A life lived well

A conversation where science and thoughts come together. A place to celebrate even the small wins! A way to journey to whole body health. Through five different topic areas, we’ll cover all this (and grow together throughout)! We’ll discuss my passion project- Wedding Well, ways to grow your health beyond just what you eat and exercise, we’ll be ready for anything that comes our way, work on our mindset, and just for fun we’ll meet our food- talk to growers, farmers, and chefs!

Healthy Home 05/23/2024

Healthy Home I'm so excited to be recording today with my dear friend and Real Estate extraordinaire, Jill Williams! We met close to a decade ago and bonded over our appreciation of holistic health and good people. Here's what Jill has to say on how your home can impact your health! Are we seeing a trend toward other Healthy/Alternative types of homes or neighborhoods? Jill Isn’t seeing this as a big trend, but she could see it more so in the future. Views and outdoor space are a big driver right now. In this area, it is also very important to many buyers to have water access. What should new couples be looking for the most in a home? Safe places that are good for their children. It is so smart of them to “pay themselves” by investing in their home instead of throwing it away on rent. School districts are a great driver. Flood insurance is a big thing that first-time homebuyers may not be aware of as a consideration. Marry the house and date the rate! Find the house you love. What are some thoughts people have after they purchase? Most know what they are choosing when they select a house. She has gotten pictures from people showing her renovations they are excited to do after the fact. She did have one case where a client chose not to have an inspection (which she always recommends) and they found more work than they had anticipated, but the sweet young couple were still able to make it the home of their dreams! Jill has such a commitment to her clients she encourages them to contact her 24/7. If she is awake at 3 am and they text her, she will respond then! Jill attributes her great energy and kindness to her parents. She goes out in a kayak with her father and her mom has opened her gorgeous home up for client dinners and yoga events. One of the best ways to take care of your health is making sure you keep your filters cleaned, windows that open, plants inside, energy-saving appliances (that also save you money), and outdoor areas. Jill doesn’t like to steer customers to or away from areas because they may have a different definition of what is a “good” neighborhood. Do you see a trend away from the open concept? Do you think the open concept has to do with our trend to eat more. Jill doesn’t see a trend away from open concept. Americans like to eat. Do we want to eat more because of the open concept or do we want the open concept because we eat more? It feels like the chicken versus egg, which came first? You’ve mentioned the outdoor living space a lot. How important is it to people and why and what are they looking for in this “outdoor living space”? They want a larger space, preferably with a view. A grilling area and space for the kids to play and a sitting area. People are really looking for more elaborate areas. It may have been a COVID reaction because it was the safest place to be together. Are multigenerational dwellings an interest? Cost of Living for the elderly is on the rise, and because people are interested in longevity which BlueZone research has shown that Multigenerational living is one of those common denominators. Jill hasn’t seen that as a demand, but she does see a lot of houses that have the features so that it could be done. In the news recently Liz heard to an hourly rate to compensate Realtors instead of the commission percentage. Jill was at a conference when this became a news item. It isn’t a thing that must have, it is just an option. She will still work based on the percentage, and she will work hard for you! Closing thoughts from Jill about our homes and their connection to our health. Taking care of the house is going to pay you back in great health. LifeSpan versus Health Span is something that she is currently reading about! Links: Want to get in touch with Jill for her great work as your listing agent? 757-367-3113 Instagram: @growyourself757 Facebook: Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/31442777

Be More Chicken! 05/16/2024

Meditation and Mindfulness 05/02/2024

Meditation and Mindfulness I am an Amazon Affiliate so those links may get me a kickback if you buy something from them, but I will never promote something I don’t believe in. Inspired by the Real Simple Magazine (Yuko, E. (2023). Mindfulness for skeptics. Real Simple, Special Edition(A Spiritual Life). ) Mindfulness and meditation were terms that I used interchangeably, but they have different uses. Mindfulness is a form of meditation where we are aware and present at the moment and focus on the senses, emotions, and experiences. The average person’s mind wanders 47% of the time (Seaver, M. (2023). Reshaping the Mind. Real Simple, Special Edition (A Spiritual Life). I feel better about myself, don’t you? Improve Neuroplasticity Positive Changes on Stress, mood As Little as 30 Seconds of Prayer can improve. That may be too short for some, but it is good to know that a little bit can have a benefit. 5 Minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour - each of these has been shown to benchmark improvement Christian versus Eastern Mysticism. There are many ways to meditate- you may choose a method or it may come to you. My personal feeling is time is relative when it comes to meditation and mindful practices. Don’t be judgmental towards yourself no matter how long or how successful you think you are. Remember to just go for 1% better today. Let your thoughts come to you and float by. We believe this is an exercise and by practicing being mindful you can strengthen your mind, even when you are not actively meditating. Liz gives a great example of how (for those born before the cell phone) we recall a time when we had multiple phone numbers memorized because we had to know them to get in touch. There is a study of London cab drivers who before beginning to work and then after being on the job had brain scans that showed that the memory area of the brain had grown. () Mindfulness can be applied to many activities, including cooking, cleaning, and eating. Mindset is also of critical import. Make even the mundane matter. It can turn chaos into beauty! Mindfulness can also be exercised by journaling. Be more present and intentional during conversation! This will help you connect better with others and learn more. Helpful tools for this are asking questions of clarification and also by reflecting on the thoughts we think we comprehended. Many people know this as active listening. This helps limit distractions and shows the other person respect and honor. Do you have other ideas? Give us a comment! Physical Meditation or meditation by movement- Yoga, walking, running, and more. Locals: check out Yoga on the Green in Newport News! Maybe you can even find mindfulness in a group activity like running together. Prayer can show up as a way to meditate. It should feel like a conversation. It does not need to be complicated. Books can be used as a guide, beads as in Rosary or Misbaha, when you see something that stimulates you to do so (such as emergency crews), singing. Candles can be aids in meditation, gardening may be a good mindfulness practice, and music or audio may help with state of mind. Straightening (or being in an organized space) can be a mind-calming activity. A beverage can even be enjoyed mindfully, as well as weather or time with a beloved pet. Links: Instagram: @growyourself757 Facebook: Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/31076398

Meet Your Food: Our Gardens, Part two 04/03/2024

Meet Your Food: Our Gardens, Part two Apologies for the delay! The past month has been a little trying for me, but I will do better about editing on time in the future. Now on to the podcast! What we are trying this year? Big plans Raised beds- Liz says her soil is tired-looking- and needs to be amended. The plants in it look tired and it doesn’t seem to be holding water. She watched a video about looking for good soil- the three things it mentioned were does it have nutrients, does it hold water and does it have good drainage? Don’t just rely on the pictures on a package- read what the soil says it is designed for if you are looking to add soil. Liz is also starting seeds this week. She purchased specialized seed-starting soil. She will also start some veggies from plants. Jenna has difficulty with eggplant- I’ve finally found a place in the yard where the plant didn’t die, but I still didn’t get fruit. I’m going to try Ichiban eggplant this year. While Liz’s garden is typically beautiful, Jenna focuses more on function than beauty (she wishes it was pretty). Jenna goes over her different beds including her year-round plants: She has a fig tree, elderberry trees, Mediterranean herbs bed, Jerusalem artichoke beds, apple trees, asparagus, berries all planted in the ground, a hoop house, a small field, and raised beds. In the hoop house, she has container plants and she started seeds like celery, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and more in there already. In the plans this year, carrots, lettuces and other greens, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers (particularly the market more varietal) are all being started. There is always something going on in the hoop house, but it rotates around the year. Jenna has tried multiple ways to grow potatoes but she likes the bag method best. What we want to try: Liz- Try everything: she wants to grow enough food for her family to eat. Her main concern is the squirrels. What do you use to keep them out of yours? She’s thinking of netting, pie plates, and cayenne. Diatomaceous Earth- Jenna has used it for ant control. What natural ways can you sweeten blackberries on the bush? She will also try chicken poop as fertilizer. Companion planting is also on her list, and she is going to zero in on potatoes, cucumbers, and nasturtiums. Scarecrows: Do they work? What is your opinion? My mother has a heron and an owl and motion lights and hasn’t had problems since then. How to know when to plant what: Seeds usually tell you when to plant in your zone, but you can also check with a Master Gardener, the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Jenna’s main pest is the vine borer beetle so she wrapped small bits of foil around the base of her vines (did it for tomatoes, too) and it seems to have worked, even though it seemed odd. Jenna is trying this year: Jenna is planning to shrink her raised beds this year to limit her reaching because of her back. When we redo them, we want to try making them out of aircrete. She is also going to redo her hoop house to increase the insulation, allow the sides to roll up, and increase its size to cover the raised beds. She wants to introduce horseradish into the gardens. Check out (not an affiliate)! Her work in vertical gardening is so impressive, and she also does many other related topics to gardening and food security. Toys that we want to get started with soon: Arthur and Jenna are getting a FreezeDryer for Christmas. We aren Another item we want to look into is a Vitamix Composter, but we don’t have a timeframe for that. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/30663238

Meet Your Food: Our Gardens 03/09/2024

Meet Your Food: Our Gardens We added something to our podcast: What’s new and good? We start out just telling you what’s going on in our lives. Let us know if this is something that would interest you to keep hearing! Sorry it was late this week, I was learning video edits on the fly! Today is a Meet Your Food segment on Gardening! Liz has just joined a garden club. The big takeaway from their February meeting was to limit their garden disruption at that point, but her Master Gardener neighbor has now started cleaning out beds. Liz has trimmed her roses and cleaned out her potted plants and any diseased leaves while leaving plenty of mulch and doing her spring fertilization. Even if there are some leaves already on your roses it isn’t too late to trim them yet! Liz and I have two different foci with our Gardens. She tends to do more beautiful gardens, I would like for my gardens to be beautiful, but I just focus on function. Most important tool to garden might surprise you: a journal! What Jenna tracks in her journal: What vegetable/fruit/herb, the varietal, if she started it from seed when she planted it when it should germinate, when it sprouted, where she started it (on a seed mat, etc), where it is planted, and how it does and any special notes. I also have notes about the conditions of the different areas of the yard. We do not have a relationship with the Great Big Greenhouse, but you can visit their website here: Each type of plant is like each person, they are different! The key to keeping clear on what the best way is to care for each plant is to have a good reference. Also, just as humans can have better health than others, the same can be said of plants. Without a good reference, gardens can get complicated quickly! Jenna recommends checking out GrowVeg on YouTube. (Not an affiliate at the time of this recording.) They have an amazing online digital garden planner with a journal function for a small fee! Overall: small, simple, sustainable steps! Plants generally operate based on making sure they survive, so conditions that tell them the end of life is near will cause them to produce seeds and unless that is the part you want to eat, you should do what you can to avoid them going to seed. Hybrids get a bad rap, but if you are starting out, use them! (Sometimes, I still do!) They’ve been bred to be easier to grow and the food from them will still be fresher than anything that you could get at most grocers. Also, when getting started consider starting with plants instead of seeds because then they are past the most tender part of growth. Links: Instagram: @growyourself757 Facebook: Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/30253668

Want Vs. Will 02/26/2024

Fight Fair 02/15/2024

Fight Fair Why do we fight? Perceptions ideas values desires Consider If it is worth it to have this fight/ difficult conversation- do you have a relationship that could be repaired by talking it out? Are you a stuffer or exploder? Neither is a good method. You shouldn't save insults, but also you want to have an exploration and a fix to a situation, not just get angry and blow up. In order to save the relationship: Expect to compromise, not win. Set Ground rules before you can even fight. Come from Love and understand why you feel like you need to have this discussion. Actions Do Keep Calm! If you think you are losing it, get up and walk away, breathe deep, whatever helps you calm down. If you need a time out, agree to a time and place to resume. Don’t bring it up when there is limited time or energy (Example: Right before work or late at night). Make sure there are "distracting injuries"- other things that would artificially heighten the stress of this topic For the love of cheddar, do not use “We Need to Talk” without filling in the blank. It is a matter of being considerate and showing respect! What we don’t do Never when drugs or alcohol has been imbibed Only one topic at a time Check about timing- not right before bed, when other things are going on/mood Words Never use insults, name-calling, or accusations Be specific and stick to one thing at a time (don’t bring up the past if it has been discussed before) Don’t interrupt, but do use active listening techniques You cannot argue with feelings sensations or perceptions but must allow others to explain take the time to find a common way to communicate Use I statements not you statements When a topic is sensitive: You have a right to express your feelings but you have to acknowledge and listen to their feelings too Beware the generalization! No one should just shut up. It is not effective to have just broadcast because it might get something off of their chest but it will still fester if they don’t feel heard. No Yelling! Fight Fair and your relationship can come out even stronger- you might get to know each other even better! Discuss these rules of engagement ahead of time! Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/29974403

Communication! 02/11/2024

Communication! Let's Talk about it! “I’m gonna say it and fix it”, or “You know my heart”. These are phrases we use with friends sometimes when talking about sensitive subjects to remind them that we love them, but it is critical to know our audience when we communicate. There were so many ways to communicate: verbal versus non-verbal communication Spoken (live or prerecorded or video or audio) Written (text, meme, email, cards, and letters) And there are language modifiers: Body Language, facial expression, and tone are just a few modifications In writing, we might use casual versus formal language, emojis, or other modifications Timing is also critical both in the rhythm of the conversation and the speed at which we speak may make it easier to understand (especially when someone is hard of hearing or if there is a cultural or language barrier). Your choice of words is important too! Consider both the Denotation- what the word means- and also the connotation- other meanings the word might have. There are also cultural implications you might want to consider. An example is love. The Greeks used several terms for love: Agape, eros, Caritas, and eros to indicate the type of love. Duchenne smile- genuine facial expression is critical- people can read micro-facial expressions to tell when your face doesn’t match what you are saying and it will make them distrust what you are communicating, even if the mismatch has nothing to do with them. In written communications- leave grace for autocorrect! Going back to the audience, we have to also consider the state of a person when they receive our message. They might not be able to receive something at a certain time in the manner we intend (Like Liz reading that email). Public communication- Posting on social media means your comments can be seen by many people and they could misread or misinterpret and could unleash verbal warfare on you like they did with Liz’s caring comment. Overall: Communication is a spectrum- you can’t do it perfectly. Still, also you can keep these tips in mind to help you minimize miscommunication and repair the situation if things aren’t received in the manner we meant. In the same way, take a step back if you feel offended. Maybe send the person this podcast so they can be more careful communicating next time! Leave us a review and tell us what other communication tips you have or tell us about a poor communication experience you've had! Links: Sign up for our newsletter to get tips to make your holistic health journey easier! Instagram: Facebook: Great ways to get to know your audience and the best way to communicate effectively with them: Love Languages: Personality Plus/Wired that Way: Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/29895363

Time Management 02/01/2024

Memento Mori 01/25/2024

Wedding Well 01/19/2024

Sleep: The easiest way to fix your health 01/11/2024

Sleep: The easiest way to fix your health Sleep: It impacts your health both physically and mentally. By improving your quality and quantity, you can improve so much about your health. The time and ability for your body to heal and reset. It helps with hormone health, weight loss, and so much more! (but you can sleep too much, too!) Diet (what you eat, drink, and when) has an impact on how well you sleep. Listen for details on what you can do differently to improve your sleep by modifying what and when you eat. Environment: consider color, clutter, noise, and scent. All of these can have a positive or negative impact on your sleep. Pets sleeping with you can also impact sleep quality. Your Mattress: Is it time for a new mattress? Can you turn or flip your mattress to eliminate lumps? Is your mattress soft or firm? But, do you have pain when you wake - you might consider changing the firmness. Monitor your sleep: the good better best philosophy applies! At a minimum, journal when you go to bed and wake and how rested you feel when you wake with what you did before you slept to tell what works and doesn’t. You can also use a sleep-tracking device like a Fitbit or Apple Watch or just your phone. These can give more details. Take it one step further to either use a technological mattress like Sleep Number or ask your doctor about a sleep study. Big takeaways: Consider your ritual and your natural behaviors when getting ready to sleep. Lowering lights at night, getting sunlight early in the morning, and moving during the day can all help you sleep better at night. Following the pattern of the days and seasons will help you to improve your quality. Need help with improving your sleep? Join our five-day Rest Reset starting January 28th, 2024. For only $49 we’ll give you a great evening routine to help you improve your sleep! Links: Social on Instagram Facebook: Your Growth Matters LLC Sleep Number Bed Affiliate Link Music Emotional Inspiring Epic Trailer by Coma-Media via Pixabay Disclaimer: Nothing in any episode is to be considered medical advice. This podcast does not constitute client privilege. Unless otherwise noted, none of these links are meant to represent any relationship between Your Growth Matters, LLC and the linked companies or their content. /episode/index/show/acc18c40-3946-456f-bf09-5ecb00177ac5/id/29314508

Meet Your Food: Chef Jake Wechsler 01/04/2024

Waste Not, Want Not 12/28/2023

What is Health Coaching 12/21/2023

Small Wins 12/14/2023

A life lived well

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