Hi friend! I am taking a bit of time off from editing and sharing new podcast episodes for a few weeks while I finish working on a new project (more info coming soon!). The good news is there are plenty of other episodes from previous seasons you can catch-up on (binge!) while I step away from the microphone during these next few weeks. For instance, have you listened to my conversation with world-renowned bra expert and founder of Bravolution, Laura Tempesta? If you haven’t yet, press play now because you’re in for a treat! More soon!  :)

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Did you know that 80% of women are most likely wearing the wrong bra size?! Crazy right? Weirdly enough, I never really gave much thought to bra sizing until I came across Laura Tempesta’s TedTalk “You’ll Never Look At Bras The Same Way Again!” 

After watching her TedTalk and realizing that everything I thought I knew about bra sizing was wrong, I figured this was a topic we should unpack and explore on the podcast together. So, here to clear up some of the confusion around bra sizing and to share helpful solutions is the bra expert herself, Laura Tempesta.

Laura is a world-renowned bra expert, apparel innovator, and an inventor of multiple patented products. In fact, she is the only American with a Master’s degree in Lingerie Design, and the only person in the world with a custom-designed degree to study the engineering, design, performance and innovation of Sports Bras. Prior to founding Bravolution, a consumer advocacy group and resource providing bra reviews and education, Laura was Nike’s Sports Bra Innovation Director where she helped guide and develop sports bra innovation. She has been featured as a bra expert in Vogue, Insider, and Better Homes & Gardens and is a TEDx speaker. In short: Laura is on a mission to change the world one poorly fitting sports bra at a time!

If you’re tired of continually wasting money on bras that don’t fit and aren’t comfortable and want to learn how to finally find a bra (or sports bra) that fits and properly supports your ‘girls’ then tune-in because we chat about all this and more in today’s episode!

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/does-your-bra-fit/ 

Quiz time! Can you name your four menstrual phases? Do you know when estrogen rises or how it impacts your brain? Do you know why you tend to eat more during the second half of your cycle as opposed to the first? Did you know you can sync your diet, lifestyle, and/or workouts to your menstrual cycle?

To be honest, a few years ago I would have completely failed this "quiz."  I knew close to nothing about my hormones or the impact they had on my overall health. Most individuals who menstruate don't!

For me, this all changed when I came across the practice of cycle syncing. Have you ever heard of this term?

Cycle syncing was a game changer for me. Not only did it help me understand the hormonal changes that were taking place in my body each week throughout my menstrual cycle but it also gave me insight on how to use the constant ebbing and flowing of my hormones to my advantage, both on a personal and professional level.

How? Well, here to walk us through the ins and outs of cycle syncing -- how it works, what the benefits are, where to start, and more!--is the woman behind the hormone cycle syncing movement herself, Gabrielle Lichterman.

Gabrielle is a longtime women's health journalist who pioneered the cycle-syncing and hormone awareness movement in 2005 with her groundbreaking book, 28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals About Your Moods, Health & Potential. She's also the creator of the popular website Hormonology, an online educational platform she founded, as a way to share hormone cycle education around the globe.

Are you ready to learn how to live in sync with your menstrual cycle and make the most of your amazing hormones? Press play now!

Have you ever noticed that almost every single packaged food item sold at the grocery store contains some form of vegetable oil? I recently walked through the grocery store aisles flipping over packaged foods simply to read their ingredient labels because I was curious, how many products contained vegetable oils?

To be honest, I guess I wasn’t really shocked when I realized that almost every item I picked up contained some form of plant-based oil such as sunflower oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil,  peanut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, or sesame oil. Even the “healthy” organic foods contained vegetable oil. Pizza? Vegetable oil. Trail mix? Vegetable oil. Ice Cream? Vegetable oil. Fruit Snacks? Pretzels? Protein bars? Vegetable oils!

Now, I am not saying that all vegetable oils, which are high in omega-6 fatty acids, are bad. Nor am I saying that we should never eat them again. In fact, our bodies need omega-6s fatty acids as they're essential fatty acids. Meaning, our bodies can’t produce them so we need to get them from an external source.

So, what's the problem? 

The problem is that we are consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids and not enough of their counterpart, omega-3 fatty acids. Which in the long run can become problematic to our health for a variety of reasons.

But, as consumers, this is where things tend to get a bit confusing! I mean, aren’t vegetable oils healthy? And, what's the difference between omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids? And, is there a balanced omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio we should strive to achieve?

Luckily for us, here to help simplify and unpack all of these questions (and more!) is the one and only Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN. Ayla is a registered dietitian nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner and the founder, and CEO, of FullWell, a fertility wellness and education brand. Her entire career focus has been to advance the health and empowerment of practitioners, patients and families through nutritional science, functional medicine and evidence-based holistic solutions.

In today’s episode Ayla shares why women should consume more omega-3 fatty acids, especially women who are struggling with period pain, have a hormonal imbalance, or pregnant or breastfeeding, the differences between omega-6’s and omega-3s, how to easily add more omega-3 rich foods to your diet, and why she developed FullWell’s Fish Oil supplement. We also go off on a tangent and talk about her passion for herbal medicine and the differences between nervines and adaptogens.

I absolutely loved chatting with Ayla and know this is a conversation that will inspire and encourage you along your own personal health journey!

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/omega-3-fatty-acids/