Pursuit of Wellness - Q&A w/ Me: Coming Off Birth Control, Acne Scarring, Microneedling, Pre-Workout Meals, Castor Oil Packs & Finding Your Purpose

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. What's up, guys? Welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. I am here today for a solo episode. I am doing a Q&A today answering all of your questions I posted and ask me anything and you guys always really do ask me anything which I love. I love hearing from you guys. I want to know what you want to know and I'm excited to chat today. I'm thinking of a little update since we last talked. I believe I was on the mic with Fi last time. I'm feeling good. I'm back in LA right now. I spoke on a panel at South by Southwest on Monday in Austin, which was so fun. And I'm here in LA this week for Expo West. I'm here in the Bloom

Starting point is 00:00:53 office at the Powell studio, which feels really, really good to be back. I'm in a good headspace. I think I told you guys last time I was in LA, I was having somewhat of a mental spiral about my TTC journey trying to conceive which I didn't know the girls were saying TTC but that's I'm on my TTC journey and you know truthfully I did not anticipate how emotional it was going to be. And it's intense. It's an intense feeling. Because I think at this moment in my life, it's funny, I feel like we go years and years terrified of getting pregnant and avoiding it at all costs. But then the second that you want to, it's difficult. So, you know, I've realized that a really big part of my purpose in life is to be a mum and I just daydream about it and it's something that I want so so badly but I have just such a

Starting point is 00:01:56 better understanding now of how perfect everything has to be in order to create a life I mean physically like the egg and the sperm have to come together in the perfect way everything has to be in order to create a life. I mean, physically, like the egg and the sperm have to come together in the perfect way. Everything has to be optimal. And also just mentally and emotionally, like I need to not be stressing about it quite as much as I have been. And I know it's so much easier said than done. And it's really difficult to think that way. But I actually talked to a soul reader a couple of days ago, last week. And I'm not a particularly woo-woo type of person, like I have a hard time tapping into spirituality, I would say. But I was really at such a low point on the trying to conceive journey that I was like let me just

Starting point is 00:02:46 talk to her even if I feel like it doesn't go well like let me just try and I have to tell you guys it was mind-blowing like truly a mind-blowing conversation her name's Nikki Novo I was connected to her through my friend Courtney and I sat with her for an hour and when I tell you she knew things about me that she could have never have found online like it was things I don't talk about on the internet and things about Greg that she would have never have known and about my childhood that she would have never have known it was wild like my mouth was like this was me the whole time if you're not watching on video you can just imagine mouth covered the whole time like oh my god like crying multiple times

Starting point is 00:03:31 you know I could do a whole episode about what she told me um let me know if you guys want that but the main important thing that I took out of it was my baby is coming. She felt like it was a girl, which made me want to cry because I feel like I've known my whole life that I'm going to have a girl. And I know you can't say that, but I've just always felt that in my soul. And this baby is, she's particular. She's a little sassy. She's waiting for the perfect moment for her arrival and I think she feels like Greg and I are just really busy right now and traveling a lot and you know very very focused on our careers so things need to be a bit more in flow a bit more relaxed for her to come in

Starting point is 00:04:18 and she felt like it would be this summer and whether or not you guys believe in that stuff, it just brought me so much peace to have this feeling of like, she will come at the right moment when she's intended to. So it was a really powerful conversation for me and I feel so much better about it. And also just about my purpose, just everything that this soul reader told me guys was so in in line with what I want for myself um you know I've definitely felt like I'm in a transition period right now in terms of what I want and my life goals and my future and she just really like made me feel validated in how I've been feeling and really like I'm on the right path for what I'm supposed to do in this life. And I know that's dramatic. But again, I could do a

Starting point is 00:05:12 whole episode about what she told me. So I'm feeling really good. I also told you guys, I talked to Dr. Jolene Brighton about fertility and PCOS. And I actually just did an episode with Dr. Sarah Gottfried on PCOS. So you guys should go listen to that if you do have PCOS. And I actually just did an episode with Dr. Sarah Gottfried on PCOS. So you guys should go listen to that if you do have PCOS like me, and things you can do to approach life, you know, with that lens. Someone DM'd Dr. Jolene Brighton after that episode that I was squatting on a red light. And she DM'd, she texted me and she was like, Maria, you squatting on your red light? And I was like, absolutely not. Perhaps I used the word straddling. It's more of like I'm sitting in front of it with my legs sort of like either side of it. But I had to have a conversation with her about me squatting on the red light because someone

Starting point is 00:05:59 like DM'd her after that episode, which is just hilarious. People are tattletailing on me. Anyway, that was my little life update. I want to get into these questions because there's a ton of them and I want to make sure we have time to get to a bunch. So let's start at the top. Fertility question. How long did it take for your cycle to normalize after getting off birth control. So after coming off birth control, I lost my period for almost an entire year. Apparently this happens to a lot of people. I've talked to many people my age who had the same experience. Things I did to get my period back. Acupuncture. The same person who did my acupuncture gave me Chinese medicine tea, which was honestly one of the most disgusting things I've ever had to drink, but I think

Starting point is 00:06:52 it worked. Myo and isotol again, lowering my cortisol, being mindful of, you know, stressing my body out too much. And also working with Emily so getting my period back took a long long time oh also chase tree um or also known as vitex can be really helpful but I always say if you're on birth control and you're thinking of starting a family I would recommend getting off of it sooner rather than later because you never know how long it's going to take for your cycle to normalize I feel like our generation is having kids later and later and later, which I completely understand. We're much more career focused. We have different priorities. But everyone's on birth control for such a long time. And it concerns me that people don't realize how you know much it can delay the process if you are wanting to

Starting point is 00:07:48 have a family so just something to keep in mind best advice for a fellow female entrepreneur trying to meet like-minded friends great question i know being an entrepreneur can be quite isolating i think going to events putting yourself yourself out there, there are more female entrepreneurs out there now than I feel like there ever have been. You know, I think of like South by Southwest, Expo West, you know, sliding into someone's DMs, people really meet on the internet now. I've met with so many different girls, you know, grabbed coffees with them and gone on walks just by seeing their DM, you know, them saying they're in the same industry or whatever it may be. I really think everyone is like hungry for that human connection and just sort of like letting go of

Starting point is 00:08:34 your ego and being the first one to make the move can be the result of a really great friendship. So easy pre-workout snacks. I've mentioned the Raw bars on here before. R-A-W-R bars. I love the dark chocolate almond butter one. So, so good. It's a small family business, so you do have to order quite far in advance, but I eat one of those every day. I also feel like maybe an avocado and some meat or maybe some sourdough toast with some protein would also be a great pre-workout snack. Do you take any liver supportive supplements for your acne? Yes, I do. I take Shisandra. S-C-H-I, wait, Shisandra. S-C-H-I-S-A-N-D-R-A, Shisandra. My liver was a huge piece of the puzzle for my acne and my acne is struggling again right now because I got a peel and I'm purging. But liver support is

Starting point is 00:09:36 such a big part of the healing journey. I feel like almost all of us, our livers are working in overdrive because there's so many toxins heavy metals microplastics mold and it's working through all of that every single day so I think everyone should be on liver support personally I also do the daily aloe warm water lemon salt mixture top five supplements you recommend to people with gut issues. So I think when you say gut issues, I'm curious exactly what you mean. Is it leaky gut? Is it like microbiome? Is it mold? Is it candida? It kind of depends. And I also feel like the gut impacts so much of our bodies, like it isn't always gut specific but I think to start with

Starting point is 00:10:26 bloom greens such an easy addition to the day a scoop in your water a scoop in the smoothie has prebiotics probiotics whole fruits and veggies you know I just had Dr. Sarah Gottfried on the show and she was talking about the importance of getting your greens in for gut health specifically for PCOS so greens have been life-changing for me obviously highly recommend I also think starting the day with you know the warm water and lemon is really beneficial for the gut and the aloe juice just to flush everything everything out and other than that oh i take this thing called um gastro what's that digest thing i take fee i think it's called gastro digest yeah gastro digest look that up on amazon i take a digestive enzyme for every single meal i eat um i'm trying to think what else i think shisandra is amazing for everyone.

Starting point is 00:11:25 I also think Golden Thread and Elysium are great if you're trying to kill off bad bacteria or candida or mold. Someone said, noticed Pursuit of Wellness is not a Dear Media podcast anymore. What is the new broadcast company? I don't have a broadcast company. I am independent. I am my own broadcast company. However, I. I am my own broadcast company. However, I do work with a producer named Drake. He's amazing. But yeah, I just feel like it wasn't necessary for me to be part of a network. I feel like I have my own business and I kind of know how everything works. So being independent has been really great for me. How tall are you? I'm 5'10". I feel like when I meet people in person,

Starting point is 00:12:07 the first thing they say is, oh my gosh, you're so much taller than I expected. So yep, 5'10". What tan do you use? So on my face, I like salty face drops. They are non-pore clogging, acne safe face drops. And then on my body, I get spray tans like every 10 days or so. I get a lot of spray tans just because I'm always doing things on camera and I'm really,

Starting point is 00:12:32 really bad at self tanner. So spray tans are just easier for me. If you know me at all, you know that I love my ClearStem skincare. It's one of the only skincare brands I actually trust because there's tons of weird stuff out there that is pore clogging and not acne safe. And what I love about ClearStem is that it was founded by two women who have struggled with acne themselves, Danielle and Kaylee, I know and love them personally. It is the first skincare line that combines all three categories, anti-acne, anti-aging, clean, and free of hormone disruptors and pore clogging fillers. Which guys, clean doesn't always mean non-pore clogging. That's an important point. And Clear Stem really is non-pore clogging. I love Clear Stem Skincare. My favorite products are the Cell Renew, the You Are Sunshine sunscreen, and the Gentle Cleanser in the orange bottle. I use these

Starting point is 00:13:33 products every single day. I am obsessed and I know that I can trust the ingredients in there. I also love the fact that Danielle and Kaylee are really focused on the internal side of acne. They actually have a new acne lab test on the website, which I've mentioned on the podcast before. It's helping thousands of people get to the root cause of their acne through comprehensive lab testing and lifestyle-based recommendations. You guys can visit clearstemskincare.com and use code POW, P-O-W, at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Again, that's code POW, P-O-W, for 20% off your purchase on clearstemskincare.com. If you are anything like me, you're trying to be more present, you're trying to slow down, you're trying to be in the moment, and that's really where breathwork and meditation have come in for me. I've done a breathwork class and it was

Starting point is 00:14:23 absolutely incredible. I did it at Open Studio. I had such a good me. I've done a breathwork class and it was absolutely incredible. I did it at Open Studio. I had such a good experience. I was really excited to find out that they actually also have an app. They have so many different meditations. They have one for clarity and gratitude, calming breath, performance breath, sleep, energy. I personally love the gratitude one. It really helps me start my day. These are short, easy meditations you can do absolutely anywhere. And it really has just been such a support for me in my life. You know, moving to Austin, going through such a big transition. This app has been a great way for me to recenter and ground myself. And it's such a good part of

Starting point is 00:15:02 the daily routine. I always recommend it to people people and it's just such an aesthetic app they always have a quote of the day which I really really love if you want to get on my daily routine you can get 30 days free of open by visiting withopen.com slash pow again 30 days free by visiting withopen.com slash pow. How do you respond to conflict in your relationships while protecting your mental health? Such a good question. I feel like conflict response is not something we're really taught growing up, like I at least wasn't. And it can be quite jarring if you're a sensitive person or you're afraid of conflict. I think over the years, I've learned to just be more self-aware and really think before I speak and take a beat and be like, okay, what could I have done in this situation to, you know, have a better outcome and really acknowledge and own up to that while communicating

Starting point is 00:16:05 my feelings as well. And also just understanding like on the other side of conflict is usually a much better outcome rather than just sweeping everything under the rug. What do you put in your king coffee? I'm actually drinking my king coffee right now. I'm just having it black because I'm crazy and I feel like I like the taste of black coffee. But if you do put milk, maybe some coconut milk, I feel like coconut milk is one of the better choices. Try to get one that doesn't have like weird oils in it. I know Emily Morrow, my health practitioner, has an amazing recipe. She does like honey and an egg yolk, I think. How can you detox and support your liver? I'm about to get off birth control and need help supporting my liver. Oh my gosh, so many liver questions today. I feel like in addition to all the things I mentioned,

Starting point is 00:16:56 castor oil packs. Just look up on TikTok or YouTube castor oil packs for the liver. It's kind of wild and medieval vibes, but you basically strap this cloth that's soaked in castor oil packs for the liver. It's kind of wild and medieval vibes, but you basically strap this cloth that's soaked in castor oil on your liver and it's amazing. It like soaks into the skin and detoxes your liver. It will make you go to the bathroom, which actually kind of helps the whole process, I think. But I used to do it before I would go in the sauna and it really helped me a lot. So definitely try that out. It's kind of wild, but it worked for me. I don't really get how it works, but castor oil packs. How many times a week or month do you eat beef organs? So I kind of stopped doing the organ

Starting point is 00:17:42 thing. I tried it for a little bit. I didn't really, I mean, it gave me an energy boost for sure. And I think if you can get organs in, do it. Like I know the force of nature has blends that have organs in them that you barely even notice, but it wasn't benefiting me the way I hoped. And I just feel like everyone's so different. Like if it makes you feel amazing, go for it. I have it every now and again because Greg eats it so frequently, but it's not a huge part of my routine anymore. Tips to find the love of your life. Such a great question. You know, it's tough for me to give relationship advice because I've been with Greg for a decade now. And the way we found each other was kind of like weird you know we were in college we were in

Starting point is 00:18:28 greek life and it was definitely not the best time for us to have a relationship i feel like when you're in college and partying and you just end up hurting each other undoubtedly you know we were indifferent he was in a fraternity i was in a sorority we were partying kind of a recipe for disaster but I think Greg and I are just so connected in such an odd way like we we just knew we were supposed to be together and he really is my best friend like I can't think of someone else I'd want to do life with and when you know that you do always come back together no matter what you go through so I think just also not listening too much or watching other people's relationships too much I think social media can be so deceiving and

Starting point is 00:19:20 you know people always say marriage is hard work and it's an interesting quote because it shouldn't necessarily be hard work but it takes like you need to be willing to push through some really hard shit because life is hard and that if you found your person you need to be able to handle it together and support each other in the ways that you need so i think finding the person that you're like I could do hard things with this person and I could enjoy my life with this person those are the questions you need to ask yourself have you found anything that helps with acne scarring so that's definitely a journey I've been on I've done microneedling a couple times and I've heard amazing things, but it does break me out. I end up purging afterwards. I feel like

Starting point is 00:20:10 red light therapy helps me a lot. I notice when I do red light therapy, my skin looks noticeably better on a consistent basis. How do you find your purpose? I want my daily job to be more rewarding to my life I feel like finding your purpose is one of those things that you just kind of need to trust the universe but also be willing to take a risk like if I think about my fitness journey I had no idea that that would ultimately turn into my career but something about it was pulling me towards this health industry and learning more and being just really committing myself to this thing where I was like, I love this. I don't know what I'm going to do with it professionally, but I'm just going to keep going. I think outside of your daily job, like look at what you're most passionate about and really

Starting point is 00:21:01 lean into it. Show up every single day. Give it your all. You never know what it can turn into, especially in this time where being an entrepreneur is so accessible because we have, you know, social media, you can build a community. Being an entrepreneur has never been easier. So lean into the things that make you feel really, really good and aligned. What has changed in your routine now that you're in Austin? Great question. I feel like my routine is way less rigid. Every day looks a little bit different for me now, which is really fun. I'm outside a lot more. I'm still, you know, training frequently, but like everything's just a bit more fun. I spend more time with other people.

Starting point is 00:21:46 I feel like I have more of a community and I'm having more fun in my day. I'm able to separate my work from my play. And because we're two hours ahead of LA, I feel like my morning is a bit longer. I can take my time. It's a bit slower. And I can take a moment in the day to go get coffee with someone and then come back and finish my work so I don't feel you know in LA I was coming to the office nine to five sitting at my desk every single day and it really wasn't for me like I found myself getting depressed being in the office all day and now I feel like I have a much more free flow throughout the day. How can someone who doesn't have the finances or access to providers regulate their hormones? I really think the best thing you can do is listen to podcasts. I think finding that free information, you can listen for a full hour, you can take notes. It really is like having an

Starting point is 00:22:43 appointment with a professional, whether it's Dr. Sarah Gottfried or Dr. Jolene Brighton or Dr. Mindy Pelz or Emily Morrow. They all have such fantastic advice and just taking notes on the supplements they recommend, the diet, the workouts, and just trying it out in your own life. I feel like there's never been more free information out there. And that's how I really got started on my healing journey was just listening to podcasts, even at the beginning of my weight loss journey, that's what I did. So using that education and applying it to your own life, I think would be really beneficial. What's your stance on creatine for women? Creatine is the most studied supplement that there is. And

Starting point is 00:23:22 I think it can be really beneficial. I used to take it during my weight loss journey. I think women are afraid of it because they feel like they get bloated on it. But the truth is, it's just hydrating your muscles. So I really like it. I'm actually thinking of starting to take it again. What happened to the Bloom Broncos? Are they waiting for the next event or was the wrap job temporary no they are permanently wrapped they will be present at expo west also greg has decided that fee will be well he didn't decide he offered fee one of the broncos to drive around austin because her car sort of broken down at this point so fee is going to be driving around a bloom bronco in austin so please don't stalk her i'll be weird but if you see fee out on the streets give her a wave she'll give you a stick pack she'll be throwing stick packs out the roof possibly flashing people just kidding

Starting point is 00:24:14 she's in the room right now producing this episode so yeah fee will be whipping the bloom bronco y y'all. Oh, which aloe juice do you drink? Just make sure you get pure aloe juice. Check the ingredients. Some of them have weird shiz in there, obviously, because we can't trust anyone at this point. Get pure aloe juice. How are you going to handle parenthood and running a demanding business? This is where Gregory comes in, guys. Like, I'm so lucky that my husband and I run a company together. He, I know him and he's so in love with business and Bloom is his whole life. He will support me when I need the support. And I think actually at this point in my career, I will be able to handle it because I do my podcast, I can record from anywhere, I take my bloom meetings, you know,

Starting point is 00:25:14 a few times a week. I think it will be manageable and I think everyone around me also knows that this is a huge part of what I want in my life and they are ready to support me in that way. Can I come riding with you and Fi please? Horse emoji. Oh, we had the best time guys. We went trail riding on Sunday in Austin and it was beautiful. There were wildflowers. I had a horse named Sunny who was a grey, also known as a white horse. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. And feed was on Luna. And we had the best time. What does your ideal perfect Saturday or Sunday look like? Honestly, like that. Riding horses, being outside, spending time with people I love, eating some good food,

Starting point is 00:25:56 having some wine. Ideal. Okay, let's end on this. What would you go back and tell your 21 year old self? Gosh, I would tell her, you are so crazy. You are so crazy, but enjoy it while you can, have fun, live it up, and just know that there is so much good coming for you. And you don't even really know who you are yet. So buckle up, baby. All right, guys, that was a lovely episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Please don't forget to subscribe. It helps me so, so much and lets me know that you're enjoying the show and then you'll never miss an episode. I'm posting two a week. It's a lot of work. So I would appreciate in return if you could just subscribe and if you want to leave a review, that would be amazing. I love you guys so much.

Starting point is 00:26:46 I'll see you in the next one. Bye. Thanks for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. To support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favorites at marilowelland.com. It will be linked in the show notes. This is a Wellness Out Loud production produced by Drake Peterson, Fiona Attucks, and Kelly Kyle. This show is edited by Mike Fry,

Starting point is 00:27:16 and our video is recorded by Louise Vargas. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Mari Fitness. Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys. See you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.

Pursuit of Wellness - Q&A w/ Me: Coming Off Birth Control, Acne Scarring, Microneedling, Pre-Workout Meals, Castor Oil Packs & Finding Your Purpose

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