Health, Aging Gracefully, and Boosting Energy with Dr. Tanjie Brewer

Welcome to Obsessed, where Mika, Tia and I challenge the thoughts that limit you, where we provide the tools for transformation, be prepared to be swept away into the raw power of obsession, unlocking secrets and stories behind the insatiable hunger for growth and change. This is more than just a podcast, this is your story. It is a manifesto for those who refuse to settle, who dare to dream and who are relentless in the pursuit of living a great life. Get obsessed with your life. I just ate an ice cream sundae. I had a piece of pizza. I wanted to have a beer and I'm feeling bloated and disgusting. But you know what? That's okay because we have Dr. Tangy Brewer here. She is the head of Stylish and Fit. If you see Tangy, who I love, adore, she is amazing. She is a specimen of perfection in terms of being a human being, beautiful, smart. She is a trifecta. Meeting her the first time, I was like, oh my gosh, she's going to think I'm such a loser. But that's quite the opposite. She picked me up every time I see her. She picks me up, spins me around like a maniac. She has compassion. She has a story. If you are feeling right now, a little bit discouraged in terms of your journey in hell in your journey in vitality, your journey in feeling beautiful from the inside out. Tangy is here. You guys, everything about Tangy will be in the show notes. If you don't know Dr. Tangy Brewer, you're going to know her now. Stop feeling fat. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop making excuses. Together we are going to learn how to be more vital and energized with my girl Tangy Brewer. Oh my goodness. Let me just say, Julie, you and I had a synergistic experience where we first met and it has not stopped. I love you to pieces. I love your energy. And thank you for this incredible introduction. I am constantly doing my best to be my best self every day, no perfection, but just the desire to continue to be the best. I'm super excited to be here with you today. That hard, I mean, because I think we were raised in a generation where women are told that they can be everything. And I see people around me and we're all, we all have struggles. We're all going through things. We are dealing with kids. We're dealing with partners. We're dealing with money. We're dealing with building businesses. We're dealing with things. And it takes a toll on our body. Do you see a trend in terms of how people are not taking care of themselves the way that they should be? Absolutely. Especially in today's society, Julie, where it's so fast paced. Have you ever heard someone say, oh my gosh, the days are flying by? We hear that all the time. And the expectation to be on and to continue to deliver in this fast paced society doesn't stop. And so what happens is, Julie, fitness, health and wellness, it gets on the back burner because there's so many things that take precedence where people feel like, okay, I got to do this. I got to do this because time is out of my hands. When really, that's not true. It's not true, but I think we, especially if I'm speaking to women specifically, we beat ourselves up just because we can't keep up with that pace. And we put our identity into things that don't matter. I see you. Guys, I know you don't see Tanti right now, Dr. Brewer. She is beyond gorgeous. I'm just going to say that. Julie. I'm trying to say perfect body because that's like, that's kind of, but you look, you're smoking hot. Let me just say you're smoking hot. How can we compete with somebody? And I'm going to ask you, I don't compete, but I always, I'm inspired. How can we compete with someone like you who looks like they have all their stuff together? You said the right thing. It is not to compete, but it's to be inspired because really the only competition is the person staring right back at you. And I often will say that our journey is so exceptionally beautiful. And we, if we can understand that even the size that we are, we have to celebrate that because within all of our hands holds the power to change the very health direction of our life at any given moment. And so that is the inspiration, not the competition. That is the gift that everybody is given. And if I can stir up that gift and to everyone to say, you know what, there are many people who are, have gone way higher than me as far as in their physical bodies, right? You see these models that are these specimens, gorgeous specimens walking. And what I do, I get inspired to say, you know what, I'm going to be my best self. Let them inspire me to tap deeper into what I have because if they can do it, I can do it too, right? And everybody has their level of strength that runs so deep that when they tap into it, it is an endless reservoir. And that is the beauty of it. That is the beauty of the journey. So there's no competition in it. There's only limitless potential for everybody. I mean, does it matter though, Tange? Does it matter what we look like? Really because I have seen some phenomenal beauties. Like I have worked with people at the higher echelon and business in media, in TV, and they're actually miserable. So what is the most important thing you think we should be focusing on just to recalibrate ourselves? You know what, Julie, you asked that $1 million question. Does it matter how we love? And I will tell you this. It does matter how you present yourself to the world. And size doesn't matter though, Julie. I don't know if you've ever seen someone who's comfortable in their skin and they are just dynamic regardless of their size. And skinny isn't necessarily healthy, but just being your best friend. Skinny fat, Tange. Skinny fat. Hello. There's a lot of skinny fat people walking around. And there are people who are larger than them that can run up five-slot fights of stairs and the skinny person can't, right? So it's not about size, but really it is about how your energy look. Can I say that? It is about how you exude how you feel from the inside out. So when you walk into an atmosphere, is your energy on 10 or is it at a five? Do you feel tired? Do you feel not comfortable in your skin? That is what shows, Julie. My dear is the beautiful presence that shows. I love that. And honestly, I'm just going to share a little bit and I don't know if I've shared this with our listeners, but I don't think I have shared this with Tange. I'm almost positive. I, as a teenager, well, prepubescent, I was always cute. Looking back, I look at the little girl and I was cute and I just hated myself. I hated my body. I did whatever to fit in. I tried to lose weight. I just silenced myself and I tried to look a certain way, meaning in high school. I probably, actually, I know I went on the spectrum of the eating disorder because my mother took me in for an MRI because I wasn't having my period every month and she was worried. What's going on? It kind of directed my mental health, my mindset. Going to college, I gained that extra 20, 30. It took me, after I had children, to really get into more of a healthy mindset where I worked out, I worked out. Then I hit this thing called menopause. I'm like, what the hell? I am doing all the same things. And it's a constant thing I'm fighting with. Do I want to be thin? Do I want to be fit? Do I want to look young? Do I want to be a good mom? Do I want to be a good wife? Where do we go? I know nobody better than you to talk about energy because I feel like my energy is depleted. I'm not sure what I should focus on. It is a long road that I've been on. So I'm just sitting at the feet of an expert here. I know your wheels are turning. They are. And thank you for being so vulnerable, Julie, to share your journey. And there are so many people that are feeling the same but just may not voice it. So for those that are feeling like their life is out of their hands because menopause is taken over or just the reality of getting older, there is definitely hope for you. And if you can take a moment to pause and say, I'm going to prioritize me, then you have the ability to change how you feel your energy and your presence right now. So even with menopause, Julie, I will say that it does have a lot to do with the way that we take care of this body. And you mentioned your menstrual cycle too before you even had menopause. Well, I learned a long time ago when I was about 14 years old that how I ate and how I took care of my body would change how my cycle would be. I would then not have cramps and not have the bloating that many people have when I decided to stop all the wheat and the gluten and the prostrate hydrogenated soybean oils and the sugars. My cycle changed, Julie, over time where it was just kind of like that faucet every month that you turn on, right? And I make it a little tear-jerker and a tick flake. I may feel a little emotional, but that was the extent of it because while we are menstruating, that's when we're supposed to feel our most powerful. We're supposed to feel that energy more than ever, but it's been reversed because of how we take care of our bodies, but that's not the way our bodies were meant to be. And then now, fast forward to menopause, we are not supposed to be having hot flashes that heat up the windows and fog up the windows. We're not supposed to have sleepless nights and feel like we don't know who we are. And there's a lot of people who are having so many, even suicidal thoughts, trigger warning, because of menopause. There is hope, and what I will say is you want to start by looking at your hormones. There's an incredible test called the Dutch test, Julie. And many people don't know that that's at their fingertips to go and look and see where their hormones are, where their levels are, and then start to reset your body by looking at what you're eating every day. I always will say this, when you lift your fork, you have to ask yourself, what is this about to serve me? Because food is going to release a message to your body, and it's going to give the message that your body needs, or it's going to be something if we don't eat what's right. It's going to block the message that our body needs to say, hey, you can have a good menopause and you like, say, right? And so we've got to understand that rest is important. The way that we eat is important, looking at three culprits, our sugar, our sodium, and our prostate hydrogenated soybean oils. And also, look at that Dutch test, your hormones too as well, and then exercise. Are you ensuring that you're doing at least your strain training three times a week? Because people who strain train have a 30 to 40% more longevity than those that do not, and they're going to change the energetic flow of their body even at a cellular level. So that's going to change the way they deal with menopause and also cardio too as well. So those are just a few tips, of course. We can go on and on, but those are a few. No. And this is so good. So taking notes, I've never heard of the Dutch test, so I'm going to take a look. I'll put links in the show notes. Sugar, salt, and partially hydrated, you have to help me here. Hydrogenated soybean oils. So those are oils like your canola oils or soybean oils, those palm oils, a lot of those oils that are hidden in salad dressings and a lot of other processed foods, and many people are not reading the labels, and it is affecting their body in a major way. I love sugar. This is the problem. How can, and I really tried to get off sugar, but everything you eat, there's hidden sugars in our food. I have to say, you just sugar, sugar, sugar, Julie, because you're so sweet. I love you so much. As far as what we consume and the sugar that's in everything like you just mentioned, it's even in things that we don't even realize. And that's called refined sugars, right? And so when we start looking at unrefined sugars, that we can sugar, excuse me, that we can sweeten with that are more natural, like making cookies with dates, which I absolutely love, and people can't even tell the difference. It's in how you make the item. And so that's why I came up with a cookbook a long while ago, Julie, because I realized that if we take the time to look at the ingredients and research the ingredients, we can make amazing treats that I like to say, make a taste buds dance in our body too. So using things like crema apple syrup like honey, it's going to metabolize in the body a lot differently than a refined sugar would. And so you have to begin to research the things that are even on the shelves that have sugar. And then a lot of the things like your sodas, it has a half a glass of sugar, your Gatorades and a lot of these other drinks. The moment you begin to eliminate those, you're going to begin to see a drastic change in your body because sugar releases dopamine, which becomes an addicting. So people get addicted to it and they're trying to go after this high, right? And then they can never achieve it, but they're still continuing to go after it because why? The body is really rejecting it. And so the body is trying to look for the nutrient. And so the body is going to begin to crave different things. So that's why people go to sodium, then they go back to sugar, then they go to something crunching. The body is just all over the place because they're not achieving the satiation that whole foods will bring them. And of course, fruit is nature's candy anyway, right? So if you're doing things like dried mango that's already sweet, and what happens is once you change the very environment of your body, your taste buds will change. And I've seen people who go, oh my gosh, none of my body is more alkaline. I don't even want something as sweet because now for me, Julie, if I had, you know, people would use a cake that's someone made from a box cake or something. I just couldn't do it because my taste buds would go crazy with the overpowerment of sugar. So what you want to do is focus on unrefined sugars and making your body more alkaline and then your taste buds will change. Okay. So for someone that likes to wake up and have a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, I mean, I understand the addiction of sugar. How do we wean off sugar in a realistic way? Because everything you say, you meet Tanji, she's gorgeous, she's doing everything right. She is so smart. Everything I want to be her when I grow younger. However, it's easier said than done. To be honest, you know this, like it's easier said than done. What would be my first step to get myself off of sugar? I feel like sugar is the most addictive substance more than heroin, nicotine, all those, because it just is ingrained in our diets. Yes. Well, there's something that many people can do and it's just like a sugar week, right? And it's deciding that for maybe you start with two weeks, maybe start with a week, then two weeks, then maybe a month, which would be great to wean yourself off. And so what you would do is just like someone getting off of heroin, right? Or a drug, they're going to make a decision. Now, I'm going to tell you, it's not going to be easy because nothing that you do worth having in life that you're achieving another goal is going to be easy. We all know that. But when you commit to understanding that your very life depends on it, that the longevity of your life and your mission upon this earth depends on how you maintain and take care of this body. I believe that you can do it. And so you want to start with that detoxification. And so you'll say, okay, I'm not going to have the sugar in my coffee when I have my coffee because first of all, coffee can be a faucet of energy anyway. And when you begin to take that away and say, okay, let me see what I can manufacture myself as far as my own energy. So start with saying, okay, let me look at a sugar substitute until you can even wean off of some of those substitutes. Now, I'm not talking about the artificial sweeteners like aspartame and Splenda, any of that because that's poison to the body. I'm talking about a different substitute, like maybe sweetening with honey or something like that and not the refined white sugar, okay? And then until you can totally wean yourself off of that, then you're going to begin to look at what is it that you've been consuming, maybe the sweets and those particular things. You're going to stay off of that as well. So it is weaning yourself off of all the refined sugar. So that's step number one. And then there is a different step that you will go where you even lay off of honey, pure maple syrup, all of those things as well when you're doing a sugar detoxification. So there's levels, Julie, of what people can do. But one thing I will say is start by making a decision to look at what's in the things that you're buying because a lot of things now they're saying sugar, you have to look at the sugar content. You have to look at the added sugars, right? Because a lot of the cereals, general meals, all these things, I try to keep my clients with about six sugars, right? And if you're going any higher than that and you don't want to do that, check your yogurts that you're buying. Begin to just look. That's the first step, that's second step too. I would say begin to take inventory of everything in your cabinet. Go through your cabinet now and look at everything that has sugar. It'll say sugar. It'll say high fructose corn syrup, which is sugar. It'll say corn syrup, which is sugar. It'll say brown rice syrup, which is basically sugar. So you have to know what they're putting in the products that are different descriptions for the word sugar, right? Because a lot of the times they will disguise sugar and say another word for it and people think, okay, there's not that much sugar in it, but really there is. So you've got to be responsible with everything that you consume. That is important. A lot of your clients get really mad at you when you're like, okay, we're doing a sugar detox because I know and I guess I don't know because what do you get when you have a lot of sugar? You get that. It gets out of the stomach, right? And that probably is my biggest, my biggest enemy is my stomach, but I know it is sugar. So how do you do this without killing your spouse, your children, everybody around you? Because I know it's a lot. It is a lot. I have compassion for people who are really struggling. Well, here's the thing. I've worked with many people, Julie, that have been addicted to sugar and they have not killed me, right? I'm still, I'm talking to you. Why are you here, girl? Yes, but I haven't had tomatoes thrown at me. But what I have done with my clients, I've given them different alternatives and they've been like, wow, I had no idea that this is something that I can consume and it wouldn't have the same result on my body like a refined sugar would. So really it's education. And many people are just highly surprised that there are so many alternatives out there than having the sugars and things that are at their fingertips that are detrimental to their body. And my clients, when they come to me, they want change. They want energy. Sort of like you were talking about that energy. People want to thrive in life. They're tired of just existing and missing moments because they don't feel well. And when they come to me, they're just ready to feel well. And I'm like, there is hope, but you've got to do the work. And then they're like, oh my gosh, this is fun work because they have all these aha moments like, wow, this is incredible. I had no idea. And that for me is the fun of it. And I can expose people to healthy alternatives. And this generation, they're all looking for dopamine hits, whether it's social media, whether it is sugar, alcohol, cannabis, you know, they're all looking for these easy ways out. And I know you're a mom too. I am a mom of four boys. You're a mom of one boy. How do you do that within reality of raising children? You know, because I can't control my kids once they're out of my orbit. But how do you do that within your family structure? Because I think my kids would probably roll the ranks at me. Well, it's number one, not bringing in the house and saying no. So my son during the Easter holiday, I told him, okay, you can go. And get a snack. He knows the snacks within boundaries. And he came out with those little, those bunnies that look like they're yellow. The peeps. The peeps. The peeps. And so he came out with peeps. And I'm like, you're not eating this. And he's like, but mom, instead of grabbing a snack, I said within the boundaries, the first ingredient was sugar. The next ingredient was corn syrup. I'm like, no, you're not having it here. So it is ensuring that we are the ones that really set the boundaries in the home when it comes to our children. They, when they say, hey, I want fruit loops for breakfast. And that's what I want. Then you go, okay, that's not what you're going to get. You're going to get some protein. You're going to have these eggs. You can have this here, you know, and then teaching my son, okay, you know, French toast, though we can make a healthy French toast. This is how you make a healthy French toast. And so it is doing the same thing like that I would do for my clients, will be for my son. Now I will tell you this, Julie, it is very, very hard. When my son was younger, I had a lot more control. He would go to someone's house and they would give him pizza and he would say, may I have a kale salad to balance this pizza out with? Right? Because I would stop now. Oh my goodness. When I tell you this is the 100% true, the parents would go nuts. And then when we would go to Whole Foods, he would go to the bar and say, I'm going to get me a rainbow salad because all the different colors of the vegetables matter. And they were looking at him go, oh my gosh, you is this kid. And that's the first thing you always ate were the vegetables on his plate, all of that. And that's why I tell him, that's why you're so smart now. That's why you're one of the number one athletes is because how you set the tone for your body. But now I'll go in his room. I'll find skinnels in the drawers. Thank God. I was feeling really guilty actually, to be honest. I didn't like, thank you. Thank you for having Skittles and Dr. Tangy's help. Thank you. Yeah, he definitely had to Skittles and he definitely eats at other places when he's not around me. I mean, he's going to eat his fries, he's going to eat those things. Now, I don't buy that for him, but you're right, Julie, we cannot control it. We can only put those words of wisdom into your spirits. And even, and there's a book called Bible that says train up a child in the way that they should go. When they get older, they will not depart, right? And so when they get older, they're going to remember your words that were reserved from the moments that they needed. So they may be at a place deciding, what am I going to get to eat? And then they may hear your voice in their spirit that said, okay, mom said, if I eat this, this is what it's going to do to my body in the long run, and they're going to make a better decision. And you always want your kids to go off track because if you have trained them up, like you said, they will come back. You know, having a kid that is so obedient that does whatever you say, that worries me too. But the fact that your son brought Skittles and may have some pizza, you know, they'll figure it out for themselves eventually. You have trained him. You have trained him. Oh, Julie, you mentioned pizza. Yeah, I'll come and I'll find that he's ordered something from, you know, DoorDash, but I've had something else prepared for him in the kitchen, right? That's already there at his lunch, but a kid is going to want what they want. And you do actually have to allow them some sort of freedom because when they're not under your to glitch, right, they're going to do what they want. And so my son is definitely at that place where he's extremely independent and he is going to order what he wants. He even has his own money, his own debit card. And so I'll say, you know, you're not supposed to have that, but I cannot a lot of times change what he does when he's not there. No, we just can't, right? So we can only do what we can do when they're around us, do our best to hide the vegetables and smoothies. You know, when we can is doing what we can to make it different in these kids' lives because it really does matter, especially with diabetes, being the seventh leading cause of death in nine states. Now that number, 95% makes up type two, which is reversible. And there's a lot of young people getting type two diabetes at a younger age now. And so it's becoming an epidemic and we've got to speak more bluntly to our young people. Well, I know you're speaking bluntly to me and even having conversations and listening to conversations with Dr. Tangy, it will make you think differently about the next thing you've put in your mouth and how is this spoonful of ice cream or pizza or burger serving me in the long run? That is a great, just a great prompt every time I eat something. And I honestly, I don't think I am overweight. I think I tried to work out, but I know, I know, I know I can up level this and I'm fascinated by you, how you parent, how you live your life. And I know it did not come necessarily just because you were born to be like, I'm going to be the healthiest person in the United States. I know there was a story behind this story. Oh my gosh, absolutely. Are you asking about the story? I'm asking about your story. And then I mean, I need people to reach out to you. I need people to jump on the Tangy bandwagon. You do have a powerful story, which honestly, I should have led with. Everyone does, right? These stories that really shape us. And for me, I grew up in a household with five other siblings, four sisters and a brother. We couldn't wait till Friday because we got to pick what we wanted. Oftentimes it would be the Big Mac, the large fry and a Sunday. I don't know if you remember when they had Sundays, but they had the carmel, the fudge, Sundays with nuts on them. So me and my siblings, we would put them in the freezer and in the morning we would have our Sundays while watching Saturday morning cartoons, right? And so that was what we did. And that was around age 13. But when I became a cross country runner, probably around the age of 14, I remember understanding how food affected the way that I ran when I was tracking cross country. And I changed the way that I ate for that week. I ended up winning a race. I went home and I told my parents, I'm no longer eating meat. I'm no longer eating french fries. And I'm no longer eating all the junk that I thought was junk. So I wanted to run so much and I became like really interested in wellness at a very young age. And then fast forward when I was in corporate America, my mom would be diagnosed with high blood pressure. And she told me, hey, I'm going to do it the natural way. And I said, way to go. Yes, mom. I'm excited about that. It was in 2009. And that was in October. And in December, after she was diagnosed, same year, 2009, she had a pain in her chest and she went to the doctor. And it was too long to wait. And she left and she passed away in her sleep. And that would change my life forever. And that would make me go, oh my gosh. I've got to challenge more people to listen to their bodies and to consume what's right because I wanted to see more people grow old and gray. And I always, from the age of 14, when I understood that the way that I ran was different after I ate, I would always be conscious about health and wellness throughout my life. And even when I was working at corporate America, I got some certifications on the side. And it was still dabbling, dabbling in the fitness industry. But it wasn't until that happened with my mother that I resigned from managing about 100 reps and managers and running my own center that I would start my company's style and fit and begin to be on the journey of transforming lives and allowing people to see that within their hands that have the ability to change the very health and the same direction of their life. Wow. You are changing the world. You are an amazing human, amazing friend to me, an amazing mother, and an inspiration. I know I'm going to need you back on here because there are so many little niches in which I want to talk about because it's easier said than done. But with Tangy by your side, you can do it. Get obsessed with Dr. Tangy Brewer. I love her. You can meet her in person in so many different events. I'll put that all in the show notes. Start simple. Don't beat yourself up. Give yourself grace and be the most amazing version of yourself, especially with Tangy by your side. She knows what the hell she's talking about. Love you guys. Thank you for listening to another episode of Obsessed. We're Obsessed with You. Show your love by rating, reviewing, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. Every time you share, you are changing someone else's life. Until we meet again, get obsessed with your life. If you liked the show, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. 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