How to Practice the Four Cornerstone Philosophy in Family Life [Episode #787]

This week’s topic is:

Today I am going to share how to apply the Four Cornerstone philosophy in family life. The purpose of the Solluna Four Cornerstones which are Food, Body, Emotional Well-being and Spiritual Growth is to provide a balanced, sturdy lifestyle to support the whole you, your energy, true wellness and health and vitality, your joy and the fulfillment of your purpose.

These Cornerstones can be taught to family members and adopted for children and for the collective of the family. In this way, you can expand your own lifestyle to help enrich and deeply nourish the well-being and health of your whole family in a powerful, well-rounded way. It feels really good to know that as parents and/or head of the household, we are looking to honor and nourish the whole family on not just a physical level, but also on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels as well.

Practicing these Four Cornerstone philosophy in family life can create true health in a family, real closeness and intimate connection. And when all four of the Cornerstones are paid attention to, each member can feel that deep nourishment, which translates into a truly healthy life!

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

There are lots of ways to share your responses or questions about the podcast:

• Comment below
• Connect on Twitter: @_kimberlysnyder
• Follow the conversation on my Instagram
• Comment on my Facebook Page
• Ask a question: mysolluna.com/askkimberly

Be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and follow me on Soundcloud, so you never miss an episode!

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

You may be really intrigued by podcasts, but you may just know how to listen or subscribe. It’s very easy, I promise! To listen to more than one episode, and to have it all in a handier way, on your phone or tablet, it’s way better to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Want to know what to expect from other episodes of the “Feel Good Podcast with Kimberly Snyder”? My passion is to inspire and empower you to be your most authentic and beautiful self. We offer interviews with top experts, my personal philosophies and experiences, as well as answers to community-based questions around topics such as health, beauty, nutrition, yoga, spirituality and personal growth.

The intention of the Feel Good Podcast is to well…help you really Feel Good in your body, mind and spirit! Feeling Good means feeling peaceful, energized, whole, uniquely beautiful, confident and joyful, right in the midst of your perfectly imperfect life. This podcast is as informative and full of practical tips and take-aways as it is inspirational. I am here to support you in being your very best! I have so much love and gratitude for you. Thank you for tuning in and being part of the community 🙂.

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES

Listeners really respect the views of other listeners, so your response helps people find good material they are interested in! If you enjoyed the podcast, please tell your friends and give us a rating or review. Many thanks in advance.

[RESOURCES] 

• SBO Probiotics
• Detoxy
• Digestive Enzymes  
• Feel Good Starter Kit
• FREE Gift: 7-Day Meditation Series (DIGITAL COURSE)
• YOU ARE MORE
• Beauty Detox Solutions
• Beauty Detox Foods
• Beauty Detox Power
• Radical Beauty
• Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life
• Be a part of the community Join the Feel Good Circle
• Additional resources in transcript

[❤️ FAN OF THE WEEK]

Sponsored By:

• LMNT: Right now LMNT is offering my listeners a free sample pack with any purchase, That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. This is a great way to try all 8 flavors or share LMNT with a salty friend. Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/FEELGOOD.
• Feel Good Detoxy: Use code: boosthealth for 20% off

Transcript:

Note: The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate. This is due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.

Namaste loves and welcome back to our Monday solocast podcast, where today I am very excited to share the Four Cornerstones for Families. So this is going to be a very practical show of how we can expand our lifestyle, our choices, our beliefs, how we approach this wholeness to support the wholeness within ourselves and in the context of today’s show, to also support the wholeness of our families and the wholeness of individual members. It is so amazing when we get to share and live our values with our loved ones, because of course, as we start to understand the importance of practices and this approach, which is food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth, we want our loved ones to benefit as well. We want our families to be as healthy and happy as possible. And the power of our four cornerstone philosophy, as I mentioned, is that it on, it honors the whole person.

(01:03): So, so many times I’ve seen an emphasis on healthy food, whether that’s making sure we’re creating healthy lunches for our kids, we’re getting the right nutrients in our own diet, but then the emotional well-being aspect may be neglected in the busyness of life. And it doesn’t mean that, you know, someone’s a bad parent or that they don’t care. It’s just that when we have this framework, it helps us to really make sure that we’re nurturing all of the cornerstones. So then what can happen is someone may be eating really healthily, but they’re not feeling seen or heard, or there’s some sort of, you know, mental health challenge. And that in turn can lead to not sleeping as well at night and other health issues that can come into play.

Kimberly Snyder (02:58): Already. Please gift the book out again in that energy of sharing an expansion. You can pick it up wherever books are sold. Okay, all of that being said, let’s get into our four cornerstone philosophy for families now.

Everything affects everything else. So our mental, emotional well-being, our spiritual health, the energy from the inside definitely has an impact on our physical wellbeing across the entire family. So this translates to healthier sleep. This translates to better digestion. This translates to just more balance, less wear and tear because our nervous systems are more balanced overall. So I’m very excited to get into today some really practical ways that you can practice the living aspect of the four cornerstones in the family home environment with children of any age, extended family members, friends and roommates who feel like family, you know, however we define it. It of course doesn’t mean biologically speaking. So I’m very excited to talk about that. But of course, first a few little announcements. If you could please leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to our show. I like to call that out at the top of our show because it means so much.

It helps other like-minded, beautiful souls like yourself find the show. So thank you, thank you in advance. Please also give yourself the gift of self-care by subscribing to our show, and that way you don’t have to think or take further action. You just stay in the flow of our Monday podcast and interviews and our Thursday q and a show. Please also just take a moment to share the show with anyone that you think would benefit. It could be a simple screenshot or a link or whatever, but this is how our community was founded with sharing. And of course, this energy, it’s a type of selfless service that really does create more abundance in your life when we’re thinking of how we can support others and we’re not looking to gain anything from it. Reminder that our newest book, baby You Are More Than You Think You Are, is out now in paperback.

It’s a great summer read or gift as you, as we head into summer. And just if you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s a amazing collection of practices and tools that have helped me so much in my life to overcome limitation, to expand my vitality and my purpose and my fulfillment of all the things I wanted to create. I can feel daunting at first as we go into life and we think about how noisy it is and how much is going on. So these ancient teachings, which have come from Para Mahana and I work to highlight how important they are for modern day life, I think are really important for all of us to know about. So please check out the book if you haven’t yet.

Let’s start with food are in many ways most tangible cornerstone. And of course this applies to families as well. There’s so many meals that have to be prepared in a week, and it can feel like a lot, especially when you’re cooking for many different family members. So one of the things that I encourage, and this is what we do in our family, is to create the same foods across the board. When I was backpacking, I saw this practiced in India and Japan and Mongolia and everywhere, Africa or kids don’t get their own foods necessarily. Of course, we may wanna adjust the spice ratio, or you know, in my family, if we’re eating a bunch of lentil soup and some rice, my kids may eat more rice and less soup. And you know, the difference is the ratios may shift a little bit, but I’m a big believer in kids being exposed to a wide variety of the healthy foods that we as adults are putting in our own bodies.

So this is great for them to open up to different flavor profiles, different vegetables, different types of tastes, and this will serve them later in life. This type of exposure. And we all know when you look at the kids menu at restaurants, it’s usually really crappy. It’s like chicken figures and french fries, and it doesn’t really make sense. Why do kids have to eat completely different foods? So if that’s the way it’s, um, you know, meals have been approached in your family, no judgment, it’s fine. Of course it may feel good, but if you feel like shifting, we can shift at any time, right? We can make that shift and make that change. And you know, Dr. Joel Ferman talks about this. Sometimes kids resist. He talks about the number 15 research. His research shows sometimes we need to keep offering that broccoli or whatever it is, 15 times before they come around. But in our house it’s, you know, quite simply like, this is what’s for dinner. And sometimes they may also want a piece of bread or whatever, sourdough bread, and that’s fine too. But I like to really expose them to the different foods. I think that’s important.

The glowing green smoothie, which is a staple cornerstone within the cornerstone of food in our lifestyle, is something that’s incredible to share with your children. So since my kids were weaning off breast milk and also while they were still having breast milk, the glowing green smoothie was the first food in the sippy cups. You know, with the built-in straws in the safe containers, of course, the BPA non leachable containers and kids love the G g S and introduced early green. Doesn’t seem weird. Later on, if it seems scary for some reason, you could add extra banana, you could extra add

Extra fruit and make it more palatable for them. But it’s fun for them to drink the g s and they really are attracted to the fresh flavors of the fruits and vegetables. The green color you can play with it, um, in terms of talking about Hulk or superhero powers or even get opaque glass. So they don’t really see the green as much. Now another thing that we like to do in our family is to have cut up veggies after school. So it’s already on the table. When bubby comes home after first grade where he’s ravenous already when he walks in the door and usually a a denser snack, I’ll make him like another sandwich or something after school is warranted. But right away his favorite crunchy veggies, which are carrots, celery, cucumber, mosey, loves bell peppers. They’re out on the table. So it’s a practice of just getting used to simple, earthy natural foods.

No sauces, no dressings. Sometimes they’ll wanna dip in some hummus, but usually in our family it’s just plain Jane veggies. So this helps to encourage a plantcentric lifestyle, a veggie forward lifestyle when they’re hungry and that’s what’s around, they tend to nosh on that first. Now for breakfast, I like to offer my kids, they’ll be playing with Lego’s on the table while I’m making lunch and getting ready for school.

Kimberly Snyder (00:00): The next cornerstone I wanna talk about is body. And it’s really important that we teach our children and our family members to respect the bodily temple that we are encased in in this lifetime. Because with social media and the noise all around in the imagery, unfortunately young minds can be led to believe that our bodies are just there for performance. To do something like sports or to look good appearance based and not really honoring the truth that our bodies are worthy of. So much respect for carrying us again through our soul journey of this life. So touch is one of the most important things, I think, to foster in a family healthy touch. And of course, this is different for each family and different comfort levels, but in our family, cuddling and holding each other and holding hands is so important. It’s a huge part of our life.

I also shared on social media a practice that we do as a family called face. Face, where we literally press our faces together and we are able to breathe together and be together and share together. And it feels really nice and it feels really good. And it just, it feel, it just feels so healing and connecting. So this is something that Ayurveda talks about, which is this idea that touch helps to settle the nervous system. It helps to bring us into the here and now. So anytime we can connect with touch on a family level, I think there’s a real, um, nourishment in that. Honoring evening routines is an important way for our children to understand in the family. To understand that we need to prepare for rejuvenation and sleep. So in our family, we’re blessed with a big tub and an open shower next to it.

And we’ll take a bath at the same time, all four of us. Or I’ll be in the shower and the kids and hub will be in the bath and everybody kind of goes back and forth. But the routine is that we eat dinner early, we bathe together, and then we read books for mosy. We cuddle in the master bedroom, then we go down into Moss’s bedroom and we cuddle again, and we read books, and then he goes to bed, and then sometime later there’s a similar pattern with ee. And then I like to read at night and journal and meditate. So that’s my practice and that’ll be a nice stretch. So just teaching kids this rhythm and routine in the body in our daily practice, I think is really wonderful for them because they find safety and security in rhythm. Another way that we like to connect with the body and um, honoring this wholeness is to be in nature together, to expose our bodies to this power of nature, the stillness, the awe, the

Elements. Our kids play outside so much. We’re really grateful to have this beautiful yard here. Our lands in California, our farm in Hawaii, where we’re in the forest a lot, and we’re barefoot a lot. And it’s very simple, but there’s something that feels really healthy to the body, to be in nature, to be playing with sticks and stones, to be barefoot. And it’s just, it in, it inspires creativity to be outside. It inspires many ways of deeper connection. I think when our bodies are physically placed in the ocean, in the park, if you live in a city, in the soil, wherever we happen to be, it’s a wonderful way to help assimilate and ground the body in an unnatural world. <laugh> in a world that’s full of devices and concrete and artificial lights, being in nature is so healthy for the family. So thinking about the summer as you start to plan activities and what you may do together, I encourage picnics, just simplifying, getting outside is amazing. That’s what we did for Mother’s Day this year. And I have to share with you, it was the best mother’s day ever, just to be outside in the picnic settinG.

The next cornerstone is emotional wellbeing. And this is the big one because being seen and heard and supported for simply being is critical to well-being, but can often be glossed over because we are busy in life. And Eckhart totally talks about this. I was actually rereading a new earth this past weekend, which I love by the way. And he was talking about the different parts of parenting. So there’s the function of parenting in terms of the doingness, which is brush your teeth, get to school on time, you know, it’s time to brush your hair and blah, blah. All the different details of life. But, and that’s an important part of it. But then there is this beingness aspect as caregivers and family members to be with one another to really just be, and to cut down on all the rushing around and the activities to be together.

So this is a huge one for me. My parents were really loving but really busy growing up and hustling and both of them were working full-time. And so I don’t remember having a lot of time to be, but I remember when we would play board games together and we had some time not driving to an activity or something in a group, but just being together. It felt really special. So in our family, we do a lot of board games. We just have a lot of cuddling, like I said, just a lot of being time and that feels really nourishing. So of course these are ideas I’m sharing a lot about what we do as a family, but you know, just giving you ideas for how you might like to practice this. Um, another thing is expression I think is so important, sharing emotions. So I like to express through writing through my journaling, and my little ones can’t write yet, or they, my older one writes, but not in an expressive way. So we draw pictures and so we talk about whether there was an incident or someone said something in anger or someone was scared about something, drawing out what that emotion was like or reflecting where it came from in a safe space. We always sit in the same comfy chair when we do this. And then also maybe discussing and drawing out what, what might, what might we do differently or how we might think about the situation differently.

I think it’s important to practice active listening. So when we are in a shared space, this is something that Yoga Nanda talked about, this idea of over familiarity. Sometimes it’s easy to take each other for granted and not really listen and be in a rush and sort of be like ships passing in the night. But it’s so important that we listen to each other and really hear each other’s needs and what we’re trying to say and express. So active listening means we’re

able really be together, as I mentioned, and look into each other’s eyes and listen to each other’s words and needs. And again, this is so healthy, this is so important for mental health and emotional wellbeing that, that worth, that self-esteem really builds up when we know that we’re worthy. Not for anything that we’re doing, but just being ourselves. At dinner. I like for us to pause before we eat and we say grace together as a family. You may also think of this in terms of a verse or, or which is something that they do at my child, my, um, older son’s Waldorf school or an intention or whatever feels good to your family. For us it’s grace. And then we go around and we say what we’re grateful for, but this space of honoring family time together. Hey, we’re sitting down now for dinner. We’re gathering in this group, in this collective. We’re taking pause out of our busy days and all the ways we’ve been pulled in different directions for this moment. Makes everyone in the family feel honored and important. And I encourage that very much. However it looks in your particular family.

Our final cornerstone is spiritual growth, and this is about connecting to the core of who each of us is. So we see that core, that true self within the family is individuals, but also honoring that in the collective group. So it’s so powerful when we bring this in, and I’ve mentioned this piece of research before, but I love it so much. I wanna mention it again from Dr. Lisa Miller, from a researcher out of Columbia, a PhD, who found that when mothers, it was specifically mothers and children, shared a spiritual practice together, there was an 80% reduction of that child, the potential of that child developing depression over their lifetime. So as she writes in her book, the Awakened Brain, it wasn’t just one factor, but she found it to be the most protective factor against depression over that child’s life. So when we’re talking about spirituality and spiritual practice, it’s very generously broad how she defines it.

It could be religion, it could be meditation, seeing the oneness and connection of all things of nature, any form of transcendence to teach the child that we are part of something bigger and we’re all interconnected. So in our family, we talk about our beliefs, we meditate together. My children go to our meditation center, our temple every week. My older son’s in Sunday school now we have altars in every room of the house, including a little one in their rooms with our, with our gurus on there. So as I shared my new book, you are More Than You Think you are. I follow the BK path, which is of the self realization fellowship. So it’s Jesus and Krishna, the love-based path, which essentially we’re the same message. So this underlying unity in oneness from the east and the west, um, that yoga Nanda brought here and was able to teach when he brought yoga to the west.

So we have little altars, uh, big altars statues and framed pictures. And a practice that I do as the family with the kids is that we pick flowers fairly often for the altars, and we place them there with love and, and put them in water and, and um, really keep the altars fresh and alive. And when the kids create something really special, it could be a little crocheted piece, um, of knitting or, you know, a little, uh, piece of clay or whatever. We’ll place that on some of the altars as well. We have an altar in the kitchen for Quan Yang, who is this female Buddha of compassion and love. So a lot of the family items go on there. So it’s this idea of, this is really personal of course, but it’s connecting our personal values and beliefs with the family, with

Sharing with ma, with making it a really living part of life. And again, this isn’t just this isolated part. This helps them feel part of something bigger. This gives them resilience. This can help with immunity, this helps with mental health, this helps with physical wellbeing. So we start to see how connected all the different cornerstones are and how we can bring this, this emphasis, this nourishment into our everyday lives in a balanced, holistic way. So I hope that some of these resonated with you and your family. These are some of the ones that we love practicing as a family over here. But again, every family’s different. This was just meant to be a springboard, a brainstorm. We all know that brainstorms can lead to other ideas. It can just help spark creativity in your own family’s life. So I’d love to hear about other ways and practices that you like to practice and live the four cornerstones within your own family. So please share with me on our website, mysolluna.com. There’s a podcast section where you can leave comments. You can also, um, ask questions for our Thursday q and a show. You can also reach out to me on social at _KimberlySnyder and our show notes at mysolluna.com. We will have other articles, podcast meditations that I think you would enjoy. So please be sure to head over there for sure. I’ll see you back here Thursday for our next q and a show. Till then, take great care and sending you so much love.

 

The post How to Practice the Four Cornerstone Philosophy in Family Life [Episode #787] appeared first on Solluna by Kimberly Snyder.

How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health [Episode #786]

This week’s topic is: How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health

I love this topic because it just feels like circles upon circles to me. And we have our Four Cornerstones, food, body, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual growth. When we have that steadiness, we’re supporting this circle of wholeness that we are. And even within the Cornerstones, within the body part, let’s say our teeth and gums, our oral health affects the whole of the body.

And it’s like how our energy affects the whole of everyone. We’re all interconnected. It is these circles upon circles, and it’s really important that we take this holistic approach because when we think in terms of separatism, this one part we try to divide and focus on one thing, we don’t get the best results because everything is so intertwined. There is this interconnectivity between all things.

Sometimes we don’t really correlate our mouths, our oral health with other organs such as our heart. However, as we will get into today in the research, there is an incredible connection between our oral care, our oral health, and the rest of our body. And I’m going to give you some of this interesting research, and then I’m going to talk about ways that we can really boost our oral care and oral health from a holistic standpoint.

Have you been wondering about this very topic? If you want to know the answer to this question sent in by a Beauty just like you, listen now to find out!

Remember you can submit your questions at https://mysolluna.com/askkimberly/

[Question Answered]

Isabella – Kansas City

Love the show Kimberly. I have always struggled with my Oral health and keeping up with it. It didn’t used to affect me but recently I have had oral health issues and my dentist told me that poor oral care could affect other aspects of my health. Should I be concerned?

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

There are lots of ways to share your responses or questions about the podcast:

• Comment below
• Connect on Twitter: @_kimberlysnyder
• Follow the conversation on my Instagram
• Comment on my Facebook Page
• Ask a question: mysolluna.com/askkimberly

Be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and follow me on Soundcloud, so you never miss an episode!

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

You may be really intrigued by podcasts, but you may just know how to listen or subscribe. It’s very easy, I promise! To listen to more than one episode, and to have it all in a handier way, on your phone or tablet, it’s way better to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Want to know what to expect from other episodes of the “Feel Good Podcast with Kimberly Snyder”? My passion is to inspire and empower you to be your most authentic and beautiful self. We offer interviews with top experts, my personal philosophies and experiences, as well as answers to community-based questions around topics such as health, beauty, nutrition, yoga, spirituality and personal growth.

The intention of the Feel Good Podcast is to well…help you really Feel Good in your body, mind and spirit! Feeling Good means feeling peaceful, energized, whole, uniquely beautiful, confident and joyful, right in the midst of your perfectly imperfect life. This podcast is as informative and full of practical tips and take-aways as it is inspirational. I am here to support you in being your very best! I have so much love and gratitude for you. Thank you for tuning in and being part of the community :).

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES

Listeners really respect the views of other listeners, so your response helps people find good material they are interested in! If you enjoyed the podcast, please tell your friends and give us a rating or review. Many thanks in advance.

[RESOURCES]

• SBO Probiotics
• Detoxy
• Digestive Enzymes  
• Feel Good Starter Kit
• FREE Gift: 7-Day Meditation Series (DIGITAL COURSE)
• YOU ARE MORE
• Beauty Detox Solutions
• Beauty Detox Foods
• Beauty Detox Power
• Radical Beauty
• Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life
• Be a part of the community Join the Feel Good Circle
• Additional resources in transcript

Other Podcasts you may enjoy!:

• Back to Basics: Four Cornerstone Tips to Support Your Overall Health and Wellness
• The Top Wellness Trends for the New Year with Abbey Stone
• Finding Harmony in Your Life with the 4 Cornerstones of True Wellness
• How the Amazing Power of Raw Foods can Heal Your Body with Dr Robert Morse

Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne

• Feel Good Digestive Enzymes: Use code: boosthealth for 20% off

Transcript:

Note: The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate. This is due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.

Namaste loves and welcome back to our Thursday q and a show where our topic today is How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health. And I love this topic because it just feels like circles upon circles to me, right? So we have our four cornerstones, food body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. When we have that steadiness, we’re supporting this circle of wholeness that we are. And even within the cornerstones, within the body, one part, let’s say our teeth and gums, our oral health affects the whole of the body. And it’s, you know, like how our energy affects the whole of everyone. We’re all interconnected. So it is these circles upon circles, and it’s really important that we take this holistic approach because when we think in terms of just, you know, separatism this one part, we try to divide, focus on one thing.

We don’t get the best results because everything is so, um, intertwined. There is this interconnectivity between all things. So sometimes we don’t really correlate our mouths, our oral health with other organs such as our heart. But as what we will get into today in the research, there is an incredible connection between our oral care, our oral health, and the rest of our body. And so I’m going to give you some of this interesting research, and then I’m gonna talk about ways that we can really boost our oral care and oral health from a holistic standpoint.

Please leave a review on iTunes and Subscribe

Before we dive deeper into our show, though, wanted to give a little reminder to please leave us a review. Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to our show. You may have heard me say this before, but I, um, I request from my heart because reviews are important and they’re easy to do and they’re free.

So if you’ve heard me before, but you’ve put it off, maybe today is the day. And if so, thank you so much from my heart. Please also subscribe to our show, and that way you stay in the flow of our shows, which are interviews on Mondays and q and a shows on Thursdays. So you don’t have to think it’s just coming to you, which is really nice because we’re all super busy. And then in the reverse direction, please share the show out in the world with loved ones, with colleagues, with anyone that you think would benefit from a topic or our show in general, this is the energy of abundance and service, which isn’t just about, you know, physically sharing, let’s say money or food, but sharing resources, sharing information, sharing whenever we can. And that’s really what our community is founded on. So I encourage you to share the show with anyone you think would benefit.

Waterfall Cleanse

Please remember that we have a new, or maybe you don’t know yet, but we have a new holistic cleanse, which I’m really excited about, called the Waterfall Cleanse, which is tapping into this abundance inside of us. And part of that abundance is ridding bloat and acids and toxins from our body. And part of it is making space for new energy to come in, in the form of deep nutrition from smoothies and juices and elixirs and our digestion focused supplements, but also from clarity meditation and introspective journaling and stretching. So it’s a really comprehensive three day program, which is a great time, it’s a great time to do it right now, especially spring into summer. So please check it out on our website, mysolluna.com. 

Question around the topic of: How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health: Love the show Kimberly. I have always struggled with my Oral health and keeping up with it. It didn’t used to affect me but recently I have had oral health issues and my dentist told me that poor oral care could affect other aspects of my health. Should I be concerned?

Alright, let’s get into our show today, which is about how oral health and oral care affects your whole body’s health. And our question comes today from Isabella, who lives in Kansas City. And thank you so much, Isabella, my love for being part of our community. Your question is, love the show, Kimberly. I have always struggled with oral health and keeping up with it. It didn’t used to affect me, but recently I’ve had oral health issues and my dentist told me that poor oral care can affect other aspects of my health, should I be concerned. So thank you so much, Isabella, sending you lots of love out there to Kansas City, and I’m just so honored that we are connected. Makes me feel very grateful and thank you. I’m grateful as well for you highlighting this important topic because sometimes again, it’s very easy to slip into the mindset that you know, I’m gonna do something that’s really great for my teeth and that’s it. Or I’m not, I’m going to neglect my kidneys, you know, and that’s it, or my skin or my hair, whatever it is.

But actually everything is intimately connected to everything else. And so we really wanna look at it from that perspective. It’s sort of like how a sugar cube goes into a glass of water and it dissolves, it goes everywhere, right? It’s not just this one little thing that you can take in and out, but this interconnectivity that we wanna think of when we think of health. And so there is a lot of research showing how much our oral health affects other organs. I’m gonna dive right into, um, right into it here, including the heart. So these studies, we will put on my sal luna.com in the show notes if you’re interested in, in reading, perusing the studies on your own. But from 2018, um, a study from the National Library of Medicine found that there’s a link between gum disease and heart disease because the bacteria from gum disease can enter the bloodstream and go into the heart.

So sometimes we think again in, you know, um, separatist terms, we think of, okay, what’s good for my heart, specifically avoiding eating excessive red meat or any red meat perhaps. And, um, you know, avoiding inflammatory oils, omega six s, so on and so forth. But actually another important aspect is keeping our mouth healthy, which we’ll get into after we get through some of this research. So this was really interesting that in this research they found, they look at, at over 65,000 people experiencing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, and found that there was a correlation between tooth loss, a measure of poor oral health and heart disease. So again, we wanna pay attention to all the different parts of health and wellbeing. Another great motivator to brush and floss. Now, oral health is also connected to respiratory infections, which is really interesting. Now we’re still coming off, you know, and still in it, the, the whole covid experience that is a collective we’ve been through and really paying attention to how we can boost our lung health and respiratory health.

And so this is a study from the National Library of Medicine and it explored that, um, those that were experiencing, um, different, uh, bacteria, particularly in the lower respiratory tract. There was a, um, there was a correlation with Peron disease. So it has actually increased the risk of these types of infections. So isn’t that interesting? Oral health can actually be connected to the health of your lungs, right? So we don’t, in our minds, in our linear brains, we may not make that straight line connection, but it is very much there in the research. So again, everything travels everywhere else in the body. It’s like that sugar cube. So the bacteria and the, um, perio, the, the diseases in our gums become systemic. They affect other organs as well that maybe we don’t particularly necessarily think about. Now, it can also create, um, there’s also diabetes, right?

So the National Institute of Dental and cranial facial research has found that treating gum disease can improve blood sugar control. So this is really interesting. People with diabetes are more prone to gum disease and gum disease can make it harder to control blood sugar levels. So it’s sort of like the chicken before the egg idea, right? So the sugar is feeding the gum disease and then when we have the gum disease, it’s harder to control the blood sugar levels. So in general, we wanna make sure that we are really caring for our gums and our teeth, especially in this day and age where diabetes has become such an epidemic. And now this is one that I have some personal connection to, and this is, um, the connection between gum disease and pregnancy. Now, I didn’t actually get gum disease, but what I meant by my personal connection is that I did experience gum bleeding while I was pregnant with both of my children. And this is because hormonal changes can make you more, um, it creates bleeding, it creates sensitivity in your gums, in your teeth. And unfortunately it can make pregnant women more susceptible to gum disease in general. And we don’t, we definitely wanna avoid gum disease because it’s been linked to an increased risk of premature birth and low weight birth or low, um, birth weight in babies. So oral health is particularly preg, uh, important when we are carrying life when we are pregnant.

Also, let’s talk about the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. There’s research from the National Institute on Aging, finding that bacteria that causes gum disease has also been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease suggesting a link. So this is also neurological disorders are also top of mind for many of us. Many of us have relatives or friends or friends of friends or relatives of friends or whatever it is that have some sort of,

You know, um, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s. I mean when this goes on and on, we wanna do all that we can, of course, to help prevent these disorders. So another thing that we can add to that mix is to take care of our gums and our teeth. So there you have it to review. Oral health and hygiene has been correlated me to in research and public research, to the health of the heart, to the health of the lungs and respiratory health. And it has been linked to diabetes and it has also been linked to pregnant potential pregnancy complications as well as Alzheimer’s disease. So there’s a lot of motivation there to make sure we are maintaining our oral health and wellness. So let’s switch to the empowering part of our podcast, which is what we can do. So the first thing is research, again out of the National Journal of Medicine, showing how important food is for your oral health.

How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health: Food and how it boosts your body

So we’re not just gonna go straight to clean it, we’re gonna go to food and how what we eat and consume in our food. Cornerstone really helps to boost this part of our body. Cornerstone, crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots, naturally clean the teeth and gums and helped to remove plaque and bacteria. This was a study published in the Journal of Dental Research that really did promote eating these crunchy vegetables and fruits and of course, crunchy raw fruits and vegetables, have the vitamins and minerals and antioxidants and fiber, and they’re just incredible for our health. All around also leafy greens, a huge basis of our lifestyle here with a glowing green smoothie found. This is from the British Dental Journal, found in a 2018 study that consuming dark leafy greens helped to prevent gum disease. They help to strengthen tooth enamel because of the vitamin C and calcium found in these greens like spinach and kale, wonderful for oral health.

And now in the 2015 study found in the Journal of Clinical Perio Dermatology, a very long word found that nuts and seeds also improve gum health by reducing inflammation in the gums, which also improved overall oral health, again, it’s like it’s good for the whole, is good, um, for the micro, as is the micro, as is the macro, the saying in Aveda. So the seeds and the nuts, we love chia seeds in our community. We love flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds. We love all the nuts, almonds and cashews and walnuts and so on. It’s great for the body. It’s great for protein as a protein source. It’s great for healthy fats and it’s also great for reducing the probability of gum disease. So again, it’s all interrelated. Another great food to talk about, uh, uh, liquid here in this case is green tea.

This is from the Journal of Per Dermatology. Once again, from 2016, a study found that the catechins and green tea helped to reduce inflammation in the gums and improve overall oral health. So I love green tea, remember that it does have some caffeine, so you wanna consume it in the morning and we’ll link to some show notes if you’re interested. They talk about caffeine, curfews, and sleep hygiene, uh, particularly with Dr. Michael Bruce. But everybody has a different, um, caffeine curfew, so to speak. Mine is definitely around 12 o’clock or one o’clock. Some people can go up to three o’clock. Some people can even have caffeine at dinner and be fine. Some people it’s more like 9:00 AM but green tea is beneficial, but just be mindful of when you are consuming it if you are sensitive to caffeine.

How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health: Hydration

And lastly, good old water. Water is important for keeping our body hydrated and our mouth hydrated and it can wash away food particles and bacteria that can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. So another reason that hydration is so important, and if you’ve noticed that people that don’t drink a lot of water, people that aren’t really hydrated tend to have really bad breath osis <laugh>. So there’s this buildup of bacteria, and of course some of it’s coming from deeper down the GI tract of lotting food, eating in excess of animal protein, for instance. And it’s literally coming up and out with more dense, difficult to digest foods. And it’s also coming, you know, from the oral cavity itself. So hydration is a huge, huge part of the health puzzle in general. And also oral health. So besides eating these wonderful foods, you know, definitely recommend brushing twice a day with a soft bristled toothbrush, flossing daily to remove food particles and plaque from between your teeth. I know you’ve heard this from your dentist before. Limiting sugary and acidic foods and drinks like sodas and coffee, not swishing it around in your mouth.

So we get a lot of questions about, can I have this hot water with lemon that you are recommending all the time? So my take on it is to make sure that you brush your teeth before you drink your hot water with lemon, not afterwards. So you’re not rubbing the lemon juice that could still be in your mouth across your teeth, which would weaken the enamel. And also when I sip my hot water with lemon, I try not to rub it across my teeth. I try to sip it straight down my tongue into my throat, and again, always after I brush my teeth, you do that first. You go die in your kitchen, you get up the water, you pour, you squeeze in the lemon. Makes sense. We do it in this order.

How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health: Visit your dentist regularly

And lastly, you wanna see that, uh, you wanna see your dentist regularly because regular dental checkups and cleanings are really important to just keep things maintained and balanced and to make sure to prevent oral health problems later on, right?

It’s all about maintenance, continual cleanings, and then that just helps them scrape off the plaque and so on. So it’s just, you know, similarly to how you, um, may regularly trim your hair, right? There’s certain things that we just need to do. And so it’s easy sometimes to forget to make those appointments, but it’s really, really important. So remember, we’ll, we’ll sum this up again, some of the best foods to consume for oral health include crunchy fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, seeds and nuts, green tea water for overall hydration. And then make sure you’re brushing and flossing every day and you’re limiting sugary acidic foods and drinks and seeing your dentist regularly. The great news about all of this is that it’s doable. We just have to take those small, simple steps and food day regularly and consistently, and that the foods that we’re talking about here are foods that are also great from your overall health, and they’re easily incorporated into our diet.

So remember that over at mysolluna.com. We have tons of simple, easy nutrient packed recipes. I encourage you to take advantage and check them out and incorporate them in your life. I’m all about simple. We don’t need to put tons of energy into complicated recipes and constantly sourcing new recipes. We can vary what we have. We can have a nice space. And again, it’s really important that we put energy and nourishment into all of the cornerstones. So today we’re focusing a lot on food and body. But remember that our stress levels having tools for mental health and emotional wellbeing, and also spiritual growth, meaning we continue to connect deeper and deeper with the true self inside of you, are essential parts of our wellness. And also help to greatly reduce inflammation, which leads to sickness and disease and just creates more peace of mind so everything works harmoniously together. So the recipes, the guiding meditations I provide, the practical enlightenment meditations, our um, offerings are just amazing articles and more all live on our website, mysolluna.com. So please be sure to check it out there today. And remember that you could also submit questions for me to answer over on the website as well. So I send you so much love and so much gratitude and I’ll be back here Monday for our next interview podcast. Till then, sending you so much love. Take great care of yourself and see you back here soon. Namaste.

The post How Your Oral Care and Health Affects Your Whole Body’s Health [Episode #786] appeared first on Solluna by Kimberly Snyder.

Digestive Enzymes and Bloating: Can They Help and How Long Does It Take to See Results?

Do you find yourself wondering how long it takes for digestive enzymes to work? You’re not alone! Many people add digestive enzyme supplements to their routine but aren’t sure when they’ll start seeing results for bloating and discomfort. 

The good news is that with the right diet and consistent use of supplements, you can get your digestion back on track and feel like a brand-new you! 

In this article, I’ll show you how your digestive enzymes might be the answer to your bloated woes and when you can expect them to restore balance to your digestive system and reclaim your body’s natural rhythm! 

How Digestion Causes Bloating

When you digest your food, intestinal gas is produced. Some gas is naturally produced during digestion (typically when you digest carbohydrates), but too much can mean that something is amiss. Too much of this gas causes bloating and even a distended stomach. Bloating during digestion can be caused by eating too much too quickly, or that you’re swallowing air while you eat. (If that’s the case, slow down! Chewing your food thoroughly is so important.)

Bloating can be a result of a digestive issue, too, such as:

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a disorder where bacteria from your colon arrive in your small intestine.
• Digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, or chronic indigestion.
• Intolerance to certain foods, such as dairy (lactose intolerance) or grains like wheat and barley (Celiac disease).

Many digestive issues are caused by deficiencies in certain digestive enzymes that your body naturally creates. For example, lactose intolerance is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough lactase, an enzyme that breaks down the lactose in dairy products.

Another digestive enzyme deficiency that causes bloating, gas, and discomfort is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), where your pancreas doesn’t produce enough of the pancreatic enzymes that are vital to healthy digestion, such as those that digest carbs, protein, or fats. 

Even if you don’t have any insufficiencies, there are still days when your digestion may not be at its best. It happens to all of us— but don’t worry; the right digestive enzyme supplement can help get your gut back on track! 🙂

How Digestive Enzyme Supplements Help Your Body

I’ve already written an article all about the role digestive enzymes play in your body. If you want to learn more, I recommend checking out that article once you’re done here! I’ll give you a quick rundown here:

Your pancreas typically produces the digestive enzymes your body needs, and there are also enzymes found in your saliva. These enzymes play a crucial role in breaking down the food you eat, allowing your body to fully absorb its nutrients. However, on days when your digestion isn’t functioning at its best, your body may not be able to extract all the vital nutrients from the food you eat.

This is where a digestive enzyme supplement comes in.

These supplements don‘t boost enzyme production, but supplement the enzymes your body already produces to maximize their utility. Some of these supplements even include enzymes that your body doesn’t produce on its own but are nonetheless vital to healthy digestion. One of these enzymes is alpha-galactosidase, which breaks down a healthy fiber found in beans and root vegetables that can cause bloating and gas.

You might be thinking, “this sounds a lot like probiotics.” They have their similarities, but they’re not exactly the same.

Probiotics are beneficial gut bacteria that promote healthy digestion and better overall health. They help keep your gut healthy, but they don’t help you digest your food! To learn more about those, check out my article about probiotics vs. prebiotics vs. postbiotics!

Now let’s talk about why you’re here. 🙂

How Long Does it Take to See Results with a Digestive Enzyme Supplement?

The short answer is that it depends. Some of you Beauties that take my Feel Good Digestive Enzymes supplement reported immediate results and fast relief to their bloating and digestive woes. 

You should start seeing results shortly after you start taking the supplement, but the biggest factor that affects how quickly and how well a digestive enzyme supplement works is your diet.

A healthy diet rich in wholesome plant foods is vital for healthy digestion, especially if you’re taking a digestive enzyme supplement. Feeding your body a rainbow of nutrient-rich foods is like giving it a warm hug from the inside out!

On top of better digestion, digestive enzymes paired with a healthy diet can bring you exciting results like fat loss, more energy, and you can say bye-bye to bloating!

The right diet provides your body with the nutrients it needs to be at its healthiest. On the other hand, an unhealthy diet can deprive your body of those vital nutrients, introduce toxins into your body, and hinder your digestion, which can prevent you from getting the most out of your digestive enzymes.

You won’t get the most out of your digestive enzymes without supplying your body with the nutritious food it needs to be healthy.

You need a healthy diet to have the best digestion, and you need healthy digestion to get the most out of your healthy diet. By nourishing your body with wholesome plant-based foods, you’ll be able to maximize the benefits of your digestive enzyme supplement and enjoy better overall health and wellness!

If you’re still on the fence about taking a digestive enzyme supplement, check out my article about the 4 untold benefits of digestive enzymes. 

How to Maintain Your Good Results

So now you’re taking a digestive enzyme supplement, and you’re starting to see results! Excellent! Here’s how to keep that momentum going. 🙂

1. Stick to it!

The best way to keep that momentum going is to keep at it! If you’re starting to see good results now, just imagine how great it’ll be if you keep going.

It may not be super comfortable to start, especially if your digestion has been sluggish for a while. Be patient and keep taking your enzymes, and you’ll feel much lighter and cleaner in no time. 

2. Continue with Your Healthy Diet

Remember what I told you earlier: a healthy diet is vital to good digestion, and you need a healthy diet to get the most out of your digestive enzymes. Don’t just rely on the digestive enzyme supplement to do all the work for you. Instead, continue to make conscious choices about what you eat, how much you eat, and how you prepare your food.

Eating raw and organic foods will help boost your digestion further because, unlike processed foods, they are enzymatically alive. This means they contain live enzymes that help you digest that food, so your body needs to use less of its own enzymes for digestion.

Some foods naturally contain digestive enzymes too, so make sure to include these in your healthy diet! [1]

• Pineapple. Pineapple contains bromelain, which helps you digest and absorb proteins and convert them into amino acids.
• Bananas. Bananas may be the perfect food because they’re rich in potassium, fiber, and so many more key nutrients. Bananas also naturally contain amylases as well as glucosidases, which break complex carbohydrates down into sugars.
• Mango. Like bananas, mangoes contain amylases. Amylase is also made by your pancreas and salivary glands too.
• Fermented foods. Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut naturally contain digestive enzymes as well as probiotics. These probiotics produce amylase as well as lipase and protease, which help break down fat and protein.
• Ginger. Ginger has been used medicinally and in many world cuisines for millennia, and for good reason. It can help relieve nausea, it’s packed with antioxidants, and it contains natural digestive enzymes, particularly a protease called zingibain. Ginger can also help food move faster through your body by helping your stomach contract. That might sound unpleasant, but that’s a good thing! 🙂 [2]

3. Take a Probiotic Supplement

Like digestive enzymes, probiotics are vital to healthy digestion and better gut health.

To really give your digestion that extra oomph, I recommend taking a probiotic supplement to complement your digestive enzymes and wholesome diet.

Remember, probiotics don’t help your body digest food like the enzymes will. Rather, they’ll supplement the good bacteria in your gut that promote healthier digestion and better overall health.

Not sure how to choose the best probiotic supplement for your gut health? Check out my suggestions!

Does Poor Digestion Have Your Stomach in Knots?

Your digestive tract is an intricate system full of many individual components that rely on each other to function normally. But when something is amiss in your digestive system, you’ll quickly start to feel it.

So if something doesn’t feel right in your body, then listen to that cue. If you keep at taking your digestive enzyme supplement, probiotics, and eating a wholesome diet, then hopefully, your body won’t have much to say other than “thank you!” 😉

A healthy whole food-based diet and taking good digestive enzyme and probiotic supplements are key to healthy digestion. You should see results shortly after you start taking a supplement, but what you really want are continuous results rather than a quick fix. This means keeping at your healthy diet and taking your supplement to help keep your digestion robust, even on days when you may be feeling sluggish and tired.

It happens to us all. ❤

In good health,

Citations

1. Raman, Ryan. “12 Foods That Contain Natural Digestive Enzymes.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 Mar. 2023, www.healthline.com/nutrition/natural-digestive-enzymes.
2. Bodagh, Mehrnaz Nikkhah, et al. “Ginger in Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, Food Science & Nutrition, 5 Nov. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341159/.

The post Digestive Enzymes and Bloating: Can They Help and How Long Does It Take to See Results? appeared first on Solluna by Kimberly Snyder.

The Joy of Well-being with mindbodygreen Co-Founders Colleen and Jason Wachob [Episode #785]

This week’s topic is: The Joy of Well-being with mindbodygreen Co-Founders Colleen and Jason Wachob

I am so excited to have my very special guests, Jason & Colleen Wachob, who are bestselling authors and co-founder and co-CEO at mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to well-being with 15 million monthly unique visitors. Listen in as this power couple shares how to cut through the confusion and empower yourself, breath work, longevity, and the environmental impact our food choices make, and so much more!

[BULLETS]

• Cut through the confusion and empower yourself…
• The one size fits all approach and what is realistic…
• Breath work and why it’s important for your health and wellness…
• Longevity issues and trepidation in becoming parents…
• Back to food basics when it comes to improving your health…
• We discuss the environmental impact our food choices have on the planet…
• Sleep disorders and tips for a better night’s rest…
• Long-term morning and evening routines that stick…

[FEATURED GUESTS]

Colleen Wachob

Colleen Wachob is the co-founder and co-CEO at mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to well-being with 15 million monthly unique visitors. She lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband, mindbodygreen founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob and their two girls, Ellie and Grace.

About Jason Wachob

Jason Wachob is the founder and co-CEO of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media brand dedicated to well-being with 15 million monthly unique visitors. He is also the host of the popular mindbodygreen podcast and the bestselling author of Wellth: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume.

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

There are lots of ways to share your responses or questions about the podcast:

• Comment below
• Connect on Twitter: @_kimberlysnyder
• Follow the conversation on my Instagram
• Comment on my Facebook Page
• Ask a question: mysolluna.com/askkimberly

Be sure to Subscribe to the Podcast and follow me on Soundcloud, so you never miss an episode!

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

You may be really intrigued by podcasts, but you may just know how to listen or subscribe. It’s very easy, I promise! To listen to more than one episode, and to have it all in a handier way, on your phone or tablet, it’s way better to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Want to know what to expect from other episodes of the “Feel Good Podcast with Kimberly Snyder”? My passion is to inspire and empower you to be your most authentic and beautiful self. We offer interviews with top experts, my personal philosophies and experiences, as well as answers to community-based questions around topics such as health, beauty, nutrition, yoga, spirituality and personal growth.

The intention of the Feel Good Podcast is to well…help you really Feel Good in your body, mind and spirit! Feeling Good means feeling peaceful, energized, whole, uniquely beautiful, confident and joyful, right in the midst of your perfectly imperfect life. This podcast is as informative and full of practical tips and take-aways as it is inspirational. I am here to support you in being your very best! I have so much love and gratitude for you. Thank you for tuning in and being part of the community :).

LEAVE A REVIEW ON ITUNES

Listeners really respect the views of other listeners, so your response helps people find good material they are interested in! If you enjoyed the podcast, please tell your friends and give us a rating or review. Many thanks in advance.

[RESOURCES] 

• SBO Probiotics
• Detoxy
• Digestive Enzymes  
• Feel Good Starter Kit
• FREE Gift: 7-Day Meditation Series (DIGITAL COURSE)
• YOU ARE MORE
• Beauty Detox Solutions
• Beauty Detox Foods
• Beauty Detox Power
• Radical Beauty
• Recipes For Your Perfectly Imperfect Life
• Be a part of the community Join the Feel Good Circle
• Four Cornerstone FREE Guide: Text the word GUIDE to +1-855-741-0602
• Additional resources in transcript

[❤️ FAN OF THE WEEK]

Jason & Colleen Wachob’s Interview

• Jason & Colleen’s Website
• Jason & Colleen’s Book

Other Podcasts you may enjoy!:

• Why Stress Management Is Important for Our Emotional Wellbeing and Health
• Your Lifestyle and How it Affects Your Overall Wellbeing
• Why Incorporating the Four Cornerstones is Critical to Your Wellbeing
• Restoring Your Health and Wellbeing with Dr. Taz

​Powered and Distributed by: PodcastOne

• Feel Good SBO Probiotics: Use code: boosthealth for 20% off

Transcript:

Note: The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate. This is due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.

Namaste loves and welcome back to our Monday interview show where we have some very special guests for you today, Colleen and Jason Wachob, who are the co-founders and co-CEOs at mindbodygreen, an amazing wellness brand, media brand, and they’ve also co-authored a book together, the Joy of Wellbeing, A Practical Guide to a Healthy, happy, and Long Life. And as we’ll get into in the show today, I admire them both very much. I think they’ve created so many amazing things and I really appreciate this book, which is practical and accessible. So very excited to share our conversation with you today.

Fan of the Week

This book is now out this week, but before we do, I wanted to give a shout out to our fan of the week. Her name is roxanaurdaneta. I think I’m saying that right. And roxanaurdaneta writes Insightful and life changing. I’m so grateful for Kimberly’s podcast. She’s so wise and insightful. This podcast has helped me so much in so many ways. Mainly it has helped me become more spiritual and to maintain a meditation practice, which has been life-changing. roxanaurdaneta, I am so incredibly happy, just thrilled to hear that you are meditating and I’m so honored to be part of your journey that we are so connected. My hands are in my heart. If you could see me now and I’m sending you so much love, a huge virtual hug wherever you happen to be, it really means the world to hear from you.

Please leave a review on iTunes and Subscribe

So thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and for you also listening my love, please take a moment out of your day if you so feel inspired to leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, wherever you happen to listen to our show because it really is so amazing to hear from you and it’s also an amazing way to support. While you’re over there, you can press the subscribe button, which takes the thinking out of staying in our flow. The show’s just come towards you and it’s a wonderful, uh, justno, a wonderful practice of self-care really to do for yourself. Please also share the show with anyone that you think would benefit. It could be a neighbor or a coworker, or a loved one. Sharing is really about selfless service. It’s really about abundance and expansion, and so I encourage you to share because that’s really what this podcast and our whole community is founded on, just sharing with each other. Last little reminder, if you are not aware that we, uh, recently launched a new three day Waterfall cleanse, which is a holistic program to help you reset your life and to clear away any fogginess, confusion, bloat, toxicity, just excess.

We carry on different layers of our being, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. So you can get more information at mysolluna.com, but this cleanse involves guided meditations, guided journaling, juice smoothie, and warm elixir recipes are Solluna, digestion focused supplements, stretch video. As I mentioned, it’s holistic so it touches all four cornerstones, and I think you’ll love it very much. All right, all that being said, let’s get into our interview now with Colleen and Jason Wachob.

Interview with Jason and Colleen Wachob

Kimberly: 00:51 So both of you on here, I am so excited to speak with both of you, and thank you so much for coming on, and thank you so much for writing this amazing new book, the Joy of Wellbeing, which we were just chatting about. I actually read cover to cover in less than 48 hours, which, you know, it, it really spoke to me, and I’m so excited to chat with you guys about it today.

Colleen : 01:15 Thank you so much for the gracious

Jason : 01:17 Words. Yeah, thank you so much, Kimberly. It means a lot to us coming from you. So thank you,

Kimberly: 01:21 <laugh>. And first of all, I just wanna applaud you guys for being true partners in life. I was thinking about this. You have kids together, you’re running a household, you’re running Mind Body Green, and now you’ve co-authored a book together. So when someone has that type of partnership, you know, I know a couple, only a few couples like that. It really says a lot about your connection and the, you know, obviously your communication, which is really inspiring.

Jason : 01:48 Well, thank you. Uh, it’s been a journey <laugh>, uh, but we are, you know, really blessed in that we get to really share our life and our work together. But, you know, as we write in the book, it was, it was not easy in the beginning. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And there definitely been some bumps, but, um, you know, we’re, we’re, we’re pretty happy today.

Kimberly: 02:06 Have you guys worked a lot on your communication, you know, with, with conflict and balancing energy? I mean, you guys have been together for a few decades. I think

Jason : 02:16 Our 14 year anniversary? 14 next week is next week, yeah.

Kimberly: 02:20 Oh, another congratulations.

Colleen : 02:22 Thank you. I, I think the biggest kind of relationship life lesson happened for us super early on. You know, in the early days of Mind Body Green, Jason was 110% in mentally and, you know, from a, a work standpoint. But it took us over three years to generate any sort of revenue. And so I was very, quote unquote employable, having worked at Gap and then Walmart and Amazon. And so I was the breadwinner of the family for probably longer than I thought I had signed on for. And we learned just, you know, from my experience growing up, I was not someone who was super inclined to go into entrepreneurship. I’m the parents of true entrepreneurs, carwash owners in the Los Angeles area. I saw the ups and downs, the uncertainty I knew as a kid when it rained that we weren’t making any money as a family.

03:18 Whole other story. But, you know, my dad was, um, the victim of a very violent crime on, on one of his car washes. So I was not someone who went into entrepreneurship with rose colored glasses. And I had in a, a built-in different outlook than Jason did around money and, and finances. And early, early on we needed to see a counselor to see how our two perspectives could be shared and brought together. And this not only helped our relationship, but also as entrepreneurs, we needed to have a shared outlook of how to financially run the business. And, you know, financial wellbeing is a company value of ours at Mind Body Green, it’s so important to us. And I think, you know, as entrepreneurs like the past three years have been, you know, kind of one interesting kind of hit after another and having that financial wellbeing, um, value is super important to us. And probably, you know, the, the earliest test of, of our marriage that has helped us the most.

Kimberly: 04:23 Wow. And, you know, that, that speaks directly to the book as well, because one of the reasons I connected with it so much was you guys really sharing about your personal journey, why you were inspired to start Mind Body Green. And it almost made me cry, Jason, the part hearing about your father and your grandfather’s passing away in their forties. You know, there’s this real authenticity of drawing you to wellbeing and, and wellness that you could tell really comes from your hearts. And that really came through. It’s a book for the people instead of, you know, some of these re these, you know, research centric books I get are like, look at how smart I am, look at all this stuff. But you could tell that this book was very so accessible. It’s really to help support people in their own journeys.

Jason : 05:10 Well, thank you. And, you know, yes. My, my father died of heart’s disease at at 47. My paternal grandfather died of cancer at 44, and my maternal grandfather died of heart’s disease at 49. And so men in my family have like a terrible track record with longevity. And, you know, it’s something I wanted to get serious about in my forties. And I’m 48 now, and I, I struggled turning 48 mm. So that I thought, I think emotionally and spiritually, uh, even though I’m fine and I, you know, have the lucky, I, I have the network of doctors and resources do all sorts of testing, but I still really struggle with it. I was like, wow, I’ve, I’ve outlived my father. I’m, I’m outliving I’m about to outlive everyone here,

Kimberly: 05:55 Um, giving me goosebumps. Yeah.

Jason : 05:57 No, but I think, I think it crept up on me in a way. I was surprised. But, you know, I, I don’t think I’m unique here. I think everyone’s got some sort of family history. They’re, they’re not thrilled with, you know, whether it’s cancer or heart disease or cognitive decline or whatever it might be. But you know what, you know, our jeans are not our destiny. And we’ve seen this conversation advance in so many wonderful ways that, you know, there, there are evidence-based approaches to really extend your, your health span. Or we, we also like joys span. Cuz you gotta have fun. Cuz what’s the point? If you’re gonna live to a hundred, you gotta have fun, right? Um, and you know, our struggle was there are so many great recommendations and so many things to do, and we’re in this business and we’re finding it overwhelming and impossible.

06:45 Mm-hmm. <affirmative> to keep up with all of them. And what we wanna do is like, there’s so many gems in here that anyone can do, assuming they’re, you know, able-bodied that. Because I think that the lack, excuse me, the, the, the main objection to our world is I don’t have the time and I don’t have the resources and totally get it. But there’s a way, and like that was really important to us to kind of zero in on, here are the modalities, the practices and protocols that anyone can do. And we’re gonna get you 80% there. You don’t have to do all of the things that are out there. And if, and if you like all the gadgets and the things like I do, you know, I’m wearing a whoop in an aura right now, right? <laugh>, that’s great. But you don’t necessarily need all this stuff and we wanna really get to the core of that.

Kimberly: 07:34 So I appreciate so much this very grounded approach that I think is very much needed in wellness because as you cover in the book, you know, we’re all on social media for, you know, varying amounts of time and for different purposes. But there is so much sensational sensationalism out there and you, you know, I think that you wrote anxiety, awe, and anger increase how much engagement posts get. So I think that’s part of the confusion out there. Um, and on the flip side, I also loved Jason, you mentioned medical gaslighting. There was a part where you didn’t feel good in yourself and then, you know, the doctors were saying, oh, you know, is it just maybe you’re just stressed out when you knew something was wrong with you? So that feels really good to me, this this power of individualism and, um, intuition because I, I think it comes on both sides.

08:25 We see something on social media and we’re like, huh, that seems a little out there, but look at how popular it’s getting. And then same thing from doctors, you know, even well-respected doctors like Andrew Huberman, um, who isn’t a clinician and he said something about blue, um, or the, you know, the earbuds aren’t bad for you, but then I’m like, whenever I put them in, I get intense headaches, you know, so it’s like there’s all this data, but everybody’s body’s different. And I think you guys took a really grounded approach, <laugh> in, in helping to cut through that confusion and empowering people to listen to themselves.

Cut through the confusion and empower yourself

Jason : 08:59 Thank you. Yeah,

Colleen : 09:00 I, yeah, I mean, I think that is the, the biggest lesson of the book is there is an abundance of information right now. And as you talked through on social media, people are not incentivized to share information in a way that is more nuanced and more thoughtful. Um, or that results in, you know, kind of a civil dialogue around, around an option. Um, there’s, uh, you know, study of the New York Times articles that have gone viral and anger actually insights the most, the most page views and engagement, which is really scary. Um, but because of these reverse incentives and because of the media ecosystem of all this information, the most powerful thing we can really do is tune into ourselves, take the power and take, uh, the responsibility of being our own c e o of our own healthcare. And you know, there’s times when I’ve been gaslit by doctors.

09:55 There’s times when I’ve gaslit my own symptoms. But at the end of the day, um, we are the ones who know what is best for our body. We are adults. And you know, in the book we’ll also talk through in the joy of wellbeing where there’s, you know, things that we know what medical experts will advise you to do. But there’s times when we intentionally break the rules because we know about the impact that it’s gonna have or not have on our own health and wellbeing. So you really are the c e o of your own health and wellbeing,

Kimberly: 10:25 You know, really made me laugh. This part of the book where, and again, just keeping it really real where you talked about TV actually relaxes. You call it at night, you’re like, oh, you’re not supposed to watch screens. You know, Dr. Michael Bruce has come on here several times and he’s like, love

Colleen : 10:40 Dr. Bruce. Love

Jason : 10:41 Them. Yes,

Kimberly: 10:42 We love them. And, but you know, it’s like sometimes these rules don’t have to be so rigid and you know, what works for you may not work for me. I know you guys wear your blue light blocking glasses, so there’s this like, ugh, it’s like this one size fits all stresses so many people out.

The one size fits all approach and what is realistic

Jason : 10:59 Yeah. And, and you can have fun. You know, that, that’s why Joy is in the title because we Yes. Think some of the modalities and protocols and, and gadgets and toys and it kind of can suck the joy out of, you know, all this, all, all this focus on health is stressing me out. Totally. It’s not. And joy is just such a powerful emotion and you can have fun. And you know, what, if all these sleep experts say don’t watch TV in bed, but you kind of enjoy watching a little Netflix and you can, you can get to sleep. Okay, then enjoy it. Do it.

Kimberly: 11:32 Yes. You guys have access to so many hundreds of experts and doctors and researchers and Mind Body Green. Was this book sort of a slow build? Like, hey, you know, because you, you guys have a very unique perspective into the whole health and wellness world, hearing so many dozens, hundreds of people speak on your podcast, <laugh>, all articles, was there a moment where you thought, Hey, you know, there’s, there’s something we really, we wanna put this into balance and perspective? Or was it a build, or many years you’ve been talking about writing a book?

Jason : 12:04 I, I think the build that started about two years ago, we started working on it. And I think for us, you know, we referenced a study that essentially said that anger increased virality by 34%. Oh,

12:18 It’s just, if you just pause and just take a moment and think about that and, and just take a moment and think about what you’re seeing in your Instagram feed. Yes. You know, people are incentivize, or people or brands are incentivized, incentivized by having very strong polarizing views. And we just, sometimes that’s appropriate and other times it’s not. And, and with regards to health and wellness, we feel like most time it’s not. And we believe in the nuance, we believe in the gray, we believe in empowering people to make their own decisions. And that was kind of the moment for us. We’re like, you know what? Like, there’s just so much great information out there and it’s so confusing. It used to be you would read a couple magazines and now it would be, then it would be you read a couple websites or blog and now it’s, I follow 2000 influencers on Instagram and one saying, eat the bananas. The other’s saying toss the bananas. The other one’s saying, you know, don’t even touch the bananas and it’s just so, or meat, or we could just choose any, you could choose any food. It’s almost comical. Um, and so for us it was like, you know what, there’s so much out there and we think we could get to a very reasonable place, but we say it’s 80%. Like we can get you to 80% of your wellbeing in a way that’s, you know, doc in science accessible and brings you joy.

Colleen : 13:34 And I think we have a very complicated relationship with the word wellness right now. And yes, what it means in society. Cuz on the one hand you do have the bros who are doing every part of their morning routine to hack it just right to live to be 180. And then on the other side you have, you know, Kardashian Wellness, which maybe has a little too much of a focus on what we call the frosting and not enough on the fundamentals or the cake. And our friend JJ Virgin has said, you have to bake the cake before you can put on the frosting. Okay. So we, we looked at this wellness world and what we really wanted, we didn’t really see our point of view reflected in these two camps and wanted to put forward a more nuanced and a more loving take on longevity because it should be a much more joyful, much more simple, much more practical journey than the way we see it playing out on social media.

Jason : 14:28 And some of these protocols. I would joke to Colleen, I’m like, this is a recipe for divorce. If you’re married and you start doing this as a guy and you have children, like your wife is gonna be like, what? See you later of like, what do you, yeah.

Kimberly: 14:41 So, so my husband, you know John as well? Yes. He goes, he gets, sends so many products, he goes more to the biohacking space where I’m not in that direction at all. And I had to put my foot down where he got this like, cooling mattress and it felt like this like shot of ice going up my side. He’s like, it’s only halfway on my bed. And I’m like, just, no, you have that too.

Colleen : 15:02 You

Kimberly: 15:02 Ice

Colleen : 15:04 <laugh>. Not as much. I like it now in Miami. Yeah. But it’s,

Kimberly: 15:09 You know, it’s like some of it can, can infiltrate. So I think it’s nice to have a balance and respect each other’s, you know, perspectives. And it’s funny, we have these funny discussions in our household as well. Um, but the fir I love how the book opens with breathing, right? Because breathing is so fundamental, some people don’t really think about the impact. You talk about how it affects nitric oxide and inflammation and all these things. And on the other hand, there’s all these breathing apps that can also feel really overwhelming. Like, I’m supposed to do breath work every day. And I love how you distill it down and there’s this core message about not mouth breathing, which, you know, seems obvious to share, but sometimes, you know, the obvious gets lost in all the confusion. So I thought it was such a powerful topic to focus on as you open the book and it really drew me in further and further.

Breath work and why it’s important for your health and wellness

Colleen : 15:59 Yeah. Thank you. Um, you know, breath, I have such a personal story that brought me to focusing on breath, which is one of the reasons why we made it the first chapter. Over a decade ago in my early thirties, I had a pulmonary embolism after looking and seeming very healthy-ish in life. Um, I had gone to a 11:00 AM yoga class and in New York, which was my, my ritual at that moment in time. And after class I called Jason and was like, I’m having some trouble breathing. Can you come into the city? Um, walked around for a bit, I was like, this isn’t going well, let’s head home. We took the train home to Brooklyn and the particular station off of the A train had very steep stairs. And I collapsed on the stairs, got out of the subway station, and this is when I, I I gaslit my own symptoms and was like, I’m totally fine.

16:46 I’m dehydrated, you know, doing anything to avoid an er trip on a sunny New York Saturday morning. But the rest of the weekend I was lethargic, I napped, I couldn’t really get out of bed, well canceled plans. So on Monday morning, Jason was like, the only way you are going to work is if you stop by the doctor on the way. And so I, I stopped by my GP in soho and within a couple minutes he’s like, you’re having a pulmonary embolism. Mm-hmm. I had no idea at the time what the word meant, gave me a little sign that said I’m having a pulmonary embolism. It was unclear if he was concerned that I wouldn’t make it to the N Y U er if I wouldn’t be able to articulate what was happening to me when I got there. But, but once I was there, I learned I had showers of clots in my lungs and it was the first time that I had really thought about my breath.

17:32 And when this happens to a seemingly healthy woman in her early thirties, I did a, you know, a battery of western medicine testing. And interestingly, I don’t have many pre um, genetic dispositions to clotting. So all the things they test for during pregnancy, I don’t have, I have, um, a copy of C 6 7 70 T, but I I’m not very likely to clot. And, you know, the only kind of conclusion they could come to was that there’s something about me and the birth control pill that didn’t sit right. Hmm. Um, and I had heard about risks, but, you know, kind of downplayed them. I thought that was something that happened to smokers or perhaps people that were overweight, um, which was obviously not the right approach to take. And, and now I’m much more mindful about anything I’m putting into my body. But when I wrote about this experience on my Buddy Green, the article went viral.

18:22 I heard from hundreds of women whose cousin friend’s sister had had, um, a similar experience and many of ’em, you know, ending catastrophically and tragically. So this was such an inflection point for me in terms of my entire wellness journey. And, you know, unfortunately I had to go to this breakdown moment before I took the steps to kind of climb out and, and build a life that was better aligned with my values. Um, but through this whole healing process, when you’re recovering, it’s really hard to breathe. I remember seeing being on the subway and there being a limited amount of, of seats and kind of fighting my way, beating out senior citizens for a seat because I was worried about standing in the hot New York’s, um, heat in the summer on a, on a crowded subway home. And, you know, through this journey learned, I was one of the many, many people who are breathing all wrong.

19:15 I mean, it’s more than half the population. Wow. And humans are breathing 17,000 to 30,000 times a day. So if you’re looking for a place to start your wellbeing journey that doesn’t cost, that’s gonna have a really high r o i because you’re doing it all the time. Breathing through your nose is a great place to start. You know, also as someone who’s, you know, has been prone to anxiety in life, it’s a great way to also activate your rest and digest nervous system and help keep anxiety at bay. And also just to be a better human. You are working on your active listening skills when you’re breathing through your nose and and resisting that. You know, <laugh>, I love that. Interrupt <laugh>,

Jason : 19:57 You know, as humans we’re lucky. And that if you think about it, there’s stimulus and then there’s response. And as humans, we have the ability to dictate the, the, the time between many, many animals do not. And so nasal breathing can help you there cuz we’ve all been, we’ve all, uh, found stimulus that probably found to be particularly upsetting and or cause us to be angry. And then you’re, you’re just ready to respond. But like, yeah, like this is the working process for everyone, including us, but like, you know, breathing properly, specifically like focusing on the nasal breathing does help you create the space between the response that you’ll likely regret.

Kimberly: 20:36 Right. Well, and I just wanna emphasize this again, how much I appreciate you guys really sharing your really personal health stories and, and just, you know, more of you in the book. And then when there was research, it really did feel like, oh, this really adds, this is like eye-opening. This is important to know versus just, you know, the books that we all know are really hard to get through because it’s just overwhelming. So I found it exci like, uh, like it was fun to read. There was joy in reading the Joy <laugh> wellbeing book. And I felt this, um, I felt it was like very personal, which I think is so important today to say I relate and this is accessible and I can do this. So again, um, you know, I love that part of the book. And I wondered, because you guys had been through some health challenges yourself, was there a little bit of trepidation when you thought about maybe being parents, bringing children in the world? I know, you know, you just mentioned Jason about some of the longevity issues with your family members. Did you feel like a lot of p we get a lot of, you know, fertility questions on our site as well. Like, I don’t know if I’m ready. You know, it’s a little bit scary, I’m gonna have issues like goes on and on.

Longevity issues and trepidation in becoming parents

Colleen : 21:50 I mean, I think I went in very blindly thinking this would be an easy thing. <laugh>. Yeah.

Jason : 21:54 We thought, you know, I I think we were the, you know, in many ways, you know, oh, when we’re ready it’s gonna happen and we’ll do the candles and the natural birth and, and all of that. Yeah. And then since we talk about in the book, that was not what happened and it was, uh, painful and it lasted a number of years. There was a happy ending, but it was definitely a process and it was painful. And we also had to do things which we, you know, weren’t intuitive to us. And like we, we definitely lean, holistic and natural first. And so that was challenged Yeah. Throughout the process, <laugh> through the, but there was a happy ending.

Colleen : 22:34 Yeah. I mean, I, I think it ended up being about nine IVF transfers and 15 embryos to get to our first daughter over four years, which was, um, really more of a excruciating mental ordeal than, you know, the physical one. And, and really reinforced that idea of believing in a power that’s bigger than, than yourself and, and having to let go and surrender to the universe and the plan that it entailed. Um, you know, I think now though, what gives us both our purpose and also trepidation, you know, to use your words, is, you know, our purpose with my buddy Green continues to evolve every year. And as the parents of two young daughters, we were talking earlier, it’s, it’s a really hard time to be a human. It’s a really hard time to be a boy. It’s a really hard time to be, uh, a teenage girl. And our, our girls are only six and, and almost four. But, you know, ensuring that they live in a world that’s, um, a well world, uh, and that they become well adjusted in humans, uh, that have joy in their life is, is really what we think about. And what, you know, we spend a lot of our mindshare on these days,

Kimberly: 23:47 So Beautiful. I love seeing you guys as parents and you can feel again just like this authenticity in the book, just how much you love your children and your family. And it really comes out. I mean, I can’t, I can’t say it enough because I read so many books and so many come across my desk and you can feel, you know, what is the intention here? Why, you know, why is this person writing a book? Or what are they trying to say? Um, and I could just really feel there was something really different about your book. And it was so unexpected. And it really touched me that there was this real clear just, I wanna help. I want to make the world, you know, have more joyful and have more wellbeing and for families to have more joy within them. That really came across. Um, so there were moments and I, it is not a novel, but I actually did tear up and I did cry and I completely not expecting that. Um, I, I lost my mom six years ago, quite suddenly to cancer. Um, so yeah, it’s, you know, it gets, it’s, you know, there’s complexity. We think about our health that I think about my health for my children’s sake, not just for my health, but it would be the, you know, horrible if they lost their mother. So it just, you know, it’s like layers and layers.

Jason : 24:59 Yeah. I think once you have kids, it kind of puts everything in perspective and, and your, your values change to some degree. And, and you’re very much more mindful about how you spend your time, where you spend your time. And, you know, I, I think that longevity, uh, is definitely at play when you become a parent. I think, you know, me specifically, I think there was various stages. There was me pre getting married where, hey, I didn’t really think about this then once I got married, okay, I’ve got a partner, then you have kids. It’s like, oh wow. Like, I, I really wanna be here for a long time. And then also it’s, it’s, I don’t wanna just be around for a long time. I want to be sharp. I want to be able-bodied. I want to be able to be, uh, mobile enough that I can run around with my kids.

25:44 Cuz if, you know, I’m 48, I’m a slightly older father, uh, I wanna be able to run with them. I wanna be played with them. I wanna be able to hopefully someday, if they choose to have children pick up their grandchildren, like, I wanna pick up a 30 pounder. You know, I want to be able to bend down and do that versus not be able, I think it just, the why change for a lot, for exercise, for movement, for nutrition, for everything. It’s like, this is where intentionality, which Colleen talks a lot about comes in. It’s like, what’s, what’s, what’s our why? Everyone’s got a why, why do I want to lose weight? Why do I wanna be, you know, why do I not eat well? And for us it really became clear and there was a focus, here’s our why. We wanna be with our kids. We wanna be doing what we want to do with them and not, not be, uh, you know, hampered by any sort of physical, physical or cognitive impairment.

Kimberly: 26:35 Yeah. And I love how you opened the book with Dan Buettner speaking about his work on the Blue Zone. So I love very much

Jason : 26:42 And it our, our neighbor now in Miami,

Kimberly: 26:44 Wow. Wow. He’s so great. And I just, I love everything that he does. And then, you know, there’s this part of the book where you talk about purpose. So again, joy and wellbeing aren’t always quantitative. It’s not just what you’re eating. Although I wanna talk about that in a moment, that part of the book. But there’s this, um, motivation, this intention, this, you know, that keeps us going. And that’s a big part. So I’m really glad you guys had a chapter on purpose.

Jason : 27:11 Yeah. That, that, that’s a big one. Uh, you know, I I think it can also be a loaded word for people. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uh, it can quickly go to, well, am I in the right job? Do I need to quit? Do I need to quit? Do I go to Bali and start over and do something different? And you know, the way we think about it, you know, two ways, one of, one way is, is around happiness. And we really like what Arthur Brooks had to say when he was on our podcast and her, his book about developing a happiness 401k because I, we, we do think there’s this trend of people getting on like the hedonic treadmill and it’s gotta be like, big and bold <laugh> and quickly can be overwhelming for people who are working hard and have jobs and families and mortgages and so on.

27:58 And so we try to like break it down and ask some questions, you know, what, you know, what gets you out of bed in the morning? You know, what, what feels like you have a higher calling? Do you feel useful and relevant? Are you looking forward or are you looking backwards? You know, what parts of your life are you devoted to caring for other people? Like we really try to like break it down so people can start asking some questions because, and also this idea of mission statement, you know, encouraging people to write down like a personal mission statement, to try to articulate like what purpose and success means for them. Cuz we do think that it really is a loaded term and you don’t have to just leave your job or your partner and go off and disappear and come back. Although that does work for some people. Uh, you know.

Colleen : 28:46 Yeah. And, and related to, to purpose, the, the cousin is really this, this something bigger and this larger something that is bigger than all of us. Um, I was really influenced by the work of yet another Miami resident, Lisa Miller, PhD. And, you know, when we shared this work on, on social media at Mind, body Green, so much activity in the comments. Um, and what Dr. Miller found was that when mother and child were both high in spirituality, the child was 80% protected against depression compared with mothers and children who were not concordant for spirituality. Wow. I know. I love that

Kimberly: 29:27 Statistic.

Jason : 29:28 So essentially five times less likely to be depressed

Colleen : 29:32 When spiritual life was shared with the mother. And, you know, Lisa has such a, a generous definition of spirituality. You know, really a, a capacity for transcendent awareness, a transcendent relationship, something bigger. It can be nature, it can be brought through traditional religion, a walk in the woods volunteering, and just how do we see ourselves in the world in a way in which we are not alone. Um, so that’s something that I think a lot about for myself, for our family and, and obviously for our, our daughters as

Jason : 30:05 Well. And, and this is real science, like Lisa’s arguably the, the scientific authority on like spirituality. She’s collaborated with Deepak and, and everyone. Pen, this is, this is a study the Pentagon, literally, and this is a study out of Columbia. And so as you think about the mental health epidemic, spirituality is something ev every person really needs to, to consider as a protective mechanism here.

Kimberly: 30:31 Uh, yeah, I I, I really relate to that. I think, as you guys know, I really started with food as my focus when I was working to heal my bloat and my body. And then it just started expanding into lifestyle and meditation and spirituality, because intuitively I felt the more I just focused on one thing, it just, it just didn’t work anymore. You know, like you heal one part of your life and then to your point, Colleen, something bigger, something more expansive. Um, and that’s why, you know, the book has all these different parts that it’s hitting because it’s not just one thing that’s gonna make you feel joy and, you know, wellness and wellbeing

Jason : 31:05 And, and you know, something we’ve found is, you know, call it maybe the magic and or the science or the eastern and the western, you know, what we find a lot is they don’t like each other and they’re not open to each other often. And it really is a combination of, of both, you know, spirituality for some maybe, you know, a little, it’s not rooted in science, although it is. And maybe people say it’s a little, it’s hocus pocus, it’s magical, but like, it, it, it, it’s really undisputed and, you know, connection we’ll talk about too. Like, these are things that I think in our world, to your point, like nutrition and movement are paramount. They’re foundational. You, you, you have to get that right. But without connection, without purpose, without a connect, you know, a higher calling, I think all of that good work will often go to waste.

Kimberly: 31:53 Yeah. And then it just sort of feels a little bit empty at the end of the day. Like you said, where is the joy?

Jason : 31:59 Yes. I’m like,

Kimberly: 32:00 What are we doing

Jason : 32:01 <laugh>? I’m sure we need, I know we know a lot of the same people. There are a lot of people in our world who were incredible in doing amazing work, but they’re miserable.

Kimberly: 32:08 Yes. And across the board, when I worked with a lot of celebrities and I was, you know, before kids when I would travel around and live with them for four months at a time, it was, you know, it was like a little bit eye-opening because so much of our society really strives towards the fame, especially nowadays with the <laugh> whole influencer revolution and money. And then so many people get there and then there isn’t that, that joy and that true wellbeing. So I love that you um, you point that out. And so I wanna get a little bit into the food, which you know, is of interest to all of us because again, you’ve had so many hundreds of experts cycle through, you’ve seen everything, the plant-based, the paleo, the keto, everything, you know, the emphasis on metabolic health these days. And so I really appreciate how, um, neutral you are. But there’s some key <laugh> across the board, things that we know can really improve our health. You said, you know, back to the 80% like fiber, right? It’s like, eat real food, eat fiber. We know no matter what your particular diet is, we need to get back to some of these basics instead of thinking it’s just this very specific micronutrient or this superfood or, you know, things that can be really inaccessible for a lot of people.

Back to food basics when it comes to improving your health

Jason : 33:23 Yes, a hundred percent. If we were to do a book on nutrition, it could be, it could, you know, it’s like hundreds, thousands of pages and, and still there’d be a lot of people would be very unhappy. <laugh>. And to your point, I think, you know, this, this is, is the chapter we thought a a lot about. Is there a lot of different directions we could have went, but we went with, you know, what do we know to be true? One of the things we know to be true is, you know, you should probably avoid ultra now the keywords, ultra processed food. Look, we acknowledge processed food happens, but like you should try to avoid it. Specifically ultra processed food. There was a study in France that said that a 10% increase in consumption of ultra processed food led to a 14% increased chance, chance of mortality. So like, okay, 10%, 14%, uh, 10% ultra processed food increased, 14% chance of mortality. Guess how much the kids are eating in the us? Two-thirds of their calories are ultra processed foods. So it’s like, what are we doing to our children? Right?

34:15 Processed food is something we should generally avoid. And then to your point, like eat real food, eat whole foods fiber. We are, we are fiber deficient as a nation. And then, you know, I think we’re individuals and there are some people who can look at a piece of meat and their lipid panel goes through the roof. There are some people who could eat meat every day and their lipid panel is fine. So like we encourage like, some basic level of testing, but this idea of a one size fits all approach in terms of diet is just kind of like ludicrous. We have some best practices, you know, avoid processed food, you gotta make sure you have fiber, you know, food. Sh again, eat food, avoid sugar if you can. But at the same time, if there’s, you know, a treat you want to have, go for it.

35:00 Just don’t do it every day. Uh, but like we do outline some principles cuz this one is loaded and it’s emotional conversation. A lot of people have come to her space through like a place of healing. And I get it. If you embrace a diet and there are symptoms that no one could address and they finally disappear, that becomes part of your identity. And potentially, uh, when that’s challenged, it’s difficult for people and Yes. Yeah. And we’re in the business, a lot of people are not. We’re we’re, a lot of people are in the business of having a very specific point of view on diet and they, they don’t deviate from it. And that’s kind of the problem with social media. Right?

Kimberly: 35:37 Well, there’s also this aspect which was, you know, intrinsic and, and mind body green about caring for the environment and the whole, and you featured Paul Hawkins and all these amazing environmentalists. So as very informed people, I wondered, you know, I’ve been wanting to, I’ve been asking this question to different people because we’re all trying to eat our best and, and honor individualism, right? My husband is an omnivore, for instance. And so we know the population’s growing and so is portion size and we know that factory farms are, you know, have all sorts of, you know, many issues. We’ll just leave it at that. Yeah. But then you know, her, you know, meat, meat from animals that’s, you know, free range grazing, hurting is healthier. But then there’s the aspect of deforestation, right? That we’re seeing in the Amazon and you know, across America and across the world. So what, how, how can people, I mean, what do we do if people really do wanna continue to eat meat and they feel like it’s best for their body? How, how, what are people, how would, how would we fix this problem with the forests?

We discuss the environmental impact our food choices have on the planet

Jason : 36:37 So the, the environmental issues we’re, we’re, we’re facing are definitely complicated and there’s no one size fits all approach to this either. There’s no silver bullet. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, with that said, in terms of meat consumption, like we are excited about regenerative farming practices. There is a lot of potential there. One, in terms of how they treat the animals. It’s, it’s, they, they do it the, the right way. Uh, two in terms of like nutrient density, grass fed, grass venish, it’s just a better, if you’re looking, if you’re purely eating meat for amino acid profile and nutrients and minerals, like it is the superior way to way to go. Uh, and then in terms of the environment, uh, they sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide, 250 million tons in the US annually. And so it, we do, we do think this is a win for the planet.

37:27 It’s difficult to do. We actually don’t, our government hasn’t been the best about subsidizing these practices. Unfortunately our government is in the business of subsidizing corn and soy. Uh, yeah. But it is encouraging. We do think this is a win. Uh, with that said, in terms of food and environmental impact, you know, we really wanted to focus on ROI here because quickly this becomes a, an episode of Portlandia, cuz it’s never good enough of every, everything’s wasteful. Like e everything. Yeah. Um, you know, but food waste, food waste is a big one. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, when Paul Hawkin and Drawdown went through his list, food, food base was at the, as at the top in terms of if you wanna have an impact on, on the environment, wasting less food. So that’s making sure whatever your or you know, don’t order as much. Uh, if you ha <laugh>. So like I love that each smaller portions, it’s simple.

Kimberly: 38:26 Yes.

Jason : 38:27 And then also fast fashion is a big one. Oh, 80, 87% of materials for clothing end up in landfills. And so what’s interesting in the research of the book is we found out fast fashion cuz initially like fast fashion, affordable, people can’t afford clothes. Totally get it. It’s actually those people aren’t buying it. It’s middle and upper class people who just want a lot of clothes.

Kimberly: 38:46 Is that true?

Jason : 38:47 Yes. And so the memo there Totally I know fast. Yeah. It’s like for clothing, you don’t have to, you know, okay, try to find out where your clothing is made, you know, obviously organic, sustainable materials, you know, working practices, et cetera. But like, find clothes that you really like and then you’re gonna, you’re gonna wear versus putting a hundred t-shirts just by like four awesome cotton T-shirts.

Kimberly: 39:10 Yeah.

Jason : 39:10 Maybe seven, four is maybe too little, but like,

Kimberly: 39:13 Well it’s, it’s empowering not to buy a lot of clothes. It’s, if I stopped buying like 90% of clothes and just wear old clothes and, you know, it’s kind of like you feel more unique that way. You don’t have to be on this treadmill of new things. Consumerism, it just another complicated energy that we don’t need necessary.

Jason : 39:32 Yeah. And like, you know, plastics is another big one. Only 10% of all plastic manufactured, you know, ends up being recycled. And again, like it’s part of our world, but if you can avoid it, try to avoid it. And you have to think about like the chemicals, the endocrine disruptors in your house. Uh, that’s a big one is you look at like male sperm count is, is plummeting there, you know?

Kimberly: 39:55 Wow.

Jason : 39:55 Total sperm from 1973 to 2011, total sperm count of western men dropped by 59%. Crazy. And it’s,

Kimberly: 40:03 That gives me goosebumps too, again, back to like the fertility issues that we’re seeing across the board, which, you know, a lot of the times it was first like, oh, what’s wrong with the woman? And now we’re seeing some pretty scary things about testosterone and sperm.

Jason : 40:15 40% of men men account for 40% of fertility issues.

Kimberly: 40:20 Wow.

Jason : 40:21 Including me in the book <laugh> <laugh>.

Kimberly: 40:24 Well, and then I wanna touch on sleep, you know, as the next topic because that is another big one that we know is such a huge issue and people are turning more and more to aids and taking things. And I love how you talk about these basics of, you know, get outside exercise, which, you know, just things that seem really, um, simple. But, you know, the research that you show in the book backs it up because, you know, I, I’ve had family members really struggle with insomnia and then I worry, oh my God, they’re taking these pills every night and so are millions and millions of other Americans and what’s that really doing to their bodies? And there’s no joy in taking pills every night, is there?

Sleep disorders and tips for a better night’s rest

Colleen : 41:03 No. Um, but you know, sleep is yet another chapter that’s deeply personal for me, <laugh>, um, as this book is very personal. Yes. Uh, in my, in my early twenties, I, I didn’t sleep for, for three nights in a row. I had a lot of anxiety that was spiraling out of control in my brain about a presentation at a job that I had clearly blown out a proportion in my, in my mind. Um, and the presentation would’ve had an impact on, on my final job placement. But, you know, clearly there’s a lot to unpack there about why I had let this, um, episode spiral so much. But I, I ended up in the hospital where they gave me a Xanax and that was the, the start and finish of my sleep etiquette conversation and the, you know, kind of path forward of how to, you know, instill better sleep habits.

41:48 Fast forward 20 years, this is something that is very much in the ge in the zeitgeist. 33% of us aren’t getting enough sleep. 50 to 70 million Americans have some sort of sleep disorder, the most common of which is insomnia. And so it’s, it’s a really scary part of our wellness routines because if you don’t eat vegetables for a week, if you miss the gym for a couple of weeks, you’re gonna be fine. If you don’t sleep for three to five days, you might end up in the hospital Mm. Um, and not be able to function. Um, you know, and when we talk about these two concepts of, you know, the wellness pile up when one part of your life isn’t in sync, you know, if you’re not sleeping, then other habits just kind of fall off. Of course the reverse of that, where we want to live and where we want to get the momentum is a wellness wave where one habit gets into place, you start feeling better, momentum begets momentum, and that small win leads to other bigger wins and you get so inspired to keep on going and, and you and you feel better.

42:50 Um, so sleep is something that, you know, has been very top of mind for me for, for over 20 years. Um, and I also fully understand, you know, sometimes the anxiety of not sleeping actually creates a bigger problem. Um, you know, there there’s been studies that show that actually having an alarm clock in your room exacerbates your sleep anxiety because you look and you see, oh, it’s 1235, I’m still awake. Uhoh. Yes. Um, so I’ve felt that before <laugh>, I think it’s, you know, the, the practical things that have helped me is, is really understanding my triggers. Um, you know, Jason and I are hardwired very differently. I know that I have to have different limits and boundaries as my most sacred form of self-care in terms of when I’m reading work, emails, what I’m doing on my phone. Whereas he doesn’t have to be as rigid in those types of boundaries that I do.

43:41 My caffeine curfew is a lot earlier than what other, uh, sleep doctors like many of our friends would even recommend because I am so caffeine sensitive. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and I, I don’t swear by gadgets. Um, I did use an aura ring for about two weeks and I got a treasure Trobe of insights and, you know, I probably needed the data to show that alcohol has a big impact on sleep. And while I don’t drink a lot, I do enjoy, uh, an occasional drink with friends, but I drink by margaritas at lunch now instead of dinner to give my body more time to metabolize the alcohol so that there’s less of an interference with my sleep. So, you know, if we have one rule, it’s, you know, not to be rigid and to be very flexible, um, you know, in all areas of life and really understanding what your body needs. There’s some general principles, but at the end of the day you have to determine what your body needs. Not just, you know, to survive and thrive, but also to bring joy.

Kimberly: 44:43 I know it all goes back to that and that came across so consistently in the book. The reason we’re doing this is because we wanna feel good. We wanna have joy, we wanna have really fulfilling lives, not just get to this goal of, look, I’m 120 years old. Um, and while you were speaking Colleen, it’s funny, we um, we just, I just interviewed Will Ahmed, who’s the founder of Whoop on the podcast, and he was talking about, you know, if is of course quantitative tracking data, but he designed it specifically without a screen cuz he is like, we have enough screens. And he was talking about his, the power of intuition and how all his best ideas come in the shower, right? So it’s this balance of like, it can’t all just be like the data and the quantitative, but this, this joy, this, you know, some of the more, um, intangible, esoteric qualities or what really make us have those deeply meaningful lives. So thank you for mentioning that because it’s funny.

Jason : 45:35 That’s ok. Where am I? <laugh>.

Kimberly: 45:38 I love it. And it gave me some great data for the, for the weeks I wore it as well, <laugh>. Um, so, you know, as, as we wrap up here, and I just, I did, as I mentioned, just get so much from the research and from reading the book, you know, one question I had was, because you guys have access to, again, so much information, I started to wonder about your own personal routines. Well, you know, your morning routine and your evening routines. We don’t have to go into all the specifics, but if they, um, shift over time as more research is coming your way or, you know, do you just feel like there’s certain things that really work for you guys, whether it’s, you know, products and routines and you stick with that for the long term? Or is this more of a shifting aspect?

Long-term morning and evening routines that stick

Jason : 46:19 We’re constantly evolving. I think, you know, for me in terms of movement, you know, yoga saved me from back surgery and it was a big part of my why behind founding mine Buddy Green. And, but then as I’ve I’ve aged, I’ve really starting to get, get back to resistance training and, and the why there is the longevity piece. There’s this unbelievable, crazy and horrifying statistic that if you’re over age 65, there’s a 25% chance you’ll fall. If you fall once, you are twice as likely to fall again. Hmm. If you fall and break your hip, there’s a 30 to 40% chance you will die within a year.

Kimberly: 46:57 Wow.

Jason : 46:58 It’s not the the breaking of the hip that kills you. It’s all the things that could potentially happen after, whether it’s, you know, complications of surgery or an infection or potentially you’re bedridden, you’re not mobile, you become depressed. And anecdotally, unfortunately, we’ve seen this with, with people we know. And so, you know, I evolved from yoga, the strength training. Like I, I, I need to get strong. And if you think about like the, the being strong and why it matters in, in the, the context of falling is, you know, okay, let’s say I, I lose my balance. Well one, maybe you want to be mobile and you have balance, so you don’t even lose your balance and fall or two if you’re, if you’re about to fall, you’re mobile and you have the strength where you can grab something. So, so you don’t fall or break your fall.

47:41 And then lastly, if you do fall, you want the muscle, the lean muscle mass. So that, that provides an armor to kind of buffer you because, you know, sarcopenia is more common than you think. And it’s this idea that, you know, you’re losing this muscle mass and bone density and 13% of people in their sixties are suffering from it. And if we’re lucky enough to live through our eighties, half of people in their eighties are living with it and we lose 1% of bone density a year after age 40. Mm. And so this is like a real concern. So for, for me it’s, you know, I need to get back in the gym. I need to start doing resistance training to get, you know, I used to lift weights all the time and then I kind of let it go. And so that, that was like a big thing that’s changed for me. I used to be a huge intermittent faster, 18 to 20 hours. Now I’m trying to eat more protein so I can, you know, lay on the muscle cuz protein builds muscle mass. Those are like two big changes. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and our view is always, you know, the science is always evolving and changing. Don’t get married to anything, you know, if it feels good, do it. But if there’s something else that’s new and it’s compelling and you try it and like it and it works, go for it.

Colleen : 48:50 Love that. Yeah. I mean my, my routines have evolved throughout the decades of life and, you know, I genuinely love moving my body, you know, getting holistic treatments and that was such a big part of my twenties and early thirties. And if you have the time and bandwidth for that and enjoy it, go for it. You know, the life stage I’m at now with two young kids who are at a very high touch stage of their parenting journey and, and running a company, I just don’t have as much time as I will, you know, perhaps in my sixties when my, when my kids are grown in my, in my fifties. So right now it’s to me about integration and how do things fit inside my day. Um, you know, the things that really bring me joy, especially now as uh, a new Florida resident is spending time in nature, being on the beach, connecting with the sand and the earth and, you know, bonus points of habit stacking that I cannot be on my phone when I’m on the beach.

49:49 Um, and I really find that time very reawakening for me. Um, and very grounding. We do pickleball, we love pickleball, we wanna do more pickleball. Um, but really just being outside, I think when you haven’t lived in a warm climate as we have for 14 years, I, I take it as such, such a gift that, you know, I get to speak to you in a sundress, um, when it’s still cold in other parts of the country. And I too, uh, was very much impacted by the statistic Jason shared. I had heard it many times from doctors around falling. Mm-hmm. Um, but, you know, it really resonated with me. And my 2010 decade of life was very much about wonderful yoga and Pilates. And I, I still love both of those modalities and incorporate them, but I’ve realized that I do need to shift into building more muscle. I’m trying to do it in a way that still brings me joy. I like connecting with other women. Um, there’s literally a, um, Lagree Pilates in our building here in Miami, so it’s so convenient I get to connect with other women and do it in a group setting, which definitely brings me more joy after a couple pandemic years of at home fitness, which just isn’t the same

Kimberly: 51:03 <laugh>, you know, it’s so funny. Um, I just started doing some lightweight lifting too because Dr. Suhas, I dunno if you guys know who he is, he’s Deepak Ayurvedic doctor who works with all the Chopra programming. He prescribed me weightlifting for Iva. Ah, he said having, you know, stronger bones and more muscle would actually keep me more grounded. And to your point, I’m, you know, yoga and walking and I wasn’t not really drawn to weightlifting, but you know, to your point again, Jason, about shifting and staying open and not getting so married to our, you know, opinions. We start to see where needs shift as humans, as parents, you know, through the decades. So I actually just started doing it in our, in our, um, my husband made a gym in our, uh, garage.

Jason : 51:47 So, love it, knowing John. I bet it’s a nice gym. I bet

Colleen : 51:50 It has a lot of people here. <laugh> <laugh>.

Kimberly: 51:53 Yes. Well, thank you so much for spending time with me today with, with all of us, and for, you know, writing this wonderful book, the Joy of Wellbeing, A Practical Guide to a Happy, I love how you lead with happy, healthy, and Long Life. And I know, you know, it seems quite obvious, but share with us, you know, where we can get the book now, and now we can find out more information about all your wonderful work.

Jason : 52:17 So you can go to the joy of wellbeing.com or, you know, go to Amazon or any major book retailer. But, you know, we’re, we’re, we’re just so thrilled to, to connect with you and talk about the book and to get this out in the world. And thank you so much.

Kimberly: 52:31 Thank you both so much. It really comes through with so much love and connection, so I can’t, I can’t wait for everyone to pick up a copy.

Colleen : 52:40 Thank

Jason : 52:41 You. Thank you so much.

I hope you enjoyed the conversation that we shared with you today. As much as I genuinely loved being in the conversation with Colleen and Jason, they are such creators. I really do love them very much, and this is such a wonderful book to pick up and also to share with loved ones. So head over to the show notes@myna.com. We’ll have a direct link to the Joy of Wellbeing, as well as other podcasts I think you would enjoy. Guided meditations are practical enlightenment meditations, recipes that are simple and properly food combined articles. There’s so much on there, so please head over there and check it out today. I’ll be back here Thursday for our next Q and a podcast. Till then, sending you so much love and please take care of your precious, unique self. Namaste.

The post The Joy of Well-being with mindbodygreen Co-Founders Colleen and Jason Wachob [Episode #785] appeared first on Solluna by Kimberly Snyder.