Well & Worthy Life | A Podcast for Midlife Women

Are you a new year's resolution or intention setting kind of person? In the month of January there's always a lot of talk about goal setting for the year. Personally, I'm not a new year's resolutions kind of girl. I used to be, but I realized a long time ago that those don't work for me. Instead, I like to choose a word for the year that I set my intentions on.

Resolutions can feel rigid and if you don't live up to it there can be a feeling that you somehow failed. Setting an intention gives you something to set your focus on. You can let it be something that keeps bringing you back when you are making decisions throughout the year. I often ask myself, "does this align with my word for the year?", if not I can easily say no.

I'm a big believer that mindset is the key to everything. In the book, Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, he says that in order to get our behavior to change, we have to do the small things and do them consistently. Taking pause to celebrate yourself and be proud of how far you come gives you the strength to keep going. It's small things done consistently that bring the change and that's something I talk a lot about in my balance program.

I encourage you to think about a word or intention for your year and write it down. If you're looking for guidance, here are some great questions to spark ideas. Avoid looking for the quick fix and instead ask yourself, if this is my intention, how am I going to get there? What is going to be my roadmap?

When we are working on health and wellness, it isn't a destination. It is a journey. We have to have a roadmap to get there. It's the small little things done consistently that make the big change.

Have you thought about your intention(s) for the year? If so, I'd love to hear what they are! Email them to me at [email protected]

I'm excited to introduce you to someone I recently started working with. Allison La Bianca manages all aspects of my podcast and has been a huge help to me but little did I know all the things she is capable of doing! When I asked her to help me work on my Balanced Eating Method Program to help people incorporate more plant based eating into their lifestyle I found she's been eating that way for over a decade! Her journey into plant based eating has helped those around her see how easy it can be.

Losing her mom to cancer as a teenager was the catalyst for many of the choices she has made for her life to date; plant based eating being one of them. Before healthy eating for vegans was easily accessible, Allison learned the value it had for her overall health. In those early days it took some creativity for her to go out with friends and find ways to embrace this new lifestyle. We talk about what the journey into plant based eating initially looked and felt like, her favorite go-to's and cultivating a mindset for healthy eating.

Being a yoga teacher as well, she uses the practice to tune into her body and listen to what it's really asking for. Allison brings many aspects of her lifestyle together as a yoga teacher by inviting others in on the journey towards their own wholeness. She ignites an adventurous spirit in others by leading yoga retreats around the world where she helps participants slow down, tune in and listen to what their own soul is longing to say all while serving delicious plant based meals throughout the retreat!

Stay connected to Allison and learn about her upcoming Awaken & Free yoga retreats on her instagram or website.

If you're looking for support incorporating more plant based eating into your lifestyle, join Melanie and I in our Balanced Eating Method.

Also mentioned on this podcast:

• Dr Gregor's Daily Dozen for Plant Based Eating
• Pinterest Board of Vegan Meal Ideas
• My Balance Program

There are so many benefits to monitoring your blood sugar levels. Today I have Molly Downy on from NutriSense, sharing about what you can learn by wearing a continuous glucose monitor. Molly is a licensed dietician and nutritionist specializing in glucose control, metabolism and weight loss. She works as a dietician at NutriSense, a health technology company. At NutriSense they leverage continuous glucose monitors as a way to optimize diet, health and overall wellbeing.

When you think of the word glucose, do you think people with diabetes or high blood sugar? Most people do! NutriSense works with people who have type two diabetes as well as the general healthy population. They support those who are curious about their health and want to know how to respond to different variables in their life. Using a continuous glucose monitor is one way to provide better insight into your body and metabolism. It lets you know how you're processing different foods, how you respond to different workouts and how you respond to stress and sleep.

The continuous glucose monitor helps those at NutriSense identify anything that's going on within the users body. Staying up on any potential yellow flags early on allows modifications to made. Down the road, any of these adverse issues or the progression of a specific disease can potentially be avoided. When you work with NutriSense using the CGM, you are connected with a dietician who can support you and guide you in your health journey.

Believe me when I say, you'll want to tune in to this episode. You'll discover how meal sequencing can help regulate your glucose response, what happens when you eat throughout the day and how movement can helps maintain blood sugar. So many great hacks you'll want to incorporate into your life!

Let me know what you think about this topic. DM me on Instagram or email me, I love to hear your feedback!

Referred to in this episode: Quick and Easy Blood Sugar Balancing Meals for a Healthy Life Importance of Blood Sugar Stabilization Join me in Balance

NutriSense on Instagram NutriSense website Use code Deanna25 to get $25 off at NutriSense

Living with balance starts with mindset not a rigid checklist of things to do that only set you up for failure. How can you get your mind right so everything else falls into place? My Balance program is a great place to start! In today's episode, I'm talking with a few of my inner circle Balance members about their experience.

Trying to conquer everything at once can be overwhelming. In balance we break it down into smaller pieces to feel successful with each step. It's more about feeling and living the second half of our life as your best. And it can be! Knowing the things you can do to make yourself feel better is key. Joining balance can help you maneuver through the chaos and stress while staying grounded in the process.

The balance program is always at your fingertips, available when you need to return to it. It's a culture that celebrates progress over perfection and gives you the tools you need to look and feel your best! The app gives you a place to communicate with the group regularly when you need to be inspired and encouraged along your journey. If you enjoy the community aspect of Balance, you can stay on for the inner circle membership. The inner circle allows you to go deeper with continued support when you need it. We dive into a new topic each month that's allows us to relate to one another and bring the encouragement we're looking for.

As I believe, we always do better in community!

With the new year only days away, tune into this episode to see how living with balance is possible in this community.

Take the chance and invest in yourself. When you do you're saying to yourself, "Hey, I am important."

Referenced in the episode: Creating Habits Instead of Making New Year Resolutions.

Living with balance starts with mindset not a rigid checklist of things to do that only set you up for failure. ⁠How can you get your mind right so everything else falls into place? My Balance program is a great place to start! ⁠In today's episode, I'm talking with a few of my inner circle Balance members about their experience.⁠ Their insights might be just what you need to hear for why you need to join Balance with us in 2022!

With Balance, we focus on the small steps to reach our goals. Trying to conquer everything at once can be too overwhelming so we break it down into smaller pieces to feel successful with each step. It's more about feeling our best in the second half of our life and unlocking the best version of ourselves. The balance program is always at your fingertips, available when you need to return to it.

And if you enjoyed the community aspect of Balance you have the option to stay on for the inner circle membership. The truth is, we always do better in community and being part of the inner circle allows you to go deeper and have that continued support when you need it.

As women, we do a lot for others and often put ourselves on the backburner. Will you take the chance and invest in yourself? You are worth the investment and when you make a choice to care for yourself you are saying to yourself, "I am important."

If you're on the fence about joining the program, give this episode a listen. This conversation will speak to the power of the program and be the inspiration you need to join us in the new year. Reach out and connect with me if you have any questions about the program.

Welcome back to another episode of Well & Worthy Life. I'm changing gears to share with you a book I ran across recently. It's a small book my mother gave me filled with a beautiful message about living life to the fullest. As I read it again I thought it would speak to each of you in some way. Especially this time of the year when we're coming up on the new year and taking time to reflect.

The name of the book is, "Dance While You Can" by Lance Wubbels.

It begins with this quote, "I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could get back to my career. And then I was dying to retire. And now I am dying and suddenly I forgot to live." - Author unknown.

The book starts out saying, "my heart aches when I read that someone forgot to live. Yet I fear the feeling they express is all too common for many people today. Caught up in the business of living we rarely have time to take a close look and consider our personal lives.

The urgent needs of the moment surround us and scream for our constant attention. We are so caught up in the race to keep up that we tend to lose track of where we really are with our lives and who we are becoming. For some people, the cost is devastating."

What would living life to the fullest look like for you? Let this episode inspire and ignite you. Notice the way it stirs your soul.

While we are thinking about the approaching new year, consider joining me for Balance.

I wish I would have known more about menopause before I started going through it! It wasn't something anyone talked about with me and I want to change that. As someone who has been through all the stages of menopause, I want to share my expertise and experience. I hope it will offer you insight into some of your own journey.

Before we dive into menopause, let's talk about the first stage called perimenopause. This is the time around menopause when your body is in transition. A woman can start having symptoms of perimenopause seven to fourteen years before menopause sets in. Women are all different so we can't put a standard timeline on this process. A common symptom can be irregular periods as your estrogen levels are rising and falling. You may even begin experiencing symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, mood swings, vaginal dryness, etc.

So how do you know when you officially reach menopause?

Menopause is defined as the 12 months after your last period or in other words, you've gone 12 months with no period. In this episode I share a few tips for how to best care for our bodies and minds through this transition. You don't have to throw in the towel and accept the belly fat that's increasing or be taken over by the mood swings. There are practical things you can do to live well through this transition. Tune in to hear some changes I've made that supported me in my menopause journey.

If you have questions about changes going on in your cycle, with your mood or sleep, it's important to talk to your doctor.

We have to advocate for ourselves and be sure to care for ourselves well in this transition.

What questions do you have about the stages of menopause? I would love to hear and keep discussing on the podcast! Email me at [email protected] and join me over in Balance to kick start a lifestyle of healthy habits.

I'm thrilled to share today's episode with Jewel Carey today. A few years ago when I was doing my yoga teacher training, Jewel was one of the trainers. Jewel is a young woman with an adventurous spirit and big heart for others. She shares her story of using a holistic approach to healing Lyme Disease. When doctors told her there was no hope left she searched out other healing modalities.

Jewel is nationally recognized as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, yoga teacher and holistic health practitioner. She is known for her adventurous enthusiasm for life and willingness to approach each client with compassion and creativity. While she is currently based out of the greater Nashville area, Jewel's profession takes her across the U.S. She uses her story to uplift, encourage and educate folks as they establish sustainable, healthy lifestyles that showcase kindness as a powerful healing tool.

Jewel's experience in using a holistic approach to healing Lyme Disease has given her a strong passion for holistic health. This has given her a deep desire to improve the lives of those around her too. Jewel has extensive training in Ayurveda, naturopathy, home remedies, Iridology, early childhood development, emotional processing, therapeutic exercise and nutrition.

In addition to offering personal wellness care, Jewel's services include educational courses, mentorship programs, and immersive retreats. When she isn't studying natural medicine or working alongside clients and colleagues, she absolutely loves spending time in nature with her family. Seeking out waterfalls, hiking with her dogs, and rock climbing with her amazing husband are amongst her greatest joys in life!

If you want to stay connected to the incredible work Jewel is doing, follow her on Instagram at Jewel Careyyy and Healthy and Kind or Facebook at Healthy and Kind

And don't forget to join me in the Balanced Program to gain tips to look and feel your best in community with other women on the journey!

We have a returning guest on the show today, Ed Parks, our expert on brain health! Today he's back to talk about the benefits of intermittent fasting and how it impacts our brain function and overall longevity.

I'm personally a fan of intermittent fasting and know many others are as well. If you haven't heard of this, intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for various meal timing schedules. There are a few different ways to intermittent fast which Ed discusses on this episode.

Although many people chose to intermittent fast for weight loss purposes, Ed explains the amazing benefits of intermittent fasting for brain health. During a fasting period there is cellular rejuvenation occuring in our bodies; something that can not happen when we are eating all the time. If you've been curious about intermittent fasting, give this episode a listen. Discover the amazing benefits of intermittent fasting for brain health and overall longevity and how you can start incorporating this into your life today.

If you've missed the previous episodes with Ed, be sure to go back and give these two conversations a listen: brain health and the gut-brain connection and how to maintain a healthy brain.

Ed also owns a company called NeuroReserve. They makes a product called Relevate which is a nutritional supplement that restores vital nutrients for healthy brain aging. I love Relevate and take on a regular basis. If you're interested in trying it out, you can purchase it here and receive 15% off using my code, DEANNA15

To maintain a healthy brain we need to take action in our own lives!

Join my Balance program: https://wellandworthylife.lpages.co/balance/

With holiday travel, family gatherings and daily rhythms disrupted, keeping up with a routine can be a challenge. The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year most people gain an average of 5-6 pounds. So how can you stay healthy through the holidays without sacrificing the enjoyment? It's all about balance!

Today I have one of my best friends on with me, Melanie Roberson. When we get chatting it's hard for us to stop, especially when we're talking recipes and healthy habits! Melanie just launched her new website Mels Healthy Lifestyle that is full of nutritious recipes you'll want to check out. We're talking about things we do during the holidays so we aren't totally out of control!

When it comes to the holiday season and all the traditions around it, being present and savoring the time with family is important. Finding the balance will allow for more enjoyment and leave you feeling great in the new year. Here are a few ways Melanie and I find balance with our health habits throughout the holidays:

Bring movement into everyday, whether that's family walks or attending your regular pilates classes. Your eating routines may be a little off but the continued movement will feel good.

Bring one of your favorite, healthy dishes to the holiday meal so you know you'll have a healthy option.

Have accountability throughout the holidays and stay on track. Join my Balance Program so you have motivation to keep making healthy choices through the holidays. The Balance program is more than the food, it will help you prepare for the holiday season with intention.

Join Melanie and I in the new year with our balanced cooking course.

Make sure you're following Melanie on Instagram at Mels Healthy Meals for holiday recipe ideas!

Enjoy the episode and your Thanksgiving!