Transcript of Fighting Suicidal Depression & Creating @Just.Ingredients | Karalynne Call

How do you know what supplement brands are good?

There are brands out there trying to provide better choices for people and trying to help people with their health. One company sent in, I'm not kidding you, rice powder that was sprayed yellow and called it turmeric. Food I believe was put on this earth to be nourishing and healing to the body. I'm not trying to say shame on you or anything like that cause I used to eat the lucky charms and the frosted flakes. I wish we would realize that the body is a whole spiritual to mental to energetic to physical.

You follow her on Instagram and know her as just ingredients, but do you know her story? Carolyn Call is a mom who battled severe suicidal depression. After healing her depression with her diet, she began her mission to help other families make healthier product choices and swaps and educate them on how the ingredients they're putting in and on their bodies could be affecting you more severely than you think. With millions of followers on Instagram, her own line of health and beauty products free of toxins and artificial ingredients in a top charting podcast, Carlin Call is on a mission to teach others that healing is possible and more simple than you think. Similarly to Carolyn, we are on a mission to heal a sick culture physically, emotionally and spiritually with impactful interviews. But we need your help to do it. This show is completely donor funded. That means the camera crew behind me, or at least behind you in front of me, the editors, the set, being able to interview guests in person. It all happens with tax deductible donations from you. Find a link in the show notes to donate. You can purchase merch to fund the show tpusamerch.com comma.

Lots of brand new stuff with the show rebrand or leave a five star review saying why you love culture apothecary completely for free. All links are in the description. Watch this beautiful high definition and multi camera interview by subscribing to realalex Clark on YouTube. I'm so excited to have Carlin Call, aka just ingredients on culture apothecary. What topic have have you posted about that has been the most controversial, you think to your audience that's hilarious.

You know what is crazy glyphosate, of all things, always brings the haters.

Why haters? Because they just think it's fake news or what?

I think Monsado really pays a whole group of people out there that goes and just are like trolls on your page if you start talking about it. And so we just get a ton of hate anytime I talk about that.

Morgan, when I interviewed the food babe, she said the same thing.

Oh, really?

They pay people to start your social media when you have a huge account like yours, and they just flood your comments with, like, this isn't accurate, so those people can be bought and paid for. People may not know that.

Yeah, they're not your followers. Your followers are loving and supportive and there to learn. It is just pure hate. And it's only on the glyphosate one. So you know that they're just searching the Internet, you know, searching social media for the word glyphosate, and they find it, and then they come in and just, like she said, say really rude things.

What is the most unassuming, average, everyday household item that has tons of chemicals? People wouldn't think, okay, lots of foods.

Have so many different chemicals in it, but one that probably people don't realize is actually oatmeal, because oatmeal is heavily sprayed with glyphosate these days. And so you think you're just getting your Quaker oats, like we used to always get that. Never had glyphosate. Now it has glyphosate, and people just don't know.

So oatmeal is not a health food.

Well, if you buy organic, organic means the crop hasn't been sprayed with glyphosate, and so then you're good to go.

Okay. That's so good to know, because I think that it is something we grew up with is that oatmeal was a healthier breakfast option, but it may not be.

Well, an organic oatmeal is what we used to grow up or used to eat, but we didn't have to label it organic. And then as soon as this glyphosate just became really popular, now we have to label things as organic. But in reality, organic just means the food we used to eat.

You are one of the most bubbly people, I think when I watch your videos on social media, I see this really happy, smiley mom. You have this huge, gorgeous family. You have a hot husband, by the way.

Thank you.

We should talk about that. You have a gorgeous family and really successful, non toxic empire. I think a lot of people would be surprised that at one point in time, you were thinking about how to possibly take your own life.

Yeah. So I have six kids, and back when I had three kids, I actually found myself with terrible depression. And crazy enough. Depression can look different for everybody. And I feel like I had all the different parts of depression because depression can be like, frustration and anger but it can also be that you can't get up in the morning. You just don't want to do anything. It can also be that you're just overwhelmed with simple daily tasks that you can always normally do. And it can be that real deep sadness and darkness. And for me, I felt like I experienced all of it.

What was making you so sad in the height of your depression?

That's a million dollar question. When you're depressed, you don't know. Just everything is sad. Like, everything has no hope. Everything is just miserable. Like, life is not fun. Life is not happy. Life's not cheerful. It's just everything is a dread. Everything's miserable. And so living that way is like, imagine living like, well, now, like you said, life to me is, like, full of light and happiness and cheerfulness and hope, where that life was like a life of darkness and misery, and you just feel like you're stuck in this darkness and you can't get out. You want to get out, but you just can't get out.

Did people in your. Your life know that you were struggling with this?

Well, so this actually was, like, 18 years ago. And so now, thankfully, we talk more about mental health. But back then, when I would tell people, they would say, like, oh, you'll get over it, or, oh, it's not a big deal. Or in the religious sense, they would also say, like, oh, you need to pray more or, you need to read your scriptures more or toughen up. Some people would say, so they did not get it back then at all. And so after I got a lot of critique like that from people, when I was, like, trying to express what I was going through, I actually kept it secret and just, I was like, it's not worth the comments coming from people. I'm just gonna keep this inside of myself.

Even your husband?

So my husband knew a little bit, but even him, he didn't comprehend it all until I hit rock bottom. And once I hit rock bottom, then he was like, oh, okay, I need to help out here. I need to do more than I thought.

What were some of the symptoms you talked about? You didn't want to get out of bed, things like that. What were some of the symptoms that you were dealing with?

Well, like I said, it was that being angry, being frustrated, being sad. But then I did have three kids, and so there were days I had to get out of bed and just had to fake it. And so my friends had no idea because the few friends, like I said, that I did tell, were just like, oh, you'll get over it, toughen up type of thing, you know? And so I hit it. But I also had to fake it because I did want to, you know, take my kids to preschool and to kindergarten, and I had to do those things that a mom has to do, but it just was miserable rather than enjoyable.

Do you remember what one of the worst days was like for you?

So I actually attempted suicide. And this depression had been going on for a couple years. And one day I remember sitting in a rocking chair and everybody had told me, like, just look for the light at the end of the tunnel. And that day in the rocking chair, I was like, there is no light at the end of my tunnel. My tunnel is dark. And I just was so, oh, it's 18 years later and I still get emotional about it. I was like, I'm done. I can't keep living this way. Like, it's not fair to my kids. I'm not a good mom to them. I'm angry and frustrated and sad, and I have no desire to help them or do things like a mom should do. You know what I mean? And you thought your kids would be better without you? I did. And I just was miserable and thought, I can't live my whole life miserable like this. I'm done. And I attempted suicide. And thankfully, by the grace of God, it did not happen. But that was when I hit rock bottom. And I thought, okay, I've got. I've got to figure this out.

Like, I just almost lost my life. Somehow my life was spared. I've got to figure this out.

And what were doctors telling you?

So part of my frustration as to why I attempted suicide is I was going to doctors trying to get help, but all they would say, say is, we can put you on an antidepressant. And which, don't get me wrong, antidepressants ended up being life saving for me because I did go on them, but my frustration was, I would say to them, but will this heal me? I haven't always been like this, so something's happened. Will this heal me? And they would all say, no, this doesn't heal you. This just helps you through the depression. There's nothing that can heal you. So if you have a doctor today that says that, like, run. We know so much more now over these past 15 years about depression and mental health. But back then, there was no hope. They just kept saying, nope, you'll have to be on this antidepressant the rest of your life, and there's nothing we can do to heal you.

How many different people do you think you talk to?

Oh, at least probably twelve different doctors.

And nobody had any other solution.

No one. Until finally. So two years after I attempted, two years later, I kept searching to different doctors and at this point I was on antidepressants and I actually didn't love how I felt on antidepressants. How they made me feel is like seat belted in my emotions. I didn't feel that terrible depression, but I also didn't feel that great joy and like happiness. I just was like neutral in my. Yeah. And so I wanted to find help, so I kept going to doctor after doctor. Finally two years later, found a doctor who was like, yeah, I can help you. Depression is just your body screaming for help. It just means there's some underlying symptoms and so we've got to do a lot of testing. And we ended up doing like urine test, saliva tests, blood work, and she's like, we'll do all this testing and figure out what's going on inside your body. And so thankfully I found her because that's what we did. And then I went on an 18 month journey with her where she helped me fix all these issues. I had, I had nutrient deficiencies, I had simple things and I had like more major things, but simple things like low in vitamin D, low in magnesium, then all of my b vitamins were almost like zero.

I wasn't even absorbing b vitamins. But then I had cortisol issues and hormone issues and I had food intolerances, liver issues, and like, the list of things that was going on in my body was just huge.

And that was contributing to your depression?

It was. All of that was.

So do most people that struggle with severe depression have those vitamin deficiencies?

A lot of them do. So depression is a really hard thing to just say. It's only this. It's sort of like cancer. If we had one treatment for cancer, cancer wouldn't be an issue. Right? It's the same thing with depression. There's so many different root causes of depression. It can be from trauma, it can be from nutrient deficiencies, it can be from inflammation. I mean, the list is huge of what it can be from, but for a lot of people, it is a deficiency in certain nutrients.

And so before that testing was done, what did your lifestyle and diet look like before that point?

So this is funny. I grew up in a home that if it was, if the food was sold in the stores, then it was good and it was safe and it was what we were supposed to eat. So I literally went to school growing up, like, on lucky charms, frosted flakes, you know, I came, probably brought, like, a bologna sandwich on white bread for lunch. And it dinner. Who knows what we had. Sometimes it was a homemade meal, but I think I look back and I'm like, oh, my gosh, did I even have a fruit or a vegetable for days? Who knows? So I did not know anything about nutrition. And so when I went to this doctor and found the doctor that was willing to help me, and I was deficient in so many nutrients, and my inflammation was high and the food intolerances, she was like, okay, let's just start with your diet. And she was like, do you think you eat any whole grains during the day? And I was like, well, what classifies as a whole grain? And she's like, for instance, like, quinoa? And I was like, what? What in the world is quinoa?

I had never heard of it. Like, I just was living the american standard diet of you buy it off the shelf and you eat it, and who knows when you have a fruit and a veggie? And so I had a lot of learning to do. I worked with her for 18 months, and through those 18 months, she ignited this, like, excitement in me to learn more about nutrition and health and the things that you put in your body and on your body and how they affect you. And she helped me along that road for 18 months so that at the end of 18 months, I was completely off of antidepressants. And this was about 15 years ago, and I've never had to go back on the antidepressants because I've learned how to fuel my body properly and take care of it properly so that it can do its best for me. It was trying to do its best for me back in the days of depression, but it couldn't. I wasn't fueling it right. And so it was then screaming to me, hey, I need help. And it was screaming in the form of depression.

I personally love that. On the Just ingredients website, you can find non toxic swaps for everything from sunscreen to baby products. If you want to try just ingredients, just go to just ingredients us and use my code Alex for 15% off. It is the best discount available. That's justingredients us with code Alex for 15% off. You can also follow Carlin call and her justingredients empire at just period ingredients on Instagram, where they share tips to help you become a more informed consumer, teach you how to understand ingredient labels and suggest easy swaps to help you embrace a healthier, low toxin lifestyle. I think this is really helpful to discuss how you transitioned from being somebody that didn't even know what quinoa was to who you are today during that 18 month period. So, how did you start to change your diet? Like, was it slow? Was it all at once? You just went to the store, bought everything, and then you just started eating it. It wasn't hard for you.

So I actually have this personality that if I get overwhelmed, I'm just gonna throw my hands up in there and be like, I'm done. Well, I'm done.

My team, that's me. The slightest bit of difficulty, I do give up people that's not in vogue to say, it's like, you're supposed to be like, oh, my gosh, I'll do whatever it takes. Like, no. I'm like, this is too hard. I can't do it.

I feel like I will do hard things, but overwhelm me, and I'm like, I can't. I'm done.

But that's also relatable. I think that's what most people who are very unfamiliar with what a real food diet looks like. I think that is a lot of their response to this.

It is, and I hear all the time on social media, but that's why I try to teach on social media, like, one little step at a time, because my philosophy with the doctor was like, okay, I will do this, but I need your help to just do, like, one little step at a time. I've got three kids at home. I can't just go home and change my whole pantry. Change my whole fridge. And at the time, we were super poor, so I was like, I don't have the money to just go change everything. And so we did do just one little thing at a time, and that's why it took 18 months.

Do you remember what the first swap was that you made so well, first.

Was adding some grains, like quinoa, into my diet. But then also, she did say, go look in your pantry and just see if you have artificial dice. What are artificial dice in? And I started looking like, oh, wow, I didn't realize they were in marshmallows. Oh, I didn't realize they were in hand soap. Like, she was like, look at your pantry. But then also your. All your bathrooms, everything. So learning that it was in hand soap and then in shampoo and all these different things, we swapped out all of the artificial dyes first. And once I became a pro at, like, artificial dyes of, like, okay, I know I can buy this popsicle instead of this popsicle. Then I was ready to move on to the next thing.

I like that. So tackling one thing. So whether that's artificial dye, seed oils, you know, some ingredient like that, refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup or something, picking one thing, getting rid of that one thing in your items at home, and then moving to the next thing and then transitioning your pantry that way.

And she even did that with lifestyle factors because things like stress and sleep and exercise, all of those things play a role, too. And so she was like, let's just start with exercise. And she was like, do you exercise? No, not really. So she was like, okay, we're going to take a walk every single day. And she also knew that I was struggling financially, so everything was like a walk. It's cheap. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes and go take a walk every day. And it was. I actually lived here in Arizona at the time, and she was like, and vitamin D. You're low on vitamin D, so you're going to walk every day in the sun and get your vitamin D as well.

How many minutes a day did she tell you to walk to get vitamin D levels up?

45 minutes. But I first started with, like, 20 minutes to just. Cause you don't wanna just throw somebody in this.

See, I have all the food down, but I've talked about this in several episodes. I really struggle with the exercise and stuff like that because I have hashimoto's. That's why I wanted to interview Doctor red. So it makes me really tired. I get worn out really quickly. Physical activity. Exercise wears me out. Thankfully, I don't have, like, the struggling with extreme weight gain of hashimoto's. It's very weird. That's, like, the one symptom I don't have. I'm probably underweight, but I just never work out because I don't know, my body can't, like, handle it. So I have to fix things so that I'm able to, like, withstand and work out and feel better, not worse.

Well, and so many people have health conditions, so I'm like, start with a 20 minutes walk. Like, even you, like, start with a 15 minutes walk or start with five minutes of lifting weights. You know, it doesn't have to be an hour at the gym. Let's just do baby steps and then improve as we go.

You talked about how you were low in those certain vitamins and getting back on that also helped contribute to overcoming the depression. Are there any supplements? Because I know supplements should be different for every single person. Is there anything that's like, everyone can benefit from taking this, this, and this?

50% of Americans are low in vitamin D. And vitamin D plays a huge role in your mood and your energy. So you can, you know, start there, but then also B vitamins for those that are struggling mentally. So many people, one study came out in the journal of Psychiatry that said two thirds of those that are depressed deal with low B vitamins. And so maybe that's where someone needs to start. But it's hard because, like I said before, depression could be due to inflammation, so you need some turmeric and omega three s. And omega three s really are shown to help with depression and anxiety, if that's your root cause. So it's hard to just say, like, oh, everybody go do these supplements. But I do love vitamin D, the B vitamins, omega three s. How do.

You know what supplement brands are good?

We sell supplements and we formulate them. And I have been talking to so many suppliers, I'll give you an example with turmeric. So we brought in all these different turmerics to try them, test them, see their bioavailability in the body, things like that. One company sent in, I'm not kidding you, rice powder that was sprayed yellow and called it turmeric.

This is what I mean. This is the stuff that, like, dupes people, even at places like Whole Foods or whatever, like, you just. I am like, which brand can I even trust? It's so confusing.

It is really hard. So you do have to find a brand that will show, like, third party testing or their lab results or, you know, are trying to educate and do the right thing. There are brands out there trying to provide better choices for people and trying to help people with their health. It's those brands that are trying to make a dollar and make a profit that are just, I don't know, it's scary to trust them sometimes.

What role does sugar play in depression?

It plays a huge role in lots of different things. First of all, it disturbs the gut microbiome. Your gut and your brain are so connected, especially with mental health. The sugar feeds, in layman's terms, the bad bacteria, you know, and we want to be feeding the good bacteria. Which fiber does that? And crazy enough, only 5% of Americans get enough fiber each day, which that is hardly anyone. And fiber is going to feed the good bacteria. It's actually going to help women with their hormones because it helps get rid of the extra estrogen. So first of all, the gut with sugar. But sugar also causes the really highs and really lows with our blood glucose levels. And if we are constantly up and then down and up and down, it is causing mood swings, but it's also contributing to inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause, can be a root cause of depression. So there's that issue. But then sugar can, you know, contribute to so many different health conditions and autoimmune conditions with hormones, with candida, and different yeast and bacteria overgrowth. So it's just, you know, let's just simplify things and not eat as much sugar every day.

What are the top depression fighting foods?

Fiber, like I said, feeds the good bacteria, which is so important for depression. And so you want foods full of fiber. So you're going to have your fruits and veggies, right, that are full of fiber. Phytonutrients. And those, all those amazing antioxidants. But the B vitamins and the just your vitamin d. But all those vitamins you're going to find with the phytonutrients in the fruits and veggies. Omega three s, though, like I said, are so good. And that comes from salmon, chia seeds, flax seeds. And most Americans don't regularly eat fish or chia seeds or flax seeds or these things full of omega three s. And so most Americans are lacking in omega three s. And so it comes down to a good, rounded diethouse.

Why do you think american culture drills it into us to think of our physical health and mental health as completely separate things?

That's a million dollar question. I wish we would realize that the body is a whole meaning from spiritual to mental to energetic to physical, like we are all one whole. And what's happening from head to toe is all connected. And that's believed more in the holistic space? Well, it's fully believed in the holistic space, but it's not so much in western medicine. And I wish we would just combine the two. You would see so many different health benefits if we could combine them, but they're very separate right now. And western has a great place, right. If I am going to break my arm or I'm bleeding in my forehead from hitting something, you know, and I need stitches, I'm going to run to the hospital and get that taken care of. But if I've got chronic inflammation or an autoimmune issue that is just wiping me of energy, or I'm dealing with depression, the hospitals aren't going to help treat this.

In a situation where your child is extreme pain, really bad fever. Are you like, we're just giving them a tylenol.

Okay. When you ask about controversial things that hit the hit social media, tylenol is one of them. It is such a hot topic. So here's the thing. It's like antidepressants. Yes. Antidepressants were life saving. Did I want to be on them forever? No, I wanted to get to the root cause and heal my body. Right. If my child has some life threatening disease, I'm going to do whatever western medical I need to do to help bright then and there. But I will also use all of my holistic natural approaches as well. So do I ever give my child when they're just at home with a fever, Tylenol? No, I've got a lot of other things that I turn to first.

Like what?

Well, first of all, I don't think you need to lower a fever. So I let the fever run its core. And so I know people are gonna be mad. I know. And you know, you can use a cold rag on their head. You can use, I love a loom box. Loom box is a red light therapy.

Oh, red light therapy can help reduce fever?

Yes. It can help the body with healing. There's homeopathics that you can use things like that. So I'd like to go that route just to help the body support itself. If there is some life threatening fever that might cause some really bad health condition or it's going to cause death or something. Of course I'm going to use Tylenol if that's going to be the life saving thing. You know what I mean? To me, there's a time and a place for everything. When I break my arm, I'm going to use a cast. Do I want that cast on my arm for the rest of my life? No, I'm going to do things to heal that, help heal that bone and support it. And after the cast comes off, do physical therapy. You're not in a cast forever. You're not in that Tylenol forever. But if it's a life threatening thing, I'm going to use, use that western medicine.

And also if you're in the position of I've got to give my child acetaminophen, would your position be like, then give them Genexa, not Tylenol brand?

Correct. Because I don't want all the artificial dyes and artificial sweeteners and all those things that are found in medicine. And honestly, though, I can't tell you the last time I've ever given any of my six kids, Tylenol. But if your child is in pain, though, like chronically, like, let's say a teenager that every month is in pain, find the root cause. Like, Tylenol is just a band aid to the symptom. Let's figure out what's causing those symptoms.

Zachary when did your instagram come to be? When did you just become this woman that's like, swap this for this and do this for this?

Zachary about four years ago is when I started selling products for Justin Green. Justin Green's business, though, grew a lot about three years ago. But the Instagram actually started what was.

Around three years ago. I wonder why everybody was like, what should I swap? I should.

Exactly. But six years ago is actually when I started my Instagram account on social media. It started because I had been on this 15 year health journey of going back to school to learn more about nutrition and taking classes and reading any book I could get my hands on. I just was reading and studying everything I could about nutrition because I never wanted to fall back into that depression again, and I never wanted my kids to experience that depression like I had. And so I was like, how do I feed my kids? How do I take care of my kids? How do I feed myself? So I just tried to learn as much as I could. So about six years ago, I felt like everybody around me, whether it was neighbors, community members, church members, extended family members, I felt like everybody was dealing with either depression, anxiety, an autoimmune condition, migraines, chronic fatigue. I mean, all these things that I'm like, why? And then I was like, oh, I wish I could just go in each of their homes and cook for them for a month. And I know they would feel so much better.

And of course, you can't do that. So I was like, how do I help these people? And I was like, you know what? I'm just going to start a little Instagram page as a hobby. I just want a little hobby. I had six kids at home, and I was like, I just want to teach people on a daily basis how to swap, like to a better ketchup or how to swap to, you know, a better bread, things like that. And if I get to 2000 followers, I will have done what I wanted to do. And so I started doing this, but people started sharing things. And I think because it was a little different in the factory that so many health people are like, you've got to eat this kale and sardine diet to be healthy. But I've got six kids who still want to eat Mac and cheese, hamburgers, waffles, things like that. And so I was just trying to show, like, better choices of real foods.

It was things kids like to eat. But, like, if you're going to do Mac and cheese or cheeseburger or an Oreo, here's the better version of that. And so parents are like, finally, this is exactly what I needed.

And so people just started sharing posts and it started growing, and we're over a million followers now. And it's just because people are sharing the message.

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Well, I am, but my husband also.

Helps with the business he does.

So I'm CEO and he's president. So we both are working many, many hours every day to make this all work.

See, God knew. He's like, I need Carlin to go through all of this so that she can be this person, you know, sharing this message and helping other people. I mean, it's just crazy.

I do look back on those years, which were terrible, terrible, miserable, hard years now as a huge blessing in my life, because I now can be empathetic to those that are dealing with depression, that are dealing with any health condition, that can't find that hope or healing that they're looking for. And so I have a new love and empathy for those people. But that's what keeps me going though, too, is because I'm so passionate about just wanting to, like, scream from the rooftop of, you can feel better if you'll just treat your body better. I know you can. So let me help you with these different things.

How can the american consumer be sure to not be fooled by marketing?

Marketing is tricky out there. And what makes me actually really mad is there's a lot of things that we can hide on the label these days, especially like in natural flavors. Natural flavors aren't necessarily bad, but it's just a term that hides lots of things. So then it could be bad. We just have to be really smart when we're looking at the label. And the best thing to do to not get fooled is to read the label and make sure you really understand those ingredients and that those ingredients are food. Like, let's make food from food. We now make food from so many other things that aren't food. And that's where we need to get away from.

And I think also educating the consumer when you're in the grocery store, a lot of us, because that's what is facing us, we just look at the front and so the front, it could even say organic. It could even say organic. And then you turn around, it's filled with seed oils and stuff. I mean, there's a lot that can still be in organic that you may not want. And so you have to look it not only. Yeah. What does it say on the front? Because they use words in green letters, like natural.

They do.

That doesn't mean anything.

Yeah, there's a lot of terms that you can just use loosely, like natural. And what does that mean? Natural mold. Nothing.

You know, you know what people really argue with me about is citric acid. They're like, that's fine. That's normal. That's a normal thing. Is it?

So citric acid is what you would find in an orange. Right.

Right.

The problem is, and this is, is with so many ingredients out there today, even, like stevia gets this bad rap because it comes down to how it's being processed and what they're using to make the citric acid. So we do have citric acid in some of our products, but we use cassava root. Most citric acid out there is made from GMO corn. And so even when we had to find our citric acid, I went to supplier after supplier throughout the world, and they were like, sorry, we only use GMO corn. Only use GMO corn. And then they use, a lot of them use a mold to ferment it. And so that's not a citric acid I want, but a nice, clean cassava root. Citric acid, like you would find similar chemical structures to what's in an orange to me, is just fine.

Okay. And that goes into the, you have to really dive deep into the supplier. And do you, should they just say on the website, this is where we get our citric acid. This is where we source this in the, in the supplement.

I wish they would, but people don't. But even, like, on our label, we try to say, well, we do say citric acid from cassava root so that people know. But like I was saying, it's the same problem with stevia. Stevia gets a really bad rap because there is a stevia out there that cheap products use, that is stevia that's processed through a 42 step process, and they use hexane and they use chemicals that just aren't great. Or you can use cold water, press stevia leaf, which does not have the harmful side effects as this cheap stevia. And so it just gets so complicated out there because you think you're doing right, and then you find out it's some weird process.

Stevia, the other product that makes me want to throw my hands up in the grocery store. I do not understand. What's good and bad is protein powder. I see grass fed, I see bone broth, protein powder, I see whey protein. I don't even know what half of these things are. And I do not know if this is sourced well or not. Is it more crap I'm putting into my body? How can we become protein powder literate?

It is so hard. And obviously we make protein powders, but again, it's trusting the company. Looking at their third party testing. Um, a lot of protein powders are high in heavy metals. And to me I'm like, well, why are we going to ingest all these heavy metals? You know, first of all, we don't need to be doing that. Um, but 2nd, second, a lot of them are just whey protein and whey. Where are we getting this whey from? Are they cows that have been just grazing out on the grass? Or are they factory farm cows that have just been fed terrible GMO diets and maybe have been given antibiotics or hormones or whatever the different things may be? It doesn't say anywhere on the label. And so the best two words you can look for, not saying that they're perfect, are either organic or grass fed, and preferably 100% grass fed. Not fed GMO corn and soy throughout the time on the grass. And so our protein powder is 100% grass fed from New Zealand. And the reason we ship it in from New Zealand is so expensive to do it this way. But I brought in whey from like 50 different countries.

We tested them all and we tasted them all. And the New Zealand grass fed whey tasted or tested the best for like heavy metals and nutrients and things like that. Actually tastes like water. It's so clean and pure.

Wow.

The grass fed that we tasted from America literally tasted like manure. It was so gross, and we couldn't make a good protein from it. It was just disgusting. So even when they say 100% grass fed whey, it gets tricky because there's so many different varieties, but at least that is a better choice word to look for. The other thing is these protein powders that are just full of whey. A lot of them also are mixed with casein. And casein is actually what hurts people's stomach. It's a hard protein that doesn't do well with people. A lot of Americans say they're lactose intolerant when it comes to dairy. And some of them are granted, but lactose is a sugar that most people can do just fine. A lot of people can't do dairy because of the casein. So they should be saying they're casein intolerant, but they don't know that that's a thing.

Yeah, and that's where you get into the a one, which means, like, regular store pasteurized milk. A two and then raw.

Exactly. So our whey protein, though, has no casein in it. And so so many people will say, this doesn't make sense. I never can do dairy, but I actually am just fine with your protein. Like, it doesn't hurt my stomach or give me a migraine or anything like that. And I'm like, it's because we have no casein in it. We have stripped that out.

Oh, great.

So those protein powders is really hard because you've got the bottom tier ones that have got artificial sweeteners and artificial dyes. In fact, I just saw a chocolate protein powder the other day with artificial, artificial flavor and artificial dyes. And I was like, if you're using cacao or cocoa that's brown, why do you need an artificial dye? But because they weren't using any cocoa.

The whole thing is fake.

The whole thing is fake. And I'm like, this is not doing your body anything.

This is why. And I think you breaking this down explains so much, because sometimes I will have naysayers in my audience that are like, well, see, this is what these people do. I hate this health and wellness content, because people will fear monger and they'll scare us and tell us all the food is bad. But then, like, magically, of course, they're selling something. And I'm like, but it takes people like Carlin to create the right product. That's the whole point. She went through all of this, and then you were like, okay, this is what's missing on the protein powder market. Here's what we don't have in electrolytes. Here's what we don't have in supplements, whatever. And then you're filling that hole that you experience as a consumer. So I appreciate it when people with like minded value go into this space, spend your time and money to create these products that we otherwise wouldn't have. So it makes sense to me. But some people get bent out of shape about it.

They do. They do. And I don't understand it because I just want to say to them, let's just make food from food. That's all it is. Because food, I believe, was put on this earth to be nourishing and healing to the body, like, nature provides for us what we need. And so why are we going and getting these artificial things? Purely for the profit? A wallet for a pocketbook is what I say. And so I'm not, like, trying to fear monger, and I'm not trying to say shame on you or anything like that, because I used to eat the lucky charms and the frosted flakes and all of that because I didn't know better. I didn't know that those things weren't nourishing my body. So my whole site is like, let's just find the foods that will nourish your body, and protein powders made from real food will nourish your body.

And what can you put protein powder in? Just, like, random things that we wouldn't think.

So I put it in almost anything that calls for flour. Instead of flour, I put the protein powder in. So I will bake cookies and brownies and waffles and pancakes and muffins. Anything with flour, with protein powder.

What's the texture like with that switch? Normal.

It tastes like a brownie. Yeah.

Oh, that's so helpful.

Yeah.

So wait, could I do that as somebody that has to be gluten free for sure.

Yeah.

No way.

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

So you can also put it in things like yogurt, right. And mix the flavor into the yogurt. And then you have this high protein snack, can put them in smoothies, things like that. But most people know that. But we'll also put it in our oatmeal in the morning for kids, because oatmeal can just spike your blood glucose levels. And so adding some protein in it balances that blood glucose level, and then we'll bake with it.

Oh, my gosh. I did not know you could bake with protein powder. Now my world has been opened. I'm so you have to change, like.

The, um, cooking time and things like that. But it's a great way to make a brownie. Not so, um, carb failed that protein in. It helps, like I said, lower those blood glucose levels.

Everybody's trying to get their electrolytes in, and I see that element, salt popping up everywhere. Do you think that stuff is as clean as they say it is?

There's a lot of different ways to make electrolytes, but I believe all Americans should be taking in electrolytes. But the thing is, my electrolytes are made with a three to one potassium to sodium ratio. There are some, like the brand you just said, full of sodium and to me, those are great for those that are really sweating a ton, like the athletes and things like that. The stay at home mom, the kids out on the playground, you know, just the average american. I think they need more potassium than sodium. The potassium actually helps the water get into the cell. The sodium keeps the water out of the cell. We actually want to hydrate the cells. And so having that more potassium helps get the water into the cells so ours doesn't taste really salty. There are some brands out there that are very salty. And like I said, they're great for the professional athlete. They're also great for those in their first trimester of pregnancy. There's new studies showing that people have morning sickness, possibly because of, like, a dehydration of minerals. And so getting that extra salt in that first trimester is great. But for the most part, people need to look for electrolyte.

That first ingredient is not sugar, and in fact, has no sugar. It. There's a lot of popular electrolyte brands out there on the market that the first ingredient is sugar. And I'm like, if you're going to enjoy your sugar, go enjoy it in a brownie or a cake and not in your electrolytes. So they don't need sugar. So ours have no sugars and then natural flavors, like we talked about earlier. If you're having, like, a peach electrolyte, just make it with peaches. If you're making a strawberry electrolyte, just make it with strawberries. Why do we have to go to a flavor house and choose the flavor? And that flavor could be full of GMO corn and all of these other ingredients that we don't. I don't know.

Is it possible that if you're always craving salt, you're low in potassium?

It could be, yes.

Oh, my gosh. This is happening to me. I have a potassium supplement, Carlin, and I ran out of it, and I went like a month without it and could not stop eating salt. I was just eating masa chips like you wouldn't even believe. Like, just could. I had to have salty stuff. And then I started taking, I replaced it, got more potassium, and then I was like, and then you're feeling normal. I know that's what it was.

And it's hard to say if exactly that was it. It could also have been your nutrient deficient in some other nutrients. But for sure, that could be one of the reasons.

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Let me just give a good applause to the baby industry because they are improving their products so much better than any other industry. I wish, like the teenage beauty and the adult beauty would take a lesson from the baby. Granted, there's still a lot of, lot of improvement that they can do, but there are so many better choice baby products coming out on the market today or baby brands, I should say coming on the market. And I think it's because they saw a drop in sales. So Johnson and Johnson saw like a 20% drop in sales few years back. And what they do, because they were losing money, they reformulated theirs to be not as terrible as it was, they took out some of their talc and other ingredients. Moms are aware and so willing to pay the extra money or they want to do the best for little kids and companies are seeing that. So more and more baby brand companies with safe ingredients are of coming out. We need to just turn that tide towards teenager and adult products now.

Well, the same mentality of oh, I want what's best for my baby, I don't want these chemicals like carry that on throughout your entire life. All of a sudden. You shouldn't start just, you know, saturating your toddler with chemicals or your teenager or whatever. Like if it affects a baby, they're human being, it's gonna affect them at any stage of life. So, you know, I think a lot of us are willing to make those changes and swaps and sacrifices for a baby, but then we don't think to do it later or for ourselves as an adult. It's just kind of strange. So, yeah, what are your favorite? Like, oh my gosh, these non toxic items. So my recommendations for every baby registry, you should have beef liver supplements that can be kind of expensive and some people don't want to spend the money on that. So ask somebody to buy that for you. And then also the nourishing tradition. Sally Fallon Morel for baby.

Oh, that's awesome. That's a great suggestion. So what I usually give as a baby gift, I will tell you that, um, I usually give a whole box of wellaments. So, well, amidst is a baby brand of supplements that are made organic and without the artificial dyes and sweeteners and all those things. And so it has like the gripe water and some vitamin D for the babies and probiotics for the babies. Just a bunch of fun supplements that usually a new mom that has so many things to buy usually wont spend the money on. Thats perfect. That is my favorite gift to give them.

How do you know if a diaper brand is truly non toxic?

Once again, it's like finding out if the protein powder or the supplement company is a trusted brand. It's going and reading on their website and seeing if they'll tell you exactly what's in their product. And of course you want to look for the totally chlorine free diaper, right? And then you want to make sure it has no parabens and phthalates and, you know, those different things that can be endocrine disruptors and toxic or formaldehyde releasers. So the first place I always go to is their website. Website. See what they list and then I go look on their website, hopefully to find third party testing that will show yes or no. This is the truth of what they're stating on their website.

Are there hidden chemicals and baby wipes?

Okay, so with diapers and wipes, one of the things that sort of drives me crazy in any product, if it's a byproduct of something that is created during the processing, you don't have to list it on the label. And so this happens a lot of Times with Laundry SoAp, but with diApers, sometimes with the bleaching, you can get the Dioxins and Things that are known endocrine Disruptors. And so again, it's finding a company that you really trust. But with wipes, the same thing. So with wipes, you want to avoid the phthalates. So phthalates are something that keeps the scent lasting longer. And there's other ways that we can do that to not keep the scent lasting long. So for instance, if you get like a, I shouldn't even say the brand, but a lotion, it's like cherry blossom. And five years later you pull it off your shelf and it still smells like cherry blossoms. Then it's full of phthalates. And phthalates are endocrine disruptors. And little kids skin can really just, a baby skin can really absorb those endocrine disruptors. So why do we even need scented wipes is my first question. Let's just use the unscented wipes.

Yeah. No fragrance.

Yeah. Because then you're not worried about the phthalates. There usually are no phthalates. And so that's one of my big things that I stay away from with wipes. But also I wish diapers and wipes would list everything on their labels.

You said something interesting. You said babies absorb chemicals faster or more readily than adults.

Well, there's quite a few different studies, but some say just because the baby is so tiny and we're putting on like the same amount of lotion that possibly you could use on you. Right. On this baby, that's one study of, like, their bodies are just too tiny. The other thing is their skin is thinner, hasn't developed all the way and so it is absorbing the chemicals more easily. But also their immune systems aren't as developed as an adult. And so then that plays a role in how they're able to detoxify things.

If just ingredients goes to the movie theater, what snacks are you sneaking in your bag?

Crazy enough, we bring our own popcorn and I just bring a big bag and bring our own popcorn. And then we actually sell popcorn salts and so we just shake our own popcorn salts on the popcorn and we bring our own, own drinks in as well. So we're just bringing a whole bag in. But in Utah they don't really care. Whenever I show this because I will show on stories like me going into the movie theater and bringing all my food and I get comments of like, that could never happen where I live, like they check our bags and check your bags. I'm like, no, we just bring it all in.

What products are you never leaving Trader Joe's without?

People love Trader Joe's and they have some great products, but Trader Joe's also has a lot of products full of seed oil oils. And so you do have to be careful there just not to choose the ones with seed oils. But there are like five things that I always pick up from Trader Joe's. They have amazing pasture raised eggs for such a great price. They have great grass fed beef for a great price. But crazy enough, they have whipping cream without the gums.

Oh, nice.

Yeah, so I do like that. They also have beans, canned beans without the like hydrogenated oils that I really like. So, so crazy enough, I buy that and they have amazing coconut aminos for a cheap price. And I use that instead of soy sauce. So those are like usually my five pickups at Trader Joe's.

I've seen people say air purifiers are amazing. Everybody needs one. Then I've seen people say, no, don't get one. They harbor mold. What is your opinion on air purifiers?

It all depends on the filter. So I love the purifiers that have a hepa ultra filter in it. Those will actually get down to a tiny, tiny particle size and even block out some virus carriers, things like that. And so there's so many like on Amazon and I'm like, are they really doing much? So to me that if you're going to buy one and actually want it to work, it needs that ultra HEPA filter in it, which is going to cost more money.

Why do you think that olipop is a step above poppy.

I like olipop just because it's full of fiber. And like we talked about earlier, um, Americans are just not gaining enough fiber. You need about 25 grams of fiber a day and one can of lollipop. A lot of them have 9 grams of fiber, which is quite a bit. And so I do like that it provides the fiber, but also has some herbs and prebiotics in it as well.

But you don't think poppy is bad, or do you?

No, I don't.

I just like this. I would even pick ollipop above poppy.

Yes. I always do like a good, better best.

Yeah, it's kind of like the crips in the bloods, though. You know, Carlin, people are gonna freak out. Versus Ollie pop.

They're both good. I just like that ollipop has more fiber.

How can a teenager eat a real food diet and live a non nontoxic life in a dorm?

Oh, that's a good question since I have kids going to college a little bit. Okay, so first of all, it comes down, though, to educating them while they're in your home, because you can't just live a lifestyle of eating McDonald's and Burger King all the time, right? And oreos and frosted flakes, and then say, okay, now go to school and live a non toxic lifestyle. So it comes down to them being educated throughout their life in the home, so that they want to go to school and still cook for themselves and buy the groceries that are the better choice products on the shelves and things like that. So I think it starts in the.

Home and is part of that education process with kids allowing them once in a while after they've eaten a lot of real food to say, sure, yeah, go indulge in McDonald's. And then when they're like, mom, I don't feel good. You're like, there you go. And so that helps teach them.

It does. So my oldest son, for, like, three years before leaving the house, he was like, when I move out, I am going to eat only top ramen for a week. And I was like, okay, great. You go and see how you feel. Well, he moved out, bought a bunch of top ramen. After two days, he called and was like, mom, I am so sick. I feel terrible. Like, that was the worst decision. And so you do have to let them learn on their own. And I have another son who wanted McDonald's pancakes so badly when he moved out. He moved out, ate a double serving of McDonald's pancakes, figured out it was like over 100 grams of sugar. And he was like, my stomach hurts so bad. I have the worst headache. And he's never wanted them since. So they, they do have to learn by trial and error. And that's okay. That one time of pancakes is not going to hurt them. And it helped him because he learned.

Could you share some encouragement for the mom who just feels like, I'm not even convinced that my shopping choices really matter.

So if we look at food, like I said earlier, as nature's gift to us to really nourish our body, then I think that's when I, when you have the mindset of, okay, then I'm going to try to look for the foods made from foods that will help nourish my body and my child's body also. If they give it a try for a while, they might see that their child has more energy, less meltdowns, less moodiness, more attention, less adhd. And so giving it a good try also might encourage them to be like, oh, yeah, I saw a difference. And I have an example from a neighbor whose son was just, her three year old was just all over the place. And I sort of said the same thing, like, just give it a try. Give it a try for a couple months and see what happens. So she got rid of artificial dyes, and after three months, she came back to me and she was like, oh, my gosh, my child's tantrums went way down. My child so much more just loving and not so angry. And I was like, yeah, because the moodiness from the artificial dyes wasn't there.

So sometimes we just have to give it a try to really see the benefits.

Is the just ingredients website basically like non toxic Amazon or what? What I like about it is it's not only your brand, you have the just ingredients brand, but you also house all of these other brands that you approve of.

So I try to provide products for the busy mom or the busy person or whoever the college student to just be like, okay, I need a better beauty product. What would it be? Or I need a better body lotion, something like that. Because I remember going through this, trying to swap everything out, and it took me years to swap everything out, but it took a lot of trial and error as well, like trying so many different shampoos or body lotions or makeup, you know, things like that. So I just have put on my website all of my favorites that I really like and approve of and would use in my home.

Can we put a discount code for my audience in the show notes that they can use on there.

That would be great.

Oh, good. Okay, we'll do that. So look for that. If you could prescribe one remedy to heal a sick culture, what would it be?

Eat more fruits and veggies. It sounds so simple. Um, but fruits and veggies seriously have so many minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, fiber, things that are amazing to the body, and we just don't get enough. Most, um, Americans, like I said, are low on fiber, but one out of three kids don't even eat a veggie a day. And so we're just not giving these bodies the nutrients that they really need.

Remind people about your instagram, your podcast. You have a, you have your own podcast where you interview amazing guests and how often episodes come out and any other exciting project you have.

So my website is justingredients us. And like I said, they can find our products there, but all the favorites of different cleaning supplies and laundry soap, to beauty, to whatever. But then also, I do have a podcast, the Just Ingredients podcast, and it comes out every Monday morning. And I just try to bring on doctors, scientists, experts, and sometimes it's on thyroid one week, depression one week, infertility the next week. So I'm just trying to cover a bunch of health topics, topics to try to help anyone in their health journey, because we all have different health struggles that we're dealing with. And so I have that. And then on social media, just dot ingredients, and then we have a Facebook group as well, and we're trying out YouTube and TikTok and trying to grow on those platforms as well. And then we have a new book coming out.

The inflammatory reset.

That is for you.

What?

That is for you.

I need this with my autoimmune.

You do. You do. And most people need it. Most of Americans are dealing with way too high levels of inflammation. And so this has a lot of recipes in the back of it.

Oh, I love recipes, Carlin, this is fantastic.

Look how gorgeous recipes that go along with the anti inflammatory diet. And what the anti inflammatory diet is, is basically, it gets rid of inflammatory foods just for a short period of time. This is not a whole lifestyle. It's getting rid of these inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, dairy, um, sugar, things like that. And then you reintroduce the gluten after a certain amount of time. You reintroduce the dairy after a certain amount of time just to see if your body is reacting to it. Some people do great with gluten, some people don't. And so it's just a way to see how you react with foods. And if you don't react well with them, then why are we eating them? And so this is just a, like I said, tells you how to do this, tells you what things are inflammatory, and then gives you some recipes without the inflammatory ingredients in them.

Oh, my gosh. I am. That was a genuine reaction of excitement because I knew. I mean, I knew you had a book, a new book, but I didn't know it was this. So I'm, like, stoked. This is exactly. I would have probably bought this if you didn't bring it. So thank you for this gift.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Thank you so much.

Yeah. Thank you.

Coming to Arizona. You are such a pioneer in the health and wellness space, and it was an honor to have you on culture apothecary.

Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been so fun.

Dude, it was so cool to meet Carlin. She is so sweet. She is so beautiful in person. I told her her outfit was so great. Like, I just adored her. I just loved her. But guess what Monday is. Lobotomy hour. Our first ever lobotomy hour that is solo, no guest. The last Monday of every month. That is just me and you, baby. Me going through what's happening in my life, what's going on. And let me tell you something. My life has been a frickin movie the past couple of weeks, okay? Testifying at the Senate, going to Austin to film skinny confidential. I have so much to talk to you about. The rebrand, getting my dog mochi, becoming a pet owner for the first time. Like, I just basically have so much tea to share with you, and this show is just, like, I get to let my wiggles out. You know what I mean? You know what I mean?

Yeah. You know?

Okay, so anyway, lobotomy hour, 06:00 p.m. pacific. 09:00 p.m. eastern, Monday. See you there. I'm Alex Clark, and this is culture apothecary.