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The Riverbend Awareness Project brings you a new conversation each month about important causes and issues in our community. Each episode features a conversation with a professional from our community about significant issues like heart health, Alzheimer’s, literacy, and more. Our goal is to share resources and information that will help you have a better understanding of the particular problems and solutions associated with each topic.
Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are solely those of the individuals participating and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Riverbend Media Group or the Riverbend Awareness Project, its affiliates, or its employees. It is important to note that the discussion presented is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified health care professionals for any medical concerns or decisions. The Riverbend Awareness Project is a product of Riverbend Media Group.
Emma: Welcome to the Riverbend Awareness Project. Each month, we learn about important nationwide topics that also affect our community.
Melissa: This month, we're talking about wellness for National Wellness Month. And today we have— we're super grateful to have Susan Torborg, a director of Healthy Living Initiatives from Melaleuca speaking with us today. Could you give us just like a little brief introduction of yourself, Susan, and your background and how it relates to wellness?
Susan: Yeah, awesome. Thank you. Gosh. Introduction. I am... loving what I do.
Like, you guys mentioned before we recorded you're living your dream job. I love what I do. I don't work, this is what I do. I absolutely love helping people improve their health. I love helping people feel good in their body.
My degree is in exercise science from Arizona State University, and I was nationally certified by the American College of Sports Medicine in group fitness and sports nutrition many years ago. So, like, I've been doing this pretty much my entire life. I was an athlete; I played soccer and lacrosse, and then I got my degree.
And so for 30 years, I was a trainer. I worked in corporate fitness, in home fitness, health club fitness. I developed programs for different companies and health clubs, and I even did a local cable fitness show in the 90s. So, like, if you ever look at that, it is so funny. Like, it is great.
I remember my oldest of five kids was on set one day, and he was, like, crawling over towards me. And we didn't edit it. It was live for 30 minutes. Like, there was no cutting. And so, like, I just said, "hey, moms. Like, if you have babies, you can pick up your babies and do squats," and, like, I started exercising with him. It was amazing.
Yeah, so I've had a lot of experience in just the whole health and fitness industry the last 30 years, but, you know, around my five kids. I have five kids. I've been married for 28 years. They range in age from 13 to 26. Three boys, two girls, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy. And the oldest got married last December, and I'm gonna be a grandma this December. Yes!
Melissa: Congratulations! That's exciting.
Susan: It is exciting. And so, yeah, that's it in a nutshell, I think, Melissa.
Melissa: Awesome, thank you.
Emma: Yeah. That is super fun. So our first question that we have for you today is: what does wellness mean to you?
Susan: Gosh. Wellness means to me just living your best, healthiest, happiest life. Like, what is wellness? You know, growing up in the 80s, 90s, we were bombarded with supermodels and, you know, all this unrealistic expectation of what wellness and beauty was. And I think that played... like, that caused problems in a lot of women's heads.
You know, wellness... it's an emotional journey, and I've really come to learn that wellness is total health. How are you sleeping? How is your energy? How is your mindset? What is your self talk?
You know, wellness just means that if I want to go for a bike ride like I did this past Sunday, halfway through my bike ride, it was like an hour and a half, I'm like, I still feel amazing. I'm gonna ride to the next town. I ended up doing almost a 4 hour bike ride. Like, I'm 53! Like, wellness means that you can pick up and go and do what you wanna do, and you're happy. You're healthy. That's fun.
Emma: I love what you said about being a mindset. That's really cool. Like, that's a good way to think about it. Has your definition of wellness evolved or changed over time?
Susan: Absolutely. So it kinda plays into what I just said. You know, what do you look like? How do you look in your clothes? I think it's evolved from vanity to overall how are you as a human being? Are you balanced?
You know, because I think that evolved through my career too, because I have trained bodybuilders. I have trained priests. You know, so if you're extreme, focus on one area of your life, and you're not balanced, how healthy are you? So, so it's really, like, you're spending 5 hours in a gym, but you don't have healthy relationships, and, you know, your focus is, is not truly on health, how healthy are you? So I think it's just evolved as I've evolved as a person, and I'm still evolving, you know?
Right now, currently, I just feel like it's evolved into, is my blood pressure healthy? Is my cholesterol healthy? Are my sugar numbers healthy? Am I addicted to foods? Is anything controlling me? Am I balanced emotionally, spiritually, physically?
So it's... I've always had that, but I feel like it's just become stronger and stronger the more people that I work with. I mean, I work with tens of thousands of people, and I love when I work with people and let's say they lose 100 pounds or 150 pounds or 50 pounds. I love when I hear their stories that they talk about, "I have more energy. I'm sleeping better. I'm actually a happier mom and I'm treating my husband better." You know, I love to hear that.
And then I say to them, "wait, how much weight did you lose?" And they're like, "oh, 110 pounds." Like, I feel like the scale is not focused, but if we're just doing the right activities, which we can talk about, I feel like the byproduct is weight loss.
The byproduct is living a healthy life.
Melissa: I love that. That's so cool. I think too, like, when you talked about... when you mentioned this idea of vanity versus, like, actual wellness, I think that can still be like— I think there's still those images and that media out there. So I think reinforcing the idea of "no, wellness is just is feeling better, is having more energy, is having better relationships is like just feeling more yourself and healthier."
I think always reinforcing that is always necessary because we get wrapped up on our own heads in comparison.
Susan: Melissa, like, I just spoke— we have a challenge going on right now. We have three corporate challenges per year, and there may be between five and eight thousand people in this small group challenge. And that is small, that feels small because we have 140,000 people in our large group.
But just the other night, I really got vulnerable and I shared with them, sometimes I still struggle with that. Like, I have to guard myself. I have to get off Instagram. I have to stop following certain trainers or people online, or, you know, if I'm online, just watch what I'm feeling myself, because it can very subtly come into you where it's like, "wow, her stomach's perfect, or it's flat and, and she, it's like, she has the perfect body," or it can very easily turn into vanity and then the self talk starts and you just have to guard yourself and remind yourself.
And I can feel it immediately. If I'm looking at something, it's just like, "that's not... we don't know how healthy that is, Susan. That's a trick. Just stop. Like, move on to where you're focused."
And I think we all need to just be mindful of that because it's still out there, especially with phones in our hands all the time. You know, you're scrolling and you're looking and it's hard not to compare yourself. But I'm proud that I have 5 kids; my stomach is not perfect, but it looks fine in clothes. Okay? Like, who cares?
Right? Yeah. I'm strong. My stomach is strong. If I can ride 4 hours on a bike, I'm happy.
Like, I can move my body. Who's judging me? Stop judging myself.
Melissa: Definitely. Kind of shifting into that, what are those key components of having a balanced wellness routine?
Susan: Yeah. Really good question. I feel like there are 7 healthy habits that we need to focus on. And that has evolved over the years, but I am really focused on these 7 habits, and this is what I teach all the time. So let's go through the 7 habits, starting with community, relationships.
Who are you surrounding yourself with? You know, are they encouraging you to exercise, to eat healthy? You know, I have had people in our groups wanting to eat healthy, but then they go out with their friends and they're like, "here, you gotta eat this piece of cake," or "you gotta drink this." And it's like, are those people caring about your goals? Now, they may be your friends, but who are you surrounding yourself?
You know, don't you love that quote, you know, "you are the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most," or it's something like that. Like, we are the average of the people we surround ourselves with. So who are you surrounding yourself with?
So number 1: community. We need a supportive environment around us, because maybe not all of our families in our homes are encouraging us to eat healthy, but, like, can we get into a group or a fitness group or, you know, we got to surround ourselves because relationships are so important.
You know, have you ever had relationships with maybe a boss or a coworker where you don't feel seen, heard, or loved? That affects you. You know, and then are you surrounded by someone where it's like, I don't know what it is about them, but I feel heard. I feel cared for. They haven't said they love me but I'm feeling some love here and I'm able to be more creative. I'm happier. I'm inspired to take care of myself.
And not to judge people, but just look at yourself then. Are you allowing people to be seen, heard, and loved? You know, people I work with now or people in the gym— like, am I listening to them? Am I actually listening? Am I actually, you know, encouraging them and saying "good job?" So relationships are super important. That's number 1.
Number two: nutrition. So the second healthy habit is: are you following healthy principles of nutrition? So let me come back to nutrition after the 7. Okay?
Melissa: Okay.
Susan: Really important. What are we eating? What do we focus on? So I'll come back to 5 principles after these 7 habits. Okay?
Let's move on to number 3. Are we taking supplements that we know are backed by science? You know, you mentioned before this recording, COVID and, you know, life pivoted, and I changed or I moved or whatever, but like, are we doing things to boost our immunity every day? Are we taking supplements that are decreasing inflammation? Because inflammation is linked to disease and chronic illness.
Are we taking things for brain health, for joint health? Like I said, I'm 53. After that 4 hour bike ride, oh, you better believe I came home and took my supplements. Like, I wanted to recover really quick. So, you know, that's important.
Next one, number 4. Are we drinking water? Okay. Emma and Melissa, do you have a water bottle in arm's reach? A+!
Melissa: Although, I have like, this much water left.
Emma: Me too!
Melissa: Which means I drank most of it, but I need to refill it.
Susan: Yeah, but that's an A+ in my book. And if you guys are listening to this podcast but you can't see the recording, they both just put a water bottle in the camera.
They are practicing healthy habit number 3, which is important for hydration. It's important for immunity. Your lymphatic system is primarily made up of water, and that's pushing T cells and disease fighting cells around the body, keeping us healthy.
Whenever I get exhausted, I hear my mother's voice in my head because she would always say to me, "are you drinking enough water?" You know, like, I'm like, "mom, I'm exhausted. Pray for me." She's like, "are you drinking enough water?" And I'm like, "wait a minute. I'm not." So sometimes when we're tired in the afternoon, we just need to hydrate.
And another secret, you guys are young and beautiful. And like I said, I'm getting into the mid-fifties. Water's really good for your skin. So, you know, it helps with wrinkles. It helps with that a little bit.
Next habit. Are you ready? Exercise. So, you know, being a past trainer, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that we are moving our body every week for 150 minutes. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, 30 minutes here.
After my bike ride, I was like, "I'm done for the week." Like, I just got it all, and that's okay. It's an average in a whole week. So we gotta make sure we're moving our body.
Number 6, when I ask people in the challenges what habit they need to focus on most, it's always this one. Let's see if you guys agree.
Silence. Oh, I got a reaction. I see your faces. Are you taking time for silence every day? And I don't mean walking in silence.
I mean sitting, like, physical silence and mental silence. Because research shows that if we allow ourselves even just 2 minutes of silence a day, we can decrease heart rate and blood pressure. Now, I've been practicing 30 minutes of silence since my pregnancy with my 4th child. She's 17. I was 6 months pregnant.
So for 17 and a half years, most days, you know, life happens, sometimes you can't, but most days of the week, I am practicing 30 minutes of silence. Which means over time, you get really good at quieting your thoughts. It doesn't mean they're not going to come in. And now, sometimes a thought would come in and say, "go pick up Jacob. School just ended," and I'm like, "oh, thank you."
You know? Sometimes you have to engage in those thoughts. But for the most part, like, you can just not engage in those thoughts and that busyness of your brain, and you can just be. And what that does to a human, it allows you to be more focused on what you're doing. You can become more creative, and you have a higher level of peace in your life.
And then the last one, of course, is sleep. We need 7 to 9, I've heard 7 to 8, some doctors even say 9. But let's say 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
Are you getting it? Sleep is so restorative. It helps to heal the body, it helps to relax the brain, it helps to de-stress us. Like, don't you love sleep? I love sleep. Yeah. Do you love sleep?
Emma: Oh yeah.
Melissa: Yes. I need to get more of it, but yes.
Susan: Yes! Every night I get into my bed and I'm like, why didn't I get into this bed sooner? Because I just love this feeling, you know.
Emma: Yes, I know! I was thinking— you were talking earlier about your mom telling you drink more water.
Well, when I was a kid and I was upset about something, my mom would say, "you just need more sleep." And I would always get so mad because I'd be like, "no, mom. I'm upset. I don't need more sleep. I'm just— I'm just upset."
And now, like, now that I'm older, every time I'm upset about something, I'm just like, "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired."
Susan: No, but it's true. Like, haven't you noticed yourself? You're more vulnerable to the emotional when you're maybe not in the proper place. Like, if you're sleep-deprived for days, like, you can just— in the grocery store checking out, like, you're going to cry to the lady. Right? You know? Kidding. But, like, sleep's really important.
And so I remember during COVID, I had two kids come home from college. One actually was in New York, so he graduated on the couch, because he never went back to New York during that time. I had three other kids come home from Catholic school, and my office moved into the corner of my bedroom. I am making more food. It's a more... we live in a small house.
We bought the house my husband grew up in. And so it's like... we've redone it. It's adorable. I love it. You know, it's simple. It's great.
But it was, like, more stress subconsciously. And one way of coping with that was just eating more. And, you know, I remember the other thing was I wasn't sleeping as well. So a couple months into it, I just said, you guys, something's changing.
So at 9 o'clock every night, I went into the bathroom and I locked the door, and I had a hot bath. And I put some lavender oil in there; I put some bath bombs in there. And in the first couple of days, there were, like, knocks on the door. "Mom, I need you to make me a snack," or "can you do my laundry?" "Can you do this?" And I was like, oh my— it took 2 weeks to train my family to be like, this is my time. Mommy is done working at 9 o'clock at night. And if you need something from me, you know, get it done before dinner, or at least before 8 o'clock or something. After 2 weeks, they respected that time.
And you know, I started waking up more refreshed. So if someone's not sleeping well, do you need to put down your phone after dinner? Maybe engage with people and give yourself 3 hours before bed to unplug. Do you need to go outside and get fresh air? Put your feet in the grass and walk around and water the flowers.
Like, what do you need to do? Do you need to read a book? Do you wanna pray? Like, what are the things you need to do? Because sleep is so important. It's as important as healthy relationships and your supplements and your exercise.
So if one of those 7 habits is lacking, you're not gonna be as healthy as you could be as a human. You know, really, like, if there's a damaging toxic relationship, but you're doing all the healthy things, it's going to affect you. Like you said, Emma, if you're not getting your sleep and you're emotional, like, even if you're exercising, like, or if you're exercising 4 hours a day but not eating well, you could still not have a healthy body.
So they're all— I really am... I am sold, those 7 habits, that's the key. You gotta focus on those 7 habits because mental health falls into that. Relationships, silence, you know, all the things. So now, if you're ready, you wanna go back to habit number 2?
Melissa: Yes. Nutrition. Right?
Susan: Yes.
Melissa: Yes, I remembered! Yay!
Susan: Okay. This is my... well, I think silence might be my favorite habit. But nutrition... well, I love supplement... I love them all!
Okay. Let's just go to number 2.
5 principles.
Picture 6 weeks. You want to raise your metabolism, you want to be, you know, at a high metabolic rate, you want to have freedom with your food. You know, I grew up in the 80s, 90s, where I did every diet out there. When I was a trainer, I taught keto, I taught intermittent fasting, I taught fasting, I taught, you know, shake-only diets. I taught exercise for weight loss. Let's keep a journal. Let's count everything. You guys, you're a lot younger than I am.
Like, do you wanna do that forever?
Melissa: No. We do not.
Susan: That's like a full time job.
Melissa: Yeah
Susan: So people can learn how to be free in their food choices, break addictions, and have a really high metabolism in a 6 week period. So let's break 6 weeks into three 2 week phases of reset, reintroduce, and real life. And the only things we need to focus on are 5 principles.
3 principles during the first 2 weeks of reset: Let's stay away from the foods that are high on the glycemic index. So we've put together a "no" list. What are the foods on the "no" list? They are foods high on the glycemic index, and we're gonna stay away from them as best as we can for 2 weeks.
Melissa: Can I ask what the glycemic index is?
Susan: Glycemic index is foods like, of course, cookies, cakes, ice cream, white rice, pasta, bread, crackers.
Emma: Oh, bread. All my favorite foods.
Susan: Right. Right? Oh, yeah. Chips.
Now there might be a couple surprising things. Fruit is super healthy. Temporarily, if your metabolism is slow, fruit is sugar. Let's just get some of the sugar. You know, let's try our best. It's not— we don't have to be 100%, not keto or anything. We'll try our best, and let's just stay away from some of those high glycemic foods for 2 weeks.
And let's start our day, number 2, let's start our day with a protein. Within that first hour of waking up, let's consume some protein according to hunger, some protein from the "yes" foods, foods that are lower on the glycemic index. They convert to sugar slower in the blood. Foods on the "no" list, high on the glycemic index, they convert to sugar quickly in the blood.
You guys know when you eat a lot of pasta, you might feel full, but an hour later you want more. Or, like, ice cream. Like, you know, some of those foods, they just don't satisfy you on a deep level. So we're gonna start our day with protein because protein digests slowly, and it's gonna keep you full longer. Right? When you eat some protein, you feel full longer.
And then we're going to eat foods from the "yes" list, preferably with a protein, every 3 hours, maybe just 5 times a day. What that does is it's gonna keep the blood sugar level steady and it's gonna keep you in control of your cravings and your food choices.
Now, that's the foundation. That's just the foundation. We're gonna move into the second 2 weeks of reintroduce. Keep doing reset, but now let's bring back some of the foods from the "no" list in moderation. We have a higher metabolism. We're gonna burn it off quickly. So bring it in slowly. The foods on the "no" list are not bad. They're just higher on the glycemic index.
So let's bring back in some complex carbs first. So if you're wondering, what are complex carbs? Let's bring in a sweet potato. It has carbs, but it also has fiber. Let's definitely bring in fruit, because it has carbs and sugar, but it also has fiber. Let's bring in some quinoa, which is a grain, you know, like, let's— because it has carbs, but it also has some protein. Let's bring in beans because beans have carbs and fiber and they also have protein.
So let's start bringing in some complex carbs every other day, every 3rd day, burn it off. Now, if you're an athlete or a nursing mom or diabetic, we're gonna bring in a little bit of that every day. Like, this— we can tweak this. But if you have 20, 50, 100, or more pounds to lose, we wanna follow these principles. We keep doing that now.
Now, reintroduce builds upon reset. We keep doing all 4 principles together moving into real life.
The only principle in real life you're gonna love. Let's eat whatever we want. One meal, total pleasure of your choice.
What would you choose, Melissa?
Melissa: I do love tortilla chips. They are, like, my favorite thing. Tortilla chips and guacamole and salsa. I'm like, I could eat that every day.
Susan: Yeah. Okay. What about you, Emma?
Emma: Cheesecake. I know that's not a meal, but it is for me.
Susan: But you know what? Have cheesecake for dinner. Like, just go get it. Or have, like, your favorite recipe for dinner and then cheesecake for dessert.
Right now, if I was in real life, which I am because when you live this way, you don't need to know what phase you're in anyway, it's just real life. All the phases are together, and you're attracted to foods that give you energy. So I've seen thousands of people break addiction to soda, diet soda, chips, carbs.
Like, I love potato chips, but they don't control me anymore. I can eat them when I want, but I don't really want them so much because I wanna feel good. You know, if you eat too many chips, Melissa, how are you gonna feel? What happens?
Melissa: Gross. I feel gross.
Susan: Yeah. You kinda feel sluggish. You don't feel like working out. And then maybe you even want more. Like, you want some more. Maybe you want cookies now. It's kind of— it's like a snowball effect.
So the 5 principles are the principles that we follow when we focus on nutrition, and that's science-based. That's just how the metabolism works. It's how we metabolize foods: high glycemic, low glycemic. It actually sets you free of being addicted to foods, and so it's fun. I've watched so many people have success.
Melissa: That's awesome.
Susan: Yeah. It's fun.
Melissa: Thank you. That doesn't sound... like you said, with some of the other diets, it's more... you, like, have to track your calories or you completely take out certain food groups.
This one is more balanced.
Susan: Yeah. There's no deprivation. You know, over the 4th of July weekend, we went to a small town. They had, like, Saint Joe nights. It's called Saint Joseph. And then the next day, they had, like, the fireworks, and they had, you know, french fry gardens and this garden and an ice cream truck. And finally, by the end of the second day, I'm like, "let me have a little bit of that ice cream." Once I tasted it, it was it was so rich and amazing that, you know, that night we were watching a movie and I'm like, oh, I'm gonna be right back. I just went and got some chips.
And then the next day, like, I had some pizza. And the next day, I had something else. By the fourth day, oh my goodness. You know, I don't... you don't have to be knowing what phase of the plan you're in. Like, I knew I needed to reset.
And that's the day I went on a long bike ride. I had an amazing protein bar. I came home and took my supplements and I was like right back to where I was. So there's no deprivation. I don't do that very often, but there's freedom knowing that I can eat what I want.
I just don't want it as much anymore. Yeah. So you hit it right on the head. No deprivation.
Melissa: That's really cool. Yeah... I can't remember whose turn it is to ask a question.
Emma: Well, I have a question. I don't know whose turn it is. but, yeah, I do have a question though, because we're talking about all these... So it seems like habits are really important. Having good healthy habits can help our overall wellness. So... I don't know, do you have any tips or strategies for maybe when it's... because sometimes, you know, sometimes it's harder to keep those good habits.
Like, chocolate is a big temptation for me, you know? We talked about nutrients, or even just exercising. Like, you know, it's something that we know we should do, but sometimes it's really hard to not just give up on that. So what are some strategies to, once you set habits for yourself, to really keep up on those habits?
Susan: Oh, gosh. That is such a good question. Like, let's just go through some of the habits. So first, let's talk about exercise. I have found that if I put out my leggings, my tank top, my t shirt, my workout hat, my socks, my underwear, you know, what I'm gonna wear, my sneakers, I have my earbuds charged, I have everything laid out the night before, I'm more likely to exercise first thing in the morning.
You know, sometimes you wake up, you're tired, you're groggy, you don't feel like it. But it's not about feeling like doing these habits. It's like, eventually, these habits just become a way of life, whether you feel like it or not. Because on the other side of the activity, you know how good you're gonna feel, and you know how you feel when you don't practice the habit. And then, you know, it just takes time to understand that when you practice the habit, you feel so much better as a person that you skimp less. You skip it less. You're more apt to do it when you don't feel like doing it.
So for exercise, sometimes I'll just wear leggings and a T-shirt all day with my sneakers. So, you know, I might be working, having meetings, and, you know, working at... I work remote at home, and then I travel once a month. But if I'm wearing fitness clothes at home, I'm more likely to take a 15 minute break and go walk outside. So have the right clothes available or have the water bottle. Have the protein available when you're done.
Like, here's another habit, Emma, if we're talking about nutrition, you know, let's say I have a busy day and I'm traveling and I'm in airports and going here and there and I have meetings; I always have a protein bar in my purse. I have a couple meal replacement bars in the glove box, glove compartment in my car. I have a bag of almonds in the side of my door, in a bag. you know? I have a bottle of water in my car. When I travel, and before I get to the hotel, I go to a store and I pick up some water, hard boiled eggs, a cheese stick, a yogurt, and maybe turkey from the deli. So, you know, so in my hotel room, there's always healthy choices there.
I find that sometimes, you know, if I have a busy day and I have a lot of meetings and I'm out and about, and if I haven't eaten and 5 or 6 hours go by, you might see me in the McDonald's drive thru. It's a good thing I work remote, because I'd be busted, right? Community. So I have learned that, you know, I get off the exit and I'm like, "oh, I shouldn't be doing this." I make a left, I go through the drive thru, I get a cheeseburger. Okay. I don't do the fries. I don't do soda. But I get on the highway. And I'm like, shoot.
Yes. I liked it. It's over. The pleasure's done. And now I don't feel as good and I wish I didn't do that. So the next time I'm on that I'm on that highway, you know, oops, I forgot a protein bar— this is what taught me to put the food in my car. I get off the highway. I'm at the red light. I don't make a left. I go straight and I get right back on the highway.
Yes. I overcame that temptation and now I'm going home and I'm like, next time, I will have a protein bar in my car. You just have to uncover your weaknesses. So when you're going through the principles, or you're analyzing how you're doing with the habits, where are you slacking or where are you falling? And just become aware of it and then kind of overcome it, you know, like with putting snacks in the car or having it at your desk.
You guys are working in a radio station, like, what food do you have in arm's reach right now? Let me hear.
Melissa: My vaults are being exposed. In my desk right now, there is a container of dark chocolate peanut butter cups. That's not the worst snack. There's protein in the peanut butter and it's dark chocolate.
Susan: Okay, Melissa. Okay. Yes. So you have candy. It's considered candy in my book. You have candy in your drawer. Okay. Emma, what is what is the closest food to you right now?
Emma: Oh, in my office, I have granola bars.
Susan: Not bad. Not terrible. Right? Okay. Okay.
But you see what I'm saying? Like, if you wanna set yourself up for success, well, you gotta make your environment helpful that you're gonna achieve that success. But I really find— I don't know if you asked this, but it just made me think of it— if it's okay if I go off on a tangent here?
Melissa: Yes, of course.
Susan: How do you set yourself up to overcome weaknesses? Or, you know, how do you make the habits easier, you know, to follow? Well, why would we even want to do that? We have to start with: why are we doing this?
Why am I even wanting to exercise? Hey, I look fine in clothes. I'm 53. I can go for a bike ride, but why do I push myself to follow all 7 habits? And then why do I analyze myself during the week?
Oh, this habit's... oh, I've been missing silence or, you know, my peace is a little different or I'm not sleeping well. Like, why am I always trying to balance the habits? Because they're never going to be perfect. I do it because I see myself 105 still helping people be healthy. Like, you know, I don't picture myself in a nursing home, but I do picture myself going to the nursing home, helping the old people exercise when I'm 105.
You know, like, like, I picture myself still doing what I'm doing right now, globally, helping people. You know, you guys are young, but if you guys can get some of these habits now, it'll be easier when you're in your fifties, because in your fifties, things change. Do you have kids?
Emma: Nope.
Melissa: I do not, nope.
Susan: No. You know? So, like, after 5 kids like myself, things change. And you have to exercise differently. You have to work, eat differently, and you have to make sure you get your sleep, take your supplements, all those things.
So it really starts with a why. Why do you want to be healthy? And I think everyone listening right now— I mean, I truly believe that people want to live their healthiest, happiest life. But maybe they've tried this or they tried that, didn't work, and now they've lost hope.
But go back to that strong why and keep finding and, eventually, like, I think, you know, they heard the 7 habits. They heard the 5 principles of nutrition. You know, they can go have access to this. We have a Facebook group, and we can talk about that later. Anyone can go there.
But it starts with your why. And my why is I want to be as healthy as I can. I want to see my grandkids. I want to be the example of what I teach forever here. You know?
Melissa: You mentioned, like, being able to— you're taking care of your why. Just taking care of yourself so that you can help other people. How do you... we've been talking a lot about balance. Sorry, I'm bringing up balance again. How do you find that balance in taking care of yourself and taking care of other people?
Susan: Wow. Well, that's a good question. And I remember years ago where I wasn't able to balance it.
And so it's really important to find that balance because when it's not balanced and you're just serving others all the time, and you're not caring for yourself and nurturing your needs, you will burn yourself out. And I remember that. I really remember that.
It was probably about 8 or 9 years ago. I was just grinding, working, working, working. I had goals, and I was achieving the goals that I wanted to achieve. But there came a day one day where I was like, I just called this business coach that I knew. She used to work in a health club and she worked for a big company and she was coaching execs. And I was like, I can't talk to another person. Like, I can't help another person. I had babies at the time. I was helping people, you know, as an online trainer and working locally and helping them, you know, choose wisely in their choices of what products they were buying. And it was just like... I spent 3 days just, like, doing nothing. I was in bed, like, for a couple of days. I was so burnt out.
So before people get to that point, I hope they embrace these habits that are so important. Because you can't continue to serve others all the time without being healthy yourself. You can't give others from an empty cup. And I was just getting emptier and emptier and not realizing it. And it doesn't mean I wasn't exercising, it doesn't mean I wasn't trying to eat healthy, it's just that I wasn't balanced in most of the habits.
And you can just burn yourself out.
Emma: It's like when you go on an airplane and they say, like, they have the oxygen masks and they're like, oh, put on your oxygen mask, and THEN you can help other people, because, you know, you can't help people if you pass out, so...
Susan: Exactly. Like, I'm so much better able to serve other people now because I think I'm the healthiest that I've ever been. You know, people always say to me, like, "you are so busy. I'm so sorry to bother you." But, like, in my world, I don't feel super busy. I do feel balanced, but I have a lot of balls that I'm juggling. But I'm able to do it now because, you know, maybe you grow in wisdom over the years— and I still have a lot of growing to do, you know— but I'm just better than I have been in the past. That's all.
I'm able to juggle so much because I do exercise. I do eat healthy. I'm not perfect in any of those things. I do practice silence. So, you know, how can I serve my kids or thousands of people, you know, who I work with and teach them when I'm not really doing it myself?
Like, I understand the weaknesses. You know, I am no longer controlled by potato chips, but, you know, a couple of years ago, I understand the temptation. I still like chips, but I control them now. They don't... like you ever have that feeling where you're just eating something, and it's like, you know you should stop, but you can't because it's so good?
Emma: Oh, yeah.
Susan: Like, I think the best feeling as a human being is when you control your flesh.
Melissa: Definitely.
Susan: Like, last night, I controlled my flesh. I had five potato chips and I was like, I like them. So here's a tip— to go back to your question, Emma— eat things in gratitude. Do things in gratitude.
So I am eating the potato chips. I am loving them. They taste good. They feel good. They smell good. They crunch good. Everything is good. But then I also know that they are such empty calories. And if I keep shoving them in my mouth, I'm going to feel tired later, and I'm not gonna wanna exercise tomorrow, and I'm gonna be puffy. You know?
So, like, you know, you just kinda have to grow through it. But if you keep— if you have the desire and a strong WHY of why you wanna be healthy, you can grow in those habits. They get easier. They really do. So, yeah, you mentioned you can't serve others well if you don't really take care of yourself first.
And you know, there's a whole buzz in in the world right now. Self care. Do this. You need to do that. Everything about self care. But I almost challenge that because self care, it's almost like it they make it sound optional. You know? Or you're selfish for doing this or for doing that. And I just feel like when we focus on health, it's not self care, it's just basic human care.
We have to exercise. We have to wash our face and take relaxing baths, and we have to eat healthy. Like, why is it called self care and everyone has to get on the bandwagon of, you know, let's sell self care over here or do... it's just basic; if you wanna be a healthy, balanced human being, you gotta follow the habits. Right? Like, it's just what we have to do. I don't know.
Emma: So when...
Susan: I could talk about this for hours.
Emma: Oh, yeah. For sure. When we were reading about wellness, because we were doing some research before we planned this episode, and a lot of the websites were talking about more of a preventative approach to health rather than a reactionary. Is there anything you'd like to add to that? I know you were talking earlier about, like, supplements, taking supplements. And that kind of was like, oh, yeah. That sounds like a kind of preventative approach to health.
Susan: Oh, absolutely. I think being preventive, you know, rather than reacting to what the doctor said, It's the way we have to be.
Because it's not a matter of if it's gonna happen. If we're not taking care of ourselves, it's going to happen. You know, if we're not eating the right foods or taking the right supplements, we are going to have bodies that have more inflammation in them. You know, foods can cause inflammation, stress can cause inflammation, not taking supplements can cause inflammation. So much can cause inflammation.
And research shows that inflammation is linked to disease and illness. So if we're not even doing the basic habits, which disease is gonna show up first? And then how is that going to affect our life? Are we going to be able to be with our grandkids? Are we going to be able to, you know, have full workdays or a vibrant, happy life?
Life's gonna change. And so, yeah, it's really important to prevent what's going to happen. And just because heart problems may be in my family or high blood pressure or some people have obesity in their family or diabetes, like, we can do things in our life to prevent that, doesn't mean we have to get that and go down the same road as family members that have passed too soon or whatever it might be. So it's really important to, you know, take the best supplements, and I know I am taking the best supplements. You know, they are backed by science.
So it's important to do those things.
Melissa: Trying to decide which question and see how much time we have. Sorry. We kinda talked about it a little bit, but that moment of silence, I feel like that was... that's really cool. I haven't... I've heard of, like, mindfulness, and so that makes me kind of think of that similar...
But is there anything else you would add about being better at listening to our minds and bodies and what they need?
Susan: Oh my that is so great. That's such a great thing to focus on. The more that you follow the 5 principles of healthy nutrition, the more that you become more mindful of what your body needs, and you become more attracted to the foods that give you the energy. And so you feel like you know what your body wants.
Like, all day today, I've been eating either protein or vegetables or, you know, just the right things. And I feel amazing. You know? And I can tell when my body needs water. I can tell when I need protein.
I can tell when I need silence. You know? I think you just you just mentioned silence again, But I can honestly tell at what time of the day I need silence because I've been doing it for so long. It's usually somewhere in the early to mid afternoon where it just there's, like, a lull in the day. I've been doing a lot of work all day, and I just need to take a break of everything and remove myself.
So if I'm home, I go to my bedroom and I sit on my bed and I just have silence. And the longer you practice silence, the deeper you go into this peaceful state. Some people call it silent prayer, contemplativeness, whatever you want to call it. Okay? You know, when I'm working at the corporate office sometime in the day, usually mid afternoon, I remove myself.
And I sit in a quiet office somewhere for maybe 15, 20 minutes, sometimes 30, but even sometimes 10 minutes will refuel me. And the days that I don't take silence, I'm tired by 8 o'clock at night. So if I have meetings at night, and I do because I work globally, you know, people are calling me and setting up Zoom calls at 11 PM, you know, in Hawaii, that's 5 PM, whatever it might be. I know those late nights, I have to have silence because my energy is through the roof until I choose to go to bed. And the days that I don't take silence, my energy is not as strong.
So it's important on so many levels. Melissa, are you intrigued to practice a little silence?
Melissa: I... well, I feel like recognizing moments where I've had it. Like, yesterday, I went to— we have a temple here for our... for my church that I go to. And I've started because I used to just go and worship and then leave and go back to my day.
But now I bring a journal with me, and I take a moment afterwards to be like, what did I just experience? What did I think about it? What did I feel? And yesterday, the temple was closed for 2 weeks last week, and it just opened up. And I had that moment.
I was like, gosh, I missed this. Like, it just felt so good. So I think in relation to that and everyone has their different way of practicing that moment of stillness or silence, but I really... it did really feel good. So yeah.
Susan: I love that you just brought that up.
Every Friday night, I actually go to a chapel in town, and I sit there for 2 hours. Like, that's my thing. And I just, you know, they do... people practice it differently. And I'm not gonna say there's a right or wrong way, but when I practice silence, like you, like, I sit in the presence of the Lord. Like, I put myself... I am with him.
And so that's what I do. And, you know, I have a big event coming up in August, and I find that I'm more creative when I come out of silence, like, I have thoughts and I write them down, and I'm like, oh my gosh. And, like, things just flow better throughout the day.
Melissa: Mhmm.
Susan: Because a lot of people that I work with who are focusing on weight loss and trying to live healthier and eat the right foods and what supplements and all that, you know, they'll share with me their minds never stop. They're trying to go to bed and they can't shut it off. And it's like, I don't even know what that means anymore because there's just a level of peace. So if anyone's minds can't shut off, focus on silence first. And then once you feel like you're practicing a couple minutes, well then maybe go to another habit.
And it's just a balancing act. Please don't try to practice 7 habits at once, you know? Just choose 1. If you just choose one habit and you feel like, oh, it's a little stronger, well, then maybe go to the next one and then the next one. And eventually, it's like all 7 are juggling in your life and you feel more balanced.
Melissa: I love that. Thank you.
Emma: Yeah, thank you. I'm trying to think which one do I wanna try next.
It's kind of a toss up, but silence— silence sounds pretty nice. That sounds good. And I think it is kind of like... but then I'm just like, oh, when do I have time? Because, you know, things get so... I don't know how... yeah. Because I was like, oh,
Susan: I'm gonna challenge you.
I'm gonna challenge you, Emma. Everyone is so busy. I get more done in a day when I always remove myself for silence. Because I'm more focused on the most important things. It's like when your brain is so busy, I feel like we lose focus of what we're actually doing and we're doing busy, busy, busy stuff.
But are we really getting the most important thing done? And so I challenge you. You know, I Slacked. I remember a couple weeks ago, I got just so busy and it was like, oh, someone reminded me. And it's like, oh, you gotta do the basic things first, and then everything flows better and you get more done.
Melissa: Mhmm.
Emma: Alright. Challenge accepted. We'll see what I can do.
Susan: Woo-hoo! This is all worth it.
Emma: Yeah, definitely. Are there any resources that you would like to share with people who want to learn more about how they can establish good habits or just promote their general wellness?
Susan: Yeah, that's great. I would say go to— most people are on Facebook. Right? Go to Facebook and go to r3, so the letter r, the number 3, weight loss plan. So r three weight loss plan, and request to join that group. But this is what you have to say.
There's questions to come into the group. Anyone can join the group and just say that Susan referred me. Okay? Just type in because I have a team and I'm gonna look at that too, and I'll keep track of who was referred by Susan. If in case you have any questions, we can help you.
But just go to the Facebook group. You guys go. Right? You have your phones right there. Go to "R3..." go to Facebook, Melissa.
Melissa: Right now. Okay.
Susan: We'll do it. We'll do it. And I'll approve you right now. I got my phone here too. So I'm gonna go to "R3 Weight Loss Plan."
Melissa: I am a bad person, though, that doesn't... I log off of Facebook so I don't get on and...
Susan: No. That's actually good. I like that.
It's monitored. So you go to "R3 Weight Lost Plan," and you answer the 3 membership questions: who referred you, if you don't have a referral, blah blah blah. And just type in that Susan referred me from the radio station. And we'll keep, you know, track. If you have any questions, we're here to help you.
But how cool is that? You can go to the files in that group and download and print the R3 Weight Loss Plan for free. It's right there. You can see the 5 principles. You can see the "yes" foods. You can see the "no" foods. You can see all the approved foods and snacks, whether it's protein or vitamins or drinks. Like, you can see all the things.
Melissa: Sorry. I'm still... my password didn't work.
Susan: And, also, there's exercise. You can go to the guide section in the Facebook group and follow along live exercise classes that have been stored in the library.
Tons of recipes. We have live cooking sessions that have been recorded, so I feel like that's probably the best source of just trying to balance the 7 Habits and learn more about how to do it and be surrounded by a community that's gonna, you know, inspire you and support you. Because that if you don't have that, I think most people aren't gonna stay on track.
So you need that community. And that— it honestly is the most supportive community. I've... it's been around for, gosh, since 2015, 2016, and it's safe. It's happy. I love everyone in there. It's fun.
Melissa: Okay. I can't find it. Or maybe my... wait. My lack of social media experience on my phone is being shown.
Susan: Oh, you're good, Melissa.
Melissa: We will find it, and we will post it in the resources.
Susan: Yes. Oh, good.
Melissa: In the episode description. So we'll find the link to the page, and then people will be able to find it, unlike me.
Susan: Yeah. And I'm in there. I mean, I answer your questions live. We have live Zoom sometimes, so people will be supported. It's not like just recordings. There's live real people in there helping, so it makes it fun.
Emma: Oh, that's wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Susan. Is there anything else that you'd like to add before we wrap up?
Susan: Gosh. I don't know you guys. You asked so many great questions. I feel like we went over a lot.
Melissa: You gave us great answers. Thank you.
Susan: Yeah. I think I think we covered the healthy habits and how to help people live healthier. Don't you think?
Melissa: Definitely.
Susan: I just hope at least one person... I mean, or this is what I hope, that everyone who hears just starts focusing on one new habit and, you know, they feel like they're on the road to wanting to live healthier lives.
Melissa: Definitely.
Susan: Yeah. Cool.
Melissa: Thank you.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please remember to share, subscribe, and rate the Riverbend Awareness Project. And if you'd like to send an email, you can reach us at podcast@riverbendmediagroup.com.
Emma: Thank you so much for listening, and please join us next time on the Riverbend Awareness Project.