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026 - Unlocking Holistic Wellness: Conquering Emotional Eating with Tina Huynh
32 Plays9 months ago
In this episode of Vulnerability Muscle, host Reggie D. Ford engages in a profound conversation with nutrition expert Tina Huynh, who shares her journey from battling an eating disorder to becoming a holistic wellness advocate. They discuss the importance of balanced nutrition, mindful eating, and the connection between gut health and mental well-being, while also addressing deeper issues like self-worth and societal pressures. Tina emphasizes the role of community in healing and the power of vulnerability and self-awareness in overcoming isolation and emotional eating, offering listeners practical tips and heartfelt encouragement.
Highlights:
⭐️ Tina discusses her work with women who struggle with nutrition, simplifying the overwhelming information available online to help them focus on what's truly important. She emphasizes building habits and consistency for long-term impact, transforming lifestyles rather than quick fixes.
⭐️ Tina highlights the complexities of navigating nutrition in a world filled with conflicting information.
⭐️ Drawing on her background in psychology, Tina discusses the intricate relationship between gut health and mental well-being.
⭐️ Rather than focusing on foods to avoid, Tina advocates for an additive approach, emphasizing the importance of adding nourishing foods to one's diet.
⭐️ Tina addresses popular misconceptions about seed oils, oatmeal, oat milk, fruit juice, and artificial sweeteners, offering insights into making informed dietary choices.
⭐️ Tina opens up about her personal struggles with eating disorders, discussing the role of ADHD in women and societal influences on self-worth.
⭐️ Tina shares words of encouragement for individuals struggling with self-image, emphasizing the importance of embracing one's uniqueness and practicing self-compassion.
⭐️ Tina offers practical tips for simplifying meal prep and making healthier food choices, encouraging listeners to prioritize convenience and accessibility without guilt.
⭐️ Reggie and Tina discuss the relationship between actions and fears, acknowledging the tendency to isolate oneself during challenging times.
⭐️ Tina shares her gratitude for the power of vulnerability and its role in preserving human connection and empathy.
📲 Connect with Reggie:
Instagram - https://instagram.com/reggiedford
Facebook - https://facebook.com/reggiedford
LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/reggiedford
Twitter - https://twitter.com/reggiedford
YouTube - https://youtube.com/@reggiedford
Website - https://reggiedford.com
Book - https://amzn.to/487OqJD
Podcast - https://reggiedford.com/vulnerabilitymuscle
Podcast’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/vulnerabilitymuscle
📲 Connect with Tina:
Website - https://www.tinasarena.com/
IG - @tinas_arena_
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinakhuynh/
⚠️ DISCLAIMER: The content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read in this content!
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Transcript
Introduction to Eating Disorders and Personal Journey
00:00:00
Speaker
A lot of the information that was available at that time told all women that we were supposed to eat 1200 calories a day and restrict calories. So when I started doing that, something in my brain sort of clicked differently and I actually went the complete opposite way. I started to develop an eating disorder. Welcome to Vulnerability Muscle, the empowering podcast challenging norms and guiding you to find strength and power through vulnerability. I'm your host, Reggie D. Ford. In a world that often portrays vulnerability as a sign of weakness, I believe it is a source of tremendous strength and authenticity.
00:00:37
Speaker
Through insightful conversations and thought-provoking interviews, Vulnerability Muscle aims to redefine vulnerability and help listeners develop a new perspective on their own lives. Each episode of Vulnerability Muscle delves into a variety of topics such as mental health, social issues, and mindset shifts. We explore the power of vulnerability in healing, building resilience, and promoting personal growth, as well as fostering meaningful connections. This podcast provides practical tools and strategies to navigate life's challenges, overcome adversity, and create more inclusive and just environments for all people.
Simplifying Nutrition and Building Habits
00:01:13
Speaker
Welcome in this episode, we have Tina Nguyen. Tina brings a legacy of business acumen into the wellness arena, where her passion for psychology, nutrition, and personal wellbeing shines. As a certified mind body eating coach, Reiki practitioner, and meditation team ah teacher,
00:01:33
Speaker
Tina empowers women to conquer emotional eating with compassion and patience. Her own battles with an eating disorder and people pleasing catalyze the transformative journey of self-discovery leading her to embrace meditation, yoga, and self-love, finding her true passion and purpose. I love that. Today, Tina stands as a luminous figure in health, advocating for a harmonious blend of healthy eating, mindful moment movement, and soul nourishment, embodying the belief that a strong body and a nurtured soul are essential for rich, full life. Tina Nguyen, welcome to Vulnerability Muscle. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be on here with you, Reggie.
00:02:18
Speaker
Yes, I'm excited to have you just to to talk about the things that you are ah an expert in and it's it's over, it's holistic wellness. I can i can hear that in the description of of you and what you do, but do you want to introduce yourself and how you'd like to be identified? Yeah, so I work with women mostly who struggle with nutrition because a lot of the time we get so much conflicting information online, right? So I work with them just to try to simplify it, to really let them hone in on exactly the 80 or the 20% that's going to do 80% of the work. Just focus on what's important
00:03:00
Speaker
and work on habits to build consistency day after day. And it's that long slow burn that's going to make a big impact in the long run. So I work with people to build habits, to learn how to cook even and learn how to meal prep. So just really revamping their life and making it a lifestyle so that the impact, so that the changes make an impact over time. I love it. I love it so much. I must kick it off with a couple of rapid response questions, and I want to hear more about all of that. So first things first, what is one thing you do to relax when you're feeling stressed?
Stress Relief and Authenticity
00:03:39
Speaker
Um, so I guess this is kind of why I do the work that I do, but the number one way for me to relax is eating. okay Yeah. Um, so just like relaxing when I get home from work, uh, with a snack or something, it's, it was commonly eating for a long time. Yeah. Good. Okay. What comes to mind when you hear the word vulnerability? vulnerability, like authenticity, really showing your true colors and connecting with people on a real level. So not being fake, not trying to pretend to be someone else, just really being comfortable with yourself and sharing that. Yes. And then lastly, what is one of your favorite childhood memories?
00:04:32
Speaker
one of my favorite childhood memories. I live in Canada and I remember we took a family road trip to Niagara Falls. I think I was around eight at the time. And back then you could load people up in cars. So we probably had eight people in a small car, like no seat belts or anything. We drove up to Niagara Falls and I just spent the weekend with my family. So that was really memorable because i we didn't have a lot back then. So just our road trip to Niagara Falls was a lot. Wow. That's beautiful. I love that. I've never been to Niagara Falls, but i I want to. It's on my bucket list for sure. It's actually not that fun. Really? Really? It's a big tourist trap. Okay. It's a big tourist trap. Yeah. I can see that. Okay. Well, cool.
Societal Pressures and Nutrition Advice
00:05:21
Speaker
So tell me, how how did you get so passionate about nutrition? Like where does that come from?
00:05:28
Speaker
When I started exercising and dieting in my early 20s, I didn't know how to go about it. So a lot of the information that was available at that time told all women that we were supposed to eat 1200 calories a day and ah restrict calories. So when I started doing that, something in my brain sort of clicked differently and i actually went the complete opposite way i started to develop an eating disorder and i think it was because i had to try to get twelve hundred calories a day and it was so little that anytime i went over i would completely freak out.
00:06:08
Speaker
And I started to binge instead. And then the binging would eventually lead to purging and that became more and more frequent. And then I developed an eating disorder, which I had for almost 10 years of my life. So I don't want other people to go down that route. um And it's just really important for me that people understand that dieting in general doesn't work. because dieting is very on or off. you You're either on a diet or you're off a diet. And it just creates this all or nothing mindset that makes it so hard to people feel like they're succeeding. And so I've become really passionate in just letting people know that
00:06:52
Speaker
It's not all or nothing. It doesn't have to be on and off. Even if you just make one tiny change today and it's the only thing you do for the next 30 days, that will make a difference over time. You can compound things slowly and that is actually the best way to do this. So um it's really just my own personal story and to know the deep pain that I was in, I really just don't want other people to experience that pain. Yes, yes, that reminds me of a line that I have at the closing of some of some of my talks. And I say, they ask me why I do what I do. And this is what I tell them. I talk about my pain so that other people don't have to fill them. And that's what you've done. And so I want to just thank you for that courage to share.
00:07:41
Speaker
that that vulnerable aspect of your life because it is going to help someone, one, not feel alone. And then also through the work that it has propelled you to do, like youre you're such a great value and resource to so many people. So thank you for that. Thank you. I appreciate that. Absolutely. um I think for me, when I think of nutrition, I don't think I've ever been actually taught how to do anything when it comes to eating. And as a former athlete, I remember, you know, before practices and games and things, I would be going down to like the local, like the nearest fast food place and eating a greasy burger and then going and performing the sport football. And that i I didn't realize it then, but it has such a huge impact on just the way that I slept, moved and everything.
00:08:35
Speaker
Where does someone go to get information about nutrition if they don't have a coach like you? That's hard to answer. um But I feel like the best resource is to start would definitely be the guidelines given by the government. um It's a great place to start because what they tell us is very simple, you know, more fruits and vegetables, more whole wheat grains and meat. But if we want to go beyond that, then there are dieticians and nutritionists that we can refer to. So the company that I got certified by is called Precision precision Nutrition, and they have a lot of great recommendations on their white website as well, actually.
00:09:24
Speaker
And it can even teach you how to start tracking your calories or in your macros. There's a lot. People spend you know their entire doctorate studying nutrition. So you could go as deep as you want. But on a basic level, it's It's really, really simple. It's like eat more food naturally, more fruits, more vegetables, more meat. um I'm a very high believer of a high protein diet and it's really beneficial for us in so many ways to eat high protein. So if we just think about prioritizing lean protein in most of our meals as well, I think just focusing on that stuff first is going to get you so far.
00:10:11
Speaker
Yeah, that's interesting. Because because now I think there's a trend toward more plant based and plants have protein, obviously, but um you see when you say more of a protein diet, your preference, ah you see that as as meat being that that source of protein. Yeah. Yeah, it's just that meat protein is more bioavailable than plant protein. And meat actually contains all of the essential proteins that we require. So something is called an essential amino acid, which is a protein. It's called essential because our body can't make it. So it's labeled essential so that you know that you have to eat it. And there are essential proteins in plant foods, but they aren't complete.
00:10:58
Speaker
So, you just have to eat more plants, more variety. You have to be very careful and intentional about filling your requirements. But when you eat meat, it's simple. It's all there and you don't really have to think about it too much. So, you can definitely thrive on a plant-based diet with protein. I just believe that animal protein makes it so much easier. Definitely, definitely.
Gut Health and Mental Wellness
00:11:22
Speaker
um So how do you because because you have a passion for psychology as well. And I know the the gut is often called the second brain. How do you envision or how do you think about the brain and the gut and our overall like mental health playing a role with our nutrition?
00:11:40
Speaker
Mm hmm. So there are definitely connections between gut health and brain health. And I think it depends because so our gut health is
00:11:53
Speaker
What am I trying to say? Our gut health, ah the bacteria in our gut gets used to the food that we eat. So when we eat a new diet, if like we're eating processed food all of the times, then our bacteria in our gut is kind of programmed to process that kind of food first. So when you're switching it over and you're trying to eat more vegetables, it can often cause distress in your stomach because your body is just not used to eating vegetables like that. And I feel like that is uncomfortable for a lot of people because then they might think, oh, well, I can't eat vegetables because it's causing my stomach distress. But that's not actually true. you know Your stomach is just not used to it. And it might take a little bit for it might take eating healthy for a little bit in order for your stomach to start
00:12:47
Speaker
I don't know the word that I'm missing. in or You might have to start to eat healthy for a little while in order for your stomach to get used to being able to eat that kind of fiber that comes with vegetables. And so it can cause distress and discomfort for people when they are changing their diets. And I feel like it's important to talk about that because when people are trying to make the shift, they might say things like, oh, well, my body just doesn't want to eat healthy, or it doesn't it doesn't do well with that kind of diet. But like did you actually give it a fair chance? Did you eat this way long enough for your body to adjust? um It takes up to 30 days or longer in in order for you to build that bacteria in your stomach in order to incorporate the fiber appropriately.
00:13:41
Speaker
So there's that and then um there's lots of studies that show people that eat healthier just tend to have better um Let me say that again. There's also studies that show that people that eat healthier have less instances of depression because it all works together. um When someone exercises or when someone eats healthier, they will actually keep their health at the top of their mind because it could it's called a keystone habit, right? When you do something healthy, it just increases your chances of doing something else that's healthier.
00:14:22
Speaker
and nutrition and exercise are two huge keystone habits. and Even just exercise alone, we could probably do another podcast on it, but exercise alone is one of the best ways to decrease depression. um and Actually, there was this new study that just came out this year that said um dancing has been shown to decrease depression better than anything else, better than SSRIs, better than walking, and better than exercise. And um that study, they didn't want to make the direct correlation because the study was done on a small population of people. So it's hard to, you know, cause inference that way.
00:15:04
Speaker
But if you just think about it, it's dancing. Even if you just try it and do it, what are you going to lose? yeah So just start dancing. And I personally love dancing. um I'm a part of a couple of dance communities in Windsor here. And if the dancing itself doesn't heal you, then the friends that you make while you're dancing certainly will. Because depression, depression is something that happens in isolation, right? It's it's the shame that we breed and we feel. So when you put yourself out there, when you dance, when you get uncomfortable and you do it in front of new friends, it's just going to create so much magic. Oh, I love that. I love that. I love dancing. So I think that that's thats
00:15:51
Speaker
I don't know if that's been developed as a coping strategy to when I'm starting to feel a certain way and it just makes me feel better if it just like is innate inside of me, but um that's really good to know. I wanna look at that study, but I do, I think it's there there's a lot of truth to that because the community part, right? Community helps us heal in so many ways and keeps us from the dark, dark places that our minds wander to. And so that's that's fascinating. um what
00:16:22
Speaker
um What are some of the things, because I can i can see my my younger sister saying, I think I eat healthy, but I don't truly know. like What are some of the things that you would say to avoid in eating healthy? like what What is not healthy? So I don't think that we should really be avoiding any certain types of foods unless obviously you have an allergic reaction and it just clearly does not work well with you and your body. The way that I teach nutrition is we always want to add food instead of focusing on the restriction. So add more vegetables into your diet, adding more whole grains and adding in more lean protein.
00:17:06
Speaker
I'm the kind of person that believes that there's always room for snacks, chips, and ice cream in the diet because just through personal experience, when I tried to cut it out completely, my brain did the opposite and my brain was like, oh, I want more of that. like That's all that I want to eat. yeah so Whenever we restrict, um it's called like the rebel mindset. Whenever I restrict myself, my rebel comes out and it's like, no, we're not going to listen to you. Even though it's me trying to do it to myself, I do the complete opposite. So I've learned just for myself that I can't restrict anything. It doesn't work for me.
00:17:43
Speaker
So instead of focusing on things I don't want to eat, I'm just going to focus on things I want more of in my life, the foods that make me feel good. um Just because when we think about it that way, we understand that the snacks and the ice cream is still there and it's still possible to have. So just like think about it. When you know that the ice cream is readily available for you at any time, and there's an unlimited amount, you don't feel like you need to eat it i all the time. You know it's there. You know you're safe. um And I know I can have it anytime. Well, then I'll just have it when I really want it instead of just having it always on my mind.
00:18:24
Speaker
Yeah, I like that because it it takes away that that rebel that is probably in a lot of us and that temptation that if I can't have it, it's so taboo, I want it now. and i That reminded me of a ah line from one of Michael Pollan's books. but he He talked about the French, French association with chocolate cake and American association with chocolate cake. And he said that ah when the word that comes up more often than not for the French was pleasure. Whereas when it was asked to Americans, it was guilt. And I think it kind of speaks to what you were saying of like, we're told to, to to
00:19:07
Speaker
take that out of our diet, as opposed to I love the approach that you had adding to like an additive thing. Like what are these beneficial things that we can add instead of feeling restrictive? That's that's a great way of looking at that. I like that. I'm going to start to use that approach. Let me ask, because like one of the things that I feel like, because like I feel very in line with you, like I don't want to say I can't have anything. There are things that I definitely avoid. But like, for instance, I really love hot wings and like fried hot wings. And the thing that I'm trying to understand better is like the oil, I'm understanding that the oil that they're fried in is significant and and makes a difference. Do you have any advice on like the types of ways that we prepare our food, the types of oils and and fats that we cook the food in that can make it a little bit more healthy without us eliminating them completely from our diet?
Debates in Nutrition Science
00:20:00
Speaker
Yeah. So the one thing I will say about that is certain oils have certain smoke points. So some oils are better for frying than others. And it's important to know that um in terms of the conversation between seed oils and saturated oils. So I I follow a lot of people with PhDs in nutrition and it seems like the general science around seed oils is that there's no real science that proves that seed oils are bad for us. um Seed oils, because a lot of influencers are saying that seed oils are inflammatory and people need to avoid seed oils because they're causing all of this distress in us. But the question is, if you remove seed oils from your diet, what are you replacing them with?
00:20:52
Speaker
So, if you're frying your food in canola oil, which is an unsaturated fat, does that mean that you're going to fry it instead with lard, like meat lard, which is a saturated fat? Because we're not supposed to be eating too much saturated fat, so it's really I think it's one of those things where you just have to weigh the pros and cons of each and consider what option is best for you. And I don't believe in avoiding seed oils just because the influencers are saying that it's bad.
00:21:30
Speaker
When people cut out seed oils, it's because a lot of processed foods that we eat also contain seed oils. So I don't know if they are feeling better because they simply cut out seed oils or if they just cut out processed food in general. Because, you know, chips are fried in seed oils, you know, all of those candies and whatever you can think of. They're all used with seed oils because seed oils are cheap. So the question is, Is it actually the seed oil or is it all of the other processed stuff that you cut out? That's a good point. that's a good point When you say seed oil, like i'm um give me a couple examples of of these types of oils. Yeah, so seed oils are oils that are made from seeds. So canola oil is a seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and people are saying that it's bad because they're so highly refined and pressed.
00:22:26
Speaker
and Apparently that process is what makes it bad for you because they are so far removed from their natural state. Whereas if you think of beef and lard, it's pretty much in its natural state when you use it as lard. um And there's that question of naturalness, whether or not natural is always better. And that's another conversation too. so um I think a part of this conversation is that natural food is very expensive. And for me, i I've kind of started to have the shift where I think people are demonizing seed oils as a way just to prove their superiority. Like, oh, I don't eat seed oils, but you do. so
00:23:12
Speaker
you know yeah um yeah Because if you were to avoid seed oils, you would be paying a lot more for food because everything that is cheap uses seed oils. So I think it also comes down to wealth and you know influencers trying to one up everyone. It's a big conversation. Yeah, no, definitely. With that, are there other misconceptions in the nutrition and and well wellness space that you see that you either don't agree with or want to debunk?
00:23:44
Speaker
Oh, there's so many. So there's a lot of influencers talking right now about how oatmeal is bad for you. And that is not true. It's not true. Oatmeal is so good for you. But there is one thing that I could say about that is when oatmeal gets turned into oat milk. I wouldn't drink oat milk personally because um oatmeal is a carb. And then when you turn that into milk, that's basically it's like it's like taking fruit and turning it into fruit juice. Like you're removing all of the benefits, right? So when you take oatmeal and you turn it into oat milk, I believe it's the same thing. You've removed all of the benefits and now it's basically sugar water. So you so with juicing, you're you're not a fan of juicing?
00:24:30
Speaker
um I'm not a fan of juicing because the best part or the healthiest part about fruit is the fiber that it comes with. So when you remove all of the fiber and you only drink the liquids, you're still getting the vitamins and minerals, but it's also going to be high sugar and it's going to just directly impact your blood sugar, which isn't always a bad thing. It just more or less depends on like you and how you react to it because if You're not eating in excess, but you drink fruit juice and it's okay. But if you're eating a lot, you're eating too many calories and you're drinking fruit juice on top of that, then you're consuming too much. Okay. That's good. That's good. There's another one. I have a lot. You can stop me anytime. Give me more. Give me more. um Sugar. A lot of people... So the same the same topic of naturalness. A lot of people will say honey is better than table sugar.
00:25:30
Speaker
which it might be incrementally better, like 1% better just because it has vitamins and minerals. so But if you think about how much sugar you're eating in a day, maybe a tablespoon, even a tablespoon is probably too much sugar for a day, but maybe one teaspoon of sugar. So you're taking like 1% of one teaspoon. It's just crazy to focus on that tiny minuscule detail, right? And it's another conversation of naturalness. Like honey is going to be way more expensive than table sugar, but people are saying that honey is better just because it's natural. But when you boil it down to the science, they're both made out of the same thing. So 99% of it is going to be fructose and glucose. Um, and the, it's the 1% difference. And at the end of the day, that 1% is not going to do anything. So
00:26:25
Speaker
ah with someone who drinks sodas. I'm assuming there's more sugar in those, correct? Than than a teaspoon or so. Like if you have three sodas in a day, um how much? That's a lot of sugar, right? It is a lot. I don't drink soda, so I don't know off the top of my head, but I believe it's around 30 to 40 grams per can of Coca-Cola. So if you did three of that, that would be 120 grams of sugar. Okay. And that's ah that's a ton for ah any human for a day, correct? based off That's a lot. Yeah. I think a tablespoon is maybe 15 grams of sugar. Wow. So that's 10 tablespoons at least, yeah.
00:27:09
Speaker
Wow. Wow. So, yeah, I'm thinking like because I know some folks who don't drink water. I think they just don't drink water at all. And everything they're consuming is full of sugar. So when you say the one ah one teaspoon, like, no, I know some folks are about as close to a gallon. So. like So this is another thing. So people have been demonizing artificial sweeteners.
Artificial Sweeteners and ADHD Insights
00:27:34
Speaker
But if those friends of yours, if they switched out regular Coca-Cola for diet Coca-Cola, then they would probably see a net benefit on their health, just because they've cut down that amount of sugar that they've been drinking.
00:27:49
Speaker
okay And there is there isn't too much research out there that shows that artificial sweeteners are bad for you. They've been around for a long time. um And again, it's one of those things, just weigh the pros and cons. if you If you're cutting out over a hundred grams of sugar a day and adding in a little bit of artificial sweetener, that's probably going to be a net benefit in the long run. and Okay. Nice. Um, I'm curious about if you, if you're willing and open to talk about, so did you, when you, when you were developing your eating disorder, was that something that you were conscious of? Were you able to identify a a moment in which like you, you felt it and knew that that's what it was or, or was it kind of subconscious and just happening?
00:28:39
Speaker
I don't think that I was able to control it happening after a certain point. um And I think once you realize that it's happened, it's probably too late. This already happened. i don't think I don't think I saw it coming, but I definitely knew that I was in a bad spot because I started hiding food. I started eating in private. Um, and I felt ashamed about what I was doing about even just eating secretly. Like I was hiding it all. And so once I started seeing all of that, then I knew that there was something wrong here.
00:29:20
Speaker
Yeah. Do you think, have have you, and and again, this is as much as you want to share as little, but have you been able to tap into kind of the things that led up to you having the, what is the word, um, um, susceptibility of developing any eating disorder? Is it something that you have identified? So I was diagnosed with ADHD within the last few years of my life. And it turns out that women with ADHD are more susceptible to eating disorders, which I think is really crazy to know like after the fact. I was like, oh, that's why I had it, okay. yeah um but So ADHD in women presents very differently than ADHD in males. They say ADHD in males is hyperactivity physically. So they're running around in circles and all that sort, you can imagine it. Whereas ADHD in women is hyperactivity in the brain. We're we're always thinking, um and we're always usually thinking there's something wrong with us. you know People, adults in our life tell us that
00:30:31
Speaker
We are not living up to our potential and it breeds feelings of shame like there's something wrong with us. um And so I think it's that lack of self-confidence, that lack of self-worth. I didn't know who I was and I was just, I didn't understand self-love even. So I think I was missing a lot of things that normal people have, which kind of all escalated into my eating disorder.
00:31:03
Speaker
Were there anyone in your in your surroundings, in your environment that modeled the self-love or the opposite of that self-harm or self-not-love? Actually, no. No, I don't know where I got it from. And I think because a part of ADHD is that I was hypersensitive. So anything people told me was like a direct attack on myself and my personality and who I was. So whenever I got criticized,
00:31:38
Speaker
um it always turned into like, oh, like they're yelling at me because there's something wrong with me, like something deeply wrong with me. And I don't i don't think anyone taught me that, um but I think what happened was um nobody taught me like the opposite. Nobody taught me how to receive criticism. Nobody taught me how to love myself. Nobody taught me um that I am worth I don't know, having a full life and happiness and love. um So that's my own thing. i I think I grew up with a lot of ah childhood neglect. So um I'm not sure if
00:32:18
Speaker
people modeled self worth and love for me. But as I started growing older, I just kind of knew that there was something off and like I wasn't living life the way that I thought that life should be lived. And I struggled with what's it called purpose for a long time. Just like I remember having conversations with my friends and even my mom. for a long time, just like I don't understand why we're living. I don't understand what the point is of being here. I struggled with that for a long time. And I think it all came from just not having any self-worth and not standing up for myself.
00:32:58
Speaker
And just, I was the kind of person that just did everything that other people told me to do. And so I never had any of my own preferences. I never did anything that I want to do. So I think that's why I struggled with eating and like my self-worth and just life in general so much because nothing that I was doing was mine. So it was just, it felt very pointless. So eventually, I think I started actually started watching Ted Talks and just like YouTube. like I had to get out of my own house, my own bubble, and I was watching other people live their lives and talk about their journey and their struggles and their path of overcoming. And just slowly, slowly, slowly, I guess I brainwashed myself into believing that I could do it for myself.
00:33:52
Speaker
ah Honestly, over a journey of maybe 10 years, just trying to brainwash myself. And eventually it's like, oh, okay, why not me? Like, yeah I can do this too. Yeah, absolutely. And I, that's thank you so much for sharing that. And i I echo, like you are worthy of all the greatest things that life has to offer. And I'm glad that through the work that you've done, you are recognizing that. If you could give some words of encouragement or advice to maybe the younger version of you or someone else in that situation who's going through, you know, those self image that self image that you had, what would you say to them? There is nothing wrong with you.
00:34:39
Speaker
There are so many things that I used to hate about myself as I was younger and now I love them about myself because they are the things that make me different and make me unique and make me who I am. And it's so funny that it's like the exact things that I used to hate about myself. So I would just... Can you name a couple of things that have changed? um My sensitivity, I used to hate that I would cry all the time and be super sensitive to people and their words, but now I realize that it makes me um a better human. like I can feel better. I am able to sense other people's emotions.
00:35:22
Speaker
and I can help them more appropriately feel as well. um My height is one of them. I used to be, I'm not super tall, I'm 5'8", but I used to be the tallest for a long time in my grade. And then as I got older, I remember I was with a couple of friends and I was the shortest one one day and I was like, I don't like this.
00:35:53
Speaker
um So that's another thing that I loved about myself. um I'm still struggling. I have big feet. I used to absolutely hate that. But now I'm just like, it it is what it is, right? And you can't do anything about that. So it is what it is. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Definitely. I love that because I think especially growing up and and having societal pressures of what beauty is or what norm is or whatever it is like you start to develop this self-conscious about yourself consciousness about yourself where you start to criticize different things and I've
00:36:28
Speaker
I've had that ah a lot of my life where and I didn't see myself in the true beauty that that I am as my unique self. And so um I take those words that you just shared and and I take them to heart as well. So thank you for that. hu Thank you. I got a question. um What do you think is your superpower?
00:36:55
Speaker
I think my superpower is taking things that are complicated and making them really simple and letting people know that they can do it for themselves too. Because I just, just understanding my own journey and how I know where I came from, how I felt like I had absolute zero self-worth and like zero
00:37:23
Speaker
what's it called, like zero hustle in me before. And just because I never felt like it was, I was worth it in any way. So I was a person that just didn't try. Um, and like, if I could go through all of that and get to where I am today, then I know that anyone is capable of doing it. So I just really try to empower people and help them understand that they are completely capable too. Mm, that's powerful. Oh, what a great superpower to have with that. um I'm curious. And I know like you run, this is your business, but if you could distill some of the the work that you do with your clients down to, let's just call it mill prepping.
Personalized Nutrition and Community Support
00:38:03
Speaker
Like how do we go from.
00:38:05
Speaker
I don't know how to meal prep. It takes too long. I don't have the time. like All of that. Where do you tell your clients um to get to a point where they are able to at least prep one meal or or a couple of meals for the week?
00:38:20
Speaker
The first thing I would say is you just do whatever works for you, no matter how silly it looks or no matter what you feel like you should be doing, you do what works for you because what works for you might not be what works for other people. um So when I was going through a time of depression, I wasn't eating very well but I was just like putting food together and microwaving it and I was making super ugly looking meals but they were feeding me and it it was I was just making them in the microwave. I was just doing what I could do for myself at that time and
00:38:59
Speaker
It's that period that taught me a lot of the things that I teach today too. Like you just do what you can. And it doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, but just do what you can. And there's always something that you can do. Yes. I like that. Like working it into your life. and not trying to overcomplicate it. Because I think that's what discourages so many people is like, when you try to create a system that doesn't work with the natural flow of your life, that system, even if it's great, is going to blow up at one point. And so yeah creating systems that work for you in your life is great. Yeah. And what I hate about social media is that they always highlight these people that make super crazy, fancy meals that take hours a day. And you feel like you need to be doing that too, but you don't. You can do whatever it is that you want to do. You can. I was mixing ketchup and peanut butter and people were calling me crazy. Like just try it. It's good. Try it. Like you never know. You never know. I've never done that. I'll try it. I'll try it. I won't knock it until I try it.
00:40:07
Speaker
But I'll say one thing that's helped me, and it it comes with a you know price. And I don't i haven't compared like the groceries that it would cost versus HelloFresh, but I use HelloFresh. It comes with all the ingredients. They're whole foods. They're real food. and And I don't have to always think about what it is I need to cook next. It's just there. I grab the bag and I grab the the paper and I make it. And so that's something that has helped me in staying consistent. So that is just another tip for anyone out there who's considering that.
00:40:45
Speaker
Yeah, that's a really good one actually. And to add on to that, sometimes I used to feel guilty about buying pre-cut vegetables or pre-wash salad and whatever it is, or even frozen butternut squash, stuff like that. But if it's going to help you eat better, then you know pay the extra couple of dollars. It's okay. You don't have to wash everything and do it on your own. like Buy the pre-cut salad. Yeah, yeah. If that's going to make a difference. Yeah, it's there for a reason. And time is so precious. Let's see if you have a family and you have other responsibilities like the last thing you want to be doing is prepping your food for an hour and then running out of time to do everything else. And so you turn to the unhealthy options. And so, yeah, definitely use that. ah What is what would you say is your your biggest fear?
00:41:38
Speaker
um My biggest fear is dying alone.
00:41:44
Speaker
Abandonment. I am very big on building community. I have built a very good circle of friends. And I think it's because I grew up so lonely that it's just something that's always on my mind. I really want to always have community around me. ah know It's completely related. Unrelated, I mean. No, I yeah think it all I personally think it's all related. I can I can make ties to it. But do you do you see your actions in alignment with your greatest fear or do you see that sometimes you are sabotaging yourself in creating yeah or perpetuating what your fear is?
00:42:26
Speaker
I definitely think that I am working towards building community and fostering and building up the women around me and that helps me with not being alone. But I know that when I start to struggle that I can start to isolate myself and further push myself farther and farther away from people. So for me, the important thing to notice is when that's happening and then do the opposite to start reaching out and again and calling friends asking for help. But in my work, I'm definitely building community. I'm meeting up with women all of the time and building them up. So that helps build me up too.
00:43:12
Speaker
Yeah, that's one of my tendencies too. When I get down or I'm upset, my tendency is to isolate myself from the world and to also like silent treatment used to be a part of it. I'm better at communicating. I i've recognize the power of communicating even when I don't feel like it, but I still like the alone time. Sometimes the alone time, the solitude is like, healthy and healing for me, but other times I can feel it when it is detrimental and and really just ah me wanting to be a hermit from everyone. So yeah, I yeah i can relate on that for sure.
00:43:53
Speaker
Yeah, everything is a double-edged sword. Everything is good and everything is bad. and It just depends on you know how much you have of it or to what severity you take it. so Like you said, silence and isolation can be good when we want to rest and relax. But when we do it too much, then we can drive ourselves deeper and deeper away from people and then it might be even harder to reconnect. so I think above all else, the one thing to focus on is really self-awareness because without self-awareness, you can't do anything. Yes. Yes. I love that. I love that. You mentioned asking friends for help, and that's my next question. With everything that you do, your life personally, professionally, however you want to look at it, what do you, Tina, need help with today?
Coaching and Vulnerability
00:44:40
Speaker
Um, what do I need help with? So I am working on building my nutrition coaching business. And I'm looking for people that need help with their nutrition. So anyone that has people that they feel are struggling or if you or if someone is struggling, listening to this, if they're struggling themselves, then I would love to talk to them to meet them because the more that I can talk to people about their own issues, it helps me become a better coach and better
00:45:13
Speaker
able to deal with any situations that come up. So just I just want to understand people and their struggle because I know why I struggle, but you know everyone's not going to struggle in the same way that I did. So I really just want to understand what it is that people feel is holding them back so that I can better serve people in the future too. Absolutely. That's beautiful. If people wanted to reach out to you, how can they connect with you? My website is tinesarena.com. And on Instagram, I'm also tinesarena. So basically, any links that I have, they will all start on my website just because that's the easiest. That's t i n a s a r e n a.
00:46:01
Speaker
Tina's are in, I'll put that in the show notes for sure. um i'm I'm so encouraged by this conversation because one thing I took away is is that, and you said it as everything can be good and everything can be bad. I think um I look at that as nothing can be good and nothing can be bad at the same time. So it's like the both. And and that our our nutrition is is it's moderation. It's not restrictive. It's not all or nothing. And I really love that because I think that is, a way to truly apply it to everyday life. It's so hard to restrict ourselves from things. And so I love that about your your methodology. um I am i amm I'm so great and I can't I'm so grateful for your time. And I appreciate you for being here with me because with all the things that you could be doing and all the places you you could be, I appreciate you being here with me, embracing vulnerability.
00:46:55
Speaker
Thank you. Same to you and same to all of your listeners that are listening to this conversation right now. I am very grateful for your time. Is there anything left on your chest, your heart that you want to share with but the audience? um I think vulnerability is going to be our superpower and coming into the future because I don't think AI will be able to do that. so um In order for us to embrace our humanity, I think vulnerability is a way to go and just keeping that in mind so that we can continue to connect with other fellow human beings and just save our humanity. Amen to that. Thank you for that. I appreciate you, Tina. I hope you have a great rest of the day.
00:47:37
Speaker
Thank you, you too. Take care. Thank you for joining us for another powerful episode of Vulnerability Muscle. I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights that resonate with you. If you're enjoying this journey of self discovery and empowerment, There are a few ways you can support the podcast. First, make sure to hit that subscribe button so that you never miss an episode. If you've been moved by our conversations and the mission of redefining vulnerability, please consider leaving a review. Your feedback not only motivates us, but also helps others discover the podcast. Share your thoughts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in. And don't forget to spread the word.
00:48:16
Speaker
Follow us on Instagram at Vulnerability Muscle for updates and you can connect me personally at Reggie D Ford on all platforms. Visit VulnerabilityMuscle.com for additional resources and upcoming episodes. And remember, embracing vulnerability is strength. Thanks for being a part of the journey. Until next time, stay empowered, stay vulnerable, and keep flexing that vulnerability muscle.