Well with Arielle Lorre - 238: Solo Q&A: Plastic Surgery Addiction, Lasers, Hormone Healing, Self Acceptance and more!

Episode Date: March 22, 2023

In this solo episode I am answering questions including whether I think my addiction transferred to plastic surgery/cosmetic procedures, what I’ve learned about my hormones and how I am treating them, what wellness practices I no longer believe in and promote, coming to a place of neutrality with myself, how to balance being health conscious and enjoying life in the moment, what I do on days I’m struggling with anxiety, how I managed my acne and so much more.   We’re excited to announce that GoMacro has just launched a brand new mouthwatering flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip! Get your hands on this delicious new flavor by going to gomacro.com and using promo code BLONDE for 30% off plus free shipping on all orders over $50.   Go to Zocdoc.com/BLONDE and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then start your search for a top-rated doctor today. Many are available within 24 hours.   Butcher Box has a special offer running for our listeners. Use my code BLONDE to get $20 off your first box. Sign up at ButcherBox.com/BLONDE and use code BLONDE to get $20 off.   House of Macadamias is generously giving my listeners an exclusive code to get 20% off your first purchase, so take advantage and visit houseofmacadamias.com/blonde and use code 'blonde'.   We worked out a special deal for our dog-loving listeners. Get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Go to SundaysForDogs.com/BLONDE or use code BLONDE at checkout.     Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Zock dot com slash blonde. Welcome to the blonde files podcast. I'm your host, ArialLoreau. 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's so much information out there, so I'm bringing on expert guests and sharing my own experiences to help you sift through all the wellness stuff without the BS. Enjoy the show.

Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. So I have been hearing and seeing your feedback that you love. solo episodes. So I'm going to try to do more like at least once a month, but I also don't want to get so repetitive. So the last episode that I talked about, I did a lot about my relationship and health and wellness stuff. And I think I did kind of repeat a lot of wellness stuff that I've talked about over the years. But I understand that there are new listeners and people haven't listened to all of those episodes. So I think there's value in some repetition, but also I don't want it to get

super redundant. All of that said, I'm planning on this one to be a little bit more random, and I'm going to try to cover a lot of other questions and topics that people ask me about. So as usual, I am pulling these from Instagram, and let's see, the first one I see is actually something that I was asked on a podcast a few days ago. So I guess I'll just spoil that answer, tell you guys here before it comes out. But that was, do I worry about plastic surgery addiction and whether that has replaced drugs and alcohol for me? So overall, no, it's not something I worry about.

And no, I don't believe I have replaced one behavior with another. And here's why. So for one, the drug and alcohol addiction for me was all consuming. It was a complete physical and mental obsession. And it allowed me to escape reality and numb out. And like the only way that I was okay, the only way that I could function, the only way that I could self-regulate was if I was drinking and using. And it goes way deeper than that. But I've done so many episodes on. sobriety and I probably have more coming up. So I won't get too into the nitty gritty here, but when I got sober, I learned that the drinking and drugs were a symptom of something much deeper. They were a symptom of emotional and mental issues, problems with my thinking and my perceptions, complete spiritual bankruptcy, the inability, like I said, to self-regulate. So I had to learn how to deal with all of that in sobriety. I essentially uncovered and worked through a lot

and then for the last nine years, it is a daily maintenance of all of that where I look at my patterns and how I'm thinking and how I'm acting. And really, I look at what my motives are. This is huge. Like, and I literally look at all of that daily to maintain my recovery. So I would say this for anybody listening. If you really want to know yourself, ask yourself what your motive is whenever you do something. It can be very revealing and try to go as deep as you can because you may think, oh, my motive is this? But then ask yourself, why is that my motive? And what is my motive for my why? And like, keep going with it. It is very illuminating, put it that way. So when it comes to getting procedures for me, like, yes, I think it can be a slippery slope, but I feel like I've always been in a good place when I've

gotten something done. And my motives are good and my expectations are realistic. Like, I don't go into a procedure thinking it's going to make me feel happier or change my life or anything. And yes, it can help if you're insecure about something. Like say that you've always hated your nose. And then you get your nose done and it can be life changing. Say that you hate your large breasts. You want to get a rest reduction or the opposite. I think that that can help with confidence, but you also have to be okay with yourself before you do that. So the way that I look at it is like I do small tweaks over time to deal with issues as they come up to age the way that I want to age. So the way that I want to do it might be different from how you want to do it. And I think that's totally fine. But I do

think like in LA we're so desensitized to it because it's so common. Like it does not even cross my mind ever that doing a procedure or doing a surgery is something extreme or something unusual. Like there's such a blasé attitude about surgery and procedures here. And I think also because I'm friends with a lot of people in the industry, I just don't look at it the way that other people look at it where I think it's like still very stigmatized. So yeah. So all of that said, like I do know when I start to focus more on how I look than other things in my life, I need to check myself. But in this podcast the other day, I actually talked about how I think I've come to a place of neutrality, which in my opinion is like better than either loving or obviously

hating what I see in the mirror. I think this goes for anybody. So the back. The back. story of this is with the like introduction of video to social media with reels and TikTok, I think everybody was resistant to it at first because we were used to doing photos and all of that. But I used to shoot with a photographer multiple times a week. And we would take hundreds, if not thousands of pictures. And I would have to go through all of them myself, like weekly from these photo shoots. And with video, we don't really. do that anymore. And I think that as a result of that, like, I don't know. At first I found video to be kind of uncomfortable. Like, we're all so hyper aware of how we look when we're in motion and all

of these things. But I think I also kind of let go of the desire to control. So anyway, I shot with my photographer Sophie when I was in New York in February and like actual photos and so many of them, like hundreds, again, maybe thousands. I don't remember. And I was going through those pictures. And I was like, yeah, these are nice. And like, I like how I look. But I also just didn't feel strongly either way. And I was like, huh, I think I'm neutral. And I think that's a result of being at a place in life where I'm so fulfilled and so interested in so many things besides my appearance. It's like the least interesting thing to me. And you could say, like, of course you're going to feel that way after you've had these procedures. So maybe that's part of it. But I think the main thing is I'm directing so much more

energy outwards this year, especially, than inwards. And that feels so good. Like I can't even describe. So that was a very long, convoluted way of saying it's been a journey. But I don't believe that my procedures are like a transferring of addiction, mainly because I'm so hyper aware of my behavior and what's driving it. But like I said, it can get slippery because I think once you do one procedure, you're like, oh, well, that was a walk in the park. Like I can also do X, Y, and Z. And there's so much available to us now that you can always find something to fix or tweak or enhance. And it does get like a little bit like whackamol. So it's kind of checks and balances and I always have to check myself. And I think that, again, like go back to the motives and like what am I expecting this to do for me? And I recommend that to everybody with everything in life. Check your motives. Okay. Since I'm on the beauty procedure topic, have I ever had a procedure or laser or anything go wrong? Well, I've talked. I've talked.

about this before. Definitely threads were not the vibe. I did those years ago, like maybe six years at this point. So this was like long before I know, sorry, long before I knew everything that I know now. And I definitely bought into the hype back then and believed that threads were like what a lot of younger women were doing to essentially lift their faces and get those high cheekbones and elongated brows and all of that. So I've talked about it before, but yeah, I was not a good experience. It was so painful. Like, I just remember my entire body shaking for hours afterwards because it was traumatic.

Like, you're sitting there having these barbed wires basically shoved into your face while you're wide awake. Like how I don't even understand how I did that. And then I couldn't move my face for like a week. It was painful. I could feel them. I had one thread that kind of like poked out and I had to try to pop it back in. It was brutal. My friend got them done a few weeks before me and she had one pop out like the night before she went on a trip and somebody had to go over like late at night and pop it back in. Like, ugh, it just, it makes me cringe. Like I can like physically feel it and it makes me so uncomfortable.

So all of that for very little to no result. It's just so much to go through. It's really expensive. Yeah, I don't know that that procedure really went wrong per se, but it was just not a good experience. And then this also didn't go wrong, but let's just say the timing was wrong. And that's on me. So I did IPL a few weeks ago. And when I do lasers, I'm like, I didn't come here for baby stuff. Let's go as aggressive as we can without. obviously damaging my skin. So I went down to Newport to get IPL. I have a doctor there who will do wherever I want her to do it. So I did my chest, my arms, my back. And I do this just for like little freckles, like freckles from the sun. And I find that people in L.A. will only do smaller areas because like nobody is going to take two to three hours out of their day to do IPL in one person in L.A. at least. But my doctor in Newport will. So That's where I go. So anyway, we just kind of spot treat. So my chest is really clear because I did multiple I peels last year. But this time she was like, well, I can get like this little thing and that little thing that like I didn't even really see. But I was like, sure, go for it. Anyway, we went hard and I left and I was like, this is amazing. It's going to be so good. My skin was like red a. F where we spot treated. And anyway, for two days, I was happy. And I was like, yes. this is going to be amazing. It's going to like take probably a month to heal, but like it's going to be so good.

Then all of a sudden, about 48 hours after I was like, wait a second, I'm going to Miami in three weeks for like 10 days. And I knew based on the last time we did it, healing took about four weeks. And then I had some hypopigmentation that took even longer than that to even out, but wouldn't evened out. It looked amazing. So I was like, oh my gosh. God, panic set in, all my beautiful new clothes and bikinis and everything. Like, this is not going to look good when I look like a leper. So that was not great. But I'm two weeks post and I leave in a week. And my chest has basically scabbed off. There's a little bit of hypopigmentation.

So it looks kind of like I have sun damage, which I don't. So that's annoying. But my arms are getting there. my back might still have like brown patches. It looks like I got burned by like a cigar. So yeah, not the vibe. But it's getting better. I actually bought multiple bottles of DMK beta gel and beta gen cream from Candice,

the LA facialist, because both are amazing for burned or traumatized skin and can help to speed up healing. So I've been slathering that on constantly. But yeah, I don't recommend doing a laser like that so close to a visual. vacation, especially a vacation when you're going to be in the sun the entire time. Like, Ariel, get your shit together. But that said, like, you can do IPL and have no downtime, but I would rather be aggressive with it. So not a procedure that went wrong, but timing that went wrong. Put it that way. Okay, I did get a ton of questions about lasers. So I will preface this by saying I am by no means a laser expert. I just know what I have done and what worked for

me. So IPL, I like for darker freckles. I had a lot of freckles on my chest and I see old pictures and I'm like, who, like, what was happening there? And why didn't anybody tell me like, hey, girl, we can like get that off for you. I came to the realization myself. And I did like two or three IPLs last year. And then I did a fractal over it. And now it's totally clear. It's amazing. So it was explained to me that the IPL is good for darker pigment, and then FRAXL is good, kind of like a magic eraser for like any lighter pigment left over and for texture. So I'll probably do maybe a little more IPL. No, because I have something in May. I don't know. I got to figure out the timing and the schedule. It's kind of hard when it gets warmer because like we are exposed to sun, even if I protect

myself. But yeah, I'll probably do like a fraxil when I get back from Miami. It's cutting it a little close to summer, but I like to go over the IPL with it. So, yeah, maybe I'll do that mid-April. And that's really all I do as far as laser. I did BBL once on my arms, but I didn't notice a difference. But I also don't really have, like, much on my arms anyway. So I don't know. And maybe you have to do multiple rounds.

I know somebody who did BBL and Moxie on her chest, and she had a lot of sun damage, and it looks really good now. So I think don't listen to me. These are just some ideas that you can ask your doctor about, and then they should be able to guide you towards whichever one would be best for you. The other question that I'm getting constantly about lasers is what laser is best for lifting and tightening, and about one million questions about Morpheus specifically. So I've never done Morpheus, but I've done profound. The first time I did profound, it did tighten a bit.

So I had a lot of fullness, like under my chin around my jaw area. And the profound got rid of a lot of that fat. And I don't know. It's hard to say if it got rid of fat or if it tightened or a little bit of both. Because at the time, my skin was like really thick and like good elasticity and all of that. Like I was in my early 30s. So like things were good. And then I did another round.

And that caused some problems because I needed that fat and I really think that it just kind of melted the remaining fat that I had. So it definitely caused issues down the line. And then I had to obviously replenish that fat and address the laxity and all of that. So in my Q&A, somebody asked me why I do my matcha in the morning with macadamia nuts. And the answer is kind of twofold. So I just got into the habit of doing this because when I wake up and I'm, have my matcha. I get a little bit hungry, but I don't like to have a full meal that early. And so I like to snack on something after I do my meditation and I'm drinking my matcha and easing into the day. And I just love macadamia nuts so much and I'll tell you why in a second. And then when I had glucose goddess on the show, she actually validated that this can be helpful because I like to

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eating healthy, preparation is key. And when I always have something that I can just pop out of the freezer or the fridge and make, it makes eating healthy so much easier. I have been making my chicken thigh recipe nonstop and the chicken thighs from Butcher Box are so good. And I'm also getting back into seafood as the weather is kind of warming up. So it's so nice to have that on hand as well. And right now, you can get free chicken nuggets for a year and 10% off your first box if you sign up today. So that's a 22 ounce bag of gluten-free chicken nuggets in every order for a year when you sign up at butcherbox.com slash blonde and use the code blonde. Again, claim this deal at butcherbox.com slash blonde and use the code blonde. Hey guys, I'm Whitney Port and this is WithWit. A lot of you

may know me from reality TV and the reality is a lot's happened since the hills. WithWit is dedicated to having real, raw and occasionally ridiculous conversations with the people who have had a profound impact on me. Because on WithWit, very little is off limits. Subscribe so you don't miss any of the amazing conversations to come. New episodes of WithWit are available every Tuesday on all platforms. Auto-hure with Sunny Cars feels as if the children not me be. Diesel strangle.

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so will auto-hueurs without your rise-adviseur or Sunnycars.wee. I just don't think that there's a laser that lifts the same way that fillers don't lift. Like, lasers can address texture. I think they can tighten and firm things a little bit. Like I think Dr. Mascarro said

3 to 5% tightening for Morpheus. So if 3 to 5% tightening, tightening sounds good to you, great. I mean, if you just have a little bit of laxity or like a little bit of fullness and you just want to like get a little bit of that, like, I think it can be a good option. And I do know people who have done Morpheus and had good results for like the tone. But I think that, you know, you have to be realistic again about your expectations. And when it comes to lifting, obviously the gold standard is surgery. And I don't say that to promote surgery. but to help people manage expectations.

And if you're at an age where you have a lot of laxity, instead of spending five or six grand or more on a laser and non-invasive procedures for like a minimal result, if what you really want is to get rid of that laxity and have, you know, not like taught tightness, but like you want to get a little bit of a lift and have it look really pretty and natural and have things be where they were 10 or 15 or 20 years ago.

Maybe consider having surgery, like, where you're going to have amazing results and they will last for years and they will set you back a lot of years. You know, like I love a late 30s, if needed, or early or mid 40s, facelift. Like, we're hearing a lot about prejuvenation when it comes to aging. Like, I think it just, like I said, sets you back like 10, 15 years. And then you can just do some kind of minimal maintenance things. you can take really good care of your skin and look amazing. And again, that is if you care and if you want things to like remain where they are. But if you don't care and you don't mind having some volume loss and laxity and like tissue shifting and you just want to take good care of your skin,

etc. And have it be like a nice even tone and address some of the texture things. Like then lasers and like Botox and some fillers and whatever else your doctor thinks is appropriate. I think those are good options. And I feel like I have to say this now. If you want to just age naturally, that's always an option too. Like everybody, I mean everybody is entitled to do what makes them feel beautiful and makes them feel like the best version of themselves. So I'm just so over the judgment when it comes to other people's choices for themselves when it comes to their bodies, when it comes to how they approach beauty and health and wellness and life in general. Like I loved the conversation on last Wednesday's episode with Taman about how everybody's idea of health is personal to them.

I have become way less judgmental and way more tolerant and just back to this idea of neutrality. Like, I'm just neutral to everybody's choices. And I'm so bored of hearing and seeing other people trying to, like, force their personal beliefs onto other people and be outraged by other people's choices. I feel like it is truly becoming an addiction in and of itself, like being outraged and being offended and having to feel superior to other people. And I don't think that applies to most of you. But we've all seen. it and I just think that it's just kind of like a sickness. So I wasn't going to talk about this, but I did see somebody ask about my thoughts on that viral Gwyneth Paltrow interview.

So she was on Dr. Will Cole's podcast and full disclosure, I haven't heard or seen the whole thing. But I know the gist of it. So she basically said she does a long fast after dinner like 16 or 18 hours maybe. and then she drinks coffee the next day at noon because she doesn't want to spike her cortisol or something in the morning. Then she drinks bone broth and does a workout and dry brushing and a sauna, something like that. And people are upset. I think Gwyneth in particular is a triggering person for a lot of people. I know there was a lot of outrage around like COVID and misinformation. on Goop and people don't like her light style and her brand. Like, okay, I get it. But I guess I just feel like

if this is what makes her feel good, again, like who the fuck cares? Health and wellness are different for everybody. So who knows why she does this? But if it works for her, like, great. We need to be able to see or read or hear this information and not react to it. move on with our lives. Like, I think part of the argument against her talking about this, I'm just guessing, is the platform that she has or her influence and how kind of unattainable her life is and maybe younger, more impressionable, more impressionable people seeing this and being influenced by that. But like, we're living in a time now where everybody's habits, everybody's routines, everything is like being shoved down our throats on every platform. And I don't even

think Gwyneth has influence over younger generations. So it's kind of like this millennial to middle age woman who's hearing this and getting upset. And I'm like, okay, we should have the tools to be able to like read this and not get upset about it. I don't know. Again, I just feel like who cares? When I was researching longevity and aging for my podcast last week with Dr. Kyle Landy I was listening to some David Sinclair podcasts. And for those who don't know, he is like spearheading longevity research at Harvard. He's a professor of genetics. Yes, I know there are people who don't agree with him. But like if everyone agrees with you, I think you're not making an impact. Not to be contrarian, but I just think like you're not going to agree. You're not going to

be doing something meaningful and have every single person agree with what you're doing. So anyway, he fasts for like 20 hours and then sometimes he'll fast for a few days on end. He has all sorts of supplement regimens. And I just remember thinking, hmm, you don't hear people being outraged about his fasting and his lifestyle. I'm assuming because he's a man. I think the fasting is maybe triggering for like eating disorders. You know, we tend to assume affects women more than men, but we know men are affected by it too. So I don't know. I just thought that was really interesting. So I'm like, You know, I'm just Gwyneth neutral. Again, I didn't listen to the full interview, so I just saw the headlines, and I've heard other

people talk about it. But I think if somebody is upset by what somebody else is doing, they have to ask themselves, why? And just like the motive thing, keep asking why. Why does this upset me? Well, I don't like the way she's spreading her message. Why? Keep going until you get to the root of it. And this is also like a sobriety thing. So I guess I've just been trained. to look at my part in everything. And I do have a part in everything. If I'm upset, I have a part in that. If I'm offended, I have a part in that. And when I'm bothered by somebody else, it's because of something within me. So I'm going to get off my soapbox, but those are my feelings about that. I didn't even know that I felt strongly. But I did hear something funny, though, about the Gwyneth thing on Juicy Scoop. So Heather

McDonald was talking to Lala Kent. And she is a little less Gwyneth neutral than I am. But she was like, I just feel like she's been selling detox shit on Goop for 10 years. So like, that doesn't make me want to buy into anything she's selling because why are you still detoxing? Like, aren't you, are you not detoxed yet? I thought that was funny. So I could see the humor in it. Anyway, moving on, are there people or philosophies when it comes to wellness that I no longer promote? I mean, there are some people that are so kind of fringe that I won't go there and won't. And won't. have them on my show, but I am a little more open now to having like different perspectives on my show because what am I trying to say here? I think there's value in different perspectives as long as they're not really harmful. But in general, I think it's just because I'm in this more tolerant place where I'm like, whatever works for them. But as far as like philosophies or practices that I won't promote, really just things that I did that were detrimental to my own health. Those things I won't really promote, but I do know that they could be beneficial to somebody else.

So take counting macros, for example, like that was no bueno for me. You guys know it got kind of obsessive. It really consumed my life and ultimately it was very unhealthy for me. But if somebody else has a lot of weight to lose, nothing else is working or they have a good relationship with food and their body, but they want to like bulk up or cut down. I don't know, any number of circumstances. Like, who am I to say that that won't work for them? I don't think it's the best.

But, like, again, who am I to say? I guess I don't know much. I just know my experience. So it didn't work for me. And you won't hear me saying that I think it's amazing. But it's kind of like a no judgment zone here. So if it works for you, great. Okay.

Acne. I said I did topicals while I figured out root causes. So what was the root cause? Well, I'm still working on this one. And I debated sharing about this because I just don't really want unsolicited opinions or advice. But this is kind of like a big thing that I'm going through. So I will share. So you guys know probably that I have PCOS.

I've had it since I was in my 20s. I obviously don't have some of the typical attributes associated with PCOS. I don't have weight issues. I never had acne before. I don't have hercitism, but I have always had irregular periods and I have slightly elevated testosterone and I have cystic ovaries. Not to be confused with the giant ovarian cyst that I had surgery on in 2016, but that was probably related. So anyway, things kind of ebb and flow. Sometimes my period is fine.

Sometimes it's very brutal and very irregular. But I just kind of deal with it because it's been my norm for like 20 years. And as you guys know, I got really bad acne last summer. Nothing was helping. I suspected it was hormonal because it was really like a lot around my jaw and my chin and my like my neck area and my cheeks. But I was also living my best life. I was traveling. I got my boobs done. Like I was working on my relationship. I was just doing a lot of other shit. And I just really didn't have the bandwidth at the time to start investigating what was going on. So I was like, just give me the spironylactone. So that took about six to eight weeks to kick in. And then Candace, of course, switched my skincare. My skin totally cleared up. Everything was good. But my periods were, I don't want to say they got worse. If anything, actually, on the Spiro, they got a little bit more normal. It's like such TMI. Yeah, they went from like 60 to 90 days to like every 40-ish days. But I was definitely like not feeling right before my. period, which I've always had. I get debilitating PMS symptoms with anxiety as the main symptom. So anyway, long, story short, I'm working with Dr. Jessica Cho, who's going to come back on the podcast. We're working on my hormones, but she sees hormones as the result of other things being off in the body. So we're doing a lot of investigating. She also had me go to the OBGYN the other day to rule out anything

structural and surprise. I do have another ovarian cyst that could be secreting hormones. I'm also starting acupuncture. Oh, and Dr. Cho and I tested my hormones and I have like literally no progesterone, hence the anxiety. So it's like a big puzzle that we're working on from different angles, but it really was necessary because I really do want to get my hormones balanced at this point in my life. It's so important and it would be so nice to have like consistency in that area. So, If you're interested in how I'm doing this, then let me know and I'll do an episode on it once we find out some more information and start trying different things. But I kind of hate being that influencer that's like hormone balancing. Like it's such a blanket thing that we see all over Instagram. It's like hormone balancing workouts. Hormone balancing eating. Hormone balancing this and that. Like it's everywhere. And it's like what does that even mean? Like how imbalanced are your hormones really? And like, Why are you doing this? But yeah, I am on that journey.

So I'm happy to share about it if that's something that is of interest to you. And I do know that it affects so many women. And it seems to be like more common than ever now. So yeah. So back to the acne, though. I'm guessing that that was a result of the high testosterone and then maybe the low progesterone. Although I do know too much progesterone can cause acne. So I don't know.

It's all very finicky. So stay tuned. All I have to say about that one at this point. Okay. What do I do on days I'm struggling with anxiety? Well, this is relevant because anxiety is my main hormone imbalance symptom. Like, I know when my period is coming, even though it's not regular, I know because a few days before I get horrible, debilitating anxiety to where it's hard to function. But it's not mental.

I'm not like, ooh, I'm like anxious about this thing has nothing to do with like circumstances or any kind of situation. It's purely physiological fight or flight to the max. Like it's hard to describe, but it is fucking horrible. Pardon my language. So it's really hard. But what I have learned is I just don't let the anxiety win. I just don't do it. I used to cater to it. And I would cancel my. day, clear my schedule, staying in bed, I'm taking an ice bath, I'm doing the breath work, I'm whatever I felt that I needed to do. And I would do all these things to try to feel better and it would make it worse. So now I try to just put one foot in front of the other and I try to ignore it as best I can because it is temporary and being scared of the anxiety makes it so much worse. So that said, I do really benefit from Wimhoff's 10-minute breathing thing on YouTube on those days. I mean, I benefit from it in general, but I usually only do it what I'm like not in a great place. It's like Taman said again on last week's episode. It's like, is the thing that

makes us uniquely human the resistance to doing the things that help us? Maybe. but I do like that breath work. It does kind of snap me out of a panic. And if I do that and I take Lthianine, that also really helps. When it comes to feeding our dogs, I'm sure we all want to give them the absolute best quality food. And for us humans also have food that is zero prep, zero mess, and zero stress. And this makes Sundays for dogs such a good option. So Sundays is air. dried dog food made from a short list of human grade ingredients. It was co-founded by Dr. Tori, who is a practicing veterinarian. It contains 90% meat, 10% vegetables, and 0% synthetic nutrients. So besides USDA beef and all natural chicken, you will find digestive aids like pumpkin and ginger

plus disease fighting antioxidants. And dog parents report noticeable health improvements in their pups, including softer fur, fresher, breath, better poops, and more energy. And I can attest to these. So we were noticing that Harvey was not excited for meal time, which was a little bit disconcerting because usually meal time is the most exciting time of his day. So we decided to switch his food and we started giving him Sundays. And he literally comes to find us five minutes before and starts barking at us, like harassing us to feed him. And his fur looks amazing. He's getting. so many compliments. So we absolutely love it. It's also shelf stable. So it makes it really easy to feed your dog top quality food. Every order ships right to your door so you never worry about running out of dog food again. And it costs 40% less than other healthy dog food brands because they don't waste money shipping frozen packages. Instead, they spend on what matters, which is sourcing the best all natural ingredients for your dog. So they have an amazing deal for my dog loving listeners. You can get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Just go to Sundays for dogs.com slash blonde or use the code

blonde at checkout. That's Sundays, S-U-N-D-A-Y-S, F-O-R-D-G-S dot com forward slash blonde. Upgrade your pup to Sundays and feel good about the food you feed your dog. I am flying today and one thing that I always pack with me when I'm flying when I'm traveling are my go macro bars. These have been my go-to for a long time. If you've been following me for any amount of time, you probably know this, but they're my absolute favorite. And it is essential that I pack snacks so that I don't get hungry. I really don't enjoy flying as it is. So I need to make sure that I am prepared and I am staying on top of my hunger. And I also like to bring them on trips just because I never know. like where I'm going to be, if I'm going to have snack options, what I'm going to be doing during the day. And it's just so easy to have something that I can throw in my purse. And again, not going to get hangary. Hangar is my least favorite emotion and state of being that there is. So a little bit about go macro. They are available in 17 full size mouthwatering flavors and five kids flavors. They are packed with 100% plant-based ingredients to fuel your body and mind.

They are made from simple, high-quality ingredients. They're certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO, clean, and soy-free. And they are super accommodating to food allergies and dietary restrictions. So they have three really delicious nut-free flavors, including oatmeal chocolate chip, which is tied with my favorite flavor. They also have maple sea salt and sunflower butter plus chocolate, and 10 certified FODMAP-friendly flavors so that everybody can. enjoy a delicious snack. And now they just launched a brand new mouthwatering flavor mint

chocolate chip. So think crisp mint meets creamy chocolate for a cool endeavor that refreshes and soothes the soul. The mint chocolate chip macrobar combines 11 grams of plant-based protein with organic cashew butter and a touch of peppermint for the chillest companion wherever you go. It's so good. And then my other favorite is the coconut almond butter chocolate chip. Also so delicious. So get your hands on this delicious new flavor by going to go macro.com and using the promo code blonde for 30% off plus free shipping on all orders over $50. Again, that's go macro, g-o-m-a-crow.com, and the promo code is blonde for 30% off plus free shipping on all orders over $50. Scared to leave a relationship I know isn't right. What would you do? Well, first of

all go back and listen to my episode from this week on Monday with Claire Byrne. We talk a lot about relationships and I found it to be really helpful. But my advice, leave, leave, leave, leave. Like, yes, it's going to hurt. Yes, it's going to be hard. But if you know it isn't right, you have to honor that and just take that leap and I guarantee you your future self will thank you. I feel like we have such a hard time leaving jobs, leaving relationships, whatever the situation is, because our brains can only visualize or comprehend a future based on our own narratives and beliefs about ourselves and our lives and our fears and all of that. Like that's why it's so easy to see for other people and so hard to see for ourselves. So I have this with people in my life where I'm like,

if only you could see what I see. I remember I was working at this awful job when I got sober. The job itself wasn't awful, but the boss was awful. But I had a lot of autonomy. And I was making pretty good money and it was secure in that even though I didn't like it, I had it. And it was regular and it was familiar. And I knew what I was making and I knew what to expect. And I knew knew what the job was. And I remember sitting there one day and this girl that I worked with was like, Ariel, you have to leave. And I listed all of the reasons why I shouldn't, including the ones that I just said to you. I was like, well, I've worked my way up to this spot and, you know, I have this and that and it's regular. And like, I make this money. and she was like, seriously, this is not it for you. Like, this isn't it. This isn't like where you

peek. And she saw what I could not see. Like we have such a hard time seeing the best for ourselves, but we can see it for other people. So if you're not fulfilled in your relationship, if you know it's wrong, leave because that is going to weigh on you in so many. ways and I also truly believe that that will manifest in so many other ways in your life until you correct that. Our brains just don't like the unfamiliar because we're hardwired to see the unfamiliar as a threat. But I don't think anything bad comes from honoring your truth and doing what you know is right for you. I think where you get into trouble is when you ignore that. So that's my feeling about that. I wasn't going to go here, but I'll

go here. It's a little bit of a pivot from what I was just talking about, but kind of on the relationship topic. So what do I wish people knew about me that they don't see on social media? So some people might glean this from social media in some ways, but maybe not. And that is that although, yes, I'm married to somebody's super wealthy, in the last few years, I've also built my own wealth. And that is something I'm so proud of because that's something that nobody can take away from me. And, you know, I really believe in humility and like I don't care to talk about money. I don't care to show off my lifestyle aside from like the day to day stuff. And you guys know what my life is and you see it. But I'm not like trying to shove anything down anybody's throat or

prove anything to anybody. So that's why I get a little weird about talking about the but I think it is also important to talk about. So I get so many comments and messages and I see and hear other people talking about this about Chuck funding my lifestyle and paying for things. And like the other day, even somebody asked how I afford Forma. On the one hand, I'm flattered because I'm like, this is good. This means that I'm not like making my platform about my lifestyle. But somebody asked how I afforded it. I didn't receive it. bond. It was on TikTok. And then somebody else was like, well, have you seen her husband's net worth? That's how I get the perception. But I'm also like, do people think that I work for free? Like, because I'm married to somebody

rich, it negates the work that I do. And I'm, I don't think this is you guys, but I think it's a massive perception because of the dynamics of my relationship. And that's frustrating because I've always wanted to show the struggles and also the triumphs in my life. And you guys know so much of my story of where I came from before and how I got sober and how I kind of turned my life around. And then everybody knows that I married Chuck and like do this whole influencing thing. But I don't think people realize like what it has turned into. I guess I wish that that was something that more people knew, no, know about me. And I try to separate. Like, is this an ego thing? Like, because again, I'm not trying to like prove anything to anybody or is it just like a legitimate thing.

I don't know. But even last year, like when Chuck and I separated, I was so relieved that I am in the position that I'm in now because it was like no matter what happens, I am fine. And, And I was like thinking about buying a house without any help from him. And I was so proud to be able to get to that place, especially because where this all started, you know, nine years ago. And I think that's important for women to know that like, yes, I've had a lot of privileges. And I had a safety net under me while I was building this. And I'm definitely aware of that. But I don't know. I see so many of these like sugar babies, stay at home girl. friends and I'm like, I just want women to know that like you have to be able to depend on yourself because you never know what's going to happen. And the worst feeling in the world, I think, is depending on somebody else. And I know that circumstances are different if you're married and you're a stay-at-home mom and you have kids and or if you're not. And, you know, I'm not like judging anybody. But I think that this emphasis on like relying on a man.

And I'm just basing this off like what I see on TikTok, which I know isn't the best reflection of reality. But it is definitely a trend relying on a man or woman. You know, whatever the case is to provide everything for you is not good. So, you know, when I see and hear people saying like I got back together with Chuck so that I could maintain my lifestyle, he pays for my surgeries, my Pilates, blah, blah. that's annoying. Like, I made seven figures last year. I don't need a man for anything. And I think it's also a little bit reductive because it's like, well, I get that the age difference is weird to people, but he has a lot of other great, he has a lot of other great qualities besides being rich. So let's give everybody in this situation some credit. So I don't know. I'm still working on this one clearly. And I should take my own advice. because it bothers me a lot, which means that it's something that I have to work on within myself, like I was saying before. But, you know, when you ask, like, what is something that I wish people knew, I wish that there was more of an understanding that, like, you can turn around

your life, you can create a career for yourself, make a lot of money, and depend on yourself. And again, like, money isn't everything, obviously. But creating that security for yourself is huge. And like, I'm just, as I'm saying this, I'm thinking about the reviews and the comments that are going to come in after saying all of this from people like pointing out my privilege, which I am fully aware of. And I know that it's not the reality for everybody. But maybe that will inspire somebody who's in a situation where they feel like they are depending too much on somebody or they want to make a move and start. start a career for themselves or start that side hustle or go for that promotion or whatever.

Like, I hope that that inspires you to do that. Okay. I'm going to do some faster ones. Top three anti-aging products for a girl on a budget. Vitamin C, retinal, sunscreen, easy. And tons of water. Do I eat differently around my cycle or do I eat the same all month? I eat the same all month, but I'm pretty intuitive with it.

And like I said, I know when that period's coming, when I have that anxiety, I try to eat more because it kind of helps that a little bit. And when I have those like hunger cues, when I'm kind of a bottomless pit, I just, I just listen to that. So I don't do anything really special around my cycle. How to order out and eat on vacation while staying healthy. Well, back to my moderate approach to health and wellness. for me, my definition of health, enjoying food on vacation without really thinking about it, like that brings me joy. And that joy to me is a big part of overall health. If I feel like I'm reacting to certain things, maybe I'll avoid them. But for the most part, I just indulge because

it's vacation and I'm not thinking about my body. I'm thinking about the experience. But for everybody, that might be different. Like, you might want to be more health conscious when you're traveling if that is what truly makes you feel really good. So I would say go for that. But for me, like when I think about my life and when I think about traveling, like when I think back to trips, I think about the food. Like, and if I were eating a piece of salmon and spinach, like, that's not adding much to the experience for me. So I just kind of yolo out a little bit. Is it hard for Chuck to see changes in my appearance after surgery. Well, I've always said he would prefer that I never did anything. He's like, I fell in love with you. I fell in love with your face, like one way. But I have

done things over time, like over the course of seven years. So as I've done those things, I've also aged seven years. So my appearance is changing as I age anyway. And then the things that I've done, like have tweaked things. So I think what I've done, like, while it's been impactful, it's been subtle enough. to where I still look like myself, just better. But I would have looked different anyway, like, over the course of seven years anyway. I don't know if that's making sense. I don't think it's like hard for him. He doesn't dwell on it, but he would prefer that I not have surgery. Something I used to hate about myself that I now love. I talked about this on Instagram, but my demeanor. I hated for so long that I wasn't loud and bubbly and the life of the party and drugs and alcohol made

me that way, but when I got sober, I got to know who I really am. And now I love that I'm more calm. I'm more like observant. I'm really interested in people and talking to people, but I'm not the center of attention, loud, bubbly person. And that's totally fine with me. I don't need to be. I don't try to be. And yeah, I like that about myself. I think it's helped me with this job in particular, too. something making me happy lately. I think this shift that I've had this year towards being like way more social, way more comfortable in my skin, comfortable with who I am, way more interested in other people and things besides myself. Like I just feel like I'm more outward facing and curious than inward facing and introspective. And I think there's a lot of relief in that.

Okay, now I'm going to do a round of this or that that you guys sent in on Instagram. Let's see here. Totally random. Big Bang Theory or two and a half men, two and a half men. I'm going to try to do these without too much explanation. Unless they're really hard. You guys know that sometimes I have trouble with brevity. Never seeing Harvey again or never eating salmon again.

Never eating salmon again. Ever since I had, oh, here I go on my tangent. ever since I had food poisoning last October. I think I've had salmon like twice. I have ventured out into other kinds of seafoods, but salmon and I might be dunzo. My boob job or lasers can't have both. Lasers. Melatonin or CBD for sleep. Magnesium. Neither. But I would say melatonin. Hot water with lemon or apple cider vinegar shot. Neither, but hot water with lemon if I had to. Matt Pilates or Reformer Pilates, Reformer.

Sana or Cold Plunge, sauna. Ooh, aloe or Lulu Lemon. Allo. Spray tan or self-tan spray, but it depends on the circumstances. Like for an event, spray tan, but just for daily life, self-tan. so that one's really hard for me. Joa Brown or set.

That's also really hard for me. I tend to buy more Joa Brown. Botox or Disport. I got a lot of these. Disport. Sculptra or hyluronic acid fillers. I don't have much experience with sculptra. So I'm going to go with fillers done tastefully.

Morning or night. Morning. You guys should all know that about me. I was hoping to get some really weird, really, spicy ones. So maybe we'll have to do this again next time. And we can do some like really weird ones because these are all mainly just wellness. Ivy glutathione or capsule glutathione, neither. Symbiotica liposomal glutathione daily. Let's see. Lasers or microneedling with PRP lasers. Microneedling or fraxil. Running or cycling. Cycling. No running or cycling.

no running ever. Thank you. Tick-Tock or Instagram. Tick-Tock right now. Got to say, having more fun there. New York or L.A. I think I'm getting back into my New York era. So I'm going to say New York. And I'm going to end there. And next time I do this, guys, let's get weird. Okay? Anyway, with that, thank you so much for listening as usual. I love you. I love how you share the show. send it to your friends, post it on your stories, reels, TikToks, all of the things. What else? Oh yeah. If you're not subscribed, subscribe to the show, rate, review. Even if you hate me, you can leave a review. It's good for me. And that's it. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed that episode. And 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. You can go to Ariallory.com. And I'm always posting about each episode over on my personal page at Arial Lori. Please note that 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.