Anita: 0:00

Well, hello, sunshine, welcome back. And if this is your first time hanging out with us on the power plants podcast, you could not have chosen a better day. Because today we're pulling back the curtain and you're going to get to go inside with us to the power on plants membership, you'll get to visit and meet one of our amazing members, Robin, who's getting incredible results. I cannot wait for you to meet her. And to hear this excerpt from our weekly one hour q&a that we have with our members. You know, it's the highlight of our week. We love hanging out with our members. And I'm excited to have you joining us this week. So let's get started. Hey there, Sunshine. Welcome to the Power On Plants podcast, where your host, Jarrod and Anita Roussel and we're absolutely head over heels for whole plant foods, and helping you navigate this incredible plant based journey. That's because our lives have been completely changed by plant based goodness, we used to struggle everyday with excess pounds and low energy, vascular disease, joint pain and lack of sleep, just to name a few. And even though we're medical professionals, we still weren't getting practical answers that actually worked. So we dug into the research, we started living what we learned. And now we both have our lives back. And that's what we want for you to the truth is you can do this, and it's not hard. You just need a way that will bring real and lasting change. And that path, it has to be simple and enjoyable. And it's got to be delicious, too. So are you ready to live your life to the fullest, then you're in the right place because Living without limits. That's what Power On Plants is all about. So pull up your chair, grab a matcha latte, and let's get started. So have you noticed a difference?

Robin: 1:47

I have I have noticed a difference. I know that I've had absorption problems like just with my stomach wanting so much damage was done to my stomach lining. I feel like my guts getting straightened out a little bit better. I feel like I don't have as much digestive issues after dinner. So I'm not feeling the guests the bloating, the discomfort, even if a the healthy meal. You know, cuz vegetables and stuff are loaded with fiber too. Right? But I don't have a don't have a just a a bad feeling with that at all right? Like it just feels so much better. My digestion is so much better than

Anita: 2:41

That's good. Do you know when you kind of started noticing. I know you said you can eat things you couldn't eat before?

Robin: 2:47

Yes, like the fruit.

Anita: 2:50

Are you still enjoying your citrus?

Robin: 2:53

Yes, I got a grapefruit the other day? It's in the refrigerator. I haven't used that one just yet. But yes, I'm enjoying it. And I still have a problem that yeah, that's good. I've missed it. It probably took about a month. Okay. Now, you know, probably back Well, yeah, it is just start seeing small changes. But you know, us. But why did we start this November? December. So this is February. And I'm able to fit it in orange with that any three months? No heartburn, no gas, no irritation, right, hurting my stomach at all whatsoever. I mean, that's the real

Jarrod: 3:38

and there's a very good likelihood that it could be because of the micro floor. Yeah, but the

Anita: 3:45

good gut bacteria are still here. Yeah.

Jarrod: 3:49

And so that's allowing the inflammation, the gut to calm down, and then allowing for the resolution of your symptom. I'm thinking of Dr. Berkowitz. He's a GI doctor at MUSC in Charleston. And he says in 30 days, you could have a huge shift, a huge shift. I don't know if he said a complete reversal, but a pretty major shift in the micro biome of your gut, depending on what you're eating. So if you're eating plants, and that's what the good feed off of, then they're going to build up and then they're going to fight off the detrimental bacteria. Right? So, I mean, you say in about a month. I'm just thinking that sounds about right for once you get the good bacteria in there, then the inflammatory process with the gut lining calms down. It heals and then it starts absorbing like it's supposed to.

Robin: 4:39

That's been my prayer. I mean, you all have been an answer to my prayer. Like you have been a major link in that. I'm not kidding. I was like, please just stop me. And I don't know how I was eating. You know, I told you I've been trying to eat you know, I don't eat a lot of processed or box foods, but I still just felt like I wasn't. I don't know. I just wasn't doing enough, I guess are the right thing. So I've been trying to put into practice these things that that you are teaching. And I can slowly see how positive changes in my own personal life and in my personal body, like I just feel it, I feel better. We're excited

Anita: 5:29

for you, Robin. That is

Robin: 5:32

that is so thankful. I think it's

Anita: 5:34

just gonna get better and better. You're doing amazing now that you've had some big changes. Mm hmm. And your husband's on board. I mean, he's not just yeah, like he's enjoying the food, which is really great. Because I think a lot of people worry about that. Like, I'm just on my own. And even somebody today, I was talking to you online and online. And she was saying, you know, I don't know, I'm going this alone, and my kids aren't doing it, my husband's assessment isn't doing it. And I said, Well, just try it, just do it. Find your new favorites to replace your old ones. And just they're gonna get curious and they're gonna want to try it, even if you're not making it for them, you know, and they might be surprised, you know, I might want more and more of that as time goes by so, but I think a huge part of it is finding your favorites. What do you think made the biggest difference for you? Do you think that's kind of what it was,

Robin: 6:24

for me, I think recipes because I didn't I didn't know and I still am learning I don't know how to make so many different recipes using a lot of the same ingredients but differently like the cashew cream, all the different ways to use that and how you can flavor it differently. Making the level Zanya plant based, I would have never known how to do that I wouldn't even know where to start with so that's made a big difference. Learning how to read our I've read labels in the past because like I said, I don't do a whole lot of boxed type foods, but just learning some box foods that are okay like the Mary's crackers like I love those in the rice cakes with rice be some nut butter or so just all the tips and all the recipes that you give. It's like limitless and I get into a rut and this helps me think outside the box and it's it's helped me try things I would have never tried before expanding my my just made me with my different foods that I eat instead of the same things all the time. I don't think I was getting enough variety for sure.

Anita: 7:49

Right? Right. What do you what are you getting more of now that you weren't getting before? Do you think the things that have made the biggest difference? Like you tell me this citrus, definitely

Robin: 8:02

the citrus adding more of like I add more of the tofu like I hadn't done I hadn't done a lot of that like trying to find some type of meat type replacement. Um and so that's been helpful with with the tofu in the nets like using the almost the walnuts in the lasagna. It's kind of a meaty texture. I would I never thought about that. More lentils I fixed the black lentils this weekend. Yay. And it shows in the Instant Pot. Okay.

Anita: 8:42

And you just say I'm playing?

Robin: 8:44

I did. Well, I had I think I put some garlic up. Why did your recipe Okay, okay. And I think it had some onion and right.

Anita: 8:55

can be really good. I like it on pasta. Sage is great for this a Thanksgiving type spice so yeah, you know, in our country, a lot of people use it and dressings or stamping or something like that. So yeah, it's wonderful because it's an a lot of breakfast sausages. So have your breakfast sausage patties? Yeah. So you can add it to the net mate and get a sausage flavor. So if you ever want that flavor, like in your tasty scramble or something, you can add a little sage.

Robin: 9:26

Yeah. Which my husband asked for the other day as like what do you eat for dinner? He said, can you make that like that? Egg Scramble thing you just like request a breakfast

Anita: 9:38

for dinner? Yes, I am so excited for you all. And I know you're not doing this for weight purposes. I don't even know if you've weighed like I don't generally weigh myself. Do you know if you've lost weight or if anything if your weights been affected in any way? It just started having been

Robin: 9:55

affected. But honestly, for me, I think I was malnourished. I don't really think I was getting enough nutrients, nutrients. Mm hmm.

Anita: 10:05

What do you think you were missing the most? I mean, Where were your nutrients coming from now that you weren't getting before? So I know we keep coming back to citrus I know that we've covered that

Robin: 10:16

Yeah.

Anita: 10:17

And then you said you were trying to get more leafy greens. So do you're eating more leafy greens now

Robin: 10:22

Definitely, for sure more leafy greens, I think they like even to not having the bread like the oat like I had that actually used it tonight because I had some leftover Mexican, where I have tofu was like as my chicken and it was a hadith that I had left over from one day this week and I was just craving like a flour tortilla right. But I didn't have you know the flour ones and I thought I'm just gonna have a couple of those in the freezer that I'm just gonna pull these out because they're fairly thin. I use that did you like it rolled them up and wrapped and with that it was so good because it was nice and the bread took this size a little like it was I was able to tone it down a little bit with the bread. I loved it that nice. Change my bread.

Anita: 11:19

I agree. I love that bread I don't eat I pretty much don't eat any other brand anymore because I like it so much and now and different spices and stuff to at Robins. So Andrew started adding, our 13 year old, s tarting adding adding this Siracha sauce and a hot sauce. Yeah, he started adding that and it's Wildbrine brand I don't know how Whole Foods there may carry it. It's spicy, but if you like spicy things is basically like a mix of a little bit of kimchi with hot sauce. But hot sauce works if you like that, you can just do stuff like garlic, you know garlic and you could do anything you could add any kind of herbs Italian seasoning is great in it so then it's more Italian flavor and so it just takes on a whole new life when you do that and when you add the liquid like the hot sauces and things I just back off on the water a little bit and if it gets too watery, then you just add a little more flour you just cannot mess this stuff up. I mean you really can't. The only way you can mess it up is if it's too goofy. And you don't add more flour. You know if it gets to where maybe you added a little bit too much water or something or just doesn't soak it up in that five minutes for your sins. Anything Yeah, this is gonna stick to everything just add a little more flour it's just harder but I've gotten where I'll leave off the rice flour and I grind up a little bit more flour than what I need and I hold it off to roll it out in I don't know I mean the way Andrew makes it when he adds a hot sauce it doesn't even stick to the to the counter is kind of bizarre hmm mom I said what flour using his man watch I'm just filling up with the little he used a little spatula like a hard spatula.

Jarrod: 12:57

Oh yeah doing that earlier Yeah, I didn't register what he was doing.

Anita: 13:02

Make it Kate's now nine almost 10 And they make it she'll she'll whip it up and and roll it out and he sits there and picks it up it's I mean it's not hard to make right now.

Robin: 13:15

No it's a game changer and nothing for me before I'm worried that grew up in the era where think fat you know too much fat or whatever I don't even like with with all the like making the cashew cream before I would have thought oh two cups of coffee or a cup of cashews or whatever

Anita: 13:36

but it lasts right doesn't last you don't even

Robin: 13:39

because it's healthy and it's not I don't know I just don't I think my body doesn't process the same way right? Yeah,

Anita: 13:50

right and I have to be careful but I mean I don't I don't want anybody thinking about her worrying about it but I just noticed balance so there was a time when I was getting a lot of cashew cream. So then we ran out of cashews I told you about that and we had hit up another time where we're eating a lot of cashews and I said well why don't we start mixing it up and remember I told you you can use some Brazil nuts you know you can take some of the cashew out and use some Brazil met or switch up the natural using and try different ones and do maybe part cashew import something else. It actually worked quite well I mean sometimes like a cashew and walnuts are great for you if you like the flavor walnuts too anytime you can sneak those in because of that omega threes those with that chia seeds and flax seeds. So anytime you can get those in weed. I tried to get some of those every day at least set one of those three

Jarrod: 14:38

and also I think for a lot of the smoothies or the blender drinks, you were using the cash. Now you use the chia right so are the mega fatty acids a mosh and not nuts. Yeah,

Anita: 14:52

this is a matcha so I think in the recipe for the matcha latte, it's cashews, but some chia in it. Use chia seeds. So If you're doing I'll do a Vitamix almost full for the two of us. And we'll have this big huge thing. Ah, and I am the bonus. And I'll use maybe, I mean, even up to a quarter hat, but like, start out at three tablespoons seven, like, well, how many tablespoons for in a quarter cup? That's terrible.

Jarrod: 15:18

This quarter cup would be for us. Yeah, so

Anita: 15:22

yeah, that's probably about what I put two to four. So an eight to quarter cup of chia seeds whole, because the Vitamix is just pulverize them. And I feel like they're healthier if you use them all. And then just let it pick and sit just like the nuts do. Interesting that you're not eating quite so many cashews saw is trying to find a way to do a little bit less, not that they're bad for you at all. It's just that when I find that I'm getting an imbalance. And it's easy to do when you just start eating cashew cream on everything. Yeah, try to switch it up a little bit, which we did. Or when you run out of cashews, it's really tricky. But I love that you're not worried about it. Because you don't have to be and you're getting so many other things in there.

Robin: 16:04

Oh, yes. And I'm not hungry. Like before I was having headaches. But any bad headaches in the back of my head back here so much. So that a November? Not long before all this started, like I had to have an MRI like we were making. Yeah, it's Wow, you did not understand how all of this has came together right at the same time. And I was like, you know, God, you have my attention if there's something I need to do to, you know, or what's not working for me or what right, you know, anyway, everything was okay. But I would just get these really bad headache and I was scary.

Anita: 16:42

I see things happen in life that is gone away.

Robin: 16:45

Weird. Yeah, they're gone.

Jarrod: 16:48

I have heard of people that I worked with had migraines, and then doing it didn't change the way they ate. But they did add a smoothie every day. And it made the migraines believe virtually go away.

Robin: 17:01

Wow. Oh, yeah, a lot

Anita: 17:03

of times I've read a lot of different testimonials of people totally getting rid of migraines or

Jarrod: 17:08

do this yeah, then going away. In her case, it was significantly better because she was adding nutrients she wasn't getting, I believe had she removed the animal products that would have gone away completely

Anita: 17:18

a huge difference and the oils to just made a huge difference. And this

Jarrod: 17:22

is why we do this. I mean, you're getting exactly the passion that we have for this. And I think part of it too is that we go back to this is how the Lord created us to eat initially. And I feel like so many of these diseases that we just kind of suffer and put up with really could be gone by just simply following the way he designed us to function.

Anita: 17:45

Well, we know that's a fact. I mean, that's what studies show again, and again. And again, it shouldn't surprise as we said before, but it is the more of the original way, the better. And I feel like to you, that's probably one of the reasons we do better with raw but then we know nutritionally, we don't know what else is going on when we kick it and I'm not saying cook food is bad. We could do it all the time. But I think we should try to get some of both especially and always focus on the raw because most of us aren't getting raw on a regular basis. So right at night, instead of doing the stir fry with like stir fried veggies with our rice and with our tendency. I made a slaw. So I just made slaw and served it with a No it's great. Oh, this

Robin: 18:28

sounds really good. It was good. It was

Jarrod: 18:30

even realize you're sneaking in uncooked food. Haha.

Anita: 18:36

Love no secret. You see.

Jarrod: 18:40

I just thought oh, she's got slaw with dinner. I didn't know you're sneaking in some raw,

Anita: 18:44

naked, baby. That's what we do. So, yeah, so and then we you know, you get it in other ways, too. But that's a really, really good way. I mean, getting saw. Um, yeah. What about have you noticed anything else? So you were saying with your weight? So you thought you had lost some weight? You think?

Jarrod: 19:03

Or have you gained a little?

Robin: 19:05

I think I've gained a little. I think I was man were malnourished. Okay. I don't think I was. It's kind of like what you were saying, Jared, I don't think I was getting enough nutrients when you're telling like the lady with the background, maybe just not getting enough of the nutrients and the variety of nutrients that are needed. Yeah.

Anita: 19:22

And it's amazing because your body will adjust like that if you're underweight. And once you start getting the nutrients because you're able to digest because now you're good back to flourishing and your healing and maybe even I mean, there may have been you know, there are places where our digestive tract is one cell fit. And so when we start having gut problems and leaky gut, you know, that can heal that can heal once those bacteria start getting right in there. So then your everything changes, I mean, that affects your immune system affects your ability. Yeah, we we talked about the podcast this week getting more great I read the leafy greens secrets. Did I tell you all about that? And here? Yes, she? Yeah,

Robin: 20:05

I want to watch that. Yes, yeah,

Anita: 20:07

read. So I read did that the handout the resource guide with the 25 different ways instead of it was 15 before 25 different ways to get more leafy greens and and it should and we were sharing about how to use the frozen kale and things like that and you can just crush it up. I've told you about that before. But those are just such great ways when you can blend them. Or you can crush them with your hands and just put them in with your face. That's not raw, I mean, cooking, my Vitamix, I'm telling you if there's one thing ah, what do you make most in it smoothies or

Robin: 20:43

sauces in it? I make smoothies and make the sauces that are in your cookbook that call for a bigger, you know, like, why am I gonna shoot creams and things? Yeah. And then when I did the lasagna, I didn't have a food processor. And I did mat nets and stuff in there. Didn't work and the ricotta? Mm hmm. And it

Anita: 21:03

worked. Okay. Okay, I imagine if I would have made it I wish you woulda came from?

Robin: 21:10

Yeah, yeah, the taper and it probably did make it maybe just a little bit thinner. But it's still fine. Because

Anita: 21:17

it Yeah, it would thicken, so that will work fine. That's good to know.

Robin: 21:22

I use it a lot. Um, yeah, I use it for everything. I love it. I like it. So I use it for soups at all. Oh, I haven't used it for soups. But like when I do that pancake mixture, I put it in there. So I bake you know, I get that ready. And they're

Anita: 21:42

actually love how you can just make it and then you just pour it straight out of it onto your pan. Dirty lead ball. It's so great. I love

Jarrod: 21:54

it. I mean, it can't be any loves doing that. It can't

Anita: 21:58

be any easier to buy premade mix in the store. There's no way it's any easier because you got to pour that on the bowl bowl and add all the ingredients. Yeah, and then you know what's going in it and it tastes good. I still I was telling Matthew the other day I want to try the gluten free as pancakes. The gluten free waffles.

Robin: 22:15

Oh yeah,

Anita: 22:16

that's what I use. I want to try that.

Robin: 22:18

Because I don't have a waffle maker. So I did it as pancakes. And that's

Anita: 22:22

a change for you too. Because now you get pancakes and bread. Yes.

Robin: 22:26

Yes. Bread lasagna. Things I have not eaten in years so that

Anita: 22:36

I liked. So what else have you not been able to eat? Because you felt like you couldn't digest it? Or is there anything else that you haven't added back or tried to add back yet?

Robin: 22:47

Um Gosh, let me think off the top of my head of something that I have hadn't been able to have definitely. breads, pastas. Um I can't think off the top of my head. Brain fried as today. It's a busy week.

Anita: 23:11

What about coffee? Are you eating at nail some?

Robin: 23:15

That's what uh, yeah, no. bread and pasta. Those were two that I it was hard to find gluten free. And never had found a gluten free bread alight. I'd never found a gluten free pancake mix. Like I had never found. I don't know that I had tried. Seems like I did try gluten free noodles at one time, but maybe I didn't. I don't know. I didn't maybe cook them right. Or

Anita: 23:41

if you're gonna try them. I highly recommend jovial, it's a brand and it's set. And my thing with a lot of the gluten free is they're not whole grain. And jovial says brown rice pasta. And brown rice is whole grain. So it should be whole grain. Yeah. And I like the way they cook up when you don't overcook them. If you overcook them, they're mushy. So if you just cook them to where they have a chew, and you just keep an eye on them, and you immediately put some cooler water over them. They actually are really good. I would I wouldn't know the difference if somebody served me that. I would know the difference between that and a whole wheat because I feel like a whole wheat is grainy. I don't even like whole wheat pasta anyway. But um,

Robin: 24:26

but what I tried, I think they changed the whole weight when it first came out. Yeah, I thought the whole wheat because that was a big glut. But that may be when I was when I was able to eat gluten and was just trying to do healthier take out the why. Yeah, we've done that. Oh, no, I don't know. Anyone should feel Chacho veal

Anita: 24:46

Vitacost has it. It's a great place to get it. Um, Publix even carries it here. Right. Publix? Yeah, I know green. Publix and the whole foods does care of it tends to be a little bit more more expensive. Usually you can get it for a better deal@vitacost.com. We like hanging there. And they have all different kinds of macaroni. They have bow tie, spaghetti angel hair. Oh,

Jarrod: 25:11

Todd does great with the pop rock wave plus, yeah,

Anita: 25:15

I like that. I like the macaroni with that a lot. It's really good. That's so good. You're doing amazing Robin, you

Robin: 25:23

really are. And I'm trying I really

Jarrod: 25:26

do that you are doing your body is telling you that you're doing it and you're succeeding at

Anita: 25:31

it. I'm interested to see if you try, Oh, sister, it has been so incredible having you be a part of this sneak peek this special time and you've gotten to go behind the scenes of the power plants membership, we have loved having you be a part. And you know what, think about how amazing it would be if this was just one person's story of healing, if just one person got all of these amazing changes with their digestive health, with headaches going away with their body being able to just feel better on a daily basis. But the reality is, it's not just one person story. This happens time and time again, day after day, we get the same reports. So if you're in a place where you feel frustrated with your health, and you're just not sure if it's ever going to get any better, I want you to know that there is hope things can get better. It does not have to be hard or difficult. And the food does not have to taste like cardboard, or be just something you dread and just don't want to eat ever. So I want you to know if you're ready to make a change and you need someone just to help you out just to show you exactly what to do step by step so that you can build a full life you love go right now to power on plants.com forward slash membership and get your name on the waitlist. The membership will be opening very soon but only for a couple of days. And we will notify those whose names are on the waitlist so that you don't miss out. And until next time. I hope you have a fantastic week and we will look forward to seeing you next week on Power on plants.