11 Feb Seed Oils, GLP1’s, Alcohol and Protein with Keri Glassman
Want the unfiltered truth about those “miracle” weight loss shots everyone’s talking about? Curious if seed oils are actually destroying your health? Or the protein myth that’s making you overeat (and what to do instead)? Two leading nutrition experts, Natalie Jill (a sports nutritionist) and Keri Glassman (a registered dietitian), cut through the hype in this candid conversation about what really works, and what doesn’t, for midlife women’s health. If you are a woman navigating midlife health changes and want evidence-based advice without the BS – you know you’re in the right place!
In this episode I sit down with my bestie and celebrity dietitian Keri Glassman to discuss hot takes on midlife health topics. We discuss the optimal amount of protein intake, how GLP-1 medications aren’t “cheating” – and who should actually consider them, the REAL story behind the seed oil controversy that’s dividing the nutrition world, and the impact of alcohol on our health. We also delve into straight talk about hormone therapy – including personal experiences and practical advice.
Hot Take on Seed Oils
The topic of seed oils has become a polarizing topic online lately! From being super supportive of them to absolutely condoning them – the facts are kind of getting lost in translation and we end up even more confused than before. Seed oils became popular as a cheap alternative to healthy fats and oils and became OVERLY used in traditional packaged foods (I mean, up to ⅓ of our calories are coming from hidden seed oils!) As far as Keri is concerned, there two major reasons she does NOT like seed oils and claim them to be unhealthy and inflammatory:
- The way we consume majority of our seed oils are in a highly processed, refined matter that has been treated with very unhealthy chemicals
- They are found in highly processed packaged foods that we should avoid eating anyway!
Because we are getting our seed oils in these two conditions, we are NOT reaping the potential “benefits” of cold-pressed super high quality seed oils. With that being said, if the large majority of your diet is on point with healthy, natural, unprocessed, high-quality foods…the occasional potato chip isn’t going to harm you immediately.
Pro tips: Don’t be SCARED but do what you can to REDUCE harmful seed oils in your diet. Make sure if you ARE going to use them in the occasional recipe at home, make sure you are buying high quality, cold pressed oil options. If you are eating at a nicer restaurant you can request they cook your food in your preferred fat (butter, olive oil, etc.)
Hot Take on GLPs
My personal take on GLPs is actually that I do not hate them – I think they are groundbreaking and are hugely needed! However, I do NOT think they are for everyone, and I also do NOT think it means you are lazy if you use them. But I do think it’s as groundbreaking as having insulin for Type 1 diabetics. In many cases of extreme obesity, there are actual problems that NEED GLPs to get them out of the super high risk mode. However, I also believe that GLPs are often over-prescribed for too many people, and at way too high of a dose. If you are someone who has blood sugar, insulin, and/or cortisol regulation issues, MICROdosing GLPs can be life changing in terms of reducing your metabolic markers. In addition, your inflammation markers can dramatically drop with microdosing GLPs. It’s truly incredible.
Keri’s take is similar to mine! There is 100% a time and place for GLPs – they have been around for a long time and the medications do serve a purpose. GLPs in her opinion are as essential to some people as hormone therapy. We ALL naturally make GLPs naturally in our bodies…but some of us might have an issue making them! In other words, some people NEED to add these in. However, if you are going to be on GLPs, she highly recommends also working toward improving your own natural production of it simultaneously (via gut health, lifestyle, diet, etc.)
Pro tips: Start low and slow and make sure to adjust your lifestyle habits to support you on the journey. Before going on the GLPs, try to take a good analysis of your life and see where you can improve your OWN production of GLPs (more fiber, certain proteins, certain probiotics, etc.) If you go on them, be absolutely sure you are eating enough calories, getting in enough protein, and doing strength training to maintain muscle mass.
Hot Take on Alcohol
Keri was someone who used to have 1-2 drinks about 3 nights per week. Alcohol would trigger major brain fog and migraines for her (and many other midlife women) so she decided to give it up mostly! We have known for a long time that alcohol is NOT good for us and has been linked to cancer (and cognitive decline) – but it’s not as commonly acknowledged as smoking cigarettes.
I personally have never really been a drinker – I just haven’t ever loved it. BUT I also don’t ever take it away from my clients in my programs. I know that taking it away from people can be very triggering. Instead, I teach people how to work it into your life and way of eating. My opinion is that as we get older, a lot of toxins start catching up with us. As we age, we don’t process toxins as well as we once did! We need our organs to be fully functioning to help us fully detox. A lot of women in midlife will experience elevated liver enzymes. When you drink alcohol, your liver will be overloaded and will be more focused on processing the alcohol than processing the many other toxins we are exposed to in modern day life (water, food, pollution, pesticides, cleaners, chemicals, clothes, etc.).
Pro tips: Consider what your reason is for wanting the drink in the first place. Is there something you can address THERE so you might not want it as much? And, consider the habits that stem from having the alcohol (the extra snacks, the desert, the basket of bread, the lack of sleep, etc.)
Hot Take on HRT (Hormone Replacement / Replenishment Therapy)
When it comes to hormone therapy in midlife there is the synthetic route and there is the bioidentical route. And yes, due to a very flawed study, a lot of people are scared of the idea of hormone therapy. I personally am a HUGE fan of bio-idential HRT which is identical to the hormones your body already makes. I am on an estrogen patch, testosterone injection, and progesterone cream at night.
I do, however, think that there are some critical things to consider in a specific order before starting – like what are your views around aging, are you eating clean, how is your gut health, and then AFTER those things are dialed in, hormone replenishment can be life changing!
Where Keri and I originally differ (although I totally see her point as valid) is that she swings between bio-identical vs. synthetic and doesn’t think the TYPE matters as much – what really matters, is what combo works for YOU and your genetics, symptoms, etc. to know what works for you! She also reminds us of the importance of also considering our future – you might not have symptoms NOW, but in 10 years, you could have cognitive decline, fractures, poor bone health, heart disease, etc. in the future as a result of your hormones NOT being optimized.
Pro tips: Clean up the other areas of your life mentioned above before starting HRT. Then, get really educated on the different methods, work with a clinician who is a hormone expert that cares about YOUR wants and needs (NOT your general practitioner), and then decide what YOUR personal goals for hormone therapies are.
Hot Take on Protein
There is SO much information out there about how much protein we need. Back in the day (and even in Keri’s dietician schooling!) we were told we need .8g/kg (kg = your bodyweight in lbs divided by 2.2) of body weight of protein per day. That is NOT ENOUGH protein to live optimally. The opposite trend that we have seen is a swing to 1g of protein per 1lb of ideal body weight. This can be great in midlife if you’re lifting weights, but this can be really difficult to get in! Keri argues that what is even MORE or equally important than the AMOUNT is the QUALITY of your protein consistently at each meal, not in one big mega dose.
If you are someone who is at least 20-25lbs overweight, the priority is NOT making sure you are “getting in enough protein”. It’s about reprogramming your nutrition habits overall. From portions to ratios. Are you prioritizing protein AND are you balancing your carbs with your proteins and fats? THAT is super important. The “heavy importance” of prioritizing the grams per bodyweight in the media is usually preached by those who are already lean and are looking to optimize.
Pro tip: Make sure you are eating balanced, unprocessed meals. Get about ⅓ of your calories per day from a good protein. Try to look at 1 gram per 1 lb of your IDEAL weight. Eat HIGH quality pure protein sources at all meals each day.
