STWT: Spilling the Wellness Tea is Towards A Greater Life's first series. In this series, Haley and I come together every month to share a conversation about wellness trends- what they are, how is it good (or not good) for health, and whether you should jump on it!

In this first episode, we spilled the tea on matcha and self-care. We talked about the role of the food industry, how celebrities and influencers shifted this trend, and the true meaning of self-care. It's not all about face masks and bubble baths. It's about understanding who you are and about doing what is hard and necessary to gain better health.

Personality tests we love:
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/

Connect with Celyn:
Instagram: @celynng
Email: [email protected]
Website: Towards a Greater Life

Connect with Haley:
Instagram: @haleyknauer
Website: Haley Knauer

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Porch Swing Days - slower" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

Happy New Year!! Instead of thanking exes for lessons learned, in this episode, I highlight the importance of embracing, addressing, and thanking every emotion we feel. We grow up learning to cope and suppress emotions, society "tells" us which emotion is okay to have and which are not. Over time, we forget to address and attend to every single emotion and it can come back to haunt us. Everyone has emotional baggage but instead of bringing it into 2020, let's thank every emotion and encounter for the lessons and experiences, then move on towards the next bigger, greater thing!

Connect with me on Instagram: @celynng

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incomptech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Only two more days until Christmas and a week later, we will be counting down to 2020!! The holiday season can be the greatest but also THE most stressful time of the entire year, with family that you hardly ever see, the awkward dinner moments, certain people who are toxic to you but somehow you have to see them during the holidays, the endless gift list, the long hours of travel, the gossip and chatter, the grocery list, and so on. But this holiday season, I remind myself and you to prioritize mental sanity, remove toxic relationships, make new relationships, ignoring the gossip, eat for the soul, and sleep! May this season bring you and your family so much love, joy, and peace- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Connect with me on Instagram: @celynng

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incomptech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Motivation... Something that we always need. Something that we can never quite have enough of. Something that we are always searching for. Sometimes we find it so quickly but sometimes it's just nowhere to be found! This episode I talk about some ways or ideas that I have found useful in getting things done when motivation is just missing in action. You can think about it as finding ways to stay motivated or you can think about it as being productive even when motivation equals nil.

Book I talk about on this episode:
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incomptech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Is it the earth that needs saving from climate change or is it us, humans? Do cow's fart really creat that big of an environmental impact? Why are we talking about climate change now when scientists have been banging on about it for decades? What are some of the direct and indirect impacts that climate change has on human health, besides the obvious air pollution and respiratory symptoms? In this episode, I talk about a few different ideas or ways to think about climate change, which focuses on the fact that it's probably us, humans that need saving and not the planet itself. Because the planet may be just fine- it will flood, it will freeze, it will be on fire, it will evolve but we can't evolve with it. 

Infographic by CDC on the impact of climate change on human health: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It's DECEMBER and the year is ending, another year will be done and dusted very soon! Instead of counting the year, I have decided to make the year count. It is time to think about how the year went, what have I done or achieved this year, and what can I do to truly close 2019 in the most memorable way. What do you think about at the end of the year? In this episode, I talk about the importance of self-reflection and to not compare ourselves against others. Finally, I urge you to close the year by being as YOU as YOU can be! 

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

In our crazy day-to-day, it is easy to forget the little things, forget to be grateful, forget how rich we truly are. Just before Thanksgiving, I talked to Simone Bryan about how to start being more aware by practicing gratitude and how to be the light to others. Simone is one of the most positive, influential, and inspiring people I know. She has shined her light on me years ago and now I hope our conversation can start YOUR light and start this movement of focusing on the good as opposed to the bad.

Books recommended by Simone:
The Magic by Rhonda Byrne
The 4 Pillar Plan (UK) or How to Make Disease Disappear (US) by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

You can find Simone on Instagram @sense_of_being_wellness_hub or Glasshouse Chemist, Nottingham, UK.

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sound effect:
Artist: All Free Sound Effects
Song: Kids Shouting Yay!
Download/Stream: https//audiograb.com/XfUWOAjP

One day dairy is good, the next day dairy is bad. One day meat is good, the next day meat is bad. Nutrition information can be ever so confusing and contradictory. However, instead of focusing on unending baffling information, in this episode, I share some practical tips that you can be aware of or adopt to eat towards greater health.

Resources I talked about on this episode:

Dagfinn Aune, Edward Giovannucci, Paolo Boffetta, Lars T Fadnes, NaNa Keum, Teresa Norat, Darren C Greenwood, Elio Riboli, Lars J Vatten, Serena Tonstad, Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 46, Issue 3, June 2017, Pages 1029–1056, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw319 

Information on portion size for 5-a-day https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-portion-sizes/

The 4 Pillar Plan (UK) or How to Make Disease Disappear (US) by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

Disclaimer: None of the advice or information shared on this episode or show is intended to replace the services of trained healthcare professionals. It is also not intended to replace any medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional for any matters of your personal health.

Music from https://filmmusic.io

"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

I feel that in life, we have so many things we want to do or achieve but many of those things end up at the back of our mind and then life takes over and we never do it. Before we know it, not going for those things on that list starts eating on our mental health. Starting this podcast was on that list for me and with the spirit of the first episode, I decided to talk about the 3 reasons why I think we don't just go for whatever we put on that list.

Books I talked about on this episode:
You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Carefree" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)