Pursuit of Wellness - Solo: Life Updates - Harvard Talk, Book Recs, Fertility, PMS & Sleep Hacks

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. What is up, guys? Welcome back to another solo episode. I am so excited to be sitting down with you guys today. I have a couple updates, and I'm going to be answering questions from you guys. I asked you to ask me anything. I feel like it's been a while since I did a Q&A and I got some really great questions kind of all over the map. So excited to chat about that. I landed late last night from Boston. I was so, so, so honored to have the opportunity to speak at Harvard this past weekend. It was such a beautiful, special experience. I think for me, it was kind of full circle just because being back on a campus and being in a college environment

Starting point is 00:00:54 really reminded me of my college experience. And I definitely had the time of my life in college, but it was also, as you guys know, like the most challenging time of my life and the time where I hit rock bottom and really had to find myself and just so much trauma there. So to come back to a college campus as this version of myself felt really, really crazy. Also just the feeling of like never being the best student, never having the best grades, always kind of feeling like I wasn't as high achieving or as smart as my peers. And I don't know, I don't really think school has to define us. I think growing up, I really let that impact my confidence and how I showed up every day feeling insecure about the fact that I didn't do well on tests or I had a lot of anxiety around studying. There were certain things I did well in

Starting point is 00:01:51 like English, art, language, like that came to me easily, but everything else was pretty much a disaster. So it was this really full circle moment to be asked to speak at such a prestigious university and to speak to women in business. I spoke at the Intercollegiate Business Conference. Basically, women from Harvard, from colleges around the world came to this conference and I was a keynote speaker. So I spoke to women from Peru, Columbia, Harvard students, BU students. It was pretty amazing. And I kind of did like a fireside chat on stage, got to talk about my personal story, how I created Bloom Nutrition with my husband and the evolution of our business over time. And it was really interesting to kind of think back to when I started, because when we started our businesses, I was essentially still a college student. Like I was still finishing my degree. I pretty much just started posting in 2017

Starting point is 00:02:58 and just thinking back of like, how did I do that? What was the first step? What was the mindset I was in back then when I did start and speaking to the younger generation and looking at their faces, I was like, oh my gosh, they are so young. They've got so much ahead of them. And I did a Q and A session at the end and it was just so sweet to hear the questions they had. They were so intelligent, so thoughtful. And I think a lot of the girls were like, how do we find our purpose? You know, like, how did you know that that was the right business to start? And I kept emphasizing the fact that I also felt so lost majority of my college career. I feel like looking at where I'm at now, it might not be, you know, apparent that I struggled so much with that,

Starting point is 00:03:46 but it really took that, you know, rock bottom journey I went through to find my purpose. And you guys have heard me say a million times, but I think oftentimes our purpose is in our pain and the hardest things we go through are the things that end up being what give us the fuel to do amazing things. So I spoke about, you know, Mari Fitness and the PDF workout guides and the resistance bands. And it was pretty incredible. I had girls coming up to me at the end of the presentation saying they followed me since they were 13. And someone had a skin, you know, a face skin tallow brand that she was sharing with me. And it was just really, really, really special. And I was so honored. I got a little Harvard award, which just meant the world. And

Starting point is 00:04:32 I'll be putting that up in my office for sure. So it was really fun to be in Boston this past weekend. The weather was amazing. The trees were yellow, very fall vibes. And I'm back. I'm back and ready to record. We've got some amazing interviews coming up, like such a good lineup here in Austin. And then I go to LA mid-November to talk to some more amazing guests. So stay tuned for that. So without further ado, I'm going to hop into these Q&A questions I've gathered here. Let's start from the top. Greg and I are currently redoing our whole house and one room we really pay attention to is the bedroom. And the thing we are not changing about the bedroom is our Cozy Earth bedding. It is truly like a hotel luxurious experience. I think if you're going to invest in anything, it should be good bedding. Sleep is so,

Starting point is 00:05:32 so important for optimal function. Cozy Earth was named one of Oprah's favorite things in 2018. They have a best-selling bamboo sheet that is temperature regulating and incredibly soft. I like to sleep very cold and we've had sleep experts on the show who say sleeping cold is the best for the best deep sleep. If you're more into linen, they also have a linen collection that adds a breezy classic charm to your space. I feel like this is perfect for hot weather locations. Explorecozyearth.com for the latest embedding from cashmere blends to timeless textures. They've got it all. Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for my listeners today, up to 40% off site wide when you use the code PURSUIT.

Starting point is 00:06:11 That's P-U-R-S-U-I-T at Cozy Earth. You guys know I'm a very active person. I work out a ton. I horseback ride. I'm always sweating. So I definitely need my Lume products at all times. Let's face it, summer isn't the only time we get body odor. We can be just as smelly under our favorite fall sweaters. And that is why I'm so excited to tell you about Lume whole body deodorant

Starting point is 00:06:36 for your pits, privates, and beyond. Lume deodorant was created by an OBGYN who discovered odor isn't just an underarm thing. It's an all over thing. I love that it was created by an OBGYN who discovered odor isn't just an underarm thing, it's an all-over thing. I love that it was created by a fellow woman who is qualified in this space. It is a pH optimized deodorant that is clinically proven to control odor everywhere for up to 72 hours, so fall can be just as fresh. I also love the fact that it's baking soda free, paraben free and pH balanced. So I feel good about using it in very intimate parts of my body and it has the 72 hour odor control. So this is really something you can put on,

Starting point is 00:07:13 head out the door and do whatever you need to do. Lumi's starter pack is perfect for new customers. It comes with a solid stick deodorant, cream tube deodorant, two free products of your choice like mini body wash and deodorant wipes and free shipping. As a special offer for listeners, new customers get 15% off all Lumi products with our exclusive code POW and if you combine the 15% off with the already discounted

Starting point is 00:07:36 starter pack, that equals over 40% off their starter pack. Use code POW for 15% off the first purchase at lumideodorant.com. That's code POW at L-U-M-E-D-E-O-D-O-R-A-N-T.com. Okay, this person said, favorite self-help motivational book recommendations. So I haven't read a ton, I won't lie, but I've read two that really stand out. The first one I would recommend is Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins. I've read this book a number of times. I read it back in the day when I was still very much going through my journey. I think it's like one of those books that's so much about mindset that you can really apply it to anything, fitness, career, relationships. It's really about having like a tough attitude, which on my journey, like I really needed that kind of discipline. I needed

Starting point is 00:08:39 to have this tough mentality to get through what I needed to get through. So if you're someone who just really needs that tough love right now, read that or listen to it. I'm pretty sure I listened to it actually, because I think David read it himself or he actually had like excerpts of where he was talking. And then the next one is 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna West, I believe her name is. That one's a little bit more spiritual, emotional self-help, and I really, really loved it. And it's also very digestible and easy to read. It's not one of these like super intimidating long books. Next question was, are you looking to buy another horse? So I know when I talk about this, people are going to be like, what happened to Bo? What

Starting point is 00:09:25 happened to Bo? If you missed the update on the horse, go back and listen to my last episode with Fi, where she's talking about her human breakup. I'm talking about my horse breakup, which was quite emotional and sad. I don't really want to rehash it here. It's a long story, but I did ultimately have to sell Bo to someone lovely, who's going to give him an amazing life. It just wasn't working out between the two of us. And it got a little, a little sketchy for a minute there. So he's in a much better position now. And so am I. But with that said, yes, I am looking to buy another horse. I am a horse addict at this point. It just is my lifestyle. And I've been Western

Starting point is 00:10:06 riding lately. I've been learning to barrel race with a lovely girl called Jimmy Smith. She is a pro barrel racer, one of the best in the country. She's such a badass. I'm obsessed with her. And she has so kindly taken me under her wing. And it's just been such a cool experience to learn from her. And I've been riding a couple of her horses, but an opportunity came up recently. Some of her close friends have a horse available in California. He has been teaching kids to do barrels and he is very kind, very gentle. He's just a little bit too slow for the pro barrel races, which is perfect for me because I'm not trying to go that fast yet in my journey. So he seems like the

Starting point is 00:10:52 perfect lesson horse for me. He is a sorrel, which means he's like a red color. He is a beautiful, like Barbie mane. He is actually arriving. And by the way, guys, I fully, this all happened in the last 24 hours while I was at the airport. He's going to arrive this week. He should be here by Thursday. And the family is letting me try him to see if he's a good fit, if we're a good fit for each other. And if that is the case, I will buy him. Unfortunately, his name is Red Bull, which is cute. But I, yeah, i do own an energy drink company and i can't really call him red bull because that's for sure you know a competitor not really a competitor but like not an energy drink that i would personally um partake in so

Starting point is 00:11:37 we'll work that out i'm thinking i'll call him arby kind of sounds like arby's or i'll call him red something cute um but it's kind of bad luck to change a horse's name so let's see what happens so that's the update on the horse the next person said are you doing IVF I am not currently doing IVF it's not off the table but I'm not ready to dive into that until I try a couple other things first, such as IUI and some of the other things I'm doing. So not currently doing IVF. Do you get symptoms of PMS before your period week? So I don't necessarily get like the cramping or the crazy bloating or anything like that. I've never really had that sort of physical symptom, but I do feel it in my mood. Like I do feel maybe a bit more teary-eyed,

Starting point is 00:12:32 a bit more sad in that way. But I've never had horrible PMS symptoms and I do not take birth control. So I think honestly, a lot of bad PMS symptoms come from, sometimes it's from like lack of nutrients or certain supplements like magnesium is really helpful. Sometimes it could just be a hormonal imbalance coming off the pill. I know a lot of people experience strange PMS symptoms. So I would definitely talk to, or just do research on hormonal health. I think Dr. Mindy Pelz is someone who I would really look to for that. Loved the episode on finance. Will there be more on this topic?

Starting point is 00:13:16 I'm really loving seeing the response to Shamina's episode. It makes me so, so happy to see how much you guys are loving it. It's definitely something new. Financial and money wellness is a new topic. And I loved having her on. I feel like we should do more episodes on finance. I felt like she was coming at it from a very much mindset, spiritual trauma standpoint. Maybe we should have someone on who's more practical with investment advice, saving tips and things like that. I think that could be a good follow-up. How many hours of sleep do you get? I get roughly eight hours every night. Sometimes it's a little bit less depending on how long it takes me to fall asleep. Last night I definitely didn't get that much because I got back so late. But yeah, I am not negotiating on my sleep, that's for sure.

Starting point is 00:14:03 That's an important part of my routine I feel awful if I get any less than like seven and a half hours after healing from acne do you still think you have PCOS it's this is such a funny topic to me because I think PCOS is such a like broad statement like there's so many different symptoms that come under PCOS and everyone seems to have like different versions of it. I guess the answer would be yes. Like I do still classify as someone with PCOS. And I recently went to a fertility doctor here in Austin who was scanning my uterus

Starting point is 00:14:42 and we were seeing what I'm supposed to ovulate. And we could see, you know, I do have a ton of follicles, which is technically a good thing, but it also indicates you have PCOS. And honestly, this doctor was not the nicest to me. She was a bit negative and she was like, Oh, see all these follicles. Like you definitely have PCOS. And that's why acne happens and weight gain happens. And you're probably not ovulating. And I am ovulating every month. I test for ovulation. I have a regular period, all those things. I have in the past experienced the elevated testosterone, the acne and things like that. But I think I manage my PCOS with a healthy lifestyle and it really hasn't deterred me. Perhaps it's made things a bit more challenging, but I think there's always a way to,

Starting point is 00:15:25 you know, like holistically help situations you're in. I hope that answered the question. And the acne was clearly coming from H. pylori and not from the PCOS. So it's difficult to say. What red light panel do you use? I love Boncharge. They have great products. They have a red light mask. They have panels. I think I have a code for them. I think it's code pow. Check the description box. We will make sure we list the code for Boncharge there. And red light, by the way, is amazing for acne scarring. It's great for injuries, inflammation. I tend to do my like little meditations in front of it. It's really easy to like habit stack while you do it. Sometimes Lulu will come lay with me while I'm doing it. So she's getting her inflammation sorted out as well. How have you been feeling about fertility lately?

Starting point is 00:16:18 I feel like I haven't been discussing fertility quite as much. And I feel like that was somewhat intentional. I definitely kind of hit a wall with just like how much I was thinking about fertility every day. I feel like I spent 10 months just obsessing about it and thinking about it every five minutes of my day. And it just got to a point where I was talking about it on the podcast. I was, you know, being really public with it, thinking about it all the time. And I just kind of hit a point where I was like, I need to think about something else. Like, I think I kind of burnt myself out and, you know, still it is for sure a priority for me. We still trying it's not that's not a question but it's more like I think I'm just trying to be less obsessive about it and me

Starting point is 00:17:16 talking about it and getting feedback on it almost makes for a vicious cycle so that's why I've sort of like retreated a little bit from being so public, but I want to make sure I'm still discussing it where necessary because I know it's so helpful for other people struggling to hear that I am as at deleting apps and subscriptions that i don't use anymore i tend to just let things sit on my phone in fact i just got a new phone and realized i had apps from like six years ago that i really never click on and that's where something like rocket money comes in. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions and

Starting point is 00:18:11 monitors spending and helps you lower bills so you can grow your savings. I know so many of us have financial goals, things we're saving up for, and this is one of those small things you can do that makes such a big difference. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to $740 a year when using all of the app's features. They also have a new goals feature, which automatically saves money for you without you having to think about it, whether your goal is to pay off credit card debt, put away money for a house, or just build your savings. Rocket Money makes it easy. Stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to rocketmoney.com slash pow. That is rocketmoney.com slash pow.

Starting point is 00:19:02 Who is the most famous person on your phone right now? I pulled this question because I love seeing people do these on TikTok. And I was trying to think who my most famous person is. I think it's Jay Shetty, possibly. But I don't know, there could be someone else lurking in there that I'm forgetting about. But it's funny when you get someone's number who you're like such a big fan of or like admire because you're, I don't know, I'm always like nervous to text them or respond. It's just like hilarious to see like Jay Shetty's name come up on your phone. You're like, oh my God, Jay Shetty, what are you doing on my phone? Anyway, that's probably the most famous person. Do you help pick out or buy any of greg's clothes or does

Starting point is 00:19:47 he dress himself funny question greg is quite the fashionista he's a new york boy he loves his shoes he has i think he has more shoes than me at this point sneakers to the ceiling. He loves like Ame Leon D'Or, that store in New York. He loves, I forget, he has all these brands that he loves and all these cool shirts and outfits. The thing is he doesn't quite know how to put the outfit together himself. Like he'll come out in these colors that just really don't make sense. But it's easy for me to sort of like, turn them around and be like, okay, hold on, like the pants are amazing. But like the top doesn't go, let's pick something else and do a different shoe. And he's like, oh, yeah, cool. So he does listen to me most of the time. But he does have his own like sense of style. And he has his like bloom chain he wears every day. He pulls out some looks for sure. So Greg is a

Starting point is 00:20:48 stylist in his own right. Thoughts on medications slash SSRIs slash antidepressants. So if you know my journey, you know I've like had a whole journey with SSRIs. Like I've had, you know, different diagnoses. I've been put on so many different medications. They've in the past really done me a disservice, like really numbed me out and made me sort of fully dissociate from life, honestly. And I think that was really damaging for me because I was on so many at once. Now I take one medication. The name of it is Lamectal. And I take a very, very low dose of it. And it's very beneficial for me. I think I went years being afraid of taking something, but I do, you know, very much struggle chemically with like anxiety and depression and things like that. Like it's just part of who I am and it really helps me break that loop. So I think there is a way to go

Starting point is 00:22:00 about it. That makes sense. I think finding the right one for you, making sure you're not trying too much at once in terms of dosage, in terms of actual medication. Of course, I'm not a doctor and I am not qualified to speak on this, but just from personal experience, I think they are not to be messed with. And even coming off of them can be a really delicate process and something that I did incorrectly in the past. So just something to keep in mind. What kind of facial treatments have you had done and what do you recommend? So you guys know I've had acne for a very, very long time. Right now I don't have any active acne, but I do have a lot of scarring. So I really like getting frequent chemical peels, not extreme ones, but just light ones. It's really, really helpful for the pigmentation and texture. I'm also getting microneedling done this week.

Starting point is 00:22:58 I'm kind of nervous for it. I've had it done in the past, but it always broke me out in the past because I was still very much dealing with the underlying reason in the past because I was still very much dealing with the underlying reason for the acne. I think now I should be okay, but let's see. Getting extractions done if you have acne, I think is really helpful. I get a little bit of Botox. I think that's a facial treatment.

Starting point is 00:23:24 That's kind of it in terms of treatments. I mean, just seeing an esthetician who's acne specific was really important to me because I think if you go to an esthetician who's maybe a bit more focused on anti-aging or just overall skincare and doesn't have experience with acne, it's a completely different ball game. So I just keep that in mind. What are your Western riding pants? So I wear jeans now when I ride, which is honestly so nice. Like I used to have to wear the tan breeches and the boots and it was cute, but it was a whole to do to put this outfit on. Now I just throw jeans on and like a t-shirt and boots and I'm done. But it is important to wear comfy jeans. And I found this brand through Jimmy and my friend Michelle called Ranch Dressin, which is like a really funny brand name now that I say it

Starting point is 00:24:19 out loud. But it's owned by Fallon Taylor, who is a pro barrel racer as well. And these jeans are like so stretchy. They feel like leggings. So I've been wearing those and they're like a really cute boot cut. So that's the brand I love of the Western riding pants. Why didn't you get tested for H. pylori when you first started getting functional work done? So only reason I didn't get tested for it was because I didn't know what it was. I'd never heard of it. And it was never recommended to me to test for it. I didn't know that that kind of thing could be causing acne and also just hadn't heard of it.

Starting point is 00:24:58 I think sometimes that's what's challenging with the testing. It's like, well, we don't even really know what we're looking for. There's so many things that could be going on. So it wasn't until later that I learned about H. pylori that I really went down that path. And if you haven't heard me discuss my acne journey and how I cleared my skin and gut health and everything, it's a couple episodes ago. It's my acne and H. pylori episode. So I'd recommend listening to that. What does a day in your life look like when you're home in Austin? So definitely a lot more relaxed than it was when I was in LA. It kind of depends week to week, honestly. Like I was looking at my calendar

Starting point is 00:25:37 this morning and I definitely have some crazy weeks coming up with like interviews and events and things. But now, it depends on the day. I'm usually up by 6.30, walk the dog, gym, breakfast, get ready for the office, get here by 10 or 11, do a recording, do some ads, do some bloom meetings, get on the computer, answer emails. I don't tend to stay here the whole day. Sometimes I'll go home and take meetings from there or I'll go walk the trail or go prep for some podcasts. Honestly, when I prep for interviews, I like to sort of go on a walk or a drive. It helps me focus on what I'm doing. And then sometimes I will start the day by going riding, which is like an hour away so I need to drive an hour away and I'll do my meetings in the afternoon it kind of just depends and

Starting point is 00:26:30 I make a lot more time now for like socializing relaxing um just like more life stuff you know I like to take my chickens out at night I like to make time to make sourdough bread or whatever I'm doing. So yeah, it's a bit more lenient. But then again, sometimes I fly to Boston for a work thing, or I'm going to LA in a couple of weeks to do interviews and events. And it's kind of more bursts of grind time and a bit more downtime in between, if that makes sense. Advice on how to make skin look fresh and pretty even with acne. I've been struggling. I so get that. When I was in the depths with my acne and wanting, I don't know, you want to do like a slick back bun or you just want to feel cute and not wear a ton

Starting point is 00:27:17 of makeup. It was like very difficult for me to feel confident to go outside without makeup on. And even though I wanted to, and I wanted my skin to breathe and heal, it's sort of like a vicious cycle. What I would say is try to find clean makeup brands. If you take a look on my Instagram or join my newsletter, I talk about the clean makeup brands I use there. Clean doesn't mean like, so there's certain brands out there that say they're clean and they're still, they have pore cloggers in them. There's certain things like shea butter and stuff you want to avoid when you have acne. So there's like really specific brands that have very acne safe products. I would just do a little bit of concealer, a little bit of blush, whatever

Starting point is 00:28:00 makes you feel cute, brush the eyebrows up and just know that no one sees it the way you do. I think it's really easy to hyperfixate and feel like, oh my gosh, all anyone is seeing is my acne, but just know that they're looking in your eyes and they're hearing you and your personality and they're not hyperfixating on your acne the way that you are. So just keep that in mind and also know that it's temporary. So I hope that's helpful. Tips on surviving the two week wait between ovulation and your period. Yeah, it's awful. It is the worst two weeks ever. I feel like I convinced myself so many times that I was pregnant. I was like, oh my gosh, I'm short of breath. I'm pregnant. Oh my gosh, I'm hungry. I'm pregnant. Oh my gosh, this. Oh my gosh, that. I think it's like, if you haven't

Starting point is 00:28:49 experienced it, it's tough to explain to someone how all consuming it can be. And it's like, you want to test early. I did that so many times where I took tests way too early and it said not pregnant, not pregnant, not pregnant. And you get in this like horrible headspace of like, will this ever happen for me? And just like over-reading symptoms and everyone tells you to let go and relax. And you're like, I can't fucking relax. Like this is my life's mission. What do you mean? So I so get it. I think I'm at the point now, I never thought I would get to where I am now, but I've sort of fully let go. And I think it's just because I'm at the point now, I never thought I would get to where I am now, but I've sort of fully let go. And I think it's just because I'm tired of thinking about it at this point. But I'm like, you know what, if it happens, it happens. I'm going to hit the window. I'm going to do everything

Starting point is 00:29:35 I can. But me worrying and stressing about it every day of my life is not going to make it more likely to happen. And I spent, you know, a few months sort of putting my life on hold previously where I was like, okay, well, I'm not going to ride my horse. I'm not going to travel. I'm not going to drink because I am just hyper fixated on this child. So I can't do anything else. And now I'm sort of like just living my life how I normally would, because I can't just put my life on hold without knowing like if it happens then I'll cancel things you know like we'll just make make it work so um make yourself busy do things you love hang out with people you love try to take your mind off of

Starting point is 00:30:17 it do meditations whatever you can but I do think there's a small part of it where it's like instinctual in us that we need to like procreate and our minds are like obsessing over it. So just know that it's normal too. When you write your book, will you share more about your childhood? That's a funny question because like I've always wanted to write a book at some point in my life. I know I will do it. But I've always wondered like when people write books about their childhood, did like the family members get upset? Isn't it like a difficult thing to do? Are you sort of like burning bridges? I would never want to do that. But at the same time, it's you need to honor your truth. So it's like, do you change people's names? Do you make it fiction? I don't know. It's a tough thing to handle. Like I would like to sort of have it be a therapeutic experience

Starting point is 00:31:04 and talk about things I haven't spoken about, but at the same time, I don't want to invade anyone else's privacy or hurt anyone else's feelings, but maybe that's a me problem. So anyway, that's my thoughts on the book. Guys, I'm going to end this Q&A here. Thank you so, so much for tuning in. Just a reminder to subscribe or follow to the show. We're releasing about three times a week right now, which is so exciting. Don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed it. And let me know what you want to see next in the comment section. Love you guys so much.

Starting point is 00:31:34 And I'll see you on 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 mariluwellen.com. It will be linked in the show notes. This is a Wellness Lab production produced by Drake Peterson, Fiona Attucks, and Kelly Kyle.

Starting point is 00:32:01 This show is edited by Mike Fry, 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 - Solo: Life Updates - Harvard Talk, Book Recs, Fertility, PMS & Sleep Hacks

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