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Gut Health Impacts Mental Health with Clarissa Lenherr - E39
29 Plays3 months ago
Struggling with digestive issues without noticing its toll on your mental health is a common challenge. Many people find themselves feeling anxious or stressed, unable to pinpoint that the root cause could be related to their gut health. The connection between digestive wellness and mental well-being is frequently underestimated, leading to treatments that focus on symptoms in isolation rather than understanding the holistic interplay between the gut and the mind. In this episode, we explore the critical link between gut health and mental health, and how dietary and nutritional changes can significantly enhance both physical well-being and emotional resilience.
Clarissa Lenherr is a nutritional therapist focusing on the intersections of diet, lifestyle, and health optimization. After overcoming her own health challenges, Clarissa founded her practice, specializing in digestive health and helping those with long-standing issues find relief through personalized nutrition plans. Alongside her one-on-one consultations, Clarissa is a dynamic public speaker, having shared her insights with people and companies across the world! Her work in nutritional therapy extends to formulating supplements and consulting for food and beverage brands, all while maintaining a balanced approach to health and wellness.
“All health begins in the gut.” - Clarissa Lenherr
In this episode you will learn:
- Clarissa's personal journey from struggling with health issues to becoming an advocate for nutritional therapy.
- The concept of nutritional therapy and how it integrates holistic health with dietary practices.
- The importance of looking at health as a whole system rather than focusing solely on specialization.
- How Clarissa integrates practices like intermittent fasting and diversity in diet into her daily nutritional routine.
- Clarissa's approach to balancing professional life, personal health, and social connections, emphasizing mindfulness and presence.
- The role of supplements in Clarissa's health regimen, highlighting the importance of personalization and quality.
Resources
- Connect with Clarissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissalenherrnutrition/
- Explore Clarissa’s blog and recipes: https://clarissalenherr.com/blog/
- Shop all the products Calrissa mentions in this episode: https://alively.com/products/clarissa-lenherr
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
Personal Health Transformation Journey
00:00:00
Speaker
I ended up just taking my health into my own hands with no training whatsoever. And I ended up falling across specific dietary recommendations that I followed and I immediately felt so much better. And I realized that firstly, I'd been in quite a unique position to be able to understand how challenging it is for people to go through. i'd found relief and I wanted to share that with other people.
00:00:19
Speaker
And I'd had a appreciation for health because I realized just how terrible you can feel and how amazing you can feel. I'd felt both ends of the spectrum.
00:00:31
Speaker
This is the Home of Healthspan 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.
Understanding Nutritional Therapy
00:00:45
Speaker
Clarissa, welcome to the Home of Healthspan podcast. It great to see you again. Great to see you again. Really excited for today's discussion. um yeah hopefully it's going to be a good one.
00:00:56
Speaker
You are on it, and so I know it's going to be a great one. you know i was really interested in the work you do around nutritional therapy. And imagine for a lot of listeners, that's probably a new concept, not something they're immediately familiar with.
00:01:12
Speaker
So maybe just to start, if you could introduce what that is, and then we can talk about how you got into it and why. Yeah. And I love that. I love that you're actually asking because lots of people just go, OK, and, you know, and and kind of just go, oh, this must be nutrition.
00:01:26
Speaker
But and it will be slightly different for US audience and UK audience and and things like that. But essentially, nutritional therapy is, of course, utilizing nutrition and what you eat, what you choose not to eat, the power of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants and fiber and gut health.
00:01:43
Speaker
But with nutritional therapy, it's it's almost similar to functional medicine in that we obviously don't practice medicine, but that we use holistic
Holistic Health Approaches
00:01:51
Speaker
health. So we're looking at pillars, which I know we're going to discuss today, but how can we use diet, nutrition interventions, therapeutics, lifestyle adjustments to optimize sleep, movement, stress, mood, stress,
00:02:06
Speaker
relationships even and and, you know, reactions to stress resilience and and all that kind of stuff. So it takes great the foundation of nutrition, but then utilizes it at its optimal best to really get the most out of of nutrition. And and thats that's how I define nutritional therapy. And that's how I practice with nutrition.
00:02:24
Speaker
Can I ask? So when you say it, it seems 100% obvious that all of these things are interrelated and would impact each other. And yet, The medical system for a century plus has gone more and more to specialization and separation of these, but even within these separation to more and more micro categories.
Career Shift to Nutritional Therapy
00:02:47
Speaker
What was it and how recently that this re pulling back together and say actually, we need to look at the whole human and the ecosystem and how it interacts with the the broader world. How did this come about?
00:02:59
Speaker
Well, you know, I think and, and you know, will be different. Again, health cares across the globe are going to be slightly different in terms of how they work and even down to the practitioner itself. But there is a place for special specialization. Right. You know, I specialize in digestive health. There's a place for for doctors to specialize and have niche niches and and areas. However,
00:03:19
Speaker
When you go too niche or two you pinpoint something too much, you negate the fact that the digestive system doesn't just work as the digestive system.
00:03:30
Speaker
It works in alignment with our cognitive health, with our skin, with our reproductive health. Our systems don't work individually. Vitamins and minerals don't work individually. We can pinpoint them and get really good on the science of understanding them.
00:03:44
Speaker
But actually, I think the key is, like like you mentioned, is actually just taking a bit of a step back and going, well, how do they all interact together? And how do we get that to work? flow like a harmony, um rather than just go, I'm only going to focus on one area.
00:03:58
Speaker
I can only speak, you know, I i know the US healthcare care system to an extent, but I can speak in the UK health system that that is one of the problems. And one of the reasons why I see a lot of people in my practice suffering is that they've been referred to a specialist who has given them a medication or a piece of advice around that one specific area, but neglected all the other warning signs of the other systems that impact it. And so,
00:04:23
Speaker
When did this start happen? you know i think i think I'm not entirely sure. And and again, as I mentioned, it'd be across across countries, but um I think there's a place for
Gut Health and Online Practice
00:04:34
Speaker
it. but that's why my job exists kind of take all that information and put it together yeah i mean i don't mean to suggest it was nefarious or anything i think people don't do something they think is wrong they thought this is going to be helpful the more and more we do this the better i understand this very specific thing i can build this expertise but the specific thing is part of this greater whole that is part of an ecosystem and they all interplay so what was it that got you interested in this space yeah so i think i'd struggled with my own health um you know health
00:05:05
Speaker
problems, let's say, health concerns from actually from really from a child um and had was just really ill all the time, um actually with digestive issues predominantly.
00:05:18
Speaker
So it got to a kind of a bit of cliffhanger kind of poor you know peak of the mountain, whatever you want to call it, point where I was just so unwell, I was so bored of it and sick and tired of it. And I was finally you know becoming an adult where I could take care of things myself.
00:05:32
Speaker
And i had seen at this point, just for my digestive symptoms alone, nine different gastroenterologists, dieticians and doctors. I'd seen them in the US, I'd seen four, I'd seen two in France, I'd seen a bunch over here in the UK.
00:05:48
Speaker
And they were just looking at singular things, right? And they I'm not saying that that was necessarily wrong because they helped in some respects, but they weren't looking at the overall picture. And so I didn't really get any relief. And I got a lot of dead ends and a lot of, at that time, digestive issues were really poorly you know understood.
00:06:08
Speaker
And I got a lot of hits in your head, um which is never helpful. And so I ended up just taking my health into my own hands with no training whatsoever. It is what I tell all my clients not to do Please do not Google. Please do not and rely on google Dr. Google. But at that time, you know, 15 ago,
00:06:26
Speaker
i I didn't have a choice. And I ended up falling across specific dietary recommendations that I followed. And I immediately felt so much better. And it was
Public Speaking and Business Expansion
00:06:34
Speaker
this kind of upward shift. And I realized that firstly, I'd been in quite a unique position to be able to understand how challenging it is for people to go through the kind of symptoms that I went through. I'd found relief.
00:06:46
Speaker
And I wanted to share that with other people. And I'd i'd had a appreciation for health because I realized just how terrible you can feel and how amazing you can feel. I felt both ends of the spectrum.
00:06:57
Speaker
And so i they gave me such a passion to to go away and and help other people. And so i went back. At this point, I'd already graduated from university and I went back and studied again.
00:07:08
Speaker
Completely changed my whole career. And um yeah, never looked back. I graduated from nutrition seven to eight years ago now. That's amazing. Yeah. it That last piece of you went from not feeling well to feeling amazing. You think I need to share this. I mean, this is where missionaries come from. You you find something you say, I don't personally get a benefit from this other than it makes me feel great to help you feel great. i'm just trying to help you feel great because so few people know what that feels like. yeah they They live here and
Balanced Diet Philosophy
00:07:42
Speaker
they think that's just what it is without realizing how much there is up there. So
00:07:46
Speaker
Okay, that that was the journey to seven or eight years ago. Take me to today. What does that look like for you on a day-to-day basis? What does that mean now? So I graduated, set up my practice, and I do a combination of digital clients and in-person. Obviously, COVID changed the world.
00:08:04
Speaker
And um meant I moved my practice to being online, which actually opened up such a wider audience for me. i can have you know I have clients across the globe from US to Middle East, Australia. I just literally came off a consultation from Sri Lanka and Colombo.
00:08:20
Speaker
So um that's really incredible that I... had that opportunity to be able to open it up but I work with clients on a one-to-one basis and because of my experience i decided to specialize and have an expertise in digestive health so we speak about specialization and niche it is good in as I mentioned in some respects but you can't you know just narrow yourself too much so I really help people who are struggling with chronic chronic digestive issues acid reflux IBS inflammatory bowel disease just
00:08:51
Speaker
complex digestive symptoms that people have had for 10, 15, 20 plus years that they just can't get to the root of. That's the thing I love helping people with. I also do a little bit of weight management and hormones and autoimmune conditions because all health begins in the gut. And so what I tend to see is people coming to me with, you know, x symptom, but actually when we unravel it, there's a lot going on in the gut. So even though i'm I'm focused in that one area, I tend to get clients kind of with a spectrum of different symptoms, mental health and and mood conditions and anxiety being a common thing that I see in conjunction with digestive issues because of the link between the two. And I i personally understand that really well.
00:09:31
Speaker
And so so that's my my private practice. I'm also a public speaker. I've spoken with over 250 companies globally on all different areas of health, stress resilience, mental health, menopause, men's health, um you name it. um And that's a huge part of my business that I really love. I think firstly, because I'm helping more people, you know, not everyone can afford to see me privately.
00:09:54
Speaker
It's definitely a luxury to be able to do that. All people have to be really, you know, unwell to be able to kind of, sadly, to be able to kind of prioritize themselves in that way.
Cultural and Social Aspects of Food
00:10:03
Speaker
i get to help a lot of people and it's quite fun.
00:10:06
Speaker
um it's It's really, really fun. So, you know, done everyone from Starbucks and Coca-Cola, which is always a fun challenge, um right through to um Amazon and Meta and things like that. So, um yeah, that's I have a wide spectrum of different things. I also...
00:10:21
Speaker
create and develop supplement brands and consult with food and beverage brands, um, and do a little bit of social media work. So it's, it's definitely, you know, when graduated, I thought I'm just going to see clients all day long, um, which I love to do But one of the things I suppose, and I suppose we'll touch on it when we talk about what I do is that you give out a lot of yourself when you do private clients and when you have a family and other people to give your love to and love to yourself.
00:10:49
Speaker
Sometimes you have to go, OK, well, maybe I can't give as much out of me as possible. So what other other things am I going to do that fill my own cup from a business perspective? So, um yeah, that's why I've kind of got these these different areas within
Supplementation and Personalization
00:11:01
Speaker
it. But I love it. Wouldn't change it for the world.
00:11:03
Speaker
It sounds like so much, but it it also sounds like you've found a way to keep it at the right levels for you and where you are in your life, which I'm sure changes with seasons and and everything like that.
00:11:14
Speaker
I and do want to go back to something you said earlier, which was ah people would say, oh, it's in your head. And then the funny thing is. it's It's the inverse is kind of what you're talking about now. It's like, no, actually your gut is in your head, not your head and your gut. So it's you're not imagining this, this is real and it's starting in your gut and feeding off.
00:11:35
Speaker
It's horrible. it's It's a very, you know, mental health anyway is, you know, very challenging. But to be told that a physical symptom is just mental is very distressing.
00:11:47
Speaker
And I think unfortunately the problem with healthcare care in the UK is that if it's free, if it's public health, You get 10 minutes with the doctor. They have four hours ah standard of nutrition training in their degrees, four hours.
00:12:00
Speaker
So they don't know. It's not their fault. They just they don't know how to help people from a nutritional perspective. And gastro gastro concerns are majorly driven by changes in diet and lifestyle and stress, which they don't have time in 10 minutes.
00:12:14
Speaker
And it's it's quicker and easier to write prescription. And I'm not saying that that's not needed in many cases, but, you know, I think that's where it's, there's ah a misunderstanding and a time sensitive thing, um, that can be a
Sleep and Lifestyle Adjustments
00:12:27
Speaker
big problem over here.
00:12:28
Speaker
Yeah. yeah mean, the, the system is stretched, right? There are only so many positions. There's a lot more demand. now you, you did touch on, you've learned a lot.
00:12:38
Speaker
You had your own issues. You've resolved them. based on your learning journey and that's what you're sharing. So what does for you personally, less out of the business aspect, but your nutritional regime or practice or day to day, week to week, what does that look like for you? you know i don't know if this is the answer that people want to hear, but it doesn't ever look the same. And the only reason I'll say that is because because of my profession, I'm always trying out new things. you know I'm always trying out different dietary principles, different ways of eating,
00:13:10
Speaker
um Because first thing, I have to understand firsthand what my clients are experiencing if they've tried them. And I have to try if they're any good. So it it kind of flip flops. I'd say, you know, there are key kind of things, principles that I try to get in. You know, I try to eat diversity.
00:13:26
Speaker
So I try to switch up as much as I can, not eat the same things day in, day out. although decision fatigue is a big thing. So, you know, what I normally say is if I can't go wild with the cooking, then perhaps it's going to be, i'm going to change one variable per week in ah in um in meals. So breakfast, if it's usually, you know, yogurt with nuts and seeds and berries, I'm going to change the berry this week.
00:13:49
Speaker
I'm not going to overdo it by making an omelet. I'm just going to change one variable. Same with lunch. If it's a big, big salad with protein, I'm going to change some of the veggies. Same concept with dinner, I might change the grain.
00:13:59
Speaker
So try to get in diversity. I try when possible to rely on Whole Foods, but I'm a business owner and mum and it's hard. um So i I say the word try, you know, i do as best as I can. and i And I think that's the best that people can do.
00:14:16
Speaker
um And I think trying to be an all or nothing actually ends up doing the opposite um in that respect. And sometimes it depends for for me as a female, I don't fast all times of the month. So...
00:14:29
Speaker
I quite enjoy
Social Connection and Mindfulness
00:14:30
Speaker
fasting and I do time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting and um kind of 16-8 approach. And there are actually some interesting benefits around digestive health for that.
00:14:40
Speaker
So i do that at certain times of the month, depending on where I am as a female in my menstrual cycle. um And that's one of the things I kind of really stick to that I notice makes me feel really great.
00:14:50
Speaker
And then, you know, nutrient density in those lunch that lunch and that dinner that I'm having. But everything else, You know, i really, and I, you know, I sound so boring, but I really do believe in moderation. There aren't any foods apart from foods that I can't tolerate. Like I can't unfortunately eat almonds or dairy, that's life.
00:15:09
Speaker
um But I don't say no. i I practice it with with thought. So with alcohol, i' i don't say no. um that doesn't mean I binge drink all the time or anything like that.
00:15:23
Speaker
But if I did say no all the time, maybe I would binge drink on the opportunities that I did have a drink. um And that's allowed me to get to this place where I'm on a health journey the majority of the time.
00:15:34
Speaker
but you know, maybe that 20% that I just don't really care and I do what I want sets me up for a healthy relationship with food without, you know, guilt and deprivation and total restriction, which I've seen in my practice goes wrong.
00:15:47
Speaker
um And so like to think I've hit this kind of balanced approach where if I want to have chocolate I have it um does that mean I'm going to have chocolate five times times a day no um but if I stop myself having chocolate you can be sure ah week later I'm probably going to eat a whole bar in one sitting It makes a lot of sense that people that are dealing maybe with weight issues or whatever it is with food, that a lot of times they can make certain foods the enemy.
00:16:14
Speaker
um And the idea is, look food and fuel, it's fuel. It's energy we're putting in. It's not the enemy. And it's just like with the machine, there better fuels or worse fuels, and you're going to feel differently when you do it.
00:16:27
Speaker
And as long as you're thoughtful and deliberate and you're making these decisions, then it it's okay. Like you you're choosing to do this. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, you know, we can't, we can't separate how much joy food brings us from other elements, cultural, religious, social factors, you know, all of these things that, you know,
00:16:48
Speaker
Food is so emotive for people and we can't forget about that important factor. You know, it's part of our our well-being as well. All of my clients will have different dietary protocols dependent on their personalized needs. And I think that's an important thing that, you know, there are a lot of diets out there and there's always an enemy group, you know.
00:17:07
Speaker
few years ago, it was grains, then it was pulses, and now we should only eat meat and you know raw milk. and But raw milk was the you know devil five years ago.
00:17:18
Speaker
so there's always going to be these kind of things that people like to pinpoint and blame. But at the end of the day, there's so many variables to blame if you, do you know, that that it's hard you shouldn't just only pinpoint foods.
00:17:30
Speaker
So yeah, it definitely doesn't always look the same, I suppose. Yeah. So, I mean, it sounds like your your principles are variety, balance, forgiveness, and and kind of patience with yourself on it.
00:17:45
Speaker
you're you With a focus on whole foods and getting nutrients from there, now knowing different times of the year and seasonality, maybe nutrient content, are there any supplements you take where you say, hey, yeah, I'm trying to do this, but there are certain things. i live in the UK. Maybe I need some vitamin D, whatever it is that I need to top up on.
00:18:06
Speaker
Yeah, you know, I'm incredibly passionate about the power of supplements. Now, of course, supplements are there to supplement your diet, but there are many things that we can't get from our diet. And there are many dietary restrictions that means that we we can't religious factors or socioeconomic factors. um And, you know, where we live.
00:18:26
Speaker
um As an example, like you touched on, I live in the UK. I need to take vitamin D all year long. I think the the message that I have around supplements is that there's such a spectrum in terms of quality. And I know this because I've worked with supplement companies for many years. I've formulated eight different SKUs. So I have a real passion for the quality and efficacy and knowing what works.
00:18:49
Speaker
um But, yes, I... If only you could see
Mindful Movement and Exercise Variety
00:18:55
Speaker
supplements that I have in my office. i have I have a whole wardrobe, which i yeah I can't remember what you guys in the US call wardrobes, but look. Closet. Closet, yeah. um Or lard or whatever you want to call it filled with supplements. I do get sent a lot to review. i sit on judging panels to review them and things like that because of my kind of knowledge and and passion around them.
00:19:16
Speaker
So I'm always taking all sorts of new things and trying them out myself, kind of like diets, but they're my staples. They're my go-tos. Okay. So I think, you know, ah good quality multivitamin is like a safety net.
00:19:28
Speaker
And... It just kind of gives supports you when stress means you have a higher requirement for nutrients or your diet's depleted or you're unwell and you're not able to kind of get everything you need or you live in the UK, you don't get vitamin D or you're a woman and you need more iron or things like that.
00:19:46
Speaker
So for me, it's ah it's a foundation multivitamin. So the one that I take at the moment is from Pure Encapsulations called One, O-N-E, which is very, very well known, very good dose, very good quality. All the vitamins of meth the B vitamins are methylated and they all come in their most bioavailable format.
00:20:04
Speaker
um And there's no junk in those supplements. So and that's kind of my go-to for myself and my husband and a lot of my clients. And it's got a good amount of vitamin D. So I don't tend to need to take more. Omega-3 as well. um I personally know that i I've done testing and I know that I just don't get enough through my diet.
00:20:22
Speaker
So I know that I need to take an omega-3 supplement. So i take a good quality fish oil. but You could take vegan. you know There are multiple different kind of options. There's a breakdown of EPA and DHAs. EPA is DHA is great for brain and heart and mood and things like that. They're both fantastic.
00:20:42
Speaker
For most people, doesn't really matter what the the cut is, but I've recently moved across to higher DHA because my blood showed that I needed it. But um I think in terms of supplements, I've got UK brands, but I know that Nordic Naturals, which I think is a US-based one, is one I've used with clients before.
00:20:59
Speaker
um And the Designs for Health do a fantastic one. um and also body bio have just recently really and they're one of my favorite brands i've actually got it in my cupboard right here um they've just released a new omega-3 supplement which has phosphatidylcholine and other cofactors and things so it's a wonderful blend that i'm excited to try out So and then for me, a probiotic, I don't always take it all year long.
00:21:23
Speaker
But sometimes as entering winter, you know, 70% of our immune systems in the gut. so fermented foods help, but they they're just not the same. um And I know my personal needs. I've done comprehensive stool testing. So I i know what I need.
00:21:37
Speaker
um And so i play around with many different kinds of probiotics. And the one that i always kind of fall back to with a lot of my clients and with myself is called Microbiome Labs. It's a spore-based probiotic that's really well tolerated for people who have digestive upset.
00:21:54
Speaker
um And that's that you can get in the US. And I give my kid the gummy version. so um Does that need to be refrigerated or... No, doesn't need to be refrigerated. Yeah, shelf stable, um really nice um ah variety of different um strains within it.
00:22:09
Speaker
And yeah, really nicely tolerated. So at the moment, that's the one that I'm going for. And then you've got all the other fun things. so at the moment, I'm taking glutathione, which is our body's major
Incorporating Micro-Movements Daily
00:22:20
Speaker
antioxidant, fantastic for liver as well and detox and and general energy. um I'm taking body bio's glutathione.
00:22:30
Speaker
Occasionally, the it's hot where I am right now. um I take an electrolyte. So if I'm saunaring, exercising a lot, it's hot, or just sometimes know I'm a bit dehydrated and I am drinking loads of water, but it just doesn't cut it, I take an electrolyte.
00:22:44
Speaker
And I also take BodyBio's electrolyte as well because it has no artificial sweeteners or colors or, you know, all that kind of stuff in it. um And I just put a teaspoon in my first bottle of the morning and it's done. I don't need to think about it.
00:22:56
Speaker
um Liposomal vitamin C also, i take that when I think I need it, especially when I'm very stressed because um when we're stressed, we need more vitamin C. And liposomal is the most bioavailable, best absorbed kind of vitamin C.
00:23:13
Speaker
And then, i mean, I'm in the list goes on in terms of what I think about when I take it a day, I'm not going to bore people too much. I'd say the final thing is I take magnesium. um That for me is a non-negotiable. I take magnesium glycinate. So that's magnesium bound with glycinate for sleep every laxation.
00:23:29
Speaker
And it knocks me out. but It's fantastic. um The brand I take is not available in the US. It's a UK brand, but Pure Encapsulations is the one I use with lot of my US clients. Um,
00:23:40
Speaker
And I take one capsule with dinner and i sleep like a baby. with That one capsule, is it 144 milligram? How much do you know? I was looking at it earlier on. I think it's a hundred to is either 100 or 150 about.
00:23:54
Speaker
yeah um Now, every person is going to be individual. you know There are some clients that I get to take two capsules at night or four across the day. and For me personally, one absolutely does the job.
00:24:05
Speaker
Can you do that within an hour of when you're going to bed? Yeah, about just at the end of dinner, just after dinner, I normally take it. um But that specific one is best for relaxation and sleep and and calm. There are many very but variable kind of types of magnesium. So magnesium citrate I've got here on my desk as an example, it just using it with a client, is bound with citrate. So it helps with constipation problems. So really important to choose your magnesium because different different combinations of them give you different benefits.
00:24:34
Speaker
um So the glycinate one's great for sleep. So yeah, that's just that's just touching on my staples. Yeah, I mean, that's a great start. really We don't want to intimidate people too much of like, hey, the only way to do this is to go spend this amount per month to get, but it's just, hey here's a baseline. And again, it's personalized based on if you're a woman in certain times a month or a man and what your needs are, you were saying magnesium for sleep and how much it helps.
00:25:03
Speaker
Do you have any other sleep practices or routines that say, Hey, there's big differences when I do X versus Y and here's how I kind of go about that. Okay. Yeah. Well, I'm a big advocate for Oura Ring. Um, it taught me so much about my sleep.
00:25:18
Speaker
And I have a little one who didn't sleep for two years. So it was really insightful because I already knew I wasn't sleeping. But you know I think i really do try to prioritize my sleep. when you know When I was younger, I just slept and it And I did or I didn't. And I was fine as I've aged. I'm just not fine um without sleep. I can't function. So um I really do make it a top priority, almost on a par with my nutrition.
00:25:41
Speaker
And so my practices are I try to limit blue lights late at night and also the lights on in my home. um so I try to get as much red light or just dim lighting into the evening to support my circadian rhythm.
00:25:54
Speaker
Do you actually have red bulbs? Like how do you Yeah, I do have red bulbs and we have dimmer ones as well. So actually the light I've gone on here at the moment is an orange one. Um, but yes, we have them. And then, and really at night, I tried to have very little harsh lighting.
00:26:09
Speaker
I wear blue light blocking glasses in the evening. Um, especially if I'm watching TV quite close to the screen. Um, I have night mode on my, like, you know, um, like ah ah I'm an Android girl, so everyone's Apple apart from me literally, but um it's like a night shift that turns my phone kind of pink. But also recently I've been um turning my phone black and white at 10 PM. So auto turns black and white. Let me tell you, scrolling on Instagram is not fun in black and white. So it pretty quickly kicks me off my phone.
00:26:39
Speaker
I like to say that I have a curfew for my phone, but sometimes it's like I don't and I want to be on Instagram. So, um I try when I can. But yeah, those those things I definitely noticed make a huge difference to my sleep quality.
00:26:55
Speaker
No caffeine past two o'clock. um What I would say for people listening is that everyone has a spectrum in terms of how they react to caffeine. um It's partly genetic as well. um And metabolism is different in each individual.
00:27:08
Speaker
And it changes over time. i used to drink three double espressos a day and my last one would be at five o'clock and I slept very well and was fine. I then stopped drinking all caffeine when I was pregnant and ever since I can't i can't have it late in the day. So it changes, that's the answer. So you gotta be your own guinea pig and kind of have a few sleepless nights of learning what your tolerance is.
00:27:28
Speaker
And I imagine this is where stuff like the aura can be so helpful to see data-wise, hey, what is impacting and what is helping and not, yeah. 100%. if I've kept like yesterday, i had caffeine really late. um And I actually, ah got into bed, I get into bed, really try no later than 10.
00:27:47
Speaker
um But social life, I absolutely let it go. But during when I'm not socializing 10 o'clock. um And i had caffeine late in the day, and I didn't fall asleep till 12. And I kept kind of, I kept drifting and then waking up and and it was horrible. It was really horrible. So I know that I can't have it too late unless it's a you know, absolute necessity because i'm falling asleep and I've got a meeting to go to and I have to perform.
00:28:09
Speaker
But there are other things you can do as well for energy. um alcohol, you know, i won't stop myself from drinking just for sleep, but I know it massively disrupts my sleep quality. um I've looked at days with days without, and it's just, kind and that's the only variable that's changed.
00:28:26
Speaker
I do try to stop drinking about two hours before I go to bed, just to allow my body enough time to metabolize. I drink plenty of water to, you know, help with that process as well. But yeah, I try not to drink and, you know, i normally go, okay, it's getting a bit later. um I know I'm going to have to go to bed soon. So I'm going to stop.
00:28:42
Speaker
This one is not what a lot of people know about natural light in the first half of the day. So lots of people Don't think about why would you do something in the first half of your day to affect your sleep.
00:28:53
Speaker
But I notice if I don't get natural light in my eyes in the first half of the day to support my circadian rhythm, my sleep quality isn't as good. um So I try when I can, especially when it's summer months and things like that, get out for a walk.
00:29:07
Speaker
Don't stare at the sun with your eyes, but don't wear your sunglasses. um You know, I'm going to completely like disclaimer that. But, um you know, get out get that natural light in. It was human beings were designed to have that.
00:29:18
Speaker
And it's wonderful. It's wonderful for a circadian rhythm. So that's that's also something I do. Circadian rhythm and probably eye health too, right? Like we're learning much more this concept of the inside and windows and all that.
00:29:31
Speaker
It's a new concept, right? For for mostly humanity, we were just out in in natural light and that that was the rhythm. That's how our eyes learn to develop. So yeah, i'd I'd like to reiterate that.
00:29:42
Speaker
You've talked a couple times when you have your nutritional principles, you have your sleep principles, you have these things, but you're not going to let them get in the way of socializing. And understanding, look, this is on equal weight and importance as these other things I need to to do this.
00:29:57
Speaker
I think especially post COVID more and more people, it's the other way around, right? Like they're having a harder time crafting that space and sometimes even that desire to develop the social side and get out and do that.
00:30:13
Speaker
And so how do you do that deliberately? Like what, when you're saying the social side, what does that mean for you? Really truthfully, you know, my husband is possibly the socialist person, so most social person I know.
00:30:27
Speaker
um So I don't always have a choice. i think So I'd almost also say that it can swing the other way as well, where you feel socially fatigued, because especially in my line of work, when my job is talking to people all day long,
00:30:42
Speaker
you can actually get tired. And so that learning the power of no was actually an important one for me. And and putting, you know not saying no to joyful activities, but just no to things that actually I needed to prioritize myself first. And and you know I don't need to to force myself to go to this social engagement or you know do that kind of thing.
00:31:03
Speaker
um But when I do, you know I love to be social. I love to go out. And and you know i make dedicated time to do that with loved ones, friends, and family. What i I really am making a conscious effort on at the moment with my kid is to be more present.
00:31:20
Speaker
I think, you know, you can go to these, you can socialize, you can be around family, but it can get hard. It can be sometimes be hard to be present. You've got 100 things on your mind, you're scrolling on your phone, you're thinking about, you know, to do list.
00:31:31
Speaker
And that's where social engagements are can actually just lose their lose their thing, you know, that because you're not actually even present in that moment. And so what I'm making a conscious effort on the moment is to actually come to social engagements. And first, the priority is with my kid. It's just I'm fully there, present in that moment for that social connection with you.
00:31:53
Speaker
And the other ones will follow suit, but that's definitely got to be the priority. My husband will. trying to say that he should be the priority as well um but yeah I'd say I'd say that's what I'm I'm trying to achieve so I actively am constantly always social so um instead it's about maybe the quality for me the quality of that that social time and definitely no phones we try that and it's hard but we try no phones around social social moments um is a big one for me because You know, i' I have my notifications turned off on my phone. I think that was the number one thing I did for being present with people and and actually paying attention with them because it drives me mad when I'm at a meeting or I'm with somebody at a dinner table and their phone's flashing the whole time because immediately you've got this connection with somebody and you're talking to them and suddenly they're looking down and it's gone.
00:32:40
Speaker
Yeah. And that kills, kills the connection. So no notifications on the phone and ideally no phone at the table. Yeah, it's...
00:32:51
Speaker
especially at times with my daughter. i mean, I have deliberate carve time that the phone just goes in a different room. It's not just upside down, whatever it's in a different room. It's, it doesn't exist. We're just having this time. And it amazes me. I don't know how long it's been a feature and i have an iPhone, not an Android, but yeah,
00:33:08
Speaker
I didn't really start using do not disturb until six months ago. And it's such a game changer. It's such game changer. It doesn't show you the text, anything. It's still there if I need to check the clock, but there's no interruption. I can still be present. and well I don't get a single notification apart from a phone call.
00:33:24
Speaker
um That's it. Nothing. Not even, not you, not a buzz or anything, not even the time on the phone. So ah yeah, it's been a game changer for me. And so other than just getting the phone out of the equation to be present, do you have, were there any books helping you think about this or any practices that you say, Hey, this kind of got me to think about the power of now or whatever it is?
00:33:46
Speaker
Yeah. You know, I recently embarked on a breathwork course. Um, and I suppose this falls into the, helps with the nutrition, it helps with the sleep, it helps with the stress resilience, helps with being more social, it helps with everything.
00:33:59
Speaker
um I used to be one of those people that really struggled with meditation, really struggled with breath work, wired mind, you know, um all that kind of stuff. And all my clients are the same. And i used to tell them, well, the first sign that you when you say you can't meditate is the first sign you should meditate.
00:34:17
Speaker
And I say it like a broken record to everyone else, but not take my own advice. And so I was invited to go on a breathwork course and it changed. It really changed my life. um And I realized that, you know, when I was going trying to go straight into meditation, i was struggling because my to-do list was taking over and I was trying to push the thoughts out and it was become negative and frustrating.
00:34:42
Speaker
But instead, actually starting or even only doing the breath work just brought me to the present moment. And all I had to do was focus on a very natural, instinctive thing of breathing in and breathing out.
00:34:55
Speaker
And suddenly I was able to be present. And then as the practice has gone on, and I've done it now every day for... nearly a month. As the practice has gone on, it's no longer so challenging. I get moments where my mind is completely clear, which, you know, possibly, you know, people pay huge amounts of money to have a clear mind.
00:35:18
Speaker
um And all you have to do is breathe and meditate. um and And that helps me be more present than my other parts of my life. um so So that has definitely been, for me, one of the biggest game changers.
00:35:31
Speaker
How much time do you put into that? So what is what is the breath practice look like? Yeah, it's quite a long one. Um, it's about, it's about half an hour to 40 minutes and it's actually, ah it's it's by, um,
00:35:45
Speaker
what what would you call them? They're ah a group called the art of living. It's like a movement and the art of living. And they teach you the the specific practice that you go through. It's called ocean breathing, but there's a special name for it in Hindi, but, um, something asana, you know, it's similar. It's really, really similar. It's it's begins with an a, um, but, um, it's just a concept of doing different breathing in, in slightly different positions of holding your hands and then, um Indian coffee, they call it, which is um, really invigorating breath work. So it's, you put your hands up and you breathe in and you pull them down quite hardly and you breathe out through the nose. And it's really quite, it's really uplifting. It's it's yeah, it's like that. And you do it 30 times in a row, three times in a row.
00:36:30
Speaker
So things like that. And then at the, at the end of the kind of about 30 minutes, depending on how quickly i'm I'm going through it for my day, I will try if I've got space and time and I'm relaxed enough to then lie down and meditate for 10 minutes.
00:36:43
Speaker
And that's just, I don't need to listen to anything. It's just, I've learned this practice now and it's, yeah, it's pretty incredible, but I appreciate, you know, my kid will come in and crawl all over me and like, you know, sit on my lap and like pull my hair and all this stuff. So I also appreciate people listening, like how on earth do you have time for that?
00:37:00
Speaker
um And it has meant that I've had to forego other things like exercise has to take a second, a second priority because I'm prioritizing the breath right now. It's funny you say that. I don't know. Have you ever read the the book Breathe by James Nestor? Because some of these practices are in there and he makes a point that yoga, traditional yoga, it wasn't about all these postures and moves. It was all breath work.
00:37:23
Speaker
yeah Yoga was just breath work. That was the entire practice. And so when you're describing it, it makes a lot of sense. And literally that... It's part of all of it. It can be calming. It can be invigorating. um But, you know, I think probably eventually, you know, the whole thing is that you do it for 40 days and then I think you can you can kind of slow it down a bit or have a shorter practice.
00:37:46
Speaker
Eventually, I'd like to get to a point where it's sort of 10, 15 minutes of my day. Well, I have to imagine it's it's similar to meditation too, where it's it's not about necessarily even that time. it's It's training yourself to be able to get into that state.
00:38:00
Speaker
And so just like Tiger Woods having the routine before you hit a golf ball, if if I go through the same thing, I'm getting in the space that if you have the same setup, even if you're in a stressful part of your day in the middle of London with your kid and going on with a couple of breaths, you can get back to that centered space, I think is the idea.
00:38:19
Speaker
ah hundred percent. I absolutely use that. And also the power of breath from a digestive perspective is fantastic because so We're in fight and flight constantly as human beings. And when we digest, we are best placed to digest in rest and digest in the parasympathetic, so the opposite state.
00:38:36
Speaker
And the most powerful tool to get you there is through breath and just a simple few breaths. So I do it every time before I eat as well, especially if I'm running around, because if I eat in a stress state, I'm going to get symptoms.
00:38:47
Speaker
Anyone will get symptoms. Um, so yeah, so I use it, I use it in the day, in the day as well. I think you just changed what I'm going to do when I sit down to eat. Cause like I go from one thing to the next, I'm trying to do something, but I have breathwork when I shut down from work and I go to dinner with my daughter.
00:39:06
Speaker
But this idea of when I sit for lunch or anything, just take that pause try to try trigger. Just calm yourself. Just, it's literally can take a minute. Um, and you'll digest much better.
00:39:19
Speaker
Thank you. It's so obvious when you say it, but you go through 43 years and you just don't do it. Sometimes you need reminders. Yeah. So you you also mentioned that therere They're only 24 hours in the day.
00:39:34
Speaker
You're running business that has many facets and you're doing all this. And so you can't be 100% at everything. And fitness is the one that's taken more of a backseat.
00:39:45
Speaker
So I think, especially for listeners trying to get these different profiles, knowing that it's taken more of a backseat, what does that movement part of your day in your life look like now when you're prioritizing these other pieces? Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:00
Speaker
And I say I prioritized movement for a very long time. It had its time. You know, I prioritized it for 10 years um as much as I prioritize nutrition. And that's normal for people. right You've got to pray you've got to switch things up and and and prioritize different things depending on what you need. um So now what what it looks like is it's it's mindful movement. So instead of it being prescriptive, like I must go to the gym four times a week and do these workouts, it's now, okay, well, if I can get a space in my day to fit it in,
00:40:34
Speaker
that's fantastic because I know how great it's going to make me feel. But I'm not going to feel guilty if I don't because I know I filled my own cup in other so situations. I think i I really like to walk when I can because especially out in nature as well, it's very good for your stress responses. And we're designed as human beings to be in nature, but most of us are in four walls.
00:40:55
Speaker
um And also the natural light and all that kind of vitamin D and all that fun stuff. um I love to swim. So I find really so swimming really fun.
00:41:07
Speaker
incredible. It's it's so calming. It's a full body workout. You just have the sound of the water, hopefully, and just watching the water as as you swim is just the most calming thing. um You know, used to spin five times a week and strength train and and it's so much on your body physically and it puts you so much, if you're already in a fight or flight response, it it you know, you've got to be able to handle that.
00:41:32
Speaker
And right now that's not what my body needs. So I find that strength sleep and Swimming gets me that exercise that I need for my cardiovascular health and physical health, but it doesn't put me in that fight or flight.
00:41:43
Speaker
Someone with like five different pairs, because I swim every day, what are your go-to goggles? Oh, you know what? I'm not a goggle girl. I know. I know you're probably a far but you're probably a far better swimmer than I am.
00:41:57
Speaker
I'm take it easy, breaststroke kind of girl, um often not under the water because I'm fitting it in between meetings, so I'm not going to wash my hair. So i would like to know what your goggles are, but when I do start adventuring and doing it a little bit more,
00:42:12
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I have different indoor versus outdoor, open water versus not, racing, open water versus not. yeah so i have so different aspects. I've not conquered the outdoor. So mine's all indoor, but it's just a weather thing over here and lack of lack of water.
00:42:26
Speaker
and But wild swimming is also a big thing in the UK. Wild swimming is a big thing, but you've got to have, you know, talk about stress responses. You've got to like, it makes you feel so great and and and ice bar, ice and therapies and things like that.
00:42:38
Speaker
I feel amazing after them but you've got to be... in that place to go to go for it, um which I'm definitely not when I go for my kind of nice leisurely good swim for about, I do about half an hour. i do dance about once a week, um which is kind of hip hop dance, which for me is actually not about the physical, it's about the mental um because it just brings me so much joy and laughter.
00:43:02
Speaker
And, um and then, and then when I've got the opportunities, otherwise i then do bar. So, um and that for me is my strength training element. I do a little bit of weights in with that.
00:43:13
Speaker
And, you know, occasionally i I just love a spin because it makes me feel on top of the world, but. I don't, I have a Peloton, you know, I have all these things, but I just don't prioritize them right now. um So I do like to switch up because I know that cardio strength, flexibility, resistance, training, they all have a place.
00:43:30
Speaker
um But yeah, I try not to be too prescriptive. I like to think if I've done it three, if I've done movement three times a week, i feel i feel happy if I've done more, great. But if I haven't, then it's okay that I've done three times a week.
00:43:43
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, one time is infinitely better than zero. And so you're right, you're just kind of gravy, gravy, gravy. Let's just start and then see where we get from there. So with the time compression, maybe you can't always get to the pool. You can't always get to a bar class.
00:43:58
Speaker
Do you have stuff, you mentioned the Peloton, but other things at home that you say, hey, if I have 10 or 15 minutes, these are things that i can get some quick movement in. Yeah, exactly. So if I haven't got time for the the full classes, I do the classes on Peloton. So they have the bar, they have the dance.
00:44:13
Speaker
um And i will try to do then if I can't do full classes, i will try and do like 15 minutes more more times a day because I'll often have, I'll more often have 15 minutes to dedicate rather than half an hour plus travel, plus maybe 45 minutes for the class, plus there and back and showering and all that kind of stuff.
00:44:31
Speaker
Um, so I love those little kind of snap snapshot, um, exercises as well. Do you keep weights or bands or yoga mat or anything at home to be able to do that? Yeah, I do. I do. I'm, I've got, I've got it in the corner of my office. I'm looking at it now. I've got 10 kilo, eight kilo, five kilo and 2.5 kilogram weights. I've got all different kinds. Um, I've got quite a few rollers, which I like to do to kind of release lower back tension and things like that.
00:44:59
Speaker
um I've got the bands, the Pilates bands that you use, which I love. They are great for glute work. um I have ankle bands as well, which occasionally I i play around with. But those, I'd say the weights and the Pilates band and the thigh band, forgotten what the actual name for it is, are the ones that I use regularly.
00:45:17
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's, they take up so little space and for us listeners, that's kind of five pounds to 22 pounds. whenang if you need tonight conversion um But they take up so little space and they're so versatile, right? Like even the bands you just pack in your bag, they're extra weight. They take them no space. So you always have something to just take away that excuse. Cause you can find five minutes here and there to just get some kind of movement in.
00:45:41
Speaker
A hundred percent. Even a Pilates ball, you can deflate it and then you can take a little ball with you and you just put that behind in your lower back or you put it on your, on your abs to do workouts, completely changes your workout. And with a lot of my clients, you know, i have a lot of C-suite executives. They have no time to exercise. They have nothing. I say, okay, then let's do exercise snacks.
00:46:00
Speaker
So if you can't dedicate time to it, I want you at three times of the day to do five minutes. Whether that's while your coffee is boiling, whether it's brushing your teeth, whether it's blow drying your hair, whatever it's going to be.
00:46:11
Speaker
And you're just going to do simple body weight squats, or you're going to use the little weights that you have in your home and just going to five minutes. You're going to five minutes of burpees or... you know, five minute of stretching on your foam roller. um And that people think, oh, it doesn't count. But actually, it's the neat movement that you do, the non-exercise related movement that you do actually can make a huge difference um from an exercise perspective and ah even for weight management and things like that.
00:46:37
Speaker
I just read a recent study. It's actually better. So they they did um people running for 30 minutes, running at three different times for 10 minutes at whatever break or every X amount of time, getting up and going three minutes.
00:46:51
Speaker
And it was the last group that had the lowest level of glucose and and all these kinds of things that they got the greatest health benefit. Is this consistent movement, not that one 60 minute block at the gym and then sitting the rest of the day.
00:47:03
Speaker
That's that's the thing. And then the rest of the time, the majority of your time is sedentary. um However, lots of people don't unfortunately have that, but they can. You can think, OK, three times a day or after each meal, you know, after each meal, just five minutes of movement so that you can improve insulin sensitivity or things like that can be amazing. I even read things um where they've looked at studies of people who fidget versus those who don't.
00:47:25
Speaker
um And their their scores are incredible. And obviously, I'm not telling people to fidget, but but it is. It's these small micro micro movements throughout your day. and And again, going back to, you know, as human beings, we're designed to move all day long.
00:47:40
Speaker
um We're not designed to kind of sit still and then pound it really hard for 45 minutes. We didn't have chairs in nature, right? We were out, we were moving. No chairs. We might have sat on a stone, but we had no chairs and we had Pelotons and we had no blue lights.
00:47:56
Speaker
right Yeah. Yeah. Well, Clarissa, this has been amazing. you've You've been a wealth of knowledge. I know i literally am changing my practices today, especially around some of this breathing. So for me, it was very selfishly helpful.
00:48:08
Speaker
um For people who want to learn more, where can they find you? Where should they reach out? Yep. you can head across to my Instagram, which is clarissalenhernutrition, or my website is clarissalenher.com.
00:48:22
Speaker
I launched um specifically for the UK, but it's um available across the globe for people, um a 12-week personalized IBS program to help people who can't see me privately. So you can check that out. um And um yeah, you can find me on LinkedIn as well.
00:48:37
Speaker
Fantastic. And we will put all of this in the show notes. And I just, again, can't thank you enough. Oh, such a pleasure for having me. It was great chat. Really, really great. And looking forward to rewatching the recording.
00:48:48
Speaker
Thank you for joining us on today's episode of the Home of Healthspan 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 Alively.com.
00:49:01
Speaker
Enjoy a lively day.