Well with Arielle Lorre - 152: Wellness Q&A: Tips, Tools and Trends

Episode Date: January 31, 2022

In this episode I’m talking about wellness lessons I’ve learned over the last year, habits I’ve picked up and some I’ve left behind, and the truth about some hot wellness trends. I discuss tools that helped me through a low point last year; how I became more flexible with my diet; how to have goals while also remaining intuitive with the approach; my opinion on various trendy diets; tips for establishing routines and sticking to them; a wellness trend I regret following and why; the best thing I ever did for my overall wellness and more.   This episode of The Blonde Files is brought to you by the House of CHANEL. Harnessing the revitalizing powers of the Red Camellia flower, CHANEL Research introduces a new generation of sustainably developed skincare: NUMÉRO UN DE CHANEL. Beauty Ahead of Time. Discover the collection at www.chanel.com    This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.   Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The following podcast is a dear media production. This episode of the Blonde Files podcast is brought to you by the House of Chanel. Harnessing the revitalizing powers of the red camellia flower, Chanel research introduces a new generation of sustainably developed skin care, numeral Ene de Chanel. Beauty ahead of time. Discover the collection at Chanel.com. Chanel introduces a new generation of sustainably developed skincare,

concentrated with the extraordinary anti-aging properties of the red camellia flower. Numero 1 de Chanel harnesses the powers of this uniquely resilient ingredient to address the five signs of aging and support skin's vitality. The complexion appears younger, smoother, radiant and revitalized. Numero 1 de Chanel, beauty ahead of time. To learn more about the line, visit Chanel.com. Hey, welcome to the Blonde Files podcast. I'm your host, Ariel Lorry, and I'm here to talk all things wellness. From how to achieve optimal health and well-being to the best beauty tips and everything in between,

no topic is off limits. I know there is so much information out there, so I'm here to help you navigate it all and live your best life. Thanks for listening. Let's get into it. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. Welcome to a bonus episode all about wellness lessons from 2021, what I'm doing in 2022.

And then I am also going to be talking about trends and taking your question. So this is a little bit of a continuation from the New Year's episode I did at the beginning of the year. I talked a lot about some new lifestyle and wellness habits that I've implemented into my life, mainly walking 12K steps a day, which was such a game changer for me. And so many people were interested in it. I was kind of surprised. But I wanted to get into some lessons that I've learned around wellness.

what I have left behind, what I hope to do more of. And I also had you send in questions and popular wellness trends and I'll give you my experience or my take on those. So yeah, as the intro says, I guess we are talking all things, wellness. So over the years, you probably know that I've been kind of all over the place when it comes to my approach to my lifestyle and wellness habits. And when I started my Instagram account, I was pretty much on the other end of the spectrum from where I am now, meaning I had a pretty rigid all or nothing attitude when it came to this stuff. And I really thought that wellness was just what I ate and how much I worked out and what I looked like. And I have said this so many times before. But I thought that health meant like having abs. And I pursued all of that by doing intense workouts six days a week, counting macros. I didn't pay any attention to things like sleep, rest, my emotional well-being, any of the other important facets of health. And I crashed and I burned. And I had to unlearn really all of that, which is really, really hard. And Harley, my trainer and I talked about how insidious

things like counting calories and macros can be. And I know for a small subset of the population, Maybe it doesn't lead to disordered eating or thinking. And for some people who really struggle with obesity and maybe necessary, so I'm not discounting that. But for the majority of people who do it, which I'm assuming are women who are like me more or less healthy but want to achieve their ideal body, it can be really harmful. So that was where I started. I had to let go of all of that a few years ago.

And I've done episodes on this, so I won't really get too into it. but it's been a gradual kind of evolving process of finding what works for me and what doesn't. And it's really important to note that what worked for me even last year, even six months ago, doesn't necessarily work for me now. And I encourage everyone listening to literally try anything and everything within reason to, I feel like for legal reasons, I have to say that, to see what works for you. So now, as usual, I've gone way off on a tangent in the first two minutes of the podcast, but I wanted to give you a little bit of background, and that basically brings me to the present. So I had a few struggles last year that I learned a lot from. Also, I've talked about this

in previous episodes. I think maybe a solo episode that I did with Brian. We got more into it, but mainly they were around things like injuries and health issues and how to get through that and really to not take my health for granted at all. And I think we get so caught up in how we look. We get caught up in like how much we're eating, what we're eating, how many days we're exercising, all of that. And I think we kind of, what's that saying? Like we lose the forest and the trees or the trees in the forest. I'm very bad at remembering quotes like that. But I think you guys probably know what I mean. I think we forget how just lucky we are to just be functioning. I definitely did. And when some of that was like taken away from me, it was very jarring. So my lowest point with all

of that was at the end of last summer and early fall where I had a bad foot injury when I fell in Greece. and I was put on meds that really affected me mentally and physically. So not only was I sedentary because of the foot injury, but I was like uncontrollably anxious, dizzy, not in a good place. Mentally, I've never thankfully struggled with depression, but I think I was dealing with it a little bit then and just this like debilitating, debilitating anxiety to where I could like not function. And I had to find new wellness.

tools to get me out of that while I was figuring out what was going on because initially we didn't know that it was the medication causing this. So a few wellness tools that I found during that dark time that really helped me were cold plunge and breath work. So I cannot stress enough how helpful these two things were for my mental and my physical health. So I basically did the Wim Hof method. If you guys are familiar with Wimhoff. I really know nothing about him. I don't know if he's like a total quack or not, but he really helped me during this time. So I pretty much did 10 minutes of breathwork daily and a three minute cold plunge. And it like truly saved me when I felt like I could barely function. So you know, I like to stick to science on this show. I did a quick search on PubMed just for this

portion because I wanted to see what studies say about this breath work. I think it's called holotropic. Holotropic, I don't know how to pronounce it. Breathwork, which is basically voluntary hyperventilation and then holding your breath for prolonged periods of time. And I found that there were so many papers about breathing and breathwork and its effect on the nervous system. And of course, you're going to get different studies with different results. One paper said breath practices have been shown to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, mass disasters, yikes, depression and attention deficit disorder, mass disasters. Interesting. Just going to breeze over that one.

While another said further research using more sophisticated methodologies than have been used to date will be necessary in order to confirm or refute the hypothesis that HB, holotropic breathwork, may be useful in treatment of psychiatric disorders. So these are not one in the same, obviously, because one is talking about reducing symptoms and another is talking about whether it's an appropriate treatment. But this is one of those things that you can try for yourself to see if it works. So I just did the Wimhoff Beginners breathing technique on YouTube. They have a bunch of videos and it made me just instantly calmer and more clear, especially combined with meditation. So it's not something that I still do daily. I wish I could be that kind of person where I'm like,

I wake up, I do my meditation, I do my breath work, I sit outside in the natural light, and then I do my cold plunge, and then I journal and do my readings and whatever, but that's just not who I am. I do my meditation daily, and I'm like, that is good. Like, that's pretty freaking good for me. But it is something that I have in my toolbox that I know is effective. I also used this when I was super jet lagged and super anxious when I was traveling last summer for the first couple days. And it really, really helped. So then the cold plunge also really helped with my anxiety. I don't know if it was physiological or just mental, like the feeling that I did that. So I felt like I could get through whatever the day threw at me. But it was super effective. And I didn't even

do a real cold plunge, like in a real ice bath. I would just do a really cold bath, like at the coldest temperature possible. And then sometimes I would add some ice in there as well. So, you know, I also wanted to look up the science of this for you guys. So this, let me just pull up what I found online. And again, you guys can just like go to PubMed or Google PubMed breathwork to find some peer reviewed papers here. So let me find it. Okay. So let's see. It says one 2008 study reviewed the role of hydrotherapy and the treatment of depression. So obviously depression, different from anxiety. But it says participants were noted to experience an improvement in their symptoms after several weeks of hydrotherapy. This consisted of two to three minutes sessions of cold water showers one to two times per day. And then for anxiety, it said anxiety often leads to an increased heart rate. While some studies have noticed, that cold hydrotherapy could increase heart rate in people with depression. Others have found that cold water immersion can lower your heart rate by up to 15%. It also says cold showers have been

proven to help improve blood circulation. When you cool down your body temperature, your system responds by moving fresh blood. Anxiety may cause an increase in blood pressure. So in theory, a cold shower may help bring it down. Another way cold showers may work is by increasing endorphins are the feel good hormones in your brain. Endorphins can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Cold water may also decrease cortisol as stress-inducing hormone. So this is another one that you can try for yourself.

I feel like maybe I have to make a disclaimer to check with your doctor first. But it's just another thing that I have in my toolbox that I did last year out of desperation that really helped that I know now I can use if I'm in a situation where I'm feeling really overwhelmed, really activated. It also did help me with muscle recovery.

So that's another thing. And it just helps if I'm feeling really anxious or stressed or overwhelmed about my day. And that's when I find all of that more helpful. Let's see. Another thing I started doing when I started working with Harley, aside from the daily walking, which you guys can go back to my episode with him or the episode before that to hear about the walking. but when I started working with him, I started eating gluten and dairy again. That's right.

Alert the press. It's true. And can I just say that I think my gut health seems to be so much better since. So last night I had some fresh baked bread with barata and I was like, this is what I've been missing for years. Are you kidding me? So I started reintroducing by doing one food at a time. So I would do like small amounts of fresh sourdough. And when that was okay, I started with dairy, which was the main one that I was nervous about because I felt like that was the one that really always upset my stomach.

So the reason why I did this, well, I'll get into it. I was mainly doing it for like the probiotics. And I don't do a lot of dairy, but I do like a little Greek yogurt here and there. I like a little goat cheese. I like a little barata occasionally. Like I mentioned, I started the really. the reintroduction actually with Nancy, the brand Nancy's cottage cheese. And I did like a teaspoon a day at first and I never had any issues. And this was a really big thing for me because over the years and dealing with gut issues, I had really come to fear certain foods. But just like when it comes to exercise and lifestyle practices that may work six months ago, but not today, I kind of had this light bulb moment where I was like, well, that would apply.

to food as well. Like the same approach that I did back then might not be working for me now. Like, why am I still avoiding these things that made me sick five years ago? So I just really felt like I had come to a place where I wanted to let go of all of that. And while you guys know, because you probably follow me, I still mostly develop like plant-based recipes or I don't use dairy when I cook. And all of that, it's nice to be able to go out for dinner and not have to modify things and just feel like I can be a little more present and enjoy food and just live a little, you know? So what I'm doing in 2022, I said it right this time. I did not call it 2020 like I did in my last solo episode, although I may have earlier in this episode, who knows? So what I'm doing so far this year,

what my approach looks like now is just really intuitive while still having some goals that I want to hit. So just kind of goals that make me feel my best. So just kind of goals that make me feel my best. So So the first one would be prioritizing sleep, which I always did. But I have to say, since getting an aura ring last year, I can really see how I can optimize that. Like doing late workouts, even if it's just in the afternoon, negatively impacts my sleep quality as does eating a late dinner or eating dessert kind of late. So eating an early dinner and like reading for an hour before bed with an amber reading light, taking magnesium. These things really positively. impact my sleep quality. And these are all insights that I gleaned from seeing my sleep patterns on the aura ring. And then another goal, of course, is striving to hit my steps daily, which has become a habit, like that hour of walking on the treadmill in the morning, is just really something that I enjoy because I also get so much work done and it frees up so much time later in the day for me while simultaneously moving my body. And then just being more intuitive.

more adventurous with food, getting protein in in the morning, which has helped my satiety throughout the day, and then hitting my two meditations daily, which I stopped doing for a while last year. The first one, I always do. The second one, I kind of fell off. What else? Limiting screen time. It's probably now sounding like I'm like still really regimented. But these are just things that I enjoy that feel natural, that make me feel my best right now. This might change down the line. And they just kind of help me move through my day with like clarity and ease. So those are the things that I'm focusing on bringing into this year and focusing on this year. Okay. So now I'm going to take your questions and trends. So let's just keep in mind that I'm not a professional. This is just my opinion based on my experience or what I've learned from people on my show and all of that good stuff. So Okay. The first one, I like this one. The first one is macha versus coffee. So the person who brought up this, what should we call this? I don't know, this rivalry. This person said that you need much more fructose to make match palatable. I see that point. So for me, it comes down to a taste preference thing and also just how sensitive I am to caffeine. So I like the occasional coffee or the occasional coffee. Or the occasional. latte, but in general, I am a macha girl through and through. It truly gives me, like,

the best boost, partly energy, but mainly with my clarity and my alertness. And I think that's because of the L-theonine, which is super calming. Like, when I was going through that difficult time last fall, I would take 300 milligrams of L-thian supplements in the morning, and it helped so much. So with matcha, I don't get that crazy energy spike that I get with coffee and then crash. I just get like a little steady stream of feeling good. No crash. Like I don't notice when it wears off. But as for flavor, so I'll do a video on this, but you guys need to try it this way. So the night before, I personally like to drink it cold. So this is how I do it. So the night before you're going to drink your matcha, you combine your milk of choice. I like macadamia or hemp or

cashew. So you combine that with your matcha. It has to be high quality. Otherwise it tastes like shit. and then you blend it. I like to put it in like a magic bull hit or a beast blender. I know this is not the ceremonial way to make matcha, but this is how I do it. Then I add a few drops of monk fruit. Not enough to really taste it because I don't like the taste of monk fruit, but just enough to make the matcha like not bitter. Then I add a drop of maple syrup and again, you can't really taste the maple. Make sure you're doing like real maple syrup, not just flavored maple syrup. And then I blend it all together and then I put it in the fridge overnight and it really like melds the flavors together overnight. It gets super creamy. It is so delicious. So that only has a tiny bit of

sugar. I used to do all maple syrup, but I'd use like a tablespoon or more, which was pretty high in sugar. So doing it this way is sweet, but instead of tasting like artificial sweetener, like that kind of weird, funky aftertaste, it just has a deeper sweetness but without being overpowering. So I think in that way, you're not adding all of that sugar to try to mask the flavor of the matcha. Okay, we're going really random. So for quad dominant women, how to train without growing quads. I am a quad dominant woman. She is me. And Harley basically exclusively trains my posterior chain. So you can go follow him for videos. And we're actually going to start making some videos for my page two. So you can stay tuned for that. Sorry, that's kind of like a non-answer answer, but I would maybe just look up like

posterior chain training. Okay, let's do a fun one. Non-Botox wrinkle remedies. All right, so I'm all for doing guasha and LED light masks, which I actually think do help, and sleeping with like silk pillowcases and all the wrinkle reducing creams and whatever is out there, but nothing, and I mean nothing. And I mean thing works like queen Botox. That said, I believe you can use Botox really sparingly and supplement with the things that I just listed and still maintain like that youthful but also natural appearance. But you just have to be realistic about the results that you're going for and the results that you're going to get because, I mean, really nothing, nothing erases those lines like Botox does. All right. What are my thoughts on the carnivore diet? Well, I also got a question about the pro-metabolic diet, whatever that is. So I think anything with the word diet in it is a little suss and not to keep referencing the episode with Harley, but he talked about like common sense when it comes to nutrition. And I think that that applies here. So is eating all meat all the time common sense? I don't think it is. Is eating all fat all the time?

common sense? Probably not. I'm going to do a quick search on the pro-metabolic diet. Okay, so the pro-metabolic diet is a diet that supports every metabolic process in our bodies. So again, personal opinion, I think if you have a balanced approach to eating where like you're getting a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, sufficient macro and micronutrients, you are supporting the metabolic process. in your body. I think that so many of these kind of sexy, buzzy diets are made to sell books and get a following. So I'd be wary of that too. Okay, since I've talked about it in this episode, I will answer this one, which is what are your thoughts on the aura ring? So I love mine.

I will admit that at first I was like, this might be a little much given my history of tracking things and getting obsessive. But now I really love it because, as I said before, it gives really helpful insights into how certain things are impacting me, my sleep and my activity quality, my readiness for the day, my restorative time, and so on. So what I've learned from it overall is that I'm doing pretty well, which was encouraging. And it also helps me like slow down when needed, when otherwise I would plow through. So for example, when I got my booster a few weeks ago, I was sick with a fever. And after that first night, which was pretty terrible, the next morning I felt pretty good. but my aura ring gave me like a really low readiness score.

So that indicated that my body was not doing well. My heart rate, my respiratory rate had been really high all night because of the fever. And it told me to take it easy. So I was literally about to get out of bed and do my steps because I was like, well, it passed. I feel better. And then I saw that and I thought, okay, maybe I should stay in bed because it said to take it easy. Not that I'm like deferring solely to technology to tell me how I feel. but this is just an example. So instead I stayed in bed and not even an hour later I started crashing

again like crazy fever aches felt so shitty and had to stay in bed all day. So I would have made things 10 times worse if I had gotten up and blazed through my morning and done a workout like if I had done things my way. And that's happened before with jet lag too and just like if I have a bad night's sleep. So I really like it for the overall insights, less for tracking steps because I find that that undercounts when it comes to that data. But overall, I really enjoy it. Okay. Is counting macros necessary to change body composition? Again, I am in no way, shape, or form a professional, but I don't believe so. Being somebody who has counted macros and who has subsequently stopped County macros, I think a lot of people fall into the trap of thinking that it's the only way to

change body composition and there are tons of people out there who will sell you on that idea. But for me, it was pretty simple. Like finding something that I love to do so that I will continually do it, like Pilates or strength training, walking, of course, I cannot stress that enough. And eating balanced meals, protein at each main meal and a few healthy snacks. Like whatever is enjoyable and sustainable, that will change your body because macros are a quick fix. So you can do like, you know, whatever amount of calories and however many grams of protein and fat and carbs per day and follow it religiously. But then what?

Like are you going to track macros for the rest of your life to keep your body in one specific shape? One thing about macros that really doesn't sit well with me, I guess, is that it doesn't account for so many things. things. Like, as a woman, it doesn't account for where you are in your cycle. Like, my appetite and my needs change throughout the month or how strenuous your activity is on any given day or how stressed you are or conversely, how rested you are. So it's kind of like this one size fits all approach, even if it's tailored to you. It's basically saying, this is what you get on any given day no matter what. And that's kind of like the opposite of what I have really found to work for me, which is being really intuitive with this stuff. And even if you don't feel like you're in a place where you can be

intuitive, it goes back to that enjoyment piece because ultimately you need to find what is sustainable. Otherwise, you're not going to do it and you're going to be miserable all the time. So that was another thing with macros. Like it took the joy out of eating and it makes it really stressful to go out or go to a party or be spontaneous and just live life. So I hope I answered that one. Best tricks for establishing routines and sticking to them. So again, not to sound like a broken record, but I think it's about finding things that you enjoy, finding what works for you, and then the hard part, of course, is having the discipline to do them. But like if you want a meditation routine, try to find a form of meditation that's enjoyable for you. And don't get me

wrong, like oftentimes doing meditation is the last thing I want to do, but I just know. enough now that I love how I feel after, so I'm willing to do it. And then you put that time in your calendar. And if you're doing it in the morning, try finding ways to make it a habit. Like I just had Genoa Van Kekam. Kekam, I can't remember how to pronounce it. But the meditation teacher who was on my podcast in December. So he said, for him, he doesn't have his coffee in the morning until he meditates. And that kind of helped him have the discipline to do it until it became habitual. So the same thing goes with exercise. The same thing goes for a morning and a night routine. If you enjoy it, you will come to crave it and you'll come back to it again and again. So find what works

for you, like my morning and night routines and exercise. And all of that feels just like an ingrained part of my life because I've honed in on what really works and feels good for me. So it doesn't even really feel like a routine or like something that I have to do. It's just kind of how I structure my day, I guess, and that will probably be different for you than it is for me. Thoughts on eating or snacking after dinner. A big fan. I'm a big fan of that. I'm a person who needs my dessert. It brings me so much joy. So yeah, I support that. I think the original question, let me see. It was actually thoughts on not eating or snacking after dinner. So I kind of feel like that's one of these food rules that we need to leave behind. I mean, I know personally, like,

I feel better, I sleep better, all of that if I eat dinner and dessert early. So that might be something to explore if you feel like you're not sleeping well. Also, if you feel like you are eating a good satiating dinner or are you still hungry because you're not eating enough. These are all things that I don't know the context to in this particular person's life. But unless you're having a negative consequence as a result of snacking after dinner. I say go for it. I say F food rules. Okay, so I got the question about intermittent fasting a lot. This particular one says intermittent fasting versus frequent meals. So I think I've talked about this before on here, but I think for some people, intermittent fasting is great and for others not so great. I fell into the not so great camp.

So I tried it a few years ago and because I already have hormone imbalances and tend to run super stressed, I felt like for me being really hungry only exacerbated that. I think I did like a 16-8 window, so 16-hour fast, which I would do overnight. And then I would eat from maybe like 12 to 8. I can't remember exactly how I did it or 11 to 7 during the day. So I wasn't eating until 11 or noon and that was no braino for me. But now I found that I kind of do it unconsciously because I usually am done with dinner and dessert by like 630 or 7 at the latest. Then I usually eat breakfast after I walk or work out and shower, which is like sometimes around 10 or 11. So that's roughly a 15 to 16 hour window. But I do have my matcha in there. So it's not a total fast and I'm not

doing it intentionally and there's no like rule around it. So it's not that stressful thing. So again, I think it comes down to doing what feels good for you. If you try fasting and you were really struggling or if you have like a history of eating disorder or just disordered eating and like food rules and things like that can be triggering for you, this is probably not good physically or mentally. But if it's easy and you feel good by all means, do it. I mean, I just do best. with like a standard three meals, two snacks, and a little dessert. That's my vibe, you know. All right. Long lean model workouts. I don't really know what the question. I guess this is a trend. Long lean workouts. Okay, got it. You know, I think what so many people don't talk about is that

some people's genetics or body type predisposes them to having a long lean body type, whereas others don't. And this isn't calling out anyone specifically because I think it's just a catchphrase that's kind of buzzy and trendy and common right now in the fitness industry. But like some people's bodies don't and won't do that. So if that's you, don't feel bad. I think that there are definitely workouts like Pilates and Bar and some resistance and weight training that you can do to be more lean versus more like bulky or sculpted, if that makes sense.

And also I have found walking to really help with leaning out. But this goes for any workout. and workout instructor doing exactly what they do will not make you exactly as they are. Just genetically. Like some people have really long lean bodies. Some people are shorter and more athletic. Some people are like bigger bone. I mean, there's so much disparity between all of our body types.

So I think that if you're doing a workout or following somebody's workout because you want to look exactly as they look and you don't enjoy it, it might be time to re-evaluate that. So that's important to remember. A wellness trend that I regret following and why. I don't know that I necessarily regret anything because I learned from everything. I mean, counting macros was definitely toxic for me, but stopping that helped me unlearn a lot of other disordered habits and behaviors. So it wasn't a total loss. Okay, I have one. This might be controversial. I'm a little ashamed to say that when I first got that ringing in my ears a couple years ago, out of total desperation, I tried a medical medium protocol. I know some people on here like him because

whenever I ask who you want me to have on the show, his name pops up every now and then. But I have to say, I felt absolutely fucking terrible. I was like eating radishes all day like a rabbit and celery juicing in the morning. And it was pretty awful. Someone asked me what I think about him. And look, I think if you try his protocols or you do celery juice and it works for you and you feel good, then great. I am not here to tell anybody what works and what doesn't. I'm not telling anybody what to do. The point that I'm hoping to make is to do what works for you. Like try everything, see what works. But I think his protocols and books and everything kind of prey on people who are at their most vulnerable. And it's not just him. It's so many people in the wellness world. I mean,

people say the pharmaceutical world is for profit and that's like a common argument for things like supplements or you know holistic healing whatever but the wellness world is for profit too it's a multi-billion dollar maybe more industry and most everybody especially internet personalities have a motive and they have a business and they have something they're trying to sell so medical medium is literally someone who says he gets his advice from community. communication with a spirit. So kind of back to that common sense. Like that just doesn't sit right with me. But if it does for you, no judgment. I might sound like I'm judging. Maybe I am a little bit. But again, like I can't say what works for you and what doesn't. I know people who have done

medical media and protocols and felt that whatever they were trying to treat with it got better. So I can't make that judgment at all. All right. What is the best wellness trend that I hopped on? I don't think it's a trend, but meditation, like if you're not taking even five minutes a day to sit or walk or something in silence or just doing something meditative, start doing it today. I think the stillness component of meditation is super important. But again, whatever works for you, especially now when I'm sure we are all logging nine hours of screen time a day and we are connected. from the second that we wake up to when we go to sleep, taking that time to tune into your body and your mind is so imperative.

Otherwise, how are we going to know WTF is happening in our body and our mind? Maybe there's a trick to it. I don't know how to do it except for getting still and getting silent. Okay. All over the place here. Top five skincare must haves. Vitamin C, retinol, SPF, of course, hyaluronic acid and a good cleansing oil.

What are my thoughts on 12.330? So if you don't know what 12.330 is, it's a TikTok and Instagram trend of doing the treadmill at a 12 incline at 3 miles per hour for 30 minutes. So again, I think it's a trend. I don't think it's based on anything scientific. I don't know. I haven't looked it up. I did try it.

12 was way too high of an incline for me, but I did get a good sweat in. I think I did like, I don't know, 9, 2.830, something like that. Again, it's finding what you enjoy. I prefer a low, slow walk where I'm getting my work done. And I find that to be way more sustainable. But if you want to get like a deep burn and a really sweaty kind of walk and you only have 30 minutes, I think go for it. But don't feel pressed to do exactly 12 and exactly 3 or exactly 30. Like you can do 6, 2.5, 20. I mean, Again, like you don't have to do all of these wellness things to a tea. So I guess the takeaway, I'm going to stop here, I guess the takeaway this year is to do more of what feels good, do more of what is sustainable for you.

Don't worry about trends and what everyone else is doing. Try new things. Get some silence in your day. Eat some good food. Don't worry about what's in it. Move your body. Unplug a little. Get good sleep.

That's it. I think that's my recipe. And with that, I'm going to stop rambling. Thank you guys for listening and for the support as always. Love you. I hope you enjoyed that episode. If you liked it, and if you like the show in general, please take a second to rate, review, and subscribe.

It goes a long way, and it's actually the best way to support the show. Also, if you want to see more about each episode, you can head over to the Blonde Files podcast on Instagram. I'm always posting about each episode there or over on my personal page at Ariel Laurie.