[00:00:00] Welcome to the Business Chop, where challenges, success, rewards, and solutions to entrepreneurship collide. Let's chop it up. Hello, Chop Squad. Audrey Wiggins here, your host. You know what I'm going to say. I am excited to be with you again, and I'm excited for our guest, Dr Tamar Lawful.

[00:00:20] And she is a distinguished pharmacist, recognized in the top 50 most influential in her field with expertise in pharmacy, nutrition, and genomics. As a doctor of pharmacy, advanced practice, pharmacist, and certified nutritional genomics specialist, she serves as the CEO of Life Balance Incorporated, advocating for self-care and holistic health.

[00:00:45] Now, we're going to break for our usual commercial here. Then when we come back, we're going to learn more and introduce Dr Tamar. And she's going to educate us and get us on the right path. We'll be right back. Knock out your competition with Altogether Marketing. We elevate your brand. Take a stance with your business name, logo, the tagline, your colors, even the fonts for your business.

[00:01:09] And then jab left with your website. Jab right with core values. Back up with product experience and bring it on with you. Visit Altogether.biz and let us help you create a knockout brand. Welcome back, everyone, and welcome Tamar to the Business Shop. We are ready to chop it up with you and learn from you about our nutrition and pharmacy, you know, pharmaceuticals and how we can make some real life changes.

[00:01:37] Thank you, Audrey. It's my pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. Yes, absolutely. Now, can you give us a little bit more of your background before we get into our questionings here? Of course. So definitely a doctor, a pharmacist for 21st year in the game. And at year 15, I said, you know what? I don't I'm not really sure what I'm doing is helping people because I went into pharmacy to help people. You know, I saw my grandmother when I was a teenager on her deathbed dying from lung cancer and I couldn't help her.

[00:02:04] There was nothing I could do. And in that moment, I said, I want to be able to help people from becoming sick like her. And then if they do become sick like her, I want them to be able to have some type of relief and some comfort. So I decided to become a pharmacist because medications help people get better. Right. Right. That's what we're told. Allegedly, I'm going to say allegedly. So 15 years as a pharmacist, I was in a hospital setting and I continue continually.

[00:02:30] We saw patients come in over and over again, the same patients with the same problems, only getting worse. They weren't getting better. So I started questioning what are we actually doing in the medical field? What are we actually doing as pharmacists? I felt like it was more of a bandaid. So I wanted to find a way that can actually help people improve their health. And that's where I switched to health coaching with a focus on nutrition, lifestyle changes, of course.

[00:02:57] And then the twist, our DNA, our genetics, which can really tell us what's going on on a root level. We want to get to the core of why we're struggling with high blood pressure, why we're struggling with managing our blood sugars. That's where I became nutritional genomics specialist and now use that type of testing in my health coaching program. And some of our in our question here, you kind of answered it a little bit when I'm telling about your grandmother, but you stress the importance of self-care for working moms.

[00:03:26] It's kind of like your area or your niche there. Yeah. Yeah. Can you share any personal stories or key moments that influence that focus for you on making health a priority? Of course, Audrey. First, my company is Life Balance. I spell L-Y-F-E. And that stands for love yourself first every day because I wasn't doing that. And a lot of busy working moms are not doing that. Busy professionals, women, whether or not we're moms, we're not doing that. We're not putting ourselves first.

[00:03:54] We're not loving ourselves first, especially when it comes to our health. So for me, I was pregnant, serving on the board of three nonprofits, married, working full time as a hospital pharmacist on night shift. Very busy life. I was worn down. I was tired. But somehow I managed to keep going. Somehow. Somehow we find the strength to do it, right? Right. But it's taken a toll on our bodies. It takes a toll on our body. I was gaining weight.

[00:04:23] I was fatigued all the time. So I had to sit back and realize that I need to take care of myself because I'm out here working with the nonprofits. I worked with foster kids, taking care of them, the needs that they have, being a wife, taking care of my duties as a pharmacist at a hospital. But what about my duty to myself? What about that? It was lacking. And I didn't want to be one of the patients that I work with. I see frequently in a hospital.

[00:04:52] I didn't want to want it to get that bad. So I had to take a step back. I did step down from those nonprofits one at a time so that I could have more time to myself and have more balance in life. Yeah, that's so important that we do. We think we're just, you know, supermen and women. We're running around doing everything for everybody. And, you know, the end of the day, like you say, our own health suffers. The health of our space, our physical space suffers.

[00:05:21] You know, that's the big thing for me. It's like the piles here and closing down the businesses and leave jobs. You know, the boxes are still there just, you know, from each entity. So going through that, it's very stressful. Get your brim on. Since 1972, American Hat Makers has been dedicated to the art of fine hat making. Their diverse selection caters to outdoor adventurers, style-conscious individuals and hat enthusiasts just like me.

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[00:06:14] And how do you handle these types of chats and persuade others to consider a more holistic approach to patient care? That's a great question, Audrey. Thankfully, I haven't had any pushback from other pharmacists. They're pretty much intrigued at the approach I'm taking from a genetic standpoint of addressing health and encouraging a focus on nutrition. And I think that's because it's not a surprise to them.

[00:06:38] We are taught very briefly in our pharmacy education that we need to encourage nutrition, healthy nutrition and lifestyle changes before starting medications, before encouraging patients to be on medications. Typically, typically three months of eating healthy, three months of exercise, you know, is what we were always taught to do. And then after three months, if there's no improvement for certain conditions, then we would start medication therapy.

[00:07:05] So I think for them, it made sense like, oh, yeah, why not focus more on the nutrition and lifestyle changes since that is what we're taught. But I'm thankful that I can use my knowledge as a pharmacist for some clients who I have that are on medications to help them safely watch out for those side effects.

[00:07:23] And in the state of California that I'm licensed in, I can collaborate with their doctors to be that in-between person, that feedback loop between them and their doctors, if any concerns with their medications. Yeah, that's fabulous. So, Dr. Tamar, many patients struggle, you kind of alluded to it already, with lifestyle-related health issues and are looking for real solutions. Could you talk about the innovative approach you've developed at Life Balance to help them?

[00:07:52] Yes, Audrey. The innovative approach that I have is what we call nutrigenomics. And that's a science of how food affects our DNA, as well as environment. What we expose ourselves to affects our DNA. And in simple terms, it has the ability to turn on or turn off our DNA so that it works or doesn't work the way that it should.

[00:08:15] So using nutrigenomics, I'm able to tailor nutrition plans, exercise plans and supplement plans, as well as stress management routines for my clients. It's looking at what we call genetic variation, so changes in your DNA sequence. So, for example, you may have a genetic variant that doesn't allow you to break down carbohydrates well. So that's going to put you at a higher risk for diabetes. So it can be used in a preventative sense.

[00:08:44] Now, if someone already has diabetes, now we can understand why they likely develop diabetes, because their body wasn't able to break down certain carbohydrates or sugars that well. Then we have a nutrition plan as a result of that genetic information. What type of foods would help the body perhaps break down carbohydrates better? Or because you're not that great at breaking down carbohydrates, these are the type of foods that you should eat instead. Eat more of this.

[00:09:13] So it gives very specific information when it comes to nutrition, as well as what type of exercises would be best for you. So trying to live a healthier, for us trying to live healthier, can feel so much like, especially with all the mixed messages out there. What are the top three tips for pharmacists or any busy folks to get past the first hurdle and start moving towards a healthier, more balanced lifestyle?

[00:09:41] You know, this is what I teach my clients. I have this DNA strategy and it's three, it's a three phase strategy, which would be the tips that I provide for anyone who's ready to get on that health journey, that path to health. And first is to detox. And I'm talking about detoxifying your mind. Yes, there's so much information out there.

[00:10:04] You could go do a Google search on any health topic, how to lose weight, how to improve my blood sugars, how to improve my blood pressure. And you'll find different information. But because I deeply believe that knowing what's going on with your body on a genetic level is really the key to have those lasting results and results that work. I would say forget about what you think you know about health already.

[00:10:29] Forget about what you've heard about nutrition already, because we're going to take this new approach and we're going to learn what your body is telling you about nutrition, what your body is telling you about what you need to do for your health. So detox your mind from those old beliefs and teachings and what you've learned on the latest health blog or TikTok. So detox your mind from that.

[00:10:50] And then naturally, as we move on to tip two, which is nourish your body, you're going to start detoxing your body from chemicals because now you're nourishing it with healthy foods. You're nourishing it with exercise. You're nourishing it with self-care and stress management. So that nourish part, you're now actively doing things that you need to do to really get healthy and stay on that path to health. And then the third tip I have is to align.

[00:11:17] Align what you want to accomplish in your health with the actions, the steps that you're taking to do that. So if you say you want to lose weight, you have to be in alignment with that thought and that goal and go back to that nourish step and start doing all the components of that nourish step. You know, actions speak louder than words. Yes. Those three tips will be please detox, nourish and align. Oh, my goodness.

[00:11:43] It's fascinating how you've merged your pharmaceutical expertise with a passion for personalized whole person wellness. Can you provide some specific examples or success stories where your unique method effectively helped others in their health journey, specifically as part of, you mentioned like a 90 day health coaching program? Of course. Yes. I have one client who came to me because she was diagnosed with autoimmune disease.

[00:12:11] She had been diagnosed for about a year and they have certain markers and lab lab tests that they look at to see, you know, how how the disease is going. And they call them inflammatory markers. She was put on several medications. Some of those medications affected her appetite. So she she was already trying to lose weight and now she wasn't eating and she was gaining weight. So she said, I don't understand.

[00:12:37] I don't have an appetite because of these medications, but I'm still gaining weight and my inflammatory markers are not going down. Can you help me? So we did the nutrigenomic test. And for her, we determined that, yes, inflammation was an issue, was a like a root cause of a lot of things, which makes sense of autoimmune disease because it is a disease of inflammation. But genetically, she's more prone to inflammation.

[00:13:02] So now with the test has given her recommendations on the type of foods that she needs to eat, type of exercises she needs to do. For her, we wouldn't want to necessarily do any exercises that are too strenuous because that can put more stress on the body, which can also play a role in inflammation. Some more relaxing exercises like yoga or Pilates would be helpful.

[00:13:23] Anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, omega-3, olive oil, if you're going to get fats and you want healthy fats, berries to help with inflammation and a whole bunch of other things. So the test gives all those recommendations. And along with the test, I work with a meal planning company that ties a meal plan to the DNA results.

[00:13:48] So they're getting recommendations on that meal plan that are meals and recipes that are supporting what their nutrigenomic test is telling them they need to eat. Because your test could say, oh, you need to eat apples, ginger, fish, and dark chocolate. Well, what do you do with that? What kind of meal? It doesn't sound too appetizing when you have all and then add in some onions.

[00:14:12] So this meal planner is going to give them recipe ideas, delicious recipe ideas of what type of foods and recipes and meals they can make to support their DNA so their DNA can help with inflammation. So with this client, after three months of being in my program, her inflammatory markers did go down. And when we look at the graph, it's just like a straight line going down, like a steep line going down. She was extremely happy.

[00:14:41] Her doctor was happy. And for her, she was able... It's like you're unlocking. You're unlocking. You have this key, right? This test is like a key that's unlocking your DNA so that you can work with your DNA versus against it and start getting those health results that you deserve. You deserve to be healthy, happy, and thriving in life. You mentioned inflammatory marker a few times. Some of us may not know what that means. Can you explain that term, that concept? Right.

[00:15:07] So when we have a high amount of inflammation in our body, there are certain blood levels that doctors will test for. So they'll... One is called CRP, so C-reactive protein, and we have interleukin. So those are substances that are released in our body that we can pick up in a blood test. So doctors are going to look at that. And if those levels are high, that tells us that you have issue with inflammation. You have a high amount of inflammation in your body.

[00:15:36] So in autoimmune disease, you're going to see those levels be very high. Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Tamar, you champion nutrition, lifestyle changes, genomics over medication reliance. Given your distinct philosophy, can you share your viewpoint on emerging weight loss drugs, particularly Ozempic or Manjaro or any others? Of course. With the new medications that are being used for... I hate saying new because they've been out for 20 years. Right, right, right. Yeah, they've been out for 20 years treating diabetes.

[00:16:06] Now they have a new indication, I'll say that, for treating obesity to help with weight loss. So when it comes to the weight loss medications, relatively have a safe profile. Of course, there are some side effects related with the stomachs of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are the most common. And that's why we typically start with lower doses and then increase in incremental to help your body get used to that.

[00:16:34] And then the risk of med thyroid cancer, which has only so far been shown in the animals that they've tested the medications on. To date, they have not correlated that 100% with thyroid cancer in humans. They have to let you know that that is a potential. So if you have a history of thyroid cancer in your family, then these medications are not for you. So when it comes to using them for weight loss, yes, of course, focusing on nutrition and lifestyle changes can help you lose weight.

[00:17:00] I believe that for some people, a lot of people do struggle with weight loss. They try different things. So I think these medications may be a good jumpstart for them. However, we know that once you stop taking these medications, the weight will come back on. And there are several reasons for this. One of being we've never addressed the underlying cause as to why you had trouble losing weight in the first place. And that's what a nutrigenomic test can actually help with.

[00:17:28] Also, we haven't addressed maybe behavioral factors. Emotional eating, stress eating might be an issue. So these medications do turn off the cravings that you have that result from brain, from the brain. But once you stop taking those medications, that nothing is inhibiting that message, that signal in the brain that deals with your cravings. So those cravings come back. And I've heard that they come back stronger than they were before you started the medications. So that's why it's important.

[00:17:58] In my program, I do offer those medications for those that absolutely feel that they need it. However, they have to be in my health coaching program because I think it's a disservice to people to be on medications and not know how to really make those changes in their life so that they don't need to rely on them. But if they need a jumpstart, and then in my program, those 90 days, they learn the habits that they need to have.

[00:18:23] They learn how to address the root cause, that roadblock that is actually stopping them from losing the weight. Then when they get off those medications, they're going to continue losing the weight and they're going to also be able to maintain the weight. Yeah, that's good. That's good news right there. Tamar, how can someone who's experiencing burnout and a lot of us entrepreneurs and we're just really burning the candle at both ends. So due to our hectic schedules, like most of our listeners, how can we make time for such a program?

[00:18:51] To make time for a program like mine, 90 days, we have coaching one hour every two weeks. And it's a digital platform where I have about 10 modules for you to go through. Every two weeks, a new module is released. So you can go at your own pace reviewing the modules. And then at our group sessions, we go over a topic that is associated with each module,

[00:19:16] as well as how you've been improving, any concerns that you have over the past two weeks. And additionally, although it's every other week, I do that because I need to give my clients time to apply what they're learning in each session. And it's not two weeks and I'm ghosting you. My clients have asked this to me Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

[00:19:41] We have a private chat on our app that you can message me and ask questions. For example, I had one client who I always talk about her because we laugh about it to this day. She was one of my first clients. She wanted to lose weight and she was having issues with mood swings and hot flashes due to menopause. So we went over the nutrition section, how to shop in a grocery store. She sends me a text with a picture of a keto bar.

[00:20:09] For many people who may not be familiar, the keto diet, it's a very high fat, moderate protein, low carb, like 25 grams of carb if you're doing strict keto a day. Now, a slice of bread is like 25 grams of carb. So it's a very difficult, very low carb diet, high fat. So if you're trying to lose weight and you're not on keto and you have a keto bar, you're going to gain some weight that day. You're going to gain some weight, guaranteed.

[00:20:36] So I said to her, one, we're teaching about understanding the ingredients in products that we choose. So I teach whole foods, lower at least chemicals as possible if we have to get a packaged food. And so I had her read and greet it's on the back. And then she's like, oh, OK, OK, we want to avoid that. We want to avoid that. And then I said, on top of that, you're not on keto, ma'am. What are you doing?

[00:21:05] I thought you were trying to lose weight. Right, right, right. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. So just to show how accessible I am, if they're having a bad day, like, oh, my goodness, I'm really having a craving today. Or I feel bad because I ate some chips and two brownies. Like, message that. You know, we have a group chat as well. We're there for support. Everyone's there for support. So, yeah. So it's very, it was a busy lifestyle. It's you go at your own pace.

[00:21:31] But that those one hour sessions every other week and your ability to be able to ask me questions in between those sessions, I'm there to support you and also hold you accountable because you have to be accountable for your health journey. Yes, for sure. Yes. So let's say a listener struggling with inconsistent eating and sleep habits gets intrigued by your idea, what we're talking about here today after hearing this podcast and wants to test it out for themselves. Where do you recommend they start?

[00:21:56] If you want to test it out, I recommend you start with a quick 15 to 20 minute conversation with me. You can book an appointment. And what we're going to do is talk about what your goals are, what you what are you struggling with? And you're going to get off that phone call with me with some tips that you can actually put into place. And if you're interested in joining the program, we will talk about that as well. And we have a variety of options.

[00:22:21] We not just a health coaching, if you just want to do the genetic testing and see what it says, we do that as well. But we have a variety of options for for anyone who's ready to just see some change in their health. But you can visit me at my website, www.thelifebalance.com. And that's T-H-E-L-Y-F-E balance dot com. And on that page, you'll have a tab to be able to make an appointment with me. Awesome.

[00:22:51] Well, Dr. Tamar, I really appreciate you. You're coming today and really giving us this wealth of information because our health is our wealth. And a lot of times we put that second, third and fourth on the list. So as we come to a close up, can you drop a nugget of advice or wisdom on us for our health? I believe self-care is very important. We neglect that. And many of us feel that self-care is something that you, oh, a girl's trip once a year. We're going to go on a cruise, ladies. Self-care.

[00:23:20] My nugget to you is self-care is something you do every single day. A day should not pass that you haven't taken care of yourself in some way, shape, or form. And on that note, self-care is different for everybody. One client I had, it was taking a shower at the beginning of the day. She realized she wasn't doing that. And that shower made a difference, a world of difference in her mental health and her mood and how she saw her day. So for everyone, it's different. But whether it's meditation, whether it's exercise, whether it's walking, whether it's singing and dancing,

[00:23:48] you know, doing your makeup, whatever it is, you have to find, tap into what self-care is for you. What do you need? And make sure you're doing that every day. That way you're not burning out and then saying, oh, I need a break. Right. It's like you're just like at the end of your wits at that point. But definitely, I really appreciate that. And CHOP Squad, make sure you head over to Dr. Tamar's website. Anyone get the website again? That's T-H-E-L-Y-F-E, Balance.

[00:24:20] TheLifeBalance.com. All right. So remember that spelling in there, folks. So again, if that's it, I really appreciate you taking your time and to be with us today. And we definitely want to be in touch and keep this connection going. Thanks again, Dr. Tamar. You're welcome. Thank you, Audrey. Thank you for listening to The Business Stop. We hope that you were able to bring valuable information from our guests and that you will download and share this podcast. Your rating and review is much appreciated.

[00:24:47] To go deeper with our guests, please visit their website and social channels. To learn more about us, please visit businessshop.info or altogether.biz, where we will help you expand your brand. Thank you. Thank you.

health coaching

Genetic Insights Fuel Personalized Wellness Strategies for Entrepreneurs with Dr Tamar Lawful