Pursuit of Wellness - Solo: Fitness Plateaus, Managing Relationships, Imposter Syndrome, Fertility Update & Q+A

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Hi, guys. Welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and welcome to today's solo episode. We talk about a lot of different topics today. I did a Q&A for you guys. But before we hop in, I have a very exciting announcement. Well, it's like half of an announcement. You guys have probably figured it out by now, but we are dropping a brand new product in a brand new category. You may have seen me teasing it in my Instagram posts.

Starting point is 00:00:38 People have already been finding the product on the shelves. It comes out tomorrow. I will be announcing it on my Instagram page and Bloom will be announcing it on their page. So go follow us on Instagram. Keep an eye on the TikTok. It is a huge, I think it's the biggest day in Bloom history. And I just know you guys are going to love it. I've even been seeing some reviews on TikTok already and everyone is obsessed and I'm kind of freaking out. So make sure you keep your eyes out because it comes out tomorrow. And then you can go find it on the shelves. So without further ado,

Starting point is 00:01:11 let's hop into this solo episode. What's up, guys? Welcome back to the show. My name is Mari. I am your host. And today, we have a solo episode. I'm going to be answering questions from you guys, giving you updates. You seem to really love the solo episodes. And I'm going to be answering questions from you guys, giving you updates. You seem to really love the solo episodes, and I'm really happy about that because I love chatting with you guys and getting to kind of dive deep on my own. I obviously love, love, love doing my guest episodes. I've learned so much from the guests I've had on the show, and there's been some incredible people, but it is really nice to just sit down. I got back from New York. Actually, we got back from Arkansas because we went directly from

Starting point is 00:01:51 Long Island to Arkansas, Bentonville, Arkansas, which is the home of Walmart. It's where the Walmart family is from. It's where it started. And that is where we travel to go meet with them. So obviously we have our greens and pre-workout in Walmart and we have another product coming. I think a lot of you know what it is, truthfully, and it is a really, really, really, really big deal and it's a different category of the store. So whenever you want to get your product into the store, you have to pitch them and talk to them about your product. And this is a completely new category. It's not a supplement necessarily. It's a whole new buyer. So we had to meet with the new buyer. We met with Walmart, Sam's Club. We did another meeting with Walmart. So it was an intense 24-hour work trip, but it went so well.

Starting point is 00:02:48 And I'm really happy to be back. I leave again on Sunday to go to New York City for a couple reasons. I'm interviewing someone that I am a huge fan of. She's a comedian, and it will be the first comedian I've ever had on the show. I'm curious if you guys can kind of guess who it is. She has her own podcast and she has a Netflix special out right now. So I cannot wait to talk to her. I'm kind of freaking out about it. And then I'm also going to a couple of fertility appointments in New York with Greg. It's a quick two-day trip. And then we'll be heading back to Austin. So I'm definitely feeling like a little bit out of routine right now. I've just been traveling a ton. There's been a lot of birthdays this week. We've been staying up late. We've been eating out a lot

Starting point is 00:03:38 and I haven't been able to work out quite as much. Definitely got in enough steps, but I'm missing weightlifting so, so much. I did Pilates this morning and it was like one of the hardest classes I've ever done. And they also told me I'm about to hit my 25th class, which is so fun. I do Pilates like once a week and I feel like it's really great for the core. But I am desperate to lift weights again. So I plan on doing that probably the morning before my flight. I just get this like feeling of like pent up energy almost when I don't weight lift. And it's just such a pillar of my routine. So yeah, I plan on getting back into that. It's tough guys, balancing, you know, socializing, work, travel, fitness, doing it all at once. It's a lot

Starting point is 00:04:27 to manage. And yeah, I know you guys ask me a lot about time management and how I stay healthy on the road and things like that. It is an effort for sure. I think what I do when I feel like a little out of control of my routine is just focus on the simplest things like walking, eating as many whole foods as I can. So in Long Island, we tried to cook as much as possible. Just focusing on what you can control rather than freaking out about the things you can't, I think is key. So that's an update there. I am officially on phase three of my H. pylori gut protocol. I've seen a lot of progress on my skin. So the left side of my face, I feel like is almost completely flat. I can just tell by touching it. It used to be under the skin bumps and painful, and now I'm

Starting point is 00:05:21 just healing the leftover hyperpigmentation from previous acne. The right side, I have a little breakout right here. My esthetician was like, kind of warned me that that would happen because she could feel it under the skin. And I have a little breakout on my chin, but I think these are kind of like the last of what's going on, which is pretty insane. So I do think that the protocol worked. Now it's just a matter of rebuilding the gut in a healthy way and making sure the H. pylori doesn't come back and I'm not leaving room for, you know, bad things to kind of take over again. So phase three is supplementation. I'm doing prebiotics. We're doing colostrum. We're doing the BPC-157.

Starting point is 00:06:08 Obviously, you guys know at Bloom, we have our own colostrum, which is what I'm using. It's like a really high quality colostrum sourced from the best possible ingredients. So that's been a huge part of the protocol. I'm taking, what else am I taking? Glutamine. And these are things that I'm taking like before breakfast, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, before bed. So it's definitely intense, but I feel like just getting through these next three months of this protocol will set me up for success. And I feel really good about it. I was actually with my doctor, Dr. Gabrielle, yesterday in Houston. I was on her podcast, so make sure you watch out for that.

Starting point is 00:06:45 It was such an amazing conversation. She's someone I respect so much in the space, and I'm really excited for you guys to hear that. So I think it's time to hop into a Q&A. Let's see what you guys asked me. I have no idea. I eat clean workout and yet I don't see any progress help. So I would ask, you know, how long and how consistent have you been with that routine? I think a lot of people kind of have this perception that like you can do something for a week and you're going to see progress. But the thing with, you know, weight loss or muscle gain or health and wellness is it really is about how many times are you showing up out of 10? What percentage of the time are you consistent? Because

Starting point is 00:07:33 that is everything. If you're consistent some of the time and sometimes not, I really think that that's not going to set you up for success. I would also say like, take a look at what you're doing and is it sustainable? And is there anything you could try to do differently? I also think a mistake I see a lot with working out, especially weightlifting, is people don't understand how to push themselves hard enough. And I think once you know, oh, that's what a workout should feel like, it kind of changes the game. So for me at the beginning, like every set I was doing, I was doing an extra rep. I was going heavier. I was pushing harder. And it's not necessarily that I was like, you know, an athlete at the gym. It's just I was

Starting point is 00:08:23 pushing my limits every single time I went back and not every single workout was perfect, right? But I was there, I was showing up and pushing myself with the weights. It shouldn't be easy. You should be failing on your last rep. So let's say you have 15 reps, that 15th rep should be almost impossible. That's what failure should feel like. So, you know, really push the limits and you can do hard things and keep pushing. What does a day of rest look like for you? A day of rest for me probably looks like a morning where I'm walking a lot. Maybe I'm a little bit slower in my routine. I'm hanging out with the dogs, make myself breakfast. Maybe I'm doing some

Starting point is 00:09:07 red light. Maybe I'm going outside. It kind of depends. Also, maybe horseback riding, something. I have to be active regardless of if it's a rest day or not, but I'm not going to lift weights necessarily. So yeah, just picking a movement that I find enjoyable like maybe I'll go to the trail and walk with a friend or go horseback riding and kind of just like really soak in the morning and enjoy the extra time how to handle setting boundaries with family that's a tough one and I feel like it's a great question because it can be really challenging to set those boundaries when it's people that you love so much. I think knowing your values and knowing what's really important to you and things that you're not willing to give up and just making that really clear, like, hey, I need to be in bed at a certain

Starting point is 00:09:57 time or I need alone time. And I think there's a way to communicate it that's like polite and friendly and not going to hurt anyone's feelings. And, you know, anyone who truly loves you and supports you will completely understand. And I think it's good practice to start setting boundaries. I think respecting your own boundaries is the truest form of self-love, whether it's with friends or family or whoever it may be. And once you do it a couple times, I think people learn what you expect and what you require for your needs. And it's a great practice. IVF versus IUI and your thoughts. So I've definitely been exploring this, obviously, on this fertility journey. I actually just went to an OBGYN here in Austin. He was amazing. And he kind of like explained to me the difference and what I'm thinking. And I'm still figuring out my thoughts

Starting point is 00:10:52 on it. I think IVF is maybe more of a like long-term solution for Greg and I. But I am interested in maybe trying IUI before I dive deep down the IVF path, because obviously IVF is intense. It's medications, you're under anesthesia for your egg retrieval, like it's a lot for the body. And I'm kind of like, why don't I just try IUI first? For anyone who doesn't know, IUI is essentially where there is some medication involved. It's called letrozole and it basically encourages ovulation and you take it between days four and eight on your cycle. Then you'll go into the OBGYN, they'll check if they see a mature egg, they will inject you with the trigger shot. They'll take a sample from your partner and they will basically insert with a tiny

Starting point is 00:11:43 tube the sperm exactly where it's supposed to go. And it basically increases the chances that you'll get pregnant because you're timing it perfectly. They clean the sperm and make sure it's like high quality. So this is something I'm definitely considering trying before I go down the path of IVF. I'll keep you guys updated on how it goes. Obviously, everything needs to be timed perfectly with the cycle. So, you know, I sometimes will mistrack my ovulation. Like I was under the impression I was supposed to ovulate later than I did this month and I missed my window. It's tough. Like that happens sometimes and you really need to be diligent about peeing on the stick. And when you're traveling,

Starting point is 00:12:25 it's really hard to keep up with this stuff. So I am reaching the point where I'm like, I think I need help timing this perfectly. So yeah, that's where I'm at with it. And timing it with your cycle's tough because I have a crazy travel schedule and I'm trying to make it work, but this is my priority right now

Starting point is 00:12:43 and I'll do whatever it takes to make this happen. So that's my update. Toothpaste is one of those things that we use every single day, but we never think about the ingredients in our toothpaste, which we definitely should. Most commercial toothpastes are filled with harsh chemicals, artificial flavors, and preservatives, not things we want to be putting in our mouths, let alone swallowing. And that's where I found Bite. Bite makes dry toothpaste tablets

Starting point is 00:13:15 made with clean ingredients that are sulfate-free, palm oil-free, and glycerin-free. I actually like to travel with these. First of all, I always forget my tube toothpaste for some reason. I never bring it on my trips. And this is so easy to just throw in my bag and just carry on with me on the plane. It makes it really easy to stay fresh on the go. They come in refillable glass jars and they send refills in compostable pouches. So it's better for our bodies and the

Starting point is 00:13:40 earth. Bite is offering our listeners 20% off your first order. Go to trybyte.com slash pow or use code pow at checkout to claim this deal. That's t-r-y-b-i-t-e.com slash pow. You guys may have seen part one or part two with Todd Anderson on the show. He's a sleep expert and he just has so much knowledge around how to optimize your sleep. Sleep really impacts everything in our lives from weight loss, energy, how you show up every day, your mood, mental health. And Todd actually has his own business called Dream Recovery. Dream Recovery has science-backed solutions to help you feel your best each morning.

Starting point is 00:14:22 The new Dream Tape Plus combines the benefits of mouth tape with a skincare routine. It has clinically backed anti-aging ingredients and is infused into the tape with things like collagen, biotin, vitamin D, and vitamin B. I feel like a big fear that a lot of women have is that they're putting this kind of adhesive tape on their mouth and then it's damaging their skin or putting harmful ingredients. So I think this is such a great product. We love Dream Recovery in my house. Greg is using the mouth tape all night long.

Starting point is 00:14:51 Sleep really is the foundation of health and there is nothing better than waking up and feeling refreshed and ready to attack the day. Use code POW for 20% off your order at dreamrecovery.io. That's dreamrecovery.io. Use code POW. Did it ever feel like your relationship was more of a business than a relationship? I would be lying if I said it wasn't tough. Like during the key building years of Bloom, it definitely felt like we were

Starting point is 00:15:26 talking more about work than we were about anything else. Looking back, so grateful that we went through that time and it was so necessary to be where we are now. But I did struggle with that. I felt like the romance and the personal parts of the relationship were kind of the lowest priority during a time. And I would say Greg would agree, but we're at the point now where I feel like we have that balance and it feels so good to be able to view him as my husband rather than my co-founder.

Starting point is 00:15:57 I would say like for a couple of years, the line was a little bit blurred. But I think the one biggest piece of advice I heard that really stuck with me, I forget who told me this, maybe it was Carrie Sisson, but that relationships ebb and flow and there's seasons for different things. Like sometimes you guys are super on the same page and things are great. And then you'll have a season where maybe things are a little bit off and the communication isn't great. And then you always just try to find your way back so learning not to freak out during those different ebbs and flows and kind of trust that it will come back to what you know it can be

Starting point is 00:16:34 I would say we're in a really good spot right now Greg and I but I like to be transparent about the fact that there's been some tough seasons but we've pushed through and come out stronger every single time. I think I hear advice a lot from like relationship podcasts or clips I see on the internet of like, if he's not doing this, then he's not the one and like give up. And it's like a lot of encouragement of like leaving people who are not perfect. And I don't agree with that. I feel like pushing through hard times together is, and having patience is what creates a strong relationship. How has trying to conceive affected your mental health? It's been a roller coaster for me. I feel

Starting point is 00:17:18 like when I first thought, when I first decided I wanted to try to have a baby, Greg and I both decided I was like really excited and it was a new chapter. And I was maybe a little bit naive because you kind of think, oh, this will happen for me right away, especially when you're a healthy person. You're like, yeah, easy. I'll have a baby. Like I'm deciding I want to have a baby. And then you kind of have this moment where you're like, huh, it's like month three or four and it still hasn't happened. This is weird. And for me, I think my darkest moment was beginning of this year. Just feeling like, wow, is this ever going to happen for me?

Starting point is 00:18:01 How come it's happening for all these other people? You start noticing like pregnancy announcements and other pregnant people and being like, oh my gosh, like what's wrong with me? And I kind of had to go on a journey of like letting go control a little bit and, you know, stop the negative self-talk around it. Especially when I was dealing with like acne and fertility at the same time, I was just so hard on myself constantly feeling like I was doing something wrong or something was wrong with my body. But at the end of the day, I forget the stat, but it's like 80% of infertility is unexplained. Like you could have the perfect uterus, the perfect ovaries, the sperm count could be great and still you could be struggling.

Starting point is 00:18:50 It is like a very isolating feeling, I think, especially for women because we tend to blame ourselves. And I think we forget that like so many other people are going through it. So yeah, it's not easy. I'm in a much better place with it now. And kind of like knowing it's going to happen for me and just kind of letting go of the timing a little bit has been helpful. But like I have moments, you know, when I went to the OBGYN and I'm surrounded by pregnant people and babies, that's hard. Like I was there for a while because he was delivering a baby that day. And I'm sitting there and I'm like, how are all these people pregnant? And I'm not, you know? So yeah, like it's been tough, but I know it will be so worth it on the other side. But I'm so happy that I have a platform to speak about my situation because I do feel like I'm an example and I'm maybe hopefully making other people feel less alone in the process because I know how isolating it can be.

Starting point is 00:19:48 And yeah. And also when you see pregnant people, like you never really know what they had to go through to get that baby, you know? And now that I have friends who have babies and I'm hearing their story, it's, you never know. Like, yes, it happens for some people like in the first month of trying, but for a lot of people, it's, you never know. Like, yes, it happens for some people, like in the first month of trying, but for a lot of people, it's really hard. So just keep that in mind. Who were influences you looked up to on your weight loss journey? Oh my gosh. I listened to a lot of like motivational podcasts and YouTube videos. I loved Andy Frisella, who is the founder of 75 Hard. I loved Lane Norton. He taught me a lot about nutrition. I watched an IFBB bikini pro called Angelica, who won Miss Bikini Olympia.

Starting point is 00:20:38 I watched Courtney King, who I now have a personal relationship with and I love her. Taylor Chamberlain was a big one for me. Whitney Simmons. Yeah, I was like a fangirl of the fitness influencers. It's so crazy to think about. But yeah, the internet was like a really helpful place for me to learn a lot about fitness. Do you ever deal with imposter syndrome? All the time. I was actually talking about this with Dr. Gabrielle yesterday because she just went on the Andrew Huberman podcast and we were talking about anxiety and nerves and feeling like, oh, am I qualified to do this? And my biggest piece of advice, because I feel like I've gotten a lot better about it, is every time you go somewhere where you feel like you don't belong, or why am I doing this, or am I even qualified for this? I always say, if not you,

Starting point is 00:21:31 then who? And I think you almost need to have a bird's eye view on yourself. And let me explain. I feel like I get stuck in my own perception of myself, which is a skewed view of who I actually am. And who knows why, like I think the way I was raised or whatever, I lean on the more, or I used to lean on the more insecure side and always doubting myself. And now when I walk in a room, I remind myself of all the things I've done and who I am. So like, you know, I have a show. It's in the top four health and wellness podcasts right now. I have a business. I have an amazing team. My name is Mari. I love fitness. I know a ton about nutrition. I love learning about hormones. I'm a good speaker. Like I try to remind myself of the things I'm good at rather than getting stuck in like, you know,

Starting point is 00:22:25 the insecurities. Like everyone has these intrusive thoughts and keep that in mind. Like even when I'm going to spend time with someone that I really admire or someone I feel like nervous to be around, they're probably having their own intrusive thoughts about the situation. Like just remember that everyone is experiencing it and hype yourself up. Give yourself a minute, take a breath, remind yourself of who you are, and if not you, then who? I think the difference between successful people and people who are not successful is being confident enough to give it a shot and just show up and do things that scare you. I still say yes to things that scare me all the time. Next week in New York, I'm interviewing this person. I'm super nervous about it,

Starting point is 00:23:09 but I'm going to show up and do it anyway. All the things I've done in my career are things that have freaked me out and I did them anyway. So I hope that helps. Any cute ideas on how to announce a pregnancy? I think about this all the time. I often save pregnancy announcements I see on the internet because I just love seeing the way people do it. I think a lot about like how I want to tell Greg and my friends. And I have a lot of thoughts about it because I know everyone like films their pregnancy announcements now. And I just have this thing

Starting point is 00:23:47 where I feel like special moments are meant to be special. And I almost feel like a camera ruins it. And any, you know, like I didn't film my engagement with Greg. We're very like intimate with that kind of thing. So I do think, I highly doubt that the moment I tell Greg

Starting point is 00:24:03 or I find out that I'll film it, but I do think I'll film telling friends because that's just fun and maybe family. I love the onesie that's like best aunt ever or some cute things like that. I want to do something fun and surprising. I'm so bad at keeping secrets. So let's see what happens. But if you guys have any fun ideas, please let me know. Go comment on the Pursuit of Wellness page. What kind of wood cutting boards do you avoid to use plastic? This is crazy to me because every time I cut meat or fish, I'm like, I don't want to put it on wood because I don't want it to soak into the wood. But I don't want to use plastic and get the microplastics in the food. And I'm like, I don't want to put it on wood because I don't want it to soak into the wood, but I don't have, like, I don't want to use plastic and get the microplastics in the food.

Starting point is 00:24:54 And I feel like there isn't really a good in between. So I kind of end up like doing it on a plate or in a pan or something, but someone needs to come up with like a good solution for this. Or I just end up using wood anyway, because I care more about not eating microplastics. Because every time you cut on a plastic cutting board, there's like, you'll see the white parts on the cutting board. That's like cutting plastic. And those little pieces of plastic are going in your food. And it's one of the leading causes of infertility for men. People are finding microplastic in testicles, which is freaking crazy.

Starting point is 00:25:27 So yeah, I need a good solution for that. So if anyone can let me know, that would be great. Do you drink the tap water everywhere when you travel? No. Greg is very sensitive with tap water. I don't care as much. But if we don't have access to a reverse osmosis, we will go buy like mountain valley water and glass. I try to like refill as much as I can, but yeah, it's definitely tough while traveling. What are good ways to support a friend going through a fertility struggle? It's a good question. I think like listening and, you know, just having empathy without trying to give too much advice. I think that's what's tough. It's like anyone going through a fertility journey probably has done an exuberant

Starting point is 00:26:11 amount of research and they know everything there is to know about it. So giving advice is a little bit like annoying because I feel like when you're going through a fertility issue, if people know, everyone just wants to give you advice and it can get confusing and upsetting. And just helping them understand that like it will happen for them and the universe has a plan, timing will be perfect. And almost like talking about how great it will be when you have a baby and like the positive side of it.

Starting point is 00:26:43 And oh my gosh, like let's talk about baby names and what do we think of this? And that kind of keeps it light and fun, I feel like. I feel like the older we get, the more we're all thinking about how we want to be intentional with the way we live and we eat. And I think one of the number one questions I get is, what are some healthy snacks to go for that have high protein? And one of my favorites is the Mosh bars. You may have heard of Mosh. It was featured on Shark Tank and was founded by Maria Shriver and her son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, with a simple mission to create conversation around brain health through food, education, and research. Maria's father suffered from Alzheimer's and since then she and Patrick have dedicated themselves to finding ways to help other families deal with this debilitating disease. We've done a few episodes on this show

Starting point is 00:27:34 about Alzheimer's and I think this is such an amazing founding story. Mosh joined forces with world's top scientists and functional nutritionists to go beyond your average bar. With 10 delicious flavors, including three that are plant-based, each Mosh Bar is made with ingredients that support brain health like ashwagandha, lion's mane, collagen, and omega-3s. Now Mosh Bars come with a new look and new formulation featuring a game-changing brain boosting ingredient that you won't find in any other bar. I feel like brain health is always at the forefront of my mind. Having gone through my own journey with mental health, I really, really support this type of mission behind this brand. If you want to find ways to give back to others and fuel your body and your brain,

Starting point is 00:28:14 Mosh Bars are the perfect choice for you. Head to moshlife.com to save 20% off plus free shipping on either the bestsellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial pack. That's 20% off plus free shipping on either the bestsellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial pack. That's 20% off plus free shipping of either the bestsellers or the plant-based trial pack at m-o-s-h-l-i-f-e.com slash pow. Thank you, Mosh, for sponsoring this episode. What are your plans for Jackson Hole? We don't have many. Like, we really plan on going and, like, disconnecting. We're staying in an Airbnb with, like, mountains behind us. It's going to be very outdoorsy.

Starting point is 00:28:59 A lot of hiking. I want to go to the rodeo. You know, cook. We have a lot of visitors coming, friends from Austin coming to check out the Airbnb, go to the rodeo with us. You know, I really want to like treat it as a little bit of a time off, hopefully, see how I can get away with that. But the podcast will still be running guys. Every Monday you will have an episode, I promise. How did you start your podcast and how

Starting point is 00:29:25 do you get sponsors? So great question. I had experience guesting on some other shows and I really, really enjoyed it. And I kind of always knew in my soul that podcasting was meant for me. And I originally launched with a network, definitely learned a lot. And when you join a network, they basically need you to get a certain amount of downloads before they can monetize and bring it out to brands. And then once you have a certain amount of download numbers, brands will show interest in buying ad spots from you. I can do a whole different episode about this, but I'm coming from a unique perspective because I have my own brands. I don't just work with any brand. I'm very particular with who I work with. I want to love and use the product because I'm a business owner and I know,

Starting point is 00:30:20 I just understand it from a different perspective and Bloom and, you know, my brand are my priority. So yeah, I come at it from a different angle and podcasting is tough. It's very, it's a lot of work. It takes a lot of consistency. And I love it so, so much, but it's definitely, it's definitely a whole new challenge for me. And yeah, it has grown a lot more than I anticipated. I'm now independent. I don't belong to a network anymore. I have my own team and we are just grinding and I love it so, so much. And I can't wait to see where it takes me. Tips for eating on the road. I feel like we sometimes bring Tupperware and we definitely bring like snacks. Like I always bring my protein bars, meat sticks, chomps. I have a code for both of those I can put in the

Starting point is 00:31:13 description box. And we try to stay in Airbnbs so we can cook and we'll go grocery shopping and set ourselves up. I just am not someone who can eat out every meal. I don't ever really trust what restaurants are putting in the food. I don't always feel great afterwards. I feel my best if I can cook at least like one or two meals a day and then maybe go out for dinner. And when I'm out for dinner, I'll order like a main protein. Like if I'm somewhere near the ocean, I'll order fish or I'll order steak. And then maybe like a side of potatoes and a salad. And I kind of share things with Greg

Starting point is 00:31:53 and really just focus on that high protein, whole food type diet. Do you like your book, A Court of Thorns and Roses? Guys, I'm obsessed. My friend Kirby recommended me this book series, and I am already almost done with the first one. I started it while I was away, and I was reading it on the plane. I'm obsessed. I didn't realize it was like a smut book. I don't even know what smut, what does smut even mean? Let's see. Basically, it's like a sexy book. There's like

Starting point is 00:32:23 sex scenes in it, which I didn't realize, but I really love like fantasy books. It's, you know, there's fairies in it and there's like another world and it kind of reminds me of Harry Potter a little bit. What is smut? A story, usually book or fan fiction that includes a sexual scene. Okay, got it. Noted. Okay, well, it's kind of smutty, but I'm almost done with it. And I do plan on reading the next one.

Starting point is 00:32:52 I'm so excited. Apparently the second one is the best one. What's the new bloom drink you and Fi were holding? Spill it, girl. Guys, you're gonna die when you find out. And I'm so bad at keeping secrets. Like, obviously, I keep leaking the product everywhere I go, but it is like the biggest thing we've ever done in Bloom history. It's technically already on some of the Target shelves. It is exclusive with Target. I've been tagged in a couple stories that I am unable to repost at this moment because I'm

Starting point is 00:33:25 not allowed. But said drink is on the shelves at some Targets, I believe in Georgia and Florida. So that's all I'll say about that. But you guys are going to freaking die. And if you see it, tag me because you know about it before everyone else. And I can't wait for you guys to try. What is your relationship with alcohol? What is your favorite drink? Et cetera. So I drink like a gloss or two, maybe every two or three weeks. Like it's not a big part of my life, but I love, love, love a glass of wine. like a dry French wine is my thing, like a white wine. I like a dirty martini every now and again. But yeah, I was just on Long Island and there's vineyards out there. And I, of course, had a glass of wine with dinner. Like I loved it.

Starting point is 00:34:20 But I am very, very sensitive to alcohol, like a couple drinks and I am unwell the next day and my sleep isn't good. So it usually is just not worth it for me. But every now and again, I feel like I indulge and I enjoy, you know, you got to have fun in life. I've heard you can't horseback ride when you're pregnant. How will you handle that? Something I've definitely thought about, you know, I know some people who do ride pregnant. That's just not worth it to me. I feel like I can go definitely spend time with Beau, but I don't plan on riding when I'm pregnant. It's just not worth it. You know, you can fall off. Things can happen. I don't quite know yet. You know, I've considered the fact that Greg's mom is in horseback riding now.

Starting point is 00:35:06 And maybe I should send him to Long Island so she can ride him. Like, I really would love for someone that I know to ride him while I'm not able to. And he's such a great horse. I think he would be so great for someone learning to ride. But let's see. I don't quite know my plan, but that's definitely going to be sad for me. I'm going horseback riding tomorrow. I haven't been in a while because I've been traveling so much. That's something that's tough with the horseback riding. It's such a time commitment. And I really need like hours to go. And it's also so hot here in Austin.

Starting point is 00:35:42 I have to go early in the morning. So it's been tough for me to fit the writing in lately, but I can't wait to go back. Someone thought Greg is from the UK. No, Greg is Italian American from Long Island. Do you speak any other languages, German, French, or Italian? Oui, je parle un petit peu de français parce que j'habite en So basically, I speak some French. I grew up, so I lived in Switzerland, in Geneva, from age one to three. And I went to a French nursery school. And then in England, you grow up in French class. Both my parents speak French. My mom works at a French-American school.

Starting point is 00:36:21 My dad speaks French. It's just like a big part of my household. So I can definitely get by. I'm not fluent. I wish I was. I think if I had gone and lived there, like on study abroad, I probably would be. But for some reason, young Mari decided not to do that. So I can understand a lot and speak a little bit, but I would like to be a lot better than I am. And I don't speak any other languages. But language is like a big thing in my family. Like my mom speaks Portuguese, Italian, French, some Spanish.

Starting point is 00:36:54 My dad speaks French, some Welsh, some Swiss German. So yeah, a lot of people are asking if there are any jobs open at Bloom. The best thing you can do is go on LinkedIn and check the Bloom page. I am definitely growing my podcast team. I found someone amazing to bring on board that I'm so excited about as my podcast manager. But stay tuned, keep an eye on the LinkedIn. And with that, I'm going to end this here, guys. A couple updates. I have already announced this, but if you missed it, Amazon Prime Day is coming up July 16th and 17th.

Starting point is 00:37:35 It may have already passed by now, but if it hasn't, go check out the sale. Bloom is having a huge sale. Our colostrum is live. Our greens, obviously. And then keep your eyes out for the new products drop because it's going to be huge. And with that said, I really hope you enjoyed it, guys. Make sure you hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. We upload twice a week. Go follow the newsletter. That's where I post links to my favorite products, my skincare, my makeup, my snacks. I'll put that link in the description and leave a review, share with a friend if you enjoyed, and I will see you in the next episode. Bye. Thanks for joining us on the

Starting point is 00:38:10 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 and our video is recorded by Louise Vargas.

Starting point is 00:38:38 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 - Solo: Fitness Plateaus, Managing Relationships, Imposter Syndrome, Fertility Update & Q+A

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