Small Changes, Big Results: How I Transformed My Health & Life
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This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Hi guys, it's Mari. Welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness. Today, we have a solo episode where I'm going to talk about small changes you can make for a big impact.

I obviously have had a lot of experience with this over time. I lost 90 pounds back in 2017, but not just that, I really changed myself back then. I changed my work ethic, my discipline, my motivation.

It was really a time of transformation. And I think it sounds like such a big transformation and such a life overhaul that people don't realize that it really was just a accumulation of baby steps over time that led me to where I am now, which is insane. Back then I was, you know, dropped out of college, self-harming, drinking, eating badly at the lowest, lowest, lowest point in my life. And now...

I have a life that I wouldn't believe you if you told me back then. I really mean that. Like I am so, so proud and honored of everything that Greg and I have built together and the life we have in Austin, the amazing friends I have, the support system I have, my job, my pets, my life, my happiness.

And it really just takes small changes over time to see that difference. No matter where you're at right now in your journey, if you just take five of these things from this list I'm going to tell you guys about, I think you'll see a big change. Whether your focus is fitness, happiness, maybe it's your hormones, whatever it may be.

Everything in this list can make a big difference. I categorized it by sleep, food, exercise, toxins, and happiness.

I think all of these are actually connected. I personally think your sleep affects your happiness. I think toxins affect your health in general. I think food and exercise are crucial when it comes to mood. And all of these things are in turn also going to affect your relationships, the way you carry yourself through the day, your confidence levels. I think these are all really important kind of pillars in my life and everyone's life, to be honest. And if we can just make small everyday tweaks here,

to these areas of our lives, I think you'll see a really big difference. So without further ado, let's hop into small changes you can make for a big impact.

The first category I have is sleep. Sleep to me is the foundation of everything. Like I have a big work day today. I had an interview. I knew I needed to get good sleep last night. Didn't anticipate Greg setting off the alarm at 6 a.m. this morning, but that's okay. Regardless, I set myself up for success as I do pretty much every night right now.

Sleep is crucial no matter what, guys, and you're going to set yourself up for a better day, a better mood. You're going to be more likely to exercise, more likely to eat well, be nicer to people. I think sleep is the foundation of all. So let's talk about some ways you can improve sleep, waking up and going to bed at the same time.

I am in bed by usually by 8.45, which might sound crazy. That's when I like to be in bed and I like to be asleep by 10 at the latest. Greg is usually asleep by 9.30. I'm asleep by 10. I like to read and do a couple of things.

But 10 is the latest I'm falling asleep and I am up at 7 every single morning. This has shifted over time. Back when I lived in LA and my life was a little more crazy, I was asleep usually by 9.30. I was up at 6 a.m. Things have shifted for me, but I always keep it consistent. This is going to help your circadian rhythm get in more of a flow. And I'm at the point now where I actually wake up before my alarm.

I wake up naturally, which is a good indication that your circadian rhythm is in good health. I think the other thing that's really crucial is getting up and going outside and looking at the sun. You know, Huberman has talked about the science behind that. It helps your mind wake up. It helps your body get in a rhythm. I also just think having a routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time every night helps.

It takes the guessing game out of it. It takes the variables out of it. And I think it's just a more natural way of going about things. You're on more of a routine. I think as people, we like routine. I also think having a ritual around bedtime makes a big, big difference, even if it's small, guys. Like I do a five-minute meditation every single night that puts me in a better headspace. Nighttime is usually when I get anxiety. And I think small things like a five-minute meditation, five-minute journaling, um,

Reading a book that you enjoy, whatever it may be, just kind of getting in this headspace of like, I'm ready to be calm. Maybe putting the phone away and just getting in this Zen space. Getting your room to be cold and dark. So Greg and I keep our AC on 68, which is quite cold.

But once you get under the covers, your body will acclimate. But they say you're going to have a better, deeper sleep in a cold room. I've had many sleep experts on the show who agree with me. Colder the better, deeper.

Darkness is important. So if you have blinds, shut them all, get it as dark as possible in there. If you can't, I would use an eye mask. Greg likes to use an eye mask every night. I don't like them particularly. So we keep our room really, really dark. If we are using any lights in the room, for example, our bedside lights, we have a red light bulb in those lamps.

which is just much easier on the eyes. It's less harsh. You don't want any of that blue light coming from your phone or the TV. I will say, and I want to be honest, like I'm not perfect. Greg and I do watch TV in bed and I love it. It helps me calm down. We cuddle, we watch TV. But then for the last like 15 minutes before sleep, I read from my Kindle. I lower the brightness. I'm not looking at my phone as much.

Just these little tweaks can really help your circadian rhythm and your sleep health. Taper off your water before bed. This is something I struggle with because I feel like we all...

feel like it's better to chug water and be super hydrated before bed. But in reality, if you're getting up to pee constantly while you're trying to sleep, it's not great for your REM sleep. So I do try to have, you know, front load my water, meaning have most of it during the day or the front half of the day and start tapering it off towards bed so that you're not getting up to pee and interrupting your sleep. And again, with the no phone, I think

TikTok, scrolling, your brain and body don't know the difference between watching a crazy, aggressive TikTok and like a lion chasing you. So I think putting the phone away out of reach, also texting, it just like elevates my heart rate. I have a hard time with this because I feel like I constantly need to be responding to people.

Put the phone away to the point where you can't even see the texts. I feel like anyone texting you that late at night, you could answer in the morning. You know what I mean? So I think that that's a crucial piece to the sleep puzzle. In terms of food and nutrition,

I think food is medicine. I used to be someone who thought food had nothing to do with the way I felt, the way my mood, the way my energy was. And through my fitness journey and discovering nutrition, losing weight, getting fit, getting muscle, I realized that I was really kind of setting myself up for failure by starting my day with food.

you know, a giant iced coffee with milk and sugar and spiking my blood sugar or, you know, having the muffins for breakfast I used to eat and just really not setting myself up for success. I think the way we eat can really dictate the type of day we have and the way we show up and the way we feel in our bodies. I think it's so, so, so important. ♪♪♪

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The first point I have here is to up your protein. I know everyone says this. It's everywhere on the internet. Upping protein is really important. And that's something I've done from the beginning of my fitness journey. You want to have about a gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. So

You know, that's a decent amount of protein for most of us. That's over 100 grams. We want to be getting it from really great sources like grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, sometimes dairy like Greek yogurt. You know, it can come from so many places, but it can be difficult to get in enough protein online.

but it really will keep you more satiated, more satisfied, will help you with energy, keep you stronger, help you build those muscles. Protein is so, so, so important, especially as women with our hormone health. I really think it's a key piece of nutrition. Eating dinner earlier and drinking alcohol earlier too. So all my friends make fun of me. I am the

queen of an early reservation. I am like a, honestly guys, I had a 4.30 reservation this past week and I loved it. It was amazing. I was at home getting into bed by seven and it was a dream. I think the earlier you eat, the

better you digest, the better you feel. You'll wake up feeling better. Dinner is oftentimes our biggest meal of the day, which is kind of an American like culture thing. But imagine eating the biggest meal of the day and then lying down. Like it's difficult for your body to digest when you're laying down. And I think having all that food and going straight to bed isn't the best

best use of digestion. Like I think to eat, I mean, I like to eat 5.30 or 6. Greg and I generally are sitting down to eat at 5.30, which sounds crazy, but it feels so much better to me. And then going on a walk afterwards makes the world of a difference with

with digestion. Obviously, alcohol is like a tricky topic because it could be so easy to say like eliminate alcohol, don't drink. But we all partake in drinking every now and again, maybe not all of us, but a lot of us have a drink at dinner. It's like a social thing.

I think if you're going to drink, do it earlier in the day. It's spiking blood sugar. It's going to make you feel a type of way. I think it's better to have a drink at like a 4 or 5 p.m. than to have a 9 p.m. drink and then get in bed personally. And I know Greg really subscribes to this method. I think if you're going to drink, do it earlier in the day. Cooking at home. I think if you want to have, I mean, I had a delicious breakfast.

pasta bolognese last night at home with Greg. It was amazing. If you can recreate your favorite restaurant meals or meals you pick when you go out, like even if you love, I don't know, the grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, if you can recreate that at home and use better ingredients, you are going to be so much better off. They put...

So many unknown oils and ingredients and things, gums that we could be avoiding if we cook at home. And I know for a lot of people, this is a lot more effort. So even if it's just one of your meals in the day or one of your snacks in the day that you recreate at home. For example, I got really hyper fixated on this particular granola bowl at Swedish Hill here in Austin. And I was getting it every single day. And I was like, you know what? It's amazing. I'm sure they use good ingredients, but let me just try recreating at home.

And I use grass-fed yogurt. I use a house-made granola with Brazil nuts in it. I add my own fruit and it's amazing and I love it. And I know the ingredients that are going into it. So I think that can make such a big difference in your journey. Prepping in advance.

Another one that could sound really overwhelming. I used to be a big meal prep girl. I think even if you're just prepping your protein for the week, like let's say you make a bunch of steak and chicken and you have it in Tupperware to add to any of your meals, you're already set up for so much more success. What I really like

about prepping a protein or two is that you can make a rice bowl, you can make a salad, you could make a stir fry. There's so many different things you can do with those proteins and you really are setting yourself up for success by having that ready. So I think if you just do that once a week, it might make the world of a difference and make it more likely that you're going to eat healthy that day. This might sound harsh, but I think this is an easy one.

and something that I did pretty quickly on my fitness journey, don't drink your calories. And I think it's totally fine to have like a coffee with milk or a matcha with milk and enjoy that like treat. But there are some crazy beverages out there. Like if you go to Starbucks, these vanilla bean frappuccinos I used to love in college that are like 800 calories, that's like a whole

meal like that is crazy and I think also they're inevitably full of sugar and gums and crazy things I think if you can switch to having you know clean drinks like seltzer sparkling water a bloom energy drink perhaps your greens a smoothie unless it's a smoothie by the way let's count smoothies out of this a matcha whatever it may be like these crazy sugary you know

flavored drinks they have at coffee shops, I would prefer, and I think you would feel better, to just have a meal instead and have protein and get some full nutrient-dense foods in your body. Switch your cooking fats. I think this could be so easy. When you're eating out, they're cooking in canola, vegetables, soybean oil. If you're cooking at home, I think a

using ghee or butter would be absolutely preferable. They say that even heating up, you know, technically olive oil and avocado oil aren't really supposed to be used at high, high heat, which many of us cook at high heat. Ghee, butter or tallow are really ideal for cooking at high heat. And then if you are cooking something at a low heat, olive oil and avocado oil are best. I think that makes such a big difference. The

The things we cook our food in are really, really important. And I think that's an easy switch. And another bullet I have here is to just get in more water. I think it's a small change, easy to do. Get yourself a hydro flask or a Stanley cup or just a big water cup from anywhere. Fill it multiple times a day. And as we talked about, taper it off before bed. Let's talk about exercise. Exercise is...

If I had to pick something, I would pick nutrition, but I think exercise and movement in general can make such a big difference in our energy levels, our confidence, the way we show up every day.

So here are some things I think could be easily implemented and make a big change. Walking. Now, I went through this list with Greg because I wanted to hear his feedback. And he said 10,000 steps minimum a day. And I know to a lot of people that sounds really intimidating. I think that that could be like a high level goal if you find it easy to get steps. But what I would say is just getting in a walk after every single meal. I think it really helps with digestion. I think it helps with mental health, diet.

just get moving. And walking has been proven to help with blood sugar, longevity, and metabolism. I never really realized how important steps were until I started truly implementing them and just seeing, wow, like I feel so much better in my body. I feel healthier. I feel like I'm digesting better. I think steps are one of those things that can be incorporated really easily and make a big difference.

For example, if you are scrolling on TikTok, talking on the phone, texting, walk around the room, get on a treadmill, read your book on a treadmill, whatever activity you're doing, like just walk around. One thing about my husband is that if you watch him, even at the office or if he's working from home, he is pacing. He's walking around the yard. He's walking back and forth. He's walking between his reps at the gym. He's walking around the house.

He is moving and it's crazy. They actually say that people who stay moving are just generally like more fit and healthy than people who sit at a desk all day long. So I know it can be tough if you have a desk job, maybe look into getting a walking pad or walk between your phone calls, just do laps around the office, like do what you can to get those steps in. I like to use walking as like

socializing time. So if me and my friends want to catch up and hang out, oftentimes we grab a coffee and go on a walk. We have a beautiful trail here on Austin, Texas that I love to walk around and we'll just do the full lap. And it's crazy how quickly time goes when you are walking with a friend and talking, like you don't even notice how many steps you're getting. Again, I think walking around between sets at the gym can be amazing. Like let's say you're doing some biceps and

Between each set, do a lap around the gym. Greg told me that he gets like 4,000 steps at the gym alone. So try that. I also think weightlifting is, you know, whatever, you know, everyone has different preferences with exercise, but I think weightlifting is important. But I think as long as you're doing like two to three times a week, even just twice a week of some weights, you're

can make a really big difference. It's amazing, obviously, for muscle, bone health, blood sugar balance. I think it's also just really empowering and helps us be functional humans in day-to-day life. Even if you don't have weights and you just want to use, like, I don't know, a gallon jug at your house or something heavy, just make sure you're doing some lifting here and there.

You guys know I've been through a long weight loss journey. I lost 90 pounds in 2017 and I've definitely tried many different diets, but what I've realized is restricting doesn't necessarily work. Everything should be in moderation and I love eating foods that I enjoy, but at the end of the day, real whole foods are what actually make me feel and perform my best and

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Toxins are an important category I think to have on this list because they are everywhere and difficult to avoid. So I think if we can do what we can in our own homes, in our own control, it can make a big difference for our hormones, our endocrine system, brain fog. I think we don't even realize how much it's affecting us until it's gone. And also just seeing a rise in

certain illnesses in younger ages. I think it's really scary and I think a lot of it has to do with toxins. So some simple switches. Get rid of your fragrance candles. I know for some people this is heartbreaking and so difficult but I think they could be replaced with you know maybe a soy natural based candle that doesn't have a fragrance. You still get the vibe of it. Removing air fresheners and plugins. If I get in an uber or walk in a house that's full of fragrances I am

immediately have a migraine. My body has a very visceral reaction to fragrances and maybe yours doesn't. But if you are interested in living a more non-toxic lifestyle, I think these are easy switches. I would say avoiding perfume. I don't ever wear perfume. If you can, just try eliminating the perfume or maybe just use it once a week. I personally see a huge difference. I also think cleaning products could be an easy switch. Maybe you switch to Branch Basics and use my code. It's

POW15, P-O-W-15 for 15% off. Branch Basics is an amazing cleaning product line. This is not an ad. I'm just obsessed with it. It's founded by Alison, who I love. She has an amazing story. And if you look at the ingredients, they are non-toxic, super simple. You can literally wash fruits and veggies with them. You can use them on your babies, apparently. Super safe, pet friendly. You can use them on the floor, counter, hand soap, whatever it may be.

So if you are looking to live a more non-toxic lifestyle, I would switch to Brunch Basics. When buying snacks for your house or any packaged foods, checking ingredients, making sure there's no canola oil or crazy gums, especially like yogurt and salad dressings, they can really sneak those things in. So take a look at that as well. The next category is happiness. I think the

that. This is a big one. And I will be transparent and say I'm someone who leans on the side of struggling with anxiety. If I don't take care of my happiness and my mood, I can slip into like a bad spiral or a bad way of thinking. So I definitely make sure I implement small things every single day that are focused on my happiness because otherwise I will notice a very big difference. So

Some small things. And I say small, and then my first bullet is delete social media. That sounds like a really big deal. But what I do is I just delete it Saturday and Sunday. And I find that it makes a huge difference. I stop comparing myself to other people. I stop worrying about what everyone's doing. My anxiety feels so much better. I'm so much more present in my day. I genuinely spend my weekend the way I want to. Like, maybe this sounds crazy, but I really think...

social media especially lately like I don't know if you guys are going through anything hard but like going through IVF and just really needing to be in my own bubble my own island right now I'm finding deleting social media to be such a powerful tool that I use all the time if I'm like gosh I've been on it a lot the last couple days I'll just delete it I'll just get rid of it or if all my work's done on there for the day I'll just delete it like I feel it's such an empty use of time and

And I never walk away feeling better unless I'm like creating and doing something I'm passionate about or connecting with people that I, you know, love or have a similar experience to, or, you know, podcasting feels very different to me. But a lot of times, especially on the weekend, I feel that social media is a negative experience. So I've been deleting it very frequently. And I think it's a, it's an easy thing to do to feel better going outside period. Like,

I noticed when it was freezing here in Austin and I wasn't outside as much, my mental health was so poor and I really, really struggled with it. I find that being in the sunshine, getting outside, bringing the dogs with me, being at peace, putting my feet on the grass, riding my horse, whatever it is. I was outside the whole weekend this past weekend on the boat, out of the house,

out and about, riding, walking. And I looked at Greg and I said, I had such a good weekend. Like I really had an amazing weekend. And that was all I wanted to do was be outside. And given we had amazing weather, but sunshine and grass and outdoor time just is good for the soul. So I highly recommend getting outside, spend time with people, try not to self-isolate. I think

Oftentimes when we're going through something, it can feel like we're the only one. And I think being vulnerable with people, sharing if you're comfortable, laughing, you know, going out for dinner, putting the phone away, just vibing with other people can be such a happiness booster and really, really help morale. This has been a huge...

tool for me during IVF is just like putting myself around others and I'm really, really enjoying that. I would also say gratitude practices have been such a game changer for me. I think...

noticing good things that happen in the day, reminding us how thankful we are for our partners, for our family, for healthy bodies, whatever it may be, for healthy food on the table, for our dogs, for our jobs. I need to do this. I find, you know, I've been doing it morning and night lately and it just puts me in a different mindset. I think it's really easy for our brains to hyperfixate on

you know, negative things happening in the day and to get down on ourselves. And I find that reminding myself of things I'm thankful for just puts me in a completely different headspace. And I feel that. Like I feel like I'm in such a more positive headspace right now than I was two weeks ago because I'm really focused on these mental health practices. I think slowing down

it's such an easy thing to do, but at the same time, it's so hard for so many of us. I think we get used to running around with our heads in our phones, rushing here and there. And my therapist really tested me this week to put my phone away and move as slow as possible and really notice everything I'm doing. Like if I'm making a coffee, like listen to it, notice the sounds. How

It sounds crazy, but getting out of your head and just into your body and into the moment, washing the dishes and really like noticing everything you're doing, making the bed, like these simple tasks can be really therapeutic and really just help you get out of your head and into the real world.

implementing things that are fun and kind of childlike. I think for me, that's like horseback riding, being with animals, making sourdough bread has been huge. My chickens, maybe for you, it's painting or drawing or building something. I think having...

little hobbies we do throughout the week and reminding ourselves like we're not just built to work. We're here to have fun and enjoy as well. And I think those things are necessary for our happiness and our moods in general. So with that said, guys, I hope these stories

small suggestions. I know it was a lot in general, but if you can just take one from each category or just take a few here and there, you will see such a big difference in your day. And I really hope you guys enjoyed. I will see you in the next episode. Bye.

Thank you 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 marilowellan.com. It will be linked in the show notes.

This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Davielle Waldner, Jen Lauren, and Mackenzie Mizell. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast. Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys. I will 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.