In today's episode, I'm joined by Adam Lutz from Steel City Medical Center, where they specialize in comprehensive wellness, hormone health, and preventive care. Adam shares his personal journey with pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining) — and how switching to a gluten-free diet completely transformed his health. We also dive into the rise of low testosterone and anxiety/ depression in younger men, how vasectomies may play a role, and what men can do to support their hormones naturally. It's an eye-opening conversation about the power of nutrition, lifestyle, and proactive health. Learn more about what Steel City Medical Center offers: steelcitymedicalcenter.com Mention my name when you book an appointment and save $50!
This week, I was so excited to have Kelsey Botti from KB Physical Therapy join me to share her story about living with Celiac disease and managing POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). POTS has been on the rise since COVID, yet so many people still struggle to get a proper diagnosis — something Kelsey knows firsthand. What I love most about her story is how she turned her biggest challenges into her purpose. Through her own healing journey, she was inspired to open a physical therapy practice that specializes in helping POTS patients regain strength, stability, and confidence. Not only does she have a location here in Pittsburgh, but she also designed an app to help people with POTS all over the world. You can learn more about her incredible work here: https://linktr.ee/kbptwellness
About 3 months out when recording and will be 4 months or so when this is live. Prioritizing low effort, high impact tasks that make me feel good like making sure all the dishes are done before I go to bed, making my bed everyday, wearing clothes that make me feel good and setting aside the stuff that currently doesn't fit me. Working out, yet prioritizing sleep. Ensuring I eat nutrient dense meals, and taking my supplements. We still need prenatals even when we are postpartum. I love the company WeNatal. I am incorporating organ meats in my diet as well as taking an organ meat supplement to help my energy and replenish nutrients. I love this supplement! Keeping an open calendar on the weekend.
Episode 35-how to stay on track with your goals during the summer. Start NOW! Pick out one goal and break it down into baby goals. Once you feel confident with one goal, move to the next one. Plan out your meals ahead of time. I love using my Pittsburgh based meal prep company for all of my meal needs. Right now we have our subscriptions on sale where you can save over $20 by using the code SUMMERREADY on our ordering website. Our subscriptions allow you to forget about needing to plan out your meals since we do all the planning and picking for you. You also have the option to select your meals if that is your thing.
When I first started my healing journey I did a food sensitivity test and it came back I was sensitive to over 100 foods! What I found was that if you struggle with leaky gut (which most of us do) those tests will never come back completely accurate. In this episode I talk about what I did instead to figure out what I was truly sensitive to and guess what, it is free! I put together a FREE swap guide to with my top better for you swaps that are all dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and alcohol free. Those are always the 4 main food groups I suggest eliminating to start if doing all 8 is too overwhelming. You can get the free guide with the link below: https://www.alliannaskitchen.com/free-anti-inflammatory-guide/
The holidays are my favorite time of the year! For years it was also the most stressful time of the year because I always feared what I was going to eat at celebrations. The thing is when you make diet and lifestyle changes from a place of doing what you need to do to feel in alignment with how you want to feel, you do not want to jeopardize feeling good. I always pack food and treats to take with me and share with others when I am celebrating with friends or family. For me, it is not worth it to eat something that I know doesn't make me feel my best. In order for me to show up as my best, I have to give my body the best! On this week's episode we talk about how to navigate the holidays and how to feel your best during one of the best times of the year.
When it comes to making healthier choices it comes down to balance. There are absolutely some things I cannot be flexible with-I need to avoid certain foods because they make me so sick. But there are other things that I can still enjoy on occasion that do not make me sick and I allow myself to eat-like the occasional french fries when I am out. This week's episode is all about balance. Be sure to check out Thrive Market which is my go to place for all of my healthier swaps. Use my code ALLIANNA and save $$$ on your first order.
On this week's podcast I interview my good friend and someone I look up to-Tammy Holmes. Tammy is a psychic medium who has read over 60,000 people all over the world! She has been featured in People's Magazine after helping the Phoenix Police locate a missing piece of a puzzle for a tough case. On this episode we talk about how to tune into your intuition. You can read more about Tammy on her website. https://tammyjholmes.com/about/
Food sensitivities can manifest in odd ways. Over the years how my body copes with things I am sensitive to changes. Certain foods give me rashes, cause ringing in my ears, brain fog and so many other odd things. A few years ago I tried adding cheese back in my diet after years of avoiding it and I was shocked to find out how my body handled it. Check out episode 29 to hear all about food sensitivities and how they can manifest.
My Dad had always talked about personal development growing up but I didn't get into it until I was older. When I was in college, I started a job that was really big on doing a little bit of personal development daily. I was shocked to see how big of an impact that work had on me. Today, I strive to do 15 minutes a day. Whether it is reading a book or listening to a podcast I have found that it makes a big impact on both how I feel and show up. A few of my favorite people to listen to and follow are Brendon Burchard, Ed Mylett, Lewis Howes, and Jamie Kern Lima.
Are you a highly sensitive person? This episode is for you! As someone who feels things so deeply, I often feel the pain and hurt of others. It is a blessing in a lot of ways because it has given me the gift of empathy, but it can be exhausting too if I do not properly take care of myself. I remind myself that in order for me to serve others to my fullest extent, I first must serve me. Check out this week's podcast to learn more.
I remember when I first went to a holistic doctor, she kept reminding me that it was not my fault I was sick, but it was my responsibility to find a way to get better. The thing is when you take responsibility for one area of your life, it has a trickling effect. When you do the things you say you are doing to do, it builds confidence. Making changes that support you in feeling your best will create a whole new version of you. I am nowhere near the person I used to be nearly a decade ago and I attribute it to my daily habits.
Years ago when I worked as a paramedic, I used to work 24 hour shifts. That meant some nights I was working 24 hours straight. By the time I would get home, I would need time to unwind which meant, usually, I was up for 30 hours straight. During this time, I started eating better but still wasn't feeling my best. I ended up leaving my job as paramedic and dove deep into my self care. It was then when I realized how important it is to establish a nighttime routine. A few things that help me are magnesium, keeping a TV out of my bedroom and journaling before I go to bed. Hear this weeks podcast for more.
I am so excited to formally announce that the Gluten Free Goat is partnering with Allianna's Kitchen. When I first went GF nearly a decade ago, the Gluten Free Goat was one of the only bakeries in Pittsburgh. I would buy their baked goods in bulk and freeze them! As time went on, my body became sensitive to more than just gluten. Today, my body is super sensitive to dairy, soy, processed oils and sugar as well. When I got married two years ago, I realized that there was a huge need in Pittsburgh for cakes that aren't loaded with sugar and processed ingredients. I couldn't find anything. We ended up getting our wedding cake shipped from California because the last thing I needed was to be sick on my wedding day! When the opportunity came along to partner with the Gluten Free Goat, I knew I had to jump on it! My mission is to provide you with indulgent treats that not only taste good, but are better for you too.You can get access to our exclusive menu with the link here.
On this week's episode I interview Ronit Menashe one of the co-founders of WeNatal. WeNatal, a prenatal supplement company intentionally designed for women and men. WeNatal aims to change the narrative surrounding fertility and pregnancy, shifting the focus from "me" to "we." Supported by a team of industry-leading doctors and nutrition experts like Dr. Mark Hyman and Kelly LeVeque, WeNatal is committed to delivering an innovative prenatal option to the market, enabling couples and babies to thrive during the crucial growth stage of life. On this week's episode we talk about why we-natal is my go to pre-natal & multi-vitamin and the things you can do at home to boost fertility.
On this week's episode, I interviewed Addison from Organically Addison. Addison is the founder of the gluten free blog www.ogranicallyaddison.com She started her gluten free journey after struggling with compartment syndrome in her legs. It caused extreme pain and nothing seemed to help. When Addison discovered gluten free eating, her life was forever changed! On the podcast, we talk about how to eat gluten free while traveling and how to turn this into a lifestyle.
We have more power than we think on influencing the choices of those around us! On this episode we talk about how to get your family healthy. We talk about making changes as a family and implementing one change at a time.
I did the Autoimmune Protocol in college and it was life changing! What I love most about this protocol is that it really helps you identify which foods are triggering inflammation in the body. In this week's episode we talk about how I did this protocol on a budget in college and how you can do it too!
In this week's episode we talk all about Melissa Urban's Whole30 Protocol. This protocol is popular in January & September. While a lot of people use it as a reset, the goal of this protocol is to make long term sustainable lifestyle changes around food. You can read more about this in a a blog post I did https://www.alliannaskitchen.com/how-to-do-the-whole30/
Back in 2019, I decided I was going to give alcohol up just for one month as a reset. I felt so good during that one month I haven't turned back. I thought I would have the worst social anxiety going into situations where others were drinking but that was not the case. Instead, I now go into social settings feeling more confident than ever. On this week's episode I talk about the changes I have noticed in how I show up since going without alcohol. You can find a whole blog post all about it on my blog: https://www.alliannaskitchen.com/dry-month-questions/