Together, Unprocessed

Your labs can look normal while your body is still waving a flag. In this episode, we make inflammation markers easier to understand. Hugo explains why cholesterol is not the whole story, how inflammation affects the "roads" your cholesterol travels on, and why basic bloodwork can miss chronic low-grade inflammation. We talk through CRP and high-sensitivity CRP, ferritin, homocysteine, G...

Told your thyroid is "fine"? The standard test never actually measured it. Here are the five numbers that do. The test most doctors order — TSH — isn't a thyroid hormone. It's a message from your brain asking the thyroid for more or less. When it reads "normal," it only means the brain is satisfied. It says almost nothing about how much usable hormone is reaching your c...

Which raises your cholesterol more — an Oreo or an egg? The answer isn't what most people are told. In Part 2 of our Bloodwork Literacy series, we walk through the numbers on your lipid panel — total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, non-HDL — and what each one actually measures. We explain why your liver makes cholesterol, why "good" and "bad" is a moral category laid...

Your bloodwork said "normal." That doesn't mean what you think it means. Only 12% of American adults are actually metabolically healthy — and the test that would catch the other 88% isn't on the standard panel. In this episode, we walk through three blood markers most doctors don't explain — A1C, fasting insulin, and fasting glucose — and how to combine them with HOMA-IR to r...

You're not eating sugar. You're eating something else. Here's what it actually does to your body. In this episode, we walk through seven categories of carbs — from white flour and liquid sugars to fruit, starchy vegetables, grains, leafy greens, and animal foods — and what each one actually does to your blood sugar, your insulin, and the visceral fat around your organs. Cindy explains...

In Part 1, we showed you what sugar does to your brain. Now here's how to break the cycle 🔥 We walk through why willpower fails against a biochemical loop, what withdrawal actually feels like day by day, and how to take back control. We cover hidden sugars on labels, stabilising blood sugar with fat and protein, mineral cravings disguised as sugar cravings, and why we recommend abstinence over mo...

Sugar activates the same reward pathways as cocaine 🧠 In this episode, we break down the science of sugar addiction — how it hijacks your dopamine system, the study where rats chose sweetness over cocaine almost every time, and why the food industry engineers products to keep you eating. We also explore the difference between sweet taste and sugar itself, gut-driven cravings, and the relentless a...

Years carnivore… so why are we still struggling? 🔥 We get honest about where each of us really stands on keto and carnivore right now — the slip-ups, the guilt, the mental battles, and what it actually takes to stay the course. We talk about why the struggle is more emotional than physical, whether creative carnivore recipes help or hurt, and why willpower alone isn't enough. This is a raw co...

Food is the signal. Supplements are just the support 🌿 We tackle one of the most asked-about topics in the keto and carnivore space — supplements. We break down which ones actually matter, which ones you can probably skip, and how to tell the difference based on your own body's signals. We explore salt and electrolytes, magnesium forms, iodine, ox bile, omega-3s, zinc, and vitamin D — sharing per...

Everything on your skin ends up inside your body 🌿 In Part 2 of our Toxic Living series, we talk about the personal care products we ditched, what we replaced them with, and why tallow became a household essential. We also cover sun exposure, children's toxic load at school, protecting pets, and why your mindset matters just as much as what you put on your skin. This isn't about perfectio...

Three ferments from scratch using nothing but a jar and some kefir grains 🌿 Ash walks us through three live demonstrations — milk kefir, fermented butter, and kefir cream cheese. We break down each process step by step and talk about why living foods might be the missing piece for gut health and dairy tolerance on carnivore. We also explore the difference between pickling and fermenting, how to t...

Modern living quietly exposes us to toxins 🏠 and most of us don't even realise it. In this episode, we explore how air, water, homes, workplaces, and everyday products contribute to toxic load. Rather than fear-mongering, we focus on awareness, empowerment, and realistic changes that reduce exposure over time. We discuss environmental pollution, household chemicals, plastics, cookware, water...

Travel breaks routines — sleep, meals, rhythm — and that is where consistency quietly falls apart ✈️ In this episode, we talk through how to stay grounded on carnivore or keto while traveling, whether it is a short trip, long-haul flight, cruise, or road journey. We cover fasting strategies, circadian rhythm, hydration, airport food realities, preparation vs perfection, and how to recover quickly...

🤝 Online friends finally meet in real life. In this special episode, Olivia and Hugo meet in person for the first time, taking Together, Unprocessed off the screen and into the real world. We share the awkward first moments, instant jokes, and the warmth that proves this isn’t just a way of eating — it’s a community. We talk travelling carnivore, finding quality food abroad, the clotted cream rab...

Helping kids eat better is not about perfection. It is about building a home where sugar does not run the show. 🧠 In this episode, Olivia shares how her family moved away from processed foods and sugar, what worked, what failed, and the practical steps she now uses when supporting other families. We talk about teen motivation, peer pressure, school food challenges, identity, and how to make real...

Falling off track after Christmas doesn’t mean you failed — it means you’re human 🧠 In this episode, we talk honestly about what happens after Christmas, when routines slip, stress builds, and guilt starts creeping in. We share how each of us navigated the holidays, what threw us off track, and how we reset without shame or self-punishment. We explore intentional vs unplanned choices, the impact...

✨ Weight loss isn’t always linear — especially when healing is involved. In this episode, we explore why weight loss can feel effortless at first on carnivore, and why stalls, plateaus, or even weight gain can show up later. We talk through real experiences with fat loss, body recomposition, and maintenance — and why the scale doesn’t always tell the full story. We discuss hormones, metabolism, d...

You knew better and still did it. 🧠 In this episode, Cindy shares a real moment of going off track during stress, choosing comfort in the moment and waking up dealing with the consequences. We talk honestly about why staying carnivore can feel hardest when emotions, hormones, and old habits collide. We explore emotional eating, all-or-nothing thinking, sugar as an addictive pattern, and practical...

Reduce stress in real time by changing how you breathe. 🌿 In this episode, Cindy guides us through practical breath awareness exercises that help shift the body out of stress and into a state of calm and regulation. We explore how posture, diaphragmatic breathing, and slowing the breath activate the relaxation response and support long-term health. This is a hands-on episode you can practice alon...

🧠 Stress isn’t just in your head — it’s happening in your body. In this episode, we explore what stress actually is beyond the feeling. Cindy explains how stress affects the nervous system, why chronic fight-or-flight can quietly disrupt nearly every system in the body, and why awareness is the first step toward real change. We walk through the history of stress research, share personal stories,...

Struggling to stay on track during the holidays? This episode helps you navigate parties, pressure, cravings, travel, family expectations, and gifting without losing your sense of health or identity. 🎄 We explore why Christmas feels so chaotic, how environment and sleep shape cravings, why abstaining vs moderating is different for everyone, and how to stay unprocessed even when everything around...

Curious about fermentation but scared of mold or doing it wrong? This episode gives you the confidence to start. 🌿 We break down what fermentation actually is, how good bacteria support your gut, what gear you really need, and how to avoid mistakes. We also explore home vs store-bought ferments, SCOBYs and grains, timings, and why simple ferments fit beautifully into unprocessed living. 🎵 Music...

Cold exposure changes everything — mood resilience stress and the way you handle life’s hard moments ❄️ In this episode we share our personal cold plunge stories, what we learned as beginners, and how cold-water adaptation supports mental clarity and emotional strength. We talk cold shock, brown fat, stress training, and why discomfort can become one of the most powerful tools for healing. 🎵 Musi...

🛠️ Black Friday can feel overwhelming — endless deals, endless noise, and no way to know what’s actually worth it. In this episode, we cut through the chaos and share only the tools, products, and essentials that genuinely supported our unprocessed, meat-based, natural-living journeys. We walk through the items that made a real difference for each of us — from kitchen gear, salts, pantry staples,...

🧠 We grew up believing saturated fat was dangerous, cholesterol kills, fiber is essential, and meat should be limited — until our lived experience showed something very different. In this episode, we unpack the biggest nutrition myths we once believed, what changed when we removed processed foods, and what real-world results taught us about fat, fiber, cholesterol, and health. Honest stories meet...