Camila Alves McConaughey | Supporting Well-Being & Building Community From the Founder of Women of Today
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Incorporating nutritious food choices and navigating parenting can be challenging which is why we are ecstatic to bring in Camila Alves McConaughey today to discuss her most recent book, Just Try One Bite, and to chat about her mission with Women of Today. In this episode, Kristel and Camila discuss how to create an environment where kids have a better relationship with food, the importance of forming consistent and tangible life changes, some common challenges mothers face, and the importance of community. This episode is one you don’t want to skip!
Key Takeaways From This Episode
What is Women of Today’s mission?
The impact of the “better for you” mindset in nutrition
How to convince children to make better choices in food
Parenting tips for finding a happy medium
The power of communication on educating kids
Disclaimer: All information and views shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not intended to provide medical advice or treatment recommendations. The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health professionals when you have any questions regarding your specific health, changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
About Camila Alves McConaughey
Camila Alves McConaughey is a dedicated mother, healthy eating advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of Women of Today, a lifestyle site and community powered by women around the globe. She lives in Texas with her husband, Matthew McConaughey, and their three children. Camila was a mushroom skeptic for 37 years, until a bowl of veggie Bolognese in 2020 turned her into a mushroom lover. Keep trying those veggies!
Connect with Camila
Website: Women of Today
Instagram: @womenoftoday
Twitter: @camilaalves
About Vegamour
This podcast epsiode is sponsored by Vegamour. Vegamour is a holistic approach to hair wellness that incorporates clinically tested plant-based ingredients that work in tandem to promote healthy, beautiful hair naturally, without using harmful chemicals or short-term ‘fixes’ that can lead to long-term problems. They study the power of nature through the lens of science to bring you the ultimate in total hair wellness & beauty for a lifetime of happiness.
Vegamour simply models nature’s holistic approach to healthy growth & function by combining bioavailable plant-based actives, enzymes, and proteins in a 360, inside/out approach to create the optimal ecosystem for hair wellness.
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In return, they take care of the land and the people who help them bring this true love to you and your hair.
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Kristel Bauer, the Founder of Live Greatly, is on a mission to help people thrive personally and professionally. She is a corporate wellness expert, Integrative Medicine Fellow, Keynote Speaker & TEDx speaker.
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Episode Transcript
Kristel (Disclaimer)
Now for a quick disclaimer, all of the information and views shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors. They are not medical advice or treatment recommendations. The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician or qualified health professional for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions you have regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns, changes to diet and exercise or any medical conditions.
Camila (Teaser)
I'm not here telling you what to do in terms of how to feed your child, the conversation about understanding the importance of better for you foods and how they do effect in your life. That conversation needs to happen.
Kristel (Guest Introduction)
If you're looking to support your personal well being and the wellbeing of your family, you're going to love today's episode with Camilla McConaughey.
Camila has a dedicated mother, a healthy eating advocate, entrepreneur and founder of Women of today community powered by women around the globe. Camilla is also one of the authors of her new book, Just try one bite. Camilla lives in Texas with her husband, Matthew McConaughey and there three children. Camilla and I are going to chat about navigating parenting and motherhood, how to encourage better for you choices when it comes to nutrition and food. We're also going to be talking about the importance of community Camilla's journey with women of today and more. I'm so excited about this episode. Let's jump into it and welcome Camilla to the show.
Camila:
Thank you for having me.
Kristel:
My absolute pleasure.
So you have a lot of really cool stuff going on, and I would love for you to share just a little bit about what is getting you excited these days.
Camila:
Well, the thing that's getting, it's getting excited these days. We got a lot of different balls in the air. I think that working on Women of today platform, the website and platforms that we have, it's something that really gets me excited and out of bed, like always looking forward to create in that environment.
And then the new book that I have come out, it's called, Just try one bite, me and Adam wrote together. And it's been a beautiful journey and it's really dear to my heart in Newport and conversations that I have.
Kristel:
Right. And those are such incredibly important projects. And I want to talk about both of them, but to start, let's talk about Women of today because you've been doing that for a while now.
And I would love to hear kind of the backstory. And why did you feel like this was something that was really important to start? And for those that are listening, that haven't heard about it, cause you just give a little bit of background about what's your mission with women of today. Absolutely. So Women of today to community community-based website and the whole goal behind is to have a community that it's wanting to do better for themselves, better for the families, for their household and the community around them.
And the whole point it's us learning from each other. So when I first started this, you know, I had so many people say, well, it's gotta be, your name has got to be this. And I'm like, well, no, because it's not about Camilla telling people what to do. It's about me sharing, Hey, I did this, it worked for me.
What have you done that works for you? What have you learned? Can you share with me? I've learned this, it didn't really worked for me, but it worked for my friend and this is how I went for her. So still have that open conversation, you know, I'm from Brazil, born and raised, and then, you know, in our life on you know, what we do for work between me and my husband.
We travel a lot and we've moved to many different places around the globe and lift, you know, lifted many different locations. And, you know, I always fell when I was either on the south of the United States or if I was in different countries, I would have very quickly a community that could count on. So I'm getting to places in within like a week.
I already know where like a support that people just go, what do you need? You know, well, go this for here. I go this for that. And, you know, I don't know where that is, but let me ask a friend and get back. Like, it was a very open dialogue and conversation. And then when I would come back home, it would be like, Very close. You had your very close niche friends and you didn't really talk much outside of that. Women of today really started with the special dispassion of connecting people with the mission of doing better in learning from each other. And it's been quite a journey to be honest with you because it started as like this little baby.
This little thing, you know, in a hub at that before I started, I was going on TV and doing a bunch of segments on hacks, just trying to help make life easier, you know, for people. And it was no hub for those things either. So styling, like as the hub it's connecting, the special that I have, and it's kind of being evolving throughout a year is that it is, you know, it's, it's still evolving.
But it's in a beautiful time right now because the pandemic really showed us. It gave us really like, you know, everything that we've been talking internally about where our mission is, what we stand for and all of those things, it just kind of went boom. Like it just really highlighted in a beautiful way.
We are a very diverse community. Not because it's the thing to do this days, but because that's how we started. It's been from day one. I remember meeting with people, you know, people that wanted to work together. And they were like, well, you have to pick an age group and you have to pay a key, um, you know, an ethnicity that you want to go after.
And I'm like, no, that's not what we're doing. And then that would never work. And I'm like, well, so you know what, if this is small and doesn't grow up and that's okay, but I'm not going to just go for this and that. And the beauty is right now. Anybody can come in and identify themselves in there. So they, you know, with very diverse in terms of nationality, religion, beliefs, backgrounds, but we also very diverse in age.
So we get, we have all the way from young to older. So it's, it's, uh, it's really beautiful to see.
Kristel:
That's incredible. And I have to say, I have been loving your recipes. So you always post the best recipes and like,they looks so good. So that is definitely something that I've been using it for. And I know that there's also things about like health and wellness on there and it's indefinitely the community.
So there are so many really, really incredible things. And I will put a link to it in the episode details so that everyone can check it out. Now talking a little bit. Yeah, of course.
Camila:
And the recipes you brought it up. It's something that the community we didn't start. We did not start recipe heavy, but the community started going and we want more recipes and better for you.
So we did our recipes and our recipes in a way that it's like, okay, again, we don't discriminate, right? We're not going to tell you what to do, but we're going to give you the options when they give the better for you. If you eat me, they're getting me. If you don't, we're going to tell you what you can substitute for this.
You can use that. So it's, again, it's more of a conversation that instead of telling people what to do. I will say though, that if you are curious about what we do, go in there and sign up for the newsletter, because a lot of things happen on the newsletter that if you're not a part of it, you’ll be missing.
Kristel:
I was just looking at your site too earlier.
And I saw events and I was like, Ooh, when is that event? I'm like, oh, it happened already. Shoot! But you have events too. It looks like in a lot of things where people can do, um, potentially in-person stuff as well. It sounds like, right?
Camila:
Yeah. So we took a break during this time. So it would be for events, but we are talking about an event this year.
So hopefully fingers crossed.
Kristel:
Ooh. Curiosity is peaked. Well, that's exciting. So the recipes, when you were talking about that, you said, The better for you options and we were chatting a little bit before recording and I was talking about healthy food. And you mentioned that you liked saying better for you, and I absolutely love that because I think there's this connotation sometimes if you're telling people to eat healthier, that there's this like, well, I don't want to, it's not going to taste good or it's like, it takes away their independence. And so I love that you phrased it those better for you options. I would love to hear a little bit about your journey with that and how you navigate nutrition and food personally, and with your family as well, because you're a mom of three.
So I'm sure that you've had some experiences, uh, navigating this personally, too.
Camila:
Yes. And not only do I have, let me just take this thing out of. Okay. There we go. Not only do I have my own personal experiences, I'm still learning. Right. It's always an evolution. I was talking earlier today about, you know, when I first started cooking, you know, I was cooking, you know, Thinking I was doing better, but I was doing better for my stage, but I was using something toxic, but I didn't know.
But once I did better than I learned more than I was like, oh, let me change that. And then once I learned more, I'm like, oh, okay, well, I'm doing this now. Let me change that. So I'd make, it's an ongoing evolution. Like I say, I'm still learning. I think that we all get to, you know, die learning about what it is, but I thin when, especially for parents, you know, when you put the pressure about, it's gotta be healthy, you gotta be healthy, you gotta be healthy. Then it comes with a lot of guilt. I feel like it because then when you're having your trades during, when you do healthy you, then you feel bad. You feel like, oh, I'm not doing my job or am I damaging my kid or myself what's going on? Like, it comes with all this, you know, weight to it. And I might, I am a true believer that if you start making better for you changes. That even if it's small changes, but consistently in while a long period of time, that's going to have more impact in your life long-term versus let me get on this fad, let me get on this trend and change it, but it doesn't sustain. You don't do it just for little time and then you're out of it and go back to the bad habits. Right. So I think that really doing changes that are a tangible. How do you say it again? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. That you can actually practice, that makes you feel good because every time you do that, then you start, you start feeling it and you start singing starting your kids, and then he gets you inspired to go deeper and you go in that journey. Some people have the cold Turkey personality of like, no I'm done.
I'm not touching. Yeah, I don't. I know. I can't like, I it's really hard for me to go cold Turkey with anything. So this state of mind has helped me in my journey a lot.
Kristel:
I love that. And I've definitely experienced kind of all ends of the spectrum when it comes to trying to eat healthy. Because during my training, I was trained as an integrative medicine fellow.
So I was learning all this stuff and I'm not going to lie,it scared me a little bit because I really, some of the things that I was doing, which was good for me, you know? So then I was like, oh wait, I'm going to try and do everything really, really healthy. And then, you know, that's not good either because I had the guilt then. Then there would be that guilt of like, okay, if I have that piece of pizza or like, I can't do that. And that's not a good feeling. So I've learned with our kids and just in general, that it's more about those long-term choices, like what you said and trying to really have things and just moderation and balance and having fun along the way.
It's like not trying to make this a chore, like making eating a fun experience and trying new better for you recipes of fun experience, which is one of the reasons I absolutely love what you're doing. And this is I think a great segue into your book, which I'm so, so excited about. And I would love for you to share a little bit about it.
Just try one bite, which is so fun. Cause it's playful way to get kids feeling empowered about making those better choices. I would love for you to share a little bit.
Camila:
It really is luck. It's a book that me and Adam wrote together. We've been at this journey together and it really was to go us, how can we start that conversation without being preaching and empowering the kids and they, in the book, it is reversed for us.
Where, is the kid actually getting on their parents about not eating, you know, eating bad stuff. And it's cute. It's funny. The illustrations are just beautiful, you know, like really alive and, um, it's for, you know, it's for ages all different ages and it's one of those books that you can have at home. You can donate it to your school, you can donate it to editor organization, because it's that kind of conversation that we need to be happy and more and more. And they go, you know, if you’re giving the power to a child of understanding and stuff, then all of a sudden they're going to start getting on you for like, it was just like the book right. You're not supposed to be eating that. Like, what are you doing? Like, and it creates again that fun and funny conversation, interaction and spikes that curiosity about our relationship with food and what really food that's fast.
Kristel:
Yeah. That's so incredible. I actually, we have a reading, parent reading day coming up for my son's school and I'm thinking this is going to be the book that I bring, because I think that the kids will get such a kick out of it. And it'll open up that conversation.
Camila:
It's perfect. And you can do it where, you know, you can have some, you know, spot parts of the book where I know that the kid really gets into parody.
It can have that part, you know, the kids class will probably get a kick out of it and start laughing. But the book is not about you know, a lot of people sometimes ask me, well, what are you telling parents to follow? I, you know, it's at a certain regimen, is it a certain diet? Is it a certain method?
And I'm like, no, this is not about that. This is really about, I'm not here telling you what to do in terms of how to feed your child. But I am telling you that the conversation about understanding the importance of better for you foods and how they do effect in your life. That conversation needs to happen so they can start understanding and they can start making choices.
And again, I believe that if you do start, if you do start with the life setting a foundation, I should say, setting a foundation for your child of good habits early on. You are pretty much setting him up for a lifelong of good habits. And if you don't really pay attention to that might be fine. Might be not.
I look at myself now, like I didn't have that growing up. I had as much sugar as I wanted. It was never a conversation about sugar.
Kristel:
Yeah. For me. Totally.
Camila:
And now that's what I struggle with. I struggle with the most. It's so hard for me. Then you have somebody like my husband, which they did have that conversation and was something that they talked about.
It, it wasn't like free for all, and now he can sit down and have a little bit of dessert and it's so satisfying to be completely happy. And how do you do that? That's such a struggle or, you know, I think it's important that earlier you start that and the earlier you start setting up that palate. It's it, it will make a world of difference.
Kristel:
And I love the title, Just try one bite because sometimes it just comes down to kids trying it, you know, they get intimidated about new flavors, new textures, and you can't expect kids to eat the whole plate if it's something new necessarily, but just getting them to get used to those different flavors, I think is so, so smart.
And I actually, I used to work with kids who all different types of children, but I worked in pediatric pulmonary for a little while. And then I actually worked in integrated psychiatry. And so I saw a lot of children who are going through different things like attention issues or struggles with anxiety and everything in between.
And I really saw firsthand how impactful their diet was on their behavior. I mean to different extents depending on the child, but what people eat, you really does have an impact on their, on their mood, on their physical health, on their mental health. So I love what you're doing. I think it's so important to start educating kids and parents about this.
So thank you so much for putting this out into the world.
Camila:
I give you a lot of props for doing what, what you did and what you do, because it's a hard thing. That's a hard thing. I bet you saw a lot of heartbreaking stories and situations. So I give you a lot of props for that. Thank you. And you know, it's funny you say, so for instance, you know, I have noticed that for some of my kids, like the food coloring affects you know, and cow, when it's like it hits it, it's like, okay. So it is to your point. And even for us as adults, like that's all of us, it's just what it is, right. Science. But if we can find a balance, then our body's able to do the job that it needs to do. And the reality is when people talk about balance, right, they go, whoa, it's got to be 50, 50.
Well, not really.Find your balance and work your balance up balance out. And if your balance can be higher, the higher percentage. You still actually needs to be like this, right? To where, like the better for you stuff, i's majority of it and the not so good stuff. It's less. So again, when you do have those times, you are able to enjoy it.
You're able to not even think about it and your body again, is able to do its job. Kristel:
Yeah. I love that. And I would love to segue a little bit into talking about parenting and motherhood. You know, you, you're the mom of three children and you are doing a lot of different things. You have a lot of really incredible projects.
I would love for you just to share any insights, words of wisdom that you have as far as how you've been able to navigate that. And any tips of things you've learned along the way that helped.
Camila:
Uh, I'm just trying to figure out myself too, every day, every day, it's, it's a different situation. And so, you know, like kids go through different stages, kids, you know, like I might joke now is that, you know, when I had babies, right.
Little ones, it was a matter of, you know, physical, right. Like I was exhausted, just exhausted like. Now that they're getting to preteens, teenage years, I'm more exhausted than I'm like, please give me the labor work anytime, you know, the physical work anytime, because at the end of the day, I'm like, my brain is tired on the amount of just mental power, brain power that needs to break power that needs to do this right at the stage of that they're going through.
So let me just make it clear. I don't have all the answers, you know, I've tried different things. Some things worked, some things not. One thing that it has worked for me that I can share is that, organization becomes a really key thing for when you are trying to navigate all of it. That evolves. So for me, it really has been like, and I'm not, I wasn't a really organized person.
I'm still working on it, but like having, I have like a big calendar in the household, like on the wall and I have that. And then I have little ones, small ones of like the six months ahead of me. And on the six months I had a me, I put, you know, all the important dates, things that are already like, okay, we know it's happening, you know, it's coming, you know, the holiday school, whatever it is, birthdays, all that kind of stuff.
And then that month is like, okay. And then every person in the family has different colors.
Kristel:
I like that.
Camila:
Right. So it's fun. It's colorful. And everybody gets to, to, you know, so that's been like a life changer for me and for the kids as well, because they actually like get to see ahead. Oh, okay. This week I have this next week, I have that.
So that's been a, that's been something that really has like, change how we do things. I also got to the point where, you know, I'm very independent. I liked to, take it all in and go, come on, I can do it. I can wear my own. And I had to go, you know what Kamala the, as you are, and you can do a lot, but you need help.
So getting asking for help, it's something that also like it's okay, give yourself permission to ask for help. Because it's impossible that you can do all of it. And then I've learned to also set myself, like I have high expectations for what I can, for what I want to do and how I want to do it, but I keep myself like a, a bit of like, you know, what, if it doesn't go that way and if it doesn't happen that perfect, it's okay.
Like everybody is going to be okay. It's going to be all right. A lot of times we put more emphasis, emphasis on small things that in the big picture is not going to really break it up. It's not gonna have any changed for us of things. And we put so much focus on that and ended up forgetting like the big picture.
And then you put so much stress, so much pressure. Then you're like worn out. You said about it. You don't feel good. But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Like there's a really make a huge difference if this thing is not, you know, set this right.
Kristel:
Wow. Well, those were incredible insights and I'm thinking for myself too, I'm like, gosh, you know, those like high expectations.
Cause that's something that I navigate too, of just like taking a step back and being like, it's okay. If it doesn't work out that way, like you just got to try to do your best and recognize that sometimes, everything's not going to go the way that I want it to go. And recently I felt like I dropped the ball and I felt so bad because I got an email from my son's school about they were doing this time capsule, which was so sweet.
And it's like, you can bring in a photo and I forgot to put it in my calendar. So I forgot to send him to school with his photo. And I felt so bad and he came home and we talked about it and I was like, oh, I'm so sorry. He really didn't care. But it was more me feeling like, oh, I dropped the ball on that.
I was like busy that day with other stuff. And like you just said, I think it's just taking a step back as a mother, as a parent and being like, sometimes that happens, you know, in the big picture, like a stat that big of a deal.
Camila:
I have a question for you. Like if it was your parents, right. And you, when you were little in that happening, would they give that much importance and stress out about it as you did?
Kristel:
I don't think so. No, it would have been like, why didn't you tell me about it? I'm sure your teacher told you that's your responsibility to remember.
Camila:
Yeah. So it's a little fee of a change on parenting that has happened that years, Which it's okay. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but again, to put the pressure of us, like, like you say, you forgot the picture.
Is it ideal? No, but does it happen? It happens. Is that going to change your child's grade for the whole year? No. Can you bring the picture tomorrow? Can I run to the school? Can he make up that work at the house? Like what's the solution. So, um, you know, like for me, school stuff is really hard because I didn't finish school and I'm from Brazil.
So it's a very different, you know, and the language barrier and all that stuff. I always make a joke like that stuff, it's above my pay grade and I mess up on this. All the time. And every time my kids start the school year with, you know, with the new t-shirt, I have that talk with them. I say, listen, I'm going to try my best, but I want to let you know, and I let them know this and this and that.
And if they, you know, communication is key to, to get everybody around it, to understand what you're good at, what you're not good at it. It's okay to own that. Kristel:
Right. That's so true. And you know, we've chatted about so many incredible things and I'm so excited for your book to come out. There's going to be a link in the episode details.
So you listening, you can click that and order it. I'm really, really excited about that. And I'm gonna have all the links to your social and everything in there. So we are coming close to the end. We're going to do a really fun, quick wellness, lightning round. I'm going to ask you a few and fun questions, but before that Camilla, anything else you would like to share before we move to that wellness lightning round?
Camila:
No, I think we had thank you for having this open conversation. Again, this is not about preaching and telling you to do something this way or that way. It's just about creating an education into conversation about it. And the book, as I say, if you don't have kids, or if you, you know, your kids are older for the school, for a charity organization, for a cousin for a nephew is just a great overall concept to pass along and keep, continue to have that conversation. And the book is available in target, Amazon, and you can pre-order it right now.
Kristel:
Amazing. And actually this is going to be released the day your book is released. So there we go. Planned it. Yes. Which is amazing. So the wellness lightning round, the first question I have for you, if you're ready.
Camila:
Okay, this is making me nervous.
Kristel:
Don’t be,they're fun. Okay. You're on a deserted desert island and you need to bring three foods with you that's all you can eat the whole time you’re there. What three foods would you bring?
Camila:
Oh my gosh, this is all I can eat while I'm there. Avocados. Just no drinks right to eat. Right. So I've a kind of. Oh man, steak and beans.
Kristel:
Ooh, love it. Love it. Okay. Second question. What is a self-care activity that you do for yourself, which is a non-negotiable for you?
Camila:
I will be honest with three kids, three dogs, two cats working and running around. I don't know that I have one that is non-negotiable on a consistent basis, but what I do try to do is, you know, I have like my ritual in the morning of making myself a tea, which I make in myself.
I mix all kinds of stuff that I like. And then sitting outside starting the day at sunlight, really healthy and good for you. So having that just quiet moment to start the day. Ideally that's my non-negotiable part. And doing like, I like to do lymphatic massage on my face by the bay.
So yeah. It's like I made to match. I will be lying if it's non-negotiable, because some days I can do it and then some days it's one o'clock in the afternoon. Now I look up I'm like, I still haven't MIG.
Kristel:
So, all right. Last question for you is, knowing what, you know today, what advice would you give to yourself from 10 years ago?
Camila:
Hm. Okay. Let me, and that's a big one because you asked me for fun and I have a bunch and this, and so just one thing that comes to mind, I'm sure there's that comes to mind based on what the conversation we have is that, to pay attention more in learn more about the effects of food and my relationship with food, because I have had my good, my journey with house problems.
And I'm not saying that is what it created, but for sure it didn't help from when I didn't know all this stuff, because it was a bunch of like aha moments on my journey. What about, he told me that before, why did I not get that? Right? Like what, what, like, oh my gosh, like a bunch of those moments. So I think really being more aware and learning more about that relationship.
Kristel:
I love that. Well, this has been incredible. Thank you so much. I absolutely love talking. I could have kept talking. I could have kept you for another hour, but thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking some time today.
Camila:
Thank you so much for having me.