Episode Outline/Takeaways

There are three distinct types of personalities when it comes to being healthy. Those who like to take baby steps towards achieving their goals, those who are all or nothing, and those who think they are in one camp but are actually in the other.

Tips for those who like baby steps (still useful for the all or nothing people):

Identify what you are already eating that is plant based and increase the ratio of those foods in your diet

Think about substitutions for meat such as swapping the meat in tacos for bean

Visit https://www.forksoverknives.com/ for plant based meal recipes

Add some new items that you may not have tried https://runningonrealfood.com/ 

Try throwing some dark leafy greens on your normal meals

Take transitioning to plant based slowly in order to not upset your digestive system too much

Have a mindset of experimentation and don’t give up when something doesn’t work

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways

One can get the benefits of nature even if you don’t have access to something like a national park. Eg. Courtyards, medians, house plants and even pictures of nature.

Experiencing nature has many physical benefits such as lower cortisol levels, lower heart rate and lower blood pressure

Nature can help restore your attention and decrease stress so things can feel more manageable allowing you to sort out what is actually important.

Forest bathing is one of the ways you can reap the benefits of being in nature https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health 

Practicing mindfulness and walking near nature is also beneficial.

Takeaways:

Nature is good for you!

Nature doesn’t have to be exclusively in the wilderness. There are many ways one can 

experience nature.

Try mindfulness or stillness practices in the wilderness

Check out https://vistaslifecoaching.com/ for more information

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways

If you have people in your household that don’t eat plant based, try using deconstructed meals in order to make serving everyone easier.

Give family members options on what they eat allowing them to be more autonomous

Prepare your kids for eating plant based by informing them before transitioning to a plant based diet in order to ease the process 

Keeping meals simple can make the transition to plant based much easier and more sustainable

Use resources like https://www.gimmesomeoven.com, https://minimalistbaker.com/ or https://ohsheglows.com for plant based recipes

Make sure that kids are getting their caloric needs in, as well as healthy fats (peanuts, seeds, avocados, etc…)

Studies show kids may have a reduced risk of asthma if they follow a plant based diet 

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/78/11/928/5804968 

Studies also show kids may have a higher IQ when following a plant based diet

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790799/ 

Even if kids initially don’t want a specific food, keep offering it so that they can see it and potentially start to understand that it is a viable option to eat.

Deelish chocolate pudding recipe: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/avocado-chocolate-mousse-vegan-healthy/

Takeaways:

Find a basic beans and rice recipe that fits with your lifestyle, think about some fun toppings and then try three variations over three weeks! Have it once a week and see how you like it! What works? What doesn’t work?

Sit down with household member and have conversation about wanting to eat more plant-based. Brainstorm some ideas for supporting each other.

Find three different ways to use black beans! (Salads, tacos, and black bean dip)

https://minimalistbaker.com/instant-pot-black-beans-perfect-beans-every-time/

https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-black-beans-rice/

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways

A whole food plant based diet is when you eat plants in the form that is as close as possible to when they came out of the earth. (IE oreos vs kale)

Telling someone you are vegan only lets them know what you don’t eat whereas telling them you eat whole food plant based lets them know what you do eat.

Whole food plant based is not only about not eating dairy, fish, meats, etc… but also eating minimally processed foods (less salt, oil, and sugar).

While it may seem like the healthiest diet changes year to year based on what the popular press publishes, the reality based on medical studies has shown for a long time that the mediterranean diet and the whole food plant based diet are some of the most beneficial for health.

The DASH diet is the dietary approach to stop hypertension and promote overall heart health. 

DASH is a kind of whole food plant based lite. It is a kind of stepping stone between peoples’ starting diet and a whole food plant based diet that can make eating healthier easier to take on.

Takeaways:

Whole food plant based is about limiting the processed foods you eat which leads to added health benefits.

Find the documentary ‘What The Health’ here at https://www.netflix.com/title/80174177

Find the book ‘Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome’ by Will Bulsiewicz here at https://www.amazon.com/Fiber-Fueled-Plant-Based-Optimizing-Microbiome/dp/059308456X

For more information on the DASH diet https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways

In short, risky substances (tobacco, alcohol, and drugs) are bad.

Even bad habits like heavy social media usage can affect you negatively or take up a

large amount of time.

We often spend a lot of time shaming ourselves for these bad habits and waste our

energy.

Habit stacking is a great behavioral intervention where you take multiple small habits

that are already automatic and stacking them together. This enables you to start or stop

doing something.

For example: If you have difficulties waking up in the morning, you can set a routine

where you start your coffee machine as soon as you get up from bed. Then after

washing your face, your coffee is ready for you to drink while checking your emails.

Creating this habit trains your brain to recognize that this is a reward to look forward to

when you wake up resulting in it being easier over time.

Another example: If you aimlessly scroll through social media while brushing your teeth,

you can try to do something else like turning off and dimming the lights in your house

while brushing your teeth instead. You are replacing the bad habit with something new.

If you find yourself doing things like trying to relax after work with a glass or two of wine,

remove the “with” part of it and realize you ultimately just want to relax. Now find

something new that is relaxing like playing with your dog, talking on the phone to a

friend, etc. 

Takeaways:

Substance use is an important problem. For tobacco, quit lines are available. 1-800-Quit-Now is recommended.

For other substances—try: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Give yourself the time and space to sit what the habit is and what it is doing for you.

Habit stacking can be helpful in setting better habits.

Don’t sit too long in the guilt and shame. Use habit stacking to make small changes to these habits and help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Edited by Stephen Barnett

Episode Outline/Takeaways

Social connection is often a neglected or overlooked pillar of health.

Health-related measures like blood pressure, stress levels, and heart rate improve with social connection.  Your overall happiness also increases even with short, positive interactions.

Social media is not a replacement for this.  This type of connection often leads to comparison when viewing everyone’s “best life” version instead of reality.

Gossiping also is a pseudo-connection as it does not foster trust or deeper connections.

Spending time with people where you are engaging in unhealthy behaviors is another pseudo-connection that does not help

You want to have fun and create deep, meaningful connections.  You want to be in flow, be connected, and feel playful.

Volunteering at an animal shelter, joining a book club, joining a religious/spiritual group, joining a walking/hiking group, and doing workshops are all ways to connect with people in a positive way.

Goal setting can be done for this, especially when you get specific.  For example: I will increase my social connection by making sure to meet with my once monthly book club consistently for the next 6 months.

 Even introverts need social connection and interaction.  Find small ways to increase your social connection without making it stressful or exhausting for yourself.  Try virtual co-working spaces like being on a Zoom call together while getting individual work done to where you feel like you are with people even though you are alone.  Even something small like working at a coffee shop and interacting with the coffee shop workers can help.

Try to hit multiple pillars of health at the same time by eating a healthy meal with a friend or going on a walk together.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your healthcare provider or therapist if you are feeling isolated and lonely.  They can help get you on the right track.  

Takeaways:

Social connection is really important for both psychological and physical health.  This is true regardless of your personality type.

Foster the relationships that help you be your best self and engage in healthy behaviors.

Multi-task by trying to hit multiple pillars of health by engaging in a healthy activity with friends to add the social connection component in at the same time.

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Episode Outline/Takeaways

Cortisol stays elevated if you do not get enough sleep.  Cortisol naturally goes down at night when you are sleeping.  While we need cortisol for day-to-day functionality, we do not want it to stay elevated.

Elevated cortisol levels can lead to health problems like high blood sugar.

Sleep hygiene is a set of habits that you can build to help your body like using your bed for sleep only, avoid caffeine in the afternoon, limiting screen time, and getting physical activity during the day.

The light from screens can decrease your melatonin.  When the sun goes down and it gets dark, your melatonin levels rise.  The blue light from screens can slow down this process.

Getting morning light can help your circadian rhythms and help your body feel ready to wake up.

Simple steps like parking your car far in the parking lot and walking a little distance to get to work helps with both physical activity and getting sunlight to help your circadian rhythms.

Sleep schedule consistency is important as you can teach your body when it’s time to rest and wake up leading to better sleep quality.

Cool temperatures at night help you sleep and improve your sleep quality.

Hydration is important as dehydration signals can disrupt your sleep.  Water is needed for your cells to repair, which typically happens at night.  Limiting your hydration window to earlier in the day can help reduce restroom breaks in the middle of the night.

Naps can be beneficial if they are 20 minutes or less for a quick recharge, even if it’s just a “resting your eyes” recharge.

If you sleep longer, your body starts to get into sleep cycles resulting in sleep inertia occurring and disrupting your sleep schedule.

Keeping your caffeine intake to the mornings and cut out any caffeinated drinks after noon can help increase quality of sleep and reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

You can push through sleepiness to get that second wind feeling, but that is actually not good for your body.  It means your melatonin has decreased which will affect the quality of your sleep.

Both quality and quantity of sleep are important.

Sleep helps with emotional regulation.  Stress affects your sleep because your body is on high alert.  This can create a cycle.  Meditation, yoga nidra, sleep apps, and other methods can help break these cycles.

Yoga nidra is like the Shavasana part of yoga only and can help you fall asleep or reduce stress levels.

Having a wind down routine can help to signal to your body that it is time to go to sleep.

Using dim lighting at night can help signal to your body that it is night time.  Using bright lights until bed time can fool your body into thinking it is still daytime.

Quality of television also plays a role in your sleep.  Watching the news or anything that may activate emotions can make it harder to fall asleep.  

Takeaways:

Sleep should be a priority for both physiological and psychological health.

Optimize your sleep hygiene.

Have a wind down routine.

The quality of sleep is just as important as the quantity of sleep.

Intro/Outro Music Credit: Corner Store Breakfast by Reasonforworry

Episode Outline/Takeaways

Stress affects every system in your body, particularly your cardiovascular health and GI system.

80% of primary care visits are stress-related.

Cortisol production increases when stressed thus putting your body in fight or flight mode.

Stress affects your mood and social connections.

When you are stressed, you are also more likely to use substances like alcohol in an attempt to make yourself feel better.

Stress often results in a lack of sleep. This becomes a cycle as cortisol levels go down with restorative sleep. When you’re not well-rested, your cortisol levels continue to stay elevated.

Burnout and depression can show up when stress exacerbates them.

Good vs. bad stress: eustress is the kind of stress you put your body through when exercising, and it creates a positive effect.

One positive part of stress management is that it can lengthen your lifespan and improve your health. Telomeres (a proxy for lifespan) have been shown to be longer in studies when stress is well-managed.

Set boundaries for yourself: set an alarm to go to bed, don’t check work emails after a certain time, limit your screen time, have a day of relaxation every week, do meditation and mindful breathing, have “me-time” or a hobby, etc.

It is tempting to let go of self-care and exercise when stressed, but make sure to set boundaries for your work and other deadlines so you do not abandon your practice of self-care.

Stress is multi-faceted. We have to look at all the pillars to improve such as nutrition and exercise.

While drinking another cup of coffee or pouring yourself a glass of wine might give you the temporary dopamine hit, the crash you will have later will be detrimental to your health.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy apps can be a fantastic tool to help reset your brain and manage stress symptoms.

Vague goals like “I need to reduce my stress” will not be as effective as “I will set an alarm to go to bed at 9 pm” or “I will not check my work email after 5 pm.”

Takeaways:

80% of primary care visits are stress-related, so stress is the underlying cause that needs to be treated.

Find what your stressors are and set boundaries for yourself in those areas.

Look at how you can help yourself through nutrition and exercise.

Do not abandon exercise and proper nutrition when stressed in order to meet your deadlines. Work will always be there. Take care of yourself first.

Make stress reduction goals that are specific.