. Some folks have the easiest experience of all.
I found it sort of easy at the beginning. Because so many people were helping with the older kiddo. Even though; I mean, we had a ton of challenging going on at that point in life anyway. But we had so much help, and we gave ourselves so much grace. I mean, the house was trash. We were living in our kitchen, basically. And we just didn’t worry as much. Sometimes when you’re forced; when your back is against the wall and you’re just forced to do the thing without intellectualizing it too much, things run a little bit smoother.
Over time, things started to feel a little more complicated. But I think that was because we were returning to our previously scheduled programming. Our previous tendencies, where we were less like; we have no other choice but to fly by the seat of our pants. So that’s one of my pieces of advice. Obviously, give yourself a ton of grace, but just embrace the fact that it’s going to be messy and really, really painful and ugly at times. There are going to be heartbreaking moments with the older one. And there are going to be heartbreaking moments with the younger one. And that’s just life.
As long as you’re there, and you are loving. And sometimes maybe you won’t even be able to muster being loving. But at the very least, find a way to articulate your love for both of your children in some way that is meaningful to them, you’ll be fine.
So here’s some of the advice that came through on Instagram. “Lower your expectations”; love that. Maybe have no expectations at all. Just be an observer in your own life.
Another one; “go easy on yourself. And remember, TV is a tool that you can use whenever you need a little help.” I completely agree with that. I rubber stamp that.
“Make sure dad or someone else can put the big kid to sleep or do bedtime.”
“Tend to the toddler needs first. The baby can lay in a safe space while you do. Great age gap.”
“Give yourself, your kids, your spouse, lots and lots of grace and patience.”
And once again, my note. I have to give myself grace, and sometimes extreme shame every day because I say and do things that I would judge people heavily for, just like a year or two ago. So if there are those moments; don’t feel badly.
“Meal prep for postpartum” oh this is a different one. “Meal prep for postpartum.”
Another one is; “Make special time for the older child each day.”
And some folks were saying; even if that’s 5 to 10 minutes. It doesn’t have to be an hour. But really special time for the older child.
Now, something that I found challenging about special time was that I always had to end it before my oldest was ready for it to end. And that was always really sad and sort of painful for me emotionally, and for her as well. One of the things I feel is helpful around that is to articulate at the very beginning; I don’t know how much time we’re going to have, but I’m so, so, so excited to have this time with you.
And then once that time has to end, making a plan for how you’re going to continue whatever it was that you had to abandon because the baby woke up. Or whatever.
Another vote for meal prep. Lining up help for your first born. Baby wearing as much as possible. Taking a deep breath. Asking for help. Another person said, “Give it time. But pure one on one time for 30 minutes makes a world of difference.”
“Let them help. Give them small tasks so they feel included and important.” I found that more feasible at the beginning, when my oldest was really wanting to help and wanting to be included. Wanting to hold the baby a lot. Over time, that kind of got less interesting. And that’s ok.
And also, I’ll say; think of this as a really good opportunity to be the mean mom and say; “Find something to do! Go play with your Legos!” Something like that. And I actually cordoned off the living room; the entire living room, for my oldest to basically have as her area that was semi-away from us, but not like the basement playroom or her room. I didn’t want her to feel punished. I didn’t want her to feel like I was sending her away to do something. But I did want her to feel like she had a space in the house that was just hers for her to just, you know, do every Lego kit known to man, and build with blocks, and make forts, and chop up Barbie clothes, and cut off Barbie hair, and all that stuff. But without having to be far away from the family. And with also making a mess that I was going to have to step over.
What else? A big sibling gift. Spend as much time as you can with the big kid once baby arrives. Read them lots of books about new baby coming. Prep, prep, prep. Lots of talk about what it will be like when baby comes home. How they can help. Etc. And also I’ve said, being really honest. Not like doom and gloom, but; I’m going to be so, so busy with the baby. But it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Babies just need a ton of care; literal care and feeding.
And never say you can’t do something with them because of the baby. And I’m guilty of having done that. But I tried not to place too much blame on the baby. It might be true that you can’t do something because of the baby. But blaming it directly on the baby, or saying, “I can’t because the baby needs this.” Rather than just saying; “I can’t right now. I’m so sorry.” Is hopefully a way to keep the older kid from getting too resentful of the younger one.
And this was one of my absolute favorites. “Don’t overthink it. It will all be just fine. Great, actually. You’ll be tired, but your heart will be full. Don’t be afraid to feel the feels, and know when they become friends, it will all be worth it.” I love that.
I’d also say; have a good therapist and/or do some expressive writing now. I talked about expressive writing in one of my earlier podcasts. And do all of that after baby comes to make sure you’re in the best state of mind possible. I did virtual therapy while my oldest played with my mom and I just fed the new baby. I just kind of latched her on and did my virtual therapy. Which is, you know, difficult but it was a good idea. And at a certain point, I felt like I didn’t need that anymore. So it’s been a long time since I talked to my therapist. I still love her, and consider her my therapist. And I know that she’ll be there when I need her. But I’ve been doing pretty well lately. And I think a lot of that is because of her. And because of the groundwork I laid with her, talking through a ton of my fears before I even got pregnant. So I can’t recommend a good therapist highly enough.
And I will say; it’s hard. And it’s physically grueling. But you will make it.
Alright. How about we close it out there? That’s it for episode 39. A big thank you to Arrowhead Mills for making this episode possible. Remember, you can ask me anything by sending me a DM @RealFoodLIz on Instagram. But the best way to ask is to go to www.RealFoodLiz.com/AskLiz. That way, they don’t get lost in my inbox.
I appreciate you! Thank you for letting me do this, and for listening. I’ll see you next week.
