What Goes In, On, & Around Your Body Matters

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Be Organic Podcast – Season 2, Episode 22. What Goes In, On, And Around Your Body Matters

Join us as we dive into the products we use daily in, on, and around our bodies and the impact they are having on our life. We discuss everything from processed foods, sunscreen, clean beauty, what “non-toxic” really means, and more.

Our guest, Catherine Cabano, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and a Women’s Health Coach currently attending Harvard University. Her mission is to help women take control of what goes in, on, and around their bodies. She takes a holistic view on current lifestyles and helps transition people to clean beauty and plant-based, organic, nontoxic nutrition.

TIME STAMPS
3:10 What “In, On, & Around” means (jump to section)
4:43 Is plant-based meat is good for you? (jump to section)
9:08 Read labels! (jump to section)
10:25 What meat we should be eating (grass-fed vs. grass-finished) (jump to section)
12:03 Sustainable, regenerative, and organic farming (jump to section)
17:55 What goes ON your body (jump to section)
18:47 What to look for in sunscreen (jump to section)
24:09 The Clean Beauty Checklist (jump to section)
25:35 Mattresses & the “around” part of life (jump to section)
32:48 Best tip for controlling the environment around you (jump to section)
37:42 Catherine’s best tip for living life organically (jump to section)

Transcription Below

Our culture in America really tends to revolve around this processed meat for breakfast, for lunch, and dinner. You have the bacon, the cold cuts, chicken nuggets, and it’s just too much. These processed meats are classified as Group 1 or known carcinogens by the World Health Organization. So, why are we feeding it to kids bright and early or really to anyone from that matter? Process meat just has to go.”

Landon Eckles: Be Organic listeners, hey guys. What is going on? This is Landon, your co-host. So, excited to have you guys in today for another amazing episode of Be Organic powered by Clean Juice. We will be talking a lot about the body today and what goes in your body, on your body, and what goes around your body that matters. 

We have an amazing guest as always, it’s Catherine from In, On, and Around. I just looked at her Instagram, it’s amazing. Go check it out right now, In, On, and Around. Anyway, I’m going to let Kat introduce our guest. 

Kat Eckles: Yes, we are so excited to have Catherine on with us today. Catherine is an ACE Certified Professional Trainer and Women’s Health Coach. She has her Bachelors in Animal Science with a concentration in Food Science from the University of Connecticut. She currently is at Harvard University completing her masters. 

At In, On, and Around she empowers women of all ages to live their happiest and healthiest lives through holistic wellbeing. Her mission is to help women take control of what goes in, on, and around their bodies. She focuses on all internal and external factors that can input your wellbeing, specifically what you put in, on, and around your body. She takes a holistic view on your current lifestyle and helps you transition to clean beauty and plant-based organic, non-toxic nutrition. Catherine, we’re so excited to have you today.

Catherine Cabano: Thank you so much for having me. It’s such an honor to be here. 

Kat: This is really cool for us because, um, you know, we do this podcast and it’s sponsored by our biggest brand Clean Juice. We do all organic juices, smoothies, and some food items. We recently just got into the clean beauty industry and purchased another concept called Free Coat Nails, which is all about non-toxic nail care and non-toxic beauty. 

Really for us, it has just been a learning process the last few years about how dirty that beauty industry really is and how important it is to be doing things the right way and things the clean way. I appreciate you look not only at food but everything that really goes in, on, and around us to make us healthier.

Catherine: I’m so glad to hear that. I went on a road trip earlier this year and discovered Clean Juice down in the Carolinas. I swear it was probably the highlight of my trip. I wouldn’t stop talking about it. I had to stop myself from walking out with five juices at a time. I’m a big fan of all that you do.

What “In, On, & Around” Means

Kat: I appreciate that. Your website and message seems to be saying, what’s important is what goes in, on, and around your body. Can you elaborate a little bit on that for us and just tell us kind of how you got led to that way of thinking? 

Catherine: Sure. Like you said, my whole mission is really to help women take control of what goes in their bodies, on their bodies, and around their bodies. I focus on those three main pillars. That really includes everything from the food we eat to the air we breath, the fabrics on our skin, the makeup we put on, relationships, you know it. This all plays a role in our long-term well being. 

Wellness is way more than just eating healthy. Of course what you put in your body is super important. But we cannot dismiss the fact that what goes on or around your body are equally important. I help women, really of all ages, who may be impacted by a wide range of issues such as fertility. They may not know that the shampoo and candles they are using on a daily basis can actually play a role in their health and their family’s health. My goal is to provide them with actionable advice and educate them on how the chemicals can play a role long-term. It can be something so simple like changing lotion without synthetic fragrance and parabens that could potentially be linked to hormone disruption, let’s swap it to this lotion without those ingredients. Just helping them take control on what they can control. 

What Is Plant-Based Meat Good For You

Kat: I love that. Let’s break it down a little bit. Let’s start with the in, then the on, and finally the around. When you think of in, you think of food and what you are putting into your body. Something I wanted to ask about because it is gaining in so much popularity is the plant based meat or meatless alternative, some of these products that are out there that don’t have meat and are plant-based. What are they really made of? Are they healthy? Are there pros and cons to them when you are thinking about what you put into your body? 

Catherine: Definitely. So, let me first kind of paint the picture for you. In general, a third of all Americans, they go to the drive through every single day, pick up their two cheeseburgers with the mystery processed meat or the artificial cheese slices. They grab the receipt that is coated in PFAs or bisphenol A. They unwrap the burger with PFAs or forever chemicals in. They then scarf it down mid-drive. The whole process is the furthest thing from natural. 

In each of the pillars of in, on, and around, I focus on getting back to nature and keeping things simple. It really blows my mind that half of Americans are getting their calories from ultra processed foods every single day. This just creates a disease domino effect. And this is just not like processed foods like bread. Frozen carrots are considered processed in one way or another. It’s the ultra processed foods where they are using artificial flavors and sweeteners and fillers and emulsifiers. These are things that you would not be using if you were making it homemade in your kitchen. I can go on and on too about the water quality, medication, and everything like that.

To the point of plant based meat, it can be pretty controversial since there are certainly some pros and cons to it. I like to think of each issue as unbiased as possible. They were intended to transition these heavy processed meat eaters over to more sustainable plant based options. I wouldn’t call it inherently malicious. They were intended to be better for the environment to use less water, land, and energy. The reality is over three quarters of all the soy and the antibiotics that we are using in half of the grains are fed directly to livestock. The vast majority of those are raised on factory farms. It is taking the animal out of the picture and could be classified as more ethical. 

With all that said, there are some really serious flaws with many plant-based meat options available on the market. And in my opinion, those cons really outweigh the pros, especially with the other options that are available today. If you are looking at most plant-based meats, they have inflammatory oils, like canola oil, synthetic flavoring, thickeners, and genetically engineered ingredients. You can take a look at the ingredient labels of some of the fake meats and they are just horrendous. It is ultra, ultra processed. There are GMO non-organic ingredients that are oftentimes sprayed with herbicides, like glyphosate. 

All in all, when you compare it to an organic beef burger or many bean burgers, they are just clearly far inferior. My opinion, there are way better options than fake meat. I don’t personally eat meat. If you are a vegetarian like me, stick with the quinoa, veggie burgers, or the organic tofu. It will definitely better serve you. 

Read Labels!

Landon: I agree with a lot of what you said. I always try to think about our listeners, how they are thinking, and reacting to a show, and some of the stuff we talk about can get really complicated. For the average listener, their life work isn’t health and wellness like ours is, they are not doing all the research, and have other jobs, etc. One thing I always say, flip the label around. Look at the nutrition. Look at the ingredients in a product, no matter the brand, right? If the ingredient list on a plant-based meat is a mile long and things you cannot pronounce, there is clearly chemicals that are tough to pronounce and hard to read. That is probably something you should stay away from. 

Catherine: Exactly. 

Landon: But you mentioned the bean-based burgers. I have bought some organic bean-based burgers that are obviously vegetarian. You flip that around, it’s organic black beans, good stuff in there, and six ingredients. All of these I know and have heard of. They are typically organic. It’s not the fact that it is plant-based but how it is made and created. So many times these things are being made in a laboratory rather than grown on a farm and put together. I totally agree with you on that. 

Catherine: Absolutely. Just getting back to nature, eating real whole foods is the way to go. Don’t fall in the trap of the deceptive marketing right on the front of the back. Always turn that label around. 

What Meat We Should Be Eating (Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished)

Landon: For me, I do eat meat. I’m a pretty big meat-eater. It’s part of my diet. I eat meat at least once a day. When I eat meat, it’s always organic chicken, grass-fed beef, it’s clean stuff. First and foremost for the folks that eat meat like me, how do you recommend they eat this? 

Catherine: Great question. If you do eat meat, always opt for organic, pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed, and grass-finished meat. Grass-finished means that the cows were not fed any supplemental grain or any non-grass feed at the end of their lives to try and fatten them up real quick before slaughter. With grass-finished, the cow is eating grass their entire life. That’s what you want to see. There is a lot of grass-fed beef on the market. Not all of them are grassed-finished. Doing your research on where you source your meat from is important. Grass-fed meat has shown to be lower in fat, calories, higher in some vitamins and minerals (like iron), and cleaner. It is less contaminated with some harmful bacteria which no one wants to eat. When possible, if you have the opportunity, and this is really for all food, support your local farmers if they are raising the livestock the right way. Eating local is one of the best ways to support your local economy while still reducing your carbon footprint. 

Sustainable, Regenerative, and Organic Farming

Landon: We had an amazing guest on a few shows ago, he was a sustainable regenerative farm where he raised cattle, chicken, and all different types of meats. Everything is organic and super clean. It just goes to show, if there is a will, there is a way. Clearly, he is very passionate about clean meat because there is so much wrong with the meat industry. I just applaud folks who are out there that really care about how this stuff is being raised, how they are getting to the consumer, and driving the message around clean food. 

For those of us who do eat meat, what are some health factors we should think of? What are some things we should consider as meat consumers? 

Catherine: Definitely. First off, meat is not unhealthy, per se. It can be a really great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is really the processed meat and the overconsumption of it that is unhealthy. Our culture in America really tends to revolve around this processed meat for breakfast, for lunch, and dinner. You have the bacon, the cold cuts, the chicken nuggets. It’s just too much. These processed meats are classified as Group 1 or known carcinogens by the World Health Organization. Why are we feeding it to kids bright and early, or really to anyone from that matter? Processed meat just has to go. 

But to elaborate on that, we are all bio-individuals. There is no one-size-fits-all diet, per se. But all diets in my opinion really should be predominantly made of plants. Personally, I’m a vegetarian mostly for ethical reasons. I don’t find the process to be humane. But I like to encourage others to go predominantly plant-based, where that plant-based terminology is not as restrictive if you don’t want to commit to a fully vegetarian or vegan lifestyle a 100% of the time. Moderation, especially with processed meat, is really key. I know some people don’t always want to hear this, but Americans do really need to eat less processed meat and less factory farmed meat. This is a topic that I’m really passionate about. I can talk about it forever. Factory farming is honestly a sin and the complete denial that these livestock are even living beings that feel pain and fear. It’s just so absolutely heartbreaking to see. That’s what drove me to be plant-based. 

Most people really don’t want to think about how the food got from the farm to their plate, especially when the process can be so unethical. I think as a species, we will kind of look around the fact of factory farming in complete disgust. Not to mention, most of these factory-farmed animals are sick. We shouldn’t be eating antibiotic ridden, nasty meat in the first place. You want healthy meat. 

All that said, it’s obviously so unrealistic to cut meat completely from our culture. But factory farming should not be the future. And to your point, regenerative agriculture is really the future. Using farming practices that heal nature, balances the carbon cycle, maintaining the healthy soils, and actually treating livestock with respect as God’s creatures. It has shown to reverse climate change when it’s done the right way. 

Landon: Yeah, to that point, it is super interesting. So many people argue about cars, gasoline, and the fumes that are being put off. I get that argument. But they don’t understand that the conventional farms actually put more small particles into the atmosphere than cars do. It is actually by a wide margin. People ask us, “Hey, you guys have plastic cups? Are you guys really a clean brand.” I’m like, “We only use organically certified produce to make our products. The products that we use are not contributing to the small particles that are going into the atmosphere. All of our cups are recyclable. Many of them are recyclable and biodegradable.” But I think people need to wake up and understand it’s not just about the plastic or the visual you are seeing. It is really how things are made and created. There is so much wrong with conventional farming. Besides the health factors we could get into, it’s a huge reason why I we chose only organic at Clean Juice. 

Catherine: Right. And that’s why I love Clean Juice. But it’s really time that we boycott factory farming and support the regenerative farmers who are doing it right. They are working hand in hand, the way that nature was intended. You have healthy animals, healthy soils, healthy food, and in turn, healthy people. 

Landon: The way that we did it a 100 years ago. We always say, organic is not this new trendy thing. It’s a return to tradition, how it should have been done by our great grandparents who knew what hard work was and okay with getting the best product in the right way. I could get on my soapbox and talk about this for a long time. 

Catherine: I love it. 

What Goes ON Your Body

Landon: We talked a lot about what goes in your body and when you think about that, what is going in your mouth, what are we eating? I know Kat is super passionate about what goes on your body, especially with this new beauty brand that we have. Let’s talk a little bit about that. 

Catherine: Yeah, I’d love to. I know you have mentioned Free Coat Nails. I’m so glad you are in that space as well. The conventional nail polish industry as a whole is full of nasty chemicals that are absorbed into the body. I’m really happy to see that you have launched Free Coat and you have these non-toxic nail polish options for the public. It’s great. 

Landon: You should find some friends up in New York to open some Free Coat Nails. 

Catherine: Love it. 

What To Look For In Sunscreen

Kat: It is summertime here, obviously. I think another thing we can talk about is sunscreen because it is such a controversial topic. It’s something that I think many people just lather on their bodies, not even thinking twice about it. I am sure you have an opinion about sunscreen and some of the chemicals in there. I would love to hear it. 

Catherine: Definitely, great question. You know, summer and beach days, especially here on Long Island, are something we look forward to all year, especially in the winter. I am so glad that it’s summer. But we do need to make sure that we are actually taking care of our skin the right way when we are out in the sun. As you know, Vitamin D is essential. It’s known as the sunshine vitamin. Our body creates Vitamin D3 from the UVB rays. It is so important that we are getting adequate levels of Vitamin D, not only for cellular health, but for our immune system, brain function, our heart health, and it’s key. The reality is that about a third of Americans are deficient, especially those that have darker skin tones. We get Vitamin D from sun exposure and then also from the food we eat and supplements that we take. 

With that being said, of course the over exposure to these UV rays, they can damage our skin. We can’t overlook the importance of sunscreen. Personally, I try to get a minimum of about 20 minutes or so of daily sun exposure, mid day, without sunscreen. I always put sunscreen on my face. But I will usually hop outside around lunch time, throw on a hat, and sit in the sun a bit. I have an olive-ish kind of skin tone. I can likely handle the sun a little different than someone with very fair skin. You know your skin best, if you turn red, or burn easily, then just be really careful. I would say that there is no universal amount of time you should sit in the sun. There are so many factors that can impact that, like the time of year, your skin color, etc. Since I’m up in New York and we don’t get a lot of Vitamin D during the winter, I do take a high quality Vitamin D supplement. But of course, talk to your doctor. I went on a little bit of a tangent on Vitamin D. 

Landon: Yeah. It’s one thing that most people are deficient in. It’s readily available, outside. It can be easily supplemented. So, I’m glad you did that. 

Catherine: To go back to your original question on sunscreen, I look for two main ingredients in mineral sunscreen or physical sunscreen. That is zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The other chemical sunscreens can use like  oxybenzone or homosalate or other chemical ingredients that may be linked to endocrine disruption and cancer. They’ve actually been shown to damage our coral reefs too. It doesn’t really make sense to use a potentially cancer-causing chemical in sunscreen to then protect against the cancer causing UV rays. That’s not logical at all. 

Landon: Sounds like an oxymoron to me. 

Catherine: Exactly, yeah. So you just wanna make sure that you’re using safe sunscreen, active ingredients. And recently there was a study on benzene, which is a known human carcinogen. It was found in a long list of sunscreens. There is really no safe level of benzene at all. It’s very important to use high quality sunscreen brands. If you are using a sunscreen that uses oxybenzone, that ingredient can stay in your body/bloodstream for days, sometimes weeks. Just keep that in mind when you are searching for a new sunscreen brand. 

Another thing I would add, look for lotion-based sunscreens to just avoid any risk of inhalation. And also broad spectrum. Go outside, get some sun. If you are in the sun all day, stay in the shade a bit, wear a hat, wear a sun shirt, especially if you are prone to getting sunburn. 

Landon: That’s really good. Before we jump to around your body, what we should consider on that piece. You know, there are so many other things that go on our body besides sunscreen, like shampoos, conditioners, lotions, makeup, deodorant, etc. We can literally have you back on for an entire hour podcast on what goes on your body. I think we should do that. Generally, if you could, talk to our guests about what they should be considering when we are thinking about these different types of products out there? 

The Clean Beauty Checklist

Catherine: Yeah, that’s a great question. It’s a big question. There are so much to the on portion of, In, On, Around. But what you put on your body, it does get absorbed, depending on the chemical, into your body. I actually just launched an E-book, it’s called, The Clean Beauty Checklist. I broke down 68 different ingredient classes that I personally try to avoid in personal care products. It’s 40 pages long and I have 19 additional pages of studies and sources that I referenced. 

Landon: Wow, where can we find that E-book? 

Catherine: It’s on my website, www.InOnAround.org. It just launched. 

Landon: Let’s do this, let’s not spoil that. I want our listeners to go to www.InOnAround.org and get that E-book so they can learn what to and what not to put on their body. 

Catherine: Yeah, that will break it down. 68 ingredient classes. 

Landon: That’s a lot to talk about. 

Catherine: Right. But on that topic, women who use makeup, especially on a daily basis, it’s actually been shown that they can absorb five pounds of chemicals into their body’s every year, according to the Organic Consumers Association. It’s really just mind-blowing and so important to take control of what goes on your skin. 

Landon: Yeah, that’s why I don’t wear makeup. 

Kat: Lastly,  I wanna get into the around section. I think this is really interesting and probably the most groundbreaking of what you do and probably in some ways difficult because there is not enough information as maybe food and beauty products. But we’re talking about things like mattresses, air quality, and I don’t know how much you go into EMFs and all these things that are happening around our body’s that we don’t understand they are doing to us. So, I’d love to maybe start with mattresses because I think that’s probably something we don’t think about and spending the majority of our lives sleeping on these mattresses. What do you look for when you are looking for a mattress and what do you look to stay away from chemical and ingredient-wise? 

Mattresses & The “Around” Part of Life

Catherine: Like you said, there is really so much that can fall into this around category. In terms of mattresses, we actually spend about a third of our lives in bed. It’s really important that we are not snuggling up to any chemicals that don’t need to be there. There are a couple of different things that you should really look for in mattresses. 

I love the term non-toxic. But I want to point out that non-toxic is not a federally-regulated term. To me, it means that you are avoiding these chemicals of concern that can cause damage long-term. Organic on the other hand, that’s certified and made with organic cotton, free of any synthetic pesticide residue or chemical treatments. Be Organic, organic is best, no surprise there. It’s a lot safer than what is commonly found in regular mattresses. Conventional mattresses, especially if it is stain or water resistant, can contain per-fluorinated chemicals or PFAs. They are the forever chemicals that I mentioned before. They are called forever chemicals because they can accumulate in our bodies over time. 

Aside from PFAs, we have antimicrobials, plasticizers, phthalates, dyes, you know, the list goes on. A lot of these chemicals are found in mattresses, they could be linked to asthma or chemical sensitivities, or even hormone disruption. Another big one for most mattresses, they contain flame retardants. Of course, with good intention. But the efficacy of these flame retardants are actually being questioned. They are likely linked to reproductive or neurological damage. In a Duke study, they actually found it recently in the breast milk of mothers and in the bodies of toddlers. It’s pretty alarming. 

Kat: Yeah, it’s very alarming. I remember when we moved in, we did a lot of research on that. I think I landed on Plush Beds. Are you familiar with them? 

Catherine: I have heard of them, yeah. 

Kat: Yeah. We really like them. They are comfortable. 

Landon: They are so heavy. Oh my gosh, lifting those things and putting them in my house was like one of the hardest things I have done over the last three years. I literally remember it. It was so brutal. 

Kat: To that point, when we moved in, we remodeled a house and then we bought almost a whole new house of furniture, different floors, built a gym, and gym floors. I remember the first few months, we are a pretty healthy family, we don’t really get sick. But we all had weird symptoms come up. I started to get panicky feelings and not something I struggle with day-to-day. One of my younger kids started wetting to bed at night when that wasn’t an issue. And one of them started getting migraines. I realized after a little while that I think it was the off-gassing from all of the new stuff we had, especially the gym floor, that was a big culprit. We go about our lives and we don’t even realize it. We try to do everything right. Got the mattress, used paint that was non-VOC, and all of these things. But anytime you buy something new, they have these chemicals on them and they are releasing it into the air. Can you talk a little bit about that? The off-gassing process and what that can do to our body? 

Catherine: Sure, definitely. Conventional mattresses, like you said, can be really off-gas. This means that they are releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. These VOCs can be compounds like formaldehyde or benzene. They are emitted as gas. It can be harmful when you breathe it in, especially when you are indoors and there is maybe less airflow if the windows are not open. For instance, with conventional mattresses, especially in many foam mattresses, you have polyurethane foam. This is a big offender and can release the VOCs. These are low dose exposures but over time they add up. You just don’t want to be breathing these compounds in, especially when you are sleeping. Especially for babies or young children. I know you have five children. For crib mattresses, they should not be exposed to these chemicals, if you can avoid it. I’m glad that you are looking for safer non-toxic mattresses. But it’s always best practice to air it out for about 48 hours before using it if you can. Like maybe in a garage or throw it all into one room and pump up those air purifiers, open the windows for airflow. With conventional mattresses, the off-gassing can last for years. It’s not for just airing it out for two days and it will be safe. You simply don’t want those chemicals around your body. 

Kat: There was a book I read a long time ago, about this guy who tried to do everything he could for his health. I will have to look it up. He had an aunt that was holistic and crazy. She was probably 60 and doing this her whole life, anytime she bought a new car, she wouldn’t drive it for a year. She would roll down all the windows and let it air out because she was so freaked out about these off-gasses. That just made me think of that story. 

Landon: That’s intense. 

Kat: I know. But even things like that. Everyone is like, “I love the new car smell.” Well, that new car smell is actually pretty toxic. 

Catherine: Yeah, it gives me a headache. 

Kat: Yeah. 

Landon: I think, to that point, I think this is the toughest one. We can really control what goes in our mouth, really control what goes on our body’s, but we live in these environments where there is so much going on around us that is out of our control. There is so much going on environmentally that we just have little control. Sometimes I think it can get overwhelming. Thinking about the WiFi, all these different environmental factors that are going on. What is your best tip for things around us, in our control, that listeners can do this the best, healthiest way? 

Best Tip For Controlling The Environment Around You

Catherine: It is really so important to not feel overwhelmed. To your point, it’s just taking control of what we do have control of. Everything from EMFs, mold exposure, cleaning products, air quality, some of those you can control and some you cannot. Also in the around category, I like to think about relationships. That can overtimes be overlooked. It does play such a major role in your wellbeing. The sense of community or the friendships that you keep, or even your relationship with God if you are spiritual. But if you are surrounding yourself with toxic, manipulative, insincere people, then you’re really bound to get caught up in that behavior. It’s important to recognize that. That is an area of your life that you can really control. It is not always that easy, especially when you have those “frenemies,” if you will. But you know, just always being aware of who you are keeping around and what you can control around you. 

Landon: Yeah, and some people argue that emotion is the number one cause of sickness, right? We literally hold these feelings, these emotional feelings, and they are trapped in our body. They actually can turn into a physical symptom. Like when you are sick to your stomach, it is typically an emotional thing, but you have a physical reaction to it. That is something that is newer and people are talking about more and more. I’m happy that there is more conversation around this and more conversation around mental well-being, mental welfare, and health care. This is so important. If we are upset, always around people making us upset, or just in these environments that are chaotic and bad for us, it’s probably going to have a toll on us physically at some point. 

Catherine: Right. Absolutely. And this is why I love the holistic health space really in general. Everything is interconnected. Going back to the relationship part, life is really just way too short to have fake friends or toxic relationships. You have to hold true to your boundaries and your values. 

Landon: Yes, absolutely. That’s well said. So, something else you say, in America we have a “sick care” system, not a healthcare system. You shouldn’t have to get sick to focus on your well-being. That’s something that Kat and I are super passionate about, especially this last year with COVID. I think it was just an awakening for so many people. It’s like when they look at the folks who are really affected by it, typically there were a lot of co-morbidities and just different things that they typically just didn’t get COVID and had something go wrong. They were unhealthy, overweight, or their body’s just couldn’t handle it because they were older. But there were so many other things going on. We believe in being proactive, rather than reactive. I know that is something you believe in too. 

Catherine: Definitely, yes. I was the generation that kind of grew up on Dunkaroos, Lunchables, Capri-Sun, classic sad standard American diet. Like I mentioned before, there is so much deceptive marketing. At the time, we really didn’t know any better. But we know better now, for sure. A lot of people don’t really focus on their health until it starts to decline, until they are forced to kind of shift their focus. But that’s not always the right approach. It should be preventative. It’s just like performing regular maintenance on your car, so down the line you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars on it when you break down mid-roadtrip. You will have to focus on your health at some point in your life and it’s either going to be now, when you have control over your habits, what you eat on a daily basis, how often you exercise, or when you have to focus on your health later on from illness. Focusing on it preventatively is best. As the saying goes, if you don’t focus on your wellness, then you are going to definitely focus on your illness. 

Landon: Yeah, that’s really good. Absolutely. Well, listen, we are just about out of time, Catherine. This has been an amazing show. You’ve been an awesome guest. I think there is a lot that our listeners will be able to take away. We always like to ask our guests, what is your best tip for our listeners to live their lives organically? 

Catherine’s Best Tip For Living Life Organically

Catherine: I love this question. I would say my one tip for living life organically is to value the progress over perfection. 

Landon: That’s good. 

Catherine: Like we mentioned before, you can oftentimes feel very overwhelmed, especially if you are starting to dip your toes into the holistic health world. But it’s important to not get overwhelmed and immediately quit. If you are trying to implement all the changes at once, eat plant-based, cut out toxins, meditate, hit the sauna, it’s overwhelming if it’s not already a habit. Value that progress over perfection. Of course, nobody’s perfect. I’m certainly not perfect. We are human. It doesn’t have to necessarily be expensive. You can go on walks outside, sit quietly and meditate, or just using less beauty products in general. As you are making decisions and purchases, just think about how this would help me and how can I better control what goes in, on, and around my body? Keeping it simple. Get back to nature. All of this information is not really intended to make you fearful of everything that you use. That’s not the point. It’s really to educate and inform you so that you can be a conscious consumer moving forward. 

Landon: I love it. So well said. I have nothing to add to that. That was a great, great answer. Thank you for that. 

Catherine: I’m glad you like it. I do also want to note, a lot of people can say, it’s just a little bit of benzene, a little bit of pesticides, a little bit of this or that. But when does that little bit become a little bit too much? 

Landon: Right, right. Exactly. 

Catherine: Always thinking about how this impacts health and long-term goals. 

Landon: Absolutely. That’s so good. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Tell our listeners where they can learn more from you?

Catherine: Thank you so much for having me. I feel like I could talk about this stuff forever. This is fun. My website is www.InOnAround.org. I have my E-book on my site. I also have a shop and my blog there. I’m really active on Instagram and Pinterest, @InOnAround, you can also follow me there. 

Landon: Love it. I’ve already started following you there, so I appreciate it. Thank you for who you are, thank you for what you do, and thank you for just how God has blessed you. It’s really incredible. Congratulations on all your success and great luck at Harvard. We’ve heard of that place. It’s fantastic. Good for you. Thank you so much, Catherine. 

Catherine: Thank you. And thank you for all the amazing work you are doing as well. 

Landon: Thank you. 

Kat: Thank you so much for tuning in today to Be Organic. We’re so excited for you to become healthier and body and stronger in spirit. 

Landon: So, if you like what you heard today, please be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcast to never miss an episode. 

Kat: And we’d love to connect with you over on Clean Juice’s Instagram. Give us a follow, slide into our DMs with any suggestions for guests or topics that you might wanna hear more about. 

Landon: Alright y’all, thanks for listening. Have a great week and remember to Be Organic. 

Kat: Just a quick legal disclaimer, we are not doctors. While we absolutely love discussing wellness and nutrition with our expert guests, you should always talk to your physician or other medical professional before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. They can assess your specific needs and come up with a plan that works best for you.

In addition, this is for educational purposes only. Clean Juice franchises are only offered by delivery of a franchise disclosure document in compliance with various state and federal laws.