Amanda hosts Jena Ochsner, a Nebraska farm mom, former labor and delivery nurse, and direct-to-consumer beef business owner, to discuss artificial food dyes and why their family avoids them. Jena shares her health journey through functional medicine and explains how her oldest son developed sudden anxiety, tics, sleep issues, urinary frequency, and behavior changes that were later linked to chronic Lyme and PANS; reducing "toxin cup" triggers like food dyes and folic acid helped, with even small amounts (like a single sucker) causing noticeable reactions. They note dyes are petroleum-based, FDA-approved additives used for color and present in unexpected products (pickles, marshmallows, some meats, supplements), while other countries use natural coloring. They offer practical strategies: read every label, provide dye-free snacks for school/grandparents, use affordable options like store brands and frozen fruit, and teach kids to notice how foods affect how they feel.

00:00 Welcome to Crunchy Farm Mom

00:57 Meet Jena Ochsner

02:52 Jenna Health Journey Begins

03:55 Chronic Migraines and Burnout

05:38 Son's Sudden Anxiety Signs

08:09 Tick Bite Lyme and PANS

09:57 Why Share Health Online

13:40 Documentary To Dye For

14:35 Dyes and Behavior Effects

17:17 FDA Approval and Studies

20:49 Other Countries Already Banned

23:35 Hidden Dyes and Label Reading

25:21 PANS Brain on Fire and Toxins

29:09 Pantry Dye Purge

30:04 Hidden Dyes Everywhere

30:58 Behavior Changes Fast

32:17 Hardcore Snack Strategy

35:08 Progress Not Perfection

38:07 Teaching Kids Food Awareness

43:36 Healthy Snack Systems

45:26 Seed Oils And Eating Out

47:27 Budget Friendly Frozen Foods

49:28 Why Avoid Dyes Anyway

52:21 Finding Dye Free Options

54:55 Wrap Up And Thanks

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Jena's Instagram

Amanda interviews Kylie Epperson, a farm wife and mom of three in rural northeast Missouri, about balancing family life with entrepreneurship and giving yourself permission to pivot. Kylie shares her path from earning teaching degrees and teaching for one year to returning to the farm for bookwork, then facing burnout and postpartum depression in 2020 that led her to seek help through medication and therapy. After realizing her identity and worth weren't tied to farm office work, she stepped away, ran two House of Color franchises for about three years serving over 500 women, then pivoted again due to early burnout signs. She now works as a professional public speaker and event host, with a podcast and some brand partnerships, focusing on joy and sustainability. They discuss fears of seeming "flaky," seasonal energy shifts, and Kylie's advice to moms: ask for help and open communication to lighten the load.

00:00 Welcome to Crunchy Farm Mom

00:53 Meet Kylie Epperson

02:20 Why Plans Must Pivot

04:06 From Teaching to Farm Office

08:24 Burnout and Getting Help

11:09 House of Color Pivot

13:28 New Season of Work

15:33 Fear of Being Flaky

17:50 Reframing Pivots as Growth

25:54 Working in Seasonal Rhythms

27:59 Advice for Moms

30:31 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

Follow on Instagram @2383farms

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Check out my website

Subscribe to our beef email list

Email Amanda at amanda@2383farms.com

Supporting Our Littles eBook

Buy some 2383 Farms Beef!

2383 Farms All Beef Cookbook

Check out some recipes on our blog

Follow Kylie on Instagram @kylieepperson_

Check out Kylie's Podcast Instagram @boldlygroundedpodcast

Check out Kylie's Website and Events

Amanda shares her favorite on-the-go baby products from a third-time-mom perspective, noting that she uses fewer stationary baby items now and focuses more on convenience for busy schedules with older kids' activities. Her top recommendations include a USB-charged Momcozy bottle warmer for quickly heating water, formula, or breast milk; rechargeable stroller fans that also help in car seats during hot weather; a portable Ufi breast pump with a rechargeable case and warming feature; and compact options for storing milk on the go, including a small cooling container or a soft-sided hard cooler that fits mason jars and pump parts. She also recommends the Moby wrap as a budget-friendly carrier option and highlights the double Bob stroller with a car seat conversion kit for durability, storage, and ease across rough terrain.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:57 Quick Spring Update

01:43 Why On the Go Matters

02:59 First vs Third Baby

05:43 Top Pick Bottle Warmer

07:14 Stroller Fans for Heat

08:19 Wearable Pump Setup

09:22 Milk Storage Coolers

10:44 Baby Wrap Reality

12:38 Double Stroller Worth It

15:20 Final Tips and Goodbye

Follow on Instagram @2383farms

Follow on Facebook @2383farms

Check out my website

Subscribe to our beef email list

Email Amanda at amanda@2383farms.com

Supporting Our Littles eBook

Buy some 2383 Farms Beef!

2383 Farms All Beef Cookbook

Check out some recipes on our blog

Momcozy Website

Bottle Warmer

Fan

Eufy

Milk Cooler Bottle

Moby Wrap

Stroller

Stroller Cup Holder

Stroller Carseat Converter for Chicco Brand Carseats

Hard Sided Cooler