I am thrilled to connect with the talented culinary personality and tastemaker Anna Vocino today. With her extensive experience as a bestselling cookbook author, actor, stand-up comedian, podcast host, and clean-eating expert, and her role as the founder of Eat Happy Kitchen, Anna brings her wealth of experience to the show. In our discussion, we dive into her journey with autoimmunity, exploring the role of nutrition, the effects of trauma, the importance of healthy eating, and how food can support our overall well-being. We cover her no sugar, no grains approach, especially during perimenopause and menopause, discussing insulin resistance and why we need to set healthy boundaries. We also get into the connection between food choices and mood, the harmful effects of the toxic diet culture, disordered eating, and fears of consuming carbohydrates, highlighting the significance of evaluating food labels, food manufacturing practices, and high-quality ingredients. Lastly, we touch on her latest book, Eat Happy Italian.  I am confident you will enjoy this conversation with Anna Vocino as much as I did. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: How her struggle with autoimmune conditions led Anna to shift to a gluten-free lifestyle Anna discusses her recent surgical menopause  How maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle helps manage the symptoms of menopause The connection between nutrition and mental health Why should we personalize our dietary choices and not feel guilty about enjoying an occasional treat? Why we must read food labels carefully The problem with becoming too rigid about your food choices Anna shares how she creates her food products using only high-quality ingredients  How the recipes Anna creates are adaptable to different dietary restrictions and preferences Ways to navigate the best options in grocery stores and farmer's markets Bio: Anna Vocino Anna Vocino is a comic, culinary tastemaker, clean-eating expert, and founder of the premium natural food company Eat Happy Kitchen. After being diagnosed with celiac disease, she has authored hundreds of gluten-free, low-carb recipes in her bestselling cookbooks Eat Happy, Eat Happy Too, and the upcoming Eat Happy Italian.  As a respected voice within the clean-eating community, Anna can deftly transform almost any recipe into a low-carb version of the dish without sacrificing taste. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow   Follow on Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website Submit your questions to [email protected] Connect with Anna Vocino On her website  Eat Happy Kitchen Substack newsletter The Fitness Confidential podcast The Bedside Matters podcast