January 27, 2016
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
I get diet books in the mail all the time.
No, I don't have some kind of online shopping fetish for diet books.
People just send them to me. Unsolicited. As a matter of fact, it's a well-known fact in the health and nutrition industry that one of the fastest ways to “make a buck” is to write and sell a diet book. It plays on the psychology that people are constantly looking for next answer to the diet that's not currently working for them. Or they're bored. Or have grass-is-always-greener syndrome.
Anyhow, as you can imagine, I was quite pleased when I received an undieting book in the mail last week. UnDiet: Eat Your Way To Vibrant Health, which includes a plan for an 8-week transformation and more than 35 delicious gluten-free, plant-based recipes.
Meghan Telpner, the author of UnDiet is a Toronto-based author, speaker, and nutritionist. She used to have Crohn's disease, but after throwing up her hands in frustration at the way the modern medical system was trying to heal her, and instead embarking upon her own path of healing, she's fixed her gut, and learned quite a bit about food, exercise, and psychology along the way.
If you find yourself constantly caught up in new diets…
….or you deal with stress constantly damaging your gut…
…or you have Crohn's or some other kind of gut issue…
…or you look good on the outside but feel like crap on the inside…
…then this episode is a must-listen for you. In it, you'll discover:
-The exact steps Meghan used (after nearly having her colon removed from debilitating Crohn's disease) healed her entire gut in just 4 weeks…
-Why you should learn to cook, even if you have someone or some service who can do all the healthy cooking for you…
–What to do when you see a food, or a workout, or some other activity and it just doesn't “feel right”…
-Why Meghan thinks yoga is harder than a stairclimber or a high-intensity workout…
-Why a cute outfit doesn't mean much if you feel like total crappola…
-How you can get around the awkwardness of questioning paradigms, and being “that person” at a dinner party who perhaps doesn't use a microwave or drinks green smoothies…
-In the end, the most important question to ask yourself when it comes to “undieting”…
-And much more!
Resources from this episode:
-Book Ben mentions early in episode: The Hidden Half of Nature: Microbial Roots Of Life & Health
-Another book Ben mentions: Reclaiming Conversation
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about how to quit dieting? Leave your thoughts below and either Meghan or I will reply!
Take a shot every time Ben says “woo woo”
Wow, is Meghan misinformed about IBD and the Ileoanal Anastomosis (i.e. j-pouch). I enjoy listening to these podcasts but this one was frustrating to listen to. Meghan is quite misinformed about the condition and the Ileoanal Anastomosis. How about having a progressive gastroenterologist/colorectal surgeon on and get their take. I’m pretty sure Meghan would have been put in her place pretty quickly in regards to the fact that the surgery does not work, which she implied.
“The molecules of energy are smaller than the body’s cells”
Holy s*** you’re reaching a whole other level of science here, Ben!
Hi Ben & Meghan,
I really liked this podcast, particularly the part about drawing knowledge of what you need from yourself. My problem is that I am a maximum growth mindset person, and I am open to all sorts of diets, so much so that I have a hard time clearing the clutter to determine what my own body is telling me. I have tried every single diet, and I think they all have interesting pieces to them, but I really don’t know how to even tune in to find what my body needs. Is this something addressed in your book, Meghan? I am a huge advocate of meditation, and I’ve even done elimination diets, but I don’t know that I trust myself to provide what my body needs without turning into a hedontic-eating machine. :)
Thanks!
Taylor
Given that you clearly have a lot of knowledge around various diets, it can be tricky when our intellectual knowledge over powers our intuitive knowledge. There are basic things you can pay attention to- how well your sleeping, your appetite, energy levels at various points in the day, bowel movements, resiliency (do you get sick often? if you catch a cold, how quickly do you recover?), thought patterns and levels of positive thought…
You can also take it a step further and get some functional blood work done if you really want to be sure- checking hormone levels, fatty acids, and general nutrient balance (Vit D, B12, Iron etc).
Ultimately, if we’re not in optimal health, then it’s an opportunity for us to explore where or how we can improve and at some point, you have to trust yourself, too.
Thanks, Meghan! I made an appointment to have my functional blood work done, and I’ve started a journal to track some of the basic things you mentioned in your first paragraph.
Hi Ben & Meghan,
Thanks for another great podcast, learnt so much from you in the past few years!
I’m studying Nutritional Therapy and absolutely love the science and research part of my job, but giving recipe and cooking advice wouldn’t be my strong point! I tend to cook very simple and basic foods myself which works well for me with an active lifestyle and I also dip in and out of your 40 meals in Beyond Training, but my own meals can seem a little boring to clients at times when suggested when doing my clinical practice. I like your suggestion in this podcast about suggesting to people to learn even one new meal a week, do you have any other advice I can pass on to people or any books either yourself or Meghan would recommend for someone learning how to cook, and making those first few steps to introducing the habit of preparing their own meals. I’m also always looking for handy (ideally ketogenic or high fat) meal suggestions for myself if you know of any good books.
Many thanks, go raibh maith agat,
Sarah.
Hi Meghan and Ben,
Very informative and inspiring podcast. I have a couple additional questions for Meghan: I’m wondering if you continued yoga and meditation after you became healthy again, and if you ever went back to any of the running, cycling, intense excercise again? If so how much? I’m also wondering what type of diet you adhered to when you were initially healing? You mentioned you were avoiding certain foods- was that dictated by your Chinese medicine physician?
Hi Tanya, I am so glad you enjoy the interview and thank you again Ben for the opportunity to share my story.
To answer your questions:
I have continued yoga and meditation. I’m going on ten years now of regular practice of both. I have also added in pilates as part of my regular regime. Other exercise I do includes walking, cycling, hiking and general functional outdoor activities.
I’m also wondering what type of diet you adhered to when you were initially healing?
My original diet when I was healing was nothing extreme by any measure, I didn’t know enough at the time and had never heard of things like the SCD. Paleo wasn’t a ‘thing’ yet, either. I stuck to a 100% organic (to reduce chemical exposure), from scratch diet. It was very simple and very clean- things like steamed broccoli, brown rice and baked fish- I ate loads of broths, organic poultry, cooked vegetables (nothing raw), some fruits, and loads of water.
You mentioned you were avoiding certain foods- was that dictated by your Chinese medicine physician?
Partially, my Chinese medicine doctor recommended staying away from all raw foods. Mostly however it was based on my own research. Any foods that could potentially perpetuate inflammation in my body (gluten, dairy, sugar, non-organic soy/soy byproducts) etc. I avoided 100% and still do.
I hope this helps.
You might find this post of interest: http://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/can-you-cure-th…