[MUSIC PLAYING]
ANNIE BURGER: Welcome
to our Talks at Google
event with Kelly LeVeque.
This is the second one
she's done with us.
Her second book is out,
"Body Love Every Day."
So we are celebrating
that, learning
a bit more about kind of
the evolution of Kelly's
philosophy.
So if you don't already
know about Kelly,
she is a holistic nutritionist
and a celebrity health coach.
And I think there's a lot of
people in this space right now.
But what really sets
Kelly apart in my mind
is her scientific
approach to everything.
So Kelly has a long
history with her career
in cancer and genetics before
she got into this space.
And that has really
given her a mindset
to study this science
behind nutrition
and apply that in really
logical, easy, nonjudgmental
ways.
So the foundation that Kelly
wrote about in her first book,
"Body Love" was
about the fab four,
which is all about
blood sugar balance.
So Kelly, do you
want to just share
a little bit about where that
foundation came from and really
what it is?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Sure.
So hi, thanks for having me.
I didn't realize they were
going to blow up my book,
and three of us would be in
the exact same outfit today.
But here we are.
So the fab four is
basically a short checklist.
It's that positive
checklist of what
you should have on your plate
to support blood sugar balance.
I'm trying to
change the paradigm.
It seems like in
health and nutrition,
it's a lot about
removing things.
And I really wanted
to change that,
especially with my clients.
I wanted them to
get up from wherever
they were eating, whether
they were out at a restaurant
or making food at home and
feel really good about what
they were eating.
And so the fab four includes
protein, fat, fiber,
and greens.
So science dictates that we
need essential amino acids
from protein.
We need essential
fatty acids from fats.
And then the fiber and
greens piece really
comes down to feeding your
gut microbiome, feeling full,
and the mechanisms that really
regulate hunger hormones.
And then the greens
piece is really just
about getting phytochemicals
on your plate,
really those things
like antioxidants that
fight oxidative stress.
So science doesn't dictate
that you absolutely
need fiber and greens.
But when it comes to really
getting the nutrition
density that you
need from your food
and elongating your
blood sugar curve
and regulating hunger
hormones, that little checklist
is really easy to
look at your plate
and say, OK, where's my protein?
Where's my fat?
Is there some fiber
on there, maybe
some non-starchy
vegetables, leafy greens,
something deep in color?
And then, you're good to go.
So it just really
allowed for my clients
and myself to have a better
relationship with food.
But it's science backed
without you even needing
to understand how it works.
It works.
ANNIE BURGER: And I love that
it's not just omission based
of what are we cutting out?
But it's like, yep, can
I go through my checklist
with my meals?
And the result of that, I
think you say, is you're
just going to feel balanced and
full and happy and not hangry
two hours later.
So I think that's so neat
that you have developed this.
And it's really easy and yeah,
just a nonjudgmental approach,
which I think is great.
So you've taken it a step
further with "Body Love Every
Day", your new book,
which just came out
a couple of months ago.
And you've given plans for
different types of lifestyles.
And you've segmented into
four different groups
that you can kind of plug
and play what works for you.
So how did you come to
evolve it in this way?
Why do you think it's
important to adjust it
for different lifestyles?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, so
"Body Love Every Day"
is really to answer
all the questions
I got from "Body Love."
So I had questions
like, well, how
do I live the fab four lifestyle
if I'm 100% plant based?
Or what if I'm constantly on
the go and I'm flying for work,
and I'm at an airport
every other day?
Or what happens if I really have
a deadline that I want to meet
or goal, body composition
change that I need to make,
whether it's a wedding
or a red carpet?
So I answered all those
questions in a fun way
by building four archetypes
in the second book.
So the first archetype
is girl on the go.
And these are meals that are
less than 30 minutes using
the fab four.
And you get breakfast,
lunch, and dinner
in every single archetype.
You guys have the book,
so you can see that.
But in girl on the go,
I talk about things
like how to pick a protein bar
because new protein bars come
out all the time.
And there might be one
with limited ingredients,
and then one that's Keto, and
then one that's whole grains.
And it's hard to
make those choices.
So I give people just easy
tips on how to do that.
The second archetype
is red carpet ready.
And that answers the questions
of how I worked with clients
to get ready for roles and how
I use specific tools to help
them get where they want to go
without them feeling deprived.
The domestic goddess is
absolute goals for me.
I mean, I picture
people who have
chickens in their backyard
and a full garden.
I live in a two bedroom
apartment in Brentwood.
So I don't have that yet.
Herb garden is all
I've got going.
But it's more learning how to
make your own fermented veggies
and coconut yogurt,
things like that.
And yeah, so it's
been a lot of fun.
And the plant based devotee
chapter is really just like
if you're plant based, what
are your protein sources
and how can you live
the fab four lifestyle?
Because you absolutely can.
That's the beauty
of the fab four.
It's light structure.
And you don't have to
be on a strict diet.
You can just find the
positive on your plate.
ANNIE BURGER: That's awesome.
And I think a lot of us are in
the life phase of on the go,
especially here.
So what are some of the tips
that you share in that section
or just for people going
to a lot of work events,
a lot of social events,
lots of work travel,
that sort of thing?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, so
there's a couple of things
that I recommend in the book.
It's in the same
vein of store hungry
is not to be starving when
you arrive at work events,
especially if you don't
know what's on the menu.
So sometimes for
those days, I may
recommend having
a breakfast, say,
of a veggie scramble
or eggs and then having
a nice big salad for lunch.
But using something like the
fab four smoothie as a tool
where you can drink
something decadent.
It might taste like
chocolate almond butter
and be full of spinach.
You would-- you don't
really taste that part.
You feel full and calm.
You've satisfied
that sweet tooth.
And then you're
going into that event
actually biologically full.
So research suggests that it
takes about 20 grams of protein
to really regulate
hunger hormones.
You have over eight hunger
hormones in your body.
And I talk about
those in my first book
and mechanisms that regulate
those hunger hormones are
different.
So if someone were just to,
say, have a green juice.
You're not stretching
your stomach.
So grelin, for
example, is still going
to be screaming at you to eat.
And you're not
getting any protein.
So there are about four
other hunger hormones
that aren't regulated
by that snack or meal.
And so I explain
in the first book
all about those hunger hormones.
But in this book, it's the
applicable tools of, well,
how can you make sure
you arrive alive?
And what does that mean?
Feeling full, calm, and
balanced before having
a buffet of fried
things and desserts
is probably a good
way to deal with it.
ANNIE BURGER: Yeah, totally.
Switching gears a
little bit, something
that's getting a
lot of buzz right
now is the intuitive
eating trend or lifestyle.
So I wonder how you see
that movement and kind
of if you think there
is an intersection
between the light
structure that you talk
about and intuitive eating.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, I think
intuitive eating is a really--
it's a beautiful
eating lifestyle.
I think it's hard if your
blood sugar is erratic
and hormones are imbalanced.
So what the fab four offers
people is a light structure
to help you balance
your blood sugar
so that you aren't crashing
into your next meal.
So for example, I
might say I intuitively
feel like eating a cookie.
I probably always feel
like eating a cookie.
So let's say I felt like
having a cookie, and I had one.
What happens is my blood sugar
spikes for about 90 minutes.
It's mostly a
acellular carbohydrate,
meaning it's a
flour-based carbohydrate.
It's going to break down faster
than a cellular carbohydrate,
which may be like a whole
grain rice or a potato.
So that's going to
break down very quickly.
It also contains sugar, like the
chocolate chips and the sugar
that whatever that
cookie is using.
So that's a pretty fast spike
on that blood sugar roller
coaster.
About the 90 minute mark, after
insulin has been released,
that sugar is being stored
in your body and your liver
and your muscles.
It's leaving your bloodstream.
And your blood
sugar is crashing.
And that can make people--
the height and
speed of your spike
can make you feel energized.
And it's almost
like a sugar high,
if you ever want to
a sleepover as a kid.
And that crash can
actually increase anxiety,
increase cravings, and make
us really want more of that.
So it's really a slippery
slope if you're intuitively
eating acellular
carbohydrates because it's
about every 90 minutes
that you're crashing
and at the three hour mark when
your blood sugar is probably
getting to that low place,
you're going to intuitively
want more of the same.
So my goal is always
to teach people
how to come down off
of something like that
and reregulate and
balance blood sugar
so that they don't have to deal
with those type of cravings.
It's not that we're never
going to have a cookie again.
It's not that we're never
going to celebrate a birthday
or have a glass of rose.
It's that you start to
understand the way your food
choices affect you and then
just make a conscious decision
that oh, this might put me on a
little bit of a roller coaster.
How can I balance back
out with a little protein
and fat in my next meal?
And then try again, or not
try again, but move on.
It's just constantly what am
I going to do at my next meal,
not starting over?
ANNIE BURGER: And do you feel
like the longer that people are
living the fab four
lifestyle, the more intuitive
their choices become?
But they become
those balanced ones?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, it's
pretty quick and easy
because of the
flexibility, I feel like.
I'm the kind of person that
likes to go on date night
with my husband.
I have girlfriends that I've
had forever, since soccer
in high school, and all that.
I want to be able to
celebrate life with them.
And I don't want to feel
restricted to specific meals,
like only eating at Air
One or only eating at home.
And here in LA, it's
prevalent that there
are a lot of food rules.
There's a lot of orthorexia.
And it's very unfortunate.
But there's just a lot of
noise in the nutrition space.
And I'm trying to break it
down in a very simple way
because consistency will
always outpace any fad
diet that you're doing.
We can obviously get
really fast results
if we need to, if I
need to for a role.
But that's not a
sustainable lifestyle.
And that's not what the
majority of my clients do.
I mean, they're with
me for the long run
because they can live
this for the long run,
on vacation, with their
friends, going out, and at home.
ANNIE BURGER: Yeah.
Speaking of the health
mecca here in LA,
I've heard you speak to a
lot of the silver bullet
trends like keto or intermittent
fasting as being tools.
Why do you think it's
important to have that approach
to those types of things?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Well, first
of all, they are tools.
They can be effective.
They can enrich your life.
They can help you
hit your goals.
But they aren't sustainable over
the long run, in my opinion.
And we use them as tools
specifically for goals
or as additions to your life.
I like to think about
exercise, meditation,
maybe a matcha latte,
a bulletproof coffee,
even a fab four smoothie, or
using ketogenic style protein
bars as a tool to
support your life.
But it's hard to
picture myself never
having a piece of
sushi again or living
in such a restrictive way.
But they can be
really effective.
I used the ketogenic
diet back in 2014.
I wrote an article about
it for "Byrdie," which
is a blog here in Los Angeles.
And I was ridiculed.
People were like,
how could you ever
talk about people
eating this way?
And I'm like, well,
it's in PubMed research.
And it's being used
exclusively for children
who don't receive--
with epilepsy who are having
a hard time controlling
their seizures with medication,
food and a ketogenic diet
is phenomenal at doing that,
which is really powerful.
So we know that a lot of these
trends are based in science.
But then they've just blown
up and become a Pinterest diet
that seems to be a quick fix.
But when it's based in science,
it can be really supportive.
So I mean, I love that keto
is out because it's low sugar.
And one of the number one
problems we have in the United
States, in the world,
is pre-diabetes,
elevated inflammation levels.
And when you look at it,
it's diabetes, heart disease,
Alzheimer's.
All of these things are
linked to elevated blood
sugar and inflammation.
And that's because the
majority of our food supply
and everything
that's processed is
full of acellular
carbohydrates and sugar, which
really disregulates
our own blood sugar.
So I like that companies
are coming out with cool--
I don't know, raw Snickers
bar, Keto style, whatever
because that's giving my
clients the opportunity
to have a bite of something
without this major spike
and crash.
So all these things aren't bad.
You can think of
them as a way for us
to have our processed
food companies come out
with better options.
Always that whole foods
would be the best.
But you can't always
live that way so--
ANNIE BURGER: Yeah, love that.
One thing you
really are against I
think is vilifying any
type of food group.
So you give us tools, but you're
not super anti any one thing.
So something you've talked a bit
about is carbohydrate density.
And that was something I'd
never heard from anyone.
So can you just explain
a bit about what that is
and why it's
interesting to know?
KELLY LEVEQUE: I think
it's super interesting.
If you guys have heard
of net carbohydrates,
net carbohydrates
is telling you--
you look at a nutrition fact.
And you look at the
total carbohydrates
and then the amount of fiber.
So let's say that something has
20 grams of total carbohydrates
and five grams of fiber.
Well, fiber doesn't break
down to blood sugar.
So that's either going to feed
your gut microbiome or move
things through.
And that would depend if
it's soluble or insoluble.
But that's not the point.
So the net carbohydrates
there would be 15.
But you want to look at
that over the serving size.
So you divide 15 by the number
of grams in that serving.
And that'll tell
you a percentage.
And that percentage is what is
the percent of carbohydrates
in this serving?
And it's a really
interesting thing
to look at, because
I think when people
see gluten free, dairy
free, Keto, paleo, name
a label on something that's
going to make you think it's
healthy, that can be deceiving.
And it can make us think,
oh, this is a great option.
A good thing to think about
would be the garbanzo bean
and lentil style pastas.
We buy those as our--
our family buys those.
And my son, who's 16 months
old, if we're making pasta,
he'll eat that.
But you want to
understand that it's not
very much different
than whole wheat pasta
when it comes to the effect
it's having on your blood sugar.
It's being sold to you
as a high fiber food.
It's being sold to you as this
amazing checklist, gluten free,
dairy free, high fiber,
all of the buzzwords.
And you think, oh my gosh,
it's 10 times healthier.
But when you actually look
at the carbohydrate density,
it's above 45%.
And things in nature like
a sweet potato is only 17%.
And so where we start
to vilify foods,
we need to compare
them apples to apples,
not apples to oranges.
So understanding how
carbohydrate density works
and the amount of
carbohydrates per serving
is a great way to
just understand
what's going to happen
to your blood sugar.
And then you can decide,
OK, one, do I love this?
Do I want to enjoy it?
If that answer is yes, great.
If it is something that's going
to elevate your blood sugar,
maybe how can you slow down
the digestion of that food?
Anytime you add fat
or protein to a meal,
you're slowing and elongating
your blood sugar curve.
It actually can blunt the spike.
So if you were to pair it with
a cashew Alfredo, or avocado,
or something like
that, that's going
to help you elongate
your blood sugar curve.
And then if it is just like hey,
I'm going to enjoy this pasta
and ride that roller
coaster because let's have
fun, how are you going
to rebalance after that?
And that's all I
like to coach people
on because our bodies
are so amazing.
If you've ever seen
the Body Worlds exhibit
or anything like that, we
aren't meant to be broken.
Our natural set point is health.
And we're good at
coming back to that
if we give ourself the
opportunity to do it.
So carbohydrates and acellular
carbohydrates and fun foods
are never off the menu.
But I just don't require,
but I suggest to my clients
and I coach my clients to
enjoy something and then allow
your body to come
back into balance
for a few days or a few meals
before we challenge it again.
ANNIE BURGER: So a lot of us are
pretty health conscious here,
especially--
KELLY LEVEQUE: LA and
Louisville, hi, guys.
ANNIE BURGER: LA, California.
How do we promote healthy
habits among family members,
older parents, people who are
not so interested in this,
but we care about
their longevity?
We care about their health and
really want to promote that.
KELLY LEVEQUE:
Yes, it's something
that I deal with all the time.
I grew in Orange County.
I was a Costco kid,
Bagel Bites, taquitos,
things of that nature.
And I'm constantly looking
for swaps for my family.
So whether that's
my mom's smoky links
that she buys in bulk at Costco
still, I am looking for--
Little Fork is a great example.
It's a regenerative farm.
It's pasture-raised animals.
It's a really healthy protein.
And I'm meeting
her where she's at.
And I'm swapping out
things like that.
She has an orange juice kick.
And you know what?
That's something that we
all thought growing up
was really healthy for you.
It's just as much
sugar, if not more,
than a can of red Coca-Cola.
So it's important to
know what we're doing.
And so it's just
making those swaps.
I also tend to stock
my family fridge when
I head down to Orange County.
It's something that I do.
I will offer to help and
make meals with my parents.
It's really just
helping to educate them,
but giving them options without
ridiculing their decisions.
I think that's what we
all need and what we all
want is not to feel bad about
the choices we're making,
but for someone to feel
so passionate to teach
us and inspire us.
And if you come
from a place of love
and really just trying
to elevate their choices,
I think that's the
best way to do it.
ANNIE BURGER: Yep,
helping them where
they're at, meeting them there.
So from your research,
I know you love diving
into all the scientific studies.
Are there different
things that you
see kind of coming down
the pipeline right now
that's new emerging research
that you really are hoping hits
the mainstream a bit more?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, so I
launched my podcast this year.
And I'm interviewing someone
named Dr. Leonardo Trasande.
And he is out of NYU.
He's a pediatrician.
And that podcast will drop.
But it's talking about
endocrine disrupting chemicals
and the things that really
affect our hormones.
So these are things like
phthalates in beauty care
products, certain types of
plastics like BPA and BPS,
the chemicals in Teflon
and non-stick pans.
All of these things
have an effect.
These chemicals have
an effect on our body.
They can be obesogens, meaning
we can lose weight and quickly
rebound and gain them back.
They can affect fertility,
hormones, sperm count,
you name it.
And so what I'm
really excited about
is this science to
continue to emerge
and for governing
bodies to start
to regulate a little
bit stronger based
on the research coming out.
There's so many things that
we can do right now to lower
our body's toxic burden.
And it's definitely
something outside of food
that we're all dealing with.
And I'm really excited
for the science
to come out, because I know that
that will really create change
in policy.
And I think what
we're all seeing now
is really amazing beauty brand
companies and personal care
brands come out that
are a lot cleaner.
So if you guys don't
have these apps,
the EWG and Think
Dirty are both apps
you can download to your phone.
And you can scan the
products in your house.
And then you'll
know if they have
endocrine-disrupting chemicals
and/or known carcinogens.
So I would just
say the next time
you run out of your lotion, or
your shampoo, or conditioner,
face wash, whatever it
is, scan the back of it.
See what it's ranked.
See what its level is.
And if it's ranked in the
green, the yellow, orange, red,
or on Think Dirty, they will
tell you the known carcinogens
and give you options to swap to.
But that would be a great
way to start to clean out
your cabinets, especially if
you're thinking about getting
pregnant in the future.
The number of known chemicals
in umbilical cord blood
is really concerning,
even for people
who take care of themselves.
So we can all do better.
Know better, do better.
ANNIE BURGER: And
for those of us who
want to be learning
this information
or finding the new things
that are emerging and digging
into some of the
scientific studies
to find those like
applicable nuggets,
how do you recommend
people go about that?
And this is going to be my
last question for Kelly.
So if you guys have
audience questions,
just be thinking after this.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, so
well, PubMed Research
is really where all the
articles are housed.
But we're at Google.
And you guys probably have
heard of Google Scholar.
Google Scholar really is
a phenomenal resource.
And if you're looking
for anything specific,
you want to know about
metabolic syndrome,
an autoimmune disease,
you were diagnosed
with like Hashimoto's,
what's really cool about it
is Google Scholar will also
pull articles that explain
certain research articles.
So it'll link all the citations.
So not only will you get
the research article,
but you'll see the
other citations.
And that's always a great way
if you're new to something,
to look into what is
this article saying?
Because there's a lot of
breakdown on the internet.
It's a beautiful place
to learn, especially
if you're really interested
in continuing your education.
So I would definitely
look at that.
And then a couple of resources
that I love and trust
would be Dr. Chris
Cressor or Mark Hyman.
They're doing some great work.
And they break down a lot of new
research really, really well.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick on
Twitter, she's phenomenal.
But there's some really
interesting people out there
sharing a lot of good stuff.
So you can definitely
follow those people.
ANNIE BURGER: Yeah, podcasts,
websites, those type of thing.
So we'll turn now to see
if anyone in the audience
has questions and great.
AUDIENCE: Hi.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Hi.
AUDIENCE: Thank you
so much for coming.
This is very informative.
My question is I feel
like every day, I wake up,
and there's something
new that someone says,
this is the big new
thing, or even worse,
this is very terrible.
For example, Hasan
Minhaj has convinced me
I can never take a cruise again.
How do you find what
works and how do you just
find a way to find what's best
for you without destroying
something that you don't
realize you're doing?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah.
Yeah, no.
I always say if my
grandma would eat it,
and it feels traditional, then
it feels a little safe to me.
All of the new things
like bulletproof coffee,
turmeric latte,
matcha, ashwagandha,
all the adaptogens.
When you're thinking
about adding something,
I again, would think
of it as a tool.
And then lean on resources
that-- like a Chris Cresser,
like myself, like
Dr. Mark Hyman.
Look for articles
on the subject.
And don't think of it as a
quick fix because I'll tell you,
whether it's raspberry
ketones or adaptogens, that's
not the basis of our health.
The basis of our health
is how are you sleeping?
How are you moving your body?
What are you eating?
And what's the relationship
you have with yourself,
whether that's
meditation and self-talk
and your relationships,
relationships with yourself
and others.
That's the foundation.
Those are the key food
groups in my opinion.
All of these other little
things aren't going
to move the needle very much.
So I would try not to get
caught up in it and think is it
the basics?
Because if it's not part of the
basics and it's just additions,
then it's not that
big of a deal.
AUDIENCE: Thanks.
ANNIE BURGER: Any other
questions from the audience?
AUDIENCE: Hi, thanks
so much for coming.
KELLY LEVEQUE: My pleasure.
AUDIENCE: I know you
mentioned Air One.
But what are your other favorite
go to places to eat out in LA?
And what do you get?
Because I think we all
eat out a lot, or at least
don't want to give that up.
And it's really hard.
KELLY LEVEQUE: It is.
So I like companies that offer
organic produce and really
pasture-raised proteins.
So Belcampo is a
phenomenal option.
They have a location in
Santa Monica and off Third.
I interviewed the farmer,
Anya, and the person
who started Belcampo.
It's 100% regenerative farm.
It's phenomenal.
And they have organic produce.
So if you're feeling like bone
broth or red meats or veggies,
that's a great place to go.
I think Tocaya Organica,
I mean, a lot of times
if they're using
organic produce,
they're going to tell you.
So that's another great option.
I love Farm Shop
and A Votre Santé.
I'm in Brentwood.
So I'm a new mom.
So I don't go very far.
But those two options
are great as well.
I give John and
Minnie's a hard time.
But I actually really
love their pounded chicken
with an arugula salad on top.
That's also a great option.
But yeah, I'm just--
I'm looking for
clean ingredients.
And I would say I don't go
out as much as I used to.
But yes, Air One is our
number one pick when
it comes to easy to go meals.
We're almost sick of it.
But hopefully that gives
you a few more options.
AUDIENCE: Yes, thanks.
I'll probably see
you at Air One now.
KELLY LEVEQUE: OK.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Kelly,
thanks so much for coming.
I have your first book.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Oh, awesome.
Thanks for being here.
AUDIENCE: Sure.
So we at Google, have a ton
of free food and great lunches
and breakfasts.
There was some
controversy last year
about the canola, 90%
canola, 10% olive oil
that they were serving
in all of the food.
And they've replaced
it with rice oil.
And I just want to get
your opinion about rice oil
and what is that?
And is that good for us?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah,
so it's not going
to have the same
sort of clean profile
as an olive oil
or an avocado oil.
It is going to need a
chemical extraction.
And it's going to be
higher in omega 6.
So it, unfortunately, isn't
like they cleaned it up for you.
They just sort of paralleled.
But again, that's
something where
I would say what are your
options without the oil?
Can you fill up a big
salad from the salad bar
and bring maybe your own
clean proteins to add on top?
Or what meals are
you having here,
and what are you enjoying?
I know that these are
the perks of tech.
But unfortunately,
sometimes people
don't realize if you see
food, think about food,
or smell food, it increases
hunger hormones and cravings
in the brain.
So it's a really
wonderful benefit.
But it also can be really
hard if you have goals
or you want to eat
a specific way.
So I would probably look--
I maybe wouldn't worry about
it if it was like once a day,
because you want to
think about the majority.
What are the
majority of the oils
that you're eating
throughout the day?
And if one of the things
you have has rice oil in it,
I would tell the client.
It isn't the end of the world.
But I would get on whatever
Google Chat you're using
and rally the troops to get
you guys using something
like avocado oil or
olive oil, if you can.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Start the
petition today after my talk,
and then I'll never
be asked back.
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: Yeah, hi.
That actually very
similar to my question.
I was just curious if
you've seen our cafeteria,
if you had a chance
to walk through
before coming down here or not.
KELLY LEVEQUE: I haven't.
I spoke at Google in the bay
during my last book tour,
and you guys have a lot of
options, at least the one
up there.
I was like, wow, OK, this is--
AUDIENCE: Took her to Charlie's.
KELLY LEVEQUE:
--putting my coll--
yeah, puts my college
dorm cafeteria to shame.
But I mean I think it's
hard if you're close by it
or you're constantly
there to say no.
So I would think about ways
to have meetings outside
of the office, if you
could find a spot outside,
or meet not always
where the food is.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
ANNIE BURGER: Any
other questions
from the audience up here?
Oh.
AUDIENCE: Hi, I had
a quick question
about kind of changing up
your daily routine in terms
of nutrition based
on your goals,
particularly for
physical activity.
I'm running my first
marathon on Sunday, and--
KELLY LEVEQUE: Congratulations.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
We'll see how it goes.
But because of all
the research and stuff
looking at upping
carbohydrates and stuff,
it's been a huge shift
for me the last two months
as I'm increasing the
mileage and things like that
and making sure to, like, up the
glycogen storage in my muscles
to last beyond mile 13
and things like that.
And so I guess I'm
just curious how
you see kind of changing your
daily intake based on some
of those physical goals
like that, not necessarily
with body composition
or how I've been feeling
hasn't been the best.
There's been more inflammation
because of that increased
glycogen and because of
the stress on the body.
But how do you
handle clients who
have kind of physical
fitness goals
as far as a marathon or lifting
weights and things like that?
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, definitely.
Well, I work with
clients individually.
So if we were to work
together individually,
I wish I would have
gotten to know you
a little bit sooner, because
I would have recommended
a product called Ucan.
Ucan is a superstarch that
doesn't elevate insulin,
so it can be used to
refuel glycogen stores.
But it doesn't stop fat burning.
So I think one of the problems
that people don't realize
is when they're
running long distances,
and they start to
add carbohydrates,
so you're eating carbohydrates.
Your blood sugar spikes.
Insulin is released.
Insulin picks up the sugar,
stores it in your muscles,
and then you're
able to run, right?
What insulin does, it
stops the breakdown of fat,
so you have these enzymes like
lipoprotein lipase and hormone
sensitive lipase, which tell
the fat cells to suck up
fat and hold onto
it and not burn it.
Well, this becomes a problem
when you run out of sugar
and/or glycogen stores, and
if you're full of insulin,
you can't become fat
burning at that time.
You're not going to start
to oxidize free fatty acid.
So what you're told to
do when you're running
is to gel or to have more sugar
so that you don't hit a wall
and drag through
mile 20 or something.
So people are using gel,
and they're constantly
using the fastest fuel
that's in their bloodstream
and available to them,
where Ucan has the ability
to replenish glycogen
stores without creating
a massive spike
in insulin, which
allows for people to be a little
more metabolically flexible.
So that's a cool product.
Now because of where
you're at, if someone
didn't want to
use something like
that, which it's just
like a powdered drink.
But if someone-- like, you're
coming up on your marathon now.
We're sort of at the tail end.
You've already trained
and fueled a specific way.
But if I'm working with
someone, I would say,
you shouldn't be carbo
loading more than what
you would do if you were running
in, say, a Barry's Bootcamp
or an OTF.
So it would be like the
five or eight-mile mark
before we start thinking about
replenishing carbohydrates
and really fueling or
refilling our glycogen stores.
And then we were looking
at either carb backloading,
and then morning of.
So again, it really depends
on what people are doing
and how long they're training
and what they're training for.
But I would say
stick to what you're
doing now, because you're
going to need it for Sunday.
And best of luck.
I think if someone's lifting
weights really heavily,
like more than one time a day,
more than just like an OTF
or a Barry's, you would--
and maybe you're doing
Olympic style lifting.
Then I would bring
in carb backloading,
where if someone's having
carbohydrates post-workout,
where--
that's the time when your
muscle's the most insulin
sensitive, the most empty.
They're ready to suck up sugar.
They refuel, and then
you're ready to lift again
the next day.
So that, or something
like a fast glucose,
like I love a green juice
as like a pre-workout,
because it's putting
glucose in your bloodstream.
And you can use it.
A lot of times,
the carbohydrates
that we're eating before our
workout to use in a workout,
we haven't even digested and
made available by the time
our workout rolls around.
So an all green juice
is going to give you
that hit of sugar
that isn't super high
but gets you a little bit
of something to get going.
But I also really
love electrolytes.
There's a company called LMNT.
It's spelled L-M-N-T.
And they're a sugar-free
electrolyte, so it's just the
electrolytes that your body
needs.
And that's great for just
replenishing those post-run.
AUDIENCE: Thanks.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah.
AUDIENCE: Thank you so much.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Yeah, sorry.
Tangent.
OK, I'm back.
ANNIE BURGER: Good.
I'd never heard of any of that.
Love it.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Kelly.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Hi.
AUDIENCE: I have
a lot of friends
who are in the
process of adopting
or have already adopted
a vegan lifestyle.
I've tried it a few times.
It's tough.
I struggle after a few days.
Maybe I'm not doing it
correctly, most likely.
Curious how you feel about
animal versus plant protein,
and are they really
substitutable,
if that's a word?
And do you think that it's
a diet or lifestyle that's
really adaptable or
doable by everyone?
KELLY LEVEQUE: So
there's a couple
of things I want to talk about
with this question, because it
could be a full hour-long
talk on its own.
What's really important to
me is that people understand
that the way we're
doing it, industrially
raised animals and monocropping,
monocropping wheat, corn,
and soy, are both really
horrible for the environment.
The best way to raise
animals and plants
is in regenerative farms.
Regenerative farms are
farms where animals graze,
and plants are growing.
Animals defecate.
They increase the
nutrients in the soil,
because they're
fertilizing that soil.
When the soil is fertilized,
and the microbes in the soil,
there's a plethora of microbes,
the roots of the plants
actually go deeper.
They go deeper.
The nutrients of
that plant is higher,
and the ability to pull
carbon from the air
into the ground where
it belongs is better.
So the monocropping of
tilling wheat, soy, and corn,
and then replanting
it, and having
completely destructed soil is
not helping the environment.
So when people
just say, I'm going
to go plant-based
to do that, and I'm
buying wheat, soy, and
corn-based weird meat
alternatives, that's
actually not bettering
the environment at all.
And in the same token,
we just need to use our--
I'm going to be on a soapbox.
I'm going to stop.
We just need to use
our pocketbooks.
Like, we need to start
buying high quality proteins.
The bioavailability
of proteins is
different in plants and animals.
That's because of
anti-nutrients,
things like phytic acid.
So that's why they tell
you to soak and sprout
your nuts and seeds.
I talk about it in this book.
I want my plant-based
devotee to feel energized.
Proteins make everything--
neurotransmitters, hormones,
every cell membrane
in your body.
So it is important to
have high protein stores.
It is important to
have high ion stores.
Iron delivers all the nutrients
to your cells as a carrier
of oxygen all over your body.
And so it's really
important to me
that if people want
to be a carnivore,
or they want to be a vegan,
that they do it responsibly.
And that means taking
care of themself.
I mean for us to do
good in this world,
we need to feel our best.
And I think about
things like tryptophan.
That's a really
important amino acid.
It makes all the serotonin
and melatonin in your body.
It's going to make
you feel amazing.
You know, so I really want to
make sure that whether you're
plant-based or animal-based,
that you feel your best
and you have enough protein.
I think what's coming with
the plant-based movement is
low protein.
There's a lot of
protein deficiency,
and I see things like
increased anxiety,
increased depression,
infertility,
things that are being
really affected by that.
And so I really
try to give answers
in the plant-based
devotee chapter.
The Fab Four smoothie, to me,
is actually the biggest tool
for my plant-based clients.
And that's probably
25% of my practice.
So these women and men
are able to, on average,
where they're getting 20
or 30 grams of protein,
which the government tells
us is a deficient level.
It's definitely not an optimal
level for feeling your best
and being able to
function at a high level.
So when you can have something
like a pea and pumpkin seed
protein, and that
shake is already
adding 30 grams of
protein to your life,
I've doubled the
amount of protein
you're getting in a day, and
you're still just at 60 grams.
Like, that's enough,
but that's what's
going to make you
feel so much better.
So I think it's
important for you
to really think about
what your body needs
and what's going to
make you feel the best,
and educate yourself on how
you can better the environment
and live the life
that you want to live.
I think that's the
most important thing
that we can be doing right now
as a society is really looking
at traditional ways
of growing our animals
and growing our plants, because
that beautiful ecosystem is
what protects us and our planet.
ANNIE BURGER: Thanks.
I think we're at time now.
KELLY LEVEQUE: Perfect.
ANNIE BURGER: Yeah, those
were great questions.
Thank you guys all
so much for coming,
and thank you, Kelly,
for giving us your time.
[APPLAUSE]
