In Episode 7 Nicole goes in for a deep dive on the state of our Food System and it's connection to human health. This has been a passion of hers since learning about the intersection of Food & Sustainability during her time studying at Le Cordon Bleu in London.

Nicole hopes that drawing connections to her own food intolerances to the state of the food system in the United States will create a call to action for more education, empowerment and behavioral changes among consumers.

We explore the topics of:

-USDA Organic Certification

-How to shop for eggs

-What is the difference between Farm Raised and Wild Caught Seafood

-Why people who are intolerant to gluten and dairy in the United States feel completely fine eating pizza, pasta, & cheese in Italy.

-Why supporting local and organic is best for your health, but it's not financially available to all and is not possible to rely on to feed a growing global population as the system stands

Below are a list of resources to fuel your curiosity and to site the facts and data shared within this episode.

How to Become Certified Organic https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/becoming-certified

Whole Foods Egg Standards https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards/egg-standards

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Seafood Guide https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/download-consumer-guides

Oliver English TEDX Talk Why humanity's fate depends on regenerative food https://www.youtube.com/live/aHYzg5GExAw

Animal Agriculture Alliance https://animalagalliance.org/the-role-of-livestock-in-regenerative-agriculture/

2019 EAT-Lancet Summary Report https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/summary-report/

https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/

The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission Livestream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ofJYRz7odQ

Sustainable Food Trust https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/

True Cost Accounting https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/true-cost-accounting/

The Waste Resources Action Programme https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/uk-food-waste-food-surplus-key-facts

Row 7 Seed Company https://www.row7seeds.com/

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025 https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA_508.pdf

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro.

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In Episode 6 Nicole discloses her history and experience with anxiety and how it was rooted in her childhood experiences.

Travel always stretched her mind and allowed her to gain new perspectives, by shifting out of uncomfortable and repetitive states. It was one particular trip to Myanmar that gave her the most perspective on how different life could really be.

As with most trips, the biggest reflections were gained from a perspective of growth and how to navigate challenging situations by learning to change the narrative and where we allow our minds to fixate.

For those interested in reading the book: Guided, as referenced in this episode. Feel free to view it on Amazon here.

Follow & donate to World Central Kitchen for the work they've done to support the Burmese people following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar back in March 2025.

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro. Photos from the Myanmar trip can be found in her story highlights as well.

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Episode 5 touches upon the idea of a spiritual awakening and how from the beginning of her health journey, Nicole always felt like she was going through it for a reason.

Before her official awakening began, Nicole was introduced to the spiritual and occult worlds through a reading with a Medium and a virtual Vedic Astrology reading.

Astrology has been the most profound tool that Nicole has turned to, to give meaning to the challenges she was experiencing and the direction her life was taking her. She shares some examples of what she learned about herself from studying her own birth chart, as well as from a reading with an astrocartographer.

The astrologers who Nicole would like to credit for their readings, teachings and wisdom are as follows. They have been her teachers and biggest influences in her astrological studies thus far.

Danielle Paige @iamdaniellepaige

Chani Nicholas @chaninicholas @chani.app

Nadine Jane @nadinejane_astrology

Helena Woods (astrocartography) @mshelenawoods

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro

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Episode 4 continues with Nicole's story into what life post Tarlov Cyst Disease diagnosis looked like.

Trying to fix one issue only happened to cause more until she finally had to learn the ultimate lesson. Nicole's journey led her to working with all different types of practitioners and healers, but without acknowledging her nervous system she was only making matters worse.

Despite having to navigate a very challenging disease, Nicole knows she was meant to learn how to truly listen to her body. The way she is able to receive information and guidance from within is a gift she gained along the way and plans to use in all areas of her life going forward.

For those sensitive to discussions regarding vaccinations this is something that is addressed in this episode. However, the purpose of this conversation is to share a story of how Nicole learned to listen to the language of her body.

Here's the link to the Private Facebook group mentioned for those navigating their own journey with Tarlov Cyst Disease: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cystersandmysters/

It's one of the best resources that Nicole has come across and recommends it to anyone trying to understand their diagnosis. There are nearly 10,000 members to date.

Link to Tush-Cush Orthopedic Seat Cushion https://tushcush.com/

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro

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In Episode 3: Where It All Began Nicole shares her experience navigating a transition from working in Marketing Research in Sydney, Australia that led her to enrolling in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in London.

While in London she suffered an injury that later led to a shocking diagnosis of a rare disease, known as a Tarlov Cyst. Tarlov Cysts are perineural cysts that in her case sits within her sacrum, encompassing and pressing on her nerve endings. Only 5% of cysts are considered symptomatic.

The road to diagnosis lasted roughly 5 months. This is the story of where it all began.

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro

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In light of the recent terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Nicole shares her experience processing her emotions having just left Sydney the day before the shooting took place.

This podcast was recorded after Episode 1 (An Intro) and Episode 3 (Where It All Began). They were already published in the queue before the tragic events on December 14th, 2025 took place.

Occurring too close to home, she sees this as a wake up call and urges humanity to start behaving differently. We are all responsible for creating a new world and there are things we can do individually to change the collective narrative.

Sending love to Bondi Beach, to Australia and to all of those impacted by the devastating events that took place on the first night of Hannukah 2025.

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro

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Welcome to Keeping It Complex! I'm your host, Nicole Romano. Before we get into the details of my chronic health journey, I wanted to share a little bit about myself and why I decided to create this podcast. I've been navigating complex and chronic health issues for over six years.

At the start of 2025, I set out to change every area of my life. I've overcome a lot and would love to use what I've learned to help those navigating change as we aim to create our most aligned lives despite living in such challenging times.

Healing is multifaceted so get ready to come along for all things physical, mental, emotional and subconscious that contribute to the challenges I've faced and a taste of how I've started to overcome them. It all starts with showing up authentically. So here we go!

Follow along on my personal Instagram page @nicnac_ro

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