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Dan Buettner Blue Zones: How to Accomplish Health and Longevity Eating an American Diet [Episode #739]
This weekās topic is: Dan Buettner Blue Zones: How to Accomplish Health and Longevity Eating an American Diet
I am so excited to have my very special guest, Dan Buettner, who is a National Geographic Fellow, NY Times Best Selling Author, 3x Guiness World Record Holder and Founder of Blue Zones: Places around the world where people live the longest. Listen in as Dan shares how to manage the bridge between your current diet into a sustainable diet, real foods that taste good in less than 30 minutes, why support groups are important in living a healthy lifestyle, and so much more!
- Managing the bridge between your current diet and into a sustainable dietā¦
- Why taste, time, and price play a huge role in changing your dietā¦
- Refuting complex carbs and what they areā¦
- How important support groups are when living a healthy lifestyleā¦
- What to do when youāre attached to meat, cheese and eggsā¦
- Real foods that taste good in less than 30 minutesā¦
- Your microbiome and how to ensure itās getting enough fiberā¦
About Dan Buettner
Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world ā dubbed blue zones hotspots ā where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Buettner now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities which has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date. His new book āThe Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Lifeā is a four-week guide and year-long sustainability program to jump-start your journey to better health, happiness, less stress, and longer life.
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Dan Buettnerās Interview
Other Podcasts you may enjoy!:
- Eating for Longevity with Dan Buettner
- How To Increase Your Longevity within The Four Cornerstones
- Lifestyle Changes with Joe Cross & The Doās and Donāts of The GGS
- Managing Shifts in Your Body
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Transcript:
Note: The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate. This is due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
Namaste loves and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited to have one of our favorite repeat guests back on the podcast today, the one and only Dan Buettner. He is a National Geographic fellow, a number one New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the person who discovered the blue zones, which are these regions in the world where people are the healthiest and living the longest. He is back on the show today to talk about his very important new book called Blue Zones American Kitchen, where he delves into the heritage of different aspects of American culture from elders in Minnesota to the Quakers in New England, the traditional diet of Hawaii. And heās worked with all these chefs to bring forward very delicious, accessible, inexpensive, easy to cook options to bridge the American diet where it currently is, where many of us feel like, oh, I have to eat a certain way.
This is how I grew up. And people that we know into this much more healthy way of eating that is plant based or largely plant based and based in whole Foods. Dan is such an important voice in the world today. He is a pioneer. Heās, heās showing this through line, which is that we really can achieve health and vitality in a lot of it. Most of it comes from our lifestyle. So what I love about Danās work as well, which aligns so much with our community here, itās not based on confusing studies and a bunch of numbers and ratios and percentages of carbs and all this stuff that can be so easily refuted between different diets. And all the discussion out there, heās saying, Hey, look at the healthiest people in the world. This is what theyāve been doing for hundreds of years, and this is what we can learn and this is how we can implement it in our lives.
So Dan is working with, I believe, 72 cities and heās implementing these practices to better the environment for people in these communities, making a healthy way of life and eating the option and reducing the advertising of junk food and implementing the very deep lifestyle changes. So he is literally a hero in the modern day. He is full of wisdom, and again, this comes from real life communities, which is why I love to hear about Danās work and his research. Itās not just based on lab studies or these, these, you know, limited pieces of, of research, which can often sort of refute each other and create more confusion. And his new book, blue Zoneās American Kitchen is for all of us. Itās accessible and itās incredibly, um, powerful. For all of us to read and to implement into our daily family life. So Iām very excited, as you can tell, to get into our show today with Dan.
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Before we do, wanted to give a quick reminder to please leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, wherever you happen to listen to our show. Itās a wonderful way to support, so thank you so much in advance. Please be sure to also subscribe to our show so you stay in the flow. We have these interviews always on Mondays and Thursday is our q and a podcast, which is where we focus on our four cornerstones and we source the questions right from our amazing community. So you can also submit, uh, questions over@mysalluna.com. Also, in the spirit of sharing and expansion, please share the show with anyone that you think would benefit, and this might be a very important show to share as weāre talking about this expansion is about sharing wisdom, knowledge, resources, anything that we can. And this expands the heart. It expands our energy, it expands our wellness and health. So you can send a link or screenshot what, however you like to share.
Get Your Copy Of YOU ARE MORE
And finally, our new book, baby, well, pretty New now. You Are More Than You Think You Are, is also out. And this is a book, this is a practical book about connecting to the energy inside of you and the abundance and the love and shaping your life from this inner connection. Itās very powerful and I share many personal stories about calling in my soulmate, our farm, just changing my life from a lot of lack and a lot of anxiety into living this life that I love. And I love to share what has helped. So please be sure to check out the new book as well. All right, all of that being said, letās get right into our interview today with the incredible Dan Buettner.
Interview with Dan Buettner
Kimberly: 01:03 So youāre in my, youāre in Miami, Dan, is that, I feel like youāre all over the place. Youāre, youāre traveling post in Europe.
Dan: 01:14 Yeah. My, the joke is, I, I travel like a viral pandemic. I was, I was in Israel, Cuba, and Tunisia in the last three weeks, but now Iām here in Miami for a week of, uh, uh, mostly talking to people like you, but mostly you right now. And, um, Iām looking at the ocean and, um, yeah, talking about this new book.
Kimberly: 01:36 Wait, so I have to tell you something funny. Dan, your name comes up so much. Iām always organically mentioning you on social and the lives. My husband said to me yesterday, he goes, if you ever gonna leave me for one man, it would be Dan Fu
Dan: 01:50
Kimberly: 02:30 Thank you, Dan. I, I think it is important to share, because like you said, it can just be, it can, it connects people to daily life, which is what so much of your book, your new book is about, which weāll get into in just a moment. And I also wanna mention Dan, you know, we just, we have this, weāre very grateful and fortunate to have this little farm in Hawaii, and we were just coming back, and I love your post about the Japanese sweet potato, and thereās so much taro and heirloom taro. Weāre, weāre planning to, to plant some on our land as well. The po the traditional, when you look at whatās happened in Hawaii, where unfortunately a lot of fast food came in, but when you look back in the history, taro and like a lot of these traditional root vegetables were part of the diet there too.
Dan: 03:14 Yeah. You know, before the, um, the, the, the Europeans came, there were 2 million people living in Hawaii, completely sustaining themselves in the early accounts. I talk about the Hawaiian diet in this blue zone American kitchen. Oh, when they arrived, the, the, uh, the first observations was what they were fit, beautiful hair, beautiful teeth. And then all of a sudden, you know, we, we foisted the American diet on these people. And, uh, now thereās still 2 million people living there, but they would be out of, if the boats donāt arrive with this largely processed food of Hawaii, be out of food in 10 days and doing what youāre doing, which is going back to those, uh, into rhythms. You know, the, the, um, TA was a staple food in Poy, which is kind of a, a mashed and, and liquified and fermented ta was, you know, they ate that every day. That was their Yeah. Enormously healthy and, um, acquired taste
Kimberly: 04:17
Managing the bridge between your current diet and into a sustainable diet
Dan: 05:06 Thatās right. We not only can do it, weāve been doing it. And the point, and a bridge is actually the perfect metaphor because I found these diets of longevity and the blue zones like sarin and UCA and Okinawa and Niko and Costa Rica. Uh, but, uh, the point of this book was to find American cultures that actually ate this way. And ironically, you know, we tend to think that Native Americans and African Americans and soul food is not all that healthy. But if you wind back the clock and you look at the research, the dietary surveys, you see that about a hundred years ago, they were eating a blue zones diet. They were eating the diet of longevity. And, um, you know, the standard American diet, Kimberly kills 680,000 of US Americans every year. And the, these are premature, unnecessary deaths, more deaths by diet in the last 10 years than all of the wars, than the last hundred years. Yet weāre not paying enough attention to it. And, uh, the irony is that here, these under celebrated ethnicities, the Asian, Asian-American, Latins, native Americans and African Americans, uh, really hold the key to the diet of longevity. And all I did was sort of gather the, their wisdom and put it in one, one volume.
Kimberly: 06:28 And whatās great about it is thereās a, thereās an easefulness, a simplicity, thereās a lot of one pot meals. Thereās just a lot of, um, simple way of eating. So we can actually eat. This way is what you also point out in the book, because today, you know, itās like all these, all these recipes, it can feel overwhelming to people. So for people to bridge over Dan, as we know, it has to taste good and it has to be doable.
Why taste, time, and price play a huge role in changing your diet
Dan: 06:54 And I would also argue it has to be cheap or
Kimberly: 06:58 Relatively
Dan: 06:58 Cheap. Yes. And it has to be pretty quick because youāll hear over and over, I think itās bad math on peopleās part. I think, uh, cooking at home adds enough time to your life that in the end, you, you actually, you know, you have more life if youāre cooking at home as opposed to eating out. But thatās a different story. But, uh, I made sure that the recipes in the Blue zones American kitchen are quick. Most of the vast majority are under half hour.
Kimberly: 07:26 Yes. So what were you doing in, in Tunisia recently as well?
Dan: 07:32 My, my brother lives there with his wife, and we had our whole family Thanksgiving there. So we all Oh wow. We all slept on planes and, you know, cross the ocean and had
Kimberly: 07:43 Oh, thatās amazing.
Dan: 07:45 Yeah.
Kimberly: 07:45 Oh, wow.
Dan: 07:46 Weāre celebrating and, and you know, theyāre going to work and they have no idea that itās Thanksgiving in America. But we had a, we had a ball.
Kimberly: 07:54 Wow. So what kinds of foods did you eat for your Thanksgiving over there?
Dan: 07:58 Root vegetables. Thereās still tons of root vegetables. Um, theyāre, theyāre very good at hummuses and, and, uh, harissa sauce, which is great on just about everything. Mashed potatoes, uh, we had sweet, sweet potatoes. Um, yeah, thereās a lot of good food.
Kimberly: 08:16 And, you know, and it goes back, yeah, the, the blue zones, again, the, one of the reasons I bring it up so much organically is because people get really fixated on these studies and certain things that seem really conflicting. Right? But then it always goes back to people saying to me, I feel like I need to eat more protein and less carbs. And then we look to these societies again that are eating rice, and theyāre eating potatoes, and theyāre eating sweet potatoes. And I, a huge percentage of my diet, Dan, is root vegetables. I also am a huge rice eater. Iām half Asian. It, you know, it works really well for me. I grew up eating rice almost every meal. So itās like this deep myth integrated in the fabric of American culture that carbs always make you fat. How do you refute that in your, in your
Refuting complex carbs and what they are
Dan: 09:01 Real life? Re Well, here, let me tell you, the worst word in the nutrition dictionary, probably in the American lexicon actually, is carbohydrates. Yeah. Because people who, who, uh, um, lament and, and lamb bass carbs, if theyāre talking about simple carbs like white sugar and white bread and, um, uh, candy and most cereals, but sugar can, yes, itās the worst thing in our diet. But thereās another kind of carbs called complex carb where we found in blue zones about 65, two-thirds of all the calories they put in their mouth are complex carbs. And those are things like whole grains, rice included, uh, corn and, and wheat, uh, greens, probably 80 kinds of greens, root vegetables like sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes, which are called emo. You probably know something about those nuts. And beans and beans are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world. And where we get tripped up is, you know, uh, lentil beans and chip peas and, and, uh, black beans, theyāre, theyāre card, but so are jelly beans. And, uh, you donāt wanna be eating the jelly beans. You wanna be eating the other kind. And theyāre absolute opposite ends of the health spectrum.
Kimberly: 10:25 Well, yes. In, in your work, Dan, too. Itās like this holistic lifestyle versus kind of co mentalizing these one little aspects of diet. Youāre saying this is a whole diet with whole vegetables and whole root vegetables and greens, like you said, that weāre looking at it wider.
Dan: 10:43 Well, it radiates out even farther than that. The, the, you know, Iāve written now seven books on blue zones, and, um, like you book best, most of them have been bestsellers. But, um, New York Times bestseller, the first ones really unpack the ecosystem, which is producing longevity. We, we live in a culture thatās constantly looking for the silver bullet. Yes. But there is no silver bullet for longevity. Itās a, itās silver BugShot and itās a cluster of mutually supporting, um, factors that help keep people doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong thing for long enough. So theyāre not developing diabetes or gi cancer or heart disease or dementia. And yes, you know, the five things, the five interconnected people are eating mostly a whole food, plant-based diet. Theyāre moving naturally every 20 minutes. Theyāre not pumping iron, you know, theyāre walking, they have a garden, they do their own house and yard work because their life is underpinned with purpose.
11:43 They have a circle of friends that reinforce these, uh, ways of living. And they live in places where the healthy choice is the easy choice. And where we get in trouble. And a lot of people are gonna be watching this podcast, uh, around the holidays or right after the holidays, and theyāre gonna resolve to get healthier. And they get on a diet and they rely just on one leg of a five leg stool. And if you donāt have all five legs, that stool doesnāt stand up. I just made up that metaphor.
Kimberly: 12:18 Yes. And you and I have chatted a little bit before about having that support group, a community that is reinforcing, cuz itās hard to stay on this if you have friends that are saying, well, blah, blah, blah, I think we should be doing the paleo, the ketos, how I lost weight. You gotta eat a lot more meat. Or, you know, these messages we get sometimes all the time.
How important support groups are when living a healthy lifestyle
Dan: 12:36
Kimberly: 13:36 Yeah.
Dan: 13:37 One of the most effective diets is turn off your brain, eat whole food, plant based, youāre gonna lose weight. Youāre not gonna get diabetes, youāre not gonna, youāre very unlikely to develop heart disease. The heart, heart, heart attacks are almost a hundred percent. Okay. Not a hundred, but theyāre 95% avoidable if youāre eating a whole food plant based diet.
Kimberly: 14:00 So how do we address in your new book, Dan, on the Blue Zones American Kitchen, about the Americans that say to you, okay, I can get it, but I Iām so attached to the taste of the meat, the cheese, the, you know, the, the, the eggs in your recipes in your book. How do we, how do we address that? How do we bridge that? Thatās a very strong sensory attachment. Yeah.
What to do when youāre attached to meat, cheese and eggs
Dan: 14:22 So, okay. What do you think about meat? What do you get with meat? Itās a package. It is a texture. Yes. And it is a, uh, itās
Kimberly: 14:30 A heaviness. Yeah,
Dan: 14:32 Yeah, yeah. Um, it, itās, so, itās a, yeah, itās a heaviness, a texture and fat. Just, thatās, thatās the flavor, you know, basically takes on whatever flavor you do it. So we have a, I have a recipe here. I have cud up that I learned from the, the longest lived demographic in America. Hawaiian American women, savory garlic tofu with menās mushrooms. So the mushrooms have a very meaty texture. Uh, you have, they use, um, um, uh, sesame seed oil. So you get that fat, thereās a saltiness. The tofu is prepared in such a way that itās, itās meaty, itās cold protein. Um, you know, I took my dad along on this journey. My dad grew up at a farm eating meat and potatoes. He still eats meat and potatoes, not as much. But, um, well thatās, I brought him with me. I mean, this was a National Geographic serious, uh, expedition.
15:31 But I brought my eighties old dad with me. Roger worked at a farm. He tasted every single recipe. And, you know, I took him to OK Canal on the last book too. And he basically thumbs down on eight outta 10 recipes. And he still thumbs down, probably three outta 10 here in America. He gave the thumbs down, didnāt make it into the, into the book, because I know heās the Middle America vote. Yes. Heās, heās not, he, you know, heās an napal his taste buds with cheese, eggs, and meat all the time. So these recipes are formulated with the herbs and the spices for flavor. They have some oil in there. Uh, so you get that flavor. And we pay lots of very interesting textures in mouth fields where, you know, you bite down. It doesnāt give we right away. And then it gives, and you get that kind of satisfying caribous, uh, um, uh, response, I guess.
Kimberly: 16:30 And I, I feel like thatās been the through line in your books. And this one particularly, is using real foods that ta
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Optimizing your Preconception Health & Fertility with Dr Ann Shippy [Ep. #1023]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Ann Shippy Summary: In this conversation, Dr. Ann Shippy discusses the significance of infertility as a health indicator, likening it to a check engine light that signals underlying health issues. She emphasizes the importance of both partnersā health in enhancing fertility and ensuring the birth of healthier babies. About Dr. Ann Shippy Dr. Ann Shippy is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician and certified Functional Medicine practitioner based in Austin, Texas. With a background in chemical engineering and a successful career at IBM, she transitioned to medicine after facing her own complex health challengesāan experience that fuels her passion for uncovering and addressing the root causes of illness. 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With degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Texas, Dr. Shippy brings a unique blend of engineering precision and medical insight to her work. Her practiceāAnn Shippy, MDā is dedicated to helping individuals live betterāand get betterāwith age. Guest Resources: Book: THE PRECONCEPTION REVOLUTION: A Science-Backed Path to Fertility and Generational Health Website: annshippymd.com Social: @annshippymd Ā Episode Sponsors: FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā ANIMA MUNDI OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS, benefit driven Herbal Teas infused with harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! 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Can you tell us a little bit, just as we start, Dr. Anne, how you decided to focus on this specific subject in your career, in your work, helping women or helping families haveā¦ healthy children, how did that become the focus? Ann Shippy MD (00:39.51)It was kind of this accidental confluence of information. I feel so lucky that I was able to pull this all together for people. I had gone through my own infertility journey before medical school and then during residency. And then I started seeing these amazing things happen with my patients. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:03.271)Bye! Ann Shippy MD (01:05.23)around this topic. Like what does it actually take to have good fertility and healthy babies both, right? We donāt want to just get pregnant. We want to have our, you know, give our children the best shot at having a good healthy life, right? So one of my early patients, I had only been in practice a couple of years and she was 41 and sheād finally gotten married and had the love of her life. And she just had the intuition. Sheād heard about me and she was like, Dr. Shippey, I know I really need to prepare my body more to be pregnant. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:16.059)Yes. Ann Shippy MD (01:34.91)And so we worked her up. We looked at her microbiome. We looked at her toxin levels. And she actually had really high mercury. Yeah. And so I loved that. That was a really early story of like, really need to listen to my patientās intuitions. And so we worked together for six to nine months and finally gave her the green light go. And she had a healthy baby right away at 41, 42. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:42.727)BWOY! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:00.967)Wow. Ann Shippy MD (02:03.05)So that taught me, okay, we can really help people to have healthy babies even into their 40s. And then a couple years later, I had a patient come in who also just found me by word of mouth and she had done IVF a couple times. was in her mid 30s and she failed IVF a couple of times. And so then nobody else wanted to give her another shot at it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:28.264)Mmm. Ann Shippy MD (02:28.556)So we did the same kind of thing. We worked her up, found out what was out of balance in her body, how we could really build the resources in her body. And long behold, less than a year later, she was pregnant and had a healthy baby. And then she actually got pregnant with twins while she was still nursing the first one. She got so pregnant. Yes. And then had a birth. So she had, she ended up with four children, under four, after being told that she couldnāt, you know. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:53.512)Wow. Ann Shippy MD (02:58.446)into her 30s. So my patients taught me that when weāre really healthy, can get past the fertility issues and have healthy babies. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:09.352)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:14.482)You know, itās really interesting, Dr. Rans reading your book and just thinking about friends that I know that, you know, and thereās weāre in a time and you mentioned this in the book where some companies are, you know, giving a stipend for freezing your eggs and sort of going down that pathway. But it just seems like so many people are going right to IVF and theyāre even late, like 20s. And I just say for me, it didnāt even it wasnāt in my consciousness, you know, and I donāt know, like I donāt know, it just seems like a time when IVF is becoming more and more popular at younger ages. And do you think thatās connected to the toxin level and people are struggling? Or do you think itās just because women are wanting to delay having babies because of their careers? Combination. Ann Shippy MD (04:03.822)Yes, I think itās all the confluence of things, right? The sperm counts are going down. Theyāve gone down 50 % in 50 years and itās accelerating. It was 1 % a year. Now itās almost 2.5 % decline in sperm counts per year. So weāve got that along with people waiting a little longer. And thenā¦ the drop in fertility. The latest number that I saw was one in six couples deal with infertility, which is not getting pregnant in a year. There is another number circulating, I havenāt found the source yet, of one in five, so this fertility issueās accelerating. And then I think itās the narrative of what the conversation is that weāre normalizing IVF, weāre normalizing IVOI, and using the clomid and other things. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:40.157)Mm. Ann Shippy MD (04:55.532)rather than being weight, infertility is actually a sign, itās like a check engine light. Itās like the body saying, wait, weāre not, like somethingās off because weāre born to like procreate the species. Thatās been the amazing thing of how, you know, like itās just part of our makeup to have children. And so I thinkā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:01.607)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:11.098)Yeah. Ann Shippy MD (05:24.32)If youāve got that check engine light on, especially you want to pause and figure out what needs to happen in both partners to really enhance their health so that then they can not just have better fertility, but healthier babies. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:39.356)Right. Yes, and itās like you said, itās a natural biological function. Weāre seeing that across the board where people are having trouble, know, digesting, theyāre having trouble sleeping, theyāre having trouble, you know, having energy, theyāre pumped up with caffeine. So it seems like thereās many aspects of our lifestyle as a collective that need to be re-examined, this being one of them. Ann Shippy MD (06:02.766)So in addition to having all these patient experiences where I can see that people are often very fertile well into their 40s. My oldest patient is 47 right now. And after doing a few months of work, weāve worked on her health for a little over three months. She gave me a little bit of time. She didnāt want to wait too long at 47. But she got pregnant on her first try, and sheās five months in now. So we donāt have a healthy baby yet, but itās teaching me. what it takes to be fertile. So when we look at root causes of these things, you mentioned the environmental toxicity, I think thatās a really important piece for us to look at, not just for fertility, but the health of the future child, and then how important it is to eat the nutrient-dense foods. Itās really hard toā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:46.968)Yes. Ann Shippy MD (06:55.822)have a healthy sperm and healthy egg and then a healthy body to grow the baby in if youāre not just full of nutrients because all of these reproductive mechanisms run on nutrients. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:06.96)Right. Well, itās funny, Dr. Anne, how, you know, Iām sure you see all types of people and different parts of their journey. I could say for myself, I wasnāt focused on pregnancy, but I was sort of turning my body around. had a lot of, you know, constipation and acne and bloating. And so I was eating so many greens and so much fiber. And so when I went to have Kids I did I was lucky enough to have them on the pretty much the first try each and then my grandmother from the Philippines Like your client she had babies to 48. So thereās these incredible possibilities we have but so much of the you conversation today is quite Negative and like again rushing to do IVF and everybodyās struggling and itās so hard. So itās nice to feel and to hear a bit of Ann Shippy MD (07:41.954)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:59.548)hopefulness and also that that doesnāt have to be the way. thereās a, you know, thereās this whole other healthy way we can make choices, we can re nourish the body and you know, so many of the different things that you talk about in the book, which weāll get into in just a moment. Ann Shippy MD (08:16.086)It really is exciting. Itās, you know, IVF is so expensive. Itās so hard on womenās bodies. Itās stressful for the partner too, because theyāre, you know, theyāre feeling out of control. so when we can find a way to really restore the body and to help people to be fertile, thatās amazing. And then what I really see the big opportunity is to based on this is that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:26.182)Yeah. Ann Shippy MD (08:45.58)when people give themselves the three, six, 12 months before they get pregnant to really optimize their body. Itās like creating time capsules that the egg and the sperm are so that the baby has healthier epigenetics, how the genes are being dialed up and dialed down. really, for me, this is not just an infertility opportunity. This is helping to solve the childrenās health crisis that we have with one in 31 children being diagnosed with. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:55.3)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:12.465)Yes. Ann Shippy MD (09:15.52)autism and the mental health and the diabetes and the autoimmunity, the cancer, all these things that weāre seeing happen in children. The research backs this up now how important the epigenetics are to really address before you get pregnant to help have a healthier baby. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:35.11)And one of the things that you talk about in the book is the correlation between boosting our mitochondrial health, specifically, independent of how old, maternal age. Can you talk a little bit about that and how we could do that specifically? Ann Shippy MD (09:49.996)That is one of my favorite topics because it applies to everybody. So even if people are listening and theyāre like, yeah, Iāve already had my kids or Iām not going to have them for a while, this is something we all need to be focusing on. So mitochondria are the little organelles inside the cell that make energy. So theyāre little powerhouses that really run everything. They help us to detoxify, to rebuild things. They do everything. And unfortunately, a lot of peopleās mitochondria are getting Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:52.456)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:01.042)Yeah. Ann Shippy MD (10:20.288)injured or arenāt working optimally because of the environmental toxins that are building up in peopleās bodies are not having all the right nutrients or having inflammation in the body. The mitochondria are responsible for keeping up with, you know, not having the fire go to get out of balance and basically be burning down LA. So Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:23.4)Okay. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:40.838)But what an analogy Dr. Edward, always so sensitive to fire that that really sinks in, you know. Ann Shippy MD (10:49.784)So we all need to be tending to our mitochondria. And thereās some amazing research around what we can do to help them. And itās one of the things that I really see the impact with my patients, whether they have a chronic illness like Parkinsonās, or theyāre just wanting to really work on their longevity, or weāre preparing for healthy babies. So there are things that help those mitochondria to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:04.793)Ugh. Ann Shippy MD (11:18.904)work better. So things like CoQ10 and a special form of CoQ10 that I love called MitoQ, alpha lipoic acid, carnitine, B vitamins, D ribose. So there are so many things that you can put into your concoction of mitochondrial support and you can do some trial and error and see what you like the best. Astaxymethamās another one, but you canāt go wrong with any of those things. They are all going to help your mitochondria be better. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:30.632)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:39.388)Yes. Ann Shippy MD (11:47.008)And then our cell membranes and our mitochondrial membranes all really benefit from something called phosphatidylcholine, or I call it PC for short. And it also is just one of the really good things, especially for women, great for men too, but to be taking to build healthy babies because a lot of what weāre doing as weāre growing a baby is making new mitochondria and new cells in their bodies. And so having plenty of phosphatidylcholine. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:53.981)Mm. Ann Shippy MD (12:13.656)can help in it, especially for people that are doing a plant-based diet. They may not be getting enough choline and phosphatidylcholine. So that would be my number one thing. If youāre just going to pick one thing to take in this preconception period, take the phosphatidylcholine because itās going to help that baby to grow as well as help your agate sperm be healthier. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:17.735)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:36.924)I read then the book, Doctor, and we see a lot of prenatals that contain choline, but you say thereās, should also be taking the phosphatocolline. Thatās a word. You should take both. You should specifically seek that out, or are there prenatals that contain both? Ann Shippy MD (12:48.43)Take them. Ann Shippy MD (12:53.652)I donāt know of any prenatals that have it yet. It has to be separate from what Iāve seen. Thatās actually not a bad business idea. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:56.164)Got it. Because I hear a lot about colon, we hear that a lot, your literature, your book was the first I had heard about taking that as well. Also, we hear about taking DHA to make sure weāre early pregnancy or all of pregnancy. Thatās also an important supplement for babiesā health. Ann Shippy MD (13:19.966)Yeah, you know, I tend to stay away from anything thatās hormonal, preconception and during pregnancy. Okay, perfect. Because yeah, DEA is something we make in our body and there are people that take it to support their bodies, but yeah, the DHA, I like really hesitant. But yes, the omega-3s are super important again for building those cell membranes and you know, brain heart, all the things. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:26.408)Iām sorry, EEPA, D-A-S-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A-E-P-A- Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:36.226)make a fact. Yes, yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:49.576)So another thing that was really interesting in your book, Doctor, that Iāve been hearing more research around is NAD. And I remember I had an NAD infusion to help me get over COVID, which was amazing. I felt so clear. I felt so good. But Iām also hearing people talk about doing it for mitochondrial health as well. Can you share with us a little bit about that? And if people are interested, should they be doing NAD? while theyāre pregnant, both the micro daily injections or oral NAD. Ann Shippy MD (14:24.268)Yeah, so just to give you a context, really think about if pregnancy is different than preconception versus like when youāre trying to conceive. thereās kind of preconception, trying to conceive and pregnancy. So NAD, I love preconception. Like some of my patients will actually come, theyāll do it orally to help with mitochondrial function, because it is a good booster for mitochondria. And then theyāll doā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:37.895)Right. Ann Shippy MD (14:53.196)do it IV because itās kind of like a little bit of a car wash. You donāt have to do that, but if you have access to it and have the resources to do it, it is great. Itās a tool that I use if Iāve been traveling, if Iāve known Iāve gotten a toxic exposure, itās my best reset. During COVID, it was amazing. Even now, I some patients that come in after the flu, COVID, anything to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:57.477)Yeah, mega jokes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:14.472)Yes. Ann Shippy MD (15:22.626)just get a little reset. When we get into the trying to conceive period, Iām a little bit more conservative. Like I want men to be careful about what, know, anything that might push the body to detox a little bit too much or women to detox a little bit too much. So that is kind of an individual decision based on, you know, a patient for me, because I donāt want to do anything thatās kind of want to do it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:37.755)Okay. Ann Shippy MD (15:50.766)too big of a detox right around the time that weāre actually conceiving. And then during pregnancy, Iām very conservative. Like I really believe in a lot of the building block kinds of things, but we donāt want to push the body to be detoxifying too much. We really want to be, so anything that might help the body to detox too much. So I wouldnāt do like a glutathione IV, I wouldnāt do any significant IVs during. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:53.572)Okay. Ann Shippy MD (16:17.336)during pregnancy because I just donāt want to take, like Iām risk averse in that situation. If I donāt have data to know that the babyās going to be okay, Iām going to look for other alternatives. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:21.178)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:28.786)So even the oral NAD you wouldnāt recommend during pregnancy. Okay. Ann Shippy MD (16:31.47)Actually the oral is fine. The IV just pushes the body a little bit more that you might do a little bit more detox. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:38.824)got it. Because I hear people doing, and I know you talk about in the book avoiding peptides and hormone replacement, but I know thereās brands that are doing like 30 micrograms a day, like tiny amounts of NAD. Do you think that would help with embryonic health potentially? Ann Shippy MD (16:58.338)before pregnancy and then after pregnancy, just would need some to feel and to see some data to feel comfortable with it. Yeah. So what Iād love to do is prime the body as much as possible in this preconception period and have it like everything supercharged. Itās like, you know, when I travel, I have my phone charged, my computer charged, and I have a backup battery thatās all charged. So we want to get all the charges in place and then say, go and then maintain. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:59.794)Donāt. Yeah, no, thatās clear. Thatās good information. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:17.809)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:25.286)Yeah, I got it. Ann Shippy MD (17:27.884)the charging, we donāt want to do too much supercharging. That could be a risk. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:34.534)What do you say to patients, Dr. Anne, theyāve done the program, theyāve cleansed, theyāve done a lot of your protocols. And I want to get into stress and autoimmune in just a moment, but theyāre doing it and the programās successful and they get pregnant. But then how do you counsel your clients about avoiding miscarriage or if some people have repeated miscarriage? I know you mentioned progesterone in the book. Ann Shippy MD (18:01.216)Yeah. So I do track progesterone really carefully right after conception. Because sometimes people need that. Itās interesting because I feel like thereās before the last couple of years, I thought that you were more likely to need the progesterone, you know, with the older age, right? Like maybe later thirties and early forties. But what Iāve seen happen now is like the more Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:21.959)Yeah. Ann Shippy MD (18:28.846)crime the body is, the better the, especially when we have partners that will also prep that a lot of times you donāt need the progesterone, but it is a really, I do like to monitor it in that first trimester and make sure that the body is making a good amount of progesterone. And then if somebody is having recurrent miscarriages, we got to dig deeper as to why. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:36.072)you Ann Shippy MD (18:58.326)So one of the more common things that can happen is the toxic exposure you donāt realize. toxic mold, the black mold, isnāt just an allergen, but itās actually making chemicals that are very strong and very dangerous have been one of the root causes when weāve dug into things to find out whatās going on with miscarriage. There can also be a genetic predisposition to clotting. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:03.88)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:24.988)Mm-hmm. Ann Shippy MD (19:26.7)So then we wanna do some gene testing and see, do you have a predisposition where your body starts clotting really easily? And if thatās the case, itās so treatable. just take, depending on what the gene is, you might take some aspirin or you might take an injection with lovinox. Then the other thing we wanna do is look for, is there a situation where thereās some autoimmunity? So antiphospholipid antibodies. Looking back at my story, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:51.836)Okay. Ann Shippy MD (19:54.988)that probably was one of the reasons that I wasnāt getting pregnant. was having super probably having super early miscarriages because I would feel like, okay, my body feels different. But then I would have ended up starting bleeding and then have a heavy period. So and then later on found that nobody was looking for looked at it for me. It was before I went to medical school and and then during residency before I had all this information. So then we wanna do those blood tests to look for autoimmune, itās called anti-cardiolipin or anti-phospholipid. And again, itās good news if you find it because then you know, okay, well, thatās at the root of it. And a lot of times what the traditional medical model will do is just band-aid that with a medication to thin the blood a little bit. But inā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:36.775)Yeah. Ann Shippy MD (20:48.834)my world with the functional medicine where weāre looking at the root causes of, wait, why did the body get confused and start attacking itself? So we find out why and we get those things healed. So a lot of times thereās a gluten sensitivity or celiac, or thereās a shift in the microbiome. Thereās a low grade infection like Candida in the gut that the bodyās trying to fight off and in that exuberance of trying to keep. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:07.9)Thank you. Ann Shippy MD (21:17.026)from being taken over, itās gotten a little confused or thereās an environmental exposure like heavy metals, pesticides, toxic mold that the bodyās like, wait, this is too much to deal with. I up regulate the immune system and then again get confused and attack itself with the thyroid or ANA or antiposyloquid are the most common ones. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:18.664)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:29.384)I Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:38.374)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:43.45)Itās amazing. The first thing you said was the mold, which means you must see it quite a bit in your work. Is there any product or any way you recommend for us to detox the black mold as well as Ann Shippy MD (21:54.464)Yes, I do. so this, so my friend
The Importance of Nitric Oxide and How to Optimize our Bodyās Production of it with Dr. Nathan S. Bryan [EP. #1022]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Nathan S. Bryan Summary: In this conversation, Dr. Nathan S Bryan discusses the critical role of nitric oxide in preventing chronic diseases and promoting longevity. He emphasizes the importance of proactive dietary and lifestyle strategies to maintain health before symptoms arise. Dr. Bryan explains how nitric oxide influences cellular functions, including the activation of telomerase, which helps maintain telomere length, and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to increased energy production. He expresses why nitric oxide is essential for activating pathways that contribute to a long and healthy life. About Dr. Nathan S. Bryan Dr Nathan S. Bryan is an author and pioneering scientist transforming the way we think about health, longevity, and human performance. His groundbreaking nitric oxide research has challenged health myths, fueled a billion-dollar market, and empowered millions to reclaim their health and optimize performance. He was the first to describe nitrite and nitrate as indispensable nutrients required for optimal cardiovascular health. He was the first to demonstrate and discover an endocrine function of nitric oxide via the formation of S-nitrosoglutathione and inorganic nitrite. This technology is now validated in six published clinical trials. Dr. Bryan earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and his doctoral degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport where he was the recipient of the Deanās Award for Excellence in Research. He pursued his post-doctoral training as a Kirschstein Fellow at Boston University School of Medicine in the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. After a two year post-doctoral fellowship, in 2006 Dr. Bryan was recruited to join faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston by Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., 1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology. Guest Resources: Book: The Secret of Nitric Oxide: Bringing the Science To Life Website: drnathansbryan.com Social: @drnathansbryan Ā Episode Sponsors: ANIMA MUNDI OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS, benefit driven Herbal Teas infused with harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! USE LINK: Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! Ā SBO PROBIOTICS OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Episode Chapters 00:00 The Role of Nitric Oxide in Health and Longevity 00:20 Nitric Oxide and Cellular Function 00:38 Activating Longevity Pathways Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.77) Dr. Nathan, thank you so much for joining us here today. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (00:04.266) Kim, so great to be with you. Thanks for having me. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:06.51) I think I hear a little bit of a Texas twang, am I right? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (00:11.562) Probably a little. I grew up in Texas, spent a lot of time abroad. I trained it or went to school in Louisiana and then trained up in Boston before I came back to Texas. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:21.154) Wow, you sort of did a full circle back to your roots. Well, I really enjoyed reading your book, Doctor, The Secret of Nitric Oxide, Bringing the Science to Life. It was really interesting. And I also love how you wove so much about your personal story in and your education and your influences, because I think that brings the subject matter to life even more. And I have so many questions I wrote down. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (00:23.36) No place to go. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:50.54) Before we get into that, have to say Dr. Nathan, right before I came on, and we both modified the time a little bit, I actually took my dad to get a calcium scan. And it was something I had heard about on another podcast interview actually. And I thought, well, maybe itās a good thing to do. And I canāt tell you how emotional it made me. I was very surprised to see the heart. Heās in his seventies. Ā So the doctor was going over with us and heās like, look, heās in a really good level, but just to see that there was any sort of clogging is scary. know, to think about, like it starts to feel really real when youāre actually looking at the heart and youāre looking at family membersā hearts and how important cardiovascular health is and this whole subject. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (01:24.853) Yeah. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (01:38.644) Well, itās the number one killer of men and women worldwide. mean, so itās a very serious subject. you know, think coronary calciumās are good, but really thatās, you know, itās good to have data, but we donāt worry about calcified plaque because that stable hard plaque, what you worry about is the soft, vulnerable plaque. Thatās the point. Yeah. Yeah. So I think itās important to put that in context. Itās good data. Itās good to know, but hard Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:50.21) Yes. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:57.43) Yes, and he also got an angiogram. He did that part too. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (02:08.096) A calcified plaque doesnāt kill anybody. Itās the soft plaque that ruptures that causes an MI. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:12.844) Yes, exactly. So at first, I booked him for that, the scan, and then I learned about the soft plaque angiogram and realized how much it seems like the technology has advanced from prior generations and how we can do these tests. So anyways, it was just even more interesting to me to read about nitric oxide being as itās so related. I want to read this quote thatās in your book. Ā that was, first of all, a lot of people have heard of nitric oxide because as you talk about, itās become a popular compound we hear in the wellness world. Some people are using it for working out. Youāre talking about it in a much, much deeper way. And this quote, the discovery of nitric oxide and its function is one of the most important in the history of cardiovascular medicine. Ā and how many people might not even realize how nitric oxide led to the Nobel Prize, and I believe it was in 1998. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (03:16.416) 1998, yeah. And that quote was by Dr. Fuster, who was the president of American Heart Association at the time the Nobel Prize was awarded to. You that quote is, what, 1998? So what is that, 27-year-old quote? And it still rings true today. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:31.48) Can you share with us how the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Nitrogox, how the new discoveries and new research sort of changed the trajectory of your career and your focus? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (03:42.944) Yeah, well, was the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1998 that was awarded to Bob Furchcott, Lou Ignarro, and Fred Murad. But collectively, they came together and really it was three independent studies. So in 1977, Dr. Murad discovered that drugs like nitroglycerin release nitric oxide, dilate blood vessels, and thatās how they work. Those drugs had been used for more than 100 years prior to they understood how they worked. Ā but they dilate the blood vessels, they relieve the ischemic pain known as angel in patients with obstructive coronary disease. And so, I mean, that was an important discovery in pharmacology on understanding how certain drugs work. But really, I think the seminal discovery was by Bob Furchcott in 1980, where he discovered that our endothelial cells, the cells that line all blood vessels throughout the body, produced a molecule that caused these blood vessels to dilate or to relax. And he didnāt know what this molecule was. Ā So he called it endothelium derived relaxing factor. Obviously by naming this molecule, this unknown molecule, knew how or he knew where it was produced and what it did. It was a relaxing factor produced in our endothelial cells. And then, you the race was on what is this EDRF molecule? Because if you could identify that it would be revolutionary in basket biology. And it was Lou Ignaro who went on to later discover that EDRF is actually nitric oxide. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:41.614) Mm. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (05:07.358) So the story came together that whether if you give a nitric oxide releasing drug or you stimulate endogenous nitric oxide production, it dilates blood vessels, it improves oxygen and nutrient delivery, and it controls everything we know about the cardiovascular system. I think thatās why Val Fuster had made that quote because it was and is and will remain to be the greatest discovery in the history of cardiovascular medicine. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:32.866) Well, besides pharmaceutical or medications, doctor, you talk about in the book about eating green vegetables and how vegetables have nitric oxide and itās related. This is really interesting oral bacteria. I keep hearing how bad mouthwash is for you, but just to keep, you know, the biology of your mouth intact, but also vegetables. can we, and I love how you talk about a plant-based diet in the book as well and all the research. And I want to show you, Iām drinking my glowing green smoothie right now. Ā I have a, my family has a tremendous amount of greens every day that made me really happy. My kids drink it, my dad drinks it, my husband drinks it. So is it enough to eat a vegetable, a pro-vegetable diet, given that of course levels may decrease over time, but is that the foundation of nitric oxide levels in the body? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (06:02.666) There you go. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (06:23.398) No, not really. mean, what weāre finding is thatā¦ So nitric oxide is a gas, right? Your body has to make it. So nitric oxide is not found in vegetables. Itās not found in beets. Itās not found in capsules or pills. And I think thatās the misconception because the general public doesnāt understand that nitric oxide, when itās produced in the body, itās a gas. And once itās produced, itās gone in less than a second. So reallyā¦ Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:34.574) Mmm. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:44.054) Okay. Ā Yeah, I read that. Itās crazy! Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (06:48.896) My challenge was, and really how I got involved in the field 25, 26 years ago, was trying to figure out once nitric oxide is produced and itās gone in less than a second, where does it go, what does it become, and how does it signal? Because we knew that the physiological effects of nitric oxide lasted longer than one millisecond or two milliseconds. So then we had to create this fingerprint of N-O-Biology that once itās produced, where does it go, what does it become, and how does it signal? Ā So once we understood that and then we started trying to figure out, how does the human body make nitric oxide? So as we discussed, itās produced in the lining of the blood vessels and that production pathway gets, I guess, more dysfunctional with A. So we lose about 10 to 12 % of our nitric oxide production through that enzyme per decade. But you mentioned diet. Diet is an important contributor factor in the prevention, the treatment, and the curing of all disease. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:37.71) Mm. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (07:47.048) Diet and lifestyle are the number one things for this. So we discovered probably 25, 30 years ago, even dating back before that, it was recognized that there are bacteria that live on the crypts of the tongue in the oral cavity that were somehow responsible for nitric oxide being produced, nitric oxide gas being produced in the lumen of the stomach. So then you start to figure out, how do we get from bacteria in the mouth to producing nitric oxide gas? Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:09.506) Wow. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (08:15.87) And what it was later discovered was inorganic nitrate thatās found in green leafy vegetables, really anything grown in the soil, right? Because the soil has contained nitrogen. Itās either in the form of ammonia or nitrate. And then those plants assimilate the nitrate. Then when we consume those plants, that nitrate is taken up in our gut. Itās concentrated in our salivary glands. And now each time we salivate, weāre secreting nitrate. Ā these nitrate reducing bacteria that live on the crypts of the tongue activate or metabolize that nitrate into nitrite. And then we swallow our own saliva and thatās the source of the nitric oxide gas. But thereās many steps as you start to understand that are required. Number one, you must get enough nitrate in your diet. Number two, you must have the right oral bacteria because humans do not have the capacity to metabolize nitrate. We do not express the nitrate reductase enzyme. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:55.885) Wow. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (09:12.478) And then number three, you must have stomach acid production. When we started figuring out, the standard American diet, youāre only getting about 150 milligrams of nitrate per day, and you need at least 300 to 400 milligrams. Number two, and the major problem is two out of three Americans use mouthwash. Almost everybody has fluoride in their toothpaste. 73 % Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:15.81) Right. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:33.326) The fluoride will kill out the healthy microbiota. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (09:37.088) Now thatās right, fluoride is in toothpaste and mouthwash and drinking water because it kills bacteria. So itās killing the good bacteria, itās killing the bad bacteria, itās a neurotoxin, itās just on your thyroid function. And then the otherā¦ No, itās awful. And then the other problem are antacids. know, 200 million prescriptions written for antacids every year and two out of three Americans report using an over-the-counter antacid. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:43.767) Yes. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:47.596) Iām so glad I wonāt use that. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (10:03.988) So everything that we do, our diet, oral hygienic practices, pharmacotherapy, seems to disrupt and shut down nitric oxide production. And to me, that explains why people are so sick. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:13.399) Okay. Ā Can I ask you a question about oral health besides the fluoride doctor, if people have a lot of gum issues or cavities or just eating a really acidic diet in general, thereās a lot that can also throw that part of the equation off, I imagine. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (10:33.124) For sure. What weāre understanding now that the microbiome has been mapped on the humans, all the bacteria that live in and on the human body, thereās 10 times more bacteria than there are human cells. The problem is what we call dysbiosis. When the terrain or the ecology of that environment changes to where it doesnāt allow for the good guys to repopulate and it allows for the opportunistic pathogenic bacteria to show up and wreak havoc. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:44.182) What? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (11:01.598) So what weāre finding now is you canāt destroy the microbiome. We have to support it and we have to change the ecology. We have to change the environment to where the pathogens canāt grow. The good guys act as the cops. They keep the bad guys at bay. And that should really be the target. But you made a couple of interesting comments or spot on comments. A diet, an acidic diet, a high sugar diet. When we eat those types of food, it drops the pH of the saliva and it makes it more acidic. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:24.899) Yeah. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (11:30.814) And now an acidic saliva allows for the population of these caries causing bacteria, the gingival bacteria that cause gingivitis, periodontal disease. And so the solution, once upon a time, was just to kill the bacteria. Throw an atomic bomb in your mouth with fluoride wrenches, with alcohol wrenches, with chlorhexidine, and just kill all the bacteria. But now we know thatās causing more harm than it is providing benefit. So the strategy now is to change your diet. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:54.764) Right. Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (11:59.434) change your oral hygienic practices, create an environment thatās conducive to good diverse oral microbiome. Not only do you have better oral hygiene, but you maintain optimal nitric oxide production, you get better blood pressure management, and your bodyās more healthy. Ā So back to the nitric oxide, weāve been talking about the benefits for cardiovascular wellness. And you also talk about in your book, thereās a section about potentially helping to reduce systemic inflammation, telomeres, mitochondrial function. Can you talk about benefits in those areas as well? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (15:35.112) Yes, so the drivers, if you look at any, weāll handle the of the drivers of chronic disease, then weāll look at the hallmarks of longevity because I think theyāre all related, but theyāre typically two different kind of subject matters. But if you look at chronic disease, whether itās heart disease, Alzheimerās, diabetes, autoimmune disease, thereās always four things that are present in all of those disease. Thereās always low blood flow to the affected organ. Thereās always inflammation, oxidative stress and immune dysfunction. Ā And itās the loss of nitric oxide that drives all four of those. Because if you canāt make nitric oxide, you donāt dilate the blood vessels until you get low blood flow, we it ischemia hypoxia. You get runaway inflammation. Your mitochondria become uncoupled. You generate a lot of superoxide and oxidative stress. And then our immune cells start attacking our body. We can develop autoimmune or we call immune dysfunction. And interestingly, if you can just restore the production of nitric oxide, it dilates the blood vessels. Ā It suppresses the inflammation. In fact, I have several patents on the methods of reducing inflammation by using nitric oxide. And itās getting to the source of the oxidative stress. Itās recoupling the electron transport chain of the mitochondria. Itās shutting down superoxide production from NADPH oxidase and then even the enzyme that makes nitric oxide. We can suppress that enzyme from making superoxide. And then it corrects the immune dysfunction that we see. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:36.855) Wow. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:58.136) Wow. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (16:58.762) So nitric oxide is the foundation for preventing the onset and progression of chronic disease. But thatās medicine, right? And medicine is a reactive practice. What we hope to do is change the conversation of being proactive and start to implement dietary lifestyle strategies before you get sick and before you develop symptoms. But when we talk about longevity, we always look at the length of our telomeres, we always looked at the function of our mitochondria. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:19.873) Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (17:25.664) and then we look at how well our stem cells can mobilize and differentiate. And I talk about in the book, and this is published science that goes back 20 years now, nitric oxide activates an enzyme called telomerase, prevents telomeres from shortening. It activates mitochondrial biogenesis. So if you have nitric oxide, you have more mitochondria per cell generating more energy with less oxygen. And then itās the signal that tells our own stem cells to mobilize and differentiate. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:29.997) Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (17:52.042) So if you want to a long, healthy life, you have to have nitric oxide to activate these longevity pathways. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:59.574) So one of the things that, and thatās all amazing, and I think there was some confusion you mentioned in the book, and I remember reading about this as well, where people thought, well, maybe Iāll take L-arginine as a supplement. Can you talk about, can you clarify that for us? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (18:11.146) day. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (18:15.648) Yeah, so this goes back to really the year the Nobel Prize was awarded because the pathway that was discovered, this enzyme, nitric oxide synthase, takes L-arginine and converts it to nitric oxide gas. And then we get little citrulline as a byproduct. But because L-arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning that we get it from the breakdown of protein, whether youāre eating plant protein or animal protein, L-arginine is found in most proteins. So as long as we have stomach acid production, weāre constantly getting L-arginine through our diet. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:27.906) Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (18:45.792) But every cell in the human body makes arginine through the urea cycle. So weāre never deficient in L-arginine. Thereās only one condition, and Iāll talk about it in the book, but itās a rare inborn ear metabolism where these kids canāt generate L-arginine endogously. But the majority of us, all other humans on Earth, have excess arginine, have more than whatās needed to bind the enzyme to make nitric oxide. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:57.997) Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (19:13.856) So to me as a biochemist, it never made sense to supplement with L-Arginine. And in 2006 and 2007, two studies came out which showed that it should be contraindicated and really shouldnāt be given because in a clinical trial in patients who had just suffered a heart attack, they gave one group L-Arginine and one group of placebo. The group that got the L-Arginine had higher mortality, higher death. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:18.158) Right. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (19:40.992) And so the conclusion of 2006 study was you should not give L-Arginine to patients who have suffered heart attack. Why? Because it will kill them. It will kill them more so than giving a placebo. And then the next year in patients with peripheral arterial disease, they did the same study giving L-Arginine chronically and the patients get worse. Their disease gets worse. Soā¦ Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:41.366) What? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (20:06.62) Look again, arginine should never be used as a primer for nitric oxide production. Because number one, weāre never deficient in it. Number two, if you have endothelial dysfunction and uncoupled NOS, you make the patients worse. They get worse. And thatās published clinical data, randomized placebo control data. Itās indisputable. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:25.902) Wow, so much conflicting information that we hear. It could be potentially. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (20:32.064) Well, thatās the problem. I mean, thatās really the problem because youāve got these companies out there as we increase the awareness and the importance of nitric oxide, more companies are entering this space trying to sell nitric oxide products. And if they donāt understand the science, they can actually do harm and first do no harm. then companies are putting citrulline in products and calling it nitric oxide. Citrulline is a byproduct of nitric oxide production. Ā And so it can be very dangerous and all this misinformation and really ignorance in some cases and in other cases itās deception and fraud because these companies know better but yet theyāre still promoting this. Ā Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:13.538) So as a baseline doctor, want to make sure our oral health is good. We want to make sure weāre taking in these vegetables. We have stomach acid. How do we know if weāre deficient or not in nitric oxide? Are there any symptoms? Are there any tests? Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (21:19.667) Absolutely. Ā Dr Nathan S Bryan (21:32.426) Well, unfortunately, thereās not any clinical test in terms of drawing blood and getting a number and then sayin
Heart Healthy, Plant-Based Eating with Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka [Ep. #1021]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr, Jenneffer Pulapaka Summary: In this episode, Kimberly and Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka discuss the importance of heart health and the role of a plant-based diet in achieving it. She shares her journey into lifestyle medicine, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to health that includes diet, exercise, and sleep. The discussion covers common misconceptions about protein intake, the impact of inflammation on health, and the benefits of cooking with whole foods. Dr. Pulapaka also highlights the affordability of healthy eating and the significance of understanding the nutritional value of everyday foods. Ā About Dr, Jenneffer Pulapaka JENNEFFER PULAPAKA, DPM, is a Board-Certified Podiatric Physician Diplomate from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. A trained podiatric surgeon who specializes in diabetic limb salvage, she is the founder of DeLand Foot and Leg Center. She focuses on Peripheral Vascular Disease, holds a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, and is a Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coach. A Certified Sommelier, she also has 15+ years of experience in menu planning and event design in the restaurant industry and has been a featured sommelier at the James Beard Foundation House. Along with her professional chef husband Hari Pulapaka, she founded Cress Restaurant and they both live in DeLand, FL. They are the co-authors of The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook. Ā Guest Resources: Website: www.delandpodiatry.com Book: The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook Ā Episode Sponsors: FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā GLOWING GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Heart Health and Plant-Based Diets02:56 The Confusion Around Dietary Trends05:58 Understanding Protein and Kidney Health09:10 The Role of Inflammation in Heart Disease11:55 Personal Journey to Plant-Based Living14:47 Cooking with Whole Foods and Spices17:51 The Importance of Fiber and Gut Health20:58 Exploring Nutritional Benefits of Everyday Foods23:51 The Impact of Sleep on Health26:59 Affordable Healthy Eating29:48 Final Thoughts on Heart Health and Lifestyle SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.494)Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for coming on our show today. Jenneffer Pulapaka (00:06.162)Thank you for having me, Kimberly. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:09.282)You know, when your book came across my desk and once again, everyoneās called the Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook, it really caught my eye because Iāve been so interested, especially in the heart lately, the heart, the physical heart, you know, from a health perspective, from a dietary perspective, also from an energetic perspective, a spiritual perspective, how the heart is mentioned in all these different traditions around the world. But I wonderedā¦ And you tell a little bit about this in the beginning of your book, but if you could share with us why your focus has really honed in on heart health in particular. Jenneffer Pulapaka (00:46.888)Well, for me, so I am the pioneer of podiatric lifestyle medicine. And a majority of the patients that I see have lower extremity vascular disease with cardiac complications. So thatās the over, the broad overreaching patient population that I treat. And when dealing with patients, I was a typical physician that would treat patients with conventional medicine, was, you want surgery or do you want a pill? And lifestyle medicine allowed me to handle patients more broader with treatments, such as using diet, using sleep, reducing stress, exercise. reducing substance abuse, things like that, that I started to be able to include pillars in their healthcare and see a better outcome in patients. So for me, thatās why it was important. Just because I think I was getting burned out with just, it was the same thing all the time, pills or surgery, pills or surgery, referral, cardiovascular, interventional, cardiologists, what are we doing? And we were not getting off the wheel. Youāre just kind of stuck in that cycle. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:00.536)Great. Jenneffer Pulapaka (02:10.875)and you werenāt regaining ground, you werenāt regaining your health, nothing positive was coming out of it except for trying to prevent a catastrophic event. So thatās why a heart healthy cookbook is really key to a majority of my patients. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:21.974)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:31.84)Right. And I want to get into that in a moment. Thereās such great information here, but one of the things you said is that weāre on the wheel. Many people are on the wheel. And one of the reasons I think people are on the wheel is because theyāre confused. And thereās so much information out there, Jennifer, as you know. And it feels like to me, you know, there is decades of And sort of this general idea that we should limit red meat in particular and these foods that have high cholesterol, foods that feel clogging and common sense as these are really dense foods. But now weāre in a time in culture where thereās, itās sort of swung, feels like back when I started writing books 11 years ago, I was always talking about this protein question that would come up being plant-based myself. How do you end up protein? And now thereās this such an over emphasis on protein. And what I see, Jennifer, is confusion. People are eating tons of red meat and theyāre like, well, I saw such and such and they say that can eat as much red meat as I want or I should sit down and have six eggs. Can you talk to us a little bit about this confusion about cholesterol, foods that are elevating blood pressure, all the research for many decades that donāt correlate necessarily with these health trends or I donāt say health trends. Jenneffer Pulapaka (03:52.72)I mean, thatās great. That is what they are, okay? Bell bottoms, theyāre not in fashion right now. They have been in fashion. They went out of fashion. They came back in briefly and theyāre out. Thatās kind of what we cycle when we deal with food trends. Different diets will keep on coming up historically. But unfortunately, thereās not enough peer-reviewed literature to be behind them. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:53.954)dietary trends. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:06.082)Yes. Jenneffer Pulapaka (04:22.331)We donāt have a big enough population to evaluate certain diets that are out there and nor is there research behind it. So those for me are always risky when it comes to patients. So weād like to stay when Iām looking at or evaluating diets with patients. I always tell my patients when they were talking about plant-based, theyāre like, well, can I add chicken? Iām like, well, youāve been adding chicken in it and weāre here right now. Iām the thing thatās gotta cause a bump. Why donāt we learn how to not add chicken and not use butter and use a substitute to make it a more healthy option for you? Because what youāve been doing hasnāt been working. Thatās kind of where we are. I only use peer-reviewed literature for the most part. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:05.11)Right. Jenneffer Pulapaka (05:16.677)And itās for me, itās very hard because right now I do see a trend of patients who come in, they think theyāre on a ketogenic diet. Theyāre not on a ketogenic diet. Theyāre never in ketoacidosis. Theyāre never reducing their amount of carbs to get to that state. And most of my patients are complicated patients, meaning that they have diabetes, vascular disease. Chances are they have chronic kidney disease. When weāre dealing with a lot of comorbidities with patients, we have to be very cognizant when theyāre taking high protein diets. One of my biggest concerns is my kidney patients. High protein diets does not bode well for kidney function long term. And Kidego, which Kidney Disease International, when they put out guidelines, the last several years, the primary treatment for Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:58.625)Right. Jenneffer Pulapaka (06:15.719)chronic kidney disease in patients was diet and lifestyle. So it was nice that we saw a really good bump or a really good change in how weāre addressing patients with chronic disease. So now that we had a patient with chronic disease, maybe they donāt even know theyāre stage three chronic kidney disease. And now theyāre just loading up on all these proteins, which kidneys have to strip off nitrogen and it really taxes the kidneys. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:39.467)Right. Jenneffer Pulapaka (06:46.853)And unfortunately, it usually puts them in a downward spiral towards stage four. And at stage three, we have some really good studies that look at, can we get an improvement in kidney function if we decrease the amount of unused proteins? For the most part, my patients are not active. I am usually negotiating, can I get three days a week? Just three days a week, can you do 30 minutes three days a week? And the standard of care is exercise is five days a week, 30 minutes, moderate intensity. So when my patients tell me I need the protein, Iām like, no, not to walk the Pomeranian, a half a block, thatās not really exercise. Iām glad weāre doing range of motion and Iām glad youāre not doing sedentary, but youāre not really in an exercise state to be getting a lot of benefit. I donāt need to worry about protein issues with you. Now, when I deal with wound care patients, I deal with them. Or if I deal with dialysis patients, when I have a nutritionist, registered dietician thatās on board, then weāre looking at protein loss, but weāre not talking about a majority of patients that are on that. Weāre talking about they got a, they went on Pinterest and they got some keto balls, which are hugely high in fat and protein. And nothing about that is gonna help with inflammation, their heart, their blood flow, or their weight. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:58.806)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (08:13.201)Right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:14.752)Yeah. Well, you what you say makes sense and it makes sense to me. And then thereās Dan Buettner, whoās been on our podcast several times. Heās coming back on in December, whoās saying, Hey, look at these human populations, which are eating really fiber rich diets. Theyāre not hyper fixating on protein. And yet their longevity numbers are the best in the world. Then you have Dr. Michael, Dr. Michael Greger, who also came on with all his thousands of studies. Heās referencing saying, Hey, Look at the research. So why do you think Dr. Jennifer, from your perspective as a physician, you know, itās like people are going on Pinterest, but Iām also seeing some doctors being like, you know, double the amount of grams that youāre hearing, you know, the recommended doses, one gram per body weight. Where is this coming from? How can, in our culture, we can have such differing views of the research. Jenneffer Pulapaka (08:45.532)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:12.308)And to me, common sense, if you want to open up your blood flow, you donāt want to eat clogging foods and really fatty, dense animal foods all day. But how is this even happening in your opinion? Because itās mind boggling to me. Jenneffer Pulapaka (09:25.489)Well, we have different specialists that are out there and everyone has a different way of treating patients. For example, okay, for a good example, I have a lot of patients who will come in for lower extremity arthritis and tendonitis and everyone will keep missing kind of the, I donāt wanna say the elephant in the room, but the fact that a lot of my patients have obesity class two, class three, and no oneās even discussed about an oral medication for them at that point in time. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:00.962)Wait. Jenneffer Pulapaka (10:04.165)Some physicians only want to treat with lifestyle medicine or diet or conservative options. So maybe thatās where these practitioners are trying to maybe cause a bump, but I still prefer to stay with evidence-based. I still want lifestyle medicine on my patients. I still talk about diet, but Iām also an advocate for GLP-1, GIPs, phenamine and topramate. Iām an advocate for that. And Iām also very realistic with them that usually when you get on a semi-glutide, you will have to stay on that for life. And then they get upset. And then I just remind them youāre not upset that youāre on lisinopril for life. So now can you look at the benefits of being on a medication long-term, how weāre going to reduce our comorbidities? Maybe youāre going to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:44.887)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (11:03.105)reduce your diabetes, youāre going to reduce your arthritis and your tendonitis and your like my diabetic patients who have a collapse of the midfoot and I have to deal with all the bone deformity and the ulcerations. So we have a lot of comorbidities that are around obesity as a diagnosis and we havenāt allowed the patients yet flexibility to look at it as a disease and to be treated as such with medication or with diet. So I just donāt only do that. Iām there with conventional medicine, but that may explain why some doctors, like one of my patients today, she was in obesity class three and her doctor was telling her about fiber. Great, wonderful. I am glad he had that discussion, but sheās looking at one total knee on one side and now we have another total knee thatās possibly starting on the other leg. and I had all the tendonitis and tendinopathies in my ankle and in the foot. And heās still trying to tell her to lose weight and she could lose about a good 75 pounds and then sheāll feel comfortable and then we may see start to see improvement. But he that was the way he wanted to approach it. So that may be the way some physicians want to approach it. Itās not I like better peer reviewed research and A lot of the high fat, high protein diets do not have large scale populations to be looking at. So we donāt hear the nuances. And you know, and I love the Blue Zones. We just had a dinner the other evening that my husband hosted and it was about the Blue Zones. And it was, you know, reallyā¦ they just the way they eat is healthy. Itās not a planned thing. They donāt make a concerted effort to be like, Iām going to get my fiber in. Iām going to get those things. They actually just eat a more healthy way than we do. And theyāll do conservative, like theyāll have an occasional glass of wine or theyāll eat, you know, fish twice a week or meat every so often. But itās a more realistic diet. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:07.009)Yeah, itās Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:19.746)Well, itās simple, I think, and itās accessible when youāre cooking one-pot meals and youāre not hyper fixating on numbers. It starts to get really confusing when you start to get heady, I think, versus intuitive and more in your heart, what your bodyās drawn to. Thereās this section, Jennifer, in your book about inflammation. Thatās also one of the things we know is a precursor to heart disease, to many different illnesses in the body. Jenneffer Pulapaka (13:29.084)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (13:40.807)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:47.53)And when you are eating more fiber, itās feeding those short chain fatty acids, which is helping to reduce inflammation. I, one of my, Iām concerned when people are just focusing on overloading protein, Iāve noticed in people, itās like protein no matter what. So more meat, more protein bars, more protein shakes. They naturally get less of these colorful fiber-filled anti-inflammatory foods. And so it starts to create this imbalance. Jenneffer Pulapaka (13:51.74)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:17.378)when youāre focusing, your compass is set towards something very different. Jenneffer Pulapaka (14:22.285)find that most patients when theyāre focusing on proteins arenāt actually really talking about a whole food. They like to do bars or smoothies or supplements. Theyāre not actually thinking about food or whole food, whether itās grains or beans, lentils, seeds, nuts. Theyāre not really there. They will with their protein. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:29.461)Right. Jenneffer Pulapaka (14:52.045)as in their meats, animal proteins, they will fixate on that. And some of that can be due to the fact that we live in a society that praises wealth and a sign of prosperity has been for a long time that if you eat meats, itās a status symbol versus Iām going to have a bowl of grains and lentils. there are sometimes we haveā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:13.73)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (15:17.767)food can be personal and there are barriers or boundaries that people have to get around when it comes to eating a more healthy way. Because sometimes those family recipes are not healthy. They havenāt been there and thatās why you have a family history of heart attacks, gout, kidney disease, diabetes. Itās, know, the family cycle keeps on feeding you the wrong information. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:39.053)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:44.076)Well, Dr. Jennifer, when did you become plant-based? And I know a lot of this was informed from research. And now, you your husband is, you know, a partner in ways. You guys host a lot of things together. Heās been honored by the James Beer Foundation as a featured chef, working with all these amazing foods. When did you come into this path exactly? Jenneffer Pulapaka (16:05.741)So I first took my turn at 21. I became vegetarian. I decided if I was going to eat meat, I needed to go to a slaughterhouse and appreciate or accept the way the animal was being brought to my table. So after I had that experience, I became a vegetarian. I was not comfortable with Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:18.413)Hmm? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:29.208)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (16:31.463)I was not comfortable and I could not do it and I wouldnāt do it. So I decided at that point in time to become a vegetarian. And that was a pretty rapid change for me. I gave up red meat first. gave up chicken was the last thing. And then I think I finally had like a steak as one last hurrah. And I couldnāt get through eating the steak that I wanted to because I knew it was gonna be great. I couldnāt do it knowing that I went to, it was aā¦ It was a cattle slaughterhouse. I just was like, I canāt. So Iāve been a vegetarian since I was 21. Iām 55. So itās been a few years. Vegan, I say as much as possible. In my house, Iām vegan. When I go out in public, it is always a battle with how much egg is going to be utilized, dairy. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:24.6)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (17:29.453)in some instances. Iām always able to get vegan vegetarian options, but vegan is a little bit difficult. And if Iām going to get it out in public, itās usually pretty pretty bad, I say. I usually get pasta primavera. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:36.471)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:44.716)Well, thatās why Dr. Jennifer, I donāt need out very much because I feel like at home thereās, and you can eat these beautiful recipes in your cookbook. It does make it much easier when the more home meals you do eat. Jenneffer Pulapaka (17:56.008)Yeah, you get pasta primavera, plate of sides, youāll get a salad, or now I can get like a black bean burger. Thatās like the, thatās the standard that I get when I eat out. So for me, itās hard because yes, I do have my husband who is like, you know, a super creative chef when it comes to that. And he was vegetarian until he was 21. After he came to the United States, he was here a few years and then He tried meat. in his professional career as being a chef, heās been very broad. He cooks a lot of seafood. Heās notoriously known for producing fantastic fish dishes. But I think it was his upbringing that taught him about spice and seasoning and flavor that makes him so good about making plant-based cooking. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:55.786)Right, he grew up in India. Jenneffer Pulapaka (18:55.973)because it was second nature to him, correct. He grew up in India and he came here when he was young. And a lot of us, like I said, we do not have contact with food anymore. And when I do culinary and coaching classes with my patients, we do small group exams. I bring them in foods and we talk about things like that. Like I have an example. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:20.617)Well, and while youāre getting that, I want to mention thereās some call-outs in the book and I want to get into some of the specific information, which is really interesting. But even to educate people, thereās a spice section in the book, you know, and itās, this is something that everyone in India might know, for example, but here itās saying, you know, spices are using any part of the plant, but the leaves, if youāre using the leaves, youāre, then itās considered an herb. And if youāre not using the leaves, itās a spice. Jenneffer Pulapaka (19:30.961)Yeah. Jenneffer Pulapaka (19:46.737)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:49.006)So I think this appreciation and sort of deeper understanding when weāre looking at any sort of plant and the parts that weāre using starts to create a deeper connection when youāre working with herbs, when youāre working with spices, when youāre cooking. It can be really simple, but it starts to get more, it feels really connected. Jenneffer Pulapaka (19:52.807)Thank Jenneffer Pulapaka (20:08.871)He does a good job. think common spice substitutions like that. was originally we did this in one of the first books that we had. You know what? Thatās great. I donāt know how many itās on page 27. I donāt know how many times my patients will ask. Well, if I donāt have fennel and they get scared about cooking recipes and like, you know, if you donāt have fennel. you know, use a substitute, you know. And if you donāt have it, just donāt use it. Move on. Find something else. Do you like gilding? You know, move forward with something, you know, but they get nervous about substitutions. And I think as you start to cook more and do more and be more hands on, then youāll realize, you know, I donāt have lemongrass, but yeah, I just use, I just had lemon zest and I use lemon zest and I felt good enough. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:40.926)Right. You said that you- Isnāt that funny? Jenneffer Pulapaka (21:05.957)And then I wanted a little bit more herbaceousness, so I put some basil in it and that was my lemongrass. Perfect. Great substitute. Did you like the food you ate? Yes. Then it was perfect, right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:16.142)Yeah, exactly. Again, less rigid, less heady and confused and more in flow, you know, the energetic part of being living a heart led life. And what I really liked too about the recipes, and I made a bunch of notes if you guys are watching this on her YouTube channel, Iām holding them up. Thereās really great information worked into the recipes, which I appreciate. So for example, on page 42, where you talk about kale, Jenneffer Pulapaka (21:23.686)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:45.164)And one of the things that you mentioned is nitrate and nitric oxide and how it helps to open up the blood vessels contributes to the, itās a vasoactive effector. And then it says, eat it, donāt juice it. And Iāve always been more into smoothies and kale salad instead of juice. Yeah. If you could talk a little bit about that. Jenneffer Pulapaka (21:45.799)it. Jenneffer Pulapaka (21:57.896)Yeah, I love that. Jenneffer Pulapaka (22:06.311)So, and I lecture on this one all the time when Iām talking because you have that nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide pathway. And nitrates start in the mouth. You start to break it down by chewing. You need mastication with the saliva in order for that enzyme to start as itās breaking down to your end result is nitric oxide. So it starts in the mouth. So therefore thatās why Iām like, you canāt do it. interesting there was a study that recently came out that was looking at toothpaste and mouthwash. So they were theyāre looking into the fact that sometimes when we have this 24-hour toothpaste, well sometimes the bacteria or the enzymes that are in your mouth have a purpose and sometimes those things you know can interfere with that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:35.192)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:42.966)yes, I read that in here. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:49.134)you Jenneffer Pulapaka (23:02.915)It wasnāt a robust enough study, not a big enough population, but itās an interesting point to see how is that going to play out down the line? You know, are they going to be looking more into that? Because we know you talked about inflammation, gut biome. You know, they do poo samples all the time on people who eat vegetarian, vegan, and meat, you know, and theyāre looking to see which ones had the healthiest. And out of all of them, when people Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:02.957)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:24.483)Right? Jenneffer Pulapaka (23:30.213)have really aggressive disease states that they have to kill off a lot of their bacteria and restart. Theyāve had surgeries, really complicated patients, and then theyāre inocula
Fawning: How We Can Lose Ourselves and How to Come Back with Dr. Ingrid Clayton [Episode #1018]
Episode Summary: In this conversation, Kimberly speaks with Dr. Ingrid Clayton who shares her journey of understanding complex trauma and the Fawn response. After years of therapy and personal work, she reflects on her struggles with self-acceptance and healthy relationships. Through her experiences and education in psychology, she has gained new perspectives that have facilitated her healing process. Ā Episode Sponsors LMNT: OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS PLANT-POWERED protein blend, infused with real vanilla and harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! USE LINK: Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! Ā FEEL GOOD PROBIOTICS OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Understanding the Fawn Response00:35 Signs of Fawning in Relationships Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means TRANSCRIPT: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.436)Hi Ingrid, thank you so much for joining us today. Ingrid (00:04.802)Thanks for having me! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:07.834)You know, I think your book really stood out to me because I only recently heard of this word fawn and fawning. And we all hear about fight and flight quite a bit because of all the nervous discussion and then freeze. But this whole fawning aspect, which of course weāre going to get into really deeply today, seems to be newer, at least in its identification. Ingrid (00:21.891)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:34.556)Can you tell us a little bit as a clinical psychologist how you even started focusing on this aspect in your work? Ingrid (00:42.666)Yeah, itās new on the scene to just about everyone, actually. Weāve long talked about fight, flight and freeze, but I feel like fawning has been kind of hiding in plain sight and there are lots of different reasons for that. But one, think when you think about fight, flight and freeze, they look like obvious sort of trauma responses, right? Youāre going against the threat. But with fawning, youāre actually leaning in. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:02.138)Yes. Ingrid (01:07.832)the source of harm. And thereās this appeasement factor, which could look like flirting or flattering or going along to get along. Thereās a caretaking aspect. So it looks like you have agency. It looks like conscious choice, but actually underneath that is just like a fight, flight and freeze responses and unconscious reflexive survival mechanism. And so, you know, Pete, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:29.519)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:34.864)And why did you focus on this? Ingrid (01:36.782)Yeah, well, so Pete Walker coined the term, the Fawn response, I think in like 2013, but itās really just coming into the mainstream now. And I come at his work and through this lens of complex trauma, which is relational trauma, in part because Iām a clinical psychologist, but more than that, Iām a childhood trauma survivor. And the reason I became a psychologist to begin with is largely because Iāve been trying to crawl out from under something that Iāve Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:01.754)Yes. Ingrid (02:05.28)lived with my whole life and none of the other frameworks ever freed me, right? Whether you talked about people pleasing or codependency or, know, it just felt like those frameworks were keeping me just as stuck as everything else I tried. And so when I came upon Pete Walkerās work and understanding these behaviors, you know, what weāve called sort of codependent or people pleasing behaviors, in this trauma-informed lens, it was like, my word, I finally make sense to myself, right? And it just kind of set off this cascade of not only personal understanding, but my work with my clients changed. And now here we have the book on fawning. So hopefully, honestly, more people can make sense to themselves too. Thatās the whole point, yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:58.074)You know, I really, think thereās, I think this is a lot more common than we realize. And I also, you know, applaud your bravery and telling some of your story in the book and sharing client stories. And I have to say Ingrid, when I started to read your book, I got a very specific feeling in my body. You know, trauma can get stored somatically and Iāve done so much work on myself, but it brought me back to Ingrid (03:04.992)Yeah. Ingrid (03:10.999)Hmm. Ingrid (03:19.403)Mmm. Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:27.41)my childhood and very early adolescence where I know you talk about being 13 and 12, 13, 14. I just remember walking around in the world and being quite innocent. And I started my period later and I started to get, my aunt said this to me, oh, youāre getting all this attention from men. And they would sort of look and be like, you hereās this, you know, what they would be pretty little girl or teenager. And I didnāt know what to do. I would smile. Ingrid (03:28.59)Mmm. Ingrid (03:33.249)Yeah. Ingrid (03:39.918)Hmm. Ingrid (03:54.349)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:56.144)or sometimes even giggle like you talk about when youāre feeling uncomfortable. And my author said to me, stop smiling. And it was almost like this shame, know, every time we went into public, donāt smile. And I remember being very confused and feeling shame and feeling like I didnāt really know what was going on. And then reading your book and I thought about it, but it just feels very complicated. Thereās a complication to finding, cause weāre not trying to flirt. Ingrid (04:00.035)Yeah. Ingrid (04:04.267)Wow. Ingrid (04:09.966)Mmm. Aww. Ingrid (04:19.416)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:24.828)Weāre trying to be safe. Weāre trying to get out of danger. Itās very uncomfortable. But then thereās this shame that can get wrapped into it. So I started to read the book and I was like, gosh, I didnāt really dig into fawning before, but I really think thatās what was going on. Ingrid (04:33.176)Thatās right. Ingrid (04:39.277)Mm-hmm. Ingrid (04:43.438)I think it is very common and I think about it this way that fawning tends to come online when fight, flight and freeze are either unavailable or would make things worse. So if you think about your example there and certainly my childhood, right, fighting back to the powers that be to, you know, largely men or your parents, theyāre twice your size, they hold all the power. Yeah, itās not going, you know, they literally hold your life in their hands. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:56.251)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:06.77)Yeah. Ingrid (05:13.454)The flight response, right, where are going to go? Youāre going to be brought right back to the scene of the crime. Where are you going to go? This is wherever you go. This sort of male gaze, this threatening sort of, itās the waters that we swim in day in, day out. And the freeze response, although also very common response to trauma, when things are so chronic and ongoing and itās day in and itās day out, the body found this way to adapt. I believe it is this ultimately genius adaptation to go, This is my reality, right? That I have to navigate. I canāt fight back. I canāt leave and I canāt freeze. I canāt be a deer in headlights. I got to get up and go to school every day and sit at the breakfast table and engage with these people. And so it really struck me, particularly when I was writing the book, just how many systems of power the body is navigating on any given day. And listen, the body knows where it resides in the pecking order. Like it knows that Iām not the one. at the top of the food chain. And so this reflexive thing of like, well, you hold the power. I need to make sure youāre happy in order for me to be safe and the body will always privilege safety and survival. Right? So all these historical ways that weāve talked about some of these behaviors like, well, know, Kimberly just raised your self-esteem or smile or donāt smile. Right? Itās like you could get either side of the equation. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:22.02)Five. Yes. Ingrid (06:37.026)telling you to just do all of these things that maybe seem so obvious and yet they were not available to us. And this is where the shame comes in. Itās like, you know, well, how could you stay in that relationship or how could you smile when they were being so aggressive or how could you this? How could you that? you know, shame is a deep symptom. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:45.264)Yeah Ingrid (06:59.09)of complex trauma, but you can see why too. goes hand in hand with the Fawn response that in order to keep yourself safe often and not knowingly, sometimes you have a sense of it, but often not knowing, there is this level of self abandonment, of betrayal. We know that I canāt respond to all of my values or all of whatās going to sort of honor who I am. I have to privilege this one piece first and it comes at a cost. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:15.186)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:27.268)Yes. Well, you know what it feels like Ingrid as youāre describing it and I can recall this. am feeling it and just trying to really process this trauma, which is obviously still stored somewhere in me is this feeling of being deeply misunderstood because when the Imam was saying, well, donāt smile like I was doing something wrong. It was like, wait, I didnāt ask for this attention and I donāt want this attention and Iām actually uncomfortable and I donāt know what to do. Ingrid (07:32.78)Mm. Ingrid (07:42.199)Yes. Ingrid (07:46.211)Yeah. Ingrid (07:53.996)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:54.052)And so itās just feeling like no one else is looking after me, misunderstood on our like kind of on our own, like this feeling of aloneness, abandonment, you know? Ingrid (07:57.592)Mmm. Ingrid (08:03.032)Thatās right. I think that thatās real, right? That youāre not really seen for being a whole person. And there tends to be this sort of hyper independence that develops alongside a chronic fawn response for that reason. Itās like, weāre never really fully or wholly seen by anybody else. Itās like, Iām the only one who has my back. So I have to sort of react accordingly. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:19.932)Weāll Ingrid (08:29.59)in the world. And thereās a real sadness even as you talk about it right now. think thereās such a heartbreak there that in order to keep yourself safe, you had to prioritize these men and how they were sort of looking at you. And often with fawning, itās sort of like, donāt like you, but I need you to like me in order to stay safe. Or maybe if you do like me, you wonāt hurt me. And when your body has a sense that youāre being sort of pursued or Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:51.6)Bye. Ingrid (08:56.974)and you donāt really feel safe, like youāre still a child and youāre an old man and you know, itās like, yeah, itās a lot. Itās a lot to hold. Itās like you said, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:08.07)Well, Ingrid, you I think like your experiences and my experiences, I imagine a lot of women listening to this would be like, wait, I wasnāt actually sexually assaulted. No one actually, you know, did something physical, but there was uncomfortability. Can you share a little bit about, you know, what happened with your stepdad where he was, you know, having you sit on his lap in the hot tub or going to Vegas and he didnāt actually physically assault you, but there was a lot of uncomfortability. Ingrid (09:14.029)Yeah. Mm-hmm. Ingrid (09:23.032)Yeah. Ingrid (09:27.342)Mm-hmm. Ingrid (09:36.397)Yeah. Yeah. I think itās very common that a lot of us, and this is based on sort of the old idea of trauma by definition, we looked at it as though a certain event entitled you to use that word. And those events tended to be very clear and obvious and everyone would agree, right? Itās a vet coming back from war time. Itās a car crash. Itās sexual assault. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:37.532)that went on for years. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:52.412)Right. Ingrid (10:01.347)things along those lines. And so a lot of us now, itās like we have this trauma measuring stick thatās like, well, mine wasnāt that bad, right? And when we do that, unfortunately, we say, well, now Iāve been, Iām not allowed, I canāt avail myself of all of these tools of trauma healing that would actually be the thing that would help me, right? And so A part of what Iām hoping to do is also just educate people on complex trauma generally. Complex trauma is relational trauma. Itās ongoing experiences of threat over time. And it might not be this overt thing that everyone could name. It might be your parents, whether it was culturally or they were doing the best that they could, or maybe thereās generational trauma, but you were left feeling invalidated, like chronically invalidated or unseen. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:36.741)Right. Ingrid (10:49.455)over time, this buildup, this residue, the body learns like, oh, I canāt be my full self. Oh, itās not safe to be me. And this sort of, know, fawning looks like this masking element of like, well, who do you need me to be in order to be included and seen and valued? And I think, yeah, this misconception of like trauma looks a certain way. It kept me on the outside for a long time, even knowing my own story, because similarly, like you said, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:12.914)Right. Ingrid (11:19.531)My stepdad didnāt like overtly sexually assault me. He was grooming me for years and it started with these, you know, seemingly innocuous, but my body felt that it was not innocuous of, you know, come on over here and sit on my lap and Iām glad we can be this close. And I knew in those moments that I wasnāt safe, but Iām also sort of clocking like, would anyone else think this was bad? Like heās Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:46.757)Right. Ingrid (11:47.501)Heās my stepdad and heās being nice and heās not always nice and I like it better when heās nice. And so Iām also leaning into that. I knew I couldnāt embarrass him. I knew that I couldnāt push back. I knew that he had another side to him where he really could steamroll me. He could be a rager. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:04.402)What about your mom? You couldnāt go to your mom. Ingrid (12:07.565)I couldnāt go to my mom in part because I saw her disappear as he came into our lives. It was like she just was in his shadow, wouldnāt say anything unless sheād heard him literally say it before. I say in the book that it was like my mom went missing even when she was standing right in front of me. It was just she was not there. Ultimately, I did do the things that weāre all told to do as though weāre all entitled to having a voice and standing up for ourselves and setting healthy boundaries as though itās that easy. I did attempt to do those things and it made things a lot worse because now I had a stepfather who was grooming me, parading me around as a girlfriend and a mom who didnāt believe me. They were like, youāre a liar. You made it all up. What are you talking about? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:51.825)Ugh. Ingrid (12:59.339)Again, a whole lot happened, but not a whole lot happened. Even when I turned to social services as a child, they were like, is it that bad? Right? And it sort of seemed like the collective, yeah, the collective response was like, well, no, itās not that bad. Weāre not really going to intervene. Thereās not much we can do. So my body learned along with the cultural conditioning of what trauma is that it wasnāt that bad. know, this is normal. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:07.908)Right, weāre questioned. Ingrid (13:27.039)And youāre not safe, essentially. If Iām a nervous system perspective, I learned, boy, I am not relationally safe. The only thing I can do to be relationally safe is to go along with your narrative to a certain degree, donāt push back, to swallow this deeper truth that never really got fully validated or metabolized. And ultimately what I now know is that kept me stuck for decades, right? It was like, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:54.438)Yeah. Ingrid (13:55.435)imprisoned in my own body in a way thatās essentially what unmetabolized trauma really is, is that youāre stuck, youāre stuck. So understanding complex trauma and understanding the Fawn response, like I said, after decades, I sat on so many therapist couches, Iāve been sober for decades, Iāve done so much inner work, it wasnāt like I wasnāt trying, I got three degrees in psychology, right? It was like I did all of this to try to overcome Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:17.882)Right. The wounded here. Yeah. Yes. Ingrid (14:21.237)Yes, this feeling of like, whatās wrong with me? Iām still broken. Why canāt I have a healthy relationship? Why canāt I really have this loving relationship with myself? And these were the lenses that allowed me to see myself differently, to access myself differently, and actually to finally heal. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:40.722)Yes, and thereās this whole amazing section in the book about that. But before we go in, Ingrid, and someoneās listening to this, can you explain a little bit about the difference between fawning and people pleasing? Some signs of like, hey, you know, these are some real signs of the fawning. And also, part three, itās this complex question is, what kind of patterns might you see in relationship where you havenāt addressed fawning or what types of Ingrid (14:53.432)Yeah. Ingrid (15:05.966)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:09.074)people might you attract if youāre in that fawning trauma cycle. So signs, difference with people pleasing and relationships. Ingrid (15:13.751)Yeah, so great questions. Ingrid (15:18.383)So for me, I think both actually people pleasing and the language of codependency, these were our best attempts to name something that is real, right? With whatever information we had at the time. But. the problem that I can have with some of these terms is that they sort of place the problem as it were in an individualās body as though it just originated out of thin air for no reason, as though itās a problem that they possess that they need to fix and solve. And to me, the Fawn response, I see it as sort of the engine of these behaviors. Itās the why, right? Thatās what has gone. missing this notion that we are relational beings, we are hardwired, we co-regulate, we cohabitate, we literally need one another. So to divorce this notion of needing one another and our dependency, our literal dependency on one another is really shaming and blaming. First of all, to the caregivers, itās like we go here, hereās the emotional load, do all the heavy lifting. And then when they do it, we go, whatās wrong with you? Why canāt you take care of yourself? Right? Thereās this crazy double bind. so fawning to me is the heartbeat of these behaviors that allowed me to go, thatās why Iām privileging. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:31.1)Yeah. Ingrid (16:44.917)external validation or your opinion of me or Iām wondering why youāre mad at me. Itās why Iām so hypervigilant because my entire sense of safety in the world was built on needing to prioritize what was happening outside my body in order to keep my body safe. I had to be divorced from my internal sense of safety and orient to your need first and then come back to me. go, my gosh, that makes perfect sense. And the second thing that Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:49.722)Yeah. Ingrid (17:14.209)I think the fawn response tends to that people pleasing and codependency have not historically is the context that I am not just a dysfunctional person. My body adapted, I think in a very genius way to a deeply dysfunctional environment or context. And again, itās the piece where I go, my gosh, okay, now it makes sense that I was doing this, right? Itās not just because I love toā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:34.651)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:41.286)Yeah, Ingrid (17:42.893)Iām obsessed with control, right? Itās like, no, I was obsessed with safety. I was obsessed with the feeling that I could exist in the world. And now I understand why. So to me, thatās the sort of, itās like, we know more now. These terms arose before we understood trauma at all. And they were also steeped in this sort of disease model, which I think we just know better now. Letās do better. Letās help people understand where theseā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:44.859)Wait! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:50.63)Yes. Ingrid (18:09.913)these behaviors came from. And so some of the common signs and symptoms then are if I canāt have a voice because it makes it worse, right? It puts me as more of a target and maybe youāre gonna come for me. Well, weāre conflict avoidant, right? So a lot of chronic fauners have kind of lost access to a healthy fight response, which is all these things that weāre told to just go and do, right? Set a healthy boundary. Well, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:20.347)Yeah. Ingrid (18:34.849)setting a boundary might mean that Iām really going to get steamrolled. Saying a no might mean, now youāre really going to come for me. And so the body learned time and time again, like, no, no, no, no, itās safer not to push back, right? Itās safer. But ultimately, what happened for me and what happens for a lot of my clients is like the FON response is almost 10 steps out ahead of you, like a perpetual protector or a shield. And itās, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:41.692)Right. Ingrid (19:01.769)acting, even environments that might be perfectly safe, but the body goes, Iām not going to risk it. This is my way to safety. This is how I show up in the world. We tend to be conflict avoidant. We tend to prioritize everyone elseās needs, our own. think even this idea where we started the podcast of like, your trauma matters, but mine doesnāt really. Thatās also kind of a common sort of fawning response. Itās like, youāre entitled to have Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:08.166)Well, yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:20.7)Yes. Ingrid (19:31.533)your story and experience and you should have all the resources, but mine donāt really matter that much. What else? Yes. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:37.083)Yeah. So gets swung down over again, like for decades it took you, I think in the book you said it was 30 years, you know, for you to really sort of unpack that. thereās just, feels at least, you know, in my experience with myself, it feels like thereās all these different energies wrapped in. Itās sort of like that shame as guilty, should I have been doing that? Like, should I have been doing something else? But then fear, I didnāt know what else to do. And then this. Ingrid (19:46.358)Ugh. Ingrid (19:51.214)Yeah. Ingrid (19:58.926)Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:09.02)hollowness in my throat or you canāt really express yourself. And, you know, it affects relationships for a long time, I think, until you can actually find center. Obviously, you when we we heal ourselves, we find that centeredness and compassion. Everything around us changes. But, you know, like you said, sometimes we donāt hear about this for a long time, or we donāt have tools for a while. So it does go on. Itās pervasive. Ingrid (20:11.119)Mmm, yep. Ingrid (20:29.624)Yeah. Ingrid (20:36.621)Well, look what the bind is, right? Because when you say center yourself to me, what that means is you start to grow a sense of internal safety, right? Which is that all my safety doesnāt reside outside of my body. But when your whole life has been built on this very foundation that your sense of safety resides outside of your own body, just telling someone to like center themselves, and it doesnāt make any sense. Itās like, what are you even talking about? Of course, logically, we go, well, I do love myself, right? Like, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:43.408)Yes. Ingrid (21:05.591)Itās not about these ideas that make sense. Itās about a felt sense. Itās a nervous system experience of, donāt care what you say and how you say it, my body is not safe in the world. And so we have to start from a place where we acknowledge someoneās lack of internal safety and go, yep, thatās where weāre starting. Iām not pretending like you have all this access, youāre just not using it. Itās youāve never had the experience of really feeling autonomous, of feeling maybe like an adult, you know? This language that so many of us use, like you can see now with all this gray hair, Iām in my 50s, but half of the time I go, my God,
The Science of Longevity: Plaque Heart Scans, Cancer Screening, Glutathione & More with Dr. Julianna Lindsey [EP#1018]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Juliana Lindsay Summary: In this episode, Kimberly and Dr. Julianna Lindsey explore the interconnectedness of emotional and physical health, emphasizing the importance of stability in relationships and the impact of lifestyle choices on overall well-being. They discuss cardiovascular health, the significance of dietary choices, the effects of alcohol, and the role of supplements like glutathione and NAD in promoting longevity. The dialogue highlights the need for self-awareness and critical thinking in navigating health trends and misinformation. Ā About Dr, Juliana Lindsay Dr. Julianna Lindsey is Board Certified in Internal Medicine with additional training and certifications in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, functional and integrative medicine, lifestyle medicine, bioidentical hormone optimization, and peptide therapy. In addition to her clinical work, she has spent the past fifteen years serving executive leadership roles at Fortune-level companies. During this time, she observed the dysfunction of our health care system on a large scale, an experience that contributed to her motivation in establishing her Radiant Longevity clinic in Southlake, Texas, where she dedicates her life to serving people through personalized care and attention. She is the author of Radiant Longevity: A Physicianās Protocol for Living Your Best Life. Ā Guest Resources: Website: www.radiantlongevity.com Book: Radiant Longevity: A Physicianās Protocol for Living Your Best Life. Ā Episode Sponsors: FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā GLOWING GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Connection and Stability05:02 Understanding Cardiovascular Health and Screening10:05 Dietary Choices and Their Impact on Health14:54 The Role of Alcohol in Health and Wellness19:41 Exploring Supplements: Glutathione and NAD24:57 Navigating Health Trends and Misinformation SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.23)Hi, Juliana. I was going to say Dr. Lindsay, but I love in your book how you say to call you Juliana. Thank you so much for being here with us today. Calling in from Dallas, I believe. Julianna Lindsey (00:13.333)Yes, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:15.502)Love technology. You are asking me where Iām calling in from, which is currently California. And I do travel a lot between Hawaii and here. yeah, itās just so great that we can have these conversations and feel that connection no matter where we are. Also books, you know, weāre both authors that we can really connect with people on the subject matter beyond your realm of patients in Dallas, you can share your ideas in this form, which is really exciting, I think. Julianna Lindsey (00:51.347)It is wonderful and connection is so important. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:54.774)You know, I really liked how you talked about such a variety of subject matters in your new book, Radiant Longevity, a Physicianās Protocol for Living Your Best Life. And I wrote a couple notes of some of the things that really stood out to me. And talking about connection, thereās a whole section in the book where you talk about a stable home life. And I really love that because we hear a lot about social connections and community. And of course, that was really highlighted a lot, especially since COVID, when there was so much isolation. But sometimes I donāt think we talk enough about stability. And thatās true if someoneās married, if they have kids, or a lot of our listeners may be single. But this idea of stability and having less drama in our lives and more nervous system regulation. Can you talk a little bit about why you called that out is so important in your book. Julianna Lindsey (01:54.239)not sure that thereās anything more important to our quality of life than having stability in our relationships. And you donāt have to have 50 friends. If you have one person that you know you can count on when the chips are down. And for me, Iām very fortunate to have a few. And my main person is my husband, but also my children. We have aā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:03.041)and Julianna Lindsey (02:23.115)drama free life. I just donāt have time or space for drama in my life. I donāt see any benefit to it and I try to avoid it like the plague. donāt and it is a plague and I hate it to see people online get wrapped up and trying to get reactions from people and you can just you can opt to just stay out of all that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:34.424)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:47.394)Right. Julianna Lindsey (02:52.277)But you do need people in your life that you can absolutely count on. And I want to be that person for other people as well. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:01.708)Yeah. Well, I think itās important to talk about that because when we talk about stress and we talk about cortisol levels and, I mean, thereās so many things in daily life that we can do. Like you said, we can create a lifestyle. Maybe some of us grew up and you talk about trauma in the book as well, but maybe we grew up in a home environment that did have a lot of drama or maybe we can start to be aware in our life now. I know for me, Juliana, I can get really triggered by news. Like donāt really, I donāt watch the news, you know, Iāll read selectively, but also whatās coming into our feed. Like you said, thereās a lot of negativity online. So thereās a lot of things that we can do to create that stability. If we just start to be aware relationships, you know, whatās coming in, like our total environment. And thatās really important. You say stability, I also say more calmness, more peace. And that has an obvious, you know, effect. on our physical health, our mental well-being, emotional well-being, spiritual well-being, and so on. Julianna Lindsey (04:05.173)And of course we canāt separate any of that. We canāt separate our emotional wellbeing from our physical wellbeing. Itās all so integrated. And we have be very intentional about the environment that we create around us and the events that we allow to go on in our atmosphere. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:10.584)Yeah, itās Thatās right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:23.842)Thatās right. And so if someone is listening to this and they say, wow, you know, there are, there is a lot of drama in my friendships or in my relationship. Itās something to be aware of and something that, you know, we have to look within ourselves and thereās so many different tools and, you know, resources available that it doesnāt have to stay like that. We can, you know, move in transition and itās an important marker of health and wellbeing stability. Julianna Lindsey (04:51.059)Indeed, and just the ability to an open conversation, an open, authentic conversation with people is an art. Sometimes crucial conversations need to occur, right? People, relationships are not problem free. And if you hit a bump in the road, it doesnāt have to mean thereās drama. know, people should be able to have open, honest, authentic relationships with one another without there being drama involved and just, you know, state the problem and figure out together collaboratively how you want to solve the problem. If itās a relationship worth having. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:17.006)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:34.123)Yes. Julianna Lindsey (05:34.281)that itās worth itās worth an open conversation. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:38.53)Yeah, itās true and honesty and coming from the heart. Julianna Lindsey (05:42.963)Yes. And I think you can feel your intention, right? If your intentions are good, if you want the best for that other person, if you want the best for your relationship, people know that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:56.694)Yes, thatās right. Well, and then only a few pages prior, and this is another note I had in completely switching gears, which again, I really love a holistic approach. And even a few pages earlier, you were talking about coronary artery calcium scan, the CAES, which my husband had done. And so again, thereās relationships, thereās the things that we canāt see with our physical eyes. And then, okay, thereās plaque. Julianna Lindsey (06:13.493)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:23.97)Thereās hardened, thereās calcified plaque. Thereās the statistics that we know about cardiovascular incidences. We know that a lot of women and men, all different types of people have heart disease. Now, can you talk a little bit about this scan and this test? Because I remember talking to my husband about this a few months ago and it seems somewhatā¦ recent, it seems that not everybody knows about this. It feels like it could prevent a lot of cardiovascular incidences. Iām not sure if itās always covered by insurance, but can you just give us more information about this test? Julianna Lindsey (07:02.261)love that you bring up that topic because cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and it is the number one killer of women. We hear lot about breast cancer and certainly we want to be aware of our breast cancer risk and keep up on those screenings and breast health but the statistically most likely event to lead to death is cardiovascular disease in women. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:10.189)Wow. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:30.189)Mmm. Julianna Lindsey (07:31.681)And it has historically been underdiagnosed and undertreated in a preventative fashion in women. So women are less likely to get put on cholesterol-lowering medications. Theyāre less likely to get put on blood pressure-lowering medications. The moment a manās testosterone drops below 800, somebody wants to start giving him pellets. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:57.795)Right. Julianna Lindsey (07:58.431)Women are allowed to go through periods of estrogen deprivation in perimenopause and menopause, which is so harmful to our cardiovascular health. And we need to raise awareness that that period of estrogen deprivation is when our disease risk of cardiovascular disease rises to equal that of menās. So I very much try to avoid, want to avoid, and usually can periods of estrogen deprivation from my patients. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:06.382)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:27.896)So you mean with hormone replacement. Julianna Lindsey (08:28.577)Yes, identical hormone optimization. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:32.94)And then when would you recommend someone start taking this? Is it CACS you would say test? Yes. Julianna Lindsey (08:39.669)The coronary artery calcium score. So I donāt use the coronary artery calcium scoring anymore. So I use a CT angiogram. We specifically opt for the, itās a branded name, the CLEERLY scan, C-L-E-E-R-L-Y. The CLEERLY scan is a CT angiogram. It is a CT scan, so there is some ionizing radiation involved, but itās a low amount. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:48.494)Julianna Lindsey (09:09.511)The that scan is superior to the coronary artery calcium score because they use AI algorithms and special cameras to detect both soft plaque and calcified plaque. 30 % of heart attacks occur in people with a calcium score of zero. The calcium score is paid for by insurance. The the CLEARLY scan is typically not paid for by insurance so that that is a barrier, it is absolutely the better test because soft plaque is kind of what gets us in trouble. Thatās where the heart attacks happen, but itās also, we see that as reversible, right? I try to see the glass is always half full. So I look at soft plaque as being a reversible condition and then with lipid lowering and other lifestyle measures, then we can help mitigate and lower peopleās risk of developing heart disease. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:11.278)Well, thank you for clarifying that, Juliana. So around when would we consider getting this test and how often should you get this sort of test? And of course, you know, anyone listening to this or a loved one that, hmm, you you might want to inform about this because again, it doesnāt seem like a lot of the general masses know that these are available. Julianna Lindsey (10:35.673)Thatās a great question. When to start screening? So we base our screening age on the risk factor of the patient in front of us. So if someone has a high LP little a, thatās a blood marker that you inherit from one of your parents. If you have a high LP little a, which everyone should get checked, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:39.297)Yes. Julianna Lindsey (11:02.579)then we absolutely begin screening much sooner than in someone who doesnāt have this high LP little a. LP little a is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. So if you have high LP little a, you are far more likely to have plaque in your arteries, making you more likely to have a heart attack or stroke or peripheral cardiovascular disease. So in the event that, letās say a woman has Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:09.728)Okay. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:25.07)Mm. Julianna Lindsey (11:31.883)High LP little a I want to get her screened before the age of 50 I also want to get a man screen before the age of 50 with high LP little a if someone has had a history of prolonged like a familial high cholesterol condition then then we may start in early 40s also, so and Of course the family history is important in making these decisions as well, but Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:53.165)Mmm. Julianna Lindsey (12:01.087)You canāt rely solely on family history. We like to add all these variables together and really risk stratify people. And itās better to get screened earlier than later. We use that screening test to help us determine how aggressive we need to be in lipid lowering. you commonly hear stories from ladies that Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:04.16)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:23.574)Right. Julianna Lindsey (12:30.709)people didnāt want to put them on lipid lowering drugs because this, that, or the other. Itās usually there. Somebody said their cholesterol wasnāt that high because theyāre premenopausal or, know, women can, women form plaque prior to menopause under the right conditions. There are also women and men who have very high cholesterol levels. They are very rare who Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:50.606)Mm. Julianna Lindsey (13:00.309)we find donāt have any plaque on their clearly scan. Now, if they donāt have plaque on their clearly scan, then we can often avoid pharmacologic therapy to lower their cholesterol. But those people are rare individuals. I would say maybe one in 500 people with high cholesterol will not be forming plaque. So they are very much the exception. not the rule. And Iām afraid that lot of physicians without having these test results assume that that is a way more common condition than it actually is. People need to get screened and risk stratified. If youāre not forming plaque, fantastic. But if youāre already forming plaque in your arteries, we can see the arteries around the heart with the CLEARLY scan. We cannot see the arteries in the brain. We donāt have good visual vision capability, but we absolutely use those heart arteries and the condition of those arteries as a surrogate marker for whatās going on in your brain. Our brain needs blood flow. Cognitive decline is an epidemic and it is a rising epidemic. We are very cognizant about our patientsā cognitive health. Just as much. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:00.0)it. Julianna Lindsey (14:27.321)as we are about their cardiovascular health because they are highly intertwined. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:33.228)Yes, thank you for explaining that. And then in another section, interrelated section of the book, where you talk about diet, and I love how you lead off with talking, you know, very similar dietary philosophy that we have here at Salona and Beauty Detox, lots of green vegetables, lots of nuts. And also a good friend of mine whoās been on this podcast many times, Dan Buettner, who discovered the blue zones, which you referenced in your book. you know, just having this Julianna Lindsey (14:57.846)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:00.046)whole food based diet and active lifestyle and so on. But I bring this up on the heels of us talking about the calcium scans because it gets really confusing for people, Juliana, as you know, where, you know, for a while it was sort of the general consensus about avoiding eating a lot of red meat. And then thereās sort of different dialogues being put out, especially in social media about, know, cholesterol isnāt really bad. And then thereās the rise of certain diets like the carnivore diet. lots of meat. And then Iāve heard people have even written into me saying, you know, I tried some of these diets and my plaque did go up, even though a lot of people that are pushing these very high meat diets are saying, well, no, itās not actually going to raise your cholesterol. It just gets very confusing for people when thereās so many people talking about different ways of eating, you know. I donāt know, it sort of blows my mind. And then thereās these, again, these out of just certain studies, which can be extrapolated, theyāre studying human populations, like the blue zones and seeing how a lot of these cultures are getting enough protein, but theyāre also eating a large 90 % and over plant based. So can you speak a little bit in your work as a physician and your monitoring all these different patients and seeing whatās going on with plaque and just that relationship with eating a high red meat? animal protein diet in relation to what weāre talking about here. Julianna Lindsey (16:32.595)I can tell you with certainty that most people who are eating a high fat diet are going to have higher cholesterol levels. Now peopleās bodies respond differently. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:42.978)Thank you. Yeah. Yes. But it sounds obvious and Iām sorry to bring it up this way, but itās not when youāre listening to all these different dialogues, doctor. It sort of gets sort of bananas out there. Julianna Lindsey (16:59.285)Well, I would advise people to, if they hear something on social media, take that to your actual physician with hopefully with whom you have a relationship and then ask him or her questions about that. And please let it, first of all, let it pass the filter of common sense. Has, has humankind evolved eating solely meat? Itās It doesnāt pass the common sense filter to me. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:31.098)It doesnāt pass the common sense, but unfortunately, doctor, there are doctors like these carnivore MDs out there that are doctors that are also telling people some of these ways of eating, which I think can potentially cause a lot of harm and can certainly confuse a lot of people. So weāre moving away from fiber and anti-inflammatory antioxidant rich foods. And now there just becomes this huge focus on protein, protein, protein more and more. animal foods. Julianna Lindsey (18:02.645)Well, itās the wrong direction. And if you look at the human microbiome, and we are in our infancy in knowing the power of our microbiome, but we do know that 70 % of our immune system lies in the lining of our gut. Those microorganisms that are in the lining of our gut control so much of what happens in our body. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:13.248)Yes. Julianna Lindsey (18:26.651)and those to have a healthy microbiome, you need those soluble and insoluble fibers that you can only get from non-meat sources. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:38.71)Yeah. And you were talking about, you know, opening up pathways to the brain, to the heart. Thereās a clogging effect. Like you said, common sense that happens when weāre eating really dense, fatty, just, I canāt say it in words, but dense foods. Now, and then when weāre focusing on eating so much of those foods and filling our plate with that, then obviously thereās going to be less room for the fiber rich. Julianna Lindsey (18:45.301)Yes. Julianna Lindsey (18:56.682)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:06.346)foods, it just becomes less of a focus, unfortunately, in a lot of these diets. Julianna Lindsey (19:12.255)And if people have a, if they have doubt about that, I would just challenge them to go get your lipid profile checked regularly. Like we check our patients lipid profiles every 90 days because people will go on, you know, theyāll go off on tangents and I can, I can generally tell when theyāve gone off on a tangent and, and theyāre, theyāre eating it just like red meat every single day. Iām not against red meat. I eat meat myself. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:23.842)Wow. Julianna Lindsey (19:42.081)I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. So balance in all things. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:47.444)Yes. Yeah, I can say, I can share and Iāve talked about a little bit on here that actually was a personal experience with my husband. He eats meat, me and the kids are plant based, but he went on a full carnivore diet. And was a day where he was eating his chopped raw liver. And my older son looked at it he said, mama, would you eat papaās food for a million dollars? And I said, no, heās like two million. We were trying to come up with a number, but he does get regular blood work and he saw the actual, you know, the impact in his blood work. And Iām happy to say heās gone back to eating a lot of fiber again. because yeah, to your point when you could measure and you can actually see that difference, instead of just theoretically or just because you want to look the way someone looks on social media and you think itās because you need more and more and more. of protein and to build yourself up. Julianna Lindsey (20:47.553)Also, we have no idea what those people on social media who look like they look, what theyāre doing. You know, we donāt really know what theyāre eating. We donāt know what kind of hormones theyāre putting in their body. They could be doing any number of unhealthy things. And I can tell you that I see a lot of 50-year-old men walking around, you know, all puffed up, who look horribly unhealthy. I know that theyā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:02.091)Right. Julianna Lindsey (21:16.971)They probably perceive themselves as being healthy, but you can spot somebody whoās on too much testosterone and growth hormone, and it is a bad situation for their health. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:28.106)Right. I imagine long-term, especially taking growth hormone. Julianna Lindsey (21:32.255)Well, short and long term. I mean, those people tend to die early. Think about like Rich Piana, for instance. He was a internet craze. And then thereās like the liver king. know, all these people doing these crazy things. And it turns out, I guess the liver king wasnāt actually doing what he said he was doing. And then of course, Rich Piana died when he was relatively young. So. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:44.27)Right. Julianna Lindsey (21:58.933)I donāt think we need to be taking advice from people like that. And you have to always question peopleās ulterior motives. What kind of secondary gain are they on social media to get? So the way to get likes and reactions and conversations on social media is to be extreme. The way to live a balanced, healthy life is to avoid extremes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:24.878)Right, centered. And you mentioned that in your protocols overall for eating is to eat less, right? Because we are able to digest more, our bodies utilize more nutrients when weāre not constantly overloading. And I know, know, Dr. you as well as many physicians, thereās a section where you did talk about semi-glutides andā¦ Julianna Lindsey (22:26.815)Yes. Julianna Lindsey (22:34.582)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:51.246)and know, Zempik and you know, the crazes out there. And on one hand, people are eating less and they are dropping weight. I wonder, and I donāt know the answer and I havenāt taken, you know, Iām not a physician thatās taking a super deep dive on this, but I wonder doctor about long-term though. And people havenāt learned to eat healthy when theyāre taking these drugs, or maybe theyāre, you when they get off and then they still have to learn to eat healthy. What do you think about these other aspects? And I know primarily, you know, youāre seeing numbers improve, youāre seeing people eat a lot less. We know obesity is a killer, but long-term effects and then potentia
Empowered Knowledge of Perimenopause for any Stage with Dr. Mariza Snyder [Ep. #1016]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Mariza Snyder Summary: In this enlightening conversation, Kimberly speaks with Dr. Marisa Snyder who discusses her new book, āThe Menopause Revolution,ā focusing on the importance of understanding perimenopause and the holistic approaches to womenās health during this transition. She emphasizes the need for education about hormonal changes, the role of lifestyle in managing symptoms, and the potential benefits of bioidentical hormones. The discussion also covers mental health, postpartum support, skin and hair changes, and the significance of maintaining bone health. Dr. Snyder encourages women to embrace this phase of life as an opportunity for empowerment and growth, redefining their midlife experience with intention and care About Dr. Mariza Snyder Dr. Jason Giles is a triple board-certified physician (Addiction Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine) who has revolutionized addiction treatment through both personal triumph and professional innovation. With 25+ years of sobriety and two decades practicing addiction medicine, Dr. Giles brings an unmatched combination of lived experience and clinical expertise to one of Americaās most pressing health crises. As founder and director of Addiction Doctors, a multi-specialty telemedicine group, Dr. Giles oversees the detox and stabilization of hundreds of patients daily across both coasts, partnering with Americaās premier treatment centers. His mission: reaching the vast underserved population struggling with addiction by developing technology and models that expand access to life-saving care. Dr. Gilesā journey began with his own fentanyl dependency during anesthesiology residencyāa rock-bottom moment when he realized he couldnāt keep his word to himself about stopping. His recovery through a long-term monitored program (which boasts 90-95% ten-year success rates) catalyzed his career transformation from anesthesiologist to addiction medicine pioneer.For 15 years, Dr. Giles operated a boutique specialty practice treating everyone from championship athletes and Fortune 50 executives to billionaires and their families, hand-building long-term recovery programs focused on relationships rather than quick fixes. This elite-level experience, combined with his personal recovery journey, informs his contrarian yet highly effective treatment philosophy. Guest Resources: Website: drmariza.com Book: The Perimenopause Revolution: Reclaim Your Hormones, Metabolism & Energy Ā Episode Sponsors: ANIMA MUNDI OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS PLANT-POWERED protein blend, infused with real vanilla and harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! USE LINK: Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! Ā POWER OF THE FIVE HEARTS: USE LINK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/760283/the-hidden-power-of-the-five-hearts-by-kimberly-snyder/ Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Marisa Snyder and Her Work02:14 Understanding Perimenopause: The Importance of Education04:39 Holistic Approaches to Health During Perimenopause09:05 The Role of Hormones: Natural Shifts vs. Bioidentical Hormones15:54 Navigating Mental Health: Hormones and Postpartum Support20:17 Empowering Women: Access to Hormonal Support and Care22:02 Reproductive Longevity and Choices23:58 Optimizing Cellular Energy for Pregnancy27:15 Navigating Hormonal Changes in Midlife29:03 Skin, Hair, and Hormonal Health33:25 The Importance of Estrogen in Womenās Health35:30 Nutrition and Lifestyle for Metabolic Health39:39 Setting Up for Future Success41:47 Empowerment in Midlife and Beyond Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.016)Hi, everyone. Welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today, the lovely Dr. Marisa Snyder. She has a brand new book out, which I love, called The Harry Menopause Revolution, Reclaim Your Hormones, Metabolism, and Energy. Dr. Marisa has written many other books on female health, on hormonal health in particular. She is a powerhouse advocate for midlife women, leveraging 17 plus years as a practitioner, author and speaker to spark a massive movement for women in perimenopause and beyond. She is the host of the top rated Energize with Dr. Mariza podcast where we had a wonderful conversation about the heart last year. Iām getting goosebumps because Dr. Mariza, I always say Mariza because I know her personally. Dr. Mariza (00:48.363)Yes! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:55.394)is a friend of mine and itās really powerful when someone is really embodying the energy thatās coming forth in their work. She is such a passionate human. She is so in her heart. Sheās so authentically cares about helping other women. Sheās been through a lot of this herself. Sheās coming from firsthand experience. So with all that, Dr. Marisa, thank you so much for joining our feel good community today and be back. Dr. Mariza (01:22.447)Kimberly, it is such a pleasure. Yes, Iām so happy to be back. Iām so happy to be a part of the beautiful feel good community that you have cultivated. You know, what an honor to get to be here and to just speak as two women, as two mamas, know, navigating this beautiful journey and, and really setting not only ourselves up for success in the second half of our lives, but also every single woman who gets to walk this beautiful journey with us. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:45.068)Yes. I love how thereās a lot of conversation. Thereās just a lot out there about menopause. And youāre here highlighting in your new book about perimenopause, which I think can feel a little bit more nebulous for many. And thereās sort of this clear, you know, I havenāt gotten my period in a year, so I must be in menopause. But what Iām going to ask you questions as I was reading this, this book, Dr. Marisa, Dr. Mariza (01:51.971)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:14.83)Itās like, know, just sort of questions I think a lot of women have, including myself. So the first is, and I love in the beginning of the book, you say itās really important that we educate ourselves about these processes even before weāre in them. So we have, you know, a sense of knowledge, we can empower ourselves. But if youāre in your 30s and 40s, and youāre still getting your period every 28 days, and youāre not experiencing symptoms like hot flashes or you some of you have a whole quiz in here. Yes. Exactly. like, you know, like myself where Iām like, Hey, Iām still getting my period and I donāt have any symptoms. Then we say weāre not in perimenopause yet, but itās still good to know about it. Dr. Mariza (02:45.327)kind of the classic menopause, late perimenopause symptoms. Dr. Mariza (02:55.043)Me too. Dr. Mariza (03:01.899)Absolutely. Just like itās important for us to know as little girls what puberty is, you know, being prepared for your first bleed and also those four to six years where our brain is coming online for our reproductive years. Thatās a huge neuroendocrine transition that I think we could even do a better job at preparing our girls for. But then, you know, we prepare women for pregnancy and postpartum. And equally as important, we should be preparing women Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:26.338)Yes. Dr. Mariza (03:30.681)for perimenopause. Anytime we go through a big hormone shift that deserves our attention and a new level of support, women should be educated about their bodies and what to expect and how they can really shore up their health and feel amazing as they move through that journey. I mean, I think that every woman deserves that pathway through. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:54.35)Yes. So a lot of, and I love how holistic your book is covering things like diet and sleep and exercise. And a question I have for you, and this is a really broad question, before perimenopause, see during perimenopause and after perimenopause, a lot of these amazing suggestions, eating more fiber, you talk about gut health, you talk about all these things. Dr. Mariza (04:05.901)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:18.424)How is it different within the perimenopause? Because wouldnāt we already be wanting to focus on whole foods and exercise? What is the specific shift, if any? And for many, maybe itās saying, hey, everythingās changing. I have no choice but to focus on this as my protocol is because Iām starting to feel more moody or Iām starting to get these hot flashes. Dr. Mariza (04:28.792)Mm-hmm. Dr. Mariza (04:34.691)Yes. Dr. Mariza (04:39.021)Yeah, I think thatās what it is. Youāre absolutely right, Kimberly. If we could, as soon as we have a cycle, we have a menstrual cycle, we are optimizing our blood sugar, we are sleeping like our life depends on it, we are managing our heart, we are regulating our nervous system, girl, I would say start as early as you can. However, the truth is that a lot of us can get away with cheats. You we can get away with a little less sleep. You maybe weāre in grad school or maybe we have kids early or, you know, we just have some wiggle. You know, when I was growing up, I was taught that I diet to stay thin. That was a big part. That was like, okay, we, you put on a little bit of weight, you get on that treadmill. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:16.321)Yes. Dr. Mariza (05:21.121)treadmill or your that treadmaster, you calorie restrict a little bit for a couple of weeks, you get back down to that size, right? And then you just, and then you go back to doing what youāre doing. And you kind of, you kind of go into these loops where youāre like, okay, I need to like really buckle down and get disciplined. And then you lose the weight. And then, you know, again, you go back to doing life. But in pre-menopause, and mind you, I always believed that we should be eating for our gut health and our metabolic health, but this was just the narrative in the 80s and the 90s and even 2000s when we werenāt talking about the profound changes that were going on. And also we were just, it was all about being thin or whatever that goal was that the magazines were touting. But as we step, yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:02.35)Well, the I was laughing because now itās like people are just taking ozempic before. I everybodyās just like, let me take ozempic and lose the weight and then Iāll change how I eat, you know. Dr. Mariza (06:07.042)Right, yeah. Dr. Mariza (06:13.679)Exactly, yeah, I mean, thereās always a new strategy, right? But when we go through perimenopause, we have to understand that the hormones that are changing, these are hormones that have been rhythmically showing up every single month throughout our menstrual cycle to run hundreds of physiological processes. Weāre talking about estrogen and progesterone being immune system modulators. metabolic boosters. They are managing water retention and gut microbiome diversity. Theyāre helping us to grow our bones and our muscles. Theyāre protecting our heart. Theyāre helping our brain to function. Theyāre getting us to sleep at night. Theyāre helping us to regulate our mood and help us to feel more peaceful and calm during parts of our cycle. You know, I always joke that everybody loves Day 12 us, right? Two days before ovulation, estrogen is peaking at our highest peak. We feel energized. We want to be out and about. We feel sensual. Weāre connected with our partners. And mind you, can it be that way a lot through our cycle? Sure. But thereās something about that pre-ovulation boost that feels so good. You know, we were taught to not really honor and appreciate day 27 us. You know, the one that wants the girl version of us that wants to go inward, that wants to have some time to herself, that needs a little alone time to kind of regulate because progesterone and estrogen are declining. Well, in perimenopause, now these hormones are not rhythmically regulating and releasing the way that they were for the last 25 to 30 years. Now these hormones are erratically declining. And as a result, these protective shill hormones that are doing so much more than bikini medicine. For a long time, we used to believe that the only difference between us and men was the parts of the bikini cupboard. So our boobs and our ovaries and our uterus, and that was it. But now we know that these hormones are helping to modulate and regulate multiple areas of the body, including the brain. And as they begin to falter, for each and every one of us, itās gonna be a unique journey. But as they begin to decline, and itās not linear linearly, and it definitely doesnāt announce itself, Dr. Mariza (08:28.207)weāre gonna feel that protective shield begin to falter. And we may realize that that, you only six hours of sleep on a Saturday night or us just randomly dieting, it just isnāt working anymore. Our bodies are calling in a new level of support and a deeper understanding of our bodies. And thatās what perimenopause really ushers in, is having to understand our bodies in a new way, having to really honor what our body is going through. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:45.677)Hmm. Dr. Mariza (08:57.684)and be more consistent with the lifestyle strategies that are going to support our bodies along the way. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:05.484)Yes, I love that. Thereās more, and I donāt ever like to use the word mindfulness, right? Because we talk so much about intuition in the heart, but thereās more, letās say, intention around what weāre eating. And weāll get into that in a moment and about the metabolic changes. But right off the bat, Dr. Maurice, Iām reading this and thinking about it within myself, and a lot of women have this question. was talking to my hairdresser about this and sheās in full menopause. Dr. Mariza (09:14.434)intention. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:35.06)And thereās this sort of balance between really honoring the natural lifestyle. of course, know, whole foods were about organic, were about great soil, were about exercise and lifting weights, more all these things. And then thereās the bio-identical hormone conversation, which You know, we had Dr. Erica Schwartz on here as well, whoās like a big advocate for bioidentical hormones. And so thereās the side of, hey, the women are having these symptoms and the bioidentical hormones can help. Itās like another, you know, medicinal strategy. And then thereās the other side and other people having the conversation or say, mother nature knows that we go through these shifts. And then thereās a decline of certain hormones. And why are we as a culture manipulating taking hormones when nature decided these hormones to shift. Dr. Mariza (10:28.015)Hmm, I love this question. You know, thereās a, itās a big one. Itās a huge one. Let me, I wanna first just share where Iād land on this is that I believe that women deserve all the tools in the toolbox. Whatever is gonna move you towards feeling more alive in your body and feeling more optimized, I would never deny a woman anything that is gonna move the needle in that meaningful way. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:30.606)Itās a big one. Itās a big Get out. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:37.314)Yes. Dr. Mariza (10:54.425)You know, we live in a modern day world where our soil is impacted and where we are living in, you know, dark boxes most of the time of the day. And, and, thereās a lot of things about this life, this modern day life that isnāt conducive to optimized hormones or even an optimized body. If we arenāt intentional about it, right. We can easily get sucked into all the blue light and eating. packaged foods and doing a lot of takeout and not really honoring our heart and our nervous system. Like, you know, that can really wear on us. And I will say that as our hormones are declining erratically, you know, we didnāt kind of live with the same stressors that weāre living in today. And so I think that thatās a major part of this conversation is that we kind of werenāt being bombarded as hard. as we are with all of the different chemical, physical, and emotional stressors that we are contending with today. And so I feel like our menopause and perimenopause journey can feel even more intense, can feel more exacerbated due to these other stressors that oftentimes some of us arenāt able to mitigate. You I think about all the single mamas out there who, you know, I wish, I know, I wish for them that they had more free time, that they had, you know, more, moreā¦ resources to make some of the changes. if bioidentical, you know, hormone replacement therapy or oral micronized progesterone can help get the sleep that they desperately need so that they can show up to be the best mama that they can be for morning routine the next day, then I am a full body yes to that option for them. And so I think that itās a yes and hormones are powerful optimizers, but we need lifestyle in place as well. 100%. Could I tell you that hormones have been the game changer, the end all be all for me in terms of this journey? No. I would say that honoring my heart and my nervous system has been huge part of this journey. Moving my body meaningfully has been a beautiful part of this journey. Having community and eating towards having less inflammation in my body, those have been the biggest levers. And hormones have been super helpful too. I think it is very much a yes end depending on your journey. Dr. Mariza (13:13.517)but that women should not be denied any level of care. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:17.944)beautifully said, you know, I had a few friends over for dinner the other day and one of them is in, you know, she would define perimenopause and she said she just sort of woke up feeling very tired and off for a while. And then she did get her blood work done and she was working with a doctor and she got the hormones and you know, she, but then she was struggling with this question, you know, arenāt we supposed to have these natural hormonal shifts? And everybody was kind of talking about it. And I said to her, But do you feel better? She said, yeah. infinite possibilities. There isnāt a right or wrong, right? We step into that field of just there is and where yāall have unique bodies and unique journeys. And so I think itās really, and I think about my grandmother, my mother, who didnāt really talk about menopause. And when I did ask my mother once, she just said, it wasnāt a big deal. But to your point, maybe she didnāt. Dr. Mariza (13:51.683)Well, there we go. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:17.754)wasnāt aware of certain things and maybe there was less microplastics and it affected her in a different way, who knows? But there is a, you there are lots of possibilities out there. Thereās a lot of conversation, including your wonderful book, and everybody has to decide for their bodies. Dr. Mariza (14:34.713)whatās gonna help them feel amazing, absolutely. Yeah, I think, you thereās a couple of reasons why we women, lot of the generations before us, especially our grandmothers, maybe even our mothers, my mom, she knew. She knew about perimetapos and metapos, it was very obvious. And she, yeah, she was like, what is happening right now to me? And she made some really powerful pivots that changed the course of her life in such a positive way. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:49.262)I knew you knew. Dr. Mariza (15:02.091)But she had to, know, again, weāre all kind of mitigating some of these big constants that a lot of us are working and maybe some of us donāt even necessarily love what weāre doing every single day, but we got to show up. And then weāve got our families to take care of and we have our households to take care of. so, you know, anything that can help a woman feel, again, better, help her to mitigate her symptoms and really future proof her health isā¦ to me is the number one priority. And when we look at the statistics, you know, just whether itās hormone replacement therapy or not, although we do live longer than men, you 25 % more of our lives are spent in debilitating health. And, you know, one could argue that itās 100 % because of hormones. Others could argue that itās lifestyle, but I have a feeling that itās a combination of the two. And so whatever we can do to support women, I will always be a yes to that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:56.366)There are some sobering statistics about women, particularly with brain health, mental health, you mentioned in here, dementia, Alzheimerās. So can you talk a little bit about how this knowledge and working with perimenopause and menopause can help protect us and hormones potentially, and lifestyle of course, can help protect us against these neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Mariza (16:22.977)I love this question. As I mentioned earlier, whether itās puberty or postpartum or perimenopause, these are all big neuroendocrine transitions. And what a gift that our brains can go through such massive upgrades to be mothers, to step into childbearing years, and to step into our wise woman years. Now in this upgrade, I will tell you, it doesnāt always feel like an upgrade. My first couple of weeks of postpartum, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:33.25)Dr. Mariza (16:52.623)It didnāt really feel like an upgrade. I was like, I need some sleep. you know, and when you step into motherhood in that big, beautiful way, as your hormones are, know, postpartum is where we have some of our lowest hormone states and women really experience that and feel that. Same thing with perimenopause. When we are going through thatā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:11.63)Dr. Mariza, sorry to interrupt Dr. Mariza. On that point, if anyoneās listening to this and theyāre having a lot of struggles postpartum, are some doctors, such as yourself, prescribing progesterone and hormones to help with postpartum? Dr. Mariza (17:17.411)Mm-hmm. Dr. Mariza (17:25.271)Yes, absolutely. Yes, oral micronized progesterone or even progesterone injections in those really difficult times, those first three months of postpartum can completely change the game in terms of a womanās mental health outcomes, pulling them out of suicidal ideation. And again, that really severe postpartum depression. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:31.148)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:40.418)Wow, thank you for. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:46.488)Thank you. And for anyone listening to that, think thatās important to know. I certainly didnāt know that was an option. And I remember feeling a lot of moods and I donāt know if it was strong postpartum depression, but I think there was blues, there was just all sorts of feelings. Dr. Mariza (18:00.665)Yeah, all sorts of feelings that weāre trying to grapple with, right? Because the society tells us we should be so grateful that we have these beautiful babies. And we are. Itās a very conflicting and confusing time where you want to be so present for your baby. You want to make sure you keep them alive. Thatās the number one. Thatās what our brains are literally rewired for is their survival. We want to be appreciative and loving and being this beautiful heart centered place. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:11.106)Yeah. Dr. Mariza (18:30.347)And then weāre also having these conflicting emotions, these really intense emotions from baby blues to maybe even more severe depression, anxiety, and really this level of things are feeling insurmountable. And we have to understand that the brain is still massively reorganizing in postpartum big time to rewire for that baby. And itās also depleted of some of the most critical hormones that it needs, including allopregnenolone. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:44.29)Yeah. Dr. Mariza (18:58.261)And if we can give women a little bit of a booster to kind of get over that hump, then why wouldnāt we do that? So Iām a big fan. I also was on oral micronized progesterone in the beginning, because I was, I think more so it felt like deeper sleep deprivation in the beginning. Itās so hard to tell. Youāre like, am I just losing it because Iām not getting enough sleep or am I losing it because Iām just feeling very low? Itās a challenging time. Itās just all over the place. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:04.758)Amazing. Thank Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:22.798)Itās so cool. Dr. Mariza (19:26.927)It breaks my heart that so many women donāt necessarily feel as supported as they should. And that these tools are not easily and readily accessible when they come and report these types of symptoms. But I want you to know that oral micronized progesterone or even progesterone injections are so inexpensive. Theyāre so cheap. Weāre talking about less than 12 bucks for a prescription for a month. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:37.997)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:48.952)Mm-hmm. Dr. Mariza (19:54.575)So it can really change the game. if you are listening to this and youāve got either youāre in your postpartum, especially perimenopausal postpartum, like I was, like so many women today are, weāre having children later and what a blessing that is that we can get to do that. But that comes with perimenopause and postpartum together. So if youāre listening to this and either youāre thinking about having a child or youāre in postpartum right now, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:09.07)Yeah. Dr. Mariza (20:18.989)I just, hope you hear this and know that you deserve support and that there are doctors out there that will absolutely give it to you. And that solution of oral micronized progesterone or even injections is very easy to get your hands on in terms of accessibility. Itās FDA approved, itās been proven safe time and time again. Itās what I use to even get pregnant at 41 years old. So I just want women to know that that should be available to them. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:44.096)naturally you got pregnant. Dr. Mariza (20:45.839)I did, well, I naturally got pregnant my first month trying when I was 40 years old. Mind you, I primed up for an entire year. So I was very aware that I was prepping to get pregnant for a long time. I got pregnant and I lost that baby about six weeks in, six or seven weeks in. By the time we did the ultrasound, I already lost the baby. And we werenāt sure if it was low levels of progesterone or maybe it was genetics. I wasnāt sure. Bu
Getting to the Root of Food and Other Addictions with Dr. Jason Giles [EP. #1015]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Jason Giles Summary: In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Jason Giles shares his personal journey from addiction to recovery, emphasizing the importance of connection, spirituality, and understanding the complexities of addiction. He discusses how his experiences as a patient have shaped his approach to addiction medicine, highlighting the need for empathy and individualized care. The discussion also touches on modern solutions for addiction, the role of community support, and the deeper emotional and spiritual aspects of recovery. Ā About Dr, Jason Giles Dr. Jason Giles is a triple board-certified physician (Addiction Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine) who has revolutionized addiction treatment through both personal triumph and professional innovation. With 25+ years of sobriety and two decades practicing addiction medicine, Dr. Giles brings an unmatched combination of lived experience and clinical expertise to one of Americaās most pressing health crises. As founder and director of Addiction Doctors, a multi-specialty telemedicine group, Dr. Giles oversees the detox and stabilization of hundreds of patients daily across both coasts, partnering with Americaās premier treatment centers. His mission: reaching the vast underserved population struggling with addiction by developing technology and models that expand access to life-saving care. Dr. Gilesā journey began with his own fentanyl dependency during anesthesiology residencyāa rock-bottom moment when he realized he couldnāt keep his word to himself about stopping. His recovery through a long-term monitored program (which boasts 90-95% ten-year success rates) catalyzed his career transformation from anesthesiologist to addiction medicine pioneer.For 15 years, Dr. Giles operated a boutique specialty practice treating everyone from championship athletes and Fortune 50 executives to billionaires and their families, hand-building long-term recovery programs focused on relationships rather than quick fixes. This elite-level experience, combined with his personal recovery journey, informs his contrarian yet highly effective treatment philosophy. Guest Resources: Website: www.ororecovery.com/dr-jason-giles/ Book: Outsmart Your Addiction Ā Episode Sponsors: FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY MOMENTOUS: OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background02:10 Journey into Addiction Medicine09:20 Personal Experience with Addiction13:01 Combining Science and Heart in Treatment16:46 Recognizing Addiction: Signs and Symptoms22:55 Addiction in Professionals: A Common Struggle26:08 Breaking the Silence on Addiction28:43 Understanding Food Addiction and GLP-131:56 The Complexity of Weight Loss and Hormonal Signals34:19 The Role of Spirituality in Recovery43:09 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.863)So great to have you, Dr. Giles. Thank you so much for being here with our feel good community. Jason Giles MD (00:07.31)Thank you for having me. Itās my honor to be here. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:10.267)Where are you calling in from today? Jason Giles MD (00:13.96)I am in my office. currently Iām at the, place on the East coast in New Hampshire, enjoying, enjoying beautiful weather. The leaves are just starting to turn in the fall here, although itās still warm. Itās not, itās not chilly yet. Itās not sweater weather, but we had a bit of a drought this summer. So I think the trees are just ready for a rest. Thatās how theyāre acting. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:21.543)Iām giggling because I grew up on the East Coast too, Dr. Dries, Iām from Connecticut, but I donāt miss that. are like, love fall season. I donāt, sorry, Iām between now Southern California and Hawaii. Once I could choose, I really just wanted sunshine, but I appreciate the beautiful leaves. I think when people love winter, I know people that love skiing. Jason Giles MD (00:43.626)down the road. You donāt miss the weather. Yeah. Jason Giles MD (00:55.086)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:06.961)We all like different things, donāt we? Jason Giles MD (01:08.654)Itās a funny paradox. Iām from Southern California and moved here just a few years ago. And it was a shock. It was a shock dealing with the seasons and it gets very cold here in the winter. But I figured it out. I look forward to the change and Iām in Southern California a lot. So I havenāt had time to completely miss it. My mother is still there. So I visit her. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:12.637)are ill. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:23.773)Yeah! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:28.689)Okay. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:33.935)Are you scared? Jason Giles MD (01:36.32)I used to be, and then I had two kids, one played baseball eventually at a very high level. One did ballet, eventually professionally. And so the kids didnāt want to get hurt. So we, we, we set that aside, but I do like being outside. like, I like, I like the snow. I like a good, I like a good hike. do snow shoeing here. I did some snowmobiling some years ago. I hope to get back to that. Thatās, thatās super fun. Maybe skiing. donāt know. Thereās itās just hard. Itās. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:49.628)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (02:05.198)Iām not in a ski group, but I do like it. Itās super fun. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:08.902)was available. Jason Giles MD (02:10.85)Yes. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:12.027)Dr. Giles, coming down to business here, you have a really interesting focus in your work on addiction. And even when I hear that word, it feels like thereās so many ways in which we can get addicted. We can addicted to coffee, to sugar, to drugs, to sex, to working overtime. Well, first of all, tell us how you sort of narrowed into this. focus in your work, I imagine it wasnāt something you may have set out to do when you were starting out. Jason Giles MD (02:47.186)no, thatās good pickup. Not, not, not at all. I, I went a traditional route college and then medical school and my, Achilles heel, suppose is that I was interested in all sorts of things. liked pretty much every rotation I went through when I was on pediatrics. I wanted to be a pediatrician. And when I was on neurology, I was going to be a neurologist. I liked all kinds of stuff. There is a specialty that embraces all the specialties and itās anesthesia. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:16.669)Mmm. Jason Giles MD (03:16.994)And thatās, thatās, thatās what I wound up doing. And anesthesia is, you know, taking away pain and awareness so that the surgeons can work their magic, fix whatever needs to be done. And I, I liked it. It was really, it was great. All different people, right? So from newborns or premature newborns all the way up to centenarians, ever, ever need surgery. They all have all different medical problems. So pretty much everything in the book. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:40.562)Wow. Jason Giles MD (03:46.85)can be a complicating factor. And then thereās all different surgery. So I liked it all. I wound up doing a specialty that I liked it all. But two things happened along the way. I wound up being a cardiac anesthesiologist. So doing the big cases, transplants and heart surgery and stuff like that. But along the way, two things happened. One, I went through the recovery process myself. So I developed my own addiction and needed to get help for that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:03.229)That was intense. Jason Giles MD (04:14.24)And that changed my perspective. That was sort of the first blow. then thereās a drug that many, years ago when I was telling this little story, I would have to repeat it because people hadnāt heard of it before. So I would say it again and they would say, well, whatās that? What does that do? But unfortunately, Iāll say it that way. I donāt have to repeat it anymore. Itās the drug that I was on was called fentanyl. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:17.329)What were you addicted to? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:38.651)When we hear that term, think, thatās whatās in drugs that kills people. Jason Giles MD (04:42.466)Thatās whatās in drugs that kills people. And it nearly killed me. I got very extremely fortunate that it didnāt. Very, very lucky. Due in large part to my department chairman who had his snivers out or his antenna. And I thought I was being clever and only using after work and, you know, being meticulous. Butā¦ He w he watched my decline over, over about a year and made, made a move and, suggested that maybe I had a problem and it was well deep up to my neck by that point. And this is grace here, by the way, this is, this is a divine part, which is I accepted to help. didnāt, I didnāt try to keep running. So that led me on a journey of self discovery. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:28.53)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (05:37.006)The stuff that you talk about in your show, it runs through all of that, right? So early motivations and self-concept and the drive to become one of the most difficult types of specialty doctors is the same drive that I didnāt feel comfortable with myself. I didnāt think I was okay. I thought there was something missing. In some part, the fentanyl is what I thought was missing becauseā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:01.021)Mm-hmm. Jason Giles MD (06:05.036)I couldnāt relax. couldnāt settle down after work. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:08.231)How does it make you feel? it like a painkiller in that? Jason Giles MD (06:11.214)Yeah, itās like a super, yeah, super intense painkiller, like super like the kills all the pain, all the suffering, all the worry. Say again. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:21.703)like Valium? Jason Giles MD (06:23.678)different, different. Itās if, if Valium gave you energy, itād be kind of like that a little bit. So if it gave, if it, if it made you feel, safe and comfortable as well as, alert and capable, like at ease. So those are all the feelings that I wanted. I wanted those feelings. Thatās why I went in through academics. Thatās why I went to medicine. Thatās why, thatās why I worked so hard was to get that sense of being okay. And of course. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:40.455)So how do some people. Jason Giles MD (06:53.102)that doesnāt come that way. You donāt get it that way. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:54.575)Exactly. You get it from the identity and the job titles and everybody, you know, saying, youāre so smart, Dr. Giles, even though you are, itās all this. Jason Giles MD (07:04.558)You know, because inside you say, if you only knew, if you knew the real story, you wouldnāt say that I was smart, which is of course, arrogant, very arrogant to reject compliments, to reject reality. And thatās where I was. I was miserable and cut off and isolated and separate. And my work performance was fantastic. I overdid at work, I over-prepared. But thatās like being on farther and farther out on that bar that they carry to get across the high wire. It was like being on both ends of it at the same time. Fortunately, I had a very gentle intervention in the form of a loving phone call and. I was terrified when I got that call. My heartās pounding and my mouth is dry and my palms are sweaty because I could not see that there was anything good going to come of this. couldnāt see that there was a life on the other side that I was about to go on a different kind of adventure. I didnāt know that. I was really, really scared. But Dr. Moore was my department chair. Itās very warm. Australian fellow, super achieved academic himself. And he told me, said, we saw this before. had another doctor in the department a few years ago who we found too late. He overdosed and died and we found him in the morning in the call room. And I could see that the things that you were doing, the way you looked, your responses, while your work was preserved, while youāreā¦ Jason Giles MD (08:57.094)you know, your casework was still great. That frightened him enough, he could see the pattern. And so that was my exit. in beginning, so was step one, was this new life as a sober person. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:14.813)Dr. Giles. Jason Giles MD (09:19.586)Are we having bad internet? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:24.797)Hold on, Iām gonna log off and log back in. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:46.874)Hey, so we were 10 minutes into the show and it froze and it kicked him off. So I just logged off and logged back in. Can you call him to come back? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:00.268)Okay, thank you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:25.486)Dr. Giles. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:33.656)There you are. You know, technology, itās okay. Our editor will fix it. It happens sometimes. Itās not all the time, but donāt worry. So go back to your story. Remember, yeah, when we got cut off. And weāll just patch this part right back. Jason Giles MD (12:36.531)There I am. I donāt know what happened. We had problems. Jason Giles MD (12:45.682)Okay. Jason Giles MD (12:52.211)Yeah. So I was, I, I, I got very lucky. and I owe, some of that for good fortune, to a fellow who preceded me at the department and wound up, you know, not, not making it. I never met him. I didnāt, didnāt, didnāt know him, but he set the, set the pattern so that when I followed fell into the same, trap or fell into the same, yeah, addiction fentanyl. I had somebody who was looking out for me. So, enormously fortunate there. So that was step one. Second part was when I came back, I, at that. I fell in love with, thatās crazy. I fell in love with talking to people because anesthesia, of course, thereās not much talking going on. Itās a little bit of consent and then staring at the top of somebodyās head for an hour or two while the surgeon does her thing and. and I, I enjoyed talking with the patients and so talking with the patients and then going through my own experience where I became a patient is what finally I stayed in anesthesia for awhile, but it finally convinced me to let that go and pursue this really very new field. know that things like alcoholics, anonymous and stuff had been around for almost a hundred years, but as an organized, discipline or specialty in medicine, addiction medicine is really very new. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:20.472)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (14:20.717)And our understanding of it is very rudimentary. Itās not very sophisticated compared with other specialties like nephrology or that sort of thing. So itās a frontier and that excites me. And the same drive that I had of wanting to know and wanting to learn, wanting to grow and do something exciting, now I get to do that with this. And Iāll say one last thing about it, which isā¦ The cool part about this field, so if you havenāt, heaven forbid, break a bone and go to the bone doctor to get it fixed, if everything goes perfectly, then you get your, letās say broken arm back like it was. Thatās the best thing that can happen. But in this field, what happens when people turn their lives around is their lives come out way better than how they started. Way better. Same with what youāre doing, right? Same with what youāre doing. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:13.721)Yeah. Well, my gosh, Dr. Giles. Well, the first thing I want to say is thank you for sharing that amazing story with us. The second thing, and I got a lot of goosebumps when you literally use the phrase, I let it go, right? Because our mind has these ideas. Iām going to have this job and then Iām going to get this specialty and Iām going to get these accolades. Iām going to go this way and this way. And itās, you know, whether you to use the term God, spirit, universe, higher intelligence, whatever it is. Thereās the greater plan that weāre part of and you went through this experience and then you let go of your mindās ideas. And then you, itās like you got led into this pathway where you can really, not that you werenāt helping people before, but because youāve been through addiction. I imagine now, can you tell me how you approach it as a, know, obviously as a doctor, with science, as a clinician, but also, Jason Giles MD (16:04.425)Changed everything. Changed everything. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:15.138)your heart, working with people, knowing what it feels like to be addicted, to be in the throes of feeling out of control. And obviously people are because theyāre feeling that lack inside of themselves, which you had experienced. How do you combine that, your intuition, your heart with the science? Jason Giles MD (16:26.429)Yeah. Yeah. Jason Giles MD (16:34.779)Excellent question. Excellent question. Yeah. And every personās unique. Thatās the thing. Itās a, is one of the, one of the challenges of the field is it doesnāt, it doesnāt standardize very easily. So you canāt just say, okay, everybody do these, these, the, you know, these, 10 exercises and itāll, and youāll, youāll come out great on the other side or have this, have this surgery will cut out the cancer and then you wonāt have cancer. Itās not, itās not like that because everyoneās relationship to their story is. is, is individual, itās unique. So what has to change in order to get better, and this doesnāt sound very scientific, it doesnāt sound, it doesnāt sound very medical maybe, but what has to change is the story you tell yourself about yourself and all aspects, things you tell yourself about your past, things you tell yourself about your family, about your, about your future. And so to use me as exhibit A again, I was telling myself that I wasnāt okay. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:21.924)So yeah. Jason Giles MD (17:32.519)didnāt have all the compliment of things that normal human beings had, that there was something missing, that I wasnāt good enough and that I didnāt fit. Now, those turn out to be pretty common things. A lot of people feel that way from time to time, pretty much everybody from time to time. But whatās really bad is when you think like I did, I know how to fix this. And then you set off toā¦ In my case, was, you know, achieve academically, be really great at work. You talked about that, about addictions to work. I definitely had that. And the better I got at work, the more that feeling grew. was like scratching poison oak. It just felt good at the time, but then a worse feeling came afterwards. So the question about connecting with people, think thatās, you know, Johan Hari says the opposite of. addiction is connection, right? Itās this sense of alienation that we, that we amend by connecting to one another. Honestly, I think thatās critical ingredient. You know, this office has all this paper. Thatās my medical degree behind me, but thereās all this stuff that says, you know, I got board certified in this and that and whatever. Nobody cares about that. Those, those things are not what matters. What matters is whether or not you care about the patient youāre talking to or the person suffering through the addiction. and whether or not the person youāre talking to trust you. And thereās something thatās really strange. So I told you at the beginning, this story of feeling like it was that my life was over when my fentanyl addiction came to light, but really it was the beginning of my life. So the patients, thereās been tens of thousands of patients that Iāve been able to work with since then and admit and help along their way. And Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:15.672)Mm. Jason Giles MD (19:23.931)The thing that gives me the most credibility is not the academic achievements. Itās the personal failing that then I got help with, but that turned my life around. So they know Iām not judging. I think thatās one of the most important ingredients is to meet people where they are and to not prejudice your opinions of them based on how they present or what you think you know is going on. Everyone has his own story of suffering. Everyoneās going through something you have no idea. So coming to it from that standpoint is probably half the journey. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:02.554)So along those lines, doctor, for anyone listening to this now, and they think, well, how do I know Iām addicted? And I like how you mentioned the opposite is connection. And I can say for myself, and Iāve shared this with the community many times, when I was in high school and I became bulimic, feel good, it was a sort of addiction to binging and then purging. And I can definitely say there was a complete disconnection from my body. Jason Giles MD (20:28.494)Butter croissants, if I recall. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:31.33)my god. Anything like fatty butter. And you know, sometimes thereād be blood throwing up and no connection, right? So someone is saying, okay, because sometimes we throw around the word addiction a little bit, casually, like Iām really addicted to coffee or this or that. How do we know or how does anyone know or theyād be like, okay, Iām doing, you know, doing the Jason Giles MD (20:35.677)Mm-hmm. Jason Giles MD (20:41.161)Sure. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:56.95)whatever, weed, cocaine sometimes, and like you said, you thought you were in control. What are some of the defining signs that we can say, hey, we need to take this a bit more seriously? Jason Giles MD (21:09.149)Sure. Excellent question. Well, first of all, what we think of addiction, think of as addiction is actually, itās actually normal behavior. So itās, itās normal to do something over and over again, until you get good at it. Thatās what we all did when we learned to walk or learn to speak. Certainly when you learn to ride a bicycle or learn to host a hit podcast, you know, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:32.505)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (21:38.409)Weāre bad at it in the beginning and weāre awkward and weāre crummy and we donāt know what weāre doing. And then one foot in front of the other. And the next thing you know, you start to get some speed and you figure it out and you can ride your bike around the neighborhood or, or help, you know, help many, many people. And, and itās the same with when you, when you pick up a substance. So alcohol is probably the most common one. I donāt know. I donāt know anybody who the first drink was delicious and it went down great. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:59.31)Yeah, good example. Jason Giles MD (22:05.957)Everybody is like, this doesnāt taste very good. And they, they work through it and overshoot or causes them embarrassment. to develop a problem with alcohol, you have to keep at it. You have to keep learning how to use it and keep pursuing that feeling until youāre really good at drinking to manage your feelings or using fentanyl to manage your feelings or eating butter croissants until you feel like I can do this. The rules donāt apply. And Iām just. Iām putting words in your mouth, but the rules donāt apply to me. Iām different. And then, look, I can eat and not have the consequences if I just do this thing, but then the thing makes you feel bad. And that whole, that whole nexus of emotions that go together, that is something that we figure out when I do this, I feel a certain way. The reason thatās important is we want to control our feelings. want to manage our internal world. Thatās what success is. Yes, thatās what success is. We want love in our lives. And so we present a certain way, we say certain things, we go to the gym, we get good at whatever, and then we attract love in our lives and then we feel thatās a lot of work. But thatās whatās necessary to have a authentic good relationship is to be the best you can be in the relationship, which is a lot of effort. But we pursue the feeling. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:05.216)Control. Jason Giles MD (23:31.441)Addiction is just pursuing the feeling. Itās just another learning loop. So thatās why itās not a disease. You know, people give me dirty looks when I say that because itās so popular to say, itās a disease. Itās just something that you learn. Unfortunately, the things that we use too much of or too many, it could be anything, right? Iām drinking a little glass of water, but if I was drinking gallons and gallons of water, I would get sick. And if you, if youā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:59.086)Yeah, exercise too much. Jason Giles MD (24:01.979)If you eat a croissant, youāre probably okay. But if you eat 20, youāre definitely not. If you exercise to the point where you break down your body and you develop all sorts of problems or where you cost you other things, right? some like ultra marathoners or triathlon people or people pursuing excellence in the Olympics or professional realms, those things take a lot of time. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (24:31.268)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (24:31.569)And they affect the rest of your life. Thereās only so much time. So it affects your relationships. It affects your earning power. It affects your health. All these things are affected by whatever weāre disproportionately doing. Drinking, cocaine, work, religion, even religion can become ripe where people are murdered to be around. Theyāre insufferable because theyāre just, everything is that and theyāre over. Theyāre over invested in it and they donāt, and it, and it ruins their relationship. So addiction is just like that. And everybody has something. Everybody has something. Your question is, how do you know if right? I get this question all the time. So if I go to a party and it gets around to the, do you do? What do you do? And I tell them people have a glass of wine or they, or something. And they say, well, do I have a problem? So this is very, very common question. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:11.587)Yeah. Jason Giles MD (25:30.118)And The way to answer that question is, know. So if youāre asking that question, you know, you know, you know. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:36.121)Bye. I agree, you know, and maybe you donāt wanna know because itās giving you that comfort, you know. Jason Giles MD (25:44.989)You can, yeah,
October Solluna Power Hour: Building Resilience & Strength Emotionally, Physically, and Spiritually [Episode #1014]
Summary: In the October Solluna Power Hour episode, Kimberly discusses the theme of building resilience and strength across physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. She emphasizes the importance of daily practices, nutrition, and emotional well-being in fostering a holistic lifestyle. The conversation covers the significance of heart coherence, the impact of food on immunity, and the role of spiritual growth in achieving inner peace and resilience. Episode Sponsors FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY LMNT: OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS PLANT-POWERED protein blend, infused with real vanilla and harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! USE LINK: Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Building Resilience and Strength 12:10 Food Cornerstone: Strength and Immunity 22:39 Body Cornerstone: Movement and Stability 29:45 Emotional Well-Being: Heart Coherence 38:48 Spiritual Growth: Inner Resilience Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means TRANSCRIPT: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.91)Hi everyone and welcome back to our October Power Hour Show where our theme this month is building resilience and strength physically, emotionally and spiritually. So just a reminder, this show is now once a month, the first Thursday of every month where we talk about our monthās themes and tips and tools across our four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well-being and spiritual growth to support you in the month ahead to feel your very best. And I have to say, Iām very excited about October in particular. It is one of my favorite months. Itās definitely one of my kidsā favorite months. They have been talking about Halloween and all the adventures and all the different parties and, you know, decorating everything already for a few weeks. Thereās a shift now. Itās starting to feel like weāre really into fall. Thereās a shift energetically. Thereās a shift in the weather. And thereās a lot that we can do to build resilience and strength on the inside, which weāll talk about today, which takes place across many layers of our being, so that we can feel centered as we march forward into the rest of the year, into the rest of the fall. We support our immunity, we support our gut health, we support our emotional stability, so that we continue to feel more clear, more energized, and we will enjoy our lives more and more which is really what feeling good means. It means that we can go through life being open, open-hearted. We feel more light, we feel more connected. And this really is possible the more we encompass our holistic Four Cornerstone lifestyle. So before we get into our show today, a little reminder that the show notes for today are at mysolluna.com, M-Y-S-O-L-L-U-N-A.com. You can check out the research, links to other articles, podcasts I think you would enjoy. If you havenāt yet signed up for our newsletter, I highly recommend that you do so to stay on top of community happenings. We give out recipes, we have community events, we have special deals. So itās really amazing to come deeper into the community. Iād love to invite you deeper in. And also, little announcement that the hidden power of the five hearts. My latest book is now out in paperback. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:22.766)So can check it out wherever books are sold. All right, letās get right into our theme today, which really has to do the core is resilience and strength, which comes from the inside of us. So when I think about resilience, when I think about strength, I now think about it in terms of staying centered. So what I mean by that is thereās a lot of things. that life will throw our way. Everything is constantly in a dynamic flux of shifts and change. Maybe we go to the grocery store and theyāre out of a lot of the vegetables and things that we wanted. How can we stay centered and shift and not get rigid and upset or lose our center if thereās a huge traffic jam or if weāre getting barrage of emails or texts that you know can feel unexpected. When we are off our center, when we start to let the thoughts run, a lot of getting off center has to do with the mind which is why our heart work is so important and heart coherence which weāll also talk about today. What happens is that we start to secrete more stress hormones and cortisol and this has a direct impact. Stress, which comes from thoughts, has a direct impact on lowering our immunity and also breaking down our cells and our organs and aging us in many different ways. So this month is a wonderful month before we get fully into the holidays. And while weāre still a little bit transitioning to the beginning of school, maybe still a little bit at the end of summer, which we talked about in our September power hour show. This is a really great month to root down into our center, into resilience, into our daily practices so that we build and can continue to build this resilience, which is inside of all of us, right? We can tap into this potential inside of all of us. Instead of feeling like weāre bracing for change or weāre just more susceptible to whateverās being passed around, whether itās Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:42.904)you know, cold or flu around your kidās school or around your office or whatever it is, right? We start to build the inner terrain. And again, weāre going to talk about this physically, emotionally and spiritually, and they all very much work together. So whatās happening in terms of ancient wisdom, how Aryavita talked about fall and October is that weāre starting to really come into Vata season, which is air and wind. And this can start to increase feelings of anxiety, restlessness, also dryness and feeling more scattered. So from a Ayurvedic standpoint, it becomes even more important right now to support your Agni, your digestive energy with warm foods and steady routines, which is known as Dinacharya. Even though the outside starts to feel like, okay, thereās a lot going on. And I can say that for myself, I tried to keep up with, thereās WhatsApp groups for both of my kidsā classes. And of course thereās all the chess and the tournaments and my little oneās swim classes and work and scheduling and just so much, right? And I know you have so much going on, but we create this steadiness in our practices, small, simple steps. I always start with a warm drink in the morning. Maybe itās hot water with lemon. Maybe I start to add ginger. I take my probiotics first thing. These daily self-care practices are building resilience just by virtue of doing them consistently. And it starts to feel really good emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Doing your daily meditation, taking time for stillness. Traditional Chinese medicine. teaches us that fall is governed by the lungs, which is linked to grief and immunity. So I used to think of grief only in terms of bigger things, like when I lost my mom, and thereās these life events. But thereās many smaller things that we can grieve and let go of all the time. We can even grieve the end of a day or, you know, the end of a wonderful Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:04.654)dinner or get together with a friend. We might be feel a little bit reluctant to say goodbye. We may say feel a little bit of grief even when we say goodbye to our kids when they go off to school. And so itās really important to allow grief through, which means that we need to let it be felt. And we can do that. Weāll talk about this more in the emotional well-being cornerstone. We can feel things deeply and still feel that resilience. that comes when weāre centered in our hearts. Itās the thoughts again saying, you know, I donāt want this to happen. I donāt want this to change. I donāt want to let go of this. That really keeps grief as an energy trapped in our body. So it prolongs it. It causes suffering. It lowers our energy. And so itās really important that we actually learn to let things through us. And again, when it comes to immunity, weāre going to be talking about that a lot. through all our different cornerstones because immunity means weāre less, weāre not as susceptible to being taken down by what is in the outside world, so to speak. So that could be, you know, different circumstances. It could be viruses and bacteria. It could be, you know, more wind and different weather. We start to build that resilience within what weāre doing. and the practices that we are following and the lifestyle choices that we are making. And this is enormously empowering and enormously effective. We cannot control everything in the outside world. There are definitely going to be colds being passed around. There is going to be perhaps cold rain that comes or, you know, unexpected shifts, which could feel, you know, lots of things out of our control. So what we really do, the wise, the wise one, and I know that weāre all working on building our wisdom together as a community here in our feel good community, our saloon a community is that we turn our attention inside because the more we remain centered and resilient, the more life can shift and life can change. We have our center and we are healing and building our own inner terrain. So Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:27.026)And I will say, and I was gonna get right into the cornerstones, but I canāt help but talk about the heart just a little bit, which weāll get into more as well. When we think about the center of our being, I probably touched my heart a couple times already during this podcast. Our center, our heart is closer to our true self than our head is. And of course we wanna use our brilliant mind. We want to be able to have thoughts and to process and toā¦ you know, rationalize things and to go through the world and have rational thoughts. But at the same time, when our hearts are coherent with more coherence, more connection with our brains and our nervous systems, we donāt have to feel the overwhelm. We donāt have to feel all this reactive energy. Weāre not meant to be machines. Something happens and then we immediately fly off the handle or we immediately get stressed or the thoughts start spinning. We break these patterns. which for many of us could be going on for many years and decades by coming back to our center, breathing, keeping awareness, relaxing into the moment while we focus on our hearts. And then weāve become more and more clear about how to handle what life brings us. So weāll talk about this more in a moment, but perhaps as youāre listening to the rest of this podcast, You can even start to relax into your heart right now. You might be walking your dog, you may be doing the dishes while youāre listening to me. You might be driving in your car down the freeway. Wherever you are, just take a moment to relax into your heart and notice how that shifts the way that you receive this information and even relax your shoulders, your chest, your hips, your jaw, anything that feels a little tight. And this is a way to keep growing even in resilience, the more tension we start to release, tightness. Itās like a tree branch that doesnāt bend in the wind. So it ends up breaking, right? Tension and stress carry through all different areas of our life. So even when weāre listening to a podcast, even when weāre here together, use these moments to consciously release. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:46.518)and relax your body, relax your mind, relax into your heart. And this will start to carry over into the rest of your life as well. So our food cornerstone, letās go into that first. And here we want to talk about building strength and immunity and agony, digestive fire and gut health, because this is a really important month to really turn this up before it starts to get even more windy and even deeper into the vata season. We can start to notice if weāre already starting to feel a little bit off, certain imbalances might show up as sugar cravings, maybe your appetite is erratic, maybe your digestion is off, youāre starting to feel a little bit more constipated, more bloated, or just a bit more scattered. You may start to feel your immunity is dipping down a little bit, or a lot, depending. So itās really important, some of the things that we want to work towards. tangible symptoms, tangible markers rather, is that our appetite is regular, our elimination is regular, we need to be eliminating every single day for some of us multiple times a day but definitely every day we want to be releasing toxins, we want to strengthen our immunity and so it becomes you more and more few and far between when we actually do get sick. And we want to just feel this inner sense of groundedness that is something that you have to experience for yourself. For me, it starts to feel like Iām a bit more set back when stuff is coming across my desk or in my life or, you know, things that is brought to my attention by my husband or whatever. just a bit more, again, just seated in myself and not as caught up in stories, not as reactive. Itās such a powerful place to be. And that groundedness and that sat-backness, if you will, if I can describe it as such, means that strength, real strength, which is an energy. Itās a force field, which makes you strong. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:09.942)resilient to handle what life is bringing to you emotionally. Again, like our show title. Physically, youāre not going to get sick. Youāre not going to break down from things that are happening, busyness at work or whatever. And spiritually, you start to build more trust of the universe, God, source, life, however you like to think of it. Just deep, deepness, right? Wisdom is growing. So one of the things, one of the tangible things that we can do from a food perspective is to add the warming spices. I love warm elixirs. This is such a great time to use this as a self-care modality. Heat up water, keep some of these spices on hand, mix them in, cook with them, use them in your soups. Iām talking about ginger, cardamom, turmeric, all of these stimulate agony. They boost circulation. Cinnamon is also really great as well. Itās also great for helping us to metabolize sugar. I use ginger in definitely my elixirs now. Iām all about lemon and ginger water, hot water. And I use it in a lot of different soups and I throw it in for my kids and I cook with it in big chunks usually and then I pull it out of their bowls. Sometimes Iāll even chew on a big chunk and I think itās a really important Itās one of those really important and expensive ingredients that you can always stock in your kitchen. And if you feel like you need to up the ante, have hot water with lemon and possibly raw honey and ginger several times a day. Another really great plant, a food to boost your immunity is spirulina, which comes from the water. And I think itās such an amazing, powerful, nutrient-dense food. It has iron, has vitamin A, it has amino acids, builds protein strength in the body in a way that your body can actually absorb. And itās one of our key ingredients in our glowing greens powder, which by the way is a synergistic formula that blends plants from the land and plants from the sea. And yeah, itās potent in antioxidants, itās wonderful food. So I highly recommend bringing it into your repertoire now and going forward. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:34.838)And then back to what our Uveda teaches about warm, warming foods. I remember when I was a raw foodist in New York for a couple of years, and there were moments when I felt really good and it was usually in the warm months. And I was trying so hard to stick to this diet and a lot of my friends were on it too. And I really remember wanting warm vegetable soup, but being like, no, no, no, itās cooked. And I think thatās what happens sometimes when we want to. stick to a certain protocol and it starts to override our natural inclinations, our natural intuition. And so youāre probably already drawn to warm soups. And I encourage you to check out the many recipes we have at mysalina.com. All our recipes are super simple and easy, which is how I cook. It becomes even more simple over time actually, because I think that when food is simple, youāre celebrating the flavors. and itās easier to digest and itās more in keeping with our lifestyle, which is that simple, is energy efficient and opens up the greater Shakti, the greater energy to run through your body and to run through your life. We donāt need to overcomplicate things. You donāt need a lot of stuff. You donāt even need millions of products. You donāt need millions of skincare items. You donāt need millions of steps in your recipes. And so please check out our, again, our recipes online. And the other thing I wanna say about food is this is the time to veer away from the iced coffee, the iced drinks, the processed snacks, having excess caffeine. You may have gotten into a habit, which is a good time to be aware of, to bring awareness to it now. Maybe just having two, three cups of coffee, and itās a really good time to say, all right. I really enjoy my coffee when I drink it. Iāll have one cup. And after that, let me switch to something else because a lot of times we just really like the warm drink and maybe we just donāt need as much caffeine as we think we do. So I encourage you to check it out because caffeine, as we know, in excess can just start to overload your system. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:51.886)And it can lead to excess pitta. can aggravate vata as well. You start to feel more scattered. And again, this is about resilience and inner stability. So I want to call out a few research links. One is a 2022 study in Frontiers in Nutrition that showed spirulina supplementation enhanced immune cell function and reduced markers of oxidative stress. I love the research that shows the know, the age-old, the time-old wisdom, the plants being so powerful, right, because it just shows that nature has such a high level of intelligence. Again, back to not over-complicating everything. We just need to align more to nature. The International Journal of Arduvator Research found that warm cooked food support, Agni and resilience during vata season. No surprise there that the Arduvator Magazine is backing this up. But I wanted to point to this article, which is quite interesting. And then also a 2023 publication in nutrients linked dietary diversity to greater microbiome stability in immune adaptability. So weāve talked about this a little bit in prior episodes, but I want to call it out here that itās a really good idea to rotate your vegetables. Weāre coming into a different season, which means thereās different foods which will be in season. I love going to the farmerās market. Itās funny, I was joking about this. Sometimes itās more expensive and sometimes itās the same and sometimes it can be a little bit cheaper, but no matter what, itās definitely more fresh. So for me, itās like a treat. Iād rather go to the farmerās market than to most any restaurant these days. It just tastes really, really good. And then you just get a instant sense of whatās in season without having to think about it so much. Also, I wanna call out digestive enzymes, which some of us take, some of us havenāt tried yet. I wanna talk about how important they are because I think thatā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:00.546)They are not really, thereās a lot of misunderstandings about what they do and their purpose. So first of all, our resilience and our centeredness is based on how much Shakti and energy is flowing through us as a total system, right? We can talk about acupuncture, meridian points, Marma points, whatever it is, but thereās energy flowing through the totality of your system. This is one of the reasons we take detoxi and eliminate because we donāt want waste inhibiting that flow. Another thing that is very energy intensive is digestion. Everything from mastication, chewing all the way to elimination. So when you take digestive enzymes, every time you eat, the enzymes help to break down the food so youāre not using your bodyās energy. This is a huge secret, if you will, way to age less quickly. you want the enzymes to help break down the food. It also helps to prevent bloating. It also helps to absorb more nutrition. But a big part that I donāt think people get is it will help you preserve your own bodyās energy, which again can then be re-channeled into immunity, resilience, warding off inflammation, cellular degradation, many things. So I encourage you to take the enzymes. We have amazing feel-good saluna enzymes which are researched. They have three times more lipase. They also help to break down fiber. Before you eat, I keep them now in my purse and in my car and I take them every time I eat for these very reasons. Okay, now letās talk about our second cornerstone which is body. Strength through movement and stability. So when we areā¦ Resilience in the body comes from both of these things. We want to be, we want to have mobility, right? We want to be able to move in different directions and we want to feel a level of strength in our core, in our bones. We want to be consistent as well. And I admittedly, Iām not as consistent with lifting weights, but itās something that Iām working towards because I know itās really great for joints and our bones and our muscle systems. and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:20.814)I remember and I shared this with you when I interviewed Dr. Suhas, whoās an Ayurvedic physician, Vaidya. He talked about prescribing me weightlifting because I have a lot of vata energy. can get, you know, Iām very creative, but I can also get, you know, spacey and very airy and I tend to, you know, I can run very thin. And so he said weightlifting will actually help your mental and emotional constitution to feel more grounded. And so to be honest, I am not always consistent, Iām working toward it. So one thing that I did is I started to keep a set of weights, which for me is five pounds each, right? Iām starting light, but just doing some basic arm exercises, triceps, biceps. I kept a set, I keep a set near my sonās sandbox. And so when weāre out there playing and itās still warm enough here in LA where we can play outside, Iāll do some of those exercises and it just makes it really practical. I also kept a set. I also keep a set in our bedroom next to one of our house plants on the side so it doesnāt look ugly, itās not out of place. But sometimes while Iām filling up the bath and my kids are doing Legos or playing, Iāll do a couple sets then. I see them. Iām like, yeah, I remember. So Iām always honest with you guys. Do I do it three times a week every week? No. But because I keep the weights in a place where I see them, do I do them more? Yes. So I encourage you, however you want to think about, you know, building strength, starting to bring in weights, maybe for you, itās doing a class, you work into your schedule or you go to the gym set times, you know, whatever it is, consistency is a really wonderful way to build that strength and that routine. And this helps so much with, again, the strength, the resiliency. And this also helps with everything, including sleep on your body is balanced in the way itās being worked out and, you know, moving in different ways. It just starts to, you start to cycle between rest and movement and rest and movement. And thereās just more natural rhythms that you can start to build in. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:46.136)For me, walking is my favorite way to move. And I walk in the middle of the day and I walk outdoors and there happened to be a lot of hills where I live. So it feels like a level of strength training in that way. If you donāt live in a place with hills, maybe thereās a place where thereās some stairs. You you can go up and down the stairs a couple of times because I do, I used to do beach walks every day. And then we moved. to the mountains. And I really notice, okay, Iām doing the walk at the same time, but I do feel that strengthening element of hills. So I think if you can work that in, and again, any sort of strength training that feels good for you, any type of exercise or class or yoga asana class, I think itās really great. Itās not just about cardio as we know, but resilience can really come from the ways in which we strengthen our bodies. I also think that, you know, going back to body for a moment, We notice that dryness that comes in. So itās a really great time to maybe add two layers of moisturizer to your skin and your feel good moisturizer. If you checked it out, our Saluna one has really beautiful plants, non-toxic, high powered formula. This is a great time to do Abayanga or at least to oil the bottoms of your feet before you go to bed. which our Yovita teaches helps to ground energy and it also helps to just rest your nervous system. And it can be really nice to stretch your body before you go to bed so you donāt go to bed stiff and wake up with an even stiffer neck. Again, I donāt do it every single night, but if I have a couple of minutes to stretch and bring out my yoga mat, it feels really good. We can decompress. We can release a lot of energy through our bodies and breath work. And when you do that before bed, itās a wonderful practice that can feel really great as well. So a couple of research studies I wanna call out. 2022 British Journal of Sports Medicine study found that 30 to 60 minutes of strength training per week reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality. And I wanted to call this out because itās per week. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (28:01.654)So I think to myself, if Iām lifting weights about 10 minutes, because thatās what Iām doing right now, if I, if Iām when I do do it a couple of times a week, thatās doable, right? Sometimes I think Iām not going to go to the gym and spend hours. And to be honest, Iām not going to the gym period right now at this moment in my life. But if I keep the weights around next to the sandbox and I do it a couple of times a week, that adds up and that has impact. And I hope thatās inspirational for you as well. A 2021 study in pediatric research found that morning light exposure improved sleep quality, and energy regulation. So this is so powerful. If you can spend a couple minutes in the morning, sometimes me and my kids play a couple rounds of soccer on our lawn. Sometimes I donāt do it first thing. I have to drop the kids off at school. But then I come back and Iāll be doing some work on my phone and Iāll sit outside for a couple of minutes or Iāll try to meditate outside. And I know itās not always possible. not maybe rainy where you live that day or itās not sunny or whatever. But when you can get some morning sunlight, it really is medicine. Just get it on your limbs. Just get it in and it feels really good and it does help to set you up for great sleep that night. And lastly, a 2025 review in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity found that walking improves cognitive resilience and executive function. Alright, now letās talk about our third cornerstone, is emotional well-being. And this is what I was talking about. This is the heart of what I was saying at the beginning of the show, because yes, we can definitely eat. Our lifestyle is holistic and integrated. So we want to eat foods that are strengthening our gut health. We want to lots of fiber. We want to have spirulina. We want to take our SBO probiotics, which is important for that inner resilience and supporting mood regulation. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (30:04.654)We want to lift the weights and move our bodies. But I really feel like a huge missing piece in most peopleās holistic wellness is emotional well-being. And emotional well-being has a direct impact on mental health. The mind. Why? Because itās our emotions and our feelings which are creating many of the thoughts. When we still ourselves emotionally and we can learn to digest emotions, which in my work and in my research can be done in a very effective way through learning about the power of the heart and heart coherence, we start to shift our perspective. The outer world doesnāt have to change for you to feel more resilient, for you to feel more grounded, more happy, more content, more fulfilled, more at peace as you move through the day. And thatās a big part of shifting from the propelled heart stage, which I talk about in the Hidden Power, the five hearts, to the steady heart. The propelled heart is the stage in life where we are on all the time, go, go, go, make it happen, know, burnout and working all night and always on and constantly scrolling. Weāre so attuned to the outer world that we donāt have the energy to place the focus on the inner world. And then wisdom starts to grow and information comes in and hopefully from our Feel Good Podcast can help contribute to that. Because what Iām doing here is passing on to you what has really helped me and what Iām so grateful to have learned about. So then we learned that hold on here. If Iām trying to make everything better in my life to feel peaceful, everything has to be just so, so Iām happy. Iām never going to be happy and peaceful. Things are always changing. So emotional resilience, which directly affects your immunity and your physical resilience, comes when we can be more neutral with what is happening before us in our lives. It doesnāt mean that we donāt interact. It doesnāt mean that we donāt have ideas and inspirations and we donāt take inspired action. But what it does mean is we donāt have to feel so up and down, so reactive, so extreme. Emotions and feelings will come. But this is what we want to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (32:29.698)We want to work on daily life, being our teacher, not just meditation, which Iāll talk about in our spiritual cornerstone, which is important. It is a nice anchor. Itās a baseline, but then thereās the rest of life. Right. And I talk about this in the steady in life chapter, steady in life practice in the book. Itās not a chapter to practice in the book, which has helped me so much is when we start to feel inner disturbances. you know, this road is closed. have to take a detour or the parking lot is full. This is super annoying or whatever is coming up for you. You can use your heart as an anchor, right? Which means you focus on your heart. Sometimes I even put my hand on my heart. You start to take some nice deep breaths. You become aware that there is an emotion there. You donāt try to push it down or suppress it or wish it, wish it away. You let yourself relax. into the heart as you also allow the frustration to be there. Youāre not buying into it. You certainly donāt want to keep that energy going by the thoughts. Ugh, why canāt a parking lot spot open up? Why is it so crowded? Why are all these people here? Whatever it is, move your attention away from the thoughts, move it into the heart, and then just relax. Itās really simple, but it really works. Try it for yourself more and more. You just breathe nice and slowly and you relax. And what happens is that energy starts to dissipate. And as you work with the heart, which is closer to your true self, which is the soul, the spirit inside of you, the part of you thatās even observing all of this happening, which is actually untouched by the outer world, right? The true self is not the ego. Itās not the fluctuations of the mind. Thereās a steady part of you. that start to align with more and more. You start to let those emotions dissipate. Let them be there again. Youāre not bypassing or pretending theyāre not there. You let them be there and you let them have their space and dissolve. And then you can stay more centered because clarity comes. Your perspective and your thoughts shift and change. And then you can say, well, I guess Iāll just go to the lot next door or maybe Iāll park across the mall. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (34:56.01)I know itās not crowded and Iāll have a 10 minute walk and itāll be nice. Right? Itās not being so reactive. This is where the stress builds that breaks down our immunity and our strength and resilience. Thereās a billion zillion things that can happen in your daily life that will take your energy if you are not watchful. Right? If youāre not really paying attention. And you can start to notice If thereās just more, I would say, pitta, fiery energy building up, youāre more moody, youāre more irritable, youāre more anxious, thatās because anxious energy is building inside of you. Thatās because irritability is building up inside of you. So you donāt want it to be like a gasket that blows, right? You want to let it through, let it through just like you digest food. And again, this is the power of the heart. And I canāt tell you how impactful itās been on my life, not just the heart aligned meditation, which I teach, but also just the daily practices in life, the steady in life practice. So then all of this is in the hidden power of the five hearts. You can also listen to it. Thereās paperback, thereās hardcover. It really teaches in depth about how you can start to really work with your heart, which is a brain, but itās so much more than that even. Itās an energetic power center. And then you can feel much more resilient and adaptable. Like youāre just flowing down the river. Okay, a rock comes and you just flow around it. You donāt have to get into this big kerfuffle. You donāt have to get, like this angst. Just breathe and release, breathe and release. Focus on your heart and heart coherence again, it can be measured in HRV patterns that are smooth, sign like waves. Theyāre not erratic and jagged. which emulate whatās going on in the inner state, right? And it colors, all of this colors how you see the world. The more we become centered and we allow our emotions to come through us, the more we will see beauty in the world and we will see through to the hearts of others and the light in others, where we would have judged, where we might have been harsh with ourselves or others, we start to feel more compassion and softness, where we mightāveā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (37:16.726)you know, rushed through and missed a moment to be kind or connected. We take that moment to speak to a stranger or to acknowledge the person in front of us in a deeper way. And so all these micro moments build into a more fulfilling life, a more resilient life, a more joyful, peaceful life. And again, it all starts in the inner terrain. So thereās some interesting research studies I want to call out here. One comes from the Heart Math Institute, which is the institute that we did our research study on the heart aligned meditation actually. And it founds that heart coherence helps to lower cortisol, improve emotional resilience, and stabilize heart rate variability. So thereās lots of research on the physical benefits. as well as the emotional benefits. A 2022 study in Frontiers in Education found that journaling improves mood and helps to reduce depressive symptoms. And I didnāt talk about journaling specifically yet, although I do want to say here that journaling is something that I absolutely love because there is something releasing about writing something down and getting it out of your head. and onto paper where you can start to digest. You can sit with those emotions or feelings that were brought up and you can work with your heart as you journal. So what I do is I write, I take pauses, I breathe. I literally work on seeing things from my heartās perspective. I reframe. Itās really powerful to do that. And thereās some really great journaling prompts in the new book as well, if you wanna check that out. Okay, so our fourth cornerstone. spiritual growth. And spiritual growth means to me that we become more anchored to the stillness, to the steadiness inside of us instead of to the external world. To be worldly we can say means weāre expecting the world to make us happy. We are looking to the world. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (39:36.354)to find solutions to all of our so-called problems and challenges. And when we grow spiritually, the more we realize that thereās this wholeness and this completeness inside of us, and again, a very potent access point is through our hearts, where weāre actually not lacking anything. We need to tap in more to that inner resilience and that inner strength instead of expecting life to give it to us, instead of trying to take more. from the moment, take more from our relationships, take more from any opportunity thatās in front of us. Instead of taking and taking, weāre more at peace and weāre more, again, this feel good starts to take on deeper and deeper meaning for me, which has been the name of our podcast for many years. But to me, feeling good means this is a spiritual high state where we are okay. with what life is bringing us. Weāre less attached to things. Feeling good is open, connected, more lightness. So we do this, we create this from, first of all, meditation. And as I mentioned just now with our emotional cornerstone piece, emotional wellbeing cornerstone. It doesnāt mean that meditation is everything because thereās the rest of daily life. So we want to work with our emotions as weāre flowing through life and our feelings, which then impact our thoughts. And thatās part of part of spiritual growth as well, which is why everything is interconnected. But when it comes specifically to this cornerstone, which is really wonderful about meditation, is that it gives us a glimpse to be really in tune with that part of us, the true self energy, which is unchanging, which is the truth of our nature, which is powerful. is kind, which is loving, which is again whole and complete. And the more we spend time in there, and the Heart Aligned Meditation is only eight minutes by the way, and then you can do other practices or you can spend more time in there, you can expand it, we start to really increase our baseline of coherence. We become less easy to trick, to be duped, to buy into all our feelings and thoughts as reality, all the stories we tell ourselves. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (41:56.716)To buy into the world has to make us happy. The world has to be just so. This is such a huge way to be resilient because we are not as tied to the external world. Of course, we have goals. We want certain things to happen or not happen. But with a much less stringent level of attachment, rigidity starts to fade. Again, remember the analogy of the tree branch that breaks into more strength and softness, which are the qualities of the heart. Thereās so much softness when you think about love, right? And compassion and care. Thereās this strength in being adaptable, like water, it shapes around the boat, it shapes around the rocks. And so this means youāll be literally more resilient inside your body, your inner terrain, your immunity, your gut health, everything strengthens. as you find this spiritual level of attunement, knowing that no matter what, you ultimately can handle what life brings you. You ultimately are going to be okay. So the Heart Aligned Meditation is a really powerful practice that I can offer you. We will link to it in the show notes. Another thing that I feel really helps me now more and more is AWE, A-W-E, right? finding more awe in daily life. Because it breaks us out of the cycle of thinking that this has to go a certain way and this propelled heart energy has to be like this and how dare that person talk to me and blah blah blah. Like all the inner dialogue that can feel really tumultuous. In these tiny moments, if we realize, we bring it back to the fact that weāre on a rock spinning through space and we arenāt in control. And life is moving along, right? And someday weāre all going to pass. Can we come to this moment and find awe and just seeing a patch of sunlight or awe just watching our dog run across the floor and the fact that they move in such a way or awe that this pile of sprouts was able to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (44:21.102)push through the soil and create this incredibly nutrient-dense food right or whatever is in front of us. These tiny, so-called tiny things are all miracles. And I talked about this on a recent community Zoom. Thereās a difference between appreciation and gratitude. Gratitude is very wonderful as well. And thereās a lot of research on gratitude taking us into a deeper place. But appreciation, which is theā¦ energy that we work with in the heart aligned meditation is very opening in a slightly different way because itās gratitude and itās thankfulness, but thereās awe in it, right? Itās just like, appreciate that tree so much. I appreciate how my child is so happy or just bounces into the room. I really appreciate how my cat is snuggled up to me. So find these moments of awe. as youāre driving to work, as youāre sitting in line at the bank. And you can just find more of that and you realize that thereās so much magic in each and every day. And you can be more centered in each and every day. You donāt need such specific things to be happy. And this will build your resilience and your strength so much as well. In tandem with our other cornerstones, know, practicing your heart aligned meditation every day, taking your SBO probiotics, know, strength training, healthy foods, all the things we talked about, we talked about today are going to help you be resilient right here at the top of the month as you sail into October. Itās going to be a wonderful month. I hope that these tips and tools inspired you. Iām excited for you to hear, to hear more of your feedback. I would really appreciate a podcast review on Apple or Spotify, which is such a wonderful way to support the show. So thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart. Iād love a review as well for the new book if you happen to have read it yet, or again, please check out the new paperback. not, I will be back here on Monday for our next interview show. Again, lastly, check out the show notes at mysaloon.com. Join our newsletter list. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (46:41.292)so you can come more deeply into the community. I look forward to connecting with you. Iām really grateful, really appreciative that we found each other. And so Iāll see you soon. Take great care and sending you so much love. Ā
Handling Anxiety & Conflict in Kids (and Humans!) with Connection with NYT Bestselling Author Alyssa Blask Campbell [Episode 1013]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Alyssa Trask Campbell Summary: In this episode, Kimberly and Alyssa Black Campbell discuss her journey as a parenting expert and author, focusing on the emotional landscape of parenting. She emphasizes the importance of understanding emotions, connection, and the needs behind childrenās behaviors. The discussion covers various topics including self-regulation, co-regulation, the significance of creating safe spaces for communication, and navigating challenges like lying and bullying. Alyssa shares insights from her personal experiences and highlights the role of neuroscience in understanding childrenās emotional needs. Ā About Alyssa Blask Campbell Alyssa Blask Campbell is CEO of Seed & Sew, a platform that offers consultations and courses on emotional intelligence, as well as creating a modern parenting village. She has a masterās degree in early childhood education and is a leading expert in emotional development and travels the globe speaking on the topic. Her first book, Tiny Humans, Big Emotions, published in October 2023 from HarperCollins. Follow @seed.and.sew. Ā Guest Resources: Website: Seed & Sew Book: Big Kids, Bigger Feelings: Navigating Defiance, Meltdowns, Anxiety to Raise Confident, Connected Kids Ā Episode Sponsors: LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD ANIMA MUNDI OFFER: To get THE PUREST, MOST DELICIOUS PLANT-POWERED protein blend, infused with real vanilla and harmonizing adaptogens go to Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! USE LINK: Animamundiherbals.com and use code: KIM20 to get 20% off your purchase! Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Parenting and Emotions02:48 Understanding Emotions in Parenting06:01 The Role of Connection in Parenting08:50 Identifying Needs Behind Behaviors12:09 Navigating Punishment and Connection14:48 The Importance of Self-Regulation17:51 Co-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence21:09 Addressing Lying and Trust23:47 Creating a Safe Space for Sharing27:00 Understanding Fear and Vulnerability29:45 The Impact of Trauma on Parenting32:59 Conclusion and Resources Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Welcome to the Feel Good Podcast, which is all about heart-led living and wellness. When we awaken the power of our hearts and let that guide us through our daily choices and decisions, through our four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth, we will experience the most incredible results and create more vitality, health, strength, peace, abundance, and love in our lives. I am your host, Kimberly Snyder, New York Times bestselling author, founder of Solluna, creator of the research-based Heart Aligned Meditation, wellness expert, nutritionist, and international speaker. I am passionate about supporting you on your unique heart and wellness journey. For more information on todays show please go to mysolluna.com for show notes and links. Letās get started. Speaker 1 (01:29.13)So thank you so much for being here with us today and congrats on your new book. This is your second one. Speaker 2 (01:30.73) Yeah, yeah, my first one, Tiny Humanās Big Emotions came out in 2023. I was like 32 weeks pregnant when that one published, was a whirlwind. Wow. Yeah, that one hit the New York Times bestseller list, which was exciting. Yeah. And then a few weeks after it published, was doing well. Our editor reached out and was like, Alyssa, will you write another book? I was like, actually, I just need a nap. Iām so tired. And so I turned to Rachel, who Iāve worked with, had the privilege of working with now for seven years. And she works with me at my company. And I asked her she would write this bad boy with me. And she said, yeah. So we were able to do it. Well, I think this is so great because many of us are parents in the community or are thinking about being parents in the future or even not. feel like parenting books help us understand ourselves. And I can say as a parent, thereās been this incredible experience of feeling like Iām reparenting myself. And most of us are not learned. You we donāt learn. to handle emotions, have tools as you talk about in your book. And I went through this period of this, where itās like, hmm, you know, it just felt a little sad and I had to process that. But I also think weāre given the, you know, the childhoods that were meant to be given. But I feel like this is, you know, this is big stuff weāre talking about here. Yeah, people often say they like come for their kids, but they stay for themselves. That so much of this work. We say if you have a nervous system like this works for you. We are really just talking about neuroscience and what itās like to be a human on planet Earth and be in relationship with other humans. And man, itās doozy sometimes. Yeah. Speaker 1 (02:55.63)Yeah, and I like how you talk about upfront. Itās not about trying to shield ourselves or our children from hardships because you know my nine-year-old now I can see him being more self-conscious about what he wears to school and Then he told me that there was a child like in one of the older grades who kind of made fun of his dog man sure now he wonāt wear it and it just brings up stuff and Itās a lot like all the layers of kind of reliving what weāve been through as parents. 100%. And I find for myself as a parent, thereās nothing harder than just watching your child experience something hard, like being made fun of, feeling left out, feeling that shame or embarrassment. And knowing that itās not our job to take it away, but instead to be with them through those hard things to let them know that they can navigate this and survive it. Itās so hard. to do in practice as a parent is allowing it. Well, Iām not sure that all of us were even raised with parents that were aware that there was hardship. I wasnāt. Iām not just blaming my parents or anything. just I donāt think thatās how they were raised either. So I just know that there was a lot of things that I pushed down because I couldnāt handle them. Speaker 1 (04:26.614)And I think thatās ultimately why I turned to certain things like bulimia and eating disorders. I couldnāt digest life. And, you know, as adults, we continue to learn and grow and pass on, you know, more tools to our children. Totally, and weāre not gonna heal all the things and thatās okay too. I think of my friend, Dr. Linietta Willis, sheās an intergenerational trauma therapist. And she talks about our legacy blessings and our legacy burdens. And our legacy blessings are those things that we wanna pass on, that we inherited and that we want to pass on to our children in the next gen. And our legacy burdens are those things that maybe we donāt want to pass on, but also knowing that weāre not going to heal all the burdens, that some of them will get passed on and thatās okay. We get to give our kids the tools and the outlets to continue to heal and process. Yeah Speaker 1 (05:24.078)Well, I love how, and weāll get into some of the more specific tools you talk about, but thereās a underlying theme of connection, which is, you know, in my work with the heart and just being connected to self and always, even if weāre not perfect parents, if we can stay empathetic, we can be connected. Our children will really feel that. 100%. And when weāre talking about different topics in big kids in this book, we talk about a number of different topics, but youāre right, the through line is not it. The goal isnāt to say, Hey, say this script at this time, or say these exact words or do this exact thing. The through line for us is how do you maintain connection and just stay in relationship with each other and recognizing that Yeah. Speaker 2 (06:13.336)Sometimes relationship is messy and hard and sometimes it feels good and easy and youāre not failing if youāre in conflict in relationship or youāre in the messy hard parts. Thatās just a part of being in relationship with each other. Right. Well, you know, as you say, these tiny humans and then middle childhood, thereās different things happening on in their brain and their prefrontal cortex and the way that they process information. So I want to ask you as a parent, you know, some real questions. And then of course, it will illustrate some of the information that you share in big kids, bigger, bigger feelings. either you or Rachel use an example where, obviously paraphrasing here, but I think it was one of the daughters. was teasing the sibling. then the mama, which was you, Rachel, said, well, no screen time tomorrow, if you remember this. And I think as a parent, sometimes we see behaviors in our children. And in our family dynamic, our older son, whoās four years older than our younger son, whoās now five, sometimes heāll take his choice because he can, and heās bigger, or heāll do things. And as hard as a parent, like we donāt know. Sometimes you wanna say, because my kids donāt get screen time except on the weekends. So sometimes Iāll say something, well, next Saturday youāre not gonna get your 30 minutes of screen time. like you said, itās punishment, give, take, but sometimes you donāt know what else to do. Totally, yeah. Well, and thatās real and a part of just being a human on planet Earth too, that youāre not always gonna in the moment have the answers. So giving ourselves grace is so key here too. But in an ideal world, what weāre looking at is trying to identify, we get to be like a detective and see whatās the need thatās driving this behavior. So when your older son comes and takes that toy from his younger son, is it a need for connection? Speaker 2 (08:08.768)Is he really trying to connect or engage or get somebodyās attention, which is a connection? You get so much attention though. Some of our kids, itās like a leaky cup. It can feel like a leaky cup for connection. I have a high connection seeker. My daughterās a high connection seeker. And it can feel like thereās not enough connection in the world that will be enough for her. And my son is not a high connection seeker. Itās almost like it feels easier to fill his connection cup. But also for him, his sensory needs are more demanding than hers. we all just have our own little blueprint walking through this world. But when we can look at what is the need driving the behavior and we break these down into two categories. We have sensory needs and we talk about the nervous system, the nine sensory systems which we can get into. But when weāre looking at that, weāre really looking at are they under stimulated or overstimulated? Are they hungry? Are they tired? Do they need to move their body? Do they need a break from stim? They need to chill. Right, okay. Thatās more easier to decode in a way. Speaker 2 (09:11.822)For a lot of us, we grew up in cultures where sensory needs were seen as needs. Food, water, movement, were seen as needs. And connection needs were often seen as wants. It was like attention-seeking behavior, and that was a negative thing. And it wasnāt seen as, you need attention, that you have this need for inclusion or belonging or knowing that youāre loved or worthy or valued. so for a lot of us, the connection needs can actually be quite triggering. where it can feel like, my gosh, this kidās so needy. They need so much. And thatās our own bias coming up into play and being able to recognize that is half the battle. And then really being able to see like, okay, this is a need for connection. And maybe I just spent a bunch of time connecting with this kiddo and maybe theyāre a high connection needs kid. And so what are the outlets for that? Great. Speaker 2 (10:07.154)And we give some examples in the book. And I was actually, was just at an event down in LA where we were, I was met with a group of a hundred moms and we were talking about exactly this. Like what are ways that we can help our kids? Like if I canāt give them more connection in this moment, Iām cooking dinner or Iām trying to do something. What are outlets for that? And we have things like journaling back and forth or being able to call a friend and chat with them on the phone or. FaceTime a grandparent or a cousin or a friend or an aunt or uncle and find ways to have that outlet thatās not always directly from you as the parent or maybe even from the sibling who might have lower connection needs and kind of needs a break to be by themselves for a little bit. Right. Okay. So would you say as a parenting expert, Alyssa, punishment or taking things away doesnāt really work? It just doesnāt solve the problem. What weāre going to do is weāre responding to the behavior on the surface. As long as weāre not meeting that need, youāre going to keep seeing new behaviors pop up because the need doesnāt go away. Right? In the same way that if you had like a baby who was hungry, you could bounce them and shush them all day long, but until you feed them, theyāre not going to stop crying because theyāre hungry. And if we have a child who needs to move their body or a child who needs to connect, we might put out the fires on the surface, but until we meet that need, youāre just gonna see new ones pop up. Speaker 1 (11:40.226)Do you think that thereās some children in the way that theyāre, you know, finding their way in the world? Like my older son is very mischievous, for example. Slime in my farm boots and he thinks itās hilarious and he laughs like heās alwaysā¦ Pranks like he loves it. And he just thinks itās hilarious. And he gets so much attention. Again, like always, all the time. Do you feel like maybe some of this behavior is, you he wants hisā¦ He would. Speaker 2 (11:54.888)Such a connection seeker. Speaker 1 (12:09.57)get a rise out of his brother and. really from a place of connection. I want your attention. want you to notice me. brother. From anybody, right? Our high connection seekers, theyāll seek it out anywhere. we can help them identify that. I would say things like, that was a silly prank that you did, or that was silly joke. Did you want me to laugh? Were you trying to connect with me and help kind of bridge that awareness for them of when youāre doing these things, itās because you want to connect. Thatās how we help build their awareness of what is my need. So then when they grow up in the world, they can move through the world knowing, when I feel this way, itās because Iām hungry. When I feel that way, itās because Iām tired. When I feel this way, I need to move my body. When Iām doing these things, itās because I need to connect with somebody, because I need to feel that sense of connection and belong. you Speaker 1 (13:07.278)As many of you know, Iāve been drinking our beloved Power Protein Smoothie Community Recipe for many years. And I do this day to day as a great way to get energizing protein into my day without feeling too heavy. Usually I drink it in the early or mid afternoons. And lately for the protein, Iāve been using the most pure, delicious vanilla chai plant-based protein blend that I want to share with you by Anima Mundi. This protein is made from pumpkin seeds, brown rice, sacha inchi, and pea, and it contains adaptogens like astralagus, ashwagandha, and aluthero, which all have been known to help support recovery, enhance performance, and help the body adapt to everyday stress. It also has digestion-boosting warming ingredients. You know we love that, like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. This protein tastes delicious and thereās a subtle sweetness to it which comes from the vanilla and the monk fruit. Itās a way to deeply nourish your cells with amino acids, complete plant-based protein. To get this delicious plant-based blend, please go to anemamundiherbals.com and use code Kim20 to get 20 % off your purchase. Again, weāre talking about the amazing vanilla chai protein powder. Thatās anemomundierbals.com code Kim20, A-N-I-M-A-M-U-N-D-I-H-E-R-B-A-L-S.com code Kim20 to get 20 % off your purchase. In a world that is constantly promoting health fads and quick fixes, we can never get past the importance of the basics, such as creating optimal digestion, eating whole foods, and hydration. Yes, hydration. When we are optimally hydrated, our skin glows and is nourished, and it greatly helps us avoid headaches, cramps, fatigue, brain fog, and weakness. Besides water, we need electrolytes, which need to be replenished like probiotics. Every morning in my room temperature water that I drink first thing, Speaker 1 (15:27.99)I add a packet of Element electrolytes, usually the watermelon or raspberry flavors, which contain a science-backed mix of magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Element contains no sugar or artificial colors or fillers. I highly recommend that you also incorporate electrolytes into your routine as well to optimize your hydration, which your body, mind, and heart will greatly benefit from. And for now, our amazing community listeners, Weāll get a free sample pack with any element drink mix at www.drinkelement.com slash feel good. Thatās eight single serving packets for free with any element drink mix purchase. Please go to www.drinkelement.com slash feel good. Thatās www.drinklmnt.com slash feel good. Also check out the new element sparkling, which is a sparkly, fizzy electrolyte water if you love fizzy drinks. Speaker 1 (16:34.958)Iāll just tell you a fear as a parent hearing this is, again, he gets so much attention. Again, everybody says it, right? I pay so much attention to E. So I guess my fear is if heās still wanting more, what if when he grows up, he gets into unhealthy relationships or he just always has to be in a relationship because of that. I want to reframe, like, youāre looking at intimate relationships. I see most often with our high connection seekers, they often actually seek it out even much outside of intimate relationships in friendships and in other spaces where, like, they might be the human who corrals kids to, like, all get together and play a game or they can often be, like, leaders in a pack where theyā¦ are so many outlets for connection that itās not just an intimate one-to-one relationship. There are so many avenues for it. And as they continue to grow, theyāll find places to connect in different ways to make that happen. And we can support them along the way. But these are humans who itās a superpower and we need them in this world. My daughter is like this. She is a high connection seeker. She walks into a room of 100 people she doesnāt know. And sheās like, my God, yes, 100 new friends. Sheās 20 months. And sheās four? my gosh. and do you think that correlates with being an extrovert? Yeah, a lot of way. Speaker 2 (18:00.494)A lot of our high connection seeking kiddos are also extroverted. You a little bit have to be because itās going to fill that cup, right? That like when youāre in that, although I just had a kid pop into my head who I when I was teaching and he was five years old and he had high connection needs, but he was an introvert and he would seek out more one to one like peer connection connection for me as a teacher. But he would look forward in those kind of smaller groups. activities and avenues, but he would glom on to like other kids and just want to be near them and want to talk to them and want to share and yada yada. But it was like he had one or two good friends in each space. He wasnāt like, I want to hang out with everyone in the class. Well, so thereās natural extroverts, introverts, connectors, like you said. How do you think this relates to, and you know, this is sort of on a spiritual level and in yogic traditions, you talk about the true self and self connection, which is self-effulgence and fulfilling and being so connected to the love inside that you wanna share it with people, but youāre not needing it. Yeah, I think that weāre, Iām going to pull in the like neuroscience and too. When weāre looking at this, I want to recognize that thereās not a human on the planet where thereās a one size fits all. Right? all of us, our nervous systems operate differently in the way that we integrate stimuli, the way that we integrate the world around us and make sense of it is different for all of us. And for some kids, they are their superpowers. I can noticing the details. or they know if something moves in their environment. They can get really dysregulated by like piles or clutter or things like that because theyāre super attuned to the visual stimuli in their space. Some humans who sound, theyāre really aware of the sounds in their environment and they can get really overstimulated by sound, especially if thereās competing sounds happening. Some kids who notice the details of how clothing feels in a heightened way. Itās too itchy, itās too tight, itās too something. Speaker 2 (20:02.378)And I look at these as superpowers, that theyāre really good at noticing, theyāre very attuned to those senses. And there are some humans who arenāt as attuned, and for them, can, it then appears as though they can maybe be more easygoing or they can move through the world differently, because their brain isnāt so hyper-focused on like, my gosh, what is that noise? I canāt stop hearing that clicking sound in the background and kind of tuning into those things in different ways. And so when weāre looking at the integration of all of that stimuli. We go through the nine senses in the book and outline it. But I think itās really important in then saying like how you integrate them then determines how you show up in the world and what you need from the world around you based on how your nervous system is integrating that stimuli, because itās going to find kind of homeostasis and regulation in different ways based on your unique nervous system. Does that make sense? It does to me. It sounds a little complicated to explain to a child. for sure. Iām going to break it down in different words to Yeah, to a kid. we this so the bulk of the work that we do at Seed is in school systems. I work in schools, elementary, middle schools, and then in childcare programs. And we teach teachers like how to talk to kids about this. How do you teach them about their nervous system? Totally. Well, thereās this idea of self-regulation even is something I think we need to really break down that and self-regulation. Speaker 2 (21:32.404)You teach self-regulation through co-regulation and self-regulation isnāt one size fits all. Wait, so say that again for a moment. mean co-regulation, you regulate yourself and then youāre in the space and thenā¦ You know, itās like goosebumps. Itās almost like the science of heart coherence. Well, our hearts are giving off a magnetic field thatās 100 times stronger than the brain. So when weāre more emotionally calm, you talk about emotional intelligence and the more coherent, our heart rhythms are smooth and ourā¦ borrowing your comms. Speaker 2 (21:52.108)Not anymore. Speaker 1 (22:06.306)Brains are nervous, everythingās in sync. People around you feel that. Totally. So as we calm ourselves, we can calm our children more. Thatās right. I think of it like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat. A thermometer is just going to read the temperature of the room, youāre going to join it. A thermostat sets that temperature. And in order to set that temperature, you have to be mindful of your own regulation. So often we want kids to regulate for us. We want them to get calm for us when we canāt. Right. Yeah, I see parents who are literally screaming in public. Yeah. And theyāre like, you calm down. Weāre at the playground and I heard this, this mom didnāt know we were there. We were in the bathroom and she was like talking to her two girls and then me and my younger son came out and she was like embarrassed. I mean, I felt bad for her because obviously she didnāt want, no one wants to be that person. Nobody wants to be in that state where their body feels so out of control that youāre like, need the humans around me to change their behavior so I can feel in control. And so so much, thatās why I said so many folks, they come for the kids, but stay for themselves that we dive into what is, how does your nervous system work? What does it look like to learn how to build your own self-awareness and self-regulation so that we can then navigate co-regulation with our kids so that Speaker 2 (23:28.098)when our kid comes in and they roll their eyes and they slam the door and they give a sass or the sarcasm or whatever, that we can be the calm force in that moment. And it doesnāt mean I donāt hold boundaries. It doesnāt mean that any behavior is allowed. It does mean that I am really working on, okay, how do I calm my body so that I can respond with intention instead of react from a place of dysregulation. So letās play this out for any mamas out there who have teenagers or getting close to teenagers, not there yet. But although Iāve seen some behavior from my nine-year-old defiance and disrespect, which you talk about in the book. Letās say your teenager comes home and you say, or, hey, Iāll be the teenager. Well, it seems like something happened at school today. Iām fine. Yeah, I am here if you want to chat. Would you like space or do you want to talk about? Speaker 1 (24:30.862)Why are you so annoying? Why are you always trying to say that to me? I love you so much. Iām going to be cooking in the kitchen. If you want to come touch base, thatās where Iāll be Thatās not a fun. Okay. Letās do another one. Yeah. I mean, so itās a center. Youāre the center and youāre not trying to grab. Okay. I love it. Iām not taking the bait. Right? Like the bait is all, that would be me joining their energy. And Iām saying like, Iāve got you. Iām still calm in your storm. Okay, letās do this one, which I have experienced where my son will call me by my first name and I donāt like it. Sure. Okay, so Iāll be the teenager tween, okay? Yeah. Comes home from school. Hey, Alyssa. Speaker 2 (25:15.544)Hey, did you want my attention? I heard you use my first name. Alisha? Yeah, it does sound like you want my attention. Iām here if you want to chat or hang. Lyssa, Lyssa! Yeah, come
The Connection Between Body Movements and our Emotional & Physical health with Henry Abbott [EP. #1011]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Henry Abbott Summary: In this episode Kimberly Snyder speaks with Henry Abbott, a former ESPN journalist and physical movement expert, discussing his new book āBallistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance.ā They explore the importance of heart-led living, the connection between movement and emotional well-being, and the significance of understanding our bodyās mechanics to prevent injuries. The conversation emphasizes the need for diverse movement practices, the role of weightlifting, and the impact of hydration and nutrition on overall health. Abbott shares insights on how to improve mobility and stability, particularly focusing on the hips, and the importance of trusting our bodies to move freely and joyfully. About Henry Abbott Henry Abbott is an award-winning journalist and founder of TrueHoop. He led ESPNās Networks 60-person NBA (National Basketball Association) digital and print team, which published several groundbreaking articles on sports science and body injury prevention. He also won a National Magazine Award. Abbott currently lives in New Jersey. Ā Guest Resources: Website: treuhoop.com Book: Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance Ā Episode Sponsors: LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Heart-Led Living and Wellness Introduction00:53 Exploring Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention03:06 The Importance of Connection to Movement05:42 Understanding Movement Patterns and Injury Risks09:01 The Role of Hips in Mobility and Stability12:00 Weightlifting and Its Benefits for Women15:00 Hydration and Nutrition for Optimal Performance17:38 The Science of Movement and Body Awareness20:50 Fascial Release and Its Impact on Mobility23:31 The Interconnection of Physical and Emotional Health26:35 Embracing Diverse Movement Practices29:31 The Role of Animals in Understanding Movement32:41 Conclusion and Call to Action SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Speaker 1 (00:00.302)Welcome to the Feel Good Podcast, which is all about heart led living and wellness. When we awaken the power of our hearts and let that guide us through our daily choices and decisions, through our four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well being and spiritual growth, we will experience the most incredible results and create more vitality, health, strength, peace. abundance and love in our lives. I am your host, Kimberly Snyder, New York Times bestselling author, founder of Saluna, creator of the research-based Heart Aligned Meditation, wellness expert, nutritionist and international speaker. I am passionate about supporting you on your unique heart and wellness journey. Letās get started. Speaker 1 (00:57.518)Hi everyone, welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest. Joining us here today, Henry Abbott, who is a former ESPN journalist, a physical movement expert, and he has a new bestselling book out called Ballistic, the New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance. He talks about research on pain, psychology, biomechanics, and neuroplasticity. And as we all know, this is such an important topic today to increasing our mobility, keeping our mobility going for decades to come, to really enjoying our lives, to living with our hearts, to living with passion, to avoiding injuries and aches and pains, which really detract so much from our enjoyment of life, our spiritual growth, so many things. So Henry, thank you so much for being here with us today. Itās a delight. Thank you for having me. And so you and I were chatting a little bit before about your daughter, who I know is involved in soccer, and I was saying, Henry, I love your book. Really cool cover, by the way. If any of you guys are watching this on YouTube or if youāre listening, check out our YouTube so you can see the beautiful cover. And I said, you know, at first, you you say, oh, athletic performance. And some could say, hey, well, Iām not really an athlete. So this doesnāt apply to me. But as I got into the research and the book, and thereās some really interesting things that youāll talk about here about glutes, really helping with back pain, hips, like lots of things. I said, you know, this is such an important topic for women and everyday women like me and moms. So thatās, you know, it just, itās a lot broader. Itās really for everyone actually, we could say. Speaker 2 (02:41.718)I know this sounds like super salesy and woo woo or whatever, this really is like these people that weāll talk about have a different lens for looking at the human body. Theyāre looking at it with biomechanical, granular biomechanical movement data. Who cares? Why is that fun? like, if you look this way, you start unlocking all kinds of crazy stuff about how to manage your body a little better. You kind of end up with a better ownerās manual to your own body. and get to age better. Iām trying to do it myself right now, right? So I feel like we have MRIs, we have x-rays, they solve a bunch of problems, but they donāt solve all the problems. And a lot of us are struggling with things that we can see in how we move. And thatās kind of, I think, important revelation for all of us moving forward. Well, one of the things we talk about here so much, Henry, in the community is connection, right? Connection to your heart, connection to your intuition, connection to what foods would best serve you and so on. And I think a lot of us develop movement patterns that maybe weāre not really connected to or fully aware of that form from an early age or some sort of emotional trauma or something can. cause our feet to turn out, or I know I can dump a lot in my hips, or I lean on one side, and I noticed a lot, you know, I held my babies on one side of my body. And so I think itās really important to bring that connection back to movement because weāre in this physical bodily temple to house us through. And if weāre abusing it in these microwaves or not really nourishing proper movement, it does have a profound effect on our lifeās experience. Itās super real and your doctor doesnāt know about this, unless you have a really good doctor, right? But like they, thereās a kind of a dumb example in the book of the guy whoās the founder of P3 that the book is about. His name is Marcus Elliott. was suspecting there was a better way to prevent injury while he was training to become an elite triathlete. And he would reach his hand forward in the pool and, you know, end up with pain in his shoulder. And then his coach was like, just move your hand a little bit out to the side, right? Speaker 2 (04:52.34)and all the pain went away. We all understand this could happen, right? Of course how you move can have these effects, right? But he was like, well, look at that. Thatās kind of like he was going to have an injury and then he moved a little differently and then he was fine. I think so thatās one little super basic example. We all are doing this to ourselves. I think weāre open to the idea that maybe if you jog the way that you land on the ground or the way that you know, thereās People debate should you land on your heels or on the ball of your foot or on your toes or should you get these shoes or those shoes. Like weāre used to the idea that these things could, with all those steps, pounding again and again, end up with like maybe your knees hurt or maybe your hips hurt, right? And so I think weāre used to the idea that how you move can inform whether or not you get injured. These are the people who are just taking that and really making a scientific approach out of it, making a systematic scientific study of like what kinds of movements tend to connect to what kinds of outcomes. You know, itās interesting in the beginning of the book, you say, know, trainers say that we often go back to the type of movement that we did in high school or earlier. And itās funny because I played soccer, you know, when I was younger and then I stopped. And now my older son is nine and we play a lot of soccer and Iām experiencing some those knee pains. Iām oh, donāt run like this anymore. Itās sort of taking me back to that period in time. And I just stopped Henry, right? Instead of trying to figure out like maybe Iām not really running correctly or, I did some marathons too. And I donāt know. It was just interesting because itās like, huh, I donāt know if this is the pounding or my sonās place a little rough, itās, you know, itās funny. Heās a rough nine year old, thatās whatās happening. Speaker 1 (06:33.422)Heās a rough nine-year-old. We have a lawn and we love to, know, anyways, sort of rough house. But I think itās amazing when we can sort of say, like you said, I think whatās interesting is micro shifts. You know, people are experiencing towards injury, but so many aches and pains. As you know, Henry, itās really common back pain. For me, a lot of women, hip pain. And so how do we sort of take this research and some of the things you talk about in the book and apply it to, again, the everyday movement and our workouts so we can benefit? Yeah, so I think thereās so much to unpack there. One for me is just thinking about the goal. And after spending three years marinating in all of this super geeky stuff about, you know, hips and knees and ankles and how we move and all this stuff, you know, I think it was important for me to kind of think about what is the real goal of all this. to me, my personal answer is like two dogs playing on the beach, like off leash dogs just romping around. maybe theyāre in the ocean, maybe they arenāt, theyāre covered in sand, theyāre throwing each other down, but theyāre having the time of their lives, right? And thatās movement, right? Thatās really moving, right? And so to me, moving with joy, Iām not a dog, but to me, that kind of fun, driving that amount of fun from how you move is to me the goal. And so Iāve done a lot of physical therapy in my life. Iāve done a bunch of, injured myself a bunch of different ways. And I know that sometimes you have to go, or this place from writing about P3, know, NBA players, NFL players, MLB players, WNBA players, theyāre in there doing their prescribed workouts with coaches watching carefully and itās work, itās real work. But thatās not the goal, right? The goal is for you to play soccer with your son, hopefully to be feeling great doing that, right? Like the goal is to have this body just move how you want it to move. And so whatās keeping us from that? Speaker 2 (08:36.662)And itās tricky. We all have different bodies and thereās not going to be one answer for all of us. But some big themes do emerge from all of the thousands of athletes that theyāve studied. And one of the big ones is that basically every single one of us needs to work on our hips. Yes. In different ways. your hips, women tend to be more mobile than men, but plenty of women are not mobile enough. And so either your hips need work on mobility or stability. when mobility is not exactly the same as yoga, but you could think of it as a yoga type move or stability would be more weightlifting. You need to put muscles around your hips to keep them from being dangerously unstable. Itās to know which one of those youāre in. Yes. when you say that, obviously men, everybody has a different body, but in general, can say womenās hips, you know, kind of go out and they donāt align with your waist and they donāt drop straight down to your knees. So how does that affect injuries for women, whether weāre talking about stabilizing or mobility versus a manās body, which is more linear. Thereās all kinds of, like weāre hundreds of years into kind of guessing around that issue, right? And one of the big topics is ACL tears, right? This is where women athletes tend to have eight times the ACL tear rate of men. So why is that? Itās like a big mystery, right? And if you want that, you can go and watch like the finest experts in the land have given lectures on this and like theyāre all like one theory is hormones. One theory is exactly as you described, like the just the geometry, right? Thereās theories about how big is the actual ligament, right? Women tend to have a smaller ligament or how big is the canal the ligament sits in and on and on. All these things that are easy to study with MRI and x-ray or blood tests, theyāve been studied. if you go and look at these lectures, the answer is everything is wrong. Every single theory has a study that proves it and one that disproves it. Itās all messy. Speaker 2 (10:45.454)Itās hard to find a bright thing. So when you just look at movement, you see that there is like 100 % of NBA players who tour the ACL land on the outside of their foot and then roll to the inside. Itās a little movement that no one studies that is 100 % or like another very common thing. Big theory thatās gone around and probably we all have trainers who will cite this, right, is about cue angles. Do you know about cue angles? Have you heard this phrase before? Okay, so this is exactly what youāre describing with like if your hips are wider, thereās a chance for your legs to like your knees to basically have a can travel in towards each other as you squat. Yeah, itās like they call it valgus collapse. Please explain. Speaker 1 (11:34.177)I Speaker 2 (11:37.964)Right? And so if you were to squat in front of a trainer and your knees were to dive in together, they would like have a cow. They would be very upset about this. Right? So this Q angle thing is seen as like a major risk factor for catastrophic knee injury. what they found in a bazillion, studying thousands, literally thousands of athletes and how they move at P3 is that just having your knees dive in like that is not a giant risk factor. Instead, Some of those cases where you need to dive in, have something happening thatās very hard to see with the naked eye, which is your femur, your upper leg bone, is rotating. And it ends up being kind of like twisting the drumstick off the turkey. And it like, that tears your ACL, is your upper leg bone rotating. And so when I talked about needing hip stability, this is what weāre talking about, is like, you can literally lift weights to build the muscles to hold your femur in place so it doesnāt rotate. Thatās like the kind of work we should all be doing, but that so far most of us donāt even know to think about. you Healthy fats are essential for our health and wellbeing. And Iām so excited to share with you a very exciting scientific breakthrough to support our long-term health, wellness, and beauty. C15. This is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in 90 years. Studies have confirmed that C15 is three times better, broader, and safer than taking omega-3s. Speaker 1 (13:14.254)C15 works by strengthening our cells, improving our mitochondrial function, and protecting us against damaging free radicals. The result is better long-term metabolic, liver, and heart health. Taking C15 can help to slow aging, boost your sleep and your skin, hair, and nail health. The most pure brand that I found that I absolutely love and take every day is Fatty 15. This is a vegan friendly supplement of pure C15. Itās a tiny little capsule that you take every day and it helps to replenish your cells with essential C15. You can get 15 % off your Fatty 15 subscription or 90 day subscription when you go to fatty15.com slash Kimberly and use code Kimberly at checkout. Please check it out for yourself and take it every day as I do. Once again, thatās fatty15.com slash Kimberly. Thatās fatty15.com slash Kimberly to get 15 % off your 90 day subscription. Itās the small consistent things that we do on a regular basis that give us great results over the long term. And one of the easiest and most effective steps that we can do on a regular basis is to create optimal hydration in our body. Itās really the difference between a grape and a raisin. Of course, the grape is beautiful and looks supple and is full of water. And thatās what we want our energy to feel like. Thatās what we want our skin to look like, glowy and supple and just full of that beautiful hydration. So it comes down to water, of course. Thatās quite obvious. But also electrolytes, right? Electrolytes are a really important part of hydration and we need to replace them regularly. And Iāve been talking about certain foods for years, like celery and chard and certain foods, which are really great to help with electrolyte levels. But in our modern busy days, and because weāre running around and weāre sweating and thereās stress, I also recommend adding a packet of electrolyte to your room temperature water every day as I do. And the reason for this is that in one packet, youāll get a hefty dose of science-backed electrolytes. Speaker 1 (15:38.894)including sodium, potassium, and magnesium. It has no added sugars or filler. And itās just a great way to ensure that youāre really staying hydrated. And this is one of the easiest, I find, and most effective wellness steps because hydration is fundamental to our organs functioning at their best and also to enhance detoxification and many other things. So right now, Element is offering our amazing feel-good community. free sample pack with any element drink mix thatās drink element comm slash feel good D R I N K LM NT comm slash feel good to get your eight single serving packets for free once again drink element comm slash feel good Speaker 1 (16:36.012)the diagrams in the book as well. The visual because unless weāre, you know, a trainer or we studied a lot, itās like it can be hard to visualize on a level with these detailed bones and the muscles. Yeah, no, this guy, John Early did these illustrations and they were like, theyāre hard to do because they have to be like medically accurate, but also hopefully kind of like fun to look at. Right. This one is I think maybe important. I donāt know if youāre if youāre watching. Yes. OK. So when I mentioned that everybodyās hips need help with mobility or stability, you can do a little test. Right. If you can side plank all 10 toes pointing forward with your leg elevated, your body like in a big X. If you can hold that for 30 seconds, just lock it out, then they would say that your hip stability is sufficient, right? Like your hips are stable enough. Similarly, if you can do this standing figure four, so youāre like, take your, letās say your right ankle and hook it over your left knee, rest it on top of your left knee, and then sit down and get so that like your hips are are level with your knees. If you can sit down like that, then your hips are mobile enough. But If youāre like me, then you canāt do either of those things and you have to work on it. Right? So we all got to work on these things. Yeah, itās cool. These are both yoga poses or asanas that can be incorporated in a routine. This is a version of an ukta asana. Yeah, and thatās, I love that. Thatās really interesting, seeing the diagrams, because Iām like, hey, Iāve done these movements before. I never thought about them in terms of this language, but theyāre kind of fun to do. Speaker 2 (18:21.688)Do think you can lock out that side plank like that for 30 seconds? Gosh, Henry, itās, you I used to have such a serious asana practice. It was every day, hour and a half. And then I started shifting to walking for different reasons, to getting outside. Itās just a break in the middle of my day. And itās really hilly where I live. I live in the mountains, so itās like quite a tough walk. But, you know, my husband keeps saying, you know, got to do more upper body lifting, you know, for bone health. And I got some weights. And so Iāmā¦ thinking about shifting the routine. So Iāll report back to you because I donāt know. Honestly, I used to do it a lot and definitely hold it for that long, but itās been some years. So itāll be interesting to see what I try. Iād be interested to know. Itās hard. I mean, itās hard. My wife is amazing at that kind of stuff. She can do it. She can do all that stuff. sheās very, she can go to any yoga class and just fall right into whatever the teacher is doing and just fine with it. But me, I donāt have that kind of, thatās not my forte. Well, know, injuries even within yoga in the last few years of my practice, I noticed when youāre doing the warrior poses, because people think, yoga is great for injuries and it doesnāt have slow impact. But I would experience towards the end hip pain from doing the warriors. And again, I donāt know if thatās dumping into my hip or not having enough hip stability, but I did experience some pain from the asanas. What do you think about that? Speaker 2 (19:54.54)Yeah, that brings up an interesting point. I grew up, my family, have, parents and sister, we have really tight hamstrings. And so to me, anyone with hip mobility is like a magician. And clearly youāre better off, clearly youāre better injury resistance, et cetera. So Iām always working on trying to get more hip mobility. And so Iāve been to a bunch of yoga classes and I always think the teacher is probably someone whoās just in a better category than me in terms of injury risk, right? But Marcus Elliott, who this book is largely about, he was explaining that when his first yoga teacher in Santa Barbara, where he lives, she had the most incredibly mobile hips and she would show off. She could do all these crazy yoga moves that no one else could do. But she had both hips replaced in her early 50s. he would explain the reason why is because she didnāt have hip stability. Right? Like she worked crazy on hip mobility, heās like, but if she had just done basic weightlifting to just, you know, she could move that hip super mobile, but like she didnāt have the control of it to keep it from getting out of place. And for things like our femur rotating other lots of other things from hips ability, like she didnāt have very stable hips and you want both. What kind of weightlifting would you do to stabilize your hips? Thereās a fair amount of that kind of stuff in the book. I think thereās different flavors of hip instability, but they do recommend basically for everyone really good form as you squat and do hinging motions. I follow their routines now and I spend a lot of time doing single leg RDLs. Thereās also in the book, most of what they prescribe is individual to the athlete. Speaker 2 (21:44.28)The warm up is the same. Thereās a 13 step warm up, includes a fair amount. Your hips will be like, the hips will notice the warm up. I donāt know, it takes 15 minutes maybe depending how careful you do it. But thereās a ton of like Romanian dead lifts. You know this move, the Romanian dead lift? Itās like the most basic form is you stand on one leg and then you keep your torso and the other leg in a line as you like. pitch forward and touch the floor in front of you. Youāve done something like this, Iām sure, a bazillion times. And you can do that with a weight, starting with a lightweight, et cetera. But thatās a hinging motion, right? Which will put a pretty good bunch of tension on the back of your hip. Iāll tell you, for me, they obsess about the form of how you do that. And I would tend to do it leaning a little too far forward, which means I wasnāt using the proper muscles in my hip. they have to have me likeā¦ Yes. Speaker 2 (22:42.018)I mean now I still as a little cue like when I get in the form for that I like try to really like shift back a little bit so that when I bend over and come back up Iām pulling on like the very back of my glute as opposed to recruiting other muscles from your hips to kind of cheat. Right. You know, this is so, itās so interesting weāre talking about this, Henry, because I can say, you for me, I really like walking in nature and it feels good or doing my yoga poses sort of like that teacher you described where I could put both of my feet behind my head and do these crazy poses. But sometimes itās like what we need is not, not to say our favorite thing or the other thing that weāre most drawn to, but it is the balance. And Dr. Suhas was an Ayurvedic teacher and doctor came on here and he was talking about how, he talks about in different contexts, weightlifting is really important to women for that cough of that groundedness to balance. weāre in our heads and Vata energy and it actually makes you feel strong so you can feel strong on the decisions you make in your life. And, know, in terms of what youāre talking about preventing injury and just feeling really stable. So maybe itās, you if youāre like me and youāre like, well, I donāt know, like I never, I never go to these like weight, I donāt go to the gym and I donāt really lift, you know, Iām not drawn to weightlifting classes or whatever. But what youāre talking about the book is things that we can incorporate and you can make a huge difference in balance. Because if weāre just doing the things that we like, can, thatās, thatās probably why I started to feel some injuries from yoga because I wasnāt doing the stabilizing aspect. Yeah, thatās definitely a factor. I think they do. There arenāt a lot of things they recommend for everybody at this place, but like they do recommend thereās some kind of weights in everybodyās program, right? Like itās just, itās just maybe there are ways around it, but I think itās, itās, you know, your husbandās probably right, which I hate to say, you know what I mean? Thereās all these studies and stuff, you know, like, Speaker 1 (24:40.226)Right? But then itās like, again, youāre talking about patterns. Itās making space in our life and creating a new habit. Itās also I mean, I never thought Iād be a weightlifter. I was a runner and just like never had any interest in that. And then I started having like hip trouble basically. And and a friend of mine, she is a kinesiologist who runs a gym. And so I started going to her gym and itās I donāt know, itās 75 % women and like, which matters to me because like, itās fun as hell to go there because everyoneās very supportive, right? Like, like, itās just not it is not the like, it is technically a CrossFit gym. But I donāt know, they got that certification for whatever reason. the fact is, no
September Solluna Power Hour: Essential Rhythms and Rituals to feel Grounded, Clear and Energized [Episode 1009]
Summary: In the September Solluna Power Hour, Kimberly Snyder discusses the essential rhythms and rituals needed to feel grounded, clear, and energized as we transition from summer to fall. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance through food, body care, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. The conversation highlights the significance of daily practices, nourishing foods, and emotional processing to enhance overall well-being and resilience during this seasonal shift. Episode Sponsors MOMENTOUS: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. GLOWING GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters Chapters 00:00 Transitioning into Fall: Grounding and Clarity 10:14 The Importance of Rhythms and Rituals 20:26 Nourishing the Body: Food Cornerstone 26:04 Body Care: Rituals for Well-Being 34:04 Emotional Well-Being: Processing Feelings 42:14 Spiritual Growth: Cultivating Stillness and Gratitude Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means TRANSCRIPT: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.888)Hi everyone, welcome back to our September Power Hour show. Iām so excited for this very relevant topic this month, which is essential rhythms and rituals to feel grounded, clear, and energized. And I know for myself, transitioning from summer into the fall, with the busyness of school ramping back up and work, and thereās just so much more on the schedule. Can you relate that these three words grounded, clear, and energized are really important, especially right now. Thereās always a shift between seasons and between months, as we know, but thereās a really big shift in particular from summer into fall. And Iāll share that personally, I just, we just got back a few days ago from Hawaii and thereās a very different. rhythm that we have on the island. Thereās a lot of physical labor and farm work and expansiveness and just running through the woods and freedom. And now there is a reality into coming back to LA and thereās still a lot of road work in our area from the fires and our kidsā school burned. I mentioned here to our beloved community a few months ago and now thereās a new campus, thereās a longer drive, thereās just many things. And so Iām really feeling the call, maybe along with you, to ground in to have these really sacred rhythms and routines and rituals which really do help us stay healthy and they help to regulate our bodily systems such as digestion and immunity. And they regulate our mind and they regulate our emotions and they allow us to stay connected to our hearts even as things in the external world around us become more full, can we say, and thereās just a bit more going on or a lot more going on. And what Iāve been doing is Iāve gotten back the last few days is really we will talk about this when we get to some of the later quarterstones. Weāll talk about this in emotional and spiritual. Is this idea of surrendering the resistance to our preferences more and more? Maybe I donāt want to be driving so much or why does it have to be so busy right now? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:20.418)you know, why canāt it still be summer? And starting to sink into this deeper place of connection and resilience inside of us, in our hearts, in the center of our being, so that even as we glide around the world and maybe things arenāt our preference, we can find a deep sense of well-being and root into our own energy and our own true self connection. So weāre going to be covering all of this today through the lens, of course, of our Four Cornerstones, our power hour show, has a theme. And then weāre still gonna cover food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth during this show, which is at the top of each month, to give you the best tips and tools to really utilize throughout the month. So Iāll say right here, right now, if thereās anyone that you think would benefit from this show, please forward it to them. We really wanna share this information and to get it out in the world. We also really appreciate reviews. If you could just take a moment to write us a review on Spotify or Apple, wherever you listen to our podcast. Itās such a wonderful way to support the mission of the podcast, of our feel good community, which is to support others. And that has been the mission, by the way, since I started my free Kimberly Snyder.net blog many years ago now and wrote my first book, The Beauty Detox Solution. And I really want to stay rooted in that mission. And I think our community attracts like-minded souls that really do want to spread love and support for others. So sharing the show, whether itās a screenshot or a link to a direct episode, is such a wonderful way to support. Okay, letās get right into ourā¦ and another quick thing I want to mention is you can also join our newsletter at mysaloona.com to stay more connected to the community as well. So what does it mean to feel more grounded and clear and energized? I really love this word grounded. And what it means to me is that we are complex beings. have so many different layers of our being. We have the emotional body, the soul or the Atman or the spiritual body. We have the mental part of us. We have the physicality. And when weāre grounded, it means that every part of us Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:43.118)centered and synergized and we feel very much present where we are. Weāre having an embodied experience and so what that means is that in this particular lifetime in this dimension, depending on what you believe in, weāre here in a thereās a you know a physicality to the realm that weāre in and so when weāre grounded it means that we are connected to all layers of our being, included very much our bodies. And we can be really connected to the present moment, which means weāre looking into the personās eyes that weāre talking to, whether itās our child or the teacher at our childās school or a coworker or someone that youāre chatting to on a Zoom for work or whatever it is. Instead of not really being in conversations or not really being where your body happens to be, you know, those experiences where youāre sort of, you knowā¦ how did I just go shopping at the grocery store and Iām walking out with my bags? I donāt even remember being there, right? Thatās when weāre disassociated from the body and we feel so hurried or life is so fast paced that we start to miss the magic of the moments and things start to get faster and faster, which creates a sense of incoherence, which means our nervous systems start to go into overdrive. We start to feel more tension perhaps in our bodies. And this disables our ability to be in flow and efficiency and energy efficiency. So what happens as this cascade of all different sorts of biochemical processes starts to get a little bit off kilter is that we end up aging more quickly and we end up feeling more depleted in our energy. So this sense of groundedness is a very important theme as we go into fall. because one of the things that ancient wisdom teaches us through Aryaveda in particular is this is the season of Vata. So Pitta is what weāre coming from through August and the summer, which is a lot of fire element. The sun is very strong. And now weāre moving into more of the wind, air, energy. And when itās not balanced, what happens, the potential is there for anxiety, for confusion. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:00.216)for feeling excess stress, for our digestion getting thrown off, for our immunity getting thrown off. So we want to eat in a way and live in a way that really grounds our energy through this very important transition. So the important of rhythms and rituals is that, again, thereās so much fullness in our schedule and we donāt control the traffic and we donāt control so many after school events coming on. And right now Iām trying to just figure out with my boys. you know, the swim class overlapping with the chess classes. So, you know, one has to sit at one event and then I drive to the next and the other one has to read or sit during the other event. And thereās just a lot of scheduling. If you can relate to that, whether youāre a mom or you just have a lot going on in your plate, getting together with friends, different work projects, you know, lots of, things that are calling us and calling for our attention. So letās, letās start to. talk about our first cornerstone now because when we have these rhythms and rituals it helps to ground us so that we donāt get swept up in the vata in the air and also I want to mention from another ancient wisdom system traditional Chinese medicine that fall is associated with the metal element and the lungs so again back to that air coming in through the lungs, thereās a focus in this area, and we need to create inner strength in order to feel that balance and carry us through the fall. Itās interesting because lungs also govern the heart chakra and all energies related to the heart, this whole area right here. And so as we move into more fullness, I donāt really like to say the word busyness because busy can imply just getting things. done off a to-do list versus just thereās fullness that requires our presence and our energy and our love, right? So we can lean, itās an opportunity to lean more into our inner connection and to strengthen our heart coherence and the power of our heart and allowing that to keep us rooted in our bodies, right? Rooted into making decisions that are really the best decisions for us and having these sacred Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:18.516)rituals through the day, these touch points to bring us back if we start to go up into our head too much or we start to believe some of the incoherent thoughts or we just start to get overwhelmed by how much there is going on. We want the rhythms and the rituals to keep pulling us back, pulling us back. And this is part of Dinacharya, the Ayurvedic daily rhythm, which Iāve also spoken about quite a bit on the podcast. which is this idea that as we regulate these simple daily practices and we consistently follow them, in turn we become more regulated in our nervous system, in our coherence, our heart-brain nervous system connection, in our overall bodily efficiency, in our overall bodily well-being, and we start to feel more flow as we glide through a very full day. And thereās just a deeper sense of peace and we can be really engaged, but also a bit from the inside, less caught up in the ups and downs and feeling so reactive about things that donāt go according to our expectations. I was in a really beautiful, I was at a baby shower over the weekend and one of the women was talking about her perspective of how important it was to dance in the gap. between how you expect things to go and how life is really showing up. And I love that, you know, that symbology, this idea of dancing between that and finding a way to meld and flow with life. And when we feel more grounded in our bodies through the Four Cornerstones, I think itās easier to have more of that lightness and to be able to dance with whatever life is doling out to us versus feeling really frustrated and easily triggered and worn down, which is What can happen when we donāt have our rituals to carry us through? So from a food perspective, letās jump into our first cornerstone now. Remember that how you eat has a profound effect on these different layers of your being. And this is what ancient wisdom has always talked about. Itās not this reductionist approach to food, but really seeing that how we eat affects us emotionally, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:42.284)So our bodies during the fall are in September are craving a sense of steadiness. And thereās a very different feeling in your body when you start to feel full, satiated from having, letās say a hot bowl of soup, something very grounding, feeling very comforting versus just reaching for a bag of, you know, a processed snack, even if itās You know, the numbers add up, letās just say like a processed protein bar, this cold processed item just going into your body. Thereās a very different energetic quality to it. And Iām not saying we have to be perfect all the time and thereās times where youāre traveling or youāre in a bind and that protein bar may be the best option, but more and more we want to develop rhythms of creating stability in the body. I also want to mention that my friend this month, Dan Buettner, who is the founder of the Blue Zones. Weāre actually doing a, depending when you listen to this, you check my socials at underscore Kimberly Snyder. Weāll be doing a live together to talk about his new Blue Zones book, which is all about one pot meals. So Iām really excited about that because we have to find and utilize really easy ways to eat in a way that feels really grounding, which stabilization means healthy fats. It means lots of fiber, lots of nutrients, and as natural and whole as possible. We also have some fantastic recipes, which are on our website, mysaluna.com. And one of my intentions for the fall is to get more organized with meal planning for the family because it is getting so full so that I will focus on what weāre eating for dinner. And of course, packing all the school lunches and have a general plan for at least Monday through Friday and get organized. So I myself have been looking back at our vast storehouse of recipes. And thereās ones that I, you know, created years ago. I kind of forgot about that and bringing it back in. On my Instagram, I recently posted about our gorilla wraps, which are these amazing walnut tacos, basically. And it was a recipe that I got away from. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:04.702)and I brought it back in and it just felt so grounding and great to have the healthy fats from the walnuts and all those beautiful oils and the collard greens. So we definitely want to have that stabilizing food. And I mentioned hot soups because one of the things that happens in the vata season is that thereās a coolness. When you think about wind blowing through, itās very welcome in the summer when itās 100 degrees outside and we want a nice cool breeze. But as the wind starts to pick up, it can start to bring a chill into the bones, into the body, into the throat. And so sipping on warm elixirs and having more warm foods, particularly for lunch and dinner, becomes a very important ritual and routine. So Iāll be planning lots of one pot meals. Iāll be going back to dahl, which is, you know, a wonderful recipe that we also offer on the website. And so, Itās, and also if you go to our podcast tab, just for being a member of a beloved member of our community, you can also get a free download, which weāve created recently, which has all different, recipes for you. the doll version is one of them. So itās, I believe, or you could email love at mysaloon.com and ask about the, download. So we still want to have. raw nutrients. So I do start the day with a nice warm hot water with ginger and lemon, particularly a hot water with lemon. And then I like to drink my smoothies room temperature, including the Glowing Green smoothie. Iāve never been a icy smoothie person. And I know some people love iced coffee and my kids love coconut ice cream and cold smoothies, but I just Iāve gotten used to over the years really having things closer to room temperature. So if that works for you to have your beautiful glowing green smoothie, hopefully with a glowing greens powder added in, thatās wonderful, or at least a little bit less cool and moving towards that as we start to go into fall and also winter. Another great rhythm and routine. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:23.68)is to bring in more grounding root vegetables right now, which naturally start to become more seasonal. And Iām talking about certain squashes and also things grown into the earth, beets and carrots and so on and so forth, which are really great for your digestion. And they bring in that kaffa quality, which means earthness, earthiness, and theyāre literally grown in the earth. And besides grounding root vegetables, another great rhythm and routine to get back into or into is almonds and almond milk and nuts. So Iāve been posting about almond milk lately because Iāve gotten back into it and I feel so much vitality from making my own almond milk to get that essential o-just, that incredible vitality enhancing the essence of the almonds. And so it feels really grounding to my body. make almond milk maybe every other day or every two days or so. And itās, know, when you think about nuts and the property of nuts, there is a stabilizing quality to them. So I just want to point out a bit of research from this one is from the journal BMC microbiology from 2020 and it found significant seasonal variability in gut microbiota. So what this means is that as we essentially what it means, and you can read the study if you would like to, we will link to it in the show notes at mysaluna.com. And Iāve read other similar studies with similar results is that as we adjust to seasonal foods and we shift our diet, just like we shift our clothes between season to season, we will see a greater strengthening and resilience in our microbiota, which is really important. for feeling grounded, our gut health is so important as we talk about quite a bit here. And so itās important to again, reaching for seasonal veggies and shifting our diet. And this is the moment again, besides the seasonal root veggies and a bit more heaviness to also have warmer foods to start bringing that in. And I know for some of us here in LA, September can still be quite hot. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:38.51)but starting to bring it in because it will start to increase as the season continues. There was another great review in 2025 in the International Ayurvedic Medical Journal showing how Agni, which I love this word, or digestive fire, naturally fluctuates as the environment changes around us. And Ritucharya is the Ayurvedic principle of living in tune with seasonal shifts. And we want to emphasize supporting our digestion right now with warm, grounding foods. So thereās something really beautiful about attuning to the environment around us instead of just plowing forward and not really considering that, which I know you can maybe think of some people that eat the same way completely all year round or start to follow a diet or something they see and they donāt really take into account seasonal foods or how their bodyās really feeling in a particular environment or what needs to shift. I know that years ago when I lived in New York and I was following a raw food diet for a couple years, and I really wanted to follow this diet and it worked really well for me for a while, but I remember being so cold at times in New York City and just really wanting a hot vegetable soup. Be no, no, no, I canāt because it has to be raw. And these rigid rules donāt always serve us. Maybe sometimes we want to shift over or clear something in the body or heal our gut or candida or whatever it is. And so we have to be a little bit more regimented. But I really do believe part of listening to our bodies is listening to our hearts intuition about what our body needs. So over time it very well may shift how we eat, particularly around your menstrual cycle, around seasons, like weāre talking about here. And I do think itās important to have those natural fluctuations. And finally, a 2019 publication in Frontiers and Immunology from 2019 found that greater daily dietary diversity is linked to a more stable, resilient gut microbiome composition. So for again, we listen to the autumn root vegetables, which actually actively support our digestive health. A podcast that I did some months ago, maybe a year or so ago with Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:01.484)Dr. B, who was a plant-based gastroenterologist, we discussed how in an ideal world, he said we should have 30 to 35 different vegetables in a week, which is creating that real diversity. And maybe that sounds like a lot, but if you think about the vegetables that are in the Glowing Green Smoothie, for example, if you put romaine and spinach and parsley and cilantro, it starts to add up. And maybe 30 is just seems completely out of the ballpark right now. But, you know, if youāre just, if you notice youāre only having, you know, three, five, six, seven, you can start to work to stretch towards, letās say 11, 12, and then maybe 15 and start to see ways in which you can create more of that diversity, which will make your gut very happy and your body very resilient. So just start to notice. If youāre feeling anxious, youāre feeling spacey, if youāre feeling, youāre just craving so much sugar, youāre feeling bloated in your body, youāre feeling like thereās just an irregularity to any of your bodily systems, but especially digestion. And now that your bodyās calling for these sacred rhythms and rituals to feel more grounded. So just to review for some of the top tips is to start and end the day with warm elixirs. Itās very easy to make some of these elixirs. Again, you can go to our website, mysaluna.com to get some recipes, but even simple hot water with lemon in the morning and hot water with ginger sliced in it in the evening is a really great place to start. And then leaning into seasonal grounding foods such as the root vegetables, such as the nuts. warmer dishes, particularly for lunch and dinner. You could have something like a salad and a lentil veggie soup with quinoa or rice. This is something that we eat a lot as a family. Dinner last night was a kale salad. Iām really happy to say that both my kids are really into kale right now. Again, who knows how things shift and change, but both my kids really love the Dharmaās kale salad. And then I made a soup with lentils and all the veggies that we had in the house. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:17.132)broccoli and carrots and spinach. I made a soup and then rice and that was our dinner and it was really easy, relatively easy to make and felt really grounding. Itās also important to avoid stimulating foods. So this is not a great time. I mean, itās never really a great time, but particularly now to have excess caffeine to overload your body with processed foods or sugary foods. We want to keep that groundedness with the wholeness that can come from foods. And we want to bring a rhythm to meal times. So as much as possible, if you can eat around the same time every day, if you can say grace or a gratitude practice to create a ritual to sitting down, hopefully without devices or screens in a hopefully non-rushed way, and to enjoy the time that youāre eating and time with your family, that would be really beautiful. I would also encourage you in particular to go back to the fiber-filled glowing green smoothie if you got away from it and to check the recipe on my site if youāve never tried it and to add the glowing greens powder into it. There is a lot of powerful greens in this whole combination and ones that you wouldnāt have fresh in the glowing greens powder such as Amalaki, Ashitaba, Moringa. Iām actually starting this week going into double doses. of the glowing greens powder, so two scoops instead of one, which I do sometimes when I feel the call to ground, but also cleanse at the same time. Thereās a relationship between cleansing out heavy metals and wastes and then re-revifying, just nourishing yourself with very deep, nutrient-tense plants, which is what is in the glowing greens powder. So I justā¦ Iām feeling like I need that right now as I move from summer to fall. So Iāll be having two scoops a day of the Glowing Greens powder, which will help again cleanse the heavy metals and the toxins, but also really nourish. And youāll start to see even more of a glow to your skin. Youāll see an even more bounce to your hair, your hairās growth, just across every cell of your being. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:39.128)And if youāre also feeling like the need to support greater digestion, mean, you know, youāre getting, thereās more bloating and we want to absorb more nutrients, I highly recommend adding in the digestive enzymes as an important way to absorb more nutrition from your food. You take them right before you eat. And then also, which has been really important, Iāve been taking it more often in the fall because my vata can definitely get imbalanced. is detoxi. And that one you take in the evening, itās magnesium and oxygen and stable vitamin C. And it helps you have larger bowel movements without being a laxative and without being habit forming. So letās move on to our next cornerstone, is body. Your sacred, unique, amazing body needs to be cared for, especially in the season. Why? Because Vata and winds and, you know, more full schedules and lots going on tends to drive the energy up, up into the mind, up into our, you know, Weāre in our heads where anxiety can start to manifest and excess worry and excess fears and
Overcoming Trauma through Somatic Body Healing with Britt Piper [Episode 1008]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Estelle Bingham Summary: In this conversation, Kimberly and Brittany Piper delve into the profound impact of trauma on the nervous system and the importance of somatic healing. Brittany shares insights from her new book, āBody First Healing,ā discussing how trauma is stored in the body and how somatic work can help individuals reconnect with their bodies to facilitate healing. They explore the concept of intergenerational trauma, the natural responses to trauma observed in animals, and the significance of body awareness in the healing process. Brittany also shares her personal journey of overcoming trauma and the tools that can aid in navigating trauma responses, emphasizing the importance of building resilience and capacity for emotions. The conversation concludes with a message of empowerment, encouraging individuals to trust their bodies and recognize their innate ability to heal. About Britt Piper Brittany Piper is a renowned speaker, author, and Somatic ExperiencingĀ® Practitioner specializing in sexual violence prevention and trauma-informed care. As a survivor and leading advocate, she has educated thousands worldwide, including the U.S. Army and Department of Justice. Her book, Body-First Healing: A Revolutionary Guide to Nervous System Recovery, offers a groundbreaking approach to nervous system regulation and recovery through harnessing the wisdom of the body. Guest Resources: Website: https://www.bodyfirsthealing.com/about Book: Body-First Healing: A Revolutionary Guide to Nervous System Recovery Episode Sponsors: Ā LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Somatic Healing and Trauma02:59 Understanding Trauma and the Nervous System06:07 The Role of Body Memory in Healing08:56 Intergenerational Trauma and Its Impact11:57 Lessons from Animal Behavior on Trauma Recovery14:50 Cultural Disconnection from Somatic Practices17:52 Personal Stories of Healing and Resilience21:05 Justice and Advocacy for Survivors of Trauma24:31 The Journey Through Trauma and Justice28:49 Understanding the Bodyās Response to Trauma33:51 Navigating Anger and Emotional Regulation39:32 Empowerment Through Somatic Healing46:41 The Path to Self-Healing Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.718)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest today and our conversation with Brittany Piper, who is a speaker and somatic and trauma trained practitioner specializing in somatic experiencing. She has a brand new book out called Body First Healing, Get Unstuck and Recover from Trauma with Somatic Healing. Brittany and I were speaking just a little bit before the podcast about how amazing it is to talk about trauma and healing on such a deep level now, which wasnāt really happening a generation earlier. So Brittany, thank you so much. Welcome to our show and congratulations on your new book all at the same time. Brittany Piper (00:43.95)Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, Iām excited to have a conversation today. So I appreciate you having me here. Kimberly Snyder (00:51.118)You know, itās very close to my heart, literally. My recent book was about the heart and dropping into this deeper place beyond the linear mind. And I found that really reflected in your book as well, this idea that things happen to us, challenging experiences happen of all different degrees, and we canāt just think our way out of it. Can you talk a little bit about how experiences can actually get stored? in our nervous system and in our body, similarly to how we might not properly digest certain foods. Brittany Piper (01:26.124)Yeah. Yeah, the, so I think that thereāve been so many different definitions surrounding trauma over the years. And I think that the one that lands best with me is that trauma is any experience that overwhelms the nervous systemās capacity to cope. And when that happens, your nervous system can get stuck in chronic states of survival. Or in other words, it gets stuck. Kimberly Snyder (01:42.381)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (01:50.062)Okay. Brittany Piper (01:54.016)in the states or the responses that it used in the past. And itās as if somatic work, which is body-based healing work, we work with the nervous system and with the body, and more specifically body memory rather than verbal memory to help the body and the nervous system to know that the trauma is over, essentially catching up with what the mind already knows. Like the mind knows that the trauma was, you know, maybe seemingly back then, but maybe the nervous system doesnāt know that. Kimberly Snyder (02:14.473)Right. Brittany Piper (02:23.714)and itās not a rational system. Yeah, itās a system that operates through experience, through this felt sense. And so what we really try to do is help people in their nervous system to kind of disarm and to recognize you donāt have to be stuck in survival mode anymore. So, yeah. Kimberly Snyder (02:25.516)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (02:43.904)Survival mode is that feeling of almost, when you say that word, it conjures up frantic, irrational, big emotions, freezing, like all sorts of ways that can manifest and not feeling safe. Brittany Piper (02:59.01)Yes, yeah. Yeah, itās kind of the best way I describe it is like an analogy I like to use is like, weāre armored up, but you can think of like this night suit of armor. Itās like weāre battled up to go or weāre armored up to go into battle. But at some point itās like our nervous system didnāt get the memo that the battle is over. And so we kind of remain with like this armor on and this armor can start to, know, what once started off as self protective in nature. Kimberly Snyder (03:06.582)Yes. Brittany Piper (03:25.486)it can start to show up in almost the self-destructive or self-sabotaging ways, which I think is such a more compassionate way to look at it as this is self-protection, not self-sabotage. And we can kind of like lose sight of ourselves. We can disconnect from ourselves because we get so lost in this armor. Yeah, and Iām sure you experienced the same. A lot of the people that I work with, they come to me and theyāre like, I just feel stuck. Kimberly Snyder (03:43.854)Right. Brittany Piper (03:52.168)And I feel like Iām not myself and I donāt know how to get out of this. And that stuckness is really what it boils down to is a nervous system that is stuck in those active defenses still. Kimberly Snyder (04:03.99)And has it been your experience that no matter what weāve been through, we can reteach the nervous system through some of the tools that are in your book, which weāll talk about in a moment and through this more body-based experience, because Iāve met people, and Iām sure you talk about in the book, that have been in therapy, because weāve been talking, go to therapy, but theyāve been talking about the same story. for years and years. Iāve met people that seem to have the same narrative, victimhood, I wasnāt treated like this, and they almost still sound angry. So itās like, are we really clearing it out by continuing to reinforce and talk about it? Brittany Piper (04:35.0)Yeah. Brittany Piper (04:39.992)Mm-hmm. Brittany Piper (04:46.54)Yeah, exactly. So I think what I can maybe like describe a little bit is what we call the stress or the threat response cycle. And so when your nervous system goes into an active state of survival, know, fight, flight, shut down, freeze, fawn or functional freeze, what happens is first, your body is kind of inundated or flooded with survival hormones, stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. Kimberly Snyder (04:54.231)Yes, please. Kimberly Snyder (05:13.644)Yes. Brittany Piper (05:13.74)and this helps to mobilize you to fight or flee. And so when you have an experience though that overwhelms that stress response, you can kind of think of it like a pressure cooker. All of that adrenaline and cortisol is still stuck within the body and the physiology. And so thereās no amount of talking that out of your body. You have to be able to move through that experience and express or what we call discharge all of that adrenaline and cortisol. So. You you see this, Iāll use an example of maybe abuse or, you know, something that was violent in nature where you werenāt able to fight back. You might find that you now have what we call a thwarted fight response. And so you have likely a lot of suppressed anger thatās being held down within the body and the system. And so the work actually starts with not throwing someone into the deep end of their trauma. Kimberly Snyder (05:50.765)Right. Brittany Piper (06:07.276)like we commonly do in therapy, right? Thatās what weāre used to. I just wanna talk about it. I wanna get into it. Instead, we actually walk them into like the shallow end and weāre like, hey, what would it be like to think about a moment recently where you felt a little frustrated, a little angry by something and maybe itās, yeah, someone cut me off the other day and it kind of like pissed me off. And youāre like, okay, and as youāre thinking about that, what do you notice in your body? Wow, thereās some heat here and Iām actually noticing my jaw is clenching. And so, we touch into more gentle moments of activation, which allows that, again, that pressure cooker, we just gently open the lid for a second and close it back down. And it lets out and discharges some of that adrenaline and cortisol, getting these chronic stress hormones out of the body. And we do that consistently over time. But whatās also great about that is that youāre showing the nervous system or youāre giving it evidence that, hey, you can be with an experience of anger. Kimberly Snyder (06:54.627)Mm. Brittany Piper (07:05.358)maybe like you werenāt able to do in the past and you can be okay. And so itās this evidence that over time is like, yeah, when I do feel anger in my body, like this frustration of, donāt like the way that person talked to me. Instead of shutting it down like it automatically do, or instead of running away or avoiding conflict, my body now has this muscle memory of like, I can be with that anger and I can express it. so trauma work doesnāt necessarily mean that we have to go back into all the hard stuff. Kimberly Snyder (07:28.078)Well. Brittany Piper (07:35.692)Right? Weāre working with the body memory here in the present and untethering that, like, from the past. If that makes sense, Kimberly Snyder (07:42.851)Mm. And itās, imagine itās different for each person. noticed in, you know, the heart work awakening, the heart or heart coherence, itās not linear. Like, you had this much trauma, so itās going to take this prescribed amount of time to reteach. It could be big awakenings or big realizations. Certain junctures are maybe a little bit more time to work through. that? Yeah. Brittany Piper (07:48.611)Yes. Brittany Piper (08:01.998)Mm-hmm. Brittany Piper (08:05.804)Exactly. Yeah, yeah, because every year youāre working with each individual person, their nervous system, but also the nervous systems that came before them. So like a lot of the work that we do is we work with a lot of, you know, itās important to know like intergenerationally, what was your life like in your earliest years, because our first three years of life really lay the foundation for our nervous system. Kimberly Snyder (08:23.286)Yes. Brittany Piper (08:30.306)And so that surprises people when they get into somatic work. Theyāre like, well, I canāt even remember that. And itās like, your body remembers. And yeah. And then even before that, even when youāre, exactly. Yeah. And even, you know, what were the experiences of your mother and your grandmother? So, and thatās something I, you know, deeply explored in my book with my experience was that journey of intergenerational trauma, you know, cause Iām not. Kimberly Snyder (08:32.535)Thank Kimberly Snyder (08:36.724)so much or even when you were pregnant or when your mother was pregnant with you. Brittany Piper (08:56.578)Iām not sure if people probably come to you with this of like, think I have the signs and symptoms of trauma, but like, I donāt think Iāve experienced anything. And so we explore indirect trauma, which is like, yeah, but I think thereās also like, you know, getting to the, well, trauma might not be what you think it is. I think we have these ideas of, yeah. Kimberly Snyder (09:05.058)Kimberly Snyder (09:15.982)Well, when I read the body keeps the score, it blew me away that statistic, which really stayed in my head from Bessel van der Kolk, that was 75 % of Americans experience some form of trauma. Because I think some of us hear that word and we think about accidents or a one-time incident. one of the things that, because I wouldnāt have used that word in the past, Brittany, but for me, it was learning, not being seen and heard, like different levels of neglect is actually a really big form of trauma throughout childhood, which is something that I did go through. well-intentioned parents that were busy, were hustling, they were working, but there was a lot of coping mechanisms and perfectionism and eating disorders and just constant achieving to sort of fill that unworthiness feeling. So. Brittany Piper (10:02.99)Yeah. Brittany Piper (10:09.027)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (10:09.688)Thank you for bringing up that it is actually much more than we realize. And I love how you delve into Peter Levineās work. We could touch on that for a moment where he researched animals to see that, you know, they donāt have trauma the same way we do and theyāre like naturally shaking and trembling after something happens. Can you share a little bit about, you know, that work and how we can, what we can learn from it as humans? Brittany Piper (10:33.888)Yeah. Yeah. So I first want to touch on what you just mentioned is, you know, in hearing about your experience, it reminds me a little bit. So in the somatic experiencing world, we use the definition of trauma is that itās anything that feels like too much, too fast, too soon, or not enough. And so like when you talk about neglect or things like that, those are things that often get overlooked. Kimberly Snyder (10:54.156)Mmm. Kimberly Snyder (11:00.993)Yeah. Brittany Piper (11:01.026)You there are such experiences that are overlooked in our culture today. And I think because they kind of fly below the radar, they sometimes can fester, you know, in our lives in much more intense ways. And so, yeah, just thank you for mentioning that. Yeah, Peterās work was profound for me to the point where I became a somatic experiencing practitioner. So, SE is what Iām professionally trained in, butā¦ Kimberly Snyder (11:10.647)Yes. Brittany Piper (11:28.31)Yeah, his book, Waking the Tiger, he explored how animals in the wild, they experience threat all the time. They go into these survival responses, yet they donāt remain, and Iām using air quotes, traumatized in the way that humans do. And humans, mean, we have the same primal systems, subcortical systems that animals in the wild do. In other words, our nervous systems are nearly identical to nervous systems of animals in the wild. And what he found is that animals in the wild donāt have this wonderful conscious human brain, right? And so theyāre often not talking themselves out of their feelings. So animals, when they experience activation and they go into fight or flight and they have that adrenaline and cortisol, they will naturally discharge all of these, know, press hormones. And I remember in my SE training, theyāre like, okay, weāre gonna watch some animal videos today. And Iām like, weāre all looking at each other like weāre watching animal videos. Kimberly Snyder (12:18.06)Wait. Brittany Piper (12:27.202)But it was fascinating to see how a gazelle would run from a cheetah, would get away, but it would go into a shutdown or a freeze response and it would faint. And then we watched this video as it would kind of seemingly come back to life and it would lay there and it would do this labored breathing and then it would start trembling and shaking. And then you see the mouth kind of salivating. And then the next thing you know, itās standing up, shaking its body and itās running off. Kimberly Snyder (12:55.402)All innately, itās just in their knowing, their intuitive knowing. Brittany Piper (12:58.56)Exactly. Yes, exactly. And we have those same mechanisms and those same responses. So like, you know, as a professional speaker, I had debilitating stage fright. And for years I was like, I need to go to Toastmasters to figure out how to get over my fear. I need to do like exposure therapy. Like I got to figure this out because I would freeze on stage. Like Iād get dry mouth. I wouldnāt be able to talk. And when I learned that it was less about like calming down and like making the shakes go away, and it was more so like, how can I actually allow some of that to be here and move it through my body? Like our body naturally knows how to metabolize the charge of emotions. If we just stopped getting in our way and overriding what the body knows how to do, orā¦ And I donāt want to say that we always consciously do that. Sometimes itās done to us and we remain kind of stuck, dissociated, and our body doesnāt know how to contain or move through those emotions. But yeah, the study of animals in the wild is a really big part of the SE framework. Kimberly Snyder (14:10.126)You know, I think about these ancient cultures where there was a lot of tribal dancing and gathering around fires. And I wonder if that was embedded in these earlier cultures. Weāve unfortunately moved away from a lot of that innate knowing. when I was backpacking in Africa, I saw almost, I think it was a funeral gathering and it was, the dancing was like so, intense and it was just beautiful, but dramatic. And it was. Brittany Piper (14:23.084)Yeah, absolutely. Brittany Piper (14:29.613)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (14:40.11)Like they were moving the grief through their body. I had never seen anything like that in any sort of funeral. And it was amazing. It was somatic as you were describing. Brittany Piper (14:50.51)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, even as youāre talking about that, Iām getting goosebumps now because thatās, I feel like in this world that we live in, in kind of a modernized culture, weāve become so disconnected and associated and detached from our bodies. You know, this fast-paced world that we live in, weāre very mind heavy, which is fine. However, our body in many ways, a lot of the upgraded science shows that our body is really in the driverās seat. the vagus nerve, which is like the longest nerve in the body. Itās known as the information superhighway. But in the early 2000s, we found that this bidirectional informational nerve, 80 % of those messages go from the body up to the brain and only 20 % go from the brain down to the body. And so, yeah, the body holds so much ancient. Kimberly Snyder (15:40.279)Yes. Brittany Piper (15:45.934)primal wisdom and I feel like we oftentimes weāre scared of our bodies. We donāt know how to connect with our bodies and thatās why like in my book, but also if you were to work with any somatic experiencing practitioner, they give you a vocabulary of sensations to like learn the language of the body and I feel like this is something that I do believe is innately built within us, but itās become so weāre so disconnected from it that it feels so foreign. Kimberly Snyder (16:00.728)Mmm. Brittany Piper (16:14.351)We kind of forget that we have bodies sometimes and then weā¦ Kimberly Snyder (16:18.11)Yeah, it becomes very heady. Itās the same thing with the heart work. know, so surprised to learn the heart is another brain with 40,000 neurons and it too is sending more messages up because we do get so rational and linear. You know, how we started the conversation trying to think our way rationally, well, Iām not in danger anymore or this is safe, but itās still in there until we feel. And I want to get into some of those tools you share, but first I just want to acknowledge Britt how vulnerable and Brittany Piper (16:28.91)Mm-hmm. Brittany Piper (16:37.421)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (16:47.49)beautiful it was that you shared parts of your story as not someone just teaching about this, but someone thatās gone through profound healing and embodies what it can be like to live in far more peace in your body. And you mentioned about your brotherās car accident and also your, you know, the sexual assault, which, know, is, you know, as a woman, could say itās like the, you know, one of the worst things that we could imagine happening to our sense of safety. Brittany Piper (17:17.016)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (17:17.462)And to have gone through that and teach about it now is amazing. Brittany Piper (17:22.263)Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I always say a lot of my work started off as me search. You know, I would say probably most of us in this space, right, where a lot of our work is informed by our own personal experiences. And, you know, I had been in and out of conventional therapy for a lot of my life and on different medications. And it was supportive, but I felt like it would bring temporary relief, but I never found like resolution. And I would get in these cycles of like, Kimberly Snyder (17:27.66)Sure. Brittany Piper (17:52.44)Britneyās drinking again or, Britneyās in jail now or, Britneyās in the hospital. And I just felt like every couple of years I was in this cycle of self-destruction, like just destroying myself from within. And I had an experience, which I share about in the book, when I ended up in a jail cell. And it was in that jail cell over three days that my body was able, I feel like, to process decades old grief and trauma. that I had become such an expert at running from. And I also came from a family where we just put everything under the rug. You just muscle through, you armor through, right? And in my early 20s, I realized that avoiding isnāt the same thing as healing and that eventually you have to do the work. So yeah, coming out of that jail cell, I felt like a literal different person. And I remember the judge, this was shortly after my sexual assault case, she remembered who I was. And she said, weāre gonna drop the charges, but she said, you need to learn to live with your pain better. And that was kind of like a big moment because she didnāt say, get over it, get past it. She said, learn to with, yes, with it. Which was a totally new concept, right? Like thatās not what I, you you muscle through, you move on, you get past it. And that was also a message that was passed down. Kimberly Snyder (19:03.775)with Brittany Piper (19:15.95)through generations in my family, in my lineage. And when I looked at the history of the women in my family, weāre all very much the same, right? We just, keep it pushing, we keep going, we stay busy, we focus on work, we overachieve, weāre perfectionist, kind of like you said. But the masking could only last for so long. And so I got into somatic healing back in 2012, just on my personal. in my own personal journey, because I was like, what happened to me in that jail cell? My body felt different. Something happened. And as I started to learn about the literature and also started experiencing it myself as a client, I was like, how does the world not know about this? And so thatās kind of what started that process for me of just trying to share with anyone that I could, because I was like, this needs to be more widely known. Kimberly Snyder (20:08.589)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (20:12.428)Before we move on from your story, Britt, I also want to acknowledge, and what an amazing judge to have been put in your path. It was like a messenger, right, from the divine to say that. But I also want to acknowledge in our society when these sorts of things happen, how easy it is to pretend, like you said, like to not take someone to trial for rape. I have a friend who was raped in college and her parents were like, no, this is going to be too big a deal, just get over it. And so she never pressed charges. And now, you know, a couple of decades later, I donāt know if she ever fully healed. She has never had any other long-term relationships. And so the bravery it must have took to go on trial for two years. And there was a short trauma from that, but maybe a healing that you actually saw it all the way through. Brittany Piper (21:05.26)Yeah. Yeah, there was. I think justice looks so different for every survivor. My work in the trauma space started. I was working in sexual violence and rape crisis centers here in the States, but mainly abroad. And justice shows up in so many ways. unfortunately, we live in a time where favor is not in the hands of the victim. Itās often most times in the hands of the perpetrator. Itās a systemic issue and one that I still fight to end. Like every day this past week, I was in Pennsylvania. I had three programs talking to college students through different universities in Pennsylvania. And I always ask this question at the beginning of every program, like, will you please quietly stand if you know someone whoās experienced sexual violence? And usually itās like, Iām just tearing up talking about it. Usually itās like, I donāt know, 50 to 75 % of the audience will stand, which is like gut wrenching. The second question is then, for those of you standing, will you please stay standing if you know that that person reported it? Half of them sit down. And then the people that are still standing all then ask, if you know that the perpetrator received justice, please stay standing. If they did not, can you quietly sit down? And usually itās a handful. And Iāll talk to audience of like hundreds, thousands, handful of people. An event I had this past week, there were probably about 250 people standing. <
Relieving Anxiety and Panic with Dr. Nicole Cain [Episode 1007]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Nicole Cain About Dr. Nicole Cain Nicole Cain, ND, MA, is a pioneer in integrative approaches for mental and emotional wellness. With a degree in clinical psychology, training in EMDR, and a license as a Naturopathic Physician in the state of Arizona, her approach to mental health is multidisciplinary: medical, psychological, and holistic. A sought after speaker and writer, Dr. Nicole Cain has shared her expertise on the Tamron Hall Show and presented alongside renowned doctors like Deepak Chopra. Her insights have been regularly featured in such publications as Psychology Today, Health Magazine, Huff Post, The Daily Mail, Katie Couric Media, Salon, Spirituality & Health Magazine, and more. Dr. Nicole Cain has been a guest on popular podcasts such as This Genius Life, Brendan Burchardās Growth Day, Therapy Jeff, Heal Thyself, Well with Arielle, Love Happiness and Success, KPCWās Cool Science, Just Between Us, and many more. A comprehensive list of media appearances by Dr. Nicole Cain, ND MA. Dr. Nicole is also the founder of the Holistic Wellness Collective, a one-stop-shop membership program designed to support self-healers. This program guides users through the practical application of Panic Proofās wisdom, offering helpful videos and a supportive community. Guest Resources: Website: drnicolecain.com Book: Panic Proof: The New Holistic Solutions to End Your Anxiety Forever! Social: @drnicolecain Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hormonal Health and Dr. Erica Schwartz01:52 The Importance of Bioidentical Hormones05:57 Misconceptions and Historical Context of Hormone Therapy09:50 Empowering Women to Understand Their Bodies13:53 Navigating Hormone Therapy: Timing and Longevity17:40 Balancing Hormones for Fertility and Overall Health19:30 Understanding Hormone Supplementation21:46 The Role of Hormones in Aging25:39 Proactive vs. Reactive Hormone Use28:11 Hormones and Disease Prevention30:30 Muscle Health and Aging33:53 The Importance of Supplements and Lifestyle Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.57)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest today, Dr. Nicole Kane. She has this newly published book called Panic Proof, The New Holistic Solution to End Your Anxiety Forever. Very powerful title. Dr. Nicole is a pioneer in integrative approaches for mental and emotional wellness. She holds a degree in clinical psychology and is trained in EMDR. Sheās also licensed as a naturopathic physician. So Dr. Nicole, thank you so much first of all for being with us on the show and congratulations on your new book, Dr. Nicole Cain (00:41.314)Thank you so much. Iām really happy to be here and I love talking about emotional well-being more than almost anything else. So weāre gonna have, I think, beautiful conversation. Kimberly Snyder (00:52.436)I know we will, especially after reading your book. And emotional wellbeing is one of our four cornerstones. And it just came about so organically creating these cornerstones, Dr. Nicole. I worked with clients, there was always this focus on food initially, but then it started to become so clear. Our wellness is holistic. And that really was how my journey unfolded into these cornerstones. Itās like, okay, food, then we have our body. And then thereās this emotional piece, which we know affects our hormones, it affects our digestion. So before we go into the book and some of your tools and teachings, can you tell us a little bit about your story? Just a little bit why you were drawn to focus so much on emotional wellness and a little bit about your own journey with anxiety and panic. Dr. Nicole Cain (01:46.688)Yes, yeah, Iām a wounded healer as many of us are. And we were really intentional when creating the title, End Anxiety Forever. Wow, that activates a lot in a lot of us. End anxiety forever. Itās not just manage anxiety or suppress anxiety or how to stay calm all the time, but end anxiety forever. And Kimberly Snyder (01:51.138)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (02:02.938)you Dr. Nicole Cain (02:16.554)It started with a question. I remember asking myself, can I actually heal from anxiety or is this something Iām gonna have for the rest of my life? And it began with a lot of stress in childhood and thank goodness when weāre kids that we are so adaptable. And I grew up in a stressful household and my little self learned how to adapt. I became hypervigilant. Kimberly Snyder (02:24.282)Mmm. Dr. Nicole Cain (02:45.582)I noticed everything that was happening around me. could see changes in the environment. I could see changes in facial expressions. So I was really good at being hyper aware. And I developed all these skills to then try to manage my environment, whether by fawning or cleaning the house for my parents or whatever it was. But those same traits for those who are listening, if you resonate with that, Kimberly Snyder (03:00.13)Right. Dr. Nicole Cain (03:12.342)that yeah, I grew up and I was really hyper aware. I was really attuned. Iām a people pleaser. We always say people pleasers often start out as parent pleasers that those very adaptations that helped us survive could be the seeds that produce feelings of fear or disempowerment or anxiety or panic. Or as you talk about a lack of that coherence in the mind, the body and the spirit. Kimberly Snyder (03:22.499)Right. Dr. Nicole Cain (03:41.864)And so when I would go to the doctor, the doctor was all about management. And the doctor would say, know, Nicole, anxiety is just a part of the human experience. You just have to deal with it. Our ways of dealing with it is you use top-down strategies, try to talk yourself out of it, or we correct the chemical imbalance with antidepressants. And then going into counseling, I realized that there is Kimberly Snyder (04:04.314)Mm-hmm. Dr. Nicole Cain (04:11.63)a limit to how much we could talk ourselves out of things. I donāt know if youāve ever experienced it, but I sure have where my body may be having an experience and it doesnāt really care what my logical brain has to say. so for those who feel frustrated and theyāve had people say, you know, just calm down, good vibes only think positively. That doesnāt always work, especially Kimberly Snyder (04:25.977)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (04:38.444)Yes. Dr. Nicole Cain (04:39.788)because these adaptations can get stored in non-logical parts of the mind, body, and spirit, non-temporal meaning they could feel like theyāre happening inside and outside of time. So as Iām kind of saying that, it sounds like I see you nodding. I feel like youāre kind of resonating with us. Kimberly Snyder (04:57.602)Yes. I mean, first of all, when we define a stressful household or things that happened in our childhood, it wasnāt until I started to read the first book that really sort of woke me up to this was The Body Keeps the Score by Wiesel van der Kolk. And itās amazing, I think, how much people are talking about trauma now and maladaptive coping mechanisms from childhood. you know, it really doesnāt, it can be Dr. Nicole Cain (05:14.68)Bessel van der Kolk, yeah. Kimberly Snyder (05:27.34)an accident or one particular thing, but it can also be these ways in which our parents made us feel like we had to vie for love or attention. Thereās so many ways I think that we develop patterns that can create anxiety. So I think now we realize how widespread this really is. And so thatās why I think itās really amazing that this conversation is happening between us and also in the collective. And the second thing I wanted to say about this mental idea is yes, we can be logical in our mind, but the body work has been so powerful for me personally and being able to shift out of patterns, including eating disorders and just anxiety myself. And really for me, itās been going into the heart, the physical heart. Dr. Nicole Cain (05:56.451)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (06:21.336)like focusing on the heart and work with heart coherence and also the energetic heart and taking that pause. And I think itās powerful to have these other strategies because to your point, I know people that have been in talk therapy for many years and they seem to be still trapped in that victim mindset or just the same story. So I think itās great that this is becoming something that so many people are talking about. Dr. Nicole Cain (06:44.055)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (06:50.714)And Iām also interested, you know, because weāre talking about anxiety in your subtitle, but then panic in your title. So itās almost like youāre using them synonymously or how would you actually define the difference? Because now a lot of us can say, you know, I feel anxious or I have anxiety, but then panic and panic attacks almost seems to be a separate thing. Dr. Nicole Cain (06:57.005)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (07:11.192)Yes, thatās a really wise question. And when weāre talking about ending anxiety, what does that actually mean? And what does that look like? And how does panic fit into all of this? And if we look at the conventional medical model, they use a book called the DSM, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, weāre on number five at this point, itās a big purple book. And they categorize anxiety into agoraphobia, which would be anxiety in public places like bus stops or baseball games. You know, when weāre outside amongst lots of people, they may say, itās generalized anxiety, or they may say you have panic attacks or panic disorder. And so they look at those separately. But if we were to put on our researcher hat and go into downtown LA, or New York or any city and ask Kimberly Snyder (07:46.927)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (08:07.114)everybody, what does it feel like when you get a little bit stressed, overwhelmed, or activated? Theyāll give you a whole list of symptoms that can affect them from head to toe. And if we reorganize and recategorize all of those symptoms, which I did, is we can put them into approximately nine categories, and I call those the nine types of anxiety. Kimberly Snyder (08:28.43)Why? Dr. Nicole Cain (08:31.272)And then now that we know all the different types of ways people can experience arousal and activation, then we look at how it can occur on a continuum. Because we see from the research that it isnāt distinct separate, now Iām anxious, now Iām not anxious, now Iām panicking, that itās an ever-growing process. And if we can learn how to hear the body when it whispers, weāll be able to Kimberly Snyder (08:42.468)Mm. Dr. Nicole Cain (09:00.384)understand its language, listen to it, and then meet the needs that itās telling us it has before it has to accelerate and amplify into a shout, which would be mild annoyance, mild overwhelm, all the way up into panic, rage, crisis. Kimberly Snyder (09:16.938)Okay, so even annoyance is a type of, Iām getting thrown off, like this is a type of anxiety all the way to the extreme panic. Dr. Nicole Cain (09:26.57)And exactly, I teach it like stoplight strategies. So green light is when youāre feeling really good. Youāre in the flow, you have good coherence, youāre creative, itās that alpha state centered. And then as you get a little bit like more maybe happening more stimuli, maybe from the screen, or maybe your headās just facing forward and youāre reading a book, but the body is like, Iām getting a little stressed, like itās a deer in headlight position in that Kimberly Snyder (09:37.248)Yes, sector. Dr. Nicole Cain (09:56.248)feedback loop gets activated. And then thereās a moment, I call that the pay attention zone, where, ooh, Iām not feeling calm and creative and relaxed anymore. Iām feeling a little activated. And if that activation is paired with a sense of a lack of personal power or agency, then thatās fear, thatās anxiety. And so then as that mounts, maybe you started with a little butterfly in your chest. Kimberly Snyder (10:08.633)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (10:19.704)Hmm. Dr. Nicole Cain (10:25.43)Or maybe your worry brain started going a little faster. And if that continues to amplify more and more and more, weāll get into the yellow zone, which is moderate activation. And if it goes from there and goes into the red light zone, thatās crisis. weak, like a panic attack. Yes. And we can actually stop, reliably stop panic attacks from happening. Kimberly Snyder (10:43.258)Like a panic attack. Dr. Nicole Cain (10:54.924)And we can often teach people how to reprogram the mind, the body, and the other complementary systems so that anxiety is more data and itās no longer anxiety. Itās just data like, Iām feeling a little tension in my chest. What could that be about? Iāve got this. Iām not afraid. Iām listening. And so suddenly the whole conversation changes. Kimberly Snyder (11:08.334)Okay. Kimberly Snyder (11:20.138)letās use a real example so we can break that down because then it starts to feel like weāre still talking and I think what youāre referencing is more of this somatic experience. So two of my family members, Dr. Nicole, have very intense plane phobia. One of them is my grandmother and one time she tried to get back on the plane and she caused such a fuss they actually had to stop the plane. Dr. Nicole Cain (11:32.056)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (11:47.512)It hadnāt taken off yet, but you when youāre going down the runway and go back and let her off, like super intense. So if someone has, and we have a friend whoās really, really anxious about getting in elevators, right? These are like very tangible examples. Even if heās in New York, he will walk up 20 flights of stairs. So someone starts to feel, and what David described to me is this claustrophobia. Dr. Nicole Cain (11:52.163)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (12:01.528)Yeah. Yes. Dr. Nicole Cain (12:06.766)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (12:14.136)I donāt know where did it get created, maybe something else from their childhood. But if someoneās feeling that feeling on the extreme end of your scale, I imagine, what are some of the very things we do? Because youāve been sitting on the plane, you can tell yourself, hey, thereās not a threat, but your body is registering a pretty big threat at that time. Dr. Nicole Cain (12:25.4)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (12:37.25)love how in sync we are with this Kimberly. I was thinking about a tangible example of flying because I used to have a horrible fear of flying. I was on a plane and weāre coming into Phoenix and thereās a lot of mountain air like hot air rising from the mountains. We hit a pocket of air in the plane like did this really quick kind of side tip and everyone around me had a very big emotional reaction which set my nervous system into like, Kimberly Snyder (12:42.701)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (12:47.682)Bye. Kimberly Snyder (13:05.57)Dr. Nicole Cain (13:06.434)weāre gonna die. So I PTSD for over a decade flying, but I travel all the time. So I just had to keep getting on these flights and I just cry in the fetal position the whole time. And so I love the example of the flying and the way that itās different for me. And then we could kind of unpack this a little bit more. Kimberly Snyder (13:09.305)Yeah Kimberly Snyder (13:17.124)Wow. Dr. Nicole Cain (13:26.744)But the way that itās different for me now is I actually just flew into Michigan two days ago and we followed this huge storm front. There were tornadoes in Michigan. It was like this giant storm front that went through like the entire north part of the US all the way across. And so Iām getting alerts like tornadoes, severe weather, and Iām getting on a plane and Iām in recovery from really horrible fear of flying. So my body remembered that a little bit. So Iām on the plane and I notice that the skin of my hand is starting to feel a little hot. And thatās my pay attention is oftentimes it will start with like a little bit my body is heating up. And then if I donāt address it and back in the day it would then turn into burning, which would then turn into electric zaps running through my teeth and claustrophobia and like, Kimberly Snyder (14:05.274)Mmm. Kimberly Snyder (14:20.354)Hmm. Yes. Like Iām s- Dr. Nicole Cain (14:23.362)chewing on ice, trapped in there, right? And so thereās a couple of things if we unpack what happens in that moment for those who are like, my gosh, Iām here, happens to me in the highway, Kaneās talking about a plane, itās the same biological process. So in that moment, thereās something, a memory or an activating event, an adaptation. that in that moment when the plane starts bumping or whatever it is, that the amygdala, that emotional processing part of the brain decides that weāre in danger for whatever reason. And we could totally unpack whatever those root causes are. And we do that in the book. But weāll walk through kind of the biology of it first. And so the amygdala is like, we might be in danger. Weāre getting alerts and thereās storms. what if this? What if that? And so that sends an automatic cascade down to the body, which will result in cortisol, stress hormone being produced, adrenaline being produced. And so we experience this autonomic arousal, this kind of fight, flight, freeze, flop, fawn, or fracture response. And what will happen then as a result of all those chemicals is the logical brain gets down-regulated. So that top down, when you go to the therapist and theyāre like, just think logically, you know that the plane loves to fly, can go through hurricanes, itās fine, itās all safe, youāre just feeling nervous. That part of your brain isnāt accessible. So like your grandmother, when she gets really frightened on the flight, she doesnāt have access to this logical part of herself because the body is like, weāre not analyzing the tiger. We donāt care about your wellbeing. We care about your safety. So weāre just gonna run away. Kimberly Snyder (16:08.729)Right. Dr. Nicole Cain (16:16.824)but sheās stuck on a plane, right? So I have a four step process for how to reprogram this. And so that when I was on the flight yesterday after practicing these four steps, I noticed my skin getting a little hot and I didnāt have the fear or the anxiety paired with it. And thatās the key difference is how can we feel the information from the body with compassion and curiosity Kimberly Snyder (16:41.113)Mm. Dr. Nicole Cain (16:45.814)and then respond to that. So what I knew is that my amygdala was getting a little louder. And instead of almost jumping in the stream and being carried downstream is I was like, I need to activate my logical brain. so using before things become red light zone, once weāre in that little pay attention zone, we still have the opportunity to activate logical brain. and logical brain can shut down that fear cascade. So I was on the plane, I noticed a little heat, I was like, thank you, body. And then I started doing some of these techniques and I had a great flight and I didnāt cry and I didnāt have a panic attack and it was wonderful. So thereās the beginning and we can totally unpack that more. Kimberly Snyder (17:17.306)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (17:31.992)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (17:36.802)Yeah, I really have that personal experience of the thoughts spinning. I think a lot of us start to feel like, you know, thereās nowhere to go. I canāt get off. Weāre up in the air. Iām trapped in here. And it can start to feel so terrifying to even be in your body. So yeah, that whole brain. so, you know, for me, with this body work, Dr. Nicole, it has been so much. Dr. Nicole Cain (17:42.478)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (17:55.053)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (18:03.236)coming to this other brain, right? Because the heart is a brain too with 40,000 neurons. And all this research helped me with, first of the spiritual, but then Dr. Roland McCready, whoās with HeartMath, is that we can change our perceptions in this other way of dropping in, because then thereās actually more messages from the heart up to the brain. So itās like these tools, which Iām really interested in learning about all the heart work and other ones, where itās not just relying. on the brain. And then of course, as we get regulated, then it does start to bring in that common sense thinking again, and not the circular thinking and, you know, going around and around. I noticed it this weekend, Dr. Nicole, because I was at a very crowded chess tournament. My older son plays chess, and I donāt like crowds, like you were saying back to your spectrum. Itās not that I donāt, I do a lot of speaking or, you Iāll be on stage, but then thereās kind of like, itās like organized. Thereās a book signing afterwards or whatever, but Iāve never liked music festivals where Iām sort of in the throes of everyone moving around. And thatās what this chess tournament was, like the jostling of all the parents and the kids. and I did notice that activation. And then I dropped in and soothed myself where I think in the past, and if we donāt have these tools, itās easy to just spend. Dr. Nicole Cain (19:10.327)Mm. Dr. Nicole Cain (19:16.91)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (19:23.474)And then like you said, the cortisol, the hormones can get out of whack. So whatās an actual physical practice? You know, I talk a lot about the heart coherence work that you have, that you talk about in your book. As you mentioned, a bottom-up approach, not just talk therapy, but how we can regulate the nervous system in our bodies when we notice weāre activated. Dr. Nicole Cain (19:38.872)Yeah. Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (19:46.648)I want to begin by honoring you for noticing that and allowing yourself. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (19:50.106)Itās like in time, Because we learn, as you said, to listen to our bodies again. Dr. Nicole Cain (19:55.572)Yeah, yeah, you could have just popped a Xanax and suppressed it and or you could have been like, what is an herb like theanine or kava kava. And so I want to honor you for doing the harder work that takes the time to listen to notice to honor, and then to soothe. So I honor that. And so in that moment, it sounds like what you were describing is a little bit of yellow light. So youāre a little bit more activated. It wasnāt at that moment where it was still like, ooh, Iām noticing I can still cognitively manage this. It sounds like your body was getting a little bit more yellow light. So in that yellow light zone, we want to do exactly what you said. We want to use bottom up because that logical brain, itās not going to change the body. We just start with the body. And so Iād love to actually just to make it Kimberly Snyder (20:37.315)Yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (20:53.748)organized for people who may be newer to this conversation is go through it one step at a time, each of the four steps of what that bottom up might look like. Would that be okay? Super. step one is any time that we notice that weāre activated, we want to go to the body. And the best way I found to go to the body is with sound, touch, taste, temperature, breath. Kimberly Snyder (21:00.9)Okay. Air. Dr. Nicole Cain (21:21.142)And you mentioned that you went to the heart, you went to the breath. Our breath is always with us. Our breath is free and it can be very powerful. And just like for those whoāve seen heart math, you can actually watch how the breath can change your heart coherence. You can watch out, can change the way that your nervous system is responding in real time. And so for those who need the proof, who need to see it, heart math is good for that. I also have a hack for how you can do that. Kimberly Snyder (21:21.274)Mm. Dr. Nicole Cain (21:51.104)if you donāt have an aura ring, if you donāt have a biofeedback device, and itās by feeling our very own pulse. May I show you? Kimberly Snyder (21:59.404)Yes. And when I say heart math, we did a research study with heart math and youāre not that you ever have to, you know, do an H, you donāt have to have any sort of HRV device. Although HR, you know, heart math does have their wave pro equipment. itās more about, you know, tuning in to how your heart, starts to calm your thoughts, but you donāt have to have, just to be clear, I donāt mean you need any sort of numerical feedback device, cause I donāt use one myself. Dr. Nicole Cain (22:08.6)Yeah, yeah. Dr. Nicole Cain (22:15.406)Mm. Dr. Nicole Cain (22:27.988)my gosh, itās so brilliant. I actually, when I was learning about all this, I loved heart math because I needed to see it. I was like, donāt tell me to breathe. I donāt feel any differe
Practices to Do Right Before Bed to Improve Your Energy with Oliver Nino [Episode #1006]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Oliver NiƱo Summary: In this enlightening conversation, Oliver Nino, a New York Times bestselling author and energy healer, shares his insights on the importance of energy in self-healing and personal growth. He discusses his journey from skepticism to becoming a healer, emphasizing that everyone has the potential to tap into their own healing abilities. The conversation explores the significance of setting intentions, the role of love in healing, and practical nighttime practices to manage energy effectively. Oliver also highlights the importance of relationships in the healing process and how love can facilitate deeper healing. The discussion concludes with practical tips for energy cleansing and the transformative power of intention in finding love and purpose. About Oliver NiƱo Oliver NiƱo is a New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, energy healer, and spiritual activation expert and the creator of Geo Love Healing, an online company designed to help individuals master their energy and unblock themselves. His latest book is called Spiritual Activator: 5 Steps to Clearing, Unblocking, and Protecting Your Energy to Attract More Love, Joy, and Purpose. Guest Resources: Website: dothisbeforebed.com Book: Book Do This Before Bed: Simple 5-Minute Practices That Will Change Your Life Ā Ā Episode Sponsors: LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Energy Healing and Oliver Nino 02:00 The Importance of Energy in Self-Healing 05:59 Personal Journey into Energy Work 09:53 Becoming Your Own Healer 11:51 The Role of Relationships in Healing 18:08 Setting Intentions for Transformation 21:58 The Power of Love in Healing 30:02 Mastering Nighttime Practices for Energy Management 36:04 Practical Tips for Energy Cleansing and Self-Care 39:58 Finding Love Through Healing and Intention Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.876)Hi everyone, welcome back to our Monday show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with me today, Oliver Nino, who is a New York Times bestselling author, an entrepreneur, energy healer, spiritual activation expert, and creator of Geo Love Healing, an online company designed to help individuals master their energy and unblock themselves. Such a powerful word, unblock. His new Oliver Nino (00:25.071)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:29.868)His latest book is called Spiritual Activator, Five Steps to Clearing, Unblocking and Protecting Your Energy to Attract More Love, Joy and Purpose. And his other book, which I also want to talk about today, Do This Before Bed, Simple Five Minute Practices That Will Change Your Life. Oliver, thank you so much for being here with us today. Oliver Nino (00:50.028)Kimberly, thank you so much. Iāve been so excited for this. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:53.07)Iām so excited. I love your background, by the way. If you guys are listening to this, please hop on our YouTube channel to see this very cosmic, expansive background behind Oliver. just matches energy wise, what youāre talking about in your books. just, you feel this openness, right? Oliver Nino (01:13.61)Yeah, mean, honestly, like to me, I wanted something thatās like, what can I have in the background thatās kind of like gets peopleās energy kind of like in a good place. So we, know, chalk in our tech folk or the tech folk behind there. Theyāre the ones that are making sure everyoneās like visual experience is also amazing, right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:30.808)So I love, know, even talking about energy just feels so expansive. And some people may say like, energy healing, whatās that? So I love how in your books you go right into, hey, everythingās energy, right? And weāve been, weāve heard so much about quantum physics now and just how this limited Newtonian view of separation has been so outdated for so long and this interconnectivity. In my last book, all it was about the heart and heart coherence and how all these fields intersect. So can you first tell us a little bit about, you know, energy in general, how energy, mean, such a big question, but just, you know, just top line, why itās so fundamental that weāre working with energy when weāre talking about self healing, unblocking, expansion, attraction, and also a little bit about how you came into this work in the first place. Oliver Nino (02:21.142)Mm. Oliver Nino (02:25.28)Yeah. Yeah. to me, the way I look at energy, itās almost like itās, itās oxygen, itās sunlight, right? Whether people believe in it or not, itās something that affects us. And to me, I think the unique thing about my background is like, I didnāt start out with, with energy. Actually, I started out as an entrepreneur, very successful in different ventures, you know, and, and, and throughout the process, you know, wanting to better myself, wanting to heal, wanting to have abundance in all areas of life. felt like. You know, I felt like there was more to life than what I was experiencing, but I couldnāt experience what, you know, what that was. And I didnāt know why it wasnāt for lack of trying out. I tried a lot of different modalities, but you know, some work, some work for the moment, but nothing really got me to where I wanted to go. And that was my first focus is I just wanted a better life. I just wanted to heal from pain, heal from trauma. You know, I just wanted, you know, to like release resentment and anger. wanted to feel good in my body. wanted to, you know, have. better finances and then better relationships and the whole thing. And what I realized is energy is the one thing that affects us all that nobody talks about. Because to me, funny enough, like you mentioned, youāre in California, my first awakening was, gosh, was 20 years ago, I had a energy healing from a healer in Tabanga Canyon. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:51.405)Hmm Oliver Nino (03:52.29)For the very first time, I was very, very skeptical. cause I, and that was before, like right before the secret came out, before energy was even a thing. And I was very skeptical, but I was open-minded. I was like, Iām going to try it once. If you come highly. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:02.744)with absence or hands-on healing. Oliver Nino (04:05.57)Um, I went to see him, this person, he was visiting from Australia and he didnāt touch me. He was like, he was close. He had crystals and doing all those different things, but he didnāt, he, he wasnāt hands on like a massage, like a body worker. It was just waving a lot of crystals, making a lot of sounds. And I thought I was like, gosh, one is, is this a, is this a cult? And what, kind of stuff did I sign up for? My mind was very, very negative the entire time. And, and I was skeptical. didnāt see anything. I didnāt feel anything. I was very, very irritated. And at of the healing, I remember he said, you know what? I released a lot of abundance blocks that you had in your heart. And these abundance blocks were passed on to you generationally. Your dad had it, his dad had it. And that was what was stopping you. And for me, went to one ear, came out the other. I was like, okay, sure. Now Iāve got abundance blocks. Great. you know, not only did I get a healing, I got his Australian fortune cookie too. Tell him you my fortune, right? so I left there and he goes like, before I left, he was like, the next four to five weeks, youāre going to have a windfall of abundance. And Iām like, okay, you know, walked out, didnāt think anything of it. You know, four to five weeks later, you know, I, opportunity came and I ended up making more in one day than in an entire year. Right. And I was like, what is this energy thing? Whatās going on? What, how can it do this? How can it do something that is so impossible in my mind and do it even if Iām Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:20.216)Mmm. Oliver Nino (05:31.458)skeptical, right? So to me, thatās my first introduction to it. Thatās that got me down the rabbit hole of like, if this is what one session can do, then what do I not know about energy? What else can it do? How else can it change my life? And that started my passion and earlier on obsession and passion, for, energy work. But to me, energy is the thing that affects us all. Like if you think about it, even if you donāt believe in energy, you can all relate to, if you go into a mall, right. And next thing you know, thereās a little bit. too many people around you or someoneās anxious, we tend to feel it. Like not only in energetic system, sometimes some people is like the nervous system feels it and our body reacts, right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:09.154)I feel it very much. Iām like, yes, I understand. Oliver Nino (06:11.97)Yeah. And to me, itās almost, itās the same thing. I hear people all the time, but I donāt believe in energy. then they, donāt know what it is, but then theyāre the type of people where, someoneās, you know, you feel like someoneās staring at you and you look and they are staring at you. can feel it. Like theyāre looking at you. Or for me, itās like those crazy things to where youāre thinking of somebody you havenāt thought of them for a while. Next thing you know, they call, they text, you bump into them and youāre like, whatās going on? Cause to us, thereās this invisible field that connects us all. And thatās energy. And to me, I think itās one of the things thatās always been there since the beginning of time. And the more we become aware of it, I think the better weāre able to navigate life itself, you know? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:49.238)Absolutely. I also love that this was your first experience was going to someone and you were skeptical and then you had this incredible experience and now youāre working with energy all the time and doing healings and having all these events and teaching people and teaching teachers. So do you believe Oliver, we all have this potential to tune in or do you think in this lifetime, some maybe more, depending on what we believe with reincarnation like Oliver Nino (06:57.12)Yep. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:18.964)know, able to tune in more and be, Iāll use the word healers. Oliver Nino (07:24.704)Yeah. Yeah. It was, it was interesting because like, most healers that you see out there, like, you know, theyāre, Iām, Iām, Iām a little bit different in a way to, Iām mostly left brain. Iām mostly analytical. Iām mostly in business. Iām mostly ground. I, kind of figured out all the other stuff before I jumped into it. and what I realized is I met so many people, and maybe because Iām a little bit more biased. but everyone that Iāve met in my experience in the last, in the last 20 years, are people that. are gifted. The question is, will they step into their gift in this lifetime is another question. Because Iāve met people that are, you know, their lives have spiraled and theyāre in a dark place. And when people are around them, theyāre like, they feel like they get drained of energy. And when Iām around that person, Iām like, person has a gift, right? But are they willing to explore? Are they willing to heal? Are they willing to step into it is another question. So to me, Iāve come from the belief based on what Iāve seen. And what Iāve, you what Iāve, what Iāve known is that everybody has it within them. Right. And at certain times, you know, whether itās a heartbreak, like, you know, you know, you get a diagnosis, like you can do an accident, midlife crisis, like, something happens in your life where we reevaluate and weāre like, you know, things have to be better. And we tap into what we have within the light within sometimes things have to happen for us to tap into it. And sometimes we just seek it out because we feel like lifeās Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:46.775)Yes. Oliver Nino (08:50.9)not as fulfilling as it can be, right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:53.174)Yes. And also, you know, back to your story, for many of us listening, weāre like, that sounds great. I can just go to a guy and he can wave crystals over me and I get all this money. It sounds amazing. But in your books, you also talk about, you know, working with our own self-conscious, subconscious work we have to do, doing the affirmations, doing practices before bed. So there is, you know, free will involved. Itās not that we want to show up at You know the healers and keep going or Oliver Nino (09:24.778)Yeah. I mean, I, I tell people Iām a big believer because this is what I did. To me, Iām glad and thankful that there are people out there that, you know, shine their light and did healing back then. And I was able to experience, but Iām, Iāve been in the very beginning. I was a little bit more of a control freak in a way to like, thatās great. But what if I need healing every week or every other week or every other day? Cause life happens. I donāt want to, you know, be at the mercy of somebody doing a healing. Right. And cause I wanted to. have the skills. thatās that led me that opened my eyes, show me what was possible. you know, shortly after that, I went deep dive into how can I become my own healer? How can and what I realized is we all have the ability to affect our energetic fields, you know, and, and really cause our bodies, our minds, our emotions and to go into a self healing state to where it rectifies things and we, you know, we feel better, think better, you know, and and experience good things as a result of it. So to me, I am a big believer that yes, the beginning, yeah, you can have people show you the way, you can have crystals, you can have things that are training wheels, but ultimately I believe that we all have it within and we are our own healers. And thatās a journey that I wish a lot of people took up more. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:44.59)You know, itās unfolding all the time, right Oliver? Iāll give you an example. When I met my husband and it was this like incredible love and then we got together and there was this closeness and then this trauma came up that wasnāt, I wasnāt aware of in my prior relationships and I hadnāt loved in the same way. And then in front of all this old stuff, was like unfolding and then that comes up, old patterns, right? And then, you know, itās that awareness and working with that energy. And I wouldnāt have worked with that energy, you know, 10 years ago. So itās like, we just keep evolving, I think, as humans. And like you said, modalities and tools to keep supporting ourselves. Itās such an important part of self care. Oliver Nino (11:24.866)Yeah, itās super important because to me, I feel like weāre never done growing. mean, yeah. Can you get to a place to where youāve got everything that you want in life? And I have people that Iāve helped that you would look at their lives and youāre like, they have everything they want in life. What else could they possibly have? And to me, a lot of times when you have it all and then youāre supported and when you have that bandwidth is at times when the next layer of healing shows up because youāre strong enough to handle it. Because in the past, youāre not You know, if you havenāt, you donāt have the resources, whether itās the environment or internal, right. then youāre the toughest stuff wonāt, wonāt come up to heal because itās not ready to be healed. The environmentās not there to heal it, or itās not relevant to be healed. But to me, a lot of my biggest growth happened, you know, happens in relationships, right? It, it, makes us feel safe enough at times to be like, I can now process this stuff. And then when we process it, life gets better, right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:09.005)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:18.126)So when youāre working with energy, Oliver, and Iām getting goosebumps now, is it something youāre just feeling or are you seeing colors or is there any visual component or is it more, is it just a different type of sense? Oliver Nino (12:25.729)Mm. Oliver Nino (12:33.938)Itās different because like, so I teach people how to do it as well. And itās very, very different for everybody. I, I, I look at it as people have different ways they process energy. Iām more of a feeler. So when Iām working with somebody, I can try to imagine stuff, but to me, I feel the heat. I feel where the block is. feel, you know, where the resistance, I feel where trauma is stuck. I might have another healer, you know, that Iāve trained and they donāt feel stuff when theyāre doing that. They can see it. They can see it vividly. They can see it clearly. I might have other people like when theyāre doing. You know, when theyāre running their hands over, you know, they get the information, like itās just coming to them what it is. Not even, not even seeing, not even feeling itās snowing. Right. So to me, the way I look at it is weāre all different. some people see, some people feel, some people know, some people smell, some people hear. And we, but just because thatās where you start, doesnāt mean thatās all available to you. To me, thatās, those are like the ones that are awake right now. And as you explore more can actually open up for you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:31.158)And can you turn it on and off? Or you just start looking at the grocery store and youāre like, this person in line ahead of me is like some big drop. Oliver Nino (13:33.899)Yo. Mm, mm. Well, to me, honestly, like, I feel like we are all born with it on. If you look at kids, theyāre very, you know, in tune, very sensitive, very in tune, very just knowledgeable. And they, they, theyāre high vibrational and through life, we actually turn it off. We actually dim our lights to, fit in so that weāre not judged or maybe as a kid, we feel too much and itās no one gave us a tool. So we shut it off. So weāre not feeling too much. Right. Or at times Iāve seen it to where. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:44.045)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:06.253)Yeah. Oliver Nino (14:08.789)You you might, you might get rejected or ridiculed for it or your parents or someoneās afraid of it. So you turn it off just to fit in. So thereās a lot of reasons why we turn it. We try to turn it off, but to me, itās, itās, itās running underneath the surface. It always, itās always there and itās going to visit us later, later in life to remind us that we have it. But yeah, to me at the very beginning, itās tough. went to when, when I was the very beginning of my journey. I would go to grocery stores and I would feel everyoneās energy. would, you know, and I would, I would be affected by it. And I want to protect myself. Right. And the longer Iāve done this, I realized that that was one way of doing it. And at different levels, like, you know, your, your, your vibration becomes your protection. So when you, when you work on yourself in a lot, youāre in a high vibration, you walk into that store. And in the past, if people are negative, theyāre affecting you. But when youāre in a high vibration, it kind of flips. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:53.602)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:04.824)Yes. Oliver Nino (15:04.916)Youāre affecting people positively because energy goes both ways. If they can drag you down, you can lift them up. So to me, what Iāve realized long-term is working on your vibration, your energy puts you high to where that becomes your best protection. Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:18.872)my gosh, itās so funny, Oliver, when I used to teach yoga, when I first got back from backpacking, I would go in the bathroom before I would teach and I would do these Reiki protection symbols over myself. And then I realized over time, like youāre saying, like when I feel really strong in my energy, Iām not scared to be around people or touch them. I may notice, like you said, like, this person feels a little bit, you know. Oliver Nino (15:42.562)Yeah. And it kind of becomes more empowering because at the very beginning, think, you know, a lot of people go through it for like, they, they take on energy and theyāre like, Ooh, people can affect me. But then Iāve seen people, Iām like, how is it that there are people that walk into the room and they just lift the whole room up with their energy? And that fascinated me. mean, the first experience that Iāve had was, um, have you heard of, um, The hugging saints. So I know we, got, I got exposed to her in 2005 and I was just, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:05.302)Yes, on the hug. Oliver Nino (16:12.662)baffled to where like, know, in LA, when she landed, I would feel the energy shift and I was, you know, 30, 40 minutes away from the hotel. would feel the energy of the city shift and I would walk into the hotel room, you know, and see people and they were crying before they even saw her because her energy field was so healing. She has done a lot of work that anyone thatās in that field, they experienced the shifts. So to me, That was one of my first, examples of like, wow, there are people that can actually impact other people by just their presence without even talking to them. Right. So I kind of started seeing two parts of the picture or more than one of just like, wow, they can affect me negatively. was like, Hmm. People can also affect you positively. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:01.198)So back to your practical work and your books. And thereās a part in the book, and itās in the beginning where you talk about to manifest, to create what we want. Thereās also this, Iām paraphrasing here, this detoxing, healing thatās also so important because weāre saying we want something, but our underlying subconscious beliefs are blocking us. And then itās not really working. Oliver Nino (17:27.413)Yes. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:30.51)How would we even get started? What are some of really preliminary ways in which you would tell people, Is the unblocking first? Is the expanding? Is there a practice that does both? Oliver Nino (17:41.189)Right. so itās a good example. Like some people that are like, you know, they might be like, I want to find love, like, you know, I want to find love and I want to just someone to love me and I want them to be healthy and I want them to be a happy relationship. Right. And then maybe one of their, their beliefs, conscious or unconscious is like, everyoneās going to hurt me. They can see me, they can hurt me. Right. Or it could even be like, I want to make more money. But then one of their beliefs that I heard from their parents is like, moneyās a root of all evil or youāre lonely at top. Right. So To me, thereās these conflicting things. And a lot of the times, you youād be surprised when somebody just sets an intention of like, you know, I donāt know whatās blocking me, right? But I want to release them. Anything thatās blocking me, anything thatās blocking me from more love of abundance, Iām ready to release them. When people set an intention, to me, itās like the power of prayer. Like, and Iāve seen a lot of stories, you know, of it to where peopleā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:21.23)Mm. Oliver Nino (18:37.346)pray and they have strong intentions and then somebody has spontaneous healing or this miracle happens and they didnāt do any energy work other than prayer and intention, which to me is a form of energy work. When youāre sending an intention and a prayer, itās not your illogical mind asking, itās your soul making the request at the highest level. to me, it gets processed at higher levels. to me, You know, if you, if you want to change at times, you can just start with the intention of like, I donāt know what the next steps are, but I am open. And when things show up, Iāll take action on it. And youād be surprised with how many people that that step alone starts this ripple effect of, of transformation and change, right? It doesnāt have to be, you know, you got to do this and this and this and that. I mean, that can come up, but to me, it all starts with the intention and decision that, you know, what I want to, I want my life to be better and Iām open for it to be better. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:29.518)Well, and it sounds so genuine the way youāre putting it, right? Itās sort of like Iām down on my knees. I know somethingās not working. I really want my life to shift. It feels so heartfelt. Oliver Nino (19:39.217)Itās heartfelt. Itās surrender. It is surrender. is us being like, you know, Iām not going to use my mind to figure it out. I surrender it to a higher power or whatever people believe in. Iām just getting out of the way to let, you know, to be led. And to me, itās one of the most powerful things Iāve seen cross culture, cross country, cross time is like power of intention and prayer. I mean, of course thereās a lot of other things people can do, but to me, thatās probably one of the most underrated things because itās so simple. You know, we think we think we got to do 10 steps, but in reality, like my wife, the same thing to me, you know, when I met her, she was the master of intention and prayer, right? She, you know, in her life, she leaned on that a lot and it moved mountains for her. and to me, itās one of the things to where people think, itās step number one to me. can be, like, yeah, itās that number one, but it can also be the only set that you do. Iāve seen peopleās lives change. just that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:32.522)And do you think, like, you know, weāre talking about heartfelt, like, itās kind of like superseding the mind, weāre going into the soul, that itās not necessary for some, maybe for some it can be important, but to kind of delve into all the trauma and like understand or try to understand mentally all the things that happened. And Iām not saying bypass, but if you surrender and say, well, I know thereās all these blocks and I want to change my energy. Can you go that way? Oliver Nino (20:58.314)Yeah. I mean, to me,
How Lifestyle and Bio-Identical Hormone options can help balance your hormones with Dr Erika Schwartz [Episode #1005]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Erika Schwartz About Dr. Erika Schwartz In this engaging conversation, Kimberly Snyder interviews Dr. Caroline Leaf, a renowned neuroscientist and author, about her latest book, āHelp in a Hurry.ā They explore the profound distinction between the mind and the brain, emphasizing the importance of understanding the non-conscious mind and its role in managing thoughts and emotions. Dr. Leaf shares practical tools for self-regulation, particularly in moments of stress and regret, and discusses the impact of our thoughts on our physical health. The conversation highlights the power of self-awareness and the ability to create positive energy in the world. Guest Resources: Website: https://drerika.com/ Podcast: Redefining Medicine podcast Book: Donāt Let Your Doctor Kill You: How to Beat Physician Arrogance, Corporate Greed and a Broken System Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hormonal Health and Dr. Erica Schwartz01:52 The Importance of Bioidentical Hormones05:57 Misconceptions and Historical Context of Hormone Therapy09:50 Empowering Women to Understand Their Bodies13:53 Navigating Hormone Therapy: Timing and Longevity17:40 Balancing Hormones for Fertility and Overall Health19:30 Understanding Hormone Supplementation21:46 The Role of Hormones in Aging25:39 Proactive vs. Reactive Hormone Use28:11 Hormones and Disease Prevention30:30 Muscle Health and Aging33:53 The Importance of Supplements and Lifestyle Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:02.595)Hi everyone and welcome back for our Monday show. We have a very special guest here with us today. Iām so excited to chat with Dr. Erica Schwartz, who is a bestselling author. Sheās the founder of Evolved Science, a world renowned medical practice based in New York City, built on the recognition that bioidentical hormones are the foundation for better health. She has eight books out. Sheās been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail, Vogue. Town and Country, the New York Post, and regularly on many television shows. goes on and on. Dr. Erica, thank you so much for being here with us today and sharing some of your wisdom. Dr Erika (00:44.782)Kimberly, thank you for having me. Itās such a pleasure. kidding? I think you have accomplished just as much, if not more, than I have. So I think thatās pretty impressive. Youāre impressive. And Iām really honored to be on your show. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:55.631)your energy is so beautiful, Dr. Erica. I can feel your heart. I can feel your authentic, really wanting to support, especially women. I feel like, you now, Dr. Erica, thereās so much discussion around hormones. When I think about my momās generation and my grandmother, especially in different parts of the world, you my momās side is from the Philippines. I feel like we didnāt talk about hormones that much. And now all of a sudden itās sort of like everywhere. Youāve been talking about this for, wow, yeah. Dr Erika (01:30.798)30 years. So yes, itās, you know what I say, I am thrilled to have lived long enough to see it happen. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:39.822)Yes. Dr Erika (01:39.886)because 30 years ago when I started working with hormones, people thought I had lost my mind. And I was like, no, all this data is wrong. Everything that theyāre coming up with is wrong. And it was really rough. now it turns out that I have patients whoāve been with me for more than 30 years, that Iāve been taking hormones more than 30 years. And it turns out that it was the right thing. And itās justā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:56.877)Wow. Dr Erika (02:04.82)unfair for these poor women who still suffering because the information is still missing. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:11.661)Yes. Well, let me ask you, Dr. Erica, letās talk about some of this information because I know youāre a proponent of lifestyle as well and healthy food and exercise and all these aspects, which I want to talk about. But since, you know, the bioidentical hormones, is this something that we should pursue only when we start to feel adverse symptoms? Is it possible for many women to not feel those symptoms, to sort of glide through perimenopause and menopause? Dr Erika (02:21.07)Thank you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:39.339)Or is it something thatās more your opinion proactive? Dr Erika (02:44.6)Kimberly, thatās such a great question. So this is the thing. I think that everybody should be on hormones. I think that when you go on hormones, depends on your own individual needs. I think that because thereās such confusing and mixed messaging coming around, but thereās more and more realistic stuff coming through. I think it depends on, you know, there are a lot of women who donāt even know that there are such things as symptoms around menopause. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:50.244)Mmm. Dr Erika (03:13.262)They donāt even know that that exists. So if you start having symptoms, by all means you should be on hormones. You should see a doctor or a provider, nurse practitioner, SPAs, they know how to provide services because they know how to take the bloods. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:13.646)Right. Dr Erika (03:32.438)evaluate you, you want to find somebody who cares about you, individual, the person, and who actually knows what theyāre talking about. Because recently, thereās like a total on, you know, onslaught of Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:36.845)Yes. Dr Erika (03:49.464)hormone experts. And the truth is theyāre not because they havenāt known about it long enough to know what do. You know, I teach at the American College of Anti-Aging Medicine, A4M, and we train a lot of doctors and a lot of providers. But the thing is, thereās still many, many more who need help. And in the conventional medical system, the medical education is completely zero on it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:54.945)Wait! Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:11.097)Right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:19.001)Wait. Dr Erika (04:19.408)no education, the North American Menopause Society, the menopause practitioners, they really are very, far behind. And Iāll give you an example that when this whole thing started in 2002 with that study that really put us behind the eight ball, was the, they sent out, and this is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology in North America Menopause Society, where all women turned to, and Iām a conventional doctor, trained doctor and what they did is they sent out this like a pamphlet telling women that what you should tell your patients since you couldnāt give them hormones anymore was that they should wear layers they should stay in dark rooms Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:50.093)Yes. Dr Erika (05:12.078)It was so offensive to me because I was working with hormones already. I couldnāt believe it. But you have to think that this is where theyāre coming from. And that was only in 2003. So youāre talking about 23 years, 22 years ago. So thereās a long way to go to get the information out to everybody and get the right information out. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:34.848)That study youāre referring to, doctor, was linking hormones to cancer, correct? Dr Erika (05:41.482)It was a study that did not use bioidentical hormones. They used a synthetic form of hormones that came from Franklin Horseās urine. And that study said that came out stopped early because supposedly there was an increased incidence of breast cancer. in the study and strokes and, you know, strokes and blood clots. The truth is that the study was wrong. The women that were studied in the study were women that were older. They were more than 10 years after menopause. They were, a lot of them had pre-existing conditions, meaning like there were smokers, they had all kinds of other medical problems. So, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:19.567)Huh. Dr Erika (06:30.05)the study was just wrong. The fact that it was wrong, it just was wrong. And then what happened is that the principal investigators did take back the information, but unfortunately the media never covered that. So doctors never knew about it. The women never knew about it. And it took until in the past four or five years, 10 years maybe that Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:31.695)It was spewed. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:45.827)Hmm. Dr Erika (06:58.344)Women are now talking about menopause, peri-menopause, theyāre talking about hormones, and the information is very clear. And you know, the surgeon general and the FDA right now, theyāre taking off the black box warning off of estrogens because there was no connection between taking estrogen and breast cancer and taking estrogen and getting ovarian cancer or whatever. It was just crazy. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:00.45)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:22.829)Great. Dr Erika (07:26.816)The truth behind it is that it was all about money and it was about Big Pharma having paid for the study that was supposedly the government sponsored study, but it wasnāt. It was Big Pharma paid for it. And Big Pharma paid for the hormones that they were using in the study. And then they thought that it was going to be the eternal, you know, the fountain of use, but it turns out that it wasnāt. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:36.047)Mmm. Dr Erika (07:54.198)It wasnāt even right because it was the wrong population. So anyway, make our long story short, they got scared because the last thing they wanted was for the public to know that it was the government had taken money from big pharma to conduct a study that wasnāt right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:14.937)So Big Pharma didnāt want women to know about bioidentical hormones so they could potentially sell other medications or aids for women to deal with the symptoms. Is that sort of the gist? Dr Erika (08:26.784)Right. So, yeah, thatās the gist because essentially, and this is the funny thing, know, women get antidepressants when theyāre perimenopause. I mean, women take more antidepressants than anything else. And you think about it, are we missing antidepressants in our system? Well, I donāt think so. I bet you donāt think so. We donāt have antidepressants there. There are a lot of ways to get rid of the depression and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:54.671)Great. Dr Erika (08:55.342)lifestyle being the number one that you talk about so eloquently and so correctly and Diet exercise stress management everything you talk about and talking about for 30 years So I agree with you a hundred percent and then hormones you missing hormones when the hormones start going out of whack Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:06.018)Yes. Dr Erika (09:17.878)Thatās what you need to do is balance the hormones, not give women antidepressants and basically take them out of the workforce, take them out of society, make them basically unnecessary. Itās terrible. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:23.18)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:33.325)Letās get a little specific, Dr. Erica, when you say hormones, you mentioned estrogen. Are we also talking about progesterone, testosterone? Dr Erika (09:42.306)Thyroid, adrenal, yes. Weāre talking. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:44.495)So thereās a whole mix that you would have to meet with a doctor such as yourself to see whatās right for your body. Dr Erika (09:50.124)Well, I think it would be best to do that. People become their own doctors. you know, sometimes thatās not so bad, because I think that in the conventional world, weāre not helping our patients. You know, I have this book coming out, re-released actually, September 2nd, itās called Donāt Let Your Doctor Kill You. And itās the truth. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:57.465)right Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:07.524)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:15.915)What a great title. Dr Erika (10:17.886)Thanks. But you know, itās coming back out and weāve expanded. The first time it came out was like 10 years ago. And then we added COVID and AI and a lot of pieces to it and more stories. And the thing is that in the conventional world, you really donāt get the help you need. And women, and I think that one of the most important messages is you live in your own body. I donāt live in your body. The doctor doesnāt live in your body. So listen to your body, learn to listen. And once you listen to your body, then you can actually follow advice or not. Itās your decision. And in the conventional world, unfortunately, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:36.239)Mmm. Dr Erika (11:02.892)That decision is based on fear because itās about intimidating the woman, scaring her into, my God, I might have cancer that Iām missing so I can have a million tests. But at the end of the day, nobody stops to see whatās going on inside. How could I improve my life because I live in here? So thatās kind of the goal. My goal is to eliminate fear. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:19.748)Wait. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:29.944)Yes. Dr Erika (11:30.08)and to empower women to learn as much as possible about themselves. And yes, youāre right. You do need a prescription for estrogen. You might not necessarily need a prescription for progesterone. You do need a prescription for testosterone, for thyroid, adrenal. You may not need a prescription because theyāre supplements. But the thing is you want to work with someone who cares about you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:52.587)Yeah, itās just even hearing you say all these things, Dr. Erica, it just, I donāt know, for me, and I havenāt gone into this yet, it just feels like someone being their own doctor when hormones are so specific, that feels scary, like youāre just kind of prescribing to yourself. So let me ask you some specific, yes. Dr Erika (12:01.801)Yeah. Dr Erika (12:11.192)Well, canāt. You canāt prescribe for yourself. But if you understand how your bodyās functioning, youāll start living inside your body, right? Thatās what you teach, is live inside your body. Be present, understand. Donāt react to the outside, react to the inside. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:24.749)Yes, be present. Dr Erika (12:32.593)then you can get right help because then you can, youāll go to a doctor, letās say, or some kind of provider and they say stuff that doesnāt make sense. Youāre not going to be intimidated. Youāre not going to be afraid. Youāre not going to make a mistake of like, okay, Iām going to follow it. Youāre going to say, well, that doesnāt make sense. Let me run. Go somewhere else. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:55.631)So Dr. Schwartz, Iām gonna ask you a three-part question. And if you forget one of them, donāt worry, weāll go back. as youāreā¦ Oh, sorry, sorry. Iām so sorry. Dr. Erica. Dr Erika (13:01.736)This is not much work, itās my god. Iām just kidding. I just have people to call me like the shorts as much as I donāt like it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:10.959)Might sound so formal, right? Weāre sisters here. Yes, yes. So three parts. Number one, which is a fear women have once you start taking the hormones, do you have to be on them for the rest of your life? So weāll talk about timing a little bit, because I read something recently, you have to start before 60. Number two, the symptoms. Dr Erika (13:14.154)Yes, we are. Weāre all one. Weāre all one. Thatās it. Dr Erika (13:21.463)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:37.453)that we keep referring to, if we could elaborate a little bit more about when we know somethingās off. And number three, Iād love to know not just about alleviating symptoms, but potential further benefits, whether thatās protecting our bone health. Like you talked about mental health, physical health. So if we could go into those three more specific things, Erica, Iād love to hear. First one, do we have to be on hormones forever? Dr Erika (13:53.774)Great job. Dr Erika (14:00.302)Okay. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:06.593)timing wise, like some people may experience symptoms in perimenopause. Some people, I think my mother went through menopause in her mid-50s. Dr Erika (14:16.862)Yeah, thatās because youāre half Filipino. The Filipinos go into menopause later in general. But letās answer. So first of all, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:20.184)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:25.752)Okay. Dr Erika (14:29.684)Yeah, you should stay on hormones forever because you want to stay young and healthy, right? Itās not about chronologic age. Itās about physiologic age. Iām 75. I donāt think my body looks or feels or I feel the same I felt when I was 40 only maybe 35 only I work a lot harder at it. You know what I mean? What I do Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:32.345)Got it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:42.702)Wow. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:54.721)Adrienne, itās amazing. I mean, you look like youāre in your 40s. Dr Erika (14:58.674)I love you. you know what? They have that new app that my one of my grandchildren had and about what your age is, right? And you put it up and it said 48. Itās funny that you said that. That was the sweet. No, but I have to tell you. So yeah, if you stay on hormones, your chances of staying healthy and staying well. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:06.349)yeah, yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:10.18)Wow. Dr Erika (15:20.982)are much higher. So why would I ever stop hormones? I started at 46 and I can promise you, I will die with my taking hormones because look at how I feel, look at what happens. But itās not just the hormones. Weāll talk about that. So anyway, so the other part of it is you donāt have to stay on hormones or anything forever. You could do whatever you want. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:36.856)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:52.152)Yeah. Dr Erika (15:55.146)And I mean, most of my patients are now 30. You start having symptoms of hormone imbalances as a teenager. When you get acne, when you first take the period, you get PMS, those are hormone imbalances. And theyāre all very easily treated with very low dose progesterone, very low dose. And itās really easy. So if you have somebody like my first book, The Hormone Solution, thatā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:03.801)Right. Dr Erika (16:20.662)Thatās what I wrote in it and that came out in 1999. think about, no, maybe 2002. So itās so obvious that itās a continuum, right? I mean, why donāt we address the fact that itās a continuum and itās okay. Yeah, go for it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:36.889)But Dr. Schwarz, now youāre talking about that young, what about worries with fertility if you start taking progesterone or messing with hormones, letās say before you have your kids? Dr Erika (16:51.128)Kimberly, youāre not messing with them, I promise you, because what Iām gonna teach you is how to support your system. You know, when youāre messing with them is when youāre taking birth control pills. And when you take birth control pills, it suppresses everything and youāre creating a menopausal hormone levels, which is not okay, right? So when youāre taking progesterone, by the way, thatāll help with fertility. As a matter of fact, if you do IVF or something like that, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:02.539)Yes, whichā¦ Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:10.797)Yes. Dr Erika (17:20.172)they will give you additional progesterone. And most women who get pregnant that are under like really good medical care will take supplemental progesterone for up to 20 weeks of the pregnancy. So progesterone will never harm any future pregnancies. thatāsā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:34.424)Really? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:38.979)Well, my doctors who were very, I just say conventional, never prescribed for my pregnancies. I never took any of that. Dr Erika (17:45.39)I think we should move you away from that. Yeah, Iām sure, but you know what? Maybe we should move away from that, because that didnāt work out well. It worked out well for you, but it doesnāt work out. I have patients right now, I have three patients who are in their 30s and theyāre all three pregnant. And we have them all three couldnāt get pregnant, they were gonna do IVF. They wound up not doing IVF because we balanced their hormones. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:55.63)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:13.411)Wow. Dr Erika (18:13.632)And one of the things they got was progesterone. The other one was thyroid. The other one was DHE. But there are a lot of things you could do to help women get pregnant by balancing their hormones. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:18.142)yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:25.807)Thatās amazing, doctor, and that gives people a lot of hope. Is there any downside to taking progesterone, letās say that young, you start in your 30s for the next 60 years? Dr Erika (18:28.846)the end Dr Erika (18:34.094)No, no, no, you know what, but you take it when you need it. You take it like when youāre in need. Yeah, or you take it just like for PMS, you take it for four or five days before your period. Thatās the only time you need it. So itās not gonna stay in your system. It leaves your system. It goes away, goodbye, it doesnāt exist. So it just supports, it makes your system better. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:39.859)you cycle it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:46.703)Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:54.927)Wow. Dr Erika (18:59.106)You know what I mean? So thatās one thing. The other thing is, remember, when you think birth control pills, youāre putting women into menopause. So all this stuff. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:07.297)Yeah, I never did it, doctor. It always felt, for me, not the right choice. Dr Erika (19:12.396)Right. No, I agree with you. Me too. I agree. But women will take it because what other options do you have? I mean, I tell everybody to put an IUD and, without hormones. But the thing is, itās really hard. And think about it. We, you need something. You donāt want to get pregnant anytime, really. So think about that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:35.819)Thereās always good old, you know, we call pull and pray. Dr Erika (19:39.19)Yeah, pull and pray. The rhythm method, yes. Thereās a lot of praying going on there. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:47.543)Not so exacting, yeah. Dr Erika (19:49.836)No, right. all right, so weāre still on number one. Okay, so number one was, can you take it forever? You should take it forever. If you donāt wanna take it, you could stop any time, and thatās what you were saying, right? You could stop any time. Nothing will happen becauseā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:53.358)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:00.109)Wow. Dr Erika (20:12.64)It goes out of your system within a few days. So within a few days, you go back to what your baseline is. So if you have symptoms, theyāll come back. If you donāt have symptoms, they wonāt come back. The thing is that I have a lot of patients that Iāve encouraged over the years when they said, I donāt think I need it anymore. I donāt think this, you know, cause once you feel good, everybody thinks, I donāt need anything. So I will say stop taking them. And then within a month, a week, three weeks, three months, theyāll be back and theyāll say, okay, well, you know, what do you think? Now, to go to number three. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:50.533)wait, hold on, before we move on from number one, Dr. Erica, this is so interesting. Can I ask you one more detailed question? So sometimes you hear this, and I know itās different sorts of compounds and hormones, know, with melatonin, for instance, what you take, you donāt make. So thereās, know, people are taking so much melatonin and then they get off it and then it sort of messes up their sleep. And I know itās different for men. My husband was on testosterone. Dr Erika (20:56.128)You can ask me as many as you want. Dr Erika (21:07.982)Thank you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:18.103)and then he tried to get off it, he got off it so we could get pregnant and then his levels went down because he was on it so long. So he had to get back on it. So what about this idea that, yeah, when your body gets used to not making something when youāre taking it. Dr Erika (21:34.786)But Iām not suggesting that weāre overriding the system. So melatonin, Iām not a big fan of, especially as you get older. Whereas the problem with melatonin is that weāve been giving the dosing that you could get, that you buy from whatever stor
Solutions for Anxiety in Real Life with Dr. Caroline Leaf [Episode #1003]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Caroline Leaf About Dr. Caroline Leaf In this engaging conversation, Kimberly Snyder interviews Dr. Caroline Leaf, a renowned neuroscientist and author, about her latest book, āHelp in a Hurry.ā They explore the profound distinction between the mind and the brain, emphasizing the importance of understanding the non-conscious mind and its role in managing thoughts and emotions. Dr. Leaf shares practical tools for self-regulation, particularly in moments of stress and regret, and discusses the impact of our thoughts on our physical health. The conversation highlights the power of self-awareness and the ability to create positive energy in the world. Ā Guest Resources: Website: drleaf.com Ā New Book: Help in a Hurry: Simple Tips for Finding Peace When Youāre Overwhelmed, Anxious, or Stressed Ā Social Media: @drcaolineleaf Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā GLOWING GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Caroline Lee and Her Work 02:53 The Mind vs. The Brain: Understanding the Distinction 06:00 The Non-Conscious Mind: Tapping into True Self 08:48 The Role of Thoughts in Shaping Reality 12:05 The Tree Analogy: Visualizing Mind and Brain Connections 15:00 Managing Emotions and Patterns for Mental Strength 18:00 Practical Tools for Overcoming Emotional Challenges 20:47 Conclusion: Integrating Techniques for Mind Management 23:05 The Power of 63 Seconds 24:58 Self-Regulation Techniques for Emotional Control 27:46 Understanding and Managing Regret 30:08 Practical Tools for Emotional Clarity 32:50 Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief 35:38 The Camera Technique for Perspective 38:41 Harnessing Personal Power for Positive Change 44:57 Introduction to Intimacy and Sexuality Coaching 46:42 The Power of Partnership in Coaching 49:05 Dismantling Masks and Embracing Vulnerability 52:49 Body Image and Sexual Confidence 55:45 Cultivating Erotic Energy and Self-Expression 58:29 The Connection Between Sexual Energy and Overall Wellness 01:01:08 Healing from Shame and Cultural Beliefs 01:04:30 Daily Practices for Sexual Energy and Connection 01:07:32 Navigating Pornography and Intimacy in Relationships 01:08:00 Exploring Intimacy Through Pornography 01:09:03 The Connection Between Vulnerability and Sexuality 01:12:47 Overcoming Blocks to Sexual Energy 01:16:52 The Evolution of Sexual Desires Over Time 01:20:14 Understanding Trauma and Fantasy in Sexuality 01:24:40 Empowerment Through Self-Connection and Healing Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.75)Hi everyone, welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited to have back on our show, sitting right next to me, the amazing, brilliant, beautiful Dr. Caroline Lee, who I love so much. I love you so Sheās one of my favorite authors, one of my favorite people, a dear friend of mine. She also happens to be a researcher, communication pathologist, audiologist, am I saying that right? Yes, you are. Author of how many books now? 19. 19, 24 languages. my gosh. Iām getting goosebumps. I have read so many of Dr. Carolynās books, but when I read this new one, which is out now, by the time weāre listening to this, help in a hurry, simple tips for finding peace when youāre overwhelmed, anxious or stressed. I said, Carolyn, this is your best book. thank you. Thatās really a lot coming from you. Thank you. Well, I it was a lot of love and emotion. I felt like it was written. in connection with whatās so needed now. And I love how you make it simple, but really practical and really powerful and based as a researcher. What I love about you is youāre full of heart and thatās a very rare combination. Thank you. think, you know, often what I feel, Iām a clinical research neuroscientist as well. And my field is psychoneurobiology and thatās really heavy science. Right. But thatās where I find my spirituality. And people often ask, you know, are they die quite? They almost sound like a dichotomy, but theyāre not because theyāre two sides of the same coin. the more when you see science and you see how incredible things work, how the mind changes the brain and the field that you cannot know that thereās more than just this physical time, this little bit of time that being on physical bodies and that soul is just so much bigger than unconscious mind is just so much bigger. Thereās just so much more. And itās so important that we know how to manage our mind because itās such a responsibility. You know, one of the things that you talk about in this book that really stood out to me is how you really make the distinction that the mind is not the physical brain. Yes, that is that is so important. Because a lot of people say itās synonymously. Well, thatās the thing. And thatās been a 40 year journey. So basically in the 80s, the mind and the brain were still spoken about separately. So up until about the 80s, it was mind and brain. But they didnāt believe that the brain could change. Iāve been in this field 40 years now. Iām 61. Kimberly Snyder (02:27.382)So Iām old now. Donāt feel old. Yeah, youāre ageless. As Yogananda says, your energy and your vitality and just your skin, like everything just shows how this, you know, biological age or, know, chronologically is not our reality. I agree with you. We can. And we know epigenetics. I mean, thereās so much thatās influenced by, you know, your living this work. Itās coming through your heart. managing your mind, which controls so much stress. And here you are. Thank you. Itās well, Iāve had some of the research youāve done works on telomeres and yes, the telomere research up until quite recently said that you canāt change telomeres over shorter than a five year time period. And generally with exercise and, and diet and that kind of thing. And so I saw Lisa Apple, is Elizabeth Blackburn and Lisa Apple Iāve interviewed, they, the leaders in telomere research and they started talking about maybe my meditation may change telomeres and so on. So I well, let me do a clinical trial, add a component in where we teach mind management. letās see, because mind management, the whole system that Iāve developed around mind management includes meditation and preparing the brain and all those kinds of things and preparing the neurophysiology. And then it goes further into mind management techniques. And we show that you can change your telomeres in nine weeks, which is wow, and itās significantly and your telomeres are the things that respond to your mind, your mind does everything. And they basically telomeres are, are needed for other ends of chromosomes. And thatās what we need to make cells. And we make 800,000 to a million new cells every second. And those, the ability to make those cells is based on telomeres, but the ability, the thing that makes the telomeres work are our thoughts. the energy from our thoughts, So we are not managing our mind and our thoughts are chaotic. We send chaotic energy through to the telomeres and this is science. This is not anything weird. is pure science. Science and spirituality are the same thing. Yeah, I love this. Theyāre the same thing. And that energy from our thoughts is going to influence how the telomeres function and how the telomeres function determines how your cells are formed, which is how your organs are formed and your systems and therefore physically how we function. And thatās why Kimberly Snyder (04:44.194)mind is not the brain. mean, the brain is simply a host. We need to think in a particular model here. The is simply a host and our body is a host to something much bigger. And that is the word that is, I use the word mind because itās been used for thousands of words by so many ancient spiritual wisdom. And in current day science, we use mind. incorrectly, it tends to be used, and not all scientists, but it tends to be used synonymously with the brain. But the brain is not the mind. The brain is a physical organ. It weighs around about three and half pounds. And it is when you die, your brain just disintegrates. When your heart stops within 10 seconds, your brain flatlines. And all the energy then reverses. the minute that your heart stops, thereās no energy flowing through the physical anymore. And that energy is your mind. So when we Physically when our body dies physically our energy moves out and what is that energy? Thatās your mind So your mind drives your psychology So itās your your intelligence your ability to love your personality your preferences how you see life how you have this conversation your choices that is mind and then the brain is the host that Hosted so itās simply a host It responds to the brain. I mean, sorry, it responds to the mind. So the brain responds to the mind. makes sense. itās only one percent. The brain and body are one percent. The mind is infinite energy. And when weāre on this earth in this physical body, our mind canāt even encapsulate all of our brain canāt even encapsulate all of the mind because the mind is too big. So we have a big portion called the non conscious mind. You in not unconscious, unconscious is when youāre asleep or in anesthesia. Or yoga would call the true self. The non-conscious would be the true self. The non-conscious is the true self. So the unconscious is a sleep state. the non, that would be your true self. The non-conscious is your deepest spiritual wisdom. where every experience you have all day long is absorbed and every memory that youāve ever had, thatās where it is. And thatās the part of you that drives you. Itās an energy force that is connected to the source of energy, whatever you believe that is. Kimberly Snyder (07:00.832)everyone, God, whether itās God, the source, the universe, whatever you believe, we, thereās more than just us, but us, the true Kimberly, the true Caroline is in the non-conscious. And in the non-conscious, itās infinite beyond space and time, so fast that itās faster than 400 billion actions per second, way faster than the speed of light. And it basically generates electromagnetic fields. the heart field, the heart field, So their heart field is coming from the non-conscious. The non-conscious puts that into the heart. And the heart is basically generating from the non-conscious, generating the true self. You know, itās so amazing about this, work and the science and what we talked about with my last book on your podcast. Yes, your beautiful book. Is how, you know, this managing the mind that you give such practical tips about is so important because if weāre in reactivity, If weāre in our old memories all the time and just reacting in patterns, it keeps us from being that true self. keeps us from living with love and kindness and compassion because weāre sort of in survival, you know, just these states. We are, we are. And I can, and I can describe that. can give you the simple science explanation. Thatās okay. bouncing off what youāve just said now of your first question, the difference between mind and the brain. So they talk about the mind for a moment and then they this question. So the mind, then weāve got the non-conscious level and then youāve got the conscious level and in between youāve got the subconscious. So itās non-conscious, subconscious and conscious. Conscious is tiny. Itās messy. Itās chaotic. Itās where we make our decisions. Itās very powerful because itās where we make our decisions. We can choose to do the work of change. We can choose to love. We can choose to hate. We can choose toā¦ our non conscious has no no hatred, pure love, and itās pure wisdom. And everything we need is inside the non conscious. Yes. And that weāve got to learn to tap into it. Now the subconscious is like a waiting room. So what the non conscious does a true self is going through all of our experiences, which become memories inside thoughts. So every experience is broken down into memories and encapsulated into a thought. And thatās whatās in the non conscious, all these thoughts, which are all our experiences that weāve had. Plus, Kimberly Snyder (09:19.448)from whatever your belief system or everything about you, which could be include all kinds of things that pass. Every thought is stored somewhere. Every single thought that you have, every experience becomes a thought. Every thought is stored in the non conscious and the non conscious then basically process itās received by the conscious mind. So the experience is received by the conscious mind and the non conscious mind at the same time. But the conscious mind is very limited. can only, for example, the conscious mind can only handle one. conversation at a time. The non conscious can handle an infinite number of conversations. So when as we sitting here, we having one conversation, thatās what the conscious mind is dealing with. But the non conscious or non conscious is absorbing everything else, the energy, the everything in this room, all the things that youāre going through, the things that Iām going through, the connection, but all the things that are unseen, right, which is most things unseen by the physical. Exactly. And Dr. Kailin, this is like again, with the third eye. Itās like the vision opens up perception. Exactly. Thatās exactly. So thatās what the non-conscious, that third eye, that wisdom, that spiritual part of us, that is on our side. And it looks through at the patterns that weāve chosen to make with our conscious mind into habits, the way weāve chosen a thought pathway and we havenāt dealt with something. And they get strengthened. And it gets strengthened and it goes into the non-conscious, but the non-conscious sees it as like a wound. So then it tries to, it basically grabs that and puts it into the subconscious. And then the subconscious, because itās much slower than the non-conscious, itās at some interim level. the non-conscious subconscious then sends messages to the conscious mind via our emotions, how we feel in our body, which they are coming from the, the heart generates signals, our behaviors, our perceptions, that to grab our attention. And when we pay attention to those signals, then we can start tuning back into the wisdom of the non conscious mind. And then it influences eventually the consciously how weāre behaving, weāre behaving, loving, loving. Exactly. So if we, if we exactly, so if we learn to listen to those signals and we learn to listen to the messages of the non conscious mind, which identifies these disrupt the most disruptive thought in the moment in our lives in order and puts them into the subconscious is around about the subconscious can hold about Kimberly Snyder (11:40.75)four to seven of these disruptive thoughts. Also whatās good thoughts in that you, thatās non-conscious minds want you to think about because gratitude and joy and those great experience because those increase your resilience. So that subconscious is holding those and then the subconscious as I said, send signals to get your attention. Now what we need to do as humans is we need to listen to those signals so that we grow the good thoughts because it increases our resilience and helps us to get stronger in our base, which is our non-conscious. And then we function at a high level and it wants us to break down, deconstruct and reconstruct the toxic thoughts. If we donāt, if they go into and we ignore the signal or we hear the signal, but we just stay in that same pattern, it goes back stronger into the non-conscious than before. And then we feel worse because now itās this boil in the non-conscious. Itās not right. Itās not right. Itās this kind of thing. Oh yeah. love that. The tree is awesome. If you guys are listening to this, please check out the YouTube as well. to see these amazing tools that Dr. Caroline has brought, which really bring the work to life. I love analogies, I love physical. So tell us about the tree. So basically, as I said, the brain is 1%. The brain and body are 1%. The mind is 99%. So the 99 % brain, which has these three levels, conscious, subconscious, non-conscious, is energy. Itās electromagnetic and gravitational fields and quantum energy and whatever. When we do something like an EKG of your heart or an ECG when you do QEEG in the brain, when you have a sonogram when youāre pregnant, if you have MRI, all of those machines, that technology is just measuring the mind. So the mind is the thing that not only is your psychology, your ability to love, feel, intelligence, personality, preferences, itās also the thing that runs your heart and your brain. So it runs your physiology. So it does two things, the mind, it runs your physiology. which is your body and it runs your brain, which is your body and it runs your psychology. Itās you. And so what weāre supposed to do is we are supposed to listen to the non-conscious, but we can ignore the messages of the non-conscious via the subconscious because the non-conscious puts the messages, the four to seven top priorities into the subconscious. And if we ignore them, then weāre going to get worse. Weāre not going to get stronger. to, so before I explain these to you, you had your one question was we get stuck in these patterns. Kimberly Snyder (14:03.662)So when you say stronger, mean mentally stronger, like physically stronger and mentally stronger. they get, and Iām going to explain that whole route exactly. Iām going to give you a really strong visual leading to this visual, but you asked a question earlier on. want to make sure that I answer that and link it all into this. You mentioned about how we can get stuck in those patterns. Notice how we both did this with our fingers. Thatās so accurate because the conscious mind is kind of up here and the non-conscious mind is. everywhere. subconscious, the non-conscious mind is, mean, the non-conscious mind is massive. Itās, itās, itās this field all around us. Itās the crown chakra, like everyone. Itās almost like a big, weāve got a biofield and itās connected to the universe. The conscious mind is a tiny little part of it and the conscious mind is only awake when youāre awake. The subconscious is this bridge in between. So conscious mind can handle one conversation, subconscious can handle about four to seven conversations. When I say conversation, itās in really common, itās a thought. and then non conscious infinite. Okay. So thatās all energy. And then that energy of the three minds then uses the brain and the body so that we can be in life, that we can talk to each other, that we can eat and live and be physical. So what the mind does, the non conscious mind working with the conscious mind is it takes an experience or conversation now. And thatās a whole bunch of energy. And it grabs the details of the energy and builds it into like a little thought pattern that looks like a cloud. So imagine around me or around you, those that are listening, that thereās a circle of energy around you. If you stretch your arms out, this is kind of the circle all around you. Thatās your mind and itās around and through you, even in your toes and in your fingers, the mind is all of it. And so that mind and thatās composed of the three different levels. Okay. The conscious being small and awake when youāre awake, the unconscious, infinite subconscious in between. So this conversation comes in as words, those words cluster together to form thoughts. Those thoughts are like clouds. So imagine all these clouds around me. Those are all my experiences that are happening currently. And then what the mind does is it takes the thought that first the information comes in, it builds the cloud, and then it makes a photocopy, copies, and it puts it into the brain. And then the brain as an energy force. Kimberly Snyder (16:21.29)little cluster of energy force. So itās a copy. So itās still in the mind. Thereās still the cloud floating around, but a copy of itās put into the brain. And that causes a reaction in the brain, a chemical, neurochemical, genetic, and a tree is formed, a tree like network. So we talk about net, sorry, we talk about networks. Yes. So this is a protein network. So our words now are clouds in the mind. and copies are being made at 400 million actions per second into a tree in the brain. thereās infinite trees in your brain, infinite trees in your brain, because youāre going to infinite trees in your mind. And so thereās, and thereās, so the brain just hosts and it just creates these networks. So this is as a tree has roots, lots of roots, and it has lots of branches. So our conversation, weāre saying lots of words, like each little branches, like a word or a phrase or a concept. So as we keep adding more and more and more, By end of our conversation, weāll have maybe two or three thousand words that weāve spoken or concepts weāve spoken. Theyāre all going to build into this tree. But what we say is the root. What we say and the listeners and viewers, are taking that into what our words become the root and the branches of their interpretation of what weāre saying, because their mind filters what weāre saying to their unique tree. So everyone listening is building. So this is what it looks like inside the brain. So the cloud in the mind and then itās net copy into the brain and itās connected. Then then the mind then makes copies of this and puts it in every cell of the body as a tiny little hedge. So take this and squish it up into a little hedge and inside the inside every cell and you have 37 to 100 trillion cells in our brain and between our brain and our body. And thereās a copy in the brain. It looks like a tree in the body. It looks like a little hedge. So every thought, every single, well, Dr. Kiran, itās crazy. also one of the things that Iāve always felt intuitively, and we talked about here before is really managing what youāre taking in. Like, our uvata says digestion is the senses, right? So who youāre following on social media, the news youāre watching, everything is affecting these trees. It all goes into that minefield. Right. And itās all forming clouds. and thatās the conscious mind is not very good at filtering. Kimberly Snyder (18:29.186)Thatās why the conscious mind needs the non-conscious and the conscious mind is like a toddler. Youāve got young children. Imagine if you just didnāt watch your children. Theyāve hurt themselves. They would burn themselves. They would get up to all kinds of things. Thatās what our conscious mind does. So when we get stuck, our conscious mind doesnāt listen to the subconscious or the non-conscious. Itās just doing its thing. just So itās taking the social media. Itās taking the toxic thoughts. Itās taking the experiences. Itās taking the arguments. Itās taking the politics. Itās taking whatever. And those clouds are not beautiful clouds. Theyāre ugly stormy rain clouds. And itās making those ugly stormy. So instead of this, itās building this. Right. And then those are the hedges in the body. And now thatās counter to our mind, brain, body connection because we want it for love. So we have a worldwide web between the clouds of our mind, the trees of our brain and the hedges in our souls. Itās a network. So every experience is in the mind, brain and entire body. So itās not your brain thatās doing anything. Right. Itās just the host. Itās all of it. So thatās that and that process is happening all the time. And your brain and your body is plastic, which means it can change. Yeah. So if youāve got these in your brain, the good news is that you can change them and thatās neuroplasticity and you can direct that change. And so everybody listening to this, what Dr. Carol was saying, it looks like this, itās this ugly sort of gray. Worry. Right, thatās, know, again, these, what we say in terms of the heart, incoherence, just feeling like youāre not really connected to your, youāre not living your truth, youāre not living in love, thereās a lot of fear, thereās a lot of sadness. In the book, you actually write down topics, which is what I love how practical this book is, you talked about, you kn
Incorporating Ayurvedic Wisdom into Everyday Eating with Kate O'Donnell [EP# 1002]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Kate OāDonnell Summary: Kimberly interviews Kate OāDonnell, an Ayurvedic practitioner and author, about the principles of Ayurveda and its application in modern life. They discuss the timeless nature of Ayurvedic practices, the importance of food energetics, and how to incorporate these principles into busy lifestyles. Kate shares practical tips for balancing the doshas, the significance of digestion in overall wellness, and how to cook with spices to enhance health. The conversation emphasizes the connection between food, consciousness, and self-care, making Ayurveda accessible to everyone. Ā About Kate OāDonnell is the author of three Ayurvedic Cookbooks, including The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care, The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well and Everyday Ayurvedic Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind: 100 Sattvic Recipes. She is a nationally certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and the founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute. Kate began to travel in South India at age 20. More than a dozen extended trips to India and twenty years studying the wisdom traditions of the sub-continent support Kateās practice of Ayurveda.She also specializes in Ayurvedic education, cooking skills, and cleansing programs, offering on-line programs, occasional in-person workshops on the road, and professional trainings. Her offerings aim to help others come closer to their true nature. Ā Guest Resources: Website: Kate OāDonnell Book: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well Ā EPSIODE SPONSORS: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Episode Chapters C00:00 Introduction to Ayurveda and Kate OāDonnell 02:48 The Timelessness of Ayurveda 05:56 Understanding Food Energetics 08:59 The Flexibility of Ayurvedic Practices 11:58 The Connection Between Digestion and Consciousness 14:59 The Role of Food in Yoga and Ayurveda 18:00 Engaging with Food and Nature 20:59 Practical Tips for Balancing Vata Energy 24:02 Managing Pitta Imbalances 28:04 The Impact of Diet on Emotions 29:46 Balancing the Doshas through Food 31:35 Digestibility and Food Preparation Techniques 33:20 Incorporating Spices for Better Digestion 37:12 Practical Tips for Integrating Ayurveda into Daily Life 44:05 Traveling and Maintaining Ayurvedic Practices 48:05 Streamlining Cooking for Busy Lives SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.6)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with me today. Her name is Kate OāDonnell and she is an author, international presenter, Ayurvedic practitioner, the founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute. So you might guess that weāre talking about Ayurveda today and she is celebrating the 10 year anniversary with her revised edition of the Everyday Ayurvedic Cookbook. a seasonal guide to eating and living well with over 100 recipes for simple, which we love, healing foods. Kate, thank you so much for being here with us today. Kate ODonnell (00:39.681)Itās my pleasure, Kimberly. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:42.178)You know, thereās so many things that Iām excited to chat with you about. Arivada is one of my favorite subjects. But I just want to say congratulations for having this amazing book and reiterating it and re- you creating it. But the foundation, just like Arivada has been around for thousands of years. And I love how timeless this is, you know, in a world thatās always sort of grasping for the next pill or the next fad or what can we do thatās, you know, weāre missing something. I love that this is taking us to the roots and keeping it again, really simple, foundational for busy working moms like myself and busy people in general. And yeah, so itās just, I love that, you know, this rebirthing of something thatās so timeless. Kate ODonnell (01:37.039)Me too. Yeah. Thanks for bringing that up. Itās something that for myself, you know, there were so many fads as I was growing up, you know, and I sort of started a vegetarian diet when I was 16. I was on my own there trying to figure out what to eat in my family home. So I took an interest in cookbooks and learning about cooking and it just Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:45.431)Yeah. Kate ODonnell (01:58.659)There was so much information, and itās even more so now. And so when I found Ayurveda and I was already a yoga practitioner, and I thought, this makes so much sense. It all goes together, and itās all thousands of years old, so theyāre not going to change their mind in five years about whether avocados are good for me or not. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:09.079)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:18.094)Well, itās funny because I was reading your book and I loved how because, you know, thereās many different ways to use Ayurvedic principles and to interpret them. But you mentioned that you donāt use a lot of onions and garlic because theyāre so rajastic. And if I look back in my books, Kate, because I had a food focus on my first three and then still, you know, as it continues to evolve spiritually and emotionally, thereās still always been that cornerstone of food. But my second book, which is called the Beauty Detox Foods, had onions and garlic in so many recipes. And I was freeing myself from calorie counting and I was working on digestion. And it was at that moment after that book was published, I started studying Arubato myself. And then if you look at all the recipes I created after that, there isnāt a lot of onions and garlic because while some of us may need some of that extra, you know, oomph, a lot of us in this modern world living in urban centers, having a lot of overstimulation. I found in myself how much it supported me in feeling centered, which is a testament to how powerful food is as a medicine when we realize it really, every food has an energetic quality to it. Kate ODonnell (03:37.431)Right, right. And onion and garlic are the, sort of feed our excitability and our passions, which can be a good thing if weāre channeling it well. But I think your point, Kimberly, is that we are all pretty excited already. So maybe we donāt need foods with those qualities. And itās not to say that onion and garlic is not included in the pharmacopoeia of Ayurveda. mean, itās there. Itās absolutely part of the diet. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:44.108)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:54.176)Exactly. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:02.86)Right. Kate ODonnell (04:05.793)Itās just about having that knowledge of when we want to eat more of that and when we want to eat less of that. What I was finding is that so many of my students didnāt know how to cook without using onion and garlic as the flavor foundation. Right? So that was what I was trying to like, how do we flavor our food without using those like every single time we cook something? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:12.812)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:21.548)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:29.986)Yes. And what I love, so your book has a lot of information about Ayurveda in the beginning, and then it goes into the recipes. And what I love about Ayurveda and how itās presented here as well is itās not, you know, hard, rigid rules. It feels nourishing when you even read about Ayurveda, the seasonality, the balancing of energy. Can you just explain, you know, from your standpoint, Kate, just you know, your approach to Ayurveda and how it can help someone whoās already really busy, but just start to bring in a deeper level of, Iāll say, self-care. Kate ODonnell (05:12.845)Right, by I think putting some of our attention on the energetics of our food. So thatās where Ayurvedaās so much information, like in the early part of the text about the energies of foods, whether they make us hot or cold, whether they slow us down or sort of make us lighter and faster. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:34.989)Yes. Kate ODonnell (05:36.565)And so we sort of the average person with a little bit of that knowledge, you know, like we already talked, brought up onions and garlic, right? So onions and garlic, theyāre, theyāre hot. You know, they get you moving. They get you excited. They get you passionate. Theyāre great for libido. Thatās one of the ways we might use them. Theyāre great for kicking colds. Thatās why so many of our medicines will use onions and garlic. But if somebody is feeling overheated or having trouble falling asleep or is feeling really irritable, maybe we want to reduce onion and garlic at that time. So with a little bit of the knowledge of how a food affects the body, then you know. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:52.034)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:56.792)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:05.208)Right. Yes. Kate ODonnell (06:20.045)And itās not to say, you know, I think what we want to do so much of the time, Kimberly is, you know, what is Ayurveda say about almonds? Are they, are they a yes or a no? You know, and itās, itās all, the answer is always, well, this is what almonds will do in a body. Is that what you need or is that not what you need? And so we can gravitate towards things that we need and away from things that we donāt at any given time. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:38.423)Great. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:44.194)Yes, and I love, know, everybody is so unique and everybodyās Agni, their digestion is unique, their blueprint is different and their goals are different. So I remember at a certain point, Kate, I was actually a raw foodist for a couple of years and it worked really well for me for a time. And then I was learning about Argue Veda and then I was like, you know what works really well for me almost every night for dinner, my family eats, you know, we have a lot of Kate ODonnell (06:47.236)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:11.816)soup and stews and very warming foods. But what works really well for me and has for years is to have the glowing green smoothie in the morning. Now I still have my hot water with lemon and ginger first. I donāt drink it super cold. I drink it room temperature. And my Ayurvedic teacher, Vidya J, actually prescribes green smoothies. And he also says donāt drink them too cold. So there is this flexibility. because life is infinite that I really appreciate about Ayurveda where you can take it to match your own constitution. And, you know, whilst Ayurveda says, you know, eat mostly raw foods in the spring, if somethingās working and youāre adding other elements to help digestion, you know, for me, I noticed in my body and many others having raw foods and cooked foods can still work really well. Kate ODonnell (08:02.999)Right, right. Yeah. And this is one of those examples where people might hear some rule, you know, like Ayurveda says, donāt eat raw food, which is not true, but Ayurveda will say that raw food may be harder to digest. So going into it, you know, if it say itās a time where weāre really stressed out or weāre really busy or weāre grieving, you know, so the, all the bodyās prana, you know, our energy may not be present for the digestion. So during a time like that, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:12.706)Great. Kate ODonnell (08:31.265)Maybe we have soup, you know, instead of a raw thing, you know, and smoothies are, you know, again, you hear that Ayurveda says no smoothies, you know, but honestly, if we, if we go back in time to the beginning of the word smoothie, smoothies always had yogurt and bananas in them and ice cream. Do you know, do you remember that when the smoothie first became a thing? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:33.868)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:54.898)well then thereās like, you know, Jamba Juice and these smoothie king and places that have a lot of unhealthy ingredients. I thought you were gonna say, Kate, smooth because itās blended in effect. is pre-digested. So itās not like trying to break up these really huge raw leaves in your body, you know, in that sense. Kate ODonnell (08:59.119)Yep. Kate ODonnell (09:16.727)Exactly. Thatās so true. Itās so true. I, you if you look at my books, youāll find a lot of smooth recipes. Like I do a lot of blender soup. Itās the same idea, you know? So if a personās taking greenery that is very voluminous when itās in its raw form and we sort of, you know, we churn it, you know, we grind it down in a smooth form, youāre definitely going to find that the absorption and the bioavailability of the nutrition there is like, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:24.269)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:32.897)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:38.967)Yes. Kate ODonnell (09:45.901)tenfold of what it is if youāre sitting there chewing and chewing, trying to get all this voluminous leaf, you know, into your gut in a, cause once the food goes into your belly, it turns into that liquid, you know. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:58.12)Right, exactly. Exactly. And again, a lot of people in the modern world arenāt chewing well enough or eating or taking the time to even put aside, you know, Iām guilty of it myself. Iām pointing to my desk because thereās times where I do have to, you know, I drop the kids off at school and only have so many hours until I pick them up and bring them to activities. So I try not to eat while Iām working. But Thatās where smoothies have also helped me as well. just, I bless my food, I try. But the truth is none of us are going to be perfect all the time. So we wanna have the knowledge. We wanna utilize some of these seasonal practices and spices, but itās not about being perfect. Kate ODonnell (10:44.489)Not at all. Not at all. Itās so funny when I hang out with my Ayurveda friends, someone will pull out something crazy. Yeah, someone will have, letās say, a big smoothie with bananas in it. And theyāre like, this is so delicious. And someone will say, well, you have a good ugliness. You can handle it. Because we take good care of ourselves. That what we want to indulge, weāre up to the task. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:02.434)Wait. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:09.059)Yeah. Kate ODonnell (11:10.317)You know, and I think thatās important that we, you put all this money in the bank every time you do self care for your digestion. And then sometimes you want to do a withdrawal, you know, take some of that money out and enjoy. So itās like, Iāll have cheesecake or something. And before I was working with Ayurveda and really working on my digestion, I went through many years where I couldnāt eat that stuff. You know, I couldnāt eat like a big dessert or ice cream Sunday or something. I can totally eat that now. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:22.893)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:33.517)Yeah. Kate ODonnell (11:38.807)I donāt crave it like I used to. still donāt eat it much because it doesnāt sound good. But if I wanted to, I would process that. And I have confidence in my bodyās ability to digest whatever goes in. And thatās because of all the good work. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:49.164)Wait, wait. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:58.526)One, the other thing I love about Arjuveda is it takes it out of this reductionist approach, which is how many grams of protein are we eating, calories, no sugar. And a lot of the recipes are using some of these really classic Arjuvedic ingredients. For example, I love the, know, the OJUS building with dates and ingredients with, know, recipes with dates, which was, you know, when I gave birth. To my sons, I had a lot of those date smoothies to just build up again. Honey, we actually have a little farm in Hawaii, Kate. I have honey almost every day now, raw honey, just a little bit, which works really well for me. So for me, getting out of the numbers, which feel really restrictive and understanding that, again, weāre energy and food is energy, is really powerful healing because I think we get led away from whatās truly well, if weāre just trying to pack in the protein, having all the, you know, the processed bars all day and the protein products, and now weāre not really getting nourished with nature. Kate ODonnell (13:09.249)I agree. I agree. Itās like the further that our food comes from nature, the further we each come from our own nature. Thatās the Ayurveda teaching. And so the more that we are connected to food in its natural form, you know, so taking like, you know, a bunch of kale and putting it in the blender and making a smoothie out of it, that works because itās still kale, you know? And I think Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:18.125)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:32.291)Yeah. Kate ODonnell (13:35.447)Weāre outsourcing what weāre doing with the numbers is weāre outsourcing our consciousness. You know, weāre not inhabiting our body and saying, I just ate that. How did that feel? saying, I just ate that. had this much protein. So that means itās good. You know, so itās an awareness practice of the body. And thatās where we get our information from. Itās not something someone else is feeding us from the outside. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:47.266)right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:51.404)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:02.882)Well, I love this quote. Speaking of that reminds me of a quote that I underlined on page six, which is good digestion results not only in a glowing healthy body, but in a glowing consciousness as well. And I think whatās so powerful about yoga, Ayurveda, just the whole lifestyle is that we recognize that everything affects everything else. So I did start very heavily focused on food in my wellness journey and became a nutritionist. But then it was like, wow, questioning old ideas, trauma coming up, feeling my feelings, emotional wellness, emotional resiliency, spiritual growth, all these amazing things happened. And I donāt think Kate, unless I had really cleaned up my digestion and started really nourishing myself, Iām not sure I would. be where I am today and Iām really grateful for that. So can you talk a little bit about that line because we know digestion is food of course, but itās also senses and everything else and this consciousness that youāre talking about. Kate ODonnell (15:13.847)Yeah. I think itās one of the places where, you know, something you and I have in common is weāre both very much involved in yoga as well. You know, itās like the yoga of food. So I was practicing yoga for years before I got into Ayurveda, but I started to think like, and I noticed as a teacher as well that the foods my students were eating werenāt really supporting the yoga. You know, a lot of the. At that time I was in Boston. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:21.079)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:37.774)Where do you teach, Okay. Kate ODonnell (15:43.585)Yeah. I was, you know, and it was like a daily, I was there every day with the students and I was just like, wow. So weāre doing this practice that is to sort of evolve the state of the consciousness in the body, through the body, you know, where weāre working towards being our, the true self, you know, we want that Purusha, that true self to shine. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:59.276)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:05.165)Yes. Kate ODonnell (16:08.695)And so when the body is bogged down, this is something weāll hear from yoga as well as Ayurveda that when weāre bogged down with sort of a sickness or a stagnation or any kind of imbalance in the body, itās like a crutch, know, or it gets in the way. Itās like a wrench in the gears of our evolution. And that really spoke to me because I thought, this makes, this is so great because Iām very practical person. I thought, well, Iām eating. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:30.231)Yes. Kate ODonnell (16:38.551)all the time anyway, so this may as well support the yoga, know, the, the, the evolution and what I really feel is like the purpose of life. Like I want my food to feed into and be a part of that journey, you know, towards being a fuller person, you know, a fuller expression. So the, thatās what I found in Ayurveda is that the, because the food in, in the, the food builds the body and the body is the microcosm of Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:43.18)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:54.616)Mm. Kate ODonnell (17:07.811)the macrocosm. So the idea is that, you know, nature and the world around us that nourishes us and that supports us is composed of the same building blocks as the body. So Iām just like a figment, you know, Iām made of the same stuff as that cloud, that tree, that squirrel. So when I eat food that comes from nature that I can recognize as natural, you know, it didnāt come out of a pill or Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:09.378)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:22.979)Yes. Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:34.571)Yes. Kate ODonnell (17:37.795)You know, so itās a piece of nature that comes into my field. You know, Iām looking at it, Iām smelling it, Iām tasting it. You know, Iām engaging with it in the same way that I would sit on a mountain top and enjoy the view. Like, I am truly like that about my food. Itās like a sacred experience when I am with it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:54.317)Yes. Kate ODonnell (18:00.215)And so Iām engaging all the senses. Iām smelling it and Iām feeling the different textures, whether itās smooth or hard, crunchy. So Iām engaged with all that. So my whole consciousness is absorbed in the activity of being one with nature in that time while Iām eating. And then when the food goes into the body, itās transmuted by the fire element. Just like when youāve Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:17.294)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:25.248)Yes. Yes. Kate ODonnell (18:30.063)practice yoga and you get this little, you know, sometimes the fire comes on and you get this little pocket of a release, you know, or a little flame is, is like ignited in your core. Itās the same thing with the food, you know, it meets the fire element in the body. And then the, that nature from out there is transmuted and becomes the tissue of my body. And so I become one with nature. And according to both yoga and Ayurveda traditions, thatās actually what weāre going for. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:54.456)Mmm. Kate ODonnell (18:59.597)Thatās like, thatās the state of fulfillment, santosha, happiness. And so the denaturing of the self, you know, itās happening to us from our food in many cases and not only what we eat, but also are we paying attention? Are we present with the food? Is the consciousness present? Are we paying attention to our food? Cause when you are, you know, you get that link where you get, you get linked into the flow of nature. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:13.474)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:23.308)Great. Kate ODonnell (19:28.911)through the activity of eating the food. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:31.694)Itās so beautifully stated and again, emphasizing how simple this can be because I think one of the reasons that we do get denatured or choose the denatured option is convenience, cost, because weāre busy, but with simple practices and I can say for myself, you know, because I cook very simply, I use a lot of one pot meals, but thereās certain principles that you can learn. and you teach in your book as well. So itās not necessarily taking more time, maybe a little more planning to make sure that you have the ingredients stocked in your fridge and your pantry. But I mean, itās just so much infinitely healthier. It feels so much more fulfilling. Itās so funny because I was at someoneās house. It was my sonās friendās house and we were in the garage and I was just looking at all the boxes of the stuff that I think came from like, you know, I donāt know, just bulk, like bulk protein bars and bulk protein drinks and all the things. And I was like, wow, like, you know, just, you know, how easy it is to get that stuff. And the information that a lot of us are fed is that, the numbers add up. But then you think about energetically how, you know, the potential. And I can just say this, I get so Worked out because of my personal experience from feeling really, you know, just hung up on numbers and calorie counting all day to this, letās say this blossoming feeling, you know, this just more light coming in, more joy, and we donāt get there from just the numbers. Kate ODonnell (21:16.585)No, yeah, I think thatās what youāre pointing out with the question of consciousness. No, yeah. So again, mean, when the, you make your simple one pot meal and all your senses show up at the table to taste it, you know, and smell it and really be there for it. Itās the most delicious thing. Simple food is delicious when you show up for it, you know, so I think sometimes weāre not there, you know, weāre driving and eating and you donāt even know you Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:22.187)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:33.005)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:42.605)Yes. Kate ODonnell (21:46.509)and so you donāt necessarily feel satiated by your food. So youāre wondering, what else can I eat? Because you didnāt notice it going in. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:50.349)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:54.312)So letās go practical for a moment, Kate. And you talk about the different qualities and how we have all these energies inside of us, but sometimes we can get imbalanced. So in late, weāll talk about Vata for a minute. So letās say an imbalance. We can talk about Vata for six hours, but we know that those of us that are living in the modern world, sometimes we can get spacey. Sometimes, and this is my tendency, I have a lot of Vata energy in my body. sometimes we can get just feeling grounded. So for anyone listening to this, what are some simple foods, spices, even go to recipes that you talk about in your book if youāre just wanting to feel more resilient and grounded and clear. Kate ODonnell (22:43.483)Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, this is a great example of where cooked foods, things that are served warm and that are a little
Navigating a Good Death for Ourselves and Loved Ones with Suzanne OāBrien [Episode 1001]
Ā This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Suzanne OāBrien Summary: In this conversation, Suzanne OāBrien RN discusses the profound themes surrounding end of life, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, acceptance, and living well. She shares her journey as a doula for the dying, the phases of dying with dignity, and the significance of community support for caregivers. The discussion also touches on cultural perspectives on death, empowering conversations about end of life, and the need for planning and voluntary choices. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the interconnectedness of life and death, encouraging listeners to embrace both with love and understanding. Ā About Suzanne B. OāBrien, RN is and author and Founder & CEO of Doulagivers Institute. Her lifeās mission is to increase access to high quality end of life education and care for patients and families throughout the world. She has developed free resources and trainings for family caregivers and practitioners from her firsthand experience as a hospice and oncology nurse and palliative care professional at the bedsides of more than 1,000 end of life patients. Suzanne has been awarded āWorldwide Leader in Healthcareā by the International Nurses Association for creating Doulagivers Institute and was named Humanitarian Ambassador for Oprah Magazine in 2019 for her work to bring peace and comfort to those facing the end of life around the world. She has a degree in Transpersonal Counseling and Spiritual Ministry from the Association for the Integration of the Whole Person in Los Alamitos, California. She is also a founding member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizationās End of Life Doula Council and a founding member and Former VP of the National End of Life Doula Alliance. Ā Guest Resources: Website: Doulagivers Institute Book: The Good Death: Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life Ā EPSIODE SPONSORS: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to End of Life Care02:47 The Journey to Hospice and Doula Work05:58 Phases of Dying and the Importance of Forgiveness08:55 Understanding Death Across All Ages11:48 The Shift in Perspective on Death15:02 The Spiritual Aspect of Dying18:11 Practical Approaches to End of Life Planning20:53 Living Well Aging Plans and Family Dynamics26:58 The Burden of Caregiving28:32 Quality of Life vs. Longevity30:29 Living Wills and Quality of Life Decisions32:46 Holistic Approaches to End-of-Life Care34:35 The Essence of Life and Death36:28 Lessons from the Dying37:52 Choosing Love Over Fear39:57 The Power of Presence and Service41:44 Empowerment Through Knowledge43:29 Voluntary Choices at End of Life46:21 Dula Givers Institute and Community Support SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.792)Welcome back everyone to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today, the lovely Suzanne OāBrien RN. She has this new book out, which I have read cover to cover and Iāll add it did make me cry. I parts, which weāll talk about in just a little bit. Itās called The Good Death, a guide for supporting your loved one through the end of life. Suzanne is the founder and CEO of the Dula Givers Institute. In 2019, she was named humanitarian ambassador for Oprah magazine for her work to bring peace and comfort to those facing the end of life around the world. Suzanne is also a founding member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Network, organization of life doula council and a founding member and former vice president of the National End of Life Doula Alliance. Suzanne, thank you so much for being here with us today. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (00:46.631)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You got it. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (01:00.669)Thank you for having me and I love the title of your podcast and everything you talk about because really when we talk about a good death, weāre talking about a good life. Theyāre not exclusive of one another. So I just want to invite people to have an open mind for this conversation. Itās not going to be depressing. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:09.518)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:15.798)No, itās certainly not. And thank you for pointing that out. I love how you talk about that in the book about this, you the beauty of life, but also the beauty of acceptance and non-resistance and death. And itās interesting. So much was created in the wake of my motherās somewhat abrupt passing, Suzanne, including saloon on my brands and getting serious about the feel good podcast, which is really to me feeling good is this natural connection. that we have inside of ourselves. And itās not dependent on trying to get things from the outside or validation, but just this natural birth rate I think we really have in our hearts and our ability to care for ourselves. And your book is so aligned with that. And yeah, Iād love to share, there were so many moments in your book that it brought me back to that time with my mother where I really was shocked. She passed six weeks after her diagnosis andā¦ My son wasnāt a year old and my older son, like all sorts of things were going on. and your book is so thorough and it really goes from all aspects into even the very practical. But before we jump into that, know, even reading your bio and as a registered nurse, seeing how you shifted and reading the book, itās just interesting how, or what brought you specifically to focus on hospice care and. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (02:16.188)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:42.104)being a doula for the dying and working through this aspect of life. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (02:47.643)It chooses you. It chooses you. And I think you really started this conversation with exactly what I feel like weāve learned about life is working with those at the end of life allowed me to immediately realize that we are a human and a being. Thereās two parts to us. Thereās the human experience that we go through this journey, all the life lessons, all of the experiences to grow for growth, for learning. And then thereās the being part of us. And when you said that the happiness and the joy is not found outside. Youāre right, itās found inside with a connection to that being part, which is always at home, which is always at peace. And itās like a muscle that you need to, you know, exercise and strengthen. But I think in our world today, we donāt even know about the two parts. We know about the ego part, we know about the separate part, and you can see the chaos that itās leading to. So, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:24.206)Hmm. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (03:43.559)To answer your question, I am a registered nurse by trade and I was six months out of nursing school in the mainstream hospital and I realized I will never get the fulfillment. This is awful. I had very little time with patients. It was about pushing medications, doing paperwork. The patient and the family were really sometimes the last in the discussion in the meetings. And I thought, what am I gonna do? Iām three years in, student loans, what am I gonna do? And I heard this little voice that said, to hospice. And I said, why am I hearing that? I have no end of life experience. But when I heard that there was a piece, there was an excitement, there was an expansion. And I said, you know what? Iāve tried everything that people say. I followed all of the things that they said. And I said, I donāt know what this is, but Iām just gonna follow it and see. And the very first day I went out to see hospice patients, I knew I was in the exact place I was supposed to be in my life. And I also said, thatās how life works. Not what do I think Iām supposed to be doing, but where am I being guided? What do I know? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:19.566)and then. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:38.914)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:42.678)What a beautiful heart story, Suzanne. I love that and that clarity. I was reading this. We have these comic books of great figures and I was reading the one about Mother Teresa to my sons. And there was this moment when she was on the bus, or no, she was on a train and she heard a voice similarly to you saying, move to the slums. You were meant to move out of the convent and go there. And she was like, no other nun has gone there. Like, what do I do? But itās that when we open up to that, Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (04:43.965)Mmm. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (04:55.027)Mm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:12.558)that light, that intuition, whatever we want to call it, that voice, it does lead us to this life of great purpose and fulfillment, which clearly you have found so much purpose in your work, Suzanne. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (05:27.207)And Kimberly, itās so interesting because that day, you know, I had found it being in this end of life space. And if you had told me today that I wouldnāt be a bedside hospice nurse, I wouldnāt have believed you then. But because I knew that when this voice comes in, this is the higher guidance system. And I was always going to listen to it. And itās just when you trust in that, when you follow your heart guidance, it will lead you on a journey that is not only fulfilled and full of purpose and service, but just miracles big and small and joy and just the splendor of whatās available in this experience. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:58.402)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:02.038)And you talk about these three phases of dying with dignity and having a good death, shock, stabilization and transition. And we could talk about these more, but what really stood out to me was how much in the stabilization phase you talked about forgiveness. And I was reading that and I was thinking, oh my gosh, how key. And there was a lot of exchanges between me and my mother when she was passing. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (06:06.994)Mmm. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (06:12.647)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:30.018)But also, Suzanne, back to living well, how important that is even when weāre not confronted with death, right? Instead of this big wake up call. Of course, for some, itās going to come at that moment, but thereās lessons in here for, I think, just on the flip side, like living to that fullness in life. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (06:49.873)Yeah, Kimberly, when people are at the end of life and theyāre sharing with you what they want you to know about how to make life the best experience possible, theyāre not trying to sell you anything. They donāt care if you take it or not. Theyāre just purely, itās the wisdom. I immediately changed my life. mean, every day I live like one little lifetime, like knowing that time is my greatest commodity. I donāt miss the joyful moments, the connection, presence, but also forgiveness. So when I saw the transformation at the end of life, and I really feel as peopleās physical bodies are diminishing, their spiritual bodyās growing, and you can see that things wanna be worked out with acceptance and processed before they leave if itās possible, the profound transformations that I saw led to the most beautiful end of life with forgiveness. And I said, okay, I am making a list. I am thinking about what am I not addressing or what have I been carrying with me that Iām not even aware of? And Iām gonna forgive. And I will tell you, it- Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:15.566)Mmm. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (07:44.421)sets you free in a way to design and co-create your life with no limitations and with just the most beautiful energy possible. And so yeah, it changed my life completely. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:56.782)Amazing. know, and I, thereās so much in your book where you talk about this, kind of this, I donāt say falsity, but this idea that we must prolong life as much as possible. And I remember with my own mother having to be faced with things like do not resuscitate, which I learned could break their bones and only extend life for a short amount of time. And, you know, thereās just so much, Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (07:58.002)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:26.44)reframing life. But this is, you know, itās a little bit, not more clear, but we can say, okay, our elderly, our parents, and you talk about in the book how the statistics are going to skyrocket with the elderly ratio of the United States. But what about Suzanne? Surely youāve worked with families where itās people in their 20s, their 30s, their 40s, children, teenagers, right? Where itās not the end of life. And it feels, thereās that other element of like, feel a little robbed, right? Because itās one thing to, if youāre dealing with an elderly parent, but to have that peace when you realize someone may have a terminal illness and theyāre only 23 years old. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (09:05.116)Yeah, absolutely. And Iāve had, you know, all ages. And I think that if I may, think that one of the main things that Iām always trying to say, okay, what is the ask, right, of the big picture for what Iām supposed to be doing here and teaching. I really believe itās to remind people and have them remember that death used to be revered and is a sacred natural rite of passage. And with the awareness of that, it opens us up to really, I feel like expanding like, well, what is life about and what are the important things? But to make sure that weāre not missing it. Cause the number one thing I hear from people at the end of life is I thought I had more time and the regrets. And itās not what they did do so much as what they didnāt do. And even if you, and then if Kimberly, if I can go really high up in big vision about the gifts within. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:44.824)What? Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (09:56.613)every experience that we have and some do not look like gifts by any means. But when we have those, what I call the little masters, when there is somebody whoās having their end of life, I believe that there is teachings for all of us that are part of that, not just for the comfort, but just to come to place of acceptance. And I remember there was this one little girl and she was dying and she told everyone what exactly what she wanted them to do, how she wanted to be celebrated. She wanted them to dress in pink. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:19.118)Thank you. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (10:25.703)that she wanted them to sing songs. Like she was guiding all of them. Itās pretty amazing what you experience in this space or can. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:36.17)Yes, and thereās this transcendence, right? And goes back to our personal beliefs. I personally believe this isnāt it and that we have, thereās life beyond and so thereās a higher plan. Sometimes we donāt understand it and that can, hell, mean, in the moment thereās so much pain, but kind of smooth over the unfairness aspect. it is, we can come to peace if we can believe it. In some way, somehow itās someoneās time to go. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (10:45.469)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:04.618)And I remember Suzanne with my mom, the moment my prayers changed from, you know, please heal her. She had this cancer diagnosis, seemingly out of nowhere. I was in February, like the day after my birthday, my parents called. Weād seen her at Christmas and only once did she say, Iām kind of tired. She just sort of held it in. And I was like, no, no, we can heal her. We could do this with the diet and da da. And then there was this moment. It was just something inside me realized and accepted and it switched to, you know, God, please grant her peace. And it was such a big shift and acceptance and all these profound gifts did open up because I think, like you said, itās the number one fear. have so much resistance and we want to hold on. And thatās not always the plan. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (11:50.099)I think that goes back to the fact of us being human beings, right? The human part of us wants to kind of control the show, right? And then we also have a lot of things happening at the same time. We have doctors that are trained to fix it and theyāre expected to fix it, which is an impossible goal that they have to meet. But weāre not even talking about this because the time to choose, and Iāll use myself as an example, what quality of life is to me and realizing that one day the journey will not be as I know it today. allows me when I get there to already have a pathway for it, to already know, like for instance, Iām here with my parents, theyāre both 86, God bless, and Iām so grateful that I have them. But thereās a level of gratitude and patience that I have with every minute that weāre together, because itās a gift. And I know that one day that wonāt be there. And so it wonāt be such a shock and it wonāt be me grasping and us grasping for different things because we talked about it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:42.786)Thank Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (12:45.479)So what about again, bringing back the awareness that one day the journey will not be as I know it today so that when we get there, we hopefully donāt go down pathways and roads that we donāt want to that we know wonāt reverse it, but could also be causing more suffering or even false hope for people. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:01.186)Right. And part of that is sort of just, letās never talk about this. Like itās taboo. Letās like pretend weāre going to live forever. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (13:08.742)Yeah. That, yeah, and that doesnāt work. I mean, if anyone knows anything differently, Iāve never seen anyone, but I also know that Iāve seen the most beautiful things happen at the end of life. Youāre literally at the veil. And Iāve had people share with me what theyāre seeing, the peace that theyāre seeing, the love and what I have felt in the room, and time disappears as you and I know it. There is no doubt. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:25.004)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:30.519)Huh. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (13:37.757)that there is something so incredibly in my mind beautiful thatās gonna happen after because Iāve been with over a thousand people at the end of life. So what is this life about? What are we missing from that awareness and education and wisdom of end of life to make life as rich and beautiful and connected as possible? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:56.408)can only imagine Suzanne being with so many souls that have passed. For me, was only my mother, well, only, but I did have the gift of holding her in my arms as she passed. And then, my dad was near the window. And as you describe in the book, the breath just started to slow and then expire. But it was really profound moment where it didnāt feel like death. I felt like her energy just kind of like moved and forever. I think of death very differently, just as a transition. I know sheās still somewhere. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (14:33.075)Absolutely. Absolutely. like, you know, when we talk about cultures for thousands of years, knowing this and having this be a sacred ritual, you know, weāve lost the ritual around it. Weāve lost the time thinking of bringing a baby into the world. Very similar in the same importance and sacredness as helping somebody to leave with love and with comfort. There were two times, Kimberly, in my journey that I literally saw someone leave their body, what I would say, leave their body. You know, the things you see and what you feel, let you know that thereās so much more going on. And that to me is so healing and people the end of life talking about how weāre all connected to one unconditional loving energy. Yeah, itās just, you know, we need to bring that education back, that awareness back to our world. And also weāre suffering from such traumatic grief as a collective, because weāre not talking about end of life, it shows up, itās a shock. usually doesnāt go that well because of scrambling and then people are stuck in this grief. We need to talk about this and it teaches us about life. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:40.578)Well, you know, what was so clear to me, Suzanne, was when my prayer changed as I explained, it was about me. I was like, please heal her because I want her here. And then when it changed to let her have peace, it was like, this soul is ready to go. And theyāre seeing amazing things and theyāre at that veil. So I think what your book sort of reframes as well is stepping out of that Mimi, because letās face it, a lot of the losses. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (15:48.765)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:09.102)you know, we want to talk to that person and we miss having them around and thereās validity in that. And I feel that too. And thereās moments I was like, gosh, I canāt call my mom. But then when we expand into the oneness, into the eternalness, itās like, the non-attachment comes in, which is such a profound lesson. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (16:12.635)Of course. Of course. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (16:26.181)Itās such a profound lesson what you just shared, you know, the grace in which you brought into this experience and the re focusing on her and the love that was there and how how may I show up to support her in this dynamic and it just changed. all the frequency around everything. But I do honor you because when something shows up quickly, thereās a process, thereās a shock right now. And this is really one of my main platforms is to try and educate before we ever get there. Even children have their pets dying. so age appropriately, think one of the best things we could ever do is talk about the cycle of life with nature and animals and how weāre all connected. because what weāre seeing right now is the removal of that and then the fear that has been ingrained in people that is unfortunately again preventing them from having these meaningful last chapters with their loved ones as theyāre leaving the physical body, which is so important for us to be able to have if thatās what we can do. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:26.414)What would you say to someone listening or watching this, Suzanne, if theyāre like, oh, I want to know, but reading about this, I donāt want to manifest death. I donāt want to think about losing my mom or losing my dad or losing a loved one. What would you say about how on the flip side, this could actually be really empowering to have this information? Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (17:45.777)Yeah. Yeah. So I would say that itās not going to bring it on. Itās not talking about sex doesnāt make us pregnant. you know, talking about end of life doesnāt. But I will say this from a very, and you really talked about this, book being very practical in its education, but also sacred and spiritual as well. That the weāre all going to be called to show up to care for somebody at the end of life at some point in the journey, knowing how to do that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:12.908)Yeah. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (18:14.267)knowing how to do that changes everything. And I also want to remind us that a hundred years ago, this was a skill that a grandmother used to teach to a grandchild. People died at home, they had home wakes. This is a holistic skill. This is not medical. And weāve given over our end of life to the medical profession. First of all, they canāt fix it. Theyāre not supposed to, but it also allows us to not be able to be in that process with our loved one. Knowing what my mom wants, where she wants to be, warm blankets, what kind of music, having those conversations, thatās something that I want to provide for her and itās so healing and we can all do that. And youāre going to feel as much as itās going to be difficult, and I know it is, when we say goodbye to that physical person, knowing that you were there, helping them to lead this world in comfort, youāre going to hold that in your heart for absolutely ever in the most beautiful way. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:45.838)Mm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:02.232)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:10.646)You know, when I had this, every time I keep referencing your book to my experience because it comes from such direct knowing about this experience, Suzanne, like this, can feel your heart in this book and how, you know, how youāve really been leading people through this. Cause Iām like, yes, I remember that moment. I remember that moment. And there was a time where my mom stopped speaking and I just said, Hey, squeeze your hand. If you can hear what Iām saying. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (19:20.317)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:37.482)She squeezed and squeezed and she looked me in the eye and I had two hours to just tell her everything. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (19:47.165)Thereās a few things that I want to share with your listeners and with you now is that people, want to make sure that you understand people can hear you even when theyāre in a deep sleep coma. But I want to take it a step further. People can hear you now. You know, if we think about quantum physics, right? And we talk about energy and theyāre really finding out a lot in this world. But I always go with what is your heart saying, right? What is your gut saying? Energy cannot be destroyed. It has to be a solid, a liquid or a gas. Your loved one has changed for. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:56.109)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:59.66)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:16.237)Yes. Suzanne B. OāBrien RN (20:16.591)Your loved one is still around you. Maybe as Oprah says, and I have to give her a little bit of props here, she talks about when her birth mother died, she feels her now more loving and stronger in a relationship than she ever did. And I know that I have heard that from families as well, when their loved one has stopped breathing in the body and theyāve slowed down and taken time, hours, if not hopefully days,
Closing the Courage Gap with Margie Warrell [Episode 1000]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Dr. Margie Warrell In this conversation, Margie Warrell discusses her book āThe Courage Gapā and explores the themes of courage, fear, and self-discovery. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the courage gap, which is the space between knowing what we should do and actually taking action. Margie shares insights on how to overcome fear, the significance of being authentic, and the relationship between courage and love. She also reflects on her personal journey, including her struggles with an eating disorder and the loss of loved ones, and how these experiences have shaped her mission to empower others. Ā About Dr. Margie Warrell Dr. Margie Warrell is a five-time best-selling author, keynote speaker, leadership coach, and Forbes columnist. With twenty-five years of experience living and working around the world, she has dedicated her life to helping others overcome fear and unlock their potential. From her humble beginnings on a small farm in rural Australia to her current role as a Senior Partner at Korn Ferry and Advisory Board member for the Forbes School of Business & Technology, Margie has learned that courage is essential for every worthwhile endeavor. A mother of four and an advocate for womenās empowerment, she inspires others to live bravely and refuse to settle in any aspect of life. Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Guest Resources Website: margiewarrell.com Social Media: margie@margiewarrell.com Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Impact of Synthetic Dyes01:23 Personal Journey: The Catalyst for Change06:12 The Science Behind Synthetic Dyes and Their Effects10:49 Regulatory Challenges and the FDAās Role13:58 The Power of Awareness and Advocacy18:40 The Broader Implications of Food Dyes in Society26:10 Legislative Efforts Against Synthetic Dyes28:05 Challenges in National Regulation29:20 Impact of Synthetic Dyes on Children30:24 Finding Alternatives to Dyes32:15 The Cost of Healthier Choices34:09 The Struggles of Medical Dependency35:51 Elimination and Its Immediate Benefits38:41 The Broader Implications of Dyes40:11 Adult Reactions to Synthetic Dyes43:03 The Journey of Creating the Documentary48:41 Where to Watch the Documentary Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.691)Hi everyone and welcome back to our show. I have a very special guest here with me today from across the country in Washington DC. Iām so excited to chat with her after reading her brand new book called The Courage Gap, Five Steps to Braver Action, Margie Worrell, PhD, who is a five-time bestselling author, a keynote speaker, leadership advisor, And I canāt help but also add from reading her book, Mother of Four. Margie, thank you so much for being here. I felt like that should be part of the bio and I just wanted to it in organically because itās really amazing that youāve created so much. And that was one of the things you talked about in the book, but also breaking this idea of limitation that you couldnāt be successful in your career and also be a mother of four. So congratulations on all fronts. Margie Warrell (00:40.392)Yeah. Margie Warrell (00:59.106)Thanks, Kimberly. Itās great to be with you. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:02.661)Margie, so much to say about courage and fear. And I want to dive a little bit deeper. You and I were chatting before about how much of the conversation in our Feel Good podcast community has been about the heart and you really connect courage and the heart. But before we get that far, tell us about this gap, the courage gap and what that really means. Margie Warrell (01:30.222)Well, I know Iāve had this experience myself many times, Kimberly, but Iāve also had many people share their own of knowing there was something that they should do, something they wanted to do, something they knew they needed to do. Maybe it was a difficult conversation. Maybe it was disentangling themselves from a relationship they knew was just sucking the life blood out of them. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:42.045)Mm. Margie Warrell (01:55.882)maybe it was going after something they really wanted and they just had so much doubt and yet they were holding back, they were hesitating, they were procrastinating, they were coming up with all sorts of great reasons and itās my observation that our fear creates the gap between what weāre doing on a daily basis but also over the course of our lives and what it is weāre capable of doing between having an insight going know I should do that and actually doing it and it takes courage to close that gap. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:22.567)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:30.663)Mm-hmm. Margie Warrell (02:31.054)And so many people Iāve met in my work and travels around the world, Kimberly, are living smaller lives than theyāre capable of living because theyāre afraid of what will happen if they step forward into that gap, if they take that action when thereās a chance that they might fall short or mess up, make a mistake, make a fool of themselves. And so I wanted to write a book that would be really, really practical to help people in those moments when youāre like, do I donāt Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:58.951)Yes. Margie Warrell (03:00.938)I do I donāt I to just step forward and do it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:06.139)I resonate with those moments. Like you said, it could be something you can pinpoint, like, this relationship or this conversation. But one of the things that I started to feel into when I was reading your book is also the courage to be yourself. And what I mean by that is itās really easy to wear different masks because we think thatās how weāre gonna be liked or accepted. You know, for me, Margie, thereās been a lot ofā¦ Like dismantling wanting to be seen as serious and smart and overcoming perfectionism through my childhood. so just like putting things out there in a certain way, right? And it takes courage to be like, hey, but I have this whole side of me thatās more alive and silly and wacky and letting that show too in some situations except for like now my kids and my husband see it. And it feelsā¦ scary sometimes to really let yourself be seen. But wow, the life force, Margie, right? So this quote, thereās so many quotes, first of all, in the book that I just think are like spectacular. And I was sharing with you how many I had highlighted, but thereās one in particular that resonates here. And Iāll paraphrase it. was something about when you connect to who you want to be, it informs your doing. So was reading this and I was like, who I wanna be is free. My freedom and wholeness are like my two guiding lights. And if I wanna be free and whole, means not being fearful people arenāt gonna like me if I show these parts of me, right? And so it informs how Iām expressing, it informs how Iām writing, it informs how Iām speaking. And it feels scary at times, but it also feels really good. Margie Warrell (04:50.146)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Margie Warrell (04:55.426)Yeah well just because itās scary sure doesnāt mean itās bad right in fact often thatās the very thing we have to do and I like to frame it this way Kimberly that whenever we are letting what other people might think about us be pulling the strings and directing our decisions and kind of in charge of how shaping how we show up. Weāre essentially held captive to other peopleās opinions and approval. Weāre held captive to what I call impression management. Do they like me? You know, do they think Iām cool? Do they think Iām funny? Do they think Iām pretty? Do they think Iām smart? And thatās part of the human condition, right? Like we all long to belong. We want to be approved of. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:14.844)in Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:34.845)Managing. Yeah. Margie Warrell (05:43.014)We want people to think well of us and so thereās nothing wrong with that because it is wired into us but really our own human journey is developing the awareness that reclaims that power. recognizing Iām giving this away right now. Iām trying to sound really smart. Iām trying to look really hip. Iām trying to look like my familyās a perfect family or whatever it is versus you who am I when I strip all that you know impression management and caring about approval seeking and pleasing away and I think itās a lifelong journey Kimberly. I donāt feel like you can just flick a switch and go thatās it. I donāt care what anyone thinks because people have to say that really loudly. Iām like okay you care a lot what everyone thinks. So I think just thatās a self-awareness piece, right? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:28.284)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:32.371)Well, so your book has these questions and introspecting and sort of telling stories about other peopleās courage and vulnerability because it can feel like a lot in there, right? Like thereās a reason why weāre wearing masks. Thereās a reason why you donāt leave a relationship even though itās crappy. Thereās a reason you stay in a job that, you know, isnāt serving your life purpose. So itās like, ugh, itās like a lot of energy and fear. So when youāre coaching, when youāre working with people and how you dismantle it in the book, Margie, what are some of the tips you would say to someone thatās even, you know, it feels like a lot to even broach the subject in the first place? Margie Warrell (07:18.314)It is a, I think it can be a lot and itās like at what point, where do you even start? And before we pressed record, you and I talked about just that holistic even connecting in with our body and we can get there in a moment. But I think a really key thing that requires. getting really just sometimes pressing pause on the business of our lives and zooming up and going, who is it I want to be in my one and only precious life? Thank you, Mary Oliver. Like, how do I want to show up? What are the values that want to define how I want to live my life and getting some clarity on that? Because when our values are clear, like for instance, I want to be kind or I want to be generous or I want to be a great mother. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:46.973)Yeah. Margie Warrell (08:05.232)or a good friend. I want to be living using my gifts in ways that are meaningful and purposeful for me. When we get clarity on that it helps acts like a North Star. Like you know what I need to step away a little bit from this over here because itās not nourishing me and I need to invest more time in this over here. Maybe itās weāre building a skill, maybe weāre building a new web of of relationships but Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:32.498)Yes. Margie Warrell (08:33.742)the clearer we are on the values that we want to define our lives by and who it is we want to be, then it makes it easier, not easy, but to rise above those very self-protective instincts that keep us stuck and playing it safe. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:39.847)Wait. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:47.858)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:51.837)Well, you know, to echo something you just said, which I did think was an important part of the book, and I did write it down somewhere here, was inhabiting the body. Because sometimes when fear hits, weāre kind of like frozen or like taking, you know, going elsewhere. Tell us what you mean about inhabiting the body and how it can help us as a tool for overcoming fear. Margie Warrell (09:15.928)Well. We all know that our thoughts can impact the emotions we feel and then how we feel in our body. But our body, itās not a one way street. Our physiology, these earth suits that we have, they also impact how we think and how we feel. And so just recognizing that, that our physiology impacts our psychology, gives us a portal, a doorway to enter there. Thereās a lever there. And so, okay, well, where is it that Iām holding onto? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:25.393)Okay. Margie Warrell (09:47.124)fear in my body and what would it look like and feel like and sound like and move like if I was embodying the courage that I wanted to have? you know, itās called a nervous system for a reason because we are our default is to be defensive, you know, on alert for, you know, who might who might threaten our sense of safety or our identity or reputation or our place in our social pack. And so just recognizing that that we can be moving through the world kind of in a defensive, anxious mode. And so connecting in with our bodies helps connect that head and heart and hands and recognizing, okay, you know, what is it, where am I living from the neck up? Where am I stuck in my head, maybe? And I think that most powerful and easiest way to start with that is simply through our breath. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:34.65)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:45.756)Mm-hmm. Margie Warrell (10:46.318)And Iām sure youāve had many moments Kimberly where just pausing and taking the longest breath youāve taken all day and just breathing in and I sort of like to couple this with a cognitive reframe. Breathe in courage, breathe out fear sort of allows us to reset you know that that vagus nerve that kind of goes down through us just to go okay where do I need to just tell my brain itās okay right now. Right now, in this moment, itās okay. And to stand tall and put our shoulders back and put a smile on our face and like that, what is that telling our brain is that itās okay, I got this, I donāt have to be going into full flight, you know, fight mode. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:31.079)Well, a couple of things, I love how you do talk about posture in the book and you talk about standing up straight and really embodying, inhabiting that, you know, courage. And I remember there was a Ted talk a couple of years ago, some researcher from Princeton was talking about this body language that really did help you feel, as you also referenced in the book, just feeling more strong and brave. So I love that. And also, Margie, you talk about the heart a lot in the book, which I resonate with so much. And my last book I mentioned before was about heart coherence and how the heart sends more messages to the brain. So when you work with the heart and you start to entrain the heart, brain, nervous system, you can really change your thoughts. And so thereās a certain point in the book where you talk about courage. being a really high form of love. So before I read that part, Margie, I wrote back here, said, ask Margie about the relationship between courage and being loving and love, and then you hit on it. Because being courageous doesnāt mean cowering higher, being just like nice and not having challenging conversations and sort of being like people pleasing. Thereās a power in lovingness that can be very courageous. Can you talk a little bit about that relationship? Margie Warrell (12:49.036)Yeah well the word courage comes from the word core French for heart and I know BrenĆ© Brown talked a lot about this like what it is to live a wholehearted life and the reason that I say that courage is love in its highest form and vice versa love is courage its highest form is it is living with our heart wide open to the full spectrum of human emotion. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:01.159)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:13.341)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:17.81)Mm. Margie Warrell (13:18.066)And letās face it, most of us would rather not feel the really painful emotions. Like, can we just have the good stuff? Like not that bad. I donāt want to feel, donāt my heart to be broken? I donāt want people to disappoint me. I donāt want to be rejected. I donāt want to be judged. And so to live with our heart wide open is to be fully open to that full spectrum of lifeās experiences. And at the same time, deeply grounded. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:22.844)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:35.869)Mm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:41.138)Beautiful. Margie Warrell (13:45.466)in ourselves, our own worthiness at a really kind of primal and sacred level that who we are is beyond what anyone might say about us, itās also beyond our bodies too, that our bodies arenāt, that who we are is not our bodies, itās not our emotional state, itās not our mental and cognitive function because lord knows that goes down over time, our bodies wonāt stay this, wonāt be looking the same when weāre 90 and so just being able to connect at that real heart level that often knows what it is we should do before our mind is willing to concede defeat. Because often we know what we should do and yet weāre like coming up with 3,000 really good reasons why not and our heart is likeā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:29.575)Right. Margie Warrell (14:31.252)you know it, you know what you need to do. And I think thatās where, you know, living with our heart wide open is obviously easier said than done because weāre wired for protecting ourselves against pain or perceived pain or emotional injury. And yet itās a very liberating place to live from because when we can trust ourselves and our hearts to handle anything, it actually empowers us for everything. Weāre more secure. Weāre not less secure. Weāre more secure in our lives. And thatās a work in progress sometimes, you know, two steps forward, one step back. But I like to ask people. If you were not afraid of something happening that you couldnāt handle, if you could trust in your heartās ability to handle anything, what is it that you would do? You know, what is it that you would change? What would you go after? And like, well, if I wasnāt afraid of rejection, Iād do this. And if I wasnāt afraid of just making a fool of myself on the global stage, Iād do that. And it can just open up our aperture of whatās possible for us and be a really, yeah, very empowering, liberating space to be going through the world. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:52.115)Mm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:56.595)You know, itās, where is that quote? Itās be before do, grounding yourself in the certainty of who you want to be elevates what you do. Coupled with this other one, when youāre willing to feel anything, this is the one I really wanted, you embolden yourself for everything. So as children, Margie, a lot of us are, you we have these patterns, weāve been hurt. What is it? 75 % of us. according to Bessel van der Kolk and the body keeps the score, say we have a form of trauma. So we like, youāre right, we donāt want to feel rejected. We donāt like to feel outcast or that we donāt belong. So what happens, Margie, if we put ourselves out there, letās say we decide to ask someone on a date and we do get rejected. And you do talk about learning from the courage, but what if that makes someone just want to go back into their hole? Margie Warrell (16:54.734)you And thatās where our work lies, right? And thatās a natural response, because weāre giving other peopleās opinion of us in some moment of time and they donāt even know us necessarily. We ask them out on a date and theyāre like, no, maybe they donāt like our hair color. Who knows? But weāre giving them power because weāre saying, I care so much about your judgment of me. So again, weāre giving them the power to determine how we will feel about ourselves. And thatās where Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:24.957)Right. Margie Warrell (17:26.09)there is so much power in us defining and being self-defining. I know I am worthy. Whether or not you think Iām worthy, I know Iām deeply and innately lovable and loved and loving and whether you see that or not is actually beside the point that I know I am. And so if someone else isnāt seeing that okay great on you go on your journey and on I go on mine. I thought maybe it could be a thing here but okay clearly not. But the most attractive thing about people, sorry, let me rephrase that. The most attractive people are people who are not letting their worth be defined by everybody else. Theyāre not outsourcing their self-esteem to how many likes they have on their post or to what invite list theyāre on or how the guy theyāre going out with looks. Theyāre really, theyāre so at home in themselves. And thatās an incredibly attractive thing. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:09.298)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:27.347)Yes. So I think we have all met people like that and we can admire that. I can think of someone in my mind, she just kind of says whatever she wants. And sometimes itās like a little bit too much, but still like she really, like you said, doesnāt, when people, she gets negative comments or at a party, people disagree with her, doesnāt affect her that much. So letās say for anyone listening, Margie, weāre point A. Because itās easy, we can say, know Iām lovable, I have this self-worth, but weāre trying to cross over to be where we arenāt so suede and weāre not outsourcing. Thereās a journey there. Margie Warrell (19:08.792)There is absolutely a journey and thatās our work. I mean, thereās various things we can do, tools we can use. I think I know myself, journaling over the course of my life has been a really powerful tool for reminding me of what at the deepest level I already know. You know, itās like, youāre chasing. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:22.003)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:25.681)Me too. Margie Warrell (19:33.554)likes or approval, youāre chasing something out there that actually, no matter how much you get of it, it will never be enough. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:42.78)Right. Margie Warrell (19:44.334)Itās just youāre on this treadmill. Itāll never be enough. I mean, you might think itās going to be enough, but then you get it and you know itās still not going to be enough. So I think journaling can be a great way to just explore that the inner regions of our lives and go, what is it that here thatās in my way and what does love look like today? And you know, maybe thereās people we need to step away from hanging out with so much. Maybe thereās people we need to set a boundary with. Maybe thereās other people over here we we need to invest more time with. weāre not treating ourselves with as much love and respect. Maybe weāre abusing ourselves in some way because we just keep putting rubbish in ourselves. or weāre not taking care of ourselves the way weād like to be. Or weāre letting a particular person get under our skin and weāre not setting a boundary on them and saying hey please donāt speak to me that way. You know I I donāt want you having those conversations. But that that concept of be before do that I wrote about in the book. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:37.531)Yes. Margie Warrell (20:44.274)you know when youāre clear about who you want to be and you reset because thatās a choice we make every day then you know youāre doing your high grade youāre doing when iām clear about who i want to be and so you know i have many moments where iām like my doubts will be really loud in my head and iāll be starting to go down this like rabbit hole of youāre never going to do this and youāre left behind and you donāt have what it takes and And then I will take myself out for a walk for me getting out in nature, exercising, sometimes music all at once out in nature, exercising and listening to music that just really speaks to, I call it the God within me. Thatās like what I really know. You know, that will just do that will shift the space Iām in. And then, you know what, how do I want to show up today? I want to show up. I want to I want to know that Iām here. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:21.159)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:27.815)Right. Margie Warrell (21:33.74)for great things and I show up as someone that lifts everyone around me and Iām not letting whether or not I landed that deal or got invited to speak at that event or XYZ, that is not going to determine how I feel about myself today and how I show up. And coming from that place, itās like reclaiming our power and going, no, I will not be captive of my circumstances. Iām going to be the captain of my life and I will decide and Iām not going to give that away. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:40.595)you Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:02.755)you know, thereās a couple amazingly powerful things in there, Margie. The first thing is, you know, it isnāt like a switch. There is a journey, but I do think there is great power. You you used the term doing the work a couple of times. I think part of doing the work is considering what weāre talking about. And then reading a book like yours, where there really are these sort of standout introspective quotes. I circled a bunch in the book, as I mentioned to you. And you can just sort of pause and say, hmm, what does this mean in my life? And journal. And I wanted to share, Iām a huge journaler. I hear my office. I have so many journals going back from when I was backpacking around the world. And it really is amazing. I donāt just write. I like to go back and read, Margie. And you could sort of see, wow, I overcame that fear. Or I had this realization afterwards. So I think thereās something really powerful in reading. the book and looking at the quotes and also these stories that you tell inside. Because sometimes when we read other peopleās stories, thatās why weāre so connected to each other. It can inspire us. And then the next part is quote on 120, ability to lift people up and affect positive change begins where your comfort zone ends. So, so much of our self doubt and fear is very me focused and very like, you know, thereās an, you know, thereās an egoic quality to it. But when we kind of radiate out and focus on how we can be of service to others and how we can help other people be more enthusiastic, where we can give praise, where we can give encouragemen
The Impact of Food Colorings & Synthetic Dyes on our Health with Brandon and Whitney Cawood [Episode #999]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Brandon and Whitney Cawood In this conversation, Kimberly interviews Brandon and Whitney Cawood, the creators of the documentary āTo Die For,ā which explores the impact of synthetic dyes on childrenās health. They share their personal journey of discovering the effects of these dyes on their son, the scientific research behind the issue, and the challenges of navigating the regulatory landscape. The discussion emphasizes the importance of awareness, advocacy, and community support in driving change, as well as practical solutions for parents seeking to eliminate synthetic dyes from their childrenās diets. Ā About Brandon and Whitney Cawood After discovering their childās life-altering sensitivity to synthetic dyes, parents and first-time filmmakers Brandon and Whitney Cawood set out to uncover the impacts of these additives. There journey led them to meet with the worldās leading synthetic dye experts, scientists, researchers, and impacted families in the revelatory documentary To Dye For which revealed a series of shocking stories, surprising discoveries and the truth about how synthetic food colorings. Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā SOLLUNA SBO PROBIOTICS OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Guest Resources Website: https://www.todyeforthedocumentary.com/ Social Media: @ todyeforthedocumentary Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Impact of Synthetic Dyes01:23 Personal Journey: The Catalyst for Change06:12 The Science Behind Synthetic Dyes and Their Effects10:49 Regulatory Challenges and the FDAās Role13:58 The Power of Awareness and Advocacy18:40 The Broader Implications of Food Dyes in Society26:10 Legislative Efforts Against Synthetic Dyes28:05 Challenges in National Regulation29:20 Impact of Synthetic Dyes on Children30:24 Finding Alternatives to Dyes32:15 The Cost of Healthier Choices34:09 The Struggles of Medical Dependency35:51 Elimination and Its Immediate Benefits38:41 The Broader Implications of Dyes40:11 Adult Reactions to Synthetic Dyes43:03 The Journey of Creating the Documentary48:41 Where to Watch the Documentary Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.091)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview. I am so excited for these very special humans that I have with me here today, Whitney and Brandon Kaywood. And they are the power couple behind the new film, To Die For, which I have to say was very powerful for me and very emotional. It explores the impact on our children and really all humans. that synthetic dyes have. They interview experts, scientists, researchers. Iām getting goosebumps even as I talk about it. Stories from families made a lot of news a couple of months ago when red dye was banned and a lot of us hadnāt really thought about the impact of food colorings and dyes. And just more and more is starting to come out and this incredible film really takes a deep dive. I encourage everyone to watch this. and especially if you are parents. So guys, thank you so much for being here with us today. You know, itās very impactful, your work, this film, you guys are first time filmmakers. Tell us a little bit about the passion that drove you to spending so much energy on bringing this particular subject to life. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (01:23.308)Well, first of all, thank you for having us. That was a beautiful intro. All right. So our story, I guess, was really the beginning of this entire journey. So our son has a profound reaction to synthetic dyes. so between the ages of one and three, he was having a lot of trouble keeping his hands to himself with impulse control. And, you know, in that age, itās kind of the biting, the hitting, the inability to Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:25.686)you Yeah. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (01:51.928)to cope with the word no, like all of that is normal within reason. how often it was happening per day and just the duration of our fits, it was like pause for concern. And it was an issue, and you really knew it was an issue when every time we took them to church, when they stayed in childcare, it was an issue, play dates orā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:56.463)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (02:15.48)He did a motherās morning out where he was just there a couple of hours, a couple of days a week, and there is an issue every single day, write ups, and I have to pick them up. it was obviously worse than his peers in that the way that his teachers described it. And so we were doing our due diligence. We were doing behavior therapy. We were consulting doctors, but it was so early, obviously. We had referrals to a childrenās hospital, but but it was so early we didnāt want to pursue a diagnosis or something like that. And so we decided to look into diet. I have a lot of autoimmune predispositions and food allergies. So I knew the power of eliminating certain foods. It was completely transformative for me. So I was hoping to eliminate something and just to help him just slightly. And because thatās how my healing, my healing was like one thing at a time. And then over time my healing happened. But for him, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:54.766)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:03.886)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (03:11.886)I found an article that suggested eliminating wheat, dairy and synthetic dyes. And so I decided to do that and we were actually on vacation. Actually, thatās how desperate we were. were on vacation and we like, we got to do this. We got to help him. And so we eliminated those things. And initially we thought that the wheat and the dairy would have the biggest impact because thatās, he consumed most of that. And when we, when we really looked at our food, we really only found synthetic dyes in his daily allergy medicine or his Benadryl or Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:16.207)Mm. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (03:40.974)He at that time had chronic ear infections. And so he was kind of on a red 40 loop with amoxicillin and just things to try to conquer his, issues with his ears. And he eventually had tubes, which helped that. But we eliminated those things. And then obviously the occasional treat at a birthday party, we would look at that. within 48 hours, we had a child that was so easy going and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:47.651)Mm-hmm. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (04:06.422)And so one reason why we didnāt pursue like a diagnosis with a doctor initially is because most of his days were really rough, but we would occasionally have a day where he was like, it was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, like who is this kid? Heās so easy. And so when we eliminated dies within 48 hours, all of those symptoms went away. It was like he was easy going and easy to reason with. It was almost unbelievable. And it was almost like you, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:18.968)Yeah. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (04:35.458)didnāt want to hold your breath, it was actually going to stick. And so we did the elimination diet for 30 days and then we reintroduced wheat and we saw no effect and we reintroduced dairy and we saw no effect. And then when we reintroduced dyes, we saw within 15 minutes, all those behaviors came flooding back. The irritability, the inability to cope, had poor sleeping and then even some things like stimming and things like that, it just like almost immediately came back. And so we knew for him synthetic dyes had a really big impact. And so we, I was really shocked and I almost didnāt want to tell people because it sounds crazy. If you were to tell me that story, I would say, it mustāve been developmental or something else mustāve changed. I wouldāve been so skeptical. But I decided to tell people about it. And I was surprised about how many people in my immediate friend group had reactions or knew people that have reactions like that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:20.15)Right. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (05:32.918)And so I decided to start a Facebook group and within just a couple of years, it went from zero to 900,000 people with similar reactions to ours. so around the time we started our Facebook group, I decided to like look at the research and initially I thought it was kind of this hippie hippie thing that, you know, science hadnāt caught up with, but I was really surprised that there was so much scientific evidence and so much research. And so I decided to ask Brandon if he would be willing to document our journey to interview researchers and impacted families so that we could share the information that we learned with those impacted. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:12.525)Wow. Well, you know, whatās really amazing about this story is when many of us think about food dyes, we think about Froot Loops or, you know, Skittles or things that for many of us and not, you know, not all, but for many of us, itās, you know, Halloween. Maybe my kids will have some Skittles or whatever. But youāre talking about over the counter medications. And in the film, thereās, you know, the home products, toothpaste. Things that people are using and itās a tiny amount can really adversely affect your child, which to me is absolutely shocking. Benadryl. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (06:51.598)Yeah. Yes, that was shocking for us too, because if your child has a neurologic reaction in that way, a very small amount can trigger that kind of a reaction. for our son, even one mini marshmallow, which the name brand JetPuff marshmallows have blue one, he one day consumed one mini marshmallow and then we had a reaction for 72 hours and it was his teachers noticed it. His teacher met me outside and was like, Iāve never seen him act like this before. Like was, is everything okay at home? And I was like, it was that one mini marshmallow. And then even fast forward, that was when he was in preschool. But fast forward now, heās going to second grade and heās been in a public school. goes to an incredible STEM school. just it, while weāve been at this school, we havenāt had a single time where heās had a meltdown or been upset or hit anyone. Heās like literally in the 99th percentile in like reading and math. Heās successful socially, academically. And just to compare that to we had, I mean, initially we had a teacher assigned to him so that he didnāt hurt other kids when he was at his motherās morning out. Like it was such a stark difference in our child. And what was even crazier as we dug in even deeper, like there were so many families that have reactions like this or worse. Many families have Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:44.846)Well. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (08:10.022)much worse reactions. And what weāve learned along the way is like everybody is kind of on a spectrum. like not every single kid is on the end of the spectrum as our son where he has these like big reaction to synthetic dyes. Itās, know, some kids might be on the low end of the spectrum where they can consume synthetic dyes and thereās really no noticeable, noticeable difference. And then some kids, you know, it may affect them a little, they may be a little irritable or have a little bit of sleep in it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:15.897)Great. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (08:38.262)And it may be more like a toxic buildup. Like the more they have multiple days in a row, the worse it gets. then, and then you have our kids who are like kids, like our son, whoās on like the far end of the spectrum that just a little bitty amounts, can affect them. and the, and, and the only like thing that, that, that weāve heard about, about like, what could be causing this with kids? Like our son is there was a big study done in Europe, which is the reason why Europe has a warning label on synthetic dyes. And so we went and interviewed. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:41.037)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (09:06.754)that researcher, Dr. Jim Stevenson, and heās also very interested in genetics. And so while he was doing that study, he also took a cheek swab of all the kids that were participating. And so what he found is that a lot of the kids who had those stronger reactions had this one variant in like a histamine gene. So histamines are like a neurotransmitter. So there could be that genetic variance in the kids that are having these extreme reactions to synthetic dyes. And very early on, we assumed that Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:23.566)Wow. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (09:36.012)the number of kids who have that type of reaction was going to be very low. like, and the data points to, know, they probably more armor on the rare side, the kids that have these extreme reactions. But like Whitney said, with a group of 900,000 people, weāre hearing thousands upon thousands of stories that are very similar to ours or like she said, even worse. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:50.339)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:54.489)Well, as a parent, whatās infuriating, thereās a, you or thereās an interview in the documentary about scientists saying no humans should be consuming these additives that are artificial and very detrimental to the body, the gut, so many different aspects. Itās sort of like saying, weāre just giving your child a little bit of rat poison, you know, maybe they wonāt react, but little bitās okay. And so, You know, on so many levels, how are these dyes in our system? How are they allowed in Europe? You many of them are not. And in your case, it was just these medications. But think about how many families are unknowingly consuming them in, I mean, the sources we could talk about, theyāre in breakfast cereals, theyāre in common foods, theyāre in bubble gum, theyāre in candy, theyāre in Gatorade, right? Theyāre in toothpaste. Thereās just so many products. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (10:46.126)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:49.699)when you start to look out there that contain these dyes. Itās like billion dollar industry. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (10:52.269)Right. Yeah, well, and if you look back, the approval process for these synthetic dyes happened in the 50s, 60s and 70s. So, I these are, this is decades ago and the FDA is not required to ever like, once they approve something, thereās no, thereās no like obligation for them to like, like reevaluate a chemical. so thereās, know, dyes luckily are a very regulated chemical. Like theyāre, theyāre so potentially harmful that every single batch of synthetic dye has to be batch certified. So, Anytime the company makes a batch of synthetic dye, they have to send a sample of that into the FDA. They have to like test it to make sure thereās the allowable, the allowable amount of like heavy metals and carcinogens and things like that. So, making sure theyāre not, theyāre not passing that threshold. So they are pretty regulated, but the approval process for safety, these tests were done decades ago and the test at the time weāre not capable of detecting like the behavioral and neurological issues that we now know that they. that they now know exist because of microscopic changes in the brain. Like they could not detect that. Yeah, thereās animal studies. Itās either animal studies or test tube studies that showed like certain synthetic dyes can make microscopic changes in the brain. So thatās where it gets a little bit different from like an allergy. Like a lot of people try to associate it kind of like an allergy, but allergies canāt make something that youāre allergic to, canāt make a microscopic change in the brain. this is a different- children are allergic to synthetic You canāt have like a reaction type allergy to synthetic dyes. So that doesnāt exist, especially like, I think red 40 is a big one that people are actually allergic to. But what weāre kind of focusing on in the film goes beyond that. And itās these neurological impacts and changes. then, know, thereās a lot of associations with cancer for certain dyes, especially red three. So itās just this weird Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:21.54)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (12:45.378)bureaucracy of, you know, the FDA has long said, you know, theyāre understaffed and they donāt have enough resources to tackle these sorts of things. And their big focus is obviously on the pharmaceutical side of the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. You know, thereās multiple advisory boards for the pharmaceutical side, but currently there is no food advisory board. thereās like, itās really crazy and itās really messed up. then on top of that, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:10.542)Yeah. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (13:15.682)Like you said, industry has been using these products for so long that theyāve become a marketing tool and they have, they spend tons and tons of money lobbying anytime thereās any kind of legislation to like, to make these changes or have these dyes looked at or evaluated or regulated. So itās a, itās a Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:20.495)Itās crazy. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:26.904)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:32.483)Well, thatās the power to the people, right? This film, and you mentioned it came out right around when Redās Eye was banned, which for many of us were like, my gosh, amazing. We didnāt think that something like this could actually happen. So it gives me hope that more and more people have this information and speak up and are pushing for that change because a lot of people, you know, you guys were talking about the film, it just wasnāt really talked about. But now people are starting to talk about it. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (13:58.834)Yeah. Yeah. People that thatās, thatās, thatās awesome. But even with red three, like itās awesome that red three was banned, but it took 35 years for it to happen. like red three was banned in cosmetics in 1990 because studies showed that it caused cancer in animals, but it was already permanently approved in food. So for 35 years, the FDA said they were going to take steps to remove it from food. They just drug their feet and never did it. And then of course you had, you know, the petition, that actually it was the cause of the, of red three getting banned was supposed. think they have like a FDA supposed to have like a 40 day window to respond to a petition. Well, that petition happened in 2022. And so it didnāt like, they didnāt address it until they finally announced that they were going to ban it. think the, you know, with a lot of things happening and a lot of, a lot of this knowledge of getting out there, there was a lot of people talking about it and red three was kind of the low hanging fruit. You know, we already, weāve, itās already banned and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:39.043)No. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:51.522)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (14:55.704)cosmetics, itās known to be a, itās known to cause cancer in animals. like, you know, itās almost like they gave us a little bit like, okay, weāre going to go ahead and ban red three. But just like you said, itās taking people making this conversation louder to actually make changes happen. And thatās not to take away from how powerful this is. Like thatās incredible. But to your point, it took so much to just make that happen. And legally the FDA is not Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:11.375)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (15:24.43)legally allowed to because of the Delaney clause, theyāre not allowed to have things in our food system that we know cause cancer in animals. Like thatās pretty intuitive. We donāt want anything in our food system that causes cancer in animals. And I donāt, I donāt think anybody could make a good argument for why we would need these high risk cancer studies on humans. If we know it causes cancer in animals, I think we should not have in our food system. But theyāre legally not allowed to do that, but they kept it in our food system for 35 years. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:53.23)Wow. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (15:53.432)Like thatās the year before I was born to put that in perspective. Like thatās a very long time. And the reality is now, know, Brandon was talking about how initially when they were approved, you know, we didnāt, we werenāt able to do the studies that needed to be done to see if they were safe is the reality. But now we have 27 clinical trials, just looking at children and the neurologic behavior or the neurologic issues that we see. And so thatās a lot when it comes to food additives, like thatās unheard of to have so many studies. And thatās just looking at children and to your point, like we can look at the carcinogenic risk, the genotoxicity, the issues that it plays in our gut, the allergic reaction, like there are so many and honestly, I donāt think science has caught up to the effects, to all the cumulative effects of having synthetic dyes, know, regularly, even if you just look at the sleep, like so many children, you know, they have insomnia whenever they consume dyes and so, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:25.423)All right. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (16:52.846)A lot of people, their child will be on an antibiotic. Theyāre like, theyāre not sleeping all night. It must be because theyāre sick. When in reality, it could be the die because thatās exactly how many children happen. so if theyāre on this loop where theyāre eating something colorful in the morning and then they go to school and they have a pop tart for snack. then when they go home, they have, you know, a strawberry or a cherry Gatorade at basketball practice and they go to sleep and they canāt sleep and theyāre up all night. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:00.312)Right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:09.912)Mmm. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (17:20.824)you know, thereās so much healing that goes on at night in your body. And so many families have reported like ticks or certain other neurologic issues that are made worse when their child consumes dyes. And so I think that thereās a lot more issues. And the reality is that like Brandon said, that synthetic dyes are a marketing tool. They are only used to make our food look bright and beautiful so that consumers will want to buy them. They donāt add to the taste. On the contrary, they actually make food Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:47.247)Right. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (17:49.39)taste chemically if they use too much of a synthetic dye. And so thereās really no point, especially when many of the synthetic dyes are used to market childrenās food so that children will want to buy them. Thereās something very dirty about the fact that like things like PediaShirt contained red 3 for decades. And we knew that, we knew that red 3 caused cancer in animals. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:02.029)Great. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:06.029)Yes. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (18:15.8)But like our children, they struggled to gain weight and our pediatrician suggested PediaShare. Luckily I, you know, I made something at home, like I made like a protein smoothie, but so many families just opt to an easy option like PediaShare. Because their doctor tells them to. And itās, and I donāt even know the doctors. I donāt think that thereās anything evil about doctors. Theyāre just not trained. They donāt know. And weāve educated our doctors on it. And itās justā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:29.591)All right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:36.548)No. Brandon & Whitney Cawood (18:40.074)We, our goal with our film, itās obviously to create awareness. And when awareness happens, when people know, when people are informed, then change can actually take place. Well, and one thing that thatās like not talked about a whole lot is Iām going to butcher it. Iām going to butcher this definition, but like the FDA has a legal definition of safe when it comes to food additives. And itās something along the lines of like a reasonable certainty of no harm, but like Thatās weāre so far from we have so many studies showing that there there is strong evidence of harm. like technically these chemicals are not like even by the FDA is on definition. I donāt think they can be labeled as safe, but they you know, they have been for so long. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:19.759)All right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:23.385)So a couple of things in there. When you were saying that, the first thing that came to mind is how ironic this is in the broad scope. Because when you look at natural foods, blueberries and strawberries and kale and watermelon, natural foods are so colorful. And where are we in society where weāre making all these artificial colors that are just to make junky foods look bright and fresh instead of, I know this is like a larger systemic issue, but just getting our children Brandon & Whitney Cawood (19:51.105)It is. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:52.879)from the get-go used to natureās candies, you know, like these natural foods, because thereās so much coal in nature. And then the other thing I wanted to ask you guys about all these research studies and you know, thereās red dye, and then I hear you guys talking about food dyes, like as a category, are the studies on specific ones? How many are there behind red, you know, besides red dye? I thereās yellow dye, thereās blue dye, and is it possible to create like a multi-band? Brandon & Whitney Cawood (19:56.812)Right. Youāre so right. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (20:22.371)where instead of,
July Solluna Power Hour Tips Show - Embracing Creativity Over Hustle [Episode 998]
Summary: In the July Solluna Power Hour episode, Kimberly discusses the importance of embracing creativity over hustle, emphasizing that everyone has pure creative potential. She explores the concept of flow versus hustle, highlighting how a holistic lifestyle can enhance well-being and creativity. The conversation delves into the Four Cornerstones of well-being: food, body, emotional health, and spiritual growth, and how they contribute to a nourishing environment for creativity. Snyder shares practical tips for maintaining energy and creativity through mindful eating, movement, emotional regulation, and spiritual practices. Episode Sponsors LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD GLOWING GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Embracing Creativity Over Hustle10:07 The Four Cornerstones of Well-Being21:13 Nourishing the Body for Creativity28:41 Emotional Well-Being and Creativity36:16 Spiritual Growth and Inner Guidance Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means TRANSCRIPT: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.846)Hello everyone and welcome back to our July Feel Good Podcast Power Hour, this very special show which only airs once a month on the first Thursday of the month. And July, here we are, weāre talking about flow over hustle and nourishing your creative core. Why does this matter? Because you are a creative being. No matter what your job is or what youāre currently doing in your life. In your core, you are pure creative potential, your pure creativity. And when you really tap into that, you can create a much more continually elevated experience of life, I say, where thereās more vitality, more life flowing through you. You create your experience, you create your meals, you create in each moment. Are you elevating your joy and your bliss? Or are you elevating suffering and ego? So the more we tap into our creativity, the more we realize that we really are the creators of our life. We can apply that creativity in our moment to moment experience or, and I should say and or, we apply that creativity to bigger projects. If we want to create something new, if we are creating a different type of project at our work, if weāre creating a different experience as a parent, weāre creating in our household. Thereās a million different ways that we create and we also create higher and higher levels of health, well-being, and energy and vitality at any stage of life and any age. Here in our Feel Good Saluna community, we go beyond numbers. We go right to that creative potential. We go right to energy, which is always creating. And we need not get fixated by the mindās ideas of certain stages or certain ages or limitations or lack. Instead, we go beyond and that is the power of this lifestyle. So today weāre going to be talking about the four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. How when we live this highly intelligent, holistic lifestyle, we donāt have to get caught up in pushing and over pushing, pushing and hustle and trying to pack more and more into each day, which Iāve definitely tried in my past and realized that Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:24.386)Burnout and getting depleted are not the space for the highest levels of creativity and your best ideas and your best outcomes. You do not manifest your best life when you are just pushing and pushing. That is not the way. All the spiritual texts as well, from the Bhagavad Gita to the Dao De Ching, right? Talk about this incredible energy, this Whatever you want to talk about it thatās latent inside of you. And so when we live a lifestyle where we allow it to come up and out, thereās an easefulness and at the same time just this incredible building and building of energy. So I want to talk about all of this. Iām so excited. I do want to mention that the reason we talk about creativity, particularly in July, thereās so much light, thereās so much sun, thereās so much water. If youāre swimming more, youāre drinking more. So this is very much in alignment with whatās happening this month. And as such, starting July 15th, we are also launching a brand new detox and nourish bundle, which is really exciting. Itās going to feature our detox 2.0 formula, our glowing greens powder, and our research-based heart aligned meditation as a bundle, along with a very powerful companion guide, a 30 day checklist to help to support you through this really powerful process. Because part of nourishing creativity is this building up, this breaking down of the old, right, which is happening on a cellular level, anabolism and catabolism are constantly taking place. So you want to create a very fertile environment inside of you for creative potential, for health, for vitality to rise up and out. So please check out, be on the lookout for this. Itāll be on the front page of our website starting July 15th. Please also join our newsletter if you havenāt yet already so you can stay on top of all our different community happenings. All right, letās get right into our show today. First, letās talk about it from a macro perspective. What does it mean to be in flow versus in hustling? So when we think about the natural processes that are happening in our body, when our body is in flow, when we are in tune with what our body needs and our natural processes, our day could go something like this. We wake up naturally, right? Closer to the rising sun. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:48.844)We have a bowel movement. Our digestion is functioning at optimal levels. We have great energy. We donāt need to drink excessive amounts of caffeine. Weāre hydrating through the day. Our energy stays pretty steady through the day into the afternoon. And then thereās a natural wind down period where we start to rest and we start to become more inward. And then we prepare for sleep and then we sleep really well. When weāre in hustle mode, weāre pushing and pushing against our natural capacity. So it means we may wake up already feeling anxious. We have lots of caffeine. We have energy crashes through the day, which we fortify with sugar or caffeine. We have trouble sleeping at night. So we may take sleep aids, we may take melatonin or prescriptions. We donāt feel good. in ourselves. donāt really feel worthy unless weāre achieving. We end up comparing ourselves, judging, looking on social media, feeling bad about ourselves. So hustle culture seems like itās getting us ahead and weāre trying to be more productive and weāre trying to do more. But thatās really created from the mindās idea. Itās created from ego. Itās that propelled heart energy that I talk about in The Hidden Power, the five hearts, always on, always running. And guess what? Your body doesnāt respond well to that. So your body starts to shut down. You may notice symptoms like adrenal exhaustion, getting more dark circles under your eyes, your hair not growing in as well, just feeling like something is really off. I know for myself, because Iāve been in hustle culture, or the propelled heart, as Iāll call it, for a lot of my life, my best ideas never came from that place. When I look back and I was backpacking around the world, this is where I felt so alive and expansive. And when I came back, even though some may say I was behind, a lot of my friends that graduated from Georgetown already had six figure jobs and they were doing all these fancy things. I just started to create from such a place of just pure creativity, right? Without all of mineās ideas. And things came together fairly quickly. I started getting book deals. I started working with celebrity clients. And Iāll say now, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:16.12)I just got back from Hawaii yesterday. Thereās so many ideas I get when Iām just sitting in the forest or Iām walking around with, you know, trimming the cacao trees or doing things that donāt necessarily seem productive from the outside world. But then I just, you know, create ideas. This whole nourish and detox bundle, for example, came about from really watching my trees and seeing they need the soil. to build, they need the sunlight, theyāre building up just like we build every day. And then they need all these scrub trees, which are so invasive and so pervasive at the same time and the beetles cleared away to be in their full potential. Itās sort of like that analogy of the lotus rising up out of the mud, right? In Buddhism, which has a lot to do with shedding, you know, mindās ideas and ego and getting caught up in thoughts, right? We keep shedding and shedding. This mud, weāre detoxing on so many different levels and yet weāre nourished deep, deep, deep below. Weāre rooted in something deeper and then we come up into the sunlight. So the more weāre in flow, the more weāre in tune with our body. Our body is a very powerful tool for helping us to be more creative. We need more love. We need more self-care, real self-care, which isnāt, again, hustle culture means constantly scrolling on social media. looking at a million different peopleās ideas, getting more and more confused, thinking that we need a million different devices, we need a million different supplements. We donāt. We need to simplify again and get more in tune with our bodies and with nature. I just want to touch on self-esteem for a moment before we go into our cornerstones. Thereās so much around being in hustle, being in noise, the world we live in with social media. where itās easy to place our self-worth and how much weāre doing, how much weāre achieving, how many likes we get in a day versus really sitting back and understanding that our worth is something that cannot be tampered with. It canāt really be taken away from us. Only our thoughts and our ideas create self-doubt and keep us away from really feeling that fullness and that wholeness, our birthright, which is in our hearts. Itās inside of us. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:38.444)Right? And so the more we tune into that and tune out these external ideas which are depleting us, the more we blossom in this creative potential and the more we shine and the more we radiate and the more energized we feel. So in practical terms, letās get into our Four Cornerstones now. The Four Cornerstones serve us through every theme in our life because it roots us in the everyday. know, Swami Sri Yukteswar once said, and Iām paraphrasing here, We need to have our feet firmly planted on the earth in this lifetime, in this moment. We are here on earth having an embodied experience. Yet at the same time, weāre spiritual beings. We have this soul, we have this, you know, eternalness, but we need to function in the place where God placed us, which is right here right now on earth. Thereās a groundedness to the food and body cornerstones. And at the same time, to the emotional and spiritual cornerstones, weāre able to create this holistic approach. Otherwise, a lot of wellness philosophies, so to speak, or health philosophies are incomplete. Theyāre missing this, all the aspects of self. So we start with the groundedness, we start with the food. And when it comes to our creativity, when it comes to being in flow, we need foods that are going to sustain us in very real ways through the day. And we need whole foods, need fruit, need vegetables, we need hydration, we need lots and lots of fiber, we need the intelligence of plants to sustain us and to nourish us because there is an intelligence in everything we eat. And sometimes that intelligence is based on chemicals and man-made, you know, food dyes and preservatives and horrific seed oils which depletes the intelligence in our body, is misguided and it takes us away from our goals. Thereās a lot of research around this, for example, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there was a study on whole foods and cognitive performance. And it was found that when we eat, getting back to basics, whole foods, our brains literally function better, we have more focus. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:58.188)Itās not about all the supplements. Itās not just about, you know, some of these fancy biohacking devices, but itās about moment to moment, step by step, what are we choosing as we open the fridge, as we order what weāre having for lunch, or as we sit at the cutting board and we start to think about, what am I gonna put in my body today? These are the moments that create the building blocks of your life. There was another research study in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, and it found that blood sugar stability directly impacts our brainās ability to function optimally. The study showed that people who maintain steady glucose levels through balanced, nutrient-dense foods experienced 23 % better cognitive performance and significantly less afternoon brain fog compared to those consuming high-sugar processed foods. Again, it goes back to moment to moment choices and also making sure that we are preparing for these choices. So a little bit of food prep, a little bit of planning our food shopping, making sure that weāre sourcing food every week. For me, because I live in very remote places, very far from grocery stores, I tend to order food a lot. I go to the farmerās market and Iāll get fresh food. But staples I tend to order in advance so that I have enough chia seeds. I have enough organic almonds to make my almond milk. I have lentils to make my dal and my soups. I plan, and it doesnāt take a lot of planning, but it is a really essential part of creativity and wellness. So when weāre nourished, And these are some of the benefits and the reasons that we do want to plan a little bit, whether itās looking at a couple of recipes, thinking about getting certain ingredients or just stocking up. I do both. Sometimes I say, hey, really want to make that pesto this week. So I better get basil. And sometimes I just order very sort of what seems randomly, but what looks good, what looks fresh. And then I just create from that. So I do both. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:12.62)Right? So think about if your body is craving a certain recipe, you do have to plan ahead, of course, and get certain ingredients, or you can just get what looks great and build your meals, substitute certain vegetables and certain recipes, make modifications, and play and plan and cook that way. When we are nourished, you will have more steady energy through the day. Itās like having the battery of your life force charged at all times. It feels amazing. It means you can show up moment to moment and pivot and flow with life. Youāre less reactive, both in your eating and in your emotional outbursts, because you can sit back and more of this steadiness, yogic quality of equanimity. You are more intuitive about what needs to be said, what you need to eat. And you can carry this through the afternoons. A lot of us can start to slump by three oāclock. And so what are we doing in the morning to prevent that? What are we doing in the mid afternoon? What are we doing at lunch? How are we moving our bodies? How are we eating and hydrating to make sure that by three oāclock, thereās still a good chunk of the day, right? By three oāclock, I still have to pick up my kids from camp or in Hawaii. Iām with them all day, essentially. You know, we still have play, we still go to the playground or we mayā¦ you know, go out in the field or feed the goats or play a game of soccer and then I have to get dinner ready and then thereās bedtime. Thereās a big chunk of the day. So we want that sustained energy and we certainly do not want to rely on caffeine in the mid afternoon. So what do we do in practical terms? So itās important how we start the day. I suggest starting the day with your glowing green smoothie, ideally with this incredible booster of the glowing greens powder. which has ingredients that are not in your smoothie like amalaki and ashitaba and spirulina and cordyceps mushrooms. So you get fiber and you get deep nourishment to take you into the morning and afternoon. If you start the day just grabbing a random protein bar or skipping breakfast, youāre setting yourself up for not a great pattern throughout the day. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:28.224)Itās really important to start the day, take that extra time for yourself, or make the Glowing Green Smoothie for a couple days, itāll stay in your fridge covered and fresh and cool. So you really give yourself that incredible nourishment. I canāt emphasize this enough. There are certain things in our lifestyle which donāt shift and change much, and this is one of the staples of our community. Fiber, greens, nourishment, lemon juice. water. All of these things are in the glowing green smoothie and itās something that is such an incredible gift for yourself. Throughout the day, one of the things that Iāve been doing is soaking almonds overnight. Itās one of the most incredible revered ingredients in our uvata for prana. So I make almond milk a couple times a week. I also save some of the soaked almonds and itās a practice to peel them. The skin slips right off if you soak it. and to just eat a couple of those soaked almonds throughout the day. Itās incredibly energizing. It feels great and it will give you energy. Another great food to make for snacks, so easy, is chia pudding. I was making some last night. I use chia pudding, actually itās chia eggs, if Iām baking something for my kids. You can also snack on chia pudding. Itās really filling and these healthy fats feel great. for your digestion, for your skin. Itās one of my favorite foods, honestly, in the summer as a snack, because it doesnāt take time away in making something really, you know, laborious. And at the same time, it feels like, you know, itās great all time of year, but it feels like summer to me. Thereās so much water, thereās so much hydration, thereās so much hardiness and resilience in those chia seeds. And you can check out the recipes that we have for different varieties if youāre interested. Also, hydration is really important. I drink a lot of coconut water in Hawaii. We have a lot of different coconut trees. And if weāre at the little store, as we call it, or the little, you know, stores around, I get the coconut water, which comes from Hawaii, locally. Of course, not all of us live where thereās coconuts. So choose coconut water that is, you know, the most fresh and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:48.824)feels like itās harvested sustainably. I like Harmless Harvest a lot as one of the brands that I choose. And thereās different smaller ones as well. But also drinking lots of room temperature water during the day. You can put lemon, can infuse it with strawberries or coconut or cucumber rather. And then planning these meals. So I wanna call out a couple of recipes that are really alive in me right now and I just want to say that all year round I eat soup and sometimes people only call for it in the sun in the winter. But I think soup is so hydrating. And if you look at countries like Thailand, theyāre having their soups all year round. When youāre having hot soup, sometimes it can cool your body. I donāt necessarily recommend having a lot of chilies and super spicy soup in the summer, which can aggravate your pitta, the fiery qualities inside of you. But we have lots of different recipes for, you know, doll, even kitchery is great in the summer, my everyday awesome soup which came from the Perfectly Imperfect book. I had that last night for dinner with squash and lentils and carrots and kale and we usually have rice made in our home, very Filipino, how I grew up or quinoa and so it becomes very easy to just make a soup you know while youāre you know for us we play we do a lot of puzzles in the kitchen So while youāre doing something with your kids and then come back and the soup is ready, the flavors enhance over time. Thereās also our amazing zucchini pasta salad where you spiralize the zucchinis. Zucchini in Ayurveda is considered one of the best cooling foods. It tastes really delicious with a nice sauce on top. We also have a great summer strawberry beet mescaline salad, which is so great for digestion and circulation. Itās got lots of antioxidants. It feels like summer. and our cucumber water elixir, which again, feels like pure nourishment to put in your body this time of year. So I really recommend that you check out some of these incredible recipes that we have at mysalina.com. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of recipes on there and see what your bodyās calling for right now. But what an amazing time to nourish your body with intention, with wholeness. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (21:13.326)And with this idea that every day youāre building more and more creative potential inside of you. Okay, so letās talk about the body cornerstone. This is a time for circulation and gentle movement. Hustle Culture says, keep doing those high intensity workouts, do two back to back. I remember when I was teaching at Wanderlust in Mexico, I think a year and a half ago now, they had all these different classes, including mine. My classes were lectures. but there was yoga classes and there was breathing classes and there was pretty much everything you can imagine. And I met this woman and she was going from, you know, the class, which is, you know, weāve had Taran Tumi on here, which is a very high intensity sort of free form movement to the, you know, the most intense yoga class that was taught there by my friend Skylar Grant and then another class. And I just looked at this woman who was, you know, felt like she was really wanting to be in shape and she was wanting more and more and more. And I just wanted to hug her heart to heart and say, you know, itās great to do some of these classes, but also donāt forget to breathe and enjoy and just, you know, walk around and maybe take a walk on the beach and be here in the moment, right? So itās okay to have, sometimes your body calls for intense cardio. but thereās also lots of space for walking and stretching and going on a hike with a friend and playing with your kids outside. You know, this past trip to Hawaii, my kidsā activities constantly shift and change. I used to walk a lot. We hike, we go to the waterfalls, but my older son has gotten into tennis recently. So I found myself playing tennis every day. We would play mini a lot, so just half court, but it was, you know, fun and not so intense, you know, just, you know, having those moments with my kids and my little son would be, my younger son would be sort of circling around the court in his tricycle. Itās just these moments that are really, you you feel alive, youāre pivoting and youāre flowing with life. Things shift and things change and your interests can change and your family life can change. Whatās really important though is getting that cerebral Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:38.808)blood flow, which enhances circulation, it enhances your thinking. So thereās research as well from PLOS1, weāll link to all these research studies by the way at mysalina.com, that when we are in movement and circulation, it enhances and supports our creativity and intelligence by showing greater blood flow to brain regions associated with functions relevant to the creative process. So we donāt want to sit on our couch or at our desk or in our cars all day and start to feel stagnant. I know that as a mom, there can be a lot of driving kids around. Now, one thing that I do for my older sonās chess classes is I will walk the neighborhood with my younger son while heās in chess class. And I noticed some of the other moms are doing that as well. Thereās one mom in particular, and she puts her headphones on. And sheās power walking around while our kids are playing chess. So if we think about natural ways to weave movement into our lifestyle, maybe if your kid plays baseball, you can watch part of the time or you can go out in the grass and do a little bit of stretching, right? Or instead of just scrolling on your phone, you can find ways to utilize that time to allow that circulation to move through your body and your life. And you can find creative ways to connect with your partner instead of just sitting at a coffee shop. Maybe you go for a walk in a different part of town or you explore a new park or you do a walking tour. I remember being in London and doing a million walking tours, right? So thereās so many ways to support your bodyās natural movement. When weāre in burnout and hustle, we feel like our body is just hurting all the time. Our body may be begging for rest and weāre just pushing and pushing and doing the same sorts of classes all the time. We feel stiffness in our jaw and our neck and our hips. Our body is suffering. This is not normal. Sometimes we may feel a little bit of natural soreness, but the chronic pain that comes from hustling is not serving our bodies. And also for dreading movement rather than craving it. I used to dread running, but I still ran all the time because I felt like Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:59.714)This is how Iām gonna burn calories. This is how Iām going to stay thin. And it never worked very well. So one of the things that, again, our body can help to unlock creativity is just, and Iāve been putting on Instagram some of my favorite movements, stretching and opening the hearts, doing twists. very simple movements that I do sometimes in the middle of my work day to just get energy flowing through my body and again stimulate my brain and my heart brain and just these feelings of potential is you can just take a 10 minute break, five minutes even, go outside. Sometimes I wander around in the garden and it really resets my mind and just walking down there I ground a little bit, I go barefoot, Iām alone. In Hawaii Iām out in the fields all the time with the cacao. You can stretch, get out in the sunlight, just take mini breaks as well. And then also try different types of movement in the summer, especially this month. Maybe Pilates or yoga or just biking by yourself or with your partner, with your kids, instead of just being inside doing these same workout classes. Sometimes that may feel good, but sometimes you may want to break out and try something different. Itās also really great to get some morning sunlight in. This morning, even before shooting this podcast, before my kids were up, I got outside and just had a couple moments breathing in the sunlight and it felt so good. And not exercising so late at night because we donāt want to over-stimulate ourselves and start to wake ourselves up when our body should be resting and going down into more of a rest cycle. We also want to try dry brushing. and some Epsom salt baths to clear energy, to get circulation going. I have to admit that I go in and out of my brushing. Sometimes I just move away from it and I just donāt do it, if Iām totally honest. But this time of year, that invigoration feels really good. So Iāve gotten the brushes back out and it doesnāt take very long, but thereās a lot of power in moving the lymph. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (28:11.182)through your body, moving stagnation back to the detoxing part. We can think about the movement as nourishing circulation, nourishing prana to move through you, and then helping the detoxification process with the dry brushing. And of course, taking detoxi, check out that Nourish and Detox Bundle. Itās going to be really powerful to support you in these anchors and just moving waste out through your body. Now letās talk about emotional well-being. And I feel, I have a lot to say about this. And I, you know, I think about running Saluna, which has spanned now the birth of both my sons, writing all these books and having this podcast and being a mom full time. When my first son was born, I was in hustle mode still quite a bit. And I remember, you know, the days after he was born, lying in bed and doing the page proofs for Radical Beauty, the book I wrote with Deepak Chopra. And then there was a picture I posted online and I got some sort of negative feedback, which I was defensive to at the time, but it was a picture of me typing on my computer, nursing my son on one breast and pumping the other breast. And at the time I was like, look at how much I can do. Iām not slowing down. Iām able to keep creating and creating. And some people were like, you know, why donāt you just take the time to nurse your child? And it didnāt resonate with me at the time, if Iām totally honest. I had such strong ideas. And then as time went on and my heart started to open more and more, started to grow a lot spiritually and so much of this heart led work has helped me see, opens up the third eye, right? The third eye in the heart. We can say I really relate it. And I started to seeā¦ that there was so much of that perfectionism still in there, that over ambition, that more, more, more, Iām not gonna slow down, Iāll show everybody how much I can do. And by the time Moses came along, there was a lot more resting and spaciousness in my day. But in that spaciousness come the best ideas, right? So having an idea for a project or a course orā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (30:34.124)you know, really aligning with this new branding. of you that are watching this on YouTube can see our new Feel Good podcast sign behind. If you look on Spotify or Apple, you see we have a whole new vibe that weāre rolling out and itāll take, you know, eight, nine months to get the new packaging and the new website up. But all of this has come from stillness and feeling this rebirth energy coming and not trying to pack more in the day, flowing. letting some people flow in and out. We have some new team members at Saluna. It just feels more up-leveled, more easeful, better communication, more professional. mean, things just keep growing, but out of this flow and out of a lot more stillness. So thereās a lot of research now around perfectionism and burnout. Sometimes we talk about this on the podcast and certain guests. Burnoutā¦ does not facilitate great creativity. Thereās research showing that in the field of neuroscientists showed that unlocking cognitive processes and creativity come when we are feeling more spacious, when we have less of this, you know, feeling like we have to pack things in all the time. Thereās also studies on emotional reappraisal and creativity. showing that when we are more centered in our emotions and emotional intelligence, thereās more creativity that comes from that. And thereās a lot of research in the new book around, you know, heart intelligence and heart coherence. The heart aligned meditation shows as well, we researched it and we showed just a higher level of heart coherence in as little as four weeks. So creativity, I just wanna remind us all, doesnāt mean Iām justā¦ churning out this project, it also means what am I creating in my relationships? Am I creating a peaceful experience and a really connected dinner? Or is there a lot of drama? My emotions are out of whack. Iām exhausted. Iām reactive. Iām pushing. Iām angry. Thereās resentment underneath. I havenāt cleaned up a mistake. I havenāt said sorry. I havenāt accepted someone elseās apology. Thereās so much energy in emotions. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (32:54.594)that can really deplete our creativity. When weāre caught in drama, weāre in that heaviness and circular thinking and weāre not in expansion and outward listening to our intuition and our ideas. Thereās a great dark cloud that comes from that. Thereās also lot more self-doubt and overwhelm that comes when weāre in that pushing mode. So to be really confident and to move and to transcend Thereās a lot of confidence that comes from being more peaceful and spaciousness and listening to ourselves more and really feeling into what kind of person do I want to be and how can I live that more in the world. So daily journaling is a really great way to reflect, to really process whatās going on in the life inside of us. And at the same time to then read back what we were going through even a few days ago or a day ago or a couple hours ago. and to create insight and wisdom and realizations, to regularly have time for breathing and some of these simple practices like the heart holding technique. The first thing I talk about, first practice in the Five Hearts book is to just touch our hearts and to remind ourselves that weāre more than our thoughts. We donāt have to identify with our emotional experiences that we do. Thereās a steadiness in us beyond the ups and downs and the emotions of life. So itās very powerful to just take a couple moments to breathe into our hearts, to let the emotions start to sink down and settle, to let ourselves get centered and calm before we react, speak, send an email. I remember we live again, a very remote part in Hawaii, and this big truck came onto our lands and sort of, you know, for my nervous system felt this, you abrasive sort of angry, scary man was in this truck. And I just had to settle in, you know, Aloha, what were you looking for? And just sort of meet that moment without letting the fear get overwhelmed and calmly say, okay, youāre in the wrong place. You know, thatās our neighborās house, you know, mile up the road. Right. Sometimes we donāt have time to just say, Iām going to, you know, chill out here for half an hour or five minutes or 20 minutes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (35:21.122)But these practices have really helped me stay centered more and more in the moment so that, again, the more coherent we are, donāt waste energy, we donāt deplete ourselves, which can take, again, in the book thereās a research study that shows five minutes of anger can deplete our immunity for up to six hours. So we wanna just stay as centered and centered as we can in our emotions. Again, The Hidden Power, the Five Hearts book can really support you in this process. So I highly recommend you read it or listen to it if you havenāt yet. And if you have and you love it, please leave a review. I appreciate reviews so much. It helps other hearts find this work. And finally, spiritual growth, our fourth cornerstone. What really matters with creativity is the inner guidance. And this is the ultimate way to tune in to the best, most unique ideas for you, which no one else can bring to this planet. No one else can bring to this earth. Right? So when we are in tune with our hearts, with the messages inside, what it feels like is not having to get bogged down in judgment, fear, being overly competitive, but really feeling into a new approach. or a way that we can bring this idea to life. This is the creative power that God, Spirit, Universe, however we like to think of it, gave us. Itās inside, but we donāt access it unless we carve out the space for spaciousness. When weāre in hustle culture and every minute is filled with packing and meetings, phone calls, weāre constantly texting, weāre in line at the grocery store, and weāre scrolling, instead of maybe taking a moment to breathe and to be present to life and to look around, right? We can fill our time endlessly with screens or maybe we just take five minutes to sit in the sunlight, to watch the birds. know, practice Eckhart Tolle talks about just being alive and present in nature. We start to feel this incredible joy in the very little moments. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (37:39.552)Not in these big achievements, look at how much of my to-do list I crossed off today, or look how many likes I got on this post, which is great too, Iām not minimizing that. But to not feel so tied to all these external happenings, which can bring us up and down, depleted and elated dopamine hits, but then also down in the dumps. Thereās a steadiness and a consistency which can come from the inside. And this also relates very much to your creative power, prana. You start to get more and more energy from the inner world. Food, yes. Exercise, sunlight, yes. Healthy relationships, yes. Community, but also from being in touch from the inner light. So how do we do this? Practice and consistency. Taking eight minutes to do your heart aligned meditation. or another meditation that really resonates with you. Making sure to have some spaciousness in your day. I promise you as someone who is a very full life, I have created more spaciousness. Say Iām only recording this amount of podcasts a week, said no to a lot of things, and yet more and more is naturally coming to me. More and more is being created in easefulness and spaciousness. And it seems so ironic, it almost seems impossible from the egoic mind. But it is the truth of, I think, the nature and the way that God created us to have that stillness of quality over quantity. When you have the best ideas coming from inside, it doesnāt mean if, it doesnāt matter if you have 20 ideas that youāve sussed out, rather the one quality one that you act on. Whether itās a way that you approach your family life or the meal youāre gonna create, or again, what you bring into an idea, how youāre gonna get that. project to completion, what youāre going to put out in the world that day. So allowing more space, saying no to more things that donāt really matter, that you donāt really want to say yes to, simplifying how you cook, simplifying your life. Itās funny because in Hawaii, we have no furniture practically. We sleep on a mattress on the floor and we donāt have a couch. We have this huge pillow and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (40:04.972)you know, a couple chairs on the porch and itās so amazing. And we come back here to our home in California, which I think is pretty cleansed of clutter, but it feels like thereās a lot of stuff and you know, itās beautiful too. And I love it here, but the more simple, I do get my best ideas. I do feel my most creative in Hawaii, to be honest. And I think itās because thereās just way less added on top. Right? So think about what are we adding on top? I start to notice that Iām adding on top when Iām scrolling, excessively my favorite stores and Iām online shopping and why I donāt do that. Thereās something about the nature and just being so raw. And we can create that no matter if youāre living in an apartment, youāre listening to this in the middle Chicago or New York city, thinking about scaling back, thinking about more space, just sitting. We talked about journaling, doing your meditations, and how you can create that because that is where creativity lives. Itās not gonna live in pushing more and more and more. So as we close out, I just wanna remind you of this incredible creative potential which is inside you. Itās different to everyone elseās expression in the world. how creative you, how much you tap into this creativity will really impact your experience, your vitality, your health, and your day-to-day moments. So with this intention, Please review, contemplate all these four cornerstone ideas and think about implementing them in your life in practical ways. Movement, whole foods, emotional regulation, more time for spaciousness and spirituality and stillness. And reminder that our amazing Nourish and Detox Bundle is coming your way July 15th. Look out for it. Itās directly tied to supporting you in your creativity, in your health. Itās going to be amazing. Again, it will include a companion guide. checklist, our detoxi 2.0, Glow in Greens powder, Heart Align Meditation, so much support. I send you so much love and I will be back here in just a few days with our guest. So till then, sending you all the best. Remember how unique and creative you are and sending you so much love. Take great care. Ā
Discovering What Matters in a Distracted World with Soren Gordhamer [Episode #996]
Ā This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Soren Gordhamer In this enlightening conversation, Kimberly Snyder and Soren Gordhamer explore the themes of mindfulness, presence, and self-discovery in an age filled with distractions. They discuss the importance of embracing emotions, living from a place of fullness rather than lack, and the role of technology and AI in our lives. Soren shares insights from his book, āThe Essential,ā emphasizing the need for authenticity, connection, and creating conditions for our gifts to flourish. The dialogue encourages listeners to reflect on their own journeys and the impact of their choices on personal and collective well-being. About Soren Gordhamer SOREN GORDHAMER is the founder + host of Wisdom 2.0, the premier conference for exploring living with greater mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion in the modern age. His new book THE ESSENTIAL: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction explores the influence of AI and cutting through distractions to uncover what truly matters in our lives, and engaging purposefully and creatively. He is the founder + host of Wisdom 2.0, the premier conference exploring living with greater mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion in the modern age. It brings the leaders of technology together with leaders in wisdom to explore how we can create a truly livable world. He is also founder and host of Wisdom & AI, an annual event that explores the impact AI will have on society and how we can harness it wisely. Soren is also the founder of the Lineage Project a New York City-based nonprofit that offers awareness-based practices to at-risk and incarcerated teens. He also spent a year walking through parts of the United States, India, Pakistan, and Japan as a part of the Global Walk for a Livable World. He is also a Co-Founder and General Partner of Wisdom Ventures, along with Jack Kornfield and Yung Pueblo, which invests in companies creating a more just and compassionate world. He and Jon Kabat-Zinn also co-hosted the Mitigation Retreat, which was a free 3-month course held every weekday offering meditations and teachings during Covid. He has taught techies at Google, incarcerated youth in New York City, and trauma survivors in Rwanda. Soren is currently focused on the impact AI will have on our world, and how our society can prepare. Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā GREENS POWDER OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Guest Resources Book: THE ESSENTIAL: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction Website: https://www.wisdom2summit.com/ Social: @wisdomventures Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mindfulness and Presence02:49 Navigating Chaos and Embracing Emotions06:01 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing09:00 Living from Fullness vs. Lack12:00 Understanding Our True Essence15:07 The Role of Inquiry in Personal Growth18:01 Practical Steps to Connect with Self21:02 The Impact of Information on Our Lives24:04 Nurturing the Next Generation27:03 Conclusion: The Gift of Presence and Authenticity27:26 Understanding Misunderstanding: Embracing Our True Selves28:52 Visionaries and the Courage to Follow Inner Guidance30:25 The Role of Technology in Human Connection32:45 Wellness: The Balance Between Self-Care and Self-Obsession34:52 The Intersection of Spirituality and Health37:48 AI and Humanity: Navigating the Future Together41:14 Rethinking Society in the Age of AI44:50 The Essence of Humanity: Connection Over Technology47:52 Creating Conditions for Our Gifts to Flourish Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.6)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with me today, Soren Gordhammer. He has a new book out, which I absolutely love and did read cover to cover. Itās called The Essential, Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction. Soren is also the founder and host of Wisdom 2.0, the premier conference for exploring lives with greater mindfulness, wisdom and compassion in the modern age. Thorne, thank you so much for being here with us today. Soren Gordhamer (00:34.169)Itās great to be here. Thank you for inviting me. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:36.718)No, you and I were chatting before the podcast and we were just going on and on. said, wait a second. We had to make record. is. Soren Gordhamer (00:41.425)Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, Iām super excited to talk to you because it feels like, you know, itās always nice to meet somebody who kind of comes to the same kind of like insights, but maybe for slightly different channels. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:56.088)There are so many topics in the book and I ear, whatās the word, dog ear or ear march or whatever you like to call it. I fold it down so many different pages, Soren. Iām like, I really love this. This piece of wisdom really speaks to me. itās, you know, itās just something that in the way that youāre packaging is so beautiful. You talk about wholeness, you talk about presence. Itās funny because I had a really challenging morning this morning. Iāll share with you. Soren Gordhamer (01:01.222)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:24.654)I was reading your book afterwards, my sonās who I love so much, oneās in preschool and oneās in third grade. You know, boy energy, I know you have a son as well. And there was just this, you know, like fighting over toys, breakfast, and just so many things. And I was sitting there and I was breathing. And one of the things you talk about in the book is the tension builds when weāre not resisting. And itās funny because, and I was reading that part of your book after this. Soren Gordhamer (01:49.264)Mmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:53.186)And when I became a new mom, and I know we have a lot of moms in the community, it was just, it just felt so challenging to really, you know, have to manage all these different personalities and all these different energies. And itās not that itās not challenging now, but a little bit further along the path toward, there is a lot of wisdom in what you said about just sort of being in chaos or messiness. Soren Gordhamer (02:05.2)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (02:09.915)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (02:18.555)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:20.042)and not trying to wish it with something else and just sort of relax into it. Soren Gordhamer (02:22.799)Yeah. Yeah. I think thatās really our challenge today. Thereās so much coming at us and I think virtually thereās even more coming at us than our phone pings and alerts and the energy just can get pretty intense. And part of the reason, you know, I really kind of questioned or struggled with the subtitle as like, how do we, you know, discovering what really matters in an age of, is it distraction? Is it stress? Is it turmoil? Like, whatās that word? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (02:33.154)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (02:49.037)And I think itās more that thereās just so much coming at us that we lose center, we lose balance. And when we come back, just like you did to our breath, to our body, to how weāre feeling, itās not like the kids all of a sudden start behaving better, but our resistance to them and our frustration with them and our anger towards them takes on a different context because weāre no longer seeing them as the enemy. Weāre seeing that thereās this challenge coming through and that we get the opportunity to respond. And how might the response expand me? How might it open my heart? How might it develop my compassion versus like, this should not be happening. They should not be doing this thing. They are the problem. The problem needed to be solved. And Iām not saying they donāt need to have rules and guidelines and sometimes have repercussions for their actions, but the energy behind that can either be one of this should not be happening. Youāre doing something wrong. or it can be the energy of just like, wow, this moment is inviting me into something. How do I expand into it? And I think that inquiry is really the inquiry that we need to make. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:48.942)Exactly. itās really, thereās a part of the book where you talk about feeling a full spectrum of feelings and knowing that as humans, do experience all these things. And thatās part of, I think, what real presence is in aliveness. Because many of us are not taught to feel feelings. know Sorin, for as an adult, Iām unlearning and relearning a lot. And part of that is saying, wow, you know, there was so much of myā¦ Soren Gordhamer (04:10.545)Weāre all, yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:16.216)childhood and what I learned to be like, this doesnāt feel good. Let me prove my worth. Try to mitigate this pain of not feeling lovable by, hey, look at my Aās, look at my perfect grade, look at this. Right. And so then thereās a lot of blocks and things that, you know, certainly in your book can spark just a different way of revisiting things that you can do. Soren Gordhamer (04:27.673)Yeah, yeah. Soren Gordhamer (04:38.265)Yeah, think, yeah, and what I tried to do in a very, hopefully, you know, honest way is just to tell my story around it and how I got accustomed to the fact that Iām carrying my past with me in the present moment. And how do I become curious about the stories, the myths, and the attitudes that I kind of grew up with that are carrying me today that maybe donāt serve me. And sometimes I like to think of it as like cages. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:02.744)Yes. Soren Gordhamer (05:06.309)that we put up or armor that we put up. And at one point in our life, we did need to put that armor up because it was really dangerous outside and so we needed bars. And then that danger leaves, but weāre still walking around with bars. You know, the bars are still in the cage and we have to go back and like tend to those parts of ourselves that are still hurt, that are still in pain, that are still wounded. So we can show those parts that itās safe now to let down some of those bars and open our heart in a way that maybe we couldnāt when we were younger. And so I talk about how my own life has unfolded and how my drive to be successful was in part a way of covering up an early pain I had of being a kid and my parents divorcing, my mom leaving and live with my dad. And the narratives that I started to develop around unworthiness and of course something must be wrong with me. Why else would your mom leave and your parents divorce? And thereās something I did. And if you had asked me, like I would say, oh no, I donāt have that thought, Iām fine. But when I really took a deep look at it, I realized that there was this unconscious motivation driving me and it was never fulfilled. was not like, oh, I made it now. I did the successful this or the successful that. There was just like a constant seeking and a constant running. And I think the only way to be free of that is to question that story and to be like, is that really true? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:26.894)Mm. Soren Gordhamer (06:27.033)and to go back and to see if we can heal whatever parts of ourselves that we exiled or pushed away. So for me, a lot of it was in order to be a success, I have to push away my vulnerability and my not knowing and my fear. Like I have to make sure that nobody sees those, only people see my confidence and my happiness. And yet weāre humans, weāre all of it. Parts of us are fearful, parts of us are angry, parts of us are happy. For me, that wholeness involves embracing all those parts and not just building an identity around a pain that we had that really doesnāt serve us. through my conference, Iāve been able to interview, as you probably have, some of the most successful people in the world. Iāve interviewed the founders of OpenAI and Anthropic and LinkedIn and eBay and PayPal and all the different companies. And itās not like those people succeeded, but not all of them have been healed where theyāre actually satisfied and content. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:01.794)Right. Soren Gordhamer (07:24.965)And I think how do we live in a way thatās content with the present moment and when our heart is open and we donāt necessarily have this like enormous either thriving energy or fear energy. I think it can go either way. Either weāre thriving towards success or weāre afraid of putting ourselves out there. Weāre afraid of being seen. So weāre just going to spend our days on TikTok or Instagram or the news because weāre kind of hiding out in our apartment or our house and the life. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:28.59)more Soren Gordhamer (07:51.801)question is just like, do we move forward and how do we more fully show up in the world in an authentic way? And that was my hope with the book was just to kind of share my journey in that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:02.614)Yes, I love all the stories along the way and the honesty. you know, if people are different parts of the journey, soreness, sometimes we think, well, hmm, how do I know if I am stuck in the story or I am in the past? And I could say for me personally, one of the biggest markers of my growth has been just feeling more peace because weāre on that treadmill of achievement. What we would say is the propelled heart stage. Soren Gordhamer (08:17.649)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:32.686)Itās like always on, like you said, social media, always consuming, always producing, always trying to uphold this persona or this mask or this identity. And then thereās that dopamine hit if you get a viral post or whatever it is, but itās not really sustainable. And if weāre really honest with ourselves, itās not really peaceful. Itās like walking on this razorās edge of like, hey, letās just up and down. And thereās something to be really said of, know, things arenāt always going to work out. Itās not always going to look. Soren Gordhamer (08:41.061)Mm-hmm. Soren Gordhamer (08:44.496)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (08:56.593)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (09:00.913)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:02.646)you know, neat and pretty and how we want, but can I find more peace with what is with myself? Soren Gordhamer (09:08.24)Yeah, yeah, 100%. I think thatās the number one thing. if we do that, and we were talking before, the creativity that comes out of you is so much different than just that striving for some future moment that this moment doesnāt have. And if I can just get this moment, if I can just get my life situation in this little perfect way, everything is going to be great, right? If I can get all these things and weāve seen it again and again and again, it doesnāt necessarily satiate, right? Thereās still this sense of lack. And I think thatās really a beautiful question. Are we living from lack? Are we living from fullness? And Iād like to think we can create more things. We can make more money. We can have better friends. We can be a better partner, better parent when we actually know ourselves and weāre coming more from a place of fullness rather than a place of lack. And when youāre with somebody and you can feel that lack and they could have bazillions of dollars and be the most famous person in the world. Like they could have all the external, but internally they still feel lack. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:55.032)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (10:05.435)They feel like theyāre not enough. And I think that is the thing that we have to be so careful of and the algorithms that now run our lives on social media. Give us lack. Yeah. They make a ton of money on us feeling lack and continuing to stay on the scroll of the next hit and the next thing and keeping us glued to that. itāsā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:13.696)Attention. Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (10:27.633)I want to complain about that, but itās just the truth. Thereās a system there that wants you to feel lack because it makes more money the more you feel lack. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:36.48)Mm, you know, itās funny, so when you and I were talking about the journey a little bit and earlier on, as I mentioned, I was pulled into this celebrity world and I was just pretty fresh off of backpacking and it wasnāt something that I planned or chose. A lot of people like, how did you do that? Like I didnāt try, I donāt know what itās taken to this day. Iām not a movie person. Suddenly Iām on and, you know, what was really interesting, cause I would ask God I aspire. Iām like, why am I here? Soren Gordhamer (10:58.971)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:06.178)And then I started to get this knowingness, know, everything is growth, everything is learning. And one of the growths for me was sort of getting that inner peak into some of these, you know, the lives of people that are on all the magazine covers and be the most famous, the most beautiful and all the timeless and, know, peopleās most, whatever beautiful list and having a lot of anxiety amplified and Soren Gordhamer (11:09.275)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (11:20.421)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (11:24.835)Mm-hmm. Soren Gordhamer (11:31.845)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:32.674)then thereās a part of the book where you say, this system that you speak about is trying to convince us that what is not really essential, like what all these celebrities are doing or having the most followers or all these things arenāt really essential to our wholeness and our wellbeing. Itās not gonna bring the connection to our hearts, to ourselves, to other people. And so it is this giant fallacy. And Iām not saying, Soren Gordhamer (11:42.513)Thank Soren Gordhamer (11:51.653)Yeah. Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (11:58.267)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:00.728)Believe, you know, Iām not trying to say, know, the amazing things came out of that period and it certainly helped to find my voice as an author and things. Iām very grateful. But it was, it was a little bit, at the time of being in my early twenties, a little bit disconcerting, like, you know, why is the world as it is? Like, why are we striving for something that just feels like the compass is so off? Soren Gordhamer (12:06.118)Yeah. Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (12:19.238)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (12:24.985)Yeah, I think itās because we donāt know who we are. We donāt know who we are. And when we can better understand who we are, which is only an inner journey, like nobody can tell you who you are, but you can get glimpses of who you truly are, like the beauty that you truly are, independent of the shape of your body or the age of your body or your intellect or your bank account or your number of followers. Thereās like a beauty to each one of us. And I think when we discover that, we walk Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:29.495)Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (12:53.521)through the world a little differently. Granted, we will forget it probably 10,000 times going forward, but if we can get in touch with that inner dimension, that inner knowing, that inner intelligence, I think thatās the only medicine. And then if life wants us to be a successful actor, actress, amazing, and we can play that role, we can do that dance, or an ex, or a CEO of the largest company, whatever, we can play that dance, but we know thatās just a dance. We know thatās not who we are. So weāre not living in this incredible fear that weāre going to lose that status that we have, or thereās a more beautiful model thatās coming up, whoās going to take over our job and then weāll be less than again, and this fear of lack, this constant searching back and forth. So I think the beauty is to know who we are and then to be able to play in this world of form. mean, isnāt it amazing to write books or to post things or to build companies? Itās all like amazing. if our identity doesnāt depend on it, if we think that Iām this now, Iāll be more of a better person or my rank will increase when I get this, weāre totally lost the path versus like, know who I am and this just wants to be expressed out of me and Iām just going to enjoy it and celebrate it. And Iāve always liked the Buddha, the Buddha said, I teach the path thatās glorious in the beginning, glorious in the middle and glorious in the end. And it might be hard, but there still needs to be a gloriousness with it, right? Like youāre in the process of creating a business or writing a book or doing something. And we feel like weāre supercharged by a power that weāre aligned with that makes that moment so sweet. And we still want to create something and we still want to make an impact. And I think thatās the balance that when we can find that balance, extraordinary things come from that. And itās not so much by me, but itās through us, right? Weāre tuned to something and itās happening through us. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:37.708)Yes. Soren Gordhamer (14:41.145)And we can feel like, and we talked about, itās just the most beautiful feeling because we realized weāre just a channel for something to move through and we each have different karmic assignments, right? So one person might, karmic assignment might be to go into the food industry or the fashion industry or the healthcare industry or whatever. And it doesnāt matter really. I mean, itās not like, this form is better than being a hermit or being a spiritual teacher is better than being a business owner. Like, I donāt think so. I just think we have different karmic assignments and then how do we fully embody what those are from a place of deep love and compassion and openness. And I think thatās what the world is hungry for. Weāre hungry for that presence and that authenticity. And I think the algorithms tell us on you just keep staying here and weāre going to eventually give you something satisfying, but you just keep have to stay in here long enough. And so like people spend four to five hours a day on the platforms and Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:22.093)Yes. Soren Gordhamer (15:34.457)I just think itās really, really sad. And I totally understand using the platforms for business and, you know, itās where peopleās attention are and it makes sense to have some engagement. But thereās a moment where it shifts from like, this is useful use of social media to now Iām just bored and lonely and Iām just being fed this algorithm that doesnāt serve me. And I think itās really important for us to know when that turn happens so that weāre aware and we realize like, wow, what actually matters to me? Maybe it calling a friend or going for a walk. or going to a yoga class or meditating or, you know, thereās certain things that are probably more nurturing than being caught in that loop. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:12.48)Yes, yes, itās true. Itās, I think a lot of people listening to this can say, know that feeling of sort of disconnection or not feeling really peaceful or really fulfilled. And there is a journey between what youāre saying, knowing who we are, which sounds, you know, it sounds true, but thereās also practical steps. And for me, itās practice, consistency to get there. Because I think about myself, you know, 15 years ago when I was starting really out on the path and the anxiety and the masks and theyāre not really knowing who I was. I used sit and meditate and I was, you and I am and I still follow the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, Kriya Yoga, and now our own Heart Aligned Meditation and that consistency soren of sitting in meditation and also in nature, not having my phone, the stillness and the spaciousness. Soren Gordhamer (16:45.937)Yeah. Yeah. Soren Gordhamer (16:54.661)Yeah, yeah. Soren Gordhamer (16:59.334)Mmm. Soren Gordhamer (17:07.557)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:08.384)and inquiry because your books raise a lot of, you know, I love to read and sort of reflection have helped me progress. Those are some of the practical steps I would say. What are some of the practices or steps you would say to someone or whatās really helped you to go from identified with a mask or spaciousness of I know more of who I am. Soren Gordhamer (17:13.509)Mm-hmm. Soren Gordhamer (17:25.659)Yeah. Hehehehe Soren Gordhamer (17:32.891)Thatās a beautiful question. I think, you I appreciate what you said about my book because I try to make it more of an inquiry for people. So at the end of the chapter, Iāll be like, you you might want to ask, what are the stories that are running your life? Iām not going to tell people what stories are running their life or assume, but I think that kind of inquiry is actually really, really valuable. Itās like, huh, you know, itās almost like weāre handed a backpack and itās all the stories of, you know, our society and our family. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:57.835)You Soren Gordhamer (18:01.041)And at some point it helps to look in that backpack and be like, are these true for me? Like, what are the stories that seem impactful for me? And I think to discover who we really are, itās not a story, right? Itās not like even we can say Iām a spiritual person. Like to me, thatās so limiting because like we are the essence of the cosmos, you know, really like the big bang happened, whatever 13 billion years ago. We are the expression of that. Like we are the energy of that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:22.358)is. Soren Gordhamer (18:29.859)you know, what els
Creating Meaningful Friendships and Life with Krista Williams [Episode #995]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Almost 30ās Krista Williams In this engaging conversation, Krista Williams, co-host of the Almost 30 podcast and author of the book āAlmost 30ā, shares her journey of writing the book, navigating change, and embracing authenticity in relationships. The discussion delves into the importance of trust, vulnerability, and the role of money in our lives, as well as the impact of friendships on personal growth. Krista emphasizes that life is about becoming and that we should allow ourselves to be supported by the universe in our journeys. About Krista Williams Krista Williams is a content creator, author, and co-host of the successful āAlmost 30ā podcast. Known for her style and vibrancy, followers flock to Krista for dating, travel and self-care inspiration. Kristaās first book Almost30: A Definitive Guide to a Life You Love for the Next Decade and Beyond launched in June. Krista is one of the deepest, most curious minds, yet at the same time heart centered and intuitively led. As a multi passionate creator and life experimenter, Kristaās work includes The Life Edit, Metamorphosis, Modern Tarot, Spotifyās Top New Podcast, Morning Microdose and the #1 ranking Almost 30 Podcast. Krista has learned everything she teaches the hard way: by times of suffering allowing her to share embodied insights over commodified knowledge, and out of necessity, discovering the tools and research that transformed her life and got her to where she is today. Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. DETOXY OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Guest Resources Book: Almost30: A Definitive Guide to a Life You Love for the Next Decade and Beyond. Website: almost30.com Social: Instagram: @itskrista 123K Ā Episode Chapters Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Krista Williams and Her Journey02:18 The Decision to Write a Book04:41 Understanding the Saturn Return and Life Changes06:58 Embracing Change and Flexibility08:48 Navigating Modern Dating and Authenticity10:11 Solitude vs. Loneliness in Relationships12:03 Reclaiming the Concept of God14:01 The Importance of Trust in Relationships17:29 Finding Beauty in Lifeās Uncertainties20:34 The Call of Your Soul and Personal Growth22:54 Conflict Avoidance and Clearing Conversations24:25 The Power of Clearing Conversations27:34 The Importance of Friendships30:30 Understanding Money and Abundance40:41 Navigating Perfectionism and Self-Worth SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:01.187)Hi loves, welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for my very special guest here with us today. Ms. Krista Williams, who is a content creator, author, co-host of the Almost 30 podcast and her first book is out now called Almost 30, a definitive guide to a life you love for the next decade and beyond. And also Krista is a dear friend of mine personally, weāve known each other for years. So Krista, thank you so much for being back on the show with me. Youāve been on, but I think itās been a couple years. So welcome back. Bob (00:41.294)Thank you. feels surreal to be talking to the master author herself, author of some of the best books, eight books, and be a first time author. So I feel really lucky and I feel really grateful because I know your audience is just incredible, so heartfelt and loving and open. And I feel so lucky to connect with them and share more about the book and more about some of the lessons and themes in it that Iām hopeful to be really supportive of for them. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:07.907)You know, I remember we were on the same flight going to Mexico or wanderlust. I think it was last year, a year and a half ago. I flew only with Momo, my little one. And I remember distinctly waiting for our bags. And you started telling me that you were about to write the book or you were thinking about writing the book. And so was just that Genesis back then. I remember that spark was, was just being lit. So. Bob (01:12.982)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (01:38.145)Tell us about the decision. As an author, itās like very near and dear to my heart, the decision to actually put pen to paper, so to speak, writing. The written word is very different format of communication. Bob (01:52.398)Yeah, I remember meeting at the airport too and spending the best week with Momo in Mexico. And, you know, for anyone listening that has something to say or a story to tell or something they believe that should be heard, just encouraging them to start writing, to start doing, to put themselves out there. I was someone that for so long knew that there was a book inside of me, knew that there was a book inside Lindsay and I, but we just wanted the right time to come up. You know, I wanted to feel likeā¦ I was the type of woman that could write the type of book that we wrote with almost 30. When we started the show, we were on our closet floors. We were at rock bottom. I felt so lost in life and I felt like I should have known more answers. I felt like I didnāt have a purpose and I would say I was at my worst. And through the years of doing the show, through the years of doing so much self-development work and deepening my spirituality and really coming back home to myself, Iāve really found out. all of the ways in which you can really create and sculpt a life that you love, that have worked for myself, for my best friend and co-host, for some of the experts on the podcast and for some of our audience. And so I wanted to feel first, like I was ready. I wanted to feel secondly, like it was divinely guided and supported and the process of getting the book teal and writing the book was so divinely guided and supported. It was so stunning. And so, and then third, I wanted to feel like I really had something to say. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:11.629)Yeah. Bob (03:17.782)I wanted to feel like the book was meaningful and I think thereās a lot of self-help books out there. Thereās a lot of books that people tell you that you should read, that you have to read, and Iām not gonna tell you that you should read or have to read my book, but I wanted to actually feel like I as a reader would get as much value from it as the person would reading it. And so I really feel like all those things came together. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:35.48)Hmm. Beautiful. So I think for me picking up the book for the first time and maybe people listening to this Krista, itās called Almost 30. Is this book for people almost 30 and you guys started the show at that, you know, around that point in your life and now, you know, many of us have crossed over 30. itās relevant for, you know, women and people of any age and then weāll Bob (03:47.886)Itās me. Mm-hmm. Bob (03:55.18)Yeah. Bob (03:59.711)I myself have crossed that bridge. Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:07.528)into that, the Saturn return and that particular period. Bob (04:11.694)Yeah, so it is for anyone of any age. And the reason why itās called Almost 30 is because the podcast Almost 30 that Lindsay and I do started when we were almost 30, when we were in this period of time called the Saturn Return. Itās a really important astrological transit that I wish I knew about when I was in my 27 to 30 year period. What happens during the Saturn Return is that astrologically Saturn, the planet revisits the same point in your natal chart as it was in the sky when you were born. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:41.059)Mmm. Bob (04:41.314)And what this means plainly is that Saturn is the task master planet. So where each of the areas of your life that youāre living unaligned come up, theyāll be up for review. So say for an example, youāre in this period between 27 and 30, itās around 29.5 years for most people. You are in a relationship that isnāt aligned with your soul, or youāre at a job that doesnāt let you up. During this time, you might break up with that person, you might leave your job, you might get fired. Thereās a lot of change and transition that happens. And it can be really scary and it can be really jarring or it can be really beautiful for you seeing your life as something that has a lot of opportunity and positivity and magic. And thereās a lot of really important decisions that happen in this period. So where thereās information that applies to this period, itās not just for people in this period because we always go through change. We always go through a transition. Weāre always evolving and weāre always becoming. And the lessons in, know, sections in this are around career. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:31.084)Yes. Bob (05:40.022)around money, around nutrition and nourishment and the body. Theyāre around purpose and theyāre around spirituality and search for meaning. And so the more important broader topics are topics weāve talked about on the show over the past 10 years, but really the entry point is being in good relationship to change and really finding out who you are through the process. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (05:58.562)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:02.157)Beautiful and like you said, it is that particular moment in time, but thereās always ongoing change. remember that time and I was in New York and thereās a lot of changes going on and it was, you know, around when I started writing books and I well, I guess I started doing Korea yoga a little bit before that, but shortly after I moved to LA, but I have to say Krista since then having children and thereās been so many changes. So it really is. Bob (06:11.469)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:31.191)you know, embracing that adaptability. Bob (06:33.558)Yeah, itās huge. Itās one of the most important things we can be is flexible in life. Itās being really fierce about what we want and where we want to go and who we want to be, but being very flexible about how that comes. And when we can really apply flexibility to everything, to our spiritual practices, to our relationships, to our friendships, to our body, everything just gets better and easier and lighter. And we can not only love ourselves, but we can also love our life. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:38.071)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:58.657)Yes. And one of the things I love about how much you share and again, bracing change, and youāve talked about this openly is, you know, with your dating life and your love life and you give talks at Bumble and youāve done all these amazing, you give really amazing pieces of advice about being really authentic. Can you share a little bit, because I know we get a lot of questions about people feeling lonely, putting on masks when theyāre on dating apps or trying to meet someone and actually, Bob (07:24.27)Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (07:27.361)My husbandās friend was here the other day and heās not from LA, Krista, and heās so sweet and heās like very good looking, like very successful guy. And heās like on Raya and heās on these dating apps and heās like, itās really lonely. You know, he said that he just doesnāt, he doesnāt want to just hook up, but thereās sort of like, I donāt know. He said, itās just hard out there. Bob (07:40.302)Mmm. Bob (07:47.586)See ya. Yeah, it is. Itās a very interesting place and just for background and reference for the audience. So I was married. I was in a relationship for 10 years and then Iāve been divorced for the past two years. I took a year off to heal and kind of recalibrate and then I entered the dating world, you know, in a totally different space and time with online dating and apps and matchmakers and all of these things. And so itās been so eye opening and interesting. Yeah, thereās matchmakers too. Yeah. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:08.589)Mm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:14.083)Letās try the matchmaker. Wow. Bob (08:18.914)So theyāre in like a lot of big cities, but basically people, mostly men pay to be set up with women. And then these matchmaking sites have women as a part of their database. So theyāll approach women online or in person and have them apply to the database. And then you get set up with these men that are with matchmakers. So people, all of that to say with online dating, with matchmakers, with all of these things, people are really lonely and looking for connection. And it makes a lot of sense that weāre more connected than ever in the digital world. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:35.309)Go. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:44.545)Yeah. Bob (08:48.622)but yet we feel more alone. It can feel really lonely to be inauthentic when weāre online and feel like we have to present as perfect or wear a mask. It can feel really lonely to go to your job and feel like you canāt be yourself and youāre inauthentic. And so the more inauthentic we are and the more invitations for inauthenticity, the lonely weāre going to feel because weāve lost connection to the true version of us. I know for me when I was in the corporate world for six or eight years, I felt really lonely because I was being inauthentic all day. didnāt feel like I could be myself. I didnāt feel like I could be emotional or deep or curious or inquisitive or all the things that I love about myself. So I think thereās a few different things happening. Thereās obviously the change of the landscape of dating where itās more dopamine based, itās more validation based, itās very surface. Itās kind of hitting on peopleās fears about love and relationships and people are really feeling like theyāre struggling to find depth and. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:34.669)Yeah. Bob (09:42.378)meaningful connection and intention because of the pace. And then I also feel like because thereās so much invitation with the online world to be out of our authenticity and to perform, people really donāt have enough time to connect with the truth of who they are and be themselves fully and completely. And Iāve found that there is such a difference between being lonely and solitude. And Jay Shetty talks about this, but when we have solitude, weāre really choosing to be with ourselves and create intentional relationship with ourselves. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:04.547)Right. Bob (10:11.98)And then when weāre lonely, weāre almost feeling like weāre doing something wrong because we donāt have someone or weāre not with another person. And Iāve felt both experiences of both solitude and loneliness. And I know loneliness can be really hard, but I think what I seek to do the most is firstly with dating, I have the intention to just enjoy myself and have fun. I have the intention to meet people as they are. Iām not gonna meet every man and say, are you my husband? Are you gonna be the one that saves me? Are you gonna provide me with the life that I want? I just want people to show up as themselves. I want to show up as myself. I think secondly, I donāt do online dating or apps. I found it to be interesting and fun, but I didnāt feel like the frequency and the pace really fit me. And I told God that he needs to bring men in another way and Godās been doing that. So I just had a clear conversation with God about what works for me and what doesnāt. And then third, think being really mindful about the ways in which weāre closing our hearts repeatedly, know, and weāre kind of affirming these beliefs that weāre gonna be alone or that no one will find us and really continuing to have the hope that if God is the creator of earth and life and all things, that God can find the right person for you. And there can be that person thatās gonna be your perfect match. And lastly, really focusing on how you can feel really at peace and at home with yourself, even when youāre alone. Because I think no matter what in life, even if we have a partner or not, itās really important that we cultivate and develop a sense of peacefulness when we are by ourselves. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:38.339)You know, thereās so much in that Krista, and I have to say, I love how clear you are in having that conversation with God. And I love how you use that word. I use it too. Yeah, you have sections in the book where you talk about really connecting to that, you know, that allness, that energy inside and around all things. Some people like to use the word spirit, creative source, universe, whatever it is, but weāre all talking about the same thing. And you Bob (11:44.865)Yep. Bob (12:03.042)Yeah, just to speak on that a little bit, just because I know for some people it can be triggering a little bit to hear the word God. You know, I was someone that grew up in the middle of Ohio and really conservative town and God for me was not a word I loved at all. was like, so like, if you would have heard me saying God, Iād be like, turn it off. Like so boring. Donāt like it kind of gave me just a feeling of constriction. And I almost had to reclaim the word God outside of religion and not allow. the structures and places of religion to take away what I know to be God, which is a benevolent being that loves me and works with me and collaborates me and is in support of my dreams and desires and only wants the best for me. And whether people call it God or universe or Allah or source or a Tom, whatever people want to use is totally fine. And I think they should find what works best for them. But I really found in reclaiming the word God, it almost felt like an act of rebellion a little bit for me against the structures and ways that religion took away this connection to something. that just loves us so deeply. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:02.167)Thatās right. You Yogananda uses that word a lot. And in terms of this underneath all the dogma and all the different ways and religions and paths up, there is that one source, that one love. And so, yeah, so I very much connect to that. And I got really clear too, Krista, when I had my breakup and you and I have talked about this a little bit, I didnāt want to go on dating apps. And the monk that from the Self-Realization Fellowship said, you know, just feel, just work on yourself, like connect. So I read scriptures and meditated a lot and took care of Emerson, my older, for about eight or nine months. And then he also said to me, you know, your soulmate is like never far. Like the way, like, itās like the circles are pretty close. And he just said, you know, just use your intuition and say yes to opportunities. So I remember this very interesting dinner party opportunity came up and I said, sure, why not? I donāt have other plans. And thatās when I met. John, who youāve met. And it really was our first year of marriage was, you most challenging and like working out, being together and trauma came up, but it really can with this consciousness and this connection that youāre talking about, it does get deeper and deeper and more and more amazing. Now weāre in six years of marriage. youāre on me love. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:29.023)Opsies. Can you hear me? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:37.687)Hmm. Weāll edit this part out, of course, but the sound just went out. you just came back. You came back. donāt know what you just. Yes, it went away and then came back. Okay. Bob (14:43.156)I know thatās so weird. Let me see. Okay, perfect. Is it back? Okay, good. Okay, good. Yeah, thereās two things I just want to say about what you just said, which are so beautiful. And the first is just to provide a little clarity on, you know, my conversation with God and, know, you can even provide yours because I think when people hear that theyāre a little curious about what that conversation would be, especially if youāre someone thatās dating online or you want to find the person that you love. The way that I have a conversation with God like that is just getting really, really clear. getting really, really quiet and speaking in a way thatās very directive of like, God, Iām available in service to you and Iām no longer gonna pursue the apps. Like, please bring them in another way. know, please bring in men another way. Iām available for karmic relationships. Iām available for my person. Like saying what Iām available for and not. And whether itās God or just the universe sort of responding to you and co-creating with you, you can be in clear choice. And in this situation, I think whatās most important is that my energy behind it is Truth and knowing and thereās no fear. I donāt feel scared to go back on the apps I donāt feel like thereās a Timeline where Iām gonna have to go back online and find someone so I think like you had such clarity and intention with your healing you were like Iām gonna heal Iām gonna focus on this and Iām gonna then also follow my intuition and be available for whatās possible There was no pressure. There was no forcing with any of it, which is so beautiful and I think when you put pressure on it and force it can make it hard and then Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:07.969)Yes. Bob (16:16.3)Just briefly, a second thing, which I love that you brought up about how hard the first year of your marriage was, because I think as you get older and you start to date and get into relationships, itās really beautiful because you know who you are, you know your preferences, you know whatās important to you, you have deep relationships. But whatās also hard is that you also have more fear. You could have more protection. You could have more protector parts and ways of being that could keep you out of really deep love and relationships. And so, Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (16:38.531)Thank Bob (16:44.362)It can be really challenging at first when you commit to that new loving relationship because youāre going to have a lot of fears. Are they going to leave me? Are they going to abandon me? Are they going to cheat on me? Are they always going to do this thing? And you really actually have to work with a different set of things that come up when youāre older compared to when youāre younger. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:04.259)And also just when you really do find that love, for me it was, youāre not playing it safe anymore, thereās a vulnerability because you really are open to this person potentially hurting you. And so for me, it was leaning into real trust, trust in God, trust in me, trust in my partner and trust in life. So you talk about all these subjects in the book, love, you talk about. purpose and how family matters and I know you have really rich friendships and you travel all the time, would you say too, that heals the attachment that youāve already been married, right? So it heals the attachment of like, have to get married again or like has to look a certain way. Cause I think thatās part of, you know, the expansiveness of life is sometimes it doesnāt always work out how we want it to be, but it can be amazing in many ways. Bob (17:40.343)Mm-hmm. Yes. Bob (17:55.062)Yeah, Iām so grateful for all the things that havenāt worked out for me. I wouldnāt have the life that I have without it. And I think when we can kind of see things is that it can get so much more beautiful. An example is that I was married and I think there is one way to view it where itās like, could have had kids with someone. I could have had the house. I could have had all the things, but it wouldnāt have been a life that would have felt good for me. And I know from leaving that relationship that When we can choose whatās right for us and whatās intentional for us, our lives can get even better than we could have ever imagined. And when I left that relationship, I had no idea what would happen in my life. I had no idea if I would move, if I would find someone, if I would not find someone, if I would regret it. I just knew that it felt like the right decision for me at the time. And sometimes in life, the most beautiful paths are paths that we donāt know the destination to. We donāt know where weāre going. We donāt know where weāre being led. We just have to follow where weāre being called. And when Iāve done that in my life, my life has gotten even better. And another example is with Lindsay and I, know, when we started the podcast in 2016, she was the perpetually single one. She was always single. She was single for seven years. I was in a really long-term relationship with my ex-husband and now sheās married in Brooklyn with a baby. Iām single in LA with no kids. Like what was thought to be my path is now her path and vice versa. And so, Life just kind of throws things at you and takes you to where you need to go, even if you donāt know where youāre going at the time. And the more we can loosen the grip on this really small, defined idea we have of our lives and really expand into the belief that God has a better plan for us or universe has a better plan for us, the more magic we can allow in and the more miracles we can experience. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:41.635)Yes, I think that really is the heart of connection, right? Weāre so connected to the heart, to the true self. And then the attachments to this has to be a certain way and should be married by the time Iām 30. I should have a couple of kids by now, whatever it is. It loosens because the connection is always there. No matter what it looks like on the outside, itās not gonna look like everybody elseās path and itās okay. Bob (20:04.844)Yeah, think in your, a lot of the reason why we wrote Almost 32 was because in your 20s, know, up until your 26, from a brain science perspective, your prefrontal cortex hasnāt developed. So your prefrontal cortex is responsible for processing, for thinking into the future, for emotional regulation. So until that point, youāre actually working with an unconscious mind thatās really working on the programming from your parents, fro
Creating Plant-based and Other Lifestyle Shifts Worldwide with Ghanim Al Sulaiti [Episode #994]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Ghanim Al Sulaiti In this episode Ghanim Al-Sulati shares his transformative journey from a traditional lifestyle to embracing a plant-based diet, inspired by Kimberly Snyderās book the Beauty Detox Solution. He discusses the impact of food on health, the cultural challenges of veganism in Qatar, and the importance of education in nutrition. Ghanim highlights his entrepreneurial ventures, including the establishment of Evergreen Organics, and emphasizes the emotional and spiritual connections to food. He reflects on personal growth, the role of community, and the ongoing journey of self-discovery through food and lifestyle choices. In this conversation, Ghanim shares his journey of navigating challenges during COVID, the importance of building a sustainable business ecosystem in Qatar, and his commitment to giving back to the community. He discusses his deep connection to Qatar, the lessons learned from the desert, and the shift towards mindful eating and home cooking. Ghanim emphasizes the significance of presence in relationships and the evolution of family dynamics. He also outlines his vision for improving health in Qatar, particularly through increased fiber intake and promoting a vegan-friendly environment. About Ghanim Al Sulaiti Ghanim Al Sulaiti is a young Qatari entrepreneur passionate about creating a positive impact on society by promoting a plant based lifestyle. By trade, Ghanim is a qualified Engineer. In his spare time, he is a serial entrepreneur, founding his first businessāEvergreen Organicsāin 2016, and now has over 10 projects currently live or under development. All of these projects share the same vision and values as its founderāto be vegan, sustainable, and promote a healthier lifestyle. Equipped with a comprehensive understanding of the creative and operational procedures needed to produce excellent brands, Ghanim has a personal interest in developing dialogue about healthy living, veganism and sustainability. With a mind wired for logic and strategy and a desire motivated by the passion of creativity and business savviness, Ghanim is on a mission to help and transform peopleās mindsets to live a lifestyle that helps their planet, their health, and their future. Ghanim has worked extensively with local schools and regional organizations such as Qatar Foundation, Ooredoo Doha Marathon, Qatar National Library, Qatar Financial Center, and the Qatar Investment Authority, producing educational programs to change the status quo. He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Drexel University, USA. Ā Episode Sponsors: LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Guest Resources Website: Evergreen Organics Social: @ghanim92 Linked IN: Ghanim Al-Sulaiti Episode Chapters Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ghanim Al-Sulati and His Journey03:00 The Impact of Food on Health and Lifestyle06:07 Transitioning to a Plant-Based Lifestyle08:55 Cultural Perspectives on Veganism12:01 Education and Awareness in Nutrition15:00 Challenges and Support from Family17:59 Religious and Cultural Considerations20:56 The Evolution of Food Choices24:04 Personal Growth and Self-Discovery27:05 The Role of Food in Emotional Well-Being30:05 Building a Business Around Veganism32:59 Future Aspirations and Community Impact37:09 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities During COVID38:36 Building a Sustainable Business Ecosystem40:00 Giving Back to the Community and Empowering Others41:43 The Importance of Roots and Connection to Qatar43:50 Embracing the Desert and Its Lessons44:49 The Shift to Home Cooking and Mindful Eating46:47 The Energy of Intentional Touch and Connection49:00 Practicing Presence in Relationships51:36 The Evolution of Family Relationships53:35 A Vision for Health Improvement in Qatar SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.824)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am beyond thrilled for our very special guest here with us today from across the world in Qatar. His name is Ghanem Al-Sulati and heās a Qatari entrepreneur. Heās passionate about creating a positive impact on society by promoting a plant-based lifestyle. He has created Evergreen Organics, which since 2016 has Qatarās first and only completely plant-based cafe. Heās working on 10 different projects all across the Middle East to support healthy living and sustainability. I started finding Ghanim when someone sent me a YouTube video and he was talking about all these incredible festivals and things he was creating in the Middle East. At the very beginning, he mentioned that he had read the Beauty Detox Solution, now over 10 years old, and it had an impact on his philosophy. And I was just feeling so honored. And itās so amazing that weāre here today. So Ghanam, thank you so much and welcome to our show. Ghanim (01:03.417)Thank so much, Kimberly. mean, this is such an honor as well from my side. Iām absolutely happy that finally I get to meet you as well virtually, but also to be able to share kind of my journey that have not only impacted me personally, but also impacted everybody in Doha because Iāve realized that Iāve taken something from your book, but then managed to create something out of it that is, you know, Kimberly Snyder (01:12.846)Thank Ghanim (01:30.947)creating a wider impact. And I think Iām just so grateful. So thank you so much for, you know, for hosting me here today. And Iām excited to share my story as well with you. And, and let me take you back actually 10, 10 years ago, actually a little bit more 12 years ago, I lived in the States, actually, I lived in Philly. I went to school there. Iām an engineer by profession. And I was actually sitting one morning, watching Good Morning America. Kimberly Snyder (01:51.063)Okay. Ghanim (01:58.745)in 2013 to be specific. I think it was either January or February of that year. And you came in on the show promoting the beauty detox, the green book. And I remember you were talking about how food changed the way you feel and how it actually inspired you to not only kind of Kimberly Snyder (02:05.304)Wow. Ghanim (02:26.083)to learn more about how food can change the way you feel, but also the way you look. And something about what you said kind of made me so interested that I actually got up my couch, went to Barnes and Noble, which was a few blocks away, picked up your book, opened the first couple of pages. And I remember the first few pages, you were talking a little bit about the concept of veganism, but not necessarily like actually like pinning it down and something about like not consuming dairy. And for me, it was a Kimberly Snyder (02:30.413)Yes. Ghanim (02:56.291)someone who never had any kind of, letās say idea of what you were talking about, I was completely shocked and overwhelmed. So I literally closed the book, put it back on the shelf and I was like, thatās not for me. I donāt think I, I just, I felt thereās something for me, but at that moment when I read it, I remember like just putting it back. The next couple of weeks after that, I started seeing so many signs when I was opening the TV, I was watching kind of letās say the doctors or Kimberly Snyder (03:00.757)Right. Kimberly Snyder (03:20.813)Wow. Ghanim (03:25.293)couple of these shows where they were talking about plan-based options. I was walking on the streets and thereās big billboards of like this alternative milks. And suddenly Iāve been seeing all of these things that are giving me signs saying like, my God, you need to go back and get the book. I said, you know what, let me just get the book. Thereās nothing gonna happen. Thereās no harm to read that book. So I took the book, came back home. I was living with my friend at that time. And I decided to read the book in very, like maybe, I would say loudly in the living room with my friend. And I think I was a bit in a sarcastic mood, kind of like every time I read something, I was pretty much either kind of laughing about it or just saying, thatās never going to happen for me. And I donāt know, something changed when I reached, I think part of the book where youāre talking about experimenting and trying to incorporate more greens and more raw food and I remember telling my friend at that time, said, thereās nothing wrong with trying. Letās just get this recipe, the glowing green smoothie. Letās just go to the supermarket and get the ingredients and letās do it. And I still have the first green smoothie that I drank. Itās actually on my Instagram archive, like as a picture there. And to be very honest, it wasnāt delicious. And it was a shock for me because like, Iām not used to eating like, you know, all these fibers and kind of the Kimberly Snyder (04:41.708)Wow. Kimberly Snyder (04:51.139)Yeah. Ghanim (04:52.057)for me that time, the bitterness. And it started with a smoothie and then that smoothie became another smoothie and then another smoothie. And then suddenly I started kind of saying, hey, how about incorporating less meat? And then I started taking off meat. And then I said, okay, you know what? Iāve been not eating meat for three months. Letās take off chicken. And then suddenly fish. And I remember you helped me in the book because in the book you were saying you were kind of trying to show us how to do that transition without actually telling me to transition because you didnāt want people to actually go vegan. You wanted them to feel better. And I think thatās the philosophy that sticks with me is I was thinking every day, am I feeling better? And if I was feeling better, I wanted to continue doing that. And thatās what kept me going. And then a year later after reading the book, thatās when I woke up one day and I said, apparently I am vegan. I didnāt have any animal product. I didnāt eat anything. I never said I want to go vegan. Kimberly Snyder (05:32.77)Hmm Ghanim (05:51.459)But I feel great. How about I go for a one year vegan challenge where I actually do it like intentionally and with proper blenders and all of the product that I need. And I never went back since then. And itās been 11 years since Iāve been vegan. And I always say this to every person that I meet. Yes, veganism was a personal choice, but I still do it today because it feels Kimberly Snyder (06:07.16)Wow. Ghanim (06:20.663)great and amazing. And the moment I donāt feel great, maybe I might explore something else. But of course, nowadays, Iām vegan for the animals, Iām vegan for the planet. So thereās a lot of other reasons as well to keep me on this lifestyle. But yeah, your book, you know, that was the initial kind of stuff. But then you came up with the next book, and I went on and kind of as well, dug deeper into the research aspect of food and how Kimberly Snyder (06:33.997)Yes. Ghanim (06:50.339)combination of food. I think you were talking about, you know, pairing certain foods and you know, got it took me a while to actually believe in it because you know, I love bread, even as a vegan, I love bread, I love gluten. And, and just recently I realized that I actually, whatever you were talking about 10 years ago is really makes a big difference if you follow it and they, and that I, sequence. so this is pretty much what happened. So I just want to kind of give. Kimberly Snyder (06:52.417)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (07:02.006)Yes. Ghanim (07:20.055)you know, a little bit of a, want, I want to, I want to say thank you actually properly to you because you, you, you, you, donāt think you will understand how much impact that had on not only me, but also my family, my friends who actually went to try vegan after my transition, how many people Iāve recommended the book to them and actually change their lives. So yeah, it did, it did change my life completely because I started a Kimberly Snyder (07:44.854)Wow. Ghanim (07:49.667)whole new business. became an entrepreneur and look what Iām doing now. And I think I am very proudly saying that itās because of you. So thank you so much. Kimberly Snyder (07:51.182)Look at what youāre doing now. Kimberly Snyder (08:00.994)my gosh. Iām just so grateful and in awe, goosebumps all over the place. Itās one of the best stories Iāve ever heard. I really believe weāre all connected in humanity. Weāre brothers and sisters and it just seemed like your heart, you were right there, you were ready. And of course thereās a little bit of resistance because it can feel like, this is really different. And it feels a little bit scary when youāre doing, itās counterintuitive to how you. raised or how you would eat before. But the fact that you kept going back and you kept going back means you were, you know, youāre something in your soul is just so ready to go in that direction. And, know, it really resonates with me when you said itās just about feeling better, because I think sometimes get people get so caught up in labels, and then separation like, Iām this Iām a vegan, Iām an omnivore, all these different things. But really, what weāre talking about is choosing vitality and choosing nutrient rich foods and choosing fiber. And sometimes for people, itās not all or nothing, but like you said, you kept going down this path. And the way I started becoming plant-based from the very beginning was when I was traveling actually. And so I love that thereās this through line. We were talking before the podcast, how connection transcends space. Here we are talking across the world, across different cultures, different religions. mean, itās all this. know, oneness, these truths, itās how we digest food. Thereās a compassion aspect to eating plant-based, thereās an environmental aspect. And when I was in India, it just felt like, wow, I was reading about meditation and just these ideas of how light you can feel in your body. So for me, in my background, which Iāve talked about in my books, I had so much anxiety and insomnia and things you might not directly relate to food. But when I started lightening up, diet and freeing up my digestion, it really did feel much better. And then as I shared, I cleared up my acne, all these things on my skin. And I was like, wow, all this stuff works together. Itās pretty profound. Ghanim (10:00.867)Yeah, you know, to add to that, think after kind of going through the first few months of following, letās say, all the recipes and following all the knowledge that you were sharing at that time. I remember waking up every day feeling a little bit, am I doing this? Am I a crazy person? People around me were saying, Ghanem, okay, great, youāve done this step, but itās not going to take, you know, itās not going to, itās not going to be forever, youāre doing it for a while, Iām sure youāre gonna bounce back soon. Everybody was doubting me and also I had a lot of questions, especially when it comes to our cultures, our tradition, everybody was saying, hey, as humans we evolved eating animals, so how can I answer those questions? I was not ready, so I actually started traveling. So I actually traveled to 33 countries in the next kind of two years after reading your book and it opened my mind so much. Kimberly Snyder (10:37.473)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (10:52.493)Wow. Ghanim (10:58.553)to not only food, but also the people that are making the food, to actually understanding how food is being made. I started kind of going to cooking schools, learning how to use herbs and medicinal botanical kind of plants. And I wanted to understand then how is our food being grown and went to the farms. And Iāve been to Nepal, Iāve been to Beijing, Iāve been to Singapore. Kimberly Snyder (11:04.779)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (11:10.914)Mmmmm Wow. Ghanim (11:27.417)Jordan, of course, Egypt, you name it, like all these countries trying to really understand what happened in the last 50 years where we have disconnected completely from nature and especially from our food systems. And I remember every time I used to come back to Qatar, I was thinking, my God, thereās something missing because Iāve Iāve been exposed to all of this information and knowledge and I felt so heavy keeping the knowledge to just myself. Kimberly Snyder (11:40.6)Why? Kimberly Snyder (11:57.452)Right. Ghanim (11:57.485)And Iāve realized that Iā¦ needed to share it with as many people as possible because Iāve learned this from you as well because you were traveling and coming back and sharing that knowledge through your books and through your podcasts. And I was like, I need to do the same. And thatās what I started doing. I started coming back and going to schools and getting invited to do normal public speaking events when I actually wasnāt famous at that time. I wasnāt well known. People just loved me sharing my stuff through Instagram and they loved my smoothies that I was creating and simple recipes. And it got people so interested that I started being asked to come to schools and talk to kids. And I was 23 at that time and remember kind of talking to a couple of the kids in school. And one question I remember raising a carrot and I said, do you guys know where this come from? And one of the young kid raised his hand and said, this comes from the fridge. And I said, Kimberly Snyder (12:30.541)Okay. Ghanim (12:58.271)my God, thereās something missing like in our education system where kids think that things comes from a, you know, a fridge and not coming from a, so thatās when I realized that education is very important and I wanted to create a space that can not only raise awareness about this kind of epidemic of nutrition that we have, but also connect people back to our, to the source. And I felt great eating vegetables. And I think a lot of people will feel great eating vegetables and eating more greens and raw food. And thatās what I did for those years. And thatās how I started my businesses afterwards, because I realized I needed toā¦ People were saying, Ghanim, okay, whatever you say is great. How can we do it? How can we do it? I want to do it. I want to be part of it, but I just donāt have access. I donāt have the recipes. And I was like, I need to create a space that canā¦ Kimberly Snyder (13:46.368)Yeah. Ghanim (13:54.349)resemble everything that Iāve learned from my travel and maybe set an example so that people can feel a little bit more comfortable to make the switch. since then, we have been pioneering not only the vegan movement in Qatar, but also changing that mindset and making it more normalized, I would say. Veganism is so normalized nowadays in Qatar and it actually became soā¦ Kimberly Snyder (14:17.07)Mmm. Ghanim (14:23.353)at some point that people felt so cool being vegan, which is completely the opposite anywhere else in the world. Kimberly Snyder (14:30.414)Yeah, you got it. I love you know what I can feel even when youāre telling your story, this heart bursting with authenticity and just so much love and so much passion and so much wanting to help that your journey just kept going and you didnāt plan it. It was just like, Iām going to travel similarly to me and then Iām going to do this. Iām going to do this. And people follow that passion. I mean, youāre just dripping with it. So you donāt really have to try. You donāt have to convince. Itās just this. radiating out of you. Well, in the story, when you started to change over, what did your parents say and people around you? Because at the time, even here, was still, and it did rise up, right? The vegan movement. And now thereās like, thereās pushback from people who feel threatened by it, of course, thereās always opposing ideas and forces. But when you first started, you know, were people saying, youāre not eating, youāre not getting as a protein, like some of the things that we always hear, what were some of the things that you heard? Ghanim (15:17.785)Of course. Yeah. Ghanim (15:29.955)See, Iāve done it very gradually. So when I decided to do it, I actually didnāt do it like cold turkey. So for me, it took me a whole year to actually make the transition. And I wasnāt pressured at all because my goal was not to be vegan. My goal is to feel better. So for me, it didnāt feel like I was transitioning. And then people around me kind of went with me through that transition because I became obsessed at some point on not eating anything Kimberly Snyder (15:37.965)Yeah. Ghanim (15:59.661)but only having goat cheese in my food because thatās kind of for me to transition from eating all the kind of cheeses to just eating one kind of cheese. And I think you did mention it at some point, like that you need to narrow down the choices. I think thatās helped me a lot to simplify kind of the options. And I did that for every category until I reached a place where I not eating anything. So people around me, I think kind of in the beginning, they were a bit, again, as I said, Kimberly Snyder (16:14.294)Yeah, and simplify. Ghanim (16:30.041)thinking that I will just do it for a few months and a few weeks and then suddenly Iām going to go back. So everybody was just on him. Itās okay. Itās just a phase. So donāt, donāt exaggerate. Donāt over, donāt overthink it. And, and, and then I, I, I, I, I saw people around me started kind of wanting to be part of what I was doing. And especially my mom and my dad, they started saying, can you do the smoothie for us? We wanted that. We want to have the green smoothie with you. And then thatās what they started doing. So I started doing the smoothie for them. So they used to have this amazing Kimberly Snyder (16:52.098)Wow. Ghanim (17:01.069)breakfast in the morning that gave them so much energy. They started feeling better. They started having better bowel movements and having more energy. My mom till today, she only have a green smoothie in the morning. And for me, sheās not vegan, but she took some kind of tips to enhance her diet. And I think one of the tips that she as well taught me that I can eat at that time, letās say, Kimberly Snyder (17:13.591)Wow. Kimberly Snyder (17:23.01)Yes. Ghanim (17:30.359)whatever I want to eat, have the raw green salad at beginning. And thatās a habit that I still do it till today. I just eat lots of greens and then I eat whatever I want. If itās something that Iām not comfortable eating or of course for me now itās vegan, but if itās like a little bit junky vegan or if itās a bit too over oily, which I donāt usually eat, but I have to kind of have this beginning. Thatās in my house. But then of course, publicly, Kimberly Snyder (17:34.114)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (17:48.206)Wait. Ghanim (17:59.513)You know, people were questioning my decisions and they were coming to me saying, youāre going against religion, youāre going against the culture, youāre going against what your ancestors have done for the last hundred years. And for me, it was. People felt intimidated by me every time I was choosing to eat vegan, even though Iām not making it the subject of the event. And I realized that I needed to be stronger in my Kimberly Snyder (18:12.649)It can feel threatening to people. Kimberly Snyder (18:24.234)Sure. Ghanim (18:30.391)defense, because I was a bit hesitant to get into the conversation. so I did a lot of research into my culture, understanding how my people have eaten in the past hundred years. and Iāve found out some amazing facts that, you know, 50 years ago, Qatar was so poor and, and didnāt have enough resources that actually people didnāt have the luxury to eat animal products. They were eating lots of starchy vegetables, lots of rice and beans, lentils to be specific. when they want to eat meat, it was a celebration and it was once or twice a year. So it had a different cultural meanings behind it when they have consumed animal products. And I realized that I needed to kind of go back and talk to people and Kimberly Snyder (18:59.085)Right. Kimberly Snyder (19:04.055)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (19:16.099)What else? Ghanim (19:29.111)that have lived during those times. And I found amazing facts that our region is, lots of people have eaten plant-based in the 40s and 30s because they had their own farms. That was actually the most sustainable way. They didnāt have access to food. The oil industry didnāt boom yet. So actually only after the oil industry had boomed in the 60s and 70s, thatās when people got access to animal products. Kimberly Snyder (19:30.798)Amazing. Kimberly Snyder (19:43.99)Yes. Ghanim (19:58.081)And the funny part is that I do a lot of work as well in Cambodia to help children eat healthy vegan food. And I remember kind of going to Cambodia in 2017, promoting eating fruits and vegetables and no one wants to eat it. And everybody was so angry with me because they say, this is not good food. This is poor people food. And then that same food in Qatar, I go to schools and I show people the vegetables and I said, this is Kimberly Snyder (20:20.941)Yeah. Ghanim (20:26.241)rich people food because no one eats organic except the rich people. And Iām like, wow, look at how cultures are so different. Itās like, have people here who donāt appreciate fruits and vegetables. And we have people here who appreciate fruits and vegetables, they donāt think they can access to it. and then I had to change that mindset. And I think that mindset is about, you know, actually plant-based food is the most affordable option out there. Itās, itās the simplest food to be, to, to, to be stored, to be, to create, to, cook. Yeah. So. Kimberly Snyder (21:03.904)Yes. Well, this is an amazing story. Itās sort of like the Blue Zones too, Ghanim. You know, when you, theyāre not trying to be vegan, but thatās what was available. If you lo
June Solluna Four Cornerstones Power Hour Tips Show: Summer Wellness [Episode #993]
Summary: In this episode of the Feel Good Podcast Power Hour, Kimberly Snyder discusses the importance of entering June with intention, embracing seasonal changes, and understanding Ayurvedic principles for summer health. She emphasizes the significance of nutrition, body movement, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth, providing practical tips for listeners to enhance their holistic lifestyle and well-being during the summer months. Episode Sponsors LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD FEEL GOOD SBO PROBIOTICS OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Feel Good Podcast Power Hour01:54 Embracing Seasonal Changes and Intentions06:09 Understanding Ayurvedic Principles for Summer12:08 The Importance of Food and Nutrition20:04 Body Movement and Exercise Adjustments27:01 Emotional Well-being and Lightness in Summer33:47 Spiritual Growth and Letting the Light In Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means TRANSCRIPT Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00)Hello and welcome to our Feel Good Podcast Power Hour for June. I love doing this show. A reminder that instead of having a Thursday Q &A every single week, weāre doing this really incredibly jam-packed show on the first Thursday of every month that will give you the top tips and strategies around the four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth to have the most amazing month ahead and to enter the month with intention. So we will continue to build up this show so definitely stay tuned as time goes on weāll incorporate even more ā community ideas, comments, questions from you guys, weāll do some giveaways. So definitely this is a show that is this you know has so much creative potential and Iām really grateful for you tuning in with me today. You may have been with me for many years. I know that we used to do this ā Thursday Q &A show every week. I used to do it with Caitlin and our Saluna team. Thereās been many different iterations. You may be brand new to our community and if so, congratulations to me and to you. Iām so excited to find each other and welcome to the community. We have so many offerings and including this very show. So Iām so excited to dive right in. Just a little reminder that our main hub is at mysolluna.com, our website where you can find literally hundreds, thousands of recipes that are going to boost your energy and your digestion, articles, ā other feel good podcasts, the show notes to todayās show, and our amazing digestion focused supplements, including our SBO probiotics and detoxi. We have courses, we have our amazing waterfall cleanse. We have our Heart Aligned Meditation, so thereās so much over there for you to explore and to go further into our community. So here we are in June, which is such an incredible month because we are transitioning into summer. We have Summer Solstice coming up in just a few weeks, and this is really ā the midway point of the year. So thereās a very important energetic transition thatās happening now. We see it in the collective nature all around and itās happening inside our bodies. And so one of the most important things that we want to keep in mind is to enter June with intention. And I say intention because otherwise we get swept up in the excitement of yes, thereās longer days and more light and maybe more activity outside and lots more fun. But if we are intentional in balancing our energy, which is a very, our youāve aided concept, which weāll talk about in a moment, itās very important to balance our energy each season. If we donāt watch it, we can actually get more burned out, we can aggravate our pitta, our fire energy, we can deplete ourselves, we can accelerate aging, we can get our digestion, our worn down, we can feel more dehydrated, bit more irritated. So itās really important to maintain this balance, which does shift season to season in our practices, which is why itās really important, again, back to our show every month, to really reflect and be intentional about some shifts that weāre making in how we eat, how we exercise, how we take care of our body, our emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and this makes a huge difference, right? Self-care is not just one and done, hereās everything I do, itās the same thing for everybody because thatās not how nature works, right? And weāre part of nature. So we see this in evidence in terms of how thereās different fruits and vegetables in season, how thereās a fullness to the plants in certain seasons, and then thereās the shedding of the leaves. Iāve seen an incredible rebirth in the last few months in my area in California from the fires, right? Going from the scorched, of raising it down to the ground, and now thereās so much greenery. So we really want to take care of ourselves and our vitality in this very holistic way. And I promise you, you will get the best results when you look at things in this way. Now, as I mentioned, seasonal wisdom is a core part. Itās a core tenant of Arya Veda. And I have been a student of Arya Veda now for many years, for over a decade, including a pretty intense four-year ā practitioner course that I went through with Vaidya J. ā And so I love incorporating Ayurvedic concepts into our philosophy here at Solluna, which by, and the Feel Good podcast, which by the way, Saluna means the sun and the moon. So itās really this holistic approach. And I created Saluna actually in the aftermath of when my mom passed away. And it was a really intense time. And I was going through so many different emotions of gratitude and grief and just feeling really alive on a whole other level. And so when weāre talking about feeling good, weāre not just talking about being giggly and happy all the time, weāre talking about this authenticness, this bliss and this balance thatās underneath the ups and downs of life. There is this stability and resiliency that you can start to access within your own body, within your own emotional resilience, within your heart. And so thatās really the goal of our lifestyle, to create that real wholeness, which results in more harmony and more abundance in your life. And itās less and less dependent on other people, on what the world is doing that may not feel right for you, what your, you know, even your friends and your loved ones are saying or doing or their opinions. There starts to be this real confidence in your moving forward in your own life. And itās really beautiful. So, Arya Veda, Iāll just give a really quick summary means the science of life. And itās based on balancing these elements, which are the same elements in nature, the same elements that are in your body. So this is the Pancha Mahabhuta theory, air, space, fire, earth and water. So every season, thereās a different mix, thereās a different calibration of the energies outside. And each of us have more dominant energy. So you have more fiery energy, may have more pitta. Me, I can be a little bit more spacey and thatās definitely more Vata energy, more prone to constipation and whatnot. If youāre very grounded, ā maybe a little bit more prone to weight gain or feeling depressed or slothfulness and imbalance, thereās more kafa, more grounded energy. So we want to be aware of whatās happening in our bodies. We want to be aware of the greater energies and find a way to merge and create that balance. And itās very powerful when we do this. And this is a part ofSome of the biohacking and modern living and ā it kind of can miss that. And we can incorporate all these wonderful devices and products, but we also want to respect and honor the ancient wisdom, which had so much, has so much to teach us about how to truly work on an energetic level in our bodies. Another ancient system is traditional Chinese medicine, which associates summer with a fire element as well. Itās a time for joy, connection, expression, but also staying anchored. So in Ayurveda, as weāre coming into summer, we are definitely coming into Pitta season. So thereās a lot of fire. The sun is ā burning very hot and very bright for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Thereās a intensity, thereās an outward expression, thereās an element of manifestation. But again, without intention, it can lead to burnout, can lead to irritation, to feeling fiery, to throwing our digestion off, to feeling more anxiety. So we wanna be aware that to balance the fire outside, we wanna incorporate more cooling spices, more cooling foods, more cooling practices. which weāre gonna get into right now with the four cornerstones. So letās dive right in and we usually start with our food cornerstone. Although I do wanna remind us that theyāre not necessarily in order of importance. All of these cornerstones anchor us into this holistic lifestyle. Food is and will always be a critical part. The foods that weāre taking in assimilate and become part of our bodies and part of our energy. So we can use food in this very ā intentional way. I kind of veer away from saying thoughtful now because we donāt want to be full of thoughts, right? We want this intuition from our hearts to rise up and to teach us how to eat, what our body needs. And at the same time, to take these learnings and ā ancient wisdom and modern science and incorporate it into our lives. So we want to be in alignment with the Earthās rhythm. And so now understanding that thereās going to be a whole lot more sun and a lot more pitta, we want to make sure that weāre creating ā this ā shifting, right? Just like the earth is shifting on its axis and we shift our clothes and their seasonal foods, we also want to shift our diet. And thereās research that published that shows that how shifting your diet ā and the seasonality has a big effect on your gut health as well. So a study published in Nature Communications, for example, examined the Hadza people of Tanzania, a country that I love, and found that their gut microbiome changed significantly between dry and wet seasons. And this was directly tied to their diet. They had more berries, honey, and tubers in certain months. And this highlights how seasonal diversity really does shape our microbiome, our third brain, which of course has a huge impact. on our health, on our immunity, on our moods. So weāre not meant to just eat the same rigid thing day in and day out, which would be boring, but also isnāt in keeping with nature. Itās not natural to do that. Research on a US cohort also showed that seasonal fluctuations in gut microbiome mirror shifts in dietary patterns. And again, all of this research, if youāre interested, youād like to read research studies like I do, you can check them out. Weāll have the direct links on our show notes, which again are mysaloonamysolluna.com. So resilience is a really important word and we can be emotionally resilient, we can be physically resilient, and a lot of that physical resilience builds in our gut. We become more resilient against viruses, bacteria, infections. And also the ups and downs of life in general, right? A really steady gut can really help anchor us in life. And a study in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that a healthy gut supports stronger vagus nerve tone, which enhances emotional regulation, stress recovery, interoceptive awareness, which is our ability to tune into our internal body signals. So again, if we want to have a healthy gut, which we all do, itās a huge part of our saluna. practices and my daily practices. I start the day with our SBO probiotics. I end the day with our detoxi. Iām always eating with digestion in mind. We want to also incorporate this shifting. So if youāre listening to this or watching this right now in our YouTube channel, ā I want you to be aware that even now, even as we start to transition into summer, there are some signs of imbalance that I want you to be aware of. And some of these could include overly craving sugary cold drinks, including really tall, huge iced coffees. This is your body saying, hey, I need something Iām craving to feel more balanced and the ice is a quick fix, right? Doesnāt mean you canāt have these drinks sometimes, but notice how intense the cravings can be. And notice that itās ā habitual and repeated. So you may have a nice big drink and you want another one and youāre not satisfied and so on and so forth. Also feeling foggy, heavy, bloated, feeling irritable, ā especially after processed or fried meals, wanting fried meals, just this general feeling of being off. And thisā¦ ā Irritability is a really important energy to keep in mind through all our energies, whether itās emotional, physically, irritability in our gut, because again, that is a sign of excess fire. When weāre in balance, we feel stable, clear, centeredness, which means Satvik in Ayurveda. We have aligned cravings. That means our body is really wanting the glowing green smoothie. Itās really wanting these delicious vegetables, whether thatās in a soup or stew or salad, we feel good when we eat well. And we also have pretty ā consistent moods and we have great smooth digestion. So there arenāt big erratic ups and downs. Weāre not overly gassy. Everything is moving ā consistently, shall we say. So what we want to do some protocols for this month to keep in mind is specifically are to stay nourished, to cool your system, and to enhance that ojas, which is really that glow, that vitality from the inside out. So this is a wonderful season to continue or to restart your glowing green smoothie practice. Now, Ayurveda is big on warming foods, so I will say this whilst this is part of our morning routine, Iām still a fan of starting the day with something warm to drink, hot water with lemon, hot water with lemon and ginger. something to get your Agni moving. And I donāt advocate drinking the Glowing Green Smoothie ice cold. Even as it turns into summer, I have it closer to room temperature if thatās palatable to you or if you need it really cold. ā Thatās okay, but still start with something really warm in your belly first. First thing should be warm. First thing in your belly should never be something really cold. Itās really ā powerful. to add the Glowing Green Smoothie in our GGP as I do every day to get that chlorophyll, that extra boost. Thereās spirulina, thereās ashitaba, thereās amalaki, thereās wonderful Ayurvedic as well as cordyceps, mushrooms, plants that you wouldnāt have fresh. Thereās seven key plants to give you that real deep nourishment. And itās gonna result in a glow, itās gonna result in higher immunity, itās gonna result in more balance. So check out the recipe if you are new to our community. Youāve never made the Glowing Green Smoothie. I canāt wait for you to try it. Itās something that I invented. Wow. 14 years ago, I think, when I was in my little apartment in New York City. This is literally how it started. And I had studied at the Ann Wigmore Institute, which is a raw food institute in Puerto Rico. Did a training there and I came back and there they make something called energy soup, which is blending greens and they add seaweed and sprouts and all sorts of things. Itās definitely an acquired taste. And I remember sitting in my apartment and I had a bunch of spinach and I had really ripe bananas and those were the two ingredients I blended together. And I blended it and then I ate a spoon of it and I was like, this is kind of good and itās kind of strange to ripe fruit with spinach. It wasnāt something that felt necessarily intuitive for me the way I was raised. You know, eating a lot of Filipino foods, lots of Asian foods. didnāt make smoothies when I was growing up. My motherās from the Philippines. But anyways, I took a spoon of it and I handed it to my boyfriend at the time who was sitting on our blue couch in our West Village apartment. I said, hey, try this. And he was like, wow, thatās not bad. And so really put me on this trajectory of consistently having blended food. And of course now thereās a lot more seasonality. have a lot more knowledge. I do eat a lot of cooked food as well. But the glowing green smoothie is a wonderful way, a wonderful staple to get a lot of those enzymes and vitamins which are denatured with food, with cooking, excuse me. Itās also a great time of year to incorporate coconut water. And I just got a case of coconut water myself andā¦ I have it after my walks just to, again, cool the system mentally, emotionally, physically. And I give it to my husband. I poured him a tall glass last night as the weatherās starting to heat up. He has a lot of pitta in his constitution. And we can feel it experientially. And also, Arya Veda teaches that coconut water is one of the most cooling, ā effective ways to cool that pitta. And itās also really great for electrolytes. Itās great for ourā¦ overall Constitution this time of year. And then we definitely want to use some cooling foods and spices this time of year. Celery, chopped in a salad, example, cucumbers, fennel, coriander, mint. These are some beautiful cooling spices and elements that we can use in our foods. Itās an important time to avoid hot sauce and excessive chilies and onions and garlic. which can actually really enhance pitta and avoid those as much as possible. Sometimes in the fall and winter, Iāll intentionally use some onions or garlic, but to be honest, for the most part, these foods are very reduced in my diet just because I think modern living induces a lot of pitta anyway. Now itās even more exacerbated. So I used to rely on those foods a lot more for flavor. But now that Iāve widened my spices and my flavoring foods and ā ways in which I cook, simple, but just a lot of different variety, I feel like I donāt really need the onions and garlic, and I do feel a lot more calm. Thereās an experientialness to this, which is really powerful. So. Another thing thatās ā really powerful to help you digest your foods, because again, thereās breaking down that we really want to support when things get fiery and our guts can feel a little bit more imbalanced. One of the things that we want to bring in is digestive enzymes. And I just did a whole Instagram post about this, if youāre interested and like to look at little slideshows. But enzymes are part of our life. Theyāre alive. Thereās anabolism and catabolism thatās always happening, thatās building up and breaking down. And so taking digestive enzymes before you eat is a really powerful practice. You can check out our Saluna ones, which have three times more lipase than other brands. I love them. Theyāre researched, powerful. They also break down fiber because some people can get bloated when they increase plant foods in their diet. So check it out for yourself. Okay, letās move on to our second cornerstone, which is body. Now think about this excess pit to outside and just think about how our bodies intuitively would naturally calibrate. So one of the things that we wanna do is to perhaps adjust our movement, moving away from sweaty, hot yoga classes in a heated room, especially in the middle of the day. We might start to incorporate more yin practices. We might start to move our practices to the earlier morning because we start to feel more irritated or at least we get out of the really hot direct sun if we are going to work out in the middle of the day, which is still a great time. Thatās when I happen to do my walks, but I wear a big hat. I carry water when I walk in the middle of the day. ā We want to sweat. Itās a natural way to detoxify. Itās a natural way to feel that release. It feels really great to release toxins and to be part of that. Thereās an interesting ā research paper in the study of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, resulting in ā having results. This is really interesting. That shows that dynamic exercise resulted in significantly higher excretion of heavy metals. like nickel, lead, copper, and arsenic compared to passive sweating in a sauna. So saunas are great. Iāve ā incorporated saunas into my life over many years, but thereās something about moving and using your limbs and your body in this total way to ā even enhance that detoxification. So something to keep in mind, get that sweat on. It feels really great. And also ā breath work and meditation. You can use different breath work techniques while youāre working out. We had Wim Hof here on the podcast a couple of years ago. He has his Wim Hof breathing technique. When we get to the spiritual cornerstone, weāll talk a little bit about our breathing that we can do with our heart focused breaths and our heart aligned meditation. But you want to take really nice, beautiful, full breaths through your body. maintain that balance so you donāt get overstimulated, take that fast breath work that isnāt cooling. And by the way, yoga says that thereās different energies that you pull in through the different nostrils. So the left is the pingala, the cooling, ā sorry, the left is the, am I saying this right? The ida and then the pingala is the other side. So one of the breath work practices that you can do, and I believe I still have a YouTube video up about this, And we also, can search for it on our website, articles about this, is alternate nostril breathing. And this is where you would take your thumb and ā I use my pinky finger. Some people use their ā ring finger and you would close the different nostrils and breathe in and out. And it balances and can cool your body if you get overstimulated in the heat. So check it out for yourself. Itās really nice to do this guided. And this is one of the breathwork practices that I really love in the summer as well. So signs of imbalance in your body this time of year can feel ā water retention, bloated, tension in your neck, jaw, and hips. Thereās a relationship to the fascia. So you feel a tightening effect, that irritation again, sort of clamping down. Or on the other hand, just a low motivation to move. But when youāre in balance, you feel really connected to your body. You feel this aliveness. There is a glow, a clearness in your skin. Thereās this energy. You can feel this. Again, I use this word aliveness without feeling overstimulated or burned out. So it feels good to move, but at the same time, you donāt feel like youāre getting too fiery. So some simple support strategies is to go for a walk in the morning before you get your day started in that nice, gentle sunlight. I really ā love doing twists and simple movements. Again, on my Instagram channel, I show some of the heart movements that I do connected to different chakras. I love to ā stretch a lot. So yin yoga is really great right now. You can do it in the morning, in the evenings. I do a little bit of stretching before I meditate, which is one of the protocols, these energization exercises that Paramahansa Yogananda teaches as part of Kriya Yoga. And I am a big fan of Abayanga and oiling because I think it calms your nervous system, which is very much needed in the winter, but itās also very much needed in the summer. But the difference is that we use cooling oils like coconut oil in the summer. So you can warm the oil a little bit. I put some in a jar and in a bowl, and then I put hot water in the bowl while Iām sort of getting ready for my shower. And then I just rub it. through my limbs and my belly and my body, and then I rinse it off. Itās very simple, but it feels really good. And itās an ancient practice, an Ayurvedic practice, this oiling of the body. So in the winter, we might use more warming oils like sesame oil, but now is a great time for the cooling, just like coconut water is cooling, coconut oil is also cooling to the body as well. Another thing is cooling baths. So not super hot, but taking baths that feel ā Maybe lukewarm and you can even put salt. This is a really great time to feel energetically and physically that youāre cleansing your body like Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts, which I love very much. Iāve been to the Dead Sea and it just felt so cleansing and revitalizing even though it was really warm to get in there. I felt amazing and my skin felt amazing afterwards. So using the water element on your body is a really beautiful practice as well. And as I mentioned, just thinking about how intuitively can I refine and adjust my exercise routine for this season? What feels really good to me right now? What am I drawn to and what actually feels depleting? And sometimes it can be a little bit of a practice of letting go, if somethingās really working for us, we feel really toned, we feel really great. But maybe thereās other ways that we can get that. feeling in our body but not get depleted as well. So maybe again, we shift to the times weāre working out or we shift to more walking or ā different type of yoga or whatever it is this season because we donāt want to overwork our body. ā Arubita does say that excess pitta is a main cause of aging, that overheating of the tissues and the cells. Okay, so letās move and another way to flush through, canāt help but say is detoxing. which is our amazing saloon a supplement with oxygen and magnesium and vitamin C to feel that lightness, right? This is a continuation of that cleansing from spring into summer. So we donāt feel heavy and bloated, which no one wants to feel as we go into bathing suit season and getting outside and wearing shorts, right? So detox is a powerful aid right now, especially. So our third cornerstone is emotional, emotional wellbeing. And this is a time to lighten the load. Iām going to use the word light a lot and to just feel really in tune with thereās a lightness that happens in summer, right? We feel more perhaps introspective. We feel more things coming up in the winter, right? Itās a beautiful time to reflect and go deep. And this is a time for more lightness and joy. Itās a time where we donāt want to get burned out. We donāt want to get overly irritable. So we want to support that lightness, which is felt all around us in nature. We want to feel grounded. So one of the things that we can start to do is to literally ground and use the earth as an anchor while we journal, while we meditate to get outside. I went through a little bit of a like a nervous system cleanse, felt like a few weeks ago where I just felt dizzy, like vertigo, which I donāt usually feel, a little bit of tingling. So I went outside for a few days and laid my whole body on the ground, my whole spine, and just breathed and gave myself that space. And it really does feel, when you open up to it again, back to our intention, that the earth can be like this giant healing table and all those negative ions come out and soothe us. And again, what weāre doing physically, this holistic approach, also can soothe us emotionally. So this is time to, ā you know, feel that freedom, that lightness to express through our voice, through our throat chakra, even to hum, to sing, to write. There is a research out of UCLA paper that found that writing or saying what youāre feeling can help to deactivate the amygdala, the fear center, and activate the prefrontal cortex, enhancing emotional control, clarity, and self-awareness. Iām a big journaler myself. I feel a lot of spaciousness and freedom when I am able to give myself that space to not only write, but to read and reflect on what I write. So every day almost, I am writing, I am reading. And it does make me feel more light. Itās like youāre offloading onto paper. Youāre offloading in this really authentic way, where you donāt have to feel like youāre being judged. So some signs of imbalance can mean where youāre not being authentic, where youāre saying yes when you really want to say no, ā feeling emotional crashes, especially after screen time or being social, avoiding feeling your feelings, avoiding quiet or alone time. And we can feel really balanced. We know weāre in balance where we feel more steady and consistent in our emotions and we feel inner guidance. We feel more natural joy rising up. And again, this doesnāt mean fake positivity or fake happiness, but when we feel the vulnerable emotions, like, ā hereās fear coming ā or thereās some shame or anger or whatever it is. And this is where thereās really powerful practice in the Hidden Power of the Five Hearts book called The Heart Aligned Steady in Life. This is where we breathe into our hearts, into our center, and we meet emotions. This is real self care. This is not abandoning ourself. This is showing up for ourselves. And then we let them digest. And sometimes we may need emotional support if weāre going through something. you know, please, therapy, counseling, coaches, whatever it is. But more and more we start to feel this resiliency where weāre not avoiding feelings that get pushed down and then can start to make us more fiery or more irritated. Has that ever happened to you? Because itās definitely happened to me where I just take in, take in, and take in and then a really slight thing that my husband says or somebody does something and I, like I get a really big reaction, right? So we want to meet things along the way and this provides more steadiness. Again, this isnāt avoidance of feelings. It doesnāt mean that we donāt feel the spectrum as humans, but what it does mean is that we continue to metabolize more and more and feel that steadiness, which then produces this lightness and this joy, which rises up more and more as time goes on. So another thing to keep in mind if youāre a yes person, a people pleaser, is to get used to just saying, let me get back to you, instead of directly going to that go-to of yes and then taking time. for yourself to feel centered emotionally and then discern if that is something you want to say yes to. Whether itās an outing, a project, a get together, taking something on, right? So just remind yourself to have that space. You donāt have to rush to respond. Part of self care is also letting yourself center. Take some breaths. You donāt have to answer that text back right away. And itās really healthy to leave more time in your schedule, you donāt have to pack everything in as much. So you can allow more space for this processing, for creativity. And whilst the world will tell you like keep going faster and faster, the spaciousness is actually a way to feel more creative and just definitely a lot more alive to allow more of this joy to pour through. One sec. Okay, so letās move to our fourth cornerstone, which is our spiritual growth cornerstone. And the theme is clearly as we come into June and the summer, let the light in. Let the light in. Thereās times where we feel more of the darkness, which has a lot to teach us in the darker months, literally. But this is a time for allowing light in literally into every cell of our being and our body and letting the light teach us. letting the light come into our hearts, letting the light come into our thoughts, into our motivations. Let the light teach us to be more loving, to be more of ourselves, to be more compassionate, to choose the kind, the caring thing to do, which is harder to do when weāre fiery, right? And weāre irritable. So in terms of bringing in the light, one of the things literally, and I literally just did this right before I got on the podcast, is I got outside in the light and I did a meditation in the light. And what I like to do is, you know, wearing a sports bra right now and itās very rural and private where I live, but Iāll take my shirt off and Iāll literally let light get on my heart, on my belly. It feels really good to get light on while youāre doing any type of spiritual practice, which could be prayer. It could be walking in nature. It could be meditating. There is ā light codes, so to speak. Thereās energy in the light. We donāt understand all of this. but I do believe thereās a full spectrum of colors. I think thereās a lot of healing that happens when we literally get into the light and itās something thatās really ā powerful. So I literally ā go into the light and it feels really good. There was even a study in 2021, the psychology of religion and spirituality that found time thatās spending, or they found that spending time in nature and especially sunlight enhances Spiritual well-being reduces anxiety and increases feelings of awe and connection. So itās this wholeness, right? Itās the moonlight, the sunlight. If ā you donāt wanna get direct sunlight on your face, wear a hat like me. And of course, for your skin type, you can use safe practices. But Iām a big believer that the light is healing its medicine, especially this time of year. It can reawaken. It can energize and of course it gives us vitamin D. Thereās a lot of vitality that can come through the light. And so itās important that we open up to that. Thereās more research from the Heart Math Institute that shows that when the heart and brain are in constant communication through multiple pathways, heart coherence, then we feel more a neurological, biochemical and energetic boosts. And this improves emotional balance, mental clarity, overall well-being. Thereās a whole lot more research that I cite from the Heart Math Institute as well as other scientists. In the new book, here, the coverās behind me if youāre watching this on YouTube, The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts, I think a lot of us intuitively know that when we connect to our heart, this power that is unleashed, this is not impractical, this is not overly emotional, but itās the power. of the heart to connect to the true self inside of us, to actually give us wider perceptions, to allow us to have more emotional intelligence and resiliency, to feel a more zoomed out perspective. And it is in this heartās power that we transcend a lot of the smallness of the thoughts and the reactivity and trauma, and we can live closer to our spiritual wholeness. Iām not talking about religion here. I know that we may all have very different spiritual beliefs, but I do believe in a higher power. do believe however we like to conceive of it, thereās energy connecting all of us. Thereās oneness. Thereās love, right? And so spiritual growth is about moving closer to that love, that self-love, that love of body, that love of God, spirit, however you can universe, however you conceive of it, love of each other, that connection. ā And so we wanna be regular with our practices that work for us. Thereās a steadiness that will bring us into summer. Again, intentionality. Instead of constantly trying different things and seeing what this celebrity is doing or getting on this bandwagon and moving around, be consistent. Choose and feel intuitively what works for you, whether itās the heart aligned meditation or another practice. Really be consistent, because this consistency will build energy over time. And thatās been my direct experience. I do the heart-align meditation. I also do Kriya Yoga, which I learned many years ago through the Self-Realization Fellowship, which you can learn in the lessons that are given there from Paramahansa Yogananda, ancient practice of Kriya Yoga. It works really well for me. ā I feel incredibly alive and grounded and joyful. from my practices. And let me tell you, wasnāt easy in the beginning to sit and meditate. It was very restless. But this consistency brings us these results, which isnāt linear. It can come like, wow, I feel really great. And then I have tough days. So for me, itās the combination of the Kriya and the heart align that really change everything in my day. Another part of this ā spirituality is really tuning into stillness and silence. so part of that practically means really unplugging. ā Let the natural light come in and unplugging from the artificial lights and devices, going outside, having stretches of time where youāre not checking your cell phone. Thereās more time in the evenings now. You can sip tea outside if thatās available to you. Go on the rooftop if you live in a city like New York. Really taking advantage of this natural light and bathing in it and soaking it in and getting off devices and the know, sometimes negativity of collective consciousness thatās in social media and the news, right? Just really allowing this joy and this light to come up inside of you. So again, thereās a lot more that I mentioned about heart coherence and using the power of our hearts, which I believe is so needed right now more than ever in my new book, The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts. which you can check out for yourself. And we really want to ā move into thriving. To me, summer is about ā vitality and aliveness and joyfulness and harmony. And so we donāt wanna feel like weāre surviving, weāre just sort of getting through the day or the season and weāre struggling. And when we incorporate all of these practices together, the cooling foods, the seasonal foods, adjusting our body care practices, including how we exercise and how we breathe and how we take care of our body, and really taking time for emotional support for ourselves, journaling and sitting outside and doing practices like the Heart Aligned Study in Life, which again is in the book, feeling through our feelings. So weāre not holding this burden of feelings, which can, emotions, which are energy and motion, and then results in. Lots of negative thoughts or feeling like weāre carrying a really heavy burden. And I donāt want to gloss over that. Thatās why thereās a lot more information in the book about these practices because theyāve helped me tremendously. And I think that theyāre needed now more than ever. And then spiritually to ā come into the light and to be open to the light and to receiving more light. And thereās this quote from Yogananda that talks about, you know, holding up our vessel, what are we receptacle are we holding up for spirit universe to pour through into us? Is it a tiny cup or is it a huge pool? Right? And that means intention. It means openness. It means being receptive to the light, which is always available. We are never alone. Right? We are connected in this cosmos. Somehow this entire intelligence is moving through us. And I really believe we can connect to it through our hearts and through love and through slowing down a little bit and just being more present. And this is true medicine, right? This is allowing us to feel the joy of summer, whether thatās the simple sipping of homemade lemonade or running through the grass with your kids or running your hand through the ocean or a lake and really just feeling. the miracles of being alive. Not some big achievements youāre trying, constantly trying to strive towards, but really surrendering and receiving the joy thatās right here in this very moment thatās available to all of us. So I wish you the very best, most joyful, peaceful, wonderful, expansive of Juneās into summer. And again, this doesnāt mean Happy giddy all the time. means getting deeper and more connected. And when those tough emotions rise up, whether itās fear, you feel really vulnerable, you feel shameful, just letting them come through and starting to feel that anchoredness more more inside of you. And again, thereās so many ways we support that. Thereās so many ways we talked about today through gut health, through your spiritual practices, through the foods that youāre eating. So please continue to check out all the resources that I have for you, the courses. the products, the articles, the recipes at mysaluna.com. If you havenāt joined our newsletter yet, please do join so you stay in the loop. And I will see you back here. Weāll continue to do our weekly Monday interviews. ā And everybody that weāre bringing on now is related to the cornerstones, but theyāre very heart led. And these conversations are transformative and they continue to evolve and get deeper and deeper, whether Dr. Tracyās talking about the vagus nerve or Karen Eldid is talking about overcoming, striving, right? There is a through line in all of these Monday podcasts. And then this show, The Power Hour, once again, will be the first Thursday of every month. So Iāll see you back here soon. Remember to write to me, to ask me questions. Iām here to support you. Iām here with my full heart. and all my love and I look forward to connecting with you more. Ā Ā
Understanding the āGreatā Vagus Nerve with Dr. Kevin Tracey [Episode #992]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Kevin Tracey In this episode Dr. Kevin J. Tracy discusses his groundbreaking work on the vagus nerve, its role in inflammation, and itās connection to autoimmune diseases. He shares personal stories that shaped his career and emphasizes the importance of understanding the vagus nerve for health and wellness. The discussion also covers lifestyle measures, meditation, and the relationship between the vagus nerve and heart health, highlighting the need for further research in these areas. In this conversation, Dr. Kevin Tracey discusses the significance of the vagus nerve in health and wellness, exploring its role in vagal tone, bioelectric medicine, and its implications for autoimmune conditions and depression. He emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to health, the potential of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment option, and the reflexive nature of our bodily functions. The discussion also highlights personal experiences and insights that drive the pursuit of medical advancements. About Kevin Tracey Kevin Tracey, MD, is a best-selling author, neurosurgeon, scientist, entrepreneur, and leader in the fields of vagus nerve stimulation and inflammation.āÆHis new book THE GREAT NERVE (May 13, 2025 Avery) reveals the vagus nerve is the bodyās most powerfulāyet underutilizedāhealing pathway, capable of reversing devastating illnesses without drugs. Dr. Tracey and his colleagues in his lab at the Feinstein Institutes discovered the molecular and neural mechanism for the reflexive control of inflammation, now termed the inflammatory reflex. He is a prolific inventor, with more than 120 United States patents.āÆAs measured by and reported in the scientific journalāÆPLOS One, Dr. Tracey is one of the most highly cited living scientists in the world. Dr. Tracey was trained in neurosurgery at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center and was a guest investigator at Rockefeller University before moving to the Feinstein Institutes. There he directs the Laboratory of Biomedical Science and was appointed President and CEO in 2005. Ā Episode Sponsors: LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Guest Resources Book: THE GREAT NERVE Website: The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes Ā Episode Chapters Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Kevin J. Tracy and His Work04:05 The Impact of Personal Loss on Purpose07:10 Understanding the Vagus Nerve and Inflammation09:58 Exploring Autoimmune Diseases and Vagus Nerve Connection15:07 Lifestyle Measures for a Healthy Vagus Nerve19:58 Meditation, Heart Health, and Vagus Nerve Dynamics26:11 Understanding Vagal Tone and Health Span28:02 Innovations in Bioelectric Medicine30:04 Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Autoimmune Conditions35:02 Exploring the Connection Between Vagus Nerve and Depression38:57 The Reflex Basis of Health and Well-being44:05 Practical Applications and Personal Insights Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:00.972)Hi everyone. Welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today. His name is Dr. Kevin J. Tracy, and heās a neurosurgeon, scientist, entrepreneur, and leader in the fields of vagus nerve stimulation and inflammation. He is one of the most highly cited living scientists in the world, and he has a fascinating new book out, which I read. cover to cover called The Great Nerve, the new science of the vagus nerve and how to harness its healing reflexes. Dr. Kevin, I will call you Kevin from now on, but just to start off, Dr. Kevin, thank you so much for being here with us today. Kevin Tracey (00:42.856)Ha ha ha ha. Kevin Tracey (00:48.042)Well, thank you for having me on. Iām really looking forward to chatting all about the great nerve. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (00:53.774)So itās really fascinating, the subject matter. I think some of us have heard about the Vegas nerve and increasing popularity, whether in the media, social media. Thereās so much I want to get into. But first I want to say, Kevin, that, wow, I wasnātā¦ Sometimes you get into these scientific books and research books and it can be a little bit dry. But what really surprised me in a positive way about your book was the humanness that you brought to the book. And it was very readable and it was very accessible for a lay person whoās not a scientist to really grasp the information. And right away at the beginning, your book made me cry when you talked about the passing of your mother when you were five. And my youngest is four right now. I was just thinking how, you know, for a child to lose their mother at such a young age, must have been so just, you your world gets turned upside down. So you go into that story, but also because her condition was related to her brain and that you became a scientist, there was a positive outcome. really, sounded like it really influenced your purpose and the direction of your life. Kevin Tracey (02:17.994)It did. You know, the, the idea of, of five year olds, grappling with what reality is and then going through a loss today, modern psychologists and psychiatrists, they look at these events as having long-term trauma to some. And it is a trauma that occurs when youāre five years old and lose your mother. But You can come out of trauma 60 years later, 63 years later and look back and have an understanding to it. she died of a brain tumor very suddenly. And now here I am, a neurosurgeon trying to invent therapies, trying to invent things to help other people not have to lose their mother or their other. And can you connect the dots and say that? led to this? Of course not. You canāt. But you can gain an understanding that children, even very young children, are formulating a view of the world that oftentimes I think is much more profound or Kevin Tracey (03:37.502)deep, if you will, or intuitive than adults understand. itās not like itās easy to study this in the groups of five-year-old children. Youāre making assumptions about what theyāre thinking and feeling because they donāt have the complete capacity of language and vocabulary that develops over many, many years later. But Iām strongly convinced that what happened to me Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (03:44.002)Yes. Kevin Tracey (04:05.798)at five influenced the entire course of my life. And I try to tell that story in this book. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (04:11.02)You know, itās amazing sometimes, you know, people are searching for their why, or theyāre looking for, you know, what is my purpose? And it was so clear from the beginning and it, you tell that story upfront. And then thereās other, another story that has a mother made me cry about the 11 month old Janice who got burned. And youāre talking about some of your theories about inflammation and you know, why this child passed away. And itās just so clear that your drive, Doctor, is to really understand and to alleviate suffering. And it really comes across in your book and the way you write and your work. And so I just want to really acknowledge that, that, you know, thereās a lot of depth of science, but thereās also so much heart and so much love in the way that youāre writing. And it just really felt and it really touched me when I was reading this book. Kevin Tracey (05:06.9)Well, thank you. Your compliment means a great deal, coming especially from you. So thank you sincerely. In my journey as a neurosurgeon scientist for the past 40 years, give or take, I have come across many others who, like me, were touched, if not by a family member, but by a patient, and found in the inability to help that patient, the drive, the motivation, the meaning, as you say, to pursue a cure. And that story resonates across not only my own experience with friends and colleagues and people Iāve met, but that story resonates across the centuries in the history of medicine. And the idea that one individual suffers and motivates another to find a cure or to pursue a cure or to pursue an answer. That story recurs over and over again in the history of medicine. And if you think about it, what does it say? It says that one person, one person suffering and another trying to alleviate can change the course of the world. And I think the more that message needs to be internalized more and more by your listeners and listeners everywhere to know that what they decide to do and how they decide to react makes a difference not only in their own personal lives and their familyās lives, but everyone can change the world for the better. And thatās very inspiring to me. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (06:44.396)Yes, itās the concept of oneness. know, Dr. Howe, weāre all connected and what happens to us, we can, you know, change our perspective and be motivated to do good, to shift things. And so it was very, very motivational, very inspiring. And then as you continued your work, you came to focus back to the great nerve on the vagus nerve. Can you tell us a little bit aboutā¦ just briefly why the Vegas nerve and if people are listening to this and theyāre like, Iāve heard of it, but I donāt really exactly know what it is and why itās important. Of course, thereās a whole book about why itās important, but just in a nutshell, just to give us a little bit of an intro before we dive deeper. Kevin Tracey (07:26.91)Sure. So by way of intro, you made reference to Janice, the little girl that I cared for in the burn unit at the New York hospital. And she died in my arms of overwhelming inflammation. So what is inflammation and what does that have to do with the vagus nerve? Well, inflammation is what happens when the body reacts to either an injury or an infection. And youāve seen it if you sprain your ankle or your knee, it turns red, it swells, it hurts. And youāve seen it if youāve had an infected pimple or an infected cut on your skin, it turns red and it swells and itās painful and it gets warm. Thatās what inflammation is. And thatās a healthy, good response to injury and infection. It helps heal the wound and clear out the infection. that type of inflammation we need. But the problem is, that inflammation, if itās not well controlled, if itā¦ doesnāt stop, if it spreads beyond the cut or beyond the local area of injury that occurs, if it spreads into the bloodstream or into the organs like the lungs and the heart and the kidney, inflammation can kill. And so the question that I confronted after Janice died was why did her body fail to control the inflammation that was occurring and why most people walk around Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (08:40.215)Yeah. Kevin Tracey (08:56.648)donāt have too much inflammation. And the very surprising answer that my colleagues and I discovered in the mid 1990s is that the brain controls how much inflammation you have in your body. And it does this by sending signals to your immune system, like the brakes on your car, slow down, slow the inflammation and prevent the inflammation from causing Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:11.96)Hmm. Kevin Tracey (09:26.43)damage to your normal organs. And the brake lines in your car run essentially. to the wheels of your car to stop your car. The brakes on your immune system run from your brain through a nerve called the vagus nerve, which holds the key to stopping inflammation. And that simple sentence, how does the vagus nerve hold the key to stopping inflammation is something that Iāve committed the last 25 or 30 years of my life to studying. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:44.312)Hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (09:58.892)Itās really interesting, doctor, because thereās so much autoimmune and thereās so many conditions and we hear a lot about changing your diet or taking medications and youāre talking about this bioelectric therapies and tell us about how this approach is kind of going a little bit further back than some of these other approaches to inflammation. Kevin Tracey (10:24.564)So you mentioned earlier, as we were warming up that many of your listeners are women and autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs much more in women than in men for reasons that arenāt well understood. But an autoimmune disease are diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis. These diseases are conditions where thereās too much inflammation. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (10:37.742)Mm. Kevin Tracey (10:54.558)So the question that weāve been pursuing for years is if we know that the breaks on inflammation travel in the vagus nerve, if the vagus nerve is carrying signals from the brain to stop too much inflammation, can we use that information to develop therapies for diseases like rheumatoid arthritis? But in order to do that, we had to learn a great deal more. you mentionedā¦ The vagus nerve has the great nerve and we call it the vagus nerve, but you actually have two of them. You have one on each side, like two thumbs or two kidneys. And you actually have inside of each of these vagus nerves, you actually have a hundred thousand fibers. So itās fair to say that all of us have about 200,000 vagus nerves. they run from about the level of your ear, deep inside your brain down. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:29.165)Mm-hmm. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (11:44.61)Wow. Kevin Tracey (11:51.88)your neck on both sides, across your chest and into your abdomen. And what these vagus nerve fibers do is carry information back and forth from your bodyās organs to your brain and back. And this information is absolutely crucial to maintaining a balanced homeostasis is called, a balanced output of your organs that keep you in a healthy range. In other words, The vagus nerve is carrying back and forth from your brain to your body, all of the information necessary to keep you healthy so that you donāt have to think about it. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (12:29.914)Mm-hmm. So what is throwing off the vagus nerve for so many people? Why are these therapies required and is it happening more often in the modern world versus just being able to maintain homeostasis naturally? Kevin Tracey (12:46.512)All, sorry, all the answers to that question are not in yet, but thereāve been some dramatic examples that have taught us quite a bit. So for instance, during the COVID pandemic, several studies discovered that the virus itself could infect the vagus nerve, and this was found at autopsy in some victims of COVID. And whenā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (13:07.81)Mmm. Kevin Tracey (13:14.41)when the investigators looked at the vagus nerve, they found evidence that the virus was in the nerve. And in other patients, there was evidence that inflammation caused presumably either directly by the virus or by the bodyās reaction to the virus, that the inflammation had settled in the vagus nerve and damaged it. Now, if you have damage in your vagus nerve, that would be like someone cutting the brake lines on your car. and the vagus nerve now is no longer going to be able to slow down the inflammation. And if the inflammation keeps accelerating, now what happens, it accumulates in organs and can cause permanent damage, as I said before, to various organs, whether itās the kidneys or the heart or the lungs or the brain even. So this was a key insight that the vagus nerve can sometimes be damaged in some patients. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (14:04.919)Right. Kevin Tracey (14:13.128)Very importantly, we and others have begun to ask the question, is it possible that damage to the vagus nerve, like damage to the brake lines in your car, is actually occurring in autoimmune diseases as well? And there is some evidence that that is occurring. In other words, people at risk, relatives at risk for autoimmune disease, often have evidence of impaired vagus nerve signaling to the heart called decreased vagal tone. And this can occur before they have any evidence of the disease itself. So the question is, can damage to the vagus nerve actually be one of the reasons that weāre seeing increasing incidence of some of these autoimmune diseases? We donāt know for sure, but itās definitely possible. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:07.694)So is it kind of like the chicken or the egg? Is it the diseases are damaging the vagus nerve or potentially damage to the vagus nerve is one of the reasons that thereās a proliferation of the autoimmune condition? Kevin Tracey (15:20.168)Yes or both. Yes or both. Yes, it is an important research question and thereās evidence to support both sides of that equation. Chicken and egg. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (15:30.572)Right. And you know, doctor, in the latter part of your book, I love how you talk about meditation, which is a very big part of our community. You had an experience with the Dalai Lama, and you talk about cold therapy, breath work, we have a mutual friend Wim Hof. You didnāt mention diet as much or you donāt focus on it as much in the book. it based on all the research and what youāve seen with our lifestyle measures that we can control? does that have quite a, you know, increases our chances of maintaining a healthy vagal nerve, vagus nerve, you know, barring, of course, if we get COVID or thereās some sort of infection in the vagus nerve, but just on a more general everyday basis, these lifestyle measures can help. Kevin Tracey (16:17.438)I think itās really important to answer this question in the context of some more clear definitions. So back to the basics, we have 200,000 vagus nerve fibers, and each of them has been selected by millions of years of evolution to have a specific job. So a few fibers, maybe a few hundred or maybe one or 2,000 at most, go to the heart and slow your heartbeat. A few hundred or a few thousand go to your lungs and participate in every breath you take. A few hundred, probably not a few thousand, go to your pancreas and control your insulin. Now, the way the nervous system is organized, each individual nerve fiber controls a specific function. each of those functions can operate independently of all the other nerve fibers. So for instance, most people, most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time because the nerves that control our walking are different than the nerves that control our chewing. When you apply that basic obvious fact to the vagus nerve, you have to ask a really important question. When someone says to me, I want to do this, that, or the other thing to my vagus nerve, I say, really, which one? Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (17:42.062)Mmm. Kevin Tracey (17:42.184)Which of the 200,000 fibers do you want to stimulate or inhibit? So for instance, thereās some commonly talked about advice in the billions of web impressions and social media postings about the vagus nerve that chanting or humming stimulates your vagus nerve and that this is good for your overall health. And as I review in detail in the book, there is a grain of truth to that because a few hundred fibers of the 200,000 go to your voice box. technically, youāre larynx. So technically when you hum or chant, you are stimulating those few fibers of the 200,000. Does that mean youāre also stimulating the fibers that can control your immune system? And does that mean youāre stimulating the fibers like Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (18:19.118)Mmm. Kevin Tracey (18:39.85)the brakes of your car on your inflammation? Not necessarily. I mean, you can walk and chew gum at the same time because different fibers have different activities. So I tell that story because each of the chapters at the end of the book, in part three of the book, addressing these recommendations and advice given by so many sources on the web. Each of those has to be considered for scientific validity and reproducibility and truthfulness versus exaggeration of claims beyond what we really understand. So does humming stimulate your vagus nerve? Yes, it stimulates the vagus nerve fibers that go to your larynx. Do we know that humming, because of that is decreasing your inflammation through the vagus nerve? No, we donāt. Do we know that Stimulating those fibers to your voice box also stimulates vagus nerve fibers that have a role in preventing depression or anxiety. No, we donāt. these are important questions and they can be studied and addressed. And if people like to hum and it makes them feel better, then we should encourage that. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (19:58.05)Well, I love the openness as a scientist doctor where youāre not just shutting something down but saying, hey, you maybe we donāt know more research is needed. You use these two words in the beginning of the book that really stood out to me when youāre describing the great nerve, mysterious and beautiful. When youāre talking about the vagus nerve, thereās mystery around it. Thereās a lot of things we donāt know yet. And when you get to that section of the book where youāre talking about meditation, and there are thousands of research papers about different benefits of meditation for different systems of the body. And I love that you as a scientist are also a meditator. Kevin Tracey (20:35.218)Meditation is widely studied across imaging studies, very sophisticated brain mapping using fMRI and PET scan and other brain imaging techniques have studied meditators ranging from monks to extreme, to amateur meditators, to highly trained meditators. And whatās interesting is that meditation does influence brain activity. And whatās interesting is that Meditation does activate regions of the brain that are implicated in all kinds of mental states. As a scientist, as a researcher, it sort of stops there, however, because depending on the meditative practice and depending on who the meditator is and depending on what other activity there is going on in the meditatorās brain before meditation begins, you get different answers or explanations as to why meditation could be beneficial to some, but not beneficial to all in terms of reducing anxiety and depression. So for me, I enjoy meditation. I think for me, itās very interesting to observe myself meditating, if you will, and to watch the state of my mind as I meditate. I find that fascinating. But I donāt think itās fair when anyone claims cause and effect explanations of how meditation works. Itās an area of active research and much more needs to be done. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (22:18.72)Yeah, well said. Well said. But it really does add a holistic, you know, I just, love that section of the book. And you talked about meeting the Dalai Lama as well was really cool. One thing I was going to say, when you talked about the relationship with the heart, itās really interesting to me, Dr. My last book was, we did some, we did a meditation study actually in terms of heart coherence and just measuring the patterns of HRV instead of just the numbers, getting those nice smooth sine waves. And so could you talk a little bit about how the heart and the vagus nerve are related? You said that some parts can go to the heart, obviously with 200,000 nerves running through it, not all, but there is a relationship. Kevin Tracey (23:11.25)Yes, so of those 200,000 fibers, some number of them, several hundred or several thousand go to the heart. And the vagus nerve endings from the brain to the heart stop in two different places. The sinoatrial node, which is the pacemaker and sets the resting heart rate, if you will. And the AV node, which is involved in the conduction of the signals from the atriums of the heart to the ventricles of And so when the vagus nerve is sending signals to the heart, it tends to slow the heart down. And what does that mean? It means that the time between the first heartbeat, heartbeat one, and the next heartbeat, heartbeat two, is prolonged. Now, when the vagus nerve is firing frequently, youāre going to seeā¦ Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (23:58.861)Mmm. Kevin Tracey (24:09.008)more variability between the time of the individual heartbeats measured in milliseconds. And if you subject those individual heartbeats to statistical analysis, things like Fourier transformations, you come up with whatās called heart rate variability assessments. So the more your vagus nerve is firing, the more variability there will be between the individual times in the individual heartbeats, the instantaneous heart rates. So that is all fairly well, thatās fairly non-controversial. Where it gets complicated is that there are many, many different statistical algorithms used to map out instantaneous heart rates as a function of time, as a function of of frequency and in actually in multiple dimensions after being subjected to Fourier transformation. And so thereās no consensus on the analysis of these data. So there are wearables and I wonāt name any, but the wearables use different algorithms to assess the different heart rate variability metrics. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:08.854)Great. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:27.063)Yes. Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:32.088)Yes, I am mad. Thatās great. Mad as Iām tired. Kevin Tracey (25:37.768)So now you quickly look online and you see, hereās a graph of heart rate variability by age or by sex or by activity. And you end up with the potential for a great deal of confusion. what I found most interesting perhaps in this is that because the active vagus nerve tends to slow resting heart rate, the slower resting heart rate Solluna By Kimberly Snyder (25:52.481)Hmm. Kevin Tracey (26:07.188)tends to correlate with longer health span and longer lifespan on a population basis. So itās a good thing to be aerobically fit with a
Finding Healthy Sexual Expression with Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman [Episode #991]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman In this episode Kimberly interviews intimacy and sexuality coaches Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman. They discuss their partnership, the importance of vulnerability in relationships, and how to dismantle societal masks that hinder authentic connections. The conversation delves into body image, sexual confidence, and the significance of cultivating erotic energy for overall wellness. They also explore the impact of cultural beliefs and shame on sexual expression, offering insights into daily practices for enhancing intimacy and navigating the complexities of pornography in relationships. The discussion also touches on the evolution of sexual desires over time, the impact of trauma on fantasies, and the empowerment that comes from self-connection and healing. The speakers emphasize the significance of open communication in relationships and the journey of understanding oneās own desires and experiences. About Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman Danielle Harel, Ph.D., and Celeste Hirschman, M.A., are pioneers in intimacy, sexuality, and relationship coaching. Co-founders of the SomaticaĀ® Institute, theyāve transformed how love and connection are taught through their experiential, science-based Somatica Method. Together, theyāve trained over 1,000 coaches and helped countless individuals and couples embrace vulnerability, rediscover desire, and create deeply fulfilling relationships. Authors of three influential booksāMaking Love Real, Coming Together, and ConfidenceāDanielle and Celeste blend authenticity, humor, and bold honesty to inspire transformation. Their relatable insights into intimacy and connection make them captivating guests on popular podcasts like Sex With Emily: Coming Together and Shameless Sex: How Core Desires Leads to Hot Sex, and Trauma Empowerment, where they offer audiences practical tools to enhance relationships and live passionately. Ā Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Guest Resources Book: Sex With Emily: Coming Together and Shameless Sex: How Core Desires Leads to Hot Sex, and Trauma Empowerment Website: https://www.celesteanddanielle.com/ Ā Social Media Instagram: @ somatica_institute Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Intimacy and Sexuality Coaching01:45 The Power of Partnership in Coaching04:08 Dismantling Masks and Embracing Vulnerability07:52 Body Image and Sexual Confidence10:48 Cultivating Erotic Energy and Self-Expression13:32 The Connection Between Sexual Energy and Overall Wellness16:14 Healing from Shame and Cultural Beliefs19:42 Daily Practices for Sexual Energy and Connection22:46 Navigating Pornography and Intimacy in Relationships23:15 Exploring Intimacy Through Pornography24:19 The Connection Between Vulnerability and Sexuality28:09 Overcoming Blocks to Sexual Energy32:31 The Evolution of Sexual Desires Over Time35:55 Understanding Trauma and Fantasy in Sexuality40:24 Empowerment Through Self-Connection and Healing Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:01.33)Hi everyone and welcome back for our Monday interview show. I am so excited for my very special guests here today. I have two beautiful ladies to offer an incredible conversation. The first is Danielle Horrell and the second is Celeste Hirschman. They are pioneers in intimacy, sexuality and relationship coaching. Theyāre authors and co-founders of the Samadica Institute where they have taught and trained over a thousand coaches and helped countless individuals and couples embrace vulnerability, rediscover desire, and create deeply fulfilling relationships. Thank you both so much for being here with us today. Celeste Hirschman, MA (00:44.654)Thank so much for having us. Danielle Harel, PhD (00:46.109)Excited to be here. Kimberly Snyder (00:47.91)Well, so I love having partners on the show, business partners, creators together. So the first thing that comes to mind is number one, how did you find each other and decide to collaborate on so many different endeavors? And number two, what both led you to this particular work with intimacy and sexuality? Because it feels like a real, like everyone, you know, a calling, but this is a very specific type of calling. Celeste Hirschman, MA (01:16.716)Yeah, I mean, I have to say probably one of the best things thatās ever happened to me in my life is finding Danielle. And speaking of things that make me feel good, know, having our business partnership and being able to collaborate with someone for so many years and for us to just have the same mindset on and how we want to change the world has been so powerful and profound, changed my life forever, for sure. Kimberly Snyder (01:22.268)Aww. Itās so beautiful! Danielle Harel, PhD (01:25.477)Itās so cool. Kimberly Snyder (01:45.042)So how did you, was it through like a friends or through conference, business conference? Danielle Harel, PhD (01:52.115)Yeah, so I was doing my PhD in human sexuality and we had like a class that we took through this in the PhD and Celeste took that class. was also people outside of the PhD and Celeste took this class and thatās where we met. know, Celeste and I, as different as people can be, but, you know, we have amazing compatibility around this. We really, we met in the class, in the training, and then we kind of Kimberly Snyder (02:01.97)Danielle Harel, PhD (02:21.964)She asked me out to go to a conference with her. We sat on a bench in San Francisco and we saw that our philosophy is so aligned. It was kind of amazing. We really saw eye to eye. Like, how do we want to help people have a better sex and relationship? And as we were talking, weāre like completing each otherās sentences. Sounds kind of soul-made in some way. Kimberly Snyder (02:27.579)that. Kimberly Snyder (02:51.186)I love this story. You sometimes itās funny how outwardly it can seem like, weāre different. Thatās how me and my husband are. Heās covered in tattoos and he has a gold grill on his teeth and, you know, just completely different lifestyles. But itās like when you meet, whether itās a business partnership or soulmate, that you guys, the intimacy, this closeness, this alignment that isnāt necessarily that you see with the physical eyes, but you feel on an energetic level. I love that you have that intensity together. Celeste Hirschman, MA (03:17.366)Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Danielleās like a solid oak tree and Iām like a butterfly, you know, but we but we definitely have with our different skill sets have been able to do so much more together than we could have done alone in terms of creating this work that helps people have the best, know, helps people feel good. Like you said, this is a feel good. And thatās what itās all about. And our first workshop was Kimberly Snyder (03:41.724)Yes. Celeste Hirschman, MA (03:46.124)a workshop for men on how to be extraordinary lovers to women. And we thought, you know, what want for the world is for women to feel good, you know, and we can train men and everyone else, you know, obviously women have lots of different lovers across the gender spectrum. But in that instance, we were teaching men how to be better lovers to women. And it was a really wonderful place to start for us. Kimberly Snyder (03:55.409)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (04:08.466)Mm. And you know, Iām glad you brought up this, you know, this term feel good, which to me has so much to do with connection to self. And then you are able to connect with others and authenticity. So it doesnāt mean you have to be like overly giddy or giggly or overly happy, but really authentic and real. And I know a lot of your work touches on that vulnerability because whether itās in the bedroom or relationships or, you know, business, wherever thereās so many masks that we can wear. that keep us from really connecting. How do you start to, when youāre working with someone and youāve trained so many different people, start to dismantle the mask? Because I feel like even now in culture with social media and TikTok, itās even more exacerbated in some ways, where if some people donāt even know what their authentic self is, so they donāt know how to authentically connect physically or sexually. Danielle Harel, PhD (05:02.62)Yeah, itās a wonderful question. I feel like the way we do it is there are multiple ways, of course, but we start by actually pointing out the cultural belief systems and all the ways that weāre being fed from very early on, different belief systems, different structures that might be working for some people or not. So that definitely, like we start to talk about those social messages. And then we start to give people alternatives about like, Hey, you know, there may be like other options that you can think about. we de-shamify the heck of it because we bring ourselves as examples. We talk about like how not perfect we are. We talk about helping people see that you can have a wonderful, beautiful full life without being perfect, but at least youāre to have your own life and not going to live someone elseās life. Kimberly Snyder (05:56.964)Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Celeste Hirschman, MA (06:00.524)Yeah, I feel like I was very lucky as a child. think my familyās motto was feel good. You know, they sort of like not so much work ethic, much more of a play ethic. And so I learned I learned how to play and I kept playing throughout my life. And and now I get to teach other people how to play with life as well, you know, and and feeling good and having a joyful life. Itās not just like a frivolous thing. Itās like a revolutionary act, especially if youāre whoās supposed to be who you are in the world, you know, to say like, like, Iām a bisexual woman, and I feel good. And I can be myself, you know, like if youāre if youāre not like, if youāre sort of like outside what as our society tries to normalize, normalize, normalize, and everybodyās supposed to be the same. Itās like, no, Iām different. And I feel good is a big deal, right? Kimberly Snyder (06:48.028)Yes, right? And it can be in any way. Sometimes we can fall into a career path because it looks good or our parents wanted us to do this and then weāre never really happy making the money or, you know, all the many ways. So back to this cultural perspective and so much of our society has these ideas of, you know, beauty and body weight and body image. So what would you say to our listeners or anyone that says, well, when Iām in, when Iām naked with my partner, I just canāt enjoy myself because I feel so self-conscious. Iām thinking about, donāt look good, you know, because it just creates, even though in my body, you can feel like you shrivel up instead of expanding, you start to feel very small. And then the thoughts and like overthinking. So how do we open up? How do we start toā¦ embrace our energy more than just the physical, again, in life, but also sexually. Danielle Harel, PhD (07:52.028)Yeah, thatās great. So yeah, itās beautiful how you said it because like thatās exactly where we start. We say, okay, so when youāre feeling like that about yourself, like notice how it feels like you feel contained and you feel small and you donāt feel your beautiful, glorious, big self. So letās see what it would feel like if you actually stepped into your body and let your full self actually. breathe and feel pleasure and enjoy the connection and the intimacy because many times because of socialization and because the images that we see, we feel that somethingās wrong with our body. But many times our partner might feel that thatās the most delicious body that theyāve ever encountered in life. And if we are like so tight inside that we donāt even allow ourselves to open up and take those compliments and kind of like, you know, I know I worked on my body image a lot through this like in the bedroom. It was one of my most healing places to work on that because that was the place I was like, okay, Iām going to actually listen to my partner and Iām going to take it in. He like, you know, touches my belly and he says like, belly is so beautiful. And I was like, okay, Iām going to take it in. Iām going to ask him again. I really love my belly. Please tell me. Heās like, yeah, my God, I love your belly so much. You know, like itās a wonderful way to start healing it and allowing a different truth. to come in thatās not just like the very polished truth that we see on social media. Kimberly Snyder (09:21.202)Right, right. I love that. Because we all, you know, itās interesting how back to this authenticity, to me, know, sexiness isnāt just something you can paint on. It really is the energy that someoneās embodying. And that is something we donāt have to try to be perfect looking. And there really is no perfect looking, but what we can is work on that connection as we express it. You know, in yoga, the sacral chakras, you know, the creative expression is the sexuality, the creating projects, the writing, you know, pregnancy, all these different things come from that place, which is so unique. Are there any in your workshops and your training, are there any practices or specific journal prompts or anything that you do to invoke someone to really connect with that essence of? you know, that sexiness that cannot just be painted on. Celeste Hirschman, MA (10:18.114)Yeah, we actually have like an erotic embodiment class where you go in step by step, get re in touch with your body and actually find that pleasure center and learn how to move that energy through your body and exude it out of your body. And we also have a body image class, you know, to help people overcome some of those challenges. So we really focus on people healing around those things and finding their, you know, their inner glow and letting it shine out in the world. Kimberly Snyder (10:21.478)Man. Danielle Harel, PhD (10:48.404)And we really find that this disconnects from the body and disconnects from our erotic experience in our body. Because women were one of the messages we get is that if we are sexual, weāre sluts. So we donāt let ourselves connect with our sexuality. And I was like, wow, sexuality is your power. Thatās the place that youāre to have the creativity and the aliveness. So letās get deeper into it. And in this classes, we really invite people to kind of like, yeah. how to decompartmentalize this experience of sexuality and make it like a life force as opposed to this like shrunk thing that you just keep in the bedroom for your partner for specific act. No, itās yours. Itās yours to live with and enjoy and really kind of take it in. Kimberly Snyder (11:38.394)And I think too, thereās this line of what feels really good to us to be in our sexual power, but not to feel like we have to show too much or give things away when we donāt want to to get attention, to know that itās inside for us. Itās kind of hard to verbalize, but I know you guys know what Iām talking about, where it really is this incredible creative center to share with our partner or who we choose. but also to feel like itās also really sacred and special. Celeste Hirschman, MA (12:10.006)And I feel like people are so different. Like some people want a little bit more of that internal space and they donāt want to be like looked at all the time or invaded. And so they can decide Iām going to keep that piece a little bit more internal and Iām going to show it just when I want to receive that intention. And other people are like, give me all the attention all the time. And so just allowing for the fact that people are different and people need different amounts of attention, means like you get to, when you really get that glow going, itās up to you. Kimberly Snyder (12:12.592)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (12:17.425)West. Celeste Hirschman, MA (12:39.246)to decide who you share it with and how you share it with. And you might wanna share it moderately with specific people, or you might wanna share it broadly with everyone. And thatās such a personal choice. And I think thatās the thing that is so important about the way that we teach in Somatica, one size doesnāt fit all. People feel differently about energy and attention, and letās find out who each person is and what they want in that realm. Kimberly Snyder (12:40.72)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (12:56.177)Right. Kimberly Snyder (13:02.756)Right. And even to the fact I have a couple of friends who are working on their sexual connection, but theyāve chosen right now to be celibate, which is really interesting. So this sexual energy is coming through and they feel passionate when theyāre cooking their dinner, right? Or itās like they feel it when theyāre putting on their makeup and theyāre living it, but it doesnāt have to be as literal, like you said, in like sexual acts, but more of this creative energy, this pulse, this Kundalini. Danielle Harel, PhD (13:32.124)Yeah, thatās aliveness. Thatās wonderful. Thatās itās really important, as Celeste said, for us to help people understand. Itās yours. Do what you want to do with it. You donāt have to apologize of how you want to live your life. You donāt have to decide. You can change your mind. You can decide how you want to cultivate and grow this erotic energy, but this is your life force and you deserve to experience this level of aliveness. Enjoy and funnel it anywhere that you want to. Kimberly Snyder (14:05.666)Mm-hmm. And you know, here at Saloon on My Brand, we talk a lot about holistic wellness and how one thing affects everything else. So sort of like, you know, you guys are talking about rigidity or clamping it down or trying to suppress sexual energy, which feels quite rigid, can lead to anything, right? Inflammation, stress, constipation, this aliveness, this vitality or yoga, we would say prana. has an overall wellness effect. Have you seen that quite literally in yourselves and or any clients how it just opens up overall physical health? Celeste Hirschman, MA (14:43.262)Yeah, itās really funny because one day we were accused of only having like hot coaches. And I think people were looking at the photos of our coaches and they were exuding their joy and erotic energy because they donāt all look a particular way. And so itās, what Somatica does is it helps people find that glow on the inside. And then it just exudes out from you. And itās so beautiful and healthy and alive and sexy that Kimberly Snyder (14:57.457)Right. Celeste Hirschman, MA (15:09.166)everyone looks gorgeous when they have it, you know? And I think thatās the confusion about like looks have to be a particular way. No, itās like when youāre connected to your erotic energy, itās gorgeous, itās beautiful. And it helps you feel more alive. It helps stress move through your body, right? Orgasms help you get rid of stress. you know, like being in pleasure helps tension and cortisol go away. So all of that increases your health and your joy and your longevity, you know. being in connection with this part of ourselves is hugely, hugely healing. And when weāre robbed of it, itās so disempowering. Kimberly Snyder (15:45.776)Hmm. And, you know, I mentioned a couple of things that can happen when you feel disempowered, right? On a physical level, we could say like inflammation, like things are sort of kept in. What have you seen in some people when theyāre starting in your programs or, you know, just out in the world when you can tell that someone isnāt allowing them to feel this energy, which is part of the human experience. Celeste Hirschman, MA (16:11.598)Go ahead, Danielle, Iām gonna let you take it. Kimberly Snyder (16:12.62)I donāt have to say anything. Danielle Harel, PhD (16:13.332)I feel like many times people are just muted. They feel much more depressed. They feel sad. I feel like theyāre not fully owning their body and they are just not fully, you know, alive. And you see it, you see the difference because again, like we have a program when we train coaches and you see people when they come in and you see them when they come out and itās just like a complete revolution because when you let yourself like be who you are, Kimberly Snyder (16:19.634)I love you. Danielle Harel, PhD (16:42.95)you feel better and itās not necessarily an easy path, you know what I mean? I donāt want people to think like, itās all easy. You do confront sadness and you do work with other parts of yourself that are not fully, that were not all celebrated growing up because thatās a healing journey, right? So really kind ofā¦ seeing that allows people to really feel their best self on all levels, you know. Kimberly Snyder (17:14.724)Yes, I mean, thereās a part of this too that I think is questioning not just societal beliefs, but also your ancestral, your family beliefs. Because I know having grown up in a very Catholic conservative family, when I was little, I remember starting when I was about seven, my well-meaning grandmother and relatives would tell me not to smile. They were like, youāll get attention. know, like almost like shaming. like to be like, know, men also to look at you, like you shouldnāt be doing this and that and cover like covering up all the time. So it starts to feel like these patterns are, you know, this bigger level, but then also individual within the family that can they have to be overcome in order to feel that, you know, lack of shame, that freedom burgeoning up. Danielle Harel, PhD (18:08.04)Yeah, definitely. grew up. Sorry. I just, I sorry. You have a delay. Celeste Hirschman, MA (18:08.718)Yeah, and I do feel like Kimberly Snyder (18:13.916)Yeah. Celeste Hirschman, MA (18:16.77)Yeah, no, I think on a foundational level, thereās when you get all of those messages all the time, itās this kind of lack of safety and reconnecting with safety in your own body and feeling this truth of the self, which is that, you know, I can come back to me always, no matter what happens to me. I can always come back to me gives you this sense of like safety in the world. And then like we said, you get to decide what you want to do with your energy, but donāt put it out, you know. Like learn how to stoke it and connect with it and be with it and find your sense of safety in connection with that part of yourself. Kimberly Snyder (18:46.962)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (18:55.154)Daniel, do you have something to add to that? Danielle Harel, PhD (19:00.082)Yeah, I totally resonate with what youāre talking about because I grew up with a lot of shame as well and every movement was shamed almost like, you know, and thereās something in the process of healing that is about reclaiming those parts and really like letting myself feel what it feels like to move or start to like shed the shame and start to feel like, wow, like, you know, my body is magical. You know, it has so much. beauty in it thatās not just about what my mom said or what society says and it really can be very powerful, this process of shedding the shame. Kimberly Snyder (19:42.322)So in your work, thereās so many different aspects of wellness. could say with diet, some people kind of go on and off. may try to have a diet. go exercise. With this particular journey with healing sexual energy in your teachings, is it something that you encourage people to think about, consider, work on on a daily basis, on a regular basis? I know itās a nonlinear path. Some people may touch into it and then, you Danielle Harel, PhD (19:49.544)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (20:11.196)come back, how does it flow in general? Because I know itās. Celeste Hirschman, MA (20:15.18)Yeah, feel like thereās this sort of sexual anorexia that we have as a culture, this sort of lack of connecting with our eroticism that may make us seek all sorts of, get our needs met elsewhere in a way that doesnāt feel great. Whereas when we actually cultivate our erotic energy, when we allow ourselves to have our orgasms however we want to get them with ourself or with other people. Kimberly Snyder (20:27.867)Uh-huh. Celeste Hirschman, MA (20:44.63)or whatever makes us feel orgasmic, whatever that is, whether itās dancing or gardening or masturbating, learning how to let ourselves fill up with that energy is so powerful. And I think you wanna take it at a pace that feels comfortable for you, right? Because if youāve been denying it, denying it, denying it for so long, it can be a lot to just like fully rev up into it. Maybe you need to go very gently with like finding different approaches to pleasure. that are in alignment with, you know, whatever, a walk or a bath or just like, you know, like dancing and conn
Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition and the Relentless Pursuit of More with Keren Eldad [Episode #990]
This Weekās Episode Special Guest: Keren Eldad Kimberly interviews Keren Eldad (Coach Keren) about her new book, āGilded: Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism and the Relentless Pursuit of More.ā They explore themes of emotional well-being, the societal pressures of ambition, and the journey towards personal fulfillment. Keren shares her insights on the emotional needs that drive human behavior, the importance of spirituality, and the influence of Kabbalah on her philosophy. The discussion emphasizes the need to break free from the hustle culture and find a more authentic path to success and happiness. In this conversation, Coach Keren and Kimberly also explore the themes of ego, anger, boundaries, career reconfiguration, authenticity, and personal growth. They discuss how understanding the ego as an opponent can help individuals improve themselves, the importance of breaking up with anger, and the necessity of setting boundaries to honor oneself. They also delve into the evolving nature of purpose and the significance of authenticity in personal and professional life. The discussion emphasizes the idea that true growth often requires breaking free from societal expectations and self-imposed limitations. About Keren Eldad A thought leader in the coaching world, Keren Eldad (āCoach Kerenā) specializes in taking high achievers out of the futility of constant pursuit and into the greatest levels of success and fulfillment. Her coaching clients include Olympic athletes, politicians, Hollywood stars, supermodels, Special Forces operatives and serial entrepreneurs, as well as renowned global organizations such as EstĆ©e Lauder, J.P. Morgan, and Nikeā¦ She is also the founder of THE CLUB, a community of leaders, entrepreneurs and coaches who encourage and support each other to reach their fullest potential and make their greatest contribution. Recognized as a Top Ten Executive Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Real Leaders Magazine, & Goop, Keren maintains gold-standard coaching credentials on top of her advanced academic degrees from The London School of Economics and the University of Jerusalem. She is also a former C-suite executive, who has lived and worked in 17 countries and on four continents, and now coaches leaders all around the globe in four languages: English, Spanish, Hebrew and French. With half a million views on her TEDx talks, and speaking engagements all over the world, Kerenās message seems to transcend borders. She hopes it resonates with you. Episode Sponsors: LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā DETOXY OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Guest Resources Book: Gilded: Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More Website: https://kereneldad.com/ Social Media Instagram: @coachkeren Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gilded and Its Themes02:49 The Golden Cage of Ambition and Perfectionism05:58 The Illusion of Success and Fulfillment08:50 Emotional Needs and Their Impact on Well-Being12:04 The 12 Steps to Overcoming the Hustle14:56 The Role of Spirituality in Personal Growth17:52 Kabbalah and Its Influence on Philosophy24:57 Understanding the Ego as an Opponent26:26 Breaking Up with Anger28:48 Navigating Boundaries and Self-Honoring36:15 Reconfiguring Career and Purpose38:34 Authenticity as a Power43:38 The Trojan Horse of Personal Growth Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.857)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday Interview Show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today. Her name is Karen Eldag and she has a new book out called Gilded, Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism and the Relentless Pursuit of More. Karen, as I said in the subtitle, I started to get goosebumps. Coach Keren Eldad (00:22.552)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (00:27.481)Karen is a top 10 executive coach by the International Coaching Federation, Real Leaders Magazine, and Goop. She has degrees from all around the world, the London School of Economics, the University of Jerusalem. She has lived and worked on 17 countries and on four continents. She coaches leaders all around the world. She speaks four languages, English, Spanish, Hebrew, and French. Wow, Karen, thank you so much for being here with us today and congratulations on your new book. Coach Keren Eldad (01:02.35)Thank you so much. The pleasure and the honor is mine. Kimberly Snyder (01:06.455)You know, one of our cornerstones here, Karen, is emotional well-being. And when your book came across my desk and I started to dive in, I thought how perfect and how much it would resonate with so many of our audience members, because we get a lot of questions about burnout and, you know, as you say here, more and always just feeling like weāre never doing enough in our life. We can never just sort of feel that centeredness. So I feel like your topic is really, you know, one that resonates with a lot of people right now. As a coach or in your personal life, what drew you to this subject matter to focus on for your very first book? Coach Keren Eldad (01:49.944)Well, like most teachers, I teach what I myself had to learn. And in my case, it was. Yeah, I mean, we are teachers. We are teachers. Youāre a remarkable teacher. Iāve admired you for so long. And I think that all of us are teaching the same thing. Weāre teaching people to take the journey from the head to the heart. That little bio, itās mad impressive, right? my God, Karen, four languages, 17 countries. You must be remarkable. And you know what? I am. Kimberly Snyder (01:55.755)Yes, wounded healer. Kimberly Snyder (02:08.983)Yes. Coach Keren Eldad (02:20.024)but none of it matters. For my mental health to actually start to take precedent, for my happiness to actually start to move to the forefront, I had to get over that. Thatās not actually what I used as an asset. Itās what I had to overcome in order for those patterns to move to the background and for me to not bump into a crash, I mean, into walls anymore. This is the big correction of most of the superstars who are listening right now. Whether you identify as an overachiever or you identify as a regular person, for the record, Kimberly Snyder (02:40.258)you Coach Keren Eldad (02:49.664)I never really thought of myself as an overachiever because Iām quite lazy by nature. Iām very slow paced by nature. Other people have a hugely impressive productivity pace. We were talking right before this session about your eighth book in 11 years. I tell you something, just thinking about that makes me want to go to sleep because this is my first book and itās been two months and I just, I really just want to go back to my bedroom and go to sleep. But whether we identify as overachievers or not, all of us are susceptible to a society thatās telling us to get more. get more, get more, work harder, do more, be more accomplished. And this is so exhausting and such an awful way to live that ultimately I wrote Gilded as an analogy, as a metaphor for the golden cage that we all find ourselves trapped in by our own success, by our own ambition, a trap of overwhelm. And I hope that it helps people to take the same 12 steps I took and the same 12 steps I teach my clients to take to get out of there. Kimberly Snyder (03:30.585)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (03:36.205)Yes. Coach Keren Eldad (03:48.834)and to get from their brain back to their body, to their heart. Kimberly Snyder (03:50.009)So beautifully said, and I love how you connect this work to Heart-Led Living, which is really about this expansive true self where we can really feel that truth of who we are without having to have a long list of achievements. So I resonate with everything you say, especially the part about society. So two things came to mind when you were speaking, Karen, in my personal journey. So first of all, I was an overachiever. I am a perfectionist. So I really resonated with your book and, you know, correlating doing enough with love, with validation, with worth. I went backpacking for three years around the world. Thatās sort of where I started to break my mindset. And when I came back, very, a lot of Israelis, especially in India and Thailand, this is back in the day when Koh Phan Yang was like unpaved. This is over 15 years ago. Coach Keren Eldad (04:35.35)must have met a lot of Israelis. Kimberly Snyder (04:47.479)So the first thing is when I came back here and I started a free blog and it wasnāt my intention, but I got pulled into Hollywood. I started to work with these big celebrities and to this day, Iām not a screen person so I donāt watch movies or TV shows. So sometimes I would ask myself, huh, this is interesting. I wonder why my life turned out this way. But one of the biggest learnings was I could see how much society sort of, you know, Coach Keren Eldad (04:55.48)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (05:13.089)just idolized this idea of fame and money and, everybody thinks this personās so beautiful. And being in the inner circles, I could see how much suffering there was, a lot of isolation, insecurities exacerbated, millions of people are looking. So I remember thinking, and again, this is over 15 years ago now, society has it wrong. This is not, when we get there, Coach Keren Eldad (05:39.192)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (05:42.593)This is not it. And thereās this quote in your book upfront, and I donāt want to, I think you actually have all your, I think you actually have to have all your dreams come true to realize theyāre the wrong dreams. You quote, Matthew Perry at the beginning of the book. So that was the first thing was like, I remember I was early on and I was still striving, but I was like, wow, this is interesting because these people have all the money and all the fame and theyāre, you know, Coach Keren Eldad (05:47.689)Matthew Perry quote. Coach Keren Eldad (05:56.654)May you rest in peace. Kimberly Snyder (06:09.857)I donāt want to generalize, theyāre having the same struggles as all the rest of us. Yeah, exacerbated. Everyoneās watching them. Coach Keren Eldad (06:14.68)Thatās right. And even worse actually. Magnified, exactly. I went to see Brett Goldstein, who is one of the writers of Ted Lasso and one of the actors in Ted Lasso and the writer of another great huge TV show at the moment. And he did a stand up performance here in Austin last year. My husband and I went to see him. And Innity said, I thought that when I broke through in Hollywood, I would find this amazing nirvana where everybody was having an amazing time and all I found were closed rooms where people were anxious and always smoking. And I had the exact same thing too, except it was different. I broke into something different, which is the high echelons of the intellectual class, essentially the boardrooms and the government societies. Kimberly Snyder (06:47.245)Wait. Kimberly Snyder (07:00.697)Great. Coach Keren Eldad (07:00.992)when I was very, very young and I found exactly what you found in Hollywood, people who technically had it all and were giant balls of nerves. And then I started to ask myself, because I also became one of them, how did we end up here? Why is this such a phony baloney reward? Why is anybody falling for this? And most importantly, how do I get out? This was the beginning of the unraveling of my life, which as you know, I talk about in the book. Kimberly Snyder (07:09.219)What? Isnāt that interesting? Coach Keren Eldad (07:28.504)but also is the story that many of my clients follow through on. And it doesnāt have to be from exaltation to liberation. It doesnāt have to be so dramatic. It can just be, Iām living a life that is not right for me. Iām living a life that looks right for my parents, for my immigrant parents, just like you, for the life society wanted for me, and itās not my life. How do I get to the other side? Thatās pretty much the work. Kimberly Snyder (07:51.897)Back to from the headiness, the mind into the truth in our hearts. So the second thing I wanted to share with you, Karen, so that was at the beginning of my career, but I was still striving and still, you know, kind of obsessed with book sales and just looking at, you know, I think to grow all these things. Fast forward to about a month ago, and I shared this on another podcast where I saw another author. from my publishing house and Iām not on social media a lot, I do go on and answer comments. So I see some things. And so I saw this other author from my publishing house. Well, Iāve admired because she sells a ton of books. She has an enormous podcast, but I saw her from where I am right now, Karen. And I just saw her really like, just so animated, but just so much efforting. felt like doing this. social media posts to get attention and like, you know, it resonates with the masses. Like thereās a lot of people that like that and great for her. Like sheās, you know, doing, you know, sheās in her path and sheās successful. But I had this very clear feeling, Karen, and it was, I donāt want that. You know, whereas in the past Iād be like, amazing what sheās selling. means I should could sell like this and she could have this many downloads and all this stuff. And I said, wow, all this hard work. has an introspection, which I know is a big part of your book as well, has led me to this place where I can honestly say, Iām so content with just having spaciousness and peace and being in nature and having created a really, you know, such deep love in my family life and my day-to-day living. And this feels good. But from decades of that chasing, and as you say in your subtitle, this ambition, this perfectionism, you know. It really is possible. And I love that youāre teaching that and coaching that as well, because so for a long time, you know, I think I would have read this and been like, my gosh, like, I really want that. So Iām here to say, you know, this resonates, this is possible. And we need to talk about this because if anyone out there is feeling that lack of fulfillment, you can get to a place where you can feel so much more aligned with your life. Coach Keren Eldad (09:56.323)Yeah. Yeah. Coach Keren Eldad (10:06.114)Yeah, Iād love to help people get there. Thatās the whole job. I think I too have found nirvana. Not just because Iāve come to terms with my lazy energy, my natural desire to be in bed half of the time, but also because the hustle is antithetical to my soul. I dislike it very much. I donāt naturally move fast or break things. I have a lot of energy forā¦ things that I truly love, but I donāt want to do things that are inauthentic to my soul or inorganic. I donāt like the sales game. I donāt particularly like taking score. I donāt think thatās actually natural to me. And I only realized this and started to play my own game by crashing and burning on the first one. Maybe you had a different experience, though Iāve listened to you, Iāve heard you speak several times. I think you also first got basically turned off of the first experience. Kimberly Snyder (10:51.822)Mmm. Kimberly Snyder (11:01.688)Yes. Coach Keren Eldad (11:01.898)Saw on your flesh and saw not only in others but on your own on your own self how this ends up and then made the conscious decision to graduate past that and Like I like you I also watched the others and I think God bless them if they have the energy and if thatās where they are karmically Thatās awesome. Go get it But I will play a different game and it turns out that this game works very very well, too My business is doing exceptionally. Well, so letās talk to people about that Kimberly Snyder (11:27.641)Mmm. Coach Keren Eldad (11:30.232)how to identify that theyāre in the wrong energy and how to get to energy thatās probably gonna help them a little bit more in their life. Kimberly Snyder (11:36.473)Beautiful. And I love how you phrase that thereās a different way. And itās not saying right or wrong, you know, this person shouldnāt be doing this. Itās just saying, you know, if it doesnāt feel like Iām, know, someoneās life is fully aligned, there is a different way and we can still rise up to much success. And Iāve experienced that too, Karen. You know, now when I, when Iām not trying, like trying so much effort and you know, things grow and my brand grows and Coach Keren Eldad (11:54.531)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (12:04.537)The books naturally get out there without always kind of like, you know, the horse thatās like looking to the sides and, you know, I should be doing what this personās doing. I should be doing more. So I like how on page 42 in the book, you talk about the six emotional needs, back to emotional wellbeing, one of our cornerstones, certainty, significance, uncertainty, love and connection, progress and growth, and contributing beyond yourself. Are these six attributes, how did you come up with this list? Is it something you found in research or something that you found in working with clients? Coach Keren Eldad (12:39.404)Yes, in research. Yes. This is not my idea. This is a Jungian idea that has been elaborated upon even by Tony Robbins. But essentially, the system is like this. We all have six human emotional needs. These are not Maslov needs. These are not survival needs. So itās not your need for a roof over your head and water and air and shelter. This is the needs for you to feel emotionally safe. The bottom two are usually running the show for most people. Kimberly Snyder (12:55.833)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (13:03.437)Mm. Coach Keren Eldad (13:06.818)When people are running from the head or what weāre talking about from the head produces hustle and ambition and struggle, usually theyāre over-exacerating the bottom two needs. And these are the needs for certainty. This is the need to know that we are safe, that our marriage is safe, that our work is safe, and that we will not be eaten by a tiger. The second is the need for significance. Itās the need to know that we are seen, that the world is buying our books and that everybody likes us on Instagram. Kimberly Snyder (13:34.617)Right. Coach Keren Eldad (13:34.894)Now both of these are a giant trap because theyāre actually fear. Theyāre not needs, theyāre terror. The second one, significance, is a fear of being unloved, of being rejected, of being thrown away. The bottom one is the terror of loss, its loss aversion exacerbated. So if those two are the ones youāre dialing the most, you canāt even feel the next four. Uncertainty, your need for variety, your need for problems. Love and connection. Kimberly Snyder (13:57.656)Right. Coach Keren Eldad (14:02.446)No one who wants certainty wants real love because real love is real scary. Nobody who wants real significance, who wants their likes to go up can actually tolerate growth. In other words, can tolerate risk. And finally, the need for contribution beyond the self. This one, this one always makes me laugh, Kim, because I coach teams, I coach executive teams, and I coach the leaders of those executive teams. And they almost always invariably tell me, Karen, I live for other people. Kimberly Snyder (14:16.203)Right. Coach Keren Eldad (14:29.344)Itās what I am. I just live my life in service. And Iām like, first of all, Iāve assessed you. No, you donāt. And secondly, even when you do do a really nice thing, you want credit for it. You want a big plaque that says, Jim did this. So thatās really not contribution beyond the self. Contribution beyond the self is like our real energy. Our real energy doesnāt shout, it whispers. Itās knowing. Itās calm. Kimberly Snyder (14:54.349)Beautiful, beautiful. Coach Keren Eldad (14:56.566)And so what my book is designed to do is to help you actually make that switch. Itās to help you start identifying how much youāre over protecting low level bogus needs and how much youāre sacrificing growth and love the best things in life so that you can make the switch and start playing for those instead. Thank you for calling that out. Thatās my favorite part of the book. Kimberly Snyder (15:15.021)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (15:18.777)It is one of mine. You can see I folded it down. And itās interesting how it aligns with what you said earlier, because when youāre talking about certainty and fear, you know, from a yogic, Vedic perspective, those can be, you know, sort of imbalances in your Mooladhara, your root chakra. And so you can muscle your way through, like you said, and still create success and abundance. But if you start to really ground that into a deep center, Coach Keren Eldad (15:21.272)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (15:48.493)then the energy rises and the Kundalini and the Shakti, right? You can create abundance as well, but in a much more easeful way, like you said, playing a different, totally different approach. Coach Keren Eldad (15:51.949)Yes. Coach Keren Eldad (15:57.368)Yes. A totally different game. By the way, what I define as real success, I think thatās when you are repressing. Itās not real success. Youāre just manifesting money. But money without fulfillment. Money that needs to be maintained all the time. Money that needs to be worried about all the time. I donāt want it. Thatās like telling me that I have a husband and I now need to look over my shoulder and check his phone all the time. Excuse me, I donāt want that relationship. I would really like a love that is infinite and abundance that is infinite. Kimberly Snyder (16:10.361)Mmmmm Kimberly Snyder (16:22.357)gosh. Yeah. Coach Keren Eldad (16:28.802)And the only way to get to that is to fully align that energy. Kimberly Snyder (16:34.937)So how, how do we do that in your system, Karen? I noticed, and I appreciate that thereās these really great chapter summaries. Thereās a lot of intro-spection, which I think is really powerful for a step and first of all, being aware. So yeah, tell us a little bit about, know your whole book is about this essentially, but just from moving from point A to someoneās listening, wow, I have that fear. I have a fear Iām to lose my job, my relationship. Coach Keren Eldad (17:03.245)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (17:04.664)Iām always terrified about paying the rent. How do we move to that infinite place of abundance, which feels so alluring. Coach Keren Eldad (17:12.888)Well, Iām going to give you a couple of the steps, but first I want to say Iām like you, Iām a teacher at heart. So I present things in systems. This particular system follows the same structure as Alcoholics Anonymous. There are 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous. I wanted to call my book Workaholics Anonymous, also known as people who make too much effort for too little results. If youāre done with that, that is the first step. The first step is to admit that your attempts at a life that feels good to you are not. Kimberly Snyder (17:23.416)Mmm. Coach Keren Eldad (17:42.518)working. This is really hard to do because most of us think weāre very right and weāre doing all the right things and weāre doing quote unquote everything. I hear it all the time, Iām sure you do too. But youāre not. If itās not yielding the results that you want, you must see that this is not working. And that admission is absolutely important. In Alcoholics Anonymous, itās exactly the first step. The first step is admit that you do not have this under control because what do all addicts say? Kimberly Snyder (17:43.353)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (17:52.779)Yes. Coach Keren Eldad (18:11.114)I can control this. I got this. Iām fine. Right? So you have to admit that there is a problem to begin with. And to admit that there is a problem does not necessarily mean that your results are off. By the way, like you said, some people do attain success and fame and they therefore donāt recognize thereās a problem. Watch your feelings. If youāre stressed out all the time, if youāre falling asleep to catastrophizing thoughts about the other shoe dropping, Kimberly Snyder (18:15.362)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (18:26.413)Sure. Coach Keren Eldad (18:38.316)and about losing love and about losing all your money and about the next deal being the last one, about how am gonna pay the rent? You are in an anxious cycle. Pay attention to aimlessness. Aimlessness means that you are doing all the things, but they donāt have any flavor. Pay attention to jealousy. Pay attention to resentment. Whenever we pay attention to these and we can admit that something is off, we can graduate to step two. The second thing. Kimberly Snyder (18:47.161)Mmm. Kimberly Snyder (18:55.405)Hmm? Kimberly Snyder (19:03.725)When you say jealousy and resentment, you mean because weāre not feeling good, so weāre looking out. Coach Keren Eldad (19:09.336)Youāre looking out, yeah. Youāre scrolling endlessly and all
How to Improve Your Pelvic Floor for Better Health with Alicia-Jeffrey Thomas [Episode #989]
This Weekās Episode: In this episode Kimberly interviews Alicia Jeffrey Thomas, a doctor of physical therapy, about the importance of pelvic health. They discuss the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor, factors that can weaken it, and how it relates to digestive and urinary health. Alicia shares insights on the interconnectedness of body systems, the impact of stress and trauma, and practical exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor. They also touch on the significance of pelvic health during pregnancy and the challenges faced by women experiencing painful sex due to hormonal changes. The conversation continues with the complexities of pelvic floor health, the role of posture and breathing, and the emotional aspects tied to pelvic therapy. They explore the significance of building trust with practitioners, and the interconnectedness of body mechanics. The discussion emphasizes the need for open conversations about pelvic health and the empowerment that comes from understanding oneās body. Ā About Alicia-Jeffrey Thomas Dr. Alicia Jeffrey Thomas has been a pelvic floor physical therapist since 2016 and treats people of all genders in the greater Boston area. She isnāt one to shy away from taboo topics. From bladder problems to bowel movements to sex, Alicia is always game to talk through the dirty details to help patients figure out whatās going on ādown there.ā To this end, she has created and directed multiple social media channels where she spreads evidence-based pelvic health information in humorous and relatable ways. Her page, @thepelvicdancefloor, has over 1.2 million combined followers, between Instagram and TikTok. She and her content have been featured in podcasts, magazines and blogs, and on television. Although born and raised in Florida, she now lives in Boston with her husband and their dog. Episode Sponsors: Ā MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Guest Resources Book: Power to the Pelvis: Improve Your Pelvic Floor for Better Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive and Sexual Health Website https://www.thepelvicdancefloor.com Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Pelvic Health02:05 Factors Affecting Pelvic Floor Health04:51 The Interconnectedness of Body Systems05:56 The Role of Trauma and Stress06:21 Pelvic Floor and Digestive Health08:28 Personal Experiences with Pelvic Health09:36 Common Bladder Issues11:22 Time Commitment for Pelvic Floor Exercises13:00 Effective Pelvic Floor Exercises15:26 Preventive Care for Pelvic Health16:14 Pelvic Health During Pregnancy18:20 Painful Sex and Hormonal Changes20:12 Understanding Pelvic Floor Challenges22:23 The Importance of Posture and Breathing24:43 Connecting Breath with Pelvic Health27:13 Addressing Trauma and Sensitivity30:12 Preventative Care During Pregnancy31:40 Navigating Vulnerability in Therapy33:18 The Interconnectedness of Body Mechanics35:00 Empowering Conversations Around Pelvic Health SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.526)Hi loves and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today. Her name is Alicia Jeffrey Thomas. She is a doctor of physical therapy and a certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner. She has a brand new book out called Power to the Pelvis, improve your pelvic floor for better digestive, urinary, reproductive and sexual health. Alicia, thank you so much for being here with us today. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (00:30.621)Thank you so much for having me. Kimberly Snyder (00:32.622)Itās a really interesting topic. think a lot of us have heard about our pelvic floors. Weāre always looking for new ways, especially when youāre talking about digestive health, which is such a big thing in our community, but also all these other aspects. Before we dive in, what is, I know this sounds really basic, but what is the pelvic floor? Because some of us are imagining the bones, but then you talk a lot in your book about muscles. So can we just give sort of a broad definition? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (01:00.497)Yeah. So, okay. So you think about the bones, right, you have your pelvis, thereās a hammock of muscles that run from the pubic bone in the front, all the way up and underneath to the tailbone in the back. So it basically is responsible for holding up your internal organs. So your bladder, your bowel, your, I mean, sort of kind of your uterus, right? And then, you know, opening and closing for those functions to be able to go to the bathroom, to be able to, you know, have a child, be able to have sex, all of these ins and outs there. And then it also works with your core for core stability. It works as a stabilizing function there. So itās this small set of muscles, relatively speaking, that we donāt see, so we donāt really think about, but it plays a big role in a lot of really integral parts in the body. Kimberly Snyder (01:48.96)And why might our pelvic floor be thrown off, especially in modern life? I know weāre sitting more, or what are some of the factors why, of course, having a baby, but what other reasons might our pelvic floor weaken and we donāt even realize whatās going on? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (02:05.863)Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, a big factor for a lot of people can be stress. you know, in, the same way that when youāre stressed, find yourself clenching your jaw or like, you know, squeezing your glutes, your pelvic floor is probably also kind of tensing up as a result. so for some people that can result in, you know, pelvic pain, which could be pain with sitting, it could be, you know, just pain with, you know, any kind of, like sexual activity or, exams or anything like that. Kimberly Snyder (02:10.562)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (02:26.094)Mm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (02:36.166)It could be that pelvic floor issues could develop from repetitive bathroom habits that maybe arenāt the best. So people who strain to go to the bathroom a lot, they could develop like a prolapse or a weakening of the pelvic floor or different things that would kind of fall under that umbrella. There are tons of different little lifestyle factors that we donāt really even think about that over time doing things. on a consistent basis can have those stacking negative effects. Kimberly Snyder (03:09.27)What about not breathing properly? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (03:12.201)my gosh, thatās a huge one. Yeah. mean, and that kind of comes into it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, a lot of it, you know, if we, if we think about how we grew up, right, a lot of us were kind of told like suck it in, you know, try to look smaller, look skinnier. weāre constantly like pulling in a little bit. that over time is kind of changing your breathing patterns because if youāre not kind of having this full expansive breath happening, Kimberly Snyder (03:14.574)Youāre not really taking your breaths. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (03:37.969)then your muscles are having to do weird things to compensate. Theyāre tensing up or weakening in different ways. And that can also have kind of a nervous system-wide effect. So itās harder to get out of that fight or flight if weāre not able to take like really good deep breaths. Kimberly Snyder (03:56.366)Yeah. And what about, Iāve heard, you know, with fascia, Alicia, or fascia, that thereās a piece of fascia thatās connected to your jaw that runs all the way down. So letās say youāre clenching in your mouth, which is something I used to do a lot. I used to be a mouth or a teeth grinder. And can that, I know it can affect your back. Itās also affect your pelvic floor. Itās all interconnected. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (04:05.49)Mm-hmm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (04:12.079)Yeah. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (04:15.837)Mm-hmm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (04:19.315)Right. Thereās that whole frontal fascial plane thatās going to run all the way down like to like the front of the pelvis. And so, you know, we, we see that a lot, like people who have, you know, tension through here or, or, you know, gripping through their masseter muscle. we do release work here, we notice a change in their pelvic floor or vice versa. Iām working on somebodyās pelvic floor and they tell me, you know, I didnāt mention this before, but Iāve had jaw pain for a while. My jawās actually been feeling a lot better since we started doing this relaxation work for the pelvic floor. So thereās, thereās these kind of cool little. Kimberly Snyder (04:36.174)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (04:43.758)Mmm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (04:48.847)related effects that we can get. Little side quests. Kimberly Snyder (04:51.234)Well, I love how everythingās so related. And here we talk about really holistic approach with food and your body, your physical body and your emotions and also your spiritual growth. So one of the things you talk about in the book is trauma. You also talk about tension and stress. And from a yogic standpoint, this pelvic floor area is the Mooladhara chakra where we can hold fear. And when itās balanced, we can feel more safe and secure, which is directly linked to our abundance. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (05:18.397)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (05:18.882)Thereās a lot that can happen energetically from feeling literally more rooted and more healthy down in that area. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (05:26.609)No, absolutely. And that totally makes sense with what I see clinically. I mean, if weāre holding a lot of tension, that creates this stress cycle that happens, like stress to tension cycle. so particularly, if we arenāt comfortable with moving that area of the body or talking about that area of the body, then it becomes this thing that we put into a little box. And so part of what I really love about working in pelvic floor therapy is giving people Kimberly Snyder (05:30.862)Mm-hmm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (05:56.477)that freedom to be curious and explore and bring awareness to these areas. Kimberly Snyder (06:03.438)So I love how you, going back to the digestive health, which you lead in your subtitle, thereās many reasons our digestion can be off. Of course, what weāre eating, weāre not eating fiber, weāre eating a lot of junk food, weāre eating a lot of sugar, so on and so forth. Tell us how realigning your pelvic floor can optimize digestion as well. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (06:21.361)Yeah. So from the most simplistic standpoint, your pelvic floor is the last part of that whole system, right? That starts at your mouth when you take something into your body. so, you know, one of the ways that we can define constipation can be that the muscles there donāt do a good job kind of getting out of the way to allowing things to evacuate completely. So working on that ability to relax so that youāre not having to strain is going to result in Kimberly Snyder (06:42.945)and Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (06:51.335)more complete elimination, which then can kind of cascade into other things, right? So if youāre more backed up, that can actually put pressure on your bladder and contribute to bladder symptoms. So thereās kind of those effects, but then also, thinking up the chain a little bit more, your pelvic floor is very, very related to your abdominal wall and things like that. And so if we work on kind of mobility of the abdominal fascia and things like that, that can also help to promote more gut motility. so that things are moving through the system at a normal pace and not getting stuck somewhere along the path. Kimberly Snyder (07:26.786)Well, I love your pictures in the book and thereās a picture in here of you sitting on a toilet with a little stool. And so thereās all these tips and hacks we can incorporate. And thereās also the exercises, which weāll talk about in a moment, but also this lifting of your, or lining your knees can actually help you have more thorough bowel movements. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (07:33.0)Yeah. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (07:38.973)Totally. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (07:42.578)Mm-hmm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (07:46.107)Yeah. So basically when you sit with your feet just flat on the floor, your pelvic floor kind of kinks around your large intestine. So instead of having, you know, a nice easy path, it kind of has to make an extra turn before everything comes out. if you elevate your feet so that your knees are a little bit higher than your hips, then all of a sudden that pelvic floor can relax. And so then your colon straightens out and you have a much more straightforward path to the exit. Kimberly Snyder (08:10.594)Leisha, on a personal note, did you struggle with bathroom problems or pelvic floor problems? Iām always interested how, I know in my line of work, you I write about the things that Iāve worked on myself and struggle with. So itās really interesting that this is where your career, where your work focus has led you. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (08:27.507)Itās really interesting because before Iād been in the field for a couple of years, I wouldnāt have made that connection. Itās something that I kind of buried, right? But I realized, yeah, I was a really constipated kid. I joke all the time that my mom should have been the person to patent the squatty potty because she was the person that was always saying, just turn the trash can on its side, put your feet on top of that and stuff like that to help me. But thereās little things that I think what drew me to the field was realizing that Kimberly Snyder (08:49.614)Mm. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (08:55.539)I had these little internal conversations with myself that once I started seeing them play out in a clinical setting, I realized just how many people were not having these conversations because they didnāt have the language, because they didnāt feel comfortable, because they were embarrassed, whatever it was. And so that was just an opportunity to really give people their voice and to have them be able to take a little bit of that power and quality of life back. Kimberly Snyder (09:19.084)Yeah. You also talk about the bladder and sometimes again, this isnāt something thatās widely talked about. We think about, maybe when youāre, you know, older, seventies, eighties, nineties, you may have bladder issues. How common is it for women or people of all ages to sort of struggle? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (09:36.527)It, yeah, mean, you know, the statistics are super variable. mean, itās kind of like, you know, urinary incontinence can be upwards of like, I think like one in three people. Yeah, can struggle with it. And I think to a certain degree, like everybody can kind of recall a moment that they almost had a problem, right? And itās whether that then turns into something that Kimberly Snyder (09:49.112)Really? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (10:04.807)pushes over the edge to where, okay, I leaked a little bit when I coughed that time, but maybe that wonāt happen again. And maybe we try to like, you know, hold off and say, okay, no, that was just a, that was a fluke. And then it happens a second time and youāre like, okay. And so whether that then becomes something that you report to your physician to try to get help for is, you know, I think a lot of these statistics could be a lot more common than we give them credit for because people are so afraid to bring this up. Kimberly Snyder (10:30.293)Yeah. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (10:33.691)Itās very common, but it doesnāt have to be your normal. You can have leakage with coughing, laughing, sneezing, running, jumping, that all kind of falls under stress incontinence. And it happens to people regardless of whether theyāve had children. It happens to people at any age. mean, you see elite athletes, gymnasts and people who do a lot of impact work that are starting to talk about their struggles with urinary incontinence. all the way up to your older generation, post-menopausal, where weāre having weakening of the pelvic floor and decreased supporting structures and things like that. So itās a conversation that I think we need to be comfortable with so that we can get the help that we need. Kimberly Snyder (11:12.674)Well, so, and you break this down by different topics and thereās different exercises. If someoneās listening to this or watching this and they say, hey, I do have a bladder issue that I want to address or digestive issue. How much time on average, and I know this is very individual, but how much time does one have to devote to these pelvic floor exercises on a regular basis? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (11:22.835)Yeah. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (11:33.959)Yeah, no, that is a really good question. you know, I try to make it when Iām developing a home exercise program for a patient, I donāt want it to be something that feels like itās so overwhelming to their life. Like if I can give you bite sized things that like maybe youāre doing a couple of times a day that Iām going to try to do that versus saying, hereās an hourās worth of exercises that you need to do. Right. Weāre so busy and thatās just going to increase your stress level. And itās kind of like, you know, thereās a Kimberly Snyder (11:55.15)Weāre all so busy, you know. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (12:02.013)Thereās a level at which somebody says, if I canāt do all 10 of these things, then Iām not just going to, Iām just not going to do any of them instead of maybe Iāll do three. And so if I set it as hereās a little module that you can do, right? Of like two or three things. And if we try to incorporate those, you know, when you take a break at work or right before you go to sleep, like little things that are easier to integrate into your life. I tend to see that working better for people. but again, itās, all going to be individualized to what that person. Kimberly Snyder (12:08.974)Great. Kimberly Snyder (12:26.007)Yes. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (12:30.397)feels like they can commit and maybe that changes the amount of time that theyāre working on this for, know, different things like that. Kimberly Snyder (12:37.026)Can you give an example of a general pelvic floor exercise that might be great for, I know itās individual, but someone whoās just looking to strengthen their pelvic floor in general, like a simple exercise so someone can get an idea of what it feels like. I know thereās a chapter in your book where you talk about going beyond key goals, which is what most of us hear about with exercises in this area. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (13:00.091)Yeah. So, so right. So a Kegel is a contraction of the pelvic floor and itās just that very isolated activation of the pelvic floor, which is great to know how to do, but it doesnāt translate to function. I want to know more about what the pelvic floor is doing when youāre doing a squat or a deadlift or a bridge or something like that. So if we take a bridge, for example, right, because this is one that most people can do. so youāre lying on your back with your knees bent and youāre trying to like squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up. I want you to be able to kind of get in tune with what your pelvic floor is doing. When you lift up, do you find that youāre holding your breath, right? Which might be putting pressure downward onto your pelvic floor. Then Iām trying to tell somebody, okay, maybe weāre exhaling as we do that. Whatās happening with the position of your spine to make sure that youāre not like overly flattening your back, but also that you donāt have some big arch in your back. Thatās also kind of throwing off the whole mechanics of the system. And whether we then additionally cue for contracting the pelvic floor as you do that. depends on whatās happening with the person because a lot of times these motor patterns are happening automatically where if I have you do certain movements, your pelvic floor is going to protectively to say, okay, yep, we need to make sure we support the organs when youāre doing this more loaded exercise. So itās layering in all of those pieces so that youāre not having to kegel, do the thing, relax kegel. Thatās not how I want it to have to function in the long term. Kimberly Snyder (14:24.93)got it. So itās not as simple as, do 10 Kegels while youāre driving your car and you can work it into your day while youāre sitting there with your clothes. Itās more nuanced is what Iām hearing you say. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (14:29.434)No. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (14:36.755)Totally. The Kegel thing, itās great because itās an exercise that is really accessible. It doesnāt require any equipment. You can kind of do it anywhere. But itās like medication, right? We want to make sure that we have the right medication at the right dosage at the right time for the right person. We talk about exercise as medicine, and this is one of those instances where Iām like, okay, well, not everybody needs to be taking the Kegel medicine. Kimberly Snyder (15:05.772)Right. Well, letās say someone is going to the bathroom pretty well and they donāt have bladder issues. Are these signs that we have a healthy pelvic floor? And in that case, do we still need to do pelvic exercises sort of preventively for the future? Or is this more like you feel that thereās an issue and you want to explore it deeper? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (15:26.227)So, I I am never going to tell somebody like, just forget about your pelvic floor, right? Like I think it needs to be something that we need to be, you know, aware of and have knowledge of. And so in an ideal world, what I would encourage people to do is to get their pelvic floor muscles assessed by a professional who can say, you know, yes, youāre not feeling XYZ symptoms, but Kimberly Snyder (15:37.923)Right. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (15:49.489)I noticed that when you do this, you are bearing down or that youāre doing something youāre not supposed to. So like, hereās a couple of things that you can individually work on, right? But itās in, in an asymptomatic person, itās, itās going to be like particularly nuanced because I donāt want to have them then like kegel themselves into a pelvic floor issue, you know, where then their muscles get too tense and then they start having issues, you know, relaxing to like go to go to the bathroom or something like that. Kimberly Snyder (16:08.205)Right. Kimberly Snyder (16:14.51)Well, and when thereās a life changing circumstance, letās say pregnancy. So letās break it down, Alicia, pre, during, post, because I love you talk about reproductive health. How can healthy pelvic floor even help potentially with fertility? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (16:18.545)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (16:30.547)No, definitely. In the earlier stages, so pre-pregnancy, the vast majority of people are not going to have a pelvic floor issue unless they have that pelvic floor tension. Usually weāre seeing frequent urination or pain with sex or something like that. Once you are pregnant, you can do strengthening and awareness training for your pelvic floor because youāre going to Kimberly Snyder (16:59.16)while youāre pregnant. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (17:00.081)while youāre pregnant in the earlier trimesters, right? So, because as the pregnancy is growing, weāre getting more load placed on top of the pelvic floor. So itās almost kind of like youāre like strapping more and more dumbbells to the pelvic floor muscles. And so training that and having that awareness can be really good for reducing urinary incontinence in pregnancy to decreasing back pain, you know, especially if weāre incorporating it alongside other, you know, core exercises and body awareness, postural training, things like that. Once we get into the later stages of pregnancy and weāre getting closer to delivery, then we start thinking about the opposite end of the spectrum where we say, okay, the pelvic floor needs to be able to get out of the way for that baby to come out because the pelvic floor doesnāt push the baby out, the uterus does that. But if youāre always clenching the pelvic floor and weāve only been working on strengthening, then sometimes it doesnāt necessarily have that likeā¦ ability to let go on its own, and especially to be able to keep the pelvic floor relaxed through something as painful as labor or a contraction or whatever. And so we do that kind of training. do, know, perineal stretching training, labor positioning training, things like that. Kimberly Snyder (18:07.392)If someoneās clenching though, letās say sex is painful, is there any way that could, and Iām just asking, really donāt know, but prevent, letās say the sperm from going all the way, actually prevent pregnancy, is that possible? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (18:13.787)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (18:20.603)No, I wouldnāt say that. As long as penetration is possible, then thatās not going to be the inhibiting factor. There are people who have a condition like vaginismus, for example, where the pelvic floor muscles are so tense that nothing can go in. There are people who canāt even get a Q-tip in or have a speculum exam or something like that. so there are people who work withā¦ Kimberly Snyder (18:25.559)Okay. Kimberly Snyder (18:30.38)Okay. Kimberly Snyder (18:42.669)What? Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas (18:47.313)reproductive endocrinologists who will do artificial insemination because theyāre not able to achieve it that way. But from a pelvic floor perspective, itās not necessarily going to interfere with insemination otherwise. Kimbe
Discovering Joy and Overcoming Perfectionism in your Life with Dr. Tiffany Moon [Episode 988]
Weekās Episode Special Guest: Tiffany Moon In this episode Kimberly interviews Tiffany Moon, a board-certified anesthesiologist and reality TV star. Tiffany speaks about her journey of self-discovery and the lessons learned from her experiences on Bravoās Real Housewives of Calls. Tiffany discusses the impact of reality TV on her work-life balance, the difference between joy and happiness, and the cultural influences that shaped her perfectionism. She speaks to the importance of authenticity in social media and the role of intention in finding joy in life. Through her personal stories and insights, Tiffany inspires listeners to embrace their true selves and cultivate joy from within. She discusses the importance of self-care, joy, and laughter in maintaining vitality and well-being. The dialogue also touches on the vulnerability of writing a memoir and the insights gained from the process. Ā About Tiffany Moon TIFFANY MOON, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, mother of twins, and author of the upcoming book, Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection (May 6, 2025, Legacy Lit). She is also the founder and CEO of Aromasthesia Candles, Three Moons Wine, and LeadHer Summit. Dr. Moon has published over fifty peer-reviewed publications, is one of D Magazineās āBest Doctors,ā serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, and is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at the University of Texasās Southwestern Medical Center Tiffany was the first medical doctor and Chinese American cast member on Bravoās Real Housewives and her story has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Harperās Bazaar, USA Today, and more. She lives with her family in Dallas, TX. Episode Sponsors: MOMENTOUS: OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. LMNT: OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Guest Resources Book: JOY PRESCRIPTIONS: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection Website: Main website: https://www.tiffanymoonmd.com/ Book website: https://joyprescriptions.com/ Social Media TikTok: @tiffanymoonmd Instagram: @tiffanymoonmd Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Tiffany Moon and Her Journey03:06 The Impact of Reality TV on Work-Life Balance06:10 Understanding Joy vs. Happiness08:50 Cultural Influences on Perfectionism12:07 The Evolution of Self-Expression14:52 Navigating Social Media and Authenticity17:57 The Role of Intention in Life and Social Media20:51 Embracing the Duality of Professionalism and Personality24:11 Navigating Social Media and Public Perception26:46 The Creative Process Behind the Book29:41 Balancing Femininity and Professionalism31:05 Self-Care Practices for Well-Being35:05 The Connection Between Joy and Vitality36:48 The Power of Laughter and Gratitude40:41 The Vulnerability of Writing a Memoir Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.644)Hi everyone and welcome back for a very special conversation with our guest today, Tiffany Moon, who has a fascinating bio. She is a board certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker. She has a new book out, which I love called Joy Prescriptions, How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection. Tiffany is also, you might recognize her as the first doctorand first generation Asian American to join Bravoās Real Housewives show. So welcome to the show, Tiffany, and thank you so much for being here with us today. Tiffany Moon (00:40.024)Thank you so much for having me. Kimberly Snyder (00:42.744)You know, Iām getting goosebumps. When your book first came across my desk, I thought, huh, this is really interesting. I think we all have ideas about reality shows and then just the combination was so fascinating that youāre so driven and youāve created so much in your professional space. And then when I started to get into your book, what really struck me as we chatted about a little bit before the show was just how heartfelt you are. and youāre showing so much, youāre able to take off masks, which isnāt something that we normally associate with, you know, perhaps people that are in the limelight or people that are reality shows. So itās just the whole, you know, everything that you bring to the table is a combination that is very unique. Tiffany Moon (01:31.33)Thank you. Yeah, sometimes people ask me why I wrote the book. And I think the answer is that I have so much to tell. And itās very difficult on like a 60 second reel or TikTok to get vulnerable and deep with people. And so the book offers a much more in depth look into my life. And I think people who think they know me might even experience me a little different. Kimberly Snyder (01:58.7)Yes. Well, it was interesting in the book where you talk about how many people ask you, you know, one of the things people might ask right away is, hey, are you happy you did that show because thereās just so many eyeballs sort of scrutinizing and of course the way they edit things. And I thought it was really interesting how you talk about it helped you actually reframe your work life balance. So many of us are. working moms, weāre raising kids, weāre trying to keep up with school, we have career ambitions, we wanna be healthy, thereās so many things. So it sounded like there was one really positive outcome of the show was that in your real life, you started to realize you needed to be more part-time. Tiffany Moon (02:40.428)Yeah, I was really grateful for that. The producers really get deep with you and they figure out sort of what makes you tick and what problems youāre having in your life. And then they really try to have you surface those issues. And for me, it was, you know, the elusive work-life balance. And the show kind of gave me the final push that I needed to ask to go part-time. Kimberly Snyder (03:06.04)Wow. And you also mentioned how you sort of felt like you were in this arena with other women who, you know, knew each other. It could seem a little bit maybe hostile at first. Tiffany Moon (03:17.663)hostile work environment. Kimberly Snyder (03:22.106)I mean, itās just, mean, were there moments, you know, as we go into the book as well, youāre talking about joy, were there moments you were like, why am I doing this to myself? Like, why did I, you know, sign up for this? I donāt like this. I donāt, you know, whatās going on here? Tiffany Moon (03:38.22)Yeah, I mean, as a person who wrote an entire book about joy and tells others on a daily basis to cultivate joy, let me be the first to admit that Real Housewives of Dallas did not bring me much joy. It brought me many tears. It brought me many insights. It brought a lot of drama, but not much joy. But thatās okay. Not everything in life has to be joyful. Thatās the other thing. Weāre not heatedness. Not everything has to be joyful. Sometimes you have to experience sorrow to experience joy. Kimberly Snyder (04:01.528)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (04:12.856)Right, thereās the contrast of seeing the, this, you know, to me, Tiffany, Iād love to hear how you think of joy. For me, itās, part of it is having more peace, right? And just feeling like my mind isnāt racing. Iām not, you know, worrying and like backtracking, ruminating about the past, worried about the future. Thereās a lot of joy in being present and just feeling like myself. Can you talk a little bit about how you see joy? Tiffany Moon (04:40.63)Yeah, I recently was talking to my friend Judith and she said something that really hit with me, which is that happiness is an idea and joy is the experience. Because sometimes people would ask me like, Dr. Moon, whatās the difference between happiness and joy? And for me, I think joy transcends happy. I think happy is like a state of being. know, like Iām happy if my team wins, Iām happy if my husband buys me roses. Kimberly Snyder (04:51.93)Mmm. Kimberly Snyder (05:09.08)Right, if. If. Tiffany Moon (05:10.134)Yeah, yeah, but it also kind of happy has this sort of like finish line thing to it. Like Iāll be happy when, right? And the when may or may not come. I feel like joy comes from the inside. Whereas happy often comes from the outside. And if youāre a joyful person, even though youāre having a bad day or youāre not in a joyful, Kimberly Snyder (05:15.928)Yes. Yes. Kimberly Snyder (05:27.17)Yes, yes. Tiffany Moon (05:34.518)scenario, you can still have joy on the inside, but it has to itās like an inside job for sure. Kimberly Snyder (05:42.894)Well, I love again, as a doctor, youāre framing this book in terms of prescriptions, which have nothing to do with it, you the actual medical practice that you have, but actually talking about, I love this one, good on paper, being open to love in unexpected places. I went right to this chapter as well, being your authentic self, right? Finding your voice. And then you also, thereās also part of the book, the aspect of the book where you talk about being Asian American. Iām also, or my motherās from the Philippines, so thereās this, culturally this striving, I call myself a recovering perfectionist as well, Tiffany, where so much of my worth in grades and how well I did. When did you start to dismantle some of these really ingrained beliefs and patterns? Because youāre a mother of twin girls, right? And how old are your girls? Wow. So just seeing how you were raised culturally, and of course every parent is doing their best so weāre not blaming or saying anything about our caregivers, but just from that pattern with perfectionism really strong into how you shifted and then into your daughters. Tiffany Moon (06:59.114)Yeah, I would like to think that Iām a more evolved parent. I try to praise my kids for their effort rather than the outcome. I try to catch them being good versus catch them being bad. So if theyāre playing nice with one another and I see them sharing or lending a helping hand, Iām always like, my gosh, I saw that you did this. Like, Iām really proud of you for doing that or that was really kind. Versus, you I donāt know about you, but for me, I feel like I only had negative reinforcement as a childhood. It was like, be on a math test, like spanking, you grounded. I was sent to bed with no supper. you know, and there was never this like, oh, good job, or youāre kind, youāre creative, youāre curious. Like all those traits were not. Kimberly Snyder (07:35.578)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (07:43.044)you Tiffany Moon (07:52.288)rewarded and therefore not enforced because as a child youāre gonna do whatever gets you the reward and the positive reinforcement. You know if youāre praised for being quiet and obedient then youāre probably going to continue to be quiet and obedient which is what I did for most of my life until I decided that I didnāt want to be quiet and obedient anymore. Kimberly Snyder (08:05.432)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (08:09.186)Exactly. Kimberly Snyder (08:17.058)And did that take place after you became a mother? Tiffany Moon (08:21.802)It probably took place after I became a real housewife. You had known me 10 years ago. I was not really this person. I was very soft-spoken. I never voiced my concerns. The waiter would send a dish out at a restaurant that was wrong. Like not what I ordered or didnāt have the sauce on the side like I had asked. And I would just eat it even though thatās obviously not what I wanted. And my husband would be like, just send it back. Tell him you asked for the sauce on the side and you donāt like it soggy like that. And Iām like, no, itās fine. Itās really not that big of a deal. Cause it just didnāt. And Iām like, heās going to bring it back and spit in my food or something. But, I remember like, you know, going to get a massage for my birthday or something. And the masseuse was like, is the pressure okay? And Iām like, itās fine. Meanwhile, Iām like, Iām paying $100 for this guy to like apply lotion to me. Heās like not working hard at all. And I just, I was so, so afraid to like, I donāt know, have an opinion or say that I didnāt like something for fear that somebody wouldnāt like me. And it sounds so ridiculous now I realize, you like Iām paying for this massage. Like I should have the pressure how I want it. But I was just, I didnāt know who I was. I wasnāt sure of myself. I based. Kimberly Snyder (09:26.49)Mmm. Tiffany Moon (09:43.703)all my worth on external achievements and how much people liked me. And so therefore I didnāt have the balls to have an opinion that went against the status quo, because that would put in jeopardy somebody liking me. And thatās how I derived my worth. And itās crazy. Itās crazy to tell you sitting here that going on Real Housewives is what finally let me Kimberly Snyder (09:58.595)Right. Kimberly Snyder (10:11.962)What a blessing. Tiffany Moon (10:12.97)It is a blessing. know, the show was not exactly what I thought it would be. Itās not what I signed up for, but in many ways it ended up being such a blessing for me. Kimberly Snyder (10:25.624)Thatās amazing, Tiffany. Itās funny how, you know, depending on your beliefs, say God, spirit, universe brings you ways, brings all of us ways to grow and evolve. And itās not always gonna be the ways that we think, but just being open to all the lessons and learning because I imagine it was really challenging on set. And as you describe in the book, you know, first coming into that experience and having a lot of drama, but at the end, you can sort of zoom out and say, wow, I really did get a lot of. out of that experience. Tiffany Moon (10:56.972)Yeah, itās crazy. This one little show like really changed my life in a lot of ways. Kimberly Snyder (11:05.21)So how did it change as you started to come into your voice and expression, which is a chapter in the book as well, how did it change your relationship with your husband? Tiffany Moon (11:14.242)You know, I donāt really think it changed my relationship with my husband. When I was debating to do the show, I called several people because I was not really familiar with the role Housewives. Certainly I knew what it was, but like I had not actually watched any of the franchises on a regular basis. And so I watched, so I called my friends that like knew the show, knew the characters, were Bravo Die Hard fans. And I was like, should I do Housewives? Kimberly Snyder (11:31.737)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (11:43.002)you Tiffany Moon (11:43.028)I interviewed and they offered me a spot, like, should I do it? And one of them was like, donāt do it, girl. They were like, Role Housewives is like the kiss of death for a marriage. And I was like, my God. Theyāre like, yeah, everybody who goes on that show like gets divorced. And I was like, my God. And I was like, so I really thought my marriage was in jeopardy if I did the show. But spoiler alert, Iām still married, happily married. Itās been, God, 2008. No, 2000, we met in 2008. We got married in 2012, so 13 years. So I guess itās not always true. But the show didnāt really change our marriage, just that, except for the fact while I was filming, I was not a very good wife, because I was basically working two full-time jobs. Because at the time we were filming, I was still a full-time academic anesthesiologist. So I was either filming or in the hospital. If I wasnāt in the hospital, I was filming or sleeping. So I admittedly was not a very good wife or mother during filming. But again, it was 12 weeks. My husband and I talked about it. He was very supportive. He said, you film, I will take care of the house and the kids primarily while youāre doing this. Kimberly Snyder (12:37.796)Wow. Tiffany Moon (13:02.419)And it all worked out in many ways. Maybe it even brought us closer together Kimberly Snyder (13:07.128)What a beautiful partnership to have that type of communication and one personās schedule ramps up and someone else is able to step in. So it sounds like you had a really solid relationship prior to the show. And maybe one of the reasons when people get under the spotlight, relationships can crumble is because perhaps the foundation wasnāt there or they start to go in different directions and it doesnāt always have to be that way, obviously. Tiffany Moon (13:34.348)Yeah, I think what youāre saying is right. think, you know, reality TV really puts everything under a microscope. And so if the foundation already had cracks and then you go on reality TV, itās really going to crumble. But for those people that have strong marriages, I donāt think they have anything to worry about. Kimberly Snyder (13:51.45)You know, again, itās really interesting that your book is about, part of this is perfectionism because I canāt think of any other way to scrutinize yourself. I used to work with a lot of celebrities and still do to an extent on these big, you know, television movies. Youāre like, you could see every pore in your skin. You can evaluate how you look, your angles, your voice, how you come across in interviews. So, How did that experience, which is sort of exacerbating every single aspect of yourself, soften you into a place of deeper self-acceptance, which might seem ironic? Tiffany Moon (14:31.094)Yeah, I think I had the benefit of being naive when I was filming for the show. I didnāt really understand reality TV and the producers and how they try to pit the cast members against each other. Like I was pretty naive, but like in a good way, almost in that like ignorance is bliss kind of way. Kimberly Snyder (14:46.017)We will. Tiffany Moon (14:52.398)So I really wasnāt worried about my angles or how I appeared or what my storyline would be I really was just myself on Housewives like how you see me on my season of Dallas is basically how I am maybe they pushed me a little farther than I would have gone in my regular life to have antics and pranks and things like that because after all we are filming but by and large like the personality that you see on TV is my true personality Kimberly Snyder (15:12.73)yeah. Tiffany Moon (15:20.078)So I didnāt try to like game the system in any kind of way because quite frankly, itās exhausting to try to be someone else. Now, if youāre a professional actor or actress, obviously youāre playing the role of somebody else. You become and embody that person while on set. I donāt have any acting skills. Iām an anesthesiologist by trade. I put people to sleep for a living. So I was like, Iām just gonna go all in, be myself. If people like it, great. And if they donāt, thatās fine too. Like I went into the show and into life and into social media already with the expectation that like not everyone likes me. Like thatās just not possible. I donāt like everyone I meet. So why would everyone who meets me like me? So I already set the expectation in my mind that Iām not everyoneās cup of tea. That way when, you know, the negative comments or criticisms come in, like itās okay because I was already expecting that. Kimberly Snyder (16:25.166)Thatās a really powerful message and I think where a lot of people really wish they could get to because, know, social media star, reality star or not, so many people are putting themselves out there on social media. example, in their own world, theyāre like, you know, really, itās a lot. And so negative comments can hurt a lot or you mentioned, you know, trying to be something youāre not. What would you say to, you know, women everywhere, people everywhere that are trying to be something on social media and realizing it isnāt giving them joy and how they can find more joy. Tiffany Moon (16:59.47)If itās not giving you joy, baby, stop. Like life is too short. I do social media consulting and coaching work with a lot of women physicians. take non-women physicians, but those tend to be my clients, I think, just because thatās how the word of mouth is. So I help them build their brand on social media. And some of them really pick up on it. Theyāre like, thatās so cool. And theyāre just learning so much because itās like a whole education in social media. Kimberly Snyder (17:06.403)Yeah. Tiffany Moon (17:28.034)And then once in a while, I will have a client and sheās like, this is exhausting. I hate being in front of the camera. I hate talking. I hate editing. I hate all of this. And Iām like, great, donāt do it anymore. Like if what you got out of my course and coaching was that you absolutely hate this and itās not bringing you joy, donāt do it. You donāt have to do social media. Plenty of people have very successful dermatology, plastic surgery practices. Kimberly Snyder (17:41.464)Right. Tiffany Moon (17:57.228)you know, nutrition clinics, weight loss clinics, without being on social media. This is just one way that you can market yourself. But if it makes you miserable and doesnāt bring you joy, like baby girl, let it go. Kimberly Snyder (18:11.16)And in a similar vein, you could be on there and maybe youāre miserable because youāre using it in a way where you feel like you have to be perfect or be something else. And you can shift to be more authentic where you feel like it is bringing you joy for some of your. Tiffany Moon (18:24.482)Yeah, I mean, my social media brings me joy. I know that sounds so crazy. But I will tell you, sometimes my assistant and I will be making a reel. And we are cracking up like Iām gonna pee my pants. Like, we just need it so funny. Weāre like spitting wine, you know what I mean? It tends to be after wine, letās be honest. But like I enjoy social media. Iāve also met like amazing friends like some of my best friends right now. I first heard of them through social media. Kimberly Snyder (18:30.169)Youāll love it. Tiffany Moon (18:53.614)And then I connected with their content. Maybe they DMed me, I DMed them. I donāt know what happened. But like, seriously, some of my closest friends right now that have spoken at my Lead Her Summit, who have given me endorsements for joy prescriptions, if you look on the back and thereās the blurbs, the people who say nice things about my book, many of those people I met through social media, like Vivian too, I met through social media. Kimberly Snyder (19:11.354)Right. Tiffany Moon (19:20.802)Who else? Betsy Grunch. Like a lot of people. And so people are always poo-pooing social media, which I get. Itās a lot of bad too. It all depends on how youāre using it, you know? But I gain lots of joy from social media. Kimberly Snyder (19:31.18)Right. Kimberly Snyder (19:37.69)Well, I think itās intention, right? And it goes back to, you have a whole chapter on intentions because perfectionism is where weāre just hyper-focused on outcomes. And if we donāt get the hundred on the, I remember, Tiffany, if I got a 98 on the test, would, failure, you know, like I donāt want to show the test to my parents, like all the things, right? Tiffany Moon (19:51.018)Iād be so pissed. Kimberly Snyder (19:57.858)So I love this idea of using intention, inserting it into our day, into our actions, into what weāre creating, because that is one thing that can be really clear. We canāt control the outcomes. So what would you say your intention is for your social media account at this moment? Because itās bringing you so much joy. Like, what are you wanting to put out as some of the messages in the world right now? Tiffany Moon (20:21.954)Generally speaking, when Iām making or posting a piece of content, I ask myself, is it inspirational? Is it educational? Or is it entertaining? Sometimes itās just straight up entertaining. Like some of my stuff is, you know, like this Crocs video that has been viewed like 10 or 11 million views. Itās crazy. Like how to style Crocs. And then I throw them in the trash can, you know? And Iām like, well, there goes my Crocs sponsorship. I donāt think theyāre ever, which is funny because I own about Kimberly Snyder (20:28.281)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (20:33.719)Yes. Tiffany Moon (20:51.04)eight pairs of Crocs, like no lie, I love Crocs. It just was funny. And itās like, thatās not educational or inspirational, you know? So social media is for different things, you know? And the other thing that I wanna do on social media is show people that you can be a serious, real life doctor whoās doing very serious things. and outside of work, still have hobbies, still have a personality, still drop the occasional F-bomb. And that doesnāt mean youāre any less of a doctor because Iām tired of society, especially men, weaponizing professionalism when they donāt like something that a woman is doing. They call her unprofessional. And I just think itās total BS. thinkā¦ Kim
Elevate Your Relationships through Radical Listening with Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian Van Nieuwerburgh [Episode #986]
Weekās Episode: In this heartfelt conversation, Kimberly interviews mother-daughter duo Suzy and Halle Hopkins, co-authors of āWhat to Do When You Get Dumped.ā They discuss the inspiration behind their book, which addresses the emotional turmoil of heartbreak and the journey of healing. Suzy shares her personal experience of being unexpectedly left by her husband after 30 years of marriage, while Halle reflects on her own experiences with heartbreak. The conversation delves into the importance of allowing oneself to grieve, the power of illustrations in storytelling, and the significance of finding faith and understanding in the healing process. In this conversation, Hallie and her mother Suzy discuss the themes of healing, personal growth, and the importance of sharing oneās story. They explore the purpose behind Hallieās book, which aims to provide encouragement and guidance for those navigating heartbreak. The discussion delves into the universal themes found in personal experiences, the journey of self-love, and the significance of support from unexpected sources. They also touch on generational perspectives on mental health and the importance of authenticity in relationships. Ā About Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian Van Nieuwerburgh Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener is a researcher, author, and well-known executive coach. His studies have taken him to such far-flung places as Greenland, India, Kenya, and Israel where he has researched culture as it relates to wellbeing. In addition to happiness, he has researched strengths, hospitality, friendship, and leadership. Robert has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed academic articles and chapters and has a citation count of more than 27 thousand. Dr. Biswas-Diener has authored many books, including Positive Provocation (2023), the New York Times Best Seller, The Upside of Your Dark Side (2014), and the 2007 PROSE Award winner, Happiness. As a consultant and trainer, Robert has presented in 30 nations. He has presented keynotes and workshops to Lululemon, Deloitte, Humana, Standard Chartered Bank, Australia Department of Defense, Queensland Police, Ruby Receptionists, AARP, Cellebrite, Financial Planners Association, Australian Council for Educational Leaders, Japanese Psychological Association, Kaiser Permanente, and the World Bank, among others. In 2024, Thinkers50 recognized Robert as one of the 50 most influential executive coaches in the world. Episode Sponsors: Ā MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Guest Resources Book: RADICAL LISTENING: The Art of True Connection Website: robertdiener.com Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Radical Listening02:12 The Importance of Listening in Diverse Cultures05:05 The Birth of Radical Listening07:45 Listening vs. Speaking: The Balance of Communication10:23 Intentional Listening: The Key to Connection14:27 Overcoming Barriers to Presence in Listening17:18 Navigating Conversations: Setting Boundaries19:19 The Dangers of Half Listening23:19 Asking Probing Questions for Deeper Connection28:16 Understanding Underlying Issues in Communication30:20 Levels of Acknowledgement32:22 Building Connections Through Radical Listening34:32 The Challenge of Acceptance36:46 Navigating Trauma and Listening38:27 The Importance of Intention in Listening40:41 Self-Care for Effective Listening42:58 Understanding Listening Skills43:44 The Ripple Effect of Radical Listening47:40 Starting Your Journey in Radical Listening51:20 Listening as an Act of Love SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.76)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special conversation today. We have both co-authors on the show today for the wonderful new book, which I love, called Radical Listening, The Art of True Connection, which provides tools for creating stronger, more resilient relationships and navigating conflicts with empathy and mutual respect. This subject matter is something that the world really needs. So our first co-author is Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, and he is a researcher, an author, an executive coach. He has presented in over 30 nations. And in 2024, Thinker 50 recognized Robert as one of the 50 most influential executive coaches in the world. Thank you, Robert, for being here. Robert Biswas-Diener (00:51.598)Thank you so much for having me. Kimberly Snyder (00:53.846)And we are so blessed to have our second co-author here, Professor Christian von Neuwerberg, PhD. Heās a leading academic and executive coach as well with an international reputation. He has taught at, weāll talk about this, universities in Ireland, in Australia. I love the international combination of both of you. Heās presented all around the world as well, from the US to the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand. and the Middle East. Interesting. Heās also passionate about motorcycling. You would get along with my husband, Christian, writing and coaching. So welcome both of you. Thank you so much for being here with us today. Christian (01:37.929)Thank you so much. Weāre really excited to be here and thanks so much for the work that you do Kim. Kimberly Snyder (01:43.334)thank you. So radical listening. What an amazing concept in a world where it seems like everybodyās focused on speaking and it seems that so much can fall through the cracks. Before we get into some of the concepts in your book, maybe you can share a little bit about why this subject matter is important to both of you. And I donāt think itās a coincidence that both of you have such international credentials. part of your bio. I imagine that plays a part in listening when youāre going around the world in very different cultures. Yeah, so letās start there. Christian (02:20.841)Thank you so much, Kimberly. Yeah, itās so nice of you to make that connection. You know, one of the reasons we wrote the book was exactly what you said. We felt that talking about listening is more important now than it ever has been. But if I think back to where did I become interested in this? Well, you know, I have kind of an international background. My mother was Japanese. My father was Belgian. I was born and brought up in Beirut, Lebanon. And I think one of the things that that really helped me with was I had this perspective that thereās lots of different ways of seeing anything. When my mom was bringing me up, she was really highlighting the importance of being respectful. In fact, being quiet, being invisible was kind of one of her messages. From the Western perspective of my father, Kimberly Snyder (02:53.314)Wow. Kimberly Snyder (03:15.318)Hmm. Christian (03:20.145)It was more like go and get stuff, know, go, need to be put yourself out there. And I was very lucky to have an American education. went to an American community school. went to an American university. So I think Iāve always had that curiosity about, thereās so many different ways to see things. But the other side of it is Iāve always been seen as the other wherever I am because of my mixed background. Iām always not from that place. And if youāre not from that place, youāve kind of got to be pretty alert. So I think part of my growing up was being highly alert, noticing things, listening. And I guess my question has always been, how can I fit in here? And in order to fit in, I have to listen very carefully to whatās going on around me. So thanks for noticing that, Kimberly. Itās soā¦ I feel seen already. Kimberly Snyder (04:20.366)Well, thank you so much for sharing that Christian. And I really relate to that because my mom comes from the Philippines and I grew up in a very completely actually all white community in Connecticut. So I was always the exotic one, the other one. And there was a lot of characteristics and things that came from that experience. And one of them I would also say is being really highly attuned. to whatās going on, maybe even hypervigilant because I didnāt want to stand out. You donāt want to stand out when youāre five and four years old. So I really relate to that. Thank you so much. And Robert, and also can you guys share how you know each other too? Robert Biswas-Diener (05:04.54)Yeah, thatās actually a little bit what I wanted to talk about, which is, Christian and I have long been in each otherās orbits because we are in the same profession. We both are largely involved with positive psychology research. So our paths would cross at conferences, but our friendship and ability to collaborate really blossomed during sort of the height. or the lowest point, depending how you look at it, of the pandemic. So like many people, March 2020 was a pretty rough time for us. A lot of our work was drying up. There was a lot of uncertainty at that time. And we decided that we would just connect via Zoom and we would just have these sort of one and two hour free flowing conversations. And yeah, just the two of us. Kimberly Snyder (05:36.11)Kimberly Snyder (05:57.154)Just the two of you. Wow, two hours, I love it. Robert Biswas-Diener (06:02.52)Yeah, and so we would just, know, like once a week, twice a week, we would just chat about whatever things we agreed on, things we didnāt agree on. You know, we had lots of, you know, kind of little intellectual arguments, lots of just sharing stories, lots of just, just free ranging conversation. And it was out of that, that the book Radical Listening was born. I think normally an author is sort of pregnant with an idea, you know, this is my my research or this is what Iāve done for the last 20 years so I want to write about it. And I was not naturally a listener, Iām naturally a speaker, but it was the process of interacting with Christian and seeing how respectful he was, even in approaching disagreement and how our different styles that Iām a certain type of listener, I would say kind of a very engaged, jump in quick kind of listener and heās kind of that, Kimberly Snyder (06:46.189)Hmm. Robert Biswas-Diener (06:59.642)why it give you your full turn to talk listener. And just watching those two dynamics interact, I was like, think we might have something to say about this. think maybe we should be writing about this. And Christian kind of simultaneously had the idea and the book was born. Kimberly Snyder (07:16.812)Wow. So I love it when something comes so naturally and organically just births out of this true need that you both felt. And I see so many books nowadays around creating boundaries and like, have to express this. Thereās a lot, you know, especially for women, like being clear, like boundaries. Can you share how listening on the other end of it would radically, I mean to your title and also how you speak about here some of these benefits creating stronger relationships, being able to navigate conflicts, how the listening part is really needed and beneficial. Robert Biswas-Diener (08:03.484)Itās a great question. I do think that assertiveness and boundaries are important. One of my worries is that this just becomes more labor for women if women then have to take on all the responsibility for setting boundaries and making sure theyāre protected in terms of time and other things. One of the great things about listening is that it has relatively little cost. Itās pretty easy to do, relatively little energy costs, mental costs, emotional costs. And one of the points that we make that I think makes our approach to listening a little different is that listening is motivated. Itās easy just to think about listening as if youāre just taking in sounds from the air and your job is to understand them. Kimberly Snyder (08:46.849)Mm-hmm. Robert Biswas-Diener (08:54.938)Like youāre just a giant radar dish. Like Iām just taking it in. And then my principal job is, I understand what youāre saying? Thatās sort of the traditional active listening model. And thatās not wrong. I mean, thereās some good things to be gotten from that. But we think that listening is motivated and that youāre listening to accomplish something in a conversation. So in one conversation, you might want to listen in order to validate your friend. Kimberly Snyder (08:57.069)Yes. Robert Biswas-Diener (09:22.2)And in that mode, that validation mode of listening, youāre going to pay attention to certain types of things. Youāre going to construe your role as listener in a certain way. And thatās very different than if youāre listening to mount a counter argument. Youāre going to listen in a very different way for that. Or if youāre listening to solve a problem, youāre actually going to be listening for an entirely different set of information. So just kind of understanding what your mode is, I think can be empowering to people. because it allows you to be more effective conversational. Kimberly Snyder (09:58.102)I like how you talk about, both of you write in the book about the intention to listen because sometimes our friends want to share their, or husband or spouse wants to share their suffering or what theyāre going through. And if youāre just kind of like, uh-huh, and youāre doing something while youāre like listening or chiming in, you donāt get that intention across. It can feel very disconnected. Christian (10:23.827)Youāre right, Kimberly. And by the way, youāre doing radical listening right now with us because as Robert was speaking, you were interjecting. There were little noises you made and you made tiny words. And that for us is an example of radical listening, right? So the typical active listening is you probably just go completely quiet. And I would say active listening is mostly about looking like youāre listening. Whereas radical listening is being genuinely interested. And that enthusiasm comes up in laughter. I mean, youāve been laughing, youāve been really engaged with what weāre saying. So the interesting thing with radical listening is that it does apply in professional contexts, but also very much in personal contexts. And I know this podcast is called Feel Good. And what weāre arguing is that in addition to simply understanding somebody, and we often think, yeah, I listen in order to understand, I listen in order to communicate. But weāre saying that every listening opportunity is an opportunity to build connection with the person youāre listening to. And how does that happen? Well, one of the ways it happens is when we match. As listeners, we match whatās needed by the person weāre listening to. And for example, you were talking about like in a, in when weāre with friends, you know, the intention is I would like to listen to this person in a way that makes them feel seen, valued and heard. And if thatās my intention, then picking up whatās wanted by them. So sometimes a friend of mine might come along and say, You know, Iāve had a really bad day in the office. Itās been a terrible day. And picking up whether do they want to be acknowledged for that? Is that all they want? Or are they actually looking for a solution? So what we argue, Kimberly, is that the matching is important. If I pick up what my, person Iām listening to wants, and I provide that, which is just acknowledgement, then thereās connection and the person feels good. Christian (12:48.361)But if we accidentally mismatch it, and instead of just listening, Iām jumping in with solutions because I think what they want is a solution, or I assume that they donāt want to be feeling down. And Iām like, come on, chin up, youāre gonna be great. In fact, the irony is, although my intention is to be helpful, because I havenāt really paid attention to what it is they want, and I havenāt been intentional. about matching my listening to what they want, can ironically get in the way of that connection. Kimberly Snyder (13:24.982)Right. Well, it sounds like when I was reading the book, radical listening involves a level of being present, right? Because if weāre not really here, which is an issue for many people today, theyāre half listening, they may be scrolling on their phone or theyāre cooking dinner or doing whatever theyāre doing. But this idea of being intentional and intuitive is really, you know, You have to be there. So what would you say to someone listening to this that says, well, you know, I struggled to be present or I would love to share this book with my spouse, not our husband, not just, you know, stereotyping men, but sometimes there is that my husband does this as well, that jumping into, well, you should do this and this. And to your point, Christian, I donāt, didnāt want you to tell me what to do. I just wanted to share this challenge I had today. So what do we do if someoneās already struggling to be present and improve their listening skills? Robert Biswas-Diener (14:27.79)Yeah, so thereās a few things in what you just said. One is if the speaker can make their intention clear, just articulate it, I just want to be heard. just, I donāt need a solution or please give me a solution. Then that can help the conversation align because it suggests a role for the listener. So thatās helpful right up front. Kimberly Snyder (14:42.178)Right. Robert Biswas-Diener (14:54.714)And I think people can be, for the lack of a better word, trained to do that or train themselves to do that. So youāre just walking in saying, look, I just want to vent for five minutes. And I think thatās going to do it for me. not looking for a solution. The other thing is really to recognize, and I think first within ourselves, some of those common obstacles, those distractions to being present. And the easiest one are sort of those external distractions. Your phone is calling your attention, the kids are pulling at you, the dog needs out, whatever the external environment provides. But thereās loads of internal ones as well. And Iāll just give a quick example of it. We call it time poverty. But I think of it as the sort of like the walk with me effect. So youāve probably at some time in your life been with someone who was like, Christian (15:41.961)Hmm. Robert Biswas-Diener (15:46.076)Okay, Iād love to listen to you, Kimberly. Iāve got five minutes. I got another appointment. Walk with me. And youāre supposed to walk with them to their next appointment and tell you whatever you need to tell them en route. And thatās already a lack of presence because theyāre eventually communicating to you. Iām already thinking about whatās coming next. You have divided attention at best. Youāre not my priority. Iām trying to multitask. And an alternative to that would be Kimberly Snyder (16:00.949)Right. Robert Biswas-Diener (16:15.63)you can have four minutes of my undivided attention. Iāll stop here, Iāll turn to you, lay it on me. You are my priority. And then Iām gonna go to something else. And if itās gonna take more than four minutes, we should probably not do it now. And we should probably find a time that gives it the time that it deserves. Kimberly Snyder (16:35.214)Well, let me ask you guys a question. We have these community Zooms. Sometimes thereās hundreds of people, 500 people. And at the end, Iāll say, does anyone, you can raise your hand. Does anyone want to ask a question or speak or share? Please keep it brief. Right? So I say that, but then people come on and theyāre telling these heartfelt stories. And sometimes it just goes on and on. So what if this is your friend or this situation? Robert Biswas-Diener (16:38.236)you Kimberly Snyder (17:03.874)And youāve already set that boundary. can actively, radically listen, but then people donāt follow that. How can you, you know, be compassionate, but actually, you know, hold to the boundaries you want? Yeah. Robert Biswas-Diener (17:18.684)Yeah, think thereās a few things you can do. And Iām sure weāll talk about this several times, but interrupting is one of them. And interrupting, I know when I say that word, it just sounds rude. But if you want to call it interjecting, or you want to call it jumping in, there are many times conversationally where jumping in is actually very beneficial to both parties. Kimberly Snyder (17:36.127)It does. Robert Biswas-Diener (17:47.694)And many times that itās not even considered rude. So anytime youāre speaking simultaneously, thatās an interruption. So if Iām speaking and you say, mm-hmm, thatās an interruption. Itās just a very small one. So we donāt think itās that rude. So sometimes when your friend is going on and on and telling, if you jump in and you just say, my gosh, thatās so awful. that sort of brings them to a halt, but they donāt consider that all that rude because youāre acknowledging them when you do it. Or the same thing, you can interrupt with a question that sort of steers the conversation a little bit. Like, my gosh, Kimberly, you mind if I jump in right there? You just said something so important. I wonder what you take away from that. And thoseā¦ Kimberly Snyder (18:40.854)Mmm. Robert Biswas-Diener (18:42.588)kinds of interjections are typically not even recognized as an interruption even though they technically are. Christian (18:50.271)Kimberly, can I jump in interject here because you said a little phrase earlier that really kind of highlights something I want to share with your listeners, which is this idea of half listening. You said sometimes youāre kind of half listening. And, you know, for me, the ideal is listening to someone is giving them your full attention for a certain amount of time. Then after that comes not listening at all. Robert Biswas-Diener (18:52.038)Thanks. Kimberly Snyder (19:07.565)Right. Christian (19:19.997)And I would say the worst is half listening. And what I mean by that is half listening is really confusing for the person because itās almost like thereās been an offer made of listening, but youāre not actually listening. So itās very confusing. And I want to give a real example. And, you know, there was a time in my life when I was actually running courses on active listening. So Iād be delivering courses about active listening. And there was one day, it was a long day. Kimberly Snyder (19:23.47)Mm. Christian (19:50.655)I come home after a long day, Iām tired. I should have probably gone for a little walk in the park or something, but no, I went straight home because Iām tired. go in, Iāve still got like 200 emails and I need to get back early tomorrow. My son just pops in straight after me, like 10 minutes after me. And I half listened to Kimberly because I said to him, I think he was like 10 years old. And I said, Hey, how was your day at school? And. Kimberly Snyder (20:09.56)No. Christian (20:20.231)You see the half listening, because Iām not really intending to listen, but I just said that my mind is elsewhere. Iām already onto, I need to get onto my emails. Otherwise Iāll never get through all of this. And then he said, well, actually I fell down. I cut my knee and whatever in sports. And I said, good. Iām glad you had a good day on. And this actually happened. And I had to take a minute, Kimberly, because I thought, wait a minute. Kimberly Snyder (20:40.718)Christian (20:48.287)Iām working with professionals around listening. And I thought, hereās the most important person in my life, literally. And Iām not doing it. Iām not doing it. And I did make a promise then. And this is something for everyone, I think, is that our idea of radical listening, it might be radical, but itās also simple. And the idea is to use listening as a way of showing people that you value and appreciate. Kimberly Snyder (20:57.665)Hmm Kimberly Snyder (21:17.879)Yes. Christian (21:17.981)and just thinking about all the different ways we can do that. And like Robert mentioned, that thatās how we started having these conversations. But Iāll give you an example of how Robert is a great listener. Weād get onto a Zoom call, right? So itās a Zoom call. And heād say, right at the beginning, heād say, let me just get my cat either out of the room or in the room. Heād take time to turn off his mobile phone. But you know what that was saying to me? is Iām getting rid of all these distractions because what you have to say is important. So I think we can all think about what are the messages weāre giving to people. And the moment I say, look, I havenāt really got time for this or, you know, Iām sending this email, talk to me while Iām sending it, my message is actually, I donāt have time for you. Youāre not that valuable. So anything we can do. you know, questions is one of our skills, Kimberly. Kimberly Snyder (21:51.277)Mm. Christian (22:14.649)So you know that trip home from school. donāt know if some of your listeners will know what Iām talking about, especially if you have a teenager and youāre like, how was school? Itās like, if you get a grant out of them, youāre loving it, right? But maybe ask a different question. You know, like, what was the best part of school today? What was the thing you most enjoyed? So maybe change the question so that itās more engaging. and maybe also be okay with silence because sometimes we get frustrated and we keep asking, why donāt you talk to me? Why arenāt you saying anything? So just that being comfortable with them and creating the space which is, look, Iām here to listen to you. And if you want to share something with me, Iām gonna be sitting here quietly. And if youāre not ready yet, thatās okay. So just creating the space for, this is space for you to share something with me. Kimberly Snyder (22:50.478)What? Kimberly S
Radiating the Feminine Woman You Were Born to be with Monica Yates [Episode #985]
Weekās Episode: In this episode Kimberly interviews Monica Yates, an industry-leading trauma healer and embodiment coach. She is the New York Times best-selling author of the new book Becoming Her and Founder/CEO of Monica Yates Health. Through somatic trauma healing and deep embodiment work, Monica has helped women overcome hyper-masculinity and reconnect with their feminine energy in a sustainable way, giving them everlasting expansion in all areas of their lives ā business, love, family, health, and fertility. Kimberly and Monica explore the pressures modern women face, the importance of embracing feminine qualities, and the impact of trauma on womenās ability to embody their true selves. Monica shares her personal journey of transformation and healing, emphasizing the need for women to give themselves permission to live authentically. The discussion also delves into the dynamics of polarity in relationships and how trauma can hinder womenās connection to their femininity. They also explore the dynamics of being a female breadwinner, and the importance of connecting with oneās essence through movement and self-acceptance. They discuss the need for women to embrace their feminine energy while navigating modern roles, and practical tools for self-discovery and healing. Ā About Monica Yates Monica Yates is a renowned trauma healer, embodiment coach, and New York Times best selling author of Becoming You. With nearly a decade of experience, she has guided tens of thousands of women to shed their masculine armor, embrace their feminine energy, and align their lives with authenticity and purpose. At the heart of Monicaās work lies her unique blend of somatic healing and embodiment practices to address trauma at its root. By integrating science-backed techniques with deep emotional exploration, she empowers clients to reconnect with their bodies, heal deeply held wounds, and create lasting change. Her philosophy emphasizes balancing feminine flow with masculine structure, fostering harmony across all areas of life. Monicaās passion for healing is deeply personal. Growing up between Australia and New York City, she initially saw her childhood as idyllic but later recognized patterns of external validation, body image struggles, and unhealthy relationships as signs of unresolved trauma. This realization fueled her commitment to understanding traumaās effects on the body and mind, equipping her to support others on their journeys. Episode Sponsors: Ā MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription.. Ā FEEL GOOD DIGESTIVE ENZYMES OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order at mysolluna.com Ā Guest Resources Book: Becoming HER: Straight Talk for Healing, Embodying, and Radiating as Your Most Powerful Self Podcast: Feminine as F*ckĀ® podcast Website: https://monicayateshealth.com/ Social: @monicayateshealth Ā Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Transformation and Healing03:03 The Pressure of Modern Womanhood05:47 The Value of Feminine Qualities08:57 Embracing Authentic Womanhood12:01 Understanding Polarity in Relationships14:51 The Impact of Trauma on Femininity17:52 Healing Through Somatic Practices22:51 Understanding Trauma and Its Impact29:00 Navigating Feminine Energy and Breadwinner Dynamics37:04 Connecting to Your Essence Through Movement SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:01.176)Hi loves, welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special interview today with Monica Yates, who is a New York Times Best Selling author. She has a brand new book just out called Becoming Her, Straight Talk for Healing, Embodying and Radiating as Your Most Powerful Self. Monica is a renowned trauma healer committed to helping women achieve profound. personal transformation. She helps women shed their masculine armor and align their lives with authenticity and purpose. These are powerful words, Monica. Thank you so much for being here today. I just got some goosebumps. Monica Yates (00:39.293)Thank you. Thank you for having me. Yay! The energy is thriving already. Kimberly Snyder (00:46.602)Yes. Well, first of all, congratulations on writing this book. And I read it in bed and the book just flows through all these amazing topics. Before we dive in, tell us about your interest in this particular lens of dropping the masculine armor, whatās going on in the world today, why youāre so passionate about focusing on this. Monica Yates (00:51.933)Thank you. Monica Yates (01:03.517)Mmm. Monica Yates (01:14.191)Yeah, well, I think the main reason is and really the reason why I wrote this book is because I realized a lot of women just needed permission. They needed permission to be the version of themselves they want to be at the given season of life that theyāre in versus thinking, I just have to fit into kind of this box of being the perfect woman whoās the girl boss and this and keeping an amazing sex life and has a thriving social circle and just this kind of new pressure thatās been put on women where we feel like in order to be a good enough woman, we have to be ticking all these boxes. And you know, I just feel like Instagram has just exacerbated this issue where women are just tearing each other down because one woman doesnāt agree with how another woman is living her life. I mean, me getting into this work in particular was my own journey. used to be such, can I swear on this podcast? I forgot to ask you actually Kimberly. Okay, great. used to be because we have an Australian in the house. Iām like, careful. I used to be such a cold hard bitch when I was younger. I was so masculine. I really thought that being like a cool girl meant being unemotional and being detached and just being masculine. I thought that by being, you know, a masculine woman, I was being a good feminist. And long story short, my journey with all of that and kind of Kimberly Snyder (02:10.126)Youāre like. Monica Yates (02:37.063)the downfall of it all. had a really bad ski accident that forced me to then actually give up the control and my like hyper independence. And that really led me into this path of all the trauma healing and everything. And it was actually what really got me started was I lost my period for 18 months. And the only thing that got my period back was being in a relationship with a masculine man. He was like in a healthy way forcing me into my feminine. And thatās when I was like, wait, I think thereās, cause I was trying all the herbs, all the things. And I was like, I think thereās something to being in your feminine that influences your physical health. And I mean, you could even relate to this, right? With like the heart math and everything. And so, you know, thatās just kind of in a different way. And so once I then actually started to drop into my feminine, then my period came back. And thatās what made my business take off eight years ago was I was helping all these women get their periods back, not from. Kimberly Snyder (03:08.322)Yes. Monica Yates (03:33.223)herbs or food or anything like that, but actually from getting into their feminine. Kimberly Snyder (03:38.766)Mm. And there really does feel like a connection between this feminine and the heart, as I talk about a lot, Monica, which is a lot of the ideas, the headiness, itās very linear, itās very rational. It can be over masculine, like this idea, like you said, Iām going to be the girl boss, Iām going to be this, Iām going to be that versus itās not that we canāt achieve in our career, but softening into this really caring, compassionate, loving, Monica Yates (03:44.401)Yeah. Monica Yates (04:02.108)Right. Kimberly Snyder (04:08.064)intuitive part of us as well. Because when we get hardened, like you said, there can be a rigidity in our body, which can manifest in hormonal imbalances and disorders. So I love in the book how you straight away, and I love how you speak your mind, but you talk about girl boss and you said, Hey, Iām not a girl. Iām a woman. Iām a lady. Can you tell, talk a little bit about, cause itās, itās kind of complicated, right? We get all these different messages and you and I were chatting before the podcast. Monica Yates (04:10.45)Yeah. Monica Yates (04:17.383)Yeah. Monica Yates (04:21.958)Yeah. Monica Yates (04:26.137)Yes. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (04:36.748)And I said, Iām really grateful because I am a full-time mom. can honestly say I bring my kids to school, pick them up once theyāre home, Iām with them. I bring them to activities, I cook dinner. And at the same time, I get to have a really full career because I have created that. work, you know, I write books at home. I run my business from home, the podcast, but thereās so many women that donāt get to do that, right? And so you see some women. Monica Yates (05:00.497)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (05:02.242)They have to be in the office making great strides in their career and maybe theyāre feeling unfulfilled at home. And I know so many friends who are stay-at-home moms and they donāt feel like they get the respect that they want and they can feel isolated. And there was a survey, Monica, about stay-at-home moms having really high levels of chronic insomnia. So itās complex. Monica Yates (05:12.829)Mmm. Monica Yates (05:20.913)Wow. Yeah, yeah. And I think the bottom line of it is that there is not an answer because weāre all so different, right? And thatās why I like to remind women that itās about the season of your life. Youāre allowed to want to be like one version of you at this age, but then decide, you know what, in this season of life, I really want to just enjoy being a state high mother. And my passion for this has really been, and itās kind ofā¦ Kimberly Snyder (05:38.926)Okay. Monica Yates (05:47.901)gotten even bigger just with how social media has changed from when I first started writing the book. But really, the passion and the kind of oomph behind this is that I think that a lot of women, they tear other women down. And we see it like in the comment section on Instagram. They tear other women down for their individual choices. And what I want for women is I want them to feel like I can give myself permission. to go and live the life that I want right now, whatever that looks like, right? And so for some women, they donāt wanna be a stay-at-home mom. Amazing, go have a career or do both. But for other women, like some of your friends, they want that and why are they getting less respect? And thatās where the devaluing of the feminine is really important to acknowledge. Like we devalue the kind of return on investment that we get from folding the laundry. Kimberly Snyder (06:34.541)Yeah. Monica Yates (06:43.601)whether itās us folding the laundry, whether itās our housekeeper, whether itās our husband, weāve devalued those more feminine, those kind of more traditional feminine qualities or practices because we see them as less than. itās more than though, and itās enough if youāre bringing home money. But if youāre just at home, quote unquote, folding the laundry, thatās not nearly as valuable. And we can both sit here and say that thatās absolutely bullshit. But I think the conversation needs to be branched out to wider communities because too many women still think Iām not doing enough when Iām just at home. Kimberly Snyder (07:21.208)Well, it goes back to that doing versus being or the embodiment part of this, which is our worth is inherently this true self, this heart energy, this energy thatās us. And it manifests in different ways, but our society does pin, you know, title, salary amount. Itās like a linear. know, for me back in the day when I was obsessed with numbers, weight, you know, can get obsessed with calories. Monica Yates (07:24.455)Yeah. Monica Yates (07:30.62)Mm-hmm. Monica Yates (07:41.276)Yeah. Monica Yates (07:48.027)Yeah. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (07:50.798)reductionist approach versus this embodiment of, as Moses said, I am that I am, right? Confidence that comes from just existing. Monica Yates (07:58.396)right. Yeah. And I love what you just said, Kimberly, about like the enoughness piece, because what I also talk about in the book is that women, so many women these days feel like being a woman isnāt inherently enough. We have to compete with men. And then weāre enough. If we are showing up like men, if we are achieving more than men, if weāre competing against them, itās to prove this like enoughness. And my argument is, is if you truly are embodied in your confidence and your security, you donāt need to prove anything to anybody. So the woman, for example, thatās like, I can hold open my own door. Itās like, he knows that you can hold open your own door. Heās not saying that youāre incompetent. The only person thatās now thinking that youāre incompetent of holding open the door is yourself. Because thatās where this need to prove your worth as a woman is coming from. Itās coming from insecurity. Kimberly Snyder (08:50.211)Mm. Monica Yates (08:57.755)And obviously the roots of that are not just your own personal trauma, but also like the societal conditioning thatās been put on women to feel like being a woman isnāt necessarily as good as a man. And thatās why Iām so big on why are we trying to be like men? We need to be women. Seriously though, Iām like, why are we trying to be like men? Because we will never be a man. So we are constantly gonna feel like we are failing, right? Versus. letās be women and then we will feel like we are being successful because we actually are in our own lane. Kimberly Snyder (09:33.27)You know, Monica, when we talk about the societal influence of this, itās so deep rooted. And I think about places like India, right? And this amazing example of what youāre talking about is Rita Chopra. So sheās Deepakās wife, whoās not out in the public at all. And when I wrote a book with Deepak a few years ago, I got to know her and she is so unapologetically the mother. Like Iā¦ Monica Yates (10:02.397)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (10:02.636)raise the kids, I take care of the grandkids and thereās not even an ounce of like, Iām trying to be something Iām not. And they were both raised in India and in India thereās the divine feminine literally, right? Great mother, they can speak about aspects of the divine in this very feminine Lakshmi and Saraswati and Durga and it runs through in a very different way. Whereas in our culture, like you said, thereās this Monica Yates (10:32.113)Competitiveness. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (10:32.16)not enough to us, thatās really, really deep. And itās just interesting when I was backpacking around the world in certain cultures, itās really different. And so sometimes when we go outside and then we kind of say, hey, how can we reshape this now for us individuals and future generations? Monica Yates (10:41.213)It is. Monica Yates (10:47.782)Right. Monica Yates (10:51.545)Yeah, you know, even not to go down like the mothering tangent of what we were kind of speaking about before we clicked record, like even Iāve been having these conversations with clients because theyāre like, like, do you not feel all this pressure and blah, blah, blah, like, how are going to do it all being a mom and like your thoughts around x, y and z. And Iām like, well, actually, Iāve read a lot of books about French parenting. And it was so expansive for me. I think that sometimes, you know, not just here in the US, but I know Australia can do this well. We really just think like, the whole world is just this country when itās not. we think that expansion doesnāt also lie in understanding other cultures. And when I read about even just like French parenting and the ways that the French raise kids and how French women are pregnant and how they go through that, Iām like, huh, like that was expansive. And so then to your point, like there is so much energetic expansion. in looking at another culture. And it doesnāt mean that you have to go and then live like that culture fully, but it can give you some of that permission to realize, the way that all my friends around me or what Iām seeing on social media, itās not the only way. Kimberly Snyder (12:01.514)Mm-mm. And another topic you talk about in the book, which I thought was really interesting, is this polarity. And the first time I heard about this was when I read David Ditaās book, Monica, a few years ago, Discovering Your Sexual Essence. And then you build on that and talk about how itās like this scale when weāre really feminine. We really attract a masculine man and, you know, kind of, you know, can veer towards the middle as well. Monica Yates (12:12.509)Mmm. Monica Yates (12:25.853)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (12:30.696)And sometimes we look in the modern world where women are sort of armored up like you talk about, and then arenāt feeling that fulfillment in relationships. And then we get mixed messages and men get mixed messages about toxic masculinity and how they should be this way and they shouldnāt be this way. Can you talk a little bit about this polarity and what you talk about in the book, itās important to be in our true essence? Monica Yates (12:39.196)Yeah. Monica Yates (12:45.553)Mm-hmm. Monica Yates (12:56.911)Yeah. So as a woman, if you want to be in a relationship where you feel like you can kind of switch your mind off and your man is leading you and directing you and ravishing you and just like this energy of I got you and then the opposite obviously exists. So men, any men listening, if you want to be with a woman that allows you to do that. this still this actually, you know, this polarity still exists even in same sex relationships. Thereās going to be feminine and masculine. Theyāll often be a little bit more of a dance, like theyāll swap a little bit more between the two, but thereās still that feminine and masculine, right? Like one person is more in that receiving surrender energy, the other person is more in that directing and leading energy, and thatās what creates the chemistry. So, so many women are in this predicament these days where theyāre in these relationships and theyāre like, I am so unattractive to him. I feel like I have to mother him. I have to tell him what to do. Iām constantly nagging him. Kimberly Snyder (13:23.926)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (13:49.699)Yes. Monica Yates (13:52.133)We, you I do not feel ravished and adored and wanted. Like he loves me, but I like to say like being loved is great, but being wanted is better. Like there is no feeling like your partner being like, I physically need you. Right. And that energy comes from the polarity, but so many women, they come home from work, theyāre in their masculine, theyāre in their head. Their trauma also causes them to be in their masculine and in their head and not feel safe to let go of control. So then. You know, they cognitively are like, yes, I want a man that leads. Yes, I want to date men that caught me. But then when it actually comes to it, they canāt do it. And itās not because they donāt want to be able to do it. Itās because in their body viscerally, they donāt feel safe to let go of control to the masculine, which can be for so many different reasons, which we can unpack. But the polarity piece is what allows us to feel that sexual energy and that attraction that a lot of people are finding theyāre lacking in their relationships. They feel like theyāre constantly butting heads or itās more of like a roommate friendship vibe. And itās not that polarized energy that theyāre wanting. But you know, if youāre a woman that is heavily in her masculine, in your head, disconnected from your body, know, living this numbed out, living in this kind of numbed out state, it becomes essentially impossible for you to then surrender and relax when you come home. Kimberly Snyder (15:17.358)Mm. Monica Yates (15:17.381)and youāre with your man, so he then canāt lead you. So then heās more in his feminine because youāre in the masculine. Heās not happy, youāre unhappy. And of course, well, you the women often are like, itās the manās fault when they realize, actually, I think Iāve caused this. Thatās where thatās actually why I kind of wrote one of the reasons why I wrote the book, because I was really like, okay, I want to help men feel safe to be men in todayās world. But the way that we can do that is not just by telling them like, you know, he has had to be a masculine man because the women wonāt them be a masculine man. Itās actually very often the woman needs to step into her feminine these days, at least, you know, in America, so that he feels safe to step into his masculine. Because if you donāt let him, so many men are afraid. As you said before, theyāre so afraid of being disrespectful, of saying the wrong thing, of being cold like a creep. Kimberly Snyder (15:51.469)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (16:06.594)Yeah. Monica Yates (16:13.093)And so they just go, okay, Iām just gonna do less. donāt want to make her feel uncomfortable. But meanwhile, weāre all bitching about them on our girlsā night out. Kimberly Snyder (16:24.512)Yeah. So a couple of things, Monica, we can be in touch with our feminine and yet we all know couples and itās probably the minority where the woman naturally is probably the leader, the more masculine and the man might be more of the feminine, but you know, not the majority. Monica Yates (16:36.231)Mm-hmm. Monica Yates (16:41.116)Yeah. Not the majority, thereās a very small proportion where that actually really works for people. But a lot of the time when you see them and itās like, she wears the pants, itās not like, that was a conscious choice. Like she isnāt authentically got a masculine core and he authentically has a feminine core. Very often that has played out over time. And now thatās just the way that is. doesnāt mean theyāre actually happy. Itās just how it is. Kimberly Snyder (16:48.376)Yeah. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (17:04.353)Okay. Kimberly Snyder (17:11.744)Yes. And also, and letās talk about the trauma piece for a moment that can keep us in a pattern. And also, I just want to say, itās not like to your point, just putting on the lipstick and wearing a dress. Itās the energy that weāre embodying. Itās what we are exuding out of us moment to moment. And so can you talk a little bit about how trauma can keep us from really embodying who we are? Monica Yates (17:15.932)Yeah. Monica Yates (17:25.127)No. Monica Yates (17:32.262)Yeah. Monica Yates (17:38.748)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (17:38.81)And some of the, I know you work with somatic practices and some of the things that we can do. If weāre listening to this, we hear this, say, you know, I do feel like a little bit disconnected from the softened feminine essence. Monica Yates (17:42.353)Mm-hmm. Monica Yates (17:52.325)Yeah. So firstly, if you notice that you get triggered in different situations, right, you get that like visceral response, whether itās the heat coming through your body, whether itās sweaty armpits, you get a little bit shaky, you feel like you canāt like use your voice. Thereās so many different ways triggers can come up, but you get that visceral response where you feel like uncomfortable essentially in a situation that tells me that there or you freeze, you completely numb out. That tells me that there is trauma stuck in your body from you know, it could have been last year, it could have been six months ago, or it could have been 10 years ago. For a lot of women, you know, we could go on this forever, Iām sure you know, Kimberly, but for a lot of women, there is a lot of trauma from their own personal experiences, not just in regards to men and boys from when they were little, and their dad, but also the societal trauma thatās kind of like almost like the third party trauma, I like to sometimes call it thatās been put on us. So thatās a really big impact. that we have to recognize, not just the personal situations. But for a lot of women, there is trauma that they have around like daddy issues, not feeling seen by men, not feeling respected by men. Maybe thereās been sexual abuse, maybe thereās been bullying by boys, maybe thereās been like rejection and dating or heartbreak. Maybe theyāve grown up feeling like theyāve been emotionally or physically abandoned by their dad. There also though can be like kind of even taking men out of the equation and their dad out of the equation. There also can be trauma around just being a woman and the feminine, right? Itās not safe to be a woman. Itās not safe to be emotional. Itās not safe to share my feelings. Itās not safe to be open. Itās not safe to surrender. And that feeling of like, itās not safe can come from. you know, so many different experiences. Maybe you, you know, expressed yourself once when you were 15 years old and you got like shut down by either a girlfriend or a guy friend or your mom or your dad. And that could, that could have made you feel so unsafe that your body decided like, Iām never going to open myself up to anybody again, because then Iām going to feel like this, you know, also taking into account that our nervous system, you know, is attracted to what is Kimberly Snyder (19:56.588)Mmm. Monica Yates (20:03.867)familiar, whatever is familiar feels safe. So if what is familiar to you is, you know, emotionally unavailable men, or men that donāt respect you, then youāre in a million other situations for that, then you
What to Do When You Get Dumped: A guide to Unbreaking your Heart with Suzy Hopkins & Hallie Bateman [Epsiode #984]
Weekās Episode: In this heartfelt conversation, Kimberly interviews mother-daughter duo Suzy and Halle Hopkins, co-authors of āWhat to Do When You Get Dumped.ā They discuss the inspiration behind their book, which addresses the emotional turmoil of heartbreak and the journey of healing. Suzy shares her personal experience of being unexpectedly left by her husband after 30 years of marriage, while Halle reflects on her own experiences with heartbreak. The conversation delves into the importance of allowing oneself to grieve, the power of illustrations in storytelling, and the significance of finding faith and understanding in the healing process. In this conversation, Hallie and her mother Suzy discuss the themes of healing, personal growth, and the importance of sharing oneās story. They explore the purpose behind Hallieās book, which aims to provide encouragement and guidance for those navigating heartbreak. The discussion delves into the universal themes found in personal experiences, the journey of self-love, and the significance of support from unexpected sources. They also touch on generational perspectives on mental health and the importance of authenticity in relationships. About Suzy Hopkins & Hallie Bateman Suzy Hopkins is a former newspaper reporter and magazine publisher. She is coauthor of What to Do When Iām Gone with her daughter, writer and illustrator Hallie Bateman. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hallie Bateman is a writer and illustrator whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, the Awl, and many others. Her books include Directions, What to Do When Iām Gone, and Brave New Work. Other books she has illustrated include Eggasaurus. She lives in Cincinnati, OH. Episode Sponsors: Ā MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Guest Resources Book: What To Do When You Get Dumped: A Guide To Unbreaking Your Heart Website: http://halliebateman.com Ā Episode Chapters Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Heartbreak and Healing 03:00 The Genesis of the Book 05:53 Navigating Emotions After Heartbreak 08:57 The Dumpy Bill of Rights 11:57 The Power of Words and Illustrations 15:03 Physical Practices for Healing 18:02 Finding Faith and Understanding 20:59 Reflections on Family Dynamics and Relationships 29:31 The Purpose Behind the Book 31:00 Universal Themes in Personal Stories 33:05 The Journey of Healing and Growth 36:19 Finding Wholeness After Heartbreak 40:31 Self-Love and Personal Values 43:30 Generational Perspectives on Mental Health 46:59 Unexpected Support in Difficult Times 49:32 Navigating Relationships and Emotions 51:19 The Power of Connection and Authenticity SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.824)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for my very special guests today, a mother daughter team who are the co-authors of the recent book, What to Do When You Get Dumped, A Guide to Unbreaking Your Heart. The author is Suzy Hopkins, whoās a former newspaper reporter and magazine publisher. She lives in Cincinnati and the illustrator is her mama. sorry, other way around. Suzy is the writer and Halle is the illustrator whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Owl and many other books. She also lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have to say, ladies, first of all, thank you so much for being here. Congratulations. And I donāt think Iāve ever interviewed a mother daughter team before. This is awesome. Hallie (she/her) (00:31.129)you Hallie (she/her) (00:52.837)amazing. Thanks for having us. Kimberly Snyder (00:56.448)So tell us a little bit about this inspiration and coming together as mother and daughter to talk about this subject of being dumped, which is something that pretty much all of us at some point feel that heartbreak, that abandonment, that not feeling wanted is really icky part of life. And to come together as family members, itās really interesting. Hallie (she/her) (00:58.808)But, butā¦ Hallie (she/her) (01:24.026)going to say mom? Iām hearing something in my ears that is the vacuum on. Thereās someone doing yard work outside. okay Iām sorry I thought I had something in the house. No no. distracting to me and Iām really sorry to interrupt. ahead. Okay. Okay so I thought it was a vacuum in my house and itās like in my ear so. Kimberly Snyder (01:41.009)no, thatās okay. Weāll just edit that part out. Hallie (she/her) (01:48.91)Thatās your work. Thatās just someone leaf blowing. Okay. All right. Iām I will overcome. yeah. So, mom, do you want to start by kind of describing where the idea came from? the, the, the, book is about, it starts from the time, my husband very unexpectedly left. and we were married for 30 years and he one day, couple days, exactly two days before I was to retire, came in and said, Iāve got something to tell you. And what he wanted to tell me was that he had felt he wanted to pursue a relationship with a woman from 30 years earlier prior to the time we got together. And so that night he was for all intents and purposes gone and our marriage was done. And this came as a considerable surprise to me. And I it threw me into a very confused and chaotic and lost state for a long time. And basically I was closing my business of 10 years at the same time. And we had planned to Kimberly Snyder (03:00.906)Ugh. Hallie (she/her) (03:02.51)to go into retirement together. So jump ahead a year. I get counseling, I get medication, I do everything to address this crisis, which is really throws me and then another year goes by and Iām still addressing it, the counseling help, but not quite enough. and Iām still really grappling with trying to set up a new life. And year three comes and I begin to say, why on earth am I not doing better? I thought I got a lot of life experiences. Iāve had a lot of ups and downs. I thought that my recovery might be more cohesive than what I was experiencing. I was still really flailing. So Hallie and I had already written a book together called What to Do When Iām Gone. Kimberly Snyder (03:22.507)Hmm. Hallie (she/her) (03:50.074)about the loss of your mother. And it made me somewhat of an accidental author at in my late 50s. And She got me a tarot reading because she knew I was going through still a lot of grief over this and hadnāt recovered as well as expected. And the tarot reader said, you need to write a memoir as a pathway to healing. But she didnāt know I was a writer or anything about me. So I took that as seriously and began the book, which Iād had an inkling of earlier, but I began to write to record what was working and what kind of as a note of encouragement to myself. And a lot of things also donāt work when youāre trying to recover, including input from other people sometimes that is not constructive. And so thatās the thatās the genesis of the project. And after it took me about a year to write the first draft, and it was an aid to healing for me, because as a former journalist, I Kimberly Snyder (04:31.725)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (04:51.914)yeah. Hallie (she/her) (04:54.188)was accustomed to finding my way analytically through things, but in this case, this was also forcing myself to notice what was useful in healing from heartbreak and what was not. And by noticing those things and giving myself permission to feel all the feelings that go with that, it was very helpful in moving forward. Kimberly Snyder (05:23.554)Thank you so much, Suzy. And itās so brave and wonderful to share your story and to pour it into something that can help others heal. You know, when I was reading the book, there was a lot of, you know, X and Y and like if someone, you know, your ex ends up with this other person, which I imagine was informed by this heartbreaking story you shared, which is where your husband didnāt just say, Iām going to go off and travel by myself, but there was this other person in the, in the mix. Hallie (she/her) (05:52.066)Right, right. Kimberly Snyder (05:53.302)And then can you share a little bit about, you know, you said it was three years. Do you think there was a numbing stage where you werenāt able to feel those feelings? Is that part of the advice you might give people is to let yourself feel more early or were there stages, I imagine, of the anger and the sadness? What was some of the arc of the journey? Hallie (she/her) (06:12.026)I had the cocktail of every emotion you could possibly come up with and it was a strong cocktail and it just kept going despite having, Iād had counseling in earlier years for depression due to a lot of childhood trauma. So I had, I thought, well, I took care of that. You know, you donāt take care you learn how to integrate these these grief and trauma issues into your life and I thought I had been somehow more successful but having a third party You know when my husband told me that this woman was going to be His was his new person apparently that Basically Kimberly Snyder (06:37.088)Hmm. Hallie (she/her) (06:58.35)disconnected me from my partner of 30 years who I had shared everything with and we were both journalists and I chose that disconnect because I think he wanted to stay in touch but for me the presence of a third party meant that I could no longer speak to my husband privately. would be a triangulated experience that I wanted nothing to do with. that. Kimberly Snyder (07:03.904)Ugh. Hallie (she/her) (07:24.93)that bringing another party and changed everything for me and sadly, itās my, you know, I could reconnect with him, but I wanted, you know, Iāve wanted to wait until I didnāt have the hurt that I had. And I just couldnāt, I really havenāt done it still. And I thinkā¦ that the lesson for me was giving myself permission to take that time and to say disconnected is feel safer to me as I heal in every way that I chose to heal giving myself permission proved to be the challenge. I had to say Iām now going to take care of myself not anybody else and learning to do that when youāre a person that Kimberly Snyder (08:01.44)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (08:07.138)Beautiful. Hallie (she/her) (08:11.392)isnāt used to necessarily doing that and that was me. So that was the big lesson and itās in the book thereās a something in the front called a dumpy bill of rights and I wrote that to tell myself itās okay to take as long as you want. In fact you need to to grieve in only the way that works for you. Basically irregardless of other peopleās chiming in which they really want to do people really like to tell you how to get better. I really love the dumpy Bill of Rights and itās I could read it if thatās okay. Yeah. So this is it is actually after the introduction in the very beginning. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You the dumped in order to unbreak your heart hold these inalienable rights. Kimberly Snyder (08:47.734)Yes, please Hallie. Which page is on? Kimberly Snyder (08:57.718)I see, I see. Hereās what it looks like. Hallie (she/her) (09:07.534)You have the right to express yourself fully and honestly. You have the right to say no to whomever or whatever does not help you move forward. You have the right to grieve and heal in a way that works for you and you alone for as long as it takes. Kimberly Snyder (09:22.402)Mm. Mm. Mm. Hallie (she/her) (09:25.434)That is something in your house, Mom. Iām sorry. Now we really do have to pause. Now you have to pause for a second. Sorry. I think it is the vacuum. And I think we should close that door, Sorry. I think it must be Mercury in retrograde or something. Okay. And then can close that. Okay. Sorry. Okay. All right. The Roomba is being put on. Okay. Soā¦ Kimberly Snyder (09:30.89)yeah, no, itās okay, pause. Itās okay, thatās why we have editing. Kimberly Snyder (09:40.782)no, itās okay. Iāllā¦ Kimberly Snyder (09:46.71)Itāll all work out in the wash. Hallie (she/her) (09:55.032)Yeah, that is the the dumpy Bill of Rights. Itās on downstairs. Kimberly Snyder (10:00.664)Well, I think if there was ever a time to create healthy boundaries, itās when youāre healing. Because as you said, Suzy, sometimes itās easy to always give or just to sort of, you know, think of others above ourselves, but itās such a personal time. I know for myself going through a really hard breakup before my husband, itāsā¦ Hallie (she/her) (10:08.121)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (10:27.394)So I loved your book because thereās a lot of sharing, but thereās also this, you know, thereās this acknowledgement that itās also a very individual process as well. And itās gonna look different for everybody. And along those lines, I love that you guys paired together for illustrations because when it comes to this subject matter, words are powerful, but so is the drawing, right? And Iām just, and itās humorous. Hallie (she/her) (10:38.426)Thatās right. Kimberly Snyder (10:55.598)But some of these pictures literally made me cry. Like thereās pictures of, you know, thereās pictures of people crying and weāve all felt what itās like to be in the shower, Iāve cried in the shower. So with my breakup, we had a young child who was just over a year old. And when I moved out on my own, I used to hide in the closet and cry. I didnāt think I would be a single mom. Like I didnāt think this was gonna be my life. Hallie (she/her) (10:57.85)Aww. Hallie (she/her) (11:15.926)Mmm. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (11:22.348)So thereās so much, thereās depths of feeling that I think also get layered in with the illustrations. And Iāve read like other books about relationships, but I think itās rare to have that combination. Hallie (she/her) (11:35.992)Yeah, the thing that I love so much about graphic storytelling, being able to combine words and images, which is really my art practice, is that alchemy where like youāre, like when we collaborate, weāre measuring, you know. What do we need to say in words and often it doesnāt need to be much it it really causes you to simplify and sort of get to the heart of something in the language so that you can allow the images to speak and I think especially when itās a subject like heartbreak or our first book together was about death and loss. Kimberly Snyder (12:19.981)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (12:23.468)A wall of words can feel really inaccessible, especially when youāre in the throes of grief. And I love that, you know, when we are able to fold the two together, it enables someone, I think, even if you are currently struggling, you can read a paragraph and look at a picture and like allow it to wash over you. doesnāt ask as much of you, but it can still send a very powerful. message and Iām just like in love with this this language of words and images in combination and I think that it allows for such endless possibilities and itās itās so incredible to get to work with my mom in this format where you know she comes from decades of experience as a writer and a journalist and is like so practiced there but then I get to to kind of Kimberly Snyder (13:00.109)Yes. Hallie (she/her) (13:19.234)Yeah, talk to her about, but this is gonna be the art. And then we get to like, yeah, just kind of play together and squabble and figure out what the story is gonna look like on the page. And itās really unique. Kimberly Snyder (13:38.08)Yeah, I agree, especially with the subject matter that you both are writing about, which is, you know, your other book as well. I lost my mom around the time that I went through this breakup. So I relate on both levels. I was a new mom and I became a single mom and I lost my mom and, and getting dumped. And one of the things I think in our, in our culture and our society is itās very heady. Itās very mental, right? And you canāt think yourself out of heartbreak. Hallie (she/her) (13:50.265)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (14:07.596)Right? Thereās a lot of the practices you talk about in here, which is, you know, and the images again, like looking at this roller coaster and itās, thereās this, the feelings and the sensations and what it evokes allows, you know, now thereās so much research about how trauma and that you imagine this felt like a really traumatic situation you went through, Suzy, because it was shocking. Itās stored in the body. So. It canāt just be this mental way that we heal, but itās this whole person way, the emotional, the sensations in the body, doing physical practices, allowing the space. Itās nonlinear. Hallie (she/her) (14:46.878)Mm-hmm. And I had no practice allowing space. I was all up in my head for, you know, my entire career. And I basically thought I can forge my way by just thinking through anything. And this really took me into the body practices in order to recover in a way that I could feel the ground again emotionally. So. Kimberly Snyder (15:03.767)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (15:10.272)And what were some of those practices, that you share about in the book and also just that you love to share personally that helped you get to a more grounded place? Hallie (she/her) (15:22.426)I suddenly retired at the same time, but it took me about a year to finish closing my business, I suddenly found myself. you know, without the mental load of running the business, but suddenly this kind of heart load. And I, I moved out of the family home and I got a place in the country that required a lot of manual labor. And I canāt think of anything that would have been better. So I bought a, wood splitter and a lot of downed trees and I split a lot of wood and I, I walked endless miles. I would say, you know, just endlessly in circles around a out in Kimberly Snyder (15:49.996)Wow. Hallie (she/her) (16:03.65)country around a big drive area with my dogs and that physicality I just went until I couldnāt go anymore because I Kimberly Snyder (16:08.451)beautiful Kimberly Snyder (16:12.365)Mmm. Hallie (she/her) (16:13.556)I had to quiet the disruption that was happening to me. and exercise was just the very best way. sort of learned to meditate, in the course of this recovery. And I hadnāt done much of that before. And so I did a lot of breathing work Iād never done. And mostly I just, for a long time, use distraction with physical labor and exercise. My mom essentially became a full-time manual laborer. And as a, from my perspective, I just. Kimberly Snyder (16:44.75)Thatās so primal. was like splitting the wood. I can imagine you, Suzy, like on the farm too. Hallie (she/her) (16:53.498)I had a lot of rage and the wood cutting helped a lot. I had a lot of anger for a long time. so, you know, whatever youāre going through, itās whatever gets you through, right? To the next, I wanted to go on to a life that was a lot healthier. And this really, in a way, forced me in that direction. Kimberly Snyder (16:59.438)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (17:19.578)I wasnāt a yoga practitioner. I was not a particularly peaceful person. I was just a person who was so busy with work and overwhelmed by it all the time. And that was, was, you know, I wasnāt a workaholic. this was really in the end, I had to learn how to be healthier at this, at this stage in life. And in the book, Kimberly Snyder (17:41.388)Mmm. Hallie (she/her) (17:44.602)that takes different forms. Like you talked about the spread where sheās in the shower and sheās crying and kind of sitting with her feelings. And then I immediately thought of this other spread where itās just about standing in the sun and letting the warmth embrace you. I think that, yeah, thereās like a through line of being Kimberly Snyder (18:02.222)Mmm. Hallie (she/her) (18:15.034)being with yourself. Yeah. When you say, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Throughout the book, um, relishing in, you know, thereās like this big spread about cooking, relishing in food and nourishment. And I mean, I guess you could summarize it as saying my learning mindfulness, but itās, itās so much more than that. Itās really, uh, Kimberly Snyder (18:28.076)Yeah, colors. Hallie (she/her) (18:36.984)just coming to a place where thereās nobody there but you to decide the next step to take, you know, to plan your life. Itās not a contingent on anyone else. And itās sort of a big responsibility. And, and you can go, it is, thatās exactly right. And I think to what you said earlier, the book is purposely Kimberly Snyder (18:52.138)exciting and scary in a way. Hallie (she/her) (19:02.542)really specifically focused on my momās experience and my momās story down to, you know, really specific examples. And the idea is not to tell the reader, hey, you should do exactly this because this is what works. The idea is like, hopefully by inviting the reader to see and experience what one personās journey through heartbreak looks like, that they can Hopefully, A, feel less alone in this really lonely journey and B, like, see that a path doesnāt look, you know, maybe like, yeah, you just go to, you just do an eat, pray, love and youāre good. Like, itās not, itās not like that, you know, that seeing that like, yeah, thereās, itās this really long, weird, unique thing and watching my mom like trust herself and build. Kimberly Snyder (19:50.158)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (20:02.112)new, you know, coping habits or like the hilarious little like things like she smashes the litter box that she and my dad shared like as a as a gesture of getting out her rage. Like thereās these these things that itās itās not saying you need to do this. Itās just saying, look what this can look like and what is your path look like? And ideally, like allowing you to see that you can, you know, trust yourself to find your way. Kimberly Snyder (20:24.897)Yes. Hallie (she/her) (20:31.738)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (20:34.606)Well, I also think itās very comforting if youāre going through this type of situation to read someone elseās story to not feel alone. Because I remember when I was in those really dark moments, itās easy to focus on new friends or maybe you go on Instagram and everybody looks so happy and theyāre in their little worlds and youāre like, like nobody really is going through this right now or I feel alone. Hallie (she/her) (20:41.934)Mm-hmm. Hallie (she/her) (20:59.788)Mm-hmm. Kimberly Snyder (21:02.05)And so I think itās incredibly comforting. Again, the words, the story, and also the illustrations. And when I was reading it, I couldnāt help but wonder, Hallie, if youād been through such a bad breakup or you had been dumped, and also because you were going through this project so closely with your mother, how that might have affected your relationship with your dad. And if, you know, Hallie (she/her) (21:15.705)Hmm. Hallie (she/her) (21:27.469)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (21:29.698)you sort of felt that betrayal as well, because one of the things about someone being dumped is thereās often children and relatives and friends that are in the process. Hallie (she/her) (21:36.488)Mm-hmm. Yeah, well to speak to your first question about heartbreak, I certainly have never experienced heartbreak on this scale. Actually, we ended up kind of talking about this at a book event in New York, but my biggest heartbreak was from a situationship that ended after one month. And it just really, I was really young. It wasā¦ for me, a one month relationship was huge. Cause if thatās the longest thing youāve ever had, then that has a big footprint on your life. And it was really interesting reflecting on that and going through this, you know, this experience of working with my mom on her story after the loss of a 30 year marriage and thinking my biggest heartbreak was after 30 days and. Kimberly Snyder (22:11.936)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (22:31.363)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (22:31.532)And yet itās not really comparable, but yet I was devastated by that. And I think that, you know, the way that the book is framed is that it counts you down to your heart being unbroken. And itās counted down on my momās timeline, which was, I think around what, four years? Four plus years. So it starts and the countdown says, you know, Kimberly Snyder (22:58.093)Hmm. Hallie (she/her) (23:01.37)1,582 days and thatās how many days till your heartās gonna be unbroken. As kind of this reflection of, for my mom, if sheād had this book back then, she could have said, okay, Iāve got to make it through that many days. It wonāt go on forever. There will come a time when you shift. And I think that the way that I see it, if Iām thinking about that heartbreak of mine is that, okay, well it would have said, Kimberly Snyder (23:21.729)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (23:31.652)two years, like, cause it did take me weirdly two years to get over that. But yeah, there would have, you know, there would have been a countdown. Everyone has their own, their own kind of weird ways that that heartbreak manifests. And then, yeah, I think that to speak to the second question about being in relationship with my dad, it was super painful to have. my parents split and to have it happen the way it did was devastating for myself and my brothers. It really reshaped our family and kind of reshuffled the deck of our lives. And at the same time, Iām very thankful that my brothers and I really consciously decided we are not taking sides. Like this is not a thing that we are going to, you know, allow to split the family or anything like that. Kimberly Snyder (24:09.762)Yeah. Hallie (she/her) (24:29.378)Not to say I didnāt feel my own pain and express my own anger or communications with my dad. We certainly had to work through to get to what our relationship would be now that this had happened. I was supporting, my brothers and I were supporting my mom. It just changed everything, but it was never a thought of weāre d
Intuitive Ayurveda to Reset your Health with Nidhi Pandya [Episode #983]
This Weekās Episode: In this episode Kimberly interviews Ayurvedic expert Dr. Nidhi Pandya about her new book, āYour Body Already Knows Intuitive Ayurveda.ā They explore the relevance of Ayurveda in modern life, emphasizing the importance of understanding natural rhythms and patterns for overall well-being. Nidhi shares practical steps for integrating Ayurvedic principles into daily life, including meal timing, the significance of intuition, and self-care practices like scalp massage. The discussion also delves into nutritional factors affecting hair health and the healing properties of warm foods, highlighting the holistic approach of Ayurveda to health and wellness. In this enlightening conversation, Nidhi discusses the profound impact of cooking on human evolution, emphasizing the importance of warm and moist foods for our microbiome and overall health. She explores the balance between raw and cooked foods, the significance of fats and spices in cooking, and how Ayurvedic principles can be adapted to various cuisines. Nidhi also shares insights on creating a personal toolkit for maintaining balance in life, the power of breath as a tool for well-being, and the wisdom of aging in relation to biohacking. Ultimately, she empowers listeners to reconnect with their inner wisdom and embrace a holistic approach to health and nutrition. About Nidhi Pandya Nidhi Pandya is an Ayurvedic Doctor based in NYC and creator of the Inner ClimateĀ® Framework. This groundbreaking approach, which merges ancient wisdom with modern science, represents the essence of her 15 years of dedicated practice and deep understanding of Ayurvedic principles. Raised in India, Nidhi was immersed in Vedic wisdom from birth, drawing inspiration from her grandfather, a respected Ayurvedic healer. Her journey led her to formal education in holistic health, culminating in her becoming an Ayurvedic Doctor. However, Nidhi soon realized the limitations of a strictly prescriptive approach to health. This insight spurred her to reinterpret Ayurveda through a transformative lens, making ancient knowledge accessible and relevant in todayās world. Nidhiās passion lies in empowering women to become self-aware and live intuitively, achieving Mind-Body Balance. She excels in distilling complex ancient scriptures into practical wisdom, applicable to modern lifestyles. Her method, taught globally, focuses on realigning the mind and body, fostering radical transformation in the lives of her students. An international teacher, coach, speaker and author, Nidhi contributes to various publications and serves as a faculty member at the Shakti School. Her strength lies in her unique ability to bridge the gap between traditional Ayurvedic teachings and the needs of contemporary women, guiding them towards a balanced, empowered life. Episode Sponsors: Ā EPSIODE SPONSORS: MOMENTOUS OFFER: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Thatās code KIMBERLY at livemomentous.com for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. USE LINK: livemomentous.com Code: KIMBERLY for 35% oļ¬ your ļ¬rst subscription. Ā SBO PROBIOTICS OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.com CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Ā Ā Guest Resources Book: Your Body Already Knows Website: https://www.nidhi.me/ Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ayurveda and Its Relevance Today 03:05 Understanding Rhythms and Patterns in Ayurveda 05:48 Practical Steps to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle 08:53 Intuition vs. Conditioning in Health Choices 11:59 The Importance of Scalp Massage and Hair Care 14:53 Nutritional Factors Affecting Hair Health 17:53 The Role of Warm Foods in Healing 21:00 Balancing Nutritional Intake for Optimal Health 26:10 The Warmth of Cooking and Its Impact on Humanity 28:59 Balancing Raw and Cooked Foods 32:03 The Importance of Fats and Spices in Cooking 34:48 Adapting Ayurvedic Principles to Different Cuisines 37:12 Creating a Personal Toolkit for Balance 40:06 Breath as a Tool for Well-Being 42:55 The Wisdom of Aging and Biohacking 48:57 Empowerment Through Ayurvedic Practices SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:01.102)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here today, Nidhi Bansali Pandya and she has the wonderful new book just out called Your Body Already Knows Intuitive Ayurveda. Nidhi is a Ayurvedic doctor and she has this amazing approach which I appreciate very much of making Ayurveda very accessible for the modern day. She has different coaching programs and she has done an Ayurvedic nutrition course at onecommune.com where I also have a course Nidhi and I, the Commune Center is not so far from here. So it is so wonderful to be connected. Thank you so much for coming on and congratulations on your new book. Nidhi (00:48.923)Thank you so much for having me, Kim. Itās such an honor to be here and to be talking to you over your podcast. Kimberly Snyder (00:54.932)know, Nidhi, this book is so beautifully written. I love the cover. And thereās just this way that you subdivide this incredibly deep philosophy of Ayurveda in two very doable steps. Can you share before we dive in just a little bit about why you think Ayurveda is really important for our wellbeing in todayās age? We know itās thousands of years old. Itās the oldest medical science. Why now in a world where there seems to be so much around biohacking and measurables and wearable devices and blood work? And thereās a place for that too. But where can Ayurveda really come in and create such balance in our lives? Nidhi (01:43.255)Absolutely, such a great question. I can say thereās two main reasons for this. And Kim, the first reason is us understanding that what differentiates an animate object from an inanimate object? Itās a rhythm and pattern, whether itās the vibration of a cell, whether itās the breath, whether itās the pumping of a heart, whether itās the rotation of our planet, the revolution, anything thatās out there in the universe, which has a life of its own, there is a rhythm and there is a pattern. And now more than ever before mankind. Weāve lost the understanding of these rhythms and patterns. I mean, when you look at anything from weather global warming, when you have a snowfall in spring, or whether you have untimely menopause, or whether we are staying up all night and missing our bowel movements, or we are skipping periods or infertility. Honestly, the underlying basis of all of that is the loss of a certain rhythmic pattern. Kimberly Snyder (02:37.742)Bye. Nidhi (02:38.705)And Ayurveda is a science that deeply understands that everything thatās living can only be in order when itās following its rhythmic patterns. Not the rhythmic patterns of the universe and how they connect with each other. I think that is one of the main, you know, and we all realize that somewhere or the other, I see every disorder and itās things have gone out of rhythm, you know? I mean, thatās one way of saying it, whether somebody has missed a period orā¦ Kimberly Snyder (02:48.385)Yes. Nidhi (03:05.521)cannot sleep at night or has this kind of fatigue in the middle of the day, itās untimeliness of our experience. And I would say there is definitely a second reason which I find so important. And most of Ayurveda, unfortunately, start very academically. So most Ayurveda today has lost connection with this main principle of Ayurveda, which says that disease is caused through the loss of wisdom. Kimberly Snyder (03:12.522)Bye. Kimberly Snyder (03:30.487)Hmm. Nidhi (03:31.589)which means that today there is so much information. mean, can you imagine our grandparents, when they had a question about health, they couldnāt type it in in Google or GPT now and get answers, right? But all of that is information. What they had, what we donāt is wisdom. Wisdom is whatās within you. The knowing that you had as a baby that I need to drink from my motherās breast. Babies never use its mouth. Like a deer doesnāt wake up saying, my God, I have to wake up again in the morning and go to the same jungle and eat the same grass. Theyāre just so connected, right? And thatās wisdom. Thatās your innate wisdom. And Ayurveda has a way to bring you back to that innate wisdom. And in this era of information overrun, we need that more than we did ever before. Kimberly Snyder (04:15.38)I agree. So beautifully said. And correct me if Iām saying this term, is it pranya parata? Crime against wisdom, my future would say. Because again, itās easy to say, let me just do this, you know, one biohacking tool or Iāll do this or get the IV done. But it doesnāt correct, as you said, this underlying holistic lifestyle approach. Nidhi (04:21.349)Yes. Yes. Yes. Kimberly Snyder (04:42.2)So today, as you mentioned, people are missing periods. seems like a lot of people are doing IVF or technology. People canāt sleep chronically. Thereās so many sleeping pills. Thereās so many energy drinks. People are pumped up with caffeine. So what are some of the, and you talk about in the book, meal times, adjusting for seasons. What are some of the, if someoneās listening to this right now and saying, yeah, thatās me. What are some of the very first practices? that we want to look at to come back to a more balanced, RU-Vedic-inspired lifestyle. Nidhi (05:18.647)Thatās such a practical question. I love it. But the first thing that Iāll say, itās just so that anybody whoās listening to this does not take this as just one more prescription. I say the deeper understanding that we are diurnal mammals, which means we are not bats or tigers and or owls. And we have no nighttime vision, which means that before electricity came into urban homes, which is 1930s, we kind of followed the cycle of the sun. You know, when the sun was up, weāre up. Youāre not staying with like a million lanterns hosting dinner parties at 10 p.m. We were not. Kimberly Snyder (05:26.7)Yes. Nidhi (05:48.389)So the first thing to understand is that we are diurnal mammals. And if thereās one thing you want to change is you want to start moving your clock and the way you live and eat. Iāll tell you what more what that looks like according to the cycle of the sun. Remembering that even plants do not they cannot photosynthesize unless the sun is out. So we as human beings have a lot of courage to think that we can actually metabolize at all different hours. So basically, what does that look like is the understanding that in the morning when the sun is emerging and the earth is still a little cold, a little damp. Thatās how our body is. Exactly. Thatās how our body is. And our experience of nasal congestion, eye boogers, sluggish joints, you canāt really show off in a yoga class early in the morning because of the sogginess in the body. Itās the same. So morning time is that perfect time to warm up the body, to exercise and eat a light breakfast, not a heavy breakfast. Itās the light. Kimberly Snyder (06:43.915)Thank Nidhi (06:44.485)warm breakfast because we are warm blooded mammals and you want to support that firing up of your metabolic activity. So you do a light breakfast, warm always. Lunchtime 10 to 2 is when the sun is high, your insulin sensitivity is the highest, your metabolic juices like gastrin and other enzymes are at their peak. Indulge in it. Eat your biggest meal. Whatever it is you want to fantasize about the previous day. Donāt deprive fantasize is what I always say. fantasize and eat that biggest meal between the hours of 10 and two. As the sun starts to set, you wanna know that your body is setting. It does not want to function, has, have its day times functions. So you wanna reserve the lightest work. And then around six oāclock, you wanna eat a small, you wanna eat your soup, you wanna eat a supper, you wanna eat a light meal. And as many days as possible, you wanna call that a day so you can go to bed by 10 p.m. Kimberly Snyder (07:15.939)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (07:40.226)Mm. Nidhi (07:40.355)And can just rearrange the order of how you live your day, what you do when you do it. You set one rhythm. And when you set one rhythm, all rhythms fall into place. Eventually, of course, and you want to eat warm foods, and thatās a whole different conversation where we can have that as well. If you do these two things, youāll see that everything starts falling in place. And one of the first things people notice is that they sleep better. They have a bowel movement in the AM. Kimberly Snyder (07:44.962)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (07:51.118)Mmm. Nidhi (08:07.173)you know, sooner or later, within three to five weeks, theyāll have a bowel movement in the AM. Theyāll be like, my God, this is regular and this is timely every single day. And then theyāll start noticing if youāre a woman, youāll start noticing your period cycles and then youāll start noticing your moods getting better and then your energy levels getting better. But Iāve always seen that there is a certain math to this madness. Kimberly Snyder (08:26.226)Mm-hmm. I love that it feels, for me, it feels very comforting to have a sense of a pattern. And I can see, for example, not to throw him under the bus, but my husband is very, like all over the place. And I try to say, heās very pit-a, heās got a lot of fire energy. And heās like, well, my work is, I have a meeting this hour and then so I donāt need till here and there. But what would you say to someone, Nidhi, if theyāre like, well, I like this idea of rhythm and pattern, but Iāve also heard about listening to your body. so sometimes the different parts of my menstrual cycle, I may not want to eat a lot in the morning or like, thereās shifts and changes based on like individuality. What would Arju Veda say to balance that intuitive, the flux, a little bit of intuitive flux? Nidhi (09:22.903)Yeah. So you know, the problem is how far we are from my intuition. I highly value intuition. mean, come on, my book is called Your Body Already Knows. But our intuition is covered with layers of conditioning and denial. Kimberly Snyder (09:30.294)Yeah, exactly. Kimberly Snyder (09:36.982)Mmm. Nidhi (09:38.573)and triggers and just we donāt have access to our intuition the same way simply because you know like for example you know when you know people you may say listen I just want to stay up and watch Netflix and thatās what my intuition says till 2 p.m. but underlying that is actually a procrastination of sorts the the lack of inspiration to get into the bed and get up for your day so usually right somewhere within us we know that thatās not the right But we say, Iām craving sugar. And thereās an intensity in that craving. Thereās not an equilibrium in that craving. So in that lack of equilibrium, in that lack of flow, in that lack of being present in the present moment, anything you experience or you think your intuition is speaking, at that time, itās probably either itās a trigger or an anxiety or a conditioning of thoughts thatās coming up. But when youāve lost sense of time and space, when youāre in flow, when there is no intellect, Kimberly Snyder (10:30.52)Right. Nidhi (10:36.079)When you know just from a very deep place and there are no thoughts racing in your head, that is intuition. And what my book actually gives you is a framework to actually tap into that understanding of your body. And what is that state where you can actually know that weāre speaking the same language? Kimberly Snyder (10:49.262)Right. Kimberly Snyder (10:57.26)Yeah, and thereās even, you know, going into some of the, you know, really practical, like how detailed your book is. There was this section and I think a lot, we had a lot of questions even about hair, right? And people are concerned about, you know, thereās stress, thereās hair loss, thereās thinning. And thereās this whole section you have about, you know, hair abianga. And when I read this section, it also reminded me of connecting to your body, even touching. Nidhi (10:58.106)Thank Kimberly Snyder (11:26.092)our body because itās very easy to be very mental, right? To go through the day and to look in the mirror, to weigh yourself and to have all these numbers. But something like actually massaging your scalp is such a beautiful practice. And can you talk about that practice on all the layers, like energetically what it does and also practically for hair growth? Because itās again, these simple practices that feel like real self care to me. Nidhi (11:52.419)Absolutely. you know, so this understanding, right, we care so much for our bodies neck down, right? You eat what youāre doing, youāre exercising, et cetera, et cetera. I face yoga is just very new. the other way that we, and the way we care for everything above our neck is always through like cosmetic procedures or even topical applications, even if itās natural, right? Itās like, what can I put on my skin? What can I do to my face? You know, but Kimberly Snyder (11:54.83)Thank Kimberly Snyder (11:59.374)Mm. Kimberly Snyder (12:16.6)Yeah. Nidhi (12:20.667)We donāt understand that thereās a whole system going on here. Thereās like this whole ENT, itās the sinus irrigation system thatās happening here for your mucus and which goes through your eyes, nose, throat. And thereās a brain and the brain is covered by the skull. Thereās a hypothalamus, thereās a lot of happening there. And right, so like a whole earth, like think of it as a round earth and thereās so much happening within it. And right at the edge, right, like is your hair. Think of them as trees coming out of the, you know, out of this whole system thatās within. And that needs to be nourished, right? Like literally every single pore in your hair, in your scalp can have the potential for hair growth that can happen, right? And what happens is that as we start aging, we start losing the oil, you know, the moisture that keeps our hair intact, but we also stop living in a way that creates raw material for new hair or stronger hair. So this practice, which is essentially using warm oil as far as possible warm, if you canāt do warm, thatās fine. Sesame oil is usually the best, but if you have a medicated hair Abhyanga or hair oiling oil, thatās even better. When I say medicated, I donāt mean chemical medication. What I mean is like herbal, know, like. Kimberly Snyder (13:35.694)Yes. Nidhi (13:36.753)or bring Raj oil or neem oil. And you basically would apply it to your scalp. Everywhere you say you part your hair, you apply it to the various partings. And then you lovingly massage it in. And this is not only a very loving practice, what it does, and Iām gonna say at the most superficial level, what it does, it replenishes the sebum in your hair follicles. So think of it like a tree which has kind of lost its moisture. Itās so wibbly wobbly, it can just. lose its roots and fall anytime. And that can happen to us. And thatās what often happens to us as we age. So this kind of goes back. It replenishes that. it also goes and restores the melanin in the cells. You donāt lose color. Your head doesnāt burn out as quickly. But beyond that, it nourishes the brain. It nourishes your, you know, if you all love somebody, most people love somebody running their fingers through their hair. because itās such a relaxing practice. So it calms your nervous system. It promotes better sleep. It enhances your memory. You feel more grounded and connected. It lowers anxiety. Thereās innumerable benefits. But the one youāll see very, very quickly is the quality of hair loss, as well as prevention of hair grain. Kimberly Snyder (14:53.858)Hmm. And then do we, Iāve heard, you know, sometimes people listen to this and, or hear this and Iāve heard it. Iām like, Whoa, but what if my hair gets really oily and how often do I wash out the oil? it makes me just want to touch my scalp right now as well. Itās so simple. But yeah, but what do we do? Like, do we, are we just oiling our hair and leaving it in? Nidhi (15:08.562)Yeah. Nidhi (15:16.355)Yeah, no, thatās a great question. So you want to do it, you can do it in many other ways. Iāll be honest with you. When I grew up, like my aunt still, my 74 year old aunt who has pretty much all dark hair still, she would oil her hair and keep it on like a little bit all day long. And you would see her, Iāve never seen her without oil. And she just, she loves that look, that whole shiny look. To her, thatās her job. But I wouldnāt do that. So. Kimberly Snyder (15:37.55)Ha Nidhi (15:41.391)somebody like me, is what I would do, right? Or this is a good starting place is oil your hair, keep it on for 20 minutes and wash it out. If you donāt mind that, keep it for two hours. So on the day that youāre washing your hair, keep it, you oil your hair, letās say in the morning and you want to keep it for 20 minutes, stretch it to two hours. If you donāt mind that, you want to start trying to keep it overnight if you can. So you may not step out that day. I mean, if youāre brave enough like me, Iāll occasionally step out with oil in my hair, but You can oil it at night in that case, and you can get very peaceful, restful sleep. And then you want to wake up the next morning, and then you want to wash your hair. So you can keep it for a couple of nights to one night to 20 minutes to two hours. The idea is to start somewhere and continue to build up your practice. I also tell people that start with just one tablespoon of oil. And even if you want to start with just a few drops, you want to create this relationship with oil, because it is such a almost all Ayurvedic practices, and thatās a whole different conversation, use oil on this. Itās very scientific why they use oil. But it also promotes the microbiome. Most healthy microbiome is lipophilic, which means they love good fats. So you want to start developing that relationship, but you be gentle. You start with a gentle booing and let it go into a full-fledged relationship. I also want to say one more thing. Oil is detoxifying. Itās beautiful. If anybody whoās tried oil pulling knows that when theyāreā¦ Kimberly Snyder (16:42.211)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (16:58.627)Mm. Nidhi (17:06.757)consume thick oil, but by the time theyāre swishing, suddenly the oil feels like water. It doesnāt feel like thick, dense oil anymore. And why is that? mean, oil, this is oil. So this is what oil does. Oil has this powerful ability to enter your pores and detox, which means all the grime will be pulled out and the moisture component of the oil will actually stay inside the pores and moisturize. Itās such a cleansing mechanism and a hydrating mechanism altogether. Kimberly Snyder (17:31.171)No. Nidhi (17:36.293)which is such a rare combination. And the same thing for your hair follicles, it actually cleanses the hair. Itāll bring the grime to the surface and then you can wash it off. I mean, Iāve done this practice. Iām 43 years old. I donāt have a single gray hair and I can attribute it just to hair oil. Kimberly Snyder (17:45.454)What? Kimberly Snyder (17:53.452)Wow. And I love how you said itās sort of mix and match, do what you can, because I can say for myself as a busy working mom, I donāt have time to wash my hair that much, but Iāll put the oil in and then if I can leave it in a day or two, itās more like free flow. And I know thereās rhythms and so I try to do it somewhat regularly, but itās not so rigid. Nidhi (18:18.319)Basically, no, no, very true. And you know what, Kim, I have two daughters as well. So I usually will apply my oil at night and Iāll wash it off in the morning. Or occasionally Iāll do it first thing in the morning. Iāll keep it all day long if I donāt have a lot of meetings and then Iāll keep it at night and Iāll wash it the next day.
Master Your Mindset with Michael Pilarczyk [Episode #981]
Weekās Episode: In this engaging conversation, Kimberly interviews Michael Pilarczyk, a bestselling author and entrepreneur, about his journey from a challenging childhood in communist Poland to becoming a successful mentor in mindset and personal development. Michael shares insights from his new book, āMaster Your Mindset,ā emphasizing the importance of resilience, stillness, and a positive money mindset. He discusses how personal experiences shaped his approach to life and business, highlighting the significance of gratitude, service, and the environment in fostering personal growth. In this conversation, Kimberly Snyder and Michael Pilarczyk explore the transformative power of gratitude, mindfulness, and personal mastery. Michael shares insights emphasizing the importance of taking small, actionable steps towards a more meaningful life. They discuss the significance of meditation, shifting focus from negativity to positivity, and the necessity of clarity in personal growth. The dialogue highlights practical strategies for breaking negative cycles and reprogramming the mind for a more fulfilling existence. About Michael Pilarczyk Michael George Pilarczyk is a mindset and mindfulness teacher, author, and speaker in the fields of consciousness, self-development, leadership meaning, spiritual growth, and personal and business success. As an expert in reprogramming thought patterns, he has helped many people experience more joy, peace, success, and happiness by breaking through limiting beliefs and fostering new insights. From 1992 to 1999, Michael was a popular radio DJ on the number one Dutch station, Radio 538. He also worked as a Dutch MTV VJ and hosted national television shows. After founding several companies and selling his media business in 2007, Michael took a sabbatical to pursue a lifelong dream, of sailing along the Mediterranean coast for seven years. He has authored bestsellers Dancing in Heaven (2014), You Become As You Think (2021), and Design Your Own Life (2024), selling over a million books. Michael is married to Cindy Pilarczyk-Koeman. They live on Mallorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea. They are the founders of Masterminds Academy and the Meditation Moments app. Episode Sponsors: Ā LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD . This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Ā Guest Resources Book: Master Your Mindset: Live a Meaningful Life Website: https://mistermindset.com/about/ Episode Chapters Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Michael Pilarczyk 02:32 Michaelās Journey and Resilience 06:11 The Importance of Mindset in Business 09:50 Finding Stillness in a Busy World 13:55 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs About Money 19:01 The Power of Gratitude and Service 23:46 The Role of Environment in Personal Growth 24:58 The Power of Gratitude 27:18 Taking Action for Change 28:51 Mindfulness and Meditation 30:30 Shifting Focus and Energy 32:51 Living a Meaningful Life 35:21 Breaking Negative Cycles 39:24 Reprogramming the Mindset 43:44 Sharing the Message of Meaningfulness Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! Wellness Insights: How to Listen to Your Body for Nutritional Guidance How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard EP. 877 How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo Ā Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne Transcript: Kimberly Snyder (00:00.873)Hi everyone, welcome back to our Monday interview show. I am so excited for our very special guest here with us today all the way from Europe, from the beautiful island of Mallorca, Spain. Michael Pilarque is a European bestselling author, an entrepreneur, a mentor in mindset, personal success and self-development. He has a wonderful new book out called Master Your Mindset live a meaningful life, which provides a 12 step strategy. He is a living embodiment of the work he teaches. He was born in communist Poland, and a lot of his work is shaped by his personal journey of resilience and vision. Michael, thank you so much for being here with us today. Iām so excited to chat with you. Michael Pilarczyk (00:50.882)Thank you, itās my honor. Kimberly Snyder (00:53.959)You know, Iām really excited to hear a little bit about how your story really informed your focus now in your life talking about mindset, right? Because, you know, we all have challenges. My mother grew up in the Philippines, you know, quite poor, and she was able to make her way here to the United States. And then some people in certain situations sort of say, well, you know, My situation in life is this, and they sort of donāt try or they give up. So before we get into your book, can you share a little bit about how your personal journey brought you to this book and your work today? Michael Pilarczyk (01:35.822)Yeah, well, we all have our own story. mine, as you said, began in Poland. I was two years old when my parents wanted to move to the Netherlands. It wasnāt so easy. It was in 1969, 1970. We were not allowed to leave Poland. And it was a big struggle. My mother was only 22 or 23 years old. Kimberly Snyder (01:57.513)Mm. Michael Pilarczyk (02:05.076)And for her, it was a struggle and she was allowed to leave the country. And they also let my father leave the country, but you know, the communist said, but the child cannot go because they knew they knew the parents wouldnāt leave the kid alone. So it was a big struggle. And itās not really funny, but the funny fact is that my mom passed away last month. Kimberly Snyder (02:17.566)What? Kimberly Snyder (02:21.767)Kimberly Snyder (02:32.937)Mmm. Michael Pilarczyk (02:33.172)And during the past weeks before she died, she started telling me all these stories from when we were living in Poland, when I was born in the first two, three, four years of my life. And I really learned another part of my parents, but also another part of my own life because theyād never told me those stories before. It was a pretty tough life in the beginning, but eventually. They managed and we moved to the Netherlands where I grew up with my grandmother. And one day I listened to the radio and my big dream became becoming a radio DJ on national radio, which I, I made happen when I was 18, I had a national radio show and I worked for MTV, the Netherlands. I met a lot of celebrities, really fun time. was. You know, in my early twenties, and then I made a stupid mistake because I always saved all my money because, know, when we grew up, we didnāt have much. So my grandmother always told me you have to save, you know, for, for later, you have to think about your future. You have to save your money. So I always did. And then one day when I was 29, I had some friends and they told me it better invest all this. savings in the stock market. Yeah. And I had no clue what I was doing really. You know, it was a tough lesson. I invested all of my money and I lost everything within four months and even more because the bank had given me a loan of I donāt know how much, but too much. Kimberly Snyder (04:01.794)no. We can always have this next. Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (04:27.24)And within four months, it was all gone. And I was left with 2 million in debt. I was 29. You know, I thought I had the greatest life. I was happily married, although my wife was seriously ill. But you know, we had a great life. Everything was fantastic. And then suddenly everything was gone and I was deep down and depressed. And I even Kimberly Snyder (04:34.622)Wow. Michael Pilarczyk (04:57.848)thought of, you know, why should I live longer? Why shouldnāt I just stop living? Because I had no vision for the future. But then, I make it a short story, I met my business mentor, heās Mr. Dan Pena, he was entrepreneur, business coach, he was a multimillionaire, he made Kimberly Snyder (05:09.938)Hmm. Michael Pilarczyk (05:27.246)millions in oil in, I think in the eighties. And then I went to a seminar of him. I went to his castle. He lives in, in Scotland now. And he taught me within a few weeks, almost everything I needed to know to start a company, build a company, buy companies, and eventually sell companies. So in the end, after I think it was five years. I built a company, sold it, made some money. I could, you know, pay back the bank, had some money for myself, and then I could start my life over again. Kimberly Snyder (06:10.889)When he was teaching you this, was it very practical business knowledge or was he also teaching you about mindset and honing into your intuition? Because I imagine a lot of, I mean, I know if Iām an entrepreneur as well, a lot of the decisions are quite intuitive as well. Itās not always so black and white. Michael Pilarczyk (06:16.216)Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (06:31.372)No, no, both, both, but he is very practical. the steps I wrote down in my book as well. Itās based on his principles. Itās based on mindset. a lot of what I do and what I teach is based on the principles of Napoleon Hill, and grow rich, the laws of success. so itās, itās partly mindset, which is very important. Kimberly Snyder (06:33.416)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (06:40.809)Hmm. Kimberly Snyder (06:52.382)Right. Michael Pilarczyk (07:00.248)But itās also intuition. Itās also listening to your heart, know, listening to your inner voice, being in contact with your, with your own awareness, not only acting from your, from your head, but also with your heart. And, yeah, if these are in balance and you have some luck because weāll need some luck now and then I think you can, Kimberly Snyder (07:02.599)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (07:07.665)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (07:18.877)Beautiful. Michael Pilarczyk (07:30.456)come a long way in this life. Kimberly Snyder (07:33.019)Yeah, I mean, and also, by the way, before we move on, is your wife, was she okay from her illness? Michael Pilarczyk (07:38.786)Well, sheās, sheās, she was in her early thirties and she was really seriously ill. And one day when, when we were on, on IC, the doctor told me chances are not really high that she will survive, but she is a medical wonder because sheās in her early sixties now and sheās still alive. We separated. Kimberly Snyder (08:06.249)Wow. Michael Pilarczyk (08:08.852)after a few years, but weāre still very close friends and Kimberly Snyder (08:15.4)Beautiful. Michael Pilarczyk (08:15.822)Yeah, letās say we had a tough time back then. I was really young. was 25, 26. For me, it was really hard to handle the situation, you know, with the financial problems, the problems in relationships, her illness, my grandmother died. So you can imagine that for me as a young guy, life was pretty chaotic. Kimberly Snyder (08:27.037)Of course. Kimberly Snyder (08:41.095)yeah. Yeah. But again, back to the journey that brings you to where you are today and having so much to share with others. So one of the things, Michael, that I really noticed first when I was looking through your book and your steps, I loved how you start to really bring it back to having time for stillness and silence. I was just talking to my husband about this yesterday because Michael Pilarczyk (08:45.408)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (09:08.925)He has offices in different countries and heās always like texting at night and just all over the place. And I said, you really need to carve out time. And even for me, Michael, itās really valuable as Iām a working mom, I have two young kids, but I really find this stillness is where I do get my best ideas and I feel recharged. But a lot of people might say to you, Michael, I just donāt have time. Thatās what people say to me. So what would you say to someone whoās like, oh, this sounds great. And I, you know, I like this idea of stillness, but how do you actually carve it out? How do you make it a priority? How do do this practically, Michael? Michael Pilarczyk (09:50.092)Itās a choice, Kimberly. Itās a decision you have to make yourself, you know? Itās like you need to breathe to stay alive. Kimberly Snyder (09:53.128)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (10:03.241)Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (10:05.784)For me, itās the same, you know, if you lose this connection with your inner self, if you lose the connection with the stillness within you, you get lost in the noise of other people and the noise of the rest of the world, the outside world. So what happens to most of us, you know, is that we get lost. Kimberly Snyder (10:18.312)Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (10:35.84)in the noise of the outside world because we have no time because itās not a priority to take some time for ourselves a few times a day. I think itās really important for everybody that you take two, three, maybe five minutes, five, six, seven times a day, just a short break. You know, like Kimberly Snyder (10:59.08)Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (11:03.564)Like a break in a sports game or in a Formula One race, know, the cars have to pit for a moment just to, you know, clear your mind, take a breath, reload, recharge, and then you can move on with focus, with concentration. And if you donāt do that, you lose your energy. So when your energy level drops, Kimberly Snyder (11:09.469)Yes. Michael Pilarczyk (11:32.738)You lose focus and the problem is you are open to anxiety. get, more feelings of fear, doubt, you know, irritation, all those negative feelings. They wonāt help you. So also therefore itās very important to have a break, take that moment for yourself. You know, you can call it a meditation moment. Kimberly Snyder (11:44.839)Yes. Michael Pilarczyk (12:01.784)few times a day. And as you said, you know, especially when you were very busy, when you have a business or two or three businesses, you have a family, you have your kids, you need to have time for yourself. Kimberly Snyder (12:15.953)Yeah, well, I love that because when you break it into just a few minutes, it seems doable, right? And the natural pace of life is you squeeze it in, you have a minute, maybe I can get this email in or just jamming everything in and that really is the formula for burnout. In heart language, we would say incoherence, right? When you feel that stress and your nervous system is just completely out of whack. So thatās a reallyā¦ Michael Pilarczyk (12:38.126)Yeah, yeah. Kimberly Snyder (12:45.065)great practical tip for anyone that says, I canāt just take an hour here or there, but you can take these two minutes. How powerful. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Making the choice, making the intention. So you also talk about, for some people, you and you talked about your story so beautifully, Michael, a lot of people and women, Iāll speak, Michael Pilarczyk (12:51.212)Yeah, it sounds so easy, you just have to do it. Kimberly Snyder (13:13.193)for when we have a lot of women in our community have limited ideas. I to say everyone, but I could say based on the questions that we get, limited ideas around money, around being able to really carve the path forward that we want, being able to do what we like to do and get paid for it. So you have a whole chapter here about limiting beliefs around money and creating a positive money mindset. How do we do that if weāve inherited these ideas and beliefs and scarcity and maybe grew up in families where there was an abundance mindset? Michael Pilarczyk (13:55.628)Yeah. Well, we all have been programmed. You know, there is a program running us. So itās very important to all of us to understand what is the program that is running you. What is your operating system? What does it look like? You know, where does all these limiting beliefs come from? Why do you Kimberly Snyder (14:03.474)Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (14:23.554)think the way you do, why do you act the way you do? Because your daily life is the result of your way of thinking, your mindset and your daily behavior. So if you want to change your actual daily life, you have to change your mindset and you have to change your behavior. You have to be more disciplined. And if you go to the money mindset, Itās very important to understand what is your limiting belief according to money. What is the problem with money? know, what, what, feeling do you have deep down inside? If you think about money, is it a negative feeling? Is it a positive feeling? Are you afraid of money? I can give you an example. A lot of people tell me, no, no, money is not important. I donāt think money is important. Well, money is important in our world. Itās important. You know, we have to pay the bills, we have to pay for everything. So itās important. Itās not the most important thing in the world, but actually itās very hard. Itās not likely that you can live and survive without money in our Western world. So itās important. Doesnāt mean you have to chase Kimberly Snyder (15:22.759)Right. Kimberly Snyder (15:40.744)Right. Michael Pilarczyk (15:45.556)money and you have to be a millionaire to live your best life. But you have to, letās say, love money. Because if you hate it, what happens with things you hate, you push them away. If you think money is not important, there is, you know, money is energy. Everything is energy. And this isnāt a Kimberly Snyder (16:02.802)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (16:08.489)Right. Michael Pilarczyk (16:14.958)washy thing, itās just really like it is its physics. So if you push the vibration of money away and you keep it, you know, out of your zone, it will never come to you, whatever you do. So you can work hard, you can try everything you can create in your mind. But if you have this negative approach to money, so you You try actually to keep it on a distance. It cannot come to you. You have to open your arms. Itās the same with love, you know? If you are closed, if you have no space in your area, in your heart, in your energy for another person, no one can come near you and you cannot create, give and get love. Itās the same with money. Kimberly Snyder (16:47.708)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (17:06.6)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (17:12.391)Right. You know, I relate to that Michael, because I think about when I came back from my backpacking journey and I was broke and I was on the road for three years, I had all these adventures, I was living out of a tent in Africa. And then boom, I did start to run out and I it was getting a bit dangerous and reckless. So anyways, after three years, I came back. I remember walking around New York City, I saw it a little bit of money to get this rent control department. And then I got this job that I really didnāt like. And I had this feeling of lack, like I was always worried about bills and it was like a struggle, right? And then one day, Michael, I decided to shift. said, well, what do I really love? I love yoga. So on the side, I teaching yoga. I love, you wellness. So I started to go back to nutrition school. And if I look back on that time and then everything just started to grow really organically, I had a free blog and then I started getting book deals and working with clients. But for me, and I didnāt think about it this way, but I started to feel very grateful for every dollar that came in. So I started to move away. You said, you know, we say in our family, H word, the hate word, because I canāt, all my kids, you know, itās a strong vibration. So we say H word, but, it wasnāt that I H worded it, but I was so focused on lack that it was like that feeling of like, I donāt have enough. It was kind of a yucky feeling. And then. The gratitude feeling was really nice and warm. It was a different energy. And I donāt know that I consciously shifted about money, but it happened along the way and it did change everything, I feel like. Michael Pilarczyk (18:55.982)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (19:01.814)Yeah. Sometimes, you know, when I hear you saying these words, itās an amazing story. And I have stories like this as well. And I know thereās so many people, even maybe people listening now thinking, yeah, it sounds all so wonderful for you, but thatās not for me. Or they donāt believe what weāre telling, you know, because Kimberly Snyder (19:02.867)So, gratitude. Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (19:29.912)People believe what they want to believe. And thatās very strong because thatās imagination. And as Einstein said, imagination is more important than knowledge. You have to imagine, you have to believe. If you believe it can be done, you maybe can do it. And again, itās not about chasing money, but money will come if you are on the right frequency. Kimberly Snyder (19:33.169)Right. Kimberly Snyder (19:48.626)right. Michael Pilarczyk (19:59.05)in whatever you do. Iāll try to explain. When I was 2 million in debt and I met Mr. Pena, my business mentor, he taught me how to build the business. I built the business. I sold it ever after five or six, seven years. And then I was financially independent. I was 37 years of age, but still I was deep down and depressed. I wasnāt happy. I was very unhappy. Even I had about $10 million. Then I went on my sailing trip because that was my long lasting dream. I built a sailing boat, went sailing, but that sailing journey became a journey to inner awareness. I started reading all kinds of spiritual books. I read lots of Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, listened to most of Deepakās and Wayneās talks. I was listening to Alan Watts and after two, three years, something changed. I think I became another person and then I started writing books. I wrote Master Your Mindset. I wrote Design Your Own Life. I started giving lectures. I did my coaching program 10, 12 years ago, I think I started that. And what I was doing back then was helping other people, not for the money, but because I really loved it from my heart. Kimberly Snyder (21:23.379)All right. Michael Pilarczyk (21:29.036)helping other people, know, teaching other people what I had learned in my life with many highs and lows. And it was so fulfilling. And as you said, I was so grateful that I could be the one doing this, you know, writing the books, lecturing, helping other people. And really, I didnāt do it for the money, but the money came in again. You know, it started flowing. Kimberly Snyder (21:46.045)Yes. Kimberly Snyder (21:56.137)Wow. Michael Pilarczyk (21:59.406)And I really believe if youāre on the right frequency, if youāre in the right track, youāre doing the right thing. You know, youāre following your heart. Itās your purpose. Maybe itās not for everybody, but thereās always something for everyone. And if youāre on that right track, you will. Itās like falling in love, you know, one day, you know, thatās the right person for you. Kimberly Snyder (22:16.777)Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (22:25.672)Right. Michael Pilarczyk (22:25.902)And itās the same with business, with work, with your career and with money and it will flow. Kimberly Snyder (22:33.725)That gratitude energy, Michael, and also like you said, this intention to serve. Itās one of the things Paramahansa Yogananda talks about who brought yoga to the West. talks about our purpose is mostly service and tuning into our unique talent, our unique voice, the unique expression, the unique way that we can serve, which looks different for all of us. And then the other thing that you said, Michael, that really struck me is that you were filling your Michael Pilarczyk (22:43.918)Sure, yeah, absolutely. Kimberly Snyder (23:02.793)mind, you were, you know, the nutrition you were giving yourself mentally and emotionally was really uplifting. Wayne Dyer and Deepak, whoās a dear friend of mine, we wrote a book together a couple years ago, but you werenāt reading negative things. I think thatās a really important thing as well. And Yogananda says our environment is so important. You know, when weāre going up, weāre trying to expand, Michael, watching these days what is coming into our social media feeds, making sure it feels inspiring, the friends that weāre spending a lot of time with, because when weāre shifting our mindset, Iām sure youād agree with me, we have to watch our total nutrition thatās coming in. Yeah. Michael Pilarczyk (23:46.168)so important. I was at a seminar of Bruce Lipton two months ago and he was telling this story about DNA, you know, and environment. And environment is so important. Itās because a lot of people think itās all DNA. Iām just the way I am because thatās the way it is. But thatās, itās, you know, itās not true. Itās epigenetics. Kimberly Snyder (23:59.325)Mm-hmm. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (24:10.235)or genetics. Yeah. Kimberly Snyder (24:14.865)Yes. Yes. Michael Pilarczyk (24:14.99)Itās your environment. Partly, you know, partly it is in us. Some small piece of us, we cannot really change. But I think my conviction is that maybe 90 % of your life you can control. You cannot control everything in life, but a lot you can control with your mind and with taking action. You have to take action, very important. But very important is where you are. Who are the people you surround yourself with? Show me your friends
April Four Cornerstones Power Hour Tips Show [Episode 982]
Summary: In the April Four Cornerstones Power Hour episode Kimberly discussed the importance of adapting our wellness practices with the changing of the seasons, particularly in spring, which symbolizes renewal and rebirth. Kimberly gives listeners practical tips and takeaways for the spring by enhancing their diet with raw foods, the significance of movement and body care, the emotional benefits of decluttering, and the spiritual journey of self-discovery and growth. Kimberly encourages listeners to engage with the community and share their experiences as they navigate their wellness journeys. Ā Episode Sponsors LMNT OFFER: Right now, for my listeners LMNT is offering a free sample pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD. Thatās 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT any LMNT drink mix purchase. Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD . This deal is only available through my link so. Also try the new LMNT Sparkling ā a bold, 16-ounce can of sparkling electrolyte water. USE LINK: DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD Ā FATTY15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Four Cornerstones Power Hour 03:11 Embracing Spring: Food Cornerstone Tips 06:02 Enhancing Body Wellness for Spring 13:00 Emotional Wellbeing: Spring Cleaning for the Soul 17:56 Spiritual Growth: Rebirth and Awakening 25:02 Conclusion and Community Engagement Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means STUDIES AND RESEARCH A 2021 review in the Journal of Nutrients found increased raw vegetable intake correlated with improved metabolic health markers, including blood pressure and lipid profiles. A 2018 study in the Journal of Frontiers in Psychology linked raw fruit and vegetable consumption with better mental well-being compared to cooked versions. A 2017 article in the Journal of Appetite showed people naturally shift toward lighter meals in spring/summer, due to circadian rhythm and temperature regulation. A 2024 study in the Journal of Affiliations found that vitamin C increases non-heme iron absorption up to 3-6x, especially when eaten with meals containing inhibitors (like phytates or tannins). A 2001 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Demonstrated a dose-response relationship: as vitamin C intake increased, so did non-heme iron absorption. 50 mg of vitamin C (about whatās in the juice of 1 lemon) significantly improved absorption. A 2023 study in the Journal of Pharmaceuticals found spirulina to be highly bioavailable, especially when combined with vitamin C. A 2023 Study in the Journal of Oil Crop Science found that heated seed oils produce cytotoxic compounds harmful to the liver, gut lining, and cardiovascular system. Participants also showed increased hemoglobin and ferritin levels after regular intake. A 2022 study in Frontiers in Nutrition showed how PUFAs, especially linoleic acid, affect neuroinflammatory pathways. TRANSCRIPT Kimberly Snyder (00:00.6)Hi everyone and welcome back to our feel good community or welcome to our community if this is your first time tuning in and Iām very excited to say that this is our very first month doing our monthly Four Cornerstone power tip roundup. This may evolve in terms of its title but this is going to be how we roll out these Thursday shows from now on. Thereās going to be one Thursday show at the top of each month where I will cover my top tips for you for that particular month across our cornerstones, which are food, body, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual growth. Everything evolves. As you guys know, everything is dynamic and itās important to stay in flow. And weāve been doing these weekly Thursday Q &A shows, I canāt believe it, but for almost a decade. And it started off with my friend Tony, then it was with Caitlin, then I started doing them myself. And it feels organic for us to now shift into this very power packed Thursday show where I can really give you my top tips across the cornerstones and the show will continue to build and evolve by next month in May. Weāre gonna do some really fun. giveaways and other ways we can incorporate parts of Saluna and our products and offerings, which will be really fun. And yeah, itās just this evolution. really grateful that our Feel Good podcast is in the top 3 % of podcasts across the board. You know, thereās podcasts in pretty much every category, but our community has grown and grown. And I feel really called to putting a lot of energy into the quality of our Monday shows. It takes me quite a bit of time to read all the books and then again, to really give you an amazing show once a month and you can take time to really digest all the information to carry you throughout the month. And you can continue to ask questions so I can incorporate that into this monthly show. Again, you can ask questions at Kimberly Snyder (02:16.254)love at mysalina.com. You know whatās going on, whatās happening with you, any of the around any of the cornerstones, how you eat, any questions about digestion or spirituality, or the heart led work that I focus so much now and then the new book, The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts. So Iām really excited to get your feedback about this and also to give you something that really comes from my heart and I hope will give you a tremendous value. And Iām really excited to kick it off this month of April, which feels like a really important month because weāre really in the heart of spring. And spring is this rebirth month. Itās the month of renewal, new energy. Weāre starting to shift or really, really shifting now from the heaviness and a little bit more, you know, just earthiness of winter. into where we can really start to plant seeds that will continue to grow in the next few months to come in terms of our body goals, our energy, our creative projects. So Iām really excited to kick it off this month. And as I said, the show will continue to evolve. Before we go any deeper, a little reminder to please join our newsletter at mysalina.com where you can keep in track with new recipes. Iām also really inspired part of my energy will shift back into creating several new recipes for you guys a month. We get a lot of questions about wanting to get more food ideas. And so Iām listening to you guys. So know that Iāll be putting more energy back into creating new dishes for you. Itās cyclical for me. Sometimes I create dozens of new recipes for certain books. Now Iām really focused back here on our podcast and Saluna for a moment. So when you join our newsletter, youāll get the recipes, youāll get tips and tools and articles. So check that out over on our website, mysaluna.com. And please leave a review for the show and share the show with anyone that you think would benefit. Itās a wonderful way to spread the love. All right, so letās get right into our show today. This energy of April feels very powerful to me. And so one of the thingsā¦ Kimberly Snyder (04:36.558)that we wanna do as we focus on the food cornerstone, Iām gonna give you a really tangible idea and then a bigger conceptual concept is to add seed crackers into our salads. So I went to a restaurant the other day, Wild Living Foods, when I was in downtown LA for my sonās chess tournament and it just felt so on point to eat a salad like this. this is because itās the natural time of the year, even in Ayurveda, which has a lot of cooked foods, a lot of soupy dishes, soups and stews, but this is the time of the year to expand our raw food ratio. So when we have more salads, more salad based meals, we can still have denser foods like seeds and nuts and sea crackers, but the ratios are changing now. So whereas in winter you might have a big curry, some brown rice, and just sprinkle some sprouts on top, now weāre looking to really evolve that. ratio in a very organic way where the salads would become the bigger part of the meal. And also I have a lot of open faced wraps, just having a lot more micro greens, a lot more sprouts, having more smoothies. I still have smoothies year round, but this is where Iām starting to feel called to the Power Protein smoothie again as a second smoothie of the day and thinking about how we lighten up our overall diet. because thatās whatās happening, right? If you look outside and you see the buds starting to sprout, and even though thereās some burn areas near where I live, thankfully no burned homes, but we look out over where the fire came down over the mountain, but you already see the green grasses. And a lot of the trees didnāt actually die. Theyāre shedding this sort of singed outer layer and thereās this greenery coming. So itās a really, to us that in timing to increase our greens is only going to benefit our body. Itās a natural way to evolve our diet right now. And what happens when we do that is we start to get in flow with this raw vitality that comes from our foods, which is enzymes and vitamins, vitamin C, the sun energy. So we feel enlivened. Kimberly Snyder (06:56.706)we start to feel more creative. We start to let that Kundalini energy rise up, which is impossible if we feel overly stagnant. And itās not possible when we have a lot of fear running through our programming, which weāll talk about in just a moment with our emotional wellbeing cornerstone. a tangible example is more salads with the crackers added in, as opposed to a lot of dense food and a little bit of raw. Another thing to think about is pairing these greens with vitamin C because we want to start to build this base of iron and minerals as a really strong foundation to feel grounded as our energy may start to take off. So Iāll give you an example. The Dharmaās kale salad has kale, obviously, with lemon juice in it, or with your glowing green smoothie, which has a lot of greens. and hopefully youāre adding your glowing greens powder, which is a really powerful way to up the anti, to have these greens that you wouldnāt have fresh, chlorella, spirulina, moringa, ashitaba, great for your skin, great for your energy, great for your hair, right? But we have that lemon juice, which helps your body to absorb that non-heme iron. And Iāve been mentioning this a lot because I think itās so great sometimes to have those. You know, not all the time maybe, but to have the numbers to back up. And when I did my blood work a couple months ago, my iron levels were really great. And I attribute that to that intentional combining of greens with vitamin C. think, you know, lemon in your salad dressings is a really easy way to do it. If youāre making a good green goddess dressing, putting in lemon juice or lime juice, finishing a soup or a stew that you may have greens wilted in, just a squeeze of lemon on top, not cooking the lemons. And again, glowing greens powder in your glowing greens smoothie. So another thing that is great to think about right now, and then this will also, and thereās research that weāll still link to in these show notes. Kimberly Snyder (09:14.04)There was a 2023 study that I pulled from the Journal of Pharmaceuticals that found that spirulina is highly bioavailable when itās combined with vitamin C. Participants showed increased hemoglobin and ferritin levels after regular intake of iron. So again, back to how this research really backs up these natural flavor combinations and profiles. Iāve been putting lemon juice in my salads for so long now. And it just feels really fresh and itās a great way to increase that iron. Okay. So another thing that we want to think about, and this will naturally parlay into our body cornerstone is oils. So Iāll start with the food oil component, because now we want to make sure that our metabolism and our digestion are really great. There can be a drying effect from winter. right, because of the heaters and just the air. And so weāre coming into this more sort of juicy, this potency and spring. So healthy oils, whilst weāre increasing our raw foods are really important and it will help us to avoid any drying effects. And drying from an Ayurvedic standpoint can happen even from just eating too much raw food. So we combat that but with healthy oils. cooking with coconut oil, adding extra virgin olive oil to certain salads, avocado oil, and avoiding seed oils, which are inflammatory in the body. And even if you like snack foods, and sometimes my kids like chips, but thereās certain brands like Siete now where you can get avocado oil-based chips instead of chips made with sunflower oil or safflower oil or cottonseed oil, which are inflammatory in the body. And thereās so much wonderful research around healthy fats these days. For instance, a 2020 study in the Journal of Biomedicine found that high omega-3, a good omega-6 to omega-3 ratios helped with inflammatory diseases and helped to reduce autoimmune conditions. So again, this means these really beautiful oils, even avocado oil. Kimberly Snyder (11:37.998)Coconut oil has a lot of saturated fat, but itās medium chain fatty acids, which can metabolize quite well. And avoiding these really high heat pressure seed oils, which can be quite difficult for your liver to metabolize and have such a high ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s. Along with healthy oils, itās so great to start adding in those chia seed eggs. As I call them, I use chia seeds a lot. I made my sonās birthday cake a few weeks ago and I use chia eggs instead of regular eggs, of course, because Iām plant-based. You use one tablespoon of chia seeds to three tablespoons of water. It works so well. Itās how I make pancakes. You can use that chia gel in your Power Protein smoothie. And also just again, back to the seed crackers. I think this is a great season, a great month to get some seed crackers. You can make them yourself. We have some recipes. If you have a dehydrator or you can just buy them and again, crush them, add them to your salads for a little bit of texture and getting some of those healthy Omega-3 fats in as well. So speaking of oils, now letās transition to our second cornerstone, which is body. And just for a moment, as youāre listening to this, you may be in the car or doing the dishes. Just start to feel what is naturally happening in your body right now. could sway a little bit. You can start to move your neck, some organic neck rolls. What I feel in my body is this, Kundalini rising, right? It just means this energy is wanting to come up and out, sort of like the flowers and the locusts are coming out of the soil. We wear a lot of heavier clothes in the winter. and we can feel a little bit more, you know, stagnant, sitting at desks and chairs, watching a little bit more screen time maybe. And so we want our bodies to move and to get outside. So depending where you live, this can be the season where we start to do natural grounding, reconnecting with the earth, kicking your shoes off, even just for a few moments, getting in your lawn. Kimberly Snyder (13:56.536)putting your feet down on the sand, if youāre playing with your child at a playground where thereās a sandbox, right? All these ways that we start to reconnect our energy with the greater collective energy of spring. And because I was talking about oils, again, maybe weāre taking a lot of hot baths, thereās a lot of dryers on, great time to oil the hair. Iām a big fan of hair oil. You can use a rosemary mixed with a carrier oil or herbalized. Ayurvedic oil or Anima Mundi has a really great roots oil, but youāre just going to take a couple drops and massage it into your hair in the evening. And itās great to reinvigorate your scalp. Itās great for circulation and just bringing that. Ayurveda also says itās great for Vata energy to bring down that energy. Even helps your brain power helps you to feel more grounded. You can also start to bring some, Iāve got some essential oils here in my hands. If youāre listening to this, not watching it. Some natural oils like clary sage can feel really good in the spring to bring that. For me, it just feels really fresh, like refreshing up our energy. So working with essential oils can be really powerful as well. And then also from a body cornerstone perspective, since weāre in this month of April. Itās this time of cleaning out and cleansing. So we can also start to relook at our exercise routine. What is something that we can bring in? I did a Sahaja mini yoga post on Instagram. If you follow me or if not, you may want to check it out. My hand tells at underscore Kimberly Snyder. It feels so primal to me to get on my mat and just let my spine move around and lift and move. It feels like a really nourishing way. to move energy. Again, that may feel pent up. It feels really good to move my neck back and forth to get back into some natural expression. Thereās a connection between your sacral chakra, which is where we create energies. where emotions get processed. Itās where reproductive organs are, hormonal balance, fertility, and letting that come up and through our throats and the whole spine in general. So Kimberly Snyder (16:15.756)check out that little practice on my Instagram or simply get on your yoga mat and feel in ways in which you can start to move your spine. I was hiking with my kids a couple days ago and we saw a rattlesnake and it was exciting. We were far enough away it was safe, but just watching the way that the snake moved off the path in this, you know, just incredibly beautiful way. Thereās so much with snake energy that I associate with the spring, this shedding off stagnation, the old snake skins. This is the year of the snake. Another reason to get on our email list is we put out some free programming for the community. And I did a year of the snake zoom a couple of weeks ago and Iāll do another one coming up. So make sure you get on our list so you can join us if you would like. And this idea of this rebirth energy, we want to feel it physically and somatically. Weāve been doing these shows, thereās so much trending around trauma and how much somatic healing is needed because trauma is stored in your body. And also the stagnant energy from the preceding season, again, from winter. So as we birth into spring, letting your spine move again, this is where the grounding comes in, thinking about maybe you feel like walking outside instead of just doing that treadmill in your gym, which you did all winter, because it was freezing where you lived or there was snow on the ground or it was just an easy thing to do. But now you may feel called to be out in the sunshine and get some fresh air. So let your body lead your movement and remember to oil your scalp. maybe some whole body avianga oil massage as well as you start to shift. So now our third cornerstone, emotional well-being. And one of the things that you can start to do, and this is really interesting because spring cleaning has always been a thing, is you can work with the physical and start to come into the deeper layers of your emotions. Kimberly Snyder (18:24.512)or sometimes it can go the other way in reverse. And what I mean by that is for me, it started in March, this natural cleaning things out and rearranging. So those of you that watch this on YouTube, on our YouTube channel, if you look behind me, my podcast shelf looks a little bit different than it did a few weeks ago. It was like freshening up the shelves, moving different furniture around, completely rearranging our bathroom, getting rid of more old stuff. And it felt deeper than just physical. So from then I started to go through some really big realizations and even more heart awakening. And I was journaling a lot and I was starting to feel a lot like another layer. If youāve written the Hidden Power, the Five Hearts, going deeper into the devoted heart and feeling more empathy, but also more truth coming forward because To be honest, boundaries have always been a little bit tricky for me where I want to be kind and I want to give, but I donāt want to betray myself. And Iāve really been navigating in the past few weeks and years about that line between really considering other people and also what is right and true. And so this comment came out, came up a bit recently as well. You know, many of us that are parents, have to negotiate other parents in the space and also advocate for whatās true and letting our child lead. even that, sometimes parents want to do events or they want to have play dates. And if it doesnāt feel right to, you know, your family or your child, finding a way to be honest and truthful, but in a kind way. Right. So for me, you know, back to this idea of spring cleaning. What I have found and what I would recommend for you as well to see how this can benefit you in your life and in your emotional wellbeing and health is clearing clutter, clearing space, and just getting rid of what is not needed has really helped me, again, back to this April month of rebirth, get really clear about boundaries, clear about whatās not needed, old ideas. Kimberly Snyder (20:43.894)all things I was holding onto, allowing my heart to burst open and to get bigger, even more and more. So this is where everything can work together so powerfully and so beautifully. So if youāre feeling like, eh, thereās some heaviness, thereās a little bit of things to clear up, but youāre not sure how to do it, try cleaning out a drawer. Try cleaning out your bathroom or one shelf of your kitchen and see what that ignites in you. Or like me, clear out, then you allow some space maybe to do your heart aligned meditation and then to journal, what am I ready to let go of? Whether thatās an idea, an old resentment that youāre ready to forgive, strengthening a boundary, getting rid of wishy-washiness, getting rid of people pleasing, whatever it is, it starts to stir up. And remember as well, all these heart coherence tools in the book. including the Heart Aligned Steady in Life practice can really help you sort through some icky old patterns and emotions while feeling safe to feel. So what we do in that practice, Iāll share in an abbreviated way, is to first to connect to your heart, which is a brain, and an energy power center. We can do it right now just to breathe down into your heart, the center of your spine between your crown chakra and your root. Feel this centering. and do your coherence breath or your heart aligned meditation. And then you can allow to the extent that you have a capacity window for to feel your window of tolerance, to feel a big emotion and to breathe through while you stay connected to your heart. Itās like holding onto a rope attached to a pole in the middle of a storm, right? Thereās an anchor inside of you. So you donāt have to feel overly upset or rageful or sad or whatever it is with the emotion so that you feel swept up and into incoherence of the dark heart, you can stay centered in yourself. Yeah, so this is a really powerful practice to play with cleaning your space, letting go, and then seeing what arises within you from an emotional well-being standpoint. And then next we want to talk about spiritual growth. And this idea of rebirth is such an important concept in yoga. Kimberly Snyder (23:07.002)And in this awakening of the heart, itās this cracking open into more of the true self, more of who we are and less of these old ideas. So it may be a really great time to read some inspirational material, including the heart book, the five hearts, then empower the five hearts, but also the Tao Te Ching, which I talk about quite a bit as well, which is about this spaciousness and going beyond ideas. And depending on your practices, your faith, and maybe reading parts of the Bible or Rumi or whatever spiritual texts call you, a really great time to add that in perhaps to your meditation practice or your journaling practice to think about this idea of rebirth. We can die and be reborn day after day. We wake up each day into this new experience of consciousness. So we donāt have to wait until New Yearās. We donāt have to wait for some, you know, our birthday or, you know, solar returns, some sort of prescribed astrological concept. We can die and be reborn every single day. And so now is such a potent time to lean into that practice. and to think about it. So I encourage you to, from a spiritual standpoint, which again, isnāt formalized religion, but itās about tuning into your energy, your unique energy inside of you through meditation, through stillness. What is it that I really want to birth into this month, this day and spring, along with the oldness and the heaviness? of winter, when am I ready to leave behind? And you can write a new intentions, you can journal about it, you can visualize and vision it after youāre coherent. So thatās what I do. I do my heart aligned meditation, and then I allow some time for devotion and prayer. And then I let my heart lead me into this vision of me into even more freedom and lightness. Kimberly Snyder (25:31.276)I have to tell you guys spiritually, I had an amazing experience a few weeks ago where I saw this really popular author who happens to be at the same publishing house as me. And sheās a huge podcast. And I saw her and Iām not on social media lot, but I do go on to look at comments and to make sure, you know, everything is, you know, I can support in any way. And I happened to see her. As Anna made it as always in her flow, doing some kind of talking video. And then I felt so deeply in my heart, you guys. I said, wow, Iām really happy for that person for this level of success. But I said, I donāt want that. Thatās not what I want in my life. And this felt so freeing. And I can literally say, with my whole heart that I really birthed into a whole new level of contentment and concept of success, where success for me is really about the daily peace, having loved ones and close relationships with my family members, having really just supportive practices, deepening my meditations. Thereās so much internally and just enjoying being present and seeing the nature around. And itās not that I donāt care and I love our community and I do want to continue to grow. Iām very passionate about Saluna and our Feel Good Podcasts, my books and all the offerings. But whereas in the past, I might have been in more of a comparative mind, judging myself, how I could be bigger or do more or feeling like, I should be like this person, you know, six. 10, 12 years ago, I could literally look at this person who also has a podcast and is also an author and again, feel happy for them, but also to be clear, hey, I donāt want to be that person and I donāt, you know, thatās just not the style of how I want to communicate or put things out, which is great for her, but it just felt a little bit of that, you know, rah-rah energy. I just, you know, Iām just really happy in my own journey. Kimberly Snyder (27:53.074)And if anything, know, feeling good, the name of our show and what these cornerstones is about is really for you to feel more more connected to how amazing your journey is and how you are and how you really donāt have to be anyone else and that your heart will continue to awaken and unfold in its own beautiful way for you to find your own definition of success and your own deepening of relationships, including with yourself. Thatās what feeling good really is. Feeling good isnāt just built on, look at my achievements, or, you know, look at how great my hair is today. Although we all wanna have good hair, we all wanna, you know, create. But feeling good transcends those things. It includes them, but it transcends into this really deep, rooted sense of wholeness, right? Thatās what thisā¦ is all about. Thatās what saluna is. The sun and the moon is about wholeness. The cornerstones help us to feel this wholeness of the true self. So I wanted to share that with you because Iām just so grateful for all these teachings that we have. And Iāll share everything with you because itās really been a journey for me to get to this level of peace, which is deepening more and more. And I still get thrown off. Donāt get me wrong. And I still have triggers. and I still have reactions and I still have big feelings, but wow, most of the time Iām peaceful. Most of the time do I feel this beautiful flow. And thatās really what I want to offer you with this show and with this work. And you really can get there yourself. So again, April is a beautiful month for deepening into that. Thinking about expanding your raw foods, your greens, pairing greens with vitamin C rich foods. Iām gonna be giving you more recipes. Please join the community. Itās going to be amazing. Even more, I have a lot more energy to put into Saluna now. Iām not writing a book at the moment. Which is another rebirth for me to put energy back into the podcast and into Saluna in a much bigger way. And body lights, feeling the oils, feeling the natural expansiveness that wants to come up and out of your spine. Let it be expressed in your natural movements. Let it be expressed through releasing old emotions. Kimberly Snyder (30:11.534)Clean some part of your house. Notice how decluttering outside will help you declutter energy inside. And then spiritually tune into what does rebirth mean for you right now. Try your heart aligned meditation or other meditations that call to you feeling that stillness from which rebirth and spiritual growth really takes place. So Iām here to support you more and more, more than ever. Remember to email love at mysalina.com. where you can submit more questions. Iāll still be answering your questions in this monthly framework, which Iām so excited about. Our monthly roundup, Power Tips Around the Four Cornerstones, however weāll title it. And then starting next month, weāll also be incorporating some fun community giveaways. So be on the lookout for that in May. Just as always, so grateful to be on the journey with you. So Iāll see you back here. We will continue to do weekly Monday interview shows. and those will all be in different cornerstones each week. So stay tuned for that. And remember, you can find me at at underscore Kim, at underscore Kimberly Snyder on Instagram. Thank you in advance for leaving a review for our show, which means the world. Check out the hidden power of the five hearts, which is really, you know, after over a decade of writing eight books, itās my resting point now. Itās like my final message in terms of writing books. for this moment. feel really complete with what I shared and expressed in that book, which affect our vitality in so many different ways. So please check out the book. Please check out and join our newsletter at mysalina.com. And Iāll see you guys back here soon. Sending you so much love. Ā
What Causes Sugar Cravings and How to Break Them with a Holistic Four Cornerstone Approach [Episode 980]
What Causes Sugar Cravings and How to Break Them Hi everyone and welcome back to our Thursday Q &A show. I hope youāre having a lovely day. Thank you so much for tuning in to be with us here today. Our topic is around the hormone DHEA and how to create youthful vitality. Iāll talk about some, shall we say, non-mainstream ways to elevate your DHEA and to feel more of this youthful vitality, which I believe is our birthright, and that we can start to really foster and elevate no matter what our biological age is. So this is a show about elevating your life force, feeling great in your life and some really practical tips and tools and strategies to do so such asā¦.. Ā Episode Summary: In this episode, Kimberly delves into the complexities of sugar cravings, exploring the emotional, psychological, and physical roots. She emphasizes a holistic approach to managing these cravings, incorporating aspects of gut health, nutrition, mindfulness, and spiritual growth. Through practical tips and insights, listeners are encouraged to find balance and fulfillment beyond sugar, fostering a deeper connection with themselves and their community. Ā Episode Sponsors FATTY 15 OFFER: Fatty15 is on a mission to replenish your C15 levels and restore your long-term health. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/KIMBERLY and using code KIMBERLY at checkout. USE LINK: fatty15.com/KIMBERLY Feel Good SBO Probiotics OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and Get 15% Feel Good Probiotics. Offer good for 15% off Purchase. USE LINK: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. Episode Chapters 00:00 Understanding Sugar Cravings 02:52 The Emotional and Psychological Aspects of Sugar 06:10 The Role of Gut Health and Nutrition 09:02 Balancing Sugar Cravings with Mindfulness 11:50 The Impact of Stress and Lifestyle on Sugar Cravings 15:01 Exploring the Spiritual Connection to Sugar 17:47 Practical Tips for Managing Sugar Intake 21:05 The Importance of Community and Support 23:52 Emotional Resilience and Self-Care 27:08 Finding Sweetness Within: A Holistic Approach Ā SOLLUNA PRODUCT LINKS Glowing Greens Powderā¢ Feel Good SBO Probiotics Feel Good Detoxy Feel Good Digestive Enzymes Feel Good Starter Kit Feel Good Skincare KIMBERLYāS BOOKS The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts Chilla Gorilla & Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart The Beauty Detox Solution Beauty Detox Foods Beauty Detox Power Radical Beauty Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life You Are More Than You Think You Are OTHER PODCASTS YOU MAY ENJOY! How to Believe in Your Self Worth with Jamie Kern Lima How to Raise Your Standards In Your Love Life with Matthew Hussey How to Eat to Beat Your Diet with New York Times best selling author Dr. William Li The issues with consuming vegetable and seed oils with Dr. Catherine Shanahan How the Power Foods Diet helps with Weight Loss with Dr. Neal Barnard How Not to Age with New York Times best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo How to Optimize Your Metabolic Health with Dr. Casey Means STUDIES AND RESEARCH In 2006, a study published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society examined the psychological mechanisms behind food cravings, focusing on emotional, cognitive, and biological influences. The study found that the driver for why a majority of people crave sugar specific foods is linked to the role of biological and emotional drivers In 2022, a meta-analysis presented at the European Congress on Obesity examined the effects of vegan diets on weight loss, blood sugar regulation, and sugar cravings in adults with overweight or type 2 diabetes.This study explored how plant-based diets influence metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and cravings for sugary foods, showing that a vegan diet may naturally help reduce sugar dependency by stabilizing blood glucose levels and promoting satiety. In 2024, a study published by the University of Leeds examined whether replacing sugar with artificial and natural sweeteners impacts hunger levels, appetite regulation, and sugar cravings. The study found that sweeteners can replace sugar in foods effectively, reducing appetite and blood sugar levels without negative health impacts, supporting their use in dietary management. In 2022, a study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity examined the link between loneliness and increased cravings for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) among adolescents. The research aimed to understand how emotional well-being influences dietary behaviors in relation to sugary drink consumption and found a direct correlation between loneliness and heightened SSB cravings among teenagers. Ā TRANSCRIPT Kimberly Snyder (00:00.76)Hi everyone and welcome back to our Thursday Q &A show where today weāre going to be talking about sugar and specifically what causes sugar cravings and how to break them with a holistic four cornerstone approach. Everything boils down to energy and that very much includes sugar which creates a certain energy biologically in your body. It makes us feel a certain way emotionally and mentally thereās so much wrapped around sugar. And as someone who is, I would say, a huge chocolate lover, someone that definitely likes to have a lot of sweets myself, I have a lot of ideas and thoughts to share with you, as well as research around how we can enjoy moderate amounts of sugar, but not feel that overwhelmed, that addictive quality that can really imbalance our gut, health, and also just our energy overall. This is a pretty big issue. get a lot of questions from you guys around sugar and how to really get it fully under control. So today I want to talk about it from this very holistic standpoint, which has really helped me a lot. Again, thereās an emotional quality to sugar. Thereās even a spiritual quality. Thereās the physical gut health, blood sugar that we want to talk about from a physical standpoint. And also, of course, the actual nutritional composition of sugar and how we can balance that in our diets overall. Before we go further, I want to remind you that the show notes are at mysaloona.com. I highly recommend that you get on our newsletter if you havenāt joined already. We put out information every week, including amazing recipes, articles. We have sales, we have community events, we have free meditations. So please be sure to sign up so you stay in the know. And I also want to mention that this is going to beour last Q &A show in this format. We are going to be moving to a once a month show, which will rotate around the cornerstones where I can add in a lot of different information. be an extended, expanded show where we can actually take a lot of different questions around each cornerstone each month. Itās gonna be amazing. So that will start up in April and that way weāll still have our Monday interview show. Kimberly Snyder (02:26.806)and then weāll have the once a month Thursday show. So you can really have more time to digest these really information packed episodes and enjoy them weekly still. But the cadence of the Thursday shows will just be a little bit, you know, more spaced out, which I think will be a great way to go deeper into each cornerstone. So Iāll be looking out for that one in April where we will kick it off with the food cornerstone as our first monthly show. All right, letās get into our show today. Speaking of food, I would say this is a multi cornerstone approach. Although sugar of course falls in our food category, like I said, it is an energy. We put sugar in our body and it creates an effect. Thatās why many of us want the sugar. We feel differently. Thereās an energetic quality to it. It expands all the cornerstones. So our question comes from Jill in Dallas, Texas. Jill, thank you so much for writing in today. And you ask, Hey, Kimberly, I love the podcast and listen every week. So thank you. Thank you for being in our community, Jill. I have a question about sugar cravings. I have a bit of a sweet tooth and always seem to crave sugary food when I get hungry. Why is that? And what can I do to break this cycle? So first of all, Jill, youāre not alone. Many of us naturally crave sugar in our lives. And first of all, thereās a truth to it. In Ayurveda, there are the six key tastes. One of them is sweet madhura. So weāre meant to have some sweetness in our life. Now it doesnāt have to be from refined sugar. We can supply this sweet quality, which creates overall balance in our diet from grains, from whole fruit, for example, from certain high quality sweeteners such as raw honey. So what I found is clients and readers that I talk to that have a more extreme diet, it can exacerbate sugar cravings in the long run, or they may feel that they need to have cheat days. So if weāre really cutting out carbs altogether or eating really strict Kimberly Snyder (04:47.512)paleo type diet or something like that, you know, we can start to see some hankerings for sugar that can build up over time. And then thereās also a psychological aspect to sugar because we think about our modern life today and letās face it, thereās a lot of potential roughness, thereās triggers, thereās a harshness in aspects in our world. whether thatās the pace of the emails coming in or the traffic, people honking, people being abrasive in your life, certain relationships. So that sweetness that we crave sometimes from external sources, which could be as easy as popping a candy bar or having some ice cream or whatever it is, is almost this really soothing quality that we are reaching for because there is this, again, this abrasiveness that can be part of our lives. A 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society examined the psychological mechanisms behind food cravings focusing on the emotional, cognitive, and biological influences. And the study found that the driver for why a majority of people crave sugary foods is linked to emotional drivers. So if you havenāt checked out my book, I thinkā¦ six books ago now, itās called The Beauty Detox Power, and it talks about the nine top food cravings. And one of them, of course, is sweets and sugary treats. And it was really interesting when I dove into the research around this because I have experienced cravings for sugar at certain parts of my life and certain parts of the day. And then I also can see where the cravings would shift into more fatty foods. like having lots of butter and oily foods when I was looking for stability and also crunchy foods like chips and pretzels I would crunch down a lot when I would feel the need to release tension and I wasnāt expressing my emotions. So I started to track these patterns in my own life and I started to see it in my clients. And it was really that for many people at the end of the day, there was all these Kimberly Snyder (07:09.102)little frustrations and irritations that weāre building up in the nervous system and looking for a type of release. So whether thatās, you know, sitting down with a, you know, with a plate of cookies while youāre watching Netflix, just to feel like youāre giving yourself a reward or a treat, weāre seeking relief through the day. And the question is, how do we give ourselves little moments of relief so that it doesnāt build up into this need? to, you know, whether itās the end of the day or mid afternoon getting a lollipop or, you know, a piece of candy out of our purse to get us through the afternoon or really sugary drink from Starbucks. What else can we do energetically to balance? Which weāll talk about in a moment because sugar is not as simple as saying, okay, Iām just going to buy the sugar free cookies or are going to completely fast from the sugar if we donāt look at the underlying reasons. Why are we are consistently pulled toward this or over pulled towards this Madura quality, the sweetness. Sugar rich foods trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, reinforcing a desire for sugary foods. Again, how can we feel fulfillment in our life without this actual reward? We know that dopamine hits can come when weāre looking at how many people like our social media post or if people give us compliments. You know, thereās many different ways that weāre looking for external reward. And Iām here to say that, you know, thatās okay. And we want to balance that. But thereās so many ways that we can reward ourselves, including, and Iāll give a little hint here, feeling that deep sense of inner security in our hearts. So doing some of these very brief heart coherence practices, which we can do right here, right now, shifting to your heart, taking some Deep breaths, breathing in easefulness as you focus on your heart and exhaling out a sense of ease. Now thereās science to this as well. Research from the Heart Math Institute that I also talk about in the Hidden Power of the Five Hearts shows that taking deep breaths while we were focusing on the heart starts to activate the heart brain, which contains 40,000 neurons. So this can start to widen our perceptions. It starts to create a sense of relaxation. Kimberly Snyder (09:32.64)and safety in this moment. And what I have found over time is just feeling more steadiness through my day. So whether itās a need to text a friend when I get stressed out or having, you know, for me, I really like chocolate. So, you know, a couple of pieces of a chocolate bar, whatever it is, I can soothe myself more through the day in these micro moments, which also adds up to not having these big you know, moments of sugar cravings or cravings in general, particularly later in the day and after dinner is where they would usually strike when I was done with work or my kids were in bed and then I had a little bit more time to sort of fester. Itās like little by little, weāre putting out these spot fires through the day so we can keep ourselves more grounded. And there is so much research around heart coherence and the power of our hearts. thatās been really huge for me because itās not coming from a mental place. Itās coming from a deep embodied place coming into this power center of our hearts, which is spiritual, itās energetic, and itās physical. Now there are certain people which may be predisposed to higher amounts of sugar cravings. I think that thereās so much, you know, with epigenetics and how we influence that, but it is important to realize that there is a specific gene such as the sucrise isomaltase si gene, which means that some individuals may have a preference, a higher consumption of sweet foods. And we donāt know genetically if it was certain parts of the world. People adapted or lived with a higher amount of sweets. You know, I definitely believe in a genetic constitution. I know my body. does very well in tropical environments, for example. I do very well in tropical fruits. My motherās from the Philippines. Iām half Filipina. And I feel like thatās a very strong component that runs through my blood and my body. And Susanna on our team was mentioning the other day how, you know, she does well with Kimberly Snyder (11:50.114)the cold and some denser foods and her family is from the Ukraine, right? So we canāt ignore nor do we want to totally, you know, rule out that part of our constitution. Itās part of deeper understanding of ourselves. So just know that some people may have a little bit of a tendency and it doesnāt mean that with lifestyle and all the tips that weāll get into in a moment, we canāt balance it. But itās really interesting to understand that. So thereās definitely stress that has an impact. And thereās a lot of research around this as well. When we are feeling that moment of being out of control or feeling threatened or the hurry energy as I call it, and weāre feeling like that, ooh, things are out of control, weāre looking to feel soothed. Weāre looking to feel calmed down. And thatās where itās a very easy fix. Itās become an ingrained pattern for many of us. to go for that sugary soda or candy bar or, you know, in my case, the chocolate or whatever it is, just to feel that temporary moment. you know, for chocolate has those, you know, bliss enhancers. There really is something to sugar, even healthier forms that do give us that temporary lift. And again, Iām all about enjoyment and moderation, but we donāt want to feel that attachment. Right? Thereās so much about in the yogic path about non-attachment where we donāt want to give our power away to something outside of ourselves, whether that is needing another person to show up for us in a certain way or needing that food to be there or needing this particular job. More and more, we want to bring that sense of security and power inside of us because we are so rooted in this incredible self. which we can access through the heart and inside of us. And we really need to lean into that more and more. And when you do that, you will notice a change in your voice. You will notice a change in your relationship with food and in your outer relationships will be more relaxed and easygoing and less about needing someone to hear you or understand you or be there or prefer you or whatever it is. And itās really going to happen across the whole of your life. Kimberly Snyder (14:13.646)In 2022, meta-analysis presented at the European Congress on obesity found that plant-based diets influence metabolism and insulin sensitivity and therefore can help reduce sugar dependency by stabilizing blood glucose levels and promoting satiety, satiation, feeling fulfilled from your food. Itās a very deep sense without being overly heavy. to have a glowing green smoothie, for example, with a glowing green spouter ideally, or to have a really wonderful, like our Kitchari recipe, something really dense and filled with fiber and minerals, and to feel that nourishment in your body. So we wanna make sureā¦ And weāll get into the tips in just a moment. Thereās a real balance into your diet. Actually, letās jump into that now and Iāll keep talking about the research along the way. Letās start with our food cornerstone. One of the things that we want to do is to create that sense of stability because when weāre not stable, we start to go off track. We start to feel like we need those cheat days or we need extra caffeine or we need extra sugar or weāre going to just, you know, randomly, just not eat at all. So having a nice cadence to your meals on a regular basis and making sure that your meals are filled with fiber. Now we donāt have to eat perfectly, right? But having fiber-filled meals with lots of plant foods, since only plants contain fiber, is a really wonderful way to balance your blood sugar levels. You want to have healthy fats as well. to balance that with carbs and protein, not just to have all starchy meals all the time. You my kids love rice so much, but then Iām making sure like last night for dinner, we had a soup with lots of different beans in it and a lentil pasta and veggies, and I have them put their rice on top of that. So thereās a balance. And you know, I top it with some avocado, thereās also some coconut oil in the soup. Kimberly Snyder (16:23.458)just making sure that thereās healthy fats going on. Because I found that when we forget to have some of those components in our meal, itās meals, itās easier to go off track. So a nice nutrient density is going to really make sure that from a nutritional standpoint, weāre getting our micronutrients in. I mentioned the glowing greens powder, which has become such a foundational part of my life because that has spirulina in it and chlorella. and ashitaba and amulaki, these really grounding herbs and plants which have tons of iron and vitamin A. I got my blood work done a few months ago. I was sharing this here on the podcast and on social media and everything was ideal levels from the zinc to the vitamin A to my B vitamin levels and everything. And I think I really credit that to the total lifestyle. but including having these really nutritional staples in my diet, like the Glowing Greens smoothie with the Glowing Greens powder added in, which is not greens that you would eat fresh. You would not eat fresh spirulina per se. You would not be able to get Amalaki, which is grown in India per se, but you can have it in a concentrated dense form and really get the benefit of these foods on a regular basis. Speaking of which, which will branch now from food into body. both together because they work together is gut health. Thereās so much research about making sure that we have really great gut health because I remember when I had Candida and a lot of yeast in my body, my cravings were bananas, my moodiness, my anxiety. And I was trying so many different things. I was trying to limit my calories. I was trying to cut carbs at one point. It just didnāt work until I really got my gut health under control. So fermented foods are really great, like kimchi and sauerkraut. I love tempeh. I love to drink kombucha, low sugar kombuchas. And I also do take as a staple our saluna as bio probiotics, which are clinically researched strains in the proper ratio. Gut health is an ongoing effort. We live in a world with Kimberly Snyder (18:44.046)toxins, thereās been so many heavy metals in the air. you know, aware of that since the fires here in LA, thereās additives in foods, thereās stuff in the water supply. I mean, canāt get away from that. But these things do affect the sensitivity of our microflora, as well as stress, as well as eating sugar, what weāre talking about here. So we just want to make sure that we are consistently eating fiber. having fermented foods, taking our SBO probiotics on a regular basis. Now, I also think itās a good idea to take a multivitamin. Of course, if you are thinking about conceiving or youāre pregnant, a really good prenatal, because sometimes there can be gaps in our nutrition, and that will help to balance sugar cravings as well, just to make sure that weāre getting, you know, chromium and zinc. Now magnesium is a mineral that many Americans are deficient in. But if youāre following our saluna beauty detox lifestyle, hopefully youāre having a lot of Dharmaās kale salad, a lot of glowing green smoothie, because you can get a lot of magnesium from greens as well. And because again, nutrient deficiencies can trick the brain into craving sugar because it means thereās an imbalance. I think thereās a lot more with the emotional aspect as well. I want to get into that in a moment, but I definitely want to mention that. So we want to make sure that weāre avoiding these artificial sweeteners. There was a 2024 study published in the University of Leeds over in the UK, found that replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners can impact sugar cravings and appetite regulation. So when it comes to sweeteners, there are really great ones out there. For example, monk fruit, which is in our glowing greens powder to balance the taste because thereās some really dense greens in there. As I mentioned, moringa and chlorella and spirulina can be quite tense. So the monk fruit is actually really great because it doesnāt impact blood sugar and it can support weight management actually. Iām a big fan of natural Kimberly Snyder (21:03.406)fruit as well. You know, as our bodies become balanced, we want to have whole fruit. Iām not talking about crappy like fruit purees that you get at those smoothie mixes in Starbucks or, you know, something like that thatās not fresh or just straight apple juice. Iām talking about seasonal berries and apples and things that you would be able to find at your farmerās market. or your local market or in your garden. And I really believe that, I mean, for my diet, look at when I cut fruit for a while when I was balancing my yeast, but now fruit is really a core part of my diet. And I still have chocolate, but I think itās the combination of making sure Iām getting all the nutrients, having my Glow-In-Greens Smoothie with the Glow-In-Greens powder. I do take a whole food based multivitamin. and I do have a lot of fruit. I also do the other practices that balance parts of my lifestyle, especially the heart coherence practices that I mentioned. This is essential because you can get your diet under control, but your emotions can be out of whack and we all need tools. A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity found that there was a link between loneliness and increased cravings for sugar sweetened beverages. So there is a direct correlation that was found in research between loneliness and heightened cravings for sweeteners. So again, back to the energy of sweet, which feels almost like a hug that youāre getting externally, this soothingness. How can we feel that from within and also from within our own community? I think itās important to start with awareness and honesty about our emotional states and our fluctuations day to day. The great yoga guru Paramahansa Yogananda said that introspection is one of the greatest ways to progress. We have to be able to look in, think about how much weāre distracted and looking outward on our social media feeds, constantly scrolling. Kimberly Snyder (23:24.704)online shopping, chit chatting. Thereās a million ways we can distract ourselves. And so we want to be able to create some time to journal or just have stillness and just be aware, you know, what is going on with me emotionally? And you may start to notice that maybe there is some aspect of loneliness that you havenāt wanted to see, or thereās just an increase of overwhelm, burnout, feeling frustrated or stuck in your life. And itās important to be aware of that because you donāt have to stay in these periods of being stuck or, you know, whatever sort of dark heart energy states that youāre feeling. There are ways to move through it. And again, I want to say from my heart that I provide a lot of tools, research and teachings in the Hidden Power of the Five Hearts that has helped me so much. Thereās so much talk about out there about trigger and traumas and patterns. But for me, some of it just still feels very mental and I canāt quite pin it down. But thereās something so simple and so powerful about just shifting your awareness to your heart, doing the heart aligned meditation, which is in the book and thereās free tracks on our website at mysalina.com. Even touching your heart, breathing into your heart, taking these pauses through the day, 10 seconds, a minute to break the mental cycles. And for me, this is the place for emotional resilience and emotional intelligence. As I talk about in the steady heart chapter, the third heart stage, this is when we can start to really feel that we are not being controlled by our emotions, but that we are in control of our emotions. We feel them, but we have tools for not getting swept up into them. We can actually hold space for ourselves. and it is tremendously empowering. And itās a tremendous way to get your sugar cravings under control because that again is a way that we start to get swept up into sugar cravings is when we donāt have the tools, so weāre feeling our feelings, but we start to feel all over the place as well. So I can really say that some of these tools are incredibly powerful. Kimberly Snyder (25:44.426)as well as any other ones, journaling, any type of breath work practice or any other meditation that resonates with you to really feel more emotionally resilient. Because as humans, we have big emotions and many of us werenāt taught how to navigate them. I know I wasnāt as a child, but itās something that Iāve learned as an adult and I think itās one of the most important aspects of self care as an adult. Thereās also a spiritual growth aspect to sugar cravings. So weāre looking for some type of sweetness and to feel okay and to feel rewarded in a world that can feel turbulent, chaotic, out of control, quite harsh at times. And so thereās this burgeoning energy of the true self and the heart bursting up, radiating up and out of you. that starts to be that pillar of sweetness. You Yogananda talked about so much of the sweetness of God and divine in his writings. And whether you like to use that word or you may say source or creator or universe, or however you like to think of it, higher intelligence, thereās this incredible transcendent power, I think, that flows through whichā¦ You know, this peace that passeth all understanding. We donāt understand a lot of the things that happen in the world. A lot of it can feel quite unfair from a human perspective. But the more I tap into this spiritual, spirituality, right? The energy thatās in our hearts and inside of us, I really start to feel that sweetness coming up where you start to feel more lightness in your everyday moments. Itās just like a laugh, a laugh that comes in more, just a lightness. Thereās a sweet quality that comes through life where it doesnāt have to feel so heavy or so serious or so rigid that it has to work out a certain way for you to feel happy. You can start to feel more in flow with whatās happening. And there is an incredible gift that comes with that. So I encourage you to lean in more to that sweetness that is found. Kimberly Snyder (28:04.46)with spiritual growth. And there again, Iāll offer the Heart Aligned Meditation, as well as my last book that preceded this heart book called You Are More Than You Think You Are. If youāre interested in learning about the spiritual aspects, particularly from the Vedic texts and yoga of fearlessness and confidence and creativity, because thereās so many incredible ancient teachings around each of these topics. And the more we feel that power rising up, the less we rely on external, externals, attachment to externals, such as compliments, validation on social media, having to just look forward to our next most delicious meal, or sweet craving, sweets and treats, doesnāt mean we donāt enjoy food, but we donāt wanna be a slave. to food. We donāt want to feel a slave to the cookies and the treats, right? I donāt have to tell you that. I know you feel that inherently. So feel that in yourself. There is a source of sweetness, which is so much bigger than anything in the external world. And you can tap into that more and more and let that sweetness run through your life. Thereās even a section in the Bhagavad Gita that talks about amrita and itās this sweet nectar. that is said to be secreted in your Vaishuda chakra, the back of your throat that drips down almost like honey as you start to access these higher points of consciousness. So imagine that thereās actually said to be almost like this metaphysical type of nectar, which comes through you that you can access without having to eat the honey or the sweets externally, because weāre into higher and higher energy vibrations and fields. So when weāre talking about vibration, there is a very grounded scientific component to this. Our heart fields are measured by magnetometers. Thereās energy thatās given off by everything, even electronic devices. Thatās what electromagnetic frequencies are. Thereās energy thatās given off by your brain. So thereās a frequency that we can step into thatās higher and higher, no matter the circumstances in our life, no matter when things start to feel really down or convoluted. Kimberly Snyder (30:27.566)or things that we donāt want to happen, unfortunately, we can start to sink into this place of security and sweetness and love inside of us. And it brings that quality up and out. So you can see how much sugar is a very multifaceted approach. And if we really want to break addiction and cravings for sugar, we need to look at it in this holistic way. Otherwise, I completely believe that we never will be totally free. So yes, the physicality food wise, get your micronutrients in, get your diet in balance, have greens, have plant foods. You donāt have to be fully plant based if you donāt want to, but you need that fiber. You need to nourish your gut health. You wanna get enough SBO probiotics in, you want to definitely have some kombucha or fermented foods on a regular basis. You want to eat a broad spectrum of colors, eat seasonal foods. We have a lot of other podcasts I think you would enjoy on seasonal eating. You want to make sure that you are having tools emotionally, understanding that a big part of sugar cravings, thereās so much research about the emotional component. When you feel those triggers, when you feel, you know, thereās a harshness. Starting the day with the heart aligned meditation. coming into your heart, doing the heart align steady in life practice, which is in the Hidden Power of the Five Hearts, through the day. So you start to digest your emotions and dispel them through the day in the micro moments. So they donāt all add up and suddenly you need this ginormous dessert that when you go out to dinner with your friends, whatever it is. Now listen, weāre all gonna enjoy the birthday cake. My older son just had a birthday party and believe me, we had multiple cakes. I baked a cake. There was a Erin McKenna. amazing baby cakes cake. If you live in LA or New York, she has incredible vegan bakery. We got a vegan ice cream cake from Carvel, which by the way has vegan ice cream cakes, some of the locations. And so I had all the cakes, but guess what? I donāt do that every day. So when we have this spaciousness to break free of cravings, thereās a really healthy balance of flowing in. Kimberly Snyder (32:44.344)flowing out without trying to grip down and control. And that is where our power gets taken away. Right. And I believe that constriction of energy affects everything from our radiance, our vitality, our hair health, even our energetic qualities, our creativity. Thereās so many things. Itās all really interrelated. And so to feel this radiance, this real a spiritual aspect of you coming up and out of you in your life, making spirituality a part of your daily life through practices that resonate. could be the heart aligned meditation or another type of meditation that could be spending time in nature more or in stillness, journaling, breath work, but really realizing that we are not just these physical beings made of bones and skin, but thereās an energy. a permanency thatās running through you as well. And when you tap into that, thereās a sweetness which will saturate your life in a way that no cookie and no piece of cake ever could, a sustainable sense of sweetness, as amrita nectar. And I can say as someone whoās transitioned from a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear to a lot of stability and a lot of peace and a lot of love, I really wish for you to experience that as well. And thatās why we have so many different offerings for you across all of these cornerstones. So please do check them out at mysaluna.com. You can check out the free Heart Aligned Meditation Tracks on there. You can check out our Glow and Greens Powder, our SBO Probiotics to help nourish you deeply and to get your gut health in check. Our probiotics are really based in research. Theyāre based in nature, how our ancestors got probiotics from unwashed wild fruits and vegetables to get that really hearty soil-based organism that can, organisms that get through your stomach acid that has a really great culture count at 16 billion, but is in the right ratios and strains, as well as lots of information. So I welcome you into the community. Iāll be holding some more free community events coming up. So please join our community newsletter and remember that we will be shifting the format of our podcast going forward to a once a month focused cornerstone Kimberly Snyder (35:07.732)a Thursday show, I think you will love. So tune in for that. The first one will be airing in April. I send you all my love. And remember, you can always reach out to me for support. You can leave comments on our website or on social media at underscore Kimberly Snyder. If you enjoy this episode or show, please leave a review. Itās a wonderful way to support the show. And please also pass the show on to anyone that you think would benefit. We are here to share and to support each other and spread the love. And youāre a very important part of that collective love with your unique heart and your unique energy, which no one else in the cosmos has. So Iāll see you back here in just a few days for our next Monday interview. Till then, take care of yourself and wishing you so much love. Ā
