Today on the podcast:
Lisa and Alana are the co-founders of the Gut Stuff and authors of the new book of the same name: The Gut Stuff, an empowering guide to your gut and its microbes.
Whilst having incredibly successful careers as DJs and presenters as “The Mac Twins”, they couldn’t have been further from the health and wellness world, but as soon as they realised how big the gaps in nutrition information were, they became passionate about bringing the science to EVERYONE and so their gut journey began.
Now a pair of young female CEOs, Lisa and Alana Macfarlane are taking their team which consists of scientists, nutritionists, dieticians and doctors with them as they disrupt the wellness industry by launching their workplace wellness program, widening their product offering and creating services and resources that are available and affordable to everyone.
These two ladies were an absolute joy to speak with and they break down complicated topics in a very easy and digestible way.
Episode Outline
- 04:15 The Mac Twins’ backstory
- 07:43 The biggest mistakes people make with regard to gut health
- 09:40 What “health and wellness” means to the Mac Twins
- 11:31 How poor sleep impacts your gut and poor gut health impacts your sleep
- 16:19 Alcohol, your gut and how to balance the negative effects
- 18:53 Gut permeability and leaky gut and why it’s important that you don’t confuse the two
- 23:10 Prebiotics and probiotics and their importance toward a healthy gut
- 25:26 The bullsh*t bin – no carbs and colonics
- 30:35 The dangerous or silly dietary fads to avoid in 2021
- 33:19 Gut health wisdom that the Mac Twins wish they had known when they began their wellness journey
- 35:28 A gut health-related belief that the Mac Twins had since changed or abandoned in recent years
- 37:40 The Mac Twins’ thoughts on call-out culture
- 40:48 The books and podcast that have had the most positive impact on them recently
- 42:48 Improving your skin by taken care of your gut
- 44:25 The gut brain axis broken down in simple terms
- 47:34 One gut health-related Instagram post that the Mac Twins want every health-conscious person to see
- 48:34 What the Mac Twins are currently most excited about
Key Points
- While there are basic guidelines for maintaining good gut health, such as getting good sleep and minimizing alcohol, everyone reacts differently to different things, meaning what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. Just one example is gluten—certain people benefit tremendously from avoiding it; others, not as much. What’s more important is avoiding fads, sticking to the basics and incorporating best practices as a lifestyle.
- It’s vital to focus on our health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition beyond those two months before your beach holiday. “We all deserve more than that,” say the Twins. “We all deserve to know that our potential well-being can affect our health—and it’s linked to so many more things than a six pack before the holidays.”
- Your gut and your brain are intrinsically linked and there are so many ways that these two vital parts of your body communicate with each other. The vagus nerve can be thought of as a phone line that physically connects the gut and brain. Chemically, though, they are connected through hormones called neurotransmitters which play a key role in regulating your gut. For instance, dysbiosis and leaky gut are both associated with mood disorders.
Powerful Quotes by Lisa and Alana
- It doesn’t have to be what magazines sell you; it can just be what you find makes you feel better.
- The quality and the quantity of sleep impacts the way in which your gut microbes work.
- Fiber is the unsung hero in nutrition.
- It’s not just about losing a stone before you go on holiday. We all deserve more than that. We all deserve to know that our potential well-being can affect our health—and it’s linked to so many more things than a six pack before the holidays.
- I think diet has to be seen, when it comes to skin condition, as a potential tool in your armory rather than as a solution.
- Your gut and your brain are intrinsically linked.
- Gut health doesn’t have to be expensive, complex, or inaccessible.
