Gut Health, Hormones & Everyday Energy w/ Karin Adoni
Welcome to Journey to the Sunny Side, the podcast where we have thoughtful conversations to explore the science of habits, uncover the secrets to mindful living, and of course, your own mindful drinking journey. In part two of my conversation with Corinne Adoni, nutritionist and author, we dive into real life strategies for supporting gut health and balancing hormones. Corinne shares simple swaps to reduce toxins, boost energy, and feel better day to day. We close with a rapid fire round of her best tips for sleep, cravings, and mindful living. Let's get into part two.
Speaker 1:Okay, so when it comes to hormones, we'll get back on track. At what it seems like the age range is just so loose to nail down, but if somebody's noticing some of these symptoms, at what age should they be thinking about? Maybe this is the issue and what's their first step?
Speaker 2:Define the question again, like if they have a problem with hormonal Yeah. It's like you see, listed a
Speaker 1:few things that could be related like.
Speaker 2:Like, what they should do. Mhmm. So first of all, as I said, remove processed food as much as possible. That's number one. So everything that comes out of a package that has an ingredients like a laundry list that it's super long, that lasts on the shelf for, like, a long period of time that is not related to food.
Speaker 2:Like doesn't look like the food in nature. And we wanna define. Natural food would be like a tomato. Processed food would be like a tomato paste. Ultra processed would be like a frozen pizza with 26 ingredients.
Speaker 2:So we wanna define between processed and ultra processed because it's like it gets a little bit tricky with that. So ultra processed is what we're trying to avoid. Plastic water bottles, okay. The amount of microplastic going into plastic water bottles. Also like Tupperware or everything that you're using, especially if you're using like paper plastic that are coated with like the forever chemicals.
Speaker 2:You put hot food on it, it latches into the food, goes into your body. So water, I would say use like a filter just, you know, use and refill your water bottle. You can also buy glass, but that's kind of like not realistic for the long term, I mean. And then I wanna say fragrance are probably the number one hormone
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:People don't get. And fragrance is a big family because it's like perfume, it's laundry, it's dish soap, it's whatever it is. So even if you don't move to, like, completely nontoxic clean brands and you still wanna go with the big brands, go with unscented. Like, that would be at least the minimum first step. Like, even you use Tide, then use the unscented one.
Speaker 2:You know? Like, even still use those ones.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I remember, like, I don't know, five, ten years ago reading around, look for the ingredient parfum because it could be, like, 1,000 different things.
Speaker 2:Fragrance are, like, up to a thousand ingredients.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And and I'll throw in one thing, not that I'm an expert, but I do my research. And one that I realized I was doing in Spain was that coffee makers are all black plastic.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you're running hot water through them. So I started switching to, like, a metal French press instead of running it every day in in the because, like, I was like, I'm on I'm not using plastic. I'm using glass and like this. And then I realized I'm like, I'm running I'm running it through that too.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So plastic yeah. So it goes everything plastic is is big. And, again, if you drink coffee every day or twice a day or whatever it is, yes, I would do the switch. If you're not a person who drinks coffee and you drink it once in a blue moon, then I wouldn't go the extra mile.
Speaker 2:But like usually water would be because we consume water all day long. So that's something. And then another thing, and then it goes into the overwhelming water are filled with fluoride, chlorine, pharmaceutical, estrogen. So if you can get a filter to filter that out, it can be a home filtration system, it can be on the counter filtration system to filter all of those things out of the water.
Speaker 1:Now let me ask you, because obviously somebody should see a doctor, of course, probably in regard to hormones. But I'm guessing that you work in conjunction so that, both either medication and or supplementation plus diet, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle is all like Yeah. Working
Speaker 2:first of all, if I work with clients or one on one or they do one of my groups and they're specific, we go over and we review all of their blood work, you know, from A to Z. The thing is with blood work is that many times, first of all, it goes into like a statistic and a range. And then B, sometimes it's like, okay, I feel fatigued, tired, bloated, I can't lose weight, I'm half depressed. And then the blood results come back and it's like, oh, it's all fine because we don't they just because the standard ones don't necessarily show everything and it's okay. So I do believe in working in conjunction with everything.
Speaker 2:I also disagree with the approach of like doctors don't know anything, science knows nothing, blood work, I never see a doctor. No, you should see a doctor. But you also need to know how to ask the question. Research, ask, like don't have the white rope syndrome that everything the doctor says is God. Because he's a person that was taught in a specific way and he can also make mistakes.
Speaker 2:But also, do you know and have you done really a research but like a deep research? Not like scrolling on Instagram. Like a deep research understanding what goes into your body. Like you go to like whatever, your family doctor, your OBGYN, ask the questions. Like know what is it because that's another problem that we have in today's world where you know, information just floods into us nonstop.
Speaker 2:And then it's like, no, I know. But do you know are you Instagram educated? And I don't disrespect. But I do say that we can't go from this extreme to the other extreme. So we need to combine the middle.
Speaker 2:So we do need to do blood work once a year minimum. We do need to have a good, you know, primary doctor that we have a good relationship that can hear you out, that does believe in, you know, a whole like wholesomeness of life and lifestyle and diet and nutrition, but he can also see things that maybe you have no idea how to look at. And then you can work in congestion hand in hand versus saying, no, I know. I never take my kids to the doctors. I never do that.
Speaker 2:I never do this. Okay. Okay. Fine. Then it doesn't work that way.
Speaker 2:There's a reason why the world have developed into medicine, but have we took it too far into the pharmaceutical? Yes. 1000% find the middle.
Speaker 1:Find the middle. I like that. That's a great way of putting it because, yeah, extremes just don't tend to always work out very well, and you don't you miss sight of all the other things on the other side. So, alright, let's get in. Before we go, let's get into, like, the gut a little bit and do, like, kind of a one zero one on that because I actually think this one act I find the most difficult for me.
Speaker 1:And, like, ten years ago, I remember thinking it was important because, like, my naturopathic doctor was like, it's like your second brain, and
Speaker 2:I'm like, interesting.
Speaker 1:Okay. And everything you just said aligns to that, of course, and and more and more is coming out. But first of all, I think how do you know if you're if your gut's, like, in a good place or not? That I think that's the biggest mystery for me. I'm like, I just don't know.
Speaker 1:So what what should I be doing? Because I don't know if I should be doing it in the first place.
Speaker 2:So, okay. So that's a great question to ask. So first of all, I wanna say is that the gut and hormones again go hand in hand together. If like you wake up hungry in the morning, if you don't have extra cravings and like, you know, your body has everything that it needs and you're not like craving sweets and whatever it is, you know, some people never feel hungry, never feel full. Oh, I don't feel hungry, I just snack all day long.
Speaker 2:You know, that's another sign of like imbalanced gut bacteria, imbalanced hormones leptin and ghrelin, which is hunger and satiety. Again, it goes together. Your bowel movement isn't regular. You don't go daily. You don't feel empty then relieved after.
Speaker 2:And I'm not saying like every now and then you don't go to the bathroom. That's normal, especially if you travel, if you're stressed, if like, you know, we're like a dynamic person. If you feel tired and bloated after meals, if you want to go to sleep after meals, If you food is supposed to give you energy. That's supposed to make you tired. And a lot of times he was like, I don't eat lunch.
Speaker 2:I was like, why don't you eat lunch? Oh, because then I want to go nap. And then we start working around it and to see how we build their day correctly. So you need to like rebuild the gut bacteria. So it means that like the enzymes needs to be in place, is that you don't necessarily feel bloated all the time, that you wake up in the morning with like a flatter stomach.
Speaker 2:So those are the things. And those, it could be also like there's the IBS syndrome, like irritable bowel movement syndrome, which is basically every gastro you go to that doesn't know what you have, that's the definition. And then usually if you change your diet and your lifestyle, it will be solved. It does take time because we need to recover the gut bacteria. But those are all signs of an unhealthy gut bacteria.
Speaker 2:And then next step, you get sick all the time or if you get sick, you recover very slowly.
Speaker 1:What about if you get so I'm gonna ask some selfish questions.
Speaker 2:Of course. Go for it.
Speaker 1:What if what if you get sleepy sometimes, but like not most of the time?
Speaker 2:That's fine.
Speaker 1:That's okay?
Speaker 2:That's okay. That's normal. Because listen, it could be that maybe, I don't know, you ate something that your now body needs to like use more enzymes and more energy to digest and break down. Maybe you're not sleeping so well or last night you didn't sleep or maybe you're more stressed, you know. So those things happens.
Speaker 2:Nothing is like this. It's all like this.
Speaker 1:What percentage of the people that you work with tend to have gut issues?
Speaker 2:Probably everyone.
Speaker 1:I I feel like I do. I just don't know. I'm like, sometimes I'll be like, oh, like, one year like, six months ago or eight months ago, I had to take I I try not to, but I had to take an antibiotic because I just couldn't kick it. I'm like, great. I'm just, like, destroyed for six months or years.
Speaker 1:Is that true?
Speaker 2:Again, again, can you ask a question? If you what, you need
Speaker 1:I had to take if you have to take antibiotics, does that just, like, absolutely destroy your gut?
Speaker 2:Okay. Today, new generation of antibiotics are very strong. There are situations where you have to take antibiotics.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:One like, really, truly, I would always take probiotics. Just like unless it's like a very severe infection and you do need to confirm with your doctor because sometimes they can contradict one another. And then it basically kind of slows down the strength of how fast the antibiotic works. And then it's like the bacteria becomes stronger and then you need another round of antibiotics. So there's there is a place again to ask the doctor, you know, like someone who understands.
Speaker 2:So I would definitely take probiotics. I would load up on probiotics. So like garlic and cauliflower and kombucha and sauerkraut and all of the foods that also helps to strengthen your gut bacteria. But it takes time to recover from that. It does.
Speaker 2:And that's why it's like when pediatrician overprescribe antibiotics
Speaker 1:Uh-huh.
Speaker 2:I'm like and I'm not saying when there's a need. I'm saying when there's no need.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. I mean, I I I try to stay away from it as much as possible, but sometimes you're just suffering long enough that you're like, I just can't
Speaker 2:do Sometimes your body isn't strong enough or your immune system has a bacteria that, like, she might be able to, like, overcome, but sometimes it cannot. And then it's like, it just gets worse and worse and worse. And sometimes your body needs it. And Yeah. It is what it is.
Speaker 1:Well, I was gonna throw a dumb joke in there in that. Stay away from perfumes and ding and eat all those stinky foods, garlic, sauerkraut.
Speaker 2:Everyone would wanna be your friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah. All the good stuff. Yeah. Well, if if somebody wants to get, you know, started with a gut routine or is thinking about that oh, you know what? Before we get into that part, I wanna ask you, and this is just kinda bouncing around, and I think this is a fun conversation.
Speaker 1:I wanna ask you, alcohol in the gut. How do you
Speaker 2:Mess it up.
Speaker 1:It's definitely not good. So how how does somebody what's the best way to mitigate the damage?
Speaker 2:I think that listen. I'm I'm also okay. I'll put it this way. When you go on social media and you sometimes see like a health influencer or whatever it is or someone who lives a very, very extreme lifestyle that works for them, they're like alcohol is poisonous to the body. Whether it's true to a certain extent, yes.
Speaker 2:But also as someone who's been working almost twenty years with people, I also know that sustainability and a balance is something that would make people do this for the long term versus doing something for six months or twelve months and then just dropping all and going back into all or nothing mentality, which is worthless. Which is worthless. This because consistency is everything.
Speaker 1:You are speaking my language. I love it.
Speaker 2:Thank you. So on that perspective, I do think that people that love to drink or like their, you know, drink once or twice a week, I don't think it's such a big deal. I do think that people that go out every weekend and like have 10 drinks, yes. I would cut that off. I would have a discussion with them.
Speaker 2:I would be like, okay. I'm limiting you to two to three drinks, and then slowly and gradually, maybe one week yes, one week no. But it's like it's again, I'm not I don't think that if you have a drink every now and then, it's the worst thing in the world. And again, what are we talking about? We're talking about a cocktail with like 30 grams of sugar?
Speaker 2:Are we talking about a glass of wine that is high quality or a beer every now and then? You know, it also depends what we're talking about then. If you live a healthy lifestyle and you choose well, you eat well, you're balanced, your body can also detoxify those toxins. We have a liver and kidneys. So it's like also living super sterile with nothing also isn't as smart because when something hits your body, it's a no go.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I like that. That's a great take. I mean, it's all just everything in in in sort of moderation. I mean, like, are you never I I mean, personally, I don't like it anymore.
Speaker 1:But, like, if somebody just, like, grew up eating McDonald's and you know McDonald's isn't good, but that doesn't mean you can't have a, like, a a cheeseburger maybe, like, a couple times a year or whatever.
Speaker 2:It's just 100%. Do I think that it's better going to, like, a higher quality? Or if you live in California, maybe do, like, In N Out versus McDonald's. Yes.
Speaker 1:Right. But do Yeah. Definitely don't wanna promote McDonald's.
Speaker 2:And, also, we're not promoting anyone. But do I think someone is gonna die if they eat McDonald's? No. No. That that, by the way, approach, what throws people off.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Approach makes people feel that it's unrealistic, unsustainable, unmaintainable, unreachable. It's only for the educated, for the rich, for the people that have time, for the people that have the money. It's not. We can also say, hey, just go back and eating basics.
Speaker 2:You can buy organic. It's fine. Just buy real food. Like, you know, go back to basics. It doesn't need to be.
Speaker 2:So that's what I said. You don't wanna spend now extra money to buy this fancy laundry detergent. Just get like do the small steps. It does help, you know? And also build that up gradually and slowly.
Speaker 2:And then there's more motivation also going from like changing it all overnight. It becomes very overwhelming and it's like you're not working at that. And now if you need to work in what you eat, then you don't have a lot of time to do other things.
Speaker 1:Yes. Yeah. It just becomes, you know, if you kind of work it in like that, it just becomes something you do. Exactly. It's not like this massive shift.
Speaker 1:And and here here on the, the extreme because on the alcohol side, I get so sick of kinda hearing, just like any beyond beyond one drink you know, you got serious brain issue. I I mean, I don't know what's true or not, but sometimes just this overloaded information that's just unrealistic for most people to sustain is just not helpful information.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And also people need to remember, and I say that as, like, a content creator and who and a nutritionist for the past twenty years. And I know both worlds, you know, because it sometimes kind of contradicts one another. That listen. A lot of things that are also being said on social media are sometimes exaggerated to to create like a buzz.
Speaker 2:So you also need to take that under consideration. And also you need to see who you take advice from because there's great people and influencers and even sometimes doctors on social media who gives great advices. But you also need to know whether can you really sustain that lifestyle or you can live their kind of lifestyle. You know what I mean? If that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Like, can you do that? Or maybe just instead of having seven drinks a week, now have two. That's already progress.
Speaker 1:A 100%. Yep. And that and that's a lot about what we talk here. Alright. Before we get going because we're out of time, I'm gonna hit you with some fun rapid fire stuff.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 1:Alright. Number one is morning ritual that you never skip.
Speaker 2:Again, a morning what?
Speaker 1:A morning ritual that you never skip.
Speaker 2:First thing in the morning, water. Water. Water. Water. Water.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna throw on a follow on because that's my ritual too, and it's a lot of water. Sip or chug, or does it matter?
Speaker 2:Sip is better because sometimes when you chug too fast, your kidneys release a hormone that flush all the water out of the body, and it doesn't absorb it as well. But, like, I sometimes sip and sometimes I chug. I drink a lot.
Speaker 1:Okay. Yeah. I'm a I'm a chug. I've always been a chug guy. Chug water, chug beer, whatever.
Speaker 1:Like, I'm just screw it. Yeah. Chug coffee. Alright. One food that you always have on hand for gut health.
Speaker 2:Eggs. Eggs? Mhmm.
Speaker 1:I love eggs. Okay. Great one. And I I miss the European eggs because they were so so yellow, like that dark yellow. Alright.
Speaker 1:Sneaky craving cutter you recommend.
Speaker 2:Sneaky craving cutters. Okay. Adding cinnamon into your food, taking chromium or bitter melon.
Speaker 1:Or bitter what was the last
Speaker 2:Melon. Bitter melon. Bitter melon. Okay. Being Asian fruit that looks like a cucumber with pimples that Uh-huh.
Speaker 2:You can juice it, but it's, like, nasty. You can supplement it, and it's amazing.
Speaker 1:Awesome. That one's new to me. So I'll
Speaker 2:Also, gimana, which is an Indian herb that also helps to balance blood sugar levels.
Speaker 1:Great. I love that. Alright. Last one. Best tip for sleep when hormones feel out of whack.
Speaker 2:That's a hard one because there's so many things. Listen, first of all, I would turn off the blue lights on your phone, you know, turn it into red, stop touching your phone at night. I would also maybe try to have a much earlier dinner, not to have a late night dinner. That would be my first two.
Speaker 1:Okay. Yeah. Those are all good ones. And so I learned something today on these rapid fires. So that was the last one.
Speaker 1:Corinne, I want I want you to talk a little bit about what you're up to these days and where people can find and connect with you to learn more.
Speaker 2:Amazing. So what I'm up to today? So I just opened up a new program of twenty one day hormonal balance, which kind of ties up everything that I talked to you guys, which is like the gut bacteria, the food, also weight loss, and then all the hormones like the environmental. So I tied it in together. I have a team of nutritionists that work under me and we work to really help people change their life.
Speaker 2:But what difference us from other, other than my approach and knowledge, is that we're very hands on. I'm a big believer that it's great to get the information, but I'm all about accountability. So my coaches and the team and how it's structured really makes you be accountable. So if you join, we'll actually be there holding your hand, making you execute those changes so slowly and eventually will become a lifestyle. And we'll also be there to pick you up when it's hard.
Speaker 2:Because that's where really people break. And then working on some new products that I wanna manufacture a new supplementations of formulas that I'm working on. And then where can people find me? They can find me on social media, Instagram and TikTok. It would be Karen Adoni Nutrition or on my website, karenadoni.com.
Speaker 2:I'm also very much like, I answer, I respond. I'm not like that person. You will send a DM and I'll never answer. It could be that I'll miss it. If you'll send me again, I promise to answer.
Speaker 2:But it's also for me because I've been working with people for so long, because I'm so used to giving tips and advices, it's something really within my DNA to help people even answer the simplest question about what to give to their baby and to help them around. So I'm very approachable in that way.
Speaker 1:No. I feel that. You know, we'd never talked before this call and I I can I see it? I felt it this whole call, and I love that you add that element of accountability, and I can tell that you just, like, legitimately care. So thank you so much for the work that you do, First of
Speaker 2:all, thank you.
Speaker 1:And thank you for coming on and sharing today. I've I had a lot of fun. Hope everyone listening walked away with something which I know they did. And I look forward to connecting soon. So thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Me too. Thank you so much for having me. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1:This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform, having helped hundreds of thousands of people cut out more than 13,000,000 drinks since 2020. And in fact, an independent study showed that Sunnyside reduced alcohol consumption by an average of 30% in ninety days. And as one of our members shared, Sunnyside helps me stay mindful of my drinking habits. It's not super restrictive. So if I'm craving a glass of wine with dinner, I just track it and I move on with my week.
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