Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Improve Your Healthspan By Eating Intuitively with Hannah Kling - E26
32 Plays9 months ago
Are you struggling with maintaining a peaceful mindset and achieving a balanced approach to health? What about listening to your body while you eat? Letting your own internal cues of hunger and fullness guide your eating habits can lead to improved body image, quality of life, and an extended healthspan. In this episode, we explore how to navigate all of the advice out there so you can create balanced nutrition habits and foster a workout routine you actually enjoy. All of this while effectively managing a busy lifestyle. You'll learn how to overcome the usual challenges, and develop a regime that integrates seamlessly into your daily life.
Hannah Kling is a food blogger and health advocate who shares her journey towards a balanced life, focusing on intuitive eating and a positive mindset. With a background rooted in overcoming body image pressures and unhealthy eating habits, Hannah has become a celebrated figure in the wellness community. With a large social media following, she offers practical advice on nutrition and mental well-being. sharing routines and insights to help followers achieve a healthier lifestyle.
“We idolized these unrealistic body standards. So that's kind of where my unhealthy relationship with food kind of developed.” - Hannah Kling
In this episode you will learn:
- How Hannah's journey from an unhealthy relationship with food to a healthier mindset was influenced by therapy and intuitive eating practices.
- The importance of not labeling foods as good or bad, and developing a balanced approach to nutrition, including indulgent treats made with unprocessed ingredients.
- Techniques and tools Hannah uses for a restful sleep, like red light therapy and brown noise, and how they contribute to her overall well-being.
- How she transformed her perception of working out from a chore to an enjoyable activity focused on strength and circuit training, and the positive impact it has on her mental clarity.
- The role of spirituality, meditation, and mindset in creating a peaceful and fulfilling life, drawing on principles resembling Taoism and Buddhism.
- Strategies for maintaining a balanced life while handling a busy schedule, including setting boundaries, planning social activities, and taking breaks from social media.
Resources
- Connect with Hannah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelydelites/tagged/?hl=en
- Shop all the products Hannah mentions in the episode: https://alively.com/products/hannah-kling
This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:
https://www.zapods.com
Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:
https://alively.com/
Recommended
Transcript
Cravings and Mindset
00:00:00
Speaker
Craving something all the time comes from a mindset of can't have. So if you're thinking, like I can't have this because it's going to do X, Y, and Z, then you're going to constantly be thinking about it, craving it. And for me, when I've lifted that, can't have like, oh, I really want that cookie. So I'm going to have that cookie and move on with my day.
Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
00:00:26
Speaker
This is the Home of Health spam podcast, where we profile health and wellness role models, sharing their stories and the tools, practices and routines they use to live a lively life.
00:00:40
Speaker
Hannah, also known as Lovely Delights on all the channels. It is such a pleasure to be with you today. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me.
Healthy Relationship with Food
00:00:50
Speaker
Now, i I really like your approach because it's not just about eating healthy, but it's about having a healthy relationship with food. And you came to that realization of its importance and living that way in a pretty personal and honest way. can Can you say a little more about what that was? Yeah, absolutely. um So I think you know my story started from a young girl
00:01:20
Speaker
I think like most women in that young adolescent age, especially 10, 15 years ago, you know, having a certain body type, having a certain diet, we idolized these unrealistic body standards. So that's kind of where my unhealthy relationship with food kind of developed at a very young age. I was like, Oh, looking at magazines, you can lose 10 pounds in two weeks and you know, following the special K diet, doing all those things. So it started at a really young age. And I won't, I'll say that it kind of cleared up like,
00:01:56
Speaker
in my early 20s. I really dedicate that to therapy. I dived into therapy and that really helped me heal my like relationship with my body, my mind, um things that had happened in childhood. And
Impact of Social Media on Body Image
00:02:11
Speaker
I think from there, it healed my relationship with food because it cleared my mind. It cleared me being able to have control over my actions, my decisions. And now I can say that I have a total healthy relationship with food. I don't look at it as good and bad. I don't look at his it as guilt food. um Everything is just food in essence, and it's really been such a game changer.
00:02:38
Speaker
Yeah, I can imagine. And you you said 15 years ago what the the pressures were and and what you're dealing with. And I'm thinking 15 years ago, we didn't have Instagram and we didn't have TikTok. And so we didn't have 10, 11, 12 year olds constantly scrolling, looking at this. And every now and then there'd be a magazine or they'd see it on TV. But to the extent
Intuitive Eating and Therapy
00:03:02
Speaker
it's pushed now,
00:03:04
Speaker
I can only think how much more important the work you're doing to help support others to build that healthy relationship is. Yeah, no, I you know, my heart goes out to kids, you know, in their teens at this day and age because I remember when Instagram came about, I was waitressing, I think I was 17. So I wasn't in you know that 13, 14 stage when your mind was really developing and you're starting to compare and contrast with you know other people. And when it's constantly in your face, I i can't imagine you know living in that in this day and age as an adolescent. Yeah.
00:03:42
Speaker
And so you had your unhealthy relationship and then this path to get to a healthy relationship. What does that mean to you? What does that look like? For me, I practice intuitive eating and um I've really mastered it in a sense that I don't look at food as a number. I don't count macros. I don't count calories.
00:04:06
Speaker
I don't weigh myself. I haven't in probably the better of 10 years. Can I ask, it was that part of therapy where they're saying, Hey, you need to get away from the micro measurement yeah and just live. Okay. Absolutely. You know, I'm such a huge advocate for therapy. I'm like that annoying friend amongst my friends and family. I'm like, Hey, you really should do therapy because it's, it really changed my life in so many ways.
00:04:35
Speaker
But I will say like for those that, you know, maybe listening that might have an unhealthy relationship with food. Sometimes it's not even about the food. It's about something else. So when you really dive into, you know, your core self.
00:04:49
Speaker
You'll be amazed at what transpires after that. so I'm curious on the healthy side because you said you eat intuitively. There have been a few times, I interviewed guests, and maybe it's on their fitness regimen. They might be dancers or really, really in tune with their bodies.
00:05:07
Speaker
I say, Oh, I listen to my body. What does my body need? What does it not need? And same with you intuitive food. For those of us like me who might not be that intuitive, right? I just the general would just grind out and then end up getting hurt. Or with food, you know, I listen, I have a super sweet tooth. And after each meal might have two desserts for years. And from the outside, because I work out so much, it it didn't look unhealthy. But then when I got my glucose levels or my A1C, you're like, oh, you're actually starting to get prediabetic and this is dangerous. And so for me,
00:05:42
Speaker
My intuition apparently is not very good in terms of helping me stay healthy. Right. where Where's that line for people who might not have dialed in? Oh, yeah, actually, I crave salt now because I'm maybe low on electrolytes. I need good electrolytes. I may crave this now
Balancing Cravings with Nutrition
00:05:59
Speaker
because I need and I need iron because where I am in my cycle, whatever it is. How do you recommend people do that?
00:06:05
Speaker
I think I can only speak from personal experience because I don't have you know yeah like the background. But um like for me, I think you know the craving something all the time comes from a mindset of can't have. So if you're thinking, like I can't have this because it's going to do X, Y, and Z, um then you're going to constantly be thinking about it, craving it.
00:06:30
Speaker
and For me, when I've lifted that, can't have like, oh, I really want that cookie. So I'm going to have that cookie and move on with my day. yeah And I think it with like nutrition, it's not about what you take out of your diet. It's about what you put in. So half the cookie and then maybe have, I know cooking salad doesn't sound like the best combo, but maybe have something to to balance that out. So you're not just doing the cookie and moving like
00:07:01
Speaker
feeling guilty about it. Add something into that diet or that meal and then you'll feel more satiated and you'll feel, you know, more emotionally happy because you had both. That definitely resonates. That's ah one thing I try to encourage people and and not just taking out, but thinking, hey, what am I going to put in? So if you're getting 700 grams of plants, so that could be three apples, that could be whatever it is, plus a gram of protein per kilo, that you've covered your bases, and then you can have the flexibility. And by the way, if you're doing that, you're probably not super, super hungry to eat a ton of cookies. Maybe you just
Nutrition and Food Blogging
00:07:42
Speaker
have the one, and that's totally fine, because you've gotten you're you're the rest settled. like I remember like, because I have a huge sweet tooth too, I'm sure you can tell from my page. yeah yeah visual is mean Lots of sweets. But then also like making sweets that um are unprocessed sugar, ah more natural whole food ingredients that still taste really good. But you're not gonna have that like high and then that crash. You actually eat it and you you feel good and energized and not like
00:08:11
Speaker
low in an hour or so. yeah and That is something I only recently came to. that the long Not even that long-term effect. you know I was driving back from my daughter's birthday one year and I had a big old slice of cake and I was falling asleep because i was the and the crash was really serious. right yeah so What does day-to-day look like for you in terms of nutrition? so When you're eating intuitively, do you still think about, hey, this is the kind of stuff I want to stock the fridge with so that over the course of the day, over the course of the week, these are what my kinds of meals look like.
00:08:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, totally. So I mean, I think I have kind of a unique approach because I am a food blogger. So my recipes that I make are geared around, you know, what I'm going to be posting or what I'm going to be putting on my website. But when it comes to like myself and my nutrition, I always make sure I have supplies and Whole Foods to make like a smoothie because I love my protein smoothies. Like after my workout, I make sure I have some like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for a quick you know, savory snack or for like a sweet snack, you can mix it up and do either or. And then just making sure I have like quick and handy like high protein snacks on hand, like a meat stick or like a really clean like protein bar. And then aside from that, I just kind of like sometimes if I have like a meal plan, like this is what I make, but I'm craving something different, like
00:09:34
Speaker
then I'm going to do what I'm craving because that's going to make me feel more satisfied. Yeah. And you don't fall into the, don't imagine a pink elephant yeah scenario where of course immediately you're thinking about that. Exactly. So you mentioned protein several times in that. That sounds like something you're really thoughtful on. Is there a target you're trying to get a certain amount in a day or how do you think about your protein intake?
00:09:58
Speaker
Not necessarily because I don't i don't count the macros. right um With this like this year, i really I've been doing like really hard, not hard, but like just focused workouts for the last three or four years. Just really paying attention to that because prior I would i didn't put that at forefront. And now i I realize how it makes me feel. I feel so much better. I feel much energized. I'm more confident. So this year I really wanted to focus on my protein intake and see how that changes. And it actually makes me feel so much better when I have high protein meals. I feel more satisfied. I'm not hungry. I'm not reaching for those sweet snacks throughout the day.
00:10:36
Speaker
because I don't want them, I'm not craving them. I know that they're there if I i do want them, but I'm not craving them anymore because I'm so satiated throughout the day. So focusing on the high protein has been a real big game changer for me. And you said the protein in your smoothie, do you use a protein powder with that?
00:10:55
Speaker
I do use a protein powder. Sometimes I'll throw in some cottage cheese. Like this morning, my shake was bananas, blueberries, protein powder, I use ritual, which is like my best, best tasting in my opinion. And then I throw in some cottage cheese, some PB fit, which is high protein powdered peanut butter. um And it tastes like like a blueberry cheesecake smoothies. So good. i'm so shit and you know Like I said, I don't count macros, but it's so funny because, you know, when I post things, I get so many questions. So this morning I actually went through and I was like calculating it. It was 44 grams of protein for that shape. wow I was like, that's actually awesome. I've never really you know paid attention to that, but I feel like that kind of goes with the intuitive. Like I'm adding things that i that are Whole Foods. I know I like, I'm just throwing it in there and it tastes really good. And in turn,
Supplement Routine
00:11:46
Speaker
It's actually you know high in protein and and pretty good. Yeah, giving your body what you need. Exactly. Besides protein, are there any other things, since you're not counting macros, so I imagine you're not counting micros, are there any other supplements you take saying, hey, I might be low in these certain things, so I add those as supplements?
00:12:07
Speaker
Yeah. So my supplements are pretty simple. I take a multivitamin again from ritual just to cover my bases. Um, and then I take a vitamin C, um, lipsole, like a liquid vitamin C from brain MD. I've taken that, uh, it's just like a two tablespoons a day for the last six or seven months. And I have not been sick once. So I am like,
00:12:30
Speaker
Okay this is you know really working for me because even like traveling and long hours and stress like i haven't been sick and i normally get sick so that's been like amazing and then i also take a liquid college in for the last months which i really love.
00:12:47
Speaker
And aside from that that, those are my supplements. Pretty simple. The collagen, do you take straight? Do you put it in your smoothies? I take straight. Yeah, it's two tablespoons a day. And i just since it's just me drinking it, I pour it into the cup and just drink it back. It doesn't really taste like much, but I've noticed you know a really big difference in my skin, my hair, yeahils all the things. yeah throughout the course of a day, what is your eating schedule like? So you kind of mentioned a breakfast, you mentioned snacks, you mentioned something like a lunch and dinner.
00:13:23
Speaker
Right. So how my day starts is, you know, I wake up, I usually will drink a glass of warm lemon water and then I'll take my dogs for a walk. I'll come back. I'll go to the gym and then, but sometimes I'm hungry. So it depends on the day. Sometimes I'm like, I'm like starving and I can't get through this workout. So I'll make a couple eggs or something to, to get me through it. Then I'll come home and I'll make a protein shake.
00:13:48
Speaker
I'll do that every single day, kind of slimmer to the one that I explained. And then it just depends on the day. So whether if I'm filming that day, recipe testing, or if I'm doing like a computer day, it kind of just depends. When I'm recipe testing, I'll make sure I have like a hearty breakfast. So like some eggs, some sausage, some turkey bacon. And then like throughout the day, I'm kind of just like snacking on the recipes, trying them out, tasting them. So I'm not really hungry.
00:14:12
Speaker
Yeah. Then I'll end the day with like a really good meal, like some salmon, some chicken breast, a pasta. It just depends on the day, but I do make sure that everything is like well balanced and I'm making sure I'm, you know, eating those, those satiating meals. And when you need
Exercise and Mental Clarity
00:14:29
Speaker
those little top offs, you mentioned meat sticks or good, clean protein bars. Do you have any go tos on those?
00:14:35
Speaker
I really like chomps in country archer. There's this like grass fed and then they also have like liver in their meat sticks as well, which is a really nice bonus. And then other like snacks, sometimes like a granola bar. um But sometimes like when I'm recipe testing the desserts, like you said, you know, when you eat that piece of cake, you're like, oh, I need something like I'm like, oh, I need something like savory. So like all on a meat stick and then I'll feel better.
00:15:03
Speaker
You can get over Sweden for sure. Yeah. And so you mentioned your workouts and especially this year taking the fitness aspect more seriously, not that you weren't doing it before. right What was it that made you realize you wanted to to get more into that?
00:15:20
Speaker
I think that I used to look at workout working out as like a chore, something that I had to do to you know reach a certain weight. um And then when I started finding workouts that like I really enjoyed, I do strength training and then sometimes circuit training. I really enjoy it. And now I look forward to to doing them because when I leave the gym, I'm feeling so much better about myself. My mind feels clear. So this year I i really wanted to make sure I hit that three or four minimum.
00:15:56
Speaker
workouts per week and not just like doing it like, oh, I have the time, but actually making it a priority. Finding what you're looking forward to doing is 90 percent of the battle. I equate it for people. It's like you ate black licorice once and you say, oh, I don't like candy. and Actually, candy has all sorts of variety. So maybe you ran for a month and you hated it, but you didn't try swimming or a class or a yoga or Palatine, right? There are definite ways to do this. And it sounds like once you found, oh, it's this combination of strength training. So what does that look like? So three or four days a week? I love lifting weights. So I do like weight training. It's like one day I'll do arms. The next day I'll do legs. I follow an app. um Because if I didn't, I would go in the gym. I have no idea what I'm doing. Yeah. Yeah. Which one? It's called Evolve U. It's from Chrissy Selaw.
00:16:52
Speaker
I've used her workout since I was in high school and it was something that I love how easy they are. They're approachable. People ask me like, how do you like go into the gym and you're working out like in front of everyone, you're not in the corner. It's like, well, when you know what you're doing, like you, you go in like feeling confident. Like aside from that, you, I i mean, I wouldn't be like, how does this machine work? But I think, you know, it's finding something that works for you. This works for me and I really enjoy it.
00:17:22
Speaker
And I love you know like feeling myself get stronger from week to week. you know It's like last
Traveling and Exercise
00:17:27
Speaker
week I did 10 pounds. This week I can do 15 pounds like with an E. And I'm like, oh wow, that's awesome. So it's like, you know seeing that progression, is it and makes me feel really good as well. For sure. And the when you're traveling, because you mentioned you're on the road and everything, how how do you do that? Do you have anything you travel with, bands or anything? to No, not necessarily. Um, you know, if it's like a fun vacation, I, I really don't push myself to work out. I kind of give myself, you know, the break, but if it's like something that I'm like meeting, like, Oh, I need this, like I'll go on a walk or I don't travel with any type of workout bands or anything like that. But if there's like a gym at the hotel, um, you know, I was in San Francisco last month. I utilized that gym, like a couple,
00:18:17
Speaker
days out of the week so it really just depends but I think that kind of goes back to me not putting too much pressure on myself like even with like following the app I'm very like I love to make sure I cross things off I go to make sure I don't miss the day and I was putting so much pressure on myself that like oh no I have to go and then I'd be like so stressed out because I didn't have enough time in the day or anything like that so now I don't put so much pressure on it if I miss the day it's okay that but that workout is gonna be there for me tomorrow and it All as well. And you mentioned some walks. Do you do any other kinds of cardio that you mix in there or other kinds besides just the weight training? Yeah, no, just walks. And then cardio is not my favorite thing. I don't love it. But sometimes, you know, on my workout plan, I'll have like sprints, which sprints are doable for me because you get like a little break and it kind of goes by fast. But I don't enjoy like the long haul cardio is like I used to do the pe peloton.
00:19:15
Speaker
And I feel like that's when I was like starting to hate working out, because I was like, i just I do not like this high cardio for an hour. It's not yeah
Sleep and Rest
00:19:26
Speaker
it's not for me.
00:19:27
Speaker
I'm so happy and grateful you're you're sharing this so clearly, right? Cause it's, you're trying these things and saying, okay, everybody hears about Peloton all the time or running or whatever the thing is. And so they think that is what exercise is and hate it. And yet as a result may or may not do it.
00:19:47
Speaker
But the point is you when you found you say okay i don't have to do this thing i can do this other thing that i actually enjoyed makes me feel great this fantastic mix mix everyday that much better yeah totally also like sometimes you know if i miss a workout like two or three days i feel like my my my joints like my legs my muscles like they feel so much sore then when i am working out so it's like.
00:20:12
Speaker
That also makes me feel like, okay, like i I need to do this because it makes me feel better. and Then when I'm not doing it, I don't feel the best. Yeah. i mean that It just keeps coming up. We're just really being able to listen to your body. I guess it's like so much in life that when we quiet the other noise, we're able to hear and read and see those signals that maybe we're we deaf to at other times.
00:20:38
Speaker
Totally. With upping your workout to say, hey, it's it's more intense than it was before. It's more deliberate. Have you seen any impact on your sleep routine and and how you sleep as a result? Yeah, totally. So, um I mean, my sleep schedule, i try I have like a do not disturb on my phone. It goes on at nine o'clock.
00:21:01
Speaker
So after nine o'clock, if you're calling me, if you're texting me, I'm not responding till the next day. I don't go on social media until you know after my workouts in the next day. um I listen to ground noise at night on my mind and to go to sleep. um And then yeah, working out, you know because your muscles are being used, you are more exhausted at the end of the day. So you sleep better and heavier.
00:21:28
Speaker
Do you notice a difference the days you do work out or don't, or if you you haven't worked out in two or three days, is it different than? Yeah, no, it is actually, you know, now I think about it, like, sometimes I'll be like, up past 11. And I'm like, why am I not tired? Like, this is, you know, so that's probably, you know, a big factor into it is that but I will say with having two puppies, they're so active. So I do get my two walks in daily, regardless, because it's like, okay, you guys are acting crazy, like we need to get out of the house.
00:22:00
Speaker
And I imagine i mean with what you share, you're up and moving in everything in the kitchen as well. So it seems like your day to day is probably relatively active regardless. Yeah, for sure. I have you know a very busy schedule, whether it's you know admin days or days in the kitchen. It's pretty packed from morning to evening.
00:22:24
Speaker
So I think you know that is also helpful too because by the end of the night I'm i'm spent and my mind is spent and I'm just like, I just want to relax. And so what what is your ideal and maybe even less than ideal, you' your normal sleep routine of, Hey, I i have my do not disturb on in nine. I do X, Y, and Z. And then I get to lights out at Y time, sleep until Z time. What does that look like for you?
00:22:54
Speaker
So like I usually wind down about nine o'clock, I would say. And then it just depends on the night, you know, sometimes I'll have some like reading to do um with, you know, business side. So I'll do like some research, looking at different recipes, reading how different things like with baking, it's kind of like a science. So just kind of like studying up on that and like learning that side of things. And sometimes to be completely honest, I'm like, I just want to sit down in front of the TV and watch some trash TV and some mindless, you know, just rest. And then I'm like, okay, I'm going to bed. So it depends on the day. I will say some nights I'll do, you know, some self care.
00:23:36
Speaker
where, i'll you know, I'll wash my face, I'll do a face mask, I'll do some red light therapy. um And I noticed on the days where I do do like the red light therapy, which is like a mask you put on, you know, it helps me actually wind down, like close my eyes, it actually makes me like tired and restful. And I do find like the red light, you know, actually puts me into like a pretty deep sleep pretty quick.
00:24:00
Speaker
What red light do you use? It's from current body and it's for your face to help, you know, collagen production, which I've noticed such a big difference in my skin, but I've also noticed, you know, that other side of it.
00:24:16
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's great to get the two for there. Yeah. doubled up Right. Right. How many hours would you say you typically get to sleep? I mean, I don't know if you have a tracker. I'm guessing from all the other things of, Hey, I'm trying to get away from metrics. You probably don't. Yeah. I think the phone like automatically tells me you were in bed, you know, um, this amount of hours. Um, so I, I do aim for minimum seven would love to get eight.
00:24:43
Speaker
But that's my kind of sweet spot is the seven to eight mark. I prioritize sleep a ton. I know I'm not the best person when I don't get a good night's sleep, both physically, like emotionally. like Sometimes I'm just bratty because I'm like i am exhausted. So sleep is
Therapy and Mental Health Tools
00:25:01
Speaker
something I put a huge priority on. I take it very seriously.
00:25:06
Speaker
Yeah, I was just on a trip with some friends down to Nicaragua and there's a child kind of having a meltdown, right? A two or three year old and you're like, well, probably tired or hungry. And our friend said, just like the rest of us, right? Like if we're tired or hungry, we're monsters. It's really, really hard. And so is that more like a 10 to six or 11 to six, depending how late you get up or what's My alarm goes off at seven every day regardless. So I, you know, try to be in bed by 10, 11, um, time after 11. I'm like, Oh no, I'm going to hit that snooze in the morning. Yeah. And do you wear eye masks or anything? Like I found I was super light sensitive. So that for me was a game changer. I'm super light sensitive. If there's even a slightest crack in the curtain and the moon's coming through, I'm like, nope, can't sleep. I do wear the eye mask and then I listen to the brown noise because I've noticed if it's too quiet, I'm like, why is it so quiet? Then any little creak I hear, I'm like, who's in my house? It's like I just shut it off and I'll see you guys tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. And the IMS, do you have a specific one? Yes. I think it's called Silk. They're just like silk ones, but I think the brand is called Silk. Okay. Yeah. My go-to is a silk one as well. I don't think necessarily that brand, but it made us silk just like a big band. Oh, yeah. It's very comfortable. So comfy.
00:26:39
Speaker
You know, one thing that seems to have touched on everything we've we've discussed so far and where it really started is this mindset piece on the mindset around food of, oh, it's the enemy. I need to try all these different things or diets, a crash diet, et cetera, versus a mindset of, hey, I i can have what I crave and what I need, and in thinking through that and give yourself what you need. do you have You mentioned therapy. and Do you still go to therapy? I try to equate it for people of
00:27:12
Speaker
With our diet, we don't think we eat healthy for a year and never have to do it again. With our physical health, we don't think we go to the gym for a month or a year and never have to do it again. And yet somehow, with our mental health and mindset, we're like, oh, I can do like go to this event or do this thing for a month or a year, and then I'm fixed. like No, no, no. It's the work of a lifetime like everything else. I mean, how do you think about that?
00:27:32
Speaker
Yeah, no, totally. So I was in therapy for three years, a little on and off because my therapist went on maternity to leave. and So a little on and off, but three years. And it got to a point where we were in our meetings and she's like, okay, like you know what can I help you with today? And I'm like, ah like I don't know, like everything everything's good.
00:27:52
Speaker
I'm happy. And like, you know, she'd be like, Okay, well, you know, you know, we, we don't have, you know, like, I'm always going to be here. But it got to a point where I was like, No, like, you can't, like, we can't not see each other. Because like, what if something happens? What if, you know, mean, I need you? And she's like, got to a point where she's like, it's okay, like,
00:28:10
Speaker
you're going to be fine. And um that was, let's see, probably a a year and a half to two years ago. But I noticed, you know, I think because I went for so long, when, you know, something comes up, I'm able to go through kind of like our sessions where I process things so much differently now, where I'm able to actually like sit back, okay, why am I feeling like this? What what is triggering me? What's causing this? Like, I can go through all of the steps.
00:28:39
Speaker
without her so I've yeah yeah but you know who's to say that when I'm in the next chapter in my life and we're always evolving we're always growing that I might you know need to have a few more sessions just to feel better We encounter new situations, too. I mean, the way you described it to me is a little bit like a child who's just learning to spell or do math. And so you'll come to the parent or teacher, say, hey, can you do this for me? Can you do and you do it? But hopefully through that child's learning how to spell for themselves or do the math themselves. And so now that you have those tools, say, oh,
00:29:18
Speaker
Hey, maybe I haven't encountered this specific thing, but it's similar to this other thing. And I have the tool to work through on that. And so it's only in the situation that may be more extreme or where there hasn't been yet the tool to say, OK, maybe i I need this professional kind of coaching to learn about that tool. OK, absolutely. Do you have any daily or weekly kind of mindfulness practice otherwise?
00:29:45
Speaker
Sometimes I'll journal. like if i I've noticed that like you know if I get my thoughts out on, I have like my notes pad, I don't really write on paper. But if I get my thoughts out, usually that kind of helps me. Because especially with running a business, um I have a home. There's so much different things that are thrown at you on your day to day. And sometimes I can just be so just anxious and so just in my head that if I am able to just throw things out on paper,
00:30:15
Speaker
I feel better. I'm like, okay, they're not in my head anymore. I can see them. And now I know, you know, what I need to tackle and so on and so forth. Yeah. There's, I mean, there's good scientific reasoning behind that. It's this idea of just like a computer has Ram. We have our short-term memory. And if our brain's worried about something, it won't let it go. We can't bring new things in. We can't process. We can't problem solve. We can't cause it's just running. But as soon as we physically put it down,
00:30:44
Speaker
They may say, Oh, okay. Yeah. Take care of like, I believe in it. I'll clear that space for these other things. Right. So that's, uh, I guess just one of those tools, right? you The mind is, is so powerful. Um, I like so believe in like also the police, the bow effect, because, you know, I think if you really truly believe something, like it's going to happen.
00:31:09
Speaker
So i
Diet Evolution and Authenticity
00:31:10
Speaker
I'm like, yeah, the mind is the most powerful tool you have, which is why you really need to take care of it because it's like the forefront of your whole life. Yeah, and to take care of it, you have to think how you're fueling it and how you're resting it and and how you're doing all these other pieces, right? So many moving parts. And you know just with like the social media aspect too, it's like if you're following someone who makes you feel really bad about yourself,
00:31:37
Speaker
then, you know, they're also like, they're trying to inspire you, influence you. But if it's not resonating, like don't follow that person. You need to be, you know, having people in your group that you're seeing, they're constantly, you know, being refreshed on things that actually make you feel good and not that make you feel worse about yourself. That really clicks with why we approach this show the way we do of profiling such different people that are role modeling and inspiring in their own way. right It could be the vegan that follows this path. It could be the carnivore that follows this path. It could be the the mindset coach that goes this way and so showing that there's not a single route to living with vitality and vibrancy. right It's like finding the right exercise for you. It's finding that right life model for you
00:32:28
Speaker
That's gonna fit that you're gonna stick to that you're gonna enjoy cuz there's a one shot we have so we might as well enjoy absolutely um and it's you know funny you say that cuz when i started my page six years ago i was vegan um i did vegan for like eight months and it was something that i shared on my page.
00:32:48
Speaker
I gained like a really big vegan following. And then when I started realizing that I wasn't feeling good on the vegan diet and I was going to start transitioning to pescatarian and then that I went into like the animal protein diet. I was so afraid of what my followers were going to say. They're going to judge me. They're going to think I'm a fraud. But being able to like live my truth, live my purpose, like you know even I still have a big vegan following because you know I still make vegan recipes. But I think people are inspired by being able to grow and adapt and not hold judgment on that because
00:33:26
Speaker
We're not the same people as you know the years go by. So that's totally okay to you know change direction. And it kind of goes with career following as well at the same time. For sure. And that authenticity you talked about, that if the whole idea, your way is look nothing necessarily is off limits. right If I'm spending all my time thinking about barbecue, then that's going to be really hard. Yeah. but even for the feeling side of bodies need different things at different seasons of life yeah and seasons of the year and everything like that. So just really being in tune and responsive to that. You said you take the dogs on a couple walks a day. Are those set times or
00:34:12
Speaker
Are you able to realize, oh, man, I've been kind of grinding for a little while. I need a break. Let me get outside with the dogs. Yeah. How do you do that? Yeah. So like, ah it especially on my like long computer days where I'm sitting down for eight plus hours, I'll be like, OK, I need a break, not just from, you know, the screen, but I need to like stand up and like move my body. and So usually it's in the morning, like right when I wake up, it's either before the gym or after the gym.
00:34:41
Speaker
which is like a good, you know, pre warm up for me. And then it also, like, you know, just gets the dog's mind out of the way. But, um you know, sometimes it's three walks where, you know, I'm midday and I'm like three o'clock where I'm like, I need to go out and then again in the evening. So it just yeah it depends on how I'm feeling. And then, you know, what these crazy puppies are tough too but kind of dogs.
00:35:08
Speaker
I have a mini Golden Doodle and a Doberman. They're both for eight months. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. that ah So on the the fifth pillar of health, right? It is around this idea of social connection and purpose. And I think we started this a lot with your purpose of hey, here was my journey on building this healthy relationship. And through the content that you're creating and sharing, you're helping others build that healthy relationship and modeling what that healthy relationship can look like. The flip side
Balancing Social Life and Work
00:35:43
Speaker
is,
00:35:44
Speaker
you work really hard, right? Like you're a business owner, you're constantly having to create new content to to keep feeding you at your own house. You've got the dogs that are under eight months you want to deal with. How are you able or are you able to build in that social connection with in real life with people in that kind of engagement?
00:36:08
Speaker
Yeah, you know, it's it's hard. um I just recently was thinking about this over the last you know few weeks. like I have my my core group of like girlfriends that we've known like I've known from high school. And when we all get together because we're all you know living our busy lives and have kids, some don't, it's like we plan something like four to five months out in advance. And we're like, this is when we're hanging out.
00:36:31
Speaker
But like I have other friends too, you know, that, you know, want to hang out during the week. And I was thinking, I was like, I hate being that busy person. I hate being like, Oh, I'm sorry. I can't like, I'm so busy. I can't do this. I'm so like, I hate being that person. Sometimes it's the reality of it. But then also, you know, being able to to come to the conclusion that like, work's going to be there tomorrow.
00:36:55
Speaker
you can't complete everything in a day. Um, I've also reached a point in my business where I'm starting to hire out because I can't physically do everything myself. Um, and then that's also going to free up some, some social time where, cause I think the social aspect is very important. I think you need to have friends, you need to go out, you need to do something that is not work related. So just finding that balance. Um, I work when I'm not traveling, I have such,
00:37:22
Speaker
a strict schedule where I really try to get everything done Monday through Friday so I can take the weekends off. ah thanks again But when I am traveling, it's like sometimes, you know, just, it doesn't work that way. And you kind of have to make up for days that you took off. um That's like entrepreneurship. It's like, you don't really get vacation or sick days. So it's just finding that balance. But I really do love like when I have a couple of months where there's no plans, no travel, because I really thrive during that time. Cause I have my schedule, I have my free time and I just have like more of a balanced life. And so is it,
00:37:56
Speaker
but yeah We all get the the same 24 hours a day, and it's where it gets allocated in some way, but more or less towards a sleep bucket or more or less to a work bucket or a fitness bucket.
00:38:08
Speaker
Is it a bucket for you that you try to carve out time with? it It sounds like the weekends, but I could also see, for some people, depending on how introverted extra, how exhausted they are from the week, that maybe they carve it out from work, but they're still too tired to get off the couch and go do so because they're like, look, that week was exhausting. I can't go have a picnic or go on a hike with friends or or whatever it is.
00:38:34
Speaker
what does it look like you for you on those weekends? Are you able or do you even want to yeah engage with people? Yeah. I mean, I think like you said, it depends on the weekend. There are some days where I'm just spent and I'm like, you know, my social media meter, even if I haven't seen people, but just being online and being on stories like that to me at the end of the day, like I'm drained by it. And I'm like, okay, I need to just sometimes just be by myself, but I try my best to not like plan something with friends like two times in a week. I'm like, okay, I have something this week. Like I can't do anything until, you know, the following week, which like I said, I hate being that busy person, but I think setting those boundaries and having that balance is what, you know, works best for me so I can not only perform best in my job, but also show up in those friendships.
00:39:26
Speaker
and be present and not be you know where my mind is somewhere else like hey I'm here I did it but like I'm actually somewhere else because and I know I have so much to do so yeah I'm finding that like setting those boundaries is is key yeah and being clear what amount of time you want to allocate each so it sounds like for you it's that one time a week is so that you can be fully present and say hey i know i can cover the week that the work i need to get done in this time period because i have this amount of time i can allocate i can see another reason for it being which may be or not like for me at a week where i was traveling.
00:40:03
Speaker
And so just stacked meetings, coffee meetings, dinners with friends constantly. And I slept 11 hours the night I got home because for me, people think I'm an extrovert because I'm out going, but it it takes a lot out of me. Yeah, I find it really, really difficult.
00:40:21
Speaker
um And so i can see that being too of like hey i know my social media meter i have this many points to allocate yeah and if i have a really engaging you know three hour block on a thursday night or whatever it is like that's that's kind of what i have to get right now totally and like i said sometimes it sucks like you know on the receiving end of things but it's you know It's what is best for you. And that's also something that I've learned as I have gotten older, is that you know you you have to do what's best for you at the end of the day, because you're the only one who's showing up for yourself. And yeah, yeah if you're if you're not whole, how are you going to show up for others? It would kind of flag, potentially, for listeners, that just like our taste buds change and evolve as we age, right? We like more sour things. or better
00:41:09
Speaker
our taste in that could change with time, too, that maybe there's seasons of life we we need more social interaction or less. and
Mindset and Spiritual Beliefs
00:41:15
Speaker
And so don't necessarily become just wedded to what you've done in the past. Be willing to to test and try new things. Yeah, no, totally. I think um you know a good example of that is I was in Colorado Springs this last weekend and I worked so hard during the week to make sure I had post planned. I shot everything, I edited everything, but I had like a 6am flight on Friday morning.
00:41:43
Speaker
I didn't have time to do the voiceovers, the captions, like set up everything on the back end. And so I didn't post for four days, just a random hiatus. And you know it I was like, it's gonna be okay, it's gonna be fine. and But now I came back you know Monday morning, now I had a whole week's work of work already done. So this week I was like, okay, I can you know kind of take it easy and kind of catch up on things and not feel like I just got back from vacation and now I gotta turn and burn.
00:42:12
Speaker
So, you know, it's like it it actually worked out in the long run, which in my mind, I'm like, I can't I can't take these days off. I can't do this, you know, but like nothing happened. Everything was fine. My business is still thriving. I'm still good. And I'm actually, you know, probably more relaxed and more energized because now I have the time to recoup from the social event.
00:42:35
Speaker
Yeah, and I mean, to me, what you just described just all comes back to that mindset. You got to this mindset through food and nutrition, but it seems to be paying you dividends in every aspect of your life when you can find that personal equilibrium or how would you describe it? Yeah, not, I think that that's like perfect. The way you said it is just,
00:43:01
Speaker
And it's just like peace too. It's just like you're at peace with things that happen, things that don't happen and not putting so much, you know, like I said, pressure on yourself to reach certain things. Like it's okay. Granted, it's, it's great to have goals. You have to have goals. I think that's what drives us. That's what motivates us. That's what gets me out of bed every morning is, you know, my list of things that I need to do, but I also love it at the end of the day. And, um,
00:43:31
Speaker
I've come to just find this balance and in life because you also like, like i'm I'm young, I'm 29 and I have my whole life ahead of me. I'm not like, I need to stop rushing life. I need to stop like hurrying up and completing something because there's never an end goal. You never reach the end. you're There's always gonna be something to do. There's only one end goal and we're not racing to it, trust me. exactly So, I mean, like you said, you you're very young. Can I ask? I'm not even sure I've asked any other guest. Do you have a spirituality practice?
00:44:06
Speaker
I don't. I'm spiritual in the sense that i'm I grew up Christian, you know um believe in God. I'm very spiritual in the sense where I like i believe like in the universe. I believe you know what you put out there is what you get back. I believe in the mindset. I believe if you're constantly having these negative thoughts and constantly like upset, then you're going to attract that energy. um So I believe in, I guess, law of attraction as well.
00:44:35
Speaker
yeah I went down you know like a path of spirituality and all of that like in high school and you know the the rocks and the meditation and all of that, but that's not where I'm at in this season of life. but i still like I'm glad that I went through that process before.
00:44:56
Speaker
Because that that peaceful mindset kind of acceptance, it sounds, there are a lot of commonalities to Taoism or Buddhism, right? It's this equanimity that you're trying to cultivate that seems like you came to and and entirely your own way, which for me, when you come, when you see that, you're like, oh, these things developed by totally different people who never met each other, separated by thousands of years. It's probably a core human truth on this approach to having that peace and being able to carry ah through the day. Yeah.
Conclusion and Appreciation
00:45:31
Speaker
What's that book? I think it's called The Antheist. I don't know if you've... The Alchemist? Alchemist, there you go. Yeah, but spirituality and like, you know, there's so much about that. So like, I i truly believe that it's real. Yeah.
00:45:47
Speaker
Yeah. Well, Hannah, did this has been fantastic. I really, really appreciate not just your time today, but the work you do as a father to a daughter who's coming up in a social media world, having role models that are modeling and sharing what healthy relationship to not just food, but life it can look like it's a real gift. And so I can't thank you enough.
00:46:12
Speaker
Thank you. That means so much to me, really. It was an honor to be on your podcast. Thank you for joining us on today's episode of the Home of Health Span podcast. Remember, you can always find the products, practices, and routines mentioned by today's guests, as well as many other healthspan role models on the lively.com. Enjoy day.