Healthy Looks Great on You

Prebiotics, Probiotics and Antibiotics: Immediate Impact

Could gut health be the cornerstone of your overall health?
In this week’s Healthy Looks Great on You podcast, I take you on a behind-the-scenes journey of your gut microbiome—where trillions of organisms help with digestion, immunity, mood, sleep, and even weight.
I cover how to maintain a balanced microbiome:
Prebiotics to feed good bacteria
Probiotics add the helpful microbes
Caution around antibiotics, sugar, stress, and poor sleep
If you want to feel better physically and emotionally, your gut is a great place to start!
🎧 Listen to Episode 176 now!
And, if you’re ready to go further, join my 7-day Prescription for Change mini-course. 
For only $47, you’ll get simple, science-backed daily habits delivered directly to your Inbox. I’ll walk you through building momentum, restoring balance, and the steps to take to start loving your body again.
👉 Kickstart Because healthy starts from the inside—and looks great on you. ❤️
RESOURCES:
Gut Health
How to read a nutrition label
How to avoid being fooled by marketing tricks
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Free Pantry Guide
Kickstart - 7 Days to bust belly fat ($47)

Gut health - meet the bugs living inside

You Are What Your Microbes Eat: Gut Health 101This week, we’re talking about your gut—home to trillions of microbes that can help you sleep better, lose belly fat, and reduce inflammation… or wreak havoc.
We’ll explore:
🧬 The Stanford twin study on plant-based diets
🦠 Good gut bugs (like Mitzi Nitzi, Mama Bif, and Lactobacillus)
🔥 Bad bugs (hello, C. Diff and Bilophila!)
🍽️ What to eat to feed the good ones and starve the bad ones
💤 The surprising link between gut health and sleep
🎁 Free resource: Pantry Guide for Gut Health
Links:
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How to Eat Plant-Based When You Live with a Carnivore

Plant-Based Living in a Carnivore Household
Ever tried to introduce more plant-based meals at home, only to face resistance from your meat-loving partner? You're not alone. In this episode of Healthy Looks Great on You, I share my personal journey of guiding my husband towards embracing plant-based eating—without any ultimatums or food battles.
We'll discuss:
The Power of Hybrid Meals: How combining plant-based dishes with familiar favorites can ease the transition.
Gradual Changes: The importance of making small, incremental adjustments rather than drastic overhauls.
Creative Cooking: Tips on using versatile ingredients like beans and mushrooms to create satisfying meals.
Whether you're just starting your plant-based journey or looking for ways to involve your family, this episode offers practical advice and heartfelt stories to inspire and guide you.
 
Bonus: Grab Dr. Vickie’s free Pantry & Freezer Guide at healthylooksgreatonyou.com/pantryguide and keep your plant-based momentum strong, even on the busiest nights.
RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links)
PANTRY GUIDE
The secret to staying on a diet
Eat Plant Based
Blue Zones Cookbook
The Beginner's Garden - Grow Your Own Protein
Protein Calculator

Dr. Brooke Goldner - Goodbye Lupus

Healing Lupus and Autoimmune Disease Through Nutrition with Dr. Brooke Goldner
Today, I’m bringing you a truly special conversation that every woman facing chronic illness, autoimmune struggles, or daily inflammation needs to hear.
I’m joined by Dr. Brooke Goldner — bestselling author of Goodbye Lupus, Goodbye Autoimmune Disease, and a physician who has helped thousands of people reverse autoimmune conditions using a results-based, plant-powered protocol rooted in cellular repair and nutrition.
And what makes her story even more powerful?
She was a lupus patient facing kidney failure, chemotherapy, and being told she had six months to live.
In this episode, we talk about:
The unexpected way nutrition helped Dr. Goldner reverse her autoimmune disease
Why protein panic is overhyped 
What most doctors (and even influencers) get wrong about “anti-inflammatory diets”
The emotional work behind healing: resilience, joy, trauma recovery, and choosing life at level 10
And how a simple smoothie protocol has changed lives — without perfection or pricey supplements
We also dive into her rapid recovery program, her free community education work, and how healing is about more than just what you eat.
Learn more at Goodbye Lupus
If you’ve ever felt like your diagnosis defines you...If you’ve been told “you’ll just have to live with it”…If you’re exhausted from managing symptoms with meds but not feeling any better…
You need this conversation.
 
👉 And if you want a real-life step toward healing your body from the inside out, don’t forget to grab my Free Pantry Guide — 10 plant-forward staples that make healthy eating easy, even when you don’t have a plan.
 
🛒 Get it here: https://healthylooksgreatonyou.com/pantryguide/
 
Let this episode remind you: You’re not broken. You’re not alone. And healing is possible.
Because healthy looks great on you.

What causes belly fat? Unexpected truth

Let’s talk about the thing no one wants to talk about…Belly fat.
It shows up quietly, settles in like an uninvited guest, and refuses to leave — no matter how “healthy” you try to be.
So what actually causes it?👉 Diet?👉 Lack of exercise?👉 Hormones, stress, age, medications, soda?
You might be surprised.
This week on the Healthy Looks Great on You podcast, I’m diving deep into the unexpected root cause of belly fat — and why it’s not about willpower, calories, or crunches.
In this episode, I’ll walk you through:✅ Why stress and busyness are more to blame than your sweet tooth✅ How the “no plan = takeout again” cycle keeps your body stuck✅ Why ultra-processed foods are a symptom — not the root problem✅ The plant-powered pantry staples that can turn dinner stress into dinner success
And if you’re tired of that 5PM “what’s for dinner” panic, I created something that can help you take back control (without dieting or spending hours in the kitchen):
🍲 Get the Free Pantry Guide: https://healthylooksgreatonyou.com/pantryguide
It’s filled with 10 go-to items to keep in your pantry, 10 freezer essentials, 10 spices & add-ons, and 3 quick recipes — so you can prepare easy, healthy meals in minutes (even when you forgot to plan).
Because when you feed your body with real nourishment, everything changes:
Your energy. Your hormones. Your cravings. Your confidence.
And healthy? It looks really great on you.
💛 blessings,Dr. Vickie
 

Belly Fat: Causes and Cures

Let’s talk about it.
That stubborn, uncomfortable, sometimes embarrassing belly fat that creeps in seemingly overnight.
You didn’t change your eating.You didn’t stop moving.But your body changed, and no one can really explain why.
This week on Healthy Looks Great on You, I’m sharing: 
✔️ The real causes of belly fat (it’s not what you think)✔️ My personal story of prednisone, cheesecake, and Dr. Pepper✔️ Why stress, sleep, and hormones matter more than calorie math✔️ What TikTok got wrong✔️ A practical plan rooted in the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
This episode is honest and practical. No shame, no gimmicks.
Because your belly isn’t a punchline, it’s your body asking for help.
GET THE GUIDE HERE
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Belly Fat: Are you in the danger zone?

Belly Fat: Are you in the danger zone?

Find Out If Your Belly Fat is In the Danger Zone —and What to Do About It
First things first:
 
❌ You don’t need a clock.
 
❌ You don’t need another app.
 
✅ You just need a tape measure.
 
(And a little honesty.)
 
Here’s how to check — the right way:
How to Measure Your Belly Fat Accurately
1. Grab a flexible tape measure (the kind used for sewing, not the metal construction one from the garage!).
 
2. Stand up straight, but relax. No sucking it in like a before-and-after photo. Inhale, exhale, and let your body be.
 
3. Find your measuring spot:
○ Place the tape measure right around your belly button, just above your hip bones.
 
○ Make sure it’s snug but not cinched tight. It should rest comfortably against your skin — not digging in.
 
4. Look straight ahead and read the measurement — no tilting your head or pulling tighter.
Honesty is power here.
🚩 What Your Measurement Means
● For women: A waist circumference greater than 35 inches (89 cm) signals an unhealthy amount of visceral (belly) fat, increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health issues.
 
● For men: Over 40 inches (102 cm) is considered unhealthy.
 
The greater the waist measurement, the higher the health risks.
 
👉 If you’re over 35 inches (ladies) or over 40 inches (gentlemen), it’s time to take action — but not with shame or crash diets — with smart, sustainable shifts that work with your body, not against it.
🍴 Let’s work on this together!
Eating plant-based can be a challenge, but for me the challenge is eating out. But if I back up a step, the real problem is that I didn’t plan, so we hop in the car.
And I can promise what you eat in a restaurant, order for take-out, or pull out of a package is NOT healthy for any part of your body, including your waistline.
What you need is not willpower. You need a plan and I’m here to help. Make sure you are on my email list. I'm sharing super-helpful tools and recipes.
An INSTANT POT and NINJA BLENDER are great time saving tools. (*contains affiliate links)
Subscribe HERE for all the tips and recipes
Belly fat is a signal, not a life sentence.
To reach any destination, you have to know where you are starting. Later, we can map out the steps to get there.
🌟 Your Next Step
Listen to this episode, where I invite you to join my journey to lose a few inches. I recently did this successfully, and I’d like to share more with you, including recipes, so make sure you are on my email list.
Subscribe HERE
Stay tuned next week. I’ll talk more about belly fat causes and cures. You've got this. And healthy looks great on you.
Episode on type 2 diabetes

Don't fall for food marketing tricks

 You want to eat healthy and you're doing your best. But the grocery store, it can feel like a minefield of marketing buzzwords, multi-grain, all natural, lightly sweetened or made with real fruit. They all sound healthy, right? But are they? We are going to look at the sneaky and misleading world of food marketing under a magnifying glass today so that you know how to shop smart at the grocery store.
 I'm Dr.Vickie Petz Kasper. I practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 20 years until I landed on the other side of the sheets as a very sick patient. When my own body betrayed me, I took a handful of pills to manage my disease and another handful to counteract the side effects. My health was out of control.
Through surgery, medications, and lots of prayers, I  regained my strength only to face another  diagnosis. My doctor challenged me to make radical changes through lifestyle medicine. Now I feel great and I want to help you make changes that make a difference. Healthy Looks Great On You podcast takes you to mini medical school so you can learn the power of lifestyle medicine.
If you're ready to take control of your health, you're in the right  place. Whether you're focused on prevention or you're trying to manage a condition. I'll give you practical steps to start your own journey toward better health because healthy looks great on you.
 Being healthy isn't just about willpower. It's about knowledge. And once you learn how to spot these tricks, you'll shop smarter, eat better, and feel more in control. This is episode 1 69. Don't fall for marketing tricks in the grocery store. You really do want to eat healthy and you check the labels and try to make good choices, but let's be honest, grocery shopping can feel like walking through a maze of healthy sounding words that don't always mean what you think.
There are eight common phrases that show up everywhere on cereals, yogurts, granola bars, juices, and they sound wholesome and smart and safe. But behind the scenes, they are misleading at best and downright deceptive at worst.
By the end of this episode though, you are going to be a label reading pro. You'll learn how food companies use marketing tricks to make junk food sound healthy, and how you can spot the truth with a quick glance at the label  because who's got time to stand in the grocery store aisle and read all the labels?
I will say that if you missed my episode on reading a nutritional label, then you should go back and listen to that and I'll put a link in the show notes, but it's episode number 115, or you can go to my website, healthy Looks Great on you.com, and just type label in the search bar and it will come up.
But if you're ready to decode the deception, let's get started. We're going to go to mini medical school, and today our class is psychology. Psychology is an important part of overall health, and marketers know it. That's why they spend millions and millions of dollars on food packaging, they're counting on you to be pulled in by the front of the package.
And the last thing they want you to do is turn it over and read the nutrition label because that's where the facts are listed. That's why I wanted you to go back and listen to episode 115. But today you're going to learn that the front of the package is just bait and there's always a hook.
 Here's what I'm talking about. Calming earth tones so that it looks natural, farm scenery so that it feels wholesome. And there are some buzzwords that sound really good, but they're not. And we call all of that a health halo. And what they're trying to do is give you the impression that unhealthy food is good for you.
 
Today, we're going to look at eight common terms that are used on the front of the package labeling, and then I'm going to give you one. Just one piece of advice that is going to change the way you do your grocery shopping, so stay tuned. Let's start with those eight labels. The first one, and you will see this everywhere, is multi grain, and that sounds so healthy 
because fiber is so important in our diet to have a healthy gut. And so we want to have grains in our diet, but multi-grain, no, that's not what we need. It's whole grains that we need. and you see what happens. They can use the word multi-grain when they just mean processed grains, but more than one of them.
  So they could have one or two or even 10 grains that have been entirely stripped of their nutrients, and they can still call it multi-grain. And that sounds like a healthy mix of grains, but it's not.  even if the flour is wheat flour and it's enriched. And refined, then it's just an unhealthy grain in disguise, and what you really need is whole grains that still have the brand and the germ, because that's where the fiber is, that's where the B vitamins are antioxidants.
All of that is found in whole grain. So what you really should look for is 100% whole grain. Otherwise, multi-grain is usually a trick.
   And a little twist on that is number two made with whole grains. Okay? How much whole grains, if it doesn't say 100%, it might be only 2% and the other 98% might be pure junk. So always look for 100% whole grain
 and make sure the whole grain, like whole wheat or whatever grain we're talking about is the very first ingredient, because otherwise you could just be getting a trace of whole grains so that they can legally make the claim and the rest is just junk.
 Number three is one of my favorites because it sounds so incredibly good and it's not all natural. Why would that be bad? Well, first of all, there's absolutely no regulation in this claim. They can say all natural, and it means nothing because there's no definition of that term. And even high fructose corn syrup, which I think we can all agree is to terrible for you, could be considered natural, and it makes it sound like it's coming straight from the earth and hasn't been processed 
and it makes you feel safe, but it's not regulated. Number four is no added sugar. Well, that sounds good because we want to cut back on the sugar in our diet because it has inflammatory properties and it's bad for your heart and your blood vessels and your brain, but no added sugar can still have tons of sugar.
It can have juice concentrates
or something like evaporated cane juice. Brown rice syrups. These are all just sugars in disguise. 
And listen, the type of sugar absolutely matters. Sugar from fruit - healthy; sugar from processed foods, very unhealthy.
And speaking of fruit, that leads us to the next deceptive marketing term, which is made with real fruit. Okay. How much real fruit, like did you add a fleck of watermelon and call that made with real fruit? 
 And it's not fresh fruit either. I mean, it sounds like they're cutting up apples or putting whole blueberries in there, but it may just be juice concentrate and listen, that is not healthy. You cannot eat a fruit gummy and pretend you're eating fruit. And that leads us to number six, which is lightly sweetened.
 That's a vibe, not a fact. What does lightly even mean? There's absolutely no rule behind that phrase. What you should do instead is check the number of grams of sugar  there's no lightly sweetened term according to the FDA. So you could have 10 grams of sugar that's added and still just wear this label and pretend. 
And I recommend that you get all of your sugar from whole food sources like oranges and bananas, blueberries and strawberries, carrots and potatoes
Okay, and coming in at number seven is probably one of your favorites. Organic. And yes, organic is great if you're trying to reduce exposure to pesticides, but it doesn't mean healthy. You can have organic candy and organic potato chips. It only means that the ingredients were grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizer.
But organic sugar is still sugar, and an organic cookie is still a cookie 
and last on the list is another buzzword and that is gluten-free. And listen, if you have celiac disease or if you're one of 10% of people who have a gluten sensitivity, that's a big deal. But again, gluten-free cookies are still cookies and gluten-free makes it sound like that it's low carb or low sugar or low, anything bad.
And what it really means is no gluten. Well, what is gluten? It's a protein that's found in the whole grain, but unless you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, there's really not a benefit to trying to eat a gluten-free diet. And you may just get tricked into eating more junk food because you think because it says gluten free, that it's better for you and it's not.
So here's what you should do instead, check the ingredient list. And typically the fewer the ingredients the better. And if there is no label, that means you picked it up in the produce aisle. And that's best. Second is look at that nutrition label and remember. It's on the back. You can see how much added sugar there is.
You can look at the fiber content, how many milligrams of sodium there is, and I have episodes on all of this. If you're interested, just go to my website, type whatever you're looking for in the search bar.
And before I give you my number one tip, I have a challenge for you. I want you to be a label detective. In fact, I would say as soon as you finish this episode, go to your pantry and just pick up a package of food. Look at those claims that are made on the front of the packaging.
And see if you have fallen for one of these tricks. But then I want you to flip it over and read the label, the nutrition labels on the back, and see if the hype matches the ingredients. And don't worry, there's no test on this for mini medical school, and you don't have to be perfect. But I do want you to be aware, here's your one tip.
Never look at the front of the package. There is literally no information there that you need. Flip it over and read the back label, if you wanna take it to the next level, then try to eat foods that have one ingredient like spinach or beans because real food doesn't need a marketing tip. If this episode has made you look at your grocery little differently, that's a win.
 I recommend that you go back and scroll through old episodes to get more tips like this. But if you learned something really helpful and new today, would you consider subscribing to this podcast or leaving a review? Even better, share this episode with a friend who's trying to get healthy too, because we need to spread the truth and not marketing hype because healthy looks great on you.
And all of us.
SUBSCRIBE
Episode 115 How to Read a Nutrition Label
 

Stop Those Spinning Thoughts with Carol Feil

You’re lying in bed. Your body is exhausted, but your mind is replaying things you wish you’d said in a conversation earlier that day, rehearsing conversations that haven’t even happened, or mentally writing tomorrow’s to-do list.
Sound familiar?
You’re not broken.You’re not alone.And you’re not powerless.
In this week’s episode of the Healthy Looks Great on You podcast, I’m joined by my friend Carol Feil to talk about something so many of us struggle with:
Episode 168: How to Stop Spinning Thoughts So You Can Sleep
Inside, we unpack: Why your thoughts spin out of control, especially at night. How people-pleasing, perfectionism, and fear fuel mental loops What it means to recognize a thought… and replace it The power of scripture, stillness, and reframing Why controlling your thoughts during the day is the key to sleeping at night
Mental overload affects more than sleep.It also affects relationships, health, and sense of peace. 
If you’ve ever felt hijacked by your own mind, this episode is for you.
Listen now to Episode 168:
You can change the soundtrack in your mind for restful sleep.
 ~Dr. Vickie
Visit www.CarolFeil.com to learn more about being seen, known and loved.

5 Hacks to Boost Mental Sharpness

 
Your brain is the muscle you’re forgetting to train
We talk a lot about physical fitness — steps, reps, squats, smoothies.
But how often do you work on brain fitness?
Here’s the truth: You can’t afford to ignore it.
I’ve seen the negative impacts of cognitive decline up close — the slow fade of memory, decision-making, even personality changes. Dementia doesn’t just steal thoughts. It steals connection, identity, and independence.
But what if we could do something now to keep our brains sharper, longer?
This week on the podcast, I’m sharing:5 Hacks to Boost Mental Sharpness (and Train Your Brain Like a Muscle)
I’ll walk you through:
What neuroplasticity really means — and how to unlock it
Why you need to challenge your brain, not just fuel it
How learning new things protects cognitive function
The connection between powerful muscles and longevity
And why restorative sleep is the foundation of brain health
Your brain is your most valuable asset.  Let’s take care of it together!
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