- Season 1, Episode 30
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The views, opinions and statements expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Dr Jason Littleton or the Concierge Doc Podcast. We do not endorse or take responsibility for any statements, claims or perspectives shared in this content. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and form their own conclusions.
Speaker 2:
Access to the information and materials contained in this podcast is at your own risk. The information contained is presented for the purpose of educating the consumer on a variety of wellness and healthcare topics. That information Nothing contained is intended to be instructional for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information contained is compiled from a variety of sources. The information should not be considered complete and exhaustive and should not be in place of a visit or consultation with your own primary care doctor. Welcome to the Concierge Doc Podcast.
Speaker 2:
I’m your host, ceo and founder of Littleton Concierge Medicine, dr Jason Littleton. Welcome to the podcast. Today I’m joined by special guest host, dr Laura Susie, new to Littleton Concierge Medicine, and we have the pleasure to welcome our special guest, carly Duffy. Carly Duffy is MPHRD, is a registered dietitian and public health professional with a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, where she specializes in human nutrition, food science and public health. Since joining Thorne’s medical affairs team in 2022, carly has combined her scientific expertise and passion for education to support both consumers and healthcare practitioners. In her current role as medical education specialist for Thorne’s consumer and retail channels, she leads strategic educational initiatives that translate complex health science into actionable insights, helping individuals make informed choices about their wellness. Welcome to the podcast, carly.
Speaker 3:
Thank you. Yeah, I’m really excited to be here and chat with you guys today.
Speaker 2:
Look, we’re excited to have you on. We’re excited to ask you and pick your brain about Thorne’s awesome products that we all enjoy and love. I’m going to allow Dr Susie to start off with the first question.
Speaker 4:
Awesome, carly. We’re so happy to have you. Thank you so much for being here. I and Jason each use the products from the Thorne company, so we are so excited to have you on here. So talking about Thorne, so Thorne is often positioned as a leader in high quality supplements. What are the core principles for how Thorne designs its products and how do they go about high quality production supplements?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that’s a great question. To start us off, I think we have to take it back a couple of years. You know, thorne’s been around for over 40 years now and was really started with the intent of being sort of like a thorn in the side of the supplement industry to really kind of pave our way and really set us apart as clinically relevant brand and really high quality brands. So that’s really kind of that origin story that I think we’ve continued on over the 40 years plus and continue to really focus on today, because we’re really focusing on practitioners. That’s how Thorne products into their treatment plans, into the ways that they’re speaking with their clients on a daily basis expand the way that we’re talking about products, the way we’re educating consumers about products, to make sure that both the practitioner side and the consumer side not only could understand and really get why Thorne is different from the rest of the players in the game, but to really understand how those products can incorporate into their wellness routines with that trust that they really have with the brand.
Speaker 2:
That’s good. That’s good. I love that practitioner focus. You know when we talk about quality, you know how do you guys define quality in supplements. You know how is it different from what people might find at a grocery store or pharmacy? How do people know that they’re getting the best supplement for their bodies?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, quality is hugely important. It’s like one of the key things that we always talk about when anyone’s on site visiting Thorne or talking with consumers and practitioners different accounts so it’s something that really kind of stems from those origins as a practitioner brand, because we knew that if we’re going to be really geared towards the clinical consumers and the practitioner kind of level of consumer, we really need to make sure that what we’re saying has the scientific evidence to back it up. So I think that kind of the evidence based nutrition and evidence based supplementation kind of feeds into that quality story too. And then thinking of you know, quality testing and how that sets us apart as well At Thorne we have our four rounds of in-house testing.
Speaker 3:
So not only just analyzing those raw materials as they’re shipped in for identity, purity, things like that, but we also have three different rounds in process. We’re testing for quality control measures, also looking at those finished goods, so testing those products after processing to confirm that product potency and making sure that there’s no microbial contaminants anything like that. And then we’re also testing at the end of the stage for shelf life and stability, so really making sure that our label claim that we’re making for the ingredients and what you’re expecting when you’re taking these products. They’re going to be continued through that expiration date to make sure that we are really providing what we’re saying we’re providing on that label. So that’s one piece of the puzzle with quality really doing that in-house testing process.
Speaker 3:
We also have a really extensive no list, so this is something that we really use to guide our formulation. So it includes fillers, additives, unnecessary allergens that we just refuse to use in formulation, making sure that we’re really staying committed to that clean, high-quality product, starting again with those clean, high-quality ingredients that have gone through that really rigorous vetting process. So that’s another piece of it. And then, of course, we follow our GMPs set by the FDA. We have third-party testing NSF certified for sport products, meaning we have an NSF certified for sport facility. And then of course, we have label transparency. That’s another big key component at Thorne really making sure that you’re not going to find proprietary blends in Thorne products. We’re not going to be sprinkling some fairy dust of different ingredients in there. We’re really making sure that we have the efficacious doses again really rooted in the science.
Speaker 4:
That is awesome, carly, so question for you. So this is something that I’ve realized personally. So when I switched over to Thorne, which was about a year ago, your capsules to what I would have had to take in a previous provider I was using was almost twice that. How?
Speaker 3:
does that work? Yeah, I think that gets back to the quality of those ingredients. We’re really making sure that we’re sourcing from providers or suppliers who really, you know, we want to make sure that we’re providing the most bioavailable forms of those nutrients, and also from sources that are really not only sustainable but things that can be really beneficial in that kind of lower dose setting.
Speaker 4:
That’s awesome, carly, when we’re talking about the educational piece. What sort of educational resources do you have for practitioners, providers and for patients in regards to helping to appropriately identify supplements that are going to be individualized for the patients and are really going to do a good job with helping their health and their wellness and their longevity and feeling good? What sort of educational resources do you guys have available for that?
Speaker 3:
Yeah. So the one I mentioned already is our Take 5 Daily blog page. That’s onthorncom You’re able to read about. New blogs are coming out almost every single day, written by our internal teams partners. I’m really just kind of talking about trending research, trending topics in health and wellness, as well as that product education. So really that’s a great starting point for consumers and practitioners alike to kind of get their foot in the door, start to learn a little bit about Thorne products. And then we have more research, more resources on Thornecom as well, whether it’s wellness guides that take a deeper look at a category. So something for instance we just recently put out was our medically guided or medically assisted weight loss guide, which is really geared towards those GLP-1 users. And so within this wellness guide on thorncom it has so much information, not only what are GLP-1s, you know, what are some nutrition concerns behind those medications, and then also thinking about OK, how can lifestyle diet?
Speaker 3:
I’m part of our medical education team and so we work not only with the sales team, with the marketing team, but really trying to provide practitioner facing assets that can help them understand not only Thorne products and those ingredients but kind of customizing how they’re using them in their practice and really making sure that they have the trust in Thorne and also the evidence behind some of these ingredients, so then they can translate that to their patients.
Speaker 3:
So we’re again, since we’ve started as a clinician brand and really that professional brand. We’re keeping that running throughout our history and I think that’s something that we’re really proud of. And this year also, we started a practitioner facing webinar series called the Practitioner’s Edge, which has been a really awesome way to speak like this. You know, have a video, have conversations with practitioners. What are they interested in? What questions are they getting from their patients? How can we help kind of bridge the gap between supplements, ingredients and the education for those patients to make sure that everybody’s on the same page and is really up to date with the most, the newest and latest in the research too?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean that’s exciting. You know, when we talk about the newest and latest, I want to ask a couple of questions in regards to like innovation and science. So when we think about where the industry is heading. What are some of the ingredients and technologies that you’re most excited about?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think innovation is such a cool topic and something that Thorne is always thinking about, because you know, we’re always looking to be the next find, the next coolest thing, the next coolest ingredient, coolest technology that not only is super interesting and going to grab your attention but also is going to have an impact right.
Speaker 3:
So, really thinking about what consumers are looking for um, maybe what are some new innovative ingredient combinations we can have that again, also have the research to back it up, and really how innovation can drive our success is something we’re always talking about here, I think. For me, I have been hearing more and more about upcycled ingredients and I think just again, coming from that public health background, thinking about food waste and food insecurity and things like that, really being able to take these food components and reclaim them that would originally be put to waste and kind of thrown into our waste system, but to be able to derive these really beneficial compounds or transform them into new products, new ingredients. I’m seeing more and more of that recently and I think that’s really exciting and definitely, I think, something that we’ll continue to see more of with the environmental impacts and the sustainability discussions continuing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that answer. That’s that’s. I love that that’s a great one. That’s good, that’s good.
Speaker 4:
So, carly, speaking of the future of wellness, right, A couple of questions. What is a supplement that, if you had to guess, would be as common in the future? Currently, as like an omega-3 or a fish oil, a vitamin D?
Okay, ooh, this is a good one. I think creatine comes to mind. I think that’s one that we’re hearing so much more about. Not only you know it’s something that’s been around for so long. It’s huge research bank of data backing that that ingredient up really well safety, really good safety profile on that ingredient too, um, and we’re just seeing more and more research come around that one. So definitely you know it’s steering away from that original like bodybuilder weightlifting idea, um, and really becoming, you know this, almost foundational nutrient that I think almost anybody could benefit from because of. You know more of the research, not only for physical health you know, lean body mass, things like that but also with cognitive health. We’re seeing more and more research around that topic. Same thing for things like women’s health, glp-1 users as well. So I think creatine is really having its moment. I think it’s been growing for a bit now, but I don’t think it’s going to slow down anytime soon.
Speaker 2:
Now, when we talk about things in social media trendy supplements, things like that how do you balance scientific research with consumer demand on that and what? Is trendy right now. What do you think is trendy right now?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think trends can be tough, not only the misinformation that sometimes oftentimes come with trends, but just like all the noise around those ingredients. I do think creatine is one of those trending nutrients. I don’t think that’s going away. I don’t think that’s news to anybody because of, you know, the more and more research that’s coming out around it. So trendy in a good way, I think, in that, in that regard, other ingredients I think are trending.
Speaker 3:
You know berberine had its moment, thinking of calling it nature’s ozempic and all of that. I think magnesium still is having its moment as well, and I think just the category of women’s health products. We’re seeing more discussion around women’s health research and so I think those products are kind of, you know, falling into place, filling the gaps, but also recognizing that we don’t necessarily have the research all the time to back that up. So I think, lots of open doors when it comes to women’s health trends and women’s health research. So definitely excited to see kind of how those trends maybe follow some of the new research that comes out.
Speaker 3:
But thinking about how we kind of handle consumer trends you know, social media, influencer type of, you know, sometimes competition or misinformation there, I think, by monitoring those trends, whether it’s ingredients, formulation you know delivery methods, things like that. We’re not only trying formulation, you know delivery methods, things like that. We’re not only trying to, you know, stay in the know on what’s going on in the industry, but also stay ahead of that too and kind of predicting where those trends are going to be going and really staying up to date with you know, the latest research too. I think that’s I’m going to harp on this so much today, but I think really just staying in the know with that research and really being up to date but also involved in the latest research is how we’re able to really balance that kind of consumer trending demand for ingredients and products with, you know, staying true to our efficacious and clinically relevant brand.
Speaker 4:
Yeah, that’s awesome. That’s a really good answer too. You’ve had some good ones, carly, thank you. So, talking about all of these, I mean you’ve hit on a handful of supplements so far, like not even delving into them, just hitting on them. When we’re talking about the world of supplements and there are a a majority of supplements that for a particular patient or consumer, could be new or novel when we’re seeing all these options, do you have any advice for a patient or consumer on how to start, how to start to evaluate the supplements that are available to them that are going to contribute the highest to their health and wellness?
Speaker 2:
I mean before you answer that. That’s a great question because I think when people want to get started with supplements, you know, they don’t know where to start and you know as you answer that question. It would be awesome to hear Are there any like core supplements that you believe that maybe everyone should be on?
Yeah, I agree with these questions.
Speaker 3:
I’ll give, like, a personal backstory. I’m a dietician and you know, in school we always heard food first. Supplements we do not mess with, like. The only supplements we talk about are drinks, like Ensure and Boost, and so for me, coming into this industry, I was also that person who was overwhelmed with, you know, the wide variety of products out there, um, and just like the education barrier, I think that was definitely a learning curve for me and I’m sure for some of your listeners they’re in the same boat, um.
Speaker 3:
So I think, given that personal experience and knowing what people feel, what people feel in that moment, um, I think, first and foremost, you know, being able to speak with your healthcare provider I think is a great first step and really get those baseline labs. I think that’s a great way to start and really assess you know where are we at right here, right now, in our health, and then we can get a better idea of what direction to take, what are some steps we need to be working on and focusing on when it comes to making those small improvements and really those incremental improvements. So I think starting with labs is always a great place to start and maybe, if someone doesn’t necessarily have a practitioner that they’re working with closely, also, just kind of doing a self-assessment. You know, what do I feel on a daily basis? What are some challenges that I’m handling regularly? I’m really taking a deeper look into, okay. What am I experiencing health-wise currently? Where do I want to be in the next two months, six months a year, and what can we do, not only with supplements, but also with lifestyle, with diet, with exercise, all of these different components?
Speaker 3:
Because I think when we think of supplements, a lot of the time people think like more is better, We’ll just add more on and that will kind of help me and I won’t have any of my ailments, any of these different things. But I love to think about supplements as a tool. It’s just one extra thing that we can use to help us reach those goals. It’s not going to be the cure-all, it’s not going to have the same impact that medications may have. Where it’s going to be more of that immediate response or drastic response, I think supplements, we have to kind of shift our expectations around them to really understand, okay, how is this going to be one piece of the puzzle when it comes to reaching those health goals. So I think that’s our foundation really establishing those expectations and looking inward and seeing, ok, where am I at now with my health, where I want to be kind of thing, and then thinking about how you kind of navigate that world. I think focusing on those foundational nutrition kind of components like a multivitamin Almost everybody can benefit from a multivitamin because we’re not eating the perfect diet and even if we were, our food system is not the perfect food system either, where our fruits and veggies from the fields they’re not as nutrient dense as they used to be.
Speaker 3:
So I think that’s another big piece of recognizing that we can have the perfect diet and we still might have those nutrients that our bodies are lacking. So I love a multivitamin as almost a dietary insurance to kind of fill any gaps that may be lacking. And then I know we talked about a fish oil earlier. I think that’s another great one Again, because that’s one that most people aren’t eating three to five servings of fish during the week. So I think that those two can be a great entry point for people who maybe they’re not used to taking capsules on a daily basis and they just want that starting point. Get them introduced to the industry and really different kind of avenues that you can take beyond. That, I think, is up to individual goals, priorities, preferences and so much more that you could dive into with that too.
Speaker 2:
I love that. I love that and I love what you said about how foods are not the same, you know, as they used to be. I know that soils are different Soils 50 years ago, a hundred years ago, you know, and again, they’re just not the same as soils. Now, I know our foods eat what is in the soil.
Speaker 2:
We eat the food and therefore we get those certain nutrients. And that’s why I do think that a multivitam is very important and I do think that taking supplements are very important. I also like what you said about labs and seeing where people might be deficient or where they’re not, you know, optimized. I also look to see if they’re optimized or not. So I love that. I love that. I love that. Do you see supplements?
Speaker 3:
And I got to.
Speaker 3:
You kind of answered this and I want to kind of maybe ask it a different way Do you see supplements as preventiveiencies, really make sure that we’re getting that baseline nutrition that everybody needs, and then other common nutrients like turmeric, curcumin you’re seeing that on more of the preventive side for things like heart health, blood vessel health, inflammation, kind of along those lines so many different nutrients calcium, vitamin D you’re thinking about muscle and bone health.
Speaker 3:
So really I think those like traditional foundational nutrients, I think of those more on the preventive side and really thinking about preventive care, how it’s building into that overall lifestyle that we’re focusing on. And then I think you know supplements can also be tools to support performance goals, whether it’s athletic performance goals for elite, amateur athletes, whether it’s cognitive performance goals for really high performing professionals too. I think you know performance can look so different person to person and those goals can vary so drastically. So I think really supplements can be another one of those tools in the toolkit. I know I kind of already said that, but something where it’s another piece of the puzzle that we can consider when we’re thinking about where we are now, where we want to go and how you know overall health and lifestyle can be contributing to those goals.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love it. Great answer.
Speaker 4:
Yeah, that’s awesome, carly, and something that I just wanted to point out too, which I also really appreciate from Thorne, is that you guys have a lot of options in your supplements. There’s a lot of our patients who are taking a lot of prescriptions right, and some aren’t taking any, but they don’t enjoy the idea of like taking a capsule, taking a pill. You guys have a lot of options for like a powder, for a liquid, which I really appreciate from Thorne as well. Just wanted to kind of point that out.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think we just have to meet customers where they are.
Speaker 3:
I mean, I know, for me personally, like I said, I was a newbie to the supplement industry.
Speaker 3:
I had such a hard time swallowing capsules so I had to work myself up Like I completely get where people are coming from when they don’t want, you know, more capsules and then thinking about medications. You know pill fatigue is so real. And so I think, by having different delivery formats, whether it’s powders, whether it’s, you know, gels, I think more and more the industry is seeing different formats. You know even something like a complete biotic, which is, you know, that kind of almost pixie stick like method where you’re just tearing it off, dumping it in your mouth and then taking a little swig of water to help it go down, and that’s a great way to get something like a probiotic down, and that’s a great way to get something like a probiotic. And so I think, more and more we’re finding ways to kind of meet customers where they’re at, with those different methods and delivery formats, and that’s just the nature of the industry and how we have to stay. You know, innovative with it too. I also use the.
Speaker 4:
Pixie sticks and they’re great. I love those ones.
Speaker 2:
This has been great. I mean, I I love these answers and I think this is going to help our audience so much. One of the things you know that I always ask everyone on the podcast is how they move, eat, drink, sleep, my meds protocol and I want to ask you that because I always feel like there’s something to learn from everyone on the podcast. Everyone has a different approach to how they move, eat, drink, sleep. These are basic things and I believe that they’re the fundamentals to having a healthy life. So let’s just start off with how do you move to stay energized?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I love this kind of combo question here, I think, for a move. You know, for me my gym is right next to work, so that’s like an easy habit stack for me. I know I’m already coming in in the morning so I can hit the gym before coming into work, but also just being here in South Carolina, you know, our weather is so nice most of the year where we’re able to get outside. So I have two dogs I’m a dog mom for sure. So whether it’s walking them or, you know, going out to the beach, playing volleyball on the beach with my family is always something that we’ve been doing, you know, every summer and throughout the year.
Speaker 3:
So I think for me, movement is more about fun and not like a regimen for some people. I think gyms can feel sometimes like that regimented exercise and I like to have fun when I move. So I think being intentional with that whether it’s, you know, getting outside, making sure I’m in the sun, listening to a podcast on a walk or something like that is really where I think about movement and how I can build that into a regular routine without feeling like it’s, you know, another task, another thing, to check the box kind of, when I think about activity.
Speaker 2:
When it comes to like nutrition and eating, you know what are your like go-to foods that really give you a boost.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think, as a dietician, you know, I’m a foodie at heart for sure, so this one is my bread and butter For me foods really. When I think about energy, I think about, you know, where my energy levels fluctuate throughout the day. So I know I need breakfast. Some people I don’t know how they do it they skip breakfast and they’re great chugging through the day, but I’m a breakfast person for sure. So I make sure that I always have a protein, whether it’s, you know, peanut butter, toast or scrambled eggs, and a cup of coffee and my banana on the way out the door.
Speaker 3:
So definitely, focusing on protein in the morning to start the day helped, you know, helped me feel like alive and awake and rejuvenated, to really get the morning going. And then I always I love texture. So crunchy vegetables, smooth dips, you know, a combination of different things like that is really. I love just variety, so I can. I’m not the person that can eat leftovers or like the same meal day in, day out. So I need to change things up, try new recipes and make sure that you know we’re adding a little sweet treat in there too.
Speaker 2:
I love that. I love that. How do you stay hydrated as far as the D for drinking?
Oh yeah, hydration, that’s huge. You know, water is what I’m always drinking, day in, day out. I think I fill up my water bottle here at work probably six times a day, so definitely get some movement in there too. But for me also, I’ve been getting into teas more lately. I don’t know if it’s like just because it’s been a little bit cooler this week, or just trying more teas and finding more that I like I’ve been really getting into those, whether it’s, you know, maybe green tea in the morning I actually have my cup of green tea with me today or, you know, trying a new black tea. Black and rose tea has been super, really tasty for me in kind of a mid-afternoon pick me up.
Speaker 2:
Rose tea has been super, really tasty for me and kind of a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, and then I also love to mix it up with something like a sparkling water or big fan of Thorne’s Daily Electrolytes to kind of get some flavor in the mix without it being another sugary beverage that we can find almost anywhere.
Speaker 3:
Now, I actually didn’t know about that. The Daily Electrolytes the daily electrolytes yeah, that’s one of our newer ones with three different flavors the watermelon, blood orange and mango limeade. And I think mango limeade is for sure my favorite, if you’re like into the tropical flavors.
Speaker 2:
That’s my go-to. Wow, Well, I know. This last question, um, you know people always want to know how people get great sleep. What tips do you have for that? And I’m sure there’s some Thorne supplements that can help with that. How would you answer that?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I’m more of a morning person and I will not sacrifice sleep.
Speaker 3:
So I make sure I’m getting my like eight, eight and a half hours every night, really making sure that I’m in bed early so I can still, you know, wake up early when I like to.
Speaker 3:
So I really think for me, like winding down in the evening I have to make time for whether that’s reading or listening to an audio book, just listening to music, hanging out with my dogs, like getting that boost, that mood boost from them. I think is so great. But then, you know, stress and daily life comes into the mix too. So I think that’s when I make sure that I have some Thorne supplements on my bedside table, whether that’s PharmaGabba helping with that calming the bind, kind of putting that break on stress, that’s one of my go-tos. Or we recently put out our magnesium glycinate capsules, which is another great one, kind of that physical and mental relaxation. So definitely have my supplement stack at the ready for bedtime. But making sure that we’re kind of setting ourselves up well for restful sleep, not only with supplement help but in our environment, and really keeping that sleep hygiene a top priority too.
Speaker 2:
I love that. Those are great answers. Those are great answers. Thank you for answering how you move, eat, drink, sleep. Those are great answers. I mean you, you, you’ve been awesome on the podcast. We’ve learned so much. You know just any like last thoughts or anything like that that from any of you. Like Laura, do you have any last thoughts or anything you’d like to ask?
Speaker 4:
I just really appreciate you coming on the podcast, carly. It was so awesome having you. I am really excited to have a partnership between our concierge practice and Thorne. It’s a great fit. And Dr Littleton always talks about fit, always, always, always. It’s a great great fit. And we’re superittleton always talks about fit, always, always, always it’s. It’s a great great fit and we’re super happy to have you on here. Thank you so much for educating our listeners and our patients. It was really great having you.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, I agree, I mean this was very informative. I mean you, you have been a great guest and I really appreciate it. Where can people find more about Thorne, learn more about you? Where should people go?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I think for Thorne, Thornecom is a great go-to, for you know, seeing what we’re doing with new partnerships and we just put out a huge brand campaign with Sierra, so super excited about that one. Thorne’s LinkedIn, instagram, all those socials are super popular, super active. And then for me, I’m most active on LinkedIn so people can connect with me there and we’ll stay up to date with the supplement industry together.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Listen until next time. Everyone keep moving, eating, drinking and sleeping Meds Protocol. Remember to download this podcast. You can download it at Apple, amazon, spotify and also follow us on Instagram, facebook and LinkedIn. Until next time. Thank you for listening. Talk to you soon.
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