[00:00] Speaker 1: (dramatic music plays) Are you ready for new dimensions and countless possibilities today and for the future? It's an exciting new time and the answers are out there. So join Mary Jane Pop as she explores the unique and unusual for a better life on Pop Talk: In Search For The Truth. And here she is, Mary Jane Pop.

[00:21] Speaker 2: (upbeat music plays) And welcome to Pop Talk, and we've got a good one, a- all positive stuff in this hour here. We wanna make v- sure that things are gonna be good for you, uh, and... 'Cause we got enough negatives out there, (laughs) I tell you. Every time I check the news, and I have to 'cause I'm doing talk shows, and I do news, and all that kind of thing, and it's like, "Oh, come on people," you know, get over it. Get over yourself in a lot of ways, but it doesn't seem like, uh, a whole lot of folks are doing that. But you know what? We will try and give you the good tools, the tools that will make you happy, healthier, and well, maybe just a little bit better than you were before. I'm always searching for that. I always wanna get better. I don't wanna stay the way I am. Um, but anyway, hang in there because...

[01:12] Speaker 2: A- and we got something a little bit later on th- uh, uh, this is gonna make you laugh in a way, um, remember the saying, "An apple a day can keep the doctor away." You know, it might not have been too far from the truth. (laughs) But before we do that, here we go.

[01:39] Speaker 3: I'm in with the in crowd. I go where the in crowd goes.

[01:47] Speaker 2: Well, you think maybe you're with the in crowd, but y- there might be some problems. I mean, we got holidays, and like any other time when family and friends kind of draw near, sounds like a Hallmark card, right? (laughs) No, not really. According to Kerri Van Schoik, um, a licensed therapist and founder of the Union Therapy Group in New York, maybe we focus on who triggers them instead of noticing the energy that they bring into the room. It, it seems kind of complicated, but I don't think it is. Uh, we're gonna have Kerri explain this. So comes the upheaval at get-togethers that can be avoided. So can Kerri help us to find balance? Well, we're gonna find out. Hi, Kerri. How are you?

[02:37] Speaker 4: Hey. How are you?

[02:39] Speaker 2: Well, I'm fine, but, you know, I... M- we've all been to get-togethers during the holidays or even off-days, and you walk into the room and you go, "I don't think I should be here." (laughs) You know? Uh, and other times when you go and, "Oh, this is great. I have a good feeling." Is it just something in the air, or is it something that I bring, or when you walk in you bring an energy into it? How do I know if I'm gonna be comfortable or not?

[03:10] Speaker 4: So when we go to family gatherings, holidays, all different... Any social, any social engagements, you know, we always have to think about, "How do I want to show up? What do I want to happen here?" Instead of, "I hate these people. I hate being around them."

[03:25] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[03:25] Speaker 4: There's always so much blame.

[03:27] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[03:27] Speaker 4: It's so important to decide how you want to come in, your tone, your posture, and the expectations that you set for the experience.

[03:36] Speaker 2: Oh, okay. So then, suppose I wanna have positive things, and I wanna walk in there and be happy and, and jo- How do I put that on? I mean, i- isn't that something that has to be inside of me to begin with?

[03:52] Speaker 4: Yeah. It should be inside of you. I think once you walk into an, a situation, you right away start looking at everybody else, and everybody starts judging everybody else, and we take our history, our family history, or our, whatever we've been through with the friends that we're with, and we start replaying it, and we, we think that's gonna be the dynamic. It has to be the same dynamic. But you can decide, "I wanna set the tone. I'm gonna come in and I'm gonna say, 'How are you? Tell me about your job. Tell me about this. Tell me about that.'" And you speak positively about your own life. You bring a positive energy to the room, and people will follow. It's almost like they can't bring their negativity when you are so positive.

[04:35] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[04:35] Speaker 4: You're leading by example. You're changing the vibe by being the vibe.

[04:39] Speaker 2: Oh. Okay. Well, that, that makes sense, but there are always some p- I mean, when you walk into a room, can't... Don't you have a feeling on some people that, "This is gonna be okay. This one I'm gonna have to really work on"? I mean, (laughs) you could... I, don't you... I get feelings like that when I... I do that even when I talk to people on the air. I can tell-

[04:58] Speaker 4: Yeah.

[04:58] Speaker 2: ... whether someone's gonna be, uh, you know, responsive, a- and, and fun, and others that I'm gonna have to drag it out of them, you know? It's just the way it is.

[05:08] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. And you know what? We all have our roles, right? There are usually the talkers, the listeners, the responders, and the people that bring the fun to the table, right? There's always gonna be different roles, but what's most important is that you bring an energy. We're not talking about, you know, how much conversation you could bring. Sometimes silence is okay. Standing with someone and asking them questions, or just kind of relaxing with somebody without making them feel like you have to talk, which is what can create energy. You can sit next to somebody on the couch. You can show them some pictures in your phone about something. You can bring the new energy without feeling like you have to force some in-depth, amazing conversation. And if you're feeling their a- their vibe towards you or their, their tension-... you don't have to take that on, and that's a practice that can, that you can start with before you walk in.

[06:06] Speaker 4: So there's a feeling in our bodies that we have before we walk into these situations, you can call it social anxiety, you can call it tension. That's the feeling that needs to whisper to you, "Do the opposite."

[06:20] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[06:20] Speaker 4: If there's like, if you get tightness in your chest when you speak to your uncle, you have to say to yourself, "You know what? Instead of letting that feeling tell me to be sarcastic and nasty to him, I'm gonna use that feeling and I'm gonna do something opposite. I'm gonna say, 'You look so nice today, I like your sweater.'" So he can't bring what he usually brings. You wanna shift out of your old role into an intentional presence.

[06:46] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[06:46] Speaker 4: You wanna bring something genuinely that you enjoy. You can, you can also change up the vibe when you know what you're walking into. You can bring a game or you could bring in new food.

[06:57] Speaker 2: Hmm. Or bring an attitude, different attitude, right?

[07:01] Speaker 4: I mean, absolutely, that's the goal, right? And we have to use our bodies to realize what we're always bringing. Like when you walk in, if there's a familiar feeling in your body that you always have when you walk in and then you're, you're realizing like, "Wait, I'm always getting the same reaction, but I'm always blaming everybody else," kind of have to say like-

[07:22] Speaker 2: Oh. (laughs)

[07:22] Speaker 4: ... "Hmm, is this about me? Do I need to make the shift?"

[07:27] Speaker 2: Y- yeah, but you don't wanna get an idea. I, I... When I walk into a room, I am who I am, to be honest with you.

[07:34] Speaker 4: Okay.

[07:34] Speaker 2: I don't wanna necessarily change anybody. If you don't like it, fine. You know, (laughs) if, if you like me, great. If you don't like me, I can live with that 'cause I'm not gonna be here that long, you know? (laughs) So...

[07:45] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[07:45] Speaker 2: I'm gonna be leaving and going back to my other life, whatever that life is. Um, and it, uh, it also is, uh, has a lot to do with how you... it's, uh, not only demeanor, but how you dress, what you look like. Uh, you're gonna be judged no matter what. That's just the way it is.

[08:02] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[08:02] Speaker 2: People judge you. Ha, you walk into a room, uh, they're gonna say, "Oh, d- oh, look at her hair," or, "Look at her makeup," or, "Look at the outfit she has on." I kinda like that. (laughs) You see, I like the attention. There are a lot of people who don't, I understand that too. Uh, that they, they d- they, they don't wanna be the center of attention. You know, I wa-

[08:21] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[08:21] Speaker 2: I've loved being the center of attention since I was 10 years old. So (laughs) it's like-

[08:25] Speaker 4: Well, yeah. I mean, this is your podcast, right?

[08:27] Speaker 2: Th- this is not a podcast. This is a real, uh, show on radio, uh, (laughs) is, uh, but I do have podcasts too.

[08:33] Speaker 4: Or a real, a real radio show, or you're a host, is my point.

[08:37] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I don't mind.

[08:39] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[08:39] Speaker 2: You know, if you, if you don't acc- if you don't like something, come over, talk with me. I'm glad to listen. I'll hear ya, and we'll discuss it, and then... but they have to also understand that if, if I come in with who I am, if you don't like it and you don't wanna hear about it, d- don't ask for it (laughs) 'cause you're gonna get it. You know what I mean?

[09:02] Speaker 4: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And I think, you know, that's a, that's definitely something that's separate from, like, walking into an, uh, uh, walking into a party and just trying to kind of, like, protect your energy and be in a good space.

[09:16] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[09:16] Speaker 4: When we wanna confront somebody, there is a decision, "Do I want to perpetuate how I feel?" Because if I, once I, once I say, "This is how I feel about you, this is what you're doing, this is hurting my feelings, I didn't like when you do that," you're opening yourself up for a reaction.

[09:36] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.

[09:37] Speaker 4: And you have to know that when you're doing that, that's gonna co- that's going to come back your way.

[09:42] Speaker 2: Huh.

[09:42] Speaker 4: It's a decision that you have to make. It's a whole new, you know, it's a whole new kind of like... I keep using the word energy, but again, it is, it's a new energy that you're stepping into when you decide to be confrontational.

[09:54] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[09:54] Speaker 4: And definitely, like, I'm not the kind of therapist that says, like, "Always say what you wanna say. Always be heard." I'm not that therapist. I think you need to become mindful and you need to become ready for what you're gonna say.

[10:08] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.

[10:08] Speaker 4: Like, why, you know, what's the why behind why you need to be heard?

[10:13] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[10:13] Speaker 4: Do you need to let the person know that they hurt your feelings because, like, you need to be validated? You might not get validated. In fact, you might be told what you did to deserve what they did, and that becomes a whole new conversation.

[10:30] Speaker 2: Sure.

[10:30] Speaker 4: So it's very important before you walk up to somebody and say exactly what you wanna say, you need to be ready for what comes with that.

[10:38] Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely. And, and I love it. See, I, I love if somebody says something that I don't necessarily agree with. Now, I'm not gonna just say, uh, "You know, you're full of it." Uh, (laughs) like, uh, you know, I will give reasons why I don't think, uh, the same way, and I, I want them to share with me too 'cause I have an open mind. I may not agree with you-

[10:57] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. Not everybody loves it, to be honest.

[11:00] Speaker 2: What? Don't love, love what?

[11:02] Speaker 4: Not everybody loves conversations, not everyone w- loves con-

[11:05] Speaker 2: Well, don't go to a gathering-

[11:06] Speaker 4: Con-

[11:06] Speaker 2: ... if you don't like conversation. Go sit in a corner.

[11:09] Speaker 4: But, no, con- confrontation-

[11:10] Speaker 2: Oh, confrontation.

[11:11] Speaker 4: ... is a better word.

[11:12] Speaker 2: Well, then don't-

[11:12] Speaker 4: You know?

[11:12] Speaker 2: ... don't confront me.

[11:15] Speaker 4: W- what about, what about... So you go up to everybody and say, like... If somebody bothered you, would you go up to somebody at a gathering and let them know?

[11:23] Speaker 2: If they bother me, yes.

[11:26] Speaker 4: Yeah.

[11:26] Speaker 2: But in a nice way.

[11:27] Speaker 4: Do you want-

[11:27] Speaker 2: You can do it in a nice way. You don't have-

[11:30] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[11:31] Speaker 2: ... to be, you know. You can, you can hand out negative and you can hand out confrontation, uh, with honey. You don't have to hand it out with vinegar. You know what I mean?

[11:43] Speaker 4: I do know what you mean. Uh, personally, from my, from where I sit, I often don't feel that it's worth it. I think it's more worth it to think, think about why I'm affected, why am I triggered by that person, why do I, why did that bother me so much that I need to tell them?

[12:02] Speaker 2: Well, I-

[12:02] Speaker 4: Why can't I work it out on my own?

[12:04] Speaker 2: I don't know.

[12:05] Speaker 4: Sometimes-

[12:06] Speaker 2: I don't think, I don't think I have to evaluate myself to myself. I already know who I am.

[12:12] Speaker 4: Yeah, I, I challenge that.

[12:15] Speaker 2: Challenge what?

[12:16] Speaker 4: I think it's important to know why we're bothered. If somebody comes in and says something, says something to me at a party like, um... I don't know. Try to th- what, what is an example of something that might bother you? Let's, you know, let's talk about it.

[12:32] Speaker 2: There's very little that bothers me that I won't b- be able to discuss. We, we can discuss it.

[12:37] Speaker 4: Yeah, so like what, what is something that would bother you that you would wanna say to somebody? Just sending out that-

[12:42] Speaker 2: If they're judge, if they judge someone else without any kind of proof to judge that person. Give me, give me a reason why you'd judge somebody. Not, "I don't like them."

[12:53] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[12:53] Speaker 2: Or they're this or that or you'll call them names. I hate name-calling. That's the one thing-

[12:57] Speaker 4: Hmm.

[12:57] Speaker 2: ... I will never stand for. Uh, name-calling, because that's childish. Only little kids-

[13:01] Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, I totally agree with you. I think you're coming from like a very pure, you know, loving place, um, what's bothering you, right?

[13:08] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[13:08] Speaker 4: Like, you're not like offended because like, you know, they didn't call you back. Like, this is coming, you don't like when people do mean things, right?

[13:15] Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.

[13:15] Speaker 4: Or judge people or call somebody names, and I appreciate that. But the question is, why do you... Why are you so bothered that you need to say something to them?

[13:26] Speaker 2: Because I love-

[13:27] Speaker 4: Right?

[13:27] Speaker 2: I love open discussion. I love it. That's-

[13:30] Speaker 4: Oh, okay.

[13:30] Speaker 2: That's my life, uh, hosting tal- talk shows. (laughs)

[13:33] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[13:33] Speaker 2: I love talking to everybody from every walk of life for 50 years. I've been doing this for 50 years. I've been doing it with stars, I've been doing it with authors. You name it. I can r- I can interview a rock, Kerry. I really could. (laughs)

[13:48] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[13:48] Speaker 2: Uh, because I love learning and I love the idea of hearing other people's opinions. It might change-

[13:57] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[13:57] Speaker 2: ... something that I believe, but it may not, and that's okay. I have no problem with that. If I don't change your mind or you don't change my mind, that doesn't mean I, I can't stand you. I can still talk with you.

[14:09] Speaker 4: Absolutely. Absolutely. So if you came into my office-

[14:14] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[14:14] Speaker 4: ... and said, "Whenever I'm at a party, or whenever somebody talks bad about somebody, or whenever somebody judges somebody, I think it's really important, I think it's my job to let them know why that's wrong."

[14:28] Speaker 2: Yeah, but not in-

[14:29] Speaker 4: I would probably say to you-

[14:29] Speaker 2: ... not in a negative way. Not in a negative way.

[14:31] Speaker 4: No, no. Because I would wanna let them know. Like, I feel like I need to speak to that.

[14:35] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[14:35] Speaker 4: I would probably say to you, like, "What do you think in you, what part of you is triggered when that happens?"

[14:42] Speaker 2: I'm protective.

[14:44] Speaker 4: And why? What part of, what... When did you become so protective? When did you start?

[14:48] Speaker 2: Always was.

[14:48] Speaker 4: When did you get that part?

[14:50] Speaker 2: Always was. And, and here's what the trigger was for me, okay?

[14:55] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[14:55] Speaker 2: When I was very young, um-

[14:57] Speaker 4: Yeah.

[14:57] Speaker 2: ... I was heavyset.

[15:00] Speaker 4: Okay.

[15:00] Speaker 2: And, and acne, you know?

[15:03] Speaker 4: Okay.

[15:03] Speaker 2: And I wasn't always chosen by the ones that were in the in crowd (laughs) that way. I played that theme at the beginning, the in crowd.

[15:12] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[15:13] Speaker 2: Uh, and so anybody that wasn't part of the in crowd, I, I protected, and I would find ways to raise them up, not caring about the in crowd, because the in crowd, they've got their own thing, and that's fa- that's fine. Go do it. Uh, but I was always very protective of people. Um, on the air, if someone disagrees with me, I'm willing to listen, but you're gonna hear my side of the story too.

[15:38] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[15:39] Speaker 2: But p-

[15:39] Speaker 4: So what do you think... When you, when you, when this protective side of you-

[15:44] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[15:44] Speaker 4: ... is triggered, what do you think it protects you from?

[15:49] Speaker 2: Nothing, because it doesn't even affect me. But it... And that's okay with me. Uh, sometimes it may, but doesn't have to. It could be just protecting someone else and letting, letting them know that someone is on their side or cares about them, uh, or has feelings for them. Uh, I just, I don't like people who are cold. I don't like people who are, you know, "Throw it at yourself," you know, and, "This is the way it has to be." Yeah, right. You know? (laughs) That kind of thing, uh, it's almost like impossible to even talk to a person that has that kind of attitude. But if they're picking on somebody else, I can't stand it. I, I, I, I cannot back off. I have to somehow work in that conversation. (laughs) I don't care if I'm across the room, I will find a way. I don't like it if I walk into a room and somebody's judging somebody else. Well, you know, I, I, I tell them, "Look in the mirror." You know, "Check out the mirror and how do you think people are judging you?" You know?

[16:49] Speaker 2: So I'm, I'm just giving them, uh, back what they're handing out to someone else, but not in a necessarily confrontive... You know, I don't wanna be always confronting people, um, but I, I, if I hear something and I'm gonna, I'm gonna be over there trying to protect. I just, I, I... That's my, that's, uh, my, uh, that's my DNA. (laughs) That's just who I am.

[17:13] Speaker 4: That's wonderful, and it sounds like you really like this part of yourself.

[17:16] Speaker 2: I love it. Are you kidding? Not like it, I love it, and I do it every day.

[17:20] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[17:21] Speaker 2: I always tell, I've told people on the, when I, uh, started doing this business, uh, because I started with television, then went to radio back and forth, and I said, "The only thing I ask of you, two things. Don't lie to me. Do not lie to me, because I will find out and I will find a way to get back at you for lying to me, because when you lie to me, you're lying to my listeners. And don't be judgmental unless you have proof for that judgment as to why you're being judgmental, not just because. Because doesn't make it for me.

[17:57] Speaker 2: I need to have proof on everything."

[17:59] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[18:00] Speaker 2: Um, and, and I will give you proof, and if you don't like something that I do, op- I'm open to listening. I am. I'm doing that with you right now. I'm open, I'm open. You can ask me any question you want. I've always said, you know, (laughs) it doesn't make any difference, uh, you know, I will answer. I do that when I do open speeches. I am open to any question that you have. But be open to listening also.

[18:25] Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's great that you're, you know, you've taken something from your past, right? And you found a light in it.

[18:33] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[18:33] Speaker 4: And it's something that you now bring to situations, right? Like, you were judged, you were made fun of, and you're like, "No one around me will let, I won't let that happen to anybody around me." So you were able to take something in your life that was really painful and turn it around. And that's why, maybe that's why you were overweight, maybe that's why you had acne, because you were given the ability to turn that around and protect others.

[19:01] Speaker 2: Yes.

[19:01] Speaker 4: And, you know, it's a, it's a beautiful story.

[19:04] Speaker 2: And, uh, there's a finish to that story. When I turned 13, I guess it was 13, um, up to about grade eight, and then I was going into high school, that summer, I lost all this weight, I started, you know, dressing a different way, et cetera. When I went to high school, the first year in high school, nobody knew me. They did not recognize me.

[19:28] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[19:28] Speaker 2: And I started getting, you know, uh, date-type things, and I'm going, "No. You didn't like me when I was the other way. Just because I've changed my looks should not change the attitude that you have for me now." And I've, I've done that all my life. Uh, you know, I just, uh, w- when a person changes, you should be supportive of them and say, "Oh, it's great to see you, you know, and you're looking great." And so don't always go, "Well, you lost all this weight." And, "Oh my God, you're using makeup now," and all this kind of stuff. You can be gentle about it and be nice. But I'll tell you, I had a little bit of a revenge in my soul.

[20:10] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[20:10] Speaker 2: I turned all those people down that, you know, wanted to-

[20:14] Speaker 4: What did you do?

[20:14] Speaker 2: I turned dates down.

[20:17] Speaker 4: Mm. Mm-hmm.

[20:18] Speaker 2: E- especially if they were judgemental of me or some of the people that I knew who were like me, that, for other reasons, not necessarily for weight or whatever. Um, but I, I didn't like them when they were judgemental to other people. Pfft, I don't need to have you be judgemental of me because I'm doing just fine. You know, and because they need a lesson to learn.

[20:42] Speaker 4: Do you, do you think it was revenge?

[20:43] Speaker 2: No.

[20:43] Speaker 4: Or just maybe those weren't your type of people?

[20:45] Speaker 2: They weren't, and also, there was a lesson to be learned on their side too.

[20:50] Speaker 4: Exactly. And hopefully, they, do you think they learned it?

[20:53] Speaker 2: I don't know and I don't care. You know, the, that... I, I gave out the lesson. That's up to you to take it or leave it. I'm not gonna be judgemental of you.

[21:02] Speaker 4: Well, you were in high school with them for four more years.

[21:04] Speaker 2: No.

[21:04] Speaker 4: How did that go?

[21:05] Speaker 2: Two years. Two years.

[21:07] Speaker 4: Okay, how did that-

[21:08] Speaker 2: And then I trans-

[21:08] Speaker 4: ... go after? Did you become-

[21:09] Speaker 2: I-

[21:09] Speaker 4: ... friends with them?

[21:11] Speaker 2: No. (laughs) After I... Well, I went to another high school, uh, because I was-

[21:16] Speaker 4: Oh.

[21:16] Speaker 2: I, I needed to go to college prep high school, uh, 'cause I was going-

[21:19] Speaker 4: Oh, okay.

[21:20] Speaker 2: ... to university. And that, that... Then, when I got to the university level, it was a lot different 'cause it, that's a whole new world, a whole new society. Um, and it was, it was a wonderful experience. I mean, I worked on my ba- bachelor's, master's, and PhD there. Um, but it's just one of those things that I, I've always been protective. Uh, I could be standing and somebody would be complimenting me, but if my ear (laughs) catches somebody else being mean, and there are mean people in the world, name-callers-

[21:50] Speaker 4: Yeah.

[21:50] Speaker 2: ... and people that are just nasty. Um, I will intervene in a nice way. But see, that's the other thing. It's a, it's a little bit of a trick that I have. I do it in such a nice way, they can't come at me.

[22:06] Speaker 4: Mm.

[22:06] Speaker 2: There are ways to do that. And maybe they'll les- learn a lesson. They may not. I mean, I, I'm not gonna convert everybody (laughs) into what I believe or how, how they should be. But at least I'll get them thinking about it.

[22:20] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.

[22:20] Speaker 2: That's what I do with this talk show. I want people to think about whatever I have on the air. Think about it.

[22:25] Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. Do you think you carry some anger around from this time?

[22:29] Speaker 2: No. No, I don't. Because I've, I've had a wonderful life after that. I've been doing radio and television for 50 years. I had a professor tell me, now this is another just side story, (laughs) you know, um, that told me because I had acne, I'd never do television. I did television-

[22:50] Speaker 4: Wow.

[22:51] Speaker 2: ... for a lot of years. (laughs) Unfortunately, he died before I could go back and tell him, uh, "You know what? You were full of it." (laughs) You know? But I don't like people to do that, doing that to me. That hurt. That hurt.

[23:04] Speaker 4: Of course.

[23:05] Speaker 2: Uh-

[23:05] Speaker 4: Of course. That must've been really difficult for you.

[23:08] Speaker 2: But, but it pushed me to prove him wrong. A lot of the stuff that happened to me early on, I mean, I was on stage all the time. I was singing, I was performing all the time. That was my outlet for the pain that I felt from being judged. So it would... it turned out to be a good thing for me. So I always liked-

[23:28] Speaker 4: It really did. It really is, like, it really seems like from your experience, you turned it into such a positive.

[23:34] Speaker 2: Tried to. Tried to. Still do. And probably will do until I, you know, go over to the other side. (laughs) And I'll-

[23:42] Speaker 4: Uh-huh.

[23:42] Speaker 2: ... be judgmental, I promise. (laughs) So anyway, let's get back to how do we then walk into a room, you go into a par... Sometimes you know the people, sometimes you don't. I mean, it could be... or it could be a combination of the two. So when you walk into a room, should you have something that you're projecting to someone or be open to the possibilities of how to change when you're there?

[24:13] Speaker 4: No, I think you should always come in authentic, right?

[24:16] Speaker 2: Okay. Yeah.

[24:16] Speaker 4: But the, but the big thing is, before you walk in, to set yourself up with a feeling of protection.I'm gonna go in and I'm in a good place, and I'm going to protect my space. I'm going to protect my energy. And if these are people that you're used to walking into that you don't enjoy or that you feel vibe on you, it's important to protect that and to stay in tune with your own energy.

[24:44] Speaker 2: Perfect.

[24:44] Speaker 4: Don't allow other people's energy to ruin what you have going on. And sometimes we need to prepare for that beforehand.

[24:52] Speaker 2: Yeah. No, I agree. Now, te- tell... Just quickly... Ah, shoot. We've always... I always run out of time when we have a great conversation.

[24:59] Speaker 4: (laughs)

[24:59] Speaker 2: Um, so, Kerri, tell me, uh, about The Union Therapy Group. Is this something that we should let them know, or a website to go to?

[25:08] Speaker 4: Sure. You can go to theuniontherapygroup.com, or you can go to my Instagram at @theuniontherapygroup and, um, check out what I have going on. Um, anybody can reach me through the website or through, um, Instagram.

[25:27] Speaker 2: Fantastic. Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us, Kerri. Keep up the good work, because w- there's an awful lot of negativity out there. Uh, I say there's more negatives in one day that can last (laughs) you a lifetime. Uh, but sometimes you just have to, like you said, be who you are, be authentic, and open-minded too. Always be open-minded.

[25:48] Speaker 4: Yep.

[25:49] Speaker 2: Thank you so much for taking the time.

[25:51] Speaker 4: Oh, thank you so much for having me.

[25:52] Speaker 2: You betcha. Anytime. You're welcome to come back.

[25:55] Speaker 4: Thank you so much. Bye.

[25:57] Speaker 2: Bye-bye now. And once again, you can go to theuniontherapygroup.com, and it's Kerri Van Schaick. It's spelled though S-C-H-A-I-C-K, uh, but you... It's pronounced Schaick. All right. Stay with us. Apple a day keeps the doctor away, maybe.

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[32:20] Speaker 11: How come you're always such a fussy young man? Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran. Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan? So eat it. Just ...

[32:31] Speaker 2: Well, eat it. Yeah, I guess you can. Now, you've heard the saying, "Power to the people," right? Well, I got a new one. Power to the apple. (laughs) Did you know apples are the most widely consumed fruit globally? And what a variety. I mean, I'm gonna have to ask Susan how many varieties there are. But, you know, there's the Red Delicious, the Fuji, the Gala, the Granny Smith, a taste for everyone. And healthy? Well, you bet. And that comes from Dr. Susan Smith Jones, who searches the world for the best in holistic health, anti-aging, optimum nutrition, balanced living, and she's authored a ton of books, including her latest, A Hug and a Mug: Revitalize with Superfoods, Uplifted: 12 Minutes To, uh, More Joy, Peace, and More. Uh, and now a children's book we're gonna hear about, uh, Vegetable Soup: The Fruit Bowl. Gonna find out about that, too. Hi, Dr. Jones. How are you?

[33:29] Speaker 12: Well, how are you? I'm doing great, and I'm so excited to talk about one of my most favorite fruits. We've never talked about it before.

[33:39] Speaker 2: No, we haven't, you know? And we take it for granted. How many different types of apples are there?

[33:44] Speaker 12: Are you sitting down?

[33:45] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[33:47] Speaker 12: 7,500 varieties-

[33:49] Speaker 2: No.

[33:50] Speaker 12: ... worldwide. Uh, uh, that's just incredible to me.

[33:53] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[33:53] Speaker 12: It's a little bit mind-boggling.

[33:55] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[33:56] Speaker 12: And the wi- and the primary wild ancestor of the modern domesticated apple was called the Malus sieversii.

[34:07] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[34:08] Speaker 12: Great cr- uh, great, two great words to bring up at a boring party.

[34:12] Speaker 2: Oh.

[34:12] Speaker 12: But it's believed to have originated in Central Asia 5,000 years ago, and then the domesticated ones spread through, uh, the, you know, the Silk Road and into Europe and beyond.

[34:28] Speaker 2: So, we're, we're talking about a lot before Johnny Appleseed, huh?

[34:32] Speaker 12: A whole lot more before that.

[34:35] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[34:35] Speaker 12: And, you know, the, the varieties vary in taste, in color, in size, in texture. You can eat them fresh, you can bake, you can make applesauce, apple cider. Um, my, some of my favorites are the Fuji. That, that's sweet and crisp.

[34:52] Speaker 2: That's one of my favorites, Fuji.

[34:53] Speaker 12: Yeah, I love it, love it. Granny Smith is tart and green.

[34:58] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[34:59] Speaker 12: Gala, sweet and aromatic. And I just love the name of this one, too, Honeycrisp.

[35:06] Speaker 2: Uh-huh.

[35:06] Speaker 12: Honeycrisp is juicy and crunchy. So, um, and I'm telling everyone, if you haven't had an apple today, by the time we finish the show, you'll go get one in your kitchen. And if you don't have it, it will go on your grocery list.

[35:22] Speaker 2: I'm, I'm doing that right after I get off the show. (laughs) Serious.

[35:26] Speaker 12: Oh, good.

[35:26] Speaker 2: I am. And I, I just made, um... a, a neighbor of mine came by, and he had been, I, I guess, to the farmer's market or whatever, and he had a three-pound bag of apples. And I don't even know what kind they were, but they were very rosy red, and not too big. Not too big.

[35:42] Speaker 12: Right.

[35:43] Speaker 2: And he said, "Here you go. Here's some apples for you. Don't say I didn't give you anything." And I go, "Okay, thank you."

[35:49] Speaker 12: (laughs)

[35:49] Speaker 2: And so, I baked those, and what I did is I put in some other fruit, blueberries, strawberries, um, what else did I put in there? I can't even remember. Whatever was in the refrigerator got put in there-

[36:02] Speaker 12: Uh-huh.

[36:02] Speaker 2: ... with the apples. I, I baked the apples first for a while, because the other fruit would get mushy. Um, and I put cinnamon over the whole thing, and honey.

[36:13] Speaker 12: Oh, my gosh.

[36:14] Speaker 2: And, oh-

[36:15] Speaker 12: Or, or you could use maple syrup.

[36:17] Speaker 2: Yes.

[36:17] Speaker 12: Oh, isn't that delicious?

[36:19] Speaker 2: And I, I had that as a dessert for a friend, and she said, "This is terrific." I, it took a while to bake, because I had to bake the apples to soften, 'cause they were kind of hard. So-

[36:28] Speaker 12: Well, where did you... I know apples can go on, like, a cookie sheet. Where, where did all the other fruit go?

[36:34] Speaker 2: In with the apples.

[36:36] Speaker 12: Oh, you put it inside the apples?

[36:38] Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I cut up all the apples into, you know-

[36:41] Speaker 12: Oh.

[36:41] Speaker 2: ... little container.

[36:41] Speaker 12: Oh. Oh, my God.

[36:42] Speaker 2: And then, I baked those for a while to soften up the apples, and then I put the other fruit in so that it wouldn't become too mushy. You know what I mean?

[36:50] Speaker 12: Yeah. And did you pull out vanilla ice cream afterwards?

[36:50] Speaker 2: But blueberr- 'cause blueberries store it... Oh, ho, y- better than that.

[36:56] Speaker 12: (laughs)

[36:57] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[36:57] Speaker 12: What, what cream?

[36:57] Speaker 2: After I baked them while it was still hot, I topped it with little mini marshmallows.

[37:03] Speaker 12: Oh, my God. (laughs)

[37:05] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[37:05] Speaker 12: You know, I w- I didn't get the phone call to come over and join you.

[37:08] Speaker 2: Oh, well, listen, you'll-

[37:10] Speaker 12: Oh.

[37:10] Speaker 2: I can make you another batch easy.

[37:11] Speaker 12: Okay.

[37:11] Speaker 2: It's not that hard. It- the hardest part is having to cut up the apples. (laughs)

[37:15] Speaker 12: Yeah, exactly.

[37:15] Speaker 2: And then the rest is easy.

[37:16] Speaker 12: But listen, good, good arm workout.

[37:18] Speaker 2: Yeah. But... And I, I had that for two days. Two days, I-

[37:22] Speaker 12: (laughs)

[37:23] Speaker 2: And my, my company loved it. And I said, "Well, next time when you come, I'll..." (laughs)

[37:27] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[37:27] Speaker 2: And... Because each time can be different. You can put different foods, you can make it-

[37:31] Speaker 12: Yeah, exactly. And I bet your bathroom kept opening the door to you.

[37:35] Speaker 2: Uh, no.

[37:36] Speaker 12: No? Okay.

[37:37] Speaker 2: No. No, no, no, no, no.

[37:38] Speaker 12: 'Cause it helps with digestive health too, apples.

[37:40] Speaker 2: That's it. The digestive health is what it needs. (laughs)

[37:43] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[37:43] Speaker 2: So... Okay, so really doesn't apple a day keep the doctor away? Serious.

[37:48] Speaker 12: Well, I'll tell you, a- and that, that's a wonderful saying. It's probably one of the oldest nutrition mottos in the book, but it turns out there's a whole lot of truth to it-

[37:58] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[37:58] Speaker 12: ... because apples are packed with fiber, antioxidants, all these natural plant nutrients, and the apples will deliver daily, I say, daily wellness with every crisp, juicy bite. And I make... I'll tell you in a moment what I put in it, but I make apple smoothies.

[38:20] Speaker 2: Ooh.

[38:20] Speaker 12: I slice them on oatmeal. I eat them fresh a lot. I love to put nut butter on them. Uh, you know, they're so easy and versatile to eat, and I also love that are, they're available. It's not like an exotic food.

[38:36] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[38:36] Speaker 12: It's available in any supermarket, and it's not, uh, expensive, you know. You can find it in your price range.

[38:46] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[38:46] Speaker 12: And I, I, I actually have never found anyone who doesn't love apples.

[38:51] Speaker 2: Yeah. And though... Do you do, uh, eat them with or without the skin? 'Cause I just cut them up with the skin and everything and put... and bake them.

[39:00] Speaker 12: Well, you know what? Ye- yeah, tha- and that's the way you wanna do it. In terms of the skin, you get the most out of the apple if you leave the skin on.

[39:09] Speaker 2: Oh.

[39:09] Speaker 12: That's why it's always important to try to get organic.

[39:12] Speaker 2: Oh, okay.

[39:13] Speaker 12: Because the skin contains, believe it or not, one half of the fruit's fiber, and most of it's called polyphenols, po- polyphenols. I'll talk to you a little bit about them in a moment. But in other words, apples just aren't a quick grab-and-go snack. They're one of the most powerful, accessible, and affordable superfoods God created to nourish and protect our body.

[39:42] Speaker 2: Wow. Well, you say that there are, like, five things, benefits of, of eating apples. Right?

[39:49] Speaker 12: You know what? Yeah. And I'll, I'll run through them. Uh, uh, and th- they'll include, just so you know, a little sneak peek here-

[39:55] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[39:56] Speaker 12: ... the heart, your gut, your blood sugar, your weight, and a little bit more about antioxidants. First, your heart.

[40:04] Speaker 2: Okay.

[40:05] Speaker 12: Apples have to be your heart-heathy hero. They've got soluble fiber, particularly something you've heard of called pectin, and that helps to reduce that bad cholesterol, which is the LDL, and the fiber in the apple binds with the cholesterol in your gut and helps to flush it out of your body naturally. So over time, this supports better circulation, lower blood pressure, and a healthier cardiovascular system.

[40:38] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[40:39] Speaker 12: And they contain what I said a moment ago, something called polyphenols.

[40:43] Speaker 2: Okay.

[40:44] Speaker 12: P-O-L-Y-P-H-E-N-O-L-S. Those are plant, natural plant compounds, uh, that have antioxidant effects and protect your heart and your blood vessels from oxidative stress, meaning all those free radicals that are running around in your body.

[41:04] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[41:04] Speaker 12: So... And, and I've got much more detail about apples and 99 other superfoods in my book, A Hug and a Mug.

[41:12] Speaker 2: Okay.

[41:12] Speaker 12: But let's look at the gut, you know, your digestive system. You, we've heard a lot about friendly bacteria, microbiome.

[41:20] Speaker 2: Yep.

[41:21] Speaker 12: But the apples help give you a really healthy microbiome. They feed your good gut bacteria, they balance the microbiome, and that in, uh, in essence supports immunity, digestion. It even helps, uh, elevate your mood. The apple skins are also loaded with prebiotic fiber that helps all the good beneficial bacteria thrive. So when your... Remember, when your gut's balanced, you feel better all over. Um, blood sugar.

[42:00] Speaker 12: I, I've heard people say, "Well, you know, I'm diabetic, I'm prediabetic, I better not eat any fruit."

[42:06] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[42:06] Speaker 12: But you don't wanna eat a lot of dried fruit or high-fructose fruit, but apples don't fall in that category. They're low on the glycemic index.

[42:17] Speaker 2: Oh.

[42:17] Speaker 12: They're naturally sweet. They're great for blood sugar management. It's because they're rich in fiber, water, natural sugars that slow the glucose absorption, preventing blood sugar spikes.

[42:32] Speaker 2: Huh.

[42:33] Speaker 12: So it makes a, a, a smart, I'd say, a smart snack choice for anyone watching their sugar levels to grab an apple. How about weight?If you're looking for something that's satisfying to have as a snack and that will keep cravings at bay, look no further than the humble apple. It's all that fiber that's in it, and water, but low in calories that makes you feel full longer, supporting natural weight balance. Uh, a- and then, and guess what? I love this. I love the research. Research has shown that people who eat apples regularly are more likely to make healthier food choices throughout the day.

[43:19] Speaker 13: Huh.

[43:19] Speaker 12: And that's 'cause apples train your body to crave nourishment, not just empty calories.

[43:26] Speaker 13: Okay.

[43:27] Speaker 12: And finally, antioxidant. Apples contain a rainbow of antioxidants like vitamin C, quercetin, catechins, and a whole lot more. Uh, um, since we only have three hours now, I've, I've gotta cut this short.

[43:47] Speaker 13: Yeah. (laughs) Yeah.

[43:48] Speaker 12: Uh, but anyway, a- and all of these antioxidants combat oxidative stress, helps with all the free radicals. Uh, and all this oxidative stress that h- occurs in your body, if you don't take care of it, will lead to premature aging, inflammation, chronic disease. So bottom line on all these benefits is when you bite into an apple, you're giving your body a daily dose of natural defense. You're helping it repair, rebuild, and renew right down at a cellular level.

[44:26] Speaker 13: Got it. So is there any time a day that's better to eat an apple, or does it make any difference?

[44:34] Speaker 12: Well, that's a good question. Okay, so here's the good news.

[44:37] Speaker 13: Okay.

[44:38] Speaker 12: There's no wrong time to enjoy an apple.

[44:41] Speaker 13: Huh.

[44:41] Speaker 12: But if you want to get the most out of your crunch, consider these things: morning, midday, evening. I'm, then I'm gonna give you a little pro tip of something I do.

[44:54] Speaker 13: Okay.

[44:54] Speaker 12: In the morning, remember that apples are rich in his fiber, the natural sugars that release slowly, giving you steady, a steady energy boost without caffeine or a, then the, uh, subsequent crash.

[45:11] Speaker 13: Mm-hmm.

[45:12] Speaker 12: A midday snack, you can beat that afternoon snump- slump with an apple. The combination of the water, the fiber, and that natural sweetness helps fight fatigue and hunger.

[45:26] Speaker 13: Mm-hmm.

[45:26] Speaker 12: So what about in the evening? If you crave something sweet after dinner, a- an apple satisfies without overloading the system. But always make sure, you and I've talked about this, to make sure you have it at least an hour before bedtime for the best digestion. And what I do often in the morning is I'll make, I make smoothies.

[45:49] Speaker 13: Mm-hmm.

[45:50] Speaker 12: And more often than not, it will have an apple in it. And I'll take, I usually take a liquid base of tea and/or my nut milk, and then I put in a scoop of good organic, uh, protein powder with an apple, uh, to give me energy and, and support all day. But to that, I will add some greens, like spinach and kale. I'll sprinkle in cinnamon, one of your favorites, a tablespoon of flaxseed, uh, and I blend it all up. And if I want it creamier, I'll put in some, uh, some kind of yogurt. You know, there, I, I'm more, I go for non-dairy, and there, gosh, I just went to my health food store yesterday.

[46:37] Speaker 12: There's so many-

[46:39] Speaker 13: Mm-hmm.

[46:39] Speaker 12: ... non-dairy yogurts these days too.

[46:42] Speaker 13: Yeah.

[46:42] Speaker 12: Uh, just make sure you don't have yogurt that has a whole lot of sugar in it.

[46:47] Speaker 13: Yeah. That's, sometimes it's hard to find one without the sugar anymore.

[46:52] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[46:52] Speaker 13: Uh, or fruit that they put in it. I'd rather put my own fresh fruit in it.

[46:56] Speaker 12: There you go.

[46:57] Speaker 13: So-

[46:57] Speaker 12: So much better.

[46:58] Speaker 13: So how much do I need to eat? Like, an apple a day or more often? I-

[47:04] Speaker 12: Well, you know what? I love that, because, um... Let, let, let me just say this to you. What if you ate an apple a day for 30 days?

[47:16] Speaker 13: Okay.

[47:16] Speaker 12: Le- le- let's just, I'm gonna pretend that everyone listening will be doing that.

[47:21] Speaker 13: Okay.

[47:21] Speaker 12: Because studies have shown things that will happen if you just have an apple a day.

[47:28] Speaker 13: Oh.

[47:28] Speaker 12: Uh, uh, and again, I write about that, all about apples and 99 other super superfoods in A Hug and a Mug. But this simple daily habit, you can get it in your, in your diet any way you want during the day. Um, it will improve digestion 'cause it supports you being regular. That's why I said to you, "Was your bathroom door open?"

[47:52] Speaker 13: Oh, okay. (laughs)

[47:54] Speaker 12: And eliminates toxins more efficiently. It gives you natural energy. That means steadier blood sugar, and that will mean fewer crashes and more sustained vitality. It gives you tremendous hydration. You know why?

[48:12] Speaker 13: Why?

[48:12] Speaker 12: Apples are 85% water.

[48:15] Speaker 13: Really?

[48:15] Speaker 12: So it helps keeping you, keeps you hydrated throughout the day.

[48:19] Speaker 13: Huh.

[48:20] Speaker 12: It will give you clear skin, and that's because the antioxidants and lots of vitamin C in the apple support collagen production and a healthy glow, and you get this overall vitality. It, that, it really will keep the doctor away, an apple a day, 'cause you get better gut balance, circulation, more brain power. It elevates your mood, more nutrients.And, and here's, here's even the best part.

[48:53] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[48:53] Speaker 12: If you keep it going after 30 days, as you probably will 'cause you'll be feeling so good, you'll see how much better you feel and, and how you look when you eat this beautiful plant-based nutrition that is so good for you. And I think in every sense of the word superfood, apples qualify. Not, not because, like I said, not because they're exotic, but because they're extraordinary in their simplicity. And remember, so much of disease is caused from indigestion-

[49:32] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[49:32] Speaker 12: ... inflammation throughout your body. And one of the, one of the many benefits of apples is its, uh, all the antioxidants in it make it a very potent anti-inflammatory superfood. It's detoxifying in your body. It's natural hydration, but low calorie.

[49:56] Speaker 2: Oh, I was just gonna ask you, what's the calories? Well, it depends on the size of the apple though, does it?

[50:00] Speaker 12: Yeah. A- yeah, absolutely. It depends on the size, but like a medium size would be about 100 calories.

[50:06] Speaker 2: Okay.

[50:07] Speaker 12: But it's also raw and delicious. And, you know, think about it this way, there's no prep unle- unless you make your baked apples, okay?

[50:18] Speaker 2: Yeah. (laughs)

[50:19] Speaker 12: Uh, there's no peeling, which is very appealing to me.

[50:23] Speaker 2: Yep, me too. (laughs)

[50:24] Speaker 12: Uh-huh. Yeah. And, and I'll tell you something I love to make. So visualize this as I'm saying it. So you take an apple. You know, um, you know how you can get something that takes the core out?

[50:38] Speaker 2: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[50:39] Speaker 12: So-

[50:40] Speaker 2: I think I'm gonna get that 'cause that was... That's, uh, a bear.

[50:43] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[50:43] Speaker 2: So you-

[50:43] Speaker 12: No, no, no. That, that-

[50:43] Speaker 2: ... you have to cut around the core.

[50:44] Speaker 12: I have one and whew, saves times and keeps your fingers from getting cut.

[50:49] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[50:50] Speaker 12: Uh, and then I slice the apple. Now, not, not slices up and down, but side to side so you have big ring circles, right?

[51:01] Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.

[51:02] Speaker 12: Okay. And, and you wouldn't even need to core it, uh, because it's not a problem eating the apple seeds if they're organic. So what I do then is I'll take two slices. You know how you can make an ice cream sandwich?

[51:17] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.

[51:18] Speaker 12: Well, I, I'm not gonna use ice cream, but I'll take my favorite nut butter, like almond butter, or peanut butter, or cashew butter, and then I'll sprinkle a little bit of granola on top of that so I get even more crunch.

[51:34] Speaker 2: Mm.

[51:35] Speaker 12: I sprinkle a little cinnamon because I love that, and then I put the other slice of apple, so it's like a little apple sandwich that you can then cut in half to like two sl- And you could eat three of these. You know, it's like you could get three little san- apple sandwiches out of an apple with a little nut butter on the inside. Sometimes I'll sprinkle on raisins or dried cherries.

[52:05] Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.

[52:05] Speaker 12: And it's just a fun way and different way to eat apples.

[52:10] Speaker 2: Yeah. That sounds good. Are there any apples that have more of all this superfood stuff in it or they all about the same?

[52:20] Speaker 12: They're, they're very similar. The green apples have less sugar. Uh, uh, not, not that there's too much sugar in the red. Um, and you... And again, with apples, you really, if at all possible, you wanna get them organically grown.

[52:39] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[52:40] Speaker 12: Um, that's important. But I, I... You know, if I had to give you a little bottom line to all these apple stuff, apples always remind us or remind me that the best health solutions don't have to be complicated.

[52:55] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[52:55] Speaker 12: You know? It... They're proof that God's creation gives us what we need to live vibrantly one bite at a time.

[53:04] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[53:04] Speaker 12: So the next time you reach for a snack, grab an apple instead of processed food. You know? And again, just summarizing, you can add some chunks into your smoothie, pair one with a little nut butter, um, make your apple sauce, make your baked apples. How about apple pie? You can put them... You can juice them 'cause sometimes the simplest habits bring the best blessings.

[53:33] Speaker 2: You bet.

[53:33] Speaker 12: And that definitely is true when it comes to, uh, these beloved apples.

[53:38] Speaker 2: Now, what's this about a children's book?

[53:41] Speaker 12: Oh, no, no, no. I've had, I've had this for quite a while.

[53:44] Speaker 2: Oh, I didn't know.

[53:46] Speaker 12: Uh, it, it's in its 15th printing.

[53:48] Speaker 2: Oh.

[53:48] Speaker 12: It's called Vegetable Soup, The Fruit Bowl, and it's two books in one.

[53:53] Speaker 2: Oh.

[53:54] Speaker 12: It's for kids ages two to nine. If you go to my website, susansmithjones.com, and click on Books, scroll right down to Vegetable Soup, The Fruit Bowl, or you can get autographed copies from me. It won the prestigious, um, Disney iParenting Media Award-

[54:16] Speaker 2: Oh, wow.

[54:16] Speaker 12: ... a few years ago for the best nutrition book for children.

[54:20] Speaker 2: Huh.

[54:20] Speaker 12: Full color, beautiful verse, teaches kids the connection between how they look and how they feel. Uh, and kids... And then places in the book where kids can write down their favorite fruits, favorite vegetables, and it never fails, all kids wanna eat more fruits and vegetables when they get this book.

[54:43] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. No, absolutely. So now don't forget, you gotta tell them about your newsletter.

[54:48] Speaker 12: Yeah. So go to m- go to my website, susansmithjones-... dot com. That really is my name. (laughs)

[54:57] Speaker 2: Yeah?

[54:57] Speaker 12: Uh, and over on the right in the navigation bar it says, "Subscribe," so once a month you get a beautiful newsletter from me. Next month will have some extra details about apples. My book, A Hug and a Mug, you know, it's all about revitalized with the best superfoods, body, mind, and spirit. That comes in color and black and white. You can find out info on my website. It, it's available, uh, at Amazon. Follow me on X @SusanSmithJones and, um, and take really good care of your body 'cause you know, I believe God has given us all this gift of a miraculous body and one of our gifts back to our Creator is just to take more loving care of our bodies. And you can't go wrong by eating an apple a day.

[55:50] Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, uh, I'll tell you, uh, you know, God created us perfectly and then we screwed it all up. (laughs) We just-

[55:57] Speaker 12: I, I, I will second that one. Yeah.

[55:59] Speaker 2: Yeah. (laughs) Just, uh, and, and we do it, we know we're doing it. That, that's what amazes me. And I do the same thing. You know? I'm still into the ice cream, uh, es- especially ice cream bars and into, uh, popcorn. Oh, I love popcorn. Uh-

[56:16] Speaker 12: Well, popcorn's not so bad unless you put a lot of stuff on it that's not so good for you.

[56:22] Speaker 2: Well, I, I eat the popcorn th- but I have to have butter in it, you know? Not butter just pouring it over. In, in the popcorn itself already.

[56:31] Speaker 12: Yeah. A little bit. Yeah.

[56:32] Speaker 2: And, and I've been eating a popcorn that is really good, uh, that has real butter. It's not like fake butter.

[56:39] Speaker 12: Well, if you're going to have butter, you do not want the fake stuff.

[56:43] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[56:43] Speaker 12: That's for sure.

[56:44] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[56:45] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[56:45] Speaker 2: And a lot of popcorns have like an aftertaste and I think it's because it's fake, you know? (laughs) It's not for real. Um-

[56:52] Speaker 12: Yes. Yes. Yes.

[56:53] Speaker 2: But, anyway, yeah, the... Uh, I'll have to take you off the air. I won- 'cause I don't wanna advertise it, but, um, the popcorn is, is, oh yes, good.

[57:01] Speaker 12: Oh.

[57:02] Speaker 2: And it's movie-

[57:02] Speaker 12: Wow.

[57:03] Speaker 2: ... theater popcorn. And it, it's kind of like my... That's my comfort food. I gotta-

[57:07] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[57:07] Speaker 2: ... be honest.

[57:07] Speaker 12: No. I, I totally understand that. And by the way, when you... And it's free to sign up for my newsletter.

[57:14] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.

[57:15] Speaker 12: When you do, you get a lot of gifts from me and one of the gifts is my delicious recipe for moist, fudgy beet brownies. You would never know the beets are in them.

[57:31] Speaker 2: Really?

[57:31] Speaker 12: There's a little bit of applesauce in it to keep 'em really moist. Um, and I quadruple the recipe. They freeze well. Everyone loves these.

[57:43] Speaker 2: Ooh.

[57:43] Speaker 12: And th- and that's one of the gifts you get is the recipe for the moist, fudgy beet brownies. (laughs)

[57:52] Speaker 2: Well-

[57:52] Speaker 12: When you sign up for my newsletter.

[57:55] Speaker 2: Fabul- I've gotta look at... I'm, I'm already signed up so I get the newsletter.

[57:58] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[57:58] Speaker 2: I'm gonna have to look for that-

[58:01] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[58:01] Speaker 2: ... because, uh, beets... It really it doesn't taste like... 'Cause I-

[58:04] Speaker 12: No, no.

[58:04] Speaker 2: ... hate beets. I'm sorry. (laughs) I don't like-

[58:07] Speaker 12: You would never know that there are beets in it.

[58:08] Speaker 2: ... beets. Really?

[58:09] Speaker 12: Yeah.

[58:09] Speaker 2: Maybe that's the way to get beets into me, you know? (laughs) That's... So...

[58:12] Speaker 12: Yeah. Maybe.

[58:14] Speaker 2: Uh-

[58:14] Speaker 12: Um, you know, I, I, I put in a big pot, um, some sliced beets and a lot of apples and a lot of cinnamon and dried cherries and raisins, bring it to a boil, simmer, um, and, and it... Th- you can't really taste the beets. You mostly taste the apple. It tastes really good.

[58:38] Speaker 2: That's for me. That's for me. (laughs) That's... 'Cause when I eat beets alone, I... If I... If it's in a salad and all that, I can, I can do it. But eating it alone tastes like dirt. I'm sorry.

[58:49] Speaker 12: Yeah. You know? Well, maybe they do have dirt on them still-

[58:52] Speaker 2: (laughs) Now-

[58:53] Speaker 12: ... if you clean them well.

[58:54] Speaker 2: ... ha... Well, and I don't wanna run out of time here. Give them your website-

[58:57] Speaker 12: Okay.

[58:57] Speaker 2: ... and, and all that.

[58:58] Speaker 12: My name, SusanSmithJones.com. (instrumental music plays)

[59:03] Speaker 2: Okay.

[59:04] Speaker 12: Right there.

[59:05] Speaker 2: Terrific. As always, I love talking with you and I look forward-

[59:09] Speaker 12: Thank you.

[59:09] Speaker 2: ... to our next time together. And thank you about the apple 'cause I just bought some more apples, so I'm gonna (laughs) have some more-

[59:15] Speaker 12: Oh, good.

[59:15] Speaker 2: ... apples this weekend.

[59:15] Speaker 12: Good. And go... Don't just say red. Go red and green too 'cause remember, it's Christmas.

[59:21] Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. That's true. (laughs)

[59:22] Speaker 12: Christmas time.

[59:22] Speaker 2: I love it. Thanks so much, Dr. Jones.

[59:25] Speaker 12: Thank you.

[59:25] Speaker 2: You're the best. In the meanwhile, folks, live simply, laugh often, love deeply, and above all else, dare to dream. It's Pop Talk. We'll give you those dream types. (instrumental music plays)