Have you wondered what it's like to work with Kacey? Have you thought about enrolling in Simply Healthy Academy but don't know if it's worth the time, money, and energy? Grab your kombucha and strap in because this is going to be a good one!
Kacey interviews one of her long-term clients, Ashley Martin, to give you all the details about what it's been like to work with Kacey for over a year on her health journey and why she continues.
Ashley is a mom of two, wife, full-time employee, and has a busy life that leaves her always juggling between her health goals and her to-do list. She shares it all and why SHA has worked so well for her because of these very reasons.
Remember to share this episode if this helped you today and please leave a review!
Have you wondered what it's like to work with Kacey? Have you thought about enrolling in Simply Healthy Academy but don't know if it's worth the time, money, and energy? Grab your kombucha and strap in because this is going to be a good one!
Kacey interviews one of her long-term clients, Ashley Martin, to give you all the details about what it's been like to work with Kacey for over a year on her health journey and why she continues.
Ashley is a mom of two, wife, full-time employee, and has a busy life that leaves her always juggling between her health goals and her to-do list. She shares it all and why SHA has worked so well for her because of these very reasons.
Remember to share this episode if this helped you today and please leave a review!
[00:10] Kacey K: Welcome to the simply healthy You Podcast. Your place for overcoming overwhelm with your health to reach your fullest potential. I'm your host, Kacey Kane and I am so pumped to have you here. I'm a recovering burnt out high achiever who is diagnosed with an autoimmune thy condition by my early thirty s. I didn't realize that running myself ragged in the name of being superwoman and determined to achieve all the things in life was killing my body. I created this podcast so that you don't have to continue the struggle like I did for over a decade. I sat down, studied the data, and simplified what it means to prioritize your own health needs so that you can be the best for all the things on your to do. List. Everything you hear on this podcast, I have tested and implemented in my own super packed life with my family to bring you the tips, tools and strategies that will keep your life simply healthy.
[01:06] Kacey K: Hello and welcome to another episode of Simply Healthy You. I'm your host, Kacey Kane, an integrative health practitioner and certified Holistic nutritionist with a Master's in Psychology. And I am here to bring you science based conversations to help you live a healthier and happier life. Today I have a special treat for you. This is only the second interview podcast that I have ever done. If you scroll back way in the podcast episodes you can see an interview with my husband that I did because he is very much a selective eater and we talked a lot about how making all of these changes to our diet and nutrition plan had an impact on him. As someone who has had some disordered eating in his past and is still working through some of those things, So that's the first interview episode that I've ever done. Today I talked with my client Ashley Martin. She has done three rounds of Simply Healthy Academy now and she will be moving on to Simply Healthy Society after this round of Simply Healthy Academy to transition to a place of working more on her own, but still working through some of her functional medicine protocols that we have put together based on some lab results that we have done together. And so she's moving into that container and that program next. This interview is going to be so beneficial for you to hear straight out.
[02:26] Kacey K: Of my client's mouth.
[02:27] Kacey K: If you are someone who has been struggling with hormonal issues, this is going to be the episode for you. Ashley has been through the wringer and she's still not in the clear yet, but she can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I really appreciate the insight and reflections that she shared on her journey in this episode. So I hope you enjoy.
[02:45] Kacey K: All right, today I am here with one of my amazing clients, Ashley Martin. I am going to let her tell her story about herself and how we ended up working together. We actually have a long history together. I have known Ashley since my previous life in higher education, and she was a student of mine, and we have been connected ever since. So, I mean, she's a client and she's definitely a friend at this point. And I'm so excited for you to talk with her today and listen to her story and her journey with me over the last few years of her health journey, so hi, Ashley.
[03:20] Ashley M: Hi.
[03:22] Kacey K: Why don't you start off with just telling us a little bit about yourself and who you are and kind of what you were struggling with a little bit prior to working with me.
[03:32] Ashley M: Yeah. So I'm a mom of two. I work full time, so very high stressed environment, job, working from home. Now, since COVID has happened, I work from home, so I don't really have that divide of going into the office and all of that. So a lot of stress in the house, having the kids at home, two young kids. So sickness happens all the time. And then just making sure I don't have the same body that I had back when I was in. You know, Kacey's seen me through a lot of different seasons of life, and so now that I'm older, trying to not go into that spiral of yo yo dieting, doing all those fads, doing all of that, really wanting to make sure that I'm fixing things the right way and not just putting a Band Aid. I've worked with a lot of different medical professionals when it came to my skin issues. I developed eczema. I've gotten hormonal headaches and migraines over the last ten years. Now I'm having really painful periods and different issues that way. So really wanted to figure out what's happening with my body and fix it now versus being too far gone, having to be on medicine, having to make more difficult decisions later on, having surgeries, that type of stuff. So I wanted to fix the issues now and not just put a Band Aid on it.
[04:52] Kacey K: And what was it that made you decide to go, like, know, sort of more natural holistic healing route than what information you were being given by your doctors? Because I know that you've been seeing many different doctors for the things that you've been struggling with.
[05:07] Ashley M: Yeah, so I started simply Healthy Academy years ago just to lose some baby weight, just to sort of reframe my brain from the way that I've been trained to eat. Like, can't eat carbs, should eat low carb, shouldn't eat this, shouldn't eat that, all of the things you shouldn't do and try to lose weight a more sustainable way. And it didn't really click the first time around. I mean, I did learn some things, I took some things away, but what I think I've learned several rounds later is that just because when you have learned and done all the things the way that the diet industry have sought us so much. Your brain just kind of starts thinking in one way, and it's really hard to sort of get it off that track. And then that external noise. That's what I really struggled with, with the external noise. I would listen to what you would say, and I'd have you in my brain when I'm putting together a meal or whatever, but then I'd always have someone say, oh, but you eat pasta. Oh, but you eat that. Aren't you supposed to be eating healthier? And it's like, I just want to rage. That was really the beginning of it. And then when I had my son, who's now two, once I got my periods back, they were just awful and painful to the point where I couldn't even work, couldn't so debilitating, couldn't focus. When it was that time of the month and I talked to you about it, and you're like, they're not supposed to be painful. They're not supposed to be this way. You have options. I went the medical route, went to my gynecologist, got everything checked out, got ultrasounds. They're like, Everything looks fine. But from what I know of endometriosis, that doesn't show up in those types of tests. It doesn't show up just by getting an ultrasound. It's more invasive. I also don't know that I'd want to go that route of being invasive, but I just felt like they were very much pushing me off and saying, well, it's not common for this age. Even though I had it in my medical history, even though it was in my family history, they were just like, It's probably not that. So we'll just put you back on birth control. But I didn't want to go back on birth control.
[07:13] Kacey K: Do you think that was the big shift between so the first time we worked together was in 2021, and you had mentioned you did that first round, and it was like, initially just more weight focused, right. Which I think we all kind of start there in our journey. Right. That's what we're used to doing. We're used to making changes for our weight, not necessarily for our health. And then you stayed on for the second round. At that time, I had still had that leadership position where you had come back and you were sort of like one of the leads for clients and helping me be like, a cheerleader in the group and stuff. And I think you were really gaining some momentum at that point. So what happened between that last round and you just mentioned how this round you started because your periods have just gotten debilitating. What do you think was a factor in between there?
[08:06] Ashley M: Yeah, I mean, I had a job that I hated, and I was very stressed out about it, so I think that played a lot into the downfall of where my body was at and what I was doing. I think also just the whole COVID thing was a mental issue that I had to kind of struggle with because we were isolated. We had some family issues, we had some family members pass away, so there was a lot more stress there. And then just the everyday life of trying to figure things out. I think that sort of kind of all piled on. But I think the biggest thing was I went off birth control. And that's where I saw that shift of the painful periods, the issues, because I decided to go off of the birth control because we're no longer we're pretty good that we're not going to be growing our family, but we want to make other ways of doing that. Not necessarily just keeping me on birth control until menopause starts. I'm good now.
[09:06] Kacey K: What made you decide to come off of birth control?
[09:09] Ashley M: I wasn't really taking it every day like I was before. It was just sort of becoming like an afterthought. I was thinking in my head, it's not something I want to be on until I do hit menopause. I'm done having a family. So there's other ways we can sort of do all of that. It's always been the plan that we've had that once we were done having kids, we would think of other ways to have that not be a thing and not necessarily make me have birth control. And then the second round of Simbly Healthily Academy, I mean, you've touched on it a lot of what the birth control pills, what the different forms of birth control do to your hormones and suppressing all of that. And when I started not taking it so consistently, I was like, oh, I wonder what would happen if I just went off of it, how I would feel if I would feel any better. I didn't feel any better at first, but I just know that in the long term, I will feel better not having it, and I don't need it for what the purpose is. So there's no point in staying on something that I don't need anymore.
[10:09] Kacey K: Right? And I mean, we've talked about this a lot in Simply Healthy Academy, right? The unfortunate negative reactions that people can go through when they come off of birth control, right? And even though you had been through two rounds of Simply Healthy Academy, like you said, your stress had exponentially increased. And now we have a whole module about stress in Simply Healthy Academy for that very reason, right? So you had this unfortunate, I think, perfect storm of a lot of stress in your life over the last couple of years while also trying to come off of birth control that had probably already left you depleted a bit and suppressed your hormones. And now you're here. You kind of touched on this a little bit already. But what was the reason why you decided for this round of Simply Healthy Academy that you had to come back.
[10:55] Ashley M: Yeah. So I remember after the first round, at the end of the program, you're like, oh, if you want to come back, we always sort of change things up. And I remember initially thinking, like, why would I go back? I already did it. It's like when you complete like, a 30 day challenge, you're like, you have no intention of doing that again, because it was terrible. I made it 30 days, I'm good. And that was my initial thought. And then I remember you had said, oh, we had made some changes, you had added some things. And I was like, okay, it can't hurt. I'll go back and see what else I can do, how much more I can kind of go. And I think the thing that really kind of sold it for me was it was completely different from the first round. I mean, there's some stuff that I was like, oh, yeah, I remember her saying this, but there's just so much information in all of the different modules because you're a very detailed, oriented person. So there's so much in there that even now, even the third time around, I'm like, oh, wow, I remember you saying this before, but it didn't click. And I think that's part of it is like, I've done all the different fad diets. I've done Paleo, I've done Weight Watchers, I've done low carb, I've done no carb. I've done it all. And so my brain always goes that way. Like, whenever I feel a little bit fluffy around the belly or can't fit into that pair of pants I want, I'm like, oh, I just won't eat these things, and I will lose weight. And then now that I'm older, it's not happening as easy anymore, and it's just also not sustainable. I remember saying, I'm going to be Paleo for the rest of my life. I mean, back then it was even harder because it was brand new, so nothing was catered to Paleo. But even now, it's just like, that just sounds awful.
[12:34] Kacey K: Yeah, well, like you said, those neural pathways, right, where we gravitate towards, you have to think we've been immersed in diet culture and doing crash diets and fad diets for over a decade at this point, probably more. So rewiring that and adapting that, sure, this will be the end of your third round of Simply Healthy Academy, but the first rounds that you did were probably still a three month program, maybe a four month. So, like, in total, it's been, what, like 1213 months to undo a decade or more worth of damage that has been done in our brain. And these neural pathways that are just adapted to I have to be afraid of carbs, or I have to eat low fat, or I have to eat really high protein, or I have to eat animal products at every single meal. Right? I think a lot of that is really hard to undo. In a short period of time. And I've said this to you before, but I applaud you for continuing to push that. And I think that's the big difference between the clients who do very well in Simply Healthy Academy and those that maybe struggle a little bit is being able to push outside that comfort zone a bit. I know that you mentioned there's been a lot of changes in this round of Simply Healthy Academy since the last time you were in the year between has certainly made a lot of difference. Right. It's a five month program now. We have 20 modules inside the program pre recorded. Tell me a little bit about how your experience has been. Oh, and we also have two more coaches. Can't forget them. We have coach Kelsey for strength and conditioning coach, and we have Coach Kathy, who does the mindset and life coaching piece of it. So talk to me a little bit about what your experience has been in this round versus the other ones.
[14:14] Ashley M: Yeah, honestly, this round is, like, my favorite because there's so much more. The modules, I think, being released ahead of time, allowing me to digest a little bit more and sort of take more time to read it and understand it and then come with questions. Because when you're a mom of two and you're trying to juggle all the things, sometimes the focus isn't there because it's the end of the day. And I'm just like east coast timing. I'm like, this time around, it's definitely different. I definitely love the addition of the two coaches. I mean, Kelsey's been a great resource on helping me reframe my brain and just movement and not having to I always put a lot of pressure on myself to commit to three, five days a week, and it's just a lot. And when you're somebody that still has a period, I used to go out, think I'm a crazy person because one week I would do amazing lifts and do all these crazy strength things, and I could deadlift all this weight. And then the next week I'm like, why do I suck so bad? Why can't I do this? And we had a whole session on working out and strength training with your periods and with your hormones, and it's like, okay, that makes me feel a lot better. And unfortunately, when you work out with personal trainers, I always went to guys because I just gravitate towards that. And they have no idea what it's like to be a female with a period after having babies or being pregnant. They have no concept of what that is. So I think having Kelsey, who dives into that a little bit, helps plan out what we should be focusing on. And, yeah, if something sucks one day, don't just think that you're not doing you're not progressing. It's just that you're in that phase of your cycle. It's just the way your body is that was super helpful. The second part was the Mindset Coach that you added. I always see people doing journaling and all that stuff, and I'm like, I wish I could do that, but it's just not something that I will ever prioritize. But it's really helped me this round because when I'm sad or upset about not sticking to a certain plan or not getting something in the one day, usually I just spiral and going to this is just not going to happen. I'm just not going to be successful. You know, Kathy really helps you reframe your brain and just, okay, like, you didn't happen today, but you can still happen tomorrow. And then she really kind of pushes you to think, well, why didn't you do something? And it makes you kind of not think of the excuses, but just sort of be like, Where are you at? And then maybe, did you put too much pressure on yourself? Did you kind of go for too big of a goal, like, look a little bit more in front of you versus like, 5ft down the road? And that's been really helpful, especially with all of the with the fitness and stuff, because it's all these different pieces that all sort of add up to the whole pie that have really helped me out be more successful. And makes me feel like once it's over, I can kind of maintain the same path I'm on and not have to feel like, okay, I have to do it again. For that, I need that pressure of someone watching me to make sure that I'm still doing it. I have more tools in my tool belt this time around.
[17:23] Kacey K: Yeah. And I think the overarching theme between all three of us is do less, helping you figure out how to do less. Because in actuality, that's most often what we need to do, right? Our whole lives we've been taught that in order to lose weight or something, you've got to do more. You've got to do more exercise, you've got to do a more strict diet. Right? And even with the Mindset work, it's a matter of not adding a bajillion things to your plate, but more of less. How can we do less? How can we look at what the real issue is or what the real focus is and work on just that tiny little thing versus looking at everything, like you said, 5ft down the road instead of just what is right in front of you? I know that you still have more work to do on your journey, right? We're getting your labs back, and we're looking at some things there, and we are pinpointing what's going on with your hormones, which I'm so excited to talk with you more about because we've got some real answers finally, which I know is a huge reason why you wanted to work together again. Now that I have those functional medicine lab tests available for clients to use. But how do you feel today after going through this third round? And what do you see your future looking like versus if you hadn't done.
[18:41] Ashley M: This round of I feel I feel much to you. I think I came to you, like, crying on the phone, like, Kacey, you.
[18:52] Kacey K: Have to help me.
[18:53] Ashley M: And that was before you had your labs. So you were like, I'm getting it, I'll help you. I'll be able to help you. But you were able to recommend me some things even then, like the Ned hormone oils, which don't taste the best, but I definitely did see that work. And then all the supplements. We did a whole module on supplements. And before this round, I wasn't taking anything, and I was like, oh, I'm proud. I don't need to take anything. But the thing is, I had no idea. I always heard, like, oh, vitamins, you don't really absorb enough, or whatever. It's just like a pharmaceutical thing or whatever. But I also never knew what would make sense for me. And then with taking the ones that you recommended, I definitely tell if I forgot a day. I'm like, oh, wow, I didn't sleep as great last night, or, oh, wow, I didn't do this as well. So it's definitely helped me there. And I think the combination of all of the things has helped me. I mean, there's definitely some months where I'm a little bit more in pain, and I think that's because of the hormones and my period is still all over the place, like, I have months where it's shorter and months where it's longer. So I definitely have some work to do still there. But I have felt overall this time around, just like, my body's responding to the ways that we're sort of working. And the interesting thing is, even the first round, when we were adding more plant servings and stuff like that, I'm like, I'm never going to get to that. And even the second round, I was like, I'll never get there, but I'll definitely add more. And then this time around, you had us do, how much are you actually doing? Just write it down all day. And it was like, wow, I actually have done all I've gotten pretty close to all of the servings multiple times a week, not just like, one time. And it's just interesting how a lot of the women that we've had in this round and the coaches we've had have just been so helpful. It doesn't have to be so difficult. Just add a little bit more this time. Add a little bit more serving on your plate for lunch or for dinner. It doesn't have to be like you're sitting there eating 90,000 vegetables at one sitting. It can just be another serving of something. So that was helpful. It's just interesting, the evolution of this whole plan and how it's come to where it's at. It's just getting better and better what.
[21:08] Kacey K: Would you say your biggest takeaway is from Simply Healthy Academy?
[21:13] Ashley M: I think the biggest thing that I keep saying to myself every day is even if I've had a good day, like I've done all the things that we strive to do, it's like, okay, there's always tomorrow. And then even if I have a bad day, it's okay, there's always tomorrow. And I don't have to wait till tomorrow. I can make the next change with the next meal. I can make the next change with the next protein shake or whatever, or if I really just want to have a bowl of ice cream, have a bowl of ice cream, there's nothing that I'm going to do, no choice I'm going to make that's going to completely derail and mess it up. I don't have those bad of habits where I'm going to do something that's going to off rail me. So I think that's the biggest thing that I've learned is just keep going. And it doesn't have to be like a linear, perfect path. I don't have to go day one and then day 100 perfectly in line. Things are going to happen. Life happens, especially, I think, since you had your kids too, you're very open and honest with like, yes, I wanted to work out today and I didn't because my children were up all night. It's just comforting to have somebody in the same situation as you to say, oh, wow, she gets it. She understands. We're not just sitting here coming up with excuses. It's real life. It's just how do we manage it? How do we keep going forward and doing better each day?
[22:35] Kacey K: Right. And making it fit your life, making it fit your lifestyle, that's something that all three coaches we talk about a lot. We meet monthly throughout the program to make sure that we're supporting clients and paying attention to what everybody needs. And every group is always going to be different for that very reason because we're going to switch things up if we see that clients are needing something else. And I think one thing we pride ourselves on is really looking at each person and saying, okay, this is what their life looks like right now. This is the reality of their life. And while we tell you to reduce stress and eat more plants and fit in some movement and do some reflection and journaling and visualizations all that stuff right. Sometimes it is absolutely not possible to check off all those boxes. A lot of the time it's not possible for us to check all those boxes. So figuring out a way that you can move forward, that you can check off some of the boxes every single day and feel like you're in a good place because of it, that's our ultimate goal. It sounds like for you, a lot of the shift that happened was the mindset piece of it that just thinking about things differently, like you had all the information, right? You had a lot of the information. And yes, you said it clicked a little bit differently this time around, but it sounds like that changing those thinking patterns that you were talking about, those ones that are so hard to break. And I know you went on a rant recently in our Slack group about how everyone's talking about all these things that they need to do. Don't eat pasta and sugar is bad for you and all these things. I think it sounds like you really were able to get over that hump a bit in your brain, I think.
[24:04] Ashley M: This time around, yeah, it's definitely been helpful. I think the mindset piece has definitely helped me reframe and think about what I want out of my life and what I want when I'm looking at my health journey. Holistically what all of that is. Kathy does a great job of like as much as I think I don't care what people think, I definitely do still listen to external noise. And so whenever we would do a lot of the things, Kathy's like, that's great, but that's not what I asked you.
[24:34] Kacey K: I said, what do you think?
[24:36] Ashley M: And so it's really interesting because I have heard people say, oh, I can't believe you put this, or I can't believe you eat this. And it's like, well, I always would feel like I'm doing something bad. And then you were like, well, why don't you try this? And I'm like, okay. And then I would try put date syrup in my coffee or whatever. It's like something different like that. It's like what I'm doing isn't a bad thing. But if I want options, if I want switches, if I want to make something better in my life or take something out and put something else in that's more nutritional, then I can do that. And you're very supportive in that, in the way of the way that I've been in Simply Healthy Academy when I still eat meat. And you're very plant based. You don't eat any meat. So I don't feel any pressure to like, oh, I can't do this because I'm not vegetarian. I can't do this because I still eat meat. You don't come at me because you know that I eat really good, locally sourced meats. Like, I go the extra mile to make sure if I'm going to consume beef or chicken or whatever, that I'm going to get it from a great source. But then you also say, like, yes, if you're looking to change any of these, then we might want to pull some of this out a little bit. But you don't ever pressure me to say, like, well, you're never going to be perfect because you're eating meat. So I think that's the biggest thing for me is I can still do the lifestyle that I want, still also work with your plan, and it all still fits no matter what.
[25:55] Kacey K: Yeah. I mean, in one of the modules where I talk about labels, I even talk about how to find better labels for animal products, right? It might not be my choice, but the program isn't about my choices. And I think that's a great point to make because I think a lot of the times people might see what and it's a big reason why I stopped kind of posting food all the time in my stories on Instagram, because some people find it helpful for ideas. And I get that because I do too. I like looking at people's food, and we're all nosy. We want to know what people are eating every day. But I also think that some people will see the way that I eat and be intimidated by that and be like, well, she's entirely plant based, so I don't want to do that. I don't have any desire to do that, or I don't think I could do that even if I did want to. And I love that you pointed that out for everyone, because I think that's really important. At the end of the day, we get to make up our plate however we so choose. We have that framework to work off of and certainly adding more nutrient dense foods. And I think one of the things that you touched on in there that I really like and want to point out is I can make swaps where I want to.
[26:59] Ashley M: Right?
[27:00] Kacey K: Like, you mentioned the date syrup in your like, for a while, you weren't switching anything out about your coffee, right? But now you're like, you know what? I probably could make my coffee a little bit more nutritious. That's not something that's a deal breaker for me. I've talked before in Simply Healthy Academy about how Kathy was obsessed with that coffee creamer, right? And it was a Starbucks coffee creamer that definitely does not have great ingredients in it. But if that was going to be her sticking point, if that was going to be the thing that she didn't want to budge on, fine. But if it's not for you, and you can say, well, yeah, I'm not in love with this thing, it's not necessarily about my taste buds needing this thing, then, yeah, I can make swaps there. And that's really something that we like to focus on a lot so that it can fit your life, so that it can be something that's sustainable. Because how many diets have you been on that have told you you can't eat these things, right? And then you switch them out and what happens?
[27:51] Ashley M: It's awful.
[27:52] Kacey K: You feel exactly right, and then you just hate your life. You cut all the joy out of your life. There is a reality that food also gets to be enjoyable and food also gets to be a comfort. And like you said at one point, if I want to have a bowl of ice cream, I can have it right. For some of us, there's that. For some of us, it's about celebration and it's family things. Family gatherings. Right. We don't expect you to cut all of the things out of your life. Right. I think we do a pretty good job of that in Simply Healthy Academy.
[28:22] Ashley M: Yeah. And I think that's where the first round, I struggled a little bit because I like to host parties and I like to have people over and I like to go to parties, and I'm a very extroverted social being. And so I think for me, I was like, well, I don't know how this would work for my lifestyle completely because I'm never going to stop having parties. But what it's done is it's changed my thinking of when I'm planning a meal, I am much more cognizant of where can I also get other things in? Because what used to happen is if I was having a big party and I was having people over, I'd have all of the foods that I wanted, like chips and dips and cheese and charcuterie and all that and everything. And I wouldn't eat breakfast and I wouldn't eat lunch, and I would just wait until the party and I would just eat whatever I wanted and then go to bed and feel like crap. But I had a great time, so I didn't really care. And I never really thought about how I felt after eating. I never thought of that. And now with the goals that we've set in place, it's like if I'm having a party, I mean, I just had one this weekend. We got up, we had breakfast, we had lunch. I always try to get an extra protein shake in there so I can get vegetables and fruits in there. Even if I'm running around doing stuff, I can kind of still do all of that. And then I'm also adding more vegetables. I'm just putting out a veggie tray, putting out roasting two or three vegetables at a time versus just one. I'm having more options so that I know I can still have some of the treats that I want or the foods that I want that maybe aren't the best or the healthiest. But then I also have the other options there, too. So I'm not just getting all of it. I can have a good balance between and then if I go somewhere where there's not all of that thought and preparation, it's one day, it's one meal, it's not a big deal.
[30:04] Kacey K: Love that. And your kids have been eating so many more vegetables and things right within your daughter.
[30:11] Ashley M: Yeah, my kids have always been great eaters, and then they learned the word no, and then now they're like, I don't like this. So my rule is I've never wanted to be making three different meals for people. So whatever I eat, they eat. And if they don't like it, we always have cucumbers on hand. We always have carrot chips on hand. We always have. So, like, sometimes dinner looks like Mike and I are eating, like, chicken and a vegetable and rice or potato or something. And sometimes the kids are just eating rice and strawberries and blueberries and carrots, cucumbers. But it's easier. It's easier for me, it's easier for them, and it is what it and they're getting something in and it's healthier and it's not box mac and cheese every night, which we were starting to fall into that, and it's less work for me. Just go grab the fruit tray and go grab the vegetables and have at it, right?
[31:06] Kacey K: Yeah. It's completely shifted that for them. I remember that celebration when you were like, my daughter asked for cucumbers and carrots at dinner today.
[31:13] Ashley M: And it's interesting too, because I always make enough food for leftovers for the next day, but usually Mike will go for a second helping of something. But if I put out cucumbers and carrots, sometimes we end up munching on those before we go and get a second helping of something, and then we both have leftovers for the next day. So I'm like, this is great. I don't have to worry about lunch.
[31:34] Kacey K: Yeah, it's awesome. I love that. I love when the shifts not only affect you, but the people that you also know. We don't always have. It's not all moms in Simply Healthy Academy, but I think we've seen that anytime someone has other people in their life to feed, a lot of the time these results kind of go out to the people that they feed. So I love hearing about how families can be impacted and other people can be impacted and you're passing down those habits. Right. And I know that that's something you've talked about before, that when you look back at your own habits and the fad diets and the damage that it did to your mentality about your body and your food and all of the stress that that has caused, that's obviously something we don't want to pass down to our kids. Right? And so now we know that we get to pass down better habits and a better mentality and she's never going to hear the words out of your mouth. We got to work on Mike a little bit with saying things out loud in front of the kids. Hopefully it's not in front of the kids when he says you can't eat these things because he still has to get these ideas out of his head. But you're not ever saying those things. You're not creating that food fear for them. How does that feel as a mom?
[32:39] Ashley M: It feels great. And honestly, I do see that because I grew up my grandparents, my mom was always taught, like, eat everything on your plate. And that mentality, I think, messes my head a lot because portions at places have gotten massive and you kind of think to yourself, like, well, maybe if I'm full. I don't need to eat it. And so I didn't want to force that on my kids. It took a long time to undo all of that. But I've seen with Abby, she goes to public school, she gets free lunch. So we don't send her with lunch. She gets free lunch, and she picks and chooses. Sometimes it's hot dog and she's kind of hit or miss with those. So sometimes she's like, I'll have it. But then, like, they'll have carrot chips on the side or fruit on the side or whatever. And I'll be like, what'd you have for lunch? And she's like, oh, I had carrot chips and I had fruit, and I had this, and I had this. And I'm like, did you eat the whatever? And she's like, no. And I'm like, okay, that's not bad. So at least she's like, picking and choosing. And then we always send her with extra snacks so that she know, like, she always has stuff, and she's always asking me, like, can you send me with fruit? Can you send me with this? Can you send me with carrots? Or whatever. So she's always asking for things that are more healthy too, which is interesting to see. I mean, she still always wants to go for granola bars and all those fun treats in the pantry, but she also does actually ask for and want fruit. I mean, the kid can take down a carton of strawberries in, like, one day.
[34:03] Kacey K: And I bet she's never worried about the carbs or the sugar and fruit or any of that stuff when she's just eating rice and fruit and things like that, right?
[34:15] Ashley M: The only thing she hated as a baby was, like, watermelon. And I told her that the other day, and she's like, I can't believe I hated watermelon. It's the best fruit ever.
[34:22] Kacey K: It sure is. I'm on the same page with her. All right, well, this has been wonderful. I want to ask you one more question. If there was anything else that you could tell someone about Simply Healthy Academy or what this journey has been like for you, if they are hearing your story and they're like, wow, I'm experiencing some of those same things. And they're like, but I don't know if Simply Healthy Academy is going to be the right fit for, like, what would you tell someone if it was your best friend? I know you've said you've talked with some of your friends already about this program, so what would you say to them that might help get them off the fence about enrolling in Simply Healthy Academy?
[35:01] Ashley M: Yeah, I would say for me specifically, I remember talking to you and being like, everything you say sounds really good. I'm really interested. But the price was one of the things that I kind of was like, I don't know, I don't know. But then I remember having an epiphany. I went to my gynecologist and had them check me out when I was having all the painful periods. And then she sent me for an ultrasound, and I did that. And I remember talking to the week before and being like, I don't know. I don't know if I want to spend my money on that right now. I just don't know where I'm at. We had some kind of financial setbacks personally, so I was like, I just don't know if it's that season of life for me. And then a week after my ultrasound, I got hit with a bill. It was like a $500 bill. And I was like, what the heck? I literally just went to a healthcare practitioner, and they didn't make me feel like they were listening to anything I had to say. They just kind of kept nodding their head and like, well, and then after it came back inconclusive, they're like, well, you can just go back on birth control. And I'm like, but that so I just wasted my time, and now I'm wasting my money. And they didn't even listen to me, and I didn't think they cared. So I remember just being like, you know what, Kacey? I'll do it. Let's just do it. Let's figure, like, let's make it happen. And I'm so glad that I did. And that was the shift in me, because we should be investing in our health now so that we're not paying exorbitant amount of health care costs later. We're not having to do all the things later when we have no options. The options are very simple. It's this or that. And we could have made a change earlier, but we didn't. So it just makes more sense to do it now. And that's where my brain really just shifted because I was like, you're willing to help me. You want to help me. You see that there's things you can offer. And that's what I love about working with you, is you are really honest and open with what you can do. And you've even said you're like, it's not going to be something I can tell you it's going to happen today. It's not something that you're going to feel better tomorrow, but we can do all these things. And even when you started helping me before with just, like, the supplements and stuff, you're like, it's not going to make a big change, but it might start you on that path of change. So just try it out and see and let me know how it goes. And you've been very open about that. You don't promise anything. You don't promise extreme weight loss. You don't promise, oh, you're going to feel better in ten days. You don't have those broken promises. And then at the end of it, you're like, now give me all your money. Very upfront and open, and that's what I loved about it.
[37:32] Kacey K: Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah. And it's the total not sexy answer, right? No one wants to know that the road is an undetermined amount of time that we don't know how long it's going to take for your body to necessarily feel better. We have a better sense now, right? When we can look at the functional medicine lab results, we can say, okay, here's how depleted you actually are. We can pinpoint it and say, okay, here's what it's going to take to get you back up to it. And hopefully in three to six months, whatever it is, based on your results, with these supplements, we can get you back up to a maintenance level. But I appreciate that that didn't deter you. Right. I think for a lot of people, that can sound frustrating to be like, oh, okay, well, you can't tell me that at the end of your five month program that I'm going to be feeling drastically better. No, I can't. Do I tell you that something will feel better? Yes. And does it? Yes, it does. Right? You said, you know, it's not all fixed, but you're definitely feeling better than you were five months ago. And that's the point. Right. We keep building on that foundation, and we keep headed down that path knowing that we're going in the right direction. And I'm just so grateful to have known you all this time in general, but really honored to be on this journey with you and to have that trust from you, because I know that's a big deal. It's hard to trust people when it comes to your health. It is very personal. It can be very frustrating. It can be very upsetting. I know there's many times where you've wanted to throw in the towel and just be like, fuck everything. I'm just going to do whatever I want and I don't care. But at the end of the day, we have different goals for ourselves, like you said, I looked at what I wanted my life to look like and what I wanted this journey to look like for me. And this, I'm glad, was the perfect fit for you. Yeah.
[39:15] Ashley M: And I think every round, like, one of the first calls, you're like, what's your goal? What's your end goal? And I think every single round, I'm like, I don't want to lose weight. I want to lose my baby weight. And I think every time I have that intention, I end up changing something else. And it's all part of how the path is supposed to go. I definitely want to be healthier, but I have to go through and undo all of that bad habits. And it's not something that I can just say I'm doing easily. I think you still yell at me every month. You're like, you're not eating enough calories, but it's that mind shift.
[39:53] Kacey K: No one is ever eating enough calories.
[39:55] Ashley M: But my jeans don't fit, and you want me to eat more. It's that mind shift change where it's like, okay, I trust you.
[40:08] Kacey K: I know I said I was going to wrap up, but ultimately, what was it that I mean, I know we've known each other personally, so obviously you were able to trust me a little bit easier, I think, than someone else. But if you were someone on the outside who didn't know me in that way, what was it about me that helped you trust me when it came to your health journey?
[40:25] Ashley M: Because even in the beginning, when we're starting all these changes, we're adding more plants into our diet. We're doing all the things you tell us. Yeah. So I'm asking you to increase fiber. I'm asking you to increase plants. I'm asking you to increase all these things. You probably aren't going to feel the best the next week or two. You're probably going to have some bloating. You're probably going to be like, oh, my God, I can't eat another carrot or tomato or whatever. You know what I mean? You are honest with that. And I think in the beginning, it's very daunting, but you're always there to just keep reminding that it's going to get easier and it's just like anything else. I think the biggest difference with me is you're all about adding and not removing. So every other diet that I've done, it's like, remove all these things and only eat these things. And it's very boring, right? Like, you just get really bored and you're like, I don't want to do this every day, but I think what ends up happening with this plan is I can just add three extra plant servings a day or three extra plant servings a week, and that's going to get me there. And it does. I've tried to add more and you're like, what is wrong with you? Just listen to me. You always are reassuring us, like, you're doing too much, you're doing too much, do less. And honestly, that's what's made me more successful this round than any other, because I've literally just done it piece by piece, one step at a time, and I've done less and I feel like I've achieved a lot more this round than I have the other two.
[41:49] Kacey K: Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule today to talk with me on the podcast. I know that this information is going to be so helpful to so many listeners and I really appreciate you and all the time that we've gotten to spend together. So thank you.
[42:04] Ashley M: Yeah, thanks for having me.
[42:06] Kacey K: Was that an amazing interview or what? I told you. I told you it was going to be good. Ashley shared so much of her personal journey and I am so grateful and thankful that she was willing to take time out of her day to do that for me and to share with you what it is really like to be a client of mine, what it is like to go through Simply Healthy academy. And she has seen so many different versions of Simply Healthy Academy, given the different times that she has participated. And now being able to see everything that we put into it, what it's like to work with the other coaches, how each one of us has added to her journey and really helped her feel like even though her journey is not over and all of her problems are not solved. She knows that the path that she.
[42:44] Kacey K: Is on is the right one to be on.
[42:46] Kacey K: And she knows how to move forward. She feels empowered to make those choices going forward. So once again, thank you for joining me on this episode of Simply Healthy You. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast and leave a review. Share it with every woman you know that has issues similar to what my clients experience that might need to understand better what it is like to work with me. I think this episode is a great depiction of that. I greatly appreciate your support. As always, stay curious, stay healthy, and until next time, take care.
[43:17] Kacey K: Thank you so much for listening to the Simply Healthy You podcast. If these episodes are resonating with you, go ahead and click that subscribe button and leave a review with all the great nuggets that you're taking away from today's episode, I promise you I read every single one of them as your feedback is really valuable to me in creating future episodes. As your host, I look forward to having you join me for the next episode. But in the meantime, remember, keep it simple and eat more plants.