Wellness Unedited

Today's episode features Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation. Ziva is a type of meditation that uses a three-part technique to help you reduce stress, feel better, and improve your mental resilience. 

In today's episode, we chat all about meditation, the difference between meditation and mindfulness, how to reframe stress, and we chat about Emily's story finding meditation and eventually creating the Ziva technique.

Link:

zivameditation.com

"Stress Less, Accomplish More" book

ZivaKIDS

Dan Churchill is a performance chef (he was Lindsey Vonn's personal chef during the 2018 Winter Olympics), a former contestant on MasterChef Australia, named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2019, and he is the owner of Charley Street Cafe in NYC. Dan is also a health and fitness coach and the chef for Chris Hemsworth's wellness app Centr.

In today's episode, you'll hear all about Dan's approachable take to healthy living and how his Aussie roots influenced his passion for healthy food and living an active lifestyle. We chat about his background as a chef, and how he started working with Chris Hemsworth on the Centr app. We also chat about how to make healthy cooking less intimidating, the importance of taking care of yourself, and all things food and community.

Links:

Dan's website

Centr app

Dan's IG: @dan_churchill 

Charley Street

Elizabeth and Dale are the co-founders and influencers behind the fitness and lifestyle blog/Instagram account Sweats and The City. The two friends started out sharing honest reviews of fitness classes in NYC and eventually built their platform/blog into a full-time business.

As part of the Work in Wellness Series, I sat down with the duo to chat about what happens behind-the-scenes as influencers, how they built their business from a side-hustle to full-time, and they share their tips and advice for aspiring influencers. 

Links:

Sweats and The City Instagram

Sweat with Sweats 

Sweatsandcity.com

Welcome to the new Work in Wellness Wednesday series! With so many people launching new careers, pivoting, or starting side-hustles, lots of people are looking for advice while navigating this shift and new normal. I get asked a lot about how to freelance or break into the wellness industry, so I'm starting a new series with new episodes every other Wednesday where I interview different industry professionals about their career path and how to do what they do.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a full-time freelance writer/consultant is how to start freelance writing.

Diana Levey is a veteran journalist, editor, and writer and has been a full-time freelance writer since 2013. She has a track record writing for top health media outlets and brands and now she helps other freelancers learn how to build sustainable freelance careers through coaching and resources on her website Dianakelly.com. No matter what topics or industry you're interested in writing about, Diana's advice is a must-listen if you're interested in starting a freelance side hustle or full-time career.

In today's episode we cover:

-How Diana started freelancing after she was laid off from a media job

-Her advice for new writers looking to build their portfolio and start pitching media outlets

-The "unsexy" business side of freelance writing you should know about

-What type of training or background you need to get started (hint: pretty much anyone can do it)

-Diana's tips for getting your first freelance writing assignment

-Her tips for writing about health and wellness and if you need to have a writing niche

-How to set your rates

Links:

DianaKelly.com

Diana's e-courses: Freelance Writing Weekend Jumpstart and Get Paid to Write 

https://freelance-writing-online-course.teachable.com/

Use code WellnessUnedited for 20% off Diana's courses or e-books!

Mediabistro.com (The site I mentioned for more freelance writing resources)

Find me and read my articles at merceylivingston.com

Are you curious about all the hype surrounding CBD? It's one of the most talked about and controversial topics in wellness, and there's a lot to know when it comes to how CBD actually works (and if it works), what kinds of products are out there, and the science behind all of the buzz.

Chris Roth was an investment banker who studied CBD research before anyone really knew about it and became an early-adopter of CBD. After seeing positive results with CBD personally for managing his anxiety, he knew he had to share what he found. So Highline Wellness was born and it was one of the first brands to bring CBD to New York City's wellness scene.

In today's episode, you'll hear about Chris's journey founding a CBD company (before the craze started) and the story behind the science of CBD and why it's taken so long to get more research on the products.

Disclaimer: CBD products are not regulated or approved by the FDA (except for one prescription drug) and you should consult your doctor or healthcare professional before starting this or any other supplement.

Chris is giving Wellness Unedited listeners 20% off your order at Highline Wellness with code: wellnessunedited20 

P.s. my fave product is the Mint CBD Oil 

Topic breakdown by the minute:

6:30- How Chris discovered CBD when he worked at an investment bank

11:00 - The history and current state of CBD research 

17: 00 - The story behind how CBD helped his family's dog with health issues

21:00 - How CBD works to help keep your body in balance

25:40  - How to choose the best CBD product and dosage for you

31:40 - CBD and anxiety 

36:30 - Chris's experience with panic attacks and anxiety and how CBD helped 

50:00 - THC concerns: Will CBD show on a drug test?

Links:

Chris Roth Instagram

Highline Wellness Instagram

Highline Wellness website

Gut health is one of the buzziest and most complicated topics in wellness. To help break it all down I'm sitting down with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (aka Dr. B), a gastroenterologist and gut health expert and NYT Bestselling author of Fiber Fueled. Dr. Bulsiewicz went from being a sick, anxious young doctor to totally transforming his health with diet and lifestyle after adopting a plant-based diet thanks to his then-girlfriend now wife. Since then he's preached the power of diet and lifestyle to help his own patients heal and optimize their gut health as a doctor. We talk about optimizing your gut health through plants and fiber, the gut health and immune system connection, how your gut affects your brain and mental health, and what you really need to know about probiotic supplements. Dr. B also shares tips for how to navigate wellness information overload and how to figure out what is research-backed and based on solid science. 

Topics by the minute:

9:00 - Dr. B's experience with anxiety, weight gain, and high blood pressure and how he transformed his health through a plant-based eating approach

14:50 - Mental health, anxiety, and the gut health connection 

20:00 - Why doctors don't usually teach patients about nutrition 

26:00 - Getting to the root of the problem and addressing health problems holistically with food and lifestyle 

27:15 - How elimination diets and other restrictive diets can harm gut health and the microbiome

32: 00 - The American Gut project study that said the diversity of plants is the key to supporting microbes in the gut

37: 00 - Navigating health information and how to find information rooted in science 

44:00 - How to get enough fiber in your diet with food and supplements + the truth about probiotics 

49:00 - Dr. B's take on Wheat, gluten, and lectins aka some of the most controversial topics in nutrition and wellness 

60:00 - Food sensitivities and testing and gluten sensitivity 

Links: 

Dr. B Research guide

The Plant Fed Gut Online Course

Fiber Fueled Book

CHECK OUT

Wellness Unedited on Instagram

Mercey Livingston on Instagram

WellnessUnedited.com

NEW Work in Wellness Wednesday's career series launching soon! 

Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP, is an integrative nutritionist, hormone expert, and best-selling author of WomanCode and In the Flo. She is the founder of Flo Living, a menstrual healthcare platform for women. 

Alisa is on a mission to bring more gender inclusivity into the wellness conversation, especially when it comes to women's health and hormones. She's the first author to write about the infradian rhythm -- which is a unique biological rhythm that affects so many systems in your body that you'll hear about in the interview. Before Alisa built Flo Living, she was studying to go to medical school and pivoted when she realized there was a gap in the traditional medical system for teaching women about their hormones and how to make them work better. 

We also talk about:

-The cycle synching method

-How women are systematically left out of medical research and how this is a huge problem when it comes to getting women the unique research and care they deserve

-How to support your hormones during this crazy stressful time we are in

Links:

FloLiving.com

My Flo App: Functional medicine period tracking and hormone balancing app

Books: In the Flo

WomanCode

Cycle Synching Membership

Today's guest is the perfect example of how literally one connection can change your entire path -- personally and professionally. 

Emily Merrell is the founder of Six Degrees Society, a group that is redefining networking. Networking is usually one of those obligations people feel like they have to do, and it may come with some level of dread. So Emily started Six Degrees Society to change the way we network and bring women (and men) together from all different industries and backgrounds to connect at events that focus on personal, professional, and lifestyle development.

Now more than ever, we need to find ways to connect, foster relationships, and build a sense of community and Emily is helping so many people do that no matter where they are.

In today's episode, we talk about how Emily had to pivot SDS to digital in light of COVID-19 and how she can reach so many more people than when the events were limited to IRL. Emily also shares some advice on networking in this new normal, and how you can try a SDS event for yourself with a code to go to your first event free! 

Minute-by-minute topics:

14:40 -- How Emily transitioned from the fashion industry in NYC to founding Six Degrees Society 

20:00 -- Why asking for help and hiring coaches is so important

23:00 -- How she's pivoted Six Degrees Society from IRL to virtual events

33:50 -- Tips for networking in the new normal

37:00 -- Emily's self-care routine 

44:20 - How to join SDS and work with Emily

Links:

First Six Degrees Society Event Free: Use Code: VIRTUALSDS

Six Degrees Society Event Schedule

Six Degrees Society Blog and Podcast

Emily Merrell's website

Book: Get it Together by Lauren Berger 

Tatiana Boncompagni is the founder of Eat Sunny, a Mediterranean-diet inspired meal delivery service, certified personal trainer, and a 15-year veteran journalist and editor.  She's written for amazing publications like The New York Times, SELF, Vogue, and more. 

Topics:

7:30- How strength training and lifting weights changed her life

11:26 - "The joy of embodiment- whenever you can connect to your physical self and really bring that spiritual and physical self closer together, it's like magic."

14:00 -  "You don't need permission to wear revealing clothes or post a sports bra selfie."

20: 00 - How she saw a gap in the meal services market that were body-positive and started Eat Sunny

27:30 - Behind the Eat Sunny meal plans + options (plant-based, sustainable, with a Mediterranean diet approach)

39:00 - Tatiana's background as a journalist and editor, and writing a food column for SELF magazine 

44:00 - Starting the Liftologie fitness method with model-trainer, Heather Marr 

45:45 - How the journalism and magazine industry has changed

Links:

@tatiboncampagni  

Eat Sunny

Liftologie books: The Model Trainer Method + 28 Days to Strong

Liftologie co-founder, Heather Marr @modeltrainermarr

Wellness Unedited Website | Instagram | @merceylivingston

Today I'm so honored to have #PodcastQueens Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik, hosts and creators of the Almost 30 podcast on the show. The Almost 30 Podcast is a top-rated lifestyle podcast, brand, and community that reaches over 12 million people across the world. Krista and Lindsey met in Los Angeles and created the podcast when they saw an opportunity to share real and raw information about the ups and downs of navigating the transition from your 20's to your 30's. Now Almost 30 is a full-on media brand and community with events, courses, workshops, and so much more. We chat all about Krista and Lindsey's journey to starting Almost 30, what they've learned while interviewing so many awesome guests over the years, wellness, and how they're navigating quarantine life and self-care.

Minute by minute topics:

10:00 - How Krista and Lindsey connected over Soulcycle and eventually started the podcast

13:00 - How their relationship has evolved and what it's like to be friends and business partners 

16:30 - Shadows and "shadow self"

19:20 - How Almost 30 guests have shaped their wellness journey and navigating wellness info overload

21:00 - Cycle synching 

24:00 - What it's like to interview amazing guests like Glennon Doyle

29:00- How Krista and Lindsey have shifted their routines and self-care during quarantine

35:00- The biggest lessons they've learned during COVID-19

39:00- What Lindsey has learned from quarantining with her partner

44:00- Krista's body acceptance journey 

58:00- New Paradigm Workshop Series

Links:

Almost 30 Website: https://almost30podcast.com/about

Social media:

Almost 30: @almost30podcast

Krista: @itskrista

Lindsey: @lindseysimcik

The PodcastPro Program: https://www.yourpodcastpro.com/

New Paradigm Workshop Series

Book: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Wellness Unedited Website + Instagram

Mercey Livingston social : @merceylivingston