Well & Worthy Life | A Podcast for Midlife Women

Today on the podcast I am talking with Leah Allison from Conscious Coaching and shifting our mindset to more of a positive mindset.  Do you struggle with more of a negative mindset at times?  We all do!  We are sharing our different experiences as people-pleasers and how we try to shift our mindsets in the moment.  How does boundaries and gratefulness help with your mindset shifting?  Listen and let me know how you are shifting your mindset.

Find Leah at:  Conscious Coaching Inc.

Facebook: Conscious Coaching Inc.

Do you need to learn boundaries?  Check out the book Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Today's guest is one of my best friends, Jodi Bearman.  We are discussing body image and how things have changed from our generation to the next.  The title "I'm Perfect" came from imperfect.

We even touch on botox and things that we do to look our best.  We are so encouraged by watching how celebrities and influencers are showing their "authentic side".

Body image has taken on a whole new meaning for us since we both have granddaughters.

I referenced this blog post wrote on self-confidence.

Today on the podcast I am sharing 3 myths about weight loss.  I am sure there are so many more but these are some of the ones I hear the most in my health coaching and FASTer Way to Fat Loss coaching.

My mother had a habit that helped her keep her weight in check, however, I really think this isn't something we should do.

Do you need a lifestyle that helps you feel your best!  Check out FASTer Way to Fat Loss.

Today on the show I am introducing myself. My name is Deanna Pizitz and I am 53 years old.

I am sharing why I started Well and Worthy Life blog and what it has become. Also, I am sharing my passion and how I discovered that passion.

Today you will get a small glimpse into my life. In this episode, I am referring to several of my first episodes that you do not want to miss.

Reinventing Ourselves with Cathy Williamson Dementia Part 1 & 2 Finding Your Vibe Means Finding Your Tribe

You will also hear the things I love to do and maybe am considering doing. And last but not least you will find out why and what for Well and Worthy Life Podcast.

Be sure to follow me at: https://www.instagram.com/wellandworthylife/ https://www.facebook.com/wellandworthylife/

Deanna’s good friend Denise joins her in this episode. The two have been friends for nearly thirty years, having first met when their children were very young. Today’s discussion revolves around friendships and how important these are to our overall health.

Deanna and Denise used to talk every day, but now they live in different cities and can go months without talking. Though this may seem like a negative, they are extremely happy that they can always pick up their conversations with each other right where they left off. Deanna expresses how thankful she is for having friends that know everything about her.

Friendships have to be worked on; they don’t just happen. Denise describes the hesitancy that can occur when trying to make friends as an older person and admits that she has caught herself holding back when she should be opening up. Deanna shares a story about someone establishing great new friendships in her 50s.

When Deanna’s friends met her second husband, they were very skeptical. She did not listen to their warnings, but now reflects on how she should have taken them more seriously. Even though she got divorced from that husband, her friends are still there for her. We hear about how Deanna approached her friends’ thoughts with her third husband.

If you have become disconnected with your girlfriends, Deanna and Denise encourage you to call them today. Denise says that if your friend is not reaching out, there’s a reason. They probably need you to reach out more than ever.

Today’s guest is Christina Pierpaoli Parker, who Deanna recently met her through social media. She is a fifth-year PhD student of clinical psychology, specializing in aging, at the University of Alabama. She conducts research at the interception of psychological and physical health later in life.

Christina always tells patients that to live a long life, you need to get good sleep. There is a relationship between premature mortality and how many hours you’re getting. She discusses the cultural bias against sleep and gives examples of two political figures who didn’t sleep much, later dying of Alzheimer’s disease.

Deanna had always been a great sleeper, but when she was going through her first divorce, she couldn’t sleep. She went to a doctor who prescribed Ambien and stayed on it for about ten years. Christina says that this is a very common story and points out the important concepts of it.

Our brain can create an association of activity in the place we are supposed to sleep, which is called conditioned arousal. Christina gives an example of how she sees this play out with patients and teaches why we must associate our bed with what it is meant for. She explains how to practice stimulus control to improve our sleep habits.

Another way to fix sleep patterns is sleep restriction. Christina gives an overview of this method and says that it should be undertaken only under the guidance of a provider. She also speaks to the link between anxiety and sleep issues.

Christina’s website: https://www.theageambassador.com/ Christina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theageambassador/ Christina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ageambassador UAB Sleep/Wake Disorders Center: 205.930.7714

A summary of Christina’s recommendations: Click to Download A guided relaxation that Christina recommends: Click to Download CBT-I Coach app for relaxation techniques: https://mobile.va.gov/app/cbt-i-coach A sleep diary to monitor and track your sleep: Click to Download

Keeley Michael, a friend of Deanna’s and a yoga therapist, joins the show today. Keeley explains what yoga therapy is for those of us who may not know, and the two have some spiritual conversations as well.

Yoga therapy is the specific application of yoga tools to the individual in front of the yoga therapist. Keeley describes the many tools used in yoga and what they are used for. Another important part of yoga therapy is its holistic approach; that is, the therapist looks beyond the physical being and into different layers of the human system. We then learn about the five different layers each person has.

Deanna discovered Keeley when she was not satisfied with the results from other therapies to treat her back pain. Keeley says that people with any type of physical pain can be helped by yoga therapy and talks about other types of suffering that yoga therapists can help. She expresses that it is up to the individual to put in the work to see improvement.

If you learn to deal with stress, your health will benefit greatly. Deanna asks Keeley to discuss the importance of being still and breathing, especially as it relates to stressful situations. She explains the roles that the inhale and exhale breaths play in our overall health.

Keeley wishes she could tell her younger self that she knows all the answers. She believes that everything we need is inside of ourselves if we tune in, listen, and follow.

Practice Works: https://www.practice-works.com/ Keeley Michael: https://www.keeleymichael.com/ Keeley Michael on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keeleymichaelyoga Keeley Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keeleymichaelyoga/ International Association of Yoga Therapists: https://www.iayt.org/

Today, Deanna is talking with Nicole Crawford. She has over twenty years of experience in caring for people with dementia and works with Christy Baynes, who was our guest for the first part of the Dementia episodes. Deanna and Nicole discuss dementia care and what you need to think about.

Nicole says that many issues in dementia care come from the fact that a lot of doctors are family practice. They don’t know what to do or what to tell families to do because they are trained to treat a disease and send the patient on their way. She believes that family physicians should have continuing education credits for illnesses that affect seniors.

Deanna asks what advice Nicole would give to the loved ones of someone who is newly diagnosed with dementia. Nicole talks about setting care goals and knowing about the different types of dementia. She recommends safeguarding yourself from a stress level that would prevent you from taking care of a loved one properly.

Children are often better at seeing the early signs of dementia compared to spouses, and Deanna gives examples of this behavior from her own life. Looking back, she speaks to the importance of paying attention, asking questions, and getting help.

A difficult situation can arise when a person with dementia needs to have their ability to legally drive revoked. Nicole and Deanna share some potential horrors that can happen if this isn’t handled properly, while also giving advice to avoid such a situation.

LifeCare for Seniors: https://lifecareforseniors.com/

Christy Baynes, owner of LifeCare for Seniors, joins Deanna in this episode. The two met about three years ago because Deanna felt like she was having a difficult time trying to navigate her stepfather’s dementia.

There are three other members on Christy’s team, and while they each have over two decades of professional long-term care experience, they have all experienced dementia personally through family members. She says that even though she is professional, it’s difficult to care for loved ones with dementia. We then learn about the background of Christy’s business and the personalized service that she provides to her clients.

Deanna shares a story about a friend’s husband who has Huntington’s disease at a young age, and then talks about the early signs on dementia that she saw in her stepfather. She received bad advice from some caretakers when she was trying to get the best help for him, and Christy comments on how these situations can be handled.

We sometimes put all of our focus on the person with dementia, but their caregiver’s health often deteriorates even faster. Christy stresses that the biggest mistake she sees is that the spouse will neglect their own health to take care of their significant other. Related to this, we learn about what how Christy makes sure that long-term care is planned for carefully.

Christy explains how to get help from her in the Birmingham area, and how people can find help for their loved ones with dementia across the country.

LifeCare for Seniors: https://lifecareforseniors.com/ LifeCare for Seniors blog: https://lifecareforseniors.com/blog/ Aging Life Care: https://www.aginglifecare.org/

The other day, Deanna was looking on Facebook and saw a woman who was about to become an empty nester asking for some advice. Deanna saw that her friend Susan gave a great response, so she’s been invited onto the podcast for today’s episode.

Susan starts sharing her beliefs by stating that we must deal with empty nesting carefully. Our kids are watching how we handle things, and we are their number-one role model. If you are facing the empty nest days with sadness and anxiety, there’s a good chance that your child will feel the same way. Susan then explains that feeling some sadness at the beginning is completely normal.

Deanna strongly promotes preparing for the empty nest by picking up some interests so that your identity isn’t tied only to parenthood. It’s important to feel like you have strengths and contribute to the world aside from being a mother.

A discussion starts about what our children learn about people when they move on to college, which causes the ladies to talk about helicopter parenting. Susan stresses the importance of teaching kids how to decide things for themselves and be comfortable in their own skin. We then get some advice on how to achieve this through having meaningful conversations.

Young people are more likely to change careers paths now than they used to be, and that’s something Susan used to be weary of but now supports. She talks about why her mind has been changed, while Deanna brings up a story about when her son decided that he needed to change careers. Ending the show, the two talk about their love of having an empty nest.