And just like that, November has come to an end! This month on The Blonde Files Podcast, we covered everything from the TRUTH behind food labels, ingredients and chemicals and how to optimize our circadian rhythms to support our health and well-being, to overcoming hopelessness and how to overcome an activated nervous system. I also recorded another solo episode this month where I talk beauty tips, motivation, dating/relationships and so much more! If you missed October’s episodes, definitely go back and give them a listen – and check out last month’s roundup of lessons. Thanks for tuning in every Wednesday!
-One common misconception about food labels is that many people think organic means pesticide-free, safer, healthier, etc., but that’s not the case. They do contain pesticides, are not safer or healthier and are actually worse for the environment. It’s more of a marketing label! (The same goes for foods labeled as natural; there’s no FDA definition.)
-There is no difference between natural and synthetic citric acid; your body can’t tell if it was derived from corn, lemons, oranges, etc. It’s actually more sustainable and efficient for citric acid to be derived synthetically!
-At the end of the day, calories DO matter – but timing also matters. Eating a meal late at night (at 10 p.m., for example) has a higher insulin spike and a greater insulin resistance than if you were to eat the same meal in the morning.
-Even slight exposure to blue light delays melatonin production by 90 minutes! Try to avoid electronics at least 1 hour before bed.
-When it comes to fitness, it’s important to listen to your body – but you have to determine whether you’re looking for excuses and trying to get out of a workout or if you genuinely need a break. Getting out there is usually the hardest part, but once you do you’ll usually get something out of it – and you’ll never regret it a good workout.
-The realization that you have to save yourself because nobody else will begins with mindset – and it doesn’t happen overnight. Change the things you have control over and let go of the things you can’t control; you have to constantly work to move forward vs. going backward.
FROM MY SOLO EPISODE ON BEAUTY TIPS, MOTIVATION, DATING & MORE
-I don’t find motivation. If I’m looking for motivation, I’m going to be looking for a LONG time. (The same goes for inspiration.) I pretty much act as is and the motivation finds ME somewhere along the way. Basically, do the action and the motivation will come. When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, find the motivation within yourself. I feel like I’ve had the somewhat unique experience of almost losing my life to drugs and alcohol, and that has galvanized me to live a certain way with meaning and purpose – but anyone can access this through gratitude!
-When it comes to supporting a family member in active addiction, you just have to focus on taking care of yourself and let them hit their bottom, as painful as it sounds (in my experience!). Everybody’s rock bottom looks different, but I personally wasn’t ready for recovery until I hit absolute rock bottom. If the person is in recovery, I think the best thing you can do is ask them how you can support them; some people might want to keep it separate and do their own thing, while some people might want you to participate in their recovery.
-If you’re constantly activated, stressed out, etc., follow these 3 steps: awareness, acceptance and action. We’re often in suffering not because of the circumstance but because of our thoughts about it. So start with a deep understanding of your habitual thoughts; acceptance will lead to action. (An easy way is to start with 1 minute of mindfulness!)
-When you find yourself worrying, take a big, deep belly breath followed by a long, slow exhale. Breathing out all that CO2 is what calms the nervous system, so the exhale is the important part. A deep belly breath can actually rev you up more because your diaphragm signals to your body that it’s in flight mode.
