Isa De Burge: A Journey Into Wellness
Introducing Isa:
Isa De Burgh is a digital media strategist, content creator, and founder of The Social Tale Agency. With a knack for design and a background in holistic nutrition, Isa crafted her dream business to build brands on social media with honorable values— for the planet and for the people.
Isa and I went to the same high school, college, were in the same sorority, and then went on to complete the same health coaching certification at IIN. I was so excited to sit down with her and chat about wellness. The information in the following interview will be especially beneficial for anyone who has a history with hypothyroidism.
Now to the interview!
How did you get into wellness?
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) when I was 15 years old. Hypothyroidism’s deficiency of thyroid hormones can disrupt such things as heart rate, body temperature, and all aspects of metabolism. After seeing a few endocrinologists, I was put on thyroid medication. I did not enjoy being medicated for this, at which point I decided that I wanted to be prescription free and set out on a mission to fix any imbalances in my body. I dove right into research on how to fix my thyroid naturally and changed my diet to eating food for a low thyroid. It has now been 7 years and I am not on any medication and my thyroid is perfectly balanced. Through this process I learned so much about nutrition and how much of an affect it has on us.
This healing involved a lot of introspection, accompanied by lot of time alone in silence, walking without any music or podcast in my ears. We are constantly inundated with noise. It’s so important to tune in and listen to what our bodies are telling us.
What does wellness mean to you?
It’s so bio individual. You have to find what works for you. One person can thrive off of a full meat diet and someone else can thrive off of being plant based.
Where do you struggle the most in this area?
I have the sleep, diet, and movement down. It would have to be the mental health side of things being where I struggle the most—balancing too much stress and being okay when I am not stressed. I need to work on allowing myself to be at peace no matter what it is I am doing.
Do you have a morning routine?
I allow myself to wake up naturally, without an alarm, normally around 8:00am. I then chug a bunch of water and do some sort of movement. I either caffeinate before the movement or after – either a coffee with coconut creamer or a mix of Kion Aminos and a Pre-Workout (black coffee is too much of a spike for me!). I have breakfast right after working out. I then start work by 9:30-10:00am.
Do you follow a specific diet?
When I was in the trenches of fixing my thyroid, I was strictly following the thyroid diet. This meant reducing veggies like brussels sprouts, broccoli, & kale which inhibit your natural thyroid hormone production and adding more things such as brazil nuts, eggs, & salmon that are rich in selenium as well as certain nutrients that I needed to support my thyroid.
Now I am much more flexible, probably the most lenient I have ever been, with a piece of knowing that my thyroid has been stable now for many years. I realized through that whole process that what mattered most was managing my stress. Regulating my cortisol levels really allowed my thyroid levels to balance out too.
Nowadays, I try to avoid dairy and meat. I haven’t had red meat or poultry in 6+ years, mostly for humane reasons. But, I also know how vital some of those things can be for others and their health. I try to say that I am plant based, but by this I mean fill your plate with as many veggies as possible.
What do you recommend as the top sources of protein for someone on a plant-based diet?
I generally make a smoothie each day that comes with 20-30g of protein. I use Sprout living, which is really clean protein powder that doesn’t upset my stomach. I still eat eggs and fish and I also love Tofu and Tempeh. I know soy can be pretty controversial, but if you really dig into all of the research behind it, it’s really not that controversial.
+ Lots of nuts, I put nut butter on everything! My favorite is Sunflower seed butter, which is a healthy alternative for anyone with a tree nut allergy.
What does a sample “Isa day” meal plan look like?
Often times, breakfast is my biggest meal of the day. After 8 hours of no hydration, I love having fresh fruit in the morning and I incorporate the fruit into my protein packed smoothie. I find that lunch can be very distracting if I break up the day with it, so I will either have a simple salad or a short work break with rice crackers, tahini & cucumber. Being a creature of habit and not having to think about what I am having for lunch makes my day flow more smoothly. This will power me through until dinner, which I make around 6pm. Dinner normally consists of salmon, roasted veggies, & quinoa. I am also a big fan of any type of condiment—dips, homemade pesto, hummus, whatever I can dip things in I’m down!
Any current fascinations?
Female cycle health has taught me so much about myself. Not only does it affect my hunger levels, but also my energy level and mood. Some weeks I’m naturally way hungrier and others I have a very low appetite. It’s beautiful, because my body will just stay the same and my energy will stay the same despite if I’m really hungry one week and eat more or if I’m not hungry another week and eat less. It’s fascinating! You can learn all about this—I highly recommend the book In the FLO: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life by Alisa Viddi.
Do you have a favorite workout?
I love HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), which I’ve been streaming from Youtube. Pre Covid era, I’d go to spin a lot at VERVE in Del Mar. However, if I had to give up everything, I would never give up reformer Pilates. I go to BodyRok at One Paseo.
What is your Number 1 life tip?
SLEEP! Let yourself sleep and be sure to get at least 7+ hours a night. I give myself an hour to wind down before going to sleep with minimal phone use. Then, I normally go to bed by 10:30-11pm. You will be amazed how much better you are able to show up in life with a consistent sleep schedule.
You can find Isa on Instagram @isatales or on her website Isatales.com
You can also view the website for her company, The Social Tale Agency, here.