Feel Good Effect

We are diving into breath this week with our guest, Ashley Neese. In this episode we discuss why a breathwork practice is so important, how to do it, common misconceptions, and how to use breath to improve your overall health.

Ashley Neese is a courageous guide who empowers people to heal themselves. She holds a MFA from the California College of the Arts and is a leading expert in the breathwork field. Her private sessions, workshops, retreats, and lifestyle journal guide spirit seekers towards living with their hearts wide open.

Ashley works with clients all over the world and has been featured in Vouge, Well + Good, Freunde von Freunden, Jenni Kayne, The Chalkboard Mag, MindBodyGreen, ELLE Japan, Free + Native, and The Nourished Journal. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences and podcasts and teach for corporations. Ashley's recent engagements include, MindBodyGreen's Revitalize, That's So Retrograde, The Balanced Blonde, Goop, WeWork, FOX, BuzzFeed, True Botanicals, Lululemon, and Kit + Ace.

Ashley's story and how she recovered from addiction.

The key to breathing for health.

Why the exhale matters.

How to add a breathwork practice into your weekly routine.

The Science of Slow Deep Breathing

The Oxygen Advantage: Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques to Help You Become Healthier, Fitter, Slimmer and Faster

Guest Information

Website: ashleyneese.com

Instagram: @ashleyneese

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023 Finding Real Health in Real Life: Feel Good Effect Success with Ali Edwards

We're diving into a Feel Good Effect success story today, as we chat with Ali Edwards from aliedwards.com. We talk about Ali's wellness story, how she balances taking care of herself as a working mama of a blended family of seven, and how she's used lessons taken from the Feel Good Effect to find real health in real life.

Ali Edwards's passion resides in that very special place where the stories and images of life intersect. Her work includes teaching, writing, photography, and memory keeping product design. Learn more about her intentional memory keeping projects and products at http://www.aliedwards.com.

Ali's wellness story, what worked and what didn't.

What's still challenging on a day to day basis.

How Ali found help with her anxiety and depression.

Her philosophy on food and feeding a family of seven.

Her approach to movement and finding what works for her.

Ali's go-to Feel Good Effect podcast episodes.

Feel Good Effect 003: How to Naturally Balance Your Hunger Hormones with Kelly LeVeque

Feel Good Effect 004: Finding Intuitive Health and Committing to Real with Sadie Lincoln

Feel Good Effect 014: The True Meaning of Wellness with Colleen Wachob

Feel Good Effect 015: The Secret to a Happy Healthy Life with Gretchen Rubin

Feel Good Effect 019: FInding Healthy Middle Ground and Thriving with an Autoimmune Disease with Phoebe Lapine

Guest Information

Website: http://www.aliedwards.com

Instagram: @ae_wellness

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We're taking a deep dive the fundamental problem of retouching in media, why narrowing the definition of beauty is not healthy, how to replace lies with truth, and the upcoming documentary, self(i.e.), with Sarah Dubbeldam, CEO of DARLING Media and Editor-in-Chief of DARLING Magazine.

Sarah Dubbeldam is founder of DARLING, a multi-media company that is positively redefining female-driven digital, social and print content. She serves as CEO of DARLING Media and Editor-in-Chief of DARLING Magazine.

After graduating from Concordia University, Sarah was signed by one of the world's top modeling agencies. Although her modeling career was met with success through national campaigns, after a few years she was fed up with feeling insecure and depressed, questioning what she was doing with her life.

Sarah put her dissatisfaction into action and over coffee with her best friend Kelli, came up with the idea of launching DARLING, a magazine that broadened the ideal of "beauty" with an authentic and elevated conversation for women. The goal: creating media that matters.

Five years after first developing the concept, Sarah turned to Kickstarter in 2012 to get the print magazine off the ground. Since then the company has grown into different verticals such as video, online, social media and events and has become a movement to build women's self-esteem.

DARLING is the only women's magazine that does not retouch women's skin or bodies and seeks to represent a wide range of sizes, ages and ethnicities. The cultural phenomenon Sarah has created can be seen in the hashtags #thatsdarling, #darlingmovement and #darlingweekend that have been used more than 15 million times on social media.

The DARLING founding story, and how the mission statement came to be.

The decision to not retouch images in the magazine.

The difference between filters and retouching.

Sarah's definition of perfectionism and the ideal of beauty throughout the years.

The problem with narrowing the idea of beauty.

"A flaw is only a flaw if it's measured against an ideal." Sarah Dubbeldam

"Your body is your home. The only thing holding you back is believing there's something wrong with you." self(i.e.)

Replacing lies with truth.

Bringing awareness to self-critical thoughts and sharing these thoughts with a supportive community.

Learning to have healthy thought patterns is what it really means to be healthy.

DARLING mission statement.

self(i.e.): the search for real self-esteem in a retouched world

Guest Information

Website: darlingmagazine.com

Instagram: @darlingmagazine @sarahdubbs

Show the Feel Good Effect Love

1. Share it via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter
2. Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews help more people find the show!
3. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

We're taking a deep dive the fundamental problem of retouching in media, why narrowing the definition of beauty is not healthy, how to replace lies with truth, and the upcoming documentary, self(i.e.), with Sarah Dubbeldam, CEO of DARLING Media and Editor-in-Chief of DARLING Magazine.

Sarah Dubbeldam is founder of DARLING, a multi-media company that is positively redefining female-driven digital, social and print content. She serves as CEO of DARLING Media and Editor-in-Chief of DARLING Magazine.

After graduating from Concordia University, Sarah was signed by one of the world's top modeling agencies. Although her modeling career was met with success through national campaigns, after a few years she was fed up with feeling insecure and depressed, questioning what she was doing with her life.

Sarah put her dissatisfaction into action and over coffee with her best friend Kelli, came up with the idea of launching DARLING, a magazine that broadened the ideal of "beauty" with an authentic and elevated conversation for women. The goal: creating media that matters.

Five years after first developing the concept, Sarah turned to Kickstarter in 2012 to get the print magazine off the ground. Since then the company has grown into different verticals such as video, online, social media and events and has become a movement to build women's self-esteem.

DARLING is the only women's magazine that does not retouch women's skin or bodies and seeks to represent a wide range of sizes, ages and ethnicities. The cultural phenomenon Sarah has created can be seen in the hashtags #thatsdarling, #darlingmovement and #darlingweekend that have been used more than 15 million times on social media.

The DARLING founding story, and how the mission statement came to be.

The decision to not retouch images in the magazine.

The difference between filters and retouching.

Sarah's definition of perfectionism and the ideal of beauty throughout the years.

The problem with narrowing the idea of beauty.

"A flaw is only a flaw if it's measured against an ideal." Sarah Dubbeldam

"Your body is your home. The only thing holding you back is believing there's something wrong with you." self(i.e.)

Replacing lies with truth.

Bringing awareness to self-critical thoughts and sharing these thoughts with a supportive community.

Learning to have healthy thought patterns is what it really means to be healthy.

DARLING mission statement.

self(i.e.): the search for real self-esteem in a retouched world

Guest Information

Website: darlingmagazine.com

Instagram: @darlingmagazine @sarahdubbs

Show the Feel Good Effect Love

1. Share it via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter
2. Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews help more people find the show!
3. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

We're taking a deep dive into meal planning this week. From how to make meal planning work in real life, common mistakes, specific mindset strategies, and action steps, this episode is packed with information to help you meal plan (even if you hate the idea right now)!

No Fail Tips for Meal Planning (for People Who Hate Meal Planning)

1 | Let Go of Perfect

There is no such thing as perfect meal planning. Let go of unrealistic expectations and rigid plans in favor of simplicity, and work within the context of your real life.

Action Step: Can you think of a specific example when perfect meal planning or following a rigid plan kept you from meal planning? If so, how can you reset expectations and try again?

2 | Know your Why

Keeping in mind why you are meal planning and cooking at home can help keep you on track and motivated over time. If your why includes goals for the future, see if you can add a few that are more immediate.

Action Step: Make a list of why you want to meal plan and cook at home. Then add a few immediate outcomes to the list.

3 | Simplify

Complicated recipes and long ingredient lists are a sure why to burnout and ditch meal planning altogether. Instead, try simplifying.

Think of recipes in terms of the Essential Six, and Meal Map instead of meal planning. Simplifying the process will allow you to know what you need at the grocery store and then have ingredients on hand to throw together meals in minutes.

Action Step: Think about ways you can simplify meal planning. Try adopting the Essential Six and Meal Mapping approach and see if it makes things easier.

4 | Make it Enjoyable

Take meal planning off the dreaded chore list and move it into the self-care category. Pour yourself a cup of tea or glass of wine, put on some good music, and take a few moments to prepare for the week in comfort.

Action Step: Brainstorm a few ways you can make the process of meal planning more enjoyable and nurturing.

5 | Enlist Help

There is no rule you need to do everything yourself. Invite others in your life to help with the process, whether it's picking up groceries or taking something off your plate.

Action Step: Think about ways you can invite help when it comes to meal planning. Then reach out and ask!

6 | Anything is Better Than Nothing

In the ideal world we'd all have every meal planned and ingredients on hand for effortless cooking. Since the ideal isn't always possible, just start with something. Plan one dinner. Batch cook one recipe. Start small. Then see how far you can go.

Action Step: How can you adopt the anything is better than nothing mentality this week? You don't need to wait for the ideal, start now, start small, and enjoy the ride.

Real Food Fix

5 Meal Planning Myths (and Why It's Not as Complicated as You Think)

Ditch the Complicated Meal Plan (and Try This Instead)

Episode 17: What I Wish I'd Known When Starting a Wellness Journey

Friday Night Oven Fries

More Information

Website: realfoodwholelife.com

Instagram: @realfoodwholelife

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We're talking with Lisa Merkle, a self described yogi, event designer, and cancer survivor, about her life before cancer, how she navigated both western and eastern approaches to fighting the disease and healing her body, and what she learned through the process.

Show Summary

Diagnosed with cancer in July of 2016 and recently resurfacing from treatment, Lisa is moved to share lessons endured in an effort to educate and inspire others on the topic of cancer prevention and awareness. As a certified yoga teacher, Holistic Health Coach, and with a background in photo and event production, Lisa launched an event and lifestyle design studio with a focus on serving clients associating with health and wellness trends. She recently relocated to Miami after 17 years in New York City, with sights set on developing an Urban Farm in Overtown Miami: a food desert and historically underserved community in downtown Miami. Prior to launching her own business, she spent a decade as Studio Manager at the photography studio of photographer Bruce Weber.

Living the wellness lifestyle before cancer.

Her symptoms and experience with treatment prior to the diagnosis.

Lisa's cancer diagnosis, and the decisions she faced going into treatment.

The bias she held against western medicine, and how she worked with both eastern and western practitioners to address her illness.

Why the antithesis to polarization is inclusivity, to connect and to create a dialog.

The healing practices she implemented during treatment and recovery.

Why she chooses love over fear.

Lisa's next project in Miami.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead by Joe Cross

Judith Hanson Lasater Restorative Yoga

Far Infrared Bio Mat

Guest Info

Website: lisamerkle.com

Instagram: @lisamerkle212

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In this episode we're chatting with Phoebe Lapine about autoimmune disease, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, finding middle ground when it comes to health, and her book, The Wellness Project. Phoebe is a food and health writer, wellness personality, gluten-free chef, culinary instructor, recipe developer and speaker. On her award-winning blog, Feed Me Phoebe, she shares recipes for healthy comfort food, and insights about balanced lifestyle choices beyond what's on your plate. Her memoir, The Wellness Project, chronicles her journey with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and how she finally found the middle ground between health and hedonism by making one lifestyle change, one month at a time.

Overview of autoimmune disease and Hashimotos Thyroiditis.

Thoughtful systematic way of figuring out what works for you.

How to fit health changes into real life.

Finding the sweet spot between health and hedonism and feeding your spirit.

The effect of stress on health, autoimmune disease, and the benefit of letting go of unrealistic ideals of perfection.

The One Big Question--if you could tell someone one thing to change about their life that would have a profound impact on their wellbeing, what would it be?

Thinking about health in terms of concentric circles, and then focusing on locking down the center circle.

The Ten Commandments of healthy hedonism.

Why focusing on balanced blood sugar is a great place to start when it comes to health change.

Approaching an elimination diet with an experimental mindset.

The benefit of consuming fermented foods.

Why taking small steps can make such a big difference over time.

How cooking at home can move the needle when it comes to health.

Finding the middle ground and balance between making your body feel good and living a good life.

The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right By My Body, Without Giving Up My Life

My Hashimotos Story

The Autoimmune Disease No One Has Ever Heard Of: What I Learned from A Pernicious Anemia Diagnosis

How to Design Your Own Wellness Project: A Guide

The One Big Question

Episode 1: Kristen Boehmer on Lifestyle Change and Living with an Autoimmune Disease

Episode 3: Kelly LeVeque, How to Naturally Balance Your Hunger Hormones

What I Learned from a Month of Growing my Gut Garden

The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal the Body from the Inside Out

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood and Your Long Term Health

Episode 15: The Secret to a Happy, Healthy Life with Gretchen Rubin

#4WeekstoWellness: My Waste Free Month

Guest Info

Website: feedmephoebe.com

Instagram: @phoebelapine

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Show Summary

In this episode we're talking with Kate Fagan, author of the book, What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen.

We unpack the themes of perfectionism, the effects of social media on our brains, difficult transitions, and mental health. And we explore how healthy is driving satisfaction from activities and engagement not dependent on outside validation.

Detailed show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com/feelgoodeffect

Madison Holleran's story.

Unpacking the themes of perfectionism, the effects of social media on our brains, difficult transitions, and mental health.

How we seem to need one box for everything and how that can be problematic in talking about mental health.

How filters played a role in Maddy's life, and how they may be playing a role in all of our lives.

How much photographic information we are consuming and the possible impact on our brains.

The inability to see that everyone else's social feeds were filtered, too.

The problem with filtering in and filtering out.

Social isolation and social media.

The difference between connectivity and true social connection.

The ways that the digital medium can cloud a real emotional state.

Real conversations are messy and lack control vs. digital interactions.

Connecting one human to another is asking follow up questions and staying in the relationship through the hard questions.

If you think you are alone in your feelings it may be difficult to share your experience and ask for help.

The transition to college and the challenges this experience can bring.

"I know I'm supposed to feel like the lucky chosen few, but all I feel is overwhelm." This can be a really difficult mental battle.

The risk of "I should be feeling."

Struggle is not weakness.

"When the hurdle you are supposed to clear is actually a brick wall, you're not going to get to the other side, you're going to actually hurt yourself in trying to push through."

The problem with perfectionism.

"Notice how close perfection is to despair."

Why checking boxes and achieving will never be enough when it's in the absence of true joy, knowing who you are and what makes you happy.

"I've been at the bottom and I've been at the top and I know I won't find peace in either." -Aaron Rogers

Finding joy and peace with things that have nothing to do with external validation.

Healthy is driving a majority percentage of satisfaction from activities and engagement not dependent on outside validation.

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen

The Fine Art of Being Imperfect

Two Write Love on Her Arms

Crisis Text Line

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Guest Info

Website: bykatefagan.com

Instagram: @katefagan3

Podcast: Free Cookies

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In this episode we're diving into the 5 things I wish I'd know when starting this wellness journey.

Website: realfoodwholelife.com

Instagram: @realfoodwholelife

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

In today's show we're unpacking some of the themes from previous episodes and I'm sharing a personal story and the 5 things I wish I'd known when first starting out.

What I Wish I'd Known

1. Gentle Over Perfect

It's hard to be gentle when you have big goals. But perfect is an impossible target, and holding yourself to such a standard is a quick way to burnout. Plus, it's just really difficult to maintain in the long run. Instead try to be gentle in the process.

1. Know and Honor What Works for You

Know yourself, your life context, and what works for you. Then honor it.

1. Not For Skinny, Just For Me

External outcomes are fine, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, get toned, eat healthier, or meditate more. Try to keep in mind why you're doing this, and then see if you can bring your focus inward.

1. There is More Than One Right Way to Do This

Even though there are a million prescriptive diets and wellness plans in the world, there is more than one right way to wellness. Trust yourself in finding what works for you. Not doing things according to a perfect plan does not mean you're failing.

1. Step Back From Pushing Through and Lean into Support, Belief, and Slow

If you find yourself pushing through, checking boxes, and missing the joy see if you can take a step back. Is there a way to make some changes so that you're working from a place of support, belief, and slowness?

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2. Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help more people find the show and mean the world to me. Here's how to do it:

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  • Enter The Feel Good Effect, then tap the Search key at the bottom right.
  • Tap the album art for the podcast, then the Reviews tab.
  • Tap Write a Review at the bottom, then tap the Stars to leave a rating.
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Jon Acuff is the New York Times-bestselling author of six books including his most recent, Finish. He's helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at companies such as Microsoft, Nissan and Comedy Central, and been featured regularly on national media.

Website: acuff.me

Instagram: @jonacuff

All show notes & resources available at realfoodwholelife.com

Why Jon followed up his book Start with his current book, Finish to answer the question of how to actually reach your goals.

Shining light on why the middle is so hard.

Why perfectionism is one of the biggest hurdles to success.

What to do on the day after perfect, when things haven't worked out.

Escaping all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to goals.

Reconciling the perceived definition of perfectionism with how it manifests in real life.

"Amazon has sold millions of imperfect, finished books."

The significance of day 2 and day 13 in reaching your goals.

How cutting goals in half can help you succeed in the long run.

Secret rules and why they are keeping you from your goals.

Why being kind to yourself is the key to success.

How self-awareness leads to understanding secret rules and moving beyond them.

The importance of fun and how it contributes to success.

Why you can't do it all, shouldn't do it all, and how to let things go.

Shame is pretending you can do it all.

Using perfectionism to avoid the true work.

Being honest about your own failures and not painting a perfect picture of yourself to the people around you.

Remember one size doesn't fit all. Always be editing, always be tweaking, always be curious.

A health goal isn't turning you into a different person. A health goal is allowing you to celebrate you you already are even more.

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work the Matters

Do Over: Make Today the First Day of Your New Career

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Brene Brown TED talk on shame

Teach Girls to Be Brave, Not Perfect TED talk

Jon Acuff on The Moment with Brian Koppelman podcast

Good Life Project podcast

HELP THE SHOW

1. Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help more people find the show and I personally read each one. Here's how to do it:
2. • Launch Apple's Podcast app, then tap the Search tab.
   • Enter The Feel Good Effect, then tap the Search key at the bottom right.
   • Tap the album art for the podcast, then the Reviews tab.
   • Tap Write a Review at the bottom, then tap the Stars to leave a rating.
   • Enter title text and content to leave a review. Enter your nickname, then tap Send.
   • The review won't show up right away, but it should be there within a day or so. Thank you so much for reviewing and helping the show!
3. Subscribe on iTunes.