Dr. Vanessa Menanteau, doctor of nurse practice, board-certified nurse midwife and board-certified family nurse practitioner, talks about her approach to metabolic health. She authored Metabolic Restoration: Returning to the Foundations of Health
KC Counts:
Let's start by talking about your book, Restoring Metabolic Health and kind of a back to the basics approach of looking at overall health. Can you break it down to some basic concepts that you want to share in the book?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Sure, of course. So what happened with the book is that for six years I've been practicing metabolic health. And I was recommending other authors' books, but what the problem was getting into is that they were either too complicated, too technical, or they would just handle one part of the problem. So one day I decided to just sit down and write the book and I pretty much feel like I became an author overnight, which was a big surprise to me. But he produced a book that is a very practical way to tell my patients and other readers to take a step back and look at what are we doing with our bodies? What are we feeding our bodies? How are we sleeping? How are we moving? So really get into the foundations of health. And that's the subtitle.
KC Counts:
I guess here's the answers. Tacos, not sleeping, not moving enough. Maybe tacos aren't the problem, right? You're not gonna tell me tacos are the problem.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Depends what you put in them.
KC Counts:
All right, so let's talk a little bit about how you approach delivering the message. What is the message that you're delivering?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
The message of the book is, let's take a minute to see how we are treating our body, which for me is our temple. Are we really feeding our body what it really needs to thrive? Are we really giving our body enough rest? Are we moving our body so our body can be useful to us for many, many years? Can we travel at 75? Can we be independent at 85?
KC Counts:
This is one of those things that over and over, the story repeats itself, is people work and work and work and work and work and look forward to that day that they can, quote, retire and then travel and then so many people don't get to do that.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Exactly, and it's so sad. And the big difference is in what we do every day. The little changes we can make, the book is a very practical guide that literally hold the of the reader through a journey. And I talk about how harmful highly processed foods are and how ordinary they are in our lives. Some people go through fast food restaurants multiple times a day. They drink several sugar drinks a day, sodas, energy drinks, and they sleep very little. It's not uncommon to find patients who sleep five or six hours when in reality we need 7 to 8.
KC Counts:
Yeah. So what are some practical tips that you could offer in the short span of time we have on this subject?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
All right. I would say if anybody listening, they want to make just one change, please look at how much protein you're eating throughout the day. Because we tend to eat very little protein compared to what we should. Let's say it's, we don't want to do math here, but in general. Thank you. All right. I don't want to get too complicated there. But let's say, I'm gonna throw a number there, right? At the very least, everybody, every adult should be eating at least probably 90 grams of protein A day. When we start our day with a coffee and a donut and we continue our lunch with a sandwich and we finish our day with a dinner of pasta or pizza, how much protein is really there?
KC Counts:
Well, there's some protein on the pizza.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
On the cheese a little bit...
KC Counts:
Pepperonis. speaking of highly processed foods, right?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Exactly. So that would be #1. Check how much protein you get a day. Number 2, please don't fill your body with processed foods. Just stay real. Eat real food.
KC Counts:
On the subject of protein, many people are trying to eat less protein from animal sources and more protein from vegetable sources. So what are the best places to get those proteins from those like non-meat sources? Maybe eggs, we could say eggs, right?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Yes, yeah, and that's such a great question. And the book is not designed, it's designed for anybody, but the food plan that I propose is definitely not designed for somebody who is vegan or vegetarian. Although it can be done if that's what they choose to do, absolutely. But other sources, eggs are the best one. Let's say that right away, right? Eggs are the best source protein if you're not vegan. If you're vegan, you're not gonna even eat eggs.
KC Counts:
Right.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
So tofu, non-processed tofu, that's the thing with tofu. It's very genetically modified and it has been found to have its own issues. But if it's natural, organic, also beans, the problem is when you are vegan or vegetarian, in order to get enough protein, you also eat a lot of carbs. And if you're already somebody with high insulin resistance, which is 90% of my patients, Yeah, wow, yes, wow. Once the number is checked, it's amazing how prevalent that is. Insulin resistance, it's everywhere. And when somebody's insulin resistant, if you give them a diet that doesn't have the appropriate protein and the lower carb, you're just going to keep feeding that insulin resistance. So at least let's get non-insulin resistant, then we can talk about eating more carbs.
KC Counts:
So I have a friend who's vegan, and there's another topic that we'll talk about, and that's hot flashes. And she is, she said, I've never had one because she has eaten so much soy over the course of her life. Those plant estrogens may have, I mean, it's different for everybody. So, but my doctor did tell me to eat more plant estrogens at one point and I bought some edamame. It's in the freezer.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
It's waiting to be.
KC Counts:
It's waiting there for me for the right day. Yes. No. And so those are things that, you know, we look to those foods for many different purposes, right? Because Many people would say there is medicine in foods.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Absolutely.
KC Counts:
So once we move on from that protein intake, what are some other tips regarding food that you would like for people to leave with?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Please don't eat processed foods or minimize them. There was a time when those foods were occasional. You went to McDonald's as a treat. You had a soda as a treat. Nowadays, we do this every day, all day long. And we don't need to be eating every two hours. That's a marketing strategy.
KC Counts:
Who does that?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Everybody.
KC Counts:
I mean, I do it if there's food around.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Exactly.
KC Counts:
So I'm going to let you finish because I know you didn't get finished. But the processed foods, it's one of those things that we talk about a lot because we've seen colorectal cancer increase in terrible ways among young people. And I think that a lot of arrows are pointing toward that processed food and those processed meats, right?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Absolutely. So there's a lot of people with leaky gut. Literally means your gut is perforated. And that's often caused by processed foods and also gluten. That's a big one too. My program in the book, it is a gluten free for 28 days.
KC Counts:
So there's our tacos again. Now we're back to tacos. But corn, corn, corn is fine. Okay. No fajitas, no burritos. Tacos only with corn tortillas. Okay.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
You can eat the inside.
KC Counts:
28 days. So what happens if someone holds your hand for 28 days? What kinds of changes should they expect?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
All right. So the first week it's going to be a, the whole program is gluten free, 28 days. But the first week it's dairy free as well. Because just one week, you can do it.
KC Counts:
One week. Okay, I can do that.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
That's because I love dairy. I have nothing against dairy. But what happens is that some people don't realize they have a dairy allergy or intolerance.
KC Counts:
That happened to my cousin. She was having skin issues and somebody suggested trying out to eliminate dairy. So she did, her skin issues cleared up and then when she ate it again, she got violently ill.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Thank you. I hear that all the time from my patients. So that's why since we're doing a cleanse, quote unquote cleanse for 28 days, might as well try that out. Like are you dairy intolerant? If you're not, great. After on day eight, you can start eating dairy and see how you feel. So this program is very much based on how is my body feeling right now. So the program focuses on enough protein, non-processed foods. So I give them a shopping list of things. I actually literally put there my pantry, what my pantry looks like, what my fridge looks like, and how my freezer looks like. And then I give them very practical tips on how to do the program. So again, first week dairy-free, gluten-free. The rest of the program is...
KC Counts:
Have you had any of your patients done it so that you could like monitor their blood work and weight and energy levels, sleeping? Do you have some real numbers that you could share in terms of what people are experiencing?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Well, I have concrete numbers, but I get the book is only like 3 months old.
KC Counts:
Oh, brand new, yes.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Yeah, brand new. So I don't have anybody who's actually sat down and done the program that I know of. I'm sure there are people out there, my patients I haven't heard the report, but generally speaking, I've been doing this for six years. So I have had many patients come back who have followed my advice and life changing, absolutely life changing. And labs, yes, absolutely. Insulin resistance goes down, A1C goes down, their triglycerides go down and they feel amazing. The one thing I did for the last six years, which is very interesting, I created a juice fast. It's A 21 day juice juices and chicken bone broth. And that was my tool for six years.
KC Counts:
I want to say not just no. That is a long time.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
I know.
KC Counts:
Now that takes some real willpower.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Absolutely. I did it before I put my patients through this.
KC Counts:
How did you do it?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
I how did I do it? Actually, I tell the story in the book, which it's very interesting. A friend of mine was desperate. She had hot flashes, night sweats, and kind of going through all that perimenopausal symptoms. And then she said, I found a solution. I'm gonna do this juicing fast. And I'm like, you're crazy girl. Like, no, I'm gonna do it. So I knew what her habits were, very much processed food, Mexican type eating. And I'm like, she's not gonna do it. So I call her four days later and she goes, I'm doing fantastic. lost 10 pounds. I can sleep through the night. I'm doing great. I'm like, I told the rest of the group of girls, I'm like, we're gonna have to do it with her. And then we all did it. changed my life.
KC Counts:
Wow. So tell me about the juices. And so did you make it all at home?
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
Yes. So I recommend that people get the appropriate juice, which is a juicer, not a blender, and then make their own chicken bone broth. And I did it for 21 days. It was so hard initially because my body was used to getting food every two hours. I was one of those who ate every two hours. I thought I was gonna die if I didn't. That completely changed up to the 21 days. My body learned how to burn fat instead of relying on carbs all the time. It truly changed my life. I was somebody who carried snacks in my purse, in my car, at work. Now at Snacks is not even in my vocabulary anymore.
KC Counts:
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau, thank you so much for telling us about the book and your journey and your friend's journey and the tofu and the eggs.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
There you go, eggs.
KC Counts:
Thank you so much. It was great speaking with you.
Dr. Vanessa Menanteau:
You're very welcome. Thank you so much, KC.
Here is the information on the speaker series Dr. Menanteau is participating in:
