PFO Newsletter- 04.04.25

It finally came down...Plus, an American FOOD FIGHT

April 04, 2025

In partnership with

I thought you’d be interested in knowing that I finally took my Christmas tree down…just last night, in fact. 

I shared earlier this week on Instagram (and on the podcast) that I’d just not had the time or energy to take it down. I’d been intending to, but life has been a lot.

The whole thing was a reminder that it’s okay to drop balls, we don’t have to have it all together. And honestly, a perfect life, or even the allusion of perfection, is not something I’m interested in. 

Living in that imperfection of life’s messiness is where we usually find what matters most. Taking down my Christmas tree wasn’t on that list. 🙂 

Life is messy. Life is also good. It all co-exists. 

Btw, here is proof that it’s finally down! 

In other news, really excited about what we’re talking about on the podcast: The Movement To Clean Up Our Food. 

If you’ve been paying attention, the FDA recently banned Red Dye #3 due to its potential link to cancer. But, honestly, it’s so hard to know who to trust because the FDA has previously said that food dyes are safe. 

That said, there’s no denying the fact that our kids are being decimated by chronic disease–there’s a preteen pre-diabetic epidemic and 60-90% of our foods in America are ultra processed. 

Why is this important to me? For a couple of reasons. I’ve struggled with autoimmune disorders for almost 30 years. Plus, I’m devastated by what I see happening to our children. This generation is the first generation that isn’t expected to outlive the previous generation. It’s multifactorial: food, lack of exercise, lack of connection. 

Food is just ONE component of the broader issue and it is difficult to know who to trust. Which is why I encourage all of you to research this subject matter and cross reference your sources. 

Next week on the podcast (you’re hearing this first!), I’m joined by Dr Josh Axe, who will share the truth about what American food is doing to us, plus some easy swaps and why he’s encouraged about  the movement to clean up our food. 

This week, Vani Hari (aka, the “Food Babe”), who is one of the leading food activists, shares the strong bi-partisan support to clean up our food. Listen HERE.

Are you concerned with what's in our food?

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I hope you’ll take the time to listen to these episodes and share with me your thoughts. 

Cleaning up our food isn’t the only answer, but it’s sure a strong start. 

Until next time, friends! 

-Paula xo 

P.S. Congrats to Becca, Katelyn, Patti, Heather and Kelly for winning a copy of my book from the last newsletter giveaway!

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

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I’ve shared with you my hair loss journey, which is something I’ve struggled with, especially during my perimenopausal years. I’ve tried a LOT of things–hair stimulation devices, supplements, even fake hair. But, at the recommendation of my friend Dr Jen Ashton, I’ve been on low-dose minoxidil for three months now and am noticing a HUGE improvement–I’m not losing nearly as much hair and it feels fuller. It’s part of my HRT (hormone replacement therapy) from Alloy. If your hormones are out of whack and the side effects (like hair loss) are taking a toll, I can’t recommend ALLOY menopause health enough.use my code PAULA42103 for $25 off your first purchase!

2. Easy, Delicious, Slow Cooker Pork!

It’s hard finding a meal that we all love in my home. Even harder finding something that’s economical. I’ve been making pulled pork in the slow cooker lately and it’s a HUGE hit every time I make it. THIS recipe is so good and incredibly easy! Reminder: I hate cooking. If I can make this, you can make this. :)

3. How To Connect with Your Kids

If you want to spend time with your teen, find a show or podcast you can bond over. My daughter, Caroline, and I watched “The Life List” this week and absolutely loved it. We even shared a MASSIVE hug, afterwards. I won’t give the movie away, but it was clean without compromising creative integrity. Kudos to Connie Britton for a phenomenal performance on Netflix’s #1 new movie! Also, highly recommend Dateline’s newest podcast: Murder in the Moonlight.

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THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

The Mental Load With Paige Connell of @SheIsAPaigeTurner

My guess is that you’re burned out. Between working and parenting and managing the home, you’re fried. But, we can’t find words to articulate why. And, when it comes to having necessary conversations with our partners about sharing the load, we will often avoid it altogether because we don’t want to come across as a “nag”. Next thing we know, our relationship is suffering. In many ways, Paige Connell (@SheIsAPaigeTurner on Instagram) is saving relationships. She’s a mom of four who talks a lot about Mental Load and how it can make or break a relationship. We’re going to discuss how (and why) to have these conversations with our partner, the danger in letting the little things build up, plus how equity in relationships leads to happy and healthy families.

The Fight To Clean Up Our Food With Vani Hari, aka The Food Babe

There is a strong bipartisan movement in our country to clean up our food, from food dyes to pesticides and ultra-processing. The FDA even recently banned Red Dye #3 due to potential links to cancer. Vani Hari, aka “The Food Babe”, has been on the front lines of this FOOD FIGHT for over a decade, petitioning large corporations, speaking on the senate floor, writing NYT best-selling books about the subject and being named one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People on the Internet”. She cites evidence that our children are being decimated with chronic disease, including a pre-diabetic epidemic, in large part due to the junk in our food (using ingredients that are banned in most other countries). We talk about this movement, why she’s encouraged that our food supply will change, plus how we can all use our voice for positive change.

In our last poll, a whopping 91% of you said “YES!” to an internet-free vacation, which was in response to me taking the kids to a rustic cabin in North Carolina with NO INTERNET. Here are some of your comments: 

“It feels so refreshing to take a break. I have to unplug every few months. ”

“It is my idea of heaven b/c I can even escape my work-from-home JOB!”

“100% yes to internet free vacations! It is the best thing everrrr!!”

“Bring it! To be away from connectivity sounds great. First day would be hard but you can do hard. ”

“For a long weekend - it would be perfect!”

“Been there done that and we all survived. ”

“The thought of no internet sounds wonderful. Getting to unplug both literally and mentally - wow!! It would make me leave my phone in my pocket (or bag or purse) and not have it in my hand. Oh just to be in the moment and enjoy!!!”

“It's such a good thing. We have to look at each other and talk or play games and sleep!!!”

“We did it last year and are doing it again! At a camp with a lake so swimming and water activities, it’s amazing!!”

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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