#038: Sleep & Autoimmunity for Busy Moms with Dr. Sarah Ballantyne

Join us as Aglaée interviews Dr. Sarah Ballantyne to learn more about the importance of preventing autoimmune conditions for moms and their family. In this episode, you'll also get answers to the million dollar question "How can mom improve their sleep?" and many practical steps to make it happen.  Enjoy the listen and don't forget to check out Sarah's Go To Bed program! Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’ bio: Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. is the creator of the award-winning online resource www.ThePaleoMom.com; cohost of the syndicated top-rated The Paleo View Podcast; New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Approach, The Paleo Approach Cookbook and The Healing Kitchen, and creator of the online program Go To Bed. Sarah earned her doctorate degree in medical biophysics at the age of 26 and spent the next four years doing research on critical care medicine, innate immunity, gene therapy and cell biology, earning a variety of awards for research excellence along the way.  Sarah’s transition from academic researcher to stay-at-home mom to award-winning and internationally-recognized health advocate and educator was driven by her own health journey, which included losing 120 pounds and using both diet and lifestyle to mitigate and reverse a dozen diagnosed health conditions. As a scientist both by training and by nature, Sarah is deeply interested in understanding how the foods we eat interact with our gut barriers, immune systems, and hormones to influence health. Sarah’s innate curiosity goes further than just understanding diet and she is also deeply interested in the impact of lifestyle factors like sleep, stress and activity. Her passion for scientific literacy and her talent for distilling scientific concepts into straightforward and accessible explanations form the foundation of her work and her dedication to improving public health. Learn more by checking out Sarah’s website, podcast and books. You can also find Sarah on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope and Pinterest. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, aka The Paleo Mom TIMESTAMPS: [0:00] Intro [2:27] Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's bio [4:19] Real Food Mamas Updates [6:44] Welcome Sarah! [9:11] How fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, joint pain and other symptoms usually attributed to "aging" could actually be an autoimmune conditions [17:02] How lifestyle factors can help you feel better by preventing and controlling autoimmunity [17:53] How to know if you're at risk (hint: being a woman puts you at risk!) [27:10] Which lifestyle factor is the most important? Diet, supplements, movement, stress management or sleep? [34:11] The million dollar question: How can moms get enough sleep? [39:18] How to get your "me time" AND go to bed early [40:26] How to maximize napping (short vs long naps) [42:47] How moms need to let go and ask for help (how our expectations and that of society is hurting our health!) [47:38] How much sleep do you really need? (hint: it is NOT that individual) [50:43] Sarah's top 3 easy action steps for moms to sleep better [59:38] Where to find more about Sarah and the Go To Bed Program [1:01:55] Outro Click here to listen or find the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher! Shownotes: Sarah's Go to Bed program Orange glasses to block blue lights at night Red light bulbs to help with your light-dark cycles Aglaée's Bloat-Free Forever Online Course Steph's Healthy Mama, Happy Baby Virtual Pregnancy Handbook   Disclaimer Please remember that the views on this podcast and website are not meant to be substituted for medical advice, shouldn’t be used to diagnose, treat or cure any conditions, and are intended for general information purposes only.