If you would’ve told 21 year old Savannah, who was attending FSU studying Editing, Writing, and Media, that she was going to get to work with her tequila-shooting partner-in-crime Physical Therapist friend Alison at the same business one day, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. But here we are, sitting at my parent’s house back in our hometown, with our screaming children running around, about to start an interview to celebrate the launch of Deux Nutrition.
Savannah: So we’ve been friends for 10 years…
Alison: Did you calculate that?
Savannah: No, I’m bad at math… that's an estimate. But we’ve been friends since college and I’ve seen you go through all the different phases in your life which has been really fun. I also want to point out that you’re drinking a smoothie and a mimosa, which I feel like is very “you”. One for your health and one for fun. Do you feel like, generally speaking, you’ve found the balance in those 2 things?
Alison: I definitely think so. The balance isn’t “okay I’m going to do this instead of this”, but it’s more like “okay sometimes I’m going to drink more, but I always come back to what is my natural habit at this point.
Sav: So you never have a wasted day. It’s always doing your best in the moment?
Alison: For sure. If you make something a routine, a habit, you don’t have that feeling like “I’m cheating” or “I’m doing something bad”, you’re just…living. You can definitely drink a mimosa and a smoothie at the same time. In fact, I recommend it.
Sav: When did you start becoming more interested in your health, as it pertains to food, weight, skin… all of that? What’s been your timeline?
Al: It all kind of started in Physical Therapy school. Even though I was getting my doctorate and learning about every aspect of the body, I still wasn’t taking care of myself. Looking back, it really shows why I harp on the mindset portion of eating healthy. I knew what I should do for health, but I wasn’t applying it to my life. After I graduated, I realized I felt like shit. I was overweight, over-stressed, and needed a change. I started eating better and working out, and it kind of spiraled from there.I became more interested in that side of health more than the traditional physical therapy.
Sav: Did you feel like the stress from physical therapy school made it difficult to prioritize your health?Al: For sure. I graduated around the same time that transition from lower twenties to upper twenties came where you can’t just do whatever you want anymore- your choices show on your body and face. That hit me hard. I also just didn’t know how to manage stress and anxiety, I didn’t have the self awareness at the time. So it was really a lot of diving into mindset changes to make myself healthier.
Sav: If you had been aware of how much it was going to affect you later on, looking back, do you think there were ways you could’ve implemented change to live a healthier life? Or was that all you could handle at the time?
Alison: Looking back, I definitely think I could’ve done better if I had known WHY I should eat better, and focused on how the food I eat today is going to affect me in 5 years vs how it’s going to affect me today or tomorrow. And then also just realizing that I’m not trying to eat or exercise to look a certain way. It's more about how I feel about myself and how my brain is functioning, because my brain functions so much better when I’m taking care of myself. Everyone throws the word “self care” around, but I am referring to self care as the inner awareness of what you actually need to be your best functioning self. If I knew that back then, it would’ve been really helpful. Also, it would’ve been helpful to have someone to guide me through, because it can be overwhelming.
Sav: It is a lot; There’s a lot of info out there. So you graduated PT school, you get a job… You knew you wanted to focus on overall health, but you’re still getting your footing as to what outlet you want to pursue. You buy a sick ass condo in Destin. You get married to your boyfriend of 8 years. And then you start thinking about having a baby. What was that process like for you?
Alison: At that point I was pretty zoned in on what worked for me. I was at a good fitness level, I had good habits, good routines, and worked out daily. But then I got off of birth control. And I had this feeling I was going to have issues getting pregnant
.
Sav: Had you had issues before?
Al: Well I had been on birth control since I was 14, so I had been having a fake period for about 13 years. So honestly if I did, I didn’t know.
Sav: Do you feel like the birth control was masking something?
Al: Absolutely. Even now, being off birth control after having a baby, my reproductive system doesn’t just naturally go back to how it's supposed to function like other people’s does. So I got off of birth control because I wanted to have kids soon, so I wasn’t in panic mode trying to regulate my reproductive system when I was actually ready to have kids.
Sav: Always a planner. Such a virgo.
Al: Exactly! Which thank god, because when I got off birth control I didn’t have a period for a full year. I was actually taking pregnancy tests every month because I was like “Oh crap!”
Sav: At this phase, were you eating what you would consider to be relatively healthy? Like you optimized your body, but something was still off?
Al: Yes. I was at a healthy weight, working out but not obsessively. Definitely partying on the weekends, living the “no-kids, double income” life. But other than that, everything was good.
Sav: What steps did you take after coming to the realization that your period wasn’t coming back?Al: I went to see my OBGYN and they did blood work, and they suggested I get back on birth control to jack my estrogen up. Then they were going to have me abruptly stop and try to get pregnant immediately. But that felt like too much pressure, and I didn’t necessarily want to get pregnant that second; I just wanted to feel normal. They didn’t really have any other ideas for me. So I went on this trip for 4th of July and I went hard, lots of drinks, and I just kept realizing I felt really sad and I couldn’t figure out why. Some of that might’ve just been anxiety issues. But I was just laying in bed after too many cocktails thinking to myself, I just want to feel normal. I want my body to feel normal and it doesn’t. It was like 1am and I just started pouring through the research, trying to figure out how I could fix it myself. I ordered some books, and got to reading. I mean I have a doctorate, I know how the body works, I just needed to get specific.
Sav: How did your physical therapy school help you get to this point, because that seems like a completely different kind of research?
Al: Yes it is! But now that physical therapy requires a doctorate, you have to learn everything about the system. So I had integumentary courses, which is all about the skin, and courses on liver function, hormone function, literally everything under the sun. In some states, we practice without a doctor’s referral, so we have to be able to spot anything. So I felt like I had enough knowledge to tackle that.
Sav: No one can see me, but my face just lit up.
Al: I guess as friends we’ve never really talked about that, but yeah, I’ve had several courses just on the skin. Not as exciting as skincare, but ya know.
Sav: Sounds pretty sexy to me. So did you ever figure out the reason that you weren’t having your period?Al: Yes. I had high testosterone levels. Which was a big reason I started talking to you. High testosterone causes these thick bands of acne all along the jawline, and it was so bad. It didn’t happen until I got off of birth control. Basically when you get off birth control, testosterone, which is also your androgens, can skyrocket. So I think that the testosterone spike is what triggered everything. I knew that could mean I had some hormonal imbalances, and then some other stuff related to fertility. Basically, my hormone ratios were off. The ratios being off can cause acne, dull skin, and hair growth on your chin.
Sav: What did the process of figuring all this out look like?
Alison: I had the bloodwork done at the OB, which kinda felt like a fail, but I had those records that I could go over myself. So I started learning about that whole thing, and then did more blood work so I could track my hormones and my period. Which I actually only had to do once, because everything was exactly where it was supposed to be the next time I checked it.
Sav: So when you read the results of your blood work, were their glaring issues or was everything in the “normal” range? I’ve heard of people going in and having issues and their concerns being dismissed because their blood work was all in the “normal” range.
Al: The testosterone level was out of range, but it isn’t anything the doctor would treat, because I was technically fine. The hormones that have to be at a certain ratio were in the normal range. But when you dig in further, they weren’t actually normal because they weren’t working together like they were supposed to, if that makes sense.
Sav: Absolutely. So is it fair to say someone in your position would have proceeded with something like IVF or another fertility treatment because the blood work came back mostly normal, if they didn’t have a doctorate and the knowledge to try to fix it themselves?
Al: Yes, the doctor would’ve probably would’ve used birth control to bandaid the problem and influence the hormone levels.
Sav: But you found a way to fix it. Can you tell us about that?
Al: I dove into the research about why hormones are unbalanced, and realized what I basically already knew- that all the body systems work together. So if you’re putting a bandaid on one thing, it’s not fixing the issue. I think of it like Amazon. There’s so many moving parts to Amazon, but all we really see is the package. That’s how health is to us. We want the pretty skin, or to lose weight, but there’s so many different things working behind the scenes. When you’re not working on your body as a whole, you’re basically working in circles and not fixing the issue. And then you’re bandaid-ing a lot of different things. And then all the sudden you’re 60, and you’re like, damn, I have a lot of pills to take. It’s something I saw a lot in physical therapy.
Sav: This is your story, but we’re going to take a quick detour, just so we don’t piss anyone off. Do you think birth control is a good thing in some scenarios?
Al: For sure. I mean if you don’t want to have kids, you should not have kids, because it’s not for the faint of heart. So if that's the way you feel like you need to prevent pregnancy, or if there's something else going on that is just being addressed in another way. I’m not anti-birth control. But there are ways you can still help your body function better. Birth control changes how your hormones work, it taxes your liver, and is doing a few other things internally you won’t realize. So if you’re making lifestyle choices that promote good things happening inside your body, like meditating, or eating extra spinach, that’s going to be better for you than stressing out, drinking too much, AND being on birth control.
Sav: Meditating helps your liver?!
Al: Yes, because if you think about it, whenever you meditate you’re calming yourself. If your cortisol levels are up, your hormones are going to be out of whack because cortisol is a hormone. And then when your cortisol levels are up, it affects your blood sugar. Your liver plays a big role in managing your blood sugar. So one thing happening, like meditating, has a domino effect. But that’s not something we usually think about, or are taught.
Sav: My mind is blown. I think you might’ve been a better hire than me, and I started the company. So you figured out a way to balance your hormones through food or supplements?Al: Mostly food and lifestyle changes, and stress management because like I said that plays a huge role. First and foremost, food, working towards figuring out what I had sensitivities to, that way I could reduce inflammation in my body. For me, I like to add things instead of take things away. So I had to figure out what I could add to promote the things my body needs. Food first, then supplements, if you need to fill any gaps.
Sav: How long did it take to get pregnant after you made these changes?
Al: I didn’t try to get pregnant immediately, so it was about a year later.
Sav: So a year of eating and supplementing to specifically support your body’s needs, you got a positive pregnancy test!
Al: Yes! One thing that was interesting though, I got on top of changing how I was eating and working in my supplements. I hadn’t had a period for a year, did that for one month and had a super normal period. So I was like, yay this is working!
Sav: Wow, that's incredible. Just because it’s so crazy, I feel like we have to talk about it. Your pregnancy with your beautiful baby boy was normal, as in not stressful, for about 5 seconds. You don’t have to go into every detail, but can you tell us a little bit about that and how you were mentally able to get through that? Because pregnancy is so common, I don’t know that people know how mentally challenging it is.
Al: Oh my god, yes! Certainly didn’t know. I feel bad for every pregnant woman I encountered before. I should’ve just hugged them! In the very beginning, they told me I was going to have a miscarriage and I didn’t.Then I was put on bedrest at week 20 for early labor. Got taken off, because everything seemed fine. But then I actually went into early labor at week 28, luckily they got that calmed down. That's why I say medicine is good, because that could’ve been really bad! And then I went into labor at 35 weeks. Almost to full term, so close.
Sav: I know with your pregnancy you experienced some nausea. I know you didn’t say that, but I’m your friend so I already knew. How did you cope with the fact that you weren’t able to operate as your best self, and weren’t able to eat the foods you knew were good for you, without feeling guilty?Al: That was really hard for me. I had such a good routine and enjoyed what I was eating, and then I developed an aversion to every vegetable on the planet, it was really sad. I just had to eat what I could. I call them sneaky veggies, like where you sneak veggies into things and people don’t know, like meatballs and stuff like that. So I had to trick myself with sneaky veggies. I told myself if I could just have one meal a day that was nutritious, I was doing good. I couldn’t workout obviously, so I kept meditation in my routine and focused in on that, making that my workout basically. And that was really helpful in having inner awareness, realizing how I feel. Which I think is so helpful now, like realizing how you feel when you eat certain foods. Like are you actually hungry or just thirsty? Do you want to eat that because you actually want it, or are you just feeling sad? So that was an interesting thing to learn throughout that process.
Sav: You had baby Uriah, gorgeous boy, and you’re almost a year postpartum. How has that been for you? How do your days look different now that you’re a mom?
Al: It's been really great, easier in the beginning than it is now.
Sav: New moms if you’re reading this, don’t freak out, you’ll be fine.
Al: Oh yeah, totally fine. Just a different challenge. I struggled in the beginning caring about what I wanted to eat. Especially because I was breastfeeding, so I was like I don’t care just feed me. But I wanted to give the baby good nutrients, so I found motivation there. Its really just been a whirlwind. Having a rough pregnancy really taught me to give myself, and not rush to feel normal because…that's just crazy. I mean to ever ask a woman to feel normal after having a baby is crazy. I’m just now starting to feel more “normal”.
Sav: I had a similar experience. I remember waking up about 13-14 months after having my son and being like I think I feel normal again. Then I got pregnant again. It was cute for a second. I take what I can get. So if we can speak candidly, your weight has fluctuated a lot throughout all these different phases of your life, but it seems like your weight has been a secondary motivator for you. Like you care to nourish your body for other reasons. Have you ever struggled with weight specifically before? Looking in the mirror, etc. As a millennial woman, we’ve had a weird relationship with weight since we were kids. Do you feel like you’ve struggled with that despite knowing you need to eat well for other reasons?
Al: Absolutely. Even before I got pregnant and before I started that journey, I was eating healthy and working out, but I was obsessed with being fit. I wanted to be skinny, have abs… I definitely obsessed over my weight. I look back and I took healthy and took it in a terrible direction.
Sav: Did you feel like focusing on your weight as a health motivator was harder than doing it for your other reasons (skin, fertility, etc)?Al: Absolutely because one thing that I did and had to work through, I feel like I was so toxic that I had to control what Nic was eating too. I would literally be like “What did you have for lunch? Just curious.” I felt like we needed to eat perfect all the time, and if we didn’t hit 6 workouts that week we sucked. I had to really work on my mindset around eating healthy and exercising, because it's bad I did that to him. I still feel bad.
Sav: Unfortunately I think it's a really common experience for people.
Al: Especially with our personalities. We’re 0-100.
Sav: Oh yea, we would meal plan every meal till we died. Then plan our funeral.
Al: Exactly, it’s already planned.
Sav: What would your last meal be if we could really plan that?Al: A combination of sushi and mexican. With a margarita and some wine.
Sav: Hell yea, we wouldn't have to deal with the hangover because we’d be dead. Well I think we’re basically all caught up. I’m so excited to have you with us. You’re going to do incredible work!
So as you can tell, Alison is the coolest. If you want to hangout with her and talk about skin x food x health, you can book here through DeuxSkin.co
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