We come in your best self doesn't have to feel overwhelming, exhausting or possible.
I'm your host, Josie Santi, and this is the Every Girl podcast.
Hi, Every Girls.
Happy Tuesday.
Welcome back to the show.
If you have listened to this podcast for a while, you probably know
that I have a wellness problem.
I said that lovingly, but it's very true.
I love experimenting.
You know, if there's a new supplement, a new longevity expert, a new book, a new morning
routine, a new study that promises to help us live longer or feel better, chances are,
I've already read about it, I've tried it, or at least I bookmarked it and thought about
it.
Wellness is a part of my job, but it's also become one of my favorite hobbies.
Give me a Saturday afternoon and a matulate, and I will happily disappear down a rabbit hole
about gut bacteria or nervous system regulation.
To me, it is just endlessly fascinating because at the heart of my fascination with health
and wellness is one question, why do some people seem so vibrantly alive?
I'm obsessed with this idea of vitality for one, like being as vivacious as possible,
but also I'm just obsessed with healing, like living without symptoms and stress that
literally and emotionally weigh us down.
As I've been getting ready for my wedding in a few weeks, of course, I want to look my
very best, but I can honestly say, hand to God, somewhere along the way, I really did
stop thinking so much about looking better, and I started focusing my wedding prep, if
you want to call it that, on feeling unmistakably grounded and present and completely symptom-free
on my wedding day as much as possible, like that really is my focus, how I feel.
I want to wake up with clear energy, I want to feel light after my meals instead of sluggish,
I want to have good nights of sleep, I want to have energy during the day, I don't want
to feel symptoms that distract me or take me out of feeling present, I want my skin to
have that healthy, rested look that no concealer is going to be able to fake, because my energy
is going to be spent thinking about how I feel getting married, my future husband.
I don't want to spend my energy on a breakout or a pimple or a undribex, so that is part
of it too, but I just want to walk down the aisle feeling completely at home in my own body,
so that quest, that goal, has sent me on a little bit of an experiment, as I talked about
a little bit in July's curriculum episode, over the last few months, I have been paying
very close attention to the habits that genuinely change how I feel, because again, I don't
want anything to stress me out, I don't want to go over the top, I don't want to be
doing more than I have to do, and causing more stress and overwhelm, obviously anyone
who has planned a wedding knows that this last month is crunch time, like there's a lot
of decisions to be made, there's a lot of things to do, and also work as insanely busy
I'm trying my hardest to set up episodes for you guys, for when I'm out for my wedding
and my honeymoon, so I don't got the time to dedicate hours of my day to my wellness
routine, and by the way, I also don't have money, okay, I've spent all my money on everything
wedding related, so I'm not here to like do the most, I want to just do and prioritize
what matters, and I know you guys feel that way too, whether you have a wedding or a vacation
or something else you want to feel your best for, or you're just trying to live your
life and feel good, like we don't want to spend hours a day, we don't want to spend hundreds
of dollars, we just want to do only what actually makes a difference, so today I wanted to
share six of those daily habits that I really believe are making the biggest difference
for me, some of them come from decades of scientific research, or from my own lab work and
results that I see in my body, some have been practiced for thousands of years in traditions
like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, long before we had randomized control trials
to explain why they worked, but I promise you, none of these habits are going to feel particularly
difficult or dramatic or intense or hard to add to your routine, they are truly micro habits,
like they are easy and simple, they are going to actually feel undramatic when you're doing them,
but they will make the biggest difference, they will have immense payoff, because that's the
funny thing about the body, it does not only respond to really big moments or huge changes,
the body responds actually more to what we repeatedly ask of it and what we repeatedly give it,
every meal, every walk, every daily walk, every hour of sleep, every thought that we have over and
over, these are all pieces of information for our body, and over time those pieces of information
become instructions, they shape our hormones, our nervous system, our gut, our skin, our energy,
and eventually our overall health, how we experience being alive, what our body feels like.
Today's episode is going to be a zoom-in on those habits, these are the routines that have become
a part of my life, why I started doing them, what the research says, what ancient healing traditions
have believed for centuries, and most importantly, how they have changed the way that I feel.
My hope is not that you will copy every single one, you've heard me talk about this concept of
bio-individuality, every single body is different and has different needs, what works for me,
is not going to work for you, what my body needs, is not going to be what your body needs,
but instead what I hope from this episode, maybe first of all, try some things that resonate with you,
but I really hope that you start looking at your own daily routines little differently,
because how we are going to feel in our bodies tomorrow is being written by the choices that seem
too small to matter today, so let's get into it, microhabit number one is my daily supplement stack.
Obviously taking supplements takes me total throughout my entire day,
three minutes max, I don't know, that's probably being generous, like all I have to do is take
out a pill and put it in my mouth, so that's why I'm counting this as a microhabit, but to be honest,
if you've ever seen my pill organizer, you know that the supplement area is where I become the
wellness girl stereotype, like when people come over to my house, I'm like here, do you want some
ashwagandha, do you want some vitamin C, like I have cabinets and shelves and drawers full of
supplements, and I will say right now, I am taking more supplements than I normally would, like I have
all these supplements for on a like need by need basis, different supplements throughout my cycle,
I typically do supplements if I'm getting sick, supplements if I'm having digestive issues,
but right now I am taking more supplements on a daily basis than I normally do, so this is going
to sound like a lot, okay, and I'm not saying at all, you should be taking all of this, in fact,
I encourage you, please do not go out and buy all of these things I'm about to say, just talk to your
doctor about what you need, but why it's a lot right now, why I'm taking a lot, I did a super
in-depth longevity panel with Parsley Health to look at tons of biomarkers across everything
from inflammation and nutrient reserves, hormones thyroid function, like it really looks at everything,
I love this approach, I recommend to everybody, every client I've worked with, I start by saying,
if we can get you some kind of longevity or more in-depth lab testing, that is the first place to start,
so I highly recommend whether it's with Parsley Health, they do telehealth, function health,
doctor Mark Hyman's company, that's another one that you can do anywhere in the country,
and just get these thorough lab results at test a lot more than the typical practitioner's
testing on a regular basis, and it's not about chasing perfect lab numbers, it is just about asking,
what is my body trying to tell me, and test don't guess, you know, is what we say in the health
industry, like before you spend any amount of money on all these supplements that I've been trying
to sell you and trying different diets and all these things, your body actually knows what it needs,
we can go to your body and look at your individual needs, what systems need support, what nutrients
you're actually deficient in, and that's how you can build your own protocol, so I highly recommend
doing this for yourself, it's really just about finding the root cause and then healing at the root,
especially when we think long-term, when we think about disease, yes, there was like genetic markers
and things like that, also testing for that too, which is interesting, but the way I think of
disease is it's kind of like long-term, like the body's going to whisper at you, and then if you're
not listening to the whisper, it's going to start talking to you, and if you're not listening to
the talking, then it's going to start shouting at you, and that's when it becomes like disease,
and autoimmune disorders, and like things that are hard to reverse, again, that's purely like
from an epigenetic standpoint, like just from lifestyle, not from the genetic factor of it all,
some people are just, you know, predisposed, whatever, but what I mean by that is a lot of these
things that we normalize, fatigue, bad periods, gut issues, chronic bloating, bad sleep, like
a lot of times these are actually our body's way of whispering or speaking to us,
but we ignore it, we spend all our money in time and energy on all the supplements that influencers
are telling us to get it. And then when I
our body is not getting what it needs, it has to start talking a little bit louder, so
your symptoms get more and more intense. Basically, all of these, quote, normal symptoms
that we normalize all day every day could potentially be the precursors to something
more serious down the line. So that's why it's not about being perfect with your labs
for the sake of being perfect. It is about identifying what your body needs so that you
can fix it now before it becomes worse, before the symptoms get worse or the disease gets
worse. So I'm on extra supplements, based on what Dr. Robin Burzen, who's been on
the show, she's a founder of Parsley Health, one of my favorite episodes, honestly, such
a great episode. I'm going to have her back on because that was just one of my top 10.
I'm taking what she has recommended to me, based on what my lab results showed. So one
of the biggest takeaways for my lab results, my thyroid is under-supported. I'm on the
edge of hypothyroidism, where my thyroid is under-active, but it just makes sense to address
it now instead of waiting until it becomes something that I could actually feel in more
apparent ways. And obviously, like, I just want to get my body what it needs. So instead
of throwing random supplements into my Amazon cart because someone on social media said
that I had to have it, my foundation is very personalized. So what I'm taking right
now, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B complex, and Parsley's thyroid support, because those
are the nutrients on my body. I was asking for that I was slightly deficient in, but also
that will help support my thyroid. You know, supplements should fill gaps, not create
them. They're called supplements for a reason. They're there to support your individual
physiology and get nutrients in that your body's obviously not absorbing. We're not getting
enough of from your diet. And then, in addition to that, but that again is like the most important
main piece of it. I'm doing, you know, the most to stay as healthy as possible, to feel
amazing, leading up to my wedding. I do not want to get sick right now. I want to have
great sleep. I want to have great digestion. I want to have great energy. So beyond that
foundation, there are a handful of things that have earned permanent sadness in my routine
because I love the research on them. And because they make a big difference for me, I genuinely
notice the difference when I'm taking these and when I'm not. So every morning, I take
colostrum. One of the biggest reasons is that it supports the health of your gut lining.
I definitely notice the difference in my gut in my immune system. Like ever since I started
taking colostrum, I swear I never get sick. A week or two ago was the exception because
my stress, I think, has like, you know, my body is trying to tell me to chill out and slow
down. Sorry, body. We can't do that. So we're just going to shove you with several minutes
instead. I'm kidding. I'm trying to sleep more. I'm fine. But colostrum, so much powerful
and credible research behind it, your gut lining is basically the gatekeeper of your body.
It is deciding what gets absorbed into your bloodstream, what stays out. So when it's
functioning well, you are more likely to die just foods better, absorb the nutrients
that you're actually spending your money on like with supplements and support a healthy
immune system. 70% of your immune system is associated with the gut. We see all this
advice to boost the immune system when it's actually like we can just create an environment
where the body just designs what it's meant to do. You know, we're creating a positive
environment for the immune system to just be able to do what it's meant to do. So colostrum,
I like the brand armra. None of this is sponsored by the way. This is just all what I take.
I also add creatine to my morning green juice when I blend it or all add creatine if I'm
making a smoothie or else I literally won't remember to take it. So just like whenever
I'm blending that day, I'm adding creatine to it. I've talked about creatine in previous
episodes, including July's curriculum episode, but it's great for muscle support, great
for recovery for strength training, which I'm increasing strength training right now.
We're not really increasing, just like us being more consistent. So creatine is great
for supporting muscle growth and recovery. I have my beauty, matcha latte pretty much
every morning. I make using the chroma matcha that in itself has great nutrients and then
I will add bird and bees, NAD plus and collagen supplement to my matcha latte. NAD is one
of those molecules that naturally declines as we age and it's involved in helping ourselves
create energy. The way I think about it is this. I want to kind of just for a quick explanation
because I know a lot of people talk about NAD right now. If every cell in your body is
like a tiny little battery, NAD is the charger. It's what is keeping those batteries charged.
Your skin needs energy to repair itself. Your muscles need energy to recover. Your brain
needs energy to stay sharp and to be able to focus and store memory. All of the processes
in your body require energy at the cellular level and NAD is what supports that process,
what makes that happen so that your cells have the energy they need. The research on supplemental
NAD is still evolving. My understanding is that in IV, like an injection of NAD is a lot
more effective, but that's thousands of dollars that I can't afford. I don't think it's
a miracle pill by any means, but I love supporting these foundational systems, especially during
a season where I'm asking a lot of my body. For beauty specifically, there are two supplements.
I have not been skipping no matter what. I have been taking well-bell hair supplements
because giving your body the nutrients and needs months in advance makes a lot more
sense than hoping for a miracle treatment a week before a big event. I've been taking
well-bell. I love that supplement because it doesn't have biotin. Other hair supplements,
it just has more herbs that are good for hair growth. The other one is omega-3. I will
get into omega-3s more in depth in a little bit. I actually dedicated an entire point to
them because I feel very strongly about them. Little overview, little teaser to later, I take
a fish oil supplement daily. Then every evening, I have a little ritual that tells my nervous
system the day is over. I'm not a naturally great sleeper, so I am leaning on all of the tools
in my toolkit right now to make sure I'm getting as much sleep as possible. I will take magnesium,
which is also great for digestion, reducing constipation, helping you be regular, which I need
desperately, just in my everyday life. I'm taking a raise sleep supplement. It doesn't have
melatonin. It just has herbs that work with your body's natural circadian rhythm to allow you
to fall asleep quicker and have better sleep. I do notice a difference in my aura-ring sleep. Even
for example, last night, Louis woke me up at like 5.30 this morning so I was kind of up early. I
kind of fell back asleep because I was thinking of all the things I have to do. It's one of those
things, but my aura-ring score was pretty high for only six and a half hours of sleep because I
like slept very deeply for those six and a half hours of sleep. So I do notice a difference when
I'm taking a raise sleep. Then I love to make a cup of tea at night. I have been loving anema
money's mineral tea, which contains so many essential minerals, or their sleep tea if I'm noticing
my mind is moving 100 miles an hour and I need a little more extra support falling asleep.
Sleep is just one of the health habits that makes every other health habit work better. It influences
recovery, hormones, blood sugar, inflammation, mood, skin repair, practically every system that we
care about. Sleep is like the most important foundational pillar for it. If wellness were in orchestra,
sleep would be the conductor. Everything else sounds better when it's doing its job. God,
that was an amazing metaphor. It wasn't that good. Then I'm leaving this evening to travel
for the week. There are supplements that I think of as almost insurance for me when I'm traveling.
So whenever I'm on a plane, also traveling in general, no matter what, if you're sitting in a car,
if you're just out of your routine, if you're in time change, that's when I like to take
electrolytes just to make sure that my body's saying hydrated. The plane obviously can be extremely
dehydrating. I also pack semi-auticals. NAD packets have them on the go and also semi-auticals
vitamin C. I love semi-autica. It's such a great high quality brand with amazing really great
quality products. Great bioavailability meaning your body can really absorb it and they're kind of
like my go to when traveling because having the packets are just like so easy to travel with.
I will of course take my beekeepers natural's throat spray. I love this product so much that
on my vatura party, I gave it to every single one of my guests in their bags. It's a must. Okay,
it will help so much with your immune system. Airports, travel days, even like long work weeks,
like whatever you're dealing with. I'm currently dealing with all three right now. They tend to ask
a lot of our immune systems. So the last thing that I want we cleaning up to my wedding is to lose
several days because I picked up a cold, right? So none of these are magic shields but I like stacking
small habits that give my body every possible opportunity to stay resilient. When I'm eating out,
I am being pretty consistent taking a digestive enzyme beforehand. Digestive enzymes can be helpful
for people who struggle to break down certain foods so they can help you feel less bloated,
less luggage after eating, have your meals. If I have a night where I'm enjoying a couple glasses
of wine or champagne, let's be honest. Let's not kid ourselves. It's more than a couple. I will take
glutathione the day of and the day after glutathione is often called the bodies.
is mastering antioxidant because it is deeply involved
in helping ourselves neutralize oxidative stress.
Bridal eras are meant to be fun.
Summer is meant to be fun.
Not to quote Kyle Cook from Summer House by accident,
but summers are supposed to be fun.
I have no intention of skipping or restricting.
I would rather just be simply mindful when I'm drinking
and then do what I can to support my body before and after.
So I know that's a lot.
That is just what makes me feel my best
and what is worth it to me right now
because it does not cause me stress to keep up with.
It isn't a prescription.
I definitely don't think everybody needs this checklist
or a kitchen cabinet full of supplements to be healthy.
What I hope this point encourage you to do more
is just to become curious.
Ask your doctor questions.
Get labs if you're able to learn where your own body
might need additional support because the goal
is not to collect pills and be on some impressive supplement
routine.
The goal is to understand yourself well enough
to use tools that are at our disposal
to help your body feel its best.
The next micro habit has become, honestly,
my favorite little daily ritual,
like I look forward to this every single day.
I drink a small glass of organic carrot juice.
I don't have the time to try to wipe it up
and make it myself.
I just get the bottle from Trader Joe's
because it's literally just one ingredient,
organic carrots, with carrot juice and juice in general.
If you're like, I love this, I don't know.
I don't like love juices.
So I don't even know examples.
But like if there's a Hawaiian punch fruit juice
that has all this added sugar,
but you're like, this is my favorite drink.
I'm gonna drink it knowing their sugar, amazing.
But what I would hate is if you are buying something,
spending your hard-earned money, taking time
in the name of health, trying to get healthier
and consuming something that isn't actually doing anything
for you and contains added sugars
that aren't doing anything for you.
So Trader Joe's has a juice that is just,
it's just called organic carrot juice.
And there is no added sugar.
There is no fruit juice mixed in,
no syrup, no concentrates, nothing else.
It is literally just one ingredient
and that is organic carrots.
So I buy this big jug and I will have a little glass of it
after lunch or dinner.
It's almost like dessert.
I know that sounds very almond.
Mom of me to say carrot juice is my dessert,
but it's so delicious.
Like it satisfies my sweet tooth.
It's really good.
Okay, don't not get to do try it.
So I started drinking carrot juice
because of something you might have heard
called beta-carotene.
Carrots are incredibly rich in beta-carotene caratenoids,
which are the natural pigments
that give carrots their bright orange color.
Our bodies convert some of that beta-carotene
into vitamin A, which is essential
for healthy skin, for vision, for immune function.
And this vitamin plays a very important role
in turnover of skin cells.
Actually retinol, I'm sure you've heard
of the popular skin care ingredient retinol
is actually just a really strong vitamin A.
Vitamin A in the body is helping your skin
to continually renew itself,
kind of like an internal exfoliation
for skin cell turnover.
You know, that means extra glowy skin.
But what's really interesting to me
is that not all of these caratenoids get converted.
Some of them actually accumulate in your skin over time.
Researchers have found that higher levels
of caratenoids in the skin are associated
with what people consistently perceive as
a healthier, glowy, or more vibrant complexion.
There are some very interesting studies
where participants rated faces
with higher caratenoid coloration.
God, that's a mouthful.
As looking healthier and even more attractive,
then changes that you would get from a tan.
So in other words, if you have enough caratenoids,
it slightly changes the color of your skin,
not so much obviously like the tint,
like you're not gonna transform your skin tone overnight,
but it slightly enhances.
So even my pale, pale sad skinned has like the slight glow
that does look like I've been in the sun.
If I'm not tan at all
and I just have this caratenoid coloration.
And we know we're not supposed to be sending
a lot of time in the sun.
We don't wanna deal with sunburn, possible skin cancer,
like, you know.
So we can give our body nutrients
that can subtly enhance the way our skin looks
from within, like it gives us that natural glow.
And there's other benefits for the skin
from carat juice as well.
Caratenoids are also antioxidants.
So they help protect yourselves from oxidative stress,
created by things like pollution, UV exposure,
intense exercise, just the normal process of living.
So it also can help reduce inflammation
and stress that can cause the skin, you know, fine lines,
breakouts.
There is interesting research to show this,
but both Iroveda and traditional Chinese medicine
have appreciated orange vegetables long before we understand
anything about beta-carotene.
In Iroveda, naturally sweet vegetables like carrots
are known for supporting the body's reserve of vitality
and radiance.
In traditional Chinese medicine, carrots
are commonly used to support the digestive system
and nourish the blood.
I always find it really fascinating
when modern nutritional science starts catching up
with ideas that traditional healing systems
have been observing for centuries
through completely different lenses.
So a lot of amazing health benefits,
but really amazing for skin and skin glow.
Like I said, carrots themselves are high in caratenoids
and therefore vitamin A in general.
So you can also just eat carrots.
Eating carrots is amazing.
You get the fiber, there's other nutrients.
So that might even be better based on your goals.
Like there's nothing magical about just the juice itself.
Besides the fact that you get more concentrated nutrients.
So you need to eat more carrots
to get the same amount of beta-carotene
that you would from juice.
But you're also getting fiber if you're just eating
whole carrots and it's more cost-effective.
Like by yourself, those little bags of organic baby carrots
and just snack on them throughout the day
while you're eating dinner, add them to your meals,
cook them, I love a roasted carrot.
But with the juice, there's just something
that I simply enjoy about the ritual.
That little glass of carrot juice is just so simple,
it's so inexpensive, it's so delicious.
So I'm doing both.
I'm eating carrots and food, high in vitamin A.
And I'm also drinking a little glass of carrot juice.
One quick note, more isn't necessarily better.
So don't overdo it and like chug carrot juice all day every day
because it's concentrated, like juice is concentrated.
It's just kind of like a small addition to a balanced diet,
not something that I'm gonna be drinking by the leader.
For me, one small glass a day is the sweet spot.
Like you don't need any more than that.
I'm in crunch time before my August wedding
and everyone always talks about the facials,
the lasers, the makeup routines.
But honestly, I have what I think
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I have been using Ocea's Anderia Algae Body Oil
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My skin just looks smoother, healthier, and really glowy.
This has become one of my must-have products
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leading up to my wedding weekend.
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Microhabit number three is an overall omega-3 focus.
I already touched on this.
I promised you I'd come back to it.
My obsession, if you will.
A microhabit that has made a major difference
is focusing heavily on omega-3s.
If you want to glow up ASAP, if you were like,
I wanna transform my health, I wanna look more gorgeous.
What is the first supplement I should take
and invest my money in?
And what is the first change to make to my diet?
I would tell you omega-3s for both.
Take a really good supplement and eat more omega-3s.
Every single cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane.
And that membrane is built by the fats that you consume.
I know that sounds very science-classy,
but you're familiar with your skin cells,
your brain cells, your muscles are built of cells,
your eyes are built of cells.
They are all constantly rebuilding themselves
using whatever raw materials you give them.
So the fats that you eat don't just pass through your body,
they actually become a part of you.
A big reason.
I am personally prioritizing omega-3.
right now before my wedding is because omega threes are amazing for inflammation. I think we've
normalized feeling inflamed, feeling puffy when we wake up, feeling stiff after workout, feeling
bloated after meals, breaking out, even though we're using great skincare, feeling like our energy
is crashing halfway through the afternoon. Of course, these things can have so many different causes,
but chronic, low-grade inflammation is one very common piece of the puzzle. Omega threes have
been studied for decades because they're one of the nutrients that help support a healthy
inflammatory response. I would be very clear and explain how inflammation itself is not bad.
There's so much out there about how to reduce inflammation and lower inflammation and like I
think that we have a little bit of like a panic mindset about inflammation, inflammation is actually
one of the ways that your body heals. If you cut your finger that red around it is inflammation.
If you get sick, your immune system is meant to activate inflammation, inflammation is part of
the repair process. The problem is when the dial gets stuck a little too high all the time,
that's when it becomes chronic inflammation. That is when your body can start feeling like it's
working harder than it needs to and you start to feel the effects. One reason that scientists think
that chronic inflammation has become so common is because our diets have changed dramatically
over the last century. Anthropologists estimate that humans once ate omega threes and omega-six
fats in a much more balanced ratio, kind of like more 50/50. But today, many of us eat
four more omega-six fats and omega-3s because omega-six fats are found in a lot of processed foods,
vegetable oils, things that have become staples of the modern food supply. And omega-3s are
in turn fish, seeds, nuts like walnuts, so we're just eating less of it. Omega-sixes are not the
enemy, our body needs those two, but like so many things in health, moderation matters, balance matters.
Some researchers believe that this imbalance of omega-3 and omega-sixes that our bodies have
evolved with may contribute to the inflammatory environment in our bodies. See like I love coming
back to the basics, like we all know that we need omega-3. It is not some trendy new exciting
supplement, it's not as sexy and hype as eating your protein, like no one is making tick talks about
hacks to get your omega-3s in. Although maybe they should, like we should be talking about this,
but it is a thing that will genuinely make a big difference. Omega-3s just don't have great
marketing or PR behind it, but walnuts doesn't always require rediscovering the next trend or the
next superfood or spending hundreds of dollars on some cutting edge supplement. Sometimes it's
actually just returning to nutrients our bodies have quietly relied on for thousands of years.
And then of course there's the beauty side of it, which to me in my humble opinion makes this a must
for brides, for anyone who wants to glow up to look their best, healthy fats support your skin
barrier, which is basically your skin's ability to hold onto moisture and protect itself from the
outside world. When that barrier is healthy, your skin tends to look more hydrated, calmer,
and naturally more radiant and glowy. The glow that we're chasing does not always come from what we
put on our skin. It comes from what we are building our skin with every single day. So yes,
I take an omega-3 supplement. I take one from parsley health, it's fish oil, but the bigger shift
has been paying attention to where my healthy fats are coming from overall. Since I'm a vegetarian,
I'm a little more intentional about it because I don't have salmon or sardines a few times a week,
like many nutrition experts will recommend. If you do eat seafood, definitely. Sardines, salmon,
anchovies, trout, mackerel, eating those at least a few times a week will be so beneficial for you.
If you do, you probably are good on your omega-3s. They are some of the richest sources,
but every day I try to eat chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and/or walnuts, which all contain
omega-3s. But again, like I said, I'm eating those things every single day and still my lab show
that I was on the lower end, like not deficient, but lower than what is like optimally healthy. So
sometimes it's also just bioavailability, like my body actually absorbs more omega-3s from
the fish oil supplement, but everybody's different. I don't know, eating chia seed pudding for breakfast
every day might be good enough for you. Micro-Happen #4 is red light for 15 minutes. One of the highest
return habits in my routine right now is 15 minutes of red light therapy every day. I use the
higher dose red light face mask most evenings because mainly it is just incredibly easy to fit
in my routine. If I'm answering emails, if I'm reading, if I'm watching TV, I will just put on
the mask. At this point, it becomes automatic as brushing my teeth. Red light therapy sounds
like a fad. It sounds very trendy, but it actually is decades of research behind it. Scientists have
been studying specific wavelengths of red and nearing for red light for years because of how they
support the body's natural repair process. Unlike UV light, which can damage skin cells, red light
does not burn or injure the skin. Instead, it penetrates into the tissue, where it is absorbed by
everything with health comes back to the cells. Every second of every day, your skin is working to
repair itself from sun exposure, you know, working to produce more collagen and elastin, replacing old
cells with new ones, calming inflammation, and healing any tiny amounts of damage that we can't
even see. All of these processes require energy. According to a lot of research, red light therapy
can give those cells a little extra support so they can do what they're really designed to do.
That's why so much of the research around red light has been focused on the skin. Clinical
studies have found improvements in collagen production, skin elasticity, skin density, reduction
and fine lines, improvement in overall texture, and reducing signs of photoaging with consistent
use over time. That's an important distinction because this isn't like getting official where
you might walk out looking instantly and glowier. Think of it as more like strength training.
One workout is not going to transform your body, but showing up consistently a week after week
absolutely does. Red light therapy is going to work the same way. The magic is in the accumulation.
And speaking of that, there's also compelling research looking at muscle recovery, exercise
performance, wound healing, joint discomfort, inflammation. So by the way, the red light benefits go
way beyond beauty. Recovery is just as important to me as the workout themselves. Like the definition
of fitness is not just exercise. It is the balance of exercise with recovery. Your body doesn't
actually get stronger during a workout. It actually gets stronger while it's recovering afterward.
Anything that helps support that process is I think worth paying attention to. So just want to
mention that I mainly use it for the beauty benefits. I definitely notice a difference in my skin
texture. I notice less breakouts. I notice my skin overall looking a lot plumber, glowier when
I use it over time. But I also just got to call out it has many other benefits as well. If you're
thinking about trying red light therapy, I can't stress this enough, consistency matters far more
than intensity. Most of the study showing meaningful results involved regular use over several weeks,
not from one long session or even an hour every day for a week before a big event. Consistency
matters most. 10 minutes every day or 10 minutes four times a week will do so much more for you
than oh my god, I have a vacation coming up in a week. Let me do it for hours every day. I don't
even know if that's good for you. And also I unfortunately would encourage you to buy from a company
that is very transparent about the wavelengths that they use and the research behind their device.
I say unfortunately because these are typically more expensive products. Not every red light
product on the market is created equal. And this is one area where quality really does matter.
I don't say this often because normally I try to find the very cheapest most affordable option,
but I have been on the hunt forever for an affordable red light product that I can recommend.
But I have honestly yet to find one that is actually doing anything. Most of these products that
you see on Amazon is really just like a $50 flashlight. Like it doesn't have the wavelengths that
actually make the difference. So it's not really doing anything for you. Unless I see differently,
unless I find a different product, you really get your money's worth when it comes to red light
therapy. So if you want to invest in a product, make sure it's going to be a good one. You can also,
I know that there's so many kind of like more accessible spots popping up. There's also
workout studios popping up with red light therapy panels like there's options. It's becoming a lot
more accessible. So micro habit number five is I'm replacing listening to podcasts with activations.
I am back on my activations app you guys. First of all, some background. We spend so much time and
put so much effort into preparing how we will look on our wedding day, right? We book facials.
We go hard on our workouts. We have our hair appointments. We got our makeup trials. We got our
spray tans. Everyone talks about preparing for their wedding in terms of how they want to look.
But when we think about that, like how insane is that when you really think
about like our focus is on how other people experience us and not at all how we
experience one of the most special weekends of our lives. The thing that I am
honestly most obsessed with right now that you've probably heard me talk about
before is how do I actually make sure to enjoy the season and this wedding
weekend? How do I make sure that it doesn't go by in the blink of an eye? That I get
a feel present for all of it. Presence is not something that we suddenly turn
on because it's a special occasion. It is a skill. Our brains get good at whatever
we repeatedly ask of them. If we spend every day multitasking, rushing, checking
notifications, thinking about what's next, worrying about something, that is the
mental state that we are practicing. And then we expect ourselves to magically
become super present and grounded on one of the biggest days of our lives. It
doesn't work that way. We have to practice presence. So I always knew, leading up
to my wedding, more important, honest to God, than whatever workouts or
facials I would do, what I care the most about would be increasing my
meditations to prime my brain for presence. But especially in this past month
when everything just got super hectic, I felt extremely out of control. I felt
stress and anxiety getting out of hand, which I normally am pretty good at
keeping in check. Like I felt myself becoming not like me. I knew I had to do
something different because I wasn't just busy. I felt disconnected from my
own life. I felt out of control. And that is not how I want to live at all
period. Much less the time that who cares if like, you know, all the freaking
things dressing out. My second look dress doesn't come in time or doesn't fit.
Like, who cares about all these things? Honestly, I want to remember this time
fondly for the rest of my life. So here's the change that I made. I stopped
listening to podcasts. I know that this is the only podcast that you will
hear the podcaster say and maybe recommend stop listening to podcast. And you
know, I've said this before, but like these days in general, mostly I'm just
listening to business, finance, or celebrity and pop culture podcasts,
because I don't want to listen to any self-improvement podcast that might get
in my head about what I do with this podcast, but I love listening to podcasts.
It makes life so much more entertaining. And what a great hack to stack learning
in your everyday life. Like, it is great. I love the concept. Obviously, it's
what I'm doing for my career because I believe so strongly in it. But for me,
I also realized that podcasts have quietly become the soundtrack to almost
every empty moment of my day going on a walk podcast, driving podcast, getting
ready podcast, folding laundry podcast. Again, that's not a bad thing.
I actually think it's genius because you really can learn so much while you're
doing something mindless, you would already be doing anyway. But I also
realized for this season of my life, I was never thinking about my walk.
I was thinking about what I was listening to. I was never fully present on
my drive. I was thinking about the conversation. So just through my wedding,
I am no longer listening to podcasts besides my own because I always listen
to make sure there's no like errors or anything, making sure it's good enough
for you guys. But instead, I have replaced my normal pop culture and finance
podcasts with the activations app. It's Mimi Bushard's app. She has been on
the podcast twice. I actually just brought back one of her episodes for last
flashback Friday because it's that good. But I love these because you don't
have to sit and meditate like you can play while you're on a walk while
you're cooking while you're folding laundry while you're getting ready.
So I'm actively practicing presence and gratitude all day every day without
having to spend more time that I don't have and preparing my brain for
presence and gratitude on my wedding day. She also is a series of bridal
activations, which is so fun. Honestly, I spent the $30 a month to get this
back for one just for those activations. I'm really going to lean into those
a lot the weekend of. It just really helps you get into this like present
grateful state. So this changes helped me a lot because instead of rehearsing
my to-do list and feeling overwhelmed and all the things I'm stressed
about, I'm rehearsing how I want to feel calm, joyful, connected, present,
excited, grateful. We know from neuroscience that our brains don't just
respond to experiences, they respond vividly to imagined experiences,
too. Visualization activates many of the same neural pathways as the real
event, which is one reason why elite athletes have used mental rehearsal
for decades. They're not just practicing the physical skill.
They're not just training physically. They are practicing the mental state
that they want to access when the moment arrives. That is exactly how
I started thinking about my wedding. I'm not just planning it. I am practicing
experiencing it so that I can access the mental state I want to be in when
the moment arrives. And this obviously applies whether you're getting married
or not. Every season of life has moments that we'll never get back. A birthday
dinner with your parents, a vacation that you've been dreaming about, even
just like Tuesday dinner with someone you love. Presents isn't just a nice
idea. It's how we experience our lives. The more I've practiced presence in small
moments, the more I've noticed that life itself starts to feel richer. The
coffee tastes better, conversations feel deeper. Time slows down just enough to
remember that you actually lived that. So whether you want to ditch your
podcast or not, please don't ditch me. But I think sometimes that it can be
good to like take a beat to actually just focus on what we're doing instead of
being distracted by other things constantly in our ears. Another way I'm doing
this, like if I'm not doing activations, I'm listing to music. I find that, you
know, music helps me at least I can still focus on the present moment. But it
kind of helps me get into like a more emotional state, access and kind of
like gratitude, happiness, joy. You don't have to spend the money to download
the activations app. You can really just like meditate through these normal
moments of your day, just focused on being really present. I also have a bunch of
pep talks that I have recorded on the podcast. You can just search probably like
pep talks, the ever girl podcast. I have many of them that I've recorded for
specifically these things so that you can be practicing presents, you can be
practicing gratitude while you are living your everyday life. I also by the way
another change related to this. Joanne, I decided, again, when I was in my
stress spiral panicking feeling out of control, we decided we were not going to
watch any TV during the week. Weekends, maybe we'll watch like a wedding
movie, things to get us in the mood, like catch up on our shows, even
whatever. But on the weekdays, because the season is going so fast, we
were like, okay, I want to like slow down and we're just not going to watch TV.
So I'm so behind on the violence, so no spoilers. I can't wait after our
wedding, maybe after a honeymoon, maybe on the way to our honeymoon, we are
going to be binging the entire season of love Island. And I'm so excited for
that. But I think sometimes it's important to realize what is causing us
noise. And you know, I love my podcast. You know, I love my reality TV. I'm
not saying that this is a thing that's bad in my normal life. It's just
like right now, I need to feel more present. I need to be practicing this
presence so intentionally. So I'm making these shifts to again, prepare
myself for how I want to feel on my wedding. For all of the wellness habits
I'm sharing today, for all the wellness habits I'm sharing anytime. I'm
telling you now, this is the one that has changed the most for me. I love
consuming content. But sometimes we got to remember that if we want to feel
present and grateful in our lives, we have to actively practice it. And
then micro habit number six, the last habit is probably the most seemingly
random on this list. But trust me, it has made a huge difference for me.
Every single day, I eat one kiwi. Not because I love kiwis that much,
although I do really love a kiwi like yum. But I eat a kiwi because my
digestion is dramatically better when I do. If you have struggled with
constipation, with bloating, feeling like your digestion just isn't working
the way it should, this is one of those habits that is absolutely worth looking
into. I highly recommend kiwi has become surprisingly well studied in
gastroenterology. And multiple randomized control trials have found that
eating kiwi daily can improve bowel regularity, reduce constipation, and
even decrease bloating abdominal discomfort and digestion. In one study,
eating two gold kiwis each day specifically was just as effective as a fiber
supplement that is often considered the gold standards for constipation.
What is fascinating is that the benefits of kiwi like why it's so good for your
digestion is not just one reason kiwi is kind of like the perfect food for your
gut. It has both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps keep things
moving while also supporting your gut microbiome. It contains a unique
digestive enzyme that helps break down proteins, making digestion feel a
little more efficient. It also naturally holds onto water in the intestines,
which helps soften stool without acting like a harsh stimulant. For me,
the difference is incredibly noticeable. When I eat a kiwi consistently,
I'm regular every single day. I feel lighter throughout the day. My stomach
feels flatter. I don't get that uncomfortable heavy bloated feeling as much.
One thing I've learned from interviewing so many wellness experts is that
digestion is not just about digestion. In both Iroveda and traditional Chinese
medicine, it is considered the foundation of health.
Heraveta has this concept of Agni or digestive fire, which is thought to determine how well
your body transforms food into energy and nourishment.
Traditional Chinese medicine has a similar philosophy, viewing the digestive system as the
source of energy, the place where your body extracts the fuel that it needs to support
everything else.
Whether you look at Western medicine, whether you look at Ayurveda, most practices of medicine
arrive at a similar conclusion that digestion is the key to health.
When it is functioning well, the rest of the body tends to function much better too.
We know in modern science that your gut influences everything from your immune system to inflammation,
nutrient absorption, even though your brain communicates with the rest of the body.
So I make this point to say, you know, we're always chasing solutions for low energy, for
dull skin, for whatever symptom, but sometimes the first place to look is whether we're
actually absorbing and digesting our food well.
So gut health, whether you have gut symptoms or not, can often be exactly where you should
look.
Kiwi also happens to be one of the richest whole foods, horses of vitamin C, containing
more vitamin C, preserving than many citrus fruits.
Vitamin C plays an essential role in collagen production, supports the immune system, helps
protect ourselves from oxidative stress, and even improves the absorption of iron from
plant foods, which is particularly helpful if you're vegetarian like I am and chronically
low in iron.
Vitamin C is amazing for bringing the skin, so it's extra great for those beauty benefits.
One fun piece of research I came across is that kiwi may even support better sleep.
It contains a compound involved in serotonin and melatonin pathways, and several small
studies have found improvement in sleep quality when people consistently ate kiwi before bed.
The research is still very early, but I just love when one simple food has benefits that
extend far beyond a single body system.
Guys, I'm telling you, sometimes the most powerful interventions are not expensive supplements
or complicated protocols.
Sometimes they're the food that we have evolved to eat and depend on.
Like go figure, right?
It's not actually that complicated.
See, there are micro habits, right?
There are just easy little things that actually make a big difference, but are easy to stick
with.
I hope this episode gave you a few ideas to experiment with, and more importantly, got
you excited about taking care of yourself.
I genuinely love talking about wellness because it is not about chasing perfection, like all
these other wellness people want to talk about it.
It is about discovering the little habits that make you feel more energized and vibrant,
more like yourself.
I will definitely keep sharing what's working for me if you're interested.
As always, let me know if you like this content, so I know what to give you more of in the
Spotify comments or Apple reviews.
If you try any of these habits, tag me on Instagram so I can see, like, please tag me.
If you hop on the carrot juice or the kiwi bandwagon, like I want to see you apply these
to your life, I absolutely love seeing your routines, your grocery halls, hearing about all
the little changes that are making a difference in your life.
And if you've enjoyed today's episode, the best way to support the show is by leaving
a rating and a review on Apple podcasts.
If you're listening on Spotify, do not forget you can leave a comment on this episode.
I read every single comment and your feedback genuinely helps me create episodes that you
will want more of.
Send this to someone who could use any of these tips.
It might be the nuts that they need to try one new habit that will snowball into very powerful
lifestyle changes.
Thank you so much for hanging out with me today.
I will see you on Thursday.
I'm super excited about Thursday's episode.
It is a very personal one for me.
So I really hope you love it, subscribe so you don't miss it, and I will see you then.
I love you for joining me today, every girls.
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