The Hope Wellness Podcast

Ep24 - Building the Life of Your Dreams, Listening to Your Intuition, Solo Travel & Rediscovering Yourself

Have you ever experienced *that* inner voice - the one that starts out really quiet, that is whispering to you that either something is off, or there is more out there for you, or that you are meant for something different than what your current reality is? You hear it, but you continue to silence it, you don't give it much thought or maybe you force it to be quiet because what it's suggesting seems too scary or impossible. Until that voice gets louder and louder, until it's no longer something you can ignore, until it either forces you to make a shift in your life, or seriously look at what you're putting your energy into. Have you ever experienced that?
 
In todays society, we have been programmed to ignore our inner navigational systems, we have been told we cannot trust ourselves and we should not 'listen to our gut instincts'. But what if this is what we're all missing? What if being able to listen to ourselves, our deepest most truest selves, and feel confident in being able to act on those inner intuitions to better live in true alignment is the super power we all HAVE, but have forgotten how to bring back to life?
 
We ALL have an inner voice, an intuition, gut feelings, instincts. Whatever you want to call it. But how often do we listen to it? How often do we trust it and let it guide us?
 
In this episode, I have my bestie Camille (@camillejoannexo) join me for some deep, heart opening and raw chats. She is a soul coach who specializes in breathwork, trauma and anxiety. She herself has been through some life rollercoasters, and we talk about our own journeys through heart break, losing ourselves, living with fear and climbing out of our dark chapters.
 
If you've ever been curious around how to live in more alignment, what alignment even feels like and what it might look like for you, how to trust and listen to your inner voice better and more often, the self growth and self love journey many of us deserve and need, AND the power of solo travel / solitude and what that does to our personal growth, self confidence and self love... This is the episode for you.
 
Enjoy lovelies, and remember you deserve a FULL ABUNDANT LIFE xo!
 
How to connect with Camille:
IG: @camillejoannexo
Her Website: https://www.healwithcamille.com/
Her Podcast with her Sis: https://www.thedenmothers.com/

Ep23 - The Power of Food Freedom, Practicing Gratitude, Healing From Burn Out and Full Body YES’S

Welcoming back my dear friend Shelley, an Integrative Nutrition Coach (@shelley.western) to unpack A LOT in this episode. Grab a latte or some snacks, pull up a chair or go on a walk with us - we have a lot to talk about. Everything from burn out, feeling lost and stressed out, escaping toxic diet culture, focusing on gratitude and shifting your perspective, finding food freedom and so much more...
 
3:00 - Being afraid to ask for help, feeling drained and like we can't keep up with life. The pressure of all the things we feel we need to do as women, as entrepreneurs etc, you don't need to do it all by yourself.
 
6:00 - Feeling burnt out. Grieving an old version of you, and figuring out what is truly aligned for you. Symptoms of burn out and what I realized in order to heal and keep moving forward.
 
9:00 - Physical manifestations of burn out, stress induced migraines. Diet culture taking over and running our body's into the ground...
 
12:00 - What happened when I went through a toxic break up, a car accident and was dealing with chronic pain out of nowhere. How your body shuts down and forces you to slow down when you're burnt out or in desperate need of rest and compassion. You are a human being, not a machine.
 
15:00 - What I'm doing now after a period of burn out and severe exhaustion/depression. What I realized is actually important in my life, and how I'm prioritizing what is aligned. 
 
19:00 - Gratitude mindset and being present in your life. Why we can't compare ourselves to others, and how can we focus on all the good in our lives. How the mundane things are the most special moments.
 
25:00 - Finding food freedom, giving yourself unconditional permission to enjoy food and hour cravings, how to ultimately free yourself from food guilt and toxic diet culture type mindsets...
 
28:00 - Was Shelley vegan? How disordered eating can manifest and how we tried to convince ourselves that we didn't like certain foods, even though it was really just us tricking ourselves into staying stuck in disorder eating patterns - what we thought was normal, but it was truly harmful. All or nothing mindsets and how these sabotage us.
 
30:00 - Full body yes's, and no longer punishing yourself - how can you become more aligned in your life, and choose things that feel really good - the messy parts of finding food freedom, and accepting where you're at

Ep22 - Stop Over Training and Start Listening To Your Body, Back Pain & How To Support Your Back Health

BACK PAIN... I'll admit, maybe not the sexiest topic, but arguably one of the MOST important topics that not enough people are talking about or are aware of.
 
BACK HEALTH & BACK PAIN - I can almost guarantee most of you tuning in have at some point experienced back pain, or maybe you presently have back issues that just don't seem to ever correct themselves. In this episode, I have President of Back Fit Pro and Owner of Spirit & Spine Restoration in Victoria BC, Sarah (who is also my bestie in real life), join me to discuss everything spine, common back injuries, how over training is causing you more harm and sabotaging your progress, and how to listen to your body to ensure you are supporting yourself for the long term!
 
I personally struggled from a year long chronic injury that had me in a ton of pain and almost unable to get out of bed for months - yet no one could tell me what was wrong. I had multiple tests done, had gone to the ER multiple times, saw several professionals and yet zero answers. It wasn't until about a year later, when thankfully the universe brought Sarah into my life, that she was able to distinguish my intolerable stomach pain as a bulged disc in my spine which had been radiating pain (likely due to years of bodybuilding and over training / not properly taking care of my spine health!). This subject is eye opening, and we provide you with some great things to consider as well as some ways to rest or support your back if you do experience pain, if you're sitting for long hours for work, or if you just want to prioritize long term back health (which we all should be doing!).
 
Reach out to Sarah if you have back pain, and check out some of her other resources:
 
Sarah's website: www.sarahbackfit.com
Sarah's email: sarah@backfitpro.com 
Backfitpro’s Website: www.backfitpro.com 
Link to “Back Mechanic” by Stuart McGill: https://www.backfitpro.com/books/back-mechanic-the-mcgill-method-to-fix-back-pain/ 
(10% off code for the book: “SarahBFP2021”)

Ep21 - Building Your Self Confidence, Becoming the Master of Your Mind & The Importance of Our Inner Narratives

Do you often feel like you're your own worst enemy? Does your inner narrative uplift you or beat you down? Do you have true inner confidence that fills you from within, or are you usually just putting on a facade to act like you have it all together when in reality it feels like you're never doing enough or good enough?
 
Our inner dialogue is incredibly powerful, and too many women are living their lives with low self esteem, negative self talk and ultimately lacking true self confidence. My very special guest, Janelle Lynnae (IG: @janelle_lynnae) and I dive into this very important topic and discuss how certain stories we tell ourselves are holding us back, how our inner narratives dictate our level of confidence and feelings of self worth, how body image ties into our level of self awareness around how we speak to ourselves, and ultimately how to start taking action to improve your mindset and take your power back in your life. 
 
Janelle is the CEO of Next Level Confidence, she is a confidence coach, the best selling author of 'Flex Your Confidence Muscle' and an international speaker. 
 
This episode is intended to help you be more self aware and mindful of the narrative going on within, to help you begin building your self confidence and to also help you realize that not everyone has it all together and that comparing ourselves to others or what we see online only sets us up for more suffering and resistance. 
 
Check out the resources below to connect with Janelle and/or dive into her offerings that help women build their confidence!
 
Free Masterclass: 
https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/nextlevelconfident
 
Her book on Amazon: 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XZFR8QP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A3J3FYZNTA4Y6SZWHPDK
 
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/janelle_lynnae?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Ep20 - Toxic Fitness Culture and The Pressures We Place on Ourselves, Body Image Struggles, What Chronic Stress Can Do to The Body & Mind, Choosing Love over Fear

An incredibly special episode with an incredibly special person in my life - I invite my bestie Makaila Nichols (@makaila.nichols.wellness) on for this action packed episode where we dive into A LOT in regards to what we both went through in our journeys out of toxic fitness culture and navigating body image and crippling mindsets that came from being in that space for so many years, different struggles with chronic stress and how that manifested in our lives and in our physical bodies, our journeys towards self love and choosing ourselves and ALSO how we met (it's a really crazy story...)
 
There is of course something to be said about going after what you want and working hard towards your goals yes - but there is SO much value here in realizing that you are a HUMAN BEING, not a human doing. Often times we think we need to be doing more, working harder, more successful, rush rush rush, now now now, more more more... when in reality if we're running on autopilot and with the blinders on, never stopping to take a breath or to prioritize what truly matters to us, we not only miss our whole life, but we slowly start to run into road blocks put in place by our bodies in hopes that we slow down - and then when we IGNORE those signals and don't slow down, we are FORCED to stop or come crashing down in a way that we never expected. 
 
This is exactly what happened to Makaila (and myself for that matter). We both were working in over drive, ignoring all signals from our bodies that we were heavily stressed, in fight or flight mode and BARELY surviving - and yet we kept pushing on. It was a rude awakening for both of us when our bodies LITERALLY started to give out on us, we experienced extreme fatigue, pain or injuries, rashes or skin irritations, mental breakdowns and more...
 
It wasn't until we were quite literally FORCED to slow down, to question our daily lives, to look within, that we were then able to slowly begin the healing journey...
 
And there is SO much to be learned in that healing journey... I hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it! 
 
**STAY TUNED FOR OUR BESTIE PODCAST - coming to your earbuds real soon ;)
 
 

Ep19 - 4 Things to Avoid Before/During/After the Holidays if you Struggle with Food Guilt or Over Eating

I remember when the holidays were a very stressful time for me and everything was about food and my body. Whether I was thinking about what I wasn’t going to allow myself to eat, what I was planning on binging or over indulging on, what I was saving up for in terms of calories and treats, what I was going to do after the food to ‘make up for it’ - you name it, it was on my mind.
 
I KNOW just how common these thoughts are - even if you don/t think what you're doing before holidays or dinners is disordered eating, it often times is - tooooo many people do these things and just arent even aware of the consequences both mentally and physically... The main point I want to get across is that we do not need to be going to extremes EVER but especially not around the holidays, it's completely unnecessary and we don't need to be entering January feeling like we need to hop on the next restrictive diet. I encourage you to find balance and adopt some habits and mindsets that help you create a LIFESTYLE you love! Of course if you ever need help finding balance and getting out of toxic diet culture eating / thinking patterns I am always here to help. You can send me a message on IG (@marisahopeee) or head over to hopewellnessonlinecoaching.com to connect with me!
 
In this episode I share 4 things to AVOID, so let me also share a few things to focus on that may help you be more mindful and present:
 
1. focus on eating enough throughout the day before a dinner or event, having balanced meals will help you feel energized, satiated and not fixated on food
2. enjoy all foods and meals you love even if you're going to be having a dinner or meal out, restricting only leads to food fixation!
3. tune into fullness and hunger cues - don't be afraid to pause and reflect on how you're actually feeling - are you grabbing seconds because you're genuinely hungry or is it because everyone else is (likewise, are you not allowing yourself to have seconds because no one else is? Tune into YOUR needs.)
4. continue with usual routines (movement, mindset work, things that make you feel good etc) can all coexist in your holiday plans. Perhaps they need to be shortened in length but nothing needs to be all or nothing!
5. Be present and reflect on the gratitude you feel towards the people you're spending time with, this is truly what matters! (do the same with your body, instead of being negative towards it, reflect on all it does for you and allows you to experience, show it kindness and appreciation!)

Ep18 - Manifesting, Adopting a Mindset That Will Give You The Life You Want and Deserve, and Ditching Your 9-5 Job

It's no surprise or shock that times have changed - more and more people are waking up to realize they are not happy, satisfied or fulfilled in their everyday life, in their corporate office job or in what they're spending their time and energy on most of the time.
 
There is SO much new opportunity out in the world and there are so many avenues available to us now that allows us to put our hobby, passions or skills into creating a business or career that we love and truly feel fulfilled doing. My good friend and guest Nicole (IG - @myalignedpurpose) did just that. She thought she was in a job she once felt passionate about doing, but soon realized she was miserable and uninspired in her 9-5 job, and realized there was a limit to what she could earn and do for herself. Then, she decided to take a leap and put together what she was passionate about and what she was skilled in to create her own business (that she co owns with her lovely biz partner Kaila)  and begin living the life she always wanted. 
 
This episode is all about HOW to start manifesting the life of your dreams, believe in yourself and also adopt a mindset that supports you instead of hinders you. YOU are the creator of your story, you get to write the script. Do you feel your life is just passing you by, and you're either stuck, living in fear or unsure of what truly lights you up? I hope this episode gives you clarity and also inspires you in knowing YOU can do anything. The world is your oyster, reach out to either of us if you'd like support or want to know how to take the next step in manifesting the life you WANT!

Ep17 - Raising Your Vibration, Connecting With Your Higher Self and Listening To Your Intuition

Ever wondered about your energy on a spiritual level? What about listening to your intuition, or raising your vibration? Maybe you've heard about connecting with your 'higher self' and that we're all souls reincarnated into this body, this lifetime, this present awareness. Or maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about and have never heard these words before. If you resonate with the latter, you'd be just like me a year ago - I had never heard of soul contracts, energetic readings or anything to do with raining your vibrations.
 
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Soul Star Energy Collective, Mandy and Allison (IG: @soul.star.energy.collective) who are Healers, Intuitives and Spiritual Teachers. My own spiritual journey began only a year ago and it's something that has empowered me beyond measure. I encourage you to remain open and curious as you listen, because this may be all new to you, and that's okay!
 
Empowering yourself to go within and do the inner work that is being called for you to do, is allowing you to learn lessons in life and become the best version of yourself. This can often times be even translated back to helping us heal our body image and other struggles as it allows us to connect with our true inner being, instead of just identifying with our physical body. In this episode we talk about healing work at a deeper energetic level, accessing deeper layers of our souls, and how our spirit guides may choose to connect with us. I hope you enjoy this one, and if you have any questions always feel free to reach out to myself, or Allison and Mandy via Instagram! 

Ep16 - Hormones, Post Birth Control Syndrome, Fertility and Preconception Care

In this special episode, I have the honour of chatting with Loren @innate_fertility
- a Fertility Wellness Specialist - around everything to do with Hormonal Contraceptives, her experience with the pill and the side effects she experienced after coming off of it, her knowledge around fertility and preconception care and also around body image when it comes to changes within the female body.
 
Replenishing nutrients, reducing stress and healing the body after coming off the birth control pill is extremely important for overall health and hormonal balance, and we discuss a few ways and methods to prioritize your health in this stage. We also discuss the importance around ensuring your body has what it needs in general, but especially around the preconception / pregnancy phase of a woman's life. 
 
Overall, it's YOUR choice what you do with your body and you deserve to have a better understanding of what makes you feel good, what is supportive to your health and happiness, and how to empower yourself in your own decisions in supporting your health and overall wellbeing. I hope this episode gives you clarity and reinforces the autonomy you deserve to have over your own body.

Ep15 - Breaking the Disorded Eating Habits that Diet Culture Deems ’Healthy’, Finding Food Freedom, Raising Children with a Balanced Outlook on Health/Nutrition

Welcome to another episode my Nourished Queens! It was such a pleasure to have Shelley (an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach) join me to talk about her personal struggles with body dysmorphia at a young age, how she slowly began to heal her relationship with food and her journey throughout her modelling/acting career. 
 
We discussed in this episode the food rules and restrictions we often place on ourselves (due to diet culture narratives and conditioning from society to view food as the enemy or punish ourselves when we enjoy something), whether this is mental or physical restriction and just how detrimental these things can be to our overall health and wellbeing. 
 
She reached a point in her restrictive phase where she finally said 'I can't do this anymore'. When her hair started to fall out, when she said 'no' to birthday cake at her own child's birthday,  she realized something had to change and she began to breakdown food rules one at a time which she says was incredibly important for her to move forward in her healing journey - looking back on these moments, she's able to give herself compassion as it's all she knew at the time, but knows now that those mental and physical restrictions were no longer okay.
 
Your journey towards food freedom may not be linear or 'feel easy' but it's incredibly important that we all start to break free and take our power back. A life spent consumed by food rules is no life at all. We also discuss what it's like navigating triggering emotions while raising children with a balanced outlook on health and nutrition, as a mom she is incredibly aware of how she raises her kids so they have a healthy balance with food and their body's.
 
Go follow Shelley on IG and TikTok @shelley.western - she has incredibly helpful and entertaining content around everything we talk about in this episode!