208.Top Health Bites of the Year: Key Takeaways for a Healthier You

 It's almost 2025, and on this episode, we'll celebrate the year on Health Bite with a look back at some incredible insights.

What You'll Learn From these Episode:

• The key themes of the Health Bite Podcast this 2024
• Recap of recommended and most listened episodes you don’t want to miss.
• Explore past episodes for more insights on self-awareness, motivation, and mind-body practices.

P.S.Don’t forget to revisit these 2024 episodes for deeper insights and actionable strategies!

Key Themes of 2024:

1. The Power of Self-Awareness: This year, we focused on understanding our bodies and emotions to manage cravings and stress.

• Episode: Mastering Your Cravings Without the Battle

2. Navigating Stress: We learned how stress can be a guide and explored techniques like deep breathing to manage reactivity.

• Episode: How Deep Breathing Exercises Help You Manage Reactivity

3.Sustaining Motivation: We discovered that starting small and connecting actions to a deeper purpose fuels long-term motivation.

• Episode: Finding and Maintaining Motivation for Difficult Things

4.Embracing Self-Compassion: Treating ourselves with kindness during struggles leads to resilience and growth.

• Episode: Embracing Self-Compassion: Transforming Your Relationship with Food and Body Image

5.Intentional Living: Aligning actions with values and prioritizing rest and joy were key takeaways for a fulfilling life.

• Episodes: Your Joy Toolkit Builds Mental Strength and Resilience with Daily Doses of Joy

Looking Ahead to 2025:

• Reflect on the lessons from 2024 that resonate most with you.
• Join Dr. Youdim on January 14th for a six-week program on managing stress and improving emotional regulation.
• Get details in the show notes or by subscribing to Dr. Youdim's newsletter (DrAdrienneyoudim.com).

Thank You!

Dr

Ways that Dr. Adrienne Youdim Can Support You

1. Join the Monthly Free Mind-Body Workshops: Participate in engaging mind-body practices designed to help manage your stress response. Register here.
2. Sign Up for the Newsletter: Stay updated with valuable insights and resources by subscribing to the newsletter. Sign up here.
3. Freebie alert. Register for our monthly free MindBody Workshop and receive a downloadable guide on emotional labeling to help you manage your emotions effectively.

Connect with Dr. Adrienne Youdim

• Website :https://www.dradriennespeaks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradrienneyoudim/

Transcript

Hi friends, welcome to the end of the year mashup of Health Bite, the podcast where I offer small, actionable bites to greater physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. I'm your host, Dr. Adrienne Youdim, and I'm a triple board certified internist, obesity medicine, and physician nutrition specialist. And I have learned in working with patients and clients for nearly 20 years that good nutrition is not just about the food that you eat, but all the ways in which we can nourish ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. Together, we explore the intersection of science, nutrition, health, and well-being in the pursuit of living well. These quick bites will leave you feeling motivated, empowered, and inspired. And again, welcome. This is the final episode of Health Bite for the year. And I can't believe we're here. I can't believe we're at the end of the year, right? So as we close out another year together, I decided to reflect on some of the themes that we've explored together on this podcast. This year, as always, has been more than just about health tips. It's about creating a foundation for intentional, meaningful living. because that's what matters, right? So with that intention, let's look back on some of the highlights and some of the recurrent themes that have defined our conversations together, including a deeper dive into our most listened to episodes. Sound good? All right, let's do it then. So one of the recurring threads throughout the year has been the power of self-awareness. We've discussed how important awareness is when it comes to managing our cravings, to stress management, and to maintaining motivations for our goals, whatever the goals may be. And so the first step is always coming back and tuning into our bodies, into our emotions, our feelings, and our needs. So many of you have shared how transformative it has been to incorporate pause in order to do this, in order to make time and space to reflect, to be present, and to approach our challenges with a sense of curiosity rather than judgment. And one of the times that we discussed this in detail is in our number one most downloaded episode of the year, which was mastering your cravings without the battle. You know, cravings are a way that our bodies communicate with us. And we talked about how cravings try and point us in the direction of a deeper need. On the surface, it may sound like it's about the food, about the chocolate chip cookie, about the bag of chips. But we recognize that it actually represents a deeper spiritual and emotional need. And by recognizing this, we can get clued into our true needs. Again, whether they are physical, emotional, or psychological. And for me, this is just such a beautiful way to reframe cravings because it really allows us to approach it as an opportunity. When we can pause in those moments and ask ourselves, what am I truly hungry for? We give ourselves an opportunity to honor our body's signal as a message of what we are in need of. And so this reframe is not only intentional, but it's also non-judgmental. And this one shift is so critical to breaking the cycles of guilt, deprivation, self-deprecation that ironically only serve to magnify our cravings. This episode, I think, transformed the way we think about cravings so that instead of battling them and creating more friction, we learned to lean into them, to view them as signals to our unmet needs. and in this episode i also give you a step-by-step meditation in how to approach the cravings in that moment in an actionable and tangible way and i'm so grateful that so many of you benefited from this you reached out and shared how this shift helped you not only manage your cravings but also to nurture a more loving and compassionate relationship with your friends. And honestly, my friends, that is beautiful and really, really powerful. We also had several episodes that focused on stress and reactivity. I mean, do you blame me? This was the year, um, where our stress, our stressors really peaked. I feel like, I feel like we've been saying that every year since before the pandemic, but it felt at least for me personally, my stress really peaked this year. and stress gives way to reactivity that's just hardwired in our biology however we can respond to stress in a way that is useful and not reactive because let's face it stress of course is an unavoidable part of life but Again, just like our cravings, it is also a signal. Our stress is a signal when something is not going right, but it can also shine a light on something that we care about or something that is in need of a change. And in this way, stress can be a guiding light. It can be a map, a blueprint, and again, an opportunity. But of course, it all depends on how we respond to that stress. We talked a lot about mind body skills and strategies in multiple episodes. And as you know, these are the skills that are rooted in ancient traditions, rooted in ancient wisdom. and yet are backed by modern science. These are the strategies that are tried and true in helping us navigate stressors in a useful way, bringing us out of reactivity and into intentionality. So in one of our, in another of our most listened to episodes, um, how deep breathing exercise or exercises help manage your reactivity. We talked about how we can use deep breathing to manage that reactivity. Breathing practices literally and physically regulate our nervous system. This is really concrete. And so in doing so, a breathing practice is grounding and it creates more space and opportunity for an intentional response as instead of a, um, automated or automatic or autopilot response, which happens when we let our nervous system get hijacked. I shared several breathing exercises on this episode. One was the four, seven, eight technique. So this is a technique in which we breathe in for a count of four. We pause or hold our breath. for a count of seven, and then we exhale for a count of eight. When we do this, we bring some slowness into our breathing. So, we literally regulate our breathing by slowing it down. But also when we prolong that exhale, so notice that the inhale was a count of four, but the exhale was a count of eight, double. That prolonged exhale helps stimulate the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic or the rest and relax part of the nervous system. I also shared with you on that episode the technique behind soft belly breathing. And so this is a practice in which you soften your belly on the inhale. Imagine most of the time when we breathe in, we usually go and that inhale, that sucking in, in essence, you're sucking your belly in on the inhale. which is exactly the opposite of what we're supposed to do. We're actually supposed to soften the belly on the inhale. And you can imagine trying to bring this air in through your nose and down to the deepest, deepest part of your lungs, the part of your lung that is sitting or abutting against your abdomen. So when you soften that belly, you allow the air to physically fill the lower spaces of your lungs, and in doing so, you activate, again, those receptors in your lower lungs that activate the parasympathetic response. As opposed to breathing up in your chest, like when we hyperventilate, that breathing actually perpetuates fight or flight, the sympathetic response. So we went through a bunch of breathing practices on that episode, but breathing is just one of the mind-body practices that helps us navigate stress and to allow us to reset during moments of overwhelm. There are so many restorative practices like mindfulness in general and specifically mindful eating practices, mindful moving practices, These are all valuable strategies to help stress, help settle the stress response, to create space, intentionality, and to allow for our own wisdom, our own intuition to shine through. And this, my friends, is such a critical part of self-awareness and personal growth. So mindfulness is a way to reset the mind, to allow for deep personal introspection and contemplation in a world that is so busy. And it is a way to give ourselves an opportunity to connect with that deeper wisdom, our inner wisdom. But if that feels too daunting, which I know some of you have responded and shared with me that it is, don't forget that you can journal, you can spend time in nature, you can engage in a guided visualization practice, all of which can be found in our Health Bite Archives. These are all also evidence-based practices that can help you achieve this groundedness and clarity. Mind-body practices are essential for replenishing our energy so we can show up as our best selves. And that's why we dedicated so many episodes in 2024. And again, if you miss them, I recommend that you head back over to the archives and find them because they may be just what you need right now. to help settle you at the end of this year. We also talked a lot about motivation as a sustainable practice, because any of us who've started something new, a new eating pattern, a new exercise routine, a new goal, whatever the case may be, you know that it's always fun, exciting, and totally doable until it's not, right? So one of my main goals on this podcast was not just to give you a to-do list, like a list of things to do, but also helping you with strategies so that you can actually do them. because sustaining our motivation is probably the most critical piece to achieving our personal goals, our professional goals, and to staying inspired when things get tough. So I shared some key lessons in one of our top three listen to episodes, finding and maintaining motivation for difficult things. In this episode, I shared with you that one of the keys to sustaining motivation is by starting small and staying consistent. Now, I know this is not sexy, right? We all look for these big, lofty, grandiose ideas. But guess what? Celebrating small wins and building on habits incrementally was a theme that we came back to again and again and again. I think we even talked about the science about it. We talked about neuroplasticity with Dr. Heather. But in the Finding Motivation episode, we talked about how progress isn't about perfection, but much more about persistence. Why? Because perfection is an obstacle. So is setting up these big lofty goals that we feel compelled to achieve all at once. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against big goals. Actually, I'm all for going big. But setting micro goals, like committing to, I don't know, 10 minutes of daily movement, this creates an entry point, a doable entry point. for subsequent larger achievements. When we achieve these micro goals, we give our brain the message that we can do the things that we set out to do. And this reinforces that inherent confidence that builds our inherent motivation and paves the way for so much more to come. We also talked about reconnecting with our purpose as a tool for motivation. So it's not going to be surprising to you that our motivation to doing things is most sustainable when it's tied to something deeper, a deeper meaning. a deeper sense of purpose. And so we revisited the power of asking, why does this matter? Why is this important to me? Whether we're talking about your health, your relationships, your career, finding and grounding yourself in that why provides the clarity and therefore the resilience to when our motivation hits challenging times. And that, my friends, is what builds inherent, intrinsic motivation. Finally, we talked a lot about self-compassion and why self-compassion is a much stronger driver of growth and success than self-criticism. In the episode titled, Embracing Self-Compassion, Transforming Your Relationship with Food and Body Image, we talked about the three components of a self-compassion practice and how this blueprint can be used not only to transform your relationship with food and your body, but in your relationship with anything important in your life. with any goal you are trying to achieve because let's face it guys goal setting and goal getting can be really hard and is not a linear process meaning there are ups and there are downs there's two steps forward one step back meaning that there are times when we will fail And self-compassion practices teach us what to do in those moments, how to treat ourselves kindly in moments of struggle, limitations, and self-doubt, allowing us to build a foundation for lasting motivation and one that is a more fulfilling journey. which is part of the deal, right? Like, it's not just about surviving, but actually thriving. It's not just about doing, but actually getting joy in what we're doing. And self-compassion, I think, is the key critical ingredient to not only getting out of our own way, but also reaching our goals or being on this journey with a sense of fulfillment and a sense of joy. Last but not least, one of our overarching themes of 2024, which we've actually peppered in and already talked about, has been intentionality. This idea that intentional living. Well, it actually was woven, I think, into nearly every episode of this year. The idea of showing up consistently for ourselves by connecting with our values, aligning with our actions, or rather aligning our actions with those values, meaning marrying what we do with what we actually say we care about. How often do we say we care about our health, we care about the relationships in our lives, we care about our children, but our time spent doing does not reflect those things which we say we genuinely care about. That is misalignment. And that happens when we are not mindful, when we are not intentional, when we get carried into the autopilot of life. We need to set time. We need to make time to wake ourselves up, get out of automaticity and autopilot and to get into intentional living. get into aligning our doing with our inherent knowing. And this, of course, is a process, my friends. Like all good things in life, this is not one undone. It's a process and it requires ongoing self-reflection. So, check in periodically, check in with yourself and ask, am I living in alignment with my values? Because just this question can help us course correct and stay true to our real goals and to our true values. This question is one that, again, is a work in progress. It's not about perfection. It's not about one and done. It's about the willingness to ask, to question, and to allow yourself to evolve and to adapt. One critical aspect of intentional living is setting boundaries. As we discussed in episode 172, titled The Power of Saying No, saying no to what does not serve you is critical, is essential to creating space for what does. And it allows us to prioritize what matters. Another aspect of intentional living is allowing for rest and restoration. So doing by not doing. In this episode, building rest into your busy life, we talked about how rest allows us to recharge. Rest gives us an opportunity to pause to gain perspective, and to refocus on what matters to us. So I encourage you to view rest and downtime as a non-negotiable part of living the lives that we intend for ourselves. This is the crux of intentionality. Finally, joy and connection are critical elements to living with intention. I received so many emails about the episode titled, Your Joy Toolkit Builds Mental Strength and Resilience with Daily Doses of Joy. I shared with you a story of riding in the Jeep with my dad, pulling down the roof and heading to the beach. I know when the emails start pouring out like that in minutes, within minutes of my Thursday newsletter, that this landed, that this resonated with all of you. And that just gives me so much joy. So take time to nurture relationships. Take time to engage in activities that bring you happiness and joy. and to celebrate your successes. These are all parts of creating a meaning, intentional, and joyful life. These moments of joy and connection not only refuel us, but they also strengthen a sense of purpose and alignment in our lives. And along those lines of strengthening relationships, I hope to continue to strengthen this beautiful three-year relationship that we've had together over the next year. I hope that you can see the common thread in Health Bite as I do. Our health is interconnected in all the ways that we nourish ourselves. not just the food that you eat, but the company that you keep, the words that you use towards yourself, how you think about yourself, whether or not you give yourself permission to engage in rest and play and contemplation. This is true nutrition and this is what I wholeheartedly wish to inspire in you. One of the most rewarding parts of this year has been hearing from all of you. Many of you have shared with me how these episodes have helped you in your approach to life, to showing up with greater curiosity, compassion, purpose, And whether it was in terms of mastering cravings or finding motivation or incorporating mind-body practices into your daily routine, your stories remind me of why this conversation matters. And I'm so deeply grateful to all of you. So as we step into this next new year, I encourage you to reflect on your own journey. What lessons have stuck with you? What areas are you excited to explore further in the year to come? And how can you do so in an intentional, self-compassionate way? And remember that this podcast is all about community and connection, and your feedback and stories continue to inspire me and shape the Health Bite podcast. So please reach out, leave us a review, share with us what you've loved, and help us grow this community. Last but not least, I wanna invite you to join me in taking a deep dive into the many strategies that we've discussed that will help you tap into your inherent wisdom and out of reactivity. I will be guiding you in a personalized journey. Over the course of six weeks, I will be teaching you science-based skills, grounded in ancient wisdom and tradition that will help you with emotional regulation, lessen your reactivity, alleviate anxiety, effectively navigate stress, and help you show up in your life in a way that is clear, focused, and intentional. these classes are intended to help you level up your life mind and body they'll be starting january 14th so just a couple weeks after the new year and will last for six weeks we will have six weeks together 90 minute live interactive sessions where I will teach you the skills where you will have time to build community in very small and curated groups of just 10 people. So if you are interested in learning more, you can go to the show notes and find a link there. Or better yet, subscribe to my newsletter at DrAdrianYadim.com where you can find all the information. I am once again so grateful and so honored to be on this journey with you. I'm wishing you a happy and healthy holidays and new year, mind, body and soul. And I'll see you again after the new year.