The Art of Healing

Special Series Podcast Episode 1: Nourish to Flourish with Lisa Airhart, Health Coach

October 04, 2021
The Art of Healing
Special Series Podcast Episode 1: Nourish to Flourish with Lisa Airhart, Health Coach
Show Notes Transcript

This is a very special podcast with my dear friend, Health Coach, Lisa Airhart.  She is the author of:
 I Just Lost 20 Lbs: A Permanent Weight Loss Solution (available on Amazon)

Choosing foods to heal your body and soothe your mind is important on your healing journey.  Making healthy choices does not have to be unpleasant.

Lisa shares her wisdom on why it is important to nourish ourselves in order to meet health goals such as weight loss.  Lisa's advice is down to earth, usable, and easy to integrate.

Her background as a busy teacher who undertook her own weight loss journey is something we can all relate to.

In case you want to hear our first episode together, you can find the episode "Mindful Eating" at this link.

Lisa has a special gift!  Follow this link for 8 Tips to lose pesty pounds:
Lisa Airhart's Free Gift

Find Lisa on Facebook at  Health Coaching by Lisa
Find Lisa on Instagram at @lisaairharthc

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Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Hello listeners. Thank you so much for joining me. This is Charlise and I have a special guest. She was a guest on the art of healing podcast several months ago. If you want to check the show notes in the video notes, I'll send you the link of our mindful eating podcast. Lisa and I are teaming together to do a series of four videos slash podcasts that we're going to make available discussing some very important topics. Lisa, who is my dear friend is a long-time educator. She expanded her passion from teaching children to helping adults become their best selves through personal growth and development. Lisa received her training to become a health coach from the Institute of integrative nutrition. She specializes in helping busy men and women lose unwanted pounds and look and feel their best. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and her daughter and her beloved dog, Bella. She likes to keep active by practicing yoga, riding her bike skiing and taking walks. Lisa enjoys cooking meals with far our families and friends. And I will say which we'll talk about all that you want to join her newsletter because she's always sending out some fun recipes. So join me at our first episode and Lisa. Hello, Lisa. How's it going?

Speaker 1:

Oh, Charlotte. So good to be here. So good to talk to you.

Speaker 2:

Excellent. Well, Lisa has written a book which I have found handy and I have returned to time after time in my own health journey. So a lot of the stuff we're going to be referencing is going to be in her book and we'll include in the show notes where to find a copy of her book. So, um, today I wanted to talk about, um, something you brought up in your book, um, quote you Lisa nourish to flourish. Um, in chapter six of your book, you tell us to nourish the flourish. Um, can you describe a little bit what that means to nourish and flourish?

Speaker 1:

Sure. I'd be happy to, well, let's think back, um, long before we were on this earth, w we didn't have to think about eating foods to nourish us because we were automatically, we knew that we needed foods to survive. So, and to get energy, to do, you know, to, you know, to continue our day, did you all work? But over the years, um, these foods even w you know, in the last couple of decades have, um, have D have been depleted of the nutrients that our body needs to work the way we want it. We want them to work. We want the energy throughout the day. We wanna, uh, our minds to be clear. We want to be able to sleep at night. Well, so these, you know, the meaning of, um, you know, uh, eating nutritious foods, um, has become a job. Whereas years ago it was not a job because we naturally ate more people, ate plants, obviously make plant based foods. And they came from gardens. Um, it was unheard of to have all these, uh, boxed or packaged foods. So we now have to pay attention and, you know, put effort into what we are eating for the results we want. We want energy, right? Who doesn't want to feel great during the day, while you're working while you're playing, while you are socializing, you want to, you know, who doesn't want to look good? You don't want to, you know, um, food affects our skin. You can, your skin can dry out from the, if you're not, um, uh, eating the foods right for you. And we talk about that. I brought that up in my book, too. We're all different. So what your best friend's diet is, and they're talking about it may not, uh, work for you. So we have to keep that in consideration, too. So as far as nurturing foods, um, you know, it's pretty, I think we all know that we all, it's common to know what is good to eat, and what's not good to you basically. You're not going to, you know, eat cake for lunch or potato chips for dinner. But a lot of times, um, foods, they can be disguised, meaning like, um, they might be packaged in, they'll say, oh, all natural, um, energy, long lasting energy bars, like the granola bars make you think, oh yeah, this is great. I'll eat this for lunch because I'm so busy. And yeah. And then a couple hours later, you look, you know, you find it hidden ingredient was sugar, and now you feel this lull at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. So, you know, it's not working with you, it's working against you. So, you know, look food is, is, so what do we use food for? We use it for celebration. Um, it's, it's, it's our culture, right? Different weeks, rest culture, through different dishes that we make. Um, and we share with family and friends, um, it's also used for celebration gatherings, um, a lot of cookouts in the summer where we're not, um, you know, maybe it's easily, you can easily go off track, um, maybe not eating the best or, uh, nutritious food for yourself because you're talking and you're, you know, you're not, you're not going to naturally have a list of foods, uh, to eat when you just want to have a good time, which that's an important piece of health too, is to enjoy yourself. So, um, you know, food is not, it's a job you have, it's, it's a way of, um, we, uh, you know, we have to really pay attention because it's, there's so much distraction out there. So basically, yeah, I like the way you're saying that, because,

Speaker 2:

Um, in I'm just even thinking about like my past week of seeing patients and how often this comes up, as far as nutrition and the way you're saying it is just open your heart. Think about it, put your, put your mind to your foods. Don't just sorta grab stuff. And, and I, and I have to tell the listeners and the Watchers that, um, when I read Lisa's book, um, it, her, the way that she recommends that you approach this is so subtle, and it's so gentle that you start doing it. You don't even notice you're doing it. They're like, oh, okay. And you gently start changing what you're doing. You see some nice little, little change, but you're, you're asking us to approach our food with some, some thoughts, some mindfulness, it's not just grab it, Ram it in your mouth. Um, and it, yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So that kind of leads me into yeah. Like, okay. So I was kind of talking about like, anyone can Google, um, what to eat. We can look on Pinterest for healthy meals. We're all doing this kind of stuff. Right? Cause we want to feel good. Ultimately, no one wants to not feel good at the end of the day, we want to, we want to nourish our bodies. So they work for us. So I think what, you know, now we can think about not what we eat, but how we eat it. That that's a big factor that, you know, you're not going to see in the latest diets. And there are hundreds of different diets out there, but knowing how to eat and what you were talking about, Charlise the mindful eating the slowing down with the meal, um, that definitely, um, affects, um, how you are, you know, you begin to, to intuitively know what's good for you and what's not good for you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. For us mindful eating, if you don't mind, because I'm in part of what inspired me to want to do this with you again, was that topic ended up being extremely popular for the followers was mindful eating. Why don't you describe in case someone didn't hear that podcast? What mindful eating is?

Speaker 1:

Sure. Um, as I spoke about, um, it is, it's not the, what you're eating, it's the, how you're eating it. So it actually affects your digestion, uh, differently. And it gives your body a chance to catch up to your brain and say, Hey, wait a minute. I'm full. And I don't need that extra bites. So it helps with portion control. That's the hell. But going through the motions, there are, you know, steps into, um, the process. So the first I like to even it's even before, uh, your food is, um, eaten, I think it starts with, um, even like cooking. Like I talk about home cooking when you're, you know, there's a difference between even, and I see a lot more restaurants are providing like farm, fresh vegetables. And I like to see that, or, you know, um, locally, uh, fresh produce or, um, a local, um, catch of the day, maybe a local fish or whatever you want, depending upon where you're living. But yeah, that's, you know, wonderful, but, you know, uh, does it also another vitamin in food and we call that vitamin L, which is when, and like, love, meaning when you're preparing food for yourself and your family, for friends, you're putting, you're enjoying it. You're putting your, um, your, your heart and soul into it. And even if you don't cook, you're a Catholic choosing where, what foods will be pleasing to your dinner party, or it doesn't. I mean, it could be just yourself too, and it could be just another one other person. It doesn't need to be like this huge, um, gathering. So I just, you know, when you're, when you're cooking yourself, you're thinking, well, I'm not gonna, you know, you're thinking of ways to, to make it healthier. So you're looking for those brighter vegetables. You're not putting so much, um, sugar or salt on the meal because, you know, you want it to be, you want it to be healthy because you love the people who, who you're cooking for. So that vitamin L is, um, not to say, I love to go eat out to eat, but, you know, five days a week might not be great for my waistline because I've also worked as a waitress in a restaurant. And they're, if you've gone out to eat know, um, the cooks are extremely, they're under a lot of stress. And so the waitress is actually, and when you're under that stress, you're not, you know, it's, it's hard. They love what they do. I'm sure. And they, they're wonderful and they produce such wonderful meals, but, you know, they're putting out like 50 meals, a hundred meals, and it's hard to, you know, produce a meal that you would produce yourself just for your family. It's just the numbers don't match up. So just that, you know, before even starting the mindful eating it's, it's, it's preparing the meal and it's also preparing the table, you know, simple little things like a base of flowers or, um, it doesn't have to be a base. It could be one flower, I think sometimes one flowers, so pretty, just one rose, but it just, it's your time. It's, you know, it's, it's for me when I come home from work, I like, I love sitting by the table and I just love, it's like, it's, it's a break. And it forces you to, you know, to sit down and do something for yourself to enjoy a good meal. I've heard people who, um, changed, um, their, uh, their dishes. Um, just, just so they won't be bored. They, you know, like to see, and it's pretty common to change talking months, right? Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So that, that brings me to my next question. Um, topic with you, which is self-love self-love um, this is a topic that I'm, I'm finding a strong need to bring up quite a bit with my patients, with my clients. Um, self-love first off how you define self-love. I'd love to know that. And then I want you to use your experience, your health coaching experience to tell us how we can love ourselves with our food in particular, how you feel that's different from indulging ourselves with food.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. Well, first of all, you asked the question about self-love yeah. It's, there's expressing self-love is through for yourself and it's, so let's do that. You know, you first you have to, before first you have to love yourself to project that love on to others. And that's so overlooked. Um, today I would say the society it's, it's heard it mentioned. Um, but I, oh, sorry. You probably have to cut that up. Could I just,

Speaker 2:

You're fine. Yeah, it froze a little bit, but that's okay. I think the listeners will understand. Um, but yeah, you, you were telling us the importance of self love. No, you're fine to go on.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So, um, what have to do you have to actually do it intentionally, meaning that you have to, when you're caring for yourself, um, it could be something that you love, like, um, a lot of women love to have their nails done, so you can go get your nails done because you want them to look, you know, you, um, going to work that week and you just, you, you, you, you know, we use our hands a lot, so you just, you need your hands to look nice. So you want to get your nails done, or, and then you just kind of rush through, you're listening to the people on the left of you, to the right of you and the complaining about their family and the complaining about their kids. And it doesn't become this. It doesn't, that's not what self care is. Self care is. You intentionally know that you're getting your nails done and it's your time. It's not selfish. It's your time to replenish you and who you are and to be pampered and to be, and just to say, yep, I am doing this for me so that I can go on and do my job for others. Now, a lot of times, as women and men too, we sometimes hold back on this because we feel like we're being selfish. Oh, this, I got to cut the grass. Oh, I have to, um, vacuum the house. No. Um, when you fill your cup up, then your cup spills over and you can help other people. So we have to keep, you know, that's th that's a mindset and it happens with intention. Self-love happens with intention. And if you are, you know, caught for time, a lot of, you know, even in the morning, a morning shower, some people just go, you know, you can just go through it and it's a job, or it can be a form of self love. It doesn't have to be an obvious, um, act like getting a massage, um, or just, you know, being by yourself for an hour. It can, you know, it can be something like incorporating it into your day and it can be something that you're already doing. But now when you change the intention to do this is an act I'm doing from myself, then it becomes nourishing. And that's where you're nourishing. That's where other things, uh, actions besides food become nourishing to your body.

Speaker 2:

And, um, in one of these, I'm just so happy that you can join me in doing this is that, um, I hope that the listeners will notice that, you know, you are a health coach and your main focus is to help lose weight. Not once. Have you mentioned a lack, you have not created any dearth, nothing in what you've told us has been taken away. Anything, all I've heard you say so far is add, add. So I hope the listeners pick up on that. That's a, um, concept I'm constantly trying to, um, communicate it's. So I'm deciding we're teaming up because this whole time you have yet to say anything that we must go without. I hear you offering me all kinds of things that I need to add to my life.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I'm glad you heard that. That's what makes it fun. You don't want things your way. That's why I, you know, diets. Um, that's, that's why they do work. And then they don't work because what happens is, you know, how long can you be restricted of your favorite foods? How long can you be restricted of not having such things as you know, being exhausted in and doing such, you know, exercises every day that lasts for so long, and then sooner or later when there is a interruption in your life, it's going to fall apart. And then what happens is it's the, it's the cycle of, okay, now we feel bad about ourselves because we were unsuccessful. No, you are successful. We're just human. And we have emotions and things come up because we live in this world. That's always changing. So it's, that's, you know, so it's a more of, okay, looking at like, what am I doing? Right. What's going well, how am I doing better than I did last week, last week, I drank two glasses of water. Now I'm enjoying drinking four glasses of water this week, and maybe, you know, next week and cooperate six glasses of water into my day. Something it's the small changes that make it, that make the it's the small, small changes that make the big change that we can notice. So it's not an overnight pill magic pill. You can take it's these.

Speaker 2:

Yes. Yes. It's a sleep. Thank you. And I'm telling you what I'm learning in this journey, and it's just so good to have you share this wisdom with the listeners is that it takes time, his patience, his attitude of abundance. Oh my goodness. I'm so glad you're conveying this. My last question for you, um, in your book in chapter 12, practice gratitude with attitude. So please explain to us how gratitude helps you, how gratitude helps your clients. Um, can you tell us some about that?

Speaker 1:

Okay. This definitely is a part of your health and it also is a part, it also attributes to, you know, losing weight. Yes, it does. I know. It's like, how can me, you know, how can you, if you say, thank you, how can you lose weight? Well, what's happening is you are it's, it's the law of attraction in action. What you set your mind to, uh, become, it becomes greater, or it attracts more. So if you are, obviously, if you're getting discouraged, as I said earlier with you, diet, what's going to happen is, you know, you're just going to, um, get more and more down on yourself. But if you have this attitude of, um, gratefulness what's going to happen is all of a sudden, you'll be looking on your, you know, your email and all of a sudden a wonderful recipe will pop up. Like you look to start attracting, um, like the recipes

Speaker 2:

In your emails.

Speaker 1:

Well, you attracted it, your, your, your, your

Speaker 2:

Peach movie

Speaker 1:

Recipe. Oh my God. Yeah. And

Speaker 2:

I was like, this is

Speaker 1:

So lovely. I it's me. It's a dessert. I, I have had fun this summer with smoothies because they taste great some nutritious. So how can you know, how, and they're so colorful and they're there so that, how can you go wrong? And it's great for kids too, because of the, you know, the, the bright orange is the, even the greens. They're like, you know, you can like really sneak in some which I've done sneak in some spinach and kale in a smoothie. And no one knows that's an active. I know what changed from me, myself personally, is, um, is having a gratitude journal. Not that I get to it every day. And that's, that's okay because we're, we're forgiving, but just getting, you know, getting, um, even on the days that aren't so great. Just finding five things that happened in that day, because I do, I actually write in mine at night typically. So I'm finding five things in the day that I'm grateful for. And it could be so simple. It could be, um, my dog came running over to me when I entered the door. It could be, oh, wow. I got this. My coffee was so good this morning at the drive-through. It could be something very simple that you do all the time, but taking the time to say, thank you. And it fills you up. Number one. And it's also magically over time. You're going to see how you're attracting this energy of, of, of where you want to, you know, who you want to be and what, how you see yourself living. You're, you're attracting these good recipes you're attracting, um, uh, the books into your life. They're going to help your attracting friends into your life that are, that are, um, I'm going to support you on this journey. So it all, you know, it could be sometimes you like, oh, I have, you know, kids running around, I'm taking care of an aging parent, or I'm doing both kids in parent. I don't have time. Well, just saying, thank you can do the trick. Sometimes I can't get to my journal. I had a full day, um, you know, lying in bed and I'm like, oh, I didn't get to my journal, but you know what? I can sit there. Um, it is more powerful on your, write something down, however, I can just sit back and, um, just, you know, say thank you. And in my mind, think of some things during the day that went well.

Speaker 2:

So Lisa, thank you so much for joining me. This has been awesome. Um, I'm gonna, um, go find some vitamin ale to put some vitamins, but before we part ways, can you let the listeners and the Watchers know what you have going on? If you'd like to let them know how to find you, any offerings that you have and listeners, I'll make sure you guys have something visual in the show notes.

Speaker 1:

Okay, fantastic. Yes, I am Facebook Lisa, and I know you're going to also put this down in the notes you had said. And also my name, um, my handle on IgG on Instagram would just be simply Lisa Earhart. And lastly I have from my wonderful listeners, or I should say to your wonderful listeners Is I did. Um, yeah, I thought it would be helpful to have a handout, um, that was created just for these listeners. I think it would be helpful if they can download it on your PI podcast. It's a freebie, it's eight tips to lose those unwanted pounds. So you can, some of them, you may be doing some of you might be new, but it's a good guide and support. And knowing that we believe that it can be done.

Speaker 2:

Lisa, thank you so much. It's so awesome. It's awesome to see your face. Also, we're doing this and listeners and Watchers. I'll make sure you have all of her information. I think this could be really valuable. And then also her book is for sale on Amazon as well. So don't forget that, but I'll have all of that in the show notes. Thank you all so much for joining us for the art of healing, podcasts, especial video and podcast episode, we will see you next week. Bye-bye.