Author: Chris Brown (Page 17 of 41)

Healing through Better Sleep with Karese Laguerre

November 9, 2021 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 94- Healing through Better Sleep

In episode 94, Jill and Chris talk with Karese Laguerre, an Orofacial Myologist about improving sleep and breathing with myofunctional therapy.

Karese Laguerre, like many parents, suffered in silence while her children struggled with the symptoms of undiagnosed sleep and breathing issues. One visit to a pediatric dentist changed the trajectory of their lives. Already a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), Karese, trained with Sandra Holtzman, Lois Laynee and Sarah Hornsby to establish her orofacial myology knowledge. With this initial training and numerous others, in a few short years she has not only resolved all her children’s issues, but helped hundreds of patients, children and adults alike, discover how great life can be functioning on full.

Her private practice, The Myo Spot is now a leader in the quest for myofunctional therapy awareness and public education. Her latest published book, Accomplished, delves into how to sleep better, eliminate burnout, and execute goals. Karese’s mission is to transform and positively impact as many households as possible through dynamic breath, brain, and body work.

Karese explains that she works like a personal trainer for the hundreds of muscles between the eyes and the shoulders. The results from these workouts improve functional breathing and the upper respiratory system.

In this episode we discuss:
* How poor sleep impacts the brain
* Detoxing and cleansing the brain through sleep
* Personal training for the face and neck
* How to integrate this into daily life
* Breathing and sleep disorders
* Various sleep stages
* Keeping oxygen saturation above 95% during sleep
* Proper daily nasal hygiene
* Brain fog and short term memory loss

“Snoring is common but it isn’t normal.” Karese said that snoring is when the air meets resistance passing through the respiratory system and the soft tissues relax. “imagine if those muscles were well toned and can stay open.”

Links mentioned during the podcast:
Her book: Accomplished: How to Sleep Better, Eliminate Burnout, and Execute Goals
Karese Laguerre’s The Myo Spot website https://www.themyospot.com
Karese Laguerre’s Airway Matters blog

Habits Help Me Stay Fit

November 6, 2021 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

While this past year has not been one with a lot of big activity for me, some of the routines and habits I have put in place are really helping me to stay fit.

I noticed that I automatically do some things, mostly out of habit, but they are helpful, healthy routines that I thought I’d share.

The things that I learned – especially about habits – have really helped me to stay more fit and active than I would have.

Over the past year+ (during the Covid pandemic), I haven’t had the type of big goals like I did set a few years back. However I’ve still been able to keep up some exercise. While I’m not running any races right now, I still try to continue a healthy eating, an exercise routine and get good sleep.

Here is a look at the 3 key areas of fitness and how my routines and habits are helping me.

1) Food -I’m in the habit of roasting veggies in the morning when I’m preparing my breakfast. I don’t seem to want to overeat or emotionally eat at breakfast time so it’s an easy way to prep for dinners or late afternoons when I feel more like indulging. If I have healthy foods prepared, I’m so much less likely to eat something that I regret. Cooking up some quinoa, or roasting veggies, or popping something into the slow cooker always is a good thing. I weigh myself every morning and make sure to drink enough water.

Eating a meal outside at an area restaurant with a friend is a huge indulgence for me these days. I’m pleased that I ordered a spinach salad and that steak on top was delicious too. Dressing on the side means I cut a lot of nasty fats/sugars that I really didn’t want. One beer felt extremely indulgent for me. This photo was taken back in September and I’m still reveling in the time together.

Eating outside in the open air made the restaurant meal feel less worrisome to me.

I know that 80% is food and 20% is exercise when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.

2) Working Out – I’ve barely been to the gym in the past 20 months, but I am doing a lot more gardening and lawn work. It’s not the same kind of exercise but it’s still getting me out of the house and off the couch. This past week I actually made it to the gym three times and got a spinning class in as well. It took a lot of mental discipline for me to walk through the door as I deeply concerned about spreading germs. But I know I need more cardio and strength training than I can do for myself at home.

Some of the exercises involve walks with Peanut, others are lawn work. This past week three of my exercise sessions are from going to the gym. My mantra is “progress not perfection” at this point. Some of the exercise is raking leaves, pulling out overgrown vines and cutting back my perennials. I continue to do strength work at home with some heavy (for me) weights, but I could really do with increasing it to keep my muscles strong.

3) Sleep – I’ve written about sleep issues before and some of the routines I do to improve my sleep. A lot of times people don’t consider sleep as key ingredient, but I know if I don’t get enough good sleep, eating right is a huge challenge. It’s like my energy levels are much lower the next day and I crave sugar and caffiene to feel peppy. If I get a good night’s sleep, I can eat right and feel like doing more activity.

I have downloaded many books on the library Libby app to learn more methods of meditation, Yoga Nidra, deep breathing exercises and other ways to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. All these have definitely benefited my sleep.

Some nights my sleep is still is plenty elusive, so having these tools has been a great help.

Another useful app I’ve really enjoyed is called insight timer which has many sleep recordings from bedtime tales (who doesn’t like a book read to them), naturescape recordings of things like rain, ocean and crickets/toads, as well as sleep meditations. I have not yet subscribed but when an audio book can’t lull me to sleep, the insight timer app usually comes to the rescue.

My favorite “go to” is the hour long Deep Sleep Guided Meditation by Kenneth Soares. Second favorite is the 20+ minute Yoga Nidra for Sleep by Jennifer Piercy.

Do you listen to sleep meditations?If so, what are your favorites?

What habits for healthy eating, fitness and sleep do you have as part of your routine? Please leave an email (chris@becomingelli.com), or a comment below, or even a voicemail at 330-970-6662.

Improving Brain Health with Dr. Angela Ridgel

October 26, 2021 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 93 – Improving Brain Health

In Episode 93, Jill and Chris talk with Dr. Angela Ridgel, a Professor in Exercise Physiology and the Associate Director of the Brain Health Research Institute at Kent State University.

Her research focuses on how exercise and movement therapy improves brain health and function in older adults and those with neurological disorders.

She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from The College of William and Mary, a Master’s degree in Biology at Villanova University and her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Marshall University. Dr. Ridgel completed her Post-Doctoral training at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Ridgel has published over 40 scientific papers, co-authored two textbook chapters and is inventor on two U.S. Patents. Her research has been funded by National Institutes of Health and the Davis Phinney Foundation.

She is also a a competitive multisport athlete, a USA Cycling certified coach, a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the owner of Stelleri Performance Training– an endurance coaching business.

We discuss:

Her work and findings in helping those who have like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
How to avoid getting progressive brain diseases
How to improve brain health through high intensity exercise.
How the brain is rewired successfully to improve strength, balance and walking abilities
Dopamine and how it affects the body and mind

Links:

Her bio as a professor
Stelleri Performance Training
Watch her TedTalk here: Rewire the Brain
In Motion organization in Northeast Ohio

Athletes and Menopause with Pam Semanik

October 12, 2021 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

Episode 92 – Athletes and Menopause

In Episode 92, Jill and Chris talk with Pam Semanik, a coach who specializes in creating training programs for Masters Women athletes.

She is a coach at Stelleri Performance Training, an endurance coaching group based in Northeast Ohio. For over 7 years, Pam has been coaching athletes to achieve their goals in running, cycling, and Multisport events, as well as in maintaining and improving general fitness.

Pam specializes in coaching athletes who are in the menopause transition and post-menopausal athletes who want to compete at their highest level. She is passionate about helping other Masters women understand what it takes to maintain and improve performance, health, and fitness as they ‘age up’, and plans to do the same herself.

We discussed during this episode:

Changes that happen to a woman’s physiology at menopause that negatively impact athletic performance
Training adaptations for peri and post menopausal athletes
The role of the parasympathetic nervous system in recovery
The role of HIIT and strength training for masters athletes
Why time trials may be the best way to accomplish training objectives
“Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life” by Joe Friel. This book talks about the changes associated with aging, how it affects athletes, and recommendations for overcoming limitations associated with age-related changes.
Dr. Stacy T. Sims: Co-author of “ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life”, a book written specifically for women athletes that considers the differences between men and women in terms of athletic training, performance, nutrition, etc. Also talks in general terms about menopause and how it affects active women.
Dr. Sims also has an online class called “Menopause for Athletes”, that Pam highly recommends (although it is a bit pricey and heavy on the science) for anyone who wants to dig in deeper. Pam uses this course to help build out training plans for Masters Women athletes – putting the science into practice. Dr. Sims courses and other info are all accessible through her website: https://www.drstacysims.com/

Link to Pam’s coaching website Sterlleri Performance Training.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamstelleri/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stelleritraining/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/64659577

Get off the Couch with Shawn Tegtmeier

September 28, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 91 – Get off the Couch

In Episode 91, Jill and Chris talk with Shawn Tegtmeier, a former chain smoking couch potato, now a full time personal trainer with several certifications and a published author.

She lives in the “Chicagoland” area with her husband and two dogs. In her off time she enjoys running, reading, putzing around the yard and simply enjoying time with her two adult sons.

During the podcast we discussed:

How she started with her health changes
How she maintains her weight loss
How she managed to quit smoking
What motivate her to stay fit and healthy?
Her advice to her clients about working out and eating

Shawn told us that quitting smoking was the “hardest thing I ever did.” After she quite she gained a lot of weight. After seeing a photo of herself, she decided to join WeightWatchers. She lost the weight and keeps it of with walking, hiking, moving, working out . She likes to bike a bit and enjoys watching YouTube videos for cardio or strength. She enjoys working out and has become a personal trainer.

While Shawn has been a member at a gym for 13 years, the Covid pandemic threw off her schedule and now she prefers to work out at a friend’s or does Zoom workouts.

“I am motivated by feeling good, with a sense of accomplishment, it’s so much more enjoyable and I also like the social aspect of working oue/

In 2015, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer and learned that she needed a cell transplant. In 2017, she was “getting it back together. And in 2018, I came back.”

One of her tricks for eating is that she tries to always mix a carb with a protein.
She premakes her morning breakfast and finds that it helps to prep meals ahead of time.
Fav breakfast meal: English muffin with a fried egg, cheese, Canadian bacon & avocado.

“For those of us who have the ability to move, we should feel grateful.”

When she is personal training, she likes to time everything, not count reps. She walks everyday, a little longer each time. She enjoys running with her dogs, and uses a timer for exercises.

She says that people have to like what they are doing. Find what you enjoy — lifting, dancing, biking, it’s important to find something you like.

Her advice for women over 50 – take a survey of yourself – a snapshot of yourself during day. How much water do you drink? What are you eating? What can you do to increase your water and your sleep? Small improvements will add up.

Links:
Website: https://shawntegtmeier.com/
Book: Running With Walt: How a Chain-smoking Couch Potato Got Off the Couch

Eating on the Go

September 14, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 90 – Eating on the Go

In episode 90, join Jill and Chris as they talk about eating on the go, meal prep and how they substitute to lower the simple carbs, up the complex carbs and increase their protein intake. Some of the things we discuss.

Spaghetti with chick pea pasta
Adding crunch to tuna salad
Plan easy healthy grab and go’s
Quinoa with chicken stock
Frozen berries in Greek yogurt
The best cauliflower pizza crust (according to Chris)
Heart of Palm pasta from Trader Joe’s
Spice it up with Old Bay and Everything but the Bagel

Finding ways to improve the nutrition and quality of food all starts while grocery shopping. In this episode we mention some foods and brands that we’ve been relying on this summer, but how about you?

We’d love to hear your secrets for eating healthy and satisfying meals when you’re on the go with limited time to cook. Please send an email, leave a comment below or even give us call to leave a voice mail at 330-970-6662.

Stroke Forward with Marcia Moran

August 24, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 89

In episode 89, Jill and Chris talk with Marcia Moran, author of Stroke Forward.

In 2014, Marcia was a successful entrepreneur, owned a business consulting practice and was going strong. Suddenly, at the age of 54, she suffered a major stroke. Marcia worked for several years to become whole.

Over time she learned to walk again, but Marcia struggled with aphasia, a language disorder. In August 2017 she discovered a technological breakthrough that minimized her speaking disability. Marcia created Stroke FORWARD because she felt there is a need to share hope to stroke survivors and their caretakers. Learning to become her own health advocate one step a time and exploring holistic methods for healing are keys to her recovery. She became a health and wellness coach to stroke survivors and their caregivers.

Marcia holds both a B.S. in Political Science and a MBA. She also earned a certificate in Well-being Foundations of Personal Transformation from the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute in Virginia. She volunteers at Brain Injury Services, supporting their Speakers Bureau program.

During this episode we discuss:

What are the symptoms of a stroke
What exactly is a stroke
What is neurofeedback
How she learned to walk again and talk again

Links for more information:
Website
Stroke Forward on Amazon

Make Fitness a Priority with Chad Austin

August 10, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 88

In episode 88, Jill and Chris talk with Chad Austin, the owner of Priority Fitness in Overland Park, KS, and author of the book series, “Make Fitness A Priority.”

He has been a leader in the fitness industry since 2003. Chad is a regular fitness and wellness guest expert for local and national media. He was the host of the talk radio show, “Be Fit…For Life”, and has been featured on over 20 podcasts. Chad helps his clients stop constantly starting over and instead find long-term fitness success. His goal is to help you find a plan that you can use immediately.

During this podcast we discuss:

How to win the fight against your excuses
How to change your mindset “you are too busy” to exercise
If you’re new to working out, how to get started
How to beat your excuses
How to make fitness a priority, even when life changes
Although we all know we need to make fitness a priority, how to actually do it
Food choices and how he suggests that his clients eat

He says that it’s a myth that age is something that stops us. The more you move the longer you can keep yourself young. It’s even more important as you age to make fitness a priority.

Change is inevitable. Failure is inevitable. So what? Failure doesn’t have to define us. It’s what you do next. The yo-yo pattern happens because we are attracted to instant gratification. We want to try to get as fit as fast as possible, which leads to temporary success. We have to figure out what fits best in our life. What are you going to do to get back on track?

In today’s podcast he offers strategies for overcoming excuses as well as a link to a free copy of his book: Make Fitness A Priority: 30 Tips to Elevate Your Life Through Fitness Kindle Edition

Links:
Book Series on Amazon
Free Kindle copy of his book
Priority Fitness Website
Chad’s library of on-demand classes
Follow Chad on Facebook and Instagram

Enjoying the Trails with Our Dogs

July 31, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Last weekend Jill and I enjoyed the trails with our dogs when we got our two dogs together to meet and hike for the first time.

Jill’s dog Penny is just over a year old and still a youngster. Peanut turned 9 years old in March. Both dogs are females.

I was very happy that they got along very well. Actually after the initial hello, they basically ignored each other and were much more interested in sniffing the grass and looking at all the geese, other hikers and other dogs.

We hiked the trail at Hudson Spring Park which features some open areas but mostly shade as it circles Hudson Springs Lake. It was mid-afternoon so the weather was still pretty hot, even in the shade, but still so good to stretch our legs!

Spending time together, enjoying the trails with our dogs while talking about Becoming Elli and the joy we get in building the community of women over 50 was really so fun.

I’m sure we will hike together often with the dogs now that we know that they get along together.

Triathlon Fanatic and World Record Holder Susan Haag

July 27, 2021 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 87

In episode 87, Jill and Chris talk with triathlon fanatic and world record holder Susan Haag. Susan is an attorney who lives in Jacksonville, Florida. She has been running triathlons since 1990 and Ironman races since 2002. Susan Haag is the 1st woman in the world to complete 100 ‘140.6’ races, what’s often called an Ironman distance.

An Ironman race is a triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.22-mile run. Susan’s currently at 125 & has more on the calendar. During law school, Susan joined a gym and started working out, running, and biking. After seeing a flyer at her gym, she did her first triathlon race. Despite having a flat tire on a borrowed bike and doing doggie paddle for the swimming portion, she was hooked.

Susan keeps a a list and now has completed 475 triathlons with 125 of those being the iron distance!

During this episode we discussed:

Why she focuses on encouraging others and the comradery of the race
How she keeps herself from getting injured
The mental game and keeping a positive attitude
What she means by “party in the back”
Racing year-round in Florida
Running in the world championship race at Kona, Hawaii
Why she is a triathlon fanatic
Her plans for the future

Where to find her online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanhaag/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.haag.75

She is an ambassador for many brands: ROAD iD, Perspective Fitwear, Crazy Compression, Picky Bars,The Cupcake Cartel, myTEAM TRIUMPH National, TriBike Transport, Skirt Sports, SBR Sports, Inc., Sur PhytoPerformance, Nuun Hydration and BOCO Gear. She is serves as a board member on several organizations.