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Light a candle and find your inner goddess with us.
Co-hosts Danielle Schleese and Briana Donaldson want to break the taboo of women’s health and wellbeing. From intimacy to parenting, women are constantly shamed for their inability to measure up to standards they never had a say in setting. On Honey Toast, these subjects find their home among incense, deep-dive conversations, and two best friends. From journal challenges to goddess calls, Briana and Danielle are always finding new ways to help you embrace your natural beauty — inside and out.
Is wellness still wellness if it's burning you out? That's the question for today's episode on health and wellness. Today, something that's happening in the wellness industry is something creeping up on all of us, is perfectionism. Whether it's cold plunges, glucose monitors, breath work, or what have you, we all feel the need to strive for perfection in this area. Is it something that's really helping us if it's that much work?
Briana Miller:Honestly, when I first got here, just maybe think about this, because you guys have a Sprouts here and we don't have that
Danielle Schleese:in Canada. But when I got here and we went grocery shopping for the first time, I went into the health and wellness section because that's, like, the first part of the store, and I just love, like, supplements and things like that. And literally, Gabe and I were like, we need everything in this store. We had a time limit, so I had to put blinders on. I remember being like, because it's just like all these amazing products that we don't normally get.
Danielle Schleese:And they're all like these health remedies. There's like gorgeous stuff, some mushrooms, and then 10 different types of collagens. And then I was like, oh my god. I need this for immune support. And then there's kids immune support.
Danielle Schleese:And I was just like, I want everything. And remember I came home when I told you, was like, I want everything. And you're like, I want everything. Yep. I went in there.
Danielle Schleese:I want everything. Yep. And you're like, I live here. I see it all the time. I want everything.
Danielle Schleese:Yep. So it's kinda funny because I feel like I always want to just have my shelves stocked for just in case of versus, like, actually needing it when you need it Right. Type of base. And I feel like that's one of the times that kinda just, like, triggered my thought when you were
Briana Miller:saying because it's so challenging. I mean, I feel like we live in such a day and age. And when you're the kind of person like we are that are so invested in our health and wellness and in our growth Yeah. It's hard not to. But I think that the main focus should be straight away from like wanting more and wanting more products and more stuff to help us with that.
Briana Miller:And it's about following your intuition instead of following a fad.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. Or Exactly. So to to frame today's episode, it's about following your intuition, like you just said, versus, like, always feeling like you kind of have to keep up and do this type of checklist. So let's just let's start the convo. Let's get into it.
Danielle Schleese:Do you ever feel like wellness has become sort of like some kind of performance? Like trying to optimize wellness or or do you ever see that or feel that for yourself or is that small? I just do.
Briana Miller:All the time. I feel like it's all the time. And what goes hand in hand in with that is that when I feel like I'm not, then I feel an immense amount of guilt.
Danielle Schleese:What do you mean?
Briana Miller:Like, if I'm like, okay, I'm sticking to this plan or I'm gonna, you know, like Oh, yeah. Now I'm gonna, like, have my fasting for sixteen hours every day. Mhmm. And then on the days that I don't or on the the days that I, you know, don't follow the plan that I had, set out for myself. Yeah.
Briana Miller:I totally feel like I'm failing. But I think that that all circles back to like why it's trusting the feeling of it. Like, you tune into your body Mhmm. And feel what you need because your body's gonna tell you what you need as opposed to Just doing it. Just sticking to the same regimented plan every single day because you feel like that would that's what you heard that that's what's best for you.
Briana Miller:Well, I
Danielle Schleese:feel like now more than ever, we really live in this, like, culture that is all about biohacking. Like, listen, I love a good biohacking, and I love a good health podcast. And just because also, like, my fiance is super into it. Yeah. Mind you, he has, like, his health own journey with trying to figure out inflammation.
Danielle Schleese:So it's just, like, naturally part of his journey, so I'm exposed to it. And it's just so fascinating to really learn and understand the science behind the human body and why we are the way we are and why things happen. But I really see an emphasis more than ever in society now and on social media biohacking Yep. And gadgets and macro micro trackers. And even like the Health Apple Watch is like, oh, I have to do 10,000 steps today or I did this.
Danielle Schleese:And we're like really kind of like tracking ourselves. And like you said, you feel guilty if you're not kind of meeting these things. So do you ever feel like you optimize your health in a way? Like, how do you do that?
Briana Miller:Mean, like, Josh and I are massive culprits for, like, buying the next greatest thing. Yeah. Like, oh, red lights on it? Yep. We're getting it.
Briana Miller:Got it. PMF mat? Yep. We're getting it. Juvlite?
Briana Miller:Red light? Juvlite? Red light? Got it. Assaults?
Briana Miller:Got it. Like anything. Yeah. Like all the stuff. And now granted, I maybe am not someone who like uses that stuff all the time, but Josh actually He uses it every day, which is impressive.
Briana Miller:But yeah, but we do have it. We get it all because it's like, oh, the next greatest thing to like make you feel better and more youthful and have more energy and heal quicker and all these things.
Danielle Schleese:Have you ever tracked something? Like, let's say I guess the most common example I can think of is, like, when somebody's trying to lose weight or going into some sort of exercise system because Track your macros? Yeah. Like and did you ever find yourself being obsessive about those?
Briana Miller:I've never not.
Danielle Schleese:You've never? Never.
Briana Miller:Never. You're one
Danielle Schleese:in a million.
Briana Miller:Woah. Yeah. No. I have never tracked the macro. I pretty much I feel like every single person that I know pretty much has Yeah.
Briana Miller:To some degree, female. Well, I
Danielle Schleese:think that probably is more related to like a diet culture lifestyle rather than it would that fall in health and wellness? I guess diet and losing weight? Absolutely. I mean, I think intention.
Briana Miller:Yeah. Yeah. I think it depends on the intention.
Danielle Schleese:Like, if you really have to lose weight because, like, your knees cannot stand and your health and your life depends on it versus you need to lose weight and you're tracking macros because you wanna get a six pack or whatever it is you're doing. Right. But still, the obsession can still lie in either approach. Right? Absolutely.
Danielle Schleese:I would say from from my own personal experience, as you know, I've had psoriasis for, like, ten years this year, which is insane. Wow. And they've it's never ever left my elbows. It's coming on in other places of my body, but the elbows is, like, the consistent thing. And I've tried everything.
Danielle Schleese:So, I mean, like, if you give me a cream suggestion, I'll probably have tried it. But it really comes from the gut and from working with, like, try traditional Chinese medicine and nutritionists and naturopaths and regular doctors and whatever. I have had to track my diet and my food to the point where it's become, like, an obsession. And I'm even now, like, on an animal based diet, which I was vegan for, like, ten years, and now I'm trying literally anything to kind of like to heal and figure out what's going on with my body. Only because for me, like, is a discomfort at this Yeah.
Danielle Schleese:And I feel like I've kind of gone past like the self consciousness of it. Yeah. Like, it's so funny too when people see my psoriasis and my knee, they're like, oh my god. What happened? Mhmm.
Danielle Schleese:Like, oh, it's psoriasis. They're like, oh, I'm so sorry. I'm like Yeah. And it's funny. Okay.
Danielle Schleese:Because my girlfriend, Lisa, she was like looking at it when someone was like, I'm so sorry. And she's like, do you know what psoriasis is? And he's like, no.
Briana Miller:Like, okay. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks for you for getting
Danielle Schleese:it there.
Briana Miller:Thanks for your compassion.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. But that for me, I would say like that's something that's obsessive because Right. I want to get back to my skin.
Briana Miller:Wanna know
Danielle Schleese:what my elbows feel like without psoriasis on it. So I feel like for me, I have experienced that obsessiveness and and tracking. And then there was a point where I was doing, like, this workout program too, and you have to really track the macros of,
Briana Miller:like I remember that.
Danielle Schleese:To see results. You have to be super strict and conditioned, that becomes your life. Like, food is such a part of our life. So if you're tracking every minute, every second of it, it's it's gonna be a huge focus of your day.
Briana Miller:And then, like, is it really healthy? Exactly. Such a such a counterintuitive thing because you're doing something to try and be healthy. But when you become so obsessed and if it's consuming your energy and your life and your brain and your minds and everything like, is it really that healthy? I think that's the big question.
Briana Miller:But I think more than anything too, like when these things are applied to women, it's completely different because of our twenty eight day cycle. And I think that because of our hormonal fluctuations, whether that be for a normal situation for a female that has somewhat of a twenty eight day cycle, or perhaps you're a female going through postpartum or breastfeeding Yeah. Or you're pregnant or menopausal or Yes. We have all these different stages of life and stages of the month that have a completely different hormonal Effect. Effect.
Briana Miller:And so I think that that's also important is that basing your health and wellness, whether that be diet, seed cycling, which we'll get into on on another episode, but really tapping into where you're at hormonally Mhmm. With what you're consuming and how you're acting, like with your exercise and your decision making and all these other things. So I think that when it comes to being obsessed and tracking your health and wellness when it comes to women, it is a little bit different than the standard program because of our hormonal changes that
Danielle Schleese:we also have to, like, kind of line ourselves up with. Yeah. And I feel like without considering those points, it could actually lead you to feeling less healthy Right. Than seeing those results. Right.
Danielle Schleese:Because it's just like, why doesn't this work for me? Or why am I so bloated? So why am I carrying this water weight? Because Right. Also no bodies are the same.
Danielle Schleese:There's so many layers. And like you kind of touched upon, there's all these areas and facets and quadrants like spiritual, physical, mental, emotional. You could be off in one area which affects another area. Yeah.
Briana Miller:It's all interconnected.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. And it and then you find yourself getting frustrated or defeated almost for not Right. Feeling your best even though you're investing so much time and energy in this space to be your best. Right. Right.
Danielle Schleese:At the best version I can think of is like and this is gonna be a huge topic, I think, down the road anyway. It's like vegan lifestyle, plant based lifestyle versus carnivore and animal based lifestyle. Like, you know, it's Which is basically you
Briana Miller:and I. Like, I have a very different not very different now. I've I've added more things to my diet, but, like, have I mean, I haven't eaten meat for almost twenty years. Mhmm.
Danielle Schleese:Well, I mean, I was there. Like, I was Yeah. Vegan for Yeah. A very long time, like a decade. Yeah.
Danielle Schleese:Right? And anyway, that's that's another topic for But another
Briana Miller:I think that the the thing that we need to take away from this conversation as women Mhmm. Is that we need to get back to intuitive wellness as opposed to following the next fad, following this new trend. I think that it's very much about getting more in touch with our bodies because your body will talk to you. Your body will tell you what you need whether that be eat more. Do you ever be like, oh,
Danielle Schleese:explain like, explain what that feels like.
Briana Miller:What does that mean? So, I mean, not talking about diet for a second. Let you know, we were talking about this earlier today. It's funny. Gabe, Danielle's fiancee, we were just talking about this twenty minutes ago.
Briana Miller:But, like, as soon as I start to feel like, I might be getting
Danielle Schleese:You know?
Briana Miller:Yeah. Like, I'm just like, something doesn't feel quite right. Like, I might be getting sick. Of course, the first thing I do is, like, pump myself full of supplements. Yeah.
Briana Miller:I'm like ionic zinc, liposomal vitamin c, shit ton of water, so much vitamin d, like all these things. But You're making me wanna drink water. It's it's be I think it's and I swear and I and then I completely slow down. Like, I as soon as I start to feel that way, I basically say to everyone in my house, I feel like I might be getting sick. I'm doing nothing for the next twenty four hours.
Danielle Schleese:Hard to do, though.
Briana Miller:It is. It's extremely hard. It's and and I don't mean I'm doing nothing. Obviously, I have two kids. I can't do nothing.
Briana Miller:But I mean, like, I'm not pushing myself beyond what is the basic necessities of the day. Mhmm. And I'm going to be in the minute my kids go to bed, I'm having a shower or a bath, and going to bed.
Danielle Schleese:But like that one time you said earlier today, were talking about it. You were like, the one time I didn't listen to my body, I had the flu for four days. Oh, well, had the flu for
Briana Miller:like ten days, but I had a fever for four days. And I it's because I didn't listen to myself, and I just kept pushing through because I was like, oh, I have so much to get done this week. I can't. And I push
Danielle Schleese:You just screw yourself all
Briana Miller:over the screwed myself because then I couldn't do anything for a week. I was literally on the couch or in bed for four days. I could barely move. It was awful. And but I've only been sick twice in the last ten years.
Briana Miller:That's impressive. Knock on wood. But it's because I swear by this method of the minute that I start to feel like something might be coming on. I also feel very grateful. I feel like I am very in tune with my body, And that's been a practice that I've had to learn over time.
Briana Miller:I was
Danielle Schleese:gonna say that wasn't always the case.
Briana Miller:No. No. Definitely not. That's a practice that I've really had to learn over time, and I'm so grateful for the different things that I have, these skills and tools that I have acquired. Mhmm.
Briana Miller:But that's just an example of like how you can intuitively support your wellness as opposed to being like, oh, well, no. On my schedule, it says I have to go to the gym today and do, you know, three sets of 12 squats at with 215 pounds. Like, I know. That's not
Danielle Schleese:on guilty for that. That's not on
Briana Miller:the agenda today anymore because my body's telling me it's not.
Danielle Schleese:Yes. I'm so guilty for that. Not not in that specific example. But for instance, like, I found this guy who does lymph node massages. I'm like, perfect.
Danielle Schleese:That's a two minute routine I can incorporate into my morning. And then I Lisa, my sister-in-law, she's like, oh, she's doing these facial massages and it's all connected to energy, which we'll talk about another time. Energy in the face and the and the emotions and the muscles and releasing the jaws and it gets the blood flowing and I'm like, god, add that into my morning routine too every single day. And then on top of that and on top of that, and then there's like, before I know it, I have like 10 things lined up that I want to do. And if I don't cross those things off, like, oh, man, I really wanna find time for this and I'm not feeling fulfilled, and I'm checking these lists off that will will improve my health and my body long term.
Danielle Schleese:But I'm definitely one to do that. So I think this kind of like connects us to our into our next segment of this, which
Briana Miller:is But but even like something so simple, I feel that you can do to get started on the journey of trying to get more in touch with yourself and find ways to be more in tune with your body so that you can hear what it's speaking to you is start with something super simple. Like every single day, whether you want to do it in a journal, ask yourself in the mirror, however you want to do it every day, morning, night, whenever you think of it, however you wanna do it. How is my body feeling today? Take a minute, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and like scan through your body. Like, okay, brain, eyes, mouth, throat, shoulder.
Briana Miller:Like, just do a full body scan and be like, how am I feeling today?
Danielle Schleese:I'll add it to my list. Yeah.
Briana Miller:Add it to your list. But I'm just saying for anyone that like doesn't know where to get started, let's just say
Danielle Schleese:in terms of like, how do I tune into
Briana Miller:my body? How do I know what my body needs? Like, you you have to be conscious and be present Yeah. At least for a brief moment every day and check-in with yourself and check-in with your physical body. That is tough because what if
Danielle Schleese:you find an answer you don't like?
Briana Miller:Well, that's perfect.
Danielle Schleese:Are you kidding? A little dry? Okay. That's perfect, though, because how else do we grow as humans? But that's you know what?
Danielle Schleese:It's so interesting because that's this whole the irony of all of this. Right? It's so easy to just bypass those signs Right. From the body. And after listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger's audiobook, he was like, I never get sick because I don't have time to think about being sick.
Danielle Schleese:So I'm not gonna be sick. And I was like, great. I'm gonna do the same thing. So I'm like, oh, I feel a throat tickle. Not sick.
Danielle Schleese:Not sick. Not sick. Gone. Gone to the world. I'm like, I have a cold and it's off.
Danielle Schleese:Is he to sleep or whatever? You know what I mean? Yeah. That does not work for me. I cannot ignore.
Danielle Schleese:And it's almost like I'm waiting for that feeling to come on so I could ignore it.
Briana Miller:And you're like anticipating it
Danielle Schleese:because you're like, I'm not gonna acknowledge it. And it's almost like you're calling it in because you're so starring. Acknowledging it.
Briana Miller:I am By not acknowledging it. Almost calling it.
Danielle Schleese:But it's just kind of a funny irony where I was just like, oh, that makes sense why he's never sick. He just never allows himself to be sick, so I'll just never allow myself to get sick.
Briana Miller:Yeah. I I get his get his method though. I get it. I am like that. Like Aubrey will come home from school and I'm looking at her and I can see it in her eyes.
Briana Miller:Yeah. Like the dark circles. All across here, she's like puffy and like doesn't look well. And I'm like, alright. That's fine because you're gonna be the only one in the household that's sick this week and next week and it's alright.
Briana Miller:And I somehow I swear I could I manifest it. Hey, dude. Last year, I had mono. I know. For like Who four
Danielle Schleese:gets mono? Like In their mid thirties. In their mid thirties.
Briana Miller:I'm like, mean, I mean mid twenties. I'm sorry.
Danielle Schleese:I'm like, where would I get mono from? I don't even leave my house or my property. I'm such a whole body. Something. I didn't even know.
Danielle Schleese:I and I was pregnant. So I mean, like my immune system was lower than normal.
Briana Miller:And I
Danielle Schleese:was just like, oh, my immune system is so strong. I'm gonna ignore it. I had mono. I had a sinus infection. It lingered for like twelve weeks.
Danielle Schleese:It was just a brutal winter, and it was just such a wet, gray winter. I don't do well in the snow, you know. This year, did surprisingly well. But last year, I was just sick for so long. And this year, I said to myself, I was like, I am not going to get sick the way that I got last year.
Danielle Schleese:I'm gonna do everything in my power. Because also too when I was Yeah. Because I have to see your brother. I would, like, sleep during his nap. And eventually, I just surrendered.
Danielle Schleese:I believe that's how he finally healed because I would nap when he would nap. I would go to bed at like 8PM or 9PM when I have serious FOMO and Gabe hates falling asleep going to sleep. Because as soon as the kids go to bed, you're like, all night. Yeah. But anyway, this year, knock on wood, has been amazing because there has been times Wilder's been sick like two or three times
Briana Miller:Mhmm.
Danielle Schleese:And Gavin are like, buckle up Yeah. Vitamins. That's when we supplement and like really kick up the vitamin d and stuff. Whereas before, I would just supplement a supplement to prevent and avoid. Right.
Danielle Schleese:Versus like even oh, back to my story at the beginning of this episode, going into sprouts and being like, I wanna get everything. Mhmm. But then I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna trust that my body That knows what to I don't need any of it. I don't need ginkle bilboa.
Danielle Schleese:I don't need these mushroom Yeah. Cordyceps. I don't need these things. Yeah. The only thing I got was the honey, the bee pollen honey Yeah.
Danielle Schleese:For the kids.
Briana Miller:Because the kids because the kids were starting to get sick.
Danielle Schleese:They were. Yeah. And I mean, like, that was the first time they were together Yeah. From different countries and all this stuff. So and we were kicking off into this whole realm of working So with each anyway, just a funny journey.
Briana Miller:Yeah. It is a funny journey. It's a great journey to be on. So I do feel like a major takeaway from all of this is that wellness is more about connection and connecting to yourself and your body and not so much about control. Yes.
Briana Miller:Like because if you truly connect, then it will go smoothly. The more you try to control it, the more it's it's gonna become unmanageable. What do
Danielle Schleese:you think about, like, cold plunges is a huge fad. Right? And we live by the lake in Ontario in the winter, and there's always a hole there waiting and A hole? Yeah. Because
Briana Miller:Oh, in the
Danielle Schleese:lake. To go cold plunging, and Gabe loves it. And he tries to convince me to go. And last year I had an excuse because I was freshly pregnant. I was like, it'll shock the baby.
Danielle Schleese:Even though I see women who are pregnant doing it, I'm like, wow. Yeah. I'm just like, I'm not one for cold. Yeah. But I do believe in its health benefits.
Danielle Schleese:I think that's just like an it's something to talk about in-depth with like experts in their own. Yeah. But is that something you think that you wouldn't you have a quote Yeah.
Briana Miller:I've done a Is
Danielle Schleese:that something you indulge in every day or would indulge every day?
Briana Miller:I think that if yes and no. No. Because I hate the cold. So for me, it's always like it's like going to the gym. Well, not for me.
Briana Miller:Like going to the gym. But I I think a lot of people getting there is the hardest part. Mhmm. And that's what, you know, Josh cold plunges every single night. And I'm always like, ugh.
Briana Miller:But then as soon as I jump in and I'm in there because we No, it it's not. In the winter, we do it in our pool because it's so frigid. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, oh, this isn't even that bad.
Briana Miller:Yeah. And then I feel so good You're good. I do. Feel great after. But that's why I think that like it's not to say in this discussion just to clarify, like this is not to say that all of the health modalities are insignificant or they don't work or you just don't do anything and you'll be fine forever.
Danielle Schleese:It's not that they don't improve your No.
Briana Miller:Yeah. Just saying. Think it's just about like listen to your body and then follow suit. Listen to your body and let your body take the lead because the more you tune into your body I think that there's a bajillion health modalities and techniques and things that you can do and take and supplement and and bring into your life on a daily basis on a regular basis that is definitely gonna help you and improve your health to some degree. But I think that just like I said, it's about connection and not control.
Briana Miller:The more you try to control it and force it into your schedule even when your body's kind of like, ugh. But it's a catch 22 because some days I'm like, ugh, I really don't want to. And then I do it and I'm like, oh, I do feel better. Mhmm. So I think it's just a matter of, you know, really tuning into that intuition as much as you can.
Danielle Schleese:My intuition says don't do it. It's too cold.
Briana Miller:It's too cold. I know. In your but your brain, I don't know. I don't know. It's it's a it's a balance.
Danielle Schleese:It's a balance
Briana Miller:between It's like everything else in life. Yeah. It's a balance.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. Balance between peer pressure and enjoyment for me. Yeah. When often losing a bet like or a game is rolling around in the snow in your bikini and I have yet to fulfill that.
Briana Miller:That sounds miserable.
Danielle Schleese:It is miserable. I saw your sister do it. Yeah. She lost a bet? Your dad?
Danielle Schleese:Well, it was at Christmas when we all had like dares we had to pull and hers was to roll in the snow. My dad had written that one. So Right. Right. Oh.
Danielle Schleese:She's a trooper. She wins MVP every time.
Briana Miller:Yes. Yeah. She's group one. Group one. Anyway but I mean to move into the next part of it, I think that it's also it's not just about detoxing your body when it comes to wellness.
Briana Miller:And it's not just about the wellness surrounding your physical self, but it's also about detoxing the mind.
Danielle Schleese:Oh my god. Such a great line, Brianna.
Briana Miller:And in so in so many ways. Yep. I think that, you know, detoxing the mind from what we're talking about right now, which is like the belief that if I do more, I will live forever. Be more? Right.
Briana Miller:If I, I, well, if I cold plunge and red light therapy and sauna and breath work and taping mortality is like the thing being I'll live until I'm 500. And it's like, well, then like, are you like, how much life are you living though if all you focus?
Danielle Schleese:That's just why.
Briana Miller:I'm like, is wellness really making you well? So I think that we really need to focus more on detoxing our lives and not just our bodies. You know? And I think that tuning into your intuition in a way that is mind and body and soul and, you know, filtering through your life and checking out the areas that you need to do detox as opposed to just honing in and focusing on like, I need to follow this program. I need to keep up with this daily regimen.
Briana Miller:But maybe look elsewhere because everything is interconnected like we've been saying. So if your energy is off, if your mind is off, your body's gonna be off. So where else can we detox? Let's like change the scope from such a narrow place being in the physical Mhmm. To such a broader scope of being all encompassing.
Briana Miller:So, you know It's
Danielle Schleese:not gonna be just a green juice that makes you healthy. It's gonna be your mindset. It's gonna be boundaries that you set. It's going to be you think, who you surround yourself with. It's going to
Briana Miller:Who do you follow on on Social. Social media? Like, are you feeding your mind? What are you watching in your downtime? Is it The Real Housewives?
Briana Miller:Or, you know, is it something educational or uplifting or just makes your heart feel good? I'm not saying you need to cut everything out. No one's perfect. No one's gonna, you know, cut all the bullshit out of their life. But I do believe that the more you can detox your life, not just your body, your body will see the results.
Briana Miller:Everything will see the results. Yeah. And it's like
Danielle Schleese:yeah. It's all connected, you know, detoxing who you surround yourself with and detoxing the products that you use in your life too. Because so many times in our in our life, we don't even really think about what not just like what we're ingesting because that's a very prominent, loud,
Briana Miller:easy to grasp and easy to grasp concept, I think. Yeah. Because you know that saying goes like you are what you eat.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. Fast food's bad. Right. Green juice, good. Right.
Danielle Schleese:But like you said, it also goes for like social media, who you're following, what their core messaging is, and makeup, what you're wearing on your skin, what you're putting on your skin in your skin care, your toothpaste, your deodorant, your personal care, your cleaning products cleaning products.
Briana Miller:Your children's products.
Danielle Schleese:Your clothing. That's a huge one for me lately because I love clothes and I have so many and not very many of them are healthy, but I'm just like other than the I think the biggest swap I personally made this year was, like, my underwear with the clothing swap. Same. Same. It's, like, really realizing you're wearing that against you all day every day and, like, bras, getting rid of underwire.
Danielle Schleese:Even when you're on your period, like, eliminating tampons because I grew up using tampons and not even really questioning it. And I didn't wanna
Briana Miller:So toxic.
Danielle Schleese:It just felt like it was cleaner and, you know, you didn't spill over. It took me a while to get used to pads, which I use like organic pads now. But even still, like, you know, when you're starting to bleed, you're like, oh, this feels so weird. It feels so dirty. I need to change.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. But it's it takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's it's no different than when you start using it in the first place. Like, it always takes use to. And then once you make those swaps I mean, it can be very overwhelming because it's like a very Yeah. Saturated space.
Briana Miller:And I think that, you know, baby steps. Baby steps. Like nobody's asking you to change your life and every single thing about yourself and your lifestyle overnight. But maybe tonight, you scroll through Instagram and unfollow some people. Maybe tomorrow, you start reading the ingredients on the products you use.
Briana Miller:Maybe in a couple weeks, you start checking the labels in your clothing. You know, like and no, nobody can afford to like swap over and adjust their whole life overnight. I shouldn't say nobody, but you know what I mean. But it's like small baby steps is how you're gonna achieve it. Patience is key in a process to change.
Briana Miller:Patience is key in your process to change. You cannot do it overnight. So be be gentle with yourself. Yeah.
Danielle Schleese:Yeah. So what if health was instead of really looking at health as a trend, it's kind of just like acknowledging and recognizing that it is actually a lot more quiet than that. Yeah. And in that quietness is where you'll actually hear those messages and and find those spaces. Like, it's it's these subtle differences that you can make which will make long term changes For sure.
Danielle Schleese:And effects and connection to the body because that's what it is. It all wraps back around to Yeah. Becoming more connected to your body because it's gonna tell you a matter of how do we listen and what are the signals that it's gonna give us. And they're very subtle, some large. Yep.
Danielle Schleese:But most of
Briana Miller:the time, it's it's quite subtle. And I think that what you're adding into your routine and adding into your body is equally as important as to what you're removing. I think that it carries just as much weight. Whatever you choose to bring into your life in one degree or another is going to be just as impactful and important as the things that you decide to remove. So keep that in mind as well.
Briana Miller:I think that the
Danielle Schleese:the real flex in the wellness space is is learning how to slow down and being okay with it. Like, feeling safe For sure. And allowing yourself to slow down. Because like we talked about previously, we live in such a hustle, bustle worthy culture that really prioritizes progress and showing up Yeah. And productivity Yeah.
Danielle Schleese:And being able to do the slow things and take that slow time is almost harder than it is to just, like, show up and do the things. Right. Which is so interesting.
Briana Miller:Because there's so much energy behind it. There is. Yeah. But I do feel, you know, like like we've been saying on every other episode essentially, slow intentional growth is what it's all about. You have to have the intention going into something.
Briana Miller:You have have to patience and give yourself grace. And the slow intentional growth is what's gonna get you there. So, you know, these are this is just our perspective. This is these are just our examples. But we would love to hear, like, what baby steps you you're taking.
Briana Miller:What baby steps do you feel like are actually easy for you to implement in your life
Danielle Schleese:Mhmm.
Briana Miller:Whether it is unfollowing someone on Instagram or, you know, waking up and drinking water before coffee or, you know, whatever those small changes are that you're doing in your life, we would love to hear because we're we're also, I think, always looking for tips from like minded women and people on how we can also continue to detox our own lives in certain ways. So whatever feedback, suggestions, or or, you know, routines that you guys decide to implement, we would love to hear you hear hear your feedback and hear your suggestions and maybe something that's worked for you along the way because it might help someone else. And I think ultimately that's what we're after here is building the community so that we can all impact each other and help each other grow and optimize our lives to feel healthier, happier, and cleaner.