Episode 15: Carb talk (the good, the bad, and the gluten-free)

Welcome to the Beauty of Better Podcast, where we help moms thrive in health and fame.

Hey mamas, we are just so glad that you are here with us today.

We're kind of continuing on this series.

Last week, we covered fats as far as the macronutrients.

And today we're gonna talk a little bit about carbohydrates.

It's something, you know, so often in popular culture that people can be leery of, or maybe there's certain fad diets out there that have given a bad rap to carbohydrates.

But we're just hoping to have good conversation about that today.

Hopefully just dispel some of the myths about carbohydrates and how actually, like, they are really good sources of nutrients for our bodies.

And, you know, ultimately, I always think God refers to himself as the bread of life.

So, you know, carbohydrates can't be that bad.

But, so, you know, we're just going to talk a little bit about that today.

But first, I just wanted to talk a little bit about, like, just the role of carbohydrates, like, in our bodies.

And, you know, carbohydrates are one of the main sources of fuel for all of our body processes, especially if you're active, you know, for exercise, like, our body needs glucose in order to function and to thrive and survive.

So, you know, it's just looking at, what are the sources of energy from carbohydrates that are the best for us?

Ones that contain fiber, that helps slow down that release of the sugar from the carbohydrates to our bloodstream, so that we get that, you know, so that we stabilize our blood sugar.

Looking at balancing that sometimes with protein.

So, you know, people oftentimes think, like, what should I have for breakfast?

And, you know, current research has shown that actually, like, having carbohydrates and protein in the morning is a good way to start our day to help stabilize those blood sugars.

And oftentimes with our hormone levels, we can actually digest and process carbohydrates, sometimes better in the morning.

Of course, this is different for everybody, but current research has shown that oftentimes we can digest those carbohydrates best in the morning.

So, you know, that could be something like having overnight soaked oats.

That's something that I love having, like quick grab on the go.

And we actually posted that recipe on our Instagram.

It's called Bercher Measley.

And you just can make either a big bowl of it, which is what I do.

And you throw in nuts and seeds in it and yogurt, a lot of healthy probiotics in there.

It's something quick on the go for moms who are, you know, whether you're running off to the office or taking your kids to school.

You know, that's a simple meal that you can have that has those healthy carbohydrates, fats, and protein in it.

So when you look at, like, simple carbohydrates versus complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates, a simple way of looking at that is that it's easily broken down in your body, like, very quickly for usable energy.

So think about, like, a soda, if you drink that.

Like, you might get that quick energy, but then that's gonna crash and drop your blood sugar level.

So you'll be craving something like that again.

But if you have something like a complex carbohydrate, so like a whole grain toast, or even like, you know, a sweet potato, something that has starch in it and fiber in it, it takes the body longer to break those carbohydrates down to usable energy.

And so when it takes the body longer to break those things down, then it's gonna release that into your bloodstream slower, and it's gonna maintain those blood sugar levels so that you're not getting those spikes and then craving again and then having to have something to spike that back up again, because that's what gets us in that roller coaster response.

And especially as women, that affects our hormones so much when we have that kind of pattern of spike, drop, spike, drop.

So it's really important that we look at little areas in our life, like where have I maybe gone for like a soda or a candy bar when actually I can swap that out for a healthy, healthier snack that's gonna stabilize my blood sugars, and give me some stability there.

But I don't want to talk the whole time.

Maybe if one of you guys wanted to talk a bit more about fiber, or a little bit more on the simple versus complex carbohydrates.

Yeah, I just wanted to jump in really quick just to clarify some terminology, just in case moms here haven't taken a science course recently, or it's not top in your terminology.

So when we're talking about carbohydrates or carbs becoming energy or glucose, if you hear the word glucose, when carbs are broken down, whether they're simple or complex, they become sugars.

And so when they're simple carbs, it means they've usually been processed or refined.

It's usually where you see the unhealthy foods, like white bleached bread, right?

Or candy, those white sugars.

Those, our bodies process so fast because they're already processed.

So that doesn't take our bodies a long time to break that down to sugar.

And so that's why our sugars spike when we eat those.

But if you have a complex carb, as Kathleen was saying, those are carbs more in their natural form.

So you think fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

When our body breaks those down, it takes longer.

It's a longer process.

So it takes longer for the sugars to be released.

So we're fuller longer, we have fiber, and energy is released at a more constant level.

So if you hear those terms, that's more of what that means.

But I know, Cristiana, do you have anything on fiber?

Yeah, so there's different fiber needs kind of based on men or women.

So women, since that's who we're speaking to, it's 22 to 28 grams per day.

And so we talked a little bit about meal planning in a previous episode.

So sometimes like if you're using a meal planning app, I could quantify that for you if you don't want to kind of do the calculations yourself.

But looking for those things that have whole wheat, whole grains is going to really help up the ANT with making sure that you're really aiming towards those complex carbohydrates.

It's going to have more fiber built in.

So not only is it going to be affecting your blood sugar and people to keep it level, but also gut health and like just keeping things moving and regulated there.

It keeps you fuller longer as well.

So some of my favorite forms of fiber or something like a quinoa or steel cut oats, like those have just a powerhouse of other great things as well, but good sources of fiber.

So often if I'm looking at a food label, I'll kind of see, oh, okay, how much fiber does this have if it's a carbohydrate?

And then even looking at that first ingredient list of like, is this a whole wheat or is this just something that's really refined?

And particularly those first three to five ingredients is kind of what I look towards when I'm evaluating which bread to purchase for my family or what other type of items.

And then there's just some go-to ones that like, I think you just kind of figure out, okay, if you don't like quinoa, then what's a different type of grain that your family enjoys that you can just have as a staple that you know is a complex carbohydrate and high in fiber?

Yeah, I love that.

I was just going to say, Kelsey, I know you teach nutrition and you get deep down into it.

Yes, so a piece, just for like simple knowledge, a piece of bread, like a piece of white bread has less than one gram of fiber.

But if you do like a whole wheat or even like a sourdough piece of bread, that has like two to three grams in one.

So if we're talking about bread, I feel like bread gets a really bad rap.

Like, they're really common carbohydrate, and people are like, you can't be healthy if you eat bread.

You actually can eat bread.

And when you're looking at, like Cristiana said, when you're looking at the ingredient list, I'm sure this has been said before, but just as a reminder, the ingredients that come at the beginning are the ones that are in the food the most.

So if it's listed first, that means like this is the most potent ingredient in this food.

So when you're buying bread, if you're not making it yourself, look for bread that has the least amount of ingredients or added preservatives.

I like to get it at a bakery if I'm not going to make it because it's like flour, water, and salt.

That's really all it is.

Or how it should be.

Yeah, right.

I like to make sourdough at home.

It's like a fun hobby.

It's something I get to do with my hands, and I enjoy that.

But not everybody's cup of tea, if that's not for you.

Just look for a bread that has less stuff added to it.

And if you can buy it fresh from a bakery, do that.

If you don't have access to that, then just look at the ingredient list.

And when you go to the store and buy the one that's like the least, has the least added stuff to it.

And then what was the other thing I was going to say?

Oh, carbohydrates.

I feel like I should say this too, because for fats, we said they have nine calories per gram.

Carbs and proteins have four calories per gram.

So it's not as dense of an energy source as fats, but it's still a primary use.

Like we use carbohydrates all the time.

You're walking around, your body's using carbohydrates for energy.

You're doing daily activities, your body's using carbohydrates for energy.

So anything that's like lower...

The intensity levels kind of depend on how efficient your body is at burning different things for fuel.

And we will probably get into that in a different episode.

But just know that carbohydrates are good for exercise, they're good for daily activities.

You should have them as a part of your diet.

And it's definitely easier to eat more of them, I think.

Like nobody ever said, man, like I had a really hard time getting my carbohydrates.

That's so true.

They taste really good.

I love to make...

Every week, we'll do like a pan of either diced sweet potatoes or even regular potatoes.

And my kids actually like sweet potatoes better than regular.

So like, okay, we're going to do that this week.

So we typically do that, but just looking for fiber in whole foods, right?

Like it's okay to have things in moderation, but things like fruits and vegetables are actually considered carbohydrates.

So we already defined simple and complex, but technically those are carbs.

So having veggies, having fruits, those things are contributing to your fiber amounts, especially all those micronutrients in there.

And those are really, really great for you too.

So yeah, lots of fun ways you can include carbohydrates in snacks and just getting your kids to try fruits and veggies.

Something I started doing recently was this little munch match where we eat bunny food and we'll try to have a race, and we all sit there and munch it together, and my kids totally think that's hilarious.

So we've been doing that since Easter's close, and they're like, oh, we're gonna be a bunny.

So yeah, it's been a fun way to sneak in some of the more complex carbohydrates via veggies.

I love that.

What other tips do you girls have that you've used with your kiddos over the years?

Just with increasing, yeah, like on the veggies or carbohydrates, things like that.

I think what we've tried, like, well, more when they were younger, we were realizing, like, you know, just certain ones they'll gravitate to or not gravitate to when it comes to vegetables, I guess, is if you cut them different ways, right, then you traditionally cut them, like, for example, a cucumber, you know, maybe you always cut it in circles, but maybe you do spears or something else.

Like, that feels really exciting and novel to some of those younger ones.

I remember clearly when maybe we only had two or three kids.

I mean, it's kind of a blur.

When they were little, we went to a play date and, you know, veggies were served as like the little snack, the fruits and veggies.

And my kids just were scarfing up a vegetable that they would not normally particularly enjoy at home, and it was because it was cut differently.

So just like the presentation of it, I think, can make it different.

And then even like, you know, making sure they're like, oh, have you had five to seven fruits and vegetables in a day before you go grab a bag of, you know, processed snack food?

You know, just kind of like having that be a family habit or a family rhythm of like, you know, I'm going to look for a fruit or vegetable before I'm going to grab something that is gonna sit on a shelf for a good period of time and still, still stay shelf stable.

So those are just a few things in our home.

In the summertime, I try to have boards out.

So I'll put like fruits or vegetables or a mix.

And it's kind of like, if they're washed, prepped and just out to grab, they tend to grab them more.

So I feel like that's when they tend to like eat more fruits and vegetables.

But I do have older kids, so they don't fight me as much anymore.

It's more like, oh, you've got broccoli on your plate, so you've got to eat it.

But I feel like they all like broccoli.

So but it's just like finding those fruits and vegetables that they do like.

But I think what we are trying to work towards more is like, my boys love white rice because they love Chipotle.

And so it's like, okay, let's swap this out with brown rice and see if we can make something that tastes similar.

And I think something I always have to remind them of is, when we cook at home, it's not going to be exact like a restaurant.

It's going to taste a little different, but it can be very similar.

And just reminding like the health benefits that come with that.

So trying to make similar recipes that aren't exactly the same, but still like, you know, the cilantro and lime and everything in it.

So, yeah.

Now, I need to, speaking of the white rice, I need to look this up, actually, if there's like science behind it.

But like, I got a lesson from a friend.

She taught me how to cook Thai food.

And she said that in their country, they add like vinegar to white rice, so like for people with like diabetes, because it helps like slow the release of the starch or something.

So I need to look that up.

I'm like, it's not actually something.

But I was like, I wonder if we can do something like that, but or just, you know, add some veggies and stuff to the rice.

Like some, my kids are the same.

They just like white rice, but they actually do like, if I put butter in brown rice, they like it.

So just put some healthy grass-fed, you know, butter in there, and they like that brown rice.

But yeah, I think I said this on another podcast, but something I had heard from another mom that she does, is because my kids tend to, I mean, they'll eat raw fruits, but like the raw veggies and stuff, like it's just not their thing.

And we've found some fun ways to cook like broccoli.

Like we've started doing broccoli on the grill with like fresh garlic, and my first born like ate it up.

Like she was taking everyone else's who wouldn't eat theirs last night.

I was like, okay, this is kind of fun.

Finding ways that they'll, you know, eat it.

But I usually put all of it, kind of like you said, Danielle, like on boards, and if you put it in the middle, then all of a sudden, like they're all grabbing it, and then the ones who don't, wouldn't usually go for that food, they're like, I feel like I should take it.

Peer pressure, in a good way.

Yeah.

And so that actually has worked for us, and has worked with neighbor kids coming over and who are picky eaters, and then them being like, oh, hey, I'll eat this.

And then I told their parents, they ate that, and they're shocked.

So, you know, sometimes just those little trying something different, and I'm going to try that way, Christiana, of like cutting them in different shapes.

But I tend to make everything in smiley faces at the minute.

So it's like fruit and vegetables, like all on the plate, the smiley shape form, and somehow that's like magical to them, and they'll eat it.

So I'm just happen to be an artist with food lately.

But yeah, but we, for a while, we were actually like gluten free, because my husband needed to be on that for a while, and actually my second born daughter had to be gluten free for a while as well.

Thankfully, they're both able to eat it now just fine, which is awesome.

But we kind of switched over to like quinoa pastas, sometimes just trying those pastas that have more fiber in them and a little bit more nutrition than the white pasta.

You might be surprised that your kiddo actually loves them.

And it's not having gluten free for the sake of gluten free, but it's just trying something different.

Even those chickpea pastas, something like that can boost your protein and help keep kiddos fuller longer.

So sometimes I just try those just for that sake, for increasing that nutrition amount in the fiber and protein.

So that's something that mamas can try.

And I think just like any change that we do, it's not gonna be accepted on the first time, like maybe as a family or with the kids.

And so it's that repeated exposure.

I know when my kids were infants, I was determined to affect their food palate by exposing them to all the bad tasting vegetables first, like the green ones, you know?

We're gonna start with green, and then we'll move to red, and then we'll move to orange, and then we'll move to yellow, and I was very strategic with like, you know, you can develop that palate, or you can change it if you haven't been exposed to it.

Maybe you just didn't have them as an option, and so you're like, okay.

Like for me, I hated Brussels sprouts for the longest time.

Like, I'm like, I have to get over this.

It was almost like a challenge of like, okay, I know I don't like this, but I'm saying you gotta try things, and it has great stuff in it.

And so I just tried cooking it different ways until I finally found something that I'm like, oh, you know, like kind of like what you did with grilling broccoli, like.

So if I'm asking my kids to take on something challenging and hard for them, I've tried to find something that's challenging and hard for me, and then try to model that as well.

And then just like, it's not perfection.

We're just growing and changing our palette and that happens over time.

So I was wondering if we wanted to speak to kind of the elephant in the room of, you know, the low carb diets and the gluten free diets, because I feel like I just meet people all the time.

I know some of you do too, where it's just like, that's what people go to, and they feel like they have to make a change in life or make a change in what they're eating.

So I didn't know if we wanted to speak into that at all.

Yeah, if anybody wants to jump in.

Kelsey, did you want to jump in or?

She might be rocking the baby.

Rocking baby, that's okay.

You don't have the video on, she's carrying a baby.

Yeah, so sweet.

Oh, I see your mic's off now, sorry about that.

Yeah, I think I was kind of looking up more of some of the current research on that of just for people with carbohydrate sensitivity and stuff, and it's kind of mixed.

So where before it had said that, oh, all carbohydrates is going to cause this response in people, that's just so different now.

And I think what works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for the next person.

But I think definitely, I think I can testify to, I grew up on very processed food in the Midwest.

I had pop tarts for breakfast, and just white bagels, and oftentimes just cereal that was really high in sugar.

And just over time, I started to change that gradually, and just moved from white bread, we always had white bread in our house, and then I changed that over to like in college, starting to have brown bread, and I slowly made these incremental changes.

So I can testify that if you grew up on a diet that was more processed, and you were used to white bread, sometimes it's just switching to, it doesn't have to be that really nutty, seedy bread, but maybe that's too intense of a jump.

But it could just be that kind of half and half wheat bread, half white bread, and then work your way up to having the higher fiber stuff.

And where it's become now, that's just natural for me, and that's what I've given my kids.

And I don't really give them the choice of white bread, they just have never had that choice, so they don't know anything different.

But I want to speak to moms, if you have had your kids on white bread, don't feel guilt about that, just say, okay, how can we start to shift this, and how can we start to change it?

Like, make heart shaped toast or something, even if it's made out of wheat bread, and they're like, oh, what's this new thing?

And there's always some ways that we can change and shift things, and make little changes towards better.

I feel like I didn't answer the question.

But I went off on some other topic.

But that was, yeah, I don't know, I just wanted to share that too.

No matter where you've started, or where your starting point is now, there's always a way of growing in that, and just taking it a day at a time, especially with your kids.

It can be hard when they're picky.

But it's like, yeah, we just come at it with consistency, and just say, hey, we're doing this, and talk about, I talk about with our kids, we have a new little boy in our family that we're fostering, and I talk to him about, oh, this gives us superpowers, and these are the superpowers it gives us.

And so, just now, with all this food, he's like, is this giving me superpowers?

Yeah, I'm a superhero.

And I'm like, you are, bud, you're turning into one every time you eat this stuff.

And it's with Littles, he's three, going on four, and it's just, that's helpful with Littles, talking to him that way, instead of saying, oh, that's good food, bad food, because that can create bad relationships with food for kids where they feel shame over eating the bad food.

So, you know, when we just praise foods, it's like, wow, they're superfoods, or like, that's superpowers in that food and stuff.

Like, you know, it focuses on the positive, you know.

I love that, Kathleen.

Okay, I'm going to hop in because he's asleep, I think.

I've got a little baby on me right now.

So I think just to clarify with gluten, if, like, there's celiac disease, which is an actual autoimmune disorder, where your body's immune system is, like, attacking the lining of your small intestine when you consume gluten.

So that's, like, an actual disorder that some people have, and they cannot eat gluten because if they do, their body mistakes it as an invader, and it really affects their small intestine.

So it can cause inflammation, and they're not going to absorb other nutrients super well because of that.

So that's celiac, and you might have, you know, like, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, things like that that are related to celiac disease.

But gluten sensitivity is not going to cause the same type of damage to the small intestine that celiac disease does.

So I think a lot of people just assume that if foods are gluten free, they're automatically healthy, which I just, you know, that whole idea of, you know, I'm going to cut gluten out of my diet and see if it makes me feel better.

You might feel better if you do that, but it also might be related to the fact that you're just having less processed foods.

If you cut gluten out, because gluten is in a lot of processed foods.

It could be the wrong type of gluten.

Right, yes, it might be related.

If you do have a sensitivity that does improve from doing that, I would just talk to your doctor about that, because there's certain tests that you can actually determine.

Do I have a gluten sensitivity, or is it an actual allergy, and do I have celiac?

Because they're just two really different things.

So I would just be careful that assuming anything that labels itself as gluten-free is healthy automatically, because it's not necessarily the case.

It might have other things like added sugar, and a bunch of other ingredients on the list that make it taste better because it doesn't have gluten in it.

That could be the case, too.

So just be careful of assuming that because something says it's gluten-free, it's automatically a health food.

Well, I think that's one of my...

Why I wanted to ask that question is because I feel like that's how it's marketed right now.

Yes.

Is so many things, especially in Southern California, are marketed as gluten-free, but it's like in the health section and looking healthy and you should buy this if you want to be healthy, where it's not even speaking to allergies or sensitivities.

So for people who do have allergies, man, what a great season to have an allergy because you can actually find options right now.

But it's being marketed to people who just want to make a change rather than actually identify if they actually have an allergy or not.

So it's become a fad.

Yeah, it is almost a fad just to say that you're gluten-free.

And you're right, it is.

If you really do need that, like that's amazing because now there's so many things that are gluten-free and that's really helpful for people.

When I think in the past that has not been the case.

And yeah, I think it's interesting to gluten in America versus gluten in other countries.

Kathleen, I don't know if you want to talk about that, but there are instances where people who have had something with gluten in it who are allergic to gluten, and they've had it in like Europe, and it does not affect them the same way as it does in America, which is just kind of an interesting thing because that's probably related to the flower and how the flower is processed, and what's in all of the gluten-containing ingredients.

And Kathleen, I don't know if you want to...

Yeah.

Well, in an observation I have made, when I met my husband, I met him at a very international school, and we had people, I lived with like 11 other girls, like all in one house.

And a lot of them would always comment how sweet our bread is.

So like that's one element, is like, we put more sugar in our bread than other countries.

Like, I have yet to meet a foreign person that like doesn't comment how sweet our bread is.

And it can just be like regular, like regular toast bread.

It's not even like brioche or something like that, you know.

It's like regular bread that you'd have on sandwiches.

And, you know, one of my friends, she kind of, she gained a lot of weight when she came here.

And then she said for herself, she cut out white bread because she was eating white bread here.

And when she cut that out, like the weight came off again.

And sometimes also I have noticed in America is that we increase our gluten amount in our breads because gluten gives it that kind of like doughy sort of texture.

And so Americans really like that.

And so our gluten amounts are a lot higher in our breads.

And so then sometimes that can cause problems for people.

But I mean, you look at like, I've been to Paris and people eat baguettes three times a day.

I'm like, they're open.

So I'm like, bread is not the problem.

Sometimes it's just the processing of it in America of like what the consumers are wanting.

And then the manufacturers respond to that by making bread into kind of a more unnatural form that our bodies are like, oh, can't handle that so well.

And so, you know, and I didn't we well, but then again, you know, in Northern Ireland, still my husband, like, for a while, he did have to be gluten free, and we got him tested and he did have sensitivity.

And we even had him on like the most organic sourdough bread.

We were trying everything, and even that was like causing problems for him.

And so for him, at least, taking a period of time when he removed that from his diet, like let his body heal.

And then be able to process it again.

So he's able to eat it now.

He makes sourdough for us, and we have a starter from Dublin.

And it's really good, and he's able to take that.

And that might be some people's case.

But like if it's not a diagnosed condition, like I think definitely there is that mindset that's like, oh, gluten's bad.

When gluten is not bad, gluten is merely the protein in the flour.

And so we don't need to be afraid of that.

But like we were talking about, if you suspect that something is wrong with your body, it's better to go get tested, see your doctor, talk to them about that, rather than just guess, or rather than just to take the popular opinion in fad culture that all gluten is bad.

It's better just to test than guess in that instance.

And so I think that's what we're all kind of saying here, but yeah.

I think, too, sometimes it can almost be easier to look for something that's popular, just to say, I'm going to cut this out, and then I'm going to be healthy, instead of doing the boring, hard work that it takes to come up with a creative meal that tastes good with just whole ingredients that are coming from the ground.

And I think that's almost like a symptom of a bigger problem.

Like, people would rather just do the flashy thing instead of doing...

It's like it's kind of boring, just like exercising, like with the basics.

Like, it's not always this big sexy thing.

Like, it's just like, we're doing the basics over and over and over.

And that's what consistently creates a healthy lifestyle, is when you can take something like a potato and find five different ways to cook it, and that's good.

So I think instead of focusing on, you know, what's the most popular thing to cut out, if we can just look for things to add that have fiber and are good sources of complex carbohydrates, I think we would all just feel a lot better, and it would probably make a bigger difference in our health.

And I think that's what we've talked about in quite a few episodes, is just having that mindset of what can we add to be better, rather than like, what are we restricting, or what are we taking away?

And, you know, I think fiber, and Cristiana spoke to this, is so important.

And having the right amount of fiber can lower your risk of diabetes, it can lower your risk of obesity, it can lower your risk of certain types of cancers.

And so when you cut out carbs, you often miss that.

And so, yeah, I feel like it's so important to incorporate it in a healthy and whole state.

Yes, I just love what we've been talking about, because, and Kelsey, yes, you said it just right.

It's like, it's a lot simpler than what we've made nutrition into.

And I've really seen that, especially in America, like, we make it so complex, so confusing, and really it comes down to just like basic whole foods.

Like, sometimes I feel like I'm like, why am I into nutrition?

Because I'm not an extremist in any way.

I just eat normal whole foods.

And sometimes, like, you feel this pressure from culture, like you need to be more extreme in order to actually be passionate about something.

And it's like, no, because it is simpler than what people think.

It's like, eat foods from the earth, and like, and just like have fun with it.

Like, so many cultures have fun with food so much more than we do in America because we're so hyperfixated on like, whether this is going to make me gain weight or not.

And it's like, also, I just want moms to have freedom to like have fun with food, especially if you've had a bad relationship with food.

Like, just, I don't know, I just, even though this is my prayer just over moms, that you would, even this next week, that you would just feel joy over food again.

That like when you gather at the table with your kids and, you know, your husband, that you would just feel a sense of like joy in just the gathering around food.

And that, you know, it doesn't have to be as complex as like, you know, stressful as sometimes we make it, you know.

So even if that means just simplifying your menu down to like, you know, these kind of finding some whole grain carbohydrates that your family likes, and then adding in slowly like vegetables that your kids eat, and then having them try other ones, like let it be fun and experimental, you know, trying out new fruits, you know, just like bringing some fun back to food again, like I think is just so important.

I just wanted to share that because, you know, it can get so complex and really it is more simple than we think.

And when it comes to carbohydrates and stuff as well, like, you know, not stressing about that, like, oh, should I eat the pizza?

Should I not?

It's like, have the pizza and fully enjoy it.

Like, research has actually shown that our bodies process food better when we enjoy it.

And like when we're in a relaxed state rather than stress.

And so I just, yeah, I just really set up our moms, like, just not to be so stressed about food and just know that it can be easier.

I think that's such a great way to wrap it up, Kathleen.

I feel like just that idea of moms, we hope that this week you can take one small step to becoming better in your relationship with food and with carbs and helping introduce your kids to that.

And we just bless you this week.

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