Latest / Conservation Stories / Allison Childress on GLP-1s, Food Culture, and Chronic Disease

Transcript

Allison Childress on GLP-1s, Food Culture, and Chronic Disease · Conservation Stories

• 0:00
  Speaker A: Foreign.
• 0:09
  Speaker B: Welcome back to another episode of Conservation Stories. I'm your host, Hilary Timmins Sims, and Conservation Stories is brought to you by the Sandhill Area Research Association. And we're kind of maybe veering into territory that people might be confused about why we're going there, because we talk about ag so much, but when we get going, I think people understand. So I have with me Allison Childress is here today, and Allison is a dietitian, and our mutual friend Sarah Burnett connected us because you guys were at the. At the Hub, Innovation Hub. So give us a little bit about your background and tell us why you were at the Hub.
• 0:48
  Speaker A: Yes. Okay. So you're correct. I am a registered, licensed clinical dietitian, but I'm also an associate professor of practice at Texas Tech University in the Department of Nutritional sc. And part of what I do there is research, of course, but then also part of what I do there is seeing patients. And so pre Covid, my research partners and I were studying culinary medicine, and we had some human trials going, human subjects trials going, where we would have our participants come to us and we would deliver culinary medicine education for the management of their chronic disease. The nutritional management of chronic disease.
• 1:24
  Speaker B: Food is medicine.
• 1:25
  Speaker A: Correct. And then Covid happened, and we could no longer be with our research participants. So we had to sort of morph and move everything into an online or an E version of what we were doing. And so when that happened, we were approached by somebody in the Office of Research Commercialization at Texas Tech, and they said, have you ever thought about commercializing what you're doing with your research participants and with your patients? And we thought, no, we didn't even think that would be a thing. So they did a market analysis for us and said, there's nothing like this out there, what you're doing with your patients. And I'll explain a little bit more in detail what it is we're doing. And. And they said, let's connect you with the TTU Innovation Hub and let's get you started. And so in 2021, on November 3rd, actually, of 2021, we signed our LLC documents, formed our company, which is called three culinary med docs, and we've been working with the Innovation Hub ever since.
• 2:16
  Speaker B: That's so cool. Well, I've had Taisha on, and I love that place.
• 2:20
  Speaker A: Yes. When I walk in the door of the Innovation Hub, I am immediately inspired. And it's like the creative part of my brain comes out. I'm a scientist, so creativity is not really my strong suit. When I walk in the door of the innovation hub. Now, I'm a creative person and I just love being there. Yes.
• 2:38
  Speaker B: And I've heard someone talk about like, it's like a pollinator.
• 2:41
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 2:41
  Speaker B: And so you're just, you're just in there with a whole bunch of bees.
• 2:44
  Speaker A: That's a good ag term. Yes. A pollinator.
• 2:46
  Speaker B: Yes, exactly.
• 2:48
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 2:48
  Speaker B: You're just in there and it just, everybody just kind of feeds off each other. That's. Which is the way creativity is. It's amazing.
• 2:53
  Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. And everybody's from different disciplines, different backgrounds, different ethnicities. It's such a wonderful place to just be surrounded with brilliant minds in their areas.
• 3:05
  Speaker B: Yeah, that's really cool. And so they've been supporting you guys with. What kind of, what have they provided you guys with?
• 3:13
  Speaker A: So we won a grant for a prototype. And so we got our website and our wireframes built for our app with that prototype grant. Then we also won President Scovanik's award for startup of the year. And that came with $25,000 prize. So we used that to further our MVP minimum viable product. And then we went through the accelerator program at the same time that Sarah went through. She was in our cohort. She was such a good sense of support for us. So we've been through that. And then they led us to an incubator in Colorado. It's called the Innisphere Biosciences incubator. So it wasn't through Texas Tech, but we, we got that because then we went through an incubator program. And now after going through all of those programs, we have secured a spot with a venture capital firm. And Taisha may have told you this, or maybe not, but we are a woman owned company and right now only 2% of venture capital funds go to women owned businesses. 2%. And so as a women owned business, we felt like that was a big accomplishment. And so we're excited to be working with this firm. And our plan is to exit. So what we have done is we've created an app that makes culinary medicine meal plans for people with multiple chronic conditions. So, for example, if you have polycystic ovary syndrome, you have type 2 diabetes, you have celiac, and you have high blood pressure, for example, our app will create a meal plan that addresses every single one of those conditions. And that really arose out of our clinical practice. Mostly because we would have patients to come and say, they would say, okay, I have diabetes and I have polycystic ovary syndrome and I have high blood pressure, or which one is the Most important one for me to manage.
• 4:51
  Speaker B: Is there anything I can eat?
• 4:53
  Speaker A: Yeah. Right. Because there's resources out there for all the individual disease states. Nothing that puts it all together. And so that's what we did.
• 5:00
  Speaker B: Oh, that is so interesting. That's. What a great resource. So, you know, recently I read a book, and I'm embarrassed because I can't remember the name of it, but it was written by a woman whose first name is Amy, if that helps anyone. But she actually. Griffin Amarillo, and she is Adventure Camp venture funder. She's a VC in New York. She's been very successful.
• 5:26
  Speaker A: Yes, I think. I know you're talking about. Well, her maiden name was Amy Mitchell, and interestingly, I went to school with her. We went to the same high school in. Yes.
• 5:35
  Speaker B: Have you read her book?
• 5:36
  Speaker A: She's. Yes, I have. Oh, it was called the Tell the Tale. Yes, I read it because I grew up with her. She was a couple of grades ahead of me, but yes. Her company and her husband, they are VC Thunders.
• 5:49
  Speaker B: Yes. So, I mean, I immediately thought about her and that story, but just like her success, but also just.
• 5:57
  Speaker A: She.
• 5:57
  Speaker B: That is. That is a really, really profound book.
• 6:02
  Speaker A: It's a heavy read. It's heavy, but well worth it.
• 6:06
  Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. But I will say I don't cry in many books, but I. I did, too. I cried many times in that book. It makes me kind of emotional thinking about it. So. So. But I. I think that that is part. I know that there's a group of women folks here that are, you know, like, trying to, you know, in invest in women businesses. And that's something that Sarah and Lacy and I've talked about before is like, man, we had a ton of money. You know what we would do?
• 6:34
  Speaker A: You know, we've done the same thing. The same thing. Like, maybe we will.
• 6:38
  Speaker B: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Well, that is super exciting. And you guys are on your way to getting that, like, out into the big wide world.
• 6:49
  Speaker A: Yes, we're hoping. Hoping we can exit sometime this year. Maybe. Maybe next year. But hoping we can exit sometime this year.
• 6:55
  Speaker B: And then you're just like, here's your. It is. Thank you. And go and be successful, because that's your thing. That's not what you just wanted to create.
• 7:02
  Speaker A: We are not business people. We are academics.
• 7:04
  Speaker B: Yeah. So what's it called?
• 7:06
  Speaker A: It's called Sam. The app is called Sam.
• 7:08
  Speaker B: Okay.
• 7:08
  Speaker A: The website is my partnersam.com.
• 7:10
  Speaker B: how cool.
• 7:11
  Speaker A: And so, yeah. And anybody can sign up for it now. It is working. And it's going.
• 7:16
  Speaker B: It's ongoing. Okay, that is so awesome. Really neat. Okay, so what are you doing now?
• 7:24
  Speaker A: Well, that's a, that's a really good question. Yes.
• 7:27
  Speaker B: Now.
• 7:28
  Speaker A: Yes. So some research studies, and we've got some studies going on using some GLP1 medications and looking at several things like not only just intake, but also substance use disorder, alcohol use, disordered eating and eating disorders. So we really, in this, we not only took biochemical markers, lab values, you know, like glucose and lipids and things like that, but we looked a lot at the psychosocial implications of these GLP1s, and interestingly, one of our disease states, for lack of a better term for our app, is weight loss with medications. So if somebody's taking a GLP one, they can use our app and it gives them a diet that's a little higher in protein, moderate in fiber to help augment that those weight loss medications.
• 8:18
  Speaker B: So maybe tmi, I don't know. But I have taken triazepatide in particular. The first one made me super sick, which was semi glutide. I couldn't, I couldn't handle it, but I did well. I've done well on the other one and lost about 4, 45 pounds. And it is fundamentally not, it's, it's not even like, even the weight is like a byproduct of the mental health and energy and all these other things. Benefits to me that I had, I wasn't expecting.
• 8:53
  Speaker A: Yes. And, and I have heard this especially from women. They have told me I feel free from food.
• 8:59
  Speaker B: Oh, it's like I can remember after like six weeks or so saying, recognizing. One morning I woke up thinking, gosh, carrots sound good. Let me tell you something, I am not. This is the person who, like, before I wake up, I'm dreaming of donuts. You know what I mean?
• 9:16
  Speaker A: I understand.
• 9:17
  Speaker B: And it is the most bizarre feeling. And I was, my husband and I have been talking about this, you know, over the course of these last couple years. And I'm like, I don't see how this can't impact our food and ag industry. And then we started hearing little rumblings of it. And I was in H E B the other day and I just thought, you know, I never look at anybody else's cart, but I'm like, I'm just going to see what's in people's card. I'm just curious, like, if you actually see it. And I was like, people that I wasn't expecting, you know what I mean? Like, their card is just protein and Greens or. I mean, like, I was so surprised at, you know, and I'm like, maybe it's always been this. I don't remember it ever being like this.
• 10:05
  Speaker A: You know, you're seeing in real life what we're finding in some preliminary research, which is that in the grocery store, people's food choices are changing and also their grocery bills are coming down. Because you probably heard this very terrible piece of misinformation, which is that it is expensive to eat healthy and it is not expensive to eat healthy. Fruits and vegetables and produce is not expensive typically. And so, you know, I think the problem, I think the reason why people thought that for so long was because they were buying that on top of all of their other junky. More foods, all of their processed, their snack foods. And so yes, when you add those on top of the things, right. They are, they can be more expensive. But if that's all you're eating, it's less expensive. It is, it creates way less waste. I mean, think about most of the snack foods we buy that are in multiple packages. But when you go buy carrots, for example, or apples or potatoes, that's minimal. And then, and then on top of that, you're supporting farmers.
• 11:06
  Speaker B: Yeah. And I think too like supporting, like, you know, when you want to think about farmers feeding the world, it's like, what are we eating? Yes, you know, what are we feeding the world? And I think what's happening with GLP1s is people are saying, well, we want you to farm this. Oh, that's interesting, you know what I'm saying? Because it's like you now have a bigger market for. Of course, I think it depends on where you are too, because I've had a conversation a couple of times with our friends that own Frontier Market in Plainview, which is like this amazing, diversified, you know, farm. And he's, you know, trying things that strawberries and, you know, he's growing things that nobody else has been thinking about. And they've grown all kinds of different, you know, vegetables and stuff that they say they can go to Canyon and before they open at 8:45 or 8:30. I'm sorry, at 8:30 they have like a 45 minute line and they're sold out by noon to buy produce, to buy their products.
• 12:04
  Speaker A: Phenomenal.
• 12:05
  Speaker B: But if they come to Lubbock, they can almost not pay people to take it.
• 12:09
  Speaker A: Wow.
• 12:10
  Speaker B: So there's this cultural divide.
• 12:11
  Speaker A: Do you feel like it's because they're closer to farming communities in like that Canyon area, smaller area? What?
• 12:18
  Speaker B: No, I Don't. I don't think so. I. I do think it. I don't know if it's a. I know it. There is a cultural difference between Amarillo and here, and I'm not sure if you've felt that. Actually, they call it the hype south of 70 phenomenon.
• 12:32
  Speaker A: Oh, I've never heard of such a thing.
• 12:34
  Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, it's really interesting. And so part of it is just like they were, of course, settled before we were, but the people that settled there were from the Midwest. And so there's just a little bit of a different agricultural thinking, you know, there than maybe in our area, you know, and so in a lot of ways, things will happen there, and then 20 years later, they'll happen here, you know, so it's kind of an interesting dynamic because I think a lot of
• 12:58
  Speaker A: people would think the opposite because we have the university. Right. We have the level one trauma center. We have all of the education.
• 13:04
  Speaker B: Yeah. But I think it's more on the. On the cultural side. So it's like the arts and things like that that, you know, they have been focused on and, and, you know, developed that. Now we're. We're. We're there with them now. You know what I mean? We have the Buddy Holly center and all those kind of things. It's so different. I mean, it's. It's. It's not something I think that's. People really recognize until you start beginning to really delve into projects with. With people in both places that you start seeing those differences. It's interesting. So I. I would be interesting to me to see what would happen if you were doing some of your research.
• 13:39
  Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great. That's a great point. Yes. Because we've gone south. We've got some sites that we've. Some physicians we partnered with in Midland and Odessa, but we've never gone north. Yeah. So I do think that's a great idea.
• 13:50
  Speaker B: Yeah, that's interesting. Well, I. I just. I think it is. I don't see. I've read and I've listened. I've read several articles now, and I have listened to a couple of different podcasts, and, yeah, the impact is being felt. It is being felt. And.
• 14:07
  Speaker A: And do you feel like that's going to be a good thing for.
• 14:09
  Speaker B: I think it's good for. I think it is a good thing, and I think it could be really good for our area where, you know, if you look at what Frontier Market's doing, and he said before he's an open book, he's like, I'll give you all the economics on growing strawberries, everything you need. And he's like, we, I can't grow enough strawberries for people. Everybody wants the strawberries, you know, and so, you know, I do think that it could possibly be to say, hey, I'm going to take 11 acres or I'm going to take 10 acres out of my row crops and I'm going to do, you know, something different, you know, so I think it just, I mean it comes with its own. It's a struggle. It's, it's not lot, it's a lot of, it's labor intensive, it's management intensive. And you also have a problem with stores that will reject, you know, a semi load.
• 14:58
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 14:58
  Speaker B: I've heard stories of Walmart's rejecting because they saw a fly. And so then farmers are then like, well, what do I have to do but spray it with pesticide?
• 15:07
  Speaker A: Exactly.
• 15:07
  Speaker B: Before it goes. That's ridiculous. That's absolutely ridiculous. You know, and even some of our better chains have done that to farmers and then they'll, they'll reject it. And then because they've rejected, they can't even go to food bank. Like that is a problem.
• 15:21
  Speaker A: We need to, we are throwing tons and tons of food away and I think sometimes even it has to do with the appearance of the produce.
• 15:30
  Speaker B: No, no, no, that's absolutely right.
• 15:31
  Speaker A: And you know, there's a company, I think they're out of California and they do misfit markets. Yes. And they send all the ugly fruits and vegetables and it's kind of been a fun thing because people will post pictures of their ugly fruits and vegetables and they become endearing. These ugly fruits and vegetables. You just kind of love them because they're the little outcasts and misfits that nobody wanted.
• 15:50
  Speaker B: Yeah. And well, and it's funny because I guess if you never raised a garden right, you don't, you don't know that they don't look the same. Yeah, right. And then that consumer demand is pushing towards this such uniformity that, you know, it's just so interesting. We just, the Darren Hudson that just left before you came in, we were talking about the cultural shift and I mean just how different our culture is now than it was in our grandparents age. And even from when my husband and I got married, just the difference you just. I feel like we're seeing some interest in lifestyle from, you know, like my grandparents live. More people I think are interested in having a garden in their backyard. More people are interested in, I mean I remember when organics came in, I was like, it's a fad, you know, and I'm like, whether it's legit or not, thing it's here. You know what I mean? It's definitely a marketing, you know, a way to market your food, you know, to get it out to consumers, you know. So I like, I, I do think that, yes, the more, you know, people are, are wanting those things, then farmers are like, you give me a seed in the market and I'll get there. You know, that's what they're going to respond to.
• 17:07
  Speaker A: Yes. And I, I think you're right. I think the generation that's coming up, they are much more interested in, you know, what they feel as getting back to the roots, you know, getting back to what their great grandparents did.
• 17:17
  Speaker B: Not even their grandparents, but their great
• 17:19
  Speaker A: grandparents and even farther back because, you know, for a long time and even still we're a very aesthetic based society and we like same with our food. You know, think of how many blogs and Instagrams and social media that just focus on food and what it looks like. And you know, you and I grew up and our parents grew up in an area where it didn't matter if the carrot was crooked.
• 17:42
  Speaker B: Right.
• 17:42
  Speaker A: You know, but now it matters. And sometimes children. What I've noticed when I've gone into schools and educated children is that if I have a piece of fruit or vegetable or some produce that doesn't look perfect, they don't know what it is. They can't even identify it as being a carrot or being a potato because it doesn't look like the standard that we're used to seeing.
• 18:05
  Speaker B: Wow, that is fascinating. That is so interesting. So tell us what you're doing with your GLP. So for people that don't really understand GLPs, maybe we should back up and say, what is a glp? If you haven't heard about it, I don't know where you've been living because I mean, it is everywhere. And probably if you have seen someone in the last five years that has lost weight, that is probably why.
• 18:27
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 18:28
  Speaker B: And it is a game changer, like you were mentioning, not just for food, not just for obesity. And you mentioned a while ago the study about fuel in airplanes. Repeat that. That is so fascinating.
• 18:42
  Speaker A: So there's people have probably seen this on social media. I have seen, there's an article going around, I have not confirmed whether or not this is true, but that the, the airlines are gonna save hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel per year because people are gonna weigh less. That is. That is the impact that these peptides are having on our society. And, you know, I've worked in obesity management for years, and this is. This is a game changer, and this is really changing the landscape of how we treat obesity.
• 19:13
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 19:13
  Speaker A: And.
• 19:14
  Speaker B: And so for so long, it's been a shame based. It has like. It's like cleanliness is next to godliness, or if you aren't thin, you are lesser. I don't know how to say it, but it's so, so true. And as someone who's like, been thin, been fat. Been thin, been fat. The difference in how people treat you is astonishing. Especially if you're over 50 and fat.
• 19:41
  Speaker A: Yes, yes. Or a female and.
• 19:44
  Speaker B: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Female. Yes, absolutely. Yeah.
• 19:47
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 19:47
  Speaker B: I mean, I. I distinctly remember, like, when I lost weight, that the door will be opened for me.
• 19:58
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 19:59
  Speaker B: When I'm not as, you know, not thin, when I'm that. You know what I mean? It's like. And it's not something I'm, like, looking for or wanting to happen. It's just, like, random. I'm like, why is some people, you know, it just. When it's never happened to you in 10 years, and then you're like, suddenly it's happening and you're like, this is bizarre what's going on. And it's not. I don't think it's an intentional thing.
• 20:20
  Speaker A: No. It's just, again, we're an aesthetic society.
• 20:23
  Speaker B: It's the air we breathe, you know, and so it's. That's the thing that we value. That's where our value is. And so we recognize something that's valuable where we might not recognize something that we don't perceive as value.
• 20:37
  Speaker A: Yes, and I think you brought up a good point. We, as researchers and clinicians have known for decades that obesity is a disease. But the public has seen it as a moral flaw, a moral imperfection, a disease of poor morals, poor willpower, poor values. And we know that's not the case. And I think because people look at obesity too simply. They look at obesity as, okay, well, you eat too much. And yes, if you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, of course, if you're. If you gain weight, it's because you have to eat an excessive amount of calories. But what we don't. What we didn't really know or understand as a general public was why that happens. And so. And that it is beyond what we call willpower for most people. And that's what we're finding with these GLP1 meds is, you know, people are no longer feeling the pull and the power that food have over them. You know, I mean, I've had people tell me, you know, I used to wake up in the morning and I couldn't wait till breakfast. And as soon as breakfast was over, I couldn't wait till my snack. And as soon as all I did all day was think about food and what I was going to eat and planning my menu, and I was obsessed by it and consumed by it. It affected productivity. And so even people that could manage their weight still fought those demons.
• 21:49
  Speaker B: Oh, all the time. And you are spending so much energy. It's a suck. It's like a tick in your brain.
• 21:56
  Speaker A: It is, it is. And there's some really good research out there on decision fatigue and about how many decisions we make a day. We make hundreds of food related decisions a day. We don't think about it, but we do. We make hundreds of them. And what these medications really help us do is reduce those decisions. We eat because, okay, I know I need to eat something, right? And it's.
• 22:20
  Speaker B: And, and it's not like, ooh, I need to get ice cream.
• 22:23
  Speaker A: Right. I want this or I want that or this sounds good, or right?
• 22:26
  Speaker B: It's just like, oh, I haven't had protein. I mean, I can think, I haven't had protein and go get some protein.
• 22:33
  Speaker A: Whereas before that protein needs to be delicious and it needs to be something you're craving and it needs to satisfy something in you, you know?
• 22:40
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 22:40
  Speaker A: Like you need to. It's like whenever you decide you're going to have a treat and you maybe, maybe you want a cupcake and you eat a cupcake and you're, gosh, that just didn't really hit it. That didn't hit what I was wanting. Those GLP1s, take that away. You're satisfied with whatever it is you're eating.
• 22:54
  Speaker B: Yeah, it's just like whatever that thing is that's ringing in your head all the time, it stops ringing.
• 23:00
  Speaker A: Yes, it does.
• 23:01
  Speaker B: It just stops.
• 23:02
  Speaker A: And so I think, you know, there's a lot of people are very opinionated on, you know, their thoughts on taking it for a lifetime. And so, you know, many people will say, well, okay, I took this medication, but as soon as I stopped taking it, I started gaining weight back. And of course, because truly weight is a symptom of obesity. Weight is not obesity. Obesity is metabolic dysfunction. The weight is a symptom. It's like, it's like, think of it in this way. Like high blood pressure, hypertension, that actual number, high blood pressure, that is a symptom of cardiovascular disease. Right. So weight is a symptom of obesity. So if you stop taking a medication that helps you control your symptoms, then, yes, those symptoms are gonna come back. And so it's just like, if you have diabetes and you stop taking your metformin, your blood sugar's gonna go up. And so they are lifelong medications. And really what we. And here's the other misconception people have is that we don't know a lot about these medications. And that is false.
• 24:02
  Speaker B: I know that that's not true because. Because I. That is. Because that, for me, it is like, I don't ever want to. My life is so much better on these peptides. I like so many parts and aspects of my life. I'm like, I'm not even tempted. It's like, you know, for me, I have. I've lived with ADD for years and years. And then like 10 years ago, one of my best friends said, I'm taking you to the doctor and I'm getting you meds. And my goodness, I had no idea what it was like to function like people whose brains function that way normally.
• 24:41
  Speaker A: Exactly.
• 24:42
  Speaker B: You know, and I think it's a superpower now because now I know how to manage it and, you know, I value it, but my gosh, it made me a failure at school. I felt like a failure in life, you know, and then you add, on top of that, I can't even have any self control to eat. You know what I mean?
• 24:55
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 24:56
  Speaker B: And so to me, it was just another step in, like, making me become. And being able to utilize the gifting that I had because this disease was preventing that from happening.
• 25:09
  Speaker A: Exactly, exactly. That's a great analogy for obesity. A perfect analogy for obesity.
• 25:15
  Speaker B: So, you know, I. Do you think that this is. This is interesting because it relates to a conversation Darren and I had just, you know, in the last podcast recording where we were talking about how when we created seeds for cotton that were resistant to the chemical that would kill the weeds, and then the weeds were like, I see what. You see what you're trying to do there. Not put enough of that, you know, and so they evolved. And then he said, yeah, it's just like, you know, any. Any of the rest of it, like, we were going to evolve to like it. So do you think that over the last, like, maybe three or four generations, as we have eaten more processed food foods, has that impacted whatever this function is, that these peptides are helping fix
• 26:04
  Speaker A: yes, because what we know about foods in the last couple of decades is the contamination with endocrine disrupting chemicals. And it can't be helped. I mean, they're everywhere. They're in our water, they're in our air, they're in our lotion, our shampoo, in our clothes. Yes. And this is the thing that we didn't have in the 20s, 30s, 40s. Right. All these plastics and all these. So, yes, these things are getting into our foods and what they do is they interrupt our hormone production. GLP1 is a hormone. And so, you know, whenever we use some of these medications that help regulate those hormones again, then, yes, we are kind of fixing that damage that we can't get away from. I mean, we can't get away from ingesting those plastics. We just can't.
• 26:47
  Speaker B: So a little off the topic, though. But do you feel like that that is also impacting infertility issues?
• 26:53
  Speaker A: Absolutely. 100%, without question.
• 26:56
  Speaker B: Yeah, I've. I really have. You just have seen it more and more and more and more and more. You know, like, there were some talk about it when, you know, I was having kids, but now it's just so rampant.
• 27:06
  Speaker A: Yes. Very pervasive. And, you know, now we knew there were microplastics, now we know there's nanoplastics. And now we know those nanoplastics also cross the blood brain barrier.
• 27:16
  Speaker B: So.
• 27:16
  Speaker A: So, you know, it's causing. For a while, it was mostly just the endocrine disrupting that we knew of, but now we're seeing neurological changes from some of those as well. And, you know, I think changing the food supply can help that, especially how it's packaged and how it's processed. But it's pervasive because it's in.
• 27:37
  Speaker B: I mean, it's in everything. It is in everything.
• 27:38
  Speaker A: I mean, it's in our carpets. I mean, anything you can think of has got those cabinets.
• 27:43
  Speaker B: Right. I mean, really and truly, like, I remember this is not the first time. I mean, I was having a conversation with another scientist who's like, the cat's out of the bag. They don't think there's any way to put it back in.
• 27:53
  Speaker A: Yeah, I think you're right.
• 27:54
  Speaker B: And so. But do you foresee, like, maybe at some point our bodies will maybe evolve to deal with these things, you think?
• 28:04
  Speaker A: I mean, if you look at the history of humankind, right. Evidence points to. Yes, yes. I mean, survival of the fittest. Right. It makes you think about, you know, Jurassic park. And the whole premise was we'll make all female dinosaurs so that they can't reproduce. And then what happened? They ended up figuring out how to reproduce. Kind of like your cotton seed story. So, yes, I think we will, but it's going to be a. It's going to be a hard road getting there because there's going to be. Eventually, I think all of us will overcome that. But in the short term, where we're living now, we're going to have a lot of people struggling with infertility, chronic disease, obesity, things like that.
• 28:39
  Speaker B: Yeah. Because what I've wondered is even, like, you know, you start hearing about all of this. That's the plaque or whatever that, like, my dad has horrible. I mean, it just catches in his heart. And so he has all of this. And I've wondered, like, how much of that is related to hereditary, but also how much of it is. Also how much of that is actually, like, environmental.
• 29:01
  Speaker A: Yes. And so, you know what? Typically it's about 75, 25. So in other words, it's about 75 environmental and about 25 genetic. For. For most things, you know, when we think about, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes now, not all things. Right. There are some things that are very hereditary.
• 29:19
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 29:19
  Speaker A: But usually I always. When I.
• 29:22
  Speaker B: It does. That's so empowering, though.
• 29:24
  Speaker A: Yes. Yes. Like when I teach my students about the balance of that, I tell them it's like having a gun. Right. Like a pistol. Right. If you have a gun with a bullet in it, think about that bullet is the chronic disease. So let's say your dad has heart disease. What are the chances of you getting heart disease? Right. So that heart disease is the bullet inside the gun, and it's there and it could. Something weird could happen, and it could discharge on its own, or it could, you know, could stop working. But really, most of the time, what has to happen is somebody has to pull the trigger. And that environment is the trigger pulling. Yes.
• 29:55
  Speaker B: That's so interesting. Golly. Okay, so peptides, hormones. But why do we call it a peptide and not a hormone? Like.
• 30:06
  Speaker A: Well, hormones are peptides. But that's a really good question.
• 30:08
  Speaker B: Are peptides.
• 30:09
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 30:09
  Speaker B: Okay.
• 30:10
  Speaker A: So peptides are just long groups of amino acids, just proteins.
• 30:13
  Speaker B: Okay. I'm absolutely not a chemist. Yeah. Okay.
• 30:15
  Speaker A: And so are hormones. And so this is why a lot of hormones we can't take by mouth. So, you know, like, for example, insulin. Insulin is a hormone.
• 30:23
  Speaker B: This is why they've been injured. Okay.
• 30:24
  Speaker A: This is why we have to inject insulin is because if I swallow insulin, my GI tract will just chop it up. Into the individual amino acids that make it up, and it doesn't put it back together that way. And so that's why a lot of hormones we do have to inject, because our GI system sees it as a protein, like a piece of chicken or an egg, and just processes it as normal. And so it does no good.
• 30:44
  Speaker B: It does it no good.
• 30:45
  Speaker A: Yes. And this is why, especially also with sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, a lot of them are transdermal, like skin or lotions or injections or pellets and things like that. Yes.
• 30:57
  Speaker B: Okay. Okay. Well, this is now becoming a medical. So I think what is fascinating to me, and I have no, I. You know, when I saw the impact it was having on me, I remember thinking, there's no way this couldn't help someone that's an alcoholic. Like, if it's doing this for food, like, whatever that thing is for sugar, for me, it's got to be the same craving. So let's talk about that.
• 31:26
  Speaker A: Absolutely. We are research. We are seeing that in preliminary research, and then we're looking at it in our study as well, as. Well as, like, eating disorders, disordered eating. Like, what is the. What we're really interested in is how does it affect our impulsivity? Because when we think about substance use disorder of any substance or eating disorders, it's the impulsivity that gets us. And we have. We don't have good ways to control that with the medication. And so that's what we're really looking at in research now, you know, all over the world, is how is this affecting. We know it affects craving. We know it makes you crave it a little less. But will it also help you make a better decision?
• 32:02
  Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. It's like whatever that thing is, and I would say people call it food noise, but I'm like, it's just a constant alarm. And it's like the alarm goes off. So then when the like, oh, I'm hungry. You are not making a decision out of almost like desperation instinct, or, you know, just that. What do you. That animal part of your brain you're making, you're like, oh, all of a sudden I can make a logical decision instead of a decision that is. There's no logic to it.
• 32:40
  Speaker A: Yes. Because, you know, if you think about it, a lot of times when we get very, very hungry, like, our blood sugar gets low, we get hungry, and we don't care what we eat, and we don't care how much we eat. We just need food.
• 32:50
  Speaker B: Food. Yes.
• 32:50
  Speaker A: And that. And these peptides really Help dial that back.
• 32:54
  Speaker B: Right.
• 32:55
  Speaker A: We know we need it, but we're not so desperate for it.
• 32:57
  Speaker B: Yes, well. And so that people maybe that have never dealt with the food noise, that's a way to relate to it. Imagine being in that state chronically.
• 33:09
  Speaker A: Exactly.
• 33:10
  Speaker B: Exactly. That you're always in that state. Like, your brain thinks that's the state you're in all the time, is how I think of it. It's like, I'm always like, someone who has dealt with trauma, you know, it's hard for them to not. Their body has to remember that dangerous thing that happened is not happening now.
• 33:27
  Speaker A: Exactly. Yes. And I think that's a great point. And I think that's, you know, one thing we think about whenever we think about willpower. You know, so many people are. Willpower, willpower. Willpower. Well, willpower. It can go away. And so if you think. You said constantly, always there in the back of your head. If you think about the food decisions we make every day. Okay. I didn't get the double caramel macchiato latte this morning because I knew that was too much sugar. When I got to work, I didn't eat the donut because somebody brought donuts. And then at lunchtime, when we went out for somebody's birthday, I didn't get this. But then we're at the end of the day, and we have made so many decisions, and we have fought and fought and fought against ourselves that finally we just give up. And for people who deal with that chronically, it is like a trauma.
• 34:10
  Speaker B: It's exhausting. It is. It's exhausting. It is. And it's just shocking.
• 34:15
  Speaker A: It is.
• 34:15
  Speaker B: When all of a sudden it's gone and you're like, look at all this. It just feels like, oh, my gosh, I feel like I've been lied to all my life.
• 34:24
  Speaker A: And look what I can do with my brain and my time and my energy now that it's not so focused on food.
• 34:28
  Speaker B: Absolutely. So that's what. Like, you were mentioning a while ago, the impact that it has on protein. Like, everybody that has. Employees should be so excited to hear about what's happening. And there's more than one. Like, the GLP one is one hormone peptide, but there's others that are being investigated as well.
• 34:45
  Speaker A: Yes. There's a new one that will be out this year, Retatrutide, and that's a triple. It's got a triple mechanism. And so right now, legally, all we can get is tirzepatide, which is double action. So then glucagon is in the retatrutide a receptor agonist. And so that one is seeing even more results. In fact, some people have anecdotally called that one bariatric surgery and a pill because we're seeing such good results with that. But you know, I think the other thing you bring, you know, we've talked about our psychosocial well being, but then also the physical well being. And you know, we've seen a lot of research in the past on okay, if you follow the Mediterranean diet, your cardiovascular disease risk is better, your diabetes risk is better, but it's always better. Been an artifact of weight loss, in other words.
• 35:31
  Speaker B: Oh, always.
• 35:31
  Speaker A: It's not necessarily what they were eating, it's the fact that they had lost weight and now they're risk. But what we're finding with these peptides, these new GLP1s that are coming out is people are getting these benefits independent of their weight loss. So a good example, my husband is very fit. Body fat percentage of 10. You know, no diabetes. No. I mean, doesn't take a medication. But he has chronic kidney disease, stage two, three. It's just a hereditary thing. And I found some research articles on tirzepatide that microdosing it would actually help regardless of weight. So he took it to his doctor, his doctor said, okay, let's try it. And three months later, all of his kidney labs were normal. And I couldn't expect that from any other drug and especially one that's so benign when we think long term use side effects.
• 36:17
  Speaker B: Exactly right, exactly. And that's the thing about, we mentioned that you mentioned that while ago and that's something that to point out. It's like this has been around a long time.
• 36:23
  Speaker A: It has, we've been, we know what
• 36:25
  Speaker B: the side effects are.
• 36:26
  Speaker A: Yes, we.
• 36:26
  Speaker B: And, and you know, there are ways to manage that. Like if you make sure you get your stomach or you know, things like. But long term things like, oh, it's going to damage your kidneys, can damage your liver. There's none of that. There's none of that. So it's kind of like, you know how you take an aspirin a day.
• 36:42
  Speaker A: Yes, you know, exactly.
• 36:43
  Speaker B: I'm, I, yeah, I think I'm excited to see. And I'm really excited to see me. I think about the shame that it removes it removed from me and other people that I know. And I'm excited to see that same freedom happen for people who deal with other kinds of addiction. I mean like they're dealing with drugs or chronic diseases. Anything. Exactly. Exactly.
• 37:05
  Speaker A: And I love your approach to it because there are many people who don't want people to know that they take these medications. They don't. There are some people who don't want their partners to know or their children to know. There are some people who will get it from another doctor because they don't even want their general practice practitioners know because they. They feel like it's, you know, it's fair. Or maybe they're seeking it for more.
• 37:27
  Speaker B: See, vanity things. People are like, oh, well, it's just being. People are still taking it for vanity. And I'm like, I don't. I mean, I don't care if I lose any more weight. I just want to. I just want this. This is the life I want to live.
• 37:38
  Speaker A: The quality of life.
• 37:40
  Speaker B: Absolutely. My gosh, this has been so fascinating. Thank you so much. Well, we might have to have you back in a few months so we can talk about more research, because you guys are about to. Now you're further down the road. You're about to apply for another big grant. And, like, I want to be a part. How do I get to be a part of the research? I want to be part of research.
• 37:57
  Speaker A: That might be a good time to come on deck again when we start recruiting for some of these things. That'd be great.
• 38:01
  Speaker B: That'd be great. Okay, well, thanks for coming, and thank you, friends, for joining us for this. Kind of off topic, but I think very important for our organization as we look at holistically, these are things that are so important to us. This is a way that really, really shows how our environment impacts our health because.
• 38:21
  Speaker A: And vice versa.
• 38:22
  Speaker B: Yes, exactly. And then ways that we can look for, you know, solutions that provide things for the future. So I hope you enjoyed it, and we're definitely going to come back, have a conversation. All right, thanks.
• 38:33
  Speaker A: Thank you.
• 38:33
  Speaker B: Bye. Bye.