Episode 338: My Fave Health Tools & Gadgets of 2024
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify
With all the health tools on the market, how do you know which ones are worth the investment? That's what we're getting into today — with Erin's honest opinion & feedback. Tune in to hear her favorite health tools and gadgets from 2024, including clean beauty tools, face masks, wearable — and walkable — devices and more. Some of these might make it to your holiday wish list...and some might make it to the naughty list! These are the unfiltered updates you all have been asking for!
In this episode:
Rosacea, acne, or other skin issues? This gadget is hugely helpful! [5:18]
The full download on walking pads [15:17]
Grounding mats: worth the hype? [20:36]
The gadget Erin recently purchased (that she never thought she would) [34:02]
Favorite clean beauty products [34:02]
Follow-up on GLP-1 probiotics [42:10]
Resources mentioned:
Paleovalley (Save 15% on your order!)
Bon Charge (Use code FUNK to save 15%)
WalkingPad (Save 20% on your order!)
Grounding Mat from Earth + Moon (Use code ERIN10 for $10 off)
Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream
Pendulum GLP-1 (Use code FUNK for 20% off)
Organifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK)
LMNT Electrolyte Replenishing powder (Use code FUNK get a free sample pack with any purchase!)
Qualia Life (Get up to 50% off and an extra 15% off your first purchase with link + code FUNKS)
Learn more about Non-Toxic Living & Functional Nutrition
Related episodes:
264: Quantum Biology & Our Health with Dr. Catherine Clinton
298: Where Science Meets the Sacred
314: Skin Vitality & Natural Botox with The Facial Cupping Expert
316: Microbiome, Metabolic Health & GLP-1 with Colleen Cutcliffe
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Erin Holt [00:00:02]:
I'm Erin Holt and this is the Funk'tional Nutrition Podcast where we lean into intuitive functional medicine. We look at how diet, our environment, our emotions and our beliefs all affect our physical health. This podcast is your full bodied, well rounded resource. I've got over a decade of clinical experience and because of that I've got a major bone to pick with diet culture and the conventional healthcare model. They're both failing so many of us, but functional medicine isn't the panacea that it's made out to be either. We've got some work to do and that's why creating a new model is my life's work. I believe in the ripple effect, so I founded the Funk'tional Nutrition Academy, a school and mentorship for practitioners who want to do the same. This show is for you if you're looking for new ways of thinking about your health and you're ready to be an active participant in your own healing.
Erin Holt [00:00:52]:
Please keep in mind this podcast is created for educational purposes only and should never be used as a replacement for medical diagnosis or treatment. I would love for you to follow the show, rate, review and share because you never know whose life you might change and of course, keep coming back for more. Hello my friends. I'm excited about today's show. I think it's going to be a fun one because I'm sharing my favorite health gadgets of 2024. These are the tools and the resources that I actually use for my health. I consistently use them and I come back to them. There are so many health trinkets that you can buy these days and I think not all of them live up to the hype, but some of them actually do.
Erin Holt [00:01:39]:
So we're going to get into what I actually use and what may not be worth the money. I'll also share the one thing that has been helping my rosacea so much this year. So for any of you who have rosacea or even just redness in the face, you're going to want to listen and I'll share why I purchased something that I never thought I would. It is a health gadget that I just purchased. So I will share why and I'm even going to throw in my favorite clean beauty products because we know that what we put on our bodies is a huge contributor to our toxicant load. So even though these aren't gadgets, they are, in my estimation at least, a health tool. And I know right now people are getting their holiday wish list together, maybe even buying things for other people. So I wanted you to have this.
Erin Holt [00:02:30]:
Now if this is the year you're looking to swap some things out. I'm going to share with you my favorites, the things that actually work. This episode is basically going to be the updates that many of you have been asking for. I know I try things out, I buy things, I casually mention things here and there on Instagram and we get a lot of follow up questions in DMs. And I wanted a place for all of this to live in case you were like, hey, whatever happened with that thing that you are trying out? Because I do love to try things out. I have no problem investing in certain products or gadgets and using them and then reporting back to you. And oftentimes companies will actually reach out to us and offer to send their own products. And as long as it's a no strings attached arrangement, I will oftentimes agree to test them out.
Erin Holt [00:03:19]:
No strings attached basically means it's at my discretion whether or not I talk about it. Because if I don't like something, I really don't want to have to put them on blast. And I am very honest. My favorite Grateful Dead song, Althea. There's a line that says honest to the point of recklessness. And whenever I hear that, I'm like, that's me. That is sometimes me. So I will accept free product as long as it's my discretion with what I share and when.
Erin Holt [00:03:50]:
Because I also don't want to whore myself out for free product. Like, that's not my vibe. But I will happily discuss stuff that I love. And today, for instance, a lot of what I'll discuss, I'm not getting any financial kickback. I just want to tell you about things that I love, either because you're asking about them or because I think you'll love them too. But definitely check the show notes for any discount codes. Because if we do have any discount codes today for anything, we will include them in the show notes. If we have them, we obviously want to share them with you.
Erin Holt [00:04:18]:
All right, so let's get started. The first one's going to be kind of random. This is not a food episode episode. But because folks are always asking about my favorite bar. And I know like a good bar is so hard to come by, and I'm talking about bars that you eat, like an energy bar, a protein bar. I do want to share my favorite and it's my favorite in terms of taste and ingredients. And they are the Paleo Valley bars. I would say, like the one downside is that you do have to order them.
Erin Holt [00:04:48]:
So it's Like I always forget to order them. So I tend to run out because you can't just go to Whole Foods and buy them or like a health food store and buy them. So we will link that up in the show notes and we actually do have a discount code, discount code for you for that one. It's 15% off your order. Not just for the bars, but anything you order from Paleo Valley. I love their meat sticks, I love their bars, their bone broth, protein powder, all of those are really good things to get. Okay? But I said this is not going to be a food episode. But I did want to share with you my favorite bar.
Erin Holt [00:05:18]:
Now let's get into something that I am really a huge fan of. I use it, I enjoy it, it's a strong recommend and that is red light therapy. So I have talked about the red light mask that I've had for like maybe going on a year and a half now, maybe even longer, and it just sat in the box. I did not ever use it, mostly because I didn't know where to work it into my day to day rotation. But I figured it out about six months ago. I've been consistently using it. So I want to tell you what I've noticed and specifically how I've been using it to get the benefits. There is so much research on red light therapy.
Erin Holt [00:05:55]:
I'm talking thousands of studies on both red and near infrared. In my mask, I have the Bon Charge mask and that has red and near infrared. So there's a lot of research on photobiomodulation. That's just a fancy term to talk about how light impacts our biology. So there's studies that look at skin anti-aging, wound healing, fat loss, cellulite, hair regrowth, improved sleep, tendinitis, arthritis, joint health, bone healing, immune function, chronic pain, brain function, mood, hypothyroid even. I would actually love to do a whole episode just on that alone. And it makes good sense if you listen to the episode that we did with Dr. Katherine Clinton, episode 264, Quantum Biology & Our Health.
Erin Holt [00:06:47]:
We talked about how crucial light exposure is to our biology and our health. And I don't need to tell you this, we're not outside as much as we used to be. So we're not getting that natural light exposure. And so the red light therapy is one way to counteract that. So my personal experience with using the red light mask is I've seen better skin texture. It's pretty obvious. Reduced redness and rosacea, like I said. So I use it Anywhere between three to five, five days a week.
Erin Holt [00:07:20]:
And I do it first thing in the morning. Well, I wake up, I get my coffee, I drink my coffee, because you really can't drink with the mask on. And then I use it for about 10 minutes when I'm journaling or on my computer. So I've just, like baked it into my routine. I leave it on my desk so I see it like triggers the, oh, yeah, throw your mask on. And it's pretty convenient to use. And so I've noticed a big difference in that. Now, if you do have rosacea, I kind of want to speak into this a little bit because just using red light therapy might not be the only thing that heals your rosacea.
Erin Holt [00:07:55]:
We know that skin is an inside job. So when I think of rosacea, I really think of three things. Two are internal and then one is external. So food. One of the internal things, food and what you're eating. Just working with so many clients over the years, I know that food can be a big trigger for rosacea. I tend to see dairy being a big trigger for rosacea, but also gluten sometimes and sugar. But dairy, I feel like, is pretty consistently a big one for rosacea.
Erin Holt [00:08:24]:
So just keep that in mind. If you do have rosacea and you eat dairy, maybe do an elimination diet where you pull dairy out, see if that improves it. The other thing is a bacterial component. So we know that there's a clear link between rosacea in SIBO, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. So basically, whatever is happening at the level of your gut can present itself through the level of your skin and rosacea is no different. There's other bacterial overgrowths that can also trigger and exacerbate rosacea.
Erin Holt [00:08:52]:
I've been seeing a lot of this on the GI maps. In fact, few people actually purchased The Gut Panel just to get to the bottom of what's going on with their rosacea, which I think is really interesting. And also good job to you because. Brilliant. Well done. So those are the two things I think about internally. What's going on in the gut, and are there food triggers? But then there's external. And this is where I.
Erin Holt [00:09:17]:
This is where I struggle with my rosacea. The external triggers are hot showers, hot yoga, sauna, and then being outside. So, like being exposed to the elements outside, cold wind, and, you know, I love my winter walks. So basically I'm doing all of the things that can trigger rosacea. Even though internally I'm good, I still have those external triggers. And so that's why my cheeks are pretty ruddy. And sometimes once in a while, I'll get like the little rosacea.
Erin Holt [00:09:47]:
They look like pimples, but they're not. And the red light mask has helped tremendously with this. And I didn't even know that was a use. Lee, my esthetician, told me that that could really help the rosacea. So I think that's part of the reason that I started using it more consistently. I'm like, oh, it actually has benefits. Okay, cool, let me see those benefits. Now, if you don't have rosacea, other benefits are the red light masks can help to reduce the appearance of fine line in wrinkles.
Erin Holt [00:10:16]:
And like I said, just a more even skin tone. I have noticed that. Acne, eczema, scar tissue, all of these can be helped by red light therapy. Sore jaw. So if you clench your jaw and you just have a sore jaw. Migraines can be helped by red light therapy mask. If you have razor burns or ingrown facial hair. Because red light therapy helps with wound healing, it can also really help with those things too. Now, I actually do have a code for you to save 15 off. And I'm very excited about this because this is a partnership that has been in the making for a while and I can officially announce it today. Bon Charge is our new podcast sponsor.
Erin Holt [00:10:58]:
So yay. Bon Charge has a lot of different wellness products. Blue light glasses, infrared saunas, red light therapy, EMF management, circadian friendly lighting. So a lot of the stuff that we talk about on this show, Bon Charge actually makes those products. So I've been really, really, really eager to get them on the roster and now they're here. So if you want to try out that red light mask and save 15%, go to boncharge.com and use coupon code funk to save 15%. That's b o n c h a r g e.com use coupon code funk f u n k to save 15%. They were also kind enough to send me a red light therapy device.
Erin Holt [00:11:43]:
So it's essentially a panel. I have it right here in my office and I have the Max red light therapy device. So it's like it comes up to about my hips, so it's pretty tall. And I just got that less than a week ago. So I don't want to report back. I can't be like, oh, wow, I've noticed all of these improvements because I literally have just been using it for a few days. But how I've been using it is meditating in the morning in front of it or today I actually did a pilates and like a weightlifting session in front of it and it's very relaxing.
Erin Holt [00:12:15]:
That's what I can say. That the initial feedback I can give you is that I feel very relaxed and very grounded when I am using it. So I'm super, super excited to have that and I'll report back. But the red light mask I've been using for a long time and can say two thumbs up, 10 out of 10 would recommend. I love it.
Erin Holt [00:14:55]:
Another gadget that I have in my office and I'm actually standing on it right now, is my walking pad. So this 2024 was like the year of the Walking Pad, if you follow me on Instagram, you saw me using it a lot and I actually purchased. So the Walking pad is an actual brand and I purchased a less expensive model on Amazon and I'll share, I'm happy to share that, that link because it's around $200. And the reason that I wanted to upgrade to the Walking Pad, the actual brand Walking Pad, is because it folds up, whereas the one I got on Amazon doesn't. So it was great.
Erin Holt [00:15:58]:
I loved it. I actually gave it to a friend of mine and she's using it and loving it right now. But I couldn't really ever get it out of the way. I would just have to move it out of the way. And it created a little bit of clutter in my office, which isn't a huge ordeal. But I work a lot better if I don't have clutter in my office. So it's just kind of like there all the time. Now if you, let's say you work in your bedroom, you could slide it right under your bed, no problem.
Erin Holt [00:16:25]:
But I really wanted. Excuse me. I really wanted one that folded up so I could put it in my, in my closet so I didn't see it or it could tuck it away somewhere else. And so that's why Walking Pad, the company reached out to us and offered to send me one and I'm like, yes, yes, absolutely. Now I chose which one and this is where this is. I take full ownership of this. But I chose one that you can run on. So not their standard issue, like the one that everybody has, like their number one top seller.
Erin Holt [00:16:55]:
I was like, no, don't give me that one. The best one. No, don't give me that one. Give me a different one. So the one I chose is to run on as well. So you can walk and you can run. And because it's made for running, it is extremely heavy. It's kind of clunky.
Erin Holt [00:17:12]:
It has this handle. It's very cumbersome. It's hard to move. I'm always dragging it around. Every time I'm moving it, Scott's like, what are you doing up there? Because it's so loud and just, like, bangs around. And so I don't love it. It's not the company's fault that I chose this model, but I do not love this model. So we've been in back and forth communication, and we're going to exchange this out for the other model.
Erin Holt [00:17:40]:
I think it's called the classical style, and I know I will love that one because a lot of my friends have that one, and they tell me that they love it. And the ability to fold it up is clutch. Now, that one is at around a $600 price point, so heads up. Definitely more expensive than the $200 model that I got on Amazon. But you do have the ability to fold it up. So if that's important to you, there you go. Now, I would check the show notes. I don't know if we have a coupon code right now, but
Erin Holt [00:18:07]:
We might soon. So just check the show notes in the event that you want to purchase a Walking Pad, and we have the coupon code there for you. Now, the reason that I love it so much is because I do a lot of computer desk work, and I love to be able to move my body. I can log, like, three to four miles without even thinking about it. I was using it to write the show notes or write the notes for this podcast episode. So anytime I'm in a creative zone where I'm writing a lot, I love to be walking. And I think it's like clutch for that. What I will say is that it is much better to be moving than to be sedentary, for sure.
Erin Holt [00:18:48]:
Without question. So if that's the only opportunity that you have in your day to get your steps in, great. I personally do not use it as a replacement for walking outdoors, because that is my medicine. Walking pad, not my medicine. It's just a way to move my body while I'm at a desk. Walking outdoors is medicine to me because there's so many things happening outside. Light exposure, electron exposures. There's so many things happening outside that you cannot replace on a walking pad. And so we just got back from Copenhagen about, I don't know, a week ago or so.
Erin Holt [00:19:23]:
It was an amazing trip. And the thing that really struck me is how health conscious that community is. That health is a core value. It's not a negotiable. It's just people there value their health. And they are outside all the time. Babies are bundled up just outside all the time. Everyone walks or they bikes.
Erin Holt [00:19:46]:
It is a very outdoor community. Even at the pub, they're sitting outside. It's incredible. And there's something to be said for that, for being outside and having robust health. There's really something to be said for that. So I kind of think of the walking pad as adjunct therapy instead of replacing the outdoor exposures. I don't think we can replace outdoor exposure with indoor electronics. We know our biology needs nature exposure to thrive.
Erin Holt [00:20:17]:
And I just don't know. Even with all the gadgets and the tools and the hacks and all the things, I mean, I leverage them. Don't get me wrong. I don't think it replaces nature exposure. It doesn't replace being outside. So keep that in mind too. That's how I like to use my walking pad. And you know, you do you.
Erin Holt [00:20:36]:
But all this brings me to my next gadget in trinket, which is a grounding mat. So we've been getting a lot of questions about grounding mats from our clients and from folks on the socials as well. So here's my hot take. Earth and Moon was kind enough to send us one. They reached out to us and asked to send us one. And I was like, yeah, we're getting a lot of questions about that. I'm super interested in trying it. And their whole jump off is that this grounding mat can decrease levels of pain and inflammation, reduce stress levels and improve circulation.
Erin Holt [00:21:10]:
That's what they notice with continuous use. So let's talk about why that might be the case and also what the hell is grounding? Grounding is the same thing as earthing. It's your contacting your body with the earth's surface. And the earth's surface has electrons. And when we are walking barefoot or we're sitting on the ground or our body is in any contact with the earth's surface, there's that transference of electrons into our bodies. And this has been going on since, you know, humans started. Since our come up, we walked outside. We were outside all of the time.
Erin Holt [00:21:45]:
We were either bare foot or shoes were just made of animal skins. So it was like pretty much constant contact with the earth. We slept outside. And that is really how our biology is designed. As we were just talking about, I mentioned Katherine Clinton's episode, episode 264 we really got into a lot of this. She talks a lot about the electrical charge of the Earth and the electrical charge of our bodies as well. And so we know that free electrons neutralize ROS.
Erin Holt [00:22:15]:
Reactive oxygen species or free radicals. So the way to. We know that free radicals cause inflammatory responses in the body, immune responses in the body. And so we know that free radical is not a great thing. But we can counteract them with electrons. And so that's what earthing allows us to do. And that's really the presumed, the assumption of why it makes people feel better.
Erin Holt [00:22:42]:
It's that this influx of free electrons can absorb through the body essentially and reduce or neutralize free radicals and then reduce inflammation in the body. So we can see reduced pain, better sleep, shifting into parasympathetic, our relaxation response. There's a lot of benefits to earthing. So you can just go outside and do that, or you can buy a grounding mat and try to reproduce what's going on outside inside your house. And I like the idea. I really like the concept in theory and in practice. It's just not really working out great for me.
Erin Holt [00:23:23]:
It's this really thin mat. It weighs, like, nothing. You can put it on the ground and sit on it. You can put it underneath your work chair and put your feet on it. There's multiple ways to use it. And you plug it in, but you have to plug it into a grounded electrical outlet. And that was a whole thing because there was no outlets in my house that were grounded. They give you a little tester.
Erin Holt [00:23:44]:
And I'm like, everyone bricked. Everyone failed. I'm like, okay. So then they had to send this adapter. And by the way, their customer service is amazing. And they are incredible and so kind and so willing to work with me. So, like, 10 stars to them. They sent this.
Erin Holt [00:23:57]:
This essentially, this adapter. So rather than plugging it into an outlet, you put this, like, stick in the ground. And then you run a wire through your window. And then you plug that into the mat so it's like direct contact with the Earth. Love that idea. In theory again. In practice, it's a little messy because the cord is so long. So I have.
Erin Holt [00:24:19]:
I'm looking at it right now. It's, like, crumpled up in the corner of my office because I can't move it. I can't bring it. If I'm, like, downstairs watching tv, I can't bring it downstairs with me because it's connected to something that's, like, hanging outside of my window. So we have this like wire hanging outside my window. And then it's a pretty long wire. So it's like just. It's a little.
Erin Holt [00:24:40]:
Little messy. It's a little cumbersome. I have not really been using it, so I can't give this one a 10 out of 10, unfortunately. And it's also not something, at least for me, that I noticed real not noticeable impact. When I was talking about the red light therapy. I sit in front of that thing and I'm like, ah, I feel relaxed with the grounding mat. I didn't feel that immediate effect. So I just less, I guess, motivated to return to that. I love to earth and ground.
Erin Holt [00:25:09]:
I live in the woods. I usually sit down on a rock or I sit down right in a bed of pine needles when I'm outside in the woods for about 10 minutes. Anyway, that's how I earth. That's how I ground. That's how I connect to the earth, like through the actual earth. So I love that. I prefer that. But if you live in a city and that's not available to you, then the grounding mat might be a good option for you.
Erin Holt [00:25:31]:
Now, speaking of mats, this is not a 2024 thing. This is maybe I got this in like 2022. I think I've had it for two, maybe three years, the Prana mat. So that's an acupressure mat. I am going on a few years now with this bad boy. Still use it, still love it. We still get questions in our inbox to this day. Is Erin still using it? I am.
Erin Holt [00:25:55]:
I love it. I love her. And I think it's around a $200 price point, which seems expensive, but I mean, it's a pretty good value if I've been using it for two, three years pretty consistently. And this is not something that I personally feel I have to use every day. I originally got it for pain flares. When I was in a pain flare, I would use it and it would really help that subside. Now I use it during high stress times.
Erin Holt [00:26:24]:
So if I'm like, okay, I feel a little dysregulated, I'm going to get on the Prana mat. That always works. Or if I have neck, if I have headaches, I'll get tension headaches. So I'll use it for headaches. I'll use it for neck pain. I'll use it for back pain. And I usually stay on for about 20 minutes. I'll do a meditation or a hypnosis.
Erin Holt [00:26:43]:
That's what I really like to do on my prana mat. So it's like I'm doing two things at once. So still using it, still loving it and still recommending it. And you can again check the show notes for a discount code. Not sure if we have one, but we're going to reach out to all these companies and see if they can hook you guys up. So even if they're not there right now, come back in like a week and they might be there. All right. So another thing we've been asked about is vagus nerve stimulators.
Erin Holt [00:27:12]:
So there's more and more of these popping up on the market. Truvega or Truvaga? Not 100% sure how to say that one is the one that we've been getting asked about. Anecdotally, I have heard good things from colleagues. Now the price point is high in my estimation, it's $500. And it's handheld, so you basically have to hold it right underneath your ear for, I think it's just for like two minutes, maybe it's not a long time. But you do have to manually hold it.
Erin Holt [00:27:45]:
So that's a little annoying in my estimation. If it works, would I do it? Absolutely. If I felt better, I would do it. No problem. $500, though. That is steep. That is a hefty chunk of change. So for that reason, I think I would have a hard time recommending it to clients unless there was something specific going on.
Erin Holt [00:28:07]:
And by that I mean autonomic nervous system dysfunction. If we knew that there was a brain gut access, you know, funkiness, wonkiness going on. Let's say somebody had recurring SIBO and no matter how many times they were treated for SIBO, it keeps coming back. That would be something that I might consider. Hey, like, let's invest in this gadget and see if that helps. Now they do have, at least according to their website, a 30 day money back guarantee. So that's kind of nice.
Erin Holt [00:28:34]:
If you buy it, if you make the investment, you use it for 30 days and you're like, I don't notice a difference, then you can get your money back. So that's nice. I do like that. So this is not something that I'm actively using. It's not something that I've even tried in 2024. But enough people have asked our opinion on it. So I did want to touch base on that. Now this is right from their website.
Erin Holt [00:28:56]:
Like, why is, why is this a thing? Why would somebody need this? I do like this little blurb. So I'm going to read it directly. Stimulating the vagus nerve activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates mood, digestion, the immune response, cardiovascular function, primarily working to sustain balance. When the nervous system is in balance, these functions work harmoniously, allowing the body to operate more efficiently, having many positive effects on our health. All true. All right. I just edited something out. I tried to sing True Story.
Erin Holt [00:29:22]:
Like in The Real World introduction when the country singer sang it. John, I think. I think that was season two. I was obsessed. I was also in like fourth grade and obsessed with The Real World. So you know, it was the 90s, man. Parental supervision wasn't really a thing. Anyway, please DM me if you know what I'm talking about.
Erin Holt [00:29:41]:
And if you don't, well, you were missing out on a real time. Okay, back to the vagus nerve. So the vagus nerve stimulator. These gadgets can do all of those things, but you know what else can do it? Meditation. You know what else can do it? Deep diaphragmatic breathing. You know what else can do it? A yoga practice. You know what else can do it? Humming, singing, chanting, even just humming om can stimulate the vagus nerve and activate parasympathetic nervous system response.
Erin Holt [00:30:13]:
So there's that too. Like, do we need a $500 gadget to do these things that our bodies actually know how to do? It's like what I teach you in Manifest Your Health. You can use your own biology to heal. Our body has the ability, the capacity and the know how to do this ourselves. So it sort of begs the question, at least in my eyes, is a $500 device connected to an app on your phone taking us closer to or further away from health? I don't know. These are questions I think we all need to think about and to sit with. Like I said, I have colleagues that are using this gadget and recommending this gadget and really getting good benefits.
Erin Holt [00:30:52]:
So I'm not knocking it. And I've been in the trenches with my health. Just, just this weekend I had. I was having panic attacks last week and if I had this device and I and it would have helped, I would have used it. So I think we have to reach for the tools when we need them, but also understand we don't need hundreds of dollars worth of health gadgets to do things that are our bodies can do. Maybe it's more about practicing the innate abilities of our own bodies. I don't know. I'm just throwing these things out here to think about, to ponder.
Erin Holt [00:31:26]:
I don't want you to walk away from this episode and be like, cool, now I have to buy $4,000 worth of health gadgets. You don't. You actually don't. You could like go outside and like hum a little bit and you'd probably be fine. It's just that nobody is doing that. So there's a huge demand for these gadgets. It's a huge industry because nobody is doing the things like the found in modern day. We're all too busy, you know.
Erin Holt [00:31:50]:
So anyway, last year I kind of talked about this in the episode Where Science Meets the Sacred, episode 298, where it's like, I can make a argument for these gadgets and these tools and I can make an argument against them. My concern is that the more we rely on gadgets, the more we are taking ourselves away from our sacred connection to the earth. And our health is dependent on our sacred connection to the earth also our sacred connection to ourselves. So in that episode I talked about trackable wearable devices and how that data can be so awesome and so helpful, but in some cases it can take us further and further away from ourselves because we stop going inside to get the messages and we're just relying on external data.
Erin Holt [00:33:12]:
But you know I'm a big fan of holding multiple truths at once.
Erin Holt [00:34:02]:
So I'm going to share with you something that I just did, which was by an Oura ring. So I've never. I've never been opposed to wearable devices like Oura rings. I've just never had any interest in them myself until recently. I've been thinking about it for a few months. So I turned 40 this year, as some of you may know. And I'm not gonna lie, things have shifted. There are things that I'm like, huh, huh.
Erin Holt [00:34:28]:
My body's doing some things a little differently. And I don't know if that's more situational, has less to do with the fact that I turned 40 and I'm just like making it mean that. And just maybe because I've been under a lot more pressure this year than normal, and that's probably more likely. But what kind of sealed the deal for me is, like I said just a few moments ago, I was having some panic attacks and just like sensations my heart getting the heart palps again. Just feeling a little tight, a little stiff in the chest. And I think I'm at a point where I need to have a moment with data to maybe bring in some checks and balances on myself. I am a high capacity person.
Erin Holt [00:35:10]:
I'm a high impact person. I am a workhorse. When it comes to my work, I am a perfectionist. I want things done correctly. And that's because there's a lot of people on the other side of it, you know, And I would never take your health for granted. So I push myself and I like that. I like that about myself.
Erin Holt [00:35:27]:
But sometimes I don't always. I can push myself far and I can push myself hard and I can push myself long. And right now I think I want that data to give me the guardrails a little bit. I'm not a hundred percent. I think I want that kind of support, the data as a supportive tool to give me the guardrails so I am not pushing myself to the point of panic attacks. Because come on, man. Now will say, you also know that when things like that happen, I like to dig into the emotional underbelly. I do a lot of parts integration, inner child work, A lot of stuff that we talk about and you learn about in Manifest Your Health.
Erin Holt [00:36:07]:
And what I can say right now, it's a huge growth period for my company, which is very exciting. It's very exciting. When you have any history of trauma, it can be hard to discern excitement from panic. The two feelings are just like a whisper away from one another. And so sometimes when I'm excited about something in my body, in my nervous system, it can register as panic, which I think is what was going on this week. It's like a high workload plus excitement. My body's like I feel dysregulated.
Erin Holt [00:36:47]:
And so that is why I purchased my first Oura ring. And so I'm really, really excited to share my experience with that. I know. I'm sure a lot of you listening have them and have your own experience, and I'm really intrigued, and I'm excited. So there you go. Last year, I was like, no need for wearable devices. And this year, I'm like, there is a need.
Erin Holt [00:37:09]:
So we got to always listen to ourselves. We got to always be willing to change our minds, and that's that on that. Okay. I also promised that I was going to share some clean beauty stuff with you. And one of the tools that I have been using and loving is a lymphatic brush for my face, Specifically the Cecily Braden one. I don't really think there's a whole lot of competition in this space. As far as I know, she's the only one in the game. My esthetician, Lee, turned me onto this brush.
Erin Holt [00:37:43]:
I bought it from her. And it's a small brush, and you just brush your face, essentially. I always start with the big six, open up my lymph channels, and then I brush my face and, you know, go online, get some, like, tutorials and stuff. But I do love that brush. Now, I interviewed the Facial Cupping Expert, Sakina, I think that was this summer. And I do facial cupping. Facial cupping requires oil, and so I do that still, and I love that.
Erin Holt [00:38:16]:
And I recommend that to everybody and anybody, like, do facial cups. Trust me on this. It's so good for your face. But, like, sometimes if I'm watching tv, because that's usually when I do it at night, I'm like, ugh, I don't want to, like, bust out all the oil. And then you have to wear, like, certain clothes so you can open up your clavicle and, you know, like, you can't do it in a hoodie. And so what I love is that the lymphatic brush, you just do dry. You don't need to use oil. So I do a combination of both of them.
Erin Holt [00:38:43]:
I'll do the lymphatic brush, like, five to six days a week, again at night, just watching tv, and then I will bust out the facial cups maybe, like, three days a week, so I do them together. And I love them. And I'm going to link to the lymphatic brush. I'm going to link to the facial cup. Like, I love all of them. Get all of them. I love them. So as just, just as a heads up, I don't do Botox.
Erin Holt [00:39:05]:
I don't do filler. That's not something that I'm interested in. I feel very, very, very, very uncomfortable injecting foreign antigens into my body. As somebody who has had a history of autoimmunity, my concern, and this is zero judgment on anybody. What you choose to do with your body in your face is on you, baby girl. Like, not for me to tell you what to do.
Erin Holt [00:39:30]:
My concern is that with all, like, the amount we are injecting into people's faces at starting at a very young age, it's very much so, as accepted as the norm. My concern is that, like, these injections are going to be the new breast implants. And we know the whole host of issues that we're seeing with breastplant illness. And so, I don't know. I just. I just. That's my concern. And so for that, I abstain.
Erin Holt [00:39:56]:
I say, no, thank you, but I brush my face and I cup my face and I'm doing all sorts of weird shit to my face at night, so that's that. Okay. Other beauty products Goop Under Eye patches, you guys, I love them. They brighten your face like that? Just like that. They're expensive. It's a buck 25 for 30. So if you're using them every day, it's $125 a month, which is kind of insane, but they work.
Erin Holt [00:40:24]:
I don't use them every day. I try to remember to use them on days when I'll be on camera or if I'm, like, going somewhere. And they're just little paper patches that you put underneath your eyes. They stay on there for about 10 minutes. They brighten your eyes instantly. Instantly. I tend towards dark circles under my eyes and then bags under my eyes. So the lymphatic work really helps with the bags.
Erin Holt [00:40:47]:
But these patches help with the dark circles, so they really brighten things up. I'm also going to share with you my favorite moisturizer. So this time last year, one of my childhood best friends turned me onto this. It's Josh Rosebrook Vital Balm Cream. I use the unscented. I've also used the scented. It's just, like, essential oils. It's not a problem.
Erin Holt [00:41:11]:
But I like the unscented. I have extremely dry skin and it gets drier as I get older. And I have not found any moisturizer that has worked as well as this. I am hooked. I use it every single day all year long. I love it. It's not cheap. Again, it's like 50 bucks a pop and that lasts me about a month.
Erin Holt [00:41:37]:
So $50 a month for the moisturizer. And I'm not really a subscribe and save girly, but I probably should be for this because I'm always reordering it because I panic if I run out because there's no other moisturizer that will do. It really helps. And we know that dryness contributes to the fine lines and the wrinkles that some of us are trying to avoid. So keeping your face super hydrated is important. We can do that from the inside out and then also the outside in. So Josh Rosebrook, love his stuff. And I also use the hydrating accelerator with that. It's a mist.
Erin Holt [00:42:10]:
So I mist my face and then I use the cream. Love it. Strong recommend 10 out of 10. The other two things that I want to talk about and then we'll end the show are follow ups. So this summer, ish. I was looking for clean makeup because Beauty Counter. I've for like six years or more, seven years. I've used all Beauty Counter makeup for the most part and they went bye bye.
Erin Holt [00:42:35]:
So I was like, oh, I need new clean makeup. And I tried a bunch of different brands. I had a lot of recommendations on Instagram. So thank you for those of you who recommended and I have found my favorite by a country mile. It's RMS. I love everything RMS. Love, love, love, love the founder. She's extraordinary.
Erin Holt [00:42:55]:
I am obsessed with her. She's so cool. So here are the specific products that I've used. I've loved everything that I've tried. I start with Supernatural Radiance Serum. So that's like a tinted moisturizer. And then I use the un cover up and I just do that like in my eyes and on my little ruddy cheeks and anywhere that there's redness and use sometimes. Sometimes I just end there.
Erin Holt [00:43:18]:
But then sometimes I'll use the Re Evolve Natural Finish Foundation. Love that. I have the Hydra Powder Blush. So that's the blush in the compact and then the illuminator as well. I have their lip pencils, their eye pencils. Love it all. If you are like, you know what I'm going to do for this holiday season? Treat myself. I'm going to treat myself to some new makeup.
Erin Holt [00:43:42]:
Go RMS. You'll love it. You'll love it. And it's clean and it's amazing and I love it. Okay, last follow up. Because we've gotten so many DMs about this. This summer, I feel like I'm doing like a, like a recap of all the things that I started, all the loops that I opened for you this summer. I am now closing here at the end of the year. So this summer we ran an episode, episode 316, Microbiome, Metabolic Health and GLP1 with Colleen CutCliff.
Erin Holt [00:44:10]:
And we talked about Pendulum's GLP1 probiotic. And I had started using that. They gifted me some. I had started using it and everyone wants to know, like, did it work? It's not like taking Ozempic, so let's just start there. I didn't just waste away. I wasn't really consistent with it. I use it in the beginning and then I kind of like fell off. So I wasn't super consistent with it.
Erin Holt [00:44:36]:
I can't say that I noticed like huge profound effects, but I wasn't consistent with the use. Now what I will tell you though is I'm looking at a lot of GI Maps right now. The Gut Panel, everyone who bought The Gut Panel, all of them are coming back. So I'm seeing so many GI <aps, which is really exciting because I geek out on that kind of data. And low Akkermansia is really common. So that is one of the bacteria that we talked about in that episode. And I would say I'm seeing low levels on my maybe like 30%, like a third of the GI Maps that come back. That's kind of a lot.
Erin Holt [00:45:12]:
So I am recommending that probiotic when I see or at the very least the Akkermansia probiotic. When I see those levels low and especially if this, the low Akkermansia overlaps with someone's chief complaint or chief concern being weight gain or weight loss resistance, then I would say, hey, you know what, why don't you try that GLP1 probiotic? So I'm not saying I'm not a fan. I just can't tell you that I notice all of these huge benefits. One of the most noticeable benefit that people talked about or that they did a study on and we talked about in that show is reduced cravings. I'm not a real craving girly. So that might be part of why I didn't notice like immediate benefits from it. Anyway, those are all my reports, you guys. So I hope that this was helpful if end up getting some of these things and trying them out, let me know.
Erin Holt [00:46:04]:
And with that, I will check you next week. Love you. Bye. Thanks for joining me for this episode of the Funk'tional Nutrition Podcast. If you got something from today's show, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, share with a friend and keep coming back for more. Take care of you.