2022 has offered two milestones to the Graced Health podcast. In January, we celebrated 200 episodes, where I handed over the mic to my friend Laura and she interviewed me. And today, we celebrate three years of podcasting. I can’t decide if three years seems like a long time or a blink. But what I can tell you is I am so lucky to get to have conversations with so many well-educated, respected, and smart individuals. I’ve made connections across the country and continents and am grateful for each one. I mean that sincerely.

About six months ago I attended a leadership retreat and took the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment. Personally, I love taking assessments like these because they offer little clues into what makes me tick. In case you’re wondering, I’m an Enneagram 9, a DS with emphasis on the D in a DISC Assessment, which means, according to them, that I enjoy accomplishing the end goal and want to accomplish it without alienating people in the process. I may struggle between accomplishing the task and keeping people on board, the tradeoff is often difficult for me.

Anyway, Clifton StrengthsFinder helped me understand why I love podcasting so much: Connection is one of my top five strengths. While I don’t consider myself an extrovert, I come away from every interview energized because of the connection. And the bonus is we get to cut through all the small stuff and have genuine, interesting conversations about whatever the topic.

I truly do consider it a privilege and gift to get to speak to so many experts. This is something not everyone can do and I don’t take that lightly. I am highly selective about who comes on my show, and if you haven’t yet listened to the Statement of Values episode I recommend that as a starting point if you’re new.

The downside to being the recipient of all of this information is can pretty easily come across as a know-it-all. And I’m not – but I’ve accumulated a lot of information over the past three years.

As I thought about how I wanted to celebrate this three-year milestone, I realized how many small, simple changes I’ve made in my life thanks to the experts. So in this episode, I’m bundling all of these up for you in one place. Not all of them will apply to you, but if you’re new to the show and want to know what kind of content you’ll get, this is a great place to start.

I like to say this podcast is grace-filled conversations about our physical, mental, and spiritual health, so I’ve organized these in that order. And of course there are certainly more lessons not mentioned here; I just had to cut it off otherwise I felt like I’d be referencing the entire back catalog.

Physical Changes

Intuitive Eating

This seems like a good place to start but it’s also going to sound the muddiest. I am trying to figure out how to apply more intuitive eating to my eating. As I shared in the “My Story” episode, most of my young and early adulthood was bound by rules of diet culture and overall poor body image.

For the most part, I’ve walked away from that, though I swear I’m having to relearn everything again as my almost-50-year-old body is changing again. I also love learning the science of how to fuel well to feel well. And then I’m trying to figure out how this plays into listening to the unique body that God gave me by eating when I’m hungry and stopping when satiated and enjoying what I desire. It allows us to rely on our signals and takes away the guilt and shame of food and body expectations.

I don’t think I’m fully indoctrinated into Intuitive Eating, though I’ll also say I think this way of eating makes the most sense. So this is one of those episodes that I haven’t picked up and run with, but it’s walking with me and I think it’s worth mentioning a change that I’m in the process of implementing.

Focus on gut health

If you pay attention to any headlines you have probably noticed all of the articles and information surrounding the gut microbiome. Functional medicine physician 

Dr. Richard Harris, MD, PharmD, and MBA provided a wealth of information about how to create a healthy microbiome system in the episode How to have a healthy gut and why it’s important. His two biggest tips to increase gut health were to meditate and fast. I talk about meditating below, and fasting is something I practiced for a while but am back and forth on now. He mentioned foods to help our gut, including Kombucha, which I’ve started drinking. I admit I was skeptical but if my bathroom time is indicative of my gut health, let’s just say it’s improving.  

Choose third-party tested vitamins

When Hally Brooke joined the show to discuss the Underlying Reasons you are Chronically Exhausted, she provided several applicable tips on repairing our gut health. Spoiler alert, the underlying reason for chronic exhaustion is often a poor gut microbiome. We talked about ways to do this including foods and supplements. One of my big takeaways from our conversation was the importance of making sure our supplements are actually what they say they are. I now make sure all of the supplements I take and provide my family are third-party tested to ensure accuracy. Hally provided a host of other resources so if you are trying to heal your gut I recommend you listen to her as well as the episode with Dr. Harris. 

Eat a variety of plants

In the same vein of gut health, dr. Harris and I discussed the importance of having a variety of plants over a week. I don’t get too stringent on this and quite frankly it can become obsessive if I’m not careful, but I am aware of what I am eating and try to mix up the plants I consume.

It’s interesting (and dare I say fun) to see what kind of plants we can get in over the week. When I write them down, the paper often looks like an inverted stair step because while I eat a decent amount of plants (which include veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, etc) I eat the same ones. The first day I have a large amount of plants, but because I’ll eat the same foods the list grows smaller each day. If you’re reading to this in real-time, we will have a plant challenge in November over on the free Graced Health Community Facebook Group, so head over there and join us if you’d like.

Strengthen my pelvic floor

After speaking with Jen Lormand and Christina Walsh, I decided to invest in their signature program called Tighten Your Tinkler. Between the leaks I encounter when I sneeze, cough, or laugh and the lower back issue that won’t go away, I decided to give it a shot. I saw an improvement when I was consistent with the program (it’s just like strength training – when you don’t train your muscles, they go away).

Since then, I have recommended it anytime a friend complains of the same challenges. So, basically, I’ve recommended it to almost every friend. I now do the daily warmup which lasts about eight or nine minutes most days and also sleep with this pillow between my knees, which I don’t think we discussed on the podcast but I did learn within the program. If you are dealing with leaks of any kind I highly recommend their program.

Use a warm eye compress

As with everything else, my eyes are feeling the effects of age. Several months after having dr. Kevin Gee on the show (“Does your reduced vision have COVID syndrome?”) I scheduled an appointment to get my vision tested and talk about my watery eyes in the morning. His office recommended an eye compress, which I then remembered we had one from my son. This is something I now use regularly to help lubricate my eyes and keep them from being so watery in the morning.

Incorporate light therapy

In the recent episode Simple ways to increase your sleep quality and quantity with holistic sleep coach Morgan Adams, she challenged us to incorporate light therapy into our day as much as possible, particularly getting outside for 10-15 minutes in the morning without sunglasses. It’s getting harder to do this as the days are getting shorter, so sometimes I’m not outside within that 1-2 hour window but I’ll get out as the sun comes up and walk. When possible, I’ll also take my dog for a quick 5-10 minute walk in the middle of the day.

Changed magnesium supplements

Another recent episode that prompted me to make a change was the one on magnesium with Natalie Jurado entitled Muscle cramps, fatigue and headaches? This natural mineral may help. Natalie helped us understand what magnesium does and the different types of magnesium.

Based on our conversation, I changed my magnesium supplement from a magnesium citrate powder to a magnesium malate capsule. One thing she taught me is magnesium citrate can increase histamines. I have a lot of allergies, and the last thing I need is more histamines. Changing the supplement has really helped my allergies.

I’ve also added her amazing line of topical magnesium-infused lotions and highly highly recommend them. My favorite is Relief because of my twitchy muscles, but the Rest and Tranquility ones are fantastic too. Sometimes I’ll double up and put Tranquility on my chest at night and Relief on my quads.

Workout barefoot as much as possible

Elisabeth Krystof taught me the importance of exercising and walking barefoot in the episode Why your tight hip flexors may be a function of your nervous system. Not only do I go barefoot in the gym, I encourage my clients to do the same during our time together as well as in my online, on-demand class called B.COMPLETE.

Learned how to apply makeup to my over-40 face

A friend asked me a few months ago, “Do you find yourself wearing less and less makeup as you get older?” I told no because I feel like I need more and more to make it look like I’m not wearing makeup. I don’t wear a ton but I have found the right way to apply and wear makeup for my aging skin. professional makeup artist Stephanie Leonard join the show entitled How to get that natural makeup look over 40.

Mental Changes

Practice meditation

Many years ago if you had asked me if I meditate, I probably would have scratched up my face and I thought that was pretty woo-woo. Now I am learning this practice can significantly help our stress level, physical health, and ability to regulate our nervous system.

I wish I could tell you I meditate for a long period of time every day. I don’t. However, I do set my watch for 3 minutes and meditate every morning. It’s not long but it’s something. And I certainly believe in the value of it. I’ve spoken with both Dr. Harris and Neuropsychologist Dr. Michelle Bengtson about mediation. Both are Jesus-followers and if you feel like meditation is a little too new-agey for you, I highly recommend listening to the episode with Dr. Michelle on meditation entitled Christians: Why you may need to rethink your perspective on meditation.

In fact, through the various conversations I have had over the last three years the biggest transition I’ve made in my beliefs is I now realize that we cannot separate our heads from the rest of our bodies. I incorporated this into my program B.COMPLETE, which is an online on-demand class that compliments however you like to move to help you age strong. It’s an acronym for the ways we should move but don’t take the time to do, and P stands for Pause – or taking a minute to tune into our mental and emotional state. (Listen to Why adding pause in your workouts can help (and what that means).)

Our mental and emotional states manifest themselves through our bodies. As I mentioned above, I’ve learned a tight hamstring is not simply a tight hamstring. There is probably something associated with it related to stress. Our connective tissue is not something that just binds up in the form of plantar fasciitis in my heel, it also is a superconductor highway to transmit emotions, sensations, and everything else. Sue Hitzman helped explain this in The surprising connection between fascia, chronic pain and overall wellbeing. I am fascinated by this amazing body God has created in each of us.

Utilize the 3-2-1 method in communicating with my college-aged son

Moving on, I’ve had a lot of episodes focused on parenting. If you’d like a list of them, you can get the free download here. One of them was with Elissa Costello, a Connecticut-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who brings applicable tools, resources, and provides wonderful direction for parents who are getting ready to send their children off into their next chapter.

The night before my oldest son left for college and we were all at the dinner table, I asked him to help set my expectations about how often we would hear from him. I think my greatest fear was losing the constant communication I had with him. I never would have thought to have this conversation without the help of Elissa Costello, in our episode entitled How to prepare your child’s mental health as they launch into their next season. We now shoot for the 3-2-1 method she suggested, which is three texts, two phone calls, and one Facetime every week. We don’t always get a Facetime in, but we’re pretty good at texting most days so I’ll call that a wash.

Spiritual Changes

Invest in community

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Yvette Walker with the Positively Joy podcast for several years and it was a true delight to sit down and chat with her about What to do when you’re sleepwalking through life and faith. If I’m honest, I go through seasons of this myself and her joy is contagious. I had several listeners reach out to me privately to say how much this episode impacted them. One of my takeaways from this episode is the power of community. We were not meant to do life alone. I tend to hole up, put my head down and not prioritize getting together with people and this is something I’m working on. If you are or have been in a dormant season of faith, check out this episode.

I don’t need more things to bring me joy – God is enough

Speaking with model Christine Handy about her experience with breast cancer and other physical issues was a stark reminder that sometimes the only thing we have to lean on is God. Our episode entitled How breast cancer increased model Christine Handy’s self-esteem got me thinking in so many different ways about how I care for my friends and where my priorities lie. Her story is truly incredible and I wish I had read her book, Walk Beside Me, before our conversation. Her words of “never enough” to “God is enough” and the transition she made still resonates with me and quite honestly impact my buying decisions.

Finally, I find myself referring to particular episodes again and again. While I’m truly grateful for all of the guests I have had on the podcast, there are a few particular episodes that seem to come up in conversation over and over. There may not be one or two specific things I’ve applied, but the overall conversation was so impactful. 

Episodes I find myself referring to again and again:

What kind of rest do you need? With Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

In our hustle environment, of which I am extremely guilty, I tend to think of rest as closing my eyes and either shutting out the world for a few minutes or sleeping. Dr. Dalton-Smith’s book Sacred Rest helped me see rest as a variety of ways to fill my uniquely created soul. This podcast with her is a great starting point to her book and any time I speak with someone who can’t figure out why they are so tired I recommend this episode and book to investigate what kind of rest they need. 

Rewrite your Food Story to change the way you eat, think, and live with Elise Museles

Most days I sit down to eat my lunch and pull up Apple news. I happened upon an article written by Elise Museles About the food noise we have in our brain concerning our relationship with food. this is what Elise calls “Food Story.” Her book by the same name is profound and as a bonus, it includes delicious plant-heavy recipes. One huge takeaway for me is to check my stress level before I eat, and if I’m wound up I’ll take three calming breaths before eating. I also noticed this organically happens when we sit down for dinner and pray, so that’s a great way to give thanks and bring down that stress level.

Raising daughters with a healthy body image with licensed counselor Christina Chismar

Anytime I have an opportunity to speak to moms, I share the most impactful lesson I learned from counselor Christina Chismar: our daughters we’ll listen to what we say about ourselves and other people more than they will listen to what we say about them. We can praise them all we want but if we turn around and talk about the 10lb we need to lose or how someone else doesn’t look.

What four generations can teach us about grief and unexpected loss. 

This episode with my high school friend, Heidi Paulec, took us right back to the time when her cousin, Jaime, died by suicide. She and I were on a dance team together when this happened and we went back together and discussed this traumatic season. We used to say Heidi and Jaime were double cousins as their moms were sisters and their dads were brothers. Heidi had the foresight to interview their great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and Jaime’s siblings which turned into the bones of her book, Abiding Light. I’ve had some friends lose loved ones by suicide and have purchased this book for them to read when the time is right.

Your Story Matters: Why you can’t leave the past in the past

Emily Baker is another childhood friend of mine. In fact, we have been friends since we were six years old. She has walked with me and helped me understand the stories from our past impact our future. I’ve come to realize that we can’t leave the past in the past without it leaving a mark on us in a way that will probably come back to haunt us later. This episode specifically focuses on these issues and why having a story-focused coaching counselor can help propel our current and future relationships with others and ourselves.

Why your tight hamstrings may be a function of your nervous system with Elisabeth Kristof

One of the aspects of this episode that I love so much is it scientifically proves the integration of our mental health, emotions, and the rest of our body. Elisabeth is an applied neuroscience practitioner who has also come up through group fitness, so she integrates both of these into her conversation and her program over at Brain Based Wellness. 

Personal Milestones

I can’t leave without recognizing the two other milestones I hit over these past two years: the release of my book, Your Worthy Body: Find Freedom in Health by Breaking All the Rules, and the launch of my online on-demand class called B.COMPLETE. 

Thank you for joining me over these last three years, whether you are a long time listener or just tuning in. I hope you’ve learned as much as I have and I look forward to continuing to learn right alongside you.

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