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Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

With: Stacie De Lucia

About the Episode

The best food choices for your body are also the most eco-friendly options! Join 5 Journeys’ nutritionist, Stacie De Lucia, as she shares her passion for sustainable agriculture and high-quality whole foods to help you live your best life. She covers how and why our meat and produce quality matters, how different farming practices affect the human and soil microbiomes, and how we can do our part to get the best quality food while minimizing our environmental impact. 

What We Discuss

Why Food Quality Matters

Food is medicine and our body’s number one resource to keeping us healthy, whole, and balanced. It interacts with everything- our gut, our brain, etc. There’s a big difference in commercial, petroleum-based foods loaded with chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and organic products. Organic foods have to fight for their right to grow, so they have naturally higher levels of nutrients and antioxidants.

There’s a huge debate going around about what “organic” and “natural” even mean. Many brands use “natural” on their labels, which doesn’t mean much, whereas certified organic has many requirements and stipulations. It’s much more regulated and gives us a way to have more trust and control over our food. It all comes down to making sure your body is functioning properly, and we don’t always see that until we start to break down.

Functional nutrition is often a last resort effort. People haven’t been eating the way they should or have lived a very sedentary lifestyle and are starting to see the symptoms as they get older. It’s crucial to live a lifestyle for optimal functioning, and that’s why knowing where your food comes from is so important.

The Different Microbiomes

The impact of herbicides and pesticides on the environment poses just as big of an issue to the soil and Earth microbiomes as it does for the human microbiome. The human microbiome makes up roughly 70% of our immunity. When it’s compromised, we’re immunocompromised, and that’s why we see increasing cases of autoimmune disease. The gut-brain axis is functionally a separate nervous system that produces 95% of our serotonin, the hormone responsible for happiness, sleep, digestion, hunger cues, and more.

A lot of what we see in mental health could be attributed to the gut, and the soil our food grows in is a huge contributor to that. Soil has its own microbiota full of fungus and bacteria that work together in an ecosystem that helps the plants that grow out of it thrive. So when we have higher levels of certain bacteria in us but not enough of something else, that’s where we see issues like dysbiosis.

Meat Quality and Other Products

We need to care about meat because it’s a food that carries hormones, which will impact our hormones. In functional medicine, we see a lot of people with hormonal imbalances. So even though there could be many contributing factors to this, a big portion of it comes from the hormones we’re consuming.

The food the animals we eat consume during their lifetime and the lifestyle they lead plays a huge part in the quality of the meat. For example, if an animal spends a lot of time in a stressful environment or eats food with many Omega-6s (such as grains), it will have increased stress hormones in its meat. These can get passed to us through their meat and dairy.

It’s also worth mentioning many local farmers might not be big enough to justify a USDA Organic certification. But that doesn’t necessarily mean their products aren’t up to organic standards.

Another huge influence is the heavy oils and preservatives often used in foods prepared for you. This includes school lunches and even restaurants. As a result, eating a healthy meal out may not be as healthy as you think, and when you’re used to eating clean, your body might notice the difference.

Prioritizing Environmental Impact

The highest quality food as well as lowest in environmental impact would be whatever you grow in your garden. A local organic farmer down the street who doesn’t have a huge environmental footprint from transporting his products would be second-bests.

Once you pick something off the plant it’s growing on, it starts losing nutrients. Something picked a week ago and then transported across the country will have a lot fewer nutrients from something you get from a local farmer’s stand at the market. You can also talk to the farmers who grow local food. Even if they aren’t certified organic, you can still ask about their spraying, watering, and biodynamic practices.

Buying local is always the best option.

Listen to this episode’s simple tips to start giving your body the best nutrients while also protecting the environment!

Guest’s Bio

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Stacie De Lucia, studied at the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Functional Nutrition. She worked on organic farms in Hawaii and Italy, and is passionate about learning and teaching others sustainable agriculture and holistic healing through whole foods and lifestyle.

Links

IG: @stacie.rd
https://fivejourneys.com/stacie-delucia-rdn/

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test is comprehensive testing for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, helping clinicians accurately diagnose and treat these complex infections. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood, Urine, or Ticks

COST

may have a $200 copay

INSURANCE

Covered by most insurance.

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

Galleri® is a multi-cancer early detection test, a blood test that screens for many of the deadliest cancers before they become symptomatic,1,2,3 including those with no recommended screening tests today. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home or in lab.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood

COST

$999

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This DNA test analyzes a person’s genetic markers to provide insights into their health and wellness price. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Swab

COST

$299

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test is a key tool for assessing the impact of long-term exposure to environmental chemicals. By quantitatively measuring 14 select metabolites, this test helps determine an individual’s toxic burden, offering essential data to guide targeted nutritional and detoxification interventions for improved health outcomes. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COST

$129

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

The Hormone and Urinary Metabolites Assessment Profile (HuMapTM) provides a comprehensive overview of steroid hormones, their metabolites, and the efficiency of the enzymes that metabolize these hormones. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COST

$199

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This is a dried urine test for comprehensive hormones to help providers solve complex patient cases. DUTCH is a group of validated tests that provide a complete evaluation of sex and adrenal hormones, including metabolites. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COST

$300

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This is a comprehensive stool test that relies on quantitative polymerase chain
reaction (qPCR) technology to detect parasites, bacteria, H. pylori, fungi, and more by targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Stool

COST

$399

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This is a comprehensive test that uses blood and urine to evaluate over 125 biomarkers. It provides recommendations for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and digestive support. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood and Urine

COST

$179 – $439

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage.

INSTRUCTIONS

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Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

Genova’s SIBO Profiles are non-invasive breath tests which capture exhaled hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) gases following patient ingestion of a lactulose solution to evaluate bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

SPECIMEN TYPE

Breath

COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS

COST

$85-$225 depending on insurance coverage. 

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the presence of harmful mycotoxins (toxins produced by molds).

LOCATION PERFORMED

At Home

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Glutathione for 1 week, then bath or sauna.

COST

$699

INSURANCE

Fully covered by Medicare. Repeat test prices $249

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the genetic profile for multiple health indicators. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood Spot

COST

$319

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted

COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This company can test for lyme, babesia, bartonella and additional tick-borne illnesses. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

In office

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood

COST

around $1600 (depends on panel selected)

INSURANCE

Fully covered by Medicare. May be reimbursed with PPO plans.
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the presence of harmful mycotoxins (toxins produced by molds).

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

BLOOD FLUID

Urine

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Glutathione for 1 week, then bath or sauna.

COST

$310

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates a wide range of environmental toxins that may be leading to harmful health effects.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

BLOOD FLUID

Urine

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Glutathione for 1 week, then bath or sauna.

COST

$199

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted $30 discount given if done with mycotoxins.
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

Blood work for blood count, urinalysis and vitamin levels.

LOCATION PERFORMED

BLOOD FLUID

Blood

NOTES

You often have to fast for these tests-please check your providers notes.

COST

Depending on the test, deductible or copay may apply.

INSURANCE

Depends on insurance coverage, deductible or copay may apply.
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

Glyphosate (“Round Up”) is a pesticide that is widely used and this test indicates the body’s levels.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

BLOOD FLUID

Urine

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Glutathione for 1 week, then bath or sauna.

COST

$99 ($69 if performed with mycotoxins or environmental toxins).

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted $30 discount given if done with mycotoxins or GPL Tox.
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates many measures including micronutrients, antioxidants, minerals, detox, overview of gut function, omegas and toxic exposure. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home.

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COST

$150 – $329

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage. Fully covered by Medicare.

INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the gut function and indicates microbiome balance, overgrowth, infection, inflammation, parasites and digestive efficacy. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

SPECIMEN TYPE

Stool

COST

$179-$439 depending on insurance coverage.

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage. Fully covered by Medicare.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

No probiotics for one week.

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the full menstrual cycle, female hormones, and adrenal profile.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

BLOOD FLUID

Urine

COST

$160-$329

INSURANCE

Depending on insurance coverage. Fully covered by Medicare.

NOTES

Must be off hormones in order to do the testing.
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test is specifically for a tick-borne illness called “Bartonella”.

LOCATION PERFORMED

In office

BLOOD FLUID

Blood

COST

$260

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test evaluates the presence of potentially harmful heavy metals stored in the body.  Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

SPECIMEN TYPE

Urine

COST

Testing: $79 x2 paid to Doctor’s Data
DMSA: $38 paid to Johnson’s Compounding Pharmacy

INSURANCE

Not covered by Insurance
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test measures saliva cortisol testing throughout the course of one day and informs us where there might be an adrenal imbalance.

LOCATION PERFORMED

At home

BLOOD FLUID

Saliva

COST

$80

INSURANCE

No insurance coverage

Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods
Eat Healthy and Eco-Friendly Foods

WHY DO WE DO THIS TEST?

This test is designed to look at food sensitivities (IgG immune responses). It is available in both a 99 or 184 panel. Click here for more information.

LOCATION PERFORMED

In office

SPECIMEN TYPE

Blood

COST

$129-238

INSURANCE

No insurance accepted