The Wellness Chart - doTERRA Europe | Science Talks (Translated Subtitles)

<<7>> Hi, I'm Dr. Brannick Riggs,

<<8>> Vice President of Education at dōTERRA International.

<<11>> I'm here with our Scientific and Medical Education Committee

<<13>> here in Europe to have a discussion

<<15>> about the Wellness Chart.

<<17>> The Wellness Chart was created by Dr. David Hill,

<<19>> one of our Founders, 15 years ago now,

<<23>> and he really had this foundation of lifestyle,

<<25>> and then of course, some things we can do for our health

<<28>> on top of that.

<<30>> It begins with nutrition and digestion,

<<32>> and on that it builds movement and metabolism.

<<35>> We know that nutrition is that foundational piece,

<<38>> and that once we have that under control,

<<40>> we can really move on to metabolism

<<42>> and how much we're moving every day.

<<44>> On top of that, we then move to rest and manage stress,

<<47>> realising that stress is so important to help control

<<50>> our lives and we must be getting good rest.

<<54>> On top of that, we try to reduce our synthetic exposure,

<<58>> trying to make sure that we're getting rid of those things

<<61>> in our lives that can be causing issues for us

<<63>> from a synthetic standpoint.

<<65>> Moving up from there,

<<66>> we move past lifestyle now,

<<68>> moving into more informed self-care,

<<71>> and then proactive medical care.

<<72>> And so we wanna have this foundational level conversation

<<76>> about nutrition and digestion.

<<78>> So, Ruth, what do you feel are the fundamentals

<<81>> that people need to know about this level?

<<84>> Well, right first of all,

<<85>> I love that they've put this at the basis of it.

<<87>> I like the whole idea of the chart

<<89>> and how it sort of builds up on it.

<<91>> And it is really important for us to recognise

<<94>> that the foods that we eat are the fundamental tools

<<96>> that we have to make our bodies work and function.

<<99>> It's how we deal with,

<<100>> first of all, you need the macronutrients,

<<102>> the proteins, the carbohydrates,

<<103>> the fats for the building blocks and for energy,

<<106>> but you also need all the micronutrients that help your body

<<110>> to defend itself against what's coming against it,

<<113>> to keep your immune system healthy.

<<114>> So all the things that you need come

<<116>> from the food that you eat.

<<117>> Yeah.

<<118>> And the way that you eat it, and the balance that you have.

<<121>> Those cells need those micronutrients, right?

<<124>> Absolutely.

<<125>> They don't function very well without the micronutrients.

<<126>> Exactly, right, yeah.

<<127>> They call them 'vital amines', vitamins, vital amines.

<<131>> Right, yeah.

<<132>> So we absolutely need them, right?

<<135>> And unfortunately we're getting less and less

<<137>> of those in our food, right?

<<139>> That's right.

<<140>> Things have changed significantly

<<141>> over the last, you know, 10,000 years.

<<144>> It's one of the things that actually

<<145>> really surprised me was,

<<148>> I'd always heard this about nutritional deficiencies,

<<150>> but then when you stop and think about it,

<<153>> and you think about intensive farming methods that we use,

<<157>> the things that we put on the plants in order

<<158>> to sort of encourage them to

<<160>> look nice in the shop,

<<161>> but they somehow don't taste as good,

<<164>> and that means that they haven't got the

<<165>> - same nutrients in there. - Yeah.

<<166>> And we know that happens,

<<167>> we know we've reduced the nutrient qualities

<<169>> - of our foods for years. - Yeah.

<<171>> Depletion in soil quality.

<<173>> Right, right.

<<174>> Turns out phytonutrients don't typically taste good.

<<177>> No.

<<178>> So we get rid of a lot of those phytonutrients, right,

<<180>> just so that people will buy the product.

<<184>> An Apple 500 years ago was small and bitter and sour,

<<190>> and people would eat them, but did not enjoy them.

<<192>> Now they're full of sugars, natural sugars,

<<196>> but they're full of sugars and they're really large, right?

<<199>> So we've changed that over a period of time.

<<201>> You mentioned earlier we were having a conversation

<<203>> about vitamin D and the challenge that a lot of that,

<<208>> that's a challenge here in Europe

<<208>> of keeping a vitamin D level to a good level.

<<213>> Yeah, it is.

<<215>> It's like an epitome of a lack of vitamin D.

<<219>> So people have their own clothes,

<<221>> they are not exposed to the sun.

<<224>> They do not have all the processes for the production of

<<228>> vitamin D and they have really a lack of vitamin D.

<<231>> So there's some studies that says that more than 95%

<<234>> of people have any type of deficiency of vitamin D.

<<238>> So actually, it's concerning,

<<242>> the need that vitamin D

<<245>> has in our body, and the bone

<<246>> development, and all the consequences that will come.

<<250>> Yeah, we know the immune system uses vitamin D as a fuel.

<<254>> And when we don't have enough vitamin D,

<<256>> it becomes a challenge.

<<257>> Our immune system doesn't function nearly as optimally,

<<259>> and we want to make

<<261>> sure that that's an issue,

<<263>> especially those that live in the northern countries

<<266>> where its get cold, right?

<<268>> And then during the wintertime,

<<269>> we may see the sun on occasion, but we're covered up, right?

<<273>> We put mittens on, we put hats on, we put coats on,

<<275>> and we're completely covered up.

<<276>> So the skin actually gets no exposure

<<278>> for sometimes 6-7 months,

<<280>> and therefore we don't make much vitamin D.

<<282>> We were joking that maybe if you have more than

<<286>> 200 days in a bikini,

<<288>> we will have like a good amount of vitamin D,

<<291>> but it's not possible nowadays.

<<293>> I don't even have one day in that.

<<297>> There are some good sides to it, that's true.

<<298>> Yeah, but it's never enough.

<<300>> It's not enough.

<<302>> I see in my practice every day when I ask

<<305>> for blood exams, the lack of vitamin D.

<<308>> Yeah, yeah.

<<309>> And I need to solve it and supplement that.

<<313>> So it's actually a concern.

<<313>> Right, becomes a challenge.

<<315>> And I think because of that, I would say that

<<319>> everyone really does need some supplementation

<<322>> of vitamins and minerals.

<<323>> Yeah, as long as it's the right type of supplementation.

<<325>> I mean, we all know what those

<<327>> supermarket shelves look like with stacks and stacks

<<329>> and stacks of stuff up there with varying different prices.

<<332>> And a lot of the vitamins aren't necessarily available.

<<336>> Right.

<<337>> When you just put them in a pill and give them to you,

<<340>> they might not be absorbed properly by the body.

<<342>> So it is complex process.

<<343>> Yeah, it's easy to sell,

<<346>> but at the end it's not the most profitable for the body.

<<350>> Right.

<<351>> And how those vitamins are made,

<<353>> that's a concern too.

<<354>> Yeah, yeah.

<<355>> And we need that full spectrum of vitamins, right?

<<357>> We don't just have that one laboratory-created vitamin.

<<361>> Alex, you're kind of an expert on this,

<<363>> but we get our vitamins from food sources generally,

<<367>> and that's much better for us.

<<369>> I think one of the unfortunate things about

<<373>> nutrition or inadequate or deficiencies

<<376>> in nutrition is that we don't

<<378>> notice those deficiencies right away.

<<380>> Right.

<<381>> They build upon themselves over time,

<<383>> and then it's too late, right?

<<385>> Then we're having challenges that are harder to correct for.

<<389>> If we can have that base of the foundation,

<<391>> that foundational strong nutrition,

<<395>> it's going to really help us out in the long run.

<<396>> Yeah, that's true.

<<398>> You are what you eat, and you are how you eat.

<<402>> So it's important to have a look what we eat,

<<404>> but it's also so important how we eat.

<<406>> I think in our time, we all eat too fast.

<<409>> Everything has to go fast and quickly,

<<412>> and the body has no time to take all this nutrition

<<416>> we need on because everything,

<<417>> that we eat, the body tries to take out everything

<<421>> that is important, bring it to yourselves,

<<423>> makes metabolism with it,

<<425>> and then our body works not only well,

<<429>> it has to work super well

<<431>> for a good healthspan.

<<435>> If we eat too fast, we have a second problem.

<<438>> If we eat too fast, we eat too much.

<<441>> If we eat slowly with time,

<<444>> maybe also not in a hurry,

<<449>> then we eat not so much,

<<452>> because the body needs 20-30 minutes

<<456>> of eating for the body to say to us,

<<459>> 'okay, it's enough'.

<<460>> So a lot of people have weight problems

<<463>> because they eat too fast.

<<464>> Yeah, yeah.

<<466>> I've heard it said that not just we are what we eat,

<<468>> but maybe more importantly, we are what we digest.

<<471>> Yeah.

<<472>> Because sometimes we're eating things

<<474>> and we're not digesting well,

<<475>> and sometimes our GI tract is not really set up

<<478>> to be as healthy as it could be.

<<481>> So digestion becomes also a really important part of this,

<<483>> nutrition and digestion.

<<485>> We've talked a bit about nutrition.

<<486>> So digestion now becomes a concept which you talk about,

<<490>> so what are the factors that help us with

<<492>> healthy digestion?

<<493>> What helps support the digestive system?

<<495>> It makes us think,

<<496>> how will our physiology adapt to our way of life?

<<500>> Because we have

<<501>> now these running days, and work, and time for the kids,

<<506>> and we don't have time to prepare whole foods,

<<510>> and prepare good meals, and this lifestyle that we have,

<<514>> all this rushing.

<<515>> Maybe our physiology is not really adapted

<<518>> to our lifestyle nowadays.

<<520>> Yeah, because stress certainly affects digestion, right?

<<521>> Slows the GI tract,

<<523>> therefore we don't digest things as well.

<<525>> That's very true and the microbiome.

<<527>> Love it, I was just gonna say that.

<<529>> So expand on that for us, Ruth,

<<531>> tell us about the microbiome and how that helps

<<533>> the GI tract in digestion.

<<534>> Well, I mean, it's a balance of

<<536>> all the microbes that we have in the GI tract.

<<538>> We've found out in recent years,

<<540>> and it's relatively recent years,

<<542>> that we recognise the importance

<<544>> that it is both in digestion,

<<546>> in the passage through the tract,

<<547>> and how we digest things and how we absorb things.

<<550>> But some of the nutrients that we have actually need those

<<553>> commensal bacteria in order

<<555>> to be available to us.

<<556>> Right.

<<558>> But it's also really closely linked

<<561>> to our immune system, you know?

<<562>> So it's a really fine balance.

<<564>> We need to have a good microbiome,

<<567>> and it is easily upset by stress, by the food that we eat,

<<571>> by the things that we do.

<<573>> Yeah.

<<573>> So those are really important elements.

<<576>> It's connected to our blood sugar regulation.

<<579>> We talked about yesterday.

<<580>> Yeah.

<<581>> Because if you eat some food,

<<583>> it could be that for some things.

<<587>> What it normally is, we have the glycaemic index.

<<589>> So if you have something like white bread,

<<592>> most people will have a high glycaemic index,

<<595>> so a high rising blood, a high rising amount

<<599>> of sugar in the blood.

<<602>> But if you have other food, like healthy food, green food,

<<605>> then it's lower.

<<607>> But we are individuals, and our microbiome

<<611>> is also something that is influencing our blood sugar,

<<614>> rising our rollercoaster.

<<616>> So it could be that for some people,

<<619>> maybe white bread isn't so bad than for other people.

<<622>> Yeah.

<<623>> And also there is maybe someone who eats a carrot

<<626>> and has then a high rise of blood sugar.

<<628>> So microbiome is a big secret, but it's totally individual,

<<632>> an individual composition in our body.

<<635>> I love that you said that, Alexandra,

<<636>> because one of my mantras is always

<<638>> knowing yourself is the most important thing.

<<640>> Everybody is different.

<<641>> We can give lots of advice and that there are loads

<<644>> and loads of different diets available.

<<646>> and loads of different diets available.

<<646>> You have the paleo diet and the vegan diet.

<<649>> They might work for some people

<<651>> and there's a lot of science behind some of these

<<655>> and how they can impact you.

<<657>> At the end of the day,

<<658>> you need to know how your body responds

<<661>> to the food that you eat,

<<662>> and what works for you.

<<664>> And I think that's a really important element,

<<666>> and almost all of the things

<<667>> that we're gonna be talking about is knowing

<<669>> your own individual person.

<<670>> And that might be the microbiome,

<<672>> it might be other sensitivities that you have.

<<675>> Yeah, the microbiome is fascinating to me.

<<678>> I recently read an article that was stating

<<679>> that we actually are more bacterial cells

<<682>> than we are human cells,

<<684>> which means that I may not identify

<<686>> maybe as a human anymore.

<<688>> I may identify as a bacterial planet, I guess,

<<691>> that has this bacteria that I house.

<<693>> So we need to make sure as we look at digestion and

<<696>> nutrition, that we're being kind to

<<699>> - the good bacteria. - Yeah.

<<701>> Our bacteria that we're hosting in our system.

<<706>> Alex, in a world where some people

<<708>> don't even think about exercise anymore,

<<712>> tell us about the next layer of the chart,

<<714>> which is really movement and metabolism

<<717>> and how important that is,

<<718>> and maybe why we build that

<<720>> on top of nutrition and digestion.

<<723>> For better or for worse,

<<724>> technology has come a long way.

<<727>> And it requires that we don't have to move as much

<<730>> as we might have had to historically.

<<734>> And you can travel easily around the world and basically

<<737>> just sit there the entire time.

<<739>> But really, our bodies are not designed

<<742>> for such a sedentary lifestyle.

<<744>> We're designed genetically, our cells,

<<748>> our muscles, our joints.

<<751>> We are supposed to be moving regularly.

<<754>> So we have a little bit of a

<<757>> tug of war with the comforts of today.

<<761>> But the good news is it doesn't take a whole lot of effort

<<765>> to see improvements.

<<767>> Something as simple as 10-30 minutes per day of simple

<<771>> activity can go a long way in improving

<<775>> your health and your wellness.

<<776>> So some simple things that people can do

<<780>> or taking the stairs instead of the elevator,

<<784>> or maybe you park a car a little further away.

<<788>> Or even better yet, don't even take the car.

<<791>> Right.

<<791>> Use your feet.

<<793>> It's amazing to me how long people will drive around

<<795>> a parking lot looking for the closest space

<<798>> as opposed to just parking further away

<<800>> and walking into the store.

<<801>> I chuckle a little bit when you see people

<<803>> drive to the gym, right?

<<805>> And then they get out to go exercise.

<<808>> This is a little ironic.

<<809>> If that gym is 30 miles away, maybe,

<<811>> but most of the time the gym is a whole lot closer, right?

<<814>> Sure.

<<815>> And then we're okay.

<<816>> But I think it's really interesting that you say that.

<<818>> I think a lot of people try, again, those fads

<<822>> there are, those sort of ideas that you have to

<<824>> start with jogging and aerobics,

<<826>> or running or high intensity training.

<<828>> All these sort of fads come through and people go,

<<832>> "I'm going to go with that, I'm going to do it."

<<834>> If it doesn't suit you, you won't keep it up.

<<837>> In the latest research that I've seen

<<839>> and been looking at this basically says,

<<840>> the best exercise is the exercise that works for you.

<<844>> Again, you know your own self, you know your own body.

<<848>> So whatever makes you be able to move regularly,

<<851>> that's what works.

<<852>> If it's going for a walk,

<<853>> if it's doing yoga, if it's going to the gym for four hours,

<<856>> it doesn't matter.

<<857>> What matters is that you find what works for you,

<<860>> what you can sustain.

<<862>> I think also we used to have lifestyles, right,

<<865>> that necessitated exercise.

<<868>> If I was a farmer and didn't live in the city,

<<870>> then I was out all day walking behind a plow, or weeding

<<874>> the fields, or whatever it was,

<<875>> herding the sheep or the cattle.

<<877>> We don't typically have those jobs anymore.

<<879>> Most of us don't.

<<881>> And so we are now sitting sometimes eight plus hours a day,

<<886>> and that is leading to significant challenges

<<889>> in our physiology, right?

<<890>> So maybe finding ways in which we can incorporate movement

<<894>> into our life is great, right?

<<897>> People have even described the sedentary lifestyle

<<900>> as the new smoking, right.

<<902>> Everybody knows

<<904>> that this is harmful for us, right?

<<907>> But it's now how do we push back against it?

<<910>> What are some easy things we can do to push back on it?

<<912>> The sitting is the new smoking

<<915>> is a good word because we have so many different muscle

<<917>> types in our body,

<<919>> and if we are sitting, we don't train our muscles.

<<924>> We all know it's our muscles,

<<925>> but we also don't train our digestion.

<<928>> So if we are sitting the whole day,

<<930>> then it's also difficult

<<932>> to work with all the food we eat,

<<937>> and also our heart, we forget our heart.

<<939>> Our heart is also a muscle.

<<941>> We have only one heart,

<<942>> and if our heart is beating

<<944>> and we train it, it's beating because of good things,

<<947>> then our heart will be working also longer,

<<951>> like our other body muscles.

<<953>> Yeah.

<<954>> So there really isn't any way

<<956>> of avoiding the fact the last three years

<<959>> or so have been tough on a lot of us

<<961>> around the world, right?

<<962>> We've had some pretty significant challenges

<<966>> that we've dealt with.

<<968>> So, Fernando, can you suggest some top tips

<<971>> in the next category,

<<973>> which is rest and manage stress.

<<974>> What are your maybe top five suggestions

<<978>> in that category of rest and manage stress?

<<981>> First of all,

<<981>> I think you need to know the importance of resting.

<<985>> So sleeping, and just rest at home for a while.

<<990>> Of course, doing your typical physical activity,

<<993>> your 150 minutes a week

<<995>> to improve your heart rate, your breathing.

<<999>> But it's important for you to rest,

<<1002>> especially with jobs that require a lot of physical work,

<<1007>> but also mental work.

<<1009>> You need to just rest,

<<1011>> have a good sleep regime.

<<1015>> Sometimes people struggle how to sleep,

<<1020>> they cannot sleep.

<<1021>> They have those issues,

<<1024>> but you need to make an effort.

<<1026>> So try to do simple things like,

<<1028>> and try to choose what is best for you.

<<1031>> Try to not take caffeine some hours.

<<1037>> People sometimes, like for instance,

<<1039>> I like to take a coffee before I sleep

<<1041>> and I sleep really well,

<<1043>> but it's a paradox,

<<1044>> and that happens in physiology.

<<1046>> Others may find though,

<<1047>> that if they do the same thing,

<<1049>> even six to eight hours before sleep,

<<1052>> it's going to disrupt their sleep,

<<1054>> - and have challenges, right? - Maybe some exercise.

<<1055>> Go take a walk after dinner.

<<1057>> Read a book.

<<1058>> So if you have those routines,

<<1063>> it's important to have a routine.

<<1065>> Yeah.

<<1065>> Sometimes it's not possible for me,

<<1068>> as a doctor that works in an ER,

<<1070>> I have two nights a week that I don't sleep at home

<<1074>> but my body is used to that,

<<1078>> even if I know it's not healthy for me.

<<1081>> My body had struggled, and now has new mechanisms

<<1085>> to balance that.

<<1086>> So it's important for people

<<1088>> to really know how that works for them.

<<1090>> Yeah.

<<1091>> So have this process to how to sleep, and then rest as much

<<1096>> as they can,

<<1097>> and do some activities that help them,

<<1101>> give them some pleasure,

<<1104>> enjoyable things that they feel good, emotionally balanced.

<<1108>> That helps too, because stress sometimes is good.

<<1113>> Right, it's motivating at times, that's right.

<<1115>> So, when you have a task, when you have a lecture,

<<1119>> when you have a project to do,

<<1121>> you need to have some level of stress, and that's good.

<<1125>> It's hard, it really puts enough

<<1129>> blood into your brain,

<<1132>> it helps you to be more sharp.

<<1135>> But when it's too much, it may harm you.

<<1139>> Yeah.

<<1141>> Our systems weren't made to really deal

<<1145>> with stress all the time.

<<1147>> All the the time, yeah.

<<1148>> Physiologically, we were talking about development,

<<1151>> when a tiger would

<<1152>> jump out of the jungle or a bear out of the woods,

<<1155>> our body was meant to respond in a way that would allow us

<<1158>> to escape that life-threatening challenge.

<<1162>> But when someone cuts us off on the road,

<<1164>> our body responds in exactly the same way,

<<1167>> and if it's doing that constantly,

<<1169>> it wreaks havoc on the system, right?

<<1171>> Yeah and that's because a lot of hormones

<<1172>> we have in our bodies,

<<1174>> so adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol,

<<1176>> they release this when we have stress and we need it,

<<1180>> we need it so that we can run fast.

<<1182>> Right.

<<1183>> Or we need it so that we can push hard.

<<1186>> So fight or flight,

<<1188>> and survival of the fittest.

<<1189>> Yeah.

<<1190>> If we don't manage this stressy situation,

<<1193>> then we don't have a resilience,

<<1195>> and in the past we could die.

<<1197>> Yeah.

<<1198>> But today maybe a stressy situation,

<<1200>> that can have a positive effect is maybe like the wedding

<<1203>> of your best friend, and you're the bridesmaid.

<<1206>> I've never been a bridesmaid, but yes, I would say so.

<<1209>> Always a bride.

<<1210>> That's right.

<<1211>> Or the birth of a baby.

<<1212>> Yeah.

<<1213>> The birth of a baby, you have for a short time

<<1215>> a lot of stress,

<<1217>> and then you have a big release of endorphins

<<1220>> in the moment when you've got your baby.

<<1223>> Also when you have after a stressy time, something good,

<<1228>> like the tears of your best friend at the wedding,

<<1232>> this is such a great feeling in you, that all the work

<<1236>> that you did, all the stress that you had, it's worth it.

<<1240>> Yeah.

<<1241>> It was worth it,

<<1242>> and these endorphins, they make us better,

<<1245>> they make us good.

<<1246>> But if we have these hormones the whole time in us,

<<1249>> I mean the bad hormones, not the big chocolate

<<1251>> with the endorphins, more the adrenaline,

<<1253>> noradrenaline and the cortisol,

<<1255>> it can also influence our blood vessels.

<<1259>> Yeah.

<<1259>> It can influence our mood,

<<1260>> it can influence our concentration

<<1263>> and it can influence our digestion.

<<1265>> - Yeah. - Again.

<<1266>> Again, yes, so again.

<<1268>> It's beautifully built, isn't it?

<<1269>> Yeah, and it's also like you said, Ruth,

<<1271>> so individually.

<<1272>> Yeah.

<<1273>> It's so individually how we are managing stress.

<<1276>> Yeah.

<<1277>> We like to think that all these things are separate.

<<1279>> - But they're not. - They're not, no.

<<1280>> But they're all interrelated so much.

<<1283>> The gut-brain axis, more and more

<<1286>> there's coming research relating to that.

<<1289>> Which is also linked to the immune system,

<<1290>> which is everything we were saying.

<<1291>> When we were talking about the microbiome,

<<1293>> more and more there are available exams to practitioners

<<1298>> to know about your microbiome.

<<1301>> Yeah, I recently read an article

<<1303>> that was telling us that sleeplessness,

<<1306>> those that don't sleep well actually require 40% more

<<1309>> insulin production to manage healthy blood sugar levels.

<<1313>> It's pretty significant, right?

<<1316>> I loved your example, I mean

<<1317>> there are people out there who can't necessarily

<<1320>> because of their work commitments, or because of

<<1322>> what they do, can't necessarily have

<<1324>> a regular habit that you have getting to sleep,

<<1326>> and I love the fact that it doesn't have to be that way.

<<1329>> There is a way that we can find and

<<1331>> you can use tools, and there's

<<1334>> some really nice dōTERRA tools that you can use to help you

<<1337>> to substitute, to find a rhythm that suits your life.

<<1341>> Even if it involves two nights a week

<<1343>> in a hospital, or four nights a week.

<<1345>> But then you can rest afterwards.

<<1346>> Yeah.

<<1347>> But it's the balance.

<<1348>> You need to find something that really matters.

<<1349>> You need to know what is available for you.

<<1351>> And there's a way to get balance again,

<<1354>> even with an unbalanced work life,

<<1357>> Yeah.

<<1358>> and complicated.

<<1359>> And that touches also about the emotions.

<<1361>> Emotions are also important,

<<1362>> Yeah.

<<1363>> and all that dynamics.

<<1365>> So when you see all the physiological, and emotional

<<1369>> and psychological, everything is connected

<<1372>> and everything interacts with each other.

<<1374>> So Ruth, our next level is reducing synthetic exposure,

<<1379>> your speciality, right?

<<1382>> Where you've spent your career.

<<1384>> Yeah.

<<1385>> So what does this layer involve

<<1386>> and why is this an important area to be aware of?

<<1389>> Well, I think what we've discovered,

<<1393>> it's been a chemical era.

<<1395>> There have been so many fantastic new products out there

<<1399>> that help to do things like cleaning our house,

<<1402>> looking after our garden,

<<1403>> agricultural products to help our crops grow

<<1405>> with less nutrition.

<<1407>> - Let's not go down that path! - Right, yeah.

<<1409>> There are so many fantastic things there,

<<1412>> but what we've discovered in recent times

<<1415>> is that there's a real buildup of chemical substances

<<1420>> in our environment, that our bodies

<<1422>> have to cope with on a daily basis.

<<1424>> Yeah.

<<1425>> It's becoming a bigger and bigger challenge.

<<1428>> I think most of the big organisations,

<<1431>> I could talk about the WHO,

<<1432>> I could talk about the EU in Europe itself,

<<1435>> have all started to signal concerns about the possible

<<1438>> health impacts that come from air pollution,

<<1442>> agricultural compounds,

<<1444>> things that are in our environment

<<1445>> that we're constantly being exposed to,

<<1447>> Yeah.

<<1448>> and anything that we can do, on two sides, to reduce that

<<1452>> exposure, or to help to prepare our bodies to deal with it.

<<1456>> Because let's face it,

<<1457>> there are some things we can deal with,

<<1459>> we around this table can sing about it

<<1462>> to our hearts content, but

<<1463>> we can't solve the air pollution issue just like that.

<<1468>> They didn't put the five of us in charge of the world,

<<1469>> that's probably good actually.

<<1470>> Not yet, but we're working on it.

<<1473>> No, but governments are trying to do things,

<<1475>> organisations are trying to do things,

<<1477>> but it's going to take time.

<<1479>> You can't just suddenly take these all out

<<1480>> of the environment.

<<1482>> Now I'm not someone who would

<<1483>> say that we have to be absolutely rigid about exposure,

<<1487>> I just believe that you can reduce it

<<1491>> in many different ways.

<<1492>> I personally,

<<1494>> I like to make all my own cleaning stuff at home.

<<1498>> I very rarely buy stuff from the shops now.

<<1500>> I make it all at home.

<<1502>> My mother keeps saying, "I used to do that."

<<1505>> Right.

<<1506>> We used to do these things,

<<1508>> and she knows all these tricks.

<<1509>> I keep discovering something and saying, "Mum,

<<1511>> did you know that vinegar takes stains out?"

<<1512>> "Yeah, of course I did."

<<1514>> Right, right.

<<1516>> We're kind of returning to those old ways.

<<1518>> We are and it's lovely, it's lovely to do it,

<<1520>> but I think it all helps, it all helps to

<<1524>> reduce the overall burden

<<1526>> that you're putting on your body.

<<1527>> Yeah.

<<1528>> Because your body has to deal with this, as well

<<1531>> as all the other stresses that are concerned,

<<1534>> and all the normal bodily processes.

<<1536>> If you charge it with too much stuff,

<<1537>> it will not be able to manage it properly.

<<1540>> It's interesting,

<<1541>> a lot of these are coming

<<1542>> with personal care products, right?

<<1544>> The statistics I recently read is that

<<1547>> women use 65 personal care products a day,

<<1552>> which didn't surprise me a whole lot,

<<1555>> but with those personal care products,

<<1558>> they had 160 synthetic chemicals

<<1562>> that they were putting on their skin

<<1564>> that we know can create challenges.

<<1567>> And some of those chemicals actually

<<1569>> we accumulate over time.

<<1571>> That's what they're finding more and more now.

<<1573>> And actually even,

<<1575>> there are things that are out there,

<<1578>> that we can't do anything about

<<1580>> or unlike to do anything about.

<<1582>> Right.

<<1582>> I'm talking about the foods.

<<1584>> I read just recently,

<<1585>> EFSA, which is the European Food Safety Authority,

<<1588>> have just published a report on Bisphenol A,

<<1592>> which we've all heard a lot about over the years,

<<1594>> and they've just determined that actually it is causing harm

<<1598>> to people, and it's in pretty much everything,

<<1600>> in the packaging, and it gets into our food.

<<1603>> They've just reduced the levels by 20,000.

<<1607>> Wow, wow.

<<1610>> So we're finding more and more

<<1611>> of these things out and we need

<<1613>> to help our bodies to deal with this stuff.

<<1617>> Thankfully now there's more and more products

<<1618>> out there that are telling you right on the label.

<<1621>> Yes.

<<1622>> BPA-free being one of those, that's a hallmark of,

<<1624>> "Oh, I'm going to choose this over something else."

<<1628>> Reading labels is a very good habit to get into.

<<1630>> Yes, for sure.

<<1631>> And recognising maybe some of those compounds,

<<1635>> so that we can start making choices

<<1637>> to avoid them,

<<1638>> by that then we change

<<1639>> who is willing to produce them,

<<1640>> because we're not spending the money on those things.

<<1642>> We may not be able to change it immediately,

<<1644>> but if you put the pressure on people to do that,

<<1647>> then it will happen.

<<1648>> More and more you have people's awareness.

<<1650>> - Yeah. - Yes.

<<1651>> There are lots of products

<<1653>> that have got out from the products,

<<1654>> they reduce it or eliminate from the products,

<<1658>> but there are many substances still in our everyday

<<1662>> products, we use it, we eat it, we drink it.

<<1665>> So more and more people are aware

<<1668>> and read those labels,

<<1670>> That's true.

<<1670>> and just make other choices.

<<1673>> And that's important for people like us that know

<<1678>> the science, and read the studies,

<<1680>> to make aware to others to just make safe choices.

<<1684>> Yeah.

<<1685>> I completely agree with you, but I also

<<1688>> think it's important to keep passing that

<<1691>> message across, because

<<1692>> it's a very confusing world out there.

<<1695>> Food labelling is a case in point,

<<1697>> it can be very different from one place to another,

<<1700>> and it can be overwhelming.

<<1703>> Again, going back to the stress,

<<1705>> if you've not got much time

<<1706>> and you're walking around a shop,

<<1707>> how much time do you have to pick up every packet

<<1709>> and look at the label and think about it?

<<1710>> It takes time.

<<1712>> So I think the other thing, the other side of this is, yes,

<<1716>> do it a little bit by little, when you can reduce it.

<<1719>> Yeah.

<<1720>> But also prepare your body.

<<1721>> Take those supplements, take those micronutrients,

<<1724>> because the better prepared your body is,

<<1726>> the more likely it is to be able to cope

<<1728>> with the exposures that it can't avoid.

<<1730>> Yeah, I love that concept, because

<<1732>> we are going to be exposed to synthetics.

<<1734>> Yeah.

<<1735>> We just are.

<<1736>> Even as cleanly as we'd like to live,

<<1738>> it's a fact of life

<<1739>> in today's modern world,

<<1741>> and so therefore I agree with that.

<<1742>> Do what you can to reduce the amount

<<1745>> of exposure in your life,

<<1747>> and then you do what you can to prepare yourselves

<<1749>> to deal with the exposure that you do have, I love that.

<<1752>> That involves the nutritional level,

<<1753>> that involves reducing your stress, that involves your rest,

<<1755>> it involves exercise.

<<1757>> Supporting our liver and our kidneys, right?

<<1759>> Exactly, yeah.

<<1761>> Yeah, I think that's a great concept.

<<1763>> So as with rest and managed stress,

<<1766>> the next layer is incredibly important

<<1769>> and it probably needs to be a priority now more than ever.

<<1772>> So Alexandra, what can you tell us about implementing

<<1774>> So Alexandra, what can you tell us about implementing

<<1775>> the idea of informed self-care effectively?

<<1775>> the idea of informed self-care effectively?

<<1779>> Yeah, that's really exciting.

<<1780>> We already talked a little bit about it, this team.

<<1783>> I think we have to make a difference between the self-care

<<1786>> and the informed self-care.

<<1788>> Self-care is promoting and

<<1791>> improving your health,

<<1794>> but in the informed self-care, you have to know how,

<<1798>> and I think this is really important.

<<1800>> So I think all the people who are looking now at our video,

<<1804>> they're doing the right thing.

<<1806>> They're informed.

<<1807>> Getting informed, that's great, yes.

<<1808>> They've got now the information from us

<<1810>> on maybe how they can live healthier.

<<1813>> So the people, they have to search,

<<1816>> they have to think about,

<<1818>> "How can I promote my health better?"

<<1822>> And I think that a lot of people don't know how.

<<1825>> A lot of people, like Fernando said,

<<1827>> they open the labels and they don't know, me either,

<<1831>> "What is this word, and what does this

<<1833>> mean for us or for me?"

<<1835>> And also how these things belong together.

<<1838>> And we see today how these things belong together.

<<1841>> So I think at first, yes, the people can inform

<<1844>> themselves, and I think we have a lot of

<<1847>> Wellness Advocates outside who are already doing this

<<1850>> for all the people outside, and themselves,

<<1853>> and for the other people who are not doing this,

<<1856>> who also would like to live healthier.

<<1859>> They have to help them and they already do it now,

<<1862>> and that's so wonderful that we can be part of this

<<1865>> informed self-care, in a maybe little more special

<<1870>> or scientific way where they can get the information.

<<1874>> Yeah.

<<1875>> I like what this implies too,

<<1876>> that there's self-care, right.

<<1877>> We need to feel empowered and responsible

<<1880>> to look after our own health

<<1882>> and wellness, and then to help others.

<<1884>> That's such a good point.

<<1884>> I think your own personal responsibility to your self-care

<<1887>> is a really important aspect there.

<<1889>> Yeah.

<<1889>> Completely agree.

<<1890>> I agree.

<<1891>> I think that's the beauty of the Scientific and Medical

<<1893>> Education Committee is that it's really a place

<<1896>> where we can be

<<1897>> of the most assistance in saying, "Look,

<<1899>> we're understanding more and more about how to use

<<1903>> products to care for ourselves,

<<1905>> our bodies and our environment,

<<1907>> and we'd like to share that information."

<<1909>> So it gives us the opportunity to do what we are all

<<1912>> passionate about, which is helping people.

<<1915>> We went into this business, we went into

<<1918>> our education,

<<1919>> that long, arduous process, so that we can then be

<<1923>> of assistance to other people.

<<1924>> That's the beauty

<<1925>> of the Scientific and Medical Education Committee,

<<1927>> it's that we get to do that with some natural products,

<<1929>> which are so amazing.

<<1930>> Yes.

<<1931>> So on top of that, we have proactive healthcare.

<<1933>> Proactive healthcare is really that space in which people

<<1936>> interact with particularly us as physicians, right?

<<1940>> Looking for how do we

<<1943>> move forward with our health.

<<1946>> I would say that one of the things

<<1948>> that maybe our Wellness Advocates need to know

<<1951>> is to understand their own risk, right?

<<1954>> We might look at family history or genetics to understand,

<<1957>> "What am I particularly at risk for?"

<<1960>> You were mentioning earlier, specified things

<<1964>> that we can know about ourselves,

<<1966>> like continuous glucose monitors, those sorts of things.

<<1968>> But when we look at our own family history,

<<1971>> it tells us some things that we might be at risk for,

<<1974>> and some things that we might want to do about that.

<<1977>> Participating in screenings at the appropriate time,

<<1979>> getting annual labs done to know where I sit,

<<1984>> and not just one time,

<<1986>> but also over time to see is this changing, right?

<<1992>> We look at glucose and maybe an A1C,

<<1994>> and realise that yes,

<<1996>> it might be in normal range,

<<1997>> but the last three years you've trended up,

<<2000>> and so if we continue this for the next three years,

<<2003>> this is where you're going to end up.

<<2004>> So let's do some things now to change that.

<<2007>> What do you find

<<2009>> with this healthcare portion of things,

<<2012>> proactive healthcare,

<<2014>> what would you wish to tell your patients

<<2016>> to do in that proactive healthcare space?

<<2019>> I think first, I need to give them the responsibility,

<<2023>> it's your life.

<<2025>> I love that.

<<2026>> It's your life, but I'm here to help you, to support you.

<<2030>> I'm going to give you my hand to go with you along the way,

<<2033>> you will not be alone,

<<2035>> and let's see the family history.

<<2038>> Yeah.

<<2039>> Let's see how was your past,

<<2041>> let's see what are your current problems,

<<2044>> what are the future problems that could happen?

<<2046>> Right.

<<2047>> So let's make some changes if you need to.

<<2049>> Yeah.

<<2050>> And I'm here to answer all your questions.

<<2055>> Yeah.

<<2056>> So being as a physician, available for them.

<<2060>> And also because some of them are families

<<2062>> that take care of their kids,

<<2064>> and they're older, so they need to know

<<2068>> there is a person that takes care of themself,

<<2069>> but also takes care of others.

<<2071>> Yeah.

<<2071>> So they really need to know about a proactive care.

<<2075>> I love that Fernando, because for me, I term it,

<<2077>> 'Don't ever give away your power', which means that

<<2080>> you as an individual should be in charge of your healthcare.

<<2084>> Sometimes we have people that interact with the medical

<<2087>> system and they come in, they say,

<<2088>> "I'm just here to do whatever you tell me",

<<2091>> and I don't think that's a healthy relationship.

<<2093>> It really should be, "I'm a physician,

<<2095>> I'm here to counsel with you and advise you,

<<2097>> but at the end of the day, this is your decision,

<<2100>> 100% your decision, as to whether or not

<<2102>> you take those recommendations

<<2104>> and make those changes or not."

<<2107>> If we can keep that relationship a healthy one

<<2110>> of you are in control as the patient,

<<2113>> I'm simply here to counsel with you and advise you,

<<2115>> then that's probably a healthy relationship that we want.

<<2118>> Yeah, that's what I do with my patients.

<<2120>> When I propose them a program, I ask them,

<<2123>> "Do you agree with me?",

<<2124>> like it's settled,

<<2125>> like making a contract.

<<2127>> This is what I propose.

<<2130>> So we can negotiate of course,

<<2132>> but this is your life, it's you that can do it.

<<2134>> Because we are in a world

<<2136>> with a lot of information.

<<2139>> Like you said, we have the media,

<<2142>> you have the information that we never had.

<<2144>> Yeah.

<<2145>> Or our parents never had.

<<2147>> Even us, when we studied, we needed to go to libraries to

<<2149>> see books, and now just in a click they can see

<<2153>> thousands and thousands of books.

<<2155>> So they come to our offices and with questions,

<<2158>> and we are there just answering them,

<<2161>> to just give them the real information behind

<<2165>> some information that you can read on online.

<<2168>> The other concept that I like within this space

<<2171>> is meeting the patient where they are,

<<2173>> meeting the individual where they are,

<<2175>> making sure that we're not asking them to go

<<2178>> a mile, when they're only able to walk

<<2181>> fifteen yards or half a kilometre, right?

<<2185>> We need to make sure that we're asking,

<<2186>> "What is the next step

<<2188>> that they can make in their healthcare choices

<<2190>> and their lifestyle?"

<<2193>> Not, "What is the ultimate

<<2195>> that we want them to get to?"

<<2196>> Proactively.

<<2197>> Yeah, proactively, right.

<<2199>> If we can help them make those small

<<2200>> incremental changes in their life,

<<2203>> then they're likely to be able to respond easier

<<2206>> and be able to accomplish those things.

<<2208>> Imagine a person who is 80 years old

<<2211>> that has problems, endocrine problems,

<<2214>> and they need to change,

<<2216>> have some change in their habits.

<<2218>> It's difficult to change the diet

<<2221>> of a guy who is 80 years old.

<<2223>> Yeah.

<<2224>> It's complicated.

<<2225>> You can make mild changes,

<<2227>> but he's the age of your grandfather.

<<2229>> Right.

<<2230>> You cannot expect them to make huge changes.

<<2232>> Right.

<<2233>> So we need to be flexible, and just see the other side

<<2238>> and try to be as humble as possible to help them.

<<2242>> Well I appreciate your having this conversation.

<<2246>> It's been fun to be with you,

<<2248>> and talk about the Wellness Chart and how important that is

<<2252>> for us to adopt in our own lives, right?

<<2255>> Making sure we're paying attention to that.

<<2257>> And then also for our amazing Wellness Advocates out there

<<2260>> to understand why these things are so important, that there

<<2263>> is real scientific backing to each level of the Wellness

<<2267>> Chart, and they're making those lifestyle changes

<<2271>> and changing their lives as well.

<<2273>> So grateful for each of you

<<2275>> and thank you for your time today.