Madge Love Talks is a series of live conversations and discussions held on Instagram where various dimensions of women’s wellness are unpacked and explored by experts and members of our community. The series supplements and enhances the educational information available on Madge Love, our blog and community platform, while advancing MADGE AND MERCER’s mission to destigmatize cannabis and other topics related to women’s wellness including aging, perimenopause and menopause, stress and anxiety, intimacy issues and many more.
In our fourth episode of Madge Love Talks, Shauna talked to Julia Campbell Gibson, a certified holistic nutritionist, recipe developer, and writer in the wellness space. They chatted about adaptogens, functional foods, superfoods, and the differences between these different groups. Below are some of the highlights of their conversation, but be sure to check out the full conversation for an exclusive announcement about a new product Julia and Shauna worked on together...
How did you get into holistic nutrition?
Growing up my parents were relatively healthy and I was a total sweet tooth. I never thought about food and how it affects your body until university and gained the famous “freshman 15” in my first year. After that, I realized what I was doing to my body was no longer working and so I started working out and eating healthier. The more I dove into it, the more I got into the food side of it - I’ve always loved cooking and baking.
Post-university I discovered the whole world of holistic nutrition and I immediately enrolled at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto and did the one-year program there. It was great and learned a lot, but coming out of it I realized I didn’t want to do clinical work – the food side of it is what I loved the most and I liked being able to help people focus on that. First and foremost, I saw how the changes I made in my diet positively impacted my life and I wanted to empower other people to do that as well. I stumbled upon the world of recipe development which has been great as I love sharing the food I make for my family and friends.
Let’s unpack some words we hear thrown around all the time - what the heck is an adaptogen?
They’ve been around for centuries and centuries, mainly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Essentially, they are a specific group of botanicals and mushrooms that help our bodies to handle - adapt - to stressors. Some help promote energy, relaxation, sleep, immunity, or stress management. They adapt to your individual stressors to help bring your body back into balance, promoting both relaxation and energy, and stamina. They often grow in intensive climates which strengthen the plants and make them resilient and adaptable.
What are the adaptogens you use most frequently in your recipes?
Ashwagandha is great for stress and anxiety, as well as mood. It’s easy to mix into your morning coffee, a smoothie, or something you're baking. All the mushrooms are great for immunity, and for energy, there’s rhodiola and maca, which is also great for hormones.
Are functional mushrooms the same as adaptogens?
Some functional mushrooms may have adaptogenic properties, and while they’re a little different, they do a similar thing in working with your body to help support immunity, stress, and energy levels.
What about superfoods – what's the difference between a superfood and a functional food?
A functional food contains more than just micro or macronutrients – protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’ll have additional properties. If you think of turmeric – it contains all those nutrients while also being anti-inflammatory. Superfoods are foods that are extremely nutrient-dense, like chia seeds.
What 5 superfoods or adaptogens as a woman over 50 I should try to incorporate daily into my diet?
When it comes to adaptogens, chaga, the king of medicinal mushroom is excellent for longevity, as it fights oxidated stress on the body which makes it great for anti-aging. Reishi is the queen of medicinal mushrooms is calming and helps with the sleep cycle, a common issue women 50 and over may struggle with. Maca is great for balancing hormones, helps stabilize energy throughout the day, and promotes mental clarity.
In terms of foods, I think that balancing your blood sugars is one of the most important things and there’s a trifecta for how to do that: protein, fiber, and fat at every meal.
If you’re plant-based, for protein you can do tofu, tempeh, legumes, or hemp seeds. Fat could be avocado, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, or ghee. All fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, but if you’re looking for extra fibre there are chia or flax seeds.
Focusing on plant diversity will support gut health – the more plants, the better as different plants contain different amounts of fiber, micro and macronutrients that will work together to optimize your health.
Protein also is super important for women as once we reach 30 our muscle mass starts decreasing by 0.5% every year. Muscle equates to metabolism, so if you can protect your muscle mass it helps support your metabolism, which is a common complaint by women during menopause.
Anything else you can recommend for sleep?
Having a good nighttime routine. Light has to do with that – we're not meant to sleep in light-filled rooms. I sleep with an eye mask and I try to shut down electronics 2 hours before bed
Another good thing to help you wind down is to make golden milk before bed – blend turmeric, ginger, black pepper, a bit of honey. I think that the MADGE AND MERCER lemongrass ginger CBD oil would be great addition to an evening golden milk.
MM 001 LA CALMA lemongrass ginger CBD oil was formulated to taste good on its own, but can also be added to things... any particular ingredients you would consider putting into a smoothie with a CBD oil?
With the lemongrass ginger oil, I think it would be great in a golden milk smoothie in order to benefit from the anti-inflammatory herbs. You could also add ashwagandha and reishi to boost the calming effects. Adaptogens have a strong taste if taken on their own, but I find that ashwagandha and reishi blend in really well.
I’m going to try it in my matcha in the morning. I’ve also made mocktails with CBD before and think it would be good in something like cranberry or something fruiter.
Now that it’s fall, what kinds of foods are you making right now?
A lot of soups and stews. I find they’re so easy to make but so nutrient-dense because you can use really nice broths, jam-pack them with vegetables and add in fermented foods – I love adding in a spoonful of miso at the end. It’s a great way to get a lot of nutrients in and also eat according to the seasons. Warming foods are much better for your digestion at this time of year and make it easier for your body to assimilate the nutrients. Soups and stews are also so versatile, you can add legumes, beans, any vegetables you like and load it with spices. Spices and herbs are my favourite functional foods to cook with because they add so much to a meal but you don’t need a ton of them to pack a punch.
What are the essential items in your self-care toolkit?
Time spent in nature and getting fresh air helps to lower my cortisol levels, calms me down, makes me feel clearer about things
I love herbal tea and drink it several times a day and is a great way to use herbs in a digestible manner
A home-cooked meal – nothing makes me feel better than that.
My self-care routine is pretty simple, I just focus on spending time in nature, getting enough sleep, moving my body at least once a day, sweating when I can, trying to reach for nourishing foods as much as possible.
Thank you again Julia for chatting with us. Be sure to follow her on Instagram to be inspired by her beautiful, delicious, nutritious recipes!
In wellness,
Madge Love